tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32811706394589931032024-02-20T18:36:19.598-08:00The Burdo ZoneNotes from RhinotopiaBBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-68480070350220130842011-03-04T21:29:00.000-08:002011-03-04T21:55:18.031-08:00Elephants In The Rain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.infobarrel.com/media/image/18434.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 340px;" src="http://www.infobarrel.com/media/image/18434.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3281170639458993103#" id="show-labels-link" onclick="BLOG_showLabels(); return false">Show all</a><br />My favorite city running loop is called the "Zoo-Q" and circumnavigates the Woodland Park Zoo for much of it's four-mile course. Today it was a brisk, chilly drizzle as I wound through the narrow South Section and the Call Of Nature dictated a halt. I stopped and put my head on a swivel as this song played on my mp3 player:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2gW3zwMMQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2gW3zwMMQ</a><br /><br />As I was about to let fly I spied a strange movement above and to my left. I struggled to assemble the image: the top 1/3 of an elephant moving backwards along the other side of it's enclosure wall 40 meters away. an INDIAN elephant! I hope the *backwards* part of this apparition is clear. It followed this course for perhaps 25 meters before leaving my view. I've heard from those who have traveled there that India is a rich and strange land with jolting imagery everywhere. A backwards elephant in the cold Seattle drizzle with a Hindi music soundtrack may be the closest I may ever get, but it was a gift, albeit a strange and charming one.<br /><br />I finished a loop, and as I passed the elephant house I looked up again. This time I beheld an African Elephant, female, apparently dining at a feeding station and positioned facing me directly. I stopped and met her gaze. Soon she paused from her feeding, then raised her trunk to vertical (her head fixed in place) as if in greeting, and exhaled a poof of breathy mist. I did my best mime with my arm as she resumed her meal, and I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">plip</span>-plopped back down the trail, blessed not once but twice with mythic influence.BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-3747168518868190182011-02-15T21:33:00.000-08:002011-02-15T21:34:30.923-08:00Affairs Of The Heart (3 of 3): Release<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYom_FM0Mis&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYom_FM0Mis&feature=related</a>BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-25485427928513451792011-02-14T20:09:00.000-08:002011-02-14T20:12:39.021-08:00Affairs Of The Heart (2 of 3): Hold<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2jw-NcQ9s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2jw-NcQ9s</a>BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-48079787237463462652011-02-13T20:57:00.000-08:002011-02-14T20:13:18.095-08:00Affairs Of The Heart (1 of 3): Attract<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zPi6w1TWBg&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zPi6w1TWBg&feature=related</a>BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-53345040673094969502010-09-08T10:28:00.001-07:002010-09-08T12:41:17.019-07:00Getting Away With ItThe two most basic training variables are power/speed (fast-twitch) and endurance (slow-twitch). Most of us dwell in the area in-between most of the time, with some combination of the two being employed for races of 2-60 min. duration, or of climbs that are more than 10 moves but are somewhat challenging. In order to avoid stagnation and to keep tabs on your current fitness status, it is good to have "go to" sessions for both elements. For instance, while I am working longer routes, I try to get in a bouldering session at least once a week on a standard circuit. This does little more than maintain a base level of power, but in the fall, when days are short and cool, I will have some framework on which to build fitness for 5.12 and 5.13 projects.<br /><br />As far as the "Yin for the Yang" for my running fitness, this summer, I have been doing many longer approaches of hiking and scrambling, which keeps me aerobically fit (car-to-summit of South Early Winter Spire in 92 min. with a 35-lb pack... woot), but translates maybe 60% to my running. Consequently, I do a maintenance session of short speed work each week (see "Ghost Running") to keep the leg turnover in some kind of trim for more serious running this fall/winter.