The Grand Canyon.

It is a shame that I dont visit the Canyon more than I do. It is only about an hour from Flagstaff and it offers some amazing terrain. In the past I have hiked it, walked it, and at times tried to run it. Early this August I had a friend come to town from Florida and he was psyched to spend an evening down in the Canyon hiking one of the many trails at night.

During the Summer it is very unwise to try and attempt the trails in the day especially when you are trying to move quickly. Temperatures can approach 115 degrees!! So with some careful planning and "Canyon Master" Jason H. on board we decided to take the Hermit Trail at night down to the Colorado River and turn around and make it out with early morning temperatures.

We left for the Canyon around 430pm thinking we would be able to make it to the trail head around 630pm so we can make our decent with the evening sunset and cooling temperatures. When we showed up we were all surprised and a little disappointed at how busy the Rim was. There was people everywhere. Parking lots were full, sidewalks were cramped, and the bus lines were long! Major bummer especially because we didnt plan on having to wait around. Once we made it on the bus we thought it was all over and we would be on the trail where there would be less people. It wasnt.

During the Summer the National Park system seems to change their rules and there schedules without letting anyone else know. This day was one of those days. The bus would not take us to our trail head. They said that they were in a "Summer Sunset schedule" and that they couldnt have people on the bus past Sunset Point... which is total BS because they were still going to the other stops to pick people up. So we tried to beg and plee but we still got kicked off.

Planning our revolt!

Were were at a lost for what our plans should be next. We were 7 miles away from the trail head and we were pushing our start later and later. I think we were all a little pissed at the bus driver and a little bummed that our plans were needing to change. We talked our options and even thought of bailing for a brief moment. We ended up finding a transportation supervisor, asking her for a ride after explaining our plans, and she helped us out with a bus ride on the last bus of the evening!!!

We were psyched to actually make it to the trail head and we started our decent with tons of good energy. I even saw Miah jumping up and down!!

Jason showing off his
legs.

The Hermit trail leaves the Rim towards the Western end of the Park. It leads down towards Hermit Camp ground and from there you can make your way to the Colorado River. It was our plan to cruise down the trail and "quickly" get to the Colorado where we could hang out for several hours resting and refueling.

The trail is different than the heavily used Kaibab and past the 1st mile you get a sense that the trail is not as heavily used. Great night time travel though. The night sky was alone without the Moon and the Milky Way was lighting up the black sky. Really beautiful and vast.

The further down we made it the more we found ourselves slowing down. I dont think any of us were unreasonably tired but the trail seemed to be playing tricks on us. We kept on finding ourselves a bit off trail and at a few point wondering where the trail was at all. We all realized that the very wet Monsoons obviously had damaged several sections of the trail and because of less travel it had not yet seen and maintenance. Made for some fun but frustrating night time travel. We even got to see some wildlife.

Me being tired.

Once we made it to the Hermit campground we kept up our momentum and kept heading for the River. We had not yet stopped more than a few minutes and we were looking forward to getting some rest down by the river. The last section of trail was the most challenging for me. I was pretty tired and getting to be sleepy. There was not a well established trail and because of being next to a running spring it was a lot like bush whacking the last hour. We were dodging around trees and bushes and criss-crossing the stream. Beautiful place to be under the stars. We even saw some spooky eyes up on the cliffs looking down at us.

Once we made it to the Colorado we quickly found a place to rest our bodies for a few hours. Camping with out a permit is illegal year round in the Canyon. We were definitely NOT camping. We didnt have tents, stoves, sleeping bags, pillows or really any thing to make resting comfortable. It was just laying on the ground for a few hours.

Rest felt good.

We had planned on being able to rest for a lot longer than we got to. We thought it would only take 2.5 hours to get down but because of the our slow movement on the trail it took 4.5 hours!!! Which just meant we had to cut into our rest time. We had decided to leave the River at 4am so we didnt have to worry too much about the heat of the day.


With only 3 hours of rest we woke at 4am to get ourselves moving. I was feeling even more exhausted from attempting to sleep on the ground and I was not psyched knowing that the way out was going to be tough. We had morning dawn light on us for the first hour but we all knew sunrise was coming and we wanted to make sure we didnt have to fight the Summer daytime heat. We just kept trucking our way up trail.

