Happy X-max!

I went through my pictures that I had uploaded into my "i-should-really-blog-or-people-will-think-i'm-lazy-(even-lazier-than-not-capitalizing)-folder" and I decided I would blog before Jeff killed me in my sleep...

Here are a couple from Tram over the summer and fall 2008


Abbie trying to get the FA of The Heist, V5
Photo - Eric Lang

The next two photos are of Power Windows, V6 at the Tram. Here is Shaun crushing it. On this short day at Tram, Shaun managed to climb 2 V7s in a total of 3 tries... you do the math... well actually I'll do it for you (he flashed Swingdance and did Crouching Tiger second go!). Oh and he had only previously climb V6 (he also did one of those...)! Shaun had been nursing a finger injury and has been avoiding crimps, but is now back to crushing rocks and grabbing whatever holds he damn well pleases!


Shaun on Power Windows, V6
Photo - Eric Lang


Shaun on Power Windows, V6
Photo - Eric Lang

Time for a throwback... to the summer!

Here are some pictures from Way Lake.

All in all, it was a pretty successful season. A lot of problems got sent, some projects got done, and a lot of new people were introduced to the awesome climbing this place has to offer!


Eric is cuckoo for Kook's crimps... that was just lame... i'm sorry.
Kook V8
Photo - Jeff Sillcox


Wes trying to make a decision like Mark Wahlberg about to leave the Funky Bunch on the V6 on the 1-6-9 boulder.
Photo - Eric Lang


Eric eliminating all the moves on Avada Kedavra, V10? There are no moves, There are no moves...
Photo - Wes Dodson

And now it is Bishop season...


In this picture, Eric is demonstrating that he can take cool pictures of the sun too... Oh yea, that's Charlie on Evilution, V12...
Photo - Eric Lang

And here is a picture from the east rim of the sads... I think there are mountains and maybe even the Buttermilks over there... this is bulls*@#!!!!!!!!!


Photo - Eric Lang

And on a completely unrelated note... I appreciate this guys honesty; maybe he should be president for the next couple of weeks!


This place is the truth!
Photo - Eric Lang

Joe's: Return of the Peach

Okay, I give up. I can't condense the photos from Joe's Valley down to a reasonable number. So the new plan is to do one post per climber. I have to apologize to much of the Colorado crew since I didn't get any pictures of them and to Cory, who I got one crappy picture of. However, you can watch a video of him crushing Beyond Life (V10) on Jamie Emerson's blog. Also a big thanks to Isaac for showing me a bunch of boulder problems and to his dog Sage for bringing me a bunch of sticks.

The lineup: (maybe in this order, maybe not)
Nate (yes, he's first)
Ben
Eric
The 4runner
Jamie
Jim

Nate

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Driving to Joe's one year ago (or more accurately, one year before this Joe's Valley trip), Nate flipped his car 35 times avoiding a monster truck (driven by a drunk bear) and some ice dancers. Read last year's version of the story just in case I forgot anything important. Long story short: broken neck, surgery, a neck brace for a really long time, and no climbing for six months. On Nate's first day climbing after the accident, he sent The Marble (V10) in tennis shoes. (Nate, you should have written this one up yourself so the details were slightly more accurate.) Obviously he is back to full strength and crushing again. It would be a pretty inspirational story if we didn't make fun of it so much.

Nate is not afraid of the ground below Michelangelo (V3/4). It can't drive down the wrong side of the highway.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

The Wind Below (V8)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Flashing the classic Wills a Fire (V6)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Nate trying Dark Continent (V8). (Insert joke about his lack of endurance).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Nate putting up a new classic on more perfect sandstone in the Rocklands, South Africa.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Cabin fever from a week of rain in South Africa...

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Procrastination

I'm having a hard time sorting through the 350 pictures from Joe's Valley right now, so here's a little filler post until I get my act together.