<br /><br />It is testament to the decent climbing weather in Mazama this summer that my endurance running session, a long run, has been seriously neglected, since I typically need 2-3 days of recovery from hiking to make it happen. So yesterday, after a solid day of rain and several days "off" from serious hiking while shooting photos and sport climbing, I made the running trek up to Deadhorse Point on the Hart's Pass road, a round trip of almost two hours and 14 miles. For perspective, I haven't run longer than 6 miles at a time for over two months. So my challenge was to see if all that grunting of gear up to the Spires has been sufficient to allow me a decent, if slow, overdistance run. Ideally, I should be doing a run of at least 80-90 min. at least once a month, just for maintenance. Otherwise, I will have to make a longer transition back to a full running schedule when the time comes, not always a fun process, and one which can carry a heightened risk of injury.<br /><br />The verdict: yes, I haven't COMPLETELY morphed into a pack mule, though I am far from impala-like. Combining several hours/day of hiking and scrambling with weekly running speed sessions has been enough to keep the running animal decently together.<br /><br />A key element in making this a reasonably fun run was the following tune coming on to my Shuffle player at 90 minutes:<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiIKg8TDjKg&feature=related"><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiIKg8TDjKg&feature=related</a><br /><br />The Take Away: if you are training two or more sports in the course of the year, tag the power/speed component of your "off" season sport at least once every 1-2 weeks, and the endurance component at least every 2-4 weeks depending on what other cross-training you are doing. I was able to stretch the latter quite a bit this season, but after a few decades of doing this I can break the "rules" *very* carefully, like a chef can substitute spices and keep the overall flavor.BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-78547555213884394432010-09-07T21:54:00.000-07:002010-09-07T23:17:57.465-07:00Diabetes Of The EyeballsI now have it:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwE-SLnLkqY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwE-SLnLkqY</a>BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-2505691895946304432010-08-31T22:48:00.000-07:002010-08-31T23:35:26.076-07:00Ghost RunningA deeply enveloping gauze of dampness has taken the night, and only a glimmer of moonlight reflects off the road, the bridge and the river as I run my sprint repeats. Where a week ago the bright sun and tiny bugs above the bridge collided with my body, tonight there is a sense of no sense, a deprivation chamber in which my strides are suspended, my body ethereal and the effort pure. I stop and massage out a glitch in my left hamstring, and the resulting smoothed rhythm within my legs flows near effortlessly, driven by the audio accompaniment of Creedence, Hilltop Hoods and The Chemical Brothers.<br /><br />At one point a trick of the light creates a mass in front of me. I veer for the apparition, but don't break stride. When a car rounds the bend, it's headlights pop the surface of the pavement into sharp focus, and I nearly stumble with the disorienting input. Back into the dark ether, and I am ecstatic, the final hill receding under the reborn power of my legs. My reward is a bathing flood of internal chemicals, familiar yet fresh, telling me that everything is healthy and right, and I turn to jog the easy 1/2 mile back to the tiny light of the front porch.<br /><br /><a href="http://s0.ilike.com/play#Silversun+Pickups:panic+switch:125343957:s42227474.11488955.966505.0.2.13%2Cstd_45f2ebbd7944439dac458a6e818c0170"></a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8fugqFn9Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8fugqFn9Q</a>BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-18830613159388908352010-08-22T04:57:00.000-07:002010-08-22T12:55:05.584-07:00Exceptional: Rudisha<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDqwlU4XlHw&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDqwlU4XlHw&feature=related</a><br /><br />David Rudisha, the man featured in the first 33 seconds of the linked video, is one of the greatest athletes in the world that you have never heard of. Today he will challenge the venerable 800m world record, a time he has run within a few steps of already this season, in a major track meet in Berlin. To do so, he will probably have to run nearly half a mile in a scintillating 1:40, which is a near-sprint pace for even the world's best. He recently dominated the African Championships in Nairobi, and the towering Maasai Kenyan, at 6'2" at least half a foot taller than most top Kenyan distance runners, carries a quiet dignity in interviews that conceals the ferocity of his exploits on the track. Whether he gets the record today or not, he will go down in history as a supreme example of athleticism in it's finest guise- a serene demeanor with a powerful gift.