The Recap

As it turns out, that time to write I was talking about, well now is that time. I decided to get to the airport about an hour and forty-five minutes early for my flight home for the holidays. So, as I sit here and wait, I figure, “Why not hit up that blog thing that I’ve been slacking so hard on lately?” So, here goes:

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of climbing, training, working, and climbing some more. Since the Cruxmas comp we had I have been climbing like a madman, taking little to no rest days. On top of that, the rest days have been more or less just rest days from climbing, but not working out. If it’s not climbing, it’s lifting weights, doing cardio, and now yoga. Yeah, that’s right, yoga. I was a bit apprehensive going into it, but psyched nonetheless and am even more psyched to keep doing it. I think that it will be a great help in helping me increase both my flexibility and increasing my awareness of body position and balance. So, if you haven’t tried yoga, get your ass out there and give it a whirl.

I’ve also managed to get back outside, which was rather interesting. Shannon and I made the three hour drive down to ibex this past Saturday for a short and sweet crushing session. We knew it was going to be cold; the high was supposed to be 25 degrees. Cold, for sure, but the wind there can make warm days too biting to climb. So, it was a crapshoot and we took it. This is what we found when we got there, but said fuck it lets climb anyway, and I’m glad we did.


Ibex is situated on this "dried" up lake bed...can you say HOT!!


The Red Monster Boulder

Shannon walking all over Ju


The end of another phenomenal day on the boulders

So, with a bunch of snow on the ground, missing all of the sunlight on the boulders, no wind thank god, temps between 10 and 20 degrees, and more winter clothes than you would wear snowboarding, we hit the boulders and shook the place up a bit. Though we were climbing in down coats and I didn’t bother pulling off the smart wools to put the climbing shoes on, we still manages to rip off sends of Ju, Purple Flowers, Bruce Lee, and the sit start to White Arete. I can’t say that it was the best climbing day, but despite the cold I had a damn good time and would be first in line to do it all over again…maybe with a space heater next time for the toes though!

Other than some good climbing, some great nights hanging out with the crew, new experiences with cold, and just loving being out here in SLC, I don’t know what to say. Well, it’s 4:08 and I have about half an hour till my flight starts boarding. So, I’m off to grab a bite to eat and start getting psyched to see all of you crazy ass people back in Cincy later on tonight. I hope you’re all ready for me! To the rest of you people, Happy Holidays and keep crushing!

Wow!

So, it's been a week and a half since I last posted something on here. So much has happened in that time and I will get to that when I have time, but for now...I can't wait for this Friday. I leave Salt Lake around 5 p.m to head home for the holidays. It's going to be a good time hanging out with all my friends in Cincy and hopefully dragging them all out to the bars after a good session of crushing this weekend! Well, to all of you Cincy freaks out there...I comin' home bitches!!! So, get ready to party like a rock star!

I'm sore...

bored, and have a picture for you. First, it's the Mormon temple, church, whatever...second, I'm sore from setting and forerunning for the Cruxmas comp that took place at the front today. So, back to number one. Enjoy!

And so it goes...

Since my flailing at Joe's a week and a half ago I have been determined to crush. I have undoubtedly climbed or worked out far more days than I have rested, and am starting to feel the pain. My body feels like it got hit by a truck and then ran through a wringer. It's been a long time since my back has been so tight, my forearms so gorged, and my eyelids so heavy. I know, it sounds like this is the perfect time for a rest day, or two, or three. Unfortunately, I have already given my word to Shannon to help set for the Cruxmas comp here at The Front, which is this Saturday. So, I get to set boulder problems and forerun for the next 2 nights after work. Yay!!! Or maybe not.

So, I wish that I could say that I have been outside all of these days punishing my poor body, but I can't. I have been a gym warrior. Between climbing for hours on end at The Front and Dave Bell's home wall, I've been lifting with Shannon, running, riding the exercise bikes, and doing some stretching as well...and no, I still can't touch my toes! Maybe someday I'll get down there. Until then, I guess I'll just keep working on it and hoping it never hinders me on a climb.

I know, why haven't I been outside lately with everything sooo close by? Well, why don't I give you a little peak.

Yeah, that's why. Over the course of one night, the heavens opened up and dumped about six inched of snow on the valley. Fortunately, it has all melted. However, Little Cottonwood is a fair bit higher and cold air from the ski resorts at the top constantly rushes down through the canyon keeping it cold even when everything else is starting to warm up a bit. Not to mention, the South side of the canyon doesn't get light at ANY point in the winter, rendering the season on the south side over for sure. Although, there are those few brave souls that head over there with shovels and brooms. Count me out of that crowd! I'll just keep training in the gym until the upper areas on the north side melt and dry off.

