Awe the Valley

Valley Live'n

Last weekend, I took an extra day due to the fact that I was working until Saturday night. After Warp Tech, a school fundraiser, Turtle and I headed down to the Valley for the first time since last November. Justin has just moved back to the ditch for work and it was great to see him and catch-up. As always, the valley was beautiful. Although the weather was a bit warm, I made a conscience attempt to do a little reconnaissance for future problems and projects. Before Mission I’m-lost-and-don’t-know-where-to-begin began, both Justin and Wick wanted to work on their respective goals. For Wick it is an obsession of Thriller that could plausibly cause his school grades to take a back seat until it is sent, while for Justin it is the goal of doing a new problem every time he heads out. The day’s choice was All Hands on Deck, a problem that requires nerves and the ability to perform circus tricks on command. For me the mission of the weekend was made easier due to the fact that Wick and Colton were down to explore the valley’s bouldering a little more. The discovery was Cathedral and two lines called Octagon and The King.

On a side note: I bought a new Giants hat under the sole condition that I keep it and wear it, without buying a new one, until the G-men win the pennant. It might take them a few years, but I felt that as my hat grows in comfort and shape the team would grow together in ability. Hum-Baby Go Giants!! And thank God Zito is out of the rotation!!!

-Peter, the Fan

A New Season

Here is to Late Night Sessions and Good Times

Sunday marked the beginning of a new season with a bbq and session on the wall. People came from far and wide to take part in the festivities. The glorious weather we had over the weekend was an inauspicious reminder that the Valley and Bishop are starting to get too hot for climbing. I have started to realize that summer time climbing is not the most ideal, but in many ways the most important. Last summer the time spent at Donor and on the wall, were the biggest contributors to the success of the fall and winter. Where as last summer I fell into summertime training with the guidance of Master Jedi Justin, this season I am making the conscious and “force” driven decision to use the next months to push new limits and train for those on the horizon.

Nasty Pete

The Flow

So I went to Bishop this weekend with two young ladies who were kind enough to let me tag along. This weekend was all about determination, mixed in with some physical sarcasm. The mornings started with a great tradition I hope to carry with me, espresso in bed!!!

Julie Turning the Lip on Sky Dance.

Vicki and Julie were my inspiration; both made progress on their perspective projects. Saturday we did the long hike up to the Druid Stones. On the way we met an awesome couple who were quite interested and taken aback by the fact that we were carrying up big pads of foam to the top of the steep hill. After explaining what they were for, I tried to gain a little sympathy by telling them they weighed 60-70 pounds, but of course, because she is tough. Vicki took the approach saying that they could not have been more than 15-20. Both Vicki and Julie continued the trend as they pushed themselves to gain more clarity in the solving of their problems, while losing enough skin to do a skin graft on my ass. It was DOPE!!!

Vicki Styling in Buttermilk Country

The awesome thing about working on projects is the spectrum of emotions one goes through in order to eventually achieve partial or total success. In many ways working on a problem is kind of like starting a new relationship. When an attraction speaks to you, the hardest thing to do is to be yourself. With people one has to trust that the person really just wants to find out who you really are; rather than for you to create a person who you think they want you to be. Similarly, when walking up to a boulder problem one has to allow oneself to come through, they have to trust that their physical and mental ability will “match-up.” When meeting a new interest it is easy to not trust enough to let it flow.

Let it Flow,
Peter

A Good Time

Despite Justin's injury, this trip has been total fun. Joe's has a ton of great lines to offer every climber. Kevin, Wick, and Ryan each made ascents of Nerve Extension, an explosive connection to the hard Big Joe. Yesterday, to catch the evening sun, Justin, Ryan, Turtle and I made our way to New Joe's. Justin and I did Spam, a fun little line; later Ryan and I did the classic Pocket Rocket. Although, I think I let Justin down because I was unable ( but unwilling if you ask him) to do the dyno problem static. I am tall, just not that tall.

Justin Staying Strong on Save Yourself.

The other day Kevin took us up to the Wills of Fire Boulder, where Justin fired both Call Him Jordan and Wills of Fire. This boulder is a perfect example as to why Joe's is such a special place. The rock is perfect to the touch and the eye.

Wick getting through the crux of Big Joe, and on into Nerve Connection.

