Oregon in April - Smith Rock, baby!

This is a bit late for a trip report, but better late than never!

We had an early morning start, and Yannick, Dan, Marc, Kim and I piled into two cars and headed South. We arrived with plenty of sun to set up camp and eat some dinner.

We awoke on day 1 to rain...sigh, but happily spent the rainy morning lounging at the local climbing shop, Redpoint, to pass some time. By noon, the weather had cleared and the rock was dry (we love deserts!). After warming up at Morning Glory, I was able to send Doritos (5.12c) on my second go. This climb links the bottom half of Cool Ranch Flavour (5.11b) into the top of Taco Chips (5.13a). I was pretty excited as Taco Chips was one of the climbs I really wanted to do on this trip, so I was happy the top went fairly easily. Kim worked on her project from last year - Cool Ranch Flavour Finish (5.12a) which is an extension of Cool Ranch Flavour.

We started day 2 with another late morning and went back to Redpoint to check out their shoe demo event! That afternoon we went to the Cocaine Gully to stay out of the heat...mostly. Thankfully, when one side of the gully goes into sun, the other is in the shade! Kim and Marc worked on Bloodshot (5.11b) while Yannick tried Crack Babies (5.12b), a climb Dan and I did in February. After a bit of work he was able to send a day or two later. I onsighted Quest to Fire (5.12a). We went back down to Morning Glory in the evening and I gave Taco Chips a try. I surprised myself by making it through the bottom (and supposedly harder) crux first try but fell right near the end of the upper crux. Unfortunately, I must have crimped a wee bit too hard on some small hold and got a massive blood blister on the tip of my left index finger. Sigh...

Dan warming up on Deep Impact (5.10c)

Kim on Deep Impact

Dan working out the moves on Quest to Fire (5.12a)

Marc on Bloodshot (5.11b)

Yannick working Quest to Fire (5.12a)

I took it easy the next day due to the blood blister. I had to continually pop it every hour or so to relieve the pressure that kept building up. It was a bit of a nuisance as it would feel good for about 10 minutes when it was first drained, then the hole would seal up and I couldn't touch anything until it was popped again. Everyone ended up doing easier climbs to rest up a bit...for the most part... and I belayed and hung out for the day.

Marc sending Heresy (5.11c)

Dan working Rude Boys (5.13b)

The following day we took as a full rest day. I had contacted Metolius earlier in the week and Vanessa, one of their customer service reps, hooked us up with a tour. 

It was super cool to see how they make everything completely from scratch. Anything aluminum is made in with CNC machines and assembled in house. They also sew all their slings and such their as well, so we got to see the whole assembly line. 

So many cam lobes!

Partially made cams in the assembly process

Cutting out the foam for harnesses

Broken biners after strength testing

Testing facility

Cams, cams everywhere

After the Metolius tour, we headed further into Bend to the Deschutes Brewery for another tour!

'Small' vat (is that the right word?) of beer

Big vat of beer! They said a highway was shut down in order to ship this from California (I think Cali..)

Heaps of hops

Some Smith Rock inspired beer artwork

After spending some much needed rest time drinking, we headed to the last stop of the day, the Sun Mountain Epic Fun Time Centre (that wasn't its' actual name, but that's what we called it).

Passing some time playing some DDR

Dan crushing some Guitar Hero

Cory and Kirsten arrived very early the next day (3am) so we met up with them in the morning. Kim and Marc worked their project Cool Ranch Flavour Finish (5.12a) a bit, coming painfully close to sending on each of their first tries of the day. On her second go, Kim was able to send! Her second 5.12a tick! Unfortunately, I had walked into the nearby Aggro Gully to finish warming up and missed the send :( I'm still super stoked for her though! 

We went to the Dihedrals after, seeking shade as it was a scorcher. Kirsten got her first taste of Smith Rock and was loving it! 

A next highlight for me was working out some alternative beta on Taco Chips (5.13a), which led to a send on my second go of the day, 4th try overall. 

Yannick sending Latin Lover 5.12a

Oh hi!

Cory on Latin Lover

Dan cruising Middle Aged Vandal 5.11c

Describing the beta

Kirsten LOVING Smith!

Graham just before the first crux on Taco Chips 5.13a

Graham resting after the first crux

Graham sending Taco Chips

Further highlights for us included my send of Aggro Monkey (5.13b) on my 3rd go, and Darkness at Noon (5.13a) also on my 3rd go. I was pretty stoked about both of those. 

Kim worked on a few more projects, trying in particular to focus on her lead head. After several lead attempts on Blasphemy (5.11a), she went for the TR send and set a goal for the lead send on our next trip here. 

All in all a good trip, and we can't wait to head back again. 

Springtime = Best Time!

Spring is possibly my favourite time of year for many reasons:

- My birthday falls in Spring (I turned 25 – and survived!);

- Classes wrap up in Spring (I defended my Master’s proposal last week and am now officially an MSc candidate!);

- Temperatures and conditions shape up for GREAT climbing (Graham and I leave for Smith Rock in two days!!);

- Birds undertake their long migration journeys towards breeding territories!!

