Learning to Levitate

The Ginger Assassin

2011-12-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

With the yurt project winding down, I have been fortunate to get out the last month and develop new routes. Of course, this is all possible because the weather has been amazing and temps are a little warmer on the lake bed. Within the genre of climbing (in my opinion) there is nothing more fulfilling than the process of developing new climbs. Searching the cliff for a new line, rapping down to scout potential, cleaning, climbing, more cleaning, working beta with friends, and sending. This process has been fueling my motivation during the last month. Below is a picture of a new route that is on climber's right of Long Point proper. I named it "The Ginger Assassin", and the name comes from getting sandbagged on a relatively easy climb out with a heavy pack. (The red X's are bolts)

Raise the Roof

2011-10-20T00:11:00.003-04:00

Friends and Family,

The idea of building a yurt has finally come to fruition.

Lately, I've been busier than a three legged cat trying to cover shit on a marble floor. But after a hard push over the last two weeks, the deck pad is finally finished.

I've had some amazing help and guidance along the way. This certainly wouldn't have come together without help from my good friend Gene Kistler "Jack of all trades, Master of many," and Bill Fedukovich, who sped up the construction work with his dozer and mini-excavator. I look forward to employing the skillful trades of my local friends to make this a great living space.

So, without further ado...This Sunday, weather permitting (stars alligning) we will be having a Yurt raising! You are invited to come and hang out Sunday afternoon as we raise our yurt. Erin's Birthday is also on Monday (she's turning the big 30), so it will be a day for double celebration.

Directions: Route 16 to Wolf Creek Rd., drive 0.9 miles on Wolf Creek Rd then turn right on Chittum Hollow (steep driveway).

Google Map link

Picasa web album - pictures of building the deck platform

I'm happy to say, lets raise the roof.

The Beckoning

2011-09-23T18:50:00.020-04:00

For the last five weeks I have been psyched to visit an area that receives little attention. South Nuttall doesn't get climbed much, but this section of cliff contains some of the most splitter routes in the New River Gorge.

The rare opportunity to be photographed led to a great sequence on "The Beckoning" at South Nuttall. Big thanks to Kevin Umbel for dropping a line and shooting photos. Below is the sequence of the "2nd" crux.

Yurtn' for Certain

2011-08-29T22:49:00.001-04:00

Last week Erin and I committed on a down payment to get our yurt order started, and a small loan from the bank today sealed the deal on purchasing a 24 ft. yurt. Perhaps the hardest part of the whole process is behind us now, choosing and agreeing on a color scheme. We finally chose a tan roof, royal blue walls, and emerald green skirt. If you are interested in seeing what yurt could look like, play around with Blue Ridge Yurt's color selector. Blue Ridge Yurts is based out of Floyd, VA, and earlier this month we traveled to Floyd to check out yurts and even helped raise one. Sharon and Kathy (co-owners) gave us the full tour, and we even got to visit Sharon's 200 acre farm.

Below are photos of a 24' yurt we helped raise in Floyd.

Framing for the windows and doors are installed

The lattice is installed next

A steel cable weaved between the lattice and window/door frames provides support for the roof rafters

Roof liner installed

roof insulation installed

finished roof

side-wall insulation installed

wall paneling installed and a yurt has been "raised"

locally harvested yellow pine and poplar used on all Blue Ridge Yurts

A beautiful 24' yurt we visited

Green Machine

2011-07-31T01:19:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I posted any pictures of my greenhouse project, but I finally finished the greenhouse this spring. It has been amazing to watch everything grow so well in the greenhouse. I definitely have a love for growing my own food. I've slowly been adding new additions to the inside, and recently framed two more new beds and steps.

Finished the majority of the greenhouse project by late April (4/21)

Rain harvesting setup

Inside

Notice the earthen (center) steps cut

My new favorite greens - Bok Choy...mmm

New steps

New center steps and two new framed beds behind basil plants

State College, PA - Swilly's Revenge

2011-06-25T00:54:00.000-04:00

State College, PA is home to Penn State University, some pretty good mountain biking and my friend and colleague Bill Burgos. Bill and I collaborate on an Acid Mine Drainage treatment project in Summerlee, WV, but every year Bill creates a great excuse to get a bunch of us together for a summer solstice bike weekend. Usual suspects include Kenny Parker, which at 47, epitomizes the definition of sandbagging. Bill and Kenny go way back to the college days at Virginia Tech, and have remained good friends every since. This year we tried to get some multi-sport days in which included sampling some of the nearby bouldering and mountain biking in the afternoon. The "cherry on top" by far was riding the bike trails at Allegrippis, Raystown Lake, PA. 30+ miles of premiere single track built by IMBA. If you are ever in PA, then you need to check this place out!

Oh yeah, PA has some boulders

Still sand bagging after all these years, Kenny Parker

Bill Burgos is still pulling down

Mountain Laurels were in full bloom!

Allegrippis Trail Map

The Last Mountain - Premiere Charleston, WV

2011-06-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

It was the evening of June 10th and I was scrambling frantically to find a parking space in downtown Charleston, WV. That evening the premiere screening of the documentary Last Mountain was playing at the Capitol Center. I entered the theater and could feel the electric energy of a movement. I witnessed the core of this movement. Some people were gearing up for the March on Blair Mountain the next day, including advocates like Josh Fox (director of the documentary Gasland). Others were long time MTR activists, but we all shared a common vision.....we all want Mountaintop Removal to end.

New River Rendezvous presentation with Maria Gunnoe

2011-05-21T23:40:00.025-04:00

This year I had the opportunity to educate attendees about looming surface mining operations at the New River Rendezvous climbing festival. I was very fortunate and honored to present along with Maria Gunnoe, long time MTR activist and Goldman Prize winner. I briefly spoke about the surface mining operations encroaching closer to Fayetteville, showed aerial photography of the mining operations, and introduced an extended trailer of the film Last Mountain. Below are some of the photos taken on 5/7/11, the last two photos give some perspective on how close the mining operations are to the New River Gorge and surrounding communities.

Protecting the Plateau

2011-04-20T01:51:00.010-04:00

What do you do when the place you love lies in the wake of devastation?

My environmental ethics have crossed paths with Mountaintop Removal, or stated more simply, this mining practice is encroaching on home soil.

Open Fork MTR site (Photos courtesy of Antrim Caskey and Southwings)

In recent months the coal company, Frasure Creek Mining, a subsidiary of Trinity Coal which is owned by India based Essar Group, has been expanding Mountaintop Removal operations into the central portion of Fayette County, WV (Home of the New River Gorge). Since 2004, four permits have been approved and five new surface mining permits are pending approval. The company has continued to prospect several coal seams into central Fayette County. I oppose this expansion. I have reviewed many different sources of information relating to MTR and feel that the preponderance of evidence suggests that the short term and long term costs associated with MTR outweigh the benefits. Learn more here.

Produced by Grist.org - This series of photographs from NASA's Landsat 5 satellite, taken over 26 years from 1984 to 2010, shows the toll mountaintop-removal mining takes on a landscape. The expansion of the Hobet mine is very similar to what is already happening with the Frasure Creek mining complex in central Fayette County.

Recent Studies:
Much has been written about the negative impacts of MTR on a wide range of ecosystems. In addition to burying miles of streams and associated habitat, aquatic life and wildlife, the impacts on downstream water users is also negative.

On September 28th of 2010, the independent Science Advisory Board of the EPA released a review of the EPA’s research into the water quality impacts of valley fills associated with MTR. Their findings support the EPA’s research and agree with their conclusion that valley fills are associated with conditions in downstream waters that threaten stream life. Their draft stated “A growing body of scientific literature, including previous and new studies performed by EPA, show significant damage to local streams that are polluted with the mining runoff from mountaintop removal.” (U.S. EPA. A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in Central Appalachian Streams (External Review Draft). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-10/023A, 2010.)
An article in the January 8th 2010 edition of Science Magazine titled “Mountaintop Mining Consequences” summarized it this way: “Mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for the losses.” (M. A. Palmer, E. S. Bernhardt, W. H. Schlesinger, K. N. Eshleman, E. Foufoula-Georgiou, M. S. Hendryx, A. D. Lemly, G. E. Likens, O. L. Loucks, M. E. Power, P. S. White and P. R. Wilcock. 2010. Mountaintop Mining Consequences. Science Vol. 327 no. 5962 pp. 148-149.)
Not only is mountaintop removal irreversible, MTR operations directly affect residents living near and around the site. A recently published study by Hendryx and Hitt released in the 2010 October edition of EcoHealth, demonstrated that poor stream health (biological integrity) is more likely to occur in areas of high coal production and is inversely related to the risk of cancer in nearby residents. The equation is simple, the less abundant a stream is with life (biological integrity score), the higher the rates of breast, respiratory, digestive, and urinary cancers in that area. In addition, their study also found that cancer clusters correspond to areas of high coal mining intensity. (Hitt, Nathaniel and Hendryx, Michael. 2010. Ecological integrity of streams related to human cancer mortality rates. EcoHealth 7, 91-104, 2010.) Learn more here.

MTR operations looming in the background less than 4.5 miles from the Oak Hill HS (Photos courtesy of Antrim Caskey and Southwings)

Like clockwork, you can feel and hear the blast daily. Coal Companies, in West Virginia alone, detonate 3.5 million pounds of explosives per day. Combustion products from the ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosives end up in the air and the water. The silicate-based rock is blasted into very fine shards of what-is-essentially glass. The glass-like dust binds with the aerosolized droplets of the ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel. The resulting particulate is of a size and density that municipal water supplies can’t filter, and when mixed with chlorine during the water treatment process creates chloramine gas. Chloramine gas is highly poisonous and has been identified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Depending on prevailing winds and atmospheric conditions (temperature, air pressure, water vapor) blasting from surface mining operations can affect surface water supplies and residents on a regional or national scale. This is just the tip of the ice-burg.

So with 4 approved and 5 more permits coming down the pipeline, what will be the fate of the Plateau and the place I call home?

Learn even more about Moutaintop Removal at ILoveMountains.org

Rincon Recap

2011-03-05T02:00:00.000-05:00

Crashing waves, light breezes and mild temps....This is the setting of Rincon, Puerto Rico in February. A Christmas gift, in the form of a plane ticket, materialized in mid-February and was perfect timing. Erin's good friend, Hannah Byrne, has family ties to a house located in Rincon. Rincon is known by many surfers for its beautiful swells and year round surfing. Over the course of our 12 day stint, I had the opportunity to surf, snorkel, climb, drop in on a yoga retreat and explore the western side of the island. I'm back in the lower 48 and already I'm thinking about ways of how to return the same time next year, only for a longer duration!

