rckymtntravler

Happy New Year

2011-12-23T15:46:00.001-07:00

I've been sending out the blog address with emails and greeting cards so thought I'd create a new post to usher in the new year. Slow start in our neck of the woods, but hopefully we get as many powder days as last year (if not a few more.)

Indian Creek Revisited

2011-12-16T17:06:00.008-07:00

The mischievous Mr. Widerman convinced me to go out to the Creek for a spell. He was in for the long haul and intended to spend the month of November there. As of yet I haven't spoken with him since and can only assume that his limbs began to disintegrate under the stress of difficult crack climbing. He was, however, adamant that he would "break the chains of domesticated life" and would remain through Thanksgiving.

On a positive note we climbed the summit of North Six Shooter Peak via the Lightning Bolt Cracks. On a less positive note I had a minor nervous break down during an "easy" pitch on the route and would not lead. Hard lesson learned about not climbing in months, but believing I could still lead Creek 10+.

Take that iron horse by the reigns

2011-12-15T20:11:00.005-07:00

After spending more time on a bike last sumer than I had in five years two things became apparent. No.1 It's hard to slow down and take as many pictures as I would under any other circumstance. No. 2 One hundred miles through the mountains on a bike is pretty brutal and shouldn't be taken lightly, especially when its deemed an endurance race and serious riders set the pace. Thanks to Kelsea and Kimberly for getting me out and Brendan for showing off in front of the camera. -Kevin-

New Mexico

2011-03-09T19:16:00.021-07:00

In Santa Fe we stayed in this awesome vacation rental through the Las Casitas B&B.

A little bit of fresh air and a ride.

Some of the restaurant suggestions are listed. The Bumble Bee was a locals favorite for burritos.

Orlando's had a great side of pasole, although it was two miles from the central Taos square.

Bryan's choice was the Aztec Cafe. Huge sandwich with green-chili eggs and turkey sausage.

Bryan's other choice was the Cowgirl for drinks, live music, and some cards, which I cannot win.

Counter Culture was not Kelsea's favorite. But worth a try for something different.

I recently got a chance to do an exploratory mission to New Mexico. After never spending any time in the state I was surprised at how close it is to Salida. About 3-4 hours will get you to most of the finer parts of northern New Mexico from home.
Along the lines of skiing I checked out Angel Fire for a day then went on over to Taos. I camped out an evening and skied Taos Valley Resort for a half day before heading over to Santa Fe.
The main reason for going was to see Kelsea, who I've missed dearly all winter. She suggested Santa Fe as a choice destination and it lived up to its reputation a a hip place to see art.
Before going I asked some friends what I needed to see and subsequently got a long list of restaurants and a few gallery suggestions. The restaurants varied a great deal and I didn't post everything.
In addition we took Iris the dog out for bit of biking north of town. Cool rolling trails, but nothing to write home about.
The trip was also a chance to break in a new camera. It was just a little Olympus point and shoot. If I had something bigger I really would have geeked out. Probably would have embarrassed myself and everyone else.
Great trip though.

Selected photos from 2010

2011-01-03T12:24:00.005-07:00

Happy New Year everyone and anyone who takes a look at this page. I've let it get stale over the last year or so, but thought I'd post some pictures and see if anyone is still checking it out. The sorry thing is I don't think I have anything provocative or sexy to post.

I'm still in Salida doing the same thing and people tell me that I've carved out a nice little niche for myself. Despite spreading rumors that I'll be gone in a few months the reality is that I will probably be doing the same thing in six months time and most likely I'll wait for my pension here, and retire, and have my bones placed in a neat little plot in the Upper Arkansas Valley.... sigh...

Belated Winter Post

2010-04-06T13:34:00.009-06:00

We might not have a record snowpack compared to the last two years, however winter isn't quite over yet. The mountain is still getting snow and the wind is spitting flakes outside my window as I type here in April. I figure it's now or never for getting some winter pictures up on the blog. I haven't been the most diligent blogger this winter, but at least I got my ski days in. Whether it was blasting across Wyoming going 80 on 80 to Salt Lake or sucking in 2-cycle fumes from the snowmobiles and chainsaw up at White Pine it seems like this winter was a mechanized one.

Tower Power

2009-10-20T22:02:00.006-06:00

FRIDAY-

11p.m. -Wrap up with work.

11:45p.m. -Start driving to Avon.

SATURDAY

2:10 a.m. -Get lost in Avon and drive around and around round abouts.

2:30 a.m. -Find John and Erin's new house. Swap cars. John starts driving and I sleep in the back.

4:?? a.m. -Grand Junction stop.

6:30 a.m. -Arrive at Castle Valley get out and start hiking.

8:00 a.m. -Rack up and John begins mega-long first pitch of N. Face of Castleton.

12:15 p.m. -Top out. Give John shit for a minor breakdown, but secretly thank God I didn't have to lead that last heinous pitch.

12:25 p.m. -We try a simulrapp.

12:27 p.m. -I decide simulrapping is sweet.

1 p.m. -Arrive at Fine Jade in time to watch a party of three block the route.

2 p.m. -Arrive at Honeymoon Chimneys and promptly start whining that it looks like nasty off width.

2:10 p.m. -Still whining.

2:15 p.m. -Pony up.

3:00 p.m. -After a lot of cussing I accomplish half of the pitch and demand to be lowered. I'm now exhausted, sweaty and shaking.

3:10 p.m. -John Lie backs the off width and the Chimney opens up with ample protection and easier moves.

3:30 p.m. -The rope get stuck on second I take a big TR whipper and have to jug on tiblocs then proceed to lead the next unprotectable 70 feet of chimney. Very spooky, very cool.

4:30 p.m. -John starts complaining that he's cramping up, but the next pitch looks nasty and I don't want to do it.

6:?? p.m. -We swing the last pitch to the top.

7 p.m. -Darkness is now approaching as we simulrapp back inside the very dark chimney- cave and eventually to the bottom in pitch blackness.

8 p.m. -After repeated stubbed toes we find our headlamps and chug the rest of our water reserves before starting the brutal hike out.

9 p.m. -My spirits are high although the hike is very brutal and I think I may be hallucinating. John is complaining of dehydration. I half fall down the scree when I believe a white wolf is stalking me. Yeah I was tripping out.

10 p.m. -Back in camp, no fire, no beer, no hot food, no speaking. Just calories and liquids and sleep in the Subaru.

SUNDAY

6 a.m. -Consciousness reveals a puzzled look on John's face after I was touching his face. Oh my God; are we spooning? I've been so lonely lately.

9 a.m. -Up and moving. As we load up, a friendly conversation reveals our plans for Sister Superior. Unbeknownst to us a large group of climbers leaves camp quietly.

10 a.m. -Road Closures-Moab Marathon? Head scratching ensues.

10:30 a.m. -We arrive at an impassable washout and it is hotter than blazes and oh shit there are like ten kids passing us to get on Jah Man.

12:30 p.m. -We've given up hope of doing another climb today. There are three parties on Jah Man and two waiting. We wait.

1:30 p.m. -Waiting.

2 p.m. -Waiting.

2:30 p.m. -We smoke the first two pitches... Waiting. The other climbers are a bunch of kids out of Gunnison; nice, but slow.

2:45 p.m. -As is my style I switch pitches so John has to do the crux. Sucker.

3 p.m. -Thin steep hands for the next next pitch. Awe man! Weak.

3:30 p.m. -We top out and the gunny crew is still hanging out. The gears start turning and as soon as they offer us a spot on their 70-meter rapp we're already stacked and clipped in and gone to a far better ledge.

4 p.m. -We walk out ahead of the others and head back to the car in perfect weather. I officially end the 2009 climbing season.

My new ten speed

2009-09-28T22:55:00.006-06:00

Above- Shots from the Crest Crank on the Monarch Crest Trail and the start of the Vapor 125 Enduro.

After a summer of watching all of the cool kids ride around the block on their cool bikes I finally broke down and bought one of my own.
If there's one thing that people in Salida love to do it's probably boating the Ark, but for the rest of the season they love to ride bicycles.
Most of the folk here have at least two if not five rides. The townie or cruiser is a must, then there's the mountain bikes (one for downhill and a single speed 29er for cross country) and the road bikers have road bikes. People love their bikes so much a town of about 6,000 people supports three bike shops.
I got the bug riding the Crest Crank in early September with my buddy Brian Ward after working a deal to get a free loaner from Absolute.
After a lot of shopping I finally turned up a bike at a garage sale for just over a hundo. Well it might not be the cool ten speed I was holding my breath for, but it will get me around the trials until I find something better.

Colorado summer revisited

2009-09-01T23:31:00.009-06:00

So unless Bailey on the South Platte comes in, Gore Canyon of the Upper Colorado
was my last trip of the season. Kate is running Tunnel Falls above and below are
some natural springs she knew about out on the Pumphouse section.