<br /><br />Update: a scant few hours after my above post, Rudisha took down the record in beautiful run:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sportschau.de/sp/layout/jsp/komponente/mediaseite/index.jsp?id=105262#mbContent">http://www.sportschau.de/sp/layout/jsp/komponente/mediaseite/index.jsp?id=105262#mbContent</a><br /><br />He is only the third record-holder in this event in 29 years!BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-69200273765397598322010-07-18T21:17:00.000-07:002010-08-18T15:35:33.608-07:00Tick Tock<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NINOxRxze9k&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NINOxRxze9k&feature=related</a><br /><br />5:26 A.M. Turn off the alarm before it goes off- the dawn and the work to be done have brought me to my feet, beginning the process of launching a new summer's day.<br />6:47 A.M. Goodbyes to Jenn, Tim and Frankie, who will be climbing at Amazonia today, hours to the South. I grab my Camelback (Margarita mix, salt and Stevia), and the freshly charged DeWalt battery and trundle off in the White Rhino.<br />7:4 A.M. Of course Ed is waiting at the pullout. Ed gets things done, but with an ease and delight of that those who know of their good fortune to be alive and living fully in the here-and-now. I am happy and grateful to have his company today.<br />8:22 A.M. On lead, I carefully work the 5.8 crux of the third pitch (the "blocky arete") of Prime Rib, encumbered as I am with my hiking boots with a pack carrying 436 feet of static cord, purchased 36 hours ago from Ben G. . It carried no luck for him on the Salathe'; perhaps it's new home will fulfill it's purpose.<br />8:51 A.M. The Red Rib. Is there a more delightful 5.8 pitch anywhere? Probably so, but I will take this kind of excellence wherever it presents itself.<br />9:35 A.M. The Boulder Problem pitch has given me pause. Under these circumstances, 5.9 feels fully like 11b. With care I finally commit, and the move is behind me; above, glorious nubbly rock rewards my effort.<br />10:48 A.M. The anxiety about connecting from Prime Rib over to the top of our objective becomes a matter of a crucial reality: can Ed traverse the head of the gully, which features a 45-degree slope of mud, while wearing rock shoes and carrying a full pack? Years of Cascade groveling pay off, he gets it done and we are freed to emerge out on to the peninsula at the top of this massive rock tower, with thousands of feet of void below our feet. We relish the warmth of the summer mid-day in the shade of the pines before running a bowline around one of them, and launching out over the overhanging face.<br />12:10 P.M. I am doing a frenzied tapdance at a ledge at the crest of the wall, featuring a large pine and about 10,000 angry red ants. I realize that I have anchored too far East on the summit, and must do a makeshift re-ascent with GriGri and ascender, while swatting vengeful insects from my legs.<br />1:25 P.M. Finally, the years of scouting, photographing, examining and speculating give way to the tangible reality: 600 feet of pristine, gorgeously sculpted rock pass before me as I descend the vertical and overhanging wall. The Future slides into The Now, and it is beautiful, evanescent even. Our ropes now in place, The Project begins in it's physical form.<br />2:57 P.M. We linger in the heat of mid-day at the most air-conditioned spot for miles around, in the shade of a massive fir bordering the ascending canyon with it's cool falls and cascades.<br />4:05P.M. We scree-ski back to the cars, turning to see our nylon trail in it's new place 2000 feet above us.<br />Here we meet Matt and Bram from Seattle, who are re-organizing after a successful ascent of Liberty Crack the day before. Matt in particular seems to have "The Bug" (and about 200 bolts and hangers), and I fill him in on the state of events in this vicinity. He'll be back.<br />We roll down the scant 50 yards to the river's edge and soak our poor doggies in the cold Methow, while tiny trout navigate the pebbles around our toes.<br />5:48 P.M. I watch a few videos of a track meet in Italy today, then crash out for 25 minutes.<br />8:10P.M. My I-Pod informs me that my battery is "75% full", which is enough for an hour of music-accompanied running Mojo while I accelerate and deccelerate along road and trail, racing the river, charging the hills and easing towards the orange and magenta Alpenglow to the South.<br />9:45 P.M. 12 ounces of cool beverage at my side, I begin this stream of thoughts. The evening breezes are swirling around in the trees above as I form the words....BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-37476385482369062582010-07-08T21:03:00.000-07:002010-07-08T22:20:52.650-07:00Bang Bang<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wImsKpTBuH8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wImsKpTBuH8</a><br /><br />The length of steel finds the weakness, the space, I apply the pressure and suddenly gravity is served. So light as the air surrounds it, a granite block the size of the couch I am now sitting on finds it's arc and dances into it's fate of rocketing debris, a display befitting this 4th of July weekend. As the talus grows by it's measure, the void that is left by the former occupant is a shelf-sized ledge caked in gravel, a small berm of soil at it's back. A few passes with the bristles of the broom and brush, and the granite is pristine, now exposed to the sun, the skin, the sweat and the rubber for seasons to come. At it's juncture with the wall, a deep fissure is revealed, a finger's width in size and running towards the overhang above. It will soon accept soft digits and hardened cams, allowing this portion of the rock dance to continue.