View from the top of Hannah's house

dominoes!

Sunset view from Hannah's house

Erin demonstrating more ways to have fun on a stand up paddle board

Tristan, Hannah & Erin walking the Spanish Wall

Climbing at Caliche near Ciales

Name this flower?

Erin at the Acro Yoga Workshop

Workshop instructors Kadri Kurgun and Adi Carter

Erin 'Crow pose' - Steps Beach

Sunset Surfer

American Alpine Club building campground at the New River Gorge

2011-01-18T20:45:00.000-05:00

AAC Secures 40 Acres for New River Gorge Climbers’ Campground

The American Alpine Club (AAC) has purchased 40 acres of land in Fayetteville, West Virginia within walking distance of rock climbing at the New River Gorge. The AAC’s plan is to build a campground for climbers at this location.

This purchase was made possible by the generosity of AAC donors along with other financing. Notably, just over one-third of the funding was a loan from the Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign. The property was chosen by local climbers and the New River Alliance of Climbers.

Providing lodging facilities is central to the AAC’s vision of supporting the climbing way of life by improving benefits for members and other climbers, said AAC Executive Director Phil Powers: “We are building on the tradition that started with the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch. Lodging options within walking distance from great climbing supports the climbing lifestyle we all enjoy. We hope to create a facility that meets climbers’ needs and adds opportunities for climbers to gather and share their stories.”

The campground will be located a short walk from the Junkyard and Bridge areas on the east side of the river. In addition to the parcel’s central cragging location, limited bouldering exists on-site. Completion of the campground is expected to take at least two years.

The proposed campground is expected to house 50-60 campsites, bathrooms and showers, a cooking pavilion, library or meeting space, and manager’s quarters. As with other AAC campgrounds, the property will be developed specifically with climbers in mind and will allow for extended stays at inexpensive rates.

What the Frack?

2010-12-22T00:53:00.001-05:00

Recently I have been indulging in award winning, critically acclaimed documentaries, I can't watch enough of them. Last night I finally had the opportunity to watch GasLand. "When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown."Gasland won the 2010 Sundance Special Jury Prize, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Artistic Vision award, the Audience Award at Thin Line Film Festival, the Special Jury Prize at Sarasota International Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize at the Yale Environmental Film Festival.

Hydraulic Fracturing FAQs

How does hydraulic fracturing work?

Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.

What is horizontal hydraulic fracturing?

Horizontal hydrofracking is a means of tapping shale deposits containing natural gas that were previously inaccessible by conventional drilling. Vertical hydrofracking is used to extend the life of an existing well once its productivity starts to run out, sort of a last resort. Horizontal fracking differs in that it uses a mixture of 596 chemicals, many of them proprietary, and millions of gallons of water per frack. This water then becomes contaminated and must be cleaned and disposed of.

What is the Halliburton Loophole?

In 2005, the Bush/ Cheney Energy Bill exempted natural gas drilling from the Safe Drinking Water Act. It exempts companies from disclosing the chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing. Essentially, the provision took the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) off the job. It is now commonly referred to as the Halliburton Loophole.

What is the Safe Drinking Water Act?

In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed by Congress to ensure clean drinking water free from both natural and man-made contaminates.

What is the FRAC Act?

The FRAC Act (Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness to Chemical Act) is a House bill intended to repeal the Halliburton Loophole and to require the natural gas industry to disclose the chemicals they use.

How deep do natural gas wells go?

The average well is up to 8,000 feet deep. The depth of drinking water aquifers is about 1,000 feet. The problems typically stem from poor cement well casings that leak natural gas as well as fracking fluid into water wells.

How much water is used during the fracking process?

Generally 1-8 million gallons of water may be used to frack a well. A well may be fracked up to 18 times.

What fluids are used in the fracking process?

For each frack, 80-300 tons of chemicals may be used. Presently, the natural gas industry does not have to disclose the chemicals used, but scientists have identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. Scientists have identified over 596 chemicals used in the fracking process, 65 are known carcinogens.

In what form does the natural gas come out of the well?

The gas comes up wet in produced water and has to be separated from the wastewater on the surface. Only 30-50% of the water is typically recovered from a well. This wastewater can be highly toxic.

What is done with the wastewater?

Evaporators evaporate off VOCs and condensate tanks steam off VOCs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The wastewater is then trucked to water treatment facilities.

What is a well's potential to cause air pollution?

As the VOCs are evaporated and come into contact with diesel exhaust from trucks and generators at the well site, ground level ozone is produced. Ozone plumes can travel up to 250 miles.

Greenhouse - Cool Bus #1

2010-11-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

Below are some pictures of a greenhouse I have been building. It is located on Erin's property out in the country. We decided to attach it directly to "Cool Bus #1" and I'm currently racing to get it completed before winter weather rolls in.

Starting from scratch

Prepping the soil

Framing onto the bus

Skeleton frame complete...time to start adding the windows

Summerlee Bioremediation Project

2010-11-03T21:25:00.000-04:00

I have been burning the candles at both ends lately, but I wanted to let readers know about a project that I have invested an incredible amount of time and energy into. I have generated $173,000 in grant monies and other matches to fund the Summerlee Bioremediation Project. The picture below is an aerial shot of the 72 acre complex known as the Summerlee Gob Pile, and for now I will showcase a little of Summerlee's history.

One of the primary tributaries in the headwaters of Wolf Creek originates at the base of a large coal refuse pile. Coal refuse was hauled and dumped at the Summerlee refuse pile until the late 1970’s. In 1978, when New River Company/Mountain Laurel Resources abandoned the site, approximately 78 acres of land were covered with coal refuse. Although it is unclear when the adverse impacts on the water quality of Wolf Creek were first documented (sometime in the late 1970’s), it is clear that the water quality of Wolf Creek has been degraded over time, primarily due to the acid mine drainage (AMD) from past mining practices at its headwaters. In 1980, New River Company sold the property and “any and all liability” to Mine Management, Inc. for future reprocessing of the refuse pile. Mine Management Inc. (MMI) failed to obtain water pollution permits, did not treat the AMD, and as a result, the owner was cited under the Clean Water Act (and served two years in federal prison for polluting Wolf Creek). In addition, beginning in 1984, and again in 1988, 1991, and 1993, the State and Town of Fayetteville filed suit to compel MMI to abate the pollution emanating from the refuse pile. While the legal battles were on going, the West Virginia Abandoned Mine Land program conducted land reclamation activities on the site. Land reclamation was completed in 1996 and involved refuse re-grading, placement of soil over the refuse material and re-vegetation of the site. The work also included controlling surface drainage for the 72-acre refuse pile. The work succeeded in reducing some of the infiltration of surface water into the refuse, but did not address the treatment of the mine water. Consequently, the acid mine drainage problem continues at the site.

North Shore Biking Trip

2010-09-12T13:26:00.001-04:00

On August 25th I embarked on a cross country journey that landed me in Bellingham, WA. The trip was a chance to reunite with good friends from college (Seth & Diana), sample northwest biking, and get away from the West Virginia scene for a while. I hadn't kicked it with my good old buddy Seth in five years. He had been documenting his biking trips with amazing photos and video, and telling me how good the riding was. The seed for the trip was planted when Seth said he could get me a bike to demo, a 2010 Transition Blindside to be exact. With the bike crux diffused, all I needed to do was purchase a plane ticket. Fast Forward selector. From the moment Seth met me at the airport I knew there wouldn't be much relaxing going on. Seth is pretty much amped all the time and his passion is biking! We spent 7/10 days riding and sampling the best of Bellingham before heading North to British Columbia. To the North Shore of North Vancouver we headed, for the infamous wood work of Seymour. Then onto Whistler, B.C, home to the largest bike park on the planet. We purchased the triple-play pass and were not disappointed with our decision to spend 3 days riding the lifts at Whistler! Each area had its own blend of technical stunts, wood features, jumps, berms, rock rolls, rock gardens, steep downhill, beautiful landscapes and vibrant community. Below are some pictures from the trip with video footage to come soon.

Transition Headquarters / Factory

2010 Transition Blindside

Camp site with a view

Whistler Bike Park

Seth Burke

Lets do another lap!

Captain Thurmond's Challenge ~ Team Rehab

2010-08-17T19:38:00.001-04:00

Team Rehab ~ Levi Rose (Bike) ~ Keith Doherty (Kayak) ~ Joe DeGaetano (Run)

Team Rehab took top honors in the Men's Expert Team category and also finished fastest time overall at 2:52:18 ( Bike (59:53) ~ Kayak (59:46) ~ Run (53:09)). Over 80 individuals competed in the race this year.

I suffered a flat tire just before entering the road leading down to the Cunard put in. I managed to ride the road all the way down with a flat tire, which eventually had me riding on my rim! When Keith entered the water we were in 10th place, but Keith slayed 7 racers in his 15 ft. speeder! Reaching Fayette Station our team was 3rd overall and 1st in the team category. Joe quickly caught the two runners in front of him and crushed the 8.5 mile run out of the gorge!

Captain Thurmond's Race Description: "The Captain Thurmond's Challenge Triathalon consists of 28.5 miles of the most extreme whitewater, mountain biking and running in the state and the East Coast. The triathlon can be done as a relay team, solo, or raft team.

Bike ~ The 12 mile bike leg begins with a Lemans start at the Historic Fayette County Courthouse, and leads to Cunard on singletrack trails along the ridge lines of the New River George.

Paddle ~ The 8 mile watercraft leg proceeds from Cunard to Fayette Station through Class III and IV rapids. Raft teams as well as individual paddlers are welcome.

Run ~ The steep 8.5 mile run tests the athletes' endurance going up and out of the gorge. The running leg begins at Fayette Station and finishes at the Fayette County Courthouse."

Below are a few pics from the race.

First one out of the gate!

Like a gazelle....

Broken but not beaten...

Out and About....

2010-08-15T10:20:00.001-04:00

Fresh bounty from our "Community Supported Agriculture"~ CSA

Playing around with the panoramic function on my camera

Hummingbirds @ Erin's grandparent's house in Piney River, VA

Lower New River

Sunset off of Wolf Creek Rd.

Learning to paddle...

