My Excellent Adventures

Goals for 2011

2011-01-01T11:07:00.001-08:00

Everyone does it and I'm no exception, so here are my goals for 2011:

1) Be a better husband and father- learning how to become a better person is integral to this process. Obviously, this is a life-long pursuit that takes loads of patience, self awareness, reflection, and redirection. Regardless, I want to be better for my family.

2) Climb as much as possible- 2010 was a tough year as far as climbing goes. Injury and baby rearing slow down the pace of climbing like a rear-wheel drive diesel truck with no weight in the back trying to claw its way up an icy, snowy hill. Anyhow, climbing is a lifestyle for me and a life-long pursuit, that like a junkie who doesn't get his fix, makes me feel ill when I don't get to climb or push my boundaries on a regular basis. So in that spirit I plan on getting after it in 2011 learning how to balance family, work, and play like never before.

500 pitches
50 new 5.12s
10 new 5.13s
5 new Grade IV/V
Onsight 5.12 trad

3) Start trail running consistently- Last year was the first year that i ran somewhat regularly. It started as a way to try to get back into shape following my injury but developed into more of a passion. Unfortunately, I let life get in the way of keeping up with it and this year I plan on not letting that happen. Running began to feel meditative for me and god knows I need that silencing of my mind and time of reflection. So 2011 will be the year I make like Forest Gump and "gooo runnning".

Average 20 miles a week
Start making my longer runs in the 13-15 mile range instead of the 8-10 mile range
Run a trail marathon on Potomac Heritage Trail with Gina
Finish the Gristmill Grinder in 1:40 or less

4) Work on my House- My house has a never-ending slew of projects that need tending to. So like last year, I need to make time to get some of them done. This will be tough being that I have goals to increase and improve my climbing and running, all the while juggling family duties and work. Nevertheless, house be warned your will be getting a facelift.

Pressure wash the outside of my house
Replace outside gutters and cocking
Refurbish stairs
Make threshholds for upstairs doorways
Living room make over
Get electric in my garage

Learning how to Breathe

2010-06-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

My parents are crazy and have no idea what they are doing
Look Daddy, my forearms are bigger than yours. Wanna arm wrestle?

Once again, It's been way too long since my last post, but who's really reading this mindless jabbering anyway. So... a helluva a lot has happened since my last post. Life evolves, as it should.
The big news is that Jack Muir, my son, was born a little after midnight with a full moon hanging in the Autumn night sky. Every day since his birth has been a blessing. The realization that I'm a dad never really hit me like I expected it would, instead it has been slowly creeping up on me and invading my senses, my conscience, my reality.
Just now am I coming to grips with the fact that having a family takes work and commitment. It's not just my life anymore, but rather, our life and that means rearranging my time, and my needs, and my wishes to suit the family. I'm still working on this time management thing and by no means have I even begun to figure it out, but one thing I know for certain is that in order to fit in my personal pursuits I'm going to need to squeak as much out of each day as possible. I've started tossing around the idea of forgoing my "morning time" (basically sitting in front of the computer drinking coffee and eating breakfast trying to come to terms with the fact that I have to go to work AGAIN today) in order to get a quick 30 minute workout in before work. Crazy huh? Possibly so, but I'm going to give it a try and see if I can commit and get it done. Routine is not one of my strong points but maybe at the ripe (and crusty) age of 32 it will begin to work for me.
Besides Jack entering our lives and continuing to shape it on a daily basis, the other big news is that I'm climbing again (albeit not nearly enough) and at a pretty respectable level. I honestly thought I'd never climb like I used to after my accident, not even close to it. But since June I've been steadily climbing a few times a month and have been able to climb hard 5.12 again, although not on a regular basis. Consistency is the big problem, but as Tracy continues to remind me, our life has tossed and turned around and reformed in something new and consistency is very hard to achieve under these circumstances. She is right of course, but still something inside me, always feels like I'm losing my game, as I soften up. Who knows, and what does it really matter really. One thing I'm grateful for and certain of is that given the time and dedication I can climb harder than I was before the accident. I just need to learn how to breathe.

