And Then it Was Over.

Posted on October 11, 2011
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Rob loungin'

On Friday, September 16th, we packed the last of our bags into Trixie and headed out on to the open road. Giddy with excitement, we eagerly charged forward to spend one last weekend at Wookie Wall before the cold weather and snow keep us away for the winter season. We arrived at Wiener Lake around 9PM. We pitched our tent and soon after, called it a night. Early Saturday morning, E and I shoveled down tasty hot cakes and slowly made our way up to Wookie Wall. The approach was slow going and the sun warmed our fair skin just right. On this day, we stopped to smell the fresh Alaskan air, sit atop sun-warmed rocks, and enjoy the colorful view. Knowing this would be our last weekend of climbing at Wookie Wall for the season, we took advantage of every possible moment.

View over Wiener Lake from Hike to the crag

Where did all these people come from?

Once at the top, we warmed up. I warmed up on my ongoing project, Seismic Wave, before attempting the send. For the last few weekends, I’ve come incredibly close to sending this route. Two pinch moves and smeary feet from the anchors keeps Seismic Wave a project, and me coming back. The attempt was smooth. Every move was deliberate and I felt good. Working through the technical crux at the bottom, I could feel the pump, but I pushed forward. With a sweet knee-bar rest, I was able to compose myself and keep my breathing consistent. With just enough rest time, I moved quickly to the top. Pinch, pinch, crossover, move my feet up, I quickly went for the last move — the slippery horn. Slapping my right hand on the horn, too tired and slippery to hold on, I fell. Oh man. One clip away from sending my 8-weekend project and I slipped. Hard stuff and so heartbreaking. Pumped and tired, I lowered off of the climb and decided that tomorrow would be a better day.

We spent the rest of the afternoon climbing a few other sweet routes, one of which E snagged a sweet redpoint on, Spray Gun 12d, only after 4 attempts! Nice work!

Robyn gets the send of Seismic Wave 11b/c!

Beautiful place to write vows!

That evening, a delicious dinner and a few brews filled our bellies. We went to bed tired, full, and happy! Bright and early Sunday morning, the sun was incredible. The yellow leaves glistened in its rays and the earth smelled of fall. Another beautiful day warmly greeted us as we trekked through the yellow leaves and giant boulders, back up to Wookie Wall. Within a few minutes, my harness was on and I was lacing up my shoes. The sunshine and colors were serene and I couldn’t help but wonder how the view from the top would be. Well.. on that particular morning at 8AM, it was beautiful. I chalked up and set off. I sailed through the techy bottom section and crux. I confidently nailed every hold and clip. The route felt so good. I swiftly went from hold to hold and before I knew it, I was at the knee-bar rest. I barely used it. Calm and fresh, I moved ahead, hitting every hold, pinch, and smeary foot with confidence. The next thing I knew, I was clipping the anchors. After nearly 8 weekends of working this particular route, I sent it. In awe of the beautiful view and still surprised at my send, I basked in the sunshine a bit longer, taking in the view and the send.

E slowly lowered me down and I greeted him with a huge smile and bear hug. It was a beautiful day for a great send. I got my send and E got another one of his, a 12a route called Break the Chains. So ecstatic about our sends, we called it an early day. Packing our gear back down to Trixie, we loaded up and set off. We were back out on the open road, only this time, heading toward new territory. We drove about 2.5 hours north to a small town called Talkeetna. Here, we sipped on delicious brews from Denali Brewing Company, reminisced about our sends, and chatted excitedly about our up and coming special day… our wedding! Yipppeeeeee!

Robyn at a bar near Wasilla, Hoffenshlobberhaus?

Then we killed it at the bowling alley

..and cooked from our trunk "hey, Benny!"

Quick trip to Talkeetna and Denali Brewing Company!


Ethan on Seismic Wave

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Fall has flung. Or is Flinging?

Posted on September 6, 2011
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The long Labor Day weekend wasn’t as long as we would’ve liked, however, we still got out to play in fall’s bright colors and cool winds. Ethan and I managed to swing a day off together and in usual fashion, made a quick trip to Wiener Lake and back. The four hour drive to Wiener Lake was a pleasant one. So pleasant, we couldn’t help but make timely pit stops along the way; stretch and jump, and snap some really cool photos of all the bright colors.

Road muffs

The weather was warm and a slight breeze made for a lovely evening. We pulled in to our usual camping spot so psyched and fired up on caffeine, we decided to climb a few evening pitches. We made quick work of the approach and managed to get in two pitches before dark settled in on us. Happy, we hiked back, set up camp, and crawled in our wormy-bags.

