Flow into 2013

-Day 31 of 31-

Wow. What a month. There's been plenty to reflect on and talk about in this blog over the past month. I took on this "Nablopomo" challenge to see if I could actually stick with it and to push myself to think a little harder about why it is I do some things like climbing and skiing and what those things mean to me in larger scale of my life.

Boston

-Day 30 of 31-

I've never been here before, but have always wanted to check this city out. So, someone threw a little caution to the wind (literally, apparently the takeoff was sketchy with the wind at DCA) and decided to fly up to meet me. I gotta say, it's easily the best Christmas present. I drove down from Stowe this morning and met her and here we are. We stopped by the Black Rose across from our hotel to watch some football and have a few beers.

Doing My Own Thing at Mt. Mansfield in the Snow

It was another great day of skiing up here today. Yesterday's skiing at Mad River definitely took its toll on me as I was fatigued fairly quickly today. But as the day wore on and the snow piled up, I once again felt fluid in the motions.

Maaaad River and some thoughts on the New Year

-Day 28 of 31-

So everyone knows, I'm typing this and all these Vermont entries on my iPhone...which is a pain as opposed to a computer.

Anyway, I ventured down to Mad River Glen ski area today. MRG is a fantastic place that is a co-op, owned by public shareholders. The only incentive for them is a vote on certain issues that come up regarding the area (such as whether to allow snowboarders...they don't) and a discount on tickets and stuff at the gift shop. They also have the only single-chair chairlift in the lower 48 (there's one at a ski area in AK).

Snow...and lots of it!

-Day 27 of 31-

The Snow started around midnight. My sister, her friend Jen and I were out at the Matterhorn, a local bar in Stowe close to the mountain. All day you could feel the anticipation of the whole town. Everyone was psyched for this storm. It started dumping snow earlier than we initially thought. The drive home was sketchy but we made it OK. I even stopped in town to snap a few pics.

The Calm Before the Storm

Today was a fantastic day in Wiessner Woods. This is a protected area in Stowe that is set aside for recreation, especially snowshoeing and XC/BC skiing. In addition, there is a fairly substantial chunk of adjoining private land that has a bunch of trails that connect in...the owners let people on at their own risk. Pretty awesome really.

Christmas Day Fun

-Day 25 of 31-

Amazingly, my nieces held off on waking me up until 0630. Exceedingly difficult I know. A few hours later and we had a couple trash bags full of wrapping paper and some very happy young ladies. I was quite pleased that I was able to snag both of them a sweet pair of ski gloves at the Outdoor Gear X in Burlington (and a "gift" or two to myself...more on that later). But the best present goes to my sister from my dad. He somehow dug up her old Michael Jackson Thriller LP...wow.

Pics from today...

...for once, I don't feel like writing and I'm semi-drunk :-)

A long drive, plenty of snow and great times with family

-Day 23 of 31-

The drive up to Vermont was seemingly cruising along until about the last 50 miles in NY. That's when it began to drag on, seeming like it would never end. I got off the interstate in Lake George, got gas and then realized there are outlet shops there. I needed to be outta the car for a bit so I stopped by the Brooks Bros outlet.

"I said Baby, it's 3 A-M I must be...."

-Day 22 of 31- 

"...crazy!"

Holy crap is it early.  Seriously...this hour exists?  Since when?  Ugh.  Mr. Cuckoo, what's the deal huh?  Am I not paying you enough?  You need to sing more than 3 times ok?

Memories of England - Higgar Tor

-Day 21 of 31-

I was flipping through some pictures on my computer today and came across the photos below.  This brough back good memories of an amazing day with Alan back in May 2010 in England's Peak District.  And since I dropped Alan's Christmas present off to Santa Claus today, I figured I'd post this.

We had climbed all day at Millstone and decided to find this little crag called Higgar Tor.   On the front cover of the area guidebook is a photo of this block and I was adamant that we check it out.  Alan was in no position to argue, as I was the one driving our little 5-speed, 4-door Ford Focus with the wheel on the right side of the car.  He could only sit in the passenger seat, cover his eyes every time a car passed by on the left and mutter something about how this just didn't seem right and that death was surely waiting for us around the next bend.