I was out at Iona Bird Observatory with Wild Research this morning (5:30am start – when I return in two weeks, it’ll be a 4:45am start!) to volunteer for their six week bird migration banding program. As a first timer I was mostly watching and learning  - there is so much to take in!

I got to see my FIRST Common Yellowthroat:

As well as an adorable Lincoln’s Sparrow and Hermit Thrush.

I learned a bit about aging birds based on plumage, as is being done with this American Robin:

I also learned “Bander’s Grip”, the first and safest bird handling technique, and got to hold an American Goldfinch:

...a Ruby-crowned Kinglet:

...and a Spotted Towhee:

It’s incredible the detail you can see on birds this close.

Off to Oregon now – more awesome bird and climbing updates to come!!

Adventures in Whitehorse

I have just returned from a beautiful adventure in the Yukon. I flew up to Whitehorse to visit Jenna, who is all grown up and teaching high school now:

We had fantastic weather all weekend, which made the entire experience even more magical. There is so much to do there, the lifestyle is laidback and adventurous, and the sense of community is strong. I can’t wait to go back.  

The Yukon is like Canada’s last frontier. I fell in love with the virtually untouched Boreal Forest of winter: 

Jenna and her partner Ben are currently house sitting on Marsh Lake. The ice is so thick you can build ice sculptures from it! Across the lake and behind the mountains is Alaska, only 2.5 hours away: 

Saturday morning we hit the road to go to Skagway, Alaska. Unfortunately about halfway there I realized I had forgotten my passport, so back we had to turn. At least the drive was beautiful, and we passed some caribou on the road! 

We decided to go cross-country skiing for the afternoon instead! It was super fun, and totally kicked my butt: 

…and I was very excited to ski through a stand of burned lodgepole pine with all its regenerating babies: 

Although the vast majority of the Yukon’s population lives in Whitehorse, it is still quite a small town with a huge sense of community. We met up with some of Jenna’s girlfriends and went downtown for “Burning Away the Winter Blues”. We checked out some musical instruments: 

…and hiked along the river to the site of a large bonfire. Here we burned the 15-foot long golden dragon effigy and old-man-winter: 

   

…and tossed in our own pieces of paper upon which we had written our winter blues: 

Today we had a beautiful lazy morning, and then went to the Yukon Wilderness Preserve. This is a vast reserve where several northern animals (thinhorn sheep, moose, caribou, elk, bison, muskox, lynx, arctic fox, mule deer, mountain goat) reside: 

Throughout the reserve there are antlers from moose, elk, and caribou for public education: 

Thank you Jenna for a beautiful and memorable weekend! 

Finally, the weekend would not have been complete without investigating the climbing potential and looking for birds. Turns out, in addition to loads of ice climbing, the Yukon DOES have a budding expansion of rock climbing: 

And although I didn’t get all the bird species I set out for, I did manage some “lifers”.

The list:

-spruce grouse

-bald eagle

-black-billed magpie

-common raven

-black-capped chickadee

-boreal chickadee

-pine grosbeak

-common redpoll

-hoary redpoll *99% certain*

<3 Kim

Catching up on 2012

It was hard to say good-bye to a fantastic August and a memorable summer. We both climbed hard and climbed fun in Squamish with some new personal bests to take us into the fall.

We spent a ton of time trad climbing and working on our crack technique. Graham onsighted Horror’s of Ivan (5.11c) with several other great sends including Yorkshire Gripper (5.11b) and a flash of the classic Squamish Grand Wall (5.11a). He also starting tackling harder routes, including Sentry Box (5.12a) and Zombie Roof (5.12d). Kim focused on trad-techniques-on-top-rope, with a few leads up to 5.9, reaching her trad lead goal of the summer.

Evening send of Yorkshire Gripper (5.11b)

Cruising the Split Pillar (10b) pitch on the Grand Wall (11a). Picture was taken by the party ahead of us

Dan and I topping out the Grand Wall!

Kim leading a 5.9 in the Smoke Bluffs.

A sunny August day on the SmokeBluff Connection

Taking down the tent on a windy morning

But our serious summer addition was sport climbing. Kim sent Face the Music, her first 5.12a, as August drew to a close. Graham capped off his season with accomplishments including Mr. Negative (5.12d), Heifer Down (5.12d – second go) and Boiler Room (5.12c). Graham also sent The Bulb (V8) and Chicken Lips and A**holes (V7 – second go).

Graham climbing in the Circus - Cheakamus Canyon

September represented the start of our new lives in Vancouver. Kim had a great first semester, and really enjoyed TAing Biogeography and getting her research underway. Graham got a job at MEC and at the Hive Bouldering Gym – perfect fits in the interim while looking for other work. We have been bouldering all season at the Hive and have started to form a great community of awesome Vancouver climbers.

Today we headed up to Squamish for a day of bouldering in balmy -1 degree weather. It was fantastic!! Graham nearly completed an awesome climb (Immunity Challenge –V7) and Kim sent a long time project (Bo Bo Jones – V3). Despite the cold everything was dry, and we can’t wait to make the trip up again. 

Graham working on Sesame Street (V9)

Kim on BoBo Jones (V3)