Adam Lawton

Last week my boss, mentor, and good friend passed away while back country skiing up in British Columbia, Canada. In the last week the amount of people that have come together in so many different situations to honor him. The net that he cast covered an amazing amount of people that run in so many different social circles that wouldn't otherwise have any relation. He open to everyone and treated everyone the same with dignity. Your were the truly the most interesting person in that moment.

On a personal side of things his belief in me and my abilities was far beyond my own. He was always setting me up to be successful at work and building my confidence in what ever the task was.

It is very bitter sweet to me that through his passing I have been able to move up in my job. Due more to how he set me up at work while he was still alive then in his passing. It has caused a big shift in my life and forced me to step into a role that I never thought I would be in.

Adam, you know the effect you have had on the people that you met during your life. The number of students that have come through Gateway Academy and been able to have you as a mentor and role model. You will be missed. I'm glad that you went the way you did. It wouldn't have been fitting any other way.

Rivers run and rivers yet to be run.

My brother Matt

The Redfish inlet going off!!!

A section I saw when I was in Spain that looked like this for 15 miles.Matt dropping the waterfall in the Zion Narrows.

Wilderness fun.

A video from when I used to work Wliderness Therapy.

Undone project.

This is a splitter in a secret bouldering area that some friends and I found outside of Moab,UT.

I'm Back!

I have recently acquired a computer and thus will be posting again.

Work weekend in Great Basin National Park.

We took the boys to Great Basin National Park this weekend and got them to summit Whealer peak. The tallest peak in Nevada at 13,063 feet.

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Injury at inopportune time.

So my finger started to hurt after setting for the Valentines comp here in SLC. We had nobody to front run any of the problems and I over did it trying to do 70ish problems after setting for 16 hours. I feel now like i may have a partially torn pulley in one of my fingers. I am still training on free weights and cardio the finger is getting better quickly but not fast enough.
I was approached by a lady in the gym the other day and she asked me if I was training for anything in particular. I told her I was training myself and trying to get sponsorship from somewhere. She and I talked a while about it. Turns out she has a company that focuses on training athletes and they are looking to move into training more extreme style sports. So I am going in to have a consultation and possible get a sort of sponsorship from this company to have them train me and help me focus they way that I train to push my level of climbing/ kayaking and possible gain sponsorship elsewhere.
I'm still working on mountain guiding this summer as well. I just sent off my work schedule of the days I cannot work and now it is just a waiting game to see if it will work out.
Other news is that I was approached about being a body double in a film about the climber Aron Rolston(the guy that cut off his own arm) I got to meet Daniel Boyle(Slum dog Millionaire director) as well as hang out with James Franco(pineapple express, Spiderman) I got some misinformation at one point and was told I had the part. Alas it was not meant to be. I was and inch and a half to short.it was a cool experience either way.(I'm actually relieved that I did not get it.)As well the people whom approached me about the movie also had me take body shots of my torso. It is for some soccer thing out of Italy. At first my though was no thank you but then they said if I where to get it I would be going on some sort of tour to different places in the world. Free world tour for being in shape? Hmmmmmm, OK I could do that.
Still waiting to hear back on that.
That is life. I am ready to climb outside and float rivers and just be.

Prespective

So last night I went to the Banff film festival last night. It turned out to be one of the best that I have seen in all the years I have been going. There where the usual visually stimulating and awe inspiring films that are pushing the limits of whatever sport was being showcased. There where two films that hit me The first was about a solo sea kayaker that attempted to cross from Austrailia to New Zealand via the Tazman sea. It was mind blowing and very hard to watch as he had to spend all day in that cockpit and even sleep in it. He made it all the way there surviving a storm with 30-40 foot waves and 70 mph winds only to capsize 30 kilometers from shore and drown.
The other film that struck me was about a gentleman whom used to climb pretty strong but had an accident that partially parallized the right side of his body. He came back to an area he helped develope when he was younger. He did one route and that was cool, but it was more his prespective of life now. For instence he was talking about the friends he had made in his life and how the ones he made in his twenties climbing where the ones that stayed the closest and formed the strongest bonds. Now I am not out of my twenties but I can already sense what he is talking about. Those that I have spent a lot of time on the rock or in the water with I have a much tighter bond and more of a longing to be around moving in what ever endevor we might be connected through. This isn't to say that those I was close to in high school and previous to it are not my great friends but I do not feel a strong connection with them in the same sense.

AMGA bound?

SO I have been in contact with a few old friends whom own a mountain guiding service in the Sawtooth mountain range in central Idaho. It is not a for sure thing yet but things look positive that I will be working with them as a grunt at first of coarse. That is life in the guiding indestry. Anyways, if it works out I will be back in southern and central Idaho for the summer season guiding in the Sawtooth range, the City of Rocks and after a few other places. In a few years I could possible be leading back country ski trips in the Sawtooth's as well. One of the other coolest things about this gig is that I would learn how to build Yurts from scratch. It is side gig that one of the owners does so they can go from yurt to yurt in the winters. It is not for sure yet but still pretty exciting either way.
Other then that I'am totally primed to send some hard routes this coming season and cannot wait till the water starts to flow because I think my training will transfer over to kayaking very well. I have been training my core very intensely. Bring on the sunshine!

