St. George, Red Rocks, and China Cave

Well school is almost out for the summer, I have a month left before my wife and I move to Colorado for the summer, and I can't wait!  I have a few more projects that I would like to tick before I head out, but if I don't get them they'll still be there when I get back.  As for the last few months I have been on the road a little bit.  I made little trip to City of Rocks, Red Rocks, and St. George. 

The trip to City of Rocks was a very eventful day trip.  On the way there I popped my tire and had to change it.  We decided since we were already there that we may as well climb.  We warmed up on Coffee and Cornflakes an old school 5.10a that is really fun!  After that we jumped on Private Idaho a 5.9 dihedral crack.  This was my first really "crack climb" and I can say that I throughly enjoyed it! After that it was getting pretty late, but I wanted to do one more climb.  I had picked it out the day before and I at least wanted to try it before we left.  The climb is called Euro Beast (5.12a) it climbs an easy slab to an overhanging jug section.  That is where the crux is and pulling the final bulge to the chains was a little awkward.  This was my first 12 in the city and now that I am feeling comfortable climbing there I'm going to start pushing myself there.

The following weekend we travelled down to St. George for two days and then move on to Red Rocks.  In St. George we mostly climbed at the Green Valley Gap.  The first day we were there we rolled in around 10:30 pm, set up camp and decided that we wanted to do a night climb we jumped on some random 5.8 and had a blast!  The next day we warmed up on some 8's and 9's; we then jumped on a 10d and a 11a.  After feeling ready I set my sights on the route that I wanted to get that day.  The climb is called Stick to Your Guns 5.12c.  It climbs a horizontal roof and then moves onto a short headwall.  The crux of the route is a big dead point to a three finger pocket.  I fell my first go because I missed the pocket, but next go walked right up it. 

The following day we went to Red Rocks.  I visited Tsunami Wall for the first time; it had some really fun climbs and I love the location.  While over there I jumped on Poseidon Adventure 5.12c and the crux is a committing dyno above a slab.  Needless to say I failed to stick the dyno and came flying down and spranged my ankle.  That was the end of my trip :(

A week later back in Logan I made a trip up China Cave.  The route that I had been working had no name and no one I talked to knew anything about it.  I started working it just for fun, but it quickly turned into a love obsession.  I was able to link all the moves in about 2 days of work and quickly sent once the conditions were good.  I named the route Time-Turner and figure that it goes at about 5.13a.

5 Days in the 50's!

Well the weather man says that this next week is going to be a glorious one, so I'm crossing my fingers!!!  Today me and my friend Ty got out up the canyon to look at some boulders that he has had his eye on.  The first place we went was a little cliff ban just passed Zanavoo.  We named this route Aragog due to the nature of all the holds falling off and the giant spiders web in the start hold.  

I didn't get a picture of the other boulder we went to, but it looks SICK!!!  There are two problems on it one is a huge hand crack and the other looks really hard!!!  Hopefully later this week we'll see some sends on them!!!

Joe's Valley and China Cave

Two weeks ago a group of friends and I went down to Joe's Valley.  I sent to V7's and almost flashed a V9.  The first problem I got on was Big Boy.  I worked this problem last trip and had some problems with the last few moves, but this time I sent first go!

After that I started looking at Spam.  I looked at it the last time we were down there and didn't think that I would be able to do it; this time however, I got on it and did it third go!

The next day we woke up to snow on the ground and a blizzard moving in.  This last week the cloudy and stormy weather cleared making it so I could get up the canyon and try my project.  The route that I've been working is in the 13 range and totally my anti style!

There and back again!

Well it has been far too long since I have posted anything and that is a bloomin shame!  Alright well lets recap on some things that have happened since my last post.  Well I went on another trip to Joe's Valley were I flashed Chips V7.  It was a complete and utter surprise to me when I did it, but was super stoked! 

The move right after the start.

Hit that left hand and set the feet and launch for the good hold.

Good hold!

Then top out!

Shortly after that trip to Joe's I went on another trip to Triassic.  It was over my birthday weekend and it was freaking awesome!  I personally put up probably around 10 new problems down in the area that we have been developing.  There were two problems that really stick out in my mind as amazing!  There was this high ball problem that probably went at about V5 that was just amazing to climb.  I don't have any pictures of this problem, but next time I get down there I will!  The other problem I put up at an established called the Petroglyph.  I think that it falls in the V8 range and I named it Lucius!  

Here is the crux move on Lucius.

After that trip things got a little slow; so I hit the gym and start training.  All the training must have paid off because when the weather finally cleared up I immediately ran up the canyon and started trying some new climbs.  One of my friends found a new problem at second practice; he cleaned it and made the first ascent shortly after.  A few days later he took me up there and I made quick work of the problem for the second ascent of Hungarian Horntail V6.

Also that same day I decided that I wanted to solo a pretty well known route for the area called Seldom Seen.  It goes at around 12a and was really fun! 

                                    

Joe's Valley and Other Destinations

Two weeks ago I went on a trip to Joe's Valley with tow of the kids that I coach.  This was the first time that any of us have ever been to Joe's!  This was mostly a recon trip to see what the grading and climbing was like.  Joe's has some of the most amazing sandstone that I have climbed on in a long time.  I have climbed on sandstone in NUMEROUS places such as Garden of the Gods, Red Rocks, Moe's Valley, Triassic, and RROCS and I can honestly says that Joe's is one of my favorite sandstone areas!  Joe's is nestled in this little canyon just outside of Orangeville, UT.  At night when we arrived we couldn't see anything and slept with excitement for what the morning would bring!  The next day we woke up and sent 20 problems ranging from V1-V6.  We got on some harder problems to test the water so that when we went home we knew what we needed to train for.  We got on Resident Evil V10 and sussed out the moves and the last little while we've been training so in two weeks we can get back down there and send shit!  Anyways here are some pictures from Joe's and a few other trips that I've been on this summer!