Turf house veterans get down at the annual White Trash Party.

Below is the only evidence that I actually ran some whitewater. This
was Castle Creek through Aspen and it was posted on LVM by
Rob Hurst.Visit the link at the bottom of the post to see Rob's pictures.

Hydrological constellations must align causing mountain tides to draw in river rats. It causes the Arkansas Valley to become the center of the boating universe; if only for a few short months.
As far as the river scene goes I had a great time living here. Between work days I made it onto the Ark a few times and checked out a couple other runs in the process, but as I gain confidence as a boater I realize there's a lot out there to learn. I invested time with RMOC early in the season to get checked out as a guide however with a slow start to the commercial season I only guided a handful of trips by the time the water dropped. That's where Kate and the "Turf" crew come in.
My kayaking was deeply intertwined with a Wednesday phenomenon they call Disco Night and it's proximity to the Numbers Buena Vista. Every Wednesday throughout rafting season the guide population that floods Buena Vista every summer descends on the Lariat Bar. Guides dressed to the nines, or should I say half dressed... sometimes undressed, get unconscionably inebriated then bump and grind to classic hits from the 70's and early 80's until the point of blacking out.
Essentially Kate, an RMOC kayak guide, and I would embark on an after work run on the Numbers; a classic class IV about an hour north of Salida. Getting off the water at dusk we'd head straight to the "Turf House". Kate's friends, mostly AAE guides, were sleeping somewhere between eight and a dozen people in a 3 bedroom house that the owner had installed astro-turf around so the tenants couldn't, as hard as they tried, kill the grass. Upon destroying a handle of cheap whiskey the party would carry over to Disco and depending on the next days work load sometimes we'd go kayaking again the next day. With minor variations this is how I spent my days off through the summer.
My paddling improved a bit, however I didn't get my camera out as much as I would have liked. There are some things that will remain in solely in my memory. Now that many the river rats have migrated to follow the high water I'll be waiting until next spring.

Special thanks to Kate Stepen. You were always down to go boating, no matter how bad those ducky trips were. Rob Hurst- Thanks for snaping a few photos and throwing one of me on LVM. Mean Gene- Thanks for saving my boat. Jacob- Thanks for making me feel better about losing my boat. Thanks to Brie, Mac, Dustin, Charlie, Jenny Sass, ect. ect. ect. for keeping the Turf real. http://www.lvmvideo.com/2009/07/05/co-update-castle-creek-and-south-fork-crystal/

Armstrong demolishes local MTB race

2009-08-21T10:00:00.007-06:00

Shots of Armstrong riding across the finish line and arriving at the 6:30 a.m. start.

As well as a course shot of Armstrong riding ahead of a Trek rider to the left and

six-time defending champion Dave Weins wearing bib number one.

(Leadville is about an hour north of Salida and the company I work for owns the paper there. I received a press pass to cover the event.)

After coming out of retirement and taking third place in the Tour De France Lance Armstrong returned to Leadville Saturday for some unfinished business.

Fresh off the tour Armstrong, now 37, left the pack after the 45th mile finishing the race at 6:28.50.9 seconds, breaking Dave Wiens’ former record of 6:45:46 by almost 17 minutes.

The seven time Tour de France Winner competed in the 2008 competition while in his third year of retirement with little training. He subsequently took second place last year behind Wiens, the six-time Leadville 100 champion from Gunnison.

Armstrong’s appearance in 2008 brought in a record number of riders for 2009, nearly 1,400 including a group of professional riders recruited by Armstrong for support in the race.

Trek sponsored riders Matt Shriver, Ben Sonntag and Travis Brown of Durango arrived at the start with Armstrong and remained in a group of about six leaders including Armstrong, Weins and Cannondale rider Tinker Juarez through the first third of the race.

Wiens said the riders pace was faster than the previous years due to the additional athletes and faster pace cars leading the group out of town.

“The whole dynamic was hard for me. My legs were wrecked immediately. Last year I was pressing the pedal at mile 45. It was a different race (this year). I was cooked on the first climb,” said Wiens.

In addition to the advanced pace, varied weather conditions left riders feeling the chill. With a low of 37 degrees recorded in Leadville just before the 6:30 a.m. start, sporadic rain showers passed through the area as the riders began the series of high altitude passes that make the race a test of endurance.

"There were probably six or seven guys on the way out, then guys just kept dropping off. So I sort of had to decide what to do. If you wait for other guys or if you just sort of go for the rest of race by yourself. It was a little risky to do that,” Armstrong said. “In the end you're wasted, but I rolled the dice a little bit. Plus I was freezing. I wanted to start riding hard because I was about to freeze."

Armstrong turned the race into a ‘time trial” situation. From that point forward he gained time leading Weins by more than 10 minutes at about the 65th mile.

The only thing that slowed Armstrong was a slow leaking flat tire at about 10 miles from the finish line.

"I don't normally change flats. I call up the car and they change it, that's how it works in road cycling," Armstrong said. “When I'm out on a ride and have to change one, I'm just terrible at changing flats. So that's why I just put more air in it, thinking that foam would seal it.”

Armstong pushed on with a slow leak arriving at the finish line with a sagging rear wheel. Weins, now 44, finished in second with a time of 6:57:01.

Ring my Bell

2009-08-09T09:51:00.005-06:00

With a distinct reddish hue and a glassy pond underneath the Maroon Bells are the most photographed features in Colorado. They also have a reputation as two of the more difficult 14,000 foot peaks to hike due to precipitously loose rock and very direct routes straight up the things.

I was stoked to get up both of them and never have to climb those chossy peaks again. Widerman rallied me to Independence Pass at 4 a.m. and we were gaining elevation above Aspen by 6.

We chose the Northeast Ridge of North Maroon because it's straight forward and safe. Then we headed across the Bells Traverse to South Maroon and back because it's super exposed, class 5 and sketchy. Yeah, what was the thought process behind that?

There were a handful of class five sections (enough to get your heart racing). We could have used a half length alpine rope, because there were three strategically placed rappel anchors to descend some small head walls in the traverse. Down climbing and re-climbing them wasn't bad though and saving the weight was in our best interest.

Pervertical Sanctuary

2009-07-24T15:10:00.013-06:00

Proposed routes in blue and completed route in red. My squiggles may be a little bit off.

John making the first of three rappels down to Broadway at 4:45 a.m.

Late afternoon view of the Diamond from camp at the Boulderfield.

Boulder climbers on D7 above and John on Broadway below.

As the climb turned into a series tiny finger locks and the crack system disappeared into more of a water channel I took a breath of the thin 13,000 ft. air, pushed a tiny .3 inch cam into the rock and embarked what appeared to be a strenuous lie back up to (hopefully) easier climbing. As I edged up higher above my last piece of protection everything fell apart. Without warning my foot blew of the lichen covered rock and got caught behind the rope. It looped around my ankle and kicked me upside down before catching my weight and slamming me shoulders and head first into the wall leaving me dangling above Mill's Glacier nearly 1,000 ft. below.

Pervertical Sanctuary is a route up the Diamond formation on Longs Peak in the Front Range of Colorado. The formation is more than 900 ft. of vertical face that lies entirely above 13,000 feet and it has dozens of climbs in addition to the route we were on. Or in my case the route I thought I was on. Well if you've been looking at the blog at all over the last six months it's apparent that my climbing partner, John Widerman, and I have been climbing consistently and as long as I'm living in Colorado there's a checklist of climbs I'd like to accomplish with the Diamond at the top.
Longs Peak was most likely climbed by Native Americans hunting for eagle feathers however the first european expedition was assembled out of John Wesley Powell's surveying expedition in 1868 via a non-technical route. The Diamond face wouldn't see a first ascent until 1960 with several lines developed throught the 1970's.
Many professional climbers are still pushing their limits on the face; as recently as September of 2008 Steph Davis free soloed the route we accomplished Pervertical Sanctuary, while Tommy Caldwell and Topher Donahue climbed five free routes on the Diamond in one day during the 2002 season. Among other accomplishments Caldwell went on to free the Nose route on El Cap in 2005.
Our goal wasn't to push the boundaries of climbing however just to tick off some great climbs on a a classic North American alpine wall. The initial intention was to do three routes over the course of four nights sleeping on the mountain, however the approach, descent and our abilities impaired those ambitions.
The famed British climber Doug Scott once said, “The Himalayas are a great place to train for Longs Peak.”
After yo-yoing up and down the peak, both on and off the wall, it became apparent that we were exhausted and maybe a little bit out of our league, so although I've never been to the Himilaya I can sympathize with the remark.
The first night we went up to scout the wall it had stopped raining just before dusk and it was unuasually calm. Several hundred feet below we heard course yelling and saw two climbers still on the wall. After a brief exchange we established they had gotten their ropes stuck well rappelling and needed search and rescue assistance. There wasn't much we could do except try to hike out far enough to place a 911 call. I'm not sure what happened in the long run, however they weren't there at when we returned at 5:30 a.m. .
We got some excellent advice where to sleep and how to approach from Mike Soucy, a friend and guide who works for Colorado Mountain School. The advice was great, but it was very dependent on the fact that we would summit successfully. After second guessing our course and getting into the epic pitch (cited above), calling it quits turned out to be significantly difficult.
My breakdown resulted on a route called the Curving Vine, just right of where we were supposed to be.
I sucked it up, tried to climb though, had to aid the crux, ripped off a dinner plate sized rock, dropped some gear and after wasting a good hour plus the clouds started building. We made the call to bail.
Bailing looked like an easy two step proccess rap off the face to the glacier and make the walk of shame back to camp. We made the call at 1:30 p.m., but after six rappels down and nearly 1,000 feet of elevation gain in hiking over several miles we got back to camp at 8 p.m., completely wrecked. The call was good though because a violent hail storm battered the climbers still on the wall after we got back to the glacier.
Round two was more successful. With better route beta, an extra hour start and having our gear all racked and ready we cruised. John took the 10c crux pitch, although many reviews say that since the 1975 FFA that rating is a bit sandbagged and it's more like 11a. Regardless the route was consistantly steep to oveerhanging and was the real deal in Alpine Mountaineering.