OUT OF THE GAME FOR AWHILE

2010-02-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

It's only a matter of time before you hurt yourself if you spend a lot of your time engaging in "risky" activities. I've never felt that my lifestyle was reckless, or even overly risky compared to the average joe. But, now that I've hurt myself I guess I was really living in a state of denial. It's not that I pushed the boundaries of safety on a regular basis, in fact I was a fairly conservative climber considering my level of climbing and experience. But as I sit here, 3 weeks out from rapping off the end of my rope and severely damaging my wrist and hand, I wonder was it worth it? Like all climbers, I've been in sketchy positions on lead that should I fall things could go bad. I rarely wore a helmet, in fact I didn't even wear a helmet on Half Dome, El Cap, or any Sierra route I've done. In retrospect, that was pretty stupid. As were all of the solo climbs I've done. I'm not a huge soloist, but I've done my fair share of solos on everything from single pitch routes, to backcountry peaks, to sporty onsight solos. If Bachar fell, anyone can. I know now that if I'm ever able to climb again, I will never solo again. It's just not worth it. Especially now that I'm going to be a dad. Plus, I'm more in love with my wife than ever before and life is just too beautiful to fuck it away by rolling the dice soloing.

So what does the future hold for me? I'm not sure yet. I have virtually no feeling in my thumb, index finger, middle finger, and palm of my left hand. I have very limited range of motion of my fingers. I'm going to do my best to try to get back full mobility in my hand but somethings are up to God to decide. I just hope he gives a brother a hand on this one. While I've been injured I've lost an incredible amount of fitness. I'm getting fat and weak from the lack of activity, my self pity, and lack of motivation to do anything but drink beer, eat junk food and watch the tube and surf the net. I gotta change this if I'm going to keep any remnants of my old life. After all, I'm going to be a dad in 6.5 months I have to get my shit together.

Maybe this accident happened for a reason. Maybe someone is trying to teach me that rock climbing is not life, but rather life is life. Rock climbing and all my other outdoor pursuits fit into life but they surely shouldn't make up the bulk of my existence. Hopefully, I will heal up enough to climb again, to be able to paddle a kayak, to do yoga and lift weights, to monkey around on a tree deep in the mountains, to hold by baby, to be able to work on my house, and to take care of my beautiful wife. But hopefully the mental scars of this accident will never fully heal and WAKE ME UP to living life in balance. Never again will I take for granted an easy climb in the mountains, instead I will breathe in the beauty of just being able to climb and be outside. Never again will I push myself to do another 3 miles to get a better workout, instead I will push myself to enjoy my family, friends, and the experiences that life brings us daily. I've realize that my climbing and lifestyle was selfish. I spent way too much time focusing on climbing. Needless to say I've met some amazing people, seen some beautiful places, and have had many deep profound experiences in the mountains but I think its time to scale it down a bit. Life is too short to spend the better part of your years stuck in a wheel chair, or brain damaged, or perpetual back problems, or with a hand that does not function. Life itself is a great adventure, one worth exploring throughout its varied terrain, instead of being so singularly focused on summiting that steep peak in the distance.

Just SEND it, CRUSHER MCGHEE!!!

2009-11-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

Pitch 3 of the Rostrum
The Rostrum from the approach. 1300 feet of perfect crack climbing

Another goal for this summer is to climb the Nose again

This is my current "proj. O' tha week"- Just Send It 5.13b

I just turned 31 (ouch!). Lateley, it's dawned on me that I'm not getting any younger and that some of my goals in life (at least athletic goals) are only going to get harder to accomplish the longer I wait to achieve them. Because of this reasoning I've been fairly focused and dedicated to really pushing myself at climbing this fall. This spring I really pushed myself on the bike working up to a 100 mile mountain bike race. I saw first hand how my hard work paid off when I easily finished the race and beat out many other, more experienced, "lifers" in the race. With that mentality, I've been really trying to bump up my climbing ability into the 5.13 range. That means projecting climbs that at first seem nearly impossible to even reach the top, let alone reach the top without falling for a clean ascent. Then as you work the moves, find suitable rests, develop certain strategies and little tricks to make the movements of the climb easier, you eventually get to the point that you can climb from bottom to top without falling on fairly desperate(for me at least) terrain. With that said, my new "proj o' tha week" is a climb at Fern Buttress called Just Send It, a 5.13b sport climb that climbs super technical and is about as powerful a climb as I've ever been on. It's real close to my trad line, Portley Gent's Route, that I completed this Fall. I one-hung Just Send it twice yesterday so now its just a matter of time before I tame the beast and on to the next line but there is something magical about the process of learning movements on hard lines that I'm getting more and more addicted to. Hopefully all of this hard work will pay off this summer when I head to Yosemite for a 3 week climbing trip. One of my goals (for a long time) has been to free climb the Rostrum, a 11c 12 pitch route in Yosemite.

