Sea and Sky

As we headed south from Whistler area, the landscape already started to feel like home. Now, the places I’d be driving through until Seattle would be a part of my extended backyard. When I caught first glimpse of the Chief, I had to hang up the phone with my mother just so I could focus on it. As a climber, it was exciting to finally see it. The Chief is a great granite fortress that overlooks the town of Squamish. It is the crown jewel of big wall climbing in the region. In fact, it is probably the most well know climbing destination in Canada–and for good reason.

Highlights: Looking at the Chief and knowing one day I will be on it. SQUAMISH. Climbing in Cheakamus Canyon. Visiting Whistler. Bypassing Vancouver. Easy Border Crossing! The entire Sea to Sky Corridor.

Reflecting back on the past year, 2013

2013 was good for me. I met great people, got out of my comfort zone, and shared my travels and passions with the people that matter most. We are more than half way through 2014 now, but after going through the 2013 file in my iPhoto account, I couldn’t help but reminisce. It’s been quite the privilege. With 4 months of 2014 left, we will have to just wait and see if 2014 can top 2013.

Only three days into 2013, and I was off with some of my closest friends for a climbing trip to Cochise Stronghold, Queen Creek, and Red Rocks. Thinking back now, 2013 was jampacked with exploring climbing destinations around the states. Many of my road trips were climbing-centric. I climbed at Penitente Canyon in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, bouldered at Moe’s Valley outside of St. George, Utah, did my first multi-pitch climb–and of all places, Yosemite, climbed at Sharma’s home gym, did 7 pitches of a climb in Mazama, Washington, got my ego put in check at Index and Devil’s Lake, fell in love with Tensleep, didn’t climb enough at Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota, and made a spring break trip to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. More importantly, I got to share these beautiful places with so many awesome people.

I got to share Moab and Southwest Colorado with mom and grandma, went on tons of road trips–one with Caden, one with Cameron, and one alone. Got an insider’s tour of Austin with Kelly, spent an awesome several days in Cape Cod, spent a long weekend with friends at Duncan’s house on Squam Lake in New Hampshire, spent a ton of time on Earl’s Trails in the Holyoke Range, went on my first multi-day canoe trip–100 miles down the Connecticut River with Mike, and went to a ton of national parks–Badlands, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Crater Lake,  Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Zion, Sand Dunes, and Devil’s Tower. Woah, can’t believe it.

Thanks everyone who was a part of it all! Here’s to more good times, good friends, and travelin’!

To inspire me

Last fall I had the pleasure of hosting two of my climbing heroes, David Roberts and Ed Ward, at Hampshire College where they presented some slides of their incredible first ascent of Shot Tower via the West Ridge. Seats in the lecture hall were filled as expected and conversation carried on at the High Horse Brewery in downtown Amherst. These guys crush. In 71′, after Hampshire’s inaugural year, they took a group of Hampshire students all the way from Western Massachusetts up the AlCan Highway to Bettles where they took a bush plane into Alaska’s rugged interior, the Brooks Range. They taught good judgement and the rudiments of climbing on the virgin granite of the Arrigetch and claimed several first ascents–Disneyland, Badile, and a beautiful 16 pitch spire called Shot Tower. The slides were so crisp–they are

seared in my mind. Their trip was adventurous, courageous–full of risk and exposure. Although, Dave jokingly admits that the most dangerous thing they did “was let the Hampshire students drive that van to Alaska.”  The trip set the foundation for a strong Hampshire climbing legacy. Many others  have followed and continue to follow the ambitions of Dave and Ed with the same spirit and enthusiasm. People like Jon Krakauer, Pete Ward (founder of NE2C), Pete Clark, Earl and Glenna Alderson and a coalition of dedicated climbers come to mind.

Shot Tower is etched in my mind. I fantasize about climbing the iconic route in 2021, the 50th anniversary of Dave and Ed’s first ascent, to raise money for the Hampshire Outdoor Program. You can read about the 1971 trip into the Brooks Range in Dave’s book, On the Ridge Between Life and Death.

Ed Ward on crux pitch of Shot Tower