The Dream, The Journey, The Life

2011-07-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

So it's been about 3 months since I've posted anything, and in that time a fair bit has happened. Chris returned from France, only to move from Richmond to Albany, then leave for South America for another month, with Moot and I happily keeping Rudy and the new house occupied, with the help of a new climbing buddy from down-under, Selina! For the better part of a month, Rudy, Moot, Selina, myself, and another Bay area climber, Conrad, traveled around the greater Bay Area scouting out all the pristine rocks that line the West Coast, from Castle Rock, to the Columbia University boulders, and several stops at Mickey's Beach. Unfortunately, I still have yet to make it up to Tahoe, but word is that's a phenomenal place to climb, as well as do just about everything else fun and enjoyable in the mountains. Here's a few of the climbing shots that I've been postponing on posting. . .

For someone like me, who strives to find work off of craigslist as opposed to signing a W-2 and committing myself to one place, the greater Bay Area has proven to be extremely fruitful in the amount of random cash jobs that can be acquired. General labor/moving gigs seemed to be the majority of work I found, but every so often, I'd find someone who wanted to pay me for my photographic services. SWEET! One of these gigs was for an Oakland based DJ who was needing some promotional shots for her website, flyers, and so on. I was lucky enough to get to hang out with her for the evening and take some shots while she brought down the house at a party in the city, but unfortunately was not wise enough to realize that the bass-bumping speaker wasn't exactly the best spot to put my remote flash, and as those situations go, I lost the ability to shoot directional lighting with an off camera flash unit. Boo, indeed! Once I got back to the house, I tried my hardest to assess the problem and try to solve it only to realize that the broken flash bulb is not something that can easily be replaced, meaning the my remote flash now sits at A1 photo in Berkeley, patiently waiting for me to come up with $240 to get it back. Oh well, that's how it goes. Here's a few of the final shots taken with my currently former remote flash.

Now, with the remote flash gone, and the house sitting gig over, Moot and I have made our way down to Santa Cruz to soak up some sun and live the beach life for a bit, at least until the Fall/Winter, when we REALLY hope to have enough cash to get back on the road and do the bouldering tour once again, but until then, this is a pretty sweet place to be!

And that's what's new.

2011-04-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

And so once again, I've let another month slip by without posting a single photo. Shame. On. Me. It's not that I haven't had the free time, because I have. I've had it in vast abundance, and for quite some time now. All honesty, I've really just been enjoying the many simple pleasures that come with moving out of a stagnant van and into a fresh house with a view; one of which is the ability to connect my computer to an expensive surround-sound system and listen to my music as loud and as late as I want. This activity alone, takes up a good chunk of my time. According to my itunes 'top rated' playlist, I have 45 days worth of music to hear, and that's assuming I don't rip someones ipod for their tasty tunes within that time. If only I could find a way to get paid for the hours I put into good music. . .

. . . which brings me to another large consumer of my precious time; work. The job I have now, go figure, didn't turn out to be as awesome as I thought it was, which in turn, helps to support the theory that I'm going to have to create the job that best suites me, but until then, I gotta accept that work is and always will be just that. Work. Something that must be done in order to maintain a sustainable lifestyle in a dollar-driven consumers society. Work is what I do to live, not what I live to do, and that's all I have to say about that.

Good food has found it's way back into my life, but since I still can't afford to have other people make it for me, I'm stuck with mastering combinations in flavor on my own, which tends to be extremely hit or miss. Lucky for me, I've been hitting it lately, with such cuisines as dill tuna burgers with thai sweet chili sauce on baked jalapeno cheese bread, breakfast crepes with options like savory mushroom & green onion or sweet strawberry, maple and whipped cream, and butter/garlic prawn enchiladas with homemade salsa and guacamole thanks to a powder-shredding Cannuck named Chloe, who decided to grace me with her presence for 10 days, followed immediately by another visitor from Bama, Ol' Matt, who showed absolutely no objections to Chloe & I's cooking endeavors.

With a small Posse of Representatives from Alabama & British Columbia, I finally found time to explore the city and the surrounding areas, so with no further adue, I give you this past month in the greater Bay area, as seen through my view finder.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Del puts on a free show in the East Bay for his hometown crowd. . .

So that's what been going on in my world for the past 30 days. In other news, my van keeps blowing fuses in the link to the starter, and the bright side to that, is I now have plenty of subjects to practice my 'poorman macro' skills on. If you're not familiar with the poorman's macro, a macro lens is made to take super close-up shots, and cost mucho dinero. Since I don't have the money for that, I simply turn my lens around, hold it against the body of the camera, reversing the focal length from far to near, then manually open the aperture ring and boom! Macro lens!

Oh, and I can't forget this one. . .

Was able to catch game # 2 between the Giants and the Braves, thanks to Chris's season tickets! It always makes for an odd situation, going to a home game in someone else's home stadium, sitting amongst the hometown crowd and cheering for my home team, while they stomp their home team into the ground, 5-2! Sorry San Fran, I love ya and all, but Chop Chop!

And that completes the post of April. I am going to make an active effort to post stories as they come so I don't let another months worth of adventures go unpublished, so please, stay tuned. . .

2011-03-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a while to get back into the 'blogging' thing, as I've gone so long without it, but repetition eventually becomes habit, and I'm slowly but surely getting back into it.

What I'd like to do now, is transcribe my memories from the past few months, telling you all the story of how I got here; The east bay of San Francisco. So let's go back in time about 5 months and start there. . .

Joseph and I, accompanied by 2 other climbing-bum buddies, Thomas & Matt, left Smith Rock in the high desert town of Terrabonne, Oregon, for the beaches & forests of Northern California, and some potential climbing at the Lost Rocks, found at the mouth of the Klammath River. We set ourselves up in the town of Arcata, and began our Cali lives when disaster struck in the form of a slung rod in my engine.

For those of you who don't know much about internal combustion engines (which includes former me in this flashback), the cylinder rod is the 'arm' of the piston, which moves up and down from compression created by the ignited fuel/air mixture, spinning the crankshaft, thusly propelling the vehicle. When the rod 'slings', it warps under the pressure and heat, and eventually will throw itself through the engine block, if continued to run. Basically, at that point, the engine is screwed.

This was a major setback, seeing as I spent just about all of my summer doing strenuous labor work to get the van, which was suppose to be my mobile home for the next leg of the climbing/living journey. Needless to say, a wide array of emotions were running loose in my noggin after the mechanics at Redwood Automotive told me my engine was toasted. The main questions I was faced with, at that point were 'Do I sell the van and try to get another vehicle?' or 'Do I try to fix it?'. Engine replacement IS NOT a simple, cheap, nor quick process, so I was leaning towards selling, until the answers started falling into my lap. . .

Frist, a running 89 GMC van was thrown at my feet for the unheard of price of $150. SOLD! Next issue. . . Find an engine lift to borrow/rent. With the help of craigsist, this issue was solved in a matter of minutes. Final worry, find someone who was willing to let a novice mechanic use their driveway to try and figure out how to do an engine swap. Once again, craigslist pulled through! So, on November 23rd, using Josephs AAA card, I had the van towed to Eureka, California to see if I could, in fact, do an engine swap. . .

The initial add on craigslist stated that I would only need a week, at most. BIG UNDERESTIMATE!!! It took a full week to get everything dismantled and ready to pull the engine, (including a van-made thanksgiving dinner break, which consisted of falafels, stuffing, hummus & applesauce) then another month to put the new engine in, and figure out the modifications that come with popping a fuel injected '89 engine into my previously carbureted '81 van. Issues involved included electrical re-directing, Fuel intake fabrications, as well as shaving out holes on the intake manifold with a chainsaw file, but after all the unexpected fabrications, the van, now dubbed 'Frankenstein', left it's oil-ridden spot on the driveway, and completed a successful testdrive around town.
Durring the testdrive is when I encountered another instance of Murphy's Law. Silly me forgot to close/turn-off my laptop (which was serving as a jukebox at this point), as well as neglected to move the pot of water from that mornings oatmeal off of the stove. Needless to say, my macbook got doused with lukewarm water while I was celebrating the rebirth of my van. Boo & Yay at the same time!!!

So, after the completion of the van, I retreated back to Arcata to try and find work, which was not as easy as one would assume. Arcata has so much to offer in the form of visual and extracurricular stimuli, but little in the work field. Good thing there was plenty to keep my broke mentality occupied.

Humbly homeless, I sought after anything that would fill my mind and stomach, and after a few weeks of community service for homeless violations, another opportunity landed in my lap. This time, from a friend who was needing someone to watch a house and a dog so they could go climb in France for a month.

Needless to say, but said anyway, I took them up on the offer.

Now, Mr. Moot and I lazily, watch after a 3 bedroom house in the Richmond Hills of San Fran, happily running around the fields, climbing the rocks, and making the occasional dollar from a job that could prove to be worth the wait.

