BNellybog

Seattle, Vancouver, and Whistler BC

2011-09-13T22:25:00.004-06:00

I had the great privilege recently of driving from Seattle, WA up through Vancouver to Whistler, BC for some of the best downhill biking I've experienced. British Columbia is beautiful, and it was an incredible trip.

Island Park

2011-08-07T09:02:00.004-06:00

Fishing in island Park, ID a few weeks back with my brother Ryan:

The Minefield

2011-06-20T21:35:00.002-06:00

It's been a record snow year in the Wasatch, and the cool trend has continued through June. With the mild weather many local peaks have been stubborn yieding their snowpack, and skiing potential persists.

A few weeks ago, my friend Mike ran a race called the Squaw Peak 50. I tagged along for the last stretch and as we passed by the base of Cascade Mountain just to the East of Utah Valley, I coudn't help but notice a great-looking couloir off the SW face was still filled in. I'd seen the line before and it looked pretty awesome, so I set aside a Saturday morning and asked Dave Jenkins if he wanted to go check it out.

Being June, the snow on the approach had long since melted, so we packed our skis in and eventually made our way to the base of the chute (after ascending an adjacent slide and a heathy-dose of bush whacking).

It was clear right out of the gate that the snow was in pretty rough shape. Due to repeated slides, the couloir had become riddled with rockfall and debris was everywhere.

Given the steepness of the slope and the time of year however, this was somewhat expected and we began booting upward. It was an enjoyabe hike.

As we ascended and surveyed the conditions, we joked about the minefield and hoped things would improve somewhat with some altitude. It did a little, and there was a decent, soft corn layer on the way down that was nice in short glimpses (when your full attention wasn't on avoiding the rocks). Out of pure sympathy for our skis, however, we ended up carrying them through the final stretch.

We followed a different drainage out to avoid a repeat of the jungle traverse, and were on our way. Granted the snow could have been ~~consideraby~~ better, but I'd already approached the day with a laid-back and exploratory attitude so it was a lot of fun. Beautiful morning; and it was cool to simply be in a position to head up there. Good to be alive.

On that note, I was driving up Provo Canyon afterward and came across the following scene at the South Fork turnoff. I've been told the driver made it out okay.

Dark Side of The Lens

2011-06-13T19:15:00.006-06:00

A while back I stumbled across this gem from photographer Mickey Page entitled Dark Side of the Lens. It blew me away then, and has since solidified its place as a personal favorite (for a number of reasons). If you haven't seen the video, I recommend some good earphones and full-screen mode for total value.

DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.

Lone Peak: Round 1

2011-04-30T19:13:00.001-06:00

Had two shots at the South face of Lone Peak this winter- both were following big storms; both were excellent.

The Round 1 crew consisted of Mark Hammond, Zach Grant, Cindi Roller, John Jamison, and myself. It was an interesting day as far as as the weather goes. When I left home, it was drizzling rain in the valley and was pretty socked-in with clouds. I had my doubts, but the forecast called for gradual clearing so we decided to go for it. As things turned out, the valley stayed socked-in with a low-lying cloud layer for days while the surrounding peaks poked through into beautiful conditions.

As I reached Alpine, things began to clear up a bit; however there was still a distinct thick layer a few thousand feet above us. The city lights reflecting off the low clouds resulted in a strangely comforting glow in the early morning darkness.

We fired up the headlamps and started up. The snow was deep and a little on the heavy side at low-mid elevations for Round 1. It kept globbing up on our skins and my hip-flexors were punished.

It was manageable however, and before too long we had broken through the cloud layer to cooler temperatures, clearer skies and faster trail-breaking conditions. The light revealed the recently plastered landscape resulting from 2+ feet of snow the days before.

The climb from the second hamongog to the upper saddle was amazing.

As we neared the upper saddle, the wind picked up and we were a little concerned about wind-loading of the new snow on the summit ridge, and debated whether or not to shoot for the top. We opted for what we felt would be safer conditions, and skied down from the Lone Peak/Bells Canyon saddle.