Limestone Caves

2009-07-05T23:18:00.012-06:00

So the name of the climb above was "Turd in the Punchbowl" 12a. I don't think the name did it justice. The natural springs below were something else.

John on "uckfay ushbay" - a sweet 11a. Below is Phil entering the CAVE!

John has been talking up this place called Lime Creek for the last month and to be quite honest I was a little bit skeptical. It seems like there is a recurring trend that remote crags go in and out of style and the hype is usually built up too much. To his credit the spot was actually pleasant.
My last real climbing trip was out to Rifle and it was amazing how many people there were and how polished the rock was. Lime Creek was the same style of single pitch limestone sport climbing, however we saw a group of climbers leaving as we went in and that was about it; we had the camping and crags to ourselves for the next two days.
My big regret was that I wasn't feeling very strong when I got out there, but in the long run going on a camping trip with friends in a remote setting and looking at new rocks was what I needed.
The big surprise of the trip was after we were rained off the rock however. Phil is a great geologist and he has a penchant for explaining the names and formation of the rocks that I enjoy climbing on so much. Phil pointed out that we were on the Leadville Limestone formation and after looking at a large natural spring he speculated about the underground river system that lays beneath the rock.
Phil had mentioned a cave in the vicinity of Lime Creek and to be quite honest I didn't pay it much mind until we were on our way back to Vail with an afternoon to kill.
I wasn't sure what to make of Fullfort Cave as I found myself wiggling backwards down what appeared to be an irrigation culvert with an extension ladder inside. After about 40 feet of this the cave opened up into a larger chamber and went back forever. While maybe not forever, but we probably went more than an eighth of a mile back and only saw a piece.
It was a cold and dark labyrinth with passages that led up through chimineys and down shafts with ropes adding a sense of security to the muddy slick descents. I thought the underground river and waterfalls were cool, but Phil swore up and down that he knew of a secret room with more traditional stactites. We never found it, but that's a good reason to go back.

FIBArk

2009-06-27T16:56:00.013-06:00

Pine Creek above and Stephen Wright right

One of the Salida Pin Ups and more boating.

I'm off the rock temporarily and boating fever has overtaken me. The river scene is something else here and the festivals have been rolling in.

First in Boating the Arkansas, lovingly referred to as FIBArk, hit Salida like a sledge hammer nearly doubling the year round population. Wildwater Nationals/World qualifiers took place this season bringing in a big draw however we didn't host the Freestyle Kayaking Nationals this year. Although after hosting them regularly for years the pros still came out for FIBArk comp as well as the Pine Creek race, slaloms boating, downriver race ect. ect. Former members of String Cheese played Friday, while Lez Zeppelin and DJ Logic performed Saturday.

FIBArk is only one of the river festivals though. Summer started with Buena Vista Paddlefest (for the kayakers), I missed the Teva Mtn. Games, the Gunnison River Festival and rock comp started yesterday and the Cañon festival is going on here shortly.

If river festivals aren't your thing there's also Ride the Rockies (for the bikers), Art Walk (for the circus performers) and the Brewer's Festival (for me). The only rough part is I'm working and have to stick close to home for the weekends instead of getting on some of the crazier rivers around here.

I could talk about some of the real debauchery I got myself into, but I'm actually really lame so I'll throw up some pictures and call it quits.

Summer Vacation

2009-06-23T17:18:00.009-06:00

Special thanks to Will Roth for some great shots of me on Hand Jib (above) and Mexican Crack (below)

Jordan (above) and Josh Boyd (below) put up a heinous 5.12 roof crack that looked punishing.

Widerman (above) really wanted to knock out a 5.12 at rifle so he picked a nasty 5.11d line to warm up. I seconded and got my ass kicked. Props to John for the big whip though. Caitlin and Casey hanging out at the lodge (below). Casey added some Flight of the Conchords to his set list and had everybody mesmerized.

Wow, my vacation wasn't much of a vacation. I feel bad that I didn't go out to Oregon for my sister's graduation and I still tried to cram too much into a 10 day trip. I also missed Jason's bachelor party because it was bumped back one week. I was still able to swing through Denver and see Andrew, but to stay for one extra day meant staying through the rest of the weekend and missing out on Lochsa time... And giving most of my paycheck to strippers.

All the same I saw Drew and drove through the night up to the Lochsa Lodge. A great weekend and borrowed a kayak to run the river. We made an attempt at cutting out White Sands however even with a chainsaw, a couple of rigs and chains there was still too much snow. Instead I got on the upper, which I'd never done before.

Back in Missoula most of the fire crews were hanging around town due to the wet weather so it was a great chance to catch up with some old friends. Too much drinking though. The lights came on in Charlie's three times while I was in town and I pulled one all nighter, so when the option came up to make a run for SLC I jumped on it.

I was definitely broken on the drive down and had to pull over after almost falling asleep at the wheel. When I rolled into the bright Morman capitol there was already a wine party going on and I continued the bender. Jordan called in sick the next day and we hit up Lil' Cottonwood.

Another night in SLC and I was off to Rifle. Met up with John after another long drive and jumped into some hard sport, some say it's the hardest in the country.

Ok, I'm done writing, look at the pictures.

Crack Climbing

2009-06-02T12:16:00.004-06:00

I went back out to Indian Creek Utah and it was probably the last time I'll visit until Autumn. Things are starting to heat up so I'll let the rattlesnakes have it for a while.

Otherwise I picked up where I left off and got on some hard climbs. Perfect hand cracks are something else, but branching out into an assortment of fingers, off-width and thin hands was a priority during this trip.

I keep thinking I'll check out more petroglyphs and Anasazi ruins, but climbing trumps everything else. I did see bunches of cryptobiotic soil (Widerman pointed out that I had trampled about 40,000 years worth) a tarantula and a rattle snake.

John (Widerman) and his buddies Logan and Tyson Cobb, (brothers originally from Fla.) were already there and Jordan Beattie came down after the first night while Phil Reiker and Erin Priest met up with us before I took off. My friend Kate Chapman came down from Moab for a day, however we only saw her briefly due to switching camps.

All in all a pretty good group to climb with. Some of my single pitch highlights had to be Scarface, Bioturbation, Big Guy and the Coyne Crack (however I took hangs on each or top roped)... Well, I was proud of myself even if I didn't pick up any redpoints.

John, Jordan and I also climbed Vision Quest up the King of Pain Tower. After a few beers the initial plan was to climb several lesser towers on the Bridger Jack formation by 1-2 p.m., but in hindsight that was a bit ambitious.

After getting up there late and baking in the sun, we established doing one route was in our best interest. I wasn't in the mood to attack any hard leads so after a brief look at the topo I volunteered to lead the first of four pitches. It appears to be moderate in comparison to the second, listed as off-width with unprotectable sections, or the third pitch, listed as the route crux with sections of over hanging fists and hands.

I grabbed the gear and said farewell to those suckers that would inevitably lead the hard stuff and promptly found myself battling nasty, rattily fingers up a long dihedral. I bumped and pushed two of Jordan's .5 inch cams up to the final push and went into a lie back towards a 3 inch ledge. Upon arrival I snagged a shaky wrist/hand jam. As my weight shifted and my feet lost traction the realization that I was slipping set in. As I struggled to regain composure John thought I was struggling to get another cam in and proceeded to throw out rope for a clip.