I've also taken this opportunity to clean-up a bit, no matter how unconventional the method, as well as invest a bit of funds into my musical future. Don't worry, the guitar only cost $100, and that's a steal of a deal for a 12 string acoustic!

So, that's what's been going on. I hope this post answers any question you may have, as well as serve as the renaissance of my blogging. Shots of Beautiful San Fran to follow, assuming the weather eases up. Till then, CHEERS!!!

2011-03-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! I'm back and more psyched than ever to post blogs, so over the next few weeks, there's gonna be plenty of shots to be seen. Why, here's one now!

That one was taken at the Arcata Marsh, about 1 month ago. I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the poor quality of some of these shots, but 3 months without a computer to upload photo's onto, means all the shots have to stay on the camera, resulting in low quality files so I could continue taking pictures without filling my memory card up to quickly.

So, with that said, here's some of the photo's you've been missing out on. . .

Now, you may be thinking 'Oh good, he finally got his computer fixed', but that, unfortunately, is not the case. I managed to talk the people at the apple store into giving me a deal on the diagnosis so I wouldn't have to leave my laptop in Northern California, but that really just means that I gave them money to tell me that my computer was broken, which I already knew. That's fine though, I'm a huge fan of throwing money away. You should SEE some of the places I throw money away at. . . gas stations, auto parts stores, climbing gyms. . . There's so many way's to spend money these days, if only making it was as easy.

Anyway, since I don't have the $800 to get my display fixed yet, I just invested $30 into an adaptor so I could use another monitor, and now here I am happily uploading photo's while listening to a long list of music I've been missing ever so much.

If any of you are asking yourselves why I haven't been doing that for the past 3 months, it's because another monitor needs power, and power isn't exactly something I have an abundance of, not while living in a van on the streets of Arcata, at least. But that whole 'homeless' issue is well behind me now, as I've gotten my tickets paid (in trashed cigarette butts) and moved onto San Francisco, where Moot and I happily watch after a lonely house and a 13-year-old hound dog by the name of 'Rudy', so the owner can take a much needed vacation to the sandstone-ridden fields of France. No need to ask questions, because more pictures and stories are to follow. . . About F-in' time!

Oh, if anyone's looking for a good recipe for the evening, check out my friends cooking blog @ http://sharethefoodlove.blogspot.com.

Cheers everyone! Things are going, again. . .

2011-03-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey! A Picture!!! Not mine, though.

Motivation to go storm chasing with a camera provided by http://www.extremeinstability.com/

March, 7th 2011

2011-03-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hello blog. It's been a long time since I've spoken with you, and for that, I apologize. Please don't take it personal, life has just been feeding me one lemon after another, and there's no since in mentioning just how sour it's all become until I can follow it with news of the much anticipated sweetener delivery.

As you may know, my computer is fried. Well, the display is fried, and that's gonna cost an arm and a leg to replace, and I haven't come across any donors, yet. Fair enough. Life goes on. I've just kind of made it a point not to post any photo's until I have my laptop back. Silly, I know, but that's the way it's gonna be. I'm still taking shots, but those shot's are going to be for my eye's only until I'm whole again...

So, that's why there's no photo's. They're being taken, as life is still going on, but I really just can't be bothered with them until all my computing needs are done on my time, as opposed to the libraries. With that said, I'm going to try to paint you a picture of life as I know it, up here in the State of Jefferson...

Arcata is a small town with a big heart. I haven't had any money for about 2 months now, but everything I need always seems to be provided for, i.e. food, water & stimulation in the form of intellectual companionship, which can be found in just about every individual walking the streets, forest or beach. The people out here really understand what it means to be a human being, restoring my faith in the type of people America is known to produce.

Currently, I'm awaiting word on wether or not I have to hang around Arcata to appear in Homeless Court on the 18th to plea 'guilty' to the 2 charges brought against me for sleeping in my van. Reasoning for Homeless Court is so that I don't have to dish out the $155 the city wants for each violation, instead, serve the community, which I have been doing for the past month and a half anyway! With any luck, I can get the community services I have already provided to count towards the service they want in exchange for not paying $300+.

The issue of time is pressed on by the offer of a house-sitting job in San Francisco, that begins on the 20th of the month. With me trying to fill previously agreed obligations, and the city of Arcata, trying to let me know it's time to move on, I think some sort of agreement can be reached between the city officials and myself.

Running out of time online, but I figured I'd let everyone know the current situation. With any luck, I'll be posting photo's again, soon enough, from a homely refuge in the Bay city...

2011-01-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

$783 (after tax) to fix laptop. Yee-Haw! Hopefully some work comes knocking on my door soon, so I can post some of these shots of Beautiful Northern California. . . At least the van runs. Come on Universe, I'm giving you all my energy, so please send me an answer to my problems. . .

2011-01-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, I haven't posted in quite sometime, I know this, but I have a very good excuse. My computer's fried! Yay! Got the van running just in time to spill water all over my laptop, now I have to dish out a whole lot of money I don't have to hopefully get it working again! So that's what's new. I'm back in Arcata with a van ready for action, just have to make some money now for gas and computer fees. Hopefully I'll have my laptop back soon and be posting pictures again, but until then, Moot and I are just glad the van runs!

2010-12-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

As assumed, the process of 'swapping motors' didn't turn out to be as simple as swapping motors. Having to use the original transmission (not a bad thing, just unexpected) was the first surprise I ran into, as the new one has another gear, requiring me to pull the entire steering column to go with it. Seeing as the original tranny works and fits, that was an easy decision. Next issue, there was no way to swap all the electrical, as the fuse boxes were different plug types, so the hope of having a fuel injected engine was now in limbo in accordance with my knowledge of electrical conversions, which is absolutely none. Solution, swap the fuel injected intake manifold for my carborated intake manifold. Easy as, right? Not when the 4 of the 12 bolts are driven into the block at a different angle, which brings us to the next diversion; fabrication! After a few hours shaving away the steel with a chainsaw file, I successfully got all 12 bolts securely torqued to GM specification.

At this point all I have to do is install the distributor without messing up the firing order, then stab the motor and transmission into the van and begin hooking everything up, which will be a nice change, because I can do a majority of that from inside the van as opposed to outside in the steady downfall.

And that's what's new!

2010-11-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

So here's the progress thus far. Bad motor out, with the other on schedule to be in tomorrow, then I'll be left with the nonsense that is 'rewiring' my '81 previously carborated van for the '89 fuel injected motor I'm putting in. Fingers crossed that once I transfer the 'brain' into my van, everything should work out just perfectly. . .

2010-11-17T13:58:00.001-08:00

Last night, I came across an offer I couldn't refuse...

And she purrs like a kitten!

Engine swap time...

2010-11-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

Lately, when not searching for jobs, showers, parking places, tools, food and a chevy 350 5.7L engine that runs, I've been playing around with photoshop, actually using it for what it's meant to be used for; graphics! Here's my first project (from an online tutorial)...

I took these pictures....

And made this!

Photoshop is fun!

I've got a surprise for you guys tomorrow. I bought something. . .

2010-11-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

"Upon those travelers who make their way without maps or guides, there breaks a wave of exhilaration with each unexpected change of plans. This exhilaration is not a whore who can be bought with money nor a neighborhood beauty who may be wooed. She (to persist in personifying the sensation as female) is a wild and sea-eyed undine, the darling daughter of adventure, the sister of risk, and it is for her rare and always ephemeral embrace, the temporary pressure she exerts on the membrane of ecstasy, that many men leave home."

-Tom Robbins-

The arranged plan of driving to Bishop and working at an animal clinic for the holidays was completely blown apart, along with the lower end of my engine, ultimately leaving Joseph and I stranded in Arcata, but with time comes opportunity, and a free van may be falling into my lap soon. I'm still undecided on what to do with it, but I'm leaning towards selling the freebee and purchasing a rebuilt chevy 350 with the proceeds and dropping it into the motionless shell I'm not ready to stop calling 'home'. Is a day job at an auto shop and possibly night work at a restaurant in my near future? Only time will tell. . .

2010-11-11T11:05:00.001-08:00

The past few days have been filled with hopes of work and selling of a van, with the purchase of a new van, hopefully in the near future. It would be just to perfect to move out of this one, and directly into another... Till all that happens, we've just kinda been enjoying some sunshine, which becomes a rarity in the pacific north west around this time of year.

2010-11-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

So here's a photo of Moot running up and down the beach, enjoying himself to the fullest. He's a happy pup!

Lucky for Moot, it looks like we're going to be here a while, as I've managed to sling a rod in my van. With an engine rebuild in the back of my mind, I come looking for a job. . .

2010-11-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Haven't been doing to much productive in Cali yet, just kinda been monkeying around...

2010-10-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

So long Smith Rock! Had a blast!

Cali time...