The conditions for the descent were a little unexpected, but super fun. While there was tons of new snow, the warming temperatures had created a supportive top-layer across the whole South face so we didn't sink through as deep as we'd anticipated. Instead, it was almost as if the whole face had been meticulously groomed with a 5" top-layer of fluff. As a result, conditions on the upper face were fast and soft. Kind of apples and oranges when compared to deep, dry powder, but combined with the rolling terrain, still among the funner descents I've had.

By the time we'd reached lower elevations on our way out, the sun had been shining through the cloud inversion for awhile and we marched out in a greenhouse-like atmosphere.

TNF- Towers of the Ennedi

2011-04-15T23:06:00.000-06:00

Wow- High quality. Really enjoyed this one.

Trepidation

2011-04-12T21:25:00.012-06:00

It's a little harder for me to get out skiing as frequently as when I was in school, however I've had some great days in the hills this winter. The snowpack is deep, and in typical Wasatch fashion the conditions have been really good all things considered. I reckon I'll take a few entries to report on some notable tours from the past few months.

First up: Trepidation. I'm actually not quite sure (geographically-speaking) of its real name, but I do know it was an incredibly fun and memorable line. My friends Sam and Aaron refer to it as 'Trepidation' so I'll continue the trend. Our group consisted of brothers Sam and Aaron, their cousin Isaac, and myself.

We had originally planned to hit the East ridge of Timpanogos, but we got got started a little later than anticipated and warming conditions persuaded us to switch over to Plan B.

We skinned/booted up a prominent ridge that splits Primrose Cirque from Cascade Cirque (North East side of Timp) and continued to the summit of the sub-peak. I had purchased some new crampons and a Whippet right before the trip and it was fun testing them out on the Primrose headwall.

It's always a pleasure hanging out with the Inouye clan, and I'm always blown away by how fast they are on the ascent. It must be a genetic thing, because they've all got it. They smoke me every time on the skin up, and I've accepted my role as the caboose. At one point on the upper ridge, the snow firmed/iced-up considerably to the point that I kicked off my skis opting to boot and kind of figured this would be standard procedure. Sam and Aaron had different plans, and were somehow able to skin the whole section sans-ski crampons.

When I caught up with them at the top, we took a few moments to pause and take in the incredible views, and I put down a Snickers. The Timpanogos massif is one of the more alpine environments in the Wasatch range and is pretty spectacular. The added snow in the winter only enhances it, in my opinion.

By the time we reached our intended line, the sun had softened up the snow on that respective aspect to a nice, soft consistency- resulting in an amazing decent.

As a side note, we strategically shuttled cars that morning to simplify our exit. This detail slipped my mind as we began, and I left my truck keys in Sam's car. Fortunately we were able to flag down a ride back without much trouble.

Diamond Fork

2011-01-26T21:03:00.002-07:00

Maple Canyon in Winter

2011-01-19T18:36:00.004-07:00

Near the small town of Fountain Green, Utah (home of Lamb Day) exists an amazing area called Maple Canyon. The canyon entrance lies just beyond the reaches of local turkey farms, and is fairly inobvious from the outlying valley.

I first caught wind of Maple Canyon as a climbing destination. The rock is a unique conglomeration of polished cobblestones bound together by a surprisingly-solid natural mortar. Over the past two decades, many great routes have been developed and the area has gained international exposure and acclaim within the climbing community. I've met travelers visiting from Germany, France, and Canada, yet many Utah residents are unfamiliar with it's existence.

Historically, all of my visits have been in the summer or fall; however, I've long heard mention of great ice features and waterfalls that form in the winter months. With some time freed-up this past Saturday, I decided to make a visit.

It was a little foggy as I first rolled in; however, the clouds soon broke- allowing me to view the area from a new angle in what turned out to be a beautiful, solitary day.

Driggs and BCC

2010-02-25T20:22:00.012-07:00

Over President's Day I had the opportunity to stay in Driggs Idaho to ski at Grand Targhee and tour inside Teton National Park. It was beautiful up there, and the skiing was excellent.