2010-07-26T17:45:00.000-04:00

Below are a few pics during a trip we paddled from Thurmond to Cunard. Pretty mellow (except for Surprise rapid at the end), but a great way to stay cool.

Rain Barrel Drip Kit Project

2010-06-25T09:23:00.000-04:00

About a week ago I constructed a rain catchment system that is tied into gravity fed drip lines and an automated timer. Now my plants get watered every day (4 times)!

Ben's Wedding

2010-06-10T08:07:00.002-04:00

Come hell or high water we're having a wedding! Tornados, yes a tornado did touch down, nor flash flood warnings could stop Ben and Meghan's wedding. On Saturday, June 5th I witnessed the worst weather I had seen at a wedding in my short career attending weddings. But just as the wedding started to proceed, the weather broke and the skies began to clear, making for great post-ceremonial pictures. Check out a few below.

Travis and I amidst rainy conditions

Meghan and the bridesmaids

Group shot with Erin, Jaime and Izzy

Walking Meghan's friend Lauren (bridesmaid) down the "isle"

Meghan and Ben Denlinger

Ben's Bachelor Party

2010-05-31T10:07:00.000-04:00

On the weekend of May 22nd, 13 close friends piled into a 84' x 16' houseboat to gather for Ben Denlinger's Bachelor Party. Lake Cumberland is over 101 miles long, contains 1,255 miles of shoreline, covers 65,530 acres and is the 9th largest reservoir in the U.S. The deep coves make it great for exploring, house-boating and also offer solitude for an otherwise busy lake. The dancing girls never made it to the boat, but the drinking feats that occurred could have only been accomplished by a crew of this stature.

The main quarters

The upper deck complete with hot tub

Ben and Travis warming it up

Ryan Nixon, trip coordinator, he made it all happen!

Ben exploring the coves for some big fish

Mark brought his boat down to bootleg supplies and recon honey holes

The stare down, watcha got?

Let the games begin... one frisbee and a lot of alcohol

The bachelor getting what he deserves

Brad stepped up his acrobatic skills on this trip

good form

Luckily no one got hurt, well except that one guy who went streaking and jumped off the back...

Rendezvous Rewind

2010-05-20T17:06:00.000-04:00

Last weekend marked the 8th Annual New River Rendezvous, "Ocho Loco." Eight years ago the festival started as a fund raiser for the New River Alliance of Climbers and a way to centralize climbing communities on the east coast. Now the event has morphed into the best climbing festival in the country. Below are some pictures from the festival.

Rendezvous website
DPM Link about the event
The Joy Trip Link about the event

Dessertapalooza!

Artistic Jamnation

Erin teaching Yoga

Fayetteville's finest, John Avrete, in the "Dare to Wear Lycra" contest

Gettin' funky with Freak Bass

Gardening

2010-05-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

After a long and rugged winter, the arrival of spring has brought many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Recently I have taken up a new hobby, gardening. I have been helping my girlfriend (Erin) develop 4 acres of property that she owns just outside of Fayetteville in the country. Rather than call it a hobby, it has turned into an addiction. There is something special about working the land and reaping what you sow. Below are some pictures of a garden plot we have been working. Last weekend, while visiting Erin's grandparents, we stopped at "Edible Landscaping" and picked up 2 Paw Paw trees, 2 Persimmon trees, 1 Cherry Tree, 1 Reka Blueberry bush, and 3 strawberry plants. Edible Lanscaping is located near Afton, VA and their nursery is amazing.

Starting to build 4'x4' boxes for "square foot gardening"

Leafy green plot - chard and lettuce are already getting ready to pick!

2 freshly planted Paw Paw trees

Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival - Friday, April 23rd

2010-04-12T16:38:00.000-04:00

Check out www.panfilmfest.org for a complete program and link to video trailers.

New River Alliance of Climbers Website is Live!

2010-03-27T00:11:00.003-04:00

I couldn't think of a better way to promote the reincarnation of NRAC's new website, than by mentioning this year's New River Rendezvous. Ocho Loco mi amigos! This year the Vous Crew has added some new events that are sure to shake things up, including: The Dare to Wear Lycra contest, Jeremy Collins live art demonstration, Feats of Strength Contest, and Chris Sharma's new slide show. Check out a full list of event details at http://www.newriverrendezvous.com/home.html

The new "New River" Climbing Guide is out!

2010-03-26T23:58:00.000-04:00

A new "New River" guidebook has been produced and it rivals the quality we have come to find from Red River Gorge Guides, only better! The new guide will feature over 2400+ routes in the New River Gorge, Meadow River, Gauley River, Cotton Top and Summersville Lake areas. Twelve new crags will be included alongside digital photos showcasing the best the Tri-Gorge area has to offer. Mike Williams has worked diligently compiling this magnum opus, loading it with his special brand of wit and exhaustive information.

PAN Fundraiser

2010-03-11T19:15:00.000-05:00

Check out the article in the Fayette Tribune by my roommate, Chris Jackson

"Fundraiser All About the Water"

Fayette County Green Advisory Team

2010-02-27T11:53:00.006-05:00

More recently, I have been getting involved with the Fayette County Green Advisory Team (GREAT). GREAT is a nonprofit group based in Fayetteville, West Virginia that works with communities throughout Fayette County on energy efficiency and sustainability. Our ultimate goal is to help local residents, businesses, and government to reduce energy consumption. The end result is that everyone saves money through energy efficient practices. We are citizens for sustainability.
One of the group's primary objectives is to register the Town of Fayetteville with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives or ICLEI. ICLEI's mission is to build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments to advance deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability. ICLEI has 13 offices in 68 countries on 6 continents with over 1,200 members worldwide. There are over 600 members in the USA representing local governments (cities, towns, counties, villages, and boroughs) committed to climate protection (adaptation and mitigation) and sustainable development. The Town of Fayetteville is the only registered group with ICLEI in the state of West Virginia! Spearheaded by the efforts of Doug Arbogast, our group is in the second phase of the program, which is to set an emissions target reduction. I'm currently a liaison and facilitator for the Task Force group, which provides support between local government and ICLEI to make progress in achieving the 5 milestone process. Below is a green house gas inventory of Fayetteville conducted in 2007.

New River Clean Water Alliance

2010-02-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

For the last 8 months I have been meeting with a group dubbed, the New River Clean Water Alliance (I will refer to it as the alliance). The alliance is a diverse group of stakeholders with representatives present from the headwaters, in Boone, NC ( The National Committee for the New River), all the way to the Lower New River at Fayette Station (New River Gorge, National Park Service). The group was started by Erin St. Johns of the National Parks Conservation Association. She has played an integral role in bringing the group together and providing leadership, while continuing to build momentum on key issues in the New River Gorge Region.

What is the New River Clean Water Alliance doing? Our short term goal is to create a "State of the Watershed Report for the Lower New River" and our long term goal is to remove the Lower New River from the EPA's 303(d) list of impaired waters. The alliance has contracted Downstream Strategies to draft the State of the Watershed Report and they will document water quality issues, synthesize the data by subwatershed, facilitate a stakeholder process, and identify the priority subwatersheds and strategies for remediation for the lower New River watershed.

The New River TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) report divided the New River into 33 distinct watersheds and 720 subwatersheds (or reachsheds), and lists over 80 streams (totaling over 700 miles) with one or more of the following impairments: metals, acidity, fecal coliform, and biological. This analysis and stakeholder process will focus on the area below Bluestone Lake; approximately 15 separate subwatersheds will be examined, prioritized, and summarized.

The final state of the watershed report published by the New River Clean Water Alliance would turn these TMDL data (and other available data) on the New River and its tributaries into a document that gives the reader an understanding of current water quality conditions. The report would be a compelling document that would be distributed to communities and provide information to local, state, and national decision makers. Conceptually, the report would be 10‐20 pages and would include pictures and stories on the importance of the unique natural resource.

This process will enable the project team and stakeholders to identify criteria for prioritizing subwatersheds, identify the highest priorities,and focus efforts to secure the resources necessary to address the water quality issues.

Several watershed groups and government agencies are also involved, just to give you an idea of the size of the alliance, including: the Plateau Action Network, Piney Creek Watershed Association, Morris Creek Watershed Association, the Dunloup Creek Watershed Association, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, USDA NRCS, Mountain Resource Conservation and Development, New River Gorge National Park Service, Heather Lukacs (PhD Student, Stanford University), and the National Parks Conservation Association.

Mountain Athlete

2010-02-06T12:35:00.001-05:00

It has been a pretty tough winter in Fayetteville so far. The weather has been miserable, snowy, then rainy, then cloudy. I have definitely been experiencing a lack of sun and Seasonal Affective Disorder can change your behavior. To break this cycle, I'm ready to start a spring training program and I'm pretty excited about cross fit/climb fit style workouts. I'm pretty fortunate that my girlfriend works at the closest gym in the region and they just built a brand new cross fit facility. After doing a little bit of research, I've gotten turned on to "Mountain Athlete." Rob Shaul, owner and innovator, started this program in the late spring of 2007 in Jackson, Wyoming. He opened the program up to all of the climbing athletes he knew but got little response. They were a few exceptions, like Rob Hess, owner of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, and a handful of guides from Exum showed up.

Fast Forward. Mountain Athlete is now leading the charge on building strength and conditioning programs that are the cutting edge of their sports. Their training is designed to increase the mountain athlete's horsepower, stamina, durability and mental toughness.

Superior strength and conditioning achieved in the gym allows athletes to be more efficient with their technical training on the mountain. Time formerly spent on conditioning can now be used to further develop and improve technical proficiency. Not only are athletes stronger and more powerful, they are smarter too. To learn more visit the Mountain Athlete website, or you can read an article about the history of Mountain Athlete in Alpinist Magazine.

Kennedy/Blakenship Debate

2010-01-20T19:39:00.006-05:00

I was able to secure a ticket to the Kennedy/Blakenship debate that is occurring tomorrow! Anyone who has been following mountain top removal will understand the importance of this debate. In the Fayetteville area this is a big buzz and a continued topic of controversy in Appalachian coal country. From the plateau region you can hear and sometimes feel the mine blasting from mountain top removal. It is a sad state of affairs for the "Mountain State" which is be labeled as the "Extractive State" by many environmentalist groups. Here are some of the details of the debate:

The University of Charleston will present a public conversation between Waterkeeper Alliance President and environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Massey Energy Chairman and CEO Don Blankenship titled the Forum on the Future of Energy. The event will advance the national discussion about U.S. energy policy and its impact on jobs, the environment, the economy, and national security.