2010-10-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

"So, what's been going on recently?" some of you might ask. "Are you still in Oregon? Are you still climbing?" The questions keep coming in, but unfortunately, my answers are limited, as we've stumbled across some secrets that people have gone through great lengths to keep secret. You see, just 15 miles south of Smith Rock is the city of Bend, and in the city of Bend, one will find a plethora of breweries, numerous taco stands and, if you run across the right individuals, an abundance of quality boulder problems scattered throughout the area. Who would've know?! Not me, because this place is so damn 'hush, hush' but Joseph and I did find a way in via one of the original Masters of Stone, whom we'll refer to as 'Metalhead'. Thanks to the Metalhead, Joseph and I have been spending the past week exploring the region, climbing on some of the best problems we've encountered in quite sometime!

In the past week, we've been introduced to 4 different areas, with each one providing several challenges and future projects. Although we are shown the problems and told the names, we're still left hanging when it comes to the grading, as everything out here seems to have a v3 rating. I can honestly say that I've never had so many 3's on my project list! Three's that make dynamic moves off of mono pockets, 3's that have absolutely no feet and 3's coming out of blank roofs. It's kind of ridiculous actually, but I'll play along. Yup, Bend, Oregon has some of the best v3/8's I've ever been on, and you can hold me to that! There's definitely something to be said for the amount of amazing boulder problems hidden throughout Bend, but I'm afraid that if I give out anymore information on these hidden gems, I might be silenced for good, so look at the photo's. Enjoy them, but don't come looking for them, and DEFINITELY don't tell anyone you heard about them through me!

That's all the secret's you get for now.

In other news, Oregon has hot springs! Just a short drive through the mountains towards Eugene on the 126 will take you right past the Cougar Reservoir, and it's no secret that this is where you will find the perfect rest day activity for anyone looking to spend some time soothing their aching muscles in one of five toasty hot pools. It would appear that on my journey to seek out the endless climbing season, I have also taken on the delightful burden of finding all the greatest hot springs across the nation. It's a hard job, but someone has to do it! Cougar Hot Springs. Definitely a 'must stop'!

*Shots of me thanks to Joseph*

2010-10-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Haven't been posting in a while due to the abundance of amazing climbing going on around the area, that and hitting up food drives! Thank goodness for damaged canned goods and expiring hummus and veg! Here's some photo's...

2010-10-07T17:31:00.001-07:00

The Highline. Distance-130 feet. Height-Really friggin high!

2010-10-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so since leaving Canada 4 days ago, I have proceeded to blow up another tire just across the boarder, bruise my hip and tailbone at one of the nations most classic skateparks (Happy 20th birthday to Burnside, in Portland, Oregon), and get the shit scared out of me on one of the many phenomenal routes that Smith Rock, Oregon has to offer! Lesson leaned, make sure you know how many bolts there are on the climb before going, otherwise you'll have to do what I did today and just keep cruising past the last few bolts, pulling about a 20 foot run-out, which would lead to an incredible whipper, had I actually fallen before reaching the chains. More shot's and stories from Smith Rock to come. Hopefully we'll find some other people to climb with so I can actually get some climbing shots...

2010-09-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, unfortunately, was my last weekend in Squamish this season. The rains have come in, and my 6 month visa has expired, so the only thing left to do was spend some time with those buddies I won't be seeing again for a loooong time. Destination: Sloquet hot springs. Although on the map it's just behind the mountains, the lack of direct roadways made us take the long (only) way around. Past Whistler and through Pemberton, then onto a pothole ridden dirt road which quickly becomes the bane of existence for anyone who doesn't have a $3000+ suspension on their vehicle. Silly me forgot to deflate the tires a bit at the entrance of the road, and 40 kilometers in, my back tire completely exploded. Whoops. Quickly found out the my tool-kit is missing half the items, so a little rigging had to be done in order to get the spare off the front, then to top it off, while jacking the van up in the mud, the only hydraulic jack I had decided to break and drop the van. Luckily I managed to get the blown-out tire back on before the entire back driver side section of the vehicle was buried in the ground. Good thing it was 2 am on a secluded mountain road with no cell reception! After a brief stress period and several 4-letter words, a kind soul came cruising down the road with a jack. Spare on and back on track!

Aleks and I finally arrived at our destination about 2 hours later, after battling with 4 different sets of direction that each contradicted the other, and I must say, the aftermath was worth every second of stress that had to be endured! With a boiling hot waterfall that flowed into about 8 different pools, accompanied by the sights and sounds of the Sloquet Creek, this Lillooet hideaway made for one of the most relaxing and serene weekend I've had in British Columbia! Conclusion; no matter how cold and wet the weather may be, it's always going to be a memorable experience at the hot springs!

Post-soak partying.

2010-09-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

Not to much going on, just trying to take pictures and make money. Countdown till the season trip, 9 days...

2010-09-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Not to many words with this one. Just some photo's of slacklining, fire poi, climbing, and Bad Religion, 30 years in the biz, and still putting out new stuff! Proof that punk's not dead... nor is the psyche for climbing!

2010-08-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot has been going on lately, just the usual; Working, slacklining, climbing (now that my fingers better), and enjoying the company of the ever so stoic Moothead! My time in Canada is winding down, as my visa expires as the end of September, so the goal for the remaining month is to get as many Squamish related shots as I can. I'm pretty bad about taking pictures of the area, so I'm going to try my best to fix that over the next 30 days, but I'm open to suggestions, so if anyone has any ideas on potential shots they'd like to see, please send them my way! Sometimes you just need an outside opinion... Enough said, here's some random shots, and the return of climbing photo's!

VIP pass has been acquired for Squamish Fest this weekend... Backstage with Decemberest, Cut Chemist, Black Flag and so on... Good shots to come!

2010-08-19T21:23:00.001-07:00

Today has been a special day, indeed! Today I wrapped up an ongoing project up in the Garibaldi Highlands, finalizing my payment for the van, making it official that my 1981 Dodge VanAmera is completely mine! It hasn't been the easiest of projects, as it started out as a simple deck build, and over the course of 2 months, accumulated several other random chores such as kitchen painting, pipe laying, landscaping, masonry, insulating, soffit installing, bay window demolition, sliding glass door and window installation, and bathhouse construction. Hell of a payoff, indeed, but it's done. Over. Fin. Here's the only 'before' shot I got, followed by the finished product...

Today also marked the beginning of my career in freelance photojournalism...

Kinda psyched on life right now...

2010-08-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

As we may remember from last blog, a media pass with my name on it pretty much assured that this weekend I was going to be hanging out in the Whistler Village, in order to take lots of bad-ass photo's of some of the best mountain bike riders in the world at the Crankworx Festival, which is quite possibly the biggest bike showdown in North America. Although the activities where going on for 9 days, Thomas and I only made it out for one event, but it just so happens that the event we made it for was the slopestyle competition, which is easily the biggest event of the festival. Good, good times! Here's the shots...

Oh, and on a side note, I'd like to welcome Emma Grace Kelley to this world! Here's a shot of my new niece with Jacob, nephew #3! Congratulations Jacki and Rufus! Love ya!

So...

2010-08-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend proved to be slightly more eventful than those prior. With that said, I'm going to tell you a little story...

Our adventure starts on Thursday evening around 10:00 pm when I was picked up by the party bus, opporated by Montreal's finest, Thierry Emard, and packed fullwith 8 of the most wonderful individuals I never knew. Destination: Salmo, British Columbia. Reason: Shambhala Music Festival. With a sold-out crowd of 10,000+ people, and a lineup including A. Skillz, Excision, Beats Antique, Bassnectar and a few hundred other artists that transcend the usual ranking of musicians and into a finely selected group of elitists, all brought together for one reason, to party like it's the armageddon at the best damn music festival BC has seen this year! Sun down to sun up, we drove the packed out school bus from one side of the providence to the other, passing some of the most amazing landscapes under the cover of night, as well as stopping and absorbing the views once the sun came back to show us what it was we were driving through. Interior BC is a very beautiful place, indeed!

Twelve hours later, we finally arrived in Salmo. Although the drive was over, the excitement was only beginning. You see, only 3 of the 10 people on the bus had tickets, and with the festival being sold out,that didn't leave to many options for the rest of us. Good thing the magic school bus comes equipped with a couple hidden nooks and crannies to stow away enthusiastic festival goers, but the yang to that yin is the fact that an abundance of original artwork graffitied all over the side of the ride turns the camper into a cop magnet. With a mere 3 kilometers to go before we reach our finish line, we get snagged by the fuzz. Boo!

As these sort of situations go, one cop was not enough. No no no, a bus like this deserves at least 5 cops, and if available, might as well throw a drug dog in the mix.After an grueling search through everything in the bus, the police deemed us clean in the illegal substance category, but decided the bus wasn't safe for the road, i.e. not enough seat belts for the amount of passengers, low tread on a tire, lose battery box and so on. Final decision, impound the bus. Not exactly what we were hoping to hear. Luckily, T is quite the convincing conversationalist and managed to talk the police into towing the bus to the front gate and letting us deal with the fabrications afterwards, but not before taking the license plates to make sure we weren't going to be driving anywhere.

