RMNP

Quick Travels!  

One week to Rocky Mountain National Park.



After finishing my summer internship I earned a vacation to Colorado in RMNP. The trip was a huge success. Although, I cannot report a large number of ascents or a monumental milestone for climbing, I can report I returned psyched for the upcoming season.

Before leaving for RMNP I was prepared to try a plethora of problems and tried to keep my expectations rather low. Easier said then done.

I usually take the summers off from climbing and this summer was no exception. I did climb throughout the summer, but there was no training plan in place.

I ended up trying an area classic called Whispers of Wisdom.  I battled for an hour or so figuring out the moves, but in the end and after one classic "Brock Out", I prevailed. For the beginning of the season bagging a V10 considered a standard is a great start!

Check out the video here!

Finals Finale

This week is finals week.  The semester is coming to a close, which means my vacation is just a few days away.  Monday morning I will drive to school for the last time take a Mechanics of Materials final then  drive to the airport and depart for Colorado.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Although, this is not the optimal alpine season, there are plenty of boulders for this flatlander to sink his mitts into.  I feel as though I am in good shape and ready to take on the front range.  I have a few boulder problems I am returning for and hopefully the weather cooperates allowing me a chance to prove my worth.  

Typical climbing session 

Needless to say, this is the first time I have climbed outside of Michigan in roughly 2 years!  I'm Psyched!!!

Grand Ledge

Here in Michigan's Lower Peninsula we have a limited supply of rock.  So limited, the first time I visited Grand Ledge I had already climbed in Kentucky, Alabama and maybe even my first National climbing competition.  Needless to say everyone had told me how awful, terrible, chossy, waste of time it was, to even check out.

Across the railroad tracks

My first visit was with my dad.  We had brought our top rope gear and went to it on routes like Doug's Roof and Despondency.  I remember thinking about all the negativity and wondering why this place was so bad.  In fact, I told my father how much fun I had, not everyday I can climb outside.  Looking back I had a great attitude.  8 years later ...  A few friends and I packed up the truck and decided to go back and enjoy a day of outdoor bouldering.

Eight crash-pads in total

I have not climbed outdoors in more than a year so I was excited.  It took a while to get warmed up, make due with very wet conditions and a few eliminate boulder problems later we started getting after the problems we came for.  Mike Sabatini had caught some footage of some epic fails, good sends and a bunch of heckling!  I'm hoping that goes up soon and I will share it with you when it does.

Overall, it was a good day.

Training and Progress

I have had the privilege, recently, to climb with some very motivated people over the last 2 months.  I feel very lucky.  What is more, I have established a solid schedule and have been able to balance school and climbing very well.

Campus Board - Planet Rock's Hidden Gem

I reflected a little bit after a basement climbing session last Tuesday and realized how fortunate I am.  At the beginning of September I attended the Backyard Bouldering Competition at Adam Page's and reconnected with some friends I had not seen in a long time.  There was a great turn out and I climbed great, for not climbing for close to a year.  

Backyard Bouldering!

It really sunk in, getting looks of disbelief from friends, when I climbed so well that I have a talent for climbing.  Right then.  I felt the need to push myself again.  That brings me to the present day.  I have been training since that competition and Tuesday I had a moment of clarity; I am getting stronger.  I want to detail my work out and refine the schedule.  I plan to do a write up and post what I have been doing.  

DRCC Hangboards!

For now enjoy this hangboard program I have started from Chris Webb Parsons.  

Courtesy of klenodium.com

Fresh Motivation

This year has been quite unusual if you look at my previous years of life.  This is my first complete year at the University of Detroit Mercy as a Titan!  I decided to participate in college life.  The best way I could think of was to become an athlete.  So, I tried out for the fencing team at school this year.  Having not fenced before I thought it would be a good idea to go and participate in intramural fencing to learn as much as possible before tryouts.  I took it all in and after tryouts they announced names.  Mine included! 

It felt good to be chosen and I know I would have been a great fencer, but UDM is a NCAA Division 1 team, which means they have strict restrictions and regulations.  One regulation is eligibility and I was not eligible to be on the team, due to age.   Eligibility slowly decreases after the athlete turns 21. 

I had prepared myself for competition and intense conditioning.  I had even prepared a schedule to make sure I could train 12 hours a week while staying on top of my schooling.  Being prepared without being able to represent UDM as a Titan left me bummed, but for only half a thought.  I quickly decided to focus my energy toward climbing. 

