Update

I really can't believe that I've been this busy - I mean - I don't really have a job do I? Well - I sort of do - I've been doing trail work for Muir Valley - Rick is really nice and has been giving me some good, meaningful hard labor - which helps me to be a stronger climber.

Last weekend, I met Joel Brady at the New River Gorge and Coopers Rock for a bouldering session - definitely a rad time -

So what have I been doing? Mostly just photo stuff, working, and climbing - climbing LOTS - and training as well - I've been doing lots of sit-ups and push ups, even on climbing days, trying to get in shape for the climbing season.

I've also been shooting a lot of photos, though I need to hold those because I may be able to run some of them. I may actually not be in the red this month - though I'm not entirely sure - I got paid for doing a webpage for a guy too - which was nice.

Life here is pretty nice - very different - there are new people every week - and there are a group of core people here for the season - two couples - the Britts and the Aussie's both who are really nice and have a chipper humor about them - Also, I've been climbing with both a French girl - Elodie and a Russian girl - Elena - (Yealena or something like that in Russian - I can never SAY it correct...)

OK - today is a volunteer day at Muir Valley - I woke up at 630 - am going to eat breakfast, finish this post, exercise (abs and push) and then head off....ciao!

-Danno

A real day of work.

It may have been the first day of actual work in my entire life....

It was a long and hard and very enjoyable day working with Rick Webber - A nice 8 hours of trail work and seeding...I's this kind of work that will get me in shape!

Rest Day...not so much so...

I took a rest day Thursday - My fingers really needed, but I met Elodie, and Thomas at the Motherlode for photos.

Instead of ascending the whole way, or climbing a route - I decided to just walk around the top of the Motherlode to take photos - BAD idea....it took maybe 20 minutes, it was really hot - and my legs just finally stopped bleeding (3 days later) from the bushwhack!

The hardest part, of course, is finding the right place to drop your rope, while not sliding down the hill to the eventual hill and ultimately your death.....

I ran again too - another 40 minutes on the "Pinch 'em Tight" trail a "fairly" flat trail....I feel like I'm getting into good shape - I've been eating well - and not eating too much.

Another stride

well, today I made another stride toward being in shape - I managed to onsite a 12a at Muir Valley - ok - so it was a glorified boulder problem with party tick beta - and then 70 feet of 5.9 - but hey - I'll take it!

I also tried a 7c - called Triple Sect - which felt great - totally my style - 3 cruxes for me - the first a dyno which I can do when I'm alittle lighter and the other two which are high probability for me if I'm in shape to stick the first move.

I'm going to start training next week - gotta hear back from my hardcore training friend - see what she's doing - then adapt my summer training from my fall training schedule...

A nice run....

I've lost 10 lbs since I left WV - that feels great! I still have like another 10 to go before I'm a super human - but thats OK right? The next 5 won't be easy and the last 5 has always been really hard for me....

I ran 40 minutes yesterday - I only meant to run 30, but was having such a nice run on a trail that I just kept going. Natasha at the campground turned me onto this area - there are a bunch of splits and turns, but the main trail goes 18 miles - more than I'll ever need....so I'm hoping to keep that consistent - running that is. I should have enough time to do that daily, resting on weekends, but with all the climbing I'm going to do????? =)

I think that I'll be getting some consistent work as well - so I can truly live without dipping into the funds.

My goal is to save up or have enough cash to buy a video camera and some accessories for it, then try and put together a "rampage" bouldering video with a few of my climber friends - namely Ashley, and a few others who I've met along the way.

Life is good bubba.

Da Pump....

If anyone has ever been to Muir Valley - they know how much the hike out sucks...it sucks big time! But the climbing is definitely worth it -

Having thrashed myself thoroughly yesterday, I figured - what the heck - do as many as I can - then just crap out...

well, I did 4 new routes - all moderates - then I got on Cell Block 6....at the Midnight Surf - yup game over...it was good though - I figured out several of the crux moves - and am hoping to project it - I'll have to work hard for it though....

Then I totally curled up - stacked some draws, my water bottle and my pack and took a nap - I was TOTALLY out.....REM and everything I think....cause I woke up like an hour later...like oh...heh...

Da Lode

Today was my second day of climbing at the Red - I've been feeling pretty light - which is good, though I still don't feel SUPER good - like I was last fall, but then its only a matter of time - I took another rest day from running today - since my legs still hurt (it always takes a little while to get back into run shape - I found I have to go slow)

We climbed at the Motherlode today - Pretty much, I just did laps (as high as I could go) on Chainsaw Massacre and Ale-8-One....it felt great - I totally blew clipping on my last go and took a good 40 some foot fall - it was really rad!

Also, I took photos of a visiting Russian climber - Elena - Euros are strong no?

Red River Home

I got to climb yesterday – its BEEN hot, but yesterday – as the day progressed, it got cooler and it feels cool this morning – hopefully temps will be better (according to the weather channel its going to…)

I felt good – light, I’ve been pretty much starving myself – I really need to drop some weight for the fall season – I figure a couple weeks of low caloric intake and running (actually 6 weeks of running) oughta do the trick.

I am basically all moved into my tent – and I did a BIG sort – so my tent looks liveable, but really cluttered – I need to get a couple more big buckets for stuff – and do some basic picking up – but it looks good vern….I hope it rains soon – so I can take a look at my drainage situation as well….

Maybe I’ll take a shower today – its been a while!

Chatty HO

2 September (3)

Chattanooga was TOTALLY rad, though we definitely got the “Chattanooga Start” all three days – which means, we don’t actually get to the crag until 1130 or noon – because well, we sleep in, then move really slow.