With the tow truck on the way, everything started flowing in the right direction again. Only problem now, those of us who were looking to sneak in were left with no other option than bushwhacking for a few hours. Now, I have no problem with trekking through the woods, but in my mind it seemed like a much better idea to take advantage of the stow pockets in the bus, so with everybody's backs turned, I jumped in and crawled under the bed, with Thierry right behind me to secure me in with a sheet of plywood and a handful of screws. Operation sneak-in was now well under way!

Now, this cubby I was quietly stowed away in had plenty of room for me to stretch out, but the lack of airflow turned it into an oven, slowly baking me away with every gruelingly bumpy second. After about 5 minutes, the smell started coming out, and I can honestly say that it was up in the top 10 worst smells I have ever experienced. I was really beginning to worry about by health and hygiene when I was reunited with T, Gaz, and Even, and informed that the odor wasn't coming from me, but a 1-year-old subway sandwich that had been discovered in that corner just before departure. Quite a relief to hear. The ride wasn't quite over yet, though. There were still 2 checkpoints I had to make it, one for drugs and alcohol and another to check tickets. Thirty some odd minutes more in the incinerating stink hole, and all was over. We were in!

Only a few hours later, base camp was set, and the rest of our lovely crew came strolling out of the forest with equally as entertaining stories and an overwhelming urge to get the party started! So, with no further ado, I give you this past weekend at Shambhala! The lights, the artists, the activities, and all the beautiful people who made this past weekend everything I never could've imagined it would be!

And now for the nights. Purely magical...

Thanks again to all the wonderful friends I made this weekend! It wouldn't have been the same with out the presents of your presence!

Now, all there is to do is get myself ready for this weekend. Biggest mountain bike festival of the year up at Whistler, and somebody's got a media pass...

2010-07-29T18:46:00.001-07:00

Same story, different day. Lots of work... blah, blah, blah, can't be bothered... blah, blah, blah. No time for pictures... Anyway, here's a few of the shot's I have gotten.

2010-07-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so a lot has been going lately. Work has been consuming a good chunk of my time, with a home restoration up in the Garibaldi Highlands as well as constructing a deck at one of the off-the-grid houses in Ring Creek as the other half of the payment for my van, which I've officially been calling 'home' since the 1st of the month. Living in the van thus far has been awesome, but paying for gas to get it up the 3000 foot climb to get to Ring Creek hasn't been so much. Luckily, the work in The Highlands has done a good job of keeping me and my gas tank fed. We both have pretty big appetites.
Whenever I find a bit of free time, I either go out for a skate session or work some ridiculous tricks on the slacklines at Nexum Beach. I haven't been climbing lately because I more than likely have a broken knuckle due to a freak stretching accident. It's nothing to serious, hairline fracture at worst, but it's enough to keep me off the rocks. I have made it out a few times to hang out and take pictures, but mainly I'm focussing on the slacklining or skateboarding as opposed to photographing and blogging. I am blogging now though, because I've gotten some pretty good shot over the past few weeks, as well as found out that overcast days make for perfectly soft lighting in this dense forest.

Last week was stupid hot. On a brighter note, the heatwave finally made it possible to play in the river! Not for to long though, rivers fed by snowmelt and glacier runoff are quite frigid.

And for our parting shot, Joseph. Being silly, or super hungry. I'll let you decide.

2010-07-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple shots involving gymnastic slacklining and my brand new second-hand skateboard, thanks to the Teacozy! Haven't mixed the two yet... 'Yet' being the keyword here...

and one of Joseph on Sesame Street.

2010-06-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

here's a few shot's from the other day in Vancouver...

2010-06-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Squamish Mountain Festival is coming up next month, and one of the highlights of the festival is a slideshow contest put on by the biggest names in the climbing world. Arcteryx, one of the sponsors of the festival, is holding a slideshow competition for a chance to become this years wildcard entry and put together a slideshow to showcase with the big boys, and compete for the $1500 pot, as well as a massive amount of exposure form presenting your photo's in such a highly publicized event.

Today, I drive to Vancouver to go submit my entry to the front desk at the Arcteryx warehouse. Here's my 2 minute entry. Fingers crossed that I get a call in a few days, informing me that I need to go ahead and put together a 5 minute presentation...

2010-06-18T21:45:00.001-07:00

Someone got a van...

And got a good shot of Moot...

And another shot of Tims Sloper Problem...

And finally got around to piecing together an old pan from Red River Gorge...

2010-06-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything in a long time, I know. My bad. Life's just been pretty busy lately, that's the excuse I'm giving at least! I am a working man these days, so my free time to play around on the internet competes with my free time to go climbing, longboarding, slacklining, mountain biking, and all the other joys of mountain life. I do sincerely apologize for the hiatus, and I promise to do my best to never let it happen again.

With that said, I guess it's time to play 'catch-up'. My wonderful parents came up to visit briefly last week, so briefly in fact, that I'm pretty certain they were only out here to drop my dog off to me and then leave! I'm just kidding. They bought me dinner before they left. Anywho, Moot's here and he's loving it! I don't really have to many great shots of him yet, but they're coming.

So here's the keepers from the past few weeks...

2010-05-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

Big downhill longboard race at Britannia Beach yesterday. Here's some shots.

Longboard races (races of any kind, really) serve as a great opportunity to practice your tracking skills. Here's my best tracking shot from yesterday.

2010-05-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Okay. So, I've been pretty busy these past few days, which is why I haven't been online to post anything in a while, but I've finally decided to stop procrastinating and start uploading some photos! This first series is from last weekend, May Long Weekend, when everybody decided it was time to go to Squamish for the reunion of the year...

Gordy, Chris, Val, Thomas, Jeremy and Robby all made it out for the May Long Boulder Bash in the forest! It's been about 2 months since I've seen Gord, Chris, Val and Thomas, and double that for Jeremy and Robby, but now the families back together, minus Marcy from Ottawa, Bama Dave, who's currently being represented by Bama Joseph, and two brits (Adam & Michelle) who are just a mere 55 kilometers up the road, but still couldn't find their way down to Squamish for the weekend. Maybe one day those brits will feel like being a part of something again, but until then, I'm just going to keep slandering them on the internet until I get a response. Where are you, Adam & Michelle?!?! Your family misses you!!!

Here's some photo's of the weekend in the forest...

And here's some shots from a rainy day spent slacklining at Nexem Beach followed by a birthday dinner for Israel.

2010-05-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

On May 11th, I took a trip into Vancouver to see if I could navigate my way through the downtown metropolis and to the bus station, where my buddy Joseph would be arriving promptly at 5:00 pm. Previous knowledge of the cities layout, matched with an uncanny sense of direction assured that there would be no issues in arriving on time for my appointment. It didn't matter that I still hadn't borrowed a car by 3:30 pm, because I was still rolling out of the driveway by 3:50, thanks to a stressful yet successful episode of procrastination. By 4:00, I was several kilometers down the 'sea to sky' highway, and well ahead of schedule.

Two and a half hours later, I pulled into the bus station. It's been 2 years since I mastered the cityscape from the driver seat, and it would appear that in my absence, the direction of every road has been changed. Quite odd, indeed! I just don't understand how anybody could organize, much less, complete a project of this magnitude in such a short amount of time, but stranger things have happened. My internal navigator was on vacation with his family, and his relief called in with quite the nasty cough, otherwise there would've been several alarms going off to inform me that east will not take me west. The traffic I forgot to account for made it possible for me to safely tap into the worldwide web for directions via my cell phone, but the metro police were quick to inform me that cell phones have recently been pronounced illegal while on the road, even while calmly waiting your turn to drive through the traffic light you've been sitting at for 3 cycles, now.

These are not excuses as to why I was late, more a list of factors that led to an executive decision being made, changing my expected arrival time from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, making me 30 minutes ahead of schedule, therefore keeping my flawless record, unblemished.

The rest of the week has been equally adventurous. Unexpected dips into the river proved that glacier runoff is just to cold to enjoy, as well as furthered the studies on the effects of electronics when introduced with water. The results, yet again, concluded unfavorable for the electronics. Final thought: I need to invest in a waterproof cellphone.

Another one of the many weekly projects was to arbor some of the higher limbs on one of the trees behind the house so my neighbor, whom also happens to be my landlord, could finally watch the hockey games in HD, like they were meant to be watched. The thought of putting on spikes and climbing higher up in a tree than I ever would on a boulder didn't exactly exite me, and the 2 stroke Stihl MS 170 chainsaw that would have to follow me up the soft maple made the otherwise frightening situation just plain petrifying, but half off of rent and a case of beer was enough for me to don a harness and rope, and proceed to amputate the signal intrusive appendages.

Item 295 on 'life's to do list'- Top a tree in the wind. Check.

The week hasn't been all work and no play though. With 15 hours of sunlight a day, there's always an opportunity to get outside and do something you enjoy. Here's some more classic boulder problems from Squamish.