I'm crazy strong...

or at least I want to be. So, I left off with a very thankful Thanksgiving to head down to Joe's for the weekend. Shannon and I had planned on making a three day trip out of it, but with our skin wrecked by the end of day one, we opted for the two day'er and oddly enough, a third day back up in Little Cottonwood to finish off the weekend. Well, I said I was going to take a bunch of pics and hopefully send a bunch of rad stuff. I can say I did one of the two, and I give it to you in the form of a slideshow this time. Just move the cursor off the slideshow after it starts so the controls don't block the bottoms of the images.



So, we started out the first day with some cool easy warm-ups in the right fork and then made a bee line to Trent's Mom. The problem is pretty cool with a long dead point to start things off and then another to finish them off. At least it's supposed to finish things off. I somehow managed to dick up the move after the dead point and found myself back at the bottom, and this time unable to stick the throw move again. Very sad times. Shannon was coming up short time and time again on the final dead point, but hiking the bottom to it each time! So, after our hopes and dreams of running a train on Trent's Mom ended, we decided to hit up the little town nearby and drink our sorrows away and check out the pics from the day.

Day two managed to bring more frustration and pain in the fingers. Not to mention I couldn't manage to send anything even close to difficult. The whole day, I only managed to rip off a V4 and a V6, both of which were brilliant though. With a split tip, a ripped cuticle, a hole in my left ring finger by the palm, a fingernail pulling loose from the nail bed, and bruises on every single tip, i decided to take it easy and just shoot Shannon all day. So after playing our vagina cards, we hopped in the car and headed back to SLC for some much needed beer with John and Tim and one of the local dives.

So, Little Cottonwood is this crazy coarse granite that doesn't just split your skin or sand it down, it you rip off of a hold, you're walking away with chunks missing. So, as crazy as it sounds, Shannon and I were psyched to head up to Little with our fingers that looked like something out of a meat grinder. We started out up at Red Letter Day again, which Tim just sent yesterday bagging the third ascent, and then headed to the Riverside circuit so I could get a peak at the problems there. Bronson Arete immediately caught my eye and with the the help of some guy's two head lamps and Shannon's lighting abilities, I made quick work of another Cottonwood classic, and somehow managed to end a whirlwind of a weekend on a great note with an awesome problem!

Thanksgiving, eh?

Well, today made for an interesting day. I never knew how lonely the holidays could be when you don't have family to be with. However, I think the lack of places being open and therefore extremely limiting the number of things you can go out and do has an even larger impact on the mood of the day. So, as uneventful as today was, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As I woke up, I thought I would be spending the day with some friends that were having people over for food and what not. As it turned out, they had changed their minds. So, with no back up plans for the day, I cleaned up and organized the inside of my truck/home for a bit, then headed over to Starbucks to do some playing on the computer and watch a movie while looking through the guide book for bouldering in Utah. At around 2 when I left it hit me, there is still a lot of day left before I go to bed! With nothing else to do, I decided to hit up LCC and check out some problems I haven't seen yet. Long story short, I never made it to those new problems and instead found myself sitting underneath Bully with Jeremey whom I had met 10 minutes prior at the parking area. With very short work, we both sent and just sat around talking shop about climbing and life. So, now that I've done the problem I was most psyched about in Little, in probably less than 10 tries, it's on to checking out those new problems next time up. Well, tomorrow I leave for Joe's for 3 days. So, I'll be sure to take a bunch of pics and hopefully send a bunch of rad problems, peace!

So...

Today is one of those boring, low energy days where you get out of work and all you really want to do is just go home and take a nap or veg in front of the t.v. Not to mention the temperature dropped 20-30 degrees since yesterday. Well, that can be a challenge when home is the back of your truck. It really reinforces the the idea of home just being a place you sleep...and in my case, drive! Any who, I figured I needed something to do for the evening, so a coffee shop it is. I almost feel like I am on a road trip, but with a job. I basically spend my time working, climbing, eating, working out, or sleeping. Not much too exciting, but it gets my days done and I enjoy it. Call me boring, call me lucky to be able to do what I enjoy, you be the judge. So, back to the coffee shop that I am sitting at typing this. It's not too bad, a little cold by the window, but it gives me a place to sit here and edit some old photos of me climbing to post up here. Though I fill these entries with more words than photos, I hope to be able to change that soon so long as I can get myself motivated to shoot and edit more. A blog was the intended purpose, but a photo blog is what inspires me and gives this thing purpose...plus it helps me get my money's worth out of all this damn gadgetry! So, on with the photos!