The past three weeks I have been training at many climbing walls scattered throughout the metro Detroit area.  I have not come up with a specific climbing goal yet, but I know where my physical energy will be focused this winter.  

Just one of the 60 Degree Training walls

Long Time No See!

There seems to be some truth in my friends saying I drop off the face of the earth.  It seems to happen in a few aspects of my life.  But now, I am back to share moments for a while and hopefully fill in some of the ever approaching winters' dull moments. 

Unintentional art - Thanks TJ

I haven’t posted since November of 2011, so let me fill you in on a few developments.  Where I left off in my last post, I got a job at Moosejaw and shortly after I started to work at Detroit Pump as well.  Working both jobs takes it toll and within a less than 2 months at Moosejaw I left and solely worked at DPM.  A year after that I started school studying Mechanical Engineering at University of Detroit!  I should be graduating in 2016 and school has been and will be my main focus of my life.  And in the in between classes I plan to update my recent domestic adventures.  

Monroe

I recently heard a lyric, it goes like this “ If you got the tools be careful what you build, When the arrows in the bulls eye every time, its hard assuming the archers blind.”  Really, made me think about future and how I play a role in it!  Once upon a time I would try to dissect this into a philosophical argument.  Ahemm!  I’ll make it easy and move the focus to goals. 

Golden Boy 

Dracula

Everyone has goals and how they plan on accomplishing them.  Narrowing the focus even more, probably the most thoughtful goal, out of pure longevity, would be my climbing goals.  They have been around for a decade or so and things have to change, and they might.  

Life without climbing

Time is not always on our side!  Luckily, I have found a little bit.  Let's turn that frown upside down! 

Thank You's!

Driving back down to Kentucky on Friday I got a phone call.  Only a few hours after my interview at Moosejaw they offered me the job!  I start Wednesday.  Which means … sigh … I’m home and ready for work.  I didn’t make it to the Southern portion of the States to boulder, but I will make trips when the time is right. 

Now I would like to thank everyone I stayed with during my travels.  Danny for showing me some crucial beta in RMNP and also helping with finding boulders in SLC mobiley.  Dominique for the psychoanalysis.  Caleb and Steve G for making the waiting out the rain very enjoyable in their plush bachelor pad!  Adam for offering up a bed with such short notice.  The entire Kentucky Crew!  Mark for arranging for the Lakeside Wonder! Wayne and Zach for making cleaning out the refrigerator the last day awesome!  Tim for bringing his guitar, so I could play it and not say M-I-N-E for the entire trip.  Pablo, Lillian and BQ.  Nat Chin and Jason I’ll see you next weekend!  Linden, Dan, and Austin for an everlasting hilarity!  And all the visitors to Lakeside Wonder as well! Matt Macey for lending me a crash pad for 2 months, thanks buddy!  Julia for all the support!  And anyone who I forgot too!

All Smiles, Great Company, Few More Days Left

A lot has happened since my last post.  First, I have found out how much endurance I do not have.  Second, I figured out how to battle through some of the infamous Red River Gorge pump!  My second day climbing, I put some solid effort on a climb I have tried a year ago, called Dirty Smelly Hippy.  The climb weighs in the soft side of 5.13b.  I was able to pull through the higher crux with a solid knee bar, using a borrowed kneepad.  This was my first kneepad experience and a glorious one at that!  A kneepad will be purchased in the future. 

After two days of climbing the crew decided to climb three days on.  With a very early start we made it out to the Solarium in Muir Valley and after hanging the draws on Banshee, 5.11c, I decided a rest day was in order.  I ended up resting two days in a row.   

During our rest day Zach and Nicole competed in a friendly food competition.  The rules were simple both would make a delectable bowl of guacamole and the rest of us were the judges.

 The Competitors

To be fair ... Blind taste test

The right dish was the victor!  Both delicious!

Tuesday, fully rested some climbing was in order, so I rekindled a fire that I once sat very close to.  This “fire” is the climb Convicted.  Convicted and I have quite a history together, which involves me falling at the last bolt of the climb … multiple times … over ten times.  While climbing I found I remembered the moves very well and hung draws quite easily.  Then I proceeded to fall near the top on four attempts.  Earlier in the day I also gave Snooker two runs, both climbs being 5.13a.  With a total of eight pitches during the day, I planned on returning the next day. 

