New favorite quote!.

“Life’s journey is not to arrive at our grave safely, in a well-preserved body, but rather to slide in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, “Man, what a ride!” Unknown

This post is dedicated to all of those fallen comrades.

Yes, all of those good friends that have gotten married and now do NOTHING!!!! For instense the good crew that I used to climb with that really got me to where I am at climbing wise today. Yes, the ones that are now all married and talk a big game about how they will get back into it shortly, or that they can't go this time but next time they will. I have nothing against the beautiful young ladies that they each are betrothed to. For the most part they used to go out and have good adventures with us as well. I even understand that life gets busy especially when your young and married. My roomate kicks ass at climbing and he is gratious enough to let me under his wing.(He made me write that part)"wxyandznowIknowmyabc'snexttimewontyousingwithme.com" love Bret. Back to my ranting. I have no problems with marriage. I wouldn't mind trying it myself one day. Only I would like to still assocciate with other humans that I think of as good friends. I just get so frustrated with the lose of good friends who now only watch movies. What happened to the days of surfing on the car rack at 50mph. Running around in our underwear because we could. Messing with new climbers by putting powdered dougnuts in our chalk bags. Coming up with strange slang to see if wee could get newdies to use the slang. Tying someone off at a bolt and leaving them there while we did another route. Rediculously gratuitous amounts of flexing for no darn reason. These are the moments in time that climbing trips are really all about the climbing is secondary. These are the times we said that we would still have when we were all growed old and respectable. In their honor I now metephorically pour a forty on the curb for LJ Wihtmore, Marty Alston, and Paul Sharp. May they come back to the fold one day.

Thanks giving is officially over.

Well Thanksgiving is officially over and done with. My belly is full, my body tired and soar from a hard week of working. Life has really settled down for the year. I spent an entire weekend in the salt lake valley. Had many plans to head to different places but it was one of those weekends where it just isn't going to happen. So I spent allot of time trainning in the gym. I feel like I am about back to V10s. Also I was officially put on as a paid route setter for the front, Horray for extra cash! Anyone coming to the Cruxmas climbing competition Dec 9th will get a good sampling of what i consider to be good routes wasy and hard. Worked for the first part of the week nothing to exciting wrote some papers. Got to spend a little time with good Idaho friends. Today I had Thanksgiving with the fam. Same as every year ate food sat and played games till it was time to escape the clutches of my family and all their well meaning prodding. Next year I am going to do a big trip over thanksgiving for a change. This is the time of year were I don't get to go out and adventure quit as much as I would like. So the big trip for this month that is in the works is the little beauty pictured below. I found this section on the net the other day. It is called fossil creek. It is in central Arizon, runs year round and the water is 75 degrees. So if it works out it should be a good run hopefully with no mishaps. If anyone would like to go and hangout in the warmth of Arizona. The company is always welcome. There are allready some really cool cats going and there is some very good climbing down there as well, hint hint.

Oray Ice Festival

A good friend and I were talking about Southern Colorado today and that lead to ice climbing something we would both love to transition into. We were thinking that it might be cool to go and check out the Oray Ice Festival for a day or so. It is just an idea that probably wont happen because the yurt trip will be right around that time. but if anyone is interested in going down it is Jan 10-14th

The weekends proccedings.