I expected a 10 foot fall and as I kept plummeting surprise registered. To John's credit he caught me well before I bottomed out on a ledge, but I was a bit spooked and scraped up as a result. I'm not certain what the entire length was, but it ranked up there with my biggest falls to date.

Subsequently I ran out of small gear after the section and proceeded to get off course into a squeeze chimney with a great deal of rope drag.

Non-of the belay ledges were big enough to fit three people (comfortably) and after Jordan, put up a stellar lead on the OW I found myself on the sharp end again after collecting the majority of the gear and sitting with the least tangled rope tied to my harness. To ease up space on the ledge I set on what was listed as the route crux. Although it has powerful moves the section was straight forward and short.

John took over on the final pitch, a long one, with crusty rock and a very exposed finish. I always remember my leads the best, however Jordan and John didn't have easy climbs by any standard. I guess I'm just soft, taking whips and hangs like a light weight.

Spring Fever

2009-04-23T20:00:00.003-06:00

I've been itching to get and do some climbing. At work I find myself paging through websites looking at aid gear I know I'll never use and can't afford. The living room is strewn with old climbing magazines that I page through listlessly. A hang board mounted itself in an unassuming corner of the duplex that I'm house sitting.
All done and said it's hard to find new partners with no climbing gym and a work schedule that is hostile towards the sport. Well, this is the first work schedule I've had in a while so it's a given that it would cramp my bumming ways.
With the time I do have I've been out scouting a lot of the local areas. Most are a little bit contrived, but some are turning out to be awesome.
Yesterday I met up with John at the half way point between here and Vail at Moniter Rock. Moniter is the largest piece of granite this side of Aspen and the climbing was great. We did the Trooper Traverse. (we initially planned to climb a harder route, but our group grew into three, so ample belay space was a must) Famed as a climb put up by 10th Mtn. Div. the soft grade didn't give way to a slabby climb. It was a vertical five-pitch climb with great cracks and perches to anchor off.
Other areas have been dissappionting though. Buena Vista has some good looking little domes... until you get right up next to them. Alot of the rock is decomposing and I spent the better part of a day tromping around looking at established "towers" that I wouldn't climb even if there were hookers and blow beckoning from the top.
If you read this and want to climb down here throw something on the comments or you probably know me so just call.

Towers

2009-03-30T21:47:00.004-07:00

Castleton Tower rises above the Priest, the Nuns and the Rectory.
Widerman looks at the La Sal range from the top of the tower.

-It was a whirlwind week after a spring storm dumped feet of snow in the Colorado high country. With time requested off from work I had two of the best ski days of the year up at Vail and then John Widerman and I decided to gun for the desert during a break in the weather.
Castleton Tower is a real North American classic. A perfect stovepipe that breaks the horizon from miles away and it has a handful of routes that are possible for a mortals. However I'd heard unfortunate stories sandbagged ratings and people spending the night in the labyrinth of cliffs below the tower.
Getting to Castleton was like getting to another world on the chosen day of ascent. An hour and a half hike straight up the sand and scree took us approximately 1,700 ft. higher than the camp (John had an altimeter). With the previous days weather and an early start it was unbearably cold. By the time we got to the climb our water was a mix of icy slush and it took a great deal of effort to sort gear and prepare. I needed to brush up on my alpine starts.
In my opinion no off width to squeeze box chimney should go at a modest 5.9 rating, but I'm probably just in wuss mode after not having trad climbed in months. All the same after whipping twice on the crux and looking up at a seemingly unprotectable gap and looking down at two other parties waiting below, I started to have some doubts as to whether or not I could pull through.
Long story short we got up and back down with out major incident, but the next night in camp we met a group with one person planning to base jump off the top while his girlfriend planned on paragliding off the saddle; I guess life could always be more extreme. John was a solid partner, especially with my bitching during the long rappels down the other side. Now I just need to find the time to do the other 10 or so towers I have my eye on.
P.S. On the way back I got some good news, one of my photos made its way into the Rock and Ice gear guide. It's not a paying position, but it's a start. The picture is of Dean on Slice and Dice in Indian Creek.

White Pine

2009-03-12T17:47:00.007-07:00

I didn't see any if there were.

Tomichi Pass overlooking Hancock Pass which eventually leads to St. Elmo.

Tomichi was the smaller of two cemeteries in the valley.

With four separate bedrooms, a community sleeping area, full kitchen, indoor bathroom ect. the place was awesome.

The mine. Signs prohibited entry due to high concentrations of lead,

I recently went up to an old ghost town called White Pine for my friend John Fulton's Birthday. One of the local brewer's assistants owns a huge lodge there that runs horseback trips during the summer, but in the winter it along with some of the other summer cabins that still exist are deserted and only accessible by snowmobile.

So after work one evening we loaded the gear, skis, five people and two dogs onto a snowmobile-sled combo and braced for a bumpy six-mile moonlight trip up to the lodge. (the keg and food had already gone in two days previously)

White Pine was silver mining town with a boom in 1878, but after a plunge in silver prices in 1894 the town was nearly deserted. The original site was moved due to repeated destruction by avalanches. The actual townsite has several seasonal cabins intertwined among the shells of late 1800's dwellings.

It was a great experience, essentially a hut trip minus most of the hike. The next morning we hiked up to Tomichi Pass and skied the back side. Most of the snow was crust up until that point though.

There were coyote's everywhere making there presence known through their cries, trails of scat and leaving the dogs nervous at night while skiing out ahead and alone I startled one down in the creek bed. It had a start up the hill and got stuck in a drift momentarily. Although I got close I couldn't get my glove off and my camera out in time to get proof. Later that day my friend said that fresh coyote tracks over laid my own for several miles.

Avalanche

2009-02-19T20:28:00.008-07:00

I've got my Avalanche 1 certification, so this means I can ski Silverton without a guide, right? They'll still charge me for helicopter rides though.

AIARE instructor Andrew Councell and class participant Aaron Mello dig a snow pit to assess snow pack instabilities and avalanche danger in front of Mount Aetna.

James “Hills” Hillard makes fresh powder turns in an area close to the Lost Wonder Hut called the Burn.

John Allen, Kimberly Kerscke, John Fulton. And Michael McGovern watch as AIARE instructor Andrew Councell draws a diagram in the snow explaining avalanche burial rescue techniques.

It was a back to school moment at 8 a.m. when 14 bleary-eyed backcountry users from Chaffee County arrived at the Steamplant for the Level 1 Avalanche course: Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain.

Held over three days during Presidents Day weekend, participants hoping to gain the skills needed to travel safely in avalanche terrain had a day and a half of classroom time to discuss concepts, a trip to Monarch Pass working on rescue techniques and a full day of touring and hands on practice.

Hosted by Salida Mountain Sports the class format was created by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education and taught by AIARE instructors Mike Soucy, a Monarch Mountain ski patroller as well as a CMS guide, and fellow CMS guide Andrew Councell from Estes Park.

“The Avalanche 1 is designed as a stand alone coarse to provide users with the ability to plan a backcountry trip and if something does happen, having the rescue skills required, we’re not going to get too geeky on snow science,” Soucy said during the first day of class.

Technical skills involved in companion rescue and the study of snow pack stability were key parts of the curriculum, but one of the main goals of the course was to focus on asking the right questions instead of providing answers.

An example used was about a group trained in performing snow pack tests yet all were buried after digging a test pit at the bottom of an avalanche slide path.

Examining reported case studies involving avalanche burials utilized a large part of the classroom time. By identifying hazards or warnings that the victims failed to adhere to gave participants an idea of what to look for on their own trips. Photos and video footage connected to the studies left a graphic impression of what can take place in an avalanche.

Throughout the class Soucy stressed the importance of being aware of ones surroundings and how terrain selection can minimize risk in the backcountry.

The class also focused on human factors influencing avalanche risk or when group dynamics or social evidence lead backcountry users into unsafe situations. One example was a video clip portraying half dozen skiers descending a slope one at a time without consequence until the sixth began the descent between the tracks left by the others and triggered a slide. Soucy and Councell identified the phenomenon as social proof.

“You may have been two pounds away from triggering an avalanche, but skied away without consequence,” Councell said. “It’s a negative feedback loop.”

During the last day of the course participants had an opportunity to practice planning a tour West of Garfield while taking into account technical information and human factors. Members of the group were encouraged to practice many of the concepts discussed in the classroom and had a chance to perform snow pit tests and beacon checks.

This was the first Level 1 class offered in Salida and the sponsors and instructors hope to offer more in the future.

“After taking this class you might think you know more than you actually do. There’s a responsibility to polish up these skills,” Soucy cautioned at the end of the course.

More information about AIARE courses and a contact for Soucy are at http://avtraining.org. Colorado Avalanche Information Center offers current avalanche forecasts at http://avalanche.state.co.us/.

