Green River Time part 2

plaque for a new route (carve in the name of the climb and the grade and then place it at the base of the climb)

summit photo on a desert tower over the green river

andy shooting pictures of pete

andy and an old mine jeep

piz on the Menitove Special 5.11

Here are a couple video clips of the trip:

Green River Time

green river towers (we climbed the 4 to the right)/(it looks like there is only on more on the left)

canoe parking in the tamarask trees!

Orin getting on his new route First Kiss 5.12-

base camp (just a few feet from the river)

I spent the last week away from my wife and on the Green River with some climbing friends: Andy, Pete and Orin. It was our hope to climb some desert sandstone towers, canoe, camp and climb some more. All in all it was a great trip with many great memories forged through our expereinces on and off the rock.

As luck would have it we discovered a few crags with perfect sandstone and wildly unique cracks. In all, we established seven new free climbs and equipped them with anchors. We also got the first free ascent of one of the green river towers by free climbing an old aid section.

I am sure that we all will remember the tents getting crushed and nearly blown into the green river by the wicked cold front. Andy demonstrating what a california butt fish swam like. The mouse that had died and been preserved in some old uranium mining equipment inspiring the name of a new route "mouse in a tractor". The old barrel that Andy tossed into the green. The chef boy r dee night of terror. The sand storm during dinner, making those bean burritos just a bit crunchy. More offwidth climbing then we could have possibly imagined. Deserted desert tower summits. Replacing tat at anchors, huge racks of big cams, falling rocks, 150 foot pitches and more. Night jugging, night canoeing, Orins first new route. And of course, lots of trundling (or for those who don't know, rolling giant boulders down the hillside until they explode in a pile of dust). Enjoy the pictures...

cirque and norway

Somewhere above a small town in Lofoton, Norway. It's 3 am and it's just not dark out!

Hiking the wrong trail to the first climb of our Norway trip. Notice the ferns that thrive in the Arctic Circle.

Finally out of the car and planes after leaving the states in June. Its about midnight in Lofoton, Norway and what better thing to do than to start rock climbing! Here A-Burr and Brian and Ari and Mike are exploding the van and looking for geat and proper clothing.

Jane and I at the Cirque du Soliel. She looks really nice : )

Random school photo of my oscar (the fish) he has a giant grasshopper in his mouth! He is a serious eater and normally bites the heads off of what he is eating. Today was a treat for him.

Well it was bound to happen sometime, Jane and I had a night on the town.

It was awesome! Neither of us had been to the cirque du soliel before and

we each were amazed with the performance. Props to all the skilled gymnasts.

They make all of us common folks look weak and pathetic. I'll stick to my rocks.

Labor Day 2009

Chuck F just took this photo of me in the classroom. Always helping the kiddies.

Fall slowly coming to Lander!

Cool limestone formations at the crag.

Jamie getting it done at the Iris.

Yes, I am that flexible. Climbing at the Sinks Canyon.

A last look at the Iris before heading home.

We set out towards Wyoming to sport climb at Wild Iris near Lander.(Later after the trip someone said to me, I didn't know that you still sport climbed. I lauged) So, the drive went surprisingly smooth and we made it to camp after about 6 hours of car time. My back and butt were sore from the bucket seats of my wifes car. The full moon rose big and bright as it crawled up over the horizon. The Wyoming highways were empty except for the other travelers heading into the stix. Kelly and I met up with Mike and Mark and Kate at the crag saturday morning and we were off. Mike had spent the last year in Ohio for work and felt the 8500 ft elevation as we began climbing in the shade. As the day progressed our fingers and climbing styles got used to the pocket pulling that is required at the Wild Iris.

We hiked to the crags through the open prarie and then down through the pine and aspen forests which were just beginning to turn yellow for the fall. Each afternoon the clouds built and rain appeared to the north and south, but luckily missed the rocks that we were playing on.

When Mike half the crew was ready for rest, Kelly and I found some other friends at another wall and laughed the afternoon away clipping bolts and taking whippers.

How Time Fly's

Dad and I hiking on top of Mt. Evans during a late August snow!

Mom and dad in Colorado Springs, enjoying the scenery.

I found this big horn sheep horn and was getting closer to my inner child.

It seems like yesterday when I was living in Austria and climbing on the Untersberg after work! Limestone multipitch sport climbing with good friends!

The hike up to the Untersberg. About 1500 feet of perfect alpine limestone after only an hours hike from the car.

I felt sad when my parents left town this weekend. It was after they left that I realized that I hadn't seen them since December of last year. We had a great time visiting Mt Evans, taking some short hikes and enjoying good food together. I miss having them close, to when I could always see them whenever I wanted. I guess that is what growing up and moving out of the state does. I guess that I just have to make sure that I cherish those precious times together and make sure that they occur more often. I am glad that one of my sisters is pregnant, it gives me another reason to visit home and be with my family more.
But until then, I will make the most of my time here in Denver, Colorado with my wife and continue working to make our dreams come true!

A Gentlemans Agreement

Early in 2009, I made the first free ascent of an aid line in Zion called Gentlemans Agreement. This is the crux pitch, it goes at 5.13 something. I was lucky to have Keith Ladzinski take some cool photos (check out his site http://ladzinski.com/). Yes this is a tips finger crack dihedral. I actually pulled my back out liebacking this section!

You did what? Part 2

Jason in the "Batcracker".

Nelson in a tube dropping off into the abyss below.

Jason happy to exit the "Rectangle".

Jason and Nelson not thrilled at the wait to get into the cave.

The punchbowl wall at Lime creek. A mixture of choss and good rock.

So after the river fun we decided that it was time to head out (although I felt that I could remain at Steamboat Rock all weekend). The drive was long and the time was passed with Nelson providing us with many stories of his past years on the road. One of my favorites was the one about him nearly being pronounced dead in a car (he was just sleeping but wasn't waking when some folks were trying).

We arrived at Lime Creek climbing area near Eagle, Colorado late and crashed in another beautiful alpine setting. I didn't rest too well because of the mouse that was scurrying around the back of my truck with me. Unfortunately, he won and I was out on the ground after about an hour of hearing him scramble back and forth along the floor. The next morning we all felt a bit haggard from all the swimming and hiking at Dinoasaur National Monument. It was hot and it took a great deal more energy from us than we expected. I hadn't visited Lime Creek in many years and knew that it was a nice place to check out every once in a while. It's no Ceuse, France, but at least it's not the same old front range climbing. We clipped bolts on some of the steeper routes and got pumped early on and finished with some of the technical vertical slab climbs. The day ended early as the temperatures got hot really fast. In order not to waste time I decided to take the boys on a tour of the Fulford Cave which was just down the road.

The cave stays about 45 degrees year round and was going to be a great alternative to the heat of the day. I prepped my partners for the possibility of some other folks in the cave and as we arrived after the hike, there were about 40 people exiting the cave. By the time we entered, Nelson and Jason were kinda bitter about the experience (they changed their attitude once we started down the pipe though). The three of us cruised through the caves many twisting and muddy tunnels, crawling and croutching and walking and squirming. After they were good and muddy we moved into the Rectangle and I was happily suprised how they greased the tight squeeze barely wider than your hips and shoulders.

After signing the log book and cursing the Boy Scouts who made them wait, we moved through the rest of the cave. The only thing that was a bummer was when we exited the cave. We had left our full water bottles outside the entrance and when we got there someone had taken them. What doesn't make sense to me is why someone would take a full bottle of water from the outside of the cave when they knew that people were still in there. Oh well, chalk that up to ignorance I guess. Those boy scouts still have a lot to learn.