A week later, I went on a pretty cool backcountry tour up Big Cottonwood Canyon (the Willows area).

BT5- Water Night

2010-02-22T20:25:00.003-07:00

String version of Eric Whitacre's Water Night.

An Alpine 4th

2009-07-25T10:40:00.011-06:00

I went skiing on the 4th of July this year, which was a first for me. Me and my friend Mark drove up into the Uintas and skied Baldy Mtn (elev. approximately 12,000ft). The chute we intended to ski down wasn't visible from the side we approached from, so we weren't really sure what we would find in the way of snow. After summiting, we found that the majority of the snow in the chute had melted, so we found an alternate route and then hiked back around the base of the peak to the truck.

While there wasn't a ton of snow, we were able to make some good turns and the snow conditions were surprisingly nice.

Mark hauled a couple of fountain fireworks up in his pack, so we lit them off at the top to pay tribute to Uncle Sam. It was kind of windy so it took awhile to get them lit, but it was a pretty good show.

Havasupai

2009-06-20T09:38:00.012-06:00

I was recently able to spend a few days in Havasupai. Havasupai is a beautiful area in the Southwest desert with some pretty spectacular waterfalls, cliffs, and pools. I've heard great things about it for years, but have never made it down there until now.

Havasupai is only a few miles from the Grand Canyon. It is a little over an hour from Peach City, Arizona and is located on reservation land. To reach the falls and camping area, you pass through the little indian village of Supai.

Our crew consisted of friends Paul and Amy Bankhead, John and Kara Bankhead, Dave Jenkins, and myself. We spent a night in St. George, UT on the trip down and rode a fun bike trail called Stucki Springs the following morning. We then proceeded to drive to the trailhead, and hiked the approx. ten miles in to Havasupai that evening.

Last fall, there was a huge flash flood that altered some of the landscape pretty dramatically. The rest of our group had been numerous times before, and were quite anxious to see what had and hadn't been affected. It was interesting to listen to their insights over the course of the trip regarding the differences between the area in it's pre-flood state, and it's current state. There have been some significant changes (including the loss of Navajo falls and the creation of two entirely new falls), but the area is still incredible and should continue to clean up over the coming years.

We hiked in Wednesday night, and hiked out Saturday morning. We explored the effected flood area, and followed the river all the way down to Beaver Falls where we did some cliff jumping. It is possible to continue for a few more miles to the Colorado River, however, we turned around at Beaver Falls.

It was a fun trip, and a great opportunity to see a very unique and beautiful environment.

The Galaxy

2009-05-28T18:54:00.006-06:00

There's been a significant amount of new route development up Rock Canyon the last couple of years. A few weeks ago, I went on a recon mission to scope out a new area known collectively as The Galaxy. Two of the walls in particular looked really nice.

The Galaxy is situated fairly high up in the canyon, so the views are great and the crowds are currently non-existent.

This Monday was Memorial Day and I had the opportunity to head back up. Me and my friend Jeremy climbed some really nice routes at the Milky Way. I look forward to returning over the course of the summer to check out the rest.

BT2- Ten Words

2009-05-02T17:30:00.008-06:00

A video clip of one of my favorite musicians, Joe Satriani, from the DVD Satriani: Live! (2006, Anaheim).

Red Rocks Dec08, Jan09

2009-01-15T20:46:00.006-07:00

Lake Powell

2008-10-19T14:39:00.010-06:00

Lake Powell September '08.

Uintas

2008-10-04T07:02:00.005-06:00

Climing at Ruth Lake in the Uinta Mountains, UT with Todd, Mark and Garrett. September 2008.

Mt. Rainier

2008-05-26T14:53:00.017-06:00

Today is memorial day, and it’s a little soggy outside. Seems like a great time to listen to some tunes and document a trip.

A few years ago, I was able to accompany my brother Kevin, Chris Mason, and the legendary Bob Bills to check out the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington and climb Mt. Rainier. We went to climb the Disappointment Clever Route. Chris and Bob had done the route once previously, however, it was a first for both me and Kevin.

