Trout Creek Revisited

Jason Karn shot and put together this short of me leading my first line at Trout, as well as my first lead fall on gear!  I will be heading back to this line shortly....it has been a cold winter.

So I know we have not been on here much, but we have a lot of things in the works.  Keep your eyes posted for big changes!

Enduring Winter at Trout Creek

                                                  

                                                    

Experiencing Trout Creek socked in by snow and fog is an experience that will leave one speechless.  From the beauty to the pain, these days of winter out at the crag are forever changing my perception.  The climbing is numbingly painful, yet we still keep returning, and somehow we still keep placing our hands in the refrigerator ice boxes that we know as cracks.  I still can't stop laughing hearing our friend Zach Horn state "this is stupid".  Hand warmers don't even feel warm on the coldest of these days.  

Some may ask why then, but we no longer question it; we just keep going out.  The temperatures are low and we humor ourselves feeding the illusion that the sun is about to break through the clouds.  We saw the sun for a short while yesterday.  It was glorious and for a few brief moments we remembered the warm days ahead.

  

Climbing always seems to push me further into myself and out of my old habituations.  I have found that even when I am miserable, suffering and fighting the urge to quit, there is always something to smile about and always time for play.  From snowballs to humiliation, isolation to the comfort of good friends, frozen ground to mudslide declines, good times are had and worth any pain that is inflicted en route.

Thank you Wally Fox for keeping the momentum going.

-Mel                                                                                                                                                           

J Tree to Owens River Gorge

Joshua Tree National Park...an experience I'll never forget. Jordan Miller, Devin Hess and I embarked on an adventure that would turn into much more of a journey. It was a journey into a place of mystically subtle moods and abounding discoveries. From climbing in the dark to the chasm of doom, from jumping red snakes to the mystery of the missing moon, J Tree captured our hearts and pushed our souls.

We stopped by Owens River Gorge on the drive home for a day of burn out and ended up staying out past daylight. We scrambled out of Owens, lacking headlamps, over small river logs and stinging nettle strongholds; only the stars illuminated our dim path. The following night I walked right over a rattlesnake unscathed.

We did not see our moon until we crossed the Oregon border.

Beyond these few words, I cannot summate the experience we had. I will let the images tell their part. If you ever get the chance to go to J Tree, do it. You will not be disappointed no matter how you go about it.

-Mel

Climbing Middle Sister

So it has been awhile, but that does not mean we have not been busy...
Summer has flown by and fall is quickly approaching.
Back in June one of my oldest friends spearheaded a trip up Middle Sister. It was a three day trip that included backpacking all of our gear in, setting up base camp and practicing glacial self rescue techniques. It concluded with a much more technical ascent of the mountain than I could have expected. Thanks to Kalin for being the inspiration, and to other long time friends James and Matt for making this journey one to remember.
-Devin
More to come shortly.

Widgi Evenings

Those of us that are blessed to live in Bend, Oregon know just how great we have it. Just a few minutes outside of town is an oasis of rocks. Whether we have all day, or until just past dusk, the boulders out at Widgi will satisfy and delight. From working on projects to dyno sessions and dogs, rock grappling is at is finest in Central Oregon.

Eastern Sierra Get Away

Central Oregon...As good as it gets

From mountain snow to sun at Smith, Central Oregon is nothing short of spectacular. We have been jumping from rock to snow and back to rock since the new year arrived. Our friends Dave and Lilli have departed on a grand journey to South America; we bid farewell the Central Oregon way. Spring is in the air at last, and while we will miss our days of gliding silently across the snow, I gladly embrace the sun.

Gore Experience More Challenge

Sometimes you just have to act on a whim. I followed a link one day that lead me to the Gore Experience More Challenge. What a great inspirational platform Gore was aiming to create with this contest and forum. There were some great entries and I was inspired by reading some of the stories.

