The hospitality of the South is equally as humbling as the climbing. This point was driven home one night when we were camped near Rocktown. My boyfriend, Jamie, and I were sitting by a small fire we had built when two strangers approached us. Being in the woods and rather ignorant of the true meaning of “Southern hospitality,” I was initially uncomfortable. Maybe we stole their campsite? Maybe we weren’t allowed to be here after all? Maybe all those crazy stories you hear about the deep south are true? I soon felt ashamed for questioning their intentions when they offered us free firewood, which we graciously accepted. Before we knew it we were sitting by a raging fire and a five-foot high stack of logs, all thanks to the kindness of some strangers. We soon learned that encounters like this were not uncommon in the South. When we were having trouble finding a place to camp, a local climber, Ronnie Jenkins, welcomed us into his home and acted as our tour guide for our time spent in Chattanooga. As silly as it may sound, the kindness I experienced in the South renewed a bit of my hope for humanity. Amazingly enough, places still exist where people take the time to say hello and random strangers strike up conversations. I’m glad I got to visit such a place and I think I’m certainly better for it.

We originally planned to spend three weeks in the South, but we were having so much fun that we extended the trip by a week. After seeing all the rock I saw down there (which was likely only the tip of the iceberg), I decided that I could probably extend my stay for years and still have plenty to climb on. We flirted with the idea of skipping Hueco all together and spending the remainder of our pre-Europe trip running around to The Stone Fort, Laurel Falls, Rocktown and Horse Pens. Then I thought about the projects I had left unfinished in Hueco on past trips. This was a good chance to try to tie up some loose ends, so we left the South, deciding that we might regret it if we didn’t go to Hueco. But, just to make sure I have good reason to return to the South (as if I needed another reason), I left some things unfinished there. And I still haven’t eaten my fill of barbeque…