TICKING PROJECTS, HOME IMPROVEMENT, SOLOING, AND TRYING TO KEEP MY COOL !!

2009-11-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been BUSY to say the least. We moved into our new house and had the endless amount of errands associated with moving into a new home. Everything from setting up internet and TV; to pricing home insurance; to getting the odds and ends to make living more comfortable. On top of that, we were slammed by the Fayette County school system to jump through all the hoops of getting all of our paper work in, take our drug tests, get our transcripts sent, etc. At the same time I've been trying to do some of the more simpler tasks around our house that I can do before it gets cold. One day I put up storm windows on the many windows all over our house. A few days were spent cleaning out our crawl space under the house to lay down a vapor barrier. Tracy's dad and I fixed the sump pump and insulated some of our water pipes.

As if that wasn't enough, I've been taking full advantage of the fall season trying to climb as much as possible. I've been slowly ticking away at some of my projects here at the New River Gorge but the MORE I CLIMB, THE MORE PROJECTS I ACCUMULATE. So far this fall (ok, here comes the chest pounding, egocentric-driven bragging) I've climbed Portley Gentlemen's Route (12c trad), Skull Fuck (12c), Shang (12d), Made in the Shade (12c/d), Dining at the Altar (12a), Pettifogger (12c), Thunderstruck (12b), Finders Keepers (12b/c), Go Cat Go (12b), Reallignment (10d trad), Preffered Dynamics (11d mixed), Butterbeans (10a trad), and a good two-dozen other routes that I can't seem to recall right now. Oh and I SOLOED THE DADDY, a 400 foot route in Linville Gorge that looks amazing from the rim of the ampitheatre and doesn't disappoint when climbing it. It has crack climbing, slab, face climbing, and even a small overhang on it. It was awesome. Bachar would have been proud.

We went to Bridge day and froze our ass watching people jump off the bridge while eating our Pork BBQ sandwiches. I drank alot of beer.

I'll try to get photos from Tracy to post.
Until then.

UPDATE THIS BLOGDIGGITY SON!

2009-09-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

This is the house we are currently "camping" in until we officially close on the house below which we are buying. We sleep on a camping mat with sleeping bags as our blankets. Our clothes are in duffel bags, or better yet, scattered around the floor.
Our new house. It was built in 1896 and has loads of charm.

Camping with Tracy's parents while house hunting at the New.

That's me climbing out of Summersville Lake on the overhanging cliffs that surround it. This lake is only 20 minutes from our new house.

Kayaking Saranac Lake. We are about 5 miles into our journey and just saw a row of baby ducks following their mommy. Little did we know that our serene trip was about to turn epic when the sky unleashed the fury of 50 mile an hour winds and waves that drenched us completely. I was loving every minute of it.

This is Tracy following the 2nd pitch of a route in the Adirondacks that we did together. It was a bit scary because this pitch traversed a good bit and didn't have the best of gear so if she would have fallen she would have taken a 30 foot whipper about 100 feet off the deck. Kinda spooky for her and a little nerve racking for me as well. She got through it ok and we finished the pitch (which was awesome) and topped out.

Hiking up to Rooster's Comb in Keene Valley, NY

Gina (my little sister) graduated this summer from JMU.

I climbed with old man Steve this spring for a long weekend where we climbed both the Glass Menagerie at Looking Glass (probably the best big wall route on the East Coast) and the Original Route at Whitesides.

Bodhi and Roxy became best friends while we were living with Tracy's parents immediately returning from Kosovo. Roxy became a good girl learning from Bodhi and Bodhi got some of his spunk back because both Daddy, Mommy, and the young Roxy were now back in his life.

I'm alive and doing well cyber geeks and geekettes, or anyone else who reads this ramble of mine. Anyways, it has been months since I've updated so let me fill you in on a few things and bring you up to speed.