Colorado Backcountry

2009-02-01T18:32:00.012-07:00

Makeshift surgery

Pre-Dawn get go.

I finally have some pictures from the last hut trip. I brought along some slide film and apparently no one processes it anymore. I ended up getting it while I was down in Ft. Collins. Some old family friends still have a processing operation and when I was younger I did some work for them organizing slides.

Otherwise the hut trip was great, it snowed most of the way in, but not too much. I ended up going with John Widerman and the Priest family- Erin, Brenna and Garret. It was Erin's Christmas present from John and it turned into a great trip outside Aspen to the Harry Gates Hut, one of the 10th Mtn. Division huts.

I signed up late, but I did vaguely remember learning about the access code required to enter the cabin. But, I didn't think about mentioning this until we were within a quarter of a mile from the hut. When I brought the subject up I believe Widerman's words were, "You're fucking with me right!?"

Being locked out six miles into the backcountry wasn't great so everyone started looking for a way in. The backdoor felt like the lock would jimmy open, but before I could find a tool to work with Erin, not wanting a spoiled weekend, laid her boot into it knocking the wobbly lock undone.

Harry Gates was great especially since we were the only ones staying in the 16 bed accommodation.

We went touring the next day and trekked out the following morning.

Clubbed

2009-01-18T17:37:00.003-07:00

So, I've been busy with the new job, but as fun as high school sports are I still like shooting action and adventure sports in my free time. When the Smith Series rail jam came up I was more than eager to get some pictures for the paper.

There's nothing like a wide angle to capture freestyle skiing so I broke out the 14mm and got about six feet from the rail. It was a little nerve racking at first, but the park crew knows me and they said I could get as close as I wanted.

Sure enough as soon as I fixed my settings and started getting some really nice pictures this kid taps his ski on the rail and it sails off his foot.

The next thing I knew I was laid out on the ground feeling like I got kicked in the side by a horse.

The ski wouldn't have hit my face because my camera was there, but I think I would have been very upset if it had hit my camera.

All the same it was relatively embarrassing. Due in part to Brink announcing what happened in real time over the PA system.

I need to post some hut photos, but I used film so it will be a week before I get my slides back. Take a look at www.themountainmail.com for my work. (At it's best and worst)

Goodbye 2008

2008-12-31T15:24:00.002-07:00

Things have changed drastically since my trip to Indian Creek. Only a short month ago I was unemployed, broke and free of responsibility. Now I'm working back on the mountain and I've been hired as the sports reporter for the Salida newspaper, The Mountain Mail. The position requires a great deal more writing than I've ever done before, but I think I'm picking up the style OK and I'm enjoying the challenge. I also get a good deal of photography published throughout the week. I just need to focus on some freelancing with what free time I've got left.

It feels good to be back in a house in Salida, especially after living without a roof for so many months. The mountain has been receiving a good amount of snow and I've been trying to get into the back country as much as I dare. I picked up some good equipment this season and my folks signed me up for an Avalanche I certification this February. My skiing is improving greatly now that I've got my season pass.

I'm sad to say that Maggie left me. I've been a bit broken up over the situation, but it's hard to be down when I live in such a beautiful place and have a rewarding job. I'll end this post and this year with a short Sunbeam, for those of you that read the Sun.

"The heart of another is a dark forest, always, no matter how close it has been to one’s own."

Willa Cather

Thanks

2008-11-13T11:05:00.004-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the desert this November. I sorted through my pictures and came up with a good selection from the last two weeks. This is just a fraction of the photography that I took out there so if you want a raw CD with all of the photos or prints of something specific please send me a request and a donation to cover the cost. Sorry if I didn't get "the shot" of your lead or whip, I was busy belaying or trying to put up as much as I could. Thanks to Wilderman, Erin, Phil, Jordan, Sam, Talyn, Levi, Dean, Allen and Erik.

For CD's or prints please send a donation and mailing address to:
Kevin Hoffman
522 Chipeta Trail
Salida, CO 81201

Or my E-mail is rckymtntravler@yahoo.com

Indian Creek I

2008-11-13T10:10:00.010-07:00

Top to bottom; Slice and Dice 5.12, Way Nutter 5.9ow (above and below), Close Confinement ?, The Serrator 5.11, Blue Sun 5.10

Indian Creek II

2008-11-12T19:52:00.009-07:00

Top to bottom; The Serrator 5.11, Allan and Erik stretching, Moon over Supercrack, Pomegranate

Long Canyon

2008-11-12T19:34:00.005-07:00

Although Jordan and I couldn't get all the way back to the Maverick due to a large wash out in the road, we side tripped up to the Shipwreck Wall. A long hike led us up to several laser cracks that I in general wasn't up to leading. Fortunately Jordan took the sharp end of the rope.

Ancient Art

2008-11-12T16:23:00.005-07:00

One of the true desert classics is the Ancient Art formation located in the Fisher Towers. It consists of four pitches taking the climber up the back side of a knife blade formation that culminates in the corkscrew finish. A pitch of mantel moves up to the top of the tower.

Fall Climbing

2008-10-30T14:37:00.005-07:00

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

2008-10-30T14:07:00.004-07:00

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

2008-10-30T13:48:00.004-07:00

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

2008-10-09T10:57:00.003-06:00

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

2008-10-09T10:35:00.005-06:00

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.

Upper Youghiogheny

2008-09-25T11:13:00.002-06:00

Last week a surplus of water above the Yough resulted in a mid-week release. The common stretch runs into Pennsylvania, but the technical Upper is located in the panhandle of Maryland. A chance shuttle on the Gauley left us in contact with Don and Audrey, a local couple with a lot of river experience. I was fortunate enough to run the Yough for the first time with both of them. My first trip could have been full of swims and pins on a river that I think would be compareable to the Cache La Poudre only twice as steep and with 40% more boulders. In addition to showing me lines Don and Audrey invited the Montana crew back to their house for a hot meal and beds to sleep in. The chance shuttle we ran a week earlier rolled over into an all expenses paid vacation in PA. Thanks Picture of Alec running National Falls

Gauley-land

2008-09-25T10:58:00.002-06:00

I haven't been able to write very much due to a combination of distractions. But, we made it and I have been guiding on the Gauley River in West Virginia. Because of mergers the companies have become massive entities, ours (me and Austin's) employs nearly 200 guides and I've never had to move so many rafts in my life. People from all over work the river here, including guides from California, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio?, Pennsylvania, and Montana. The scene is wild, but still hard for a newcomer to break into.

Destination Lincoln

2008-08-28T12:31:00.002-06:00

It's settled, I'm headed for the Gauley river in West Virginia. Although as it happens things have already come to a screeching halt. We left Missoula last Monday with two cars, five boats, and high hopes for the Autumn. Our hopes were dashed in the middle of Nebraska after Phil's '86 4-runner threw a rod and died on the side of the highway. We should have worried more about the chronic oil leak or the maximum speed of 55 mph. Oh well, as it happens we've discovered the lovely metropolis of Lincoln after getting a surprise tow from a Hell's Angel hauling wrecks to Omaha. Phil's new friend "Dumpy" shared with us storied of stabbings, shootings, and hookers as well as inciteful racist wit. While looking for a place to stay we met the "Major", an appliance repairman who tried to sell us on a beat up raft, a place to stay, and shares of a Network Marketing company. The place to stay would have been great, but we were unsure when he started taking down personal information from drivers licenses. We were waiting for him to ask us for credit card numbers when we parted ways. All done and said Lincoln isn't too bad... but we have to get out of here!

Fire on the Mountain

2008-07-12T21:20:00.003-06:00

The first big fire of the season came to Missoula and it was a little close for comfort. Wednesday evening it became apparent that there was a large amount of smoke coming from the east side of town. It looked very controllable when first noticed, but within a half hour the fire was raging up the side of Mt. Sentinel, the mountain that borders the UM campus. When approaching the base there were crowds of onlookers on every corner and the fire crews were just arriving as the blaze reached halfway up the mountain. The fire started behind a small park next to one of the married student housing complexes so it was no surprise when the culprits turned out to be two seven-year-olds who got a hold of some post Fourth of July matches. A combination of July heat and strong wind from the west pushed the flames up marring the hillside, but fortunately leaving the residential areas untouched. By the next morning most of the fire was contained with minimal damage, but a great deal of excitement.