Working the ending moves to Resident Evil, Joe's Valley

Sending Sun in My Eyes Traverse, Joe's Valley

Sending Solar Power, Logan Canyon

Standing below a 12 something after my send just before leaving

Going over Lunch Counter, Snake River, Alpine Wyoming

Good to be Back!!!

Well summer got off to a  fast start!  I can't believe that it is already July!  I attended my schools graduation on June 1st and I have to say it was an amazing experience.  I started teaching the special education class at Fast Forward Charter High School back in April.  It is a wonderful place and can't wait to get back next year :) Shortly after school was out i got married!  I got married June 4th and I can't be happier!

After the wedding we went on our honeymoon to Orlando, Florida.  The honeymoon was amazing and best of all we got to go to Harry Potter Land!

The weekend after we got back from Orlando we ran Ragnar.  Ragnar is a team relay race from Logan to Park City.  The team consists of 12 people, you each run 3 legs and the entire race is 200 miles long.  This year we ran it in 33 hours and 53 minutes.  We added sometime from last year, but we have next year to redeem ourselves.  In October we're running the Vegas Ragnar which will be a blast!  Anyways I just thought I would just give an up date and I'll have my climbing pictures up later this week :)

So far the summer has been really fun, but things will get better :)  Sadly I am missing the Climb X photo shoot this weekend because I am poor and can't make it out there.  On the upside though I'm heading to Maple Canyon for some sending!  Anyway I hope everyone is have a great summer!!!

Back from Triassic!

Its been too long since I've been bouldering on real rock!  This was my first trip down to Triassic and it was amazing!  Triassic lies about 30 minutes south of Price, UT.  The sandstone blocks litter the landscape as far as the eye can see.  There are well known areas such as the Golden Ladle and Land of a Thousand Boulders.  A few of the people establish the new areas are local gym employees.  They travel down there through out the year putting up awesome new lines and cleans hundreds of new problems.  This last March they took a company trip down to Triassic to spend a week cleaning and sending new problems.  They cleaned a lot and sent quite a few, but there were some that had to be left for another day.  When they all came back they showed me pictures of the new area and I was psyched!  So we set up this trip with the intent of going down and sending some of the projects at their new area and thats where it all began.

Friday:

We woke up at 6 am and were on the road by 630.  We arrived at camp around 1130 and quickly set up camp.  After set up we bouldered around the "Camp Boulder" for about 20 minutes or so to warm up.  On the camp boulder there is really only one harder problem.  You start in this little dish with your left hand and a sandy sloper with your right at about an arms length away.  After that you smear a high right foot; pull in and go for the top!  Really fun and probably around V5 or so.  After playing on the camp boulder the wind pick up and we decided to go hiking for a while.  We drove over to the overlook, hiked down to the bottom, and looked at all the boulders down there.  That only killed about an hour and the wind was still raging when we got back to camp so we decided to take a power nap for three hours :)  After we all woke up we drove into Price to pick up some better firewood because the wood around camp just wasn't cutting it.  When we got back we at our tin foil dinners and then went bed praying for better weather in the morning.

Saturday:

I wake up to a text message that morning saying that my Calculus final that was scheduled for Thursday of the following week was rescheduled for Monday now.  So right off the bat I think to my self that I have to do the sending today then.  I get up eat a quick breakfast and I'm off to the boulders before anyone else is awake.  I decided that I would start warming up before Team Bloxham showed up.  Team Bloxham are some of the kids that I used to coach Caden and Tysen along with their sister Megan and dad Dean.  They couldn't come up Friday and had to go home later that day on Saturday so they as well had to send things fast!  After I was done warming up Team Bloxham arrived and we started our send fest!  The first thing to go down was an undone slab project from their last trip.  I named it Diagon Alley and man was it thin!

Diagon Alley

After that send we watched Caden get another first ascent on a climb next to it.  After the slab area we decided to go to the Mono Project.  This climb was the main reason that I came to Triassic.  I saw my friend Brad's pictures of him on it and it looked amazing.  This climb was all I could think about for the days leading up to this trip.  The problem was probably the hardest of the trip and took me a good 40 minutes to unlock the beta and put it all together.  In all honesty one of the main reasons that I sent this problem was that I had amazing shoes!  I wore my Climb X Emotions and the made every tiny foot chip feel like a giant ledge!  Anyways here's some pictures.  

Start both hands in the rail and move left hand into a full pad side pull crimp

Then it gets tricky you move your feet a lot until you have your left foot on a crappy smear and your right foot in a decent backstep and then reach into the mono.

After that you do a little more foot work and then stand up into a crappier side pull and get a really high foot on the starting hold.  After that there is only two more crimp to the top out horn.

This problem was by far my most favorite to climb and was stoked to get the first ascent!  I named it Deatheater because it chewed the shit out of my middle finger! Anyways we went and did another climb and got first ascents on this low ball problem that was awesome but I'll have to post the video in a little while cause I can't find it!  Anyways the trip was awesome and I hope you enjoy the pictures!