Its starting to feel a lot like SPRING!!!!

So though it still snows and is still cold there seems to be a change coming very soon. At least that is what I'am hoping for. My training continues even though I am going nuts on plastic. I am consistently doing at least three V10's per session even on my sloppy tired days. I feel great about this coming season and am very excited to be heading to Idaho just about every weekend to boat and climb hard.

Ah to be psyched and fully commited.

So I have no new pictures or really inspirational stories just a quick update. This last fall one of my river guiding buddies and very good friend moved in with me. He is one Derek Herndon from Florida. Derek is new to the climbing world and is really excited about climbing. Thus I told him that I would climb with and help him in training. He is on the slow but steady rise to becoming a good climber. By spring time he will very likely have gone from a V0-V2 climber to a V5-V6 climber. A huge jump in ratings. There has also been a great side effect for me. I am really psyched on climbing again. More so then I have been in years. I am full on training to send hard at bouldering right now. As I am at this moment I am sending most V10's with in three goes if not flashing them. I have a pretty rigid schedule of which my job is a vital part because it forces me to take two to three days of rest. I have a good friend whom is acting as a sort of personal trainer. She has me doing some crazy workouts that are a great help. The craziest is that she has me standing on swiss balls(exercise ball) and using free weights. So thats the short of it. I feel healthy, happy, and excited.

HI

I still live, I still love, and I am still alive. One day I will throw down a real post. Life is good and crazy. That is all.

It is true

I am still alive.

So with the time off i have had this past week it was time to play. So myself and good friend Carson Workman loaded up his van and headed to Jackson Hole to get wet in the whitewater. We spent most of the time running the Gros Ventre (Grow Vaunt)it was running higher then it had run since the 1990's from what I kept hearing around town. Just a fun rolly bouncy splashy fun section with big holes every few hundred feet.
We also met up with some of my very good friends that are working in Jackson for the summer to run the Hoback section. Now this would have been one boring section but we didn't know what we were getting into. We had 16 paddlers with us and many of them novices. Now the entire section is only 2 miles long averaged out we had 4 swimmers per mile. It certainly made it an interesting run. Good practice at gathering people and gear.
The next day we made one run at the Gros Ventre then headed over to run the Greys which was pumping huge! We met up with some locals that we met a half hour before. Got the shuttle squared away and geared up. Now they were all pulling their creek boats off their cars and looked over to see me slide my playboat out of the back of the van. With slightly preplexed looks on their faces they asked are you going to run it in that. To which I replied "yeah, left my creek boat in SLC." We put on and the section was good real good. We got down to Snaggletooth the IV+ V- every body knowing their lines. them going right, right, right. My line right, hard left, left. Not what happened. They stuck their lines for the most part. I on the other hand we right got flipped rolled and then hit the big wave in the middle that I most wanted to avoid. After a few seconds of side surfing and sliding back into the meat of the hole I was able to grab bit of green water and bounce out into the boulder garden. One of the locals named Snug looked at me and asked if I stayed on my line or if I got worked. I got worked.

Some time to myself.

So I finally got some time and warm weather to play for myself instead of others and it has been fantastic. Wed I spent a few hours bouldering on some solid routes. Sent two V10's and just played a lot on fun stuff. Thursday after setting in the morning I met up with my brother and his girlfriend and went to AF and played on some good old twelves. Fri I met up with a bunch of buddies and we made the trek to central Utah to fun the Left fork of the Hunington. A very fun log choked scout every corner steep slides type of IV+ section. I got worked in one particular rapid where you had to make a right to left move under a log suspended over the river. Didn't make the move hard enough and flipped in the hole. Upside down and down the 100 foot slide I went tearing my dry top and bruising my back. This morning was supposed to be north face of Olympus day but the late start diverted us else where to a good multi-pitch of good 5.9-10a.

Freedoms

So I haven't posted in a while and I apologize for that. I haven't really felt I had much to say.
Life is good right now. It is steady and out of control all in the same moment. I am working at Gateway academy which is keeping me busy with a steady pay check as well as river guiding in Moab. Thus the "out of control." The commute is a little interesting with not having a vehicle. I am glad to say that this will be a very good money year for me due to the amount of work that I have lined up for this summer. A few trips here and there in southern Utah as well as a few trips up on the Salmon in Idaho. I am headed out to New York for a short visit to see a good friend that will be there for the summer.
The cherry on top though is my trip to Spain in August. Myself with a few friends are headed over to take the deep plunge with some deep water soloing in Mallorca. We will spend some time in Barcelona as well. It will be two weeks of culture and heights over the Mediterranean. Soon after returning to the states will be the annual Poci Pump with my very good friends from Idaho.
I am happy and content with life.