<br /><br />I swing out onto the sun-grazed wall, tools jangling, the realm of the river, the silvered snag, the willow and the moose hundreds of feet below me, threading for miles in each direction. The destructive power of fire created the landscape I behold around me; the creative power of gravity and dreams creates a new landscape above me, running in converging, golden, beckoning lines to meet the cloud-garnished azure of the sky.BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-28481658633410281922010-06-23T23:08:00.000-07:002010-06-24T09:58:18.386-07:00Congratulations!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y2WGHSt1FHuqkKtRY8IPjWEJF1EkxQX2ldjTOZJYxQOJ6GcxEOjQmpJj6T83ue1Ef7_gVLnXuPp81rILxJ8E5XiYpUaqx6SHxxTQ4Lr8sHykjJubI_lIucWW5EKXquuObj13d1UGI0s/s1600/blue+peak+cirque.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7y2WGHSt1FHuqkKtRY8IPjWEJF1EkxQX2ldjTOZJYxQOJ6GcxEOjQmpJj6T83ue1Ef7_gVLnXuPp81rILxJ8E5XiYpUaqx6SHxxTQ4Lr8sHykjJubI_lIucWW5EKXquuObj13d1UGI0s/s400/blue+peak+cirque.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486221262121321298" border="0" /></a><br />If you are reading this, you are one of the select few, and are to be commended, for being a) in the right time and place and b) having the curiosity and/or awareness to be at least a witness if not an actual participant, in what is to follow. A wondrous, rich, pregnant moment before "The Deluge". The rock gods are smiling and their generosity and magnanimity of what they are now bequeathing to all of us through the Diligent Few is truly the most among the most magical things I have ever witnessed. If you are one of those Diligent Few you know of which I speak. If not, please be patient. The show is about to commence, a tableaux of delectable experiences for all who thrive and dance in gravity's embrace....BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-6410033549877857322010-06-23T15:59:00.000-07:002010-06-23T23:46:56.177-07:00Note the new page link (above) of guide revisions for "Mazama Rock"BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-42829654860516614072010-06-08T16:44:00.000-07:002010-06-08T16:59:40.287-07:00Summer is coming...This weekend, temps are forecast near 80 in Mazama. Climb early for best conditions, then loll about the abundant watercourses to cool off before an evening session (it is light until after 9PM).<br /><br />Prime Rib should be in well, Prime condition (usually there are cooling breezes in PM), but unfortunately Restless Natives looks to be wet for another few weeks. Gate Creek is roaring full, so while Fire Wall will be excellent, the crossing over to Rough Cut is blocked by a wall of whiteness. Hopefully, the limestone sector at Prospector should be largely dry. I will be making an effort to replace the ratty fixed lines on Prospector accessing the far right (South) side.<br /><br />Thanks to Jerry Daniels for adding a bolt to the crux of "the Butler Did It" 11b at Prospector, rendering it safe. Don't forget to try my retro-fitted "Two Bolts Or Not 10b" at Fun which is now ten bolts and STILL 10b, When in doubt, bring extra draws, as bolts have been added to a few other routes as well (see earlier updates).<br /><br />I have been prepping some new offerings, and look forward to sharing some exciting new areas as the season progresses. Sport, Trad, Hybrid (mixed) and bouldering...stay tuned!BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-14092135594988266822010-06-08T16:39:00.001-07:002010-06-08T16:43:36.436-07:00Control Freak 13+This is a link-up of "Beta Male" to "Out Of Control" in the Woof, Canine Crag. This and it's variant, "The Easy Way Out" 13, are among the steepest routes in the grade in the U.S.. More steepness is on it's way....BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-24439110812730535472010-06-08T16:36:00.000-07:002010-06-08T16:38:20.622-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvv_7AKaWJmAl9FsKxTWRko_q88-lZiB60MTMoAib_7HB-ds3CAPntJjl6DFQGzQSPYzrUyi-ghyeNwcT8HUCxe1Y4Vw3VGGHQfG5ci3s-v4SHKPnuuTbRGGg_gJa8xxUq7CabvfV2dDQ/s1600/controlfreak1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvv_7AKaWJmAl9FsKxTWRko_q88-lZiB60MTMoAib_7HB-ds3CAPntJjl6DFQGzQSPYzrUyi-ghyeNwcT8HUCxe1Y4Vw3VGGHQfG5ci3s-v4SHKPnuuTbRGGg_gJa8xxUq7CabvfV2dDQ/s400/controlfreak1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480551071979763522" border="0" /></a>BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-58529122413268670512008-10-27T20:09:00.000-07:002008-10-28T07:38:36.849-07:00"Control Freak" 13d FA: Part IThe farmers are laughing at the sunset<br />and the cows are starting to howl<br />The wives are dancing backwards and<br />the police are crying "Foul";<br />There's no one who could dig their way<br />out of this air-infested hole<br />without a gun that hums a song<br />as they struggle for control<br /><br />I drove down a star-lit road a while<br />until my passengers all bailed<br />There is no way to tell whether anyone else<br />has succeeded or they've failed;<br />The actor up upon that stage<br />is playing a minor role,<br />and the band is warming up their knives<br />while I struggle for control.