A few days later, I found myself wandering back and deciding to just upload a few images. I had never done anything like that before. I had never put an image out where it could be seen by strangers and, worst of all, be voted upon. Oh well, I went for it. I love writing, I love photography, I love adventure and I love sharing stories with others. For me, this contest was more about preparing myself for melding all of these things I love together and working towards a dream. The actual entry was more about getting over the fears of subjecting personal expression outwardly.

I had fully written off any possibility of becoming a finalist; I was satisfied with the big step I'd taken. The morning the finalists were announced, however, I get a phone call from Devin, my partner, telling me that I should check out Gore's site. I was chosen as one of six finalists! I was elated, nervous, excited and speechless all in one. I was flabbergasted that one of my entries had been chosen amongst so many. Devin posted it on Facebook, and sent some emails. I followed suit as well.

The love from the communities around us really came forward. Our friends and family were voting from all around. I feel so blessed to realize the support and community we have. I have no idea how it will pan out; their are some great experiences, stories and causes with the other finalists. I am fortunate to be amongst this group. All I know is that I already won. I put some stuff out there, I conquered a big fear, I was chosen as one of the finalists and I looked around to witness so much support.

I couldn't ask for more and I now know this is just the beginning for me. Any fear that holds us back is worth overcoming. I can never again give my self-imposed limitations power. I am pursuing the things I love. To experience more is what it is all about. So, here is the winning image and writing of that experience:


I love spontaneous adventures. There is something about it that seems to add to an experience. Our friend Wally asked if we wanted to go climbing out at Trout Creek for the weekend, known locally as Trout. I had never been climbing there before, nor had I even been introduced to trad climbing prior to this trip. There has always got to be a first time for each new venture though, and this was an opportunity to seize a new experience. We got off work and headed out to Trout Friday evening, arriving shortly after dark. We arose the next morning and started our hike up to the crag. The approach alone was a decent work out. Reaching the crag, we were warmed up and ready to climb. The basalt columns here are rough and unforgiving, so I was taught how to tape on some “gloves” to better protect my skin. I was excited and reared to give it a try. Each route was a struggle, and I quickly realized that crack climbing involves a little bit of becoming accustomed to the pain and fighting through. It got a little easier as the day went on and technique made some headway. There were a few other groups climbing up there and I got to see some falls on placed gear. Witnessing a decent whipper on a placed piece of gear really solidified the understanding of how important the placement is. Observing others climbing trad laid a foundation for me to want to explore it further. I reached a point where my mental strength started slipping for the day from the enduring discomfort. Fortunately, the sun quickly dipped below the cascade peaks to the west, and we made our way back to camp exhausted. Waking up the next day was the true initiation. Despite prior sport climbing experience, I was worked. My hands were cut, scraped and swollen. My body ached in muscles previously not engaged while climbing. I reluctantly went back up to the crag, internally persistent to climb more. We got in a few more routes before heading home. I was grateful to have found the strength to carry on, even if it was just a few routes. I fought harder in these few climbs to move only inches up at a time than I have ever before. This weekend of climbing was one of the hardest I had undergone, and I would say it still holds that title. I was battered and bruised from relentlessly popping out of the cracks. My hands and fingertips were raw, unlike anything I have ever experienced, but I was enthralled by the fact that I could push on. I have since begun to climb some trad, placing gear myself. I really was inspired by this first experience. Placing gear on easy routes is where I have started, and as my skills progress and the emotional training coincides, I hope to open some additional doors in pursuit of my passion for climbing. My goal is to make it back out to Trout and put up some of these classic Oregon routes myself someday. I have found there are sacrifices we all make in our personal lives to experience more, and often it is as simple as giving up our rest days to create these moments. I cannot envision living any other way. Experiencing more to me is living life like life is in itself one’s art. It is not just about the monumental adventures; it is pushing the envelope in every day life to expand one’s horizons. I also believe there is no quantifiable way of measuring any particular experience. It is the very practice of experiencing life, experiencing more and pursuing one's passions as often as possible. There is no mold of how we must live, and that is what makes each breath worth it. The way I see it, we each get a blank canvas to spread our strokes across, and I want to fully enjoy painting the story of my life.