Located about fifty miles Southeast of Seattle, Mt. Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. At 14,411 feet it’s the highest peak in the Cascade range and is an active volcano (think Mt. St. Helens). This was apparent by the large crater capping it’s summit, and the steam visibly rising there from.

Most of us left the Salt Lake airport to fly to Seattle at the same time- the exception being myself. Apparently in the post- 9/11 world of general aviation, you’re not allow to take sharpened, pointy, steel objects in the cabin of a plane. While packing for the trip, I completely overlooked the fact that I (for reasons unknown) had separated my crampons from the rest of my gear and placed them neatly in my carry-on bag.

The TSA officer at the scanner, however, did not overlook this fact and I soon found myself watching her rifle through my bag searching for the questionable contents inside. It only took her a few seconds to fish out and present before us the foreign and decidedly out of place appearance of a crampon.

Needless to say, my immediate journey concluded at the scanner. Kevin, Chris and Bob caught their flight while I went back down to the ticket counter to sort things out and get on a later one. I did, and later that night reunited with the others.

Mt. Rainier is pretty impressive from Seattle. From sea level you’re in position to view the full 14,000-plus foot rise from the coastal shore. This mass is amplified by the white of the glaciated peak providing a striking contrast to the green, rain-fed landscape of the Seattle area.

Worthy of note was an instance which took place the following morning. We had just Tetris-ed our gear into the back of the SUV (a pile unstable as a schizophrenic postal worker), and were ready to roll out to the trailhead. I saw a pack tumbling out of the back and reached forward to cram it back into place. At that instance Chris was diligently fulfilling his duties as the designated hatch closer. He slammed it shut with laudable form, but instead of hearing the nice, compact ’thunk’ that normally accompanies the closing of a rear door- there was an odd silence. He quickly repeated his efforts, and the door closed.

Unbeknownst to Chris (to this day), the silence of the failed first attempt could be easily explained by the pulsating throb in my upper right arm. I was fairly concerned at the time that the mother of all dead-arms may hamper my climbing efforts, but this worry proved to be unnecessary. The throb quickly subsided and was a non-issue for the duration of the trip.
That day, we hiked and skinned up to Camp Muir. We received word in passing a party on their way back down that there had been a pretty nasty storm with very high winds the previous night. According to them, few if anybody had reached the top that morning. The winds however, were rapidly decreasing and we were blessed with unbelievably nice weather throughout our trip. It was so nice in fact, that I burnt through all of my water that afternoon on the way up. A good portion of the evening/night was spent melting down snow for the following morning.

We spent the evening resting in camp and got a few hours of sleep in preparation for our attempt for the top. We left in two groups. Me, Kevin, and Chris left camp first. Bills left soon thereafter with a few of his friends in a second group. If I remember correctly, it was approximately 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. when we left camp. The guided parties that had been our neighbors in camp during the night were already gone.

Camp Muir is nestled below a large bowl on the Southwest side of the mountain. In traversing up and out of this bowl, there are several bare sections in the snowfield that require some scrambling through loose rock and dirt. Considering we were roped up, in the dark, with headlamps, helmets and ice axes, it struck us as pretty funny when Chris threw out the notion that he felt like a miner.

One of the coolest moments of the Climb was topping out on the ridge looming over the bowl. As we crested over the top, the Eastern side of the mountain fell away from us, and the very first hints of light peered out and glowed from behind the silhouettes of adjacent peaks on the horizon. It was very pretty.

At this point, we had to take a little care to skirt around ice fissures and crevasses as they became increasingly more prevalent.

Chris lead out at a pretty speedy pace- particularly from the Cleaver to the summit. When we got to the crater, we (or at least I) were pretty sauced. The scenery was spectacular. I rolled over and took a brief semi-conscious coma/nap and enjoyed the view.

We walked across the summit crater to the top and took some photos. It was an extraordinarily clear day. From the summit, we could easily see Mt. Baker, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams. Beyond to the south, we could see the tip of Mt. Jefferson.