We left Kosova and spent nearly a month in Northern VA with Tracy's parents looking for jobs and trying to figure out what the hell we were going to do. Remember we didn't have a car, job, a place to live, not even a bed to our name. But we had all the outdoor gear you would ever want, :) the important stuff. After a month of staying with Tracy's folks and eating all of their food I finally found a job in the Queen City- Charlotte, NC. I reasoned that Charlotte would be a good move for us because the city is new, housing is affordable (way more than NOVAs), great climbing areas, in fact some of the best on the East Coast, are within a couple of hours of Charlotte, and the job seemed to ideal. I would be teaching 6th grade world history at an IB magnet school. OHHH, that's sounds fancy and prestigous. Just to make sure that the school was ideal and lived up to my expectations, Tracy and I took the 6 hour drive down to Charlotte to meet up with the principal and tour the school. Well, Mrs. Dee Gardner gave us the grand tour showing us the ballet dance room, the old fashioned auditorium, even the high tech media lab, aka library for you old school folks out there. We were convinced that this was the place for us. It actually sounded too good to be true. WELL IT WAS!!!!

Within an hour of my first day at school I realized that this was gonna be another tough 6 months. My students (i found this out later on the first day) were all what they labeled "open" students. Meaning that they didn't belong at the school because of their test scores, reading levels, and general behavior record was not adequate but instead were allowed by Charlotte Mecklenburg (CMS-or politcal corrupto ignorantamus as I like to call them) to join the school with the hope that they would be heavily influenced by the strong academics and moral conduct of the other half of students who actually belonged in a magnet IB school. By the way, for those who don't know, IB stands for International Bachleaureate (didn't spell that right and too lazy to look it up right now) which basically means that these students are working towards an Internation based diploma with hopes to go to an international university. The cream of the crop so to speak. HA! My kids were the cream of the crop all right, the crop which is armed robbery at 17, dealing drugs and repeat offender by 18, petty car theif by night, and southern low ballin slingin gangster by day just trying to play the game. Most of my kids (and I mean most, like maybe 10 out of 120) were just plain horrible. Obviously we could go on forever about who's fault this was. The obvious answers of absentee dad, cracked out mama, older brother who is a bad influence, no place to live, no money, the white man, etc. but the point is that they were not fit for a public school environment and I had to deal with them on a daily basis. Spitting, stealing, fighting, cursing, and everything else you can think of was par for the course. Everyone of the teachers outside in the trailers with me was overly stressed out. We were a band of red eyed, red faced, constantly sick, frizzled hair, heart, and mind trying to, uh, make a difference. RIGHT! We had lost motivation and nothing was going to bring it back .

The coping mechanisms of my fellow teachers were hilarious at times, as I'm sure mine were to them. We had Mr. King who treated his job as a Math teacher as a prison warden would. He issued garbage detail duty to kids during lunch, held a cardio boot camp during recess for his most horrible students, and tried at all cost to keep his kids behaved and put on the facade that he in fact had these kids in control. The last week of school he was forced to leave early because of an incident in which he got into a student's face screaming at her. Nuff said. Then we have Mrs. Peterson who did her best, like me, but for all her effort was barely hanging on. Teachers we weren't. Behavior monitors, or better yet, guards we were. Then we had Mr. Carter who cared deeply about these kids but literally let his kids run all over him and his classroom. At the end of the day Mr. Carter's room looked like a bomb went off in it. It was truly unbelievable.

So... nuff said about my shitty Charlotte teaching job. At the end of the school year I told my principal I wouldn't return. She didn't care this was the norm for this school to turn over teachers every year, plus because of budget cuts I wasn't going to get a renewed contract anyway. Win, win I guess. Win for me for sure. Oh, I forgot to tell you that during this time Tracy was hired to teach at another middle school in Charlotte, but not a "prestigous" school like mine. Well, to make a long story short, Tracy hated her job. She came home in tears at least once a week and from what I saw in her it seemed as if her spirit had been broken. I tried to convince her to quit the job and that we could find a way to make it work but she wouldn't. She stuck it out like me. By the end of the summer we were fried and we were in desperate need of a good vacation.