A little chalking up action on a pretty cool traversing line from left to right in Hueco.

Skywalker in HP40.

Revenge of the Choir Boys, Hueco.

Skywalker, HP40.

Last but not least, Gloria in Hueco.

Well, who knows if I'll be back on here before the weekend, but I should have some pretty good stuff after 3 days at Joe's Valley.

So, I've been going through the limited number of photos I took on Saturday to see if there was anything worth sharing. I think they are borderline, but I'll post them up anyway. So, the contrast between the scene and the sky is a little harsh in these, but that's what you get without a flash in the forest. I also wasn't able to get the right angles that I wanted, due to a tree and not having a wide enough lens. Maybe I'll win the lottery and be able to go buy all those goodies and go back up to Red Letter Day and shoot the thing again...or maybe not. Anyway, here are a few shots of Shannon and Red Letter Day.



I hope they give you somewhat of a sense to how proud this problem is. The crux is an incredibly dicey, face starring at the ground, press out into a dihedral, foot-hand match at about 15 ft. with the top of another boulder for your landing. I have never tried a boulder problem so many times and walked away unable to unlock the foot sequence. This problem is truly a full value problem.

Another great weekend in SLC

So, I don't have any pictures from the weekend...or rather any that I think turned out since I haven't looked at them yet. This past week was hectic. We had a hold order that was supposed to ship out Friday of something like 4500-4800 holds to REI. Needless to say, we didn't get them shipped out yet, and have to finish out the order early tomorrow morning. Other than that, work has been pretty good, keeping me busy, and making me money. Life in general has been getting better as well, and busy. I can't seem to find the time to get enough sleep lately, or to call back home to see how the family is doing. It kind of bums me out a little, but I know they understand that they won't get to talk to me all the time. As for the friends I am reacquainting myself with here and the new ones I'm making, things couldn't be going better. I've met so many cool and interesting people and they all seem genuinely interested in developing our friendships. Shannon has definitely been a savior in that department. I can't believe what a social butterfly he's turned into. I think about 80% of the people I've met have been through him.

So, the weekend was intense, sick! Friday night Johnny and I grabbed some Vietnamese and hit the local art scene. I guess they have art walks pretty frequently downtown here which, to say the least, is freaking awesome! There is a section of downtown that is mostly little boutiques that host the art walk. After that it was on to the climbing videos to get psyched for heading up to Little on Saturday with Shannon and Laura. I am really amazed with how spoiled the people around here must be because I thought the temps and what not were great on Saturday, but everyone kept saying it was hot and stuff wasn't that sticky. I thought it was fine, but am certainly not against them getting even better. As for climbing, I had a great day. My skin held up well and I did Shingles and the finish for Bully. I can't wait to let my tips get a little tougher this week and head back up there to do Bully from the start. I know it will go quickly, so long as I stick the first big reach out left. After that we went up to this problem called Red Letter Day. I guess it has only seen two ascents so far from what I hear. It's not that great looking, and I should have some pics of it, if they come out okay. It climbs great though, but we can't seem to figure out the top. It's getting kind of frustrating because we went back up there today and still couldn't unlock the feet for the last few moves. After Red Letter Day, we went back down canyon for a quick couple burns on this steeper problem called Beer Can Cave. It has this gnarly rose move to the arete at the finish, I couldn't get the strange bicycling on the arete with the feet down to do the move, or roll out of it. Maybe if I get really psyched on it and am feeling strong at locking off one day, I'll go back to it.

Well, that pretty much concludes the weekend. Today was pretty lax, just waking up at Shannon's after a crazy night of partying, fixing breakfast, falling back asleep for a few hours, getting an afternoon session in at Little, hitting up Dave Bell's for some hard training, Sushi, and ping pongin' it at The Front. Damn it's good to be a Gangsta! SLC is the best and I can't imagine anywhere I'd rather be.

A weekend at a glance

So, Friday finally rolled around and Johnny and I were leaving work to head downtown and shoot some photos of one of the trax stations. We were hoping to get some good light as the sun set, but now that the time's changed it gets dark way too early! All in all though, it was a nice little session and maybe I'll have more photos from around town in the coming weeks to post up for your viewing pleasure.