Paul on Tims Sloper Problem

Brad on Anubis

Joseph on It's About Time

(Thanks to Joseph for the shot of me on the tree)

2010-05-11T23:21:00.001-07:00

Almost forgot about this awesome pan I got of the Howe Sound today while driving into Vancouver to go pick up Joseph. This is the view you get to enjoy for 45 minutes while driving the Sea to Sky Highway from Squamish to Vancouver.

2010-05-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the hiatus, the nice weather we've been having lately seems to keep me fairly busy, which leaves just about no time for blogging. Not a complaint (on my end) though!

So, catching up. Let's see... Yesterday was my birthday! I'm currently on my 30th revolution around the sun, and it's been off to a great start with more sunshine! Nice relaxing morning, drinking coffee on my back deck with my roommate, Michelle, (psyched to be buying a new car), and her Boyfriend, Joel (not so psyched about the paperwork), followed by some intense bouldering in the forest, then an enthralling game of poker, high up in the Garibaldi mountains. I didn't win, but second place get's their money back, so I didn't really lose, either.

Also, in recent news, I just picked up Joseph from the Amtrak station in Vancouver, now we're just hanging out at the house, drinking some midnight coffee, anticipating an amazing day of bouldering in the forest at the base of the Chief. 4 climbing days in a row... this is the Squamish summer I remember! Now, to the climbing shots.

Bedtime... Big day tomorrow!

2010-05-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

So, I'm out of the woods and back in society, which means that I'm going to have to start bathing everyday. Shouldn't be to hard, seeing as the bathroom is a mere 14 paces from my bed! Here's my new kitchen and living room in Squamish.

2010-05-01T21:51:00.001-07:00

Here's the story of the past week... I've been working everyday at the construction site, earning a fairly healthy paycheck, as well as doing some siding and roofing with Doug, earning a healthier chunk of cash. The construction company wants me exclusively, and they're willing to match the pay I'm making with Doug, but I've decided to turn down their offer and continue the work with Doug, as he has guaranteed me a summer's worth of work, flexible hours for climbing on overly nice days, and will possibly be sponsoring me in the future, making Canadian residency the obvious next step. With the money earned in the past 2 weeks of work, I should be able to make a cash offer on the camper van next Friday... Finally, after a few stressful weeks and a couple bear encounters, everything seems to be coming together, as it always does!

Since the bear completely destroyed my home of the past 7 months, I moved into a room with a climbing buddy of mine, Ernesto. $200 a month didn't seem bad, but the living situation has gotten a bit ridiculous, with 5 adults residing in a 3 bedroom apartment. Just as I started questioning my decision for the next months housing, another option landed in my lap. A buddy of mine, Dan, is leaving Squamish for the summer to go plant trees in Alberta, but seeing as he doesn't want to give up his pristine location, he opted to sub-let his room for the summer, and guess who the first person called was... I move into a house tomorrow, and will live there through May, and might stay through June, depending on how much cash I'm making per week, and wether Paige decides to accept my cash offer for the van, which I'm pretty certain she will.

Yup, it's starting to look like it's going to be yet another fantastic summer in British Columbia! Here's some shots from today's session in the forest.

2010-04-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

So, here's my tent after the fact...

Next tent I purchase is going to have 4 wheels, 8 cylinders, and a kitchen...

2010-04-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Sunday, and here in British Columbia, we've started a new ritual for the end of every week, known as 'Sunday Funday'. This consists of anything that's fun and exciting, such as longboarding, bonfiring, slacklining and so on. Yesterday, we celebrated the Funday by taking a small adventure up to Whistler for some end of the season snowboarding. I now know why Whistler is considered one of the worlds best ski destinations. To late in the season for backcountry, but there was still plenty of fun to be had on the slopes!

A lift ticket for the day at Whistler will cost you a whopping $90, but if you have time and an adventurous spirit (as well as an empty wallet), you can trek up through the forest for the first couple thousand feet (about an hours walk), then simply catch the gondola to the top at the midway point, seeing as they only check for lift tickets at the bottom of the mountain. A full day's ride awaits anyone willing to make the journey, and when you're done, simply ride the 6000 feet all the way to the bottom, right into Whistler Village, and find your car for the ride home. Not bad at all! Especially when you get to the Village and there's a free show waiting for you! Yesterday, we boarded till our bums were numb, then rocked out to the sounds of Arrested Development. Sunday Funday, in full effect!

Got back to Squamish just in time to catch the sunset, and while hastily running back to my camp to get my camera, I stumbled in a very large footprint. A very large footprint that was going in the direction of my camp! Low and behold, the bears are out of hibernation. Good for them, but bad for me! You see, Like an idiot, I forgot to bring my garbage bag into town to dispose of, and seeing as garbage is one of the main food groups for black bears, my camp became prime feeding ground in my absence. Huge mess. I even had to replace some of the walls in of my A-frame that the bear so kindly knocked out of the way. Oh well. You live, you learn. NEVER leave your garbage at camp, or bears will make a complete mess of it all! After about 30 minutes, I had all the rubbish picked up, walls nailed back in and base camp back to what it should be, which is a quiet, tidy forest refuge. Only thing to do now was get myself ready for bed, when I noticed that the bear didn't stop with the garbage...

My tent, the canvas that I've called home for the past 6 months, is no more. It would appear, that by no fault other than my own, an empty tube of toothpaste was left in one of my cubbies, and after eating a full meal of garbage and waste, Mr. Bear felt he should clean his teeth. Lucky for him, I was stupid enough to leave a tube hiding behind a thin sheep of canvas. Needless to say, my tent was ravaged beyond repair (pictures to come soon). Kind of a bummer. I'm now, officially, homeless. Moved all my stuff (short of anything that smells tasty) up into the sweat lodge, where I will now continue to camp until I give in and move into a flat in the valley. If only I had that damn van already! Soon though...

No pictures of Whistler simply because I couldn't be bothered lugging my camera equipment up the mountain, but I'm sure I'll get some soon enough. No pictures of the destruction at basecamp because I was to busy cleaning up the mess and trying to get settled in again before the sun went down. I'll have plenty of shots to share once I have a place to live, but right now, I'm leaving the camera alone for a while till I can get this mess sorted out. I will, however, leave you with this fun little shot we got the other night of Tierry spinning his staff. If you look close, you can see Tierry's eye in there.

Cheers all! Back to camp with a full can of Bear Spray!

2010-04-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

No time for stories. Here's some shots. Still no climbing one's though. I keep carrying my camera out, but leaving it in my bag. That's how it goes, being back at the Chief boulders, though. Like a kid in a candy store...

2010-04-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

For the past 4 days, the sun has been doing a fine job of warming up the air and drying out the forest. Such a good job in fact, that I seem to have a hard time lugging my computer to the library as opposed to lugging my climbing shoes to the base of The Chief! I did however manage to make it up to the top of Ring Creek a few days ago with my camera. Amazing waterfall back there, with a breathtaking old-growth cedar tree that use to stand right at the base of it, but the tree has since blown over, leaving plenty of opportunity to cash in on the 'cedar plank' craze! That, or just make myself a nice one for the next time I catch a salmon...

And then there was this nifty little waterslide which made me wish that I was a gnome with a kayak sooooo badly.

Wether's been great, but the amount of work hasn't. With any luck, I'll be picking up several jobs this week, all in hope of getting that van by the end of the month...

2010-04-09T13:55:00.001-07:00

Two days in a row of sunshine... One more, and the forest might actually dry up! Keeping my fingers crossed...

2010-04-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm in Squamish, my camera is working just as well as it was before, I'm living in a makeshift lodge in the forest, and I'm cutting down drastically on the amount of time I spend on the internet, simply because my computer now lives at Doug's house, until I purchase this camper van I've had my eye on since arriving. Assuming the work (which begins this week) remains steady, I should have myself a new vehicle/home by the end of the month! That's the goal, at least.

Now, I'm just hoping for some sunshine to dry out this forest! It's hard to just walk around the boulders and not actually climb on anything.

2010-04-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

The Camera.... Is GOOD! Got to Squamish today, turned on the camera, and proceeded to take several shots! Even got the one's of the 'wave day' off the memory card and onto the computer!

It's going to be a pretty summer up in Squamish this year...

2010-03-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

Crossed the boarder around 4:00 this afternoon. Ate some tasty pho at a Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver around 6:00 this evening, now, at 10:23, I'm hanging out with some buddies of Gord and Chris, drinking french beer as my laundry dries. Still no photo's though. I turn the camera on tomorrow, the day we drive up the breathtakingly gorgeous 'sea to sky' highway into Squamish. Either I get there and let out a sigh of relief, take lots of photo's, and save up to buy a van, or I curse my actions for a good bit and proceed to work my ass off to buy a new camera. I'd much rather buy a van, but we'll see what happens tomorrow...