We climbed two days at LRC (or Stone Fort as its called now), both days were a bit hot, but manageable. The best day was Day 3 at Rocktown – even though it was further away (and we needed to drive back to Nashville that night.)

Temps felt great (comparatively) – and friction was decent – though after too much effort, one began to sweat profusely – so you really had to pace yourself with problems for the sweat factor.

Lighting was DECENT, but not great the entire weekend, probably the best on Monday (the third day), though on Monday, we were mostly doing roofs – so I shot a bunch of off-camera flash. I have a lot of photo work presently, but will add photos to this – as well as all my other blog posts tonight or tomorrow.

I slept in a bit in Nashville – then made my way to my permanent (well for the season) home at Miguel’s at the Red River Gorge…

Hiking

2 September (2)

Denver was cool – I woke up in a rest area (another great night – 8 hours with limiting wake-ups) – I hung out in a Panera for most of the day (eating French Onion Soup in a Bread Bowl – which used to be a common staple – now which is TOO much for me to eat) –

At 5pm – I met up with Jacqueline and we went for a hike in the mountains – a long hike…it was nice, but very steep – I was thankful that I was acclimated at this point in the trip – otherwise, I would have died.

We hiked up to a nice spot and then hung out for a while – doing some stream diversions – and then hiked down in the dark – that night I left around 9 or so and drove until I got sleepy – then passed out in a rest area. I got up that morning at around 5 and just freaking Marathoned – It was Friday and I wanted to leave Nashville for Chattanooga Saturday morning – I drove about 20 hours – before arriving in Nashville, only to pass out….

Rifle and Carbondale

2 September

Just got back to the Red – nothing stolen as far as I can tell – not that I have anything worth stealing anyways – but I did break a tent pole – the epoxy is setting as we speak –

The past week has been pretty busy – once again – not much down time – though its hot at the RRG and I feel like I’ll have a good bit of time to focus on my photography and my website overhaul.

Rifle was cool – I woke up at a rest area – after a great 8 hours of sleep in the front seat of my car – scary huh? I’m getting used to it … about time.

I spent a few hours in the Rifle County Library – which was no where near as nice as the Moab Library, but cool – none then less, then I phoned Dave Pegg – who makes the best guides I’ve ever seen – Wolverine.

I got lost trying to find his place, but then rolled up to his freaking RAD house – an exquisite view of the mountains – horses in a pasture, chickens clucking.

As I roll up, I’m greeted by his wife, Fiona (both she and Dave have excellent British accents) who asked if I could shot some photos of her horses – OF COURSE! It was fun – she showed me some photos of galloping horses in a “horse” calendar – in my mind, I pictured an wedding photographer, looking through the yearly Rock and Ice Calendar, thinking (Yah, how hard could climbing photos be?) – then I projected my face onto him…yup…I can do this….

What you need to do, she explained, is get the horses in gallop – thankful of my Camera’s focus tracking – and the bright sunlight (I could have lived with overcast, but you get what you get in the desert.) It went well, from what I gather, she seemed really psyched on them – I felt like I was going to get run over a couple times – but other than that, it went off without a hitch.

I hung out with Dave some more at his place, he was gracious enough to let me shower, then I headed on my way to Carbondale to check out the Biz at Rock and Ice – I hung out with a couple of the editors (Jeff and Duane were out climbing – tough job huh? =) ), then headed up to a little bouldering area that Andrew had suggested – it was a nice area, but I wasn’t feeling SUPER on it, so I just relaxed, listened to “Dune” Audio Book, east some dinner and then started my drive for Denver.

Freaking Kansas...

2 September

Just got back to the Red – nothing stolen as far as I can tell – not that I have anything worth stealing anyways – but I did break a tent pole – the epoxy is setting as we speak –

The past week has been pretty busy – once again – not much down time – though its hot at the RRG and I feel like I’ll have a good bit of time to focus on my photography and my website overhaul.

Rifle was cool – I woke up at a rest area – after a great 8 hours of sleep in the front seat of my car – scary huh? I’m getting used to it … about time.

I spent a few hours in the Rifle County Library – which was no where near as nice as the Moab Library, but cool – none then less, then I phoned Dave Pegg – who makes the best guides I’ve ever seen – Wolverine.

I got lost trying to find his place, but then rolled up to his freaking RAD house – an exquisite view of the mountains – horses in a pasture, chickens clucking.

As I roll up, I’m greeted by his wife, Fiona (both she and Dave have excellent British accents) who asked if I could shot some photos of her horses – OF COURSE! It was fun – she showed me some photos of galloping horses in a “horse” calendar – in my mind, I pictured an wedding photographer, looking through the yearly Rock and Ice Calendar, thinking (Yah, how hard could climbing photos be?) – then I projected my face onto him…yup…I can do this….

What you need to do, she explained, is get the horses in gallop – thankful of my Camera’s focus tracking – and the bright sunlight (I could have lived with overcast, but you get what you get in the desert.) It went well, from what I gather, she seemed really psyched on them – I felt like I was going to get run over a couple times – but other than that, it went off without a hitch.

I hung out with Dave some more at his place, he was gracious enough to let me shower, then I headed on my way to Carbondale to check out the Biz at Rock and Ice – I hung out with a couple of the editors (Jeff and Duane were out climbing – tough job huh? =) ), then headed up to a little bouldering area that Andrew had suggested – it was a nice area, but I wasn’t feeling SUPER on it, so I just relaxed, listened to “Dune” Audio Book, east some dinner and then started my drive for Denver.