Watch the "Forum on the Future of Energy" live on WOWK, WBOY, WTRF, AND WVNS, or on these websites: www.wowktv.com, www.wboy.com,www.wtrf.com, www.wvnstv.com, and www.wsaz.com. Listen live on West Virginia Public Radio.

New Study on Mountain Top Removal to be published in Science Magazine

2010-01-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

Bombshell study: MTR impacts ‘pervasive and irreversible’

by Ken Ward Jr.

“Mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for the losses.”

Photo by Paul Corbit Brown

That quote above is the conclusion of a blockbuster study being published tomorrow by a group of the nation’s top scientists, detailing the incredibly damaging environmental impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining and the failed efforts at reclaiming mined land or mitigating the effects.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the latest scientific findings, the paper calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the federal Army Corps of Engineers to stay all new mountaintop removal mining permits unless new mining and reclamation techniques “can be subjected to rigorous peer review and shown to remedy these problems.”

According to the paper:

.. Clearly, current attempts to regulate MTM/VF practices are inadequate … Regulators should no longer ignore rigorous science.

A press release explained that:

In their paper, the authors outline severe environmental degradation taking place at mining sites and downstream. The practice destroys extensive tracts of deciduous forests and buries small streams that play essential roles in the overall health of entire watersheds. Waterborne contaminants enter streams that remain below valley fills and can be transported great distances into larger bodies of water.

TED and Google

2010-01-07T14:45:00.001-05:00

Lately I have been getting excited about renewable energy, and I wanted to share two new resources to track energy consumption: TED (The Energy Detective) and Google PowerMeter.

Google PowerMeter is a free electricity usage monitoring tool that provides you with information on how much energy your home is consuming. Google PowerMeter receives information from utility smart meters (like TED) and in-home energy management devices and visualizes this information for you on iGoogle (your personalized Google homepage). And, Google PowerMeter is free.

TED (The Energy Detective) is a simple, yet extremely accurate, home energy monitor that allows you to see electricity usage in real-time. TED quantifies electricity and displays the results on its easy-to-read LCD screen, and with its two-second reaction time, TED provides immediate feedback on energy usage.

Regardless if you are considering renewable energy options in the future, both of these tools can be very useful for tracking and hopefully changing your energy consumption habits.

The Center for Watershed Protection

2010-01-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

It continues to snow here in Fayetteville, WV and in the east a low pressure system has stalled out, allowing for cool, Canadian air to flow in. Much of the east is under a frost advisory/warning until the end of the week. With all of this weather I have not had the opportunity to capture any new photos, but I have been finding interesting sources of information. A new website I have found useful in my line of work, is The Center for Watershed Protection. I have found the Resource section to be extremely useful, not just for protecting water quality, but also for building development. Under Resource check out the "Better Site Design" section and the wealth of information contained within. Here you will find alternatives to conventional development. Like Low-Impact Development, Environmentally-sensitive design, and Green Infrastructure, the Better Site Design techniques seek to minimize the negative impacts of new development on water resources. You can also find resources related to BSD techniques, development code recommendations, and local incentives to adopt BSD. Recent materials related to the design of redevelopment and infill sites are also available.

Plan B 4.0 - Mobilizing to Save Civilization

2009-12-28T18:56:00.000-05:00

Lester Brown, founder and President of Earth Policy Institute, has been described by the Washington Post as "one of the world's most influential thinkers" and as "the guru of the global environmental movement" by The Telegraph of Calcutta. The author of numerous books, including Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization where he develops a vision for an environmentally sustainable economy, chapters, articles, etc., he helped pioneer the concept of environmentally sustainable development. Plan B is a worldwide mobilization to stabilize population and stabilize climate. Plan B replaces the fossil-fuel-based, automobile-centered, throwaway economy with a new economic model powered by abundant sources of renewable energy: primarily wind, solar, and geothermal. For more on Plan B, click on the title for a link to the Earth Policy Institute, or scroll to the top of my blog and click on the tab.

Blizzard 2009, Storm of the Decade

2009-12-21T09:27:00.008-05:00

Starting on Friday, around 3:00 pm in the afternoon, a tempestuous snow storm rolled in and has since then blanketed much of the eastern US. While this may not be the storm of the century, it is certainly the storm of the decade. Meteorologists have been comparing the storm to the blizzard of 1996. In some parts of the nation, single day snowfall records were set. Areas like Philadelphia experienced the second-heaviest snowfall on record with 23 inches. The DC metro area reported its largest snowfall since 1885! In Fayetteville we experienced knee-high deep snow, and the Beckley Airport reported a snow depth of 21 inches from the storm. To see look at some interesting stats, click on the title for a link to Wikipedia "North American Blizzard of 2009."

Snowed in!

Using the trail networks to get around town.

Wolf Creek, view from upper Wolf Creek bridge.

View from Erin's (& Lydia's) front porch

Life on the farm ain't easy.

I hope this wasn't a sign of how the day would turn out...

IMBA Trail Building Workshop

2009-11-26T03:04:00.002-05:00

Last week (Nov. 20th) I had the opportunity to attend a trail building workshop put on by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). The workshop was intended for New River Gorge National Park Service employees (NRG NPS), but other individuals invested within the biking community were asked to attend. Friday we had 4 hours of classroom instruction, and then we took our new skills to the trail. We worked on the Hawk's Nest connector trail, which links the Ansted rails-to-trail system with the NRG trail system. The NRG NPS has also purchased two new tracts of land (Craig's Branch & Garden Grounds), which will have stacked looped trail systems for single track mountain biking. If you want to learn more follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkId=259&projectId=28775&documentID=30522.

Trail building workshop attendees

Adam Stephens and Justin Storm building trails

Building the new Hawk's Nest Connector Trail

NRAC "Re-Vegetation" Project

2009-11-16T19:33:00.018-05:00

A big fundraiser at the New River Rendezvous this year was the re-vegetation project. Here is a little history. Kenny Parker, long time climber and part owner of WaterStone Outdoors, was approached with a proposition. "If we (climbing community) can raise $2500 by the last day of the Rendezvous, we get to shave your head." The kicker, La Sportiva would match the $2500 and $5000 would go towards planting native fauna (Tulip Poplar, Black Birch, and Rhododendron) at two of the New River Gorge's most heavily used crags, the Bridge and Junkyard. We easily raised the money, and shaving Kenny's head was quite a spectacle Saturday evening during the Rendezvous. Fast Forward. This past weekend, with the support and collaboration of the National Park Service and several volunteers, we successfully completed the re-vegetation project goals at the Bridge and Junkyard. Below are some pictures from the volunteer-work implemented at the Bridge Buttress. ( NRAC = New River Alliance of Climbers)

Gene rallying the volunteers.

Local Arborist, Everett Hendrixon, "Art is trees" (Hico, WV) supplying the native species

John Perez (NPS Wildlife Biolgist) and Gene Kistler talking over design.

NRAC Volunteers getting it done!

Tulip Poplar, Black Birch, and Rhododendrons.

Wood fiber matting to prevent erosion.

Working on planting in a small rock island.

Johnny P. the stone mason

Tying in split rail fencing to create an enclosure around our newly planted trees.

Rocktober Peak Foliage

2009-11-04T19:28:00.007-05:00

For 11 months out of the year climbers patiently await the month of "Rocktober". Historically the month of October produces some of the best climate for climbing, temperate, dry weather. But this year it has produced one of the soggiest Octobers I can remember. Below I was able to capture some of the beautiful dry days. This coming weekend will be the first without rain!

View from the Summerlee Site

Enjoying the view from "Two Bag Face"

Summersville Lake after Gauley Season

Sunset at the Confluence Retreat

Making it happen...

2009-10-13T20:13:00.011-04:00

Sometimes making things happen in Fayetteville doesn't come easy. Sometimes you just have to get out there and do it yourself. Upon moving here in late March, I have become actively involved with three organizations: Plateau Action Network (PAN), New River Alliance of Climbers (NRAC), and the Fayetteville Freeride Park. This past weekend I put in close to 30 hours of volunteer work, and was able to contribute to all three groups. Recently (for PAN) I have been working on erosion control at an acid mine drainage site located off of Summerlee Rd. (headwaters of the Wolf Creek Watershed). Organizing labor for these types of projects can be tricky, but a few individuals made it happen. This past week a huge crew completely re-bolted 5 sport routes at the White Wall (Kaymoor) and replaced top anchors on 3 trad routes (I put some shiny new gear on Moon Child Posse). And just today, we unloaded a 52' trailer of wood for the Freeride Park. The wood will go towards constructing a perimeter fence around the park. All said and done, it feels good to volunteer and help beautify Fayetteville!

Big Rig bringing in the wood delivery

Staging fence post

Brian on top of his hay mound at Summerlee

Concerned citizens volunteering
Yep, I stuffed my element with hay.

Preliminary erosion control work.

This is a deep cut, and will require a dozer and fill dirt to fix.

Hound Ears

2009-10-06T00:33:00.009-04:00

The opportunity to attend Hound Ears arose, and soon I was packing my bags. Kurt Smith (Evolve, Sterling, Metolius Rep) just recently went through knee surgery, and it was up to Elaina (his wife) to fulfill event sponsor duties. I figured this would be a great chance to help out, and get a once a year pass into Hound Ears (It is a posh, gated community, closed to the public, except for this climbing competition held every year). It has been 4 years since my last visit to Boone, NC, and I was excited to catch up and hang out with old friends (Especially the chance to run into Dave Woods and Mike Petch, former Clevelanders). Saturday the weather turned out to be perfect, and it didn't take long to shred my tips (about 3 hours). It was great climbing with the Athens crew, something that doesn't happen often enough. I look forward to catching up with all of you dirt bags again at the season finale in Chattanooga!

Evolve shoe demo fleet

Vince, representing NRG mountain guides

Overlook from the top of Hound Ears

Vince with the eye of the tiger on "Woody's V3"

Dan climbing, forgot the name, someone help me out here.

Super Sketchy Sloppy Seconds at Snowshoe

2009-09-27T00:32:00.007-04:00

Friday morning, despite a rainy forecast, Adam and I headed up to Snowshoe Mountain Bike Park. Conditions were grim, fog, rain, and a rainy forecast all day. We got to the mountain and decided to test the trails, and the first adjective that came to mind "Super Sketchy Sloppy Seconds." ( For those who hang around me long enough will inevitably come across the alliteration that sometimes spews from my mouth, known as Levisms). After our first run we met a couple from Louisville (Matt and Tamara) that were stoked to be on the mountain. They were pretty much locals, and Tamara ended up being our "guide" for the rest of the day. We embraced the mud, sessioned some trails, and made some new friends along the way.

