Joe's Valley 5/17/2007

My time in Joe's has come to an end. I left this morning and am now in a hotel in North Platte, Nebraska. Hopefully should be home tomorrow night.

Joe's Valley 5/15/2007

After resting a few hours after doing Moby Dick yesterday, I was ready to climb again. So once the sun had gone down I talked a few people into going up to spot me on Team Effort. It was pretty dark but I remembered my head lamp and gave it a go and sent it first try last night. Felt really good to send it. It is the hardest thing I've done so far.

A photo of me on Team Effort from my April trip here:


And one Josh took last night:


Today, Josh, Ryan (a friend of Josh's from Portland) and myself headed up to New Joe's. It was the first time I'd been there on this trip. I warmed up on a V3 called Get Shorty that wasn't than fun and spent awhile putzing around on stuff I'd done before -- Super Sloper, Snake Bite, etc..

After a bit, though, we headed over to the Self Service boulder to try Self Service - a classic V5. I really should have flashed it. Got up into the top out but then didn't use my feet right and just got too pumped and fell off the thing. Pretty bummed but I sent it two tries later after slipping off the second move on my second try.

Video:


Then, we headed up to the Anarchy boulder to look at Pocket Rocket - a V6 I'd been recommended. It is an amazing looking boulder problem on a sweet rock face. It involves a big dyno off a good 2 finger pocket and a sloping side-pull up to an incut, almost jug quite a few feet up and then an easy top-out. I stuck the dyno second try but didn't get my fingers on it far enough and fell trying to match. Fortunately, I stuck the dyno again two tries later and sent it. Really, really fun.

Pocket Rocket:

Joe's Valley 5/14/2007

I felt pretty good today so after killing a couple hours in Price and attempting to see the Dinosaur Quarry (and failing since it's only open Friday, Sat, and Sun) I decided to go climbing. Didn't see anybody else around so just headed by myself up to try Moby Dick since you don't really need a spotter on it. I had all the beta figured out from the night session a few days ago so hoped to send quickly. On my first go I got to the top-out and fell off. I then proceeded to fall off the top-out on the next 8 or so tries before finally sending the thing. Here's the video:



I also tried Black and Blue for 2 tries but my tips were in way too much pain to do the move on it.

Joe's Valley 5/13/2007

Ok -- today is a rest day finally. I'll also rest most of the day tomorrow and climb tomorrow night I think next.

To pass the time I drove up to Price to confirm what I already knew -- pretty much nothing is open there on Sundays. Eventually I left and headed out to the San Rafael Swell as I heard it had some very nice views. I went to an area called Gulch Overlook and got to see some great views of what is called the Little Grand Canyon. Well worth the 20 mile dirt road trek to get out there.

Joe's Valley 5/12/2007

Today was supposed to be a rest day but instead became day 9 in a row that I climbed (at least of a few moves). I need more self-control! Must take a full rest day.

Josh and I headed up to Price Canyon (about 10 minutes north of Price) and met his friend Allison to check out the boulders there. Really cool place. It is a bit higher in elevation than Joe's and was alot more shady so bouldering was possible. I meant to only go check the place out but ended up trying some of the stuff there. The rock is identical to Joe's sandstone - black and tan. Pretty high concentration of boulders there as well - quite a good destination that I'm sure would get a lot more attention if not overshadowed by Joe's and Triassic. It sounds like it's growing in popularity among the locals, however, as the potential here is huge and it's a solid hour to hour and a half closer to SLC than Joe's or Triassic is.

Here's some pics--
Me doing the middle 2 moves of some crimpy V9 (couldn't do the other moves but seemed like it was close enough to work if I was rested and could stand the pain in my fingers):



Allison on The Turtle:

Joe's Valley 5/11/2007

Yesterday I spent most of the day just hanging out at the Food Ranch and then up in Price trying to rest and stay out of the heat since it's getting hotter and climbing in mid-day is pretty much impossible. At about 8 pm or so though the sun had fallen below the valley rim and the temps were feeling pretty good so we all headed up to the Moby Dick area to try the problems up there - primarily Team Effort.

After warming up on Skins Game (and unexpectedly blowing off one of the high crimps taking my worst fall in Joe's so far-on a warmup) I went to work on Team Effort (V8 in book, probably easier though). I tried this line a bit on my last trip but had new beta now involving a heel hook to make a huge reach move. This actually worked pretty well and although I still had some figuring out to do I am now able to make the huge reach move every time. The topout moves are still quite hard - and scary - so I did not send the problem, however. I am psyched to go back to it fresh one of these days and try again, however. I think I only have to pull one more move and it's over.

After working Team Effort until it got really dark, we all grabbed headlamps and headed up to try Moby Dick - a classic V6. I hadn't been that impressed by this line but after resting a bit I started working on it and it actually climbs really fun. Got all the moves worked out except the top-out again but I see how to do that now so also believe this will go pretty easily when I'm fresh.