Andrew sending Brian's Project (V9), Buttermilks


photos - Jeff Sillcox

The amazing sunset at the Buttermilks Sunday evening. What could be better than that?

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Maybe a silhouette of Charlie sticking the first move of Evilution (V12) with the sunset in the background?

photo - Jeff Sillcox

How about one of him at the lip staring down the upper crux?

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Or maybe his feet would cut and he would be perfectly lined up between Basin Mountain and Mt. Tom? Yeah, that would be perfect...

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Buy a Pad

Josh over at Organic Bouldering Mats is offering full size pads for only $150-$160! That's cheap for any bouldering pad, let alone the best foam out there. Here's the catch: You have to order by tomorrow (12/5). Also, solid colors only which isn't really a big deal. Mine is practically a solid color or you could get creative and paint something on yours like this:

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Okay, that's enough marketing... Joe's Valley post coming soon...

Keeping the Fans Happy

Okay, here's a bunch of random crap before I leave for Joe's since Andrew and Jeff keep complaining about lack of new stuff...

Eduardo trying Chumscrubber (V12) at Way Lake. This one is still waiting for a 2nd ascent despite several people (including me) falling off the end.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric teaching Wes how to kneebar on Sunshine Daydream aka Yo Picasso (V5), Tram.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Wes not kneebaring on same...

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric sticking the lip and sending Soul Caliber (V9), Tram.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric almost flashing Vanishing Point (V9), Tram... he came back from Greece weak and fat and still sent this thing.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric trying Ubiquitous (V9), Black Mountain. Conditions were not good. Quote from Eric's scorecard from that day: "baaaaaadddd conditions... water is supposed to make you buoyant..."

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric showing off his fancy new shoes on Cosmos (V9), Black Mountain.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jeff H. modeling for my flash at Rock Creek.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Andrew trying Life Ain't Easy (V10), Rock Creek.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

These next few are a little dark... they looked great on my computer though. Turn up your brightness if you can't see them.

Cory crushing the Campground Arete (V10), Rock Creek.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jen Atkin trying Soulslinger (V9), Buttermilks.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Christian Griffith trying Soulslinger (V9), Buttermilks.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Somewhere between Red Rocks and the East Side.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

It's amazing how something so good (like a drive with rainbows everywhere) can turn bad so quickly...

Very flat tire somewhere between Red Rocks and the East Side.


photos - Jeff Sillcox

Unlike the last time this happened, I did have to dump everything out on the side of the road to get to the spare.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

And finally, last Saturday I put up this new line at the Boneyard. It's tall and scary with a weird landing and the hard moves are at the top. It's called Falling Star because I saw a huge shooting star that night. Probably around V7.

photo - Andrew Stevens

Red River Gorge

A few pictures from the...

photo - Jeff Sillcox

This is our little hobo village in the corner of Miguel's.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

The rest of Miguel's. The pizza lives in the yellow building. Click it for a larger version.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

My tent doesn't have a floor and Kentucky has a lot of animals living in the woods. I had lots of insect visitors, including a crazy looking green bug that looked like a leaf. A couple spiders stopped by... lots of daddy long legs and a scary looking furry one. A toad hopped across my sleeping bag in the middle of the night and several inchworms tried to make the long journey through the tent, but they're too slow so they only made it about halfway across during my 10 day trip.

This was my favorite creature.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Kentucky

photo - Jeff Sillcox

It's kind of like a rain forest down there... fortunately, we got away with very little precipitation.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Carl on some 5.10 at the Roadside Crag.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Andy on To Defy the Laws of Tradition (5.10a).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Carl sending Wild, Yet Tasty (5.12a).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Me sending Stunning the Hog (5.12d). It was hot... I don't normally climb in shorts.

photo - Carl Hertzog

Andy warming up on Buff the Wood (5.12b).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

The gold streak on the right is Golden Touch (5.13b). I fell off pretty close to the end a couple times on the last day of the trip... I will be back.

photo - Jeff Sillcox