About 2.5 hours in we had the proper sunrise to awe at. It was beautiful and the giant red walls slowly bathed themselves with the golden sunrise. We stopped several times to just watch the Canyon come to life with light. The shadows danced up and down the walls and the texture of the river appeared far below us. But we had no time to sit around. The clock was counting down and hot temperatures were on their way.




After 6 hours we made it back to the trail head and were sitting at the bus stop at the rim. We had avoided the sun in total except for about a half of mile near the top. I was feeling pretty fatigued and my legs were weak but overall I felt good about the trip. My brain was stirring up the memory of the last 12 hours and over all it was kind of confusing to grasp staying up and hiking the trail.


We made it back to the car, had ourselves a celebratory morning beer, and headed home.

Monsoons.

The Great Wall.

Recently will all of the monsoon rains it has been hard to get out as much as I would like. It has been raining on most afternoons and when it doesnt rain it is usually wet from the days before. So my over all motivation level and psyche has been a little low. I have found it hard to be excited to head out to new climbs and risk weather coming in just after finishing warming up. I have also just been a little unmotivated to be working on the "same old" local projects. I have really needed something new and big.

I have heard some of my climbing partners talk about "The Great Wall"...

Single tallest climbed wall found in Sedona...
Perfect and bullet sandstone...
and a beautiful location...

I have also always wanted to go and climb at The Great Wall so with an invitation from a friend I was definitely in.

We wanted to try and get on the trail early so that we could use up as much morning shade as possible. The hike in is not very far (maybe 1.5 miles) as the crow flies but the terrain in the area makes it challenging. It is steep and the trail is a little overgrown and nonexistent. Even though all approaches in Sedona are usually exciting and hard, this one was an exception. Luckily we did get most of the approach done with the cool morning light.

"Second Base Camp"and hot!

Approaching such a big wall in the area is really amazing. Arizona is not really know for big climbs. For big walls most people think of El Capitan, Half Dome, Hulk... but every once in a while I get the same feeling in Arizona as I did at the base of El Capitan for the first time.
I just want to go up.

Once we reached the base of the wall we were in the shade and really nice temperatures for the rest of our day. After a "quick" tour from Matt it was time to get ready and get warmed up on a moderate. We decided to climb a pitch called "Chupacabra". It looked really fun and interesting. I got to be the first one up it and the whole time I was really enjoying the movements. Never too hard but hard enough to make you try and it was pretty techy. It was totally different from all other types of climbing I have done in Sedona. Great texture and awesome features!

Chupacabra!

Jack H. taking in the view.

After a couple of laps it was time to get on one of the "hard lines" at the wall. I was told that "R. Power Crack" would be an awesome line to get on when at the Great Wall so I was pretty psyched to give it a go. I had no real expectations and just really wanted to get up it. I did end up making it up but it sure beat on me. It was pretty tricky at the start and the upper section was just pure power and lots of it!! Complete underclinging laybacks with zero to zilch options for feet. Just a blank wall and a ton of body tension. It was so gooooddd!!!! It almost instantly gave me back my psyche. I was definitely worked and I felt crushed by it but it was humbling. I cannot wait to get back up there to work out some of the harder sections and hopefully get it clean by the Fall.





One other thing mentioned from all of my friends who have been to The Great Wall was...

Rattlesnakes!!

Not just a normal desert rattlesnake but a healthy and big rattlesnake. I had been warned from several friends to keep an eye out for snakes on the trail and at the base. So the entire time we had our eyes open, ears ready, and rattlesnake sticks in hand I walked with two for a bit!. Getting a bite from a snake that size in the remote back country of Sedona could be a big problem and would turn a fun day into a rescue scenario. It was really important that we kept our safety a priority. So we kept ourselves aware at all times and luckily Matt saw/heard this one on the trail before stepping on it!

Lovin life at the top of the
great wall food chain.

After our run in with the snake Matt was fired up to get on his project. He had told me all about it and I was excited to see him trying it. It was a very impressive line that deserves the dedication and commitment Matt will put into it. I also got to try and climb it. It was the most futuristic, hard and inspiring line I have been on ever. Good luck Matt! I cant wait to get back up there.

