New Years Resolutions

It's tradition to make a New Years Resolution or two. Some ladies want to loose weight. Some guys want to work out more. Some of us want to climb stronger, travel farther, surpass a redpiont and/or onsight level. While all of these are worthwhile resolutions and are also on my list (except loosing weight!!) my resolution for 2008 will be to focus on a very large list of new routes and projects. This list includes many of the possible mixed alpine lines I've noticed in the central mountains of Idaho. And not just mixed climbing, I've been wanting to open a free route on the east face of Goat Mountain. I understand that weather and conditions are the largest components of success on many of the routes on my list, i hope this will be the year to get a few of these routes accomplished.


So instead of listing off a few of these possible routes, I'll go with some photos. Click on the image for a larger view and the red dots indicating what I'm looking at. The top image is a very foreshortened photo of Goat Mountains north face with its obvious dark drippy weakness dropping over a thousand feet from the summit! Also in the same range is Old Hyndman with a possible mixed line in the deep cleft on the west face (second photo).

The third image is a very steep mixed line on an unnamed peak in the Lost River Range. I've seen this line several times during different years proving that it is a re-occurring gem that will offer four or five pitches of really cool climbing only and hour from the car.


The east face of Goat Mountain (4th image) has mystified me from the very moment i first saw it in 1998. This face is remote, very steep, and composed of good quality stone. Not to mention it's massive! The center plumb I've had my eye on would be a series of strait in and corner cracks connected by bolt protected face climbing. Sounds like fun, eh!

I hope we all get worthwhile results form our New Years resolutions. Here's to having a chance in 2008...

Happy Holidays...

it's just a thought

Last year i had the opportunity to climb the Alex Lowe mixed classic Black Magic in Hyalite Canyon with my very good friend Jack Roberts. I was thinking about this route today and how it is likely one of my favorite single pitch mixed climbs. The crack eats up gear, but the day Jack and I climbed it, we had very little rock gear ( a few nuts, and a few cams) with us. It was pretty fun and i was very grateful to the soul who bailed off the route leaving behind a fixed stopper.

The route is of high quality. The movement is engaging. But what stands out in my mind is the partnership between Jack and I that day. We had some pretty good laughs when my leg cramped up while stemming the corner, and the much needed encouragement to "keep it together" while getting a bit run out above a #0 TCU in an icy crack. We both walked back to the truck that afternoon with huge smiles on our faces. For me, it was a perfect winter climbing day. It wasn't about the difficulty (pretty easy by today's standards) or style of the route (the old trad vs sport rant), but it was just two good friends out doing what we love. Days like that are my most valuable climbing achievements and give me motivation to search for those experiences time and time again.

Life is good...

A very big THANK YOU!!

Introducing the local route development Crew during the slide show last night. Right to left. Jerry Painter, Mike Benson, Matt TeNgiao, Kevin Coble, Rick Williams, and Nat Meacham. These guys either contributed financially to the development and/or rebolting efforts, new route establishment, or have put in the time and effort to equip new routes here in Eastern Idaho.








There was a large turn out for the event. College kids and locals alike. Some even traveled from Salt Lake City to attend. I didn't get a head count, but approximately 100 people packed into the small space and made it work.










Money well spent! Chad Alldredge killed it in the raffle.


















What a great night! I was very nervous to say the least. It's always difficult to put on a good presentation when it's something new. Unlike giving the same slide show over and over again where you have a pretty good idea what to say and where things are going. A new show becomes more of a fly by the seat of your pants kind of deal! It's just talking about climbing, so you'd think it would be easy, right?? Sometimes i suppose, but it's not always the case. I think for the most part i was able to convey the thoughts and stories i wanted to share. I did forget a few things here and there but it worked out... i think!

Rick gave a great introduction and was a tough act to follow after the kinds words he spoke. Thanks Rick! I took a few minutes to talk about how important the climbing community is to me and decided to invite some of the key players up front for some much deserved recognition. Kevin Coble and Eric Larson from the Idaho Alpine Club donated some funds this spring for the replacement of anchors at Heise Rock. Rick Williams has given of his time and resources for much of the cleaning and fixed draws at the local Crank Cave. And along with Nat Meacham, they have even jumped on board with some of the back breaking equipping efforts on a few of the routes at the Cave. Mike Benson and Matt TeNgiao have been the main duo in bringing new routes to climb around the Idaho Falls area. While Matt and Jerry have taken it upon themselves to keep us all informed with their guidebook, Sweet Spots of Eastern Idaho.

The slide show went off without any technical difficulties and got a lot of laughs which is always a good thing! Rick put together a fun short clip of mixed climbing at the Right Ghost in Teton Canyon. Having a bit of video brought a new feeling to the presentation and was well liked by everyone. Maybe next year, we'll step it up and have some really cool video. I don't know about most of the people attending, but my favorite part was the ending images to the Cold Play song. Pretty special.

Now for the really great part about the evening. The idea behind the fundraiser was to raise money to build some much needed new terrain at our local climbing gym. I thought we'd raise $600 or $700 which would put a very large dent in the cost for the new terrain. The grand total was just shy of $1200!! Thank you so much to all of those who donated for this cause, sponsors and folks attending the slide show. We are going to have some kick butt bouldering terrain in a month or two. Not to mention some actual padding, so getting rad will be less painful! I'm excited that many of the upper valley climbers will now have a venue to learn, get strong, and hang out with other climbers.

Stay tuned for progress on the new terrain. And again, thanks for a great evening...

Just one of those days

Working out the sequences on the latest Hyalite Canyon test pieces with mixed master Sean Isaac.

Local legend, Pete Tapley has been hard at work equipping new lines in the Bingo World Cave. Pete invited some of the athletes working at the Bozeman Ice Festival to give'm a go. Hands down, these routes are going to create a new chapter in the legacy of Hyalite Canyon. The past is the past, and the future is the way forward. Good on ya Pete and crew. I am honored to have experienced the rebirth of Hyalite climbing.

If i may quote Pete - " Hyalite has now arrived in the 1990's!"

It's days like today when my job seems so not fair... Who said office work sucks??