Nice photo taken by Rick Sharf of me on a problem I was unable to do but had fun on regardless.
Lumberjack=hard start, hard scary finish

Joe's Valley!!

It feels like forever and then some since I've been out of town for more than a long weekend. Even though I've only been in the Utah desert for a couple days, the thought of being here five more reminds me of the good old days living out of the Dodge Caravan. Don't care what time it is, and I don't really have an agenda for this trip, just want to check out some new rocks and hang out with great people who seasonally inhabit the desert wilderness of Orangeville.
My main drive for spending spring break in Joe's is the chance to hang out w/my pal Ryan Nieto, a fellow Vet of Iraqi Freedom(conquest) as well as Rick Sharf who arrived just last night from the front range. Of course, the warmth provided by the desert sun only a seven hour drive from the front range was a helpful incentive. Not to mention Joe's Valley might be the best bouldering in the U.S., depending on who you ask.
Cooper has been having a blast with his new friend Bishop, Ryan's four month pit pup who already weighs 25 Lbs!! I mean....this kid is going to be a manly canine some day very soon. Anyone who has ever met old man Cooper can testify to the size of his meathooks, well...Bishop already has paws to match, no joke.
Oh ya, the first climbing day was a blast. Ryan and I knocked out a few great boulders in the v6-7 range after warming up and then headed to the left fork for some fun on "The Wind Below" a classic twenty foot tall v8. I would say this boulder is borderline highball, it looks intimidating but when you factor in the flat landing, and the last physical move is executed with your feet no more than 13 feet off the ground, it's really not that bad. Boiled down this could be one of the best all around boulders in all of Joe's Valley. Tall with long moves, a mono!(one finger pocket), and juggy crimps....just great.
I did manage to ascend this block, proceeded by a few failed attempts. In the end, however, I was inspired by Ryan's second try flash of the crux! We shall return to this boulder soon so that Ryan and Rick can both get their rock-crush on, and their will be pictures and film posted on this blog....I promise.
Hey, editing is hard work, mad props to all you videographers out their.
By the way, I have been following the adventures of my good friends Ian & Ben Dory, who after spending the winter in Texas(you bastards!), made their way last week up the California coast and are now residing in Bishop, Cali...my second favorite bouldering area in the U.S. Ben is an amazing photographer and extremely talented climber. Ian is....well, Ian just plain puts the smack down on just about any rock climb he wants. These guys are some of my favorite people in the world and I can't wait to tear it up with the Dory's again. Check out their blog which is on my bloglist or by clicking here www.climbingdory.blogspot.com.

Here are some excellent shots taken by my homie, Mr. Ben Dory. This kid doesn't know how to take a bad shot! A couple of classics on a blustery day at good ol' Horsetooth Res.

"It's a Beautiful Morning...."

Ahh, it's a brand new year. To be exact, it's the first day of the second decade of the 21st century. The first decade of the new millenia has come to an end, and the world is in a general state of shittiness. Totalitarianism in government continues to plague the modern world. Basic human rights are shat upon in nearly every corner of the earth. The U.S. is still fighting two wars(thanks W.) while trying to repair a broken financial system and deliver affordable healthcare to the hard working masses.
My aim with this blog, however, is to focus on happy things like rock climbing, good friends & family, cool places, & dumb dogs. I will do my best to keep things light here, but make no promises.
I'll be spending my New Years Day with my bestest friends at one of the coolest places I know of within an hour of the Bubble when it's friggin cold. The Brothers Lookout wall in Three Sisters/Alderferer Park sits near the very top of one the tallest south facing hills in the area. The rock isn't the best but just needs more traffic to clean up the chossy parts. It's steep, tall, the moves are fun and the landings are flat. There are a dozen lines on this wall of varying quality and difficulty ranging from v3 - v10+. The walk is short and the setting is amazing.
The line I've been trying climbs the best rock up the tallest portion of the wall. The climb starts with fairly easy moves and gets progressively harder as you near the crux. The most difficult climbing begins when your feet are about 15' up and ends when you latch the first jug at approx. 25'. Look for media in the very near future that will be shot with my brand new camera! Thanks Mom & Steve!