We managed to fit 3 bikes into the back of the Element

Adam and I getting ready to drop in.

Already covered in mud after the first run.

My goggles were useless after the 2nd run

The Dirt Bean in Marlington, an excellent place to catch some dinner on the way home.

Cannondale Demos

2009-09-20T22:08:00.005-04:00

During my shoulder rehabilitation I've been trying to cut out high impact sports and I have had the opportunity to test out some new demos from our local bike shop, Marathon Bikes. Over the last few weeks I have taken out the Synapse Carbon 5 (Roadbike) and the 2009 29'er. It was great to get back to something you love just as much as climbing or any other passion. I have also been able to put more time into the freeride park, which is slowly but steadily coming along. The last big hump we need to hurdle is installing a perimeter fence, but getting local city workers scheduled in is more difficult when your needs are low on the totem pole. After the fence goes in, its building time: jumps, berms, drops, wall rides, etc!

Synapse Carbon 5

2010 29'er

Lower Wolf Creek

2009-09-06T16:11:00.008-04:00

Below are some photos taken after an amazing hike up Lower Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek drops close to 900 ft. off the plateau region near Fayetteville, through beautiful cascading step-pools, until it reaches its final destination, the Lower New River.

Yep, I crossed that one.

6 Pack Downhill Race Series

2009-08-27T21:51:00.013-04:00

A few weeks ago we had our 2nd 6 Pack Downhill Race. Each month we pick a new trail or downhill to time trial. It is a great way to get the biking community together for some good ole fashion dirt shredding. The idea is simple - a 6 pack is the entry fee, winner takes all, and then we drink festive beverages after the race. During the last race I rigged my point and shoot camera to my helmet, and tried to catch some of the action. We had another stationary camera setup near a potential carnage spot, but luckily, nobody wrecked. Ideally I would like to get a real helmet camera setup, something like the GoPro Hero Wide. The camera has a 170 degree wide angle lens, built in image stabilization, and is designed for riding on trails. It would also be great to get more stationary points, and edit that video in, but I'll take what I can get.

Warning - watching this video may make you sick or cause your eyes to water (loosing image quality to Vimeo didn't help either) .... Enjoy!

I've retained my audio by using Vimeo.

Different GoPro Helmet Wide Setups

Say it ain't so... the moto has to go - 2006 Honda 919

2009-08-25T19:05:00.005-04:00

It is a sad day.....In an effort to rid myself of debt, I'm selling my 2006 Honda 919. I bought the bike new in the spring of 2007, and have only racked up 3034 miles. Bought brand new for $8400, I'm listing it for $5800. If anyone is interested, I can certainly chat you up - email me at levidrose@gmail.com, thanks for looking!

Friends and Family

2009-08-14T11:37:00.010-04:00

Last weekend was filled with friends, family, and glorious sunshine. My brother and two cousins, Gene and Brian, rolled in Wednesday evening and I had a great time showing them around the gorge. Thursday evening, some good ole boys from college rolled in: Travis Frank, Ben Denlinger, Meghan McGuire, Marc Hueber, and Morgan Rich. Travis, Marc, and Morgan traveled in a RV, which occupied the yard for the rest of the weekend (absolutely classic). Then to top it off, Friday evening my parents showed up. I had quite a busy house! Friday, Marc and I raced in a local downhill event, of which I hosted the after party. It was great to see Marc on a bike again. Saturday was filled with 12 hours of drinking, a 12 person pontoon boat on Summersville Lake, and deep water soloing. Having friends and family visit was a great revival for my soul, and it feels great to be back on the east coast!

Sunset with my brother, out at Long Point, overlooking the bridge

Ben with man's best friend

Monkeys: Travis, Ben, and Marc

Deep water soloing at "Rats Hole"

Drinking and boating

Summer Squash

2009-07-30T11:37:00.005-04:00

Below are some stand out photos taken from recent outings around Fayetteville.

The "Jack O' Lantern" of the fungus family

Hiking out of South Nuttall, a beautiful sunset amidst a rolling thunderstorm.

Long Point, if you look hard enough you can see the NRG bridge in the background.

That's one big pancake.....Mmm...love me some pancakes

Summerlee Bioremediation Project

2009-07-21T14:43:00.004-04:00

Most of you know by now that I enjoy playing in the outdoors, but most people don't know what I do with the other 1% of my time (just kidding, more like 60%). At the forefront of my ideals and beliefs, comes a passion for environmental activism. Over the last five years I have been working on issues that stretch from the headwaters of the Columbia River to the drainages in Puerto Rico. Lately, I have been working on water quality issues associated with the New River in West Virginia, but more specifically local issues around Fayetteville. The predominant issues in this area are fecal coliform bacteria (spawned by the mismanagement of waste water treatment, and agricultural runoff) and abandoned mine lands. It may be news to some, but the Lower New River made it on the EPA 303(d) list as an impaired stream as defined by TMDLs for fecal coliform bacteria. While this news has not hit the main stream media (and it is public info), it would be devastating for the rafting and tourism industry. Over the last 12 years the Plateau Action Network has been working on combating these issues, and has recently developed a comprehensive Watershed Based Plan (WBP) for the Wolf Creek Watershed. The WBP allows our organization to submit proposals for federal and state funding to work on nonpoint pollution management.

Over the last month I have been working on a 319 proposal for an Acid Mine Drainage site at the headwaters of Wolf Creek. My proposal was finally accepted by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Proposal Coordinator today, and will be submitted to the EPA for further review! Below is an executive summary of the proposal.

Project Summary

In conjunction with previous work by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the Office of Abandoned Mine Lands & Reclamation (Phase I), this project is being proposed as a modification to Phase I of the Summerlee Site. The Summerlee Refuse Pile, located at the headwaters of the Wolf Creek watershed and discharging into an unnamed tributary at river mile 8.7(WVKN-10-M), is the most significant source of acid mine drainage (AMD) within the watershed. Streams within the Wolf Creek watershed are impaired by high levels of iron, aluminum, and fecal coliform bacteria, as well as low pH. In addition, biological impairments are caused by organic enrichment and sedimentation. Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) have been calculated for the Wolf Creek watershed as part of a broader TMDL report for the New River (Tetra Tech, 2008).

Continuing on going efforts, PAN has several priorities outlined for 2009, each aimed at load reductions for iron, aluminum, and fecal coliform as specified by the TMDL. In order to achieve our goals for 2009, funding is being requested for: 1.) Phase 1 modification of the Summerlee Site (planning and development of a bioremediation terrace at the foot of the refuse pile and wetland restoration 2.) Community outreach and education on the impairments of Wolf Creek, and the measures taken by PAN to remediate these impairments. The Watershed Basin Coordinator of Wolf Creek will manage these projects and track their progress.

The goals of this project:

To reduce the iron and aluminum discharging from the Summerlee site, by constructing a terraced landscape that will promote low pH iron oxidation, and modification of an existing wetland to increase its ability to retain metals and add alkalinity. By utilizing the low pH-iron oxidation process, water with a low pH and high in ferrous iron (indicative of the water at the site) reacts to the sudden association with atmospheric oxygen to change the ferrous iron to ferric iron. During this ferrous to ferric conversion, iron and acidity are removed from the water, resulting in reductions as high as 60% of the iron and 40% of the acid. Load reductions for iron are estimated at 165,679 lbs/yr. and aluminum at 11,132 lbs/yr by the implementation of this project.
Evaluate the performance on load reductions from the modification/implementation of Phase 1 before moving on to Phase II.

Freeride Park Progression

2009-07-17T19:15:00.007-04:00

This past Wednesday and Thursday we finally made some solid progression on the Fayetteville Freeride Park! Adam rented a mini excavator, and we were able to blaze all of the trails within the park, build berms and jumps, and make a few skinnies to ride. I can't believe how much got accomplished within the last two days!

Adam and Derrick working on building a log drop.

Mmm....freshly cut trail, soon to be known as the "Power-line"

Adam working on new trails.

Recent Archives

2009-07-14T08:47:00.007-04:00

My camera has been, well, "dead." Below are some recent pictures taken by friends. Enjoy!

Courtney belaying me on Cage Match - Area 51/Meadow River

Sara Ballard belaying me on a route at "The Other Place"

Putting the finishing touches on Mississippi Burning - Endless Wall

My favorite photo from the New River Rendezvous #7, Pictured Steve Hedgecock & Brooks Wenzel in the fuzzy outfit.

Summer Solstice

2009-06-30T08:43:00.011-04:00

Summer is here, and along with summer comes warmer temperatures. This can be a problem for climbing, unless you enjoy bathing in your own sweat. Lately, we have been trying to get in night bouldering sessions. The temps can be 20 degrees cooler in the evening, and you can have a great time via lantern and headlamp. Below are pictures from a recent session at Hawks Nest, and a beautiful sunset from atop the bridge buttress.

Dan on "Leaving Las Fayetteville"

(In this photo, Jen Neff)

Water Quality Issues

2009-06-13T13:42:00.005-04:00

Lately, I have been focusing a large amount of my time (volunteer time currently) helping out the Plateau Action Network (Fayetteville's local watershed group). We recently had our Watershed-Based Plan approved by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP), which then passes the plan on to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With an approved watershed-based plan we can actively seek out state and federal funding (grant proposals and specific programs) more easily. Currently, I'm working on a 319 (h) grant proposal, which stems from the Non-point Pollution Management segment of the Clean Water Act. We have several water quality issues that occur from Abandoned Mine Drainage, and fecal coliform bacteria from failing septic tanks and agricultural runoff. Below are some pictures from an abandoned mine site, known as the Summerlee site. In the past the area was actively mined and also used as a Gob pile, a place where other mining companies dumped there unused coal by-product (coal slurry and refuse). In 2007, two passive limestone beds were installed to buffer the runoff from the gob pile (Phase 1). Currently, we are seeking funding for Phase 2 (319 (h) proposal), which will be the installation of a bioreactor (roughly 1.3 million dollars).

Passive Limestone Cell

The unpleasant side of abandoned mine drainage.