Ryan avoiding the look of a beach whale, on the top of Save Yourself.

My dear friend Vicki told me that I must do the Angler. She was right. The line is perfect, up a sloping rail towards a beautiful emerald pond.




As the days pass, and our time slowly runs out I am rejuvenated for society, and more climbing.

The Rest of the Crew

Turtle

Bran

PS. Sorry, this post should have gone out three days ago, apperently Kevin only likes to save pictures of himself.

Kevin already has this one of himself on They Call Him Jordan.

Spring Break 2008

So I am back in Utah. The climbing is great and there is only a small percentage of snow left over from the trip back in December. The stone is awesome, beautiful and majestic. The climbing is inspiring. Like always when I come to a new area I feel so overwhelmed.  Usually, I follow people around to their projects in hopes of finding something that  gets me psyched. This is something that is easy to do here, in Joe's Valley,  all on one's own.  All you have to do is look left and right.  Today, Kevin showed the way to The Wind Blow.  This Ultra Classic is sweet, tempting, and  intimidating; but still it makes one want to be a better climber just to be able to feel worthy enough to climb it.  So far this spring break is off to a great start, more to come from Joe's!!

Wick standing under The Wind Below

Three Shots of Expresso

This weekend was awesome! As always the days started out at Schat’s with pastries and a large cup of joe (X 3 shots of espresso). I love waking-up in Bishop, the day is always filled with potential. Saturday morning the motivation was right to finally get me up to the Druid Stones. Justin, John, Turtle and I hiked the long path up the hill, out of town and away from the weekend crowds (that I have come to expect in Bishop). Upon arrival at the top, I was struck by how unique the area is. In addition, the stone yielded some amazing lines to try: The Arch Druid, Cayla, and Sky Dance. All should not be missed.

Colton on Integration

It was also good to see Kevin back in California. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to climb together but he’ll be there for awhile and I am sure to be heading down. Wick and Colton were also down for a long weekend, climbing hard and going after resends since the “2007 Reset.”

John on Integration

On Sunday, Justin and John each made quick sends of Vic’s riverbed problem, “Integration.” This has been the first season that I have spent any significant time on the East Side; and I have been lucky enough to spend some sessions with some veterans to area. It is energetic to climb with people who are inspired to climb for climbing sake, looking for new problems and redoing old classics.

-Nasty Pete

The Road

It is easy to forget how much I love my job with all the crap that goes on. Since the beginning of school I have been in a world-wind of newness and obscurity. The fact that my boss, who is fantastic, trusted me and my team teacher to completely change our curriculum has been a pressure-cooker. I don’t want it to fail. But more importantly I don’t want it to fail my kids. We have a lot riding on the change…young people’s lives. In addition I was asked to head up the student government, without think of the consequences to my life and climbing I said yes. I have spent the last nine months asking a lot of question, going to high school dances, and becoming the one person on staff that people run in the opposite direction to in the hall way for fear of being asked to help out. Basically, for the past six months I have truly been questioning my desire to teach. My search for answers has ended a relationship, made my family think that I belong in a loony-bin for taking my frustration out on them, and hurt my experiences on climbing trips.

It took a twelve day work week, a school project that just does not want to end, a student fight, and a six hour drive to Bishop to allow me to come to the realization that I love my job. The 27 hours I spent last weekend at school helping the Junior class raise money for prom at game-day was not only worth it, it was fun. In the eye of talking about TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for eight straight weeks with freshmen, I have been utterly amazed at their capabilities to organize and plan groups of forty to write, direct, and produce a modern adaptation of the story for the stage. Essentially, demonstrating collaboration skills far beyond that of divide and conquer. Hot-diggitydog they could be learning something! Today after school four young ladies got into a brutal fight (I know what you are thinking, what kind of twisted mind would think this could ever be positive?). Although, every stupid within the moment, lets just say that it was the relationship between students and teachers that allowed the fight to end, and then be dealt with. Lesson, we are doing something right; relationships are the way to get to students. Relationships lead to relevance which will eventually lead to rigor, in other words who would want to due anything for a jackass. After the fight I eventually got into my car and headed to Bishop, there is something about a long and empty road that gets the thoughts bubbling in my head.

-Peter Newman, Teacher