Quick up date.

Sorry it has been so long there just hasn't been that much going on. Just the usual. On the new end of things I have been dating a girl for two months now. Spring keeps teasing us and it is driving me crazy. I have the biggest desire to quit my job and go play. Climbing wise I am sending in the v11 v12 range due to setting and climbing at the front. It is time to be outside on the goods of real rock. Many kayaking trips in the works for this spring. next week I will be on Cataract canyon running a trip.
That is life.

Back to The Front.

So the other day my old boss at the front sent me a text about extending the dormers on his roof sometime this spring. So I went to his place and looked at them told him what it would take. We chatted for a while about this and that. He then asked if I wanted to help out setting at The Front again. I told hem I could do that so I am setting the front once again. Nice to have it feel like my gym again. My shoulder is still keeping me from doing to much and my tendon is still and irritation.
As well I will be helping here and there with building some new gyms. One in Heber, UT. The new Ogden gym as well if it goes through the new Boise Front.

This place never fails to amaze.

So I have been in Moab for the last week just hanging out with some good friends and kicking it. Yesterday the whole group of us headed down river road almost to Gold Bar a little ways above the put in to Cataract canyon. We parked the car and headed up this little side canyon of which I had never been nor had I ever thought that it could contain anything unique. I should know by now that those are the places that will have the most in them.
It started out just as a normal hike up a creek bed and the canyon quickly boxed in at the end. If you didn't know it was there you would never find this little cattle trail cut into the cliff side that ran up to the rim of the canyon. It was only about 3 feet across but quit nice for hiking. At the top of the canyon wall was another large cliff as you can imagine. We followed the base of this cliff to find many peteroglyphs and the remains of some very large dwellings. One of the dwelling even had a old trash pile near it that you could sift through and find old pieces of maze cob and shards of flint among other random trash. We spent several hours just exploring this area searching up and down small draws and unknowingly rousing several young bucks which the dogs gleefully chased.
We all settled upon a good sized sandstone dome covered in the cobble stones from when the river flowed there. We all enjoyed the great amusement that comes with a properly rolled rock. Watching it as it trundled and bounced its way following the contours of the sandstone.
After hiking back we all rounded up some sort of food to eat. At this point my good friend Levi Kepsil allowed me to use him as my first test subject to ink. I did the outline of a Buddha with a mohawk on the inside of his wrist. All things considered with this being my first time inking human flesh It went really well. It took me a bit to figure out the depth so that the ink would take but once I did it went smooth. It looks much more professional then many tattoos I have seen done by people whom have been inking for a while. Pictures will be posted once I get it filled in a all finished. It is a great mental image getting a tattoo in a trailer park style trailer in Moab by someone who has never tattooed human flesh before while a move about LARPER"S( Live Action Roll Players) was playing.

Oh the urge and how it is hard to combat.

So thus far the year of 2009 has been one of injury. A few weeks ago I went with my father up skiing at Alta ski resort. Now my father is working on fine tuning his turns attempting to improve so that he may be able too join his sons in their exploits. Which is fantastic we love having him. On this particular day we where riding the lift to take our first run of the day. Chatting as we rode in the 15 or so degree weather I was giving him a few pointers on how to turn without using as much upper body. He retorted that today he was going to work on his turns and just take it nice and mellow.
We slide off the chair and gained velocity as we headed down the slope. I figured he will work on his turns I will just cruise and do my thing. At one point I looked back to see where he was at. Which happened to be a little ways back. At this same moment I noticed a kicker on the left side of the run as I was on the right. Picturing myself in the air and through the trees drew me to the left. Which in turn just happened to be the moment that my father decided that he was going to b-line it and go for speed. I have never in my life hit someone so hard while skiing. I didn't even see him till I was making contact. His ski's where left ear where I stood, his poles a little farther down the slope followed by his gloves and so one till the trail led to my very stunned looking father. My first reaction was for his back. it had been tight on him the last week or two. I though that I had just crippled my father.
I merely stood up just fine and brushed himself off. We collected his belongings and off we went. This is when I noticed that my shoulder felt a little tender. I thought it was just a flare up of another injury I had had with my shoulder when I was in high school. Yet the same remedy was not working to bring relief. Turns out I have separated my shoulder and still to this day nearly three weeks later it is still very tender. I can do anything I was able to before but I am trying to baby it as to not make it worse.
Injury #2: Just a normal day climbing not doing anything out of the ordinary. Bouldering in the Momentum climbing gym circuiting and doing 4x4's. I decided to try a problem that had been spitting me off but would go with a few tries. I pulled off the ground and slid my heal in for the first heal hook and pulled. Now it wasn't a loud "I just tore something pop!" Merely a "Oh Crap, this is going to be soar for a while!" pop.
So as it stands I can ski and climb and do any of those fun things that drive me in life. And God knows that I want to yet I am fighting the urge with great diligence.