New House

2009-06-01T19:11:00.006-04:00

After moving from Colorado, I have spent the last two months living out of my car, tent camping, and shuffling in between houses. Last night Dan and I finally got to move into the house we have been waiting for! It is located within walking distance of the Fayetteville town park, and we even have a pony (Rebel) that grazes our backyard. We will be having a house warming party soon, and I'm excited to have a place to host visiting family and friends.

Tree Tops Canopy Tour

2009-05-18T15:44:00.016-04:00

On May 1st "On the Gorge Resort" (which is a merger of 3 companies Class VI, Riverman, & Adventures Mountain River) opened a world class full canopy tour program designed by international leader Bonsai Designs. The course includes 10 Ziplines (one zip is 800 ft. long!), 5 Sky Bridges, 1 Rappel, and 2 Short Hikes. The course takes about 3 1/2 hours, and is located in the beautiful old growth hemlock and hardwood forest of Mill Creek Canyon. Below is video put together by John Petretich of a recent trip of me and a few Waterstone Outdoor employees.

Wild and Scenic

2009-05-12T22:37:00.011-04:00

I've upgraded from my "dual tent condo" to a studio apartment, and alas, I finally have access to internet during the evening. The eastern part of the country has been getting hammered by rain. Five counties in southeastern West Virginia have been declared in a state-of-emergency, and the lower New River was up to 17 ft (that's big!). I've been out climbing the dry areas (steep crags) and enjoying the beautiful ephemeral aesthetics of Fayetteville during the spring time.

Kaymoor stream crossing

Fern Creek Falls

"Happy Buddha"

Summersville Lake Ladders

Dan on "Apollo Reed" at the Summersville Lake

Fayette Station

View from the top of "Rico Suave"

Planting my roots

2009-04-25T09:48:00.006-04:00

Last night I attended the Patagonia "Wild and Scenic" Environmental Film Festival. Fayetteville is the only stop in West Virginia, and it is also the only location to be entirely produced by High School students (The students had to review 100 trailers and select around 15 of them, and then create a program with which to view them).

Prior to the film, I was excited to get involved with the Plateau Action Network (PAN). Started in 1997 to create a voice against local issues, PAN is an all volunteer watershed group.Their focus is to promote responsible economic development while supporting sustainable environmental management. PAN played an integral part in working with the high school students, and were largely aided by Maura Kistler, (one of my new boss'). After watching the film, I felt like the puzzle pieces of my life were starting to come together. Right now I'm really excited to get involved with the local community, and to start planting my roots!

Farewell Colorado .....Hello Fayetteville, WV

2009-04-20T22:14:00.008-04:00

For the past 5 months I've been stuck with a job I no longer cared for, and with the job market the way it is, it was turning into a dead end job. My roommate, Trevor, accepted a new job in Salt Lake City and we needed to be out of his house by April 13th. With the variables stacking up I needed to make some snappy decisions. I decided to resign from my job (who quits their job during a recession?), and temporarily move into my parents house in Cleveland, TN. Now, I'm scheming with an old friend, Dan Proudfoot, about moving to Fayetteville, WV and spending a season in the New River Gorge. It would be a welcomed change to the life style I've been living over the last year, and a chance for me to get involved with the local community.

Where to?

Adam of Locksley, rapping off "Chunky Monkey"

Izzy, getting full face protection.

Adam topping out on "Tony the Tiger"

Early spring New River Gorgeous

More Moab

2009-04-04T11:37:00.007-04:00

Needing to escape more bad weather in Colorado, the crew headed back down to the desert. We made it to Indian Creek for a day, and then climbed around Moab for 2 more days. If you are ever around Moab, check out the Maverick Buttress, it kicks ass.

Maverick Buttress

Gorgeous view from Maverick

Storm approaching? time to bail

"Wallstreet" - low commitment climbing, deluxe belaying.

Indian Creek

2009-03-18T20:43:00.021-04:00

I returned from the east, only to find that the weather in Colorado was not cooperating. When all else fails, head south. Joe and I eagerly packed up my Element and headed for Indian Creek. We decided to stop at Rifle along the way, and see what all the hype was about. If you find your local crags don't have enough 5.13's or 5.14's, come to Rifle. The canyon at Rifle was pretty narrow, and still had a fair amount of snow and ice. Joe and I climbed one route, and then quickly continued to drive south.

Ahhh, the southwestern desert of Utah, home to the sandstone crack climbing mecca, Indian Creek. Frankly, I have been climbing a lot of sport routes lately and was anxious to see how IC would treat me. I haven't climbed here in about a year-and-a-half, and was eager to get back on some old projects and to start some new ones. The last time I climbed at Indian Creek, I really got turned on by offwidths, and was excited to get back on the "Serrator." All week long people kept asking me "Do you have a camera? If so, I'll take some pics." Below are the crags that we climbed at, and a few climbs I recommend if you are ever at Indian Creek.

Day 1 - Cat Wall: Fat Cat, Johnny Cat, and King Cat. All these climbs are awesome if you have big hands like me. Big handed gorillas should stay away from routes like the "Bachelor"

Day 2 - Way Rambo: Blue Sun, Rochambeau, Way Rambo, Serrator

Day 3 - Battle of the Bulge: Real Estate, Cave Route, Big Baby, Think Pink, Crack Attack

Still snowy and steep at Rifle

This photo opt never gets old, Bridger Jacks

The perfect Indian Creek Sunset

Our new friend, whose named turned out to be Joe, climbing past"Johnny Cat" into "Tasmania"

Joe (new Joe) working "Tasmania" 5.12+

Working through the low crux on "Serrator" 5.11-

Placing a ship anchor, BD #6 on "Serrator"

Who ever said offwidths were fun.....enjoyed pain and suffering. My left arm showing the road rash after climbing "Serrator" and "Big Baby"

This is what can happen if you get your leg cammed in a crack with a rope. This ended my onsight attempt of "Big Baby."

Joe Stern working "Way Rambo" 5.12-

Catching a sunset from the Way Rambo climbing area

Joe Stern taping up for the "Cave Route" 5.10+

The beautiful granite of Turkey Rocks. Joe rounding the last roof on "Whimsical" 5.11

Red River Gorgeous

2009-03-09T00:18:00.007-04:00

This past weekend was the official opening of Miguel's, which kicked off the beginning to a great spring season in the Red River Gorge. With good weather being forecasted, the masses poured in Friday night, and by Saturday morning a Miguel's tent village was born. My good friends, Dan and Adam, met me there, and we were also welcomed by a crew from West Virginia: Ryan, David, Taylor, and Steve. I was really surprised by how well everyone was climbing this early in the season. It was great to be surrounded by good friends and good energy. Oh yeah, and I couldn't forget to add we ran into Lynn Hill, two days in a row. I know, I may sound a little teen-bop, but it is awesome to meet people who you look up to. We even got asked to help push her truck out of the mud.

Miguel's is open for business!

Lynn Hill going over the beta on "Mosaic" 5.12 c/d

Ryan on the opening moves of "All that Glitters" 5.12c

Taylor working "Break the Scene" 5.12 a/b

Aerial Views

2009-03-02T21:48:00.011-05:00

In the past, I have posted pictures taken from the air with my personal camera, but for this post I thought I would show you what kind of imagery I acquire for work. Below are the actual photos acquired by our DMC (Digital Mapping Camera) flying at an altitude of 9,200 ft. AGL (Above Ground Level) over the Virginia Beach, VA area. The images are shown in "false color," that is, instead of viewing a RBG (Red, Blue, Green) composite, the green band has been replaced with the near infrared band, which makes the vegetation appear "red." I also posted a few pictures of some of the airplanes we fly in.

New River Rendezvous 2009

2009-02-23T21:58:00.003-05:00

Spring is nearing, and just around the corner is the registration for the 2009 New River Rendezvous (March 1st). There is nothing better than meeting up with old friends, climbing, camping, drinking, dancing, slack-lining, laughing..... did I say drinking, and laughing some more. This festival is one of my favorite events of the year and for a good reason, it never disappoints. So mark your calendar on May 15-17th, and don't procrastinate on registering. While the event usually lets in around 700 people, it does tend to fill up fast. Below is a montage of last years rendezvous. I hope to see you there! New River Rendezvous

Take Action - Union of Concerned Scientists

2009-02-21T23:44:00.004-05:00

Lately, my camera has been collecting dust, so I would like to take this time to advocate environmental stewardship. Now, more than ever, it is important that our voice is heard about critical environmental issues, and that we voice our opinions to the proper channels within our state legislator. By writing congress (state representatives & senators, local government) we can properly convey these opinions into actions that shape U.S. policy. Many organizations have "automated" letters on "hot topics" that simply require you to fill in your name and email. It is that easy. So I urge you to take action. Your stewardship will benefit the generations to come, and help shape our environment. I will include some links at the bottom of this blog to help you get on your way!

Reducing Emissions from Tropical Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD)

Tropical deforestation is a major cause of climate change, as greenhouse gases emitted via deforestation represent about 20% of the world's global warming pollution--roughly equivalent to the total emissions of the United States or China, or more than the total emissions of every car, truck, plane, ship, and train on earth. We are working to address this problem through international agreements and U.S. legislation that reward tropical countries for slowing deforestation and forest degradation and therefore reducing their global warming pollution. This set of policies is referred to as REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest degradation in Developing Countries). Get Involved.

Environmental Stewardship Links

Union of Concerned Scientist - http://www.ucsusa.org/

League of Conservation Voters - http://www.lcv.org/

Sierra Club - http://www.sierraclub.org/

Don't stop here, check with local organizations about how you can get involved with issues that hit closer to home.

City of Rocks - Lost Archives

2009-02-14T01:02:00.009-05:00

While sitting around the house last week, Trevor found some old pictures of our 2007 Summer Solstice Trip to the City of Rocks (Idaho). His friend John, from Las Vegas, organizes an annual trip to the City of Rocks each year, and we met up with a crew of his friends. I remember the temperatures being so hot we only climbed routes in the shade. Ahhh, summer.

John hand cranking an afternoon cocktail. What's in that?

Sending the infamous "Crack of Doom"

"Tribal Boundaries", classic!

The super steep hand crack, "Interceptor"

El tiempo es loco

2009-02-08T14:37:00.011-05:00

The weather in Colorado, and the US for the most part, has been crazy. Coming off the Arctic cold front a few weeks ago, Colorado received around 3 feet of snow over a week period. The I-70 corridor resorts were prime, and I was able to experience some great powder at Vail, Monarch, and Mary Jane. Shortly there after, a pineapple express comes through and proceeds to warm Colorado up into the 60's. For the past 4 days I have been climbing in shorts and wearing sandals (Shelf, located in Canon City, is a great winter climbing destination). What is going on? I'm not going to complain though, I feel pretty fortunate to be able to experience the best of both worlds.