2010-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

This morning, we woke up, packed up camp and headed down to the beach. Unfortunately, the storms hitting the northern Cali coastline brought in gargantuan waves, making the beachside boulders unclimbable, yet it was still an incredible sight. We spent the better part of 2 hours walking around, watching wave after wave crash against the rocks, snapping several hundred pictures of the whole ordeal. Although our plans of climbing fell through, the morning was still spectacular.

While searching for new angles, I found a nice perch on top of a boulder that stood about 35 feet out of the sand. The angle was amazing, and the shots I was able to get from there were breathtaking. Unfortunately, I misjudged the power of the ocean, and after about 2 minutes of shooting, a wave heaps larger than the others, crashed on my podium, engulfing me and my camera in salt water...

I have since dried, but I am extremely worried about the d300. It might as well have been submerged. I've taken it apart and dried it out as best I could, but I don't see how any electrical device, no matter how well sealed it is, could make it through that situation without at least one drop of moisture getting somewhere it has no business being. Needless to say, I'm scared. Very very scared.

Now I play the waiting game. Waiting until I feel it's safe to put the battery back in and turn on my third eye. 72 hours minimum. The anxiety is killing me, especially as we drive further north on the coastal 101 through Cali, Oregon and into Washington, passing some of the most photogenic scenery I've seen in a long time. This is hard. This is frustrating. I really hope this situation will turn out for the better...

2010-03-29T23:50:00.001-07:00

And so we arrive in Humboldt... First stop, the Pacific Ocean, just to be able to say we've gone as far west as we can go by car

After that, it was time to go into the forrest. You see, we've been living in the desert for the past 3 months, so the closest thing to tree's that we've seen have been overgrown shrubs. Kinda makes these tree's look pretty big... that, or they're just really big!

Now, camped in the Redwood Forrest, we wait for morning, and hopefully a bit of sunshine, so we can climb on some of these amazing beach boulders that were so highly recommended to us.

2010-03-28T19:49:00.001-07:00

I'm going to start this post off by saying that I've been messing around with double exposures a good bit lately. Here's two examples, one of Thomas and another of our campfire the other night.

And here's a shot that I know my mom's not going to like seeing. Found some more rattlesnakes, this time, wee little babies. Once more, I've been out wrangling...

And now for the point of the post. As I type, I'm riding through Reno, Nevada with Gord and Chris, on the way to Humboldt, then Squamish. My time in Bishop, as of 3:30 this afternoon, is over. There was a little bit of frustration upon leaving, seeing as the only project I had left for myself (flyboy sit) got the better of me. Oh well. Next time I'm in Bishop, I'm going to lay down that spooky dyno with no ifs, ands, or buts! Chris completely CRUSHED his project today, High Plains Drifter...

Now, with everything packed into the SuperVan, Driven by the scariest Canadian you'll ever meet, we make our way onto the next.

So long Bishop! You will be missed!

(you MUST click on this image to see just how beautiful the sierra's are)

2010-03-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

When in Bishop, California, and looking for something cheap to do on a rest day, just take 395 north towards Mammoth until you come to a big, green church on the east side of the road. Turn right, go across 2 cattle guards, then look for the small parking lot on the left. Walk about 200 yards till you find a gap in the fence, then take that trail the remaining 100 yard, over the bridge and through the snowfield, till you arrive at your destination...

2010-03-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here's some of the most recent shots from Bishop, including great sends, interesting lighting and more big names...

And here's one of last nights cloud coverage.

Now it's off to Mammoth for a nice, relaxing afternoon in the hot springs...

2010-03-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Learning a good bit about photoshop lately. Still got a ways to go, but it's nice to finally know how to remove those 'annoying' spotting arms from a photo!

Before:
After:

Sorry David. You're arms are nice and all, but they're just a bit of a distraction!

2010-03-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, as beautiful as it was, saw the departure of David, which brought a damper on an otherwise amazingly lax day. David has been with us, keeping the psyche alive with his comical antics and invigorating passion on and off the rocks since the beginning of the trip, in October. I was lucky enough to witness some of David's epic sends first hand, such as Loaded With Power and Deans Journey, both in Hueco Tanks. I feel honored to have been able to go so far across this nation with such good company, and will truly miss his presence in the months to come. With any luck, we'll be seeing 'Skittles' again in the dense, rainforest of British Columbia, to continue the mission of gaining knowledge and strength on all the different types of climbing this continent has to offer. Be well, be safe, and be happy, David! Go crush some sandstone, and then get your 'sweet hawk' back up Squamish this summer! Cheers to you!

In recent news, I headed out to Dales Camp today with Øyvind and Camilla to watch Øyvind lay down the Xavier Roof, only to find out that when it's 73 degrees outside, the last crimp before the jug becomes the worst hold on the climb! Two solid burns from bottom to top, but the send was not within reach this afternoon simply because the winter is slowly making it's way off the mountain. Lesson learned, Xavier Roof is a late afternoon problem. Next time, good sir. Next time!

With the sun ruining any chance of having a big send day, the rest of us decided to beat the heat in town at the local Starbucks, splurging on the caffeinated beverages, air conditioning and wireless internet. Today was apparently the right day to show up at the Seattle based corporation, because it seems like every 30 minutes an employee is walking around with a tray of samples including chocolate croissants and chilled caffein, coated in chocolate and whipped cream. Hooray for free samples! I now sit happily at the handicapped accessible table with Chris, Gord, Dev, and Thomas, typing away franticly due to an abundance of espresso that keeps getting handed to me like clockwork, without the first complaint coming from either myself or any of my tweaked-out compadres. I will now wrap this post up, due to the fact that my fingers are getting to jittery to type, and yet another frozen frothy beverage awaits me to my left. Cheers!

2010-03-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Lucky day today. Thomas let me use his macro lens, and what came out of it was me getting extremely wet in hopes of getting shots of an icy creek.

2010-03-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Had a little adventure into Death Valley the other day with 3 Canadians. 1 car, 4 individuals, and 5 cameras. Funny how some things work out.

Finally reached the bottom, which also happens to be the lowest point in America. 265 feet bellow sea level. We went out and played around the sand dunes for several hours, snapping photo's of each other (as we do), all while enjoying the abundance of oxygen we just don't seem to get at 7000 feet.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome way to get my mind off of the boulders and allow myself to regrow some skin! The following day, which happened to be another 'no climbing' day ended up working to my advantage again when the San Diego chapter of Asana crushers showed up to work some projects. I took the advantage of yet another photo opp.

Cheers!

2010-03-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

When going to premier climbing destinations, it's a given that you're going to run into some big names. Today we had the privilege of climbing on Evolution with Wills Young and Lisa Rands, two super-crushers of the climbing world, whom also happen to be some of the most pleasant and humble individuals we've met along the way. Thanks guys, for the spots, the pads, and the beta!

Tomorrow, rest day in Death Valley. Should be fun...

2010-03-02T15:26:00.001-08:00

Ah, Bishop. Wonderful, wonderful Bishop. Phenomenal climbing, amazing wildlife, and down-to-earth people. Yup, Cali is not a bad place at all...

... not bad at all...

2010-02-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

Bishop thus far has been pretty sweet indeed! Really needing to find some work around here, so hopefully that'll happen soon, but until then, I'll just keep trying to get good shots, which shouldn't be to hard if I'd ever pull my camera out!

2010-02-23T01:26:00.001-08:00

Guess where we are now...

2010-02-22T20:22:00.000-08:00

Guess where we are...

2010-02-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Here's some panoramics from todays road trip through Sedona, Arizona.

foggy entrance
church built in the mountain
sweet bridge over a gorge
top of the mountains

and one more of some pit puppies in Phoenix, just because they're so darn cute!

2010-02-22T12:12:00.002-08:00

Here's some shots of Lamar's back porch and all the pointy things behind it.

Just waiting on this laundry to dry, then it's up to Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Vegas, and finally Bishop.

2010-02-22T09:04:00.002-08:00

Here's a shot of a Saguaro. For those of you who don't know much about them, they only grow in one area of the world, known as the Saguaro Valley, extending from Arizona down to Mexico. These cacti only grow an inch a year, and don't branch off until they're at least 100. Just to give you an idea of size, the one in this photo is about 25 feet. Fixing to be on the road up to Flagstaff, so hopefully you'll be seeing plenty more shots of these before the days over.

2010-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

Dropped off the Slovenians at the airport this morning, now it's time to see what I-10 West has to offer. Next stop, Phoenix, then shortly after, BISHOP!!!

2010-02-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

Today was spent on the east mountain with Rick, Deano, Chris and the rest of the New York crew, wandering around, hitting up all the classics, including the warm-up boulder, Dragonfly, Backdoor Man, and a brand new line, spotted by Deano, with John Cooper getting the first ascent. The new line is called Uncle Drunkie, named after our favorite Rock Ranch host.

I didn't do to much (any) climbing today. The goal was to get several good shots of new lines, and I'm pretty sure I accomplished that. The main reason as to why I wasn't climbing is described in this photo...