But before I tell you about my vacation, I need to mention the good things about Charlotte. I met some new friends who rejuvenated my love of mountain biking. Thanks Ryan, Thomas, and Lance for getting me back into biking. Ryan and i sure had some fun, yet scary as hell for me, rides in Pisgah. Ryan can ride downhill at a speed that scares teh living shit out of me so just trying to follow him his a task in itself. He and the other guys influenced me to sign up for my very first mountain bike race, the Shenandoah 100, a 100 miles of backcounty trail riding with 14,000 feet of elevation gain and nearly as much descent.

So about our vacation. We left for the Adirondacks in upstate New York for some mountainization. We climbed at Spiders Web, the Beer Walls, Pitch off Chimney, and Chapel Pond. We hiked up to peaks like Roosters Comb and the Gothics, we paddled Saranac Lake, we ate the world's heaviest pizza in Lake Placid, and we met Pat and Mike at camp and laughed at their crazy noob stories where, "Man, we should have DIED today" started their conversation. They were great and I hope we get the chance to see them again.

While we were at the Daks (that's what cool people call them) we applied for teaching jobs in Fayette county, WV -home of the New River Gorge and best climbing area on the East Coast. When we returned to Charlotte we continued to look for jobs, interview, and figure out things as far as career goes. After many internet searches, interview in Brevard, cover letter and resumes sent, and numerous trips to Fayetteville to hound the Board of Education for jobs we luckily were both hired in Fayetteville. We currently are about to move into our first house (which is awesome) and we live in a climber's dream town. So things are generally good. Now only if get my students to care about learning and things would be awesome.

SHEHEMI PRISHTINA!!!

2009-01-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Andrea and Kevin's wedding
The happy groom, my new brother

Kevin, Andrea, Gina, and Tracy at the rehearsal dinner

Vienna, Austria at Christmas

Vienna on route to Washington DC

Qendressa has graced us with her presence in Sophomore 2

There are hippies, goths, and homeboys in Kosova

These 3 on the right are responsible for at least 4 new gray hairs on my head. Denis "You talkin to me!"

The Russian Kosovars . Notice the fashionable hats.

That's it time to choke Eti the White Gangsta

Eti aka "G Unit"

Besart aka "Afro-boy"

Peter-our token Bulgarian in Junior 3

Junior 3

Man, who's that ugly dude in the middle?

Girls in Junior 3.

More girls in Junior 3.

Watch out students. The next one who starts talking has to answer to the bazooka.

Krenare and Doruntina serving cake

Eating lunch will Sophomore 4 at Qebabtore, sorry Gezim, Ben Af will have to wait for another day.

Gezim and Ron ready to make an escape

Gent is taking no prisoners

Sami on guard

Sophomore 4: Knights holding court at the round table

Sophomore 2

Granit and Alban goofing off.

Sophomore 4

So a lot has happened since my last post. I left my job teaching history in Kosovo, came back to the states during the worst economy since the Great Depression (with no job, house, or car bear in mind), helped my mom move out of my childhood home and into a new house, attended my sister Andrea's wedding up in NY, landed a job teaching 6th Grade Social Studies in Charlotte, NC and I am now planning the move to my new home in the South Park District of Charlotte (I'm going be living in Southpark, that's kinda funny, it just damned on me) Whew, what a whirlwind of a past month.

So I'll start from the beginning. My job in Kosova was horrible. I could tell by the first month that I didn't like teaching there but I tried to make it work. After coming from such a great school to ASK I was shocked and horrified to realize how things were done. It was a constant area of frustration, stress, and discontent for me that I ultimately was never able to see past. Alot of my friends and family asked was it the students, or the people there that you didn't like. And my answer is always the same, "No my students were generally great, better than your average American student. Much more initiative, a lot more curiosity, and a good bit more courteous. I loved my students." I would add, "Kosovars are wonderful people. I had nothing but good experiences with the locals. They were loving, generous, open, and genuine people. I would go back in a heart beat, to visit, that is." This is when I would get to the root of my crux while living in Kosovo. I would explain, "I learned many things in my short four and half month stay over in Kosovo, but the most important things were what I learned about myself. I learned that I love America, and being American, more than I ever had before living in Kosova. I learned that I'm not a city guy. I love the sights, sounds, arts, culture, and general chaos for a visit but not on a regular basis. One of my favorite bands growing up, Fugazi, had this line in one of their songs that never rang more true until I lived in a city. "Concrete and chaos rise up as one." Fugazi were right. Peace, beauty, and true vitality, although alive in the city, always seemed cloaked by the dingy cityscape and choked by the seemingly urgence of such non importance that is bred in urban moderne.