Also somewhat note worthy were these two girls that Johnny and I ran into at the trax station. They must have been drunk, high, or both. They were two of the most fearless and outgoing girls I've ever met. They started asking us if we were photographers, how much the cameras cost us, one of the two telling us they were an alcoholic, etc...Oh, and she was only 18 btw, or so she says. Crazies aside, the night was a blast ending with a nice drinking session and some good food at one of Shannon's friend's houses down by the sugarhouse area.

The next day, Saturday, brought quite a bit of schooling up in Little Cottonwood. I was hoping to send a bunch of rad problems, but as the day went on my chances kept getting smaller and smaller. Shannon, Johnny, Dave, and I started out in The Secret Garden for a little warming up. So, while we were there I ran up and looked at Bully, V12 and Shingles, V10. They look very awesome and very do-able. So, I went back down to the masses and tried to warm up a little and also gave Copperhead, V10 a couple tries. That thing will go for sure with a little tougher skin and a little drier/colder weather. Needless to say, the day started off with some schooling...I sent absolutely nothing at The Secret Garden. Once we left there we went across the canyon to check out this problem Shannon has been working on for a while, Prime Rib, V9. The thing is gorgeous, a very good find by Steven Jeffries for sure. With a lot squeezing, heel hooking, and slapping you find your way to the rather scary jump to the lip with really insecure feet doing little more than just trying to squeeze the rock to keep you on the boulder. Unfortunately, none of us sent that day, and all were left bleeding, sore, and with a damaged ego. Hopefully, by mid-week the hole in my finger that wouldn't stop bleeding will be healed and the rest of my skin and ego toughened back up enough to go take another stab at such a rad problem. Take a look at some of the highlights!













As for today, it's raining outside and I am beat. Today has been a total rest day, lounging around Johnny and Josie's place eating breakfast, hitting up a tea shop, the SLC Library, which is unreal, and now sitting back at a coffee shop. Maybe I'll head over to the gym here in a bit to do a little lifting, who knows. But, if I had to pick one picture to sumarize today, it would be this one.

It's been a week since I left Cincy, and...

Well, I'm probably one of the last people that anyone would expect to move across the country and live out of thier truck. I started this wacky adventure November 1, 2007 and it's anyone's guess when I'll wise up and actually start looking for an apartment here in the city. The story started about a month and a half ago, I guess, while talking with a friend of mine who has been living out here in SLC for the past few years. I have been planning, or should I say wanting, to move here for nearly a decade, and while talking to Shannon he mentioned that there might be a job opening at Revolution Climbing. I sent them an email with a little bit about myself, and within a day I got a phone call asking me when I could move to SLC and start. It was a crazy month of prep'ing my truck for the big move. Then on November 1, 2007 it happened. I shipped off from Cincinnati mid afternoon and, with the exception of stopping to sleep somewhere in Kansas, made a bee line to Joe's Valley. Joe's is an amazing place, situated 2 1/2 hours southeast of Salt Lake. It is all sandstone and full of world class, classic boulder problems with something for everyone. I spent two days there cleaning up a couple problems I hadn't done on a trip 7 years ago, and basically just trying to adjust to a new lifestyle that I never thought I would be able to live. It's now Thursday November 8, one week into the world of being essentialy homeless and I still wonder if it's for me. It can be very lonely at times and I can imagine that, if left unchecked, could easily lead to depression. However, I, for the most part, am able to keep myself pretty busy between work and hanging out with the couple people I already know out here...especially the guy I work with, Johnny Landry. I don't know what I would do without that guy sometimes.

As far as the city and climbing go...There are 3 gyms, The Front, Momentum, and a guy's fairly large homewall. I've been to the first and last and am already nearly out of problems to do. I was kind of worried, yet kind of excited, that I might not be "strong" out here, but I think that might not be the case. I seem to be keeping up with some of the stronger climbers I've met already, but I guess only time will tell. On to the city...SLC is intense! Everything I need and more is within a 24 x 10 block area. The city is pretty compact, but has more diversity, coffee shops, and culture than Cincinnati and all of it's suburbs. I honeslty don't know why I waited this long to make the move.

Tomorrow, I think I'll rest and just shoot pics and video of Johnny and the city. Then...it's off to Triasic for the weekend.
Stay tuned!