Fall flungage

The morning came fast, with a cold breeze and crisp temperatures. After breakfast, we hiked back up to the crag and enjoyed a sweet climbing day of neatly-featured routes; one with cool alien head slopers and underclings, and another with techy-balance moves. Super neat.

Flinging for Flungage

After a great day of climbing, we geared up for the four hour car ride home. However, instead of driving straight home, we decided to make an evening stop at the Wisner cabin. Here, we made a delicious dinner, sat by the cozy fire, poured ourselves a delicious Arrogant Bastard, and read the night away. It was a perfect ending to a cool day of climbing. Awesome, indeed.

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Summer Sends MEGA-post

Posted on August 14, 2011
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“All the training in the world will have minimal benefit, if you don’t give yourself room to believe.” – Arno Illgner, The Rock Warriors Way. 

This tidbit from our recent car audio book came over our stereo only minutes after my last burn on my big project for this summer “Room to Believe (5.13a)”

Room to Believe has been the culmination of what has come to be quite a surprising climbing season for both Robyn and I.  Arriving in Valdez fresh off an ambitious spring of climbing at the New River Gorge, Robyn and I were less than psyched on our new local climbing.  In State College we were a weekend drive from a number of famous climbing meccas. In Valdez it was apparent we needed to redefine our goals, and swiffer the web for hidden climbing crag gems.

Spring flowers at our favorite Alaskan crag

By the end of the summer of 2010 our climbing had dropped off considerably, in part due to the weather, decreased motivation, loss of great climbing partners, and the search for new crags. By October we stumbled upon a crag 4 hours from here near Wiener Lake.  With a sweet camp spot across the road, but no guidebook we spent a cold weekend thrashing our way up unfamiliar climbs with mysterious grades.  Our second visit was much the same, and this time punctuated with piercing cold.  October around here is officially ski season.

In an attempt to keep climbing from falling into the past as “something we used to do a lot” we bought a hangboard (used to train finger strength) and hatched a plan.  The plan was to use the advice many goal setting coaches preach, and post our intentions publicly.  This keeps people asking about it which keeps your goals fresh in your mind.  And so The Psych Blog was born.  The Psych Blog is a place where a group of our climbing buddies get on to post about their recent projects, trips, climbing news etc to keep in contact, encourage each other, and most importantly, to stay psyched.

As the 2010-2011 ski season finally drew to a close, we caught wind of some new routes going up around the Valdez area.  Revisiting the local crags we were pleased to see several new routes thanks to Nick Weicht from Valdez.  Nick was super motivated, and during his time back in town cleaned and bolted several crags.  Most notably Nick bolted some great lines near the Worthington Glacier in Thompson Pass.  With a shortage of hangers, Nick managed to equip 3 new and challenging lines.  With new climbs on glacially polished rock our early season projects were set.  Our climbs at Worthington kept us busy for much of the month of May as I projected Trustafarian (5.11d), a nice endurance route with a boulder problem crux near the top, and Robyn projected a route we dubbed Sweet and Sour (5.11b).

Again depleting the local projects, we found our minds wandering back to the cold days at Wiener Lake, should we give it another go? This time with a guidebook in hand we revisited the lake, as well as explored Ravine Lake, Weekender Wall, and Puriton areas.  With much milder temps, and a host of great climbs, we really began to enjoy it. With a renewed psych, a renewed Psych Blog and new food and mental diets we were feeling back in the groove.  A few notable sends from this period included:

Sapphire (5.10a), Mixed – “Super fun. One of my favorites so far here in AK.”
On Your Celtic Way (5.11c), Sport – “Interesting rock and fun holds. You should climb this one too!”
The Truth of the Matter (5.12c), Sport – “Hard pinching on the bread loaf. Short and powerful route.”

By mid June we were ready to set our sights on our fall projects.  Fresh off some hard sends, we decided to aim high. In most of America the sending season is September-November as the temperatures come down and the humidity drops.  In Alaska, it rarely gets above 70 degrees during the summer, and snow will start flying at the crags by mid September. As we made our way to Anchorage to fly out for the Puddy wedding, we stopped in at Wiener Lake.  Over the previous week we poured over the guidebook and selected our projects: Room to Believe (5.13a) and Seismic Wave (5.11b/c). Our first tries on the routes (June 30th) suggested what we already knew – these were going to be very challenging routes for the both of us.