I thought a lot about Convicted at night.  My biggest concern was that I was not reaching the high point I had two or three years ago.  I was really wondering if I had enough fitness to finish the climb. 

After a difficult warm up and an inspiring belay, Pablo sending Snooker first try of the day, I got on Convicted.  Feeling better than Tuesday I cruised past my most recent high point, I locked into place and took a heartbreaking fall off the redpoint crux.  After resting for 30 minutes I tied back in and in a very smooth fashion, I styled the climb.  The most satisfying send this trip!

After our early sends Pablo and I headed over to Drive-By and while I was in a no hands rest I got a phone call.  The call was from Moosejaw and I have an interview on Friday.  Super psyched for the next few days!  Hopefully, after the interview I will be able to return to the RRG on Friday, with Julia, and finish some unfinished business!  :D

Kentucky!

I have made it to Kentucky, my last stop.  I will be on my way home Nov. 6.  In the mean time I have plenty of climbing to do.  Yesterday, the weather was quite poor, so the crew and I decided to grocery shop and hang around the cabin.  A lot of banter was talked, gear was discussed, and many games played.  All in all, I had a mighty fine rest day.

Today, the forecast was promising!  But … the rain came and then snow followed.  We did get some climbing in early today before the weather came.  We climbed at Solar Collector and after climbing Buddha Hole to warm up I onsighted a 12b called Blue Eyed Honky Jesus.  This was a struggle!  I was also rope gunning for the crew and unfortunately did not click with the climb.  I had a hard time climbing the sequences and was clearly fighting and prevailed in the end.  After Blue Eyed Honky Jesus I climbed a route I had climbed years ago, called Supafly and after climbing faster than the speed of pump I repeated this climb in one try. 

I have decided to add a project to my list, Golden Boy.  I climbed it once and figured out a very good sequence.  It is a very sustained climb and will require some serious fitness!  I’m psyched to get to it.  Now I'm going to wait for better temps and less humidity.

Pictures soon!

LCC Full Video

For large videos YouTube is where it's at. Take a look.

Back in Boulder

I made back to Boulder Thursday night and my friend Adam offered me a bed.  I have not made it outside to climb, but I did climb in a competition at the Spot.  It was the second competition in the Spot Bouldering Series called Psychedelia.  The entire comp was black light and very neon.  In qualifiers I climbed well and made it into finals.  I ended up in sixth place after finals and had a good time getting to climb in such a different environment than what I’m use to. 

I’m getting ready to leave for Kentucky soon, but before I leave I am going to try and finish off a couple projects that I have put some effort on in RMNP. 

Here’s a little clip from bouldering in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Final Climbing Days in Utah

I’ve had some really good climbing days lately.  Climbing alone in LCC has its benefits.  With the extra time I have had, instead of traveling from area to area, I have been videoing a lot of the climbs I have been getting on.  I edited a video to share, but it turns out Vimeo only allows 500 MB a week and the video is 1.5 G.  Unless I find a way to share the video without paying $60 to subscribe to Vimeo I might just share little bits of climbing.

Anyway, I have been here in Salt Lake City a week longer than expected.  I have been hoping for some breakthrough on Dominatrix, but it hasn’t come.  I have done a lot of reflecting and when I was here last the weather was much colder, about 20 degrees lower.  I have decided that I am wasting energy throwing myself at this climb.  My left hand has bruised fingertips and it’s a reminder that no matter how hard I grab the hold I will pop off.  I need colder temps and a new psyche.

After deciding that I was going to walk away from Dominatrix for now I focused my energy on getting on some new climbs around town.  I have had a blast working my way around the canyon.  Caleb suggested a few classics for me to get on and in the process I added a few that I really enjoyed to climb as well.  Yesterday, in particular, was a really good climbing day.  I went to the Hidden Forest and climbed a few of it’s best!  I flashed a V7 mantle called Whiskey and if it was in Horse Pens it would probably only be V5, Ha!  In the same area I climb Gerbils and Duct Tape, which at one time were both V9 and Duct Taped was supposedly closer to a 10.  I’m not sure what they are now, but I thought Gerbils was more difficult out of the two, and that Duct Tape was an easy, one move, V8.  Both V8s sounds good to me.  With only an hour of daylight left I drove up canyon to White Pine and got on Citizen Dildo V9, which, if compared to Euro, would only be a V7.  I dispatch CD in only 3 tries and repeated it twice for video.  