This Bud's for You! - Snow carvings in Breckenridge

Awesome powder day in Vail.

The end to a great climbing day in Eleven Mile Canyon

Climbing a beautiful arete at Shelf

Trevor working on his crane kick

Trevor in Peru

2009-01-14T11:41:00.017-05:00

I've been meaning to post these awesome pictures that were taken while Trevor was in Peru this past August. He flew into Lima with three other friends, and spent most of his time climbing peaks within the Cordillera Blanca, then circumnavigating the Cordillera Blanca via Bike. The Cordillera Blanca (Spanish for "White Range") is a mountain range in the Ancash Region of Peru. It is part of the larger Andes range and includes thirty three major peaks over 5,500 metres (18,040 ft) tall in an area 21 kilometres (13 mi) wide and 180 kilometres (112 mi) long. A pretty amazing trip, and the pictures certainly reflect the beauty. Enjoy!

Arriving in Lima with friend Mike

Hiking heavy loads near Laguna Paron

Laguna Paron

High Camp on Chopicalqui

High Camp 2 on Chopicalqui

Chopicalqui Peak (20,850 ft)

Descending Chopicalqui

Looking at Artesonraju Peak (19,680 ft) in the background

My favorite, a small bathroom in Huarez

Holidaze Traveling

2009-01-06T00:12:00.009-05:00

I've been traveling like a gypsy on a ghost horse heading for Ballinasloe. Yeah, it's that crazy. It all began with the purchasing of the Pow Pow Platter. What is that you ask? The Pow Pow Platter is a smoking ski package that allows you to sample 3 different ski resorts (Copper Mtn., Winter Park, & Steamboat) for only $99. So, Shauna flew in from California, and we spent Christmas at my house in Woodland Park. Actually, we spent Christmas at Copper Mtn. and were pretty surprised by the small crowds. This was the beginning of a monster road trip that would span 4,000 miles in 9 days. From Copper we ventured towards Steamboat, and stayed with an old friend, Patrick Meyer. Pat gave us the deluxe tour of the mountain, which is pretty much right out his back door. This tour even included getting "TraMurphed," which is the combination of heinous catwalk traverses with his buddy Murphy. The Champagne Powder was phenomenal, and I'm looking forward to visiting Steamboat again before the season is over. I would love to tell you how the rest of my journey went, but I feel like I would almost have to write a book to fit it all in. I'm looking forward to editing the video that Shauna and I took, and I should have something put together by the end of the week. Here is a shortened version of our travels: Starting from Woodland Park > Copper Mtn. > Winter Park > Steamboat Springs, CO > Zion National Park, UT > Santa Cruz, CA > Yosemite National Park > Las Vegas > Rifle, CO > Back Home.... Whooooo that was a long one. More pictures and video of our journey coming soon.

How I spent my Christmas, lunch time on Copper Mtn.

Patrick showing us where the powder is.

Getting "TraMurphed"!

Tourist Crack @ Zion National Park

A rad Volkswagen found in Santa Cruz

Let it Snow......

2008-12-14T22:59:00.007-05:00

Snow, snow, snow... get warm, and snow some more. That is what December is like in the Front Range. It has been snowing in the mountains, (and sometimes in the valley) followed by a day or two of warm weather. With all of this snow, I thought it was time to find a winter sport. From our house in Woodland park, we are surrounded by numerous ski resorts that are 2-2.5 hours away. I have been fortunate enough to have some friends help me put together some snowboarding gear, and last Friday I tried out snowboarding for the first time. After the first day I was pretty sore, but definitely had fun. I think I have found a new winter sport. Oh yeah, and on the warm days we definitely went climbing.

Sunrise from Wilkerson Pass heading towards Vail

Trevor rapping down amidst a Shelf Road Sunset

Another beautiful sunset at Shelf Road

Shauna's Basecamp

2008-12-02T20:53:00.006-05:00

Over Thanksgiving break I helped Shauna move into her new house in YoWest. YoWest is a little community located about 15 - 20 mins south of Yosemite Valley. Some of you may have heard of her landlord, famed speed climber Hans Florine. The 3-story house is situated in a beautiful location, close to: skiing (Badger Mtn.), climbing (the Rostrum is 8 miles away!), super-secret bouldering, and lets not forget the valley. It was great to spend Thanksgiving with Shauna in her new house. I will have to say, it was pretty funny waking up Thanksgiving morning to get a phone call from Hans wishing us "Happy Thanksgiving" (He was actually calling for Shauna, but in her absence I took this one).

We caught this beautiful sunset on a drive up to the house

Santa Cruzin'

2008-11-24T15:26:00.011-05:00

For the last 10 days I've been staying in Santa Cruz with my new friend Shauna. I met Shauna during my stay in Yosemite, and I knew right away there was something special about her. She has been showing me everything the city of Santa Cruz has to offer: mountain biking, trail running, the best places to eat and drink coffee (plus the occasional desert), and beautiful sunsets by the coast. I better not forgot the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory (where Shauna works) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I was fortunate enough to get the lights turned on for "Old Blue," the world's largest whale skeleton! Upon arrival, the weather was unseasonable warm, which even tempted me to take a dip in the ocean. Fall has returned (mid 60's), but the weather is still enjoyable. Perfect temps for cardiovascular sports. I'm heading back to Yosemite this week and I can't wait! Hope you enjoy the photos.

"Old Blue"

One of many beautiful sunsets........

Monterey Bay Aquarium - Outer Bay Exhibit

Go Bucks

2008-11-20T18:19:00.002-05:00

For all of you Michigan fans........

ECamper

2008-11-13T00:09:00.006-05:00

In the quest for the ultimate road tripping vehicle, I stumbled across a company that specializes in carbon-fiber composites, a company named Ursa Minor. The company is owned by like-minded people with a passion for travel and adventure. Here is a little history of how the company started.

"Once upon a time there was an ideal vehicle for the wanderer, and it wasn’t a tent or a massive RV. The classic VW Westfalia provided a compact design, perfect for the drive to work or a weekend at the lake. Pull in, pop the top and there was a home away from home, a base camp for swimming, surfing, hiking or biking. For over 50 years, Volkswagen delivered, but like many products, the VW Westfalia gradually crept up in price and down in availability. And then it was gone. Our experience in camping started with a 1965 VW Micro, which after 43 states, 3 countries and 240,000 miles went off to a well deserved R&R (repair & restoration) in Tokyo, Japan of all places. Afterwards, we voyaged on our small cruising sailboat, paddled kayaks in Baja, and generally looked for a decent replacement Westfalia Synchro. When that proved unsuccessful, we started doodling on post-it notes until we finally found time to build our own solution! Of course, like most projects, the first Honda Element camper took longer than needed, cost a little more than expected, but the end result was fantastic and was put to use immediately camping all over southern California and Baja. From gas stations and grocery stores to remote beaches, more than a few people liked the idea. It turns out it's hard to camp when people are constantly asking "where the heck did you get that pop up?"

After my new discovery I was on the quest for an Element, and as of last week I'm the new owner of a 2004 Honda Element.

My new ride

I hope to add the ECamper conversion this coming spring

I thought I would throw in a picture of my other Honda, 2006 919

Yosemite Montage

2008-10-30T01:32:00.004-04:00

I've put together a montage of my recent stay in Yosemite. It is mostly footage from rope antics we got into (Tyrolean across Lost Arrow Spire, and Rope Swing from the Southeast alcove of El Capitan). Featured in order of appearance are: Joe Stern, Sean Taff-Morales, Nick McKean, Roxy Kornelsen, and myself.

Campo Quattro y Mas

2008-10-28T00:35:00.018-04:00

Yosemite Valley........ a place where breath taking views lurk around every corner. There is so much to do and see; literally a lifetime of adventures await. During my 3 week stay in the valley, I was amazed by the intense energy that radiated from the heart beat of climbing, Camp 4. Camp 4 is like the melting pot of NY. People travel from all over the world to climb, slack-line, hike, and sight-see. For me, meeting new people was the highlight of my trip. People like Mash from Costa Rica, Maria and "Nacho" from Argentina, Nick and Gareth from Australia, Shauna Potocky from Santa Cruz (basically a local), and Sabastian from Switzerland. The day-to-day life was great. Every morning was spent making a fantastic breakfast and drinking at least two cups of coffee before doing anything. My partners in crime on this trip were one of my best friends, Joe Stern, and his friend Sean (who soon became a good friend). It became apparent to me that this trip wasn't just about climbing, but about renewing my spirit and soul with the positive energy that the atmosphere of Camp 4 provided. So come next fall, (October) you can be sure to find me in Yosemite again!

Let the games begin!

Getting ready to hike up to Lost Arrow Spire

Tyrolean across Lost Arrow Spire

The "Good Book" Highlighted in red. 5 pitches, 600 ft., 5.10d

Pointing down to Camp 4 atop the 2nd pitch of Good Book

This is how you spend a rest day. Polky's Pool hotspring outside Mammoth

Joe on-sighting "Leanie Meanie" 5.11b

Sean entering the crux of "Gripper" 5.10b

Sending fuel and a work of art - Apple Cinnamon Pancake

Hot Sauki

Perching bobcat at Church Bowl Crag

Half Dome amidst a low-light sunset and rising moon (almost full)

Rocktober

2008-10-03T15:44:00.011-04:00

It's Rocktober, my favorite month of the year! Every year I wait for this magical month. The temperatures start to cool, the leaves begin to change, and outdoor activities are ideal. Last weekend (26-28th) Trevor and I spent another weekend in Black Canyon. We climbed two routes new to me: Checkerboard Wall (5.10+) and Maiden Voyage (5.9). Checkerboard Wall had a super-spicy 3rd pitch (which most climb as the 4th) and allowed me to hone in on my mental, rather than physical abilities. Maiden Voyage may be one of the best 5.9's I've done anywhere, and a must-do for the Black Canyon aficionado. On Sunday (Oct. 5th) I head out to Yosemite for 2 weeks, and will be meeting up with by good buddy Joe Stern. I can hardly wait! From Oct. 5th-20th posting will be non-existent, but I will have some great action from Yosemite coming.