We passed Bills on our way down and saw a friend of his named Gordy. None of us knew Gordy, but we had heard it thrown out the night before that Gordy was going to try to meet up with Bob on the way to the top. As it turns out, according to Bills, Gordy had just climbed Mt. Baker the day before. Upon completing this objective, he drove immediately to Rainier and when we passed him on our way down, he was nearing the summit. He was un-roped, climbing solo, with ski poles, wearing what appeared to be cross-training shoes. He was also like sixty years old. The guy was a machine.The descent to camp was fun, and we were pretty worked when we got back. After a breather, we packed up and skiid down.

BT1- Manhattan

2008-05-24T09:38:00.002-06:00

Here's a video I found on YouTube of Eric Johnson playing Manhattan from his album Venus Isle. The video comes from the 1996 G3 North America tour, and can be found on the DVD G3:Live in Concert.

Great song from a talented guitarist.

The Technological Age

2008-05-22T18:24:00.000-06:00

In light of the government's recent donation to my personal funds (economic stimulus check), I decided to join the technological age and buy myself a computer. It's pretty state-of-the-art from what I can gather.

I suspect that most future bog submittal s will originate from this beauty. I'm also looking into some additional, more compact options as well.

Due to limited monetary resources, however, I'm going to have to hold off until future stimulus legislation goes through. I guess all I can do for now is wait and hope for the next recession. Hopefully, it's a bad one- maybe I'll get a printer.

Cell Animation

2008-04-25T18:08:00.000-06:00

A biology professor brought this clip to the attention of our class while I was attending the University of Utah and I thought it was really cool. It’s an animation of the general workings and inner life of a cell. It was put together by the fellas at Harvard and is very well done.

This first link shows the clip with some tunes and without narration.

http://www.aimediaserver.com/studiodaily/harvard/harvard.swf

This second link shows the same clip, but with some narration and explanation (Super Speed Version).

http://multimedia.mcb.harvard.edu/media.html

Arizona and Alternators

2008-04-23T17:16:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, my uncle Kevin Morris called and asked if I'd have any interest in making a run down to his house in Gilbert, AZ to make a special delivery. The cargo? Three approximately 200 lb. barbeque grills.

The grills are pretty sweet, but are also quite large. It looked as though a truck would be necessary for the haul. This wasn't an extremely enticing option as gas has become decidedly expensive. A solution presented itself in the form of my father's 1990 Cadillac DeVille. I started taking dimensions of the grills and compared them with the potential carrying capabilities of the car. My initial response was- "No way". It pains me to admit that in this moment of weakness I doubted the Caddy.

I quickly corrected my faithless ways and we decided to try and fit one of them in the trunk. It fit like a glove- a snug one, but a glove nonetheless. Hope reinvigorated, we employed some serious packing wizardry and Tetris tactics to cram not one, but both of the remaining grills in the back seat.

My 1-2 day barbeque delivery turned into a really good and interesting 8-day trip. I had a great visit with my relatives down there in Mesa and planned to come home after a couple of days.

I received a call from my Dad while there. It turned out that he, my brother Kevin, and his wife Heather were on their way up to Lake Powell for a few days. I was invited me to meet up with them in Page, AZ on my way home. So, I extended my stay and planned to meet them in Page on Wednesday. It was a toasty 90+ degrees a couple of days down there. I went on a desert march around Usury Mountain one morning and saw a 3-4 foot rattlesnake laying out in the sun.

After I left Phoenix on Wednesday, I drove through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff. Sedona is kind of a tourist trap, but is also really pretty and was worth the drive.

When I got to Flagstaff, I went bouldering for a few hours at a place called Priest Draw. There's some excellent footage of the area in the Josh Lowell film Rampage (see films- rampage-trailer). Although unable to spend much time there, I was able to do some fun problems, and had a great afternoon.

As I was leaving Flagstaff, The ‘charge battery’ sign popped up on the Caddy’s dash. I took a look at it and filled up the battery’s reservoirs. It appeared to be running fine, so I rolled the dice and decided to make a break for Page to meet up with Kevin, Heather, and my Dad.