August 7th, view from Wookie Wall

Ethan during a foggy burn on Room to Believe

Fast forward now to late July.  July was incredibly busy for me at work, and 14 day-trips in a row varying from 10-13 hrs/day left me gassed.  Anxious to get back on our projects after a 30 day hiatus we were back to our climbs with more excitement than ever.  Since then, every random day off I get, we drive the 8 hour round trip even if it means we only get a few goes at our projects.  These climbs have been great for us.  Not only are they challenging physically, but mentally as well. Working to arrive in the proper head space before a climb, memorizing beta, controlling your breathing, problem solving… obsessing. Robyn wakes up doing moves in her sleep. Car rides back and forth are spent hashing out beta, reading climbing books out loud, and listening to audio tapes geared toward climbing.

Room to Believe has been the perfect culmination of a focused effort in a shortened Alaskan climbing season.  After 7 days of work and 16 tries I sent my project!

Just after my send. So stoked!!

As for many things in life I owe a big thank you to Robyn.  After my first go in the misty morning, it began to pour and I wasn’t into the idea of another damp romp up the slopers. Instead of lowering after my fall, she encouraged me to head back up. I rethought the crux, eliminated a strenuous hand match on a sloper, practiced my new beta and lowered off.  Robyn then hopped on her project and got a highpoint, right outta bed!  I was so insipred that I decided I better get back on my route and give it one last go with the new beta.  On the very next try, I sent.

This has been the most focused I have ever been on a single route and it will certainly go down in my mind as one my most memorable climbs. This climb has taught me that we are always capable of more than we think, and that pushing my limits physically and mentally is always an involved and worthwhile process.

So for the rest of the short climbing season?  Well, by September 20th the leaves will be gone, and the snow will have arrived here in Valdez. Just in time for Robyn and I to fly south, get married, and set out on a 14 day climbing trip through British Columbia.  A great capstone trip we hope to be filled with exploring, great climbs, and fun memories.

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New Personal Bests

Posted on July 19, 2011
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the first moment I grabbed hold of this super smooth and beautiful route, I knew instantly… I knew that this route would be one of my summer routes to thrash on, work hard on, and love every minute of it, and after a few weeks of working out the moves, I nabbed the SEND! Saturday was a such a glorious day… so sweet and it felt so good.

this pretty route has challenged me as a climber in more ways than one. in fact, probably more than any other climb to date. it has not only made me a stronger climber — physically and mentally, but it reminds me of why i love to climb.  this climb, named sweet n’ sour by us, because we couldn’t stand to leave it as an ‘Unknown’ — is short, sweet and stout. very pumpy and sustained climbing, as you may be able to spot in Ethan’s rad video below. On another note: what a guy — belayed me, was super supportive, and even captured some sweet video shots to create the spunky video. thanks, e! sooo.. on to share the PSYCH! I was so incredibly focused and stoked to lace up and get back on my route on Saturday, that I did just that! first climb of the day and here’s how it went — the first two bolts are relaxed and relatively easy to clip. the first pumpy crux falls between the third and forth bolt. after clipping the third bolt and still feeling pretty relaxed, I made my way up some overhanging-slopey side-pulls to bolt number four. bolt four is slightly awkward to clip and very pumpy. (its the kind of pump that starts at the beginning of the route and lasts the whole way through). my hands are still on some slopey side-pulls and my feet are awkwardly dangling below. once I clipped the fourth bolt, I pushed through the pump and overcame some other slopey, vertical holds to a small layback side-pull; just good enough to catch my breath and regain some strength. from there, a stacked two finger pocket with my right hand and crazy pinch with my left hand allowed me to catch a slanted crimp with my right. I then lunged for a smooth, sloping shelf where I was able to clip the next bolt and compose myself before the anchors. during this time, my feet were also on some small, smooth holds, just big enough for the tip of my large toe to rest.  once I clipped the last bolt, my final move was to perch myself on an awkwardly nice ledge, where I rested briefly, and eventually placed my chalky fingers into a decent lay-back crack, walking my feet slowly up the slick rock..  YEAH! I clipped the anchors!!

sweet ‘n sour. 5.11b. a beautiful and challenging route that reminds me of why i love to climb — the focus and challenge, the commitment, the psych and sharing the climbing love with friends, and last, but definitely not least, the love for the sport.

so, so awesome. please enjoy rad video below.

keep up the psych,
robyn

Sweet ‘n Sour from maowcakes on Vimeo.

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MK and PS Visit Valdez!