 Whiskey

 Gerbils

 Duct Tape

Citizen Dildo

I apologize this post is very to the point, but I have a few things to do before I leave for Colorado tomorrow, the biggest thing being rotating my tires.

Finally some climbing!

Climbing in SLC has been fun, but the weather has not been cooperating.  I haven’t been climbing nearly as much as I planned.  Although, I did make it up to Dominatrix for one session and found that I need more time to finish this one.  That same day, to warm up I went to an area I have never climbed at before.  It was a kind of a rediscovering moment for me.  I got to climb on all new warm ups and higher up the canyon some local guys were hooting and hollering finishing a tall new project.  Needless to say psyche was high and I got to it.  I climbed a problem called Mini Maisch a cool V8, but before I did it, I broke a foot for the last move… Oops… It still goes smoothly, so my conscious is clear.  I also tried Maisch Roof a great V11 that I will have to come back for.  There are so many climbs out here that I have tried or just heard about that I want to try, but I don’t have enough time on this trip.

But mostly the weather has been poor.  I think my Halo skills have far surpassed what they have been in the past! 

 Laying the smack down on Steve!

Since the weather in Salt Lake has been sub-par, Caleb, Steve, and I decided to go down to Joe’s Valley for a day trip.  We left Tuesday morning and climbed a full session.  We went to the Riverside Boulder and hopped on a classic to warm up.  It’s a V2 rail called the Angler.  Such a quality climb, in such a scenic position, it was very aesthetically pleasing.  On the same boulder just to the right Cal and I used our finely crafted Horse Pens style to climb a fun V8 called Feels Like Grit. 

After climbing at the riverside we went to a boulder problem called Worm Turns V11.  I have seen videos, but have never actually seen the climb in person. There are two crux moves on this problem.  The first crux move, after working up the tufa, you change the orientation of your body, by flipping your right hand from the bottom of this tufa to above your left hand.  The second crux move you flip your left hand to an undercling on the tufa, put your left foot on the bottom of the tufa and post your right foot on the wall and huck for a jug.  After putting our pads down and throwing myself at the problem for a few goes I had still not stuck either crux move.  I grabbed on to the start holds and before I knew it I had “turned the worm” did the huck and was laughing while I topped out the climb.  Such a splendid surprise, but at the same time it felt easy, I had unlocked the perfect sequence for me. 

 Cal on Worm Turns

After moving on we climb a fun V7 called G207.  All of us hiked this climb and we made our way to the Eden Boulder.

Steve putting down G207

Cal had been talking about Eden V10 and told a story of how he fell in the crux and took a nasty fall.  With the crux at the top of the boulder, this made me nervous.  This boulder is upwards of fifteen feet tall.  I claimed that I was just going to climb the lower section, feel the holds and drop if necessary.  My ankle is still healing so; I was taking safety precautions to prevent reinjuring it.  My first attempt I missed a key foot out left and fell about half way up the boulder.  Then Caleb took a burn and after I hopped back on the problem with every intention of dropping off before the crux.  But, on my second attempt, I made it to the halfway point, made the move out of the mouth into the first crimp.  I planted my right foot and feeling extremely confident I made the crux move into an incut crimp, grabbed the single pad crimps over the lip and topped the problem out.  I remember feeling strong and confident while climbing and as I stood alone on top of the boulder, I had an ear-to-ear grin indulging in that moment.  I’m glad I’m climbing strong and also still on the road to recovery.  

 Hopefully, I'll get some better pictures soon.  It's looking like I will stay in Salt Lake long enough to try Dominatrix one more time.  I'll be headed east before the weekend.  Wish me luck!

Worst Case Scenario at Joe's Valley

I went climbing at Joe’s Valley today and had a very short, but good session.  I warmed up in what I thought would be a good location, in the sun, because of the chill from the morning, but the temps rose quickly.  So, I left the area I was in, New Joe’s, and headed to the Left Fork.  After thinking about my couple of outstanding projects I have, I remembered that they all are quite tall, which means they have long falls.  I decided to veer from the plan and try something different.  I thought it would be a good idea to get on a problem I had tried once before in passing.  The climb is called Worst Case Scenario.  A fun V9 that climbs really close to the road and the worst-case scenario would be falling into the road ... tumbling ... semis ... no bueno.  Luckily, that didn’t happen and after a handful of attempts I managed to make my way up the climb before the rain came.