After passing through Cameron, the cab/dash lights started to progressively dim and then go out (my bouldering trip ate up most of the day’s remaining daylight). I still had functional headlights, but they too were rapidly dimming. I punched it with the hopes of reaching Page before everything died in the middle of the reservation.

It soon became clear that I wasn’t going to make Page and would be fortunate to even make the little town Gap (where I knew there was a gas station.) I drove faster with my lights growing dimmer and dimmer all the while. Just as I was ready to concede and pull over, I saw the gas station lights of The Express floating a couple of miles in the distance like a beacon of salvation.

I pulled into the station lot with very minimal light left and the car shut off. I can’t remember if I turned it off or it died on its’ own, but am pretty sure that it died independently right when I pulled in. Either way, I attempted to start it again and it was completely dead. The alternator had gone out and had ruined the car battery in the process.

Fortunately (understatement), Kevin was in Kanab at the time. He dropped Heather off at the motel in Page and he and my Dad drove out to where I was taking in the sights and sounds of the Gap. It was pretty late, so I notified the gas station attendant that I’d be enjoying some mandated down time with the Caddy in his parking lot for awhile and not to be alarmed. He was fine with it.

There was hardly anyone around (just the occasional motorist pumping gas), and I saw a highway patrolman pull in, look the Caddy over with me inside, and then drive off. I figured he must have just been making the most of a rare opportunity to take in the beauty and prowess of the Caddy at close range. It turns out; however, that his glare wasn’t one of admiration or of reverence, but of suspicion. He circled through once more about ten minutes later and then left. 20-30 minutes later, he returned and parked across the road and just sat there for awhile. By this time I was pretty confident that he was on a stakeout and in the process of running background checks on my plates.

Sure enough, after a little time had passed, he drove straight at me and parked perpendicular to the Caddy with lights on and spotlight blazing. By this time I had anticipated an inquiry, so I made sure my hands were visible to discourage any unnecessary friendly fire, got out, and briefly explained the situation to him. He was nice and reasonable about everything and went on his way. Thinking back on it, it’s hard to fault the guy; he was just being cautious and alert- how can you not associate a sweet ride like the Cadillac with Mob affiliation?

Anyways, my Dad and Kevin brought an extra boat battery with them, on which we were able to make it to Page.

We had a great time at Lake Powell. Our family spent a lot of time there when I was growing up, bur it had been about six years since I'd been back. The water was a little chilly, but in comparison to the summer crowds we essentially had the place to ourselves. The weather was great and it was a nice, scenic trip.

We threw in a new alternator Saturday morning and the Caddy was back to its’ previous F1 form. The boat trailer blew a tire on the way home, but we had a spare. Other than that the return trip went off without a hitch.

In Memoriam

2008-04-04T17:09:00.000-06:00

I’d like to take a moment and pay my homage and due respect to two important and influental automobiles in my life.

I had a 1996 Jeep Cherokee for about 4-5 years and it was a fine ride. Its' ticker was composed of a 4.0 liter in-line V6 so it had good power (especially low end). It also had a supernatural turning radius.

With the middle seats folded down, you could easily fit a bike in the back (with the tires on) and it was plenty large to crash back there for the night if the weather was soggy.

The driver’s side door was slightly off, so there wasn't a complete seal. It also had loud tires and was geared low. When driving down the freeway, it sounded like you were riding in the back of an open cargo plane.

One fateful morn as I was attending the University of Utah, traffic backed up coming off the freeway on my way to school and I got blindsided by a Ford Expedition. The Jeep was pronounced a total loss by our friends at State Farm. Whether it was salvaged is a mystery to me, but hats off to a solid auto.

When I was pretty wee, my Dad bought a new 1991 Chevy Silverado (Blackie). Blackie was the complete package- a free spirit, a workhorse, a tug boat, an athlete, a concert hall, a beast of burden, a gentleman, a scholar; a symbol for good (weeping).