The aptly named "Gladiator"

After a long hike out we were all pretty exhausted. I was feeling beat up by the hike and the climbing had simply exhausted my energy. It was a long day and at a few times miserable but I can not wait to trudge back up there. It feels good to have a little charge back in my motivation meter and even better to have new and formidable project.

Few extra shots:

Yeah gear. Weighing down my pack.

Jack on belay... yawning?!

Thanks Matt for the Photos.

San Fransisco Peaks

Chaco and I looking towards the setting Sun.

It had been quite some time since I last made the trek up Humphreys... I think almost 2 years?! I should be trying to run up there every week!!! It is sooo close to town and it oh man can it kick your butt!

It always humbles... I stare up there everyday and I even get caught convincing myself that it is not that big...but altitude always makes you earn it.

A friend gave me a good excuse to do a late afternoon siege to the false summit. I have been running a bit on some of the other areas on the Peaks so I was psyched to try and move as quickly as I could up the steep trail. We took our time on the way up to check out some of the scenery and to enjoy what our moist Summer has done for the Peaks.

The Peaks are full of life right now.
Refreshing and calm.

Jason B. and his "training weight"

At the top it was super windy and actually sort of chilly. I was glad that I carried up a wind and rain shell... kept me warm enough to hang out. It is amazing how chilly it can still be up there even though we are in a Arizona Summer.

Still some snow in the Basin.
Maybe we will have snow all year?!

Chaco and his friend enjoying their view
from the saddle.

After some rest and stretching it was time for the descent. I really wanted to make the whole trail down within an hour but I knew I was going to be racing the sunset. Unfortunately I waited to long at the saddle and had to slow my roll once it got really dark (I was reminded by rolling my ankle). It eventually got really dark on the trail in the trees. There was only a sliver of moon and the stars were useless in the trees but... I really enjoyed the darkness and loneliness of the trail.

It was awesome evening exercise either way!!

"When my legs begin to move, the thoughts begin to flow."

H.D. Thoreau

James Canyon Highline

I have been wanting to set up a new highline in Northern Arizona for about a year now. There are already several lines that have been established throughout the state by some friends but there has not been a new line in Flagstaff for sometime.

I have been working on walking a standard slackline for about 4 years now and from my first full walk I wanted to start to practice high off the ground. It is by far the scariest and most exposed feeling out there! You are confronted dead on with the fact that you are high off the ground and that if you fall you will be falling into space. Luckily systems have been developed and tested that make highlining 'relatively' "safe". It is quite the experience to be walking over air on a line and it would be amazing to be able to control my obvious fear and complete a line.

My friend Chris has also been really wanting to add a new line so...
recently we started our search for a new location. After checking out several locations Chris decided that he had found a pretty nice location in James Canyon just South of Flagstaff. I had been to the spot before to drop the canyon but never with the intentions of setting up a slackline. I was excited to know we had finally found our location.

Pretty nice location...

Over the next several weeks we put together our system. Chris wanted to put together a rig that was bomber but easy to set up and not overkill. Luckily Chris has an infinite catalog of knowledge with rope systems and with just a little research he had put together an amazing rig that we felt very comfortable with. We were psyched to have a rig that could with stand the load and force we were going to put on it.

We used:
100- feet of 11/16'' webbing threaded through 1'' tubular nylon webbing.
2 -high tension shackles.
5 -48 KN test rings
4 -48"x1" bar tacked slings
1- 60M dynamic rope

6- steel locking carabiners

Looking across the line

from the tension rigging end.

We finally headed out to the location with all of the gear and were fired up to get the line up and make the first ascent. The hike in is really convenient and the actual location is perfect for a highline. The canyon is around 65ft wide and 40ft deep. Perfect for a new line. After about 3.5 hours of rigging we had the line up and it was time to tie in and get out there.