Posted on July 16, 2011
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Vincent is lovin it

What an incredibly busy summer — and definitely awesome indeed. we are lucky to have such wonderful family members and friends in our lives. adventures and memories are spewing out of our eyeballs — there are that many and they’re all so good!

one of our first amazing adventures down memory lane — Momma K and Poppa S visit Alaska! Not only did these fun folks visit, but they drove their trusty steed, Vincent, a sweet 1978 Volkswagon Bus, all the way to Valdez and everywhere else inbetwee! What an adventure in itself! After driving through BC and the Yukon Territory, MK and PS arrived at the McCarthy turnoff on June 19th. We met Kat and Steve there, slapped hands, and all jumped back in to Vincent to finish the remaining 100 miles or so to McCarthy. Along the way, we spotted pretty nature, wildlife, salmon, and large beautiful rivers. McCarthy is definitely a hot spot and I recommend that everyone who can, should visit. We also ran in to Sarah and Pete. They were on their way back from McCarthy after a weekend Music Festival. After a long chat on the side of the dirt road, maybe 45 miles outside of McCarthy, we said our goodbyes and loaded back in to Vincent. Ethan and I jumped in the back and Kat went to close Vincent’s sliding door, and before we knew it, Vincent’s door was off its hinge! That’s right — Kat and her strong muscles pulled it right off! No worries though. With only a minor ding and 45 minutes of trying to get the door back on, we finally did and we’re soon back on our way to McCarthy.

We arrived just outside of McCarthy (you can’t drive there. everyone must walk over the foot bridge to McCarthy and up the 4.5 mile hill to Kennecott. people can also take a shuttle bus to visit Kennecott), and setup camp for the night. we were all a bit tired and car sore. we stretched out, assembled ourselves into nice camp chairs and made a nice bonfire. we celebrated Father’s Day with a nice fire, delicious food, great company, and a handful of delicious, homemade brews that Ethan and I put together. the night was perfect.

The next morning, a rainy drizzle and pesky mosquitoes couldn’t knock our high spirits down. we had a delicious breakfast and tasty coffee, followed by a beautiful afternoon hike to Kennecott. During our hike, the weather gods cleared the sky, the rain stopped, and for a few brief moments, the sun smiled down on us. we arrived at Kennecott, dry, hungry, and happy. Lunch and a tour of the area made for a pleasant afternoon. A 4.5 mile hike back to McCarthy was also nice and thoughts of having a frosty beverage at the Golden Saloon kept us even more chipper.

two beers later and we were back on the road, hiking to camp. we started another memorable bonfire, made dinner, and chatted the night away. the next morning, our McCarthy/Kennecott trip would come to an end and we would be driving to our home: wonderful Valdez.

After a LONG float trip

Next stop: Valdez! After touring our way back to Valdez, we finally arrived! MK and PS checked in at a cozy lodge for the night, The Robe Lake Lodge, freshened up and met us at our home/Carter’s home for dinner and a bonfire on the Lowe River. More beverages and chatting all night was the perfect combination after a long day of driving. the weather was beautiful, the fire was big, and the company was perfect. it was a wonderful night.

To Do: sleep in. After a good night’s sleep, Ethan and I met up with MK and PS, and drove to Valdez for a pleasant walking tour. We walked around town, visited Magpie’s Bakery and the boat harbors, stopped in at the College for a look at my office, picked and studied wildflowers, walked some more, and had dinner at the new Wheelhouse — I can never remember the new name. The day was very relaxing and mellow, and just what we needed!

All this relaxation and mellowness the day before, prepped us for an amazing trip out on a sea-kayaking tour, with Ethan as our guide. We got to paddle around some amazing landscapes — waterfalls, icebergs or bergy bits, glass-like waters, grasslands, and marshy terrain. We even got to get out and hike around, smell the flowers, and hope we didn’t run in to a giant grizzly bear. we didn’t and the trip was a beautiful success! see some of our awesome photos below.

Mom and Pop kayaking!

The famous Heather Bay waterfall

Ethan's First King

At some point in our trip, Ethan and his pops got to go fishing for Greyling, while MK and I had a wonderful time chatting, visiting with friends, catching up, and making dinner plans. that night, dinner was a feast! MK worked her magic on a curry shrimp dish and we prepped a giant salad! beer was also on the menu! everything was just so good — company, food, beer, and great memories!

The next day, Ethan and I set out early for a floating/King Salmon fishing trip down the Gulkana River with our good friend, Dave. after floating a few hours and no luck catching anything, recommended by others, we stopped at this hot spot and fished for several hours. Dave caught a nice fish, however, we lost it at the end, and minutes before deciding to pack up, Ethan caught a giant King Salmon and I swallowed it up with our net — making sure not to lose this one. four or five hours later, we huddled back in our small raft and headed for the takeout. little did we know, 4 hours had gone by and we finally arrived. tired, hungry, and ready to be back on the road, we jumped in the car and made way, back to Valdez.

the night came and went, and Saturday was here. It was the last day with Ethan’s parents before they caught the ferry to Whittier. we met up, grabbed some coffee, and perched Vincent and Trixie on the City Dock while we said our goodbyes. It was bittersweet. it always is. we always have such a wonderful time together that when we do have to say our goodbyes, no one enjoys it. not even knowing that in only three or four months, we will see each other again.

having MK and PS visit was truly amazing. we made wonderful memories together and got to show our home to two people we love so dearly. i hope their visit was as wonderful for them as it was for us. MK and PS, you are always welcome at our home and we look forward to seeing you again so soon. thank you for the wonderful memories.

