Fall Climbing

With river season wrapped up and ski season just out of reach there's only one thing to do. Go Climbing! The last week of Gauley season was spent in the New River Gorge getting back into shape. After spending about on day at each of the areas in the gorge it was easy to see a lifetime of climbs had been neglected over the previous month. The endless wall had to be one of the best features, with a hike in that requires descending a series of caves and latters leading to miles of perfect sandstone features stretching in both directions.

It had been almost two months since our departure and Phil's suggestion that we stop by Devils Tower on the way back was almost forgotten. I didn't think the plan would ever go through, but after some 26 hours of straight driving from east Ohio we arrived. Devil's tower has to be one of the most bizarre rock formations that I've seen. a perfect cylinder of igneous rock laden with cracks and chimneys. After climbing until dark we were back on the road to Bozeman.

With one person sleeping in back and switching shifts with tanks of gas I'm surprised we did so well. All the same when we hit Bozeman at 3:30am, roughly two and a half days since we started, it was time to crash. The next day consisted of an easy push to Missoula with a quick trip up the Dragon's Back just outside Butte. It feels good to be back in Montana!

Bridge Day

Once a year in Fayetteville, WV there is a more than just a buzz in the air. Base jumpers from across the country descend on the town for Bridge Day, the only day when the New River Gorge Bridge is accessible by foot. During this event the base jumpers, skydivers specializing in jumping from structures, get a six hour window to jump from the 876 ft. bridge. B.A.S.E. jumping is an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth jumping. The low altitude and minimal time to release a parachute adds to the sense of adventure. With an estimated 400 jumpers going continuously throughout the day the event attracts a large amount of spectators.

Stuck in the woods

Arriving back from my trip to the DC area things cleared out significantly. Of my friends that came to West Virginia Austin is gone to Atlanta to find steady work, Phil is in Penn. with his father for the week and Maggie is fixed in DC, from which I came. In addition many of the out of state guides have left. With the river flowing intermittently and no transportation to town boredom is setting in. at this point I'm a bit sick of living in a tent and being so far away from home, wherever that may be.

Chesapeake Bay

I was invited by Maggie and her father to go sailing on the Chesapeake Bay during my last visit to the DC area. Having never been sailing before I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but a gusty, sunny day showed a lot of promise. There was a fair amount confusion on my part at the beginning of the day trying get names and commands straight due to not being very familiar with all of the terminology. It wasn't much of a problem because Bill, Maggie's dad, and Maggie had complete control of the boat. It was a great experience feeling the force and power that the sails can exert. This was in part on behalf of the exceptional weather. By the end of the day I was starting to feel the rhythm needed for tacking, or turning, the boat.

Shenandoah

While on the east coast I was able to catch up with my aunt and uncle living in the Shenandoah Valley. I don't think I've been out to see them since I was 15 so it was a great chance to catch up with them. During my stay I was fortunate enough to take the canoe out and go fishing with my uncle Bill. The Shenandoah River is a little bit slower than the other rivers that have consumed my time recently, but evenly matched in beauty. Mixed in with the river's natural channels and ledges are large rock bands built by the native Americans to funnel fish down river into awaiting nets. During our float we chose the more contemporary method of fishing with poles.