The tick pattern on my arm represents all the problems I crushed in one day, much like the decals on the side of a B-2 bomber. This is known as 'the wanker 101' which entails doing 101 problems (v0 to v2) in one day. Although the grade of the problems isn't to difficult, it's the quantity that gets you. By the time I was at 70, my feet were just about to swollen to fit in my shoes and the skin on my hands was on fire, but if you look closely, you can count one hundred and one ticks on my arm, and I've been proudly sporting them since! Pardon my french, but that was a shitload of climbing!

Enough rambling. Time for more photos.

2010-02-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

Haven't been taking to many shots lately, more or less been spending my time looking for some cash-in-hand work while I wait on my taxes to come in. That aside, I'm going to take this advantage of having a strong internet signal to post the top 5 shots of this excursion, so here they are...

#5-Bryson trad climbing at Red River Gorge, KY

#4-Little naked statue at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

#3-Cody on the Egg at Hueco Tanks, TX

#2-Panoramic of Hueco from the north mountain in Hueco Tanks, TX

#1 David on the Comet at Rocktown, GA

2010-02-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

Rain rain rain. All morning long with no breaks, then come noon time, the sun comes out and Deano shows up with a party in a truck! Thank you Deano, for giving the ranch a truly enjoyable rest day, full of blue skies, dancing hoops and plenty of beer, all thanks to the New Yorker!

Cheers to all from the Rock Ranch!

2010-02-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Ended up stumbling across some more pictographs today up on the north mountain. Here's a few shots of the find.

2010-02-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait time...

2010-02-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a few from last nights throw down...

2010-02-06T16:39:00.002-08:00

Found myself a new occupation... Snake wrangling! Sorry mom, but I gotta do it.

2010-02-06T09:30:00.002-08:00

Right now, I'm sitting here in line at the front gate to Hueco Tanks with a van packed full of Slovenians, all of whom share in our common goal of crushing some rock, but the weekend wait is taking it's toll on our aspirations to send those outstanding projects we've made for ourselves. This week, however, has seen some impressive feats of strength already though. With David laying down Deans Journey and Loaded With Power, and Oyvand sticking the dyno on Free Willy from the sit start, today could just as easily become a rest day with minimal impact to our psych, and the 8 vehicles in front of us in line almost assures that another day off is indisputable, but still we wait. Texas state park rangers with bushy mustaches and orange vests now hold all the power. The reflection in their mirrored aviators cast a slideshow of broken dreams and shattered hopes as the weekend warriors fall out of rank one by one, bringing us that much closer to the front and a chance of actually touching rock today. Stubborn and steadfast, we wait.

Down time around the Rock Ranch usually consists of epic foosball and ping ping tournaments, bruising slackline sessions and some serious alcohol consumption.The stories acquired from the experiences are unforgettable, but tend to be forgotten quickly if there's no camera around to make notes. Unfortunately, I'm usually slacking when it comes time to document these shenanigans, but I have managed to get a few incriminating photos here and there, be it from one of the worlds strongest climbers proudly sporting his hippy heritage to the ever changing outfits of Scottie. There's always something going on at the Ranch, and it's probably better that I leave the camera in the bag. Tonight, being Saturday, means it's time for yet another shindig, and with the theme of this one being 'beach party', I'm pretty certain that there's going to be some interesting images to come...

2010-02-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

Not to much going on other than climbing these past few days. Getting closer on my project, so here in the next couple day's, there should be a nice sequence of shots of me sending Barefoot (v-12). That's gonna be sweeeeet! Here's two shots of David and Chris Lindner sending Loaded With Power (v-10) and Loaded Direct (v-12).

And here's just a few more of Devon and Max on Martini Left.

2010-01-27T15:19:00.001-08:00

The other day, our neighbors Ben and Mogely build a target, so today we all took the initiative to practice our hatchet throwing skills. The target got totally destroyed after a vigorous afternoon session, so I'm taking this opportunity to post the pictures while Dave, Ben and Mogley construct something a little sturdier. Still trying to figure out which celebrity to paint as the new target... So here's all the photo's from today's hatchet throwing experience that are worth posting.

and just a few more of climbing, simply because that's what we're out here to do.

Takk for kjesken!!!

2010-01-23T23:06:00.001-08:00

Windy day today. With shower's this morning, I chose to sleep in. Finally got up just before noon and started my days activities, only to return to my tent a few hours later and find that the 40+ mph winds had relocated my tent several feet from where I left it, still full of crashpap bedding, sleeping bags, and pillows. Stupid wind. No since wasting time trying to stake everything back down, only to have one side pop right back out the minute you turn your attention elsewhere. I ended up simply loading the tent with more weight, in the form of rocks. That kept it at bay for the remainder of the afternoon.

Ridiculously strong winds aside, today was a gorgeous day, just as long as you were inside or standing on the eastern side of a large structure. Had to brave the bone chilling cold for a few minutes, but got yet another panoramic out of the deal. Here's a view of the north and west mountains from camp.

2010-01-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

Since David and I have been at Hueco, we've had a number of friends swing by to do some climbing. A week here, a few days there, the people have been coming and going, making it very hard to take rest days due to the fact that it was always someones last few days in Hueco, and you can't spend your last few days at Hueco Tanks resting. With that said, David and I have been going for almost a month now with no skin on our fingertips. No bueno! Well, Friday saw the departure of Lesley and Sean, leaving David and I with no other agendas than our own, and the one thing we could both approve of was several days of rest.

Day one wasn't really anything worth remembering, just sitting around the rock ranch, not spending money. Day two, things got a bit more interesting. On the eastbound side on Montana (main highway leading to the Tanks), only half a mile or so from the road, there's an enormous sand dune, usually occupied by four-wheelers and other 4x4 vehicles. We have snowboards, but no snow, so sand serves as the next best. We tuned the van off the highway and started our ascent up to the dunes. Shortly into our climb, the rear-wheel drive Ford E-350 sank. It sank good! After about 20 minutes, we had dug out the rear tires and constructed a runway of stone, enough to get us onto firmer ground and back the van down the hill. Didn't work. The tires slipped right back off the rocks and into the sandy abyss. After several more failed attempts to free the van, a kind chico cruised up and towed us out. Finally, at the bottom, all we had to do was turn around and floor it back to the main road. David threw the van in reverse, cut the wheels, drove backwards about 4 feet, then we sank. Again. Luckily our friend with the 4x4 hadn't left yet and was kind enough to give us another tow.

We weren't about to let that epic ordeal spoil our day of sandboarding, even though the sun was already setting. David and I trekked uphill, battling the soft sand for what seemed like an hour, when in actuality it was only 15 minutes. Finally, with the sunlight fading away behind the distant peaks, we reached the top. It took me all of twenty seconds to swap my shoes for boots and pop myself into the bindings of my Burton Challenger. I rose to my feet, pulled down my goggles, and hopped onto the slope... Then I sank. It seems the only thing this sand dune is good for is burying stuff. Mental notes were taken but not pictures. It seems that I need to hire a photographer to follow us around on these instances when my hands are actually needed for something.

Today, being the last rest day, we took a little adventure to the salvage yard to find a new rear light for the van, since the last one had a nasty run-in with a firm shoulder while the van was stuck. Lucky for us, Montana is packed full of salvage yards! Salvage yards and drive-in adult theaters. There's some pretty good burrito stands on Montana too, but todays adventure brings us back to the salvage yard. There were many options for pull-a-parts, but the one that caught our eyes was the one that used the 'bookmobile' as the office. Lucky for us, Ford has made some pretty crappy vans in the past (except for ours, of course), so our options for a taillight were endless! We chose to pull from the one with the 'Amor por Juarez' sticker through no real elimination process other than the fact that peace in Juarez is a wonderful idea. And there we have our winner! A few minutes worth of manual labor and a little haggling, and we now have a brand new, second hand taillight for ten bucks!

That's it for the rest day activities. Tomorrow, it's back to the Tanks, and with three days worth of fresh skin, there's no reason as to why we shouldn't crush anything and everything! I now leave you with yet another panoramic. Sorry it's so small, if ya click on it it'll bring you to a larger file.

2010-01-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today was a rest day for me, but instead of spending it hanging around the Rock Ranch practicing my foosball skills, I chose to follow Les, Sean and Dave up to the north mountain. Wasn't to sure if I was actually going to be able to walk around the boulders all day without hopping on anything, but temptation wasn't as brutal as I thought. Thanks to a little bit of self control, my fingers should be all nice and rejuvenated for tomorrow!

Here's a few of the shots from today...

This is an area called 'fern roof'. Hopefully I don't need to explain why.

Legit indian pictographs.

Les coming ridiculously close on Loaded With Power (v-10)

Our Norway friend on Dark Age (v-10)

2010-01-09T13:17:00.002-08:00

The new year came and so far, has been off to a perfect start! Wonderful temps, good company, and a plethora of the finest quality boulder problems in North America. Each morning, I crawl out of 2 sleeping bags, exit my canvass cocoon, and sip on a thermos full of coffee while I watch the ice on my rainfly melt and get sucked right back up by this thirsty texas air. We've gotten a routine down of cooking a hardy breakfast at the front gate while we wait our turn for the park ranger to give us the go ahead for the day. Once in the Tanks, we follow the schedule we made the night before as best we can, but each turn leads to another distraction that always seems to become a priority. If we're lucky, we'll actually make it to 3 of the problems we had intended to get on, but no one seems to have any complaints about adding more projects to the ever growing agenda. The top of each boulder seems to have the perfect view of the next big project, and once the top of that one is reached, yet another pops up in the distance, drawing you to it like a moth to the light. It's really quite the vicious circle.

Today I am taking a break from the ordinary and actually resting in hopes that 24 hours will bring new skin to my fingers and recharge the rest of me so I can start ticking off some of these ongoing projects. My to-do list has gained quite a bit of girth, and I'm afraid I might have to start a whole new sheet soon if I don't focus on the task at hand instead of wallowing around in the excitement of finding something new. There just seems to be to much out here. To many quality lines to get lost in. I've got all the time in the world, but I'm afraid that it's not enough. I can see myself having a hard time leaving this place in a month, but I guess you have to leave yourself something to come back to. That, and leaving Hueco Tanks, Texas for Bishop, California isn't exactly a situation I'm going to lose sleep over. I'm certain that when the time comes to pack up and watch El Paso fade away in the rearview, I'll be completely satisfied with what I've accomplished. Hell, I've been here almost 2 weeks and I'm already satisfied!

I'd like to thank Les and Dave for the shots of me.

2010-01-09T10:12:00.001-08:00

I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but I've got a pretty good excuse. I've been busy.

...real busy.

Rundown of the week, coming soon.

2010-01-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

Here's some shots from New Years at the Rock Ranch...

And now for today in the North Mountain with Shelton, Amber and Lesley, all of which made it here just before the new year hit!

2009-12-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

Morning view at the Rock Ranch.

Today was the first day climbing at the tanks, and thanks to some friends made along the way, we got to go in with a guided tour of certain areas of the park you can only access with a guide. Thanks again Jackie!
While waiting in line at the front gate to the park, I recognized a van with British Columbia plates, and upon further investigation found not one familiar face, but three! Israel, Tim, and Moses. Otherwise known as the 'Crushers of Squamish'. Three more faces you might be seeing a bit more of over the next few months. With the yearly migration of climbers going south in the winter and north for the summer, it's almost impossible to go somewhere without seeing someone you met in some remote part of the world doing the exact same thing, climbing.

Now I give you today on the East Mountain and the East Mountain Spur.

Ended up that 2 friends of mine from Squamish, Jackie Sequeira and Cody Cox, Happen to be down in Hueco for 2 weeks climbing with some of their buddies from Austin, two of which stomped David and I's asses in foosball last night in the barn at the Rock Ranch.Lucky for us, Jackie happens to be a guide at Hueco Tanks, and managed to get us access to the 'guided tours only' sections of the park with the rest of their buddies on a day where we probably wouldn't have even been able to get in at all due to the fact that we didn't have any reservations, and the first come first served availabilities were gone long before we arrived. Headed out for a quick warm-up in the east mountain, followed by a long and equally as enjoyable session on the classic 'Moonshine roof', which has some of the most amazing features I've seen on a rock! Huge, easy and fun moves to this large prow feature running the entire length of the roof that you pretty much bear hug until you decide you're ready to try and top out. Every movement feels even better than the last, so just pick a problem and go, there's no way you won't enjoy it!

After that, we trekked down to the east mountain spur and put in a good, serious session on another of the many Hueco classics, The Egg. this line has got one of the most ridiculous, yet fun start's I've ever encountered. Jam your right knee into a hole that it shouldn't fit in, then use that and two horrible undercling slopers to pull your bodyweight off the ground. If that's not enough for ya, the first move is to fire with your right hand about 4 feet out and up from where you're hanging from, with one knee and one hand, on the bottom of this bulbous chunk of rock. Then comes the tension. Lots and lots of tension while you traverse on non existent slopers with an ever-slipping toe hook only to come to the crux of the problem, hand/heal match and move into a shoulder wrenching series of gastons and laybacks, only to pop off because you're too tired from a full day of bouldering at Hueco Tanks. That's how it goes though! If ya can't get strong at Hueco, ya might wanna take up ping-pong, which is also conveniently offered in the barn at the Hueco Rock Ranch!

All in all, it was a pretty good first day at the Tanks! I'm excited, at least. I leave you now with the sun setting behind the east mountain. Not a bad day at all!

2009-12-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a panoramic of Hueco Tanks from the road. To much snow for climbing today. Good thing we've got all the time in the world...

2009-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm having trouble getting decent service this far away from anything, so I reckon you're just gonna have to wait to see some pictures once I've made it into town.

2009-12-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

As of 9:18 pm, we are officially done driving. Time to set up camp for the night and get some good rest in order to make the first official day a Hueco everything it should be. Oh west mountain, how I've missed thee...

2009-12-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a few 'drive-by' shots of a long day on I-20 west...

2009-12-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

Crossed into the Lonestar state about an hour ago, found a gas station to refuel at and stepped straight into my first Texas mud puddle. Lovely. Then I took pictures of it. Even lovelier. Enjoy.

After a quick fill-up and drain-out, we noticed that the Howard Johnson across the street was advertising a "free hot breakfast!" so we took them up on their offer. Yogurt, fruit salad, english muffin, even an extra large belgian waffle with a cold, pulpy glass of orange juice to wash it all down.
Full belly and weary eyes, I happily claim my spot in the passenger seat for rest of the morning. Tried to shut my eyes for a bit, but quickly found out that the coffee I've been sipping on for the past 10 minutes has other plans for me. With that said, I'm going to go ahead and wrap up this post about breakfast and dip spit, and see if the Ho-Jo dark roast can solve this rubix cube before I pass out.

2009-12-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and Christmas went, now the only thing left to do is post pictures of the little tikes and start doing crunches in hopes of shedding a few of the pounds I managed to acquire over the brief stay with an obsessive cook.

And here's a few shots from a hidden problem at Little Rock City in Chattanooga.

Now, here at 12:35 am on December 28th, we set off on the next leg of our journey. 1291 miles to go before we reach our New Years destination, Hueco Tanks in El Paso Texas. Olé!

2009-12-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

Mr Tyler Willcutt a mere fraction of a second after missing the hold on Godfather. Hold your breath buddy, the grounds coming quick!

2009-12-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Two days of cold weather, one a great deal colder (and further north) than the other...

2009-12-18T18:07:00.001-08:00

And so it begins...

2009-12-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

Goal for today: Get to Washington DC to unload this moving truck and make haste back south as not to get trapped in the largest snowstorm DC's seen in 20 years! Wish us luck...

2009-12-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a few from a cloudy day seeking waterfalls at Moss Rock Preserve.

2009-12-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

There's no place like Horse Pens for the holidays...

And here's Daniel and I laying down Odd Job! Well, our combined efforts would've led to a top out... Nothing worse than popping off the top over and over, only to have to walk away without the send simply because you're fingertips are bleeding. I'd like to thank Daniel for the shots of me, Thanks Daniel!

2009-12-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

Rainy day up at Rocktown yesterday. Luckily for us, this side of the mountain is home to Petty Johns Cave! 6.5 miles long, 240 feet deep and comfortably set at a constant 58 degrees! Here's some shot's of the entrance and the first series of rooms you come too, known as 'the freeway'. Unfortunately, this was as far as my camera made it. With passages suitably named 'valley of yuk' and 'pulverizer squeeze', I decided this wasn't exactly the expedition for the d300, but next time I'll be prepared with a lovely little point and shoot that will only cost me a few bucks if it gets screwed up.

*note* the flashes of light in this photo are me running around, sparking the flash as to try to get as much of the room illuminated in 30 seconds.

Now it's off to the Citadel for some more climbing. Unfortunately, hunting week at Rocktown has started, so there's no climbing till Sunday, unless you're willing to pay a hefty ticket and/or get shot at by deer hunters. We figure we'll just go climb elsewhere, then get home to re-up on some money before heading out west...

2009-12-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Yet another hardy pasta dish. It's hard, living this good...

2009-12-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day at the citadel! Sendfest 09 with a high of 48! David and Josh sent Earl the Squirrel (hard), Naize impressed us all when he laid down the snail (hard) on his flash attempt, I managed to get 2 entirely new and equally as hard problems, and then Josh made it to the finishing jugs on big papa (very hard) only to be too pumped out from a full day of bouldering to finish! Next time, Josh. Next time. Point of the post- Very good day today! Now it's back to chattanooga for some well earned showers, then more rocktown!

Josh- Earl the Squirrel

Naize-The Snail (flashed)

Josh-Big Papa

Even this guy had a great day, eating bread and peanut butter and all that good stuff!