I was the first to attempt to walk it. I had done some practice with basic highlines but sliding my butt out across the line was something new! It scared the shit out of me!! It is so easy to be relaxed when the ground is only feet away but the game changes when you no longer can just touch the ground if you need to. I spent some time out on the line just trying to calm my thoughts and breathing down which... didnt really happen. I kept reminding myself that I knew I could walk it and that even if I failed it was not going to kill me. I even took several controlled falls onto the line (which is really fun) to train my thoughts to mellow out.
It really was a mind f@#k!


After a few tries each we still we unsuccessful with walking the line. It just seemed so impossible to get across the line. Every time I would step up onto the line and make a few forward steps I would loose my train of thought and start thinking about the fall and making sure I caught the line on the way down. Even in my most controlled moments on the line I didnt feel at all in control. In a best case scenario I am able to walk a line without concern with falling off or with what will take place at the moment I fall off...but out there it really just felt uncontrollable.

Luckily I have run into these kinds of moments plenty of times in my climbing and in other activities. I have long learned the lesson of just excepting my results in the moment. I have had plenty of days were it just is not the right day and have had to accept this with humility.
Well... lesson learned again.

I know that there is really no true excuse for not walking the line.
I am able to walk it therefore I can walk it.
But it is good to be able to spend a few day before my next attempts just thinking of what I can do different to make my experience on the line more positive.

Be.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Accepting.

Me trying to get myself away from the edge and out to the middle of the line.

'Dead Out' Spire.

Well that is what Im going to call it...

I absolutely love climbing on the spires of Sedona. What an amazing feature to climb! Every single time you reach the summit of a spire you are greeted with some of the most spectacular views! I also think that topping out the spires of Sedona is one of the most unique and inspiring things that I can do with my climbing.

With that being said...

The idea of being the first person to reach a summit on a spire is even more inspiring. There is something amazing about the quest to be the first person to the top. It is a unique feeling of motivation. The adventure in finding a spire, the challenge of the unknown terrain, and of coarse the unseen view from the top.

So... I was pretty psyched when recently I received an invitation to join some friends in climbing a unclimbed spire.

John and Chris had recently done all the dirty work of tracking down the approach and climbing potential of this limestone spire in West Fork Canyon. After decided that the climbing was doable they were nice enough to invite me along for a day of new routing.

John wearing his
'new routing shirt'

Woke up early to avoid the unavoidable Summer heat of Arizona and drive out to the spot. After about 45 minutes of driving on a number of unknown dirt roads we made it to the lookout over all of Oak Creek Canyon. The location was rad! The forest was green from our wet winter and the temperatures were still cool from the night before. After a pretty easy (for Sedona) hike we made it to the rim.

Record Alligator Juniper?
280ish inches...

The view was unbelievable. It is crazy to see how big West Fork and Oak Creek really is...

Once we reached the base of the spire I pretty quickly realized that we didn't really avoid any of the Summer heat...it was warm and in the sun. We started climbing any ways. John was fired up to go first so I just sat around and took photos as John headed up the first pitch. Chris and I were hot baking in the sun but I can only imagine how hot it was climbing that first pitch...

The climbing was really fun. The quality of the rock was actually quite exceptional (despite my doubts) and the actual movements were really fun. You got to climb up some really cool featured limestone.

1000 foot trundle.

Little limstone finger
features

Once we all made it to the first ledge we quickly discovered that our unclimbed spire had some hardware evidence that the spire had been climbed...bummer. We were all a little bummed out that we were actually not the first ascentionist and after a moment of self pity we decided to rally to the summit anyways.

Thumb down to

not being the first.

Im glad we did. It was a beautiful and proud summit.

Few summit shots


On the summit we discovered more evidence of a previous party and we decided to get off and out of the beating sun. After some climbing trickery we were back on the ground and ready to head out and back home. I was feeling pretty fatigued. Not so much from the climbing but mostly from the sun. I remember why I left the desert for the high country.

Over all it was a great day. It was a little bit of a bummer that we were not the firsts but really who cares?? I love just getting out with good company and mixing up the daily habit a little bit.

Sometimes it takes a good climb to remember that I don't just climb because the rock is there, but because I feel I need to.

Exploring one of the limestone caves.
Chris found the bones of a mountain lions dinner (???).
A preserved headless snake.
A small piece of pottery.

The spire is in the back ground.