By the time we were all done trying Moby Dick it was about 10:30 so everyone headed back. I still felt like I had some energy though and wanted to try a fun looking V1 on the UMWA boulder which is right off the road pretty close to our campsite. I talked Josh into coming with and I climbed it (don't have the name with me). It was really fun - so I least climbed one boulder problem yesterday :) After that I tried Walrus again but only gave it 3 burns before realizing I was again way too tired to do it.

All in all a great evening into night bouldering session last night. Didn't get any good pictures.. Today I'll probably head up with Josh to check out the Price Canyon boulders but I doubt I'll climb on anything. Feeling quite beat today.

Here's one of Josh's pictures of me on Team Effort:

and of of Moby Dick:

Joe's Valley 5/10/2007

Yesterday afternoon Josh and I made the drive out to the Moore Cutoff boulders. We saw the largest, most amazing boulder field I have ever seen. There were probably 100 Peabody sized sandstone boulders stretched along a 2-3 mile cliff band along the road and thousands more smaller boulders. Unfortunately, I would estimate that 90% of the rock here is choss.. Still, 10% of thousands of boulders still is a lot of climbable rock but it would take a lot of work to find them and I think the problems would be quite spread out.. If only :( ... We may head back for one day to do a few lines we saw that did look really fun.

This morning we went to the Riverside area up the Left Fork - across the road from Big Joe by The Angler. We found some shade and climbed on the next boulder over and had a good time. I warmed up by doing several V1 - V3 problems and then started working on Kelly's Arete - a beautiful V5 prow. After about 8 - 10 tries I finally figured it all out and was able to hang on long enough to get the send. It was a really scary topout for me -- really insecure holds pretty high off the ground.

After working this, we walked up and Josh tried Big Joe a bit. I was too tired so just watched.

Me doing Kelly's Arete:


Me on Chi V3:


Me on the bottom of Kelly's Arete:


Me on Kelly's Arete:


Some of the Moore Cutoff boulders:

Joe's Valley 5/9/2007

I left Ft. Collins yesterday morning and made the 8 hour or so drive to Joe's and have arrived safely. I made it with a few hours of light and found a place to camp at the Black and Tan boulders parking area:

After getting camp set up, Josh showed up shortly thereafter. When he finished getting his trailer set up we decided to do some late evening bouldering in the last available light. The UMWA area was just 1/2 mile up the road so we headed there. We climbed a V3 called Reach Around and a V2 called High Ride before it got too dark to see anything. They were both pretty fun ways to start the trip. We also tried Rug Rat, a really nice looking V5 but didn't get it last night.
Here's Reach Around:

And here's Josh on the rail of Rug Rat:


Today we got up and returned to the UMWA area. There were quite a few people on that boulder so we walked across the road to the Small Boulder. Warmed up on a fun V2 and V3 and then tried a V4 called Pee Wee. The first move was really hard for me and I finally stuck the move after about 15 tries and sent the problem. Really fun. After climbing all the easy stuff on the Small Boulder and briefly trying Runt, a V7, we walked back to the UMWA boulder. Today I sent Rug Rat on my first try which felt really good. Josh sent it too. I also tried Walrus, another V5 right next to it and did all the moves but just got too tired to put it all together. I'm pretty tired now having climbed at least a few moves every day since Friday.

This afternoon we'll probably go check out a massive boulder field I found while driving on an 18 mile stretch of dirt road on the way to Orangeville - a "shortcut". I was pretty blown away by the boulders right on the side of the road and am anxious to go check them out. No fences or signs indicating to stay out either.

Colorado - 5/6/2007

Not the best climbing day. Went to RMNP, Big Elk Meadows, and Boulder Canyon and got snow or rained out of all them. Tried two boulder problems at Big Elk Meadows but didn't even get a single move.. It was cool to see Brian Camp pull off a sweet, desperate send of Get Over It (V10) at Big Elk Meadows in the rain.

The plan is to head back to the Poudre tomorrow before taking Nic back to the airport to head home and then on to Joe's on Tuesday.

Here's us hiking in RMNP to go check out Veritas:

Colorado - Carter Lake - 5/5/2007

Got my second day of climbing in Colorado today. It was quite rainy through most of the area but we managed to get a few hours of climbing in at Carter Lake. I felt pretty weak today and didn't climb any boulder problems.. Tried Kahuna Roof which is a pretty great V5 and then a new problem called Doughboy which is a highball V6/V7 and a classic V5 called Sloper Chief.

Me on Kahuna Roof:


Marty on Kahuna Roof:


Nic on Doughboy:

Colorado Day 1

I've made it to CO. Nic and myself left at 2 yesterday afternoon and arrived it Ft. Collins last night at about 3 am or so. Got a bit of sleep on the couch and got up for day 1 of climbing. Made the drive up the the canyon to climb at the Poudre. It was very impressive. Very nice granite and beautiful boulders nestled in among pine and birch trees below large cliffs.

I didn't climb anything other than a fun little warm-up problem but still had fun getting close on Perch (V6) and working on Tilt (V7). We'll probably go back up there this weekend so I can hopefully do them.

After climbing at the Poudre, me, Nic, Chris Craft, and Brian Camp headed to the Gym of the Rockies for even more climbing. I'm pretty worked now..

Here's me on Perch:


Nic on Perch:


Nic on Tilt: