I’ve enjoyed my 3 years and 7 months as a full-time web developer at Colorado State University, but I can’t remain an outdoor weekend warrior anymore! I’ll join Ann in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she is working, and I’ll have some time to explore. My first move is to launch a new website:

Outdoorism

Please help me get it off the ground! There’s some more information there to help you help me. Cyberhobo.net will remain my personal, informal, friends-family-and-friendly-lurkers hangout. I’ll continue to feel free to write about anything I feel like here. Outdoorism will be less personal, more focused, and I’ll try to reach a bigger audience there. I’ll definitely need your help to do that, though.

To start with, I need to decompress and hang out with Ann. It’s taken a big effort to get our entire life mobile and into a working camper and cargo trailer. It still isn’t done, but it’s functional. It’s exciting, but as the transvestite who sat next to me on the El in Chicago at 3 AM said, both of us on our way home after a long night, “I am WO OUT!”

A little mellow climbing with Ann should help me get rolling again soon!

Ann meets Dad and I along the road to the Mount Shavano trailhead for a belated Father’s day summit attempt. It’s a long haul, over four miles and 4,500 feet of elevation gain, but we have good weather and we make it. We’re happy that we gain the eastern ridge early to avoid a few snowfields at treeline - this makes for a more scenic route.

Using up every last minute of vacation during my last month at work, I travel to Chicago to for the 4th quadannual Sociometry Fair. I have to fly to get there and back in 4 days. Having heard radio stories about new charges for checked bags, I take only a computer bag with spare socks and underwear, video camera, XO laptop, toothbrush, and photo prints for my project. I took boatloads of video during the trip that will have to be edited, but the story can be largely told through a few pictures and notes:

Sean pulls himself out of bed at an unspeakable hour to make a 7:30 (make that 7:45) am meeting with Doug and myself. Liz is attending a wedding in New Hampshire, but has left us men a giant carrot cake packed with goodies that helps to fortify lonesome souls for a day of climbing. Clare and Dennis join us in Lyons, and we head up to brave the ATVs and gunfire that swarm around the Ironclads. As usual, we head up to the more isolated Ironsides to find some peace, and hop on some of the fine routes there.

Port Side 5.6

I hear Clare swearing about wet placements, mud, and cold fingers as she leads the one trad route here.

Alloy Madness 10d

Doug agrees to join me for his first two pitch climb. He leads the fun 5.9 first pitch, clips into the anchor, and belays me for my first attempt at the upper pitch. The first moves prod me into a pretty good headspace. I’m fortunate that there’s a rest just before the crux, because I have to start a few times and retreat before I find a workable move. After that the climbing stays pretty hard, and I lose my resolve and hang a couple of clips later. Too much time spent unwilling to move on small holds, I get pumped. After a rest, though, I manage to finish the 90-foot pitch feeling quite good about it. I really wish I had a camera as I watch Doug follow the pitch, surprising himself with what he can accomplish with his feet on the small holds. It’s a great experience for both of us.

Fire Widow 10c

There’s something irascible about this route. Clare backs off not wanting to do the traverse from Port Side anchor, then Doug goes up and makes the first clip, but is foiled by the tricky move onto the headwall. I go up next, make it onto the headwall okay, but lose it and hang once on the crux moves. Like a grumpy friend, I like this route partially for its reliable gruffness.

Unknown right of Slab-a-dab-a-doo 5.9+

I get a true surprise lead fall when I pull an undercling off of this route. I think Sean is more shocked than me, but he provides a perfect catch and all is well. It makes me pay more attention to the rest of the route! It was a fluke, I think, the rock is good. Clare follows and has a ball on this.

Other perspectives: Sean

Clare and Dennis come up for Clare’s birthday, and accompany me to Vedauwoo on a warm bluebird Sunday for some big crack climbing. The Holy Saturday formation provides the goods.

We only hit two climbs, but they provide plenty of material:
Hideaway Chimney 5.5 is nice and long, incredibly varied, and holds plenty of surprises (many of them pleasant)!

Flake 5.8+ is a bit awkward for toproping, but worth the trouble. It’s awkward to climb too - that’s what makes it so great! The leaning flake wants to spit you out, but then embraces you, only to try to buck you off once more.

I spend the day at my friend Mike’s house, demolishing what’s left of one of the six buildings he lost to a recent tornado. We had to cut it up and pack it into a big dumpster.

A group of climbing friends and acquaintances enjoy a day of Vedauwoo adventure together at the Jurassic Park wall.

The day’s routes:

Lawyer on the Toilet 5.8 - my only lead, one or two good offwidth moves.

Get Up That Tree 5.8 - climb the scary chockstones.

Rowdy Joe Bad 11b - cranky slab on crimpers and small edges.

Flake-o-saurus 10c - proves to me that my jamming needs work! I manage not to vomit when I reach the top after many toprope falls.

Slot-a-saurus 5.9+ - really great offwidth to a finger crack with several bulges. A must-lead-next-time.

Too cold and windy in Vedauwoo for climbing, our band of hardy adventurers sets out on a scouting mission and winds up circling the high peaks of the area.

Something about outdoor time lapse photography really grabs me. Just going out my back door to capture this sunset made me feel more a part of my world, and looking at it does the same:

My dad is excited to share his discovery of this pretty trailhead on the North Fork of the South Platte River. We hike south from the Jefferson County open space park into Pike National Forest through Ponderosa forests and old burn areas.

Pine Valley Ranch Loop Hike at EveryTrail