One Saturday morning about 6:30 or 7:00a.m. I got a call from my brother Kevin (the proud owner of Blackie at the time). He and a couple of friends had gotten a little rowdy about half way up the side of Mt. Timpanogos the previous night and had blown out a shock. I ran up a new one and we proceeded to surgically repair the wounded limb. The procedure went off without a hitch and Blackie came out of the situation stronger than ever. You couldn't help but stand in awe at the composure, grit, and fortitude exhibited by Blackie under the given circumstances- a real lesson in perseverance and nobility.

Blackie now resides in a semi-retired state finishing out its days in Lehi, UT.

Fairview

2008-03-30T16:49:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I went skiing in Fairview Canyon with my friend Sam Inouye and a few others. Sam is currently a second year medical student at the University of Utah and is a cool cat.

His family has a cabin up Fairview Canyon by Electric Lake. It's inaccessible by truck in the winter, so we shuttled our gear in with snowmobiles. Here are a few shots Sam took during the trip.

St. George, the Circus, and Fine Dining

2008-03-29T10:26:00.000-06:00

Well, I reckon this be me first submittal to the bog.

Last week I went on a climbing trip down to St. George UT with a couple of friends (Mark Hammond and Todd Hammond) from SLC. We spent the first day in an area called Utah Hills (about 15 min. outside Santa Clara) and climbed at a wall called the Soul Asylum. The rock is high quality limestone with pretty grey and orange bands and really crisp, cool features.

We did an unusual climb called Petrified that starts out of a rounded off elevator-like shaft for about 30 feet and then opens out onto more of a slab to finish. It's a very enjoyable and memorable route.

A little ways down the wall, Mark lead an 11.d/12a called Soul Train and Todd flashed it soon thereafter. It's fun climbing with Mark and Todd for many reasons, one of which is that they're better and stronger than me, so in climbing with them I get to work on routes that I probably wouldn't otherwise be able to.

We camped out in the Utah Hills area. There were no clouds and a full moon was out that night. It was so bright that flashlights were unnecessary.

The following morning we drove into town and had a five-star dining experience at Denny's. I treated myself to a Heartland Slam- an exceptional offering of hash browns, sausage links, an egg/potato/cheese scrambling, and pancakes. The Heartland Slam is also an accurate physiological description of the meal's impact on your circulatory system.

After cracking out the defibrillator, we drove to an outstanding area called Welcome Springs. Welcome Springs is the home of some gnarly crags including The Cathedral and The Wailing Wall (Here's a pretty wild shot taken by photographer Keith Ladzinski of climber Andy Raether at the Cathedral- http://www.ladzinski.com/view.asp?id=923). We spent our time at the Wailing Wall and got on three really good routes. Todd and Mark worked a .13a called La Hobytla and are very close to sending it if they decide to go back and work it again. I pretty much just dogged up everything that day, but had a great time nonetheless.

On our way out, we were in range to witness a couple of bulls trying to work out their differences through combat. They seemed to be using an unorthodox blend of Muay Thai and Irish head-butting. It was a good battle.

Solid trip. My only regret is not purchasing this dapper spider-man ski mask we saw at the Outdoor Outlet to wear at important events and various bank transactions.

The next day, I got back in the car and drove down to Moab to ride AmasaBack with a friend named Jud Felt. It was Easter weekend and also happened to be JeepSafari week down there. Needless to say, it was quite a circus (OPEC has got to be a huge fan).

There was a full-on fleet of Jeeps on AmasaBack, so we opted out for the SlickRock Loop instead and had a good ride.

Afterward, we paid tribute to Mr. Dave Thomas (rest in peace) by purchasing one of the finer combo meals available in the world of fast food culinary arts- the Wendy's Spicy Chicken Combo Meal, w/drink substituted for chocolate Frosty. Mmmm-Mmmm.

We swung by the last technical section of Porcupine Rim on our way out of town. Jud had a couple of good runs at it and we saw a guy from Colorado hit a pretty sizeable drop, which he rode out cleanly.

A great few days.