Rocky, Lincoln Lake and the Fall

The beautiful view of Lincoln Lake aka Wolverineland at 12000 feet



Matt Fultz and I concluded our trip to Colorado with a day at Lincoln Lake, an area high in the Mt. Evans/Arapaho Forest area southwest of Boulder, and a final day at the Park. Catching almost perfect weather save one rainy day, we both managed to send some things we wanted to and also fail on others, leaving projects for another time.

As has become a certainty, I captured some moments of people's try hard and was left with none of my own, but here are the best of the photos that I took while milling about waiting for MY time to shine.


Ryan Young, Skipper Roof


A butterfly on my shorts


Matt Fultz, Top Notch


Top Notch

With school starting, I am embarking on a mission to finish my geology degree in as few semesters as possible...and climb at the same time. As always, training for trips that I take and using the trips as training for the coming season in Idaho. Five big projects loom in front of me, one I have tried for three years, another I have yet to try and still know is hard. Juggling climbing, training, school and a new job as the head coach of the climbing teams at the Front will be a difficult task, and I am prepared to be busy for the next few months as I make time for everything to be done to the fullest of my abilities.

For now, this last photo of Lincoln Lake at dark before we hiked out(and had the subsequent near heart-attack) last Friday night will have to tide you over until I go to the Sawtooths to try and send a project this weekend.

RMNP!!

Matt Fultz and I headed out to Rocky Mountain late last week and have been sampling the best that the high-altitude areas of Colorado have to offer. Upper Chaos Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park is just that: complete chaos. House size boulders sit upon pedestals of monster truck size "pebbles" that we grapple and grovel with. The amount of rock that one can see upon topping out near Top Notch and looking in a 360 degree view is mind blowing. Years of bouldering have produced lines that are merely the tip of the iceberg that is Upper Chaos. Climbers are still plucking the gems and beautiful lines, not yet having to settle for climbing the marginal lines.

Fresh out of the car (a short 9 hour jaunt from Ogden), we hiked in to Both Sides of the Spectrum, a cool sloper problem at Moraine Park with the shortest approach in the area which suited our late afternoon arrival perfectly. Warmed up on some pretty cool stuff that was right near Both Sides and then got down to business. We soon realized that it was a little warmer than we thought and the slopers a little worse than expected. I sent some unnamed problem on a really cool suspended block that pinched and heel hooked its way up an arete. Matt did pretty well on Both Sides despite the conditions, yet neither of us were psyched enough to try it anymore than our fresh tissue paper skin could handle. Even then, Matt's fingers paid the price of one too many attempts and he ended up with a bleeder on day 0.5. Fultz on the first move of Both Sides of the Spectrum



All our time since then has been at Upper Chaos, we both sent Blood Money from the stand start, Matt did the Lochness Monster and I came away with a flash of Skipper D (thank you Ryan Young for the beta spray down). Blood Money from the sit start should have been done for me, but an ass rocket to the rocks and a heel hooking on my own finger put a hitch in the sending. Fresh and repsyched I will try and send that Thursday. Matt is eyeing Top Notch and Jade...he can lock off "the move" to within 6 inches of the left crimp in only a few tries, so hopefully he can make some progress on that. I am looking to flash Eternia, a goal that has been one of mine for a long time. I will check back in soon with more, hopefully a good report filled with sending and good photos. For now, I have only these images to offer, but more to come!!

Jade Stand Start

Alpine Boulders

Went back up to the Sawtooths again this last weekend with Jeff Smith. This time we were joined by Jamey Sproull, owner of Asana Climbing, his girlfriend Venessa and two of his employees and fellow climbers Adam Healy and Morty ??????? (Sorry man I still don't know your last name). Adam had a pretty rough day, forgetting all his food in the car and only having 3 PBR's to sustain him! He still had a decent day, should have sent the Prow but was thwarted by a wicked calf cramp. He managed to send Milk Roof Left with the new beta that I found. Here is Adam on the first of the hard compression moves on the Prow.



Jeff's project to the right of the Prow, a super thin and techy dihedral climb broke and is now harder. Shame too, the movement was very high quality and now is less than stellar and much harder. Jamey cleaned off a pretty cool little roof climb that had a super highball choss fest topout, drop off jug obvious here. Adam sent a new problem, a short little arete to the left of the Prow on the Warmup Boulder. He called it Cramp Corner, it starts on a low left undercling and right hand pinch and grovels up the arete.




I sent two new lines, one that ended up being a stand start to a problem that really doesn't go due to dabbage and gayness. I called it One Up, cause we started going one hold up every time we couldn't fit in the little cave. I also sent a line to the right of the "Big Blunt Arete" project, a compression line that tops out on some TINY crimpers. 100 Degree Razor (photo above) was a fitting name, the topout crimps stay in the sun all day and in the evening are hot to the touch! Sounds real appealing huh?



I had packed all my flashes, extra lenses and tripods up in the hopes of shooting a bunch of photos on the Prow, but I did manage to get one good one of Adam on his only attempt. Jeff Smith on the proj to the left of 100 Degree Razor and a shot of Adam and Jamey discussing why his leg may have cramped up...



I am headed to the OR show in Salt Lake next week, to meet up with some friends and some business type stuff. Should have some sick new Organic gear for my trip to Rocky Mountain, and a new pad on the way!!! Super psyched for that, the new design is sick! Check back in late next week for some images from OR, and the citizen's comp setting extravaganza at the Front SLC.