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas..."

-Day 20 of 31-

"Vermont? Who cares? Who's going to Vermont?" 

"We are.  I mean, we should.  It'll do us a lot of good...all that snow and the fir trees and the clean, fresh air.  Oooh, great change of pace, just what we need!"



Exactly.  This year I've decided to head north for Christmas to visit my sister and her family in Stowe, Vermont.  I usually make it up to there at least twice each winter, mostly to ski.  I'm sure skiing will be on the agenda but spending some good time with my sister and my two nieces (skiing or otherwise) will definitely be a priority.

Bubble lights!

-Day 19 of 31-

I love bubble lights.  I have no idea how they really work, nor do I want to...I think it would ruin the magic.  When I was a kid, I'm sure my dad would've told me, "Well, there's a little man in there and...".  Something like that.

Gatsby, Climbing, and Skiing

-Day 18 of 31-

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." - The Great Gatsby

I just finished this book on Sunday night.  I hadn't read it since probably some point in high school.  I'm sure back then I failed to really comprehend the meaning.  My concern was more likely along the lines of, "What do I have to do to not fail this assignment?" :-)

Why Blog?

-Day 17 of 31-

I've posted something 17 days in a row now.  I admit, this is more of a challenge than it may appear.  Somehow a topic tends to come up.  Awhile back I whined and complained spoke to my friend who originally threw down this gauntlet of a challenge to me.  I said I was writing "real" posts while she was wimping out just putting up a picture with maybe some text and that made it so much easier on her.  She responded that at least the previous two Decembers (probably three) she wrote full entries.  Touche.  Whining over.  She's earned it IMHO.

Thoughtful Silence

-Day 16 of 31-

I visited my parents place this weekend after climbing at Crescent Rock yesterday.  Funny how I know for sure where certain traits I possess come from in my family.  One of the more prominent traits would be my "gift of gab".  My father is surely responsible for this.  But of course, everyone in my family knows this to be true.  It's just always interesting to me when it's clearly the case because he's talking to me and going from subject to subject, drifting off the original line of conversation.  I take a deep breath and relax.  I try to somehow bring the conversation back to the original tangent line.  That's the mental cue I use for myself to get me back on track when I wander in conversation.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not.  But I try to be aware.  I also try to draw others in and have a balanced conversation.  Nothing is worse than someone who just drones on and on...trust me I know! :-)

A Good Day at Crescent Rock

-Day 15 of 31-

An unexpected yet wonderful day of climbing out at Crescent Rock on the VA/WV border, off Route 7 in Loudoun County.  Yes, you can park near the gate to the cell tower and not get towed/ticketed!

I met up with Mike and Patrick and off we went.   I've been here many times before. In fact, this was one of the main places where I learned to climb.  It was good to come back, especially on cool winter day.  With the nice southern exposure the sun was on us most of the day.  It wasn't until around 3pm or so that some clouds rolled in and the temp started to drop.  Crescent always is a great winter spot to climb.

The Christmas Pickle

-Day 14 of 31-

Perhaps it started in Germany.  Or perhaps it's just a US thing.  Whatever the origins of the tradition, the "Search for the Christmas Pickle" is something that my friends Abi and Amos hold each year at their house during their annual Christmas party.

Climbing Feet First!

-Day 13 of 31-

"Think with your feet!"  This was one of the first concepts to really stick in my head when I was learning to climb.  I'm sure most of you have heard about maintaining at least three points of contact (preferably four) and staying "in-balance" while climbing.  Thinking with your feet will help you with all of these.

Day 12....12....12

-Day 12 of 31-


Yup. 12-12-12.  No matter how you write it...day month year, year month day, or month day year (which I've never understood) it's the same.  Intriguing.

And here we are in another December.  That very odd transitional month.  Most years it's not quite cold enough or hasn't been cold long enough yet for good snow to be down (even the man-made kind).  Ski resorts are constantly watching forecasts, trying to pinpoint when they might be able to open.  Meanwhile skiers like me must be patient and wait, staring longingly at our skis and boots stacked neatly in a corner.  Perhaps we do the smart thing and pull them out to check the edges (sharp, but properly de-tuned), the base (waxed), and the bindings (all screws tight; everything in working order).  Telemark skiers like me also need to check our climbing skins to make sure the glue side is clean...I have a little work to do on one.