Driving south on Route 92
Driving north on 550, north of Durango

2nd pitch of Checkerboard Wall

3rd pitch Checkerboard Wall, just before the spice.

Sunset shooting through the North Rim Campground

Durangutan

2008-09-24T22:35:00.008-04:00

I haven't had a chance to visit some of the more notable bouldering destinations in Colorado, but Durango has made an impression on me. There is not a lot of published material on Durango, so that is why it may go unnoticed by most. Just recently, a guide book for the route climbing around Durango was published, "Durango Sandstone", but a bouldering guide book is still in the works. I was lucky enough to meet Ian, an employee at Pine Needle Mountaineering, who is working on putting together an extensive bouldering guide for the most popular areas. He was kind enough to draw me an overview map of the "Sailing Hawks" bouldering area and point out boulder problems of interest. There are highballs, overhangs, long traverses, and just about everything in between, all located in a beautiful setting. Given the climbing in Durango and other high quality areas near by (Riffle, Black Canyon, Moab), Durango could be a potential place to settle down.

Like orangutans, some of the Durango locals dub themselves as "Durangutans."

Skully var. on the left - V7, Skully on the right V6

The massive Euro boulder, with part of the Sacred Traverse (V10) highlighted

Pocket Change - traverse 4 pockets from left to right and end with a big throw to the arete

Petrified Tree

Petrified Prow - V5

Warm-up boulder

A storm looming in the horizon

Black Canyon, Weekend of 9/6

2008-09-15T23:58:00.029-04:00

Since I moved to Colorado, I have been bugging Trevor to take me to Black Canyon (located near Gunnision, CO). In the spring it was too cold, late spring/early summer I was working, the summer too hot, and now the temps are bearable again. The Black is host to some of the longest trad. routes in the country, 1500-2000 ft. in length. Trevor and I climbed Journey Home (5.10) on the North Chasm Wall (9/6/08). The beginning is approximately 300 ft. of 3rd-to-easy-5th class climbing to a good ledge. There is a dangerous 1st pitch rated at 5.9 R/X, which I lead, and then sustained 5.9/5.10 for another 1,000 ft. or so. All said and done, the route covers approximately 1,500 ft. of vertical gain. It is by far one of the longest routes I have ever done. Here is a blurb from Mountain Project about the Black, "All routes here should be considered adventure climbing with challenging rock, rock quality, route finding, runouts, etc.. Assistance, in the event of the unexpected, is difficult to non-existent. Be prepared."

Journey Home highlighted in red

I didn't have time to edit the video. So, if you have a laptop be prepared to move your screen with the video I took.

Climbers across the canyon on "Astro Dog" (South Chasm Wall)

Trevor rappelling into "Cruise Gully"

Trevor on the 3rd pitch of Journey Home

Painted Wall

Checker Board Wall

Cathedral Spires

2008-09-09T01:43:00.013-04:00

Last weekend (Aug. 3oth and 31st) Trevor and I combined two things we love to do: riding motorcycles and climbing. Forty-five minutes from the house, via Hwy 67, we road our bikes to Cathedral Spires. The Cathedral Spires are host to a majestic collection of outstanding rock features. Out of these beautiful formations, we climbed Cynical Pinnacle via the Center Route (touted as the best 5.9 in the state) and Block Tower via Hurt Dance. Cynical Pinnacle is probably the most popular of the crags in the Cathedral Spires of the South Platte. It's prominent south-facing prow attracts the eyes for miles, and holds Tommy Caldwell's tick (Wunsch's Dihedral via the Breasher's Finger Crack) in "Fifty Favorite Climbs of North America." What holds even more beauty, is climbing at Cathedral and looking over at the South Platte river split the valley below.

Cynical Pinnacle with Wunsch's Dihedral in the corner

Poe Buttress Spires in the shadow of the sun

My shadow over looking the west face of Cynical Pinnacle

Trevor sun bathing on the 4th pitch of Hurt Dance

Back Home

2008-08-29T16:04:00.010-04:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit my good friend Patrick Meyer in Steamboat Springs. I was excited to see his newly acquired guiding service, Rocky Mountain Ventures. It is inspiring to see your friends take pursuit of their aspirations. My stay at Steamboat was brief, but Pat gave me a small tour of the local climbing and it was good. I missed a golden opportunity to take pictures at the "Seed House" crag (I think that was the name) by leaving my camera at Pat's house (damn it!) If you are ever in Steamboat Springs, and are looking for adventure, give Pat Myers a call. The blog posting has been slow because I haven't taken pictures of anything note worthy, but this weekend should be different.

Chasing Rainbows

Rainbow upper-mid left

Sun Rays hitting Pike's Peak

Ute Valley Bouldering

From Boise to Blueridge

2008-08-10T09:46:00.010-04:00

Lately, I've been traveling a lot. On the first leg of my field stint, I was working on a project based out of Boise, Idaho. We have a contract with the USDA and are acquiring imagery northeast of Boise near the Sawtooth Range. Boise is pretty much a desert, but we were working out of this gorgeous little mountain airport in McCall about 1.5 hours drive NE of Boise. I had a few days to explore, and found some decent climbing about an hour SE of Boise in an area called Reynolds Creek. During my first trip to Reynolds Creek, I discovered this crazy looking grasshopper/cicada with a large stinger/horn protruding from its thorax. There were 100s dead found in the vicinity. It looked like one of the swarms that you see on the Discovery channel. Then I got a phone call to help wrap up a project in Virginia. So our crew made a marathon flight from Boise to Richmond the next day. Flying at night in your own airplane is pretty cool. We were able to watch the vivid display of a thunderstorm about 100 miles away while approaching Richmond. Recently, I've been exploring the Peaks of Otter area about an hour north of Lynchburg. It is mostly hiking, but there is a ton of climbing that could be developed. After Virginia, it is off to Dayton for some airplane maintenance, and then off to Wyoming to start a new project. This is the life of a professional gypsy!

McCall Airport

Check out the thorax!

Virginia Coastline

Cascade Falls

Bouldering @ McAfee's Knob

Downhill Bikes on Keystone Mtn.

2008-07-27T11:48:00.010-04:00

This weekend, friends from work (Kris & Lisa) talked me into renting downhill mountain bikes at Keystone Mtn Resort (Dercum Mtn. 11,640 ft. elev.), an area just north of Breckenridge. With a vertical rise of 2,307 ft., the Keystone Bike Park consists of some of Colorado's best downhill trails, with progressive terrain for riders of all abilities. The park has everything from challenging rock gardens, huge drops, berms, bridges, jumps, and high-speed features. I have always loved mountain biking, but this style of riding is better than anything I have ever tried. I rented a Trek Session 7, with 6 inches of travel in the front and 7 inches of travel in the rear. It was heavier than anything I was used to, and soaked up all of my mistakes. I haven't really been riding that much in the last 3 years, and was really stoked to hit all of the tables in the skills park (check out the video ). I'm hooked, and I will be thinking about riding until I get my next fix.

Summit Express Lifts

Kris And Lisa on Top of Dercum Mtn.

Bridge lead-in to the corkscrew

Kris on the corkscrew

Shelf Climbing Area

2008-07-25T13:08:00.012-04:00

During Courtney's past visit we went to Shelf Rd. and Turkey Rocks. I was proud to see her lead her first 5.7 at Turkey, "Honkey Jam." I worked out the moves of a 5.12R on toprope, and will be excited to lead it once a get a "heavier" belayer (Courtney is a bit light, and I need a good anchor to keep me from decking). Posted below the Shelf Rd. pictures are some pics leading Spectre on gear. Spectre is an amazing 5.11 9 bolt sport route, at the New River Gorge, that I always wanted to lead on gear. I only clipped the 2nd bolt, b/c I didn't feel comfortable with the rock quality on the bottom portion of the route. I was waiting for Randy to send me some pictures from Agent Orange and I was going to post them all at once, but Randy still hasn't gotten me the photos.

Shelf - View from the "Dark Side"

Courtney sporting her new helmet

Spectre

Exploring my Backyard

2008-07-21T14:23:00.008-04:00

I've been back in Colorado for the last 10 days, and I've finally had enough time to explore some new places. This weekend (18th and 19th) I went up to Buffalo Creek with some friends from work (Joe Birchman and Kris Godwin) to go mountain biking. Buffalo Creek is about 40 mins. from the house, and offers some premier biking trails. If you ever visit, make sure to hit up the Colorado Trail, it is awesome. On Friday night we managed to drink four growlers, and we ended up creating some interesting photography that evening. "Night Light Art," as I would like to call it, is created by changing the exposure settings on your camera. Scott, if you are reading this, I know you will appreciate the work, and further more know how much fun it is.

On Sunday, Courtney came down from Boulder, and we went climbing at Shelf Road. This destination is about 1.5 hrs. from the house, and has over 1,000 limestone routes. I look forward to spending some more time there!

View from Morrison Creek Junction

Joe climbing out of Morrison Creek

Silhoutte of Joe by Wellington Lake

Bike

Walk like an Egyptian

Harnessing some energy

Joe Kung Fu Fighting

Joe can shoot lightning out of his ass

Glowing Growler

Christmas Tree

Cranking at the NRG

2008-07-05T22:45:00.009-04:00

Over the July 4th weekend I was fortunate to meet some great people (Matt & Daryl) from the Boston area. We swapped belays, shared beta, and told some great stories. We had an excellent day of climbing on Friday (4th) at the Coliseum down by Summersville Lake. I added two new routes to my tick list, Tobacco Road (5.12b) and Reckless Abandon (5.12b\c). Both were great routes, but Reckless Abandon comes highly recommended and will be added to my top 10 list of routes at the NRG. Today (5th) we climbed at the Cirque, and I showed Matt and Daryl a few climbs they should hop on. Matt made quick work of Graffiti (5.12a\b), and Daryl attempted Satanic Traverses (5.12c). At 19 bolts, Satanic Traverses is a wicked long traverse that climbs 4 bolts up (35 ft.) and then cuts 90 degrees right and continues for another 90 ft or so (remaining 16 bolts). It is a feat just to make it to the shuts, let alone red-point the route. Tomorrow I head out to Dayton, OH, and then out to Idaho. I have been fortunate to climb 6/8 days here, and will sadly miss leaving the area. Below are pictures taken over the last 8 days.

Daryl starting "Satanic Traverses"

Matt on "Graffiti"

Whippoorwill area at Summersville

View from Fayette Station

Meadow River

Tributary to the New River