Ok enough with all the hippy dippity shit. Students, co-workers, and traveling was great. The daily 9 to 5 was intolerable. I will definitely miss it and my students made sure that I would miss them by all of the cakes, presents, and festivities that we had our last week of classes together. If you are reading this students I can honestly say that I will never forget any of you and I truly hope that you will keep in touch and let me know if you are visiting the states. I am going to open up a facebook account just for you guys once I get the chance to. My wife has said for years that I need to get on facebook but I have always resisted arguing that I don't want to spend that much time on the computer. I guess the time has come for me to jump into the 21st century. I'm gonna try to visit Kosova again in summer of 2011 to see my sophomores graduate. Alright I will let the photos and videos tell you the rest of the story of this crazy month. They sure are funny.

A FEW VIDEOS

2008-12-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

Me trying to unlock the sequence on the perfect tree in Meteora Greece. I'm obsessed, what can I say.

Traffic Jam on the Monastery road in Meteora.

MY BIG FAT GREEK VACATION

2008-12-04T07:05:00.000-08:00

Leaving on the train in Thessoliniki (by the way these pictures are in reverse order- I dunno, I'm an idiot).
This the outside market in Thessoliniki. Notice all the meat hanging. There were all kinds of meats, fishes, vegetables, and other "old world" products.

One of the monasteries in Meteora

Tracy topping out a cool boulder in Meteora.

Some of our passes from the monasteries.

My lady of the woods.

All of these human skulls were in one of the monasteries. I swear it was something out Indiana Jones.

A little cairn we made to mark one of the "trails" we took while exploring.

Look closely and you can see this mank ring on one of the climbs.

Pulling party tricks in a valley in Meteora.

Meteora terrain

More Meteora terrain shooting out of window in a monastery.

More human skulls. We found about 20 human skulls and leg bones just sitting outside at one of the monasteries. I'd never seen any shit like that before.

I should have taken one of these now that I think about it.

The view from our apartment in Meteora. I loved this place. I just needed a drill, about 200 bolts, and a healthy finger and I would have gone to town.

Tracy climbing

Outdoor model of the year :)

More Meteora terra firma. These pics don't do it any justice. It was such a beautiful contrast of gray and orange stone with bright vibrant hues of green in the grass, moss, and foliage.

Mist shrouding the rock pinacles in Meteora

A perfectly positioned 40 meter pinacle

This particular morning we took the road less traveled and I was able to convince Tracy to follow me up through a gully with some 4 class terrain and down another to reach a huge valley where we hiked out of and up to our first monastery of the trip.

In the town of Kastraki. What a cool little town. We stayed here and it felt as if you woke up along with the monoliths.

A local church in Kastraki. By the end of our trip we were thinking of ways how we could live here for a few years.

Downtown Thessoliniki

Old fortress tower used to look out for the Turks.

Pizza Hut in Greek.

Starbucks in Greece.

Looking out into the Adriatic. If you look closely enough you can make out snow capped mountains in the distance. It was beautiful.

Some of the bikes in Thessoliniki. I swear people rode everything from scooters to dirtbikes to crazy rigs like this BMW deal.

I saw many different music fliers for great musicians but don't worry they still have Greek Geek acts like this one for "Theosoroius the Love Crooner".

You know the city is good when they have Pink Floyd tribute bands and bring acts like Public Enemy, Motorhead, and Iron Maiden into the hizzy.

One good thing (and really the only good thing) about teaching at our school is that we get both American holidays and local holidays off. This makes for many long weekends. Over Thanksgiving (God I missed that Turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, stuffing, drool, drool, drool) we took advantage of the 4-day weekend and disembarked to the land of the grape leaf, or the land of slavaki, or the land of the gyro; or as I learned the land of the Greek staple- Lamb meat. I always felt kind of bad eating a poor, little, cute, lamb but after a few juicy tender bites I made my peace with it and grubbed like a fatty mcgee.