Happy Birthday JEC!

I'm starting to realize just how much of a challenge it's going to be blogging for everyday of December.  I had to sit here for awhile and think of a topic I really wanted to write on today.  I settled on today's date...11 DEC...and the fact that it's the birthday of my good friend Jonathan.

Backing Down

-Day 10 of 31-

Time for another post that's more climbing related.

Backing down/off or "downclimbing" is a technique that every climber should have in their bag of tricks.  It's something that should be practiced again and again in the gym, both while bouldering, top-roping and occasionally on lead.  Sometimes it's the only way out of a situation that's dangerous or harder than you expected.  Moving back to a position of safety can give you time to relax again, get some strength back, process the information you learned, re-commit to moving up, and finally entering the fray once more.  It may also give you time to assess other options, such as backing down from the route entirely or building an anchor and allowing your partner to finish it if they're up for it.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."

-Day 9 of 31-

The tree is up and fully decorated.  It wasn't quite as difficult as I imagined doing it all by myself.  I think this year's tree is somewhat smaller than last year's but I still really like it.  I ended up using about 5 strands less of lights compared to last year.  However, as you can see below, it looks really good (at least I think so).  In addition to a bunch of strands of small lights, I also used some of the real glass lights that you screw in...which means I also have some bubble lights!  But so far I've only seen one of them 'bubbling'...kind of a bummer.

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree..."

-Day 8 of 31-

Oder auf Deutsch, "O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum..."

Yup.  It's that time of year again.  The time when for some strange traditional reason we stomp out into a field of somewhat manicured evergreen trees and select one that we think would be better suited to our living room with a bunch of strings of lights strung up all over it and zillions of little trinkets hanging from its branches.  Damn...when I put it that way it kinda puts a damper on the whole thing huh?  How nice of me to start out this post being cynical.  :-)

Ok ok...I love Christmas Trees and love having one...even if I won't actually be here that day.  Whenever I've had a Christmas Tree it's always been a real one...wherever that has been.  There were a couple times that I didn't get a tree in the years since I've no longer lived with my folks in Winchester.  I've lived in my current place for 3 years now and this is the 2nd tree I've had.  I would've had one the first year but I had to settle for two fake, plastic trees about 2 ft high next to my desk in Afghanistan.

"I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends..."

-Day 7 of 31-

As tonight is my climbing club's Christmas party, I felt this entry would be good.

I moved to Alexandria from Winchester, VA in 2006.  I had very few friends around here and wasn't even climbing back then.  My girlfriend at the time moved this way too.  We ended up spending a lot of time going back home on weekends since our families and most of our friends were in Winchester.  Luckily I met some good people through work and started commuting to work with my friend Patrick whom I'd met in one of my classes.  It would soon be that friendship that spurred me on to get back into climbing.

Hmmm....Ireland? Yes.

-Day 6 of 31-

It's always interesting to me to think back and remember how trip ideas emerge.  Sometimes it's a spur-of-the-moment impulse to hop a plane and head somewhere new, with very little planning in place.  Other times a well thought out plan is executed methodically.  I've done both.  I've found that the best method is a blend of the two, keep things flexible and spontaneous while mixing in a few solid points along the way.

The Buchaille

-Day 5 of 31-

Back in May of 2010 I had just finished up my tour in Afghanistan.  I was headed home after an exhausting, but amazing six months in that war-torn country.  I count myself extremely lucky to have never seen actual combat.  The travels, adventures, friendships, hardships, loneliness, seemingly pointless efforts, dirty days, and the occasional views of beauty will never be forgotten.  I look back fondly on the majority of those memories of my friends - US, ISAF/NATO, and Afghan soldiers and civilians.  I pray each day that they are safe, especially my US friends that I know have gone back and for my Afghan friends that struggle to make a better life for themselves there.