<br /><br />Now Princess Grace has spilled a gallon<br />of blood across the floor,<br />She does not want to let go<br />of her side of the door;<br />Removing one of two left dancing shoes<br />with a roadmap on the sole,<br />There is no need for celebration-<br />no more struggle for control.BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-70333453200097221102008-10-23T12:24:00.000-07:002008-10-23T12:31:38.860-07:00<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu-jc91s630">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu-jc91s630</a><br /><br />10/20/08:<br />The climber in me relishes every day that the rock is dry, but after a great string of perfect rock days, I am very ready for Nature to change things up, briefly. That is what She did yesterday, as I woke to rain pattering the roof and the filtered light of a socked-in forest outside. By mid-day the precipitation eased off, and I was in my running shoes and cruising down the dirt and gravel road towards Hart's Pass. This is a run that is too dusty and trafficked to be fun in the summer, but on a day like yesterday it was a perfect glistening path into the mountains.<br /><br />The climb up to Dead Horse Point is one that winds along the base of Last Chance Point, a 7000' summit at the terminus of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Methow</span> Valley. With a perfect running surface of firm dirt, sand and a little gravel, I get my rhythm, my stride opens up, and even as the grade steepens I feel more lifted than impeded. Golden cottonwoods and crimson maples pass by as I work through the evergreen forest, and soon I am at the dramatic viewpoint at the "Last Chance Switchback".<br /><br />This is perhaps the most iconic view of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Methow</span> Valley, with the river winding below through the peaking autumn colors through the widely carved valley towards Goat Wall and beyond towards the grassy hills of Winthrop and eventually to merge with the Columbia. On this day, with the sun emerging through the clearing storm clouds, spotlighting the glacier-sculpted ribs of The Wall, the whole scene has a peaceful yet epic ambiance.<br /><br />I continue, and round a bend to get a view up a side canyon, with greens, golds and reds dancing up the sidewalls to a cap of freshly snow-dusted crags, thousands of feet above. Suddenly a black form appears midway up,the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">silhouette</span> of a Golden Eagle as it wheels upward on a thermal. It is almost stereotypical of the grand beauty of the American West, but I have learned to accept these moments this for what they are, in the here-and-now.<br /><br />I run past <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Deadhorse</span>, with it's massive adjacent void of the silver-snagged West Fork of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Methow</span> River valley beyond, back into the mountain firs and my turnaround. The descent, which if paved would be a knee-jarring drop of over 1000 feet, is instead a gravel and sand cushioned float, which I lean into slightly and lift my knees to cruise as lightly as possible, visualizing the possibilities of races to come.<br /><br />The rain returns briefly in the final mile, hastening me to the warmth of the cabin and refreshment of a cold brew. Tomorrow I will put myself against one of the hardest climbs I've ever attempted. My mind is emptied and awaiting a new flood of instant memories.BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-45481794133415706532008-10-16T20:13:00.000-07:002008-10-20T18:37:51.295-07:00EmbeddedWhile September is my favorite month for all-around climbing appreciation, October is my time to "get serious" and focus on harder routes, especially hard projects. With daytime temps in the 50's here in Mazama, the holds are sticky and the air is alive with energy. Routes that would spank me a few weeks ago when collecting thermal capacity are now within the realm of reason, and it is like I suddenly have superpowers.<br /><br />My current project is a new variation of the "Woof" mega-traverse route of last year, "The Easy Way Out". In this case, 80 feet of continuously overhung (to the point of near-inversion) cave-ambulation leads to a serious and dramatic bouldering pull of the front edge of the roof onto the headwall. As of yesterday I have linked major sections of the route and this weekend I plan to begin redpoint attempts.