Back from Colorado: Continued

2008-07-07T12:21:00.002-06:00

Seeing so many relatives in one place was the main reason for my trip to Colorado. The reunion was organized to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday. When my aunt's and uncles heard that one of my friends from Fort Collins was going to be arriving later in the evening so we could get an early start on a climb the next day the scheming started. Rumors that Jason, my friend from Colorado, was actually a male stripper or a long lost illegitimate grandchild were spread. There was a momentary look of surprise on my grandmother's face when Jason knocked on the door, but the buildup was a bit much for his arrival.
Our plans were to attack a route up the Crestone Needle called the Ellingwood Arete. Thousands of feet of class five scrambling with a three pitch technical climb right at the top. All of this set in the middle of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The next day was more of a struggle for the truck then for us. Even with improvements the road out of Westcliffe should only be tackled with a 4x4. We were fortunate enough to push Jason's rear wheel Sonoma to the first big creek crossing. After that we walked the next five miles up to South Colony Lakes.
During the walk Jason started to feel worse due to a developing cold. I felt bad pushing on, but the beauty of our surroundings made the hike seem short. Upon reaching our destination doubt started to creep into our minds as to whether the climb would be possible. Snow from a harsh winter still encrusted much of the peak. I wasn't too concerned about the climb so much as the descent. At 4:30am when Jason announced that he hadn't slept, probably a combination of the cold and the altitude, I was still ready to try. Yet that early in the morning I was soon convinced that we could wait. In place of the Needle I summited Humbolt Peak. Jason accompanying me to the high saddle and no further. A few days after our trip a 49-year-old woman out a party of six was killed trying to climb the route that we would have descended. I think I'll try again maybe in the early Autumn.
This summer is starting to look very much like the last one. I'm back in the same house I lived in last summer and kicking things off I took a brief sabbatical to Colorado like last year. Upon my return I started working for the same kids camp in the same fashion. Hopefully I can break the cycle and make some more money this go around.

Back From Colorado

2008-07-02T22:34:00.005-06:00

It's been a while since my last post, but a lot has happened. I was called upon to go down to Colorado for a a family reunion. With gas prices so high I was a bit hesitant yet it's been a long time since I've seen my Mom's side of the family. I also thought about last year when I did a similar trip and had a blast kayaking and catching up with old friends. Unfortunately Maggie Couldn't come due the job search. Unable to persuade her I loaded up the kayaks and the climbing gear and headed down south.
The first stop was my Dad's house North of Fort Collins and a chance to run the Cache La Poudre. The Poudre is a small rocky river the runs at approximately one tenth the size of the Lochsa. Not as ambitious as I was last year I only ran some of the more moderate stretches lower down the scenic canyon.
After leaving Northern Colorado I set my sights on the Arkansas River. I had plans to run the Numbers section, but the timing was off. A difficult run of boulder gardens at low water and a series of stacked holes when high the Numbers were out of the question for me at 1000 cfs above the commercial limit. I did however run Brown's Canyon, a step down from the numbers, both in a raft with my sister and some local friends, and repeated most of the run in my kayak. The water level was a bit intense to say the least. Out of the seven days I was in the area the local paper reported four deaths on various stretches of the river. It may have been for the best that I didn't push myself. Continued...

A trip up Kootenai Creek

2008-05-16T10:04:00.004-06:00

The other day while climbing in the Bitterroot I was fortunate enough to get pictures of something I've seen only a handful of times. Kayakers running the lower section of Kootenai Creek. I climb in the canyon regularly, but it is difficult to catch the creek boaters going down due to short length of the run and speed that they pick up. The lower section is a class V creek, considered by most to be technically difficult with an assumed risk of danger. This doesn't stop kayakers though. Two years ago I had a roommate who dislocated his shoulder and was forced to swim the lower section loosing his boat and paddle. With the recent hot weather and the high snowpack the creek has been running at a good level for the kayakers. I was content taking pictures from the shore.

LIfe Back in Missoula

2008-05-11T14:56:00.002-06:00

Being back in Missoula is going well. Seeing old friends, making it outside to the rivers and the crags and doing the rounds at the graduation parties have consumed most of the time back in Montana. I have however had some small luck at finding work. The river company has a surplus of guides, but the video guy has to take some time off. The pay is substantially better and I'll still get a chance to do some training before the season really kicks off. The rough part is that I need some more experience with Imovie before I get going. My first day of work is tomorrow and coincidentally it is the annual Bartenders Float. If I can survive tomorrow I'll be doing OK, but the key word is survive. Otherwise Maggie is doing some part time catering until she finds something better. The photo is of Lochsa falls taken yesterday.

Salmon River

2008-04-30T21:34:00.003-06:00

We've made it back to Montana after a brief stay in Colorado to finish up the ski season. The river company I worked for last summer gave me a free spot for their training trip on the Main Salmon river. Maggie also went due the fact that the price is unbeatable early season. The early season weather wasn't great until the last two days of the float though. This trip was a bit more wild than the last. I neglected to bring my camera after spending the day before we left tracking down a free memory card and batteries. The photo of Salmon Falls posted was taken last year during my trip. In other news we found a place to live in Missoula so we will be staying here for the remainder of the summer. Depending on our job situation we may plan some June or July trips back to Colorado and the Lake Tahoe area.

Hangin´ in Huaraz

2008-04-06T14:04:00.004-06:00

Upon return from the Ishinka Valley we got a chance to spend more time in Huaraz. The city has beautiful surroundings, when not enveloped in clouds. Mountains close the town in on all sides and there is a muddy river that borders the south side of the city center. The night we came back into town we were greeted by the dedication ceremony of the new town plaza. Much of the town was damaged and the cathedral destroyed in the early 1970´s by a massive earthquake. Although we were too tired to stay up for the firworks, we watched one of the earlier bands as long as we could tolerate the crowd. This group consisted of fog machine, female singer and male synchronized dancers. The next day Henk and Issy, our Australian friends, invited us to go down to the market. Being Saturday, the market was apparently larger than usual. Sprawling over several blocks there was a wider variety of items than I´ve ever seen together in a market. Along next to the familiar domesticated animals we found mesh bags full of live guinea pigs and in the fish stalls a shark. Peru also seems to have produce like no where else with vegetables and fruits in unnatural sizes, shapes and colors. Henk also found a maker of the recycled tire tread sandals that are commonly worn in all of the small villages. One entertaining surprise came in the form of a couple monkeys that would pick your fortune out of a box for a nominal fee. We didn´t see the pet dealer that soled Henk and Issy their iguana though. I half promised to Maggie we would see the Peruvian hairless dog also, but so far it hasn´t been delivered. In addition to the ugly black-skinned canine she missed a brief sighting of the variety of miniature deer that lives in the national park. Maybe next time. We are scheduled to return to Lima tonight and back home within the next 48 hours.

Valle Ishinka

2008-04-05T13:20:00.004-07:00

The weather of the Cordillera Blanca has fallen into a very predictable pattern. Rain every day. The Oregonian is happy here. Our last adventure was in the Ishinka valley, a large drainage about an hour from Huaraz. We joined a new Australian friend of ours, Henk, after meeting him and his fiance Issy briefly during the Santa Cruz trek. We had decided that some company would be appreciated for our next hike and in addition he already picked out a guide. This included transportation, food, and burros to carry our packs. It was an appreciated luxury not having to carry our heavy backpacks, and it turned into a relaxed hike to the base of 6,000 ft Tocallaraju. During spring in the Cordillera Blanca the only mountains that one can climb are limited to a few peaks around 5,500 meters. After shopping for guides ourselves we found that Ishinka and Uros were probably the only cheap and safe hikes to do before we leave Peru. Arriving with us at the base camp was the perpetual rain. Fortunately for us, there was a cave large enough to cook in and during the next 72 hours almost all of our food was consumed there. Our guide Allan was worth his price, at least in the food he made. Lomo Saltado, sauteed beef with rice and french fries, greeted us the first night and it seemed that the stove generated enough hot food to put the cold wet weather at bay. The actual hiking was not so hospitable however. Waking up at 1:30 am Ishinka was our first peak. After the previous week´s precipitation, there was enough powdery snow to make Allan frustrated. We prevailed and were rewarded with a fleeting couple hours of sunlight and a spectacular view at the top. The next day didn´t yeild the same results though. Maggie declined the chance to wake up even earlier the next morning, which turned out to be a wise decision. After several hours of grueling hiking straight up to Uros, it was decided that the snow made it too dangerous to cross the boulder field. The climbing was over before daylight and we were back in camp by dawn. Although slightly miserable, the experience was still rewarding. From this trip we are taking away something very special, a new recipe for oatmeal. Tons of water, milk, lots of sugar, and only a bit of the actual oats. It turns out like a creamy gooey slop!