Ice bergs at Columbia Bay

 

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Our Visit to the Gem State

Posted on May 21, 2011
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Favorite and cheesy moments. Captured on camera. Cheers.

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Boards, Boats, Blazers, Beers, Bikes, Bunnies

Posted on April 19, 2011
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Filmed over 4 days during some happy, happy, sunshine in Valdez, AK.

Music: Swept Inside by Future Islands, Dusty Flourescent/Wooden Shelves by Talkdemonic, Red-Green by Laarks, The Wolves (Act I and II) by Bon Iver.

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Back to Work

Posted on April 11, 2011
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Tailgate Alaska is over. The tents, trailers and RV’s are dispersing. With a snowmachine hill climb slotted for this Saturday, Sarah and I dug a full profile on Odyssey. Beautiful sunshine and 40-100 cm of freshness were my benefits for the day.

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POW

Posted on February 21, 2011
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Ready to ferment

Brewing and bread are great partners. Allow me to explain. Brewing takes a little bit of water, grains, yeast, and patience. Bread is similar. In fact, very similar. Add a little water, yeast, grains, and some patience, and in the end.. we come up with something deliciously awesome. “The knob to awesomeness” was definitely on high today. We brewed a fantastical Cascadian Dark Ale, which dubbed POW, and baked delicious bread with POW’s dreamy leftovers.

You may be wondering, ‘how did the recipe turn out and where did it come from’? I found and adapted this fine recipe via the World Wide Web and am happy to share it with each of you. I decided to go with a ‘free-form’ loaf rather than with something in some sort of fancy or funny-shaped pan — what I discovered: a loaf of bread not only delicious, but unique and beautiful.

So… I began with a bowl and:
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cups spent grain
1/4 sea salt
1 tbsp yeast

Put that all in the bowl. Then, add 1 1/4 cup lukewarm water and mix it. There you have it. Bread. As simple as that. Be sure to switch arms if you don’t have a Kitchen Aid mixer — this will help alleviate Popeye arm. Finally, let sit and rise for two or more hours. Have a few beers while waiting. During this time, grease and lightly flour a cookie sheet, take fistfuls of flour and the sticky mess of a dough in your hands, and shape it like a loaf; round, oval, square, however you’d like. I chose round. Once I shaped the dough the way I wanted it, I cut two slashes on the top of the loaf and slid it carefully into the oven on my already prepared cookie sheet. Before you close up shop, pour a cup or more of water in an oven-safe pan or dish, place on the lower rack (under the cookie sheet with the bread dough), and close the door. This will help steam and caramelize the outside surface of the bread. Yummmm. At this point, your kitchen quarters should be smelling of yeasty dough and beer grains. Mmmmmm.

Beer Bread!

Let it bake for 37 to 40 minutes. The top should be golden-to-dark brown, and if you tap the bread, it should sound hollow. Once the timer sounds, remove the bread from the oven and to enjoy at its maximum deliciousness, let cool for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Enjoying sun, snow and skiing!

While patiently waiting for our bread to rise and bake, we went for a mini cross country ski around 10 mile. A foot of fresh pow nicely covered the trail and made for a bit more trail-breaking and exercise. The sun peeped through the trees and felt warm against our faces. The snow glistened and the light breeze tickled our noses.

Gorgeous view of Meteorite across the valley

We toured around the river, in through the trees, and over many mini mountains and creek crossings before making our way back to the house, just in time to throw the beer bread in the oven, pour ourselves a frosty beverage, and greet Pete at the door with a fine glass of whiskey. What a great day — fresh brew, fresh bread, a light ski, and great company. To top the marvelous and extremely relaxing evening off, I whipped up a delicious vegetable curry and potato soup. The tasty homemade bread and curry soup were magical together. What a mouthwatering treat. I definitely look forward to making many more breads with our beer’s spent grains. Maybe the next recipe I try will be a little sweeter: honey, oats, or a little molasses, perhaps?

Watching the kettle boil

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Super Bowl Sunday

Posted on February 5, 2011
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Robyn and I had a great weekend skiing and livin’ it up in Valdez for the Super Bowl.

Music: Annuals – Nice Day

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