This weekend I went east instead of north as I have for the past few weekends. So Colorado it was. The crew was Jake Skeen, "Smity" Smith Monson, Tyler Cline, and Cole Landon. A couple of new friends we had never paddled with before Shannon and Allen. As well as yours truly. Friday night we headed out to Vernal, UT near the border and crashed at Jakes Grandparents house. The next morning is when the typical road trip particularly kayaking troubles started. Our good friend Cole had forgotten his life jacket and vitol part of the river. After traking down a jacket. Which at this time of the year is very difficult for only the committed kayak at this time of the year. So we headed our loaded up on doughnuts and orange juice. Now, in then cool tempuratures doughnuts are key for keeping up core temps. After about an hour and a half drive over the Colorado state line we reached the put in. The weather report for the day was blue skies and sunny temp. 49 degrees. It was cloudy and more like 39 degrees. Geared up in all of our cold weather gear we put on. A quick flat water paddle put us into the meat of the rapids. With only two of us having seen the canyon and it was roughly 10,000 CFS bigger so it was as though it were new to us all. So the probe took the lead. The probe being me. Into the class 4 fun we went. None of us able to even feel our fingers. The general agreement was that rolling would be a bad idea. We had two roll on the very first drop. Once we ran Snake Pit the biggest of the rapids myself and shannon started to get excited and the heart started pounding and the blood pumping. The pain in the fingers as the blood rushed back in was so intense. The only way to keep you mind off the pain was to keep paddling. When the fingers finally settled down and felt better we all just started haveing fun. Weaving in and out through giant boulders taking different slots and drops. Having an amazing time. Like unto a session at a good crag. After the river we went back to Vernal with hot homemade soup waiting for us. Then a night on the town in happening Vernal. Went to a wonderful home coming for Jakes sister Cassie and got to hangout with his family. Good times!

The yurt up Fishhook Creek.

This is the description of the yurt from the web site
FISHHOOK HUT
Fishhook Hut sits at 6,800 feet elevation next to a meandering creek in a beautiful meadow deep in the Sawtooth Mountains. The Sawtooth giants rise above the meadows, with spectacular views of Thompson Peak (the highest in the Sawtooth), Williams Peak, Mount Heyburn, and Horstman Peak framing the cold and blue Rocky mountain skies.

Fishhook Hut consists of two separate structures: a Mongolian–style Yurt and a pioneer style wall tent connected together by a lodge pole pine framed walkway.

All of the amenities for a comfortable stay are stocked at Fishhook: two wood stoves for heat, lanterns for light, bunks with mattresses, a three burner propane stove for cooking, all pots, pans and other cooking equipment, all tableware and utensils, a Dutch-oven (bring your own charcoal), books, board games, playing cards, magazines, two covered outhouses.

Moreover, a wood fired HOT TUB makes this hut extra special!


Approach to Fishhook Hut
Guests need to bring only a sleeping bag, personal clothes and food. Fishhook sleeps 8 in the Yurt and 6 in the wall tent.

The approach to Fishhook is a gentle four mile tour, either following a meandering creek or along a beautiful ridge-line.

Fishhook is an ideal destination for tour oriented skiers or snowshoers, with many opportunities for scenic tours through the meadows and forests of Fishhook Valley.

For advanced skiers and boarders, there is also fantastic downhill potential on the big Sawtooth peaks above the valley.

Its me again not the web site any more. Anyways I am thinking in January some time. I think unless people have certain days they are really interested in I am just going to pick 3 or 4 days and just put it on my card.

Its going to be good!!!

So as I work pounding nails and cutting wood my mind tends to wander. Well, thats what my mind always does, anyways. I am constantly thinking of for the weekend and the next time I have a good chunk of time off for fun. Well, the other day I was discussing an idea of winter and snow and the adventures to be had in the snow. My brother and I were talking about Redfish where we were both employeed at one time and about how there are yurts in thum thar hills. We are looking for some people to be joining us. The date is yet to be set. The cost is 30 per night per person. The yurt is fully stocked with bunk beds, wood, pots pans utinsels, and the best of all is a WOOD BURNING HOT TUB!!!!!! We want to go for a weekend once the snow is deep enough. Cross country, snowshoe, or telemark in all you have to bring is a sleeping bag, clothing, and your food to be cooked. Spend our days doing some really great backcountry skiing or snowbaording. The food will be Fantastic for we will have 3 river guides who can cook in dutch ovens with great skill. Such things as deep dish lasagna, roasted red pepper soup, and more.

YURTTASTIC!!!!

This is were I used to work. How cool is this place?

Thats right it has a wood burning HOT TUB!!!!!!