The Santa Cruz Trek - a muddy ramble

2008-03-31T08:20:00.003-07:00

We are now exploring the northern area of Peru, based out of Huaraz. Our first adventure here was the four day Santa Cruz treak, a popular, relatively easy hike through the Huascaran National Park. The most difficult part about the trek was obtaining our Park pass, for about $20 per person. At the Park office they told us we had to have a guide to do any trekking or climbing within park boundaries. Apparently there has been a recent policy change, as of that morning, and a man in a suite and tie seemed quite adamant. After a second opinion, we returned to the Park office in the afternoon. Kevin got a bit argumentative, and through a good bit of persuasion, we convinced one of the officials to give us the passes. He warned us not to tell our friends though. Once in the park, it was absolutely gorgious. Towering peaks, hanging glaciers, deep river gorges. There is a tree that grows here called the queñoa, which has bright red bark that peels off, somewhat like a madrone, and fanned out like an oak. After the first few days we began to understand the weather patterns in the rainy season. Beatiful mornings until about 3 or 4 pm when the clouds roll in and there is a good solid down pour. The weather changed though on our third day and those beautiful mornings dissapeared, it just rained. Now the continuous rain added to all the glacial runoff on the trail, making it a muddy mess. Unlike the States, livestock in Peru roam free, but they roam free in these isolated, contained valleys, so adding to the mud is all of their excrement. This was also the most crowded hike we´ve been on. Seeing two or three groups of foreingers a day, somtimes with donkeys and porters, was a bit of a change. The local attitude was different also. Upon exit of the trek all of the children we encountered blocked the path and told us ¨Basta! Dame carmelo" or "Stop! Give me candy". Also after some elderly women gave us some unecessary directions they required a propina or tip. We´ve tried to refrain from giving charity in the form of refined sugar though.

We are trying to decide what to do with ourselves for the last week. Climbing seems to be an option if the weather holds. There may be an affordable ice climbing clinic just outside Huaraz.

Out of the Colca... A bit skinnier

2008-03-23T10:13:00.002-07:00

Five days in the Cañon del Colca and we are both feeling a bit weary. After conquering El Misti and Chachani, I think we felt a bit invincible, but trekking amidst cacti, cliff sides, and swinging rope bridges, we have both been humbled. The five days took us from a low point of around 2000 meters to a high of 5100, with many dips, rises, and dives between. It took a full day to descend into the second deepest canyon in the world. Just like the Grand which we know in the states, the Colca is also hot, and arid. To our surprise and horror, it also harbors desert creatures. Day two, around 7 am Kevin let out a high pitched squeal amidst a spew of cursing. There was a scorpion in our tent, wriggling between the sleeping pads all night with us. The previous evening in camp we heard voices approaching. One word which stuck out was ¨gringos.¨ Kevin hollered back, ¨si, gringos!¨The two fellows, hiking in the moonlight, gave us a few apples, and we gave them a drink of rum.

The apples were appreciated due to our tight supply of food. We debated using an ATM before we took off. Chosing not to, we started the trek with about 80 soles (around $25), figuring around 40 soles for a bus ride back, and a bit for a burro to haul our packs over the high point of Paso Cerrani. In the end, los burros y arrieros (guides) seemed too busy with an alfalfa harvest to help, so we saved a few soles and hiked the pass with our packs in two days rather than one. After hiking the 5100 m pass (approx. 17,500 ft), we learned the villagers probably didn´t want to help us because the pass is brutally steep. Although we saved soles without the burro, we spent them later on buses and taxis leaving us with literally one sole on our return to Arequipa.

Fortunately we carried plenty of dried food for the trip, and Maggie got to eat mashed potatoes for her birthday (mixed down with oriental soup for flavor).

Day 3 of the 5 day trek, we awoke in the town of Miña (where we failed to hire a burro). It is set at the top of a steep river gorge and was misty and cold. As we wandered the mud hut alleys looking for someone named Alejandro Nina´s hijo we ran into a couple of jolly characters. Jolly as in drunk, at about 7 am. They were father and son and we had to turn our heads not to get sick from their pungent breath. Everyone in the town was busy with harvest, except for these two, and they surely weren´t going to get us up the pass. After detaching ourselves from their conversation of slurred spanish (try understanding that!), we started our day late. This is the point in the trek we both started feeling a bit queezy, be it fatigue or failing to boil our water long enough. The priorities of the next few days were conserving our dwindling supply of tp and trying not to think of the real food. Our conversations turned to pizza, syrup soaked pancakes, and even a comparison of the Big Mac to a Whopper.

Arriving in Chachas on day 5 (one day later than planned) we were greeted by very generous welcomers who would have put us up and fed us dinner due to our limited supply of funds. We met the town Father who immediately asked if we were Catolicos. Kevin told him he was Presbytarian, good answer. Next question of course was if we were married, ha ha. From Chacas there as a bus leaving for Andagua, our final destination. Due to our weary and somewhat sick condition, we chose to take it. It was a winding drive through the lava flows of the Valle de los Volcanes. It was one of two hair-raising bus rides that day, the other being the ten hour ride back to Arequipa through mountain passes on rocky, steep roads. Our mothers do not want to hear about it. We are recuperating in Arequipa, somewhat of a home base now, for the next couple days. Then it is off to more night buses back North toward Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca.

Chachani

2008-03-17T07:18:00.003-07:00

Today is my birthday and during the last year I´ve reached new heights, 20,000 ft. Otherwise the reports that Chachani would be easier than el Misti were slightly exagerated. The base camp was at 17,500 ft. which in theory made the climb much easier, but even having spent a couple of nights at 16,000 ft., camping that high was a challenge. I developed a nasty altitude head ache almost immediately which made it nearly impossible to sleep. Maggie on the other hand was out like a rock, until we were forced out of bed at midnight. Although not technically difficult or extremely steep the route up the mountain consisted of a three pass system that required long traverses across steep seasonal glaciers. Waking up in the middle of the night allowed us to cross most of the snow while it was still cold and firm using crampons and ice axes. Our guide, Mikey from Zarate Expeditions chose not to give Maggie an ice axe. Instead he roped up to her waist with a loop around his down hill hand, giving her the feeling of being a child lead by a leash. No sooner had they roped up, just after 3 am, Maggie tripped over he crampons and went sliding down the steep pitch. Mikey braced automatically first on his bamboo pole and sunk his axe, catching her like a pro. She says it was just to test the rope system. The only other group climbing with us were three Austrians and a Swiss. During the previous afternoon the guides went over the predictable weather patterns on the mountain and the predictable habits of the climbers as well. Just like clockwork the other group made it through the first pass before altidude sickness took it´s toll on two of them high on the second pass. One of the guides decended with them and we continued on to the summit with the remnants of their group. The weather also held true to the guides predictions. Just before dawn the wind started making conditions miserable. Frost started creeping out of every crease on our jackets and collected on our hair. The rest of the climb was quite brutal. even with two pair of gloves and socks my fingers and toes went numb. The only reward came during the descent, when the sun came out and we could see our surroundings. Typically the mountains are only visible in Arequipa for a couple of hours in the morning. Chachani was very aesthetically pleasing in comparison to El Misti, with more shimmering snow fields and outcroppings of vibrant volcanic rock poking through.

We´re off to the Colca Canyon now for five days of backpacking.

Monasterio Santa Catalina

2008-03-14T14:05:00.002-07:00

The past few days, awaiting an ascent of Chachani on Saturday, Kevin and Maggie have become tourists. Today we toured the 16th c. convent where over 500 nuns lived in complete seclusion. We even saw the little windows where they passed "diverse goods" (probably drugs) back and forth from the outside world. The convent was opened to the public in 1970, and although nuns still live there, they are no longer so secluded. The convent was built of sillar, the light colored volcanic stone primarily from the eruptions of Chachani. Because the old center of Arequipa is built mainly of sillar, it has been given the name of the White City. On a clear day (this time of year in the early morning before the afternoon thunderstorms) one can see the peaks of Chachani and El Misti set in the background.

In addition to visiting the convent there has been a lot of recuperation. Last night we went to return some empty bottles that had been collecting in our hostal for the deposit. The combination of our hobble, due to aching legs and the clunky rental boots Maggie is breaking in for climbing Chachani coupled with the empty bottles made us appear like English drunkards. The first day wasn´t so bad, but a searing pain has set into our calves. We deciced to take a break from Peru because of this and call an America Day. America Days were developed while I studied in Mexico by a friend of mine. Essentially we found directions to a shopping mall- movie theatre and looked at consumer goods and watched an english language film. Unfortunately breaking with true America Day tradition there was no McDonalds, only a Burger King. (I should mention that Maggie declined the fast food, she did however partake in the coca-cola and popcorn for only $2 at the theatre.)

Tomorrow we will try for Chachani with a loquacious Peruvian guide Mikey. After reading another travel blog by an Irish youth about his horror story of altitude sickness and not making it, we both have our doubts. Check back next week to see how we do.