I'll talk more about Afghanistan another day.  I took leave when I got back and went climbing in England and Scotland with my friend Alan.  It was an amazing trip on so many levels.  Physically, I was beat from Afghanistan and was struggling to deal with tendinitis in my elbow and shoulder.  The majority of what I did when deployed was work, eat, sleep, and hit the gym.  The gym became nearly an everyday thing as it was the best way to work off the frustrations and get your mind off everything else.  Tendinitis developed because of the constant workouts.  So Alan ended up leading most of the climbs on our trip.

I was also quite mentally exhausted.  It was an incredible shift over the course of a week going from Kabul, Afghanistan (over about 4 days of flights) back to Virginia and then on to London.  Over a couple weeks, Alan and I went to the Peak District (near Sheffield, England), Hadrian's Wall (border region), Western Scotland (Glencoe, Oban, Fort William), and finally down to Edinburgh, Scotland for a few days before heading back to London.

A Life Beyond Climbing: Family and Sports Teams

-Post 4-

Whew...squeaking this one in.  Good grief it's only day 4 and I'm feeling the pressure!

 
Anyone who really knows me knows that I love sports and have a passion for a few professional teams.  Most of those teams have outright sucked been terrible for longer than I can remember a number of years but I still love them because of family connections.  Hey, it's better than saying, "I like the Yankees because they win."  By the way, I'm a fan of any team that's playing the Yankees...yes, that includes the Red Sox.

First, a little family background....

Keep Breathing

-Post 3-

You're just below the crux on that 5.whatever climb you've been working.  You have perfect gear placed.  It's a beautiful, crisp, blue-bird fall day with low humidity.  You see the moves and know you can pull them, though this is at your difficulty limit.  You move up, committed to getting through.  You start into the sequence and the strain comes on.  You're trying to move your feet up, trying to keep your hands on that thin rail.  You shift your weight and move your hands up a bit to another hold.  You can see the next hold and know you can get there but you need your feet higher up.  You can't find a place for them.  You start to panic as you can feel the exhaustion hitting you.  You scramble to find your feet, but you're not even looking down.  You're still focused on the next handhold.  You're holding on....holding on...holding on..."falling!"

What happened?  Why did you fall on a sequence you've accomplished on top-rope a half-dozen times?  Why couldn't you pull it off on lead?  The gear was great.  Conditions were perfect.  Your mindset was really positive.  But what happened?  You tensed up and panicked.  Why?  What did you forget to do?  Breathe.

A new dining room table!

-Post 2-

The new table is here! The new table is here! :-)  Yes, I'm obviously very stoked about this.  I've had a small dining room table for awhile now.  I made it myself a few years back with the help of my friend Frank.  I've outgrown it.

Awhile back I decided it was time to get something new.  I couldn't just settle for something out of a store but I didn't have the time to do the work myself back at my folks place in Winchester.  I settled on having an old family friend build it for me.  Al Murr is a professional furniture and cabinetmaker in the Winchester area.  He's been at it for decades and is still sawing and sanding away into his 70s now.  I knew that he would be able to do an outstanding job.  The question was what wood to use?

NaBloPoMo...and Falling!!!

-Post 1-

What the hell is NaBloPoMo?  National Blog Posting Month.  I read this on my friend Heather's blog.  It started in November of 2006.  She said that the rule is you have to post once each day to your blog.  And while from what I've read the actual "month" is November, she's done this the past four years in December and it's proven to be a good way to close out the year.  I agree, and have decided to give this my best shot.  I mean, seriously folks...those of you who know me probably think this won't be very difficult for me to accomplish.  Whatever.  You're reading this so apparently it's of some entertainment value.  So without further delay here's today post:

 Falling!!!

We're talking about climbing (and falling) here folks.  A fairly accurate saying for climbers should really be, "I climb, therefore I fall."  Falling is not failing.  Everyone who climbs, falls.  Whether that's on top-rope, sport bolts, or trad/aid gear all of us fall.  But the fear of falling is the #1 factor that holds climbers (particularly trad climbers) back from pushing their limits and realizing their climbing potential (and having more fun cuz that's what it's all about!).