The Forecast

  I’ve enjoyed (read: endured) 11 days of rest.  ‘Rest’ in this instance is a bit of a misnomer since my idea of resting is adhering to a devout rehab routine, but we all have to get our kicks somehow.  Amidst my misguided fervor towards maintaining some strength, I actually developed a nice relationship with a thera-band, k-tape, and stretching.  I knew people did/used these things/activities to evade injury but I always thought those people were just weak minded old fools whose lack of good breeding and inefficient gene pools lead them to their anachronistic ends.  Little did I know.  Little do I still know.  But in any event time bends you to its will and there I was bent over a weight bench doing wrist curls, a bright pink piece of strapping adhered nicely to my upper forearm, digital seconds ticking away slowly on a nearby stopwatch, a jump rope lying limp across a set of box jumps taunting me and my weak calves.  A quick visit to a new physio, some good info on heating and icing, and a lot of Epsom salt soaks, and there I was again clinging to a rock face bathed in Autumnal light filtered through scattered clouds above, the sounds of day hikers galloping along the well-worn dirt path below. 

 

 

 

 

The past weekend was a blur of activity filtered through a lens of dense surprise.  After lurking inside for what seemed like a small eternity the sun came out and autumn was finally able to flash us those pearly yellows, oranges, reds, and umbers she had been waiting to reveal since early October.  We went from a trot, to a jog and then finally plodded up switch backs before gliding down the steep valley hillside that lead us to a small paradise.  Views on both sides of us emerged as we rounded more and more corners of the trail.  I had never been to this side of the mountain before and had no idea such beauty lay a short drive from my house.  Besides the burgeoning day hiker population there were parts of the trail that bordered Snow Lake that felt absolutely remote and pristine to say the least.  The views were stunning, the sun was even more welcome and rejuvenating however, the wind kept us moving. 

 

The following day plagued with sore muscles from our 10 mile jaunt the day before we said ‘What the hell?’ and surrendered to our ambitions to taste the golden light of the fleeting sun once more.  We headed out to Little si which was a gamble indeed given the fact that it had received over three inches of rain the week before.  But we just wanted to be outside, to breathe some fresh air, and to feel the crispness of Fall.  The big leaf maple leaves had fallen and they blanketed the trail trying their hardest to cover up the scars we have worn into the forest floor.  Large moss covered boulders alongside the trail appeared dry and we each raised an eyebrow at the idea of actually getting to climb.  Indeed, upon our arrival the wall was almost in perfection.  I dashed 11 days of rest by tying in and climbing up Abo.  Wow, it felt so good, like waking up from a very long sleep, or like tasting sugar again after some kind of twisted diet, or perhaps even like enjoying a really good book that has been lost at the bottom of your chest and that has recently resurfaced on your shelf.  I couldn’t help myself and nervously climbed four more pitches tasting Softliner, Techorigine, Rainy Day, and Chronic  Mmmmmm, I got my fill, for that day.  My hunger will never be satiated. 

Alex Fritz going big on Men's final problem #1 at the Seattle Boulder Project's annual Northwest Boulder Fest.  He was the only one to send this problem and it gave him the lead which he managed to keep and then win the comp!

Lisa Chulich striking a curious pose while attempting a difficult match on the finish hold of Women's problem #2, a punchy and delicate one.  Great to see Lisa competing as always and still crushing.  I've known Lisa since she was an awkward teenager obsessed with volleyball and tagging along with her brother on climbing trips and now, 10 years later, she has turned into quite the climbing celeb with an impressive resume of climbs and competition results under her belt.  Super motivating, keep it up Lisa!

Ashima Shiraishi calmly reaching up to a seemingly horrible little jib on that volume.  She climbed 3 out of the 4 finals problems missing the last problem by one move!  What can you say about Ashima that hasn't already been said?  Watching her climb in person it all makes sense.  Prodigy!

Ashima locking down the number one spot in finals on a very tricky and powerful mantle/stem problem, Women's #3.

One of the last days to really go for it.  Erich Sachs staring up at the last good burn of the season on Lost Horizons.  He climbed this thing perfectly to the very last hard sequence but could not seem to squeeze it out of the tube.  The last try, pictured here, he was thwarted by a seeping undercling and taking a nice 30' whipper he lowered and enraged flew up Pornification (falling at the last crux).  Back to back burns on 5.14?!  Yeah, that's a thing now.  I drew a lot of inspiration from Erich this season and garnered some good info from him concerning training regiments and resting.  Psyched to see him back out next season and with a brand new baby no less.  Hopefully I will be strong enough to project with him, instead f next to him.

Fall, Autumn, whatever you want to call it, it's my favorite time of year hands down.  I love all seasons but I enjoy AND love Fall the most.  I think it has to do with the fact that I'm such a visual person and during Fall its like a free always changing art show.  Everywhere you go, whether its an alpine lake tucked in the vast wilderness of the Cascades range, to a short jog through the neighborhood there are colors exploding virtually everywhere.  Every tree, bush, shrub, or sapling is trying to make a statement and draw your attention to the simple beauty of existing outside.  The changing colors have an effect on the simplest of outings enhancing them and emboldening your experience if you let them.  Even the down days when the sun hides and the rain pervades every nook and cranny of the city Fall is just another excuse to crowd inside of a local gym and cheer on your friends.  From the crispy temps and beautiful colors to the warmth of the community at the gym or the brewery, I just can't get enough.

 

Soaking up the sun on a run/hike to and partially around Snow Lake.

Playing back and forth on a small ridge the views of the Cascades and the sweeping valleys below open up and you start to realize how infinite this mountain range actually is.  Also great to see the snow level coming down a bit.

We came across so many of these cool little ponds.  Would have been great if a few of them were hot springs.

We finally had to stop for lunch, that blue sky has such a mesmerizing effect on a day like this. It feels so effortless to keep going, but alas, the hands of the clock ushered us back home.

An explosion of color!  We exhibited some pretty bad trail etiquette while dipping, dodging, and diving around the teeming mass of plump and sluggish day hikers that saturated the trail. 

The walk down from a surprisingly dry visit to World Wall.  My lovely partner is breathing down the neck of two of her projects and made some great progress on this day.  Looking forward to getting the honor of having that first 5.12a belay this weekend.

 

Today I was studying my training journal and realized that it has been a whopping 20 days since I have engaged in any training related activities (besides two small fingerboard sessions).  I won’t get back to the grind until next week and I’m really looking forward to it.  I have two upcoming trips, the first is an 8 day trip to Smith Rocks over Thanksgiving.  The second is a two week trip to Red Rocks with a few days set aside for Bishop during Christmas and New Years.  I’m very excited for these trips, it has been a year now since I have taken any vacation or gone anywhere farther than four hours away.  I do have to admit that I’m a little down about not being at full health or strength but maybe by the time the Red Rocks trip rolls around I will be feeling up to par again and ready for an onsight onslaught.  We will have to see…