El Misti - volcano lives up to its name

2008-03-12T15:17:00.002-07:00

We looked at eachother, curled up and exhausted in our tent and said "wow, we just climbed a 19,000 ft volcano in Peru." That about sums it up. The three day adventure began with a bumpy (understatement) ride in a jeep through dessert grass lands, passing grazing vicuñas (relative of the llama). At the Aguada blanca damn we presented gifts of cigarettes, bread, and a newspaper (it is called a bribe) in order to pass through. After the jeep dropped us in the middle of absolutely nothing but ichu grass, we hiked about four hours to camp in the middle of dense fog, hoping we were approximately at the base. El Misti began day two at 4 am, ascending the steep scree slopes to an incredible sunrise. The weather worsened, and after a grueling 5 hour hike, it began snowing with distant rumbles of thunder at the peak. Better visibility would have been great, but we were still able to glimpse the vastness of the giant crater on top. Day three was a gorgious hike out through terraced farming communities, beautiful blooming flowers and deep canyons to navigate. We are both fascinated by how few people we saw - none, and also by how much trash and graffiti was at the Monte Blanco camp site. There are many resource management issues here. More adventures ahead - hopefully an ascent of Chachani at about 20,000 ft. in the next few days.

Lake Titicaca

2008-03-08T09:23:00.002-07:00

It´s been a few days since we left Cusco. After taking the bus to the city of Puno we decided to take a tour of some of the Islands on the Peruvian side of the lake. We went to the floating islands first. Made out of layers of reeds by the Uro Indians the, floating islands typically house two or three families. Being so small Maggie mentioned that it seemed like an intrusion of privacy. The islands have capitalized on the tourism also, making as much money as they can off of boat rides and art made from the reeds. Although in the words from our copy of Lonely Planet "there really isn´t anything quite like it."

The island of Amantani was where we spent the night. With virtually no electricity and no hotels we ended up with a local family. This was one of the best experiences of the trip so far. It was a good look at the agricultural way of life that still dominates much of Peru. At sunset we climbed up to the two highest points on the island, pachatata y pachamama (father sun, mother earth, pretty much). The locals have descended from the Aymara who, through the centuries, lived very close to the Inca and it seems today many elements have blended. Quechuan language, their spiritual ideologies,etc. We learned a few phrases - alli-llanco = hello. yus-parda-sunki = thank you. It was fun. After a wild night dressed in the local clothing, we headed on to Taquile. Similar traditions, great trout for lunch. Now we are off to the arid climate of Arequipa.

Hasta luego!

Machu Picchu

2008-03-03T19:32:00.002-07:00

Machu Picchu was an amazing stop, even more spectacular than the last time. Arriving in Aguas Calientes we spent two nights in order to get a full day up at the ruins. In comparison to the dry season the rainy season is living up to it's name here. There has been sporadic rain since we left Cusco and all of the rivers are pushing their banks. I don't remember the Urubamba, which flows along the train tracks into Aguas Calientes, being gentle, but it is a fast, massive muddy Class V+ all the way. Our hotel is 3/4 of a mile from one of the rapids and you can still hear the roar. This is a change from the ruins which are a tranquil labyrinth. Unfortunately Maggie hasn't been feeling well. We've eaten exactly the same things, yet she has picked up a nasty bug somwhere and I'm still fine. She is gradually getting better and hopefully tomorrow wil se a full recovery.

Cusco

2008-02-29T19:46:00.003-07:00

The prices have increased significantly since my last visit in 2003. We estimate that it will cost close to $250 just to get to Maccu Piccu and back by train not including Hostal. We´re looking into options for hiking in which may be more rewarding. The weather is a complete 180 from Lima also. There was a thick cloud layer over Peru for the entire flight. Maggie is happy for the change after getting a little too much sun in Lima. The trails may be a bit muddy, but we are going to grin and bare it for the next six days (unless we chicken out and don´t). Tonight we were serenaded by a loud group of andean players, singing in spanish, playing las quenas (flutes), panpipes, drums, a mini ukelele and guitar. Looking forward to what we´ll find in the country side.

We´ve Arrived

2008-02-28T17:44:00.002-07:00

After a long two days of traveling we have reached Lima. The weather has been excellent here, 70-80 degrees. Maggie and I went to the National Museum and then to the Miraflores District.

It is a very big difference from the Climate in Salida. After getting done on the slopes Sunday we went out to the beach to check things out. Although the weather was nice the Lima beach front is dangerous with a collection of riptides and undertoes waiting to steal one away to the south Pacific. It is also dirty. Lima´s coastal population of twelve million plus has to flush somewhere. The trash was bad, but a decaying sea lion being battered ten feet off the shore confirmed our reluctance to get anywhere near the water. All the same my pockets are weighted down with the cards of surf instructors who swore that the conditions were excellent.

The greatest danger so far has been using the taxis and buses though. As I remembered the driving is a variation of rally style racing through pedestrians. We will leave the city tomorrow for the central highlands.

Hut to Hut

2008-02-20T15:40:00.002-07:00

We've slacked a bit in posting on the blog. Presidents weekend just slipped by and as usual our schedule was booked. A few friends came up from Fort Collins to check out Salida and Monarch, but to their disappointment there has been little snowfall over the last week and the holiday crowds came in full force.
Work didn't slow down for Maggie or me either, I only got a handful of runs in with my friends between lessons. Looking for a more action on Fridays however, Maggie has joined a local race team. Once a week she races her board down a slalom course set up in front of the lodge.
After things started calming down on the mountain we embarked on our first hut trip. The trip was organized by a some friends of ours who work for one of the gear retailers in town.
I envisioned a select group of back-country skiers heading out to a very spartan yurt, or tent like structure, below towering peaks many miles out, like to ones I've come across in the Medicine Bow Wilderness located in northern Colorado. As the trip approached and plans became a reality it wasn't quite as I imagined. Fourteen people dwindled to seven, the approach was only three moderate miles, the hut was more of a fully functional two story cabin and I was the only person to pack skis in.
Expectations set aside towering peaks did loom overhead and I did get my own back-country skiing in. Otherwise it was very comfortable with minimal risk and good company. With the Lost Wonder hut as practice, next year we may want to look at a different hut trip.

Looking Toward the Future

2008-01-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

The weeks are boiling down to our departure and it seems like we have so much to do before we can leave. The ski hill will be short staffed for the rest of the season, partially due to a late closing, April 13th, and the ski school managers can really lay on the guilt. The bright side is that we will have a couple of days of spring skiing when we get back. We have been hit yet again by a storm of fresh powder, which means good runs ahead... if we can get up there. Maggie has applied to UBC for graduate studies... please imagine her in Vancouver next fall. She wants to be a Canadian so badly! Until next week, take care all!

Itinerary

2008-01-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

The process of deciding what to do in Peru when we arrive in one month has been a bit tedious. My personal feeling is that procrastination will only add to the adventure, however Maggie reminds me that we should think of small provisions like emergency health insurance and hostel reservations. We are gradually coming up with an itinerary.
The first week will be spent getting away from Lima to the central highlands and seeing Machu Pichu. After that, ideally, we will go south to Arequipa, one of the largest city centers in Peru, to study at a language school for approximately two weeks. There I believe that I've found a climb that will not be too technical or ambitious. El Misti, a 19,000 ft. active volcano two days away from the city, is our goal. If things go according to plan we might try Huaynan Potosi, although this peak, located outside La Paz Bolivia, may be difficult.
We hiked Monarch's "backcountry" up at 12,000+ ft. to get an idea of high elevation hiking, but at 19,000 or 20,000 ft. - Maggie's not sure if any training can prepare one for that! This Wednesday we're going to try to hike Quandary Pk., at 14,000 ft. it will give us a good start.

2008-01-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Well, another week has passed and we're still at the mountain. Working in ski/ snowboard school hasn't been quite as profitable as I had hoped so another job may be in the near future. Adding to my dilemma I had possibly the worst lesson in recent resort history. Long story short within two hours I was subjected to temper tantrums, missing children, altitude sickness, a fellow instructor who walked and children who just plain didn't like me. An irate parent who wanted to "talk to a supervisor" was icing on the cake.
I shouldn't complain due to the fact that every other day so far has been relatively pleasant. In addition I've been getting my riding in, 40 days so far. I've also decided to take up telemarking in the mean time.

Salida winter

2008-01-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

Texan tourists, powder days, and winter storms. We have free ski days and are trying to take advantage when not catering to unprepared skiers (maggie at the gift shop) or picking up snot rag little kids from the drifts (kevin at ski school). It's a beautiful winter down south in the rockies, anyone is welcome at our luxury cabin (aka kevin's grandparent's duplex). Just in case you've lost touch, kevin's email is rckymtntravler@yahoo.com and maggie's is margaret.gilmore@yahoo.com. Hasta luego!

Half Dome

2007-12-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm getting ready to start blogging on a regular basis and have just shown Maggie the site. KH

Maggie and Kevin on top of Half dome

2007-11-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Endless Summer Vacation

2007-11-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

I've been all over the western US in the last couple of months and this is probably the best way to show a little bit of what I've seen.