<br /><br />The "beta" of movement engrams is now becoming wired into my subconscious, and I am now feeling "embedded" in the midst of a journey that may play out in a matter of days, or weeks, or not at all (it would take some really bad luck). Regardless of the outcome, the trip is worth every bit of energy and time I spend on it as reality seems to bend to meet the dreams I have harbored in my mind and heart for the decades of my climbing career. That this is a first ascent, a new creation in the choregraphed compendium of stone, makes the the wonder of it all that much more intense.<br /><br />All the year I have been building for this, consciously or not. Now is the time to find my place on the cresting wave.<br /><br />Photos from last weekend (10/14), courtesy of Jenn Quattrocchi: http://picasaweb.google.com/jennquattrocchi/ZAMA#<br /><br />10/19/08 update: A glorious day in Paradise highlighted by the good omen of finding a stray pink and white sheep/cat (stuffed toy) in the parking lot. Melissa says cat, Simon says sheep, I say "shat". The omen is fulfilled with my redpoint of "Out Of Control" hard 12d (new rating with missing foothold at the roof lip)...The Proj is latent of culmination...maybe omenized by a "Birds Of Surinam" coloring book on the trail next time?BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-51326672225757100892008-09-10T19:52:00.000-07:002008-09-10T19:56:27.329-07:00R.I.P. Ryan TriplettIn a terrible tragedy, and as a great loss to Mazama climbing as well as the community at large, Ryan Triplett lost his life when he fell while free-soloing "Prime Rib" on Goat Wall. I will have more to post on Ryan later, but for now, this piece by his good friend Patrick O'Donnell pays better tribute than I can:<br /><br />http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=672814&tn=0#msg672814BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-28538005514877657072008-09-08T22:18:00.000-07:002008-09-10T19:58:36.311-07:00This past week, I have been able to return to the Methow and add a few new embellishments which should be noted for the guidebook. September and October are my favorite months in the Methow, and if you see a guy hanging out on the rock with cleaning tools where his quickdraws should be, just call me "Dusty" and I'll know that you read this post :)<br /><br />-On Sunbug Slab, Fun Rock, the route formerly known as "Two Bolts Or Not 10b" (p.19) is now a sport climb. I re-cleaned the entire pitch and it now has ten bolts instead of the original two. With wonderfully featured holds and a direct line, it is now one of the finest sport routes at Fun, three stars without a doubt. I will probably re-name it to reflect it's new status. If you prefer to try to re-create some of the adventure of the original, clip only the fourth and eighth bolts :)<br /><br />- This past weekend I field tested my new wire brushes by installing a new route just to the right of "Bolterheist" (p.18): <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Riled Child" 5.6</span>. This route is steep and super-featured with some ornate handgrips; I'm giving it three stars despite it still being dusty and gritty from all the cleaning (two days worth for a 50-foot pitch ).<br /><br />-Check out the classic bouldering traverse on the small wall 100' South of the "Steppenruf" area of Fun. I just re-cleaned it and it has 80+ feet of great climbing on all manner of holds, rising uphill with generally minmal fall consequences. It starts from about 5.8 on the lower section on huge jugs, then ascends to smaller face holds and finish options in the V1 range. A great warm-up or as a quick morsel of climbing between entrees.<br /><br />-I upgraded the trail into the Mother Lode bouldering area (p.77), so go check out some of the friendly challenges waiting there (more on the way)<br /><br />Thanks to all who have provided the great feedback and encouragement since the release of the guidebook. Climb safely and enjoy your time in the sun.BBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-11040997284610038562008-08-26T20:38:00.000-07:002008-08-26T20:49:10.151-07:00REVISED BOLT COUNTS FOR MAZAMA ROCKS:<br /><br />p.19: "Gridlock" 10b 9 bolts<br />p.20: "Kids Nowadays" 11a 6 bolts (sport)<br />p.34: "Beefcake Pantyhose" 12a 7 bolts<br />p.35: "Hatful Of Heaven" 10d 6 bolts & separate chain anchorBBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3281170639458993103.post-62243734972044683582008-08-26T19:30:00.000-07:002008-08-26T20:34:25.665-07:00Welcome to TerraFly (& Mazama Rock)This blog is the web interface for all things "Terra", including my guidebook "Mazama Rock". Refer here for updates, reports and links. Your comments, input and questions are welcome, in order to help us (Team TerraFly) to bring you the best information available about climbing, running and generally mobilizing around the Pacific Northwest.<br /><br />-Bryan BurdoBBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01417515944452419102noreply@blogger.com