I didn’t realize how much skin climbing in Little Cottonwood took from me and on my final attempt on WCS I wore a small hole through my middle finger on my left hand and decided to call it quits … Satisfied!

Worst Case Scenario

Dominatrix in LLC is a short climb with a great landing, so after my skin cells replenish I will get up canyon to give it my all!  I'll be in touch.

LCC Boudering Update

My friends originally from Michigan, Caleb, Steve G, and I went climbing on Saturday in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  I have not forgot the style out here, but I did forget how tough the rock is.  My fingertips are raw after climbing for only three hours!  We climbed at an area called White Pine, which I have never been to before.  This is the first time I’ve climbed in LCC without snow on the ground.  Actually, the temps were high, in the mid-eighties.  This was the first day I tried bouldering since I sprained my ankle on the 21^st of September.  I think it was a success!

I was able to warm up doing a couple moderates then made quick work of a boulder called Stephen’s Problem V7 and after being criticized of my beta being too difficult I repeated the climb using alternate beta just to finish my warm up.   Then we made our way to a climb called Euro V9.  The problems first move is really low percentage and then you climb out of a small roof on some really cool, extended, moderate climbing.  The first time I stuck the crux move I had not tried the top section and botched my beta.  So, I started from the second move and went to the top quite easily using a far heel out left.  The second time I stuck the crux move I cruised to the finish jug and when my feet cut I dabbed on our mini pad, sigh… So, I dropped to finish it off properly.  The third time was a charm and after I stuck the first move I gained my composure and finished the climb off smoothly! 

Here’s a little sequence of shots courtesy of Steve G!

Next I’m headed to Joe’s Valley.  I will be leaving tomorrow morning.  The weather is a little iffy, but it looks like early this week is my window of opportunity.  Let’s hope for no rain!

Arriving in SLC

I climbed at Movement on Tuesday and after sticking to theoverhung walls and ten pitches later, I had a great workout with almost no painat all! I’ve only climbed oncemore since then. I made it outsidehere in SLC at the S-curve crag. Ashort bouldery area with the shortest approach, the latter was key. This crag had a small waterfall,feeding a creek running through the center of the mini-valley. I wasn’t informed what the names of theclimbs were, but they were some fun moderates.

Can you guess which one was hurt?

I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Wednesday morning I set off for SaltLake City. I packed up quickly andwas out of the door by 9:00. As Idrove away, through the hills and wind farms, I was actually sad leavingBoulder. I have so many projectsto finish and I overall had a great time, which just made it even harder for meto leave.

Driving to SLC

Soon I’ll be making my way up the canyon to get to itbouldering. Hopefully, I’m stillfluent in granite climbing and will get my projects done here and move on toJoe’s Valley.

Almost time to leave...

Over coffee and a book today I have been contemplating my trip…

With the rising temps here in Boulder, today being over 85, I might be moving on to Salt Lake City with a return visit to Boulder in mind.  I have a list of boulder problems that may appear as words and numbers to some, but to me are much more.  Having spent hours hiking, analyzing, and attempting these climbs I have quite an emotional attachment to them. I have created this type of attachment to many of the climbs I have done in the past.

The climb that stands out the most is, an outstanding project of mine, the boulder problem I based this entire trip around.  This climb I have put three days of work on, countless reoccurring dreams, and many beta replays in total.  This may seem a little over the top or dramatic, but on the other side of the spectrum, necessary.  There is nothing about this climb I have forgotten about, down to the smallest foot chip, sequence, or body position.  This climb is in Little Cottonwood Canyon just outside of Salt Lake City and called Dominatrix.  

 From the archives

My plan is to get reacquainted with climbing on the granite of LLC and when my fitness is right I plan to hopefully dispatch the climb in a single session, but plans can get a little more complex when they are seen in color opposed to being in black and white.  

Copperhead, LCC 2007

Over the past few days I have been resting and trying to recover from a rolled ankle.  I can walk and everyday it is getting stronger and I am able to walk farther, stretch better and enjoy my day more.  So, my next climbing day will probably be here in boulder at the Movement Climbing Gym, then off to SLC.  Stick around this trips not over yet!