Well to make a long story short, our trip down there was epic. We missed the bus out of Prishtina to Skopje. Because we needed to make our 4pm train from Skopje to Thessoliniki we had no choice but give in to the road pirates and pay the 65Euros to get to Skopje. Fucking outrageous! Then, to add more stress and complication into the matter, we come to find that no train is leaving Skopje at 4 pm but instead the train now leaves at 8am. Well, this wouldn't have been so bad if we actually enjoyed Skopje and hadn't booked a hotel in Thessolinki for the night. After a bit of weighing out our options we decided it would be best to take another taxi to the Greek border and from there catch a shuttle bus to Thessoliniki. Once again we hand over our hard (and I mean years off your life HARD) earned money to the road pirate and spend the next 3 hours in a nicotine torture chamber. Awesome, this is exactly how I pictured my BIG FAT GREEK VACATION to start. Finally, we reach the Greek border and we look for our connecting shuttle to Thessoliniki like the taxi driver assured us there would be. Duped again!! That's right, of course there's no shuttle. Once again, we pay yet another road pirate to get us to Thessoliniki. Finally, after nearly 8 hours of travelling, 200 Euros less, and me boiling mad at the circumstances you get into not having a car, we finally reach Thessoliniki. After a short walk we crash for the night and hope that the next few days will be much better.

After a good nights rest and a free breakfast with REAL COFFEE (that made my day right there) we head out into the city to explore. Right away I felt about a million, no make that a gazillion times better walking around this city than in Prishtina. Thessoliniki was a real city with diversity in culture, food, music, art, architecture, etc. It is also beautiful with its location right on the adriatic. A few things came as a surprise to me: 2 out of every 5 people drive a scooter or motorcycle in the city, Americana rings loud in Thessoliniki with music acts such as Public Enemy and Strike Anywhere fliers pasting buildings, Starbucks on every other block. Ruby Tuesdays, TGIFridays, Applebees, and even Pizza Hut serving food in the city, and name brands like General Electric, Ford, McDonalds, Shell Gas, competing and probably outselling many of the local brands with the amount of billboards they were advertised on. Another thing that surprised me was how good I felt being in a clean (well as far as cities go) and modern environment.

After picking up our rental car (this car cost 18 Euros a day to rent compared to the 60 a day in Prishtina) we hightailed (or so we thought we would) it out of the city to where we would spend the majority of our trip- Meteora Greece. Navigating in Greece proved tougher than we thought. As I was driving trying desperately to not get into an accident or kill one of the thousand maniacal scooter drivers whizzing in and out of traffic, Tracy was reading road signs and checking our crappy Greek road map. Needlsess to say we lost over an hour taking countless wrong turns while we screamed at each other blaming the other for not doing his/her "job". Finally, we made out of the city. Whew!!!

Now, between yesterday's taxi musical chairs and today's navigational horror show the stress meter was redlining. As we began climing into the hills of the central Greek countryside both of us began to cool down and started to downright enjoy our vacation. We put on some traditional Greek music and rocked (uh, maybe rocked is not the word) out as we drove towards Meteora. After we couldn't take the Greek music anymore we tried the American rock station. Some of it was good and other songs were the absolute worst hair band rock acts of the 80s. Nothing like cruising through Greece at 140km/hr blasting some Poison knock off band.

I knew of Meteora because of my rock climbing obsession but we didn't chose it solely on the climbing. I knew that it was an absolutely beautiful location with ancient monasteries perched on monoliths nearly 1000 meters high in some places. I also knew that between the culture, natural beauty, and outdoor activities we would both enjoy it. When we finally arrived we were not disappointed. Pictures don't do this place justice but its all I have to share with you guys until I see you and then I'm sure I chew your ear off with stories. I'm getting tired and don't feel like typing much more so I'll let the pictures and captions tell you the rest.

OLD MAN WINTER CAME KNOCKING

2008-11-25T23:12:00.000-08:00

The old, abandoned Serbian church

A few birds trying to get some food from a plant poking out of the snow

Pro-Credit Bank in downtown Prishtina

In front of our school, American School of Kosova

This past Saturday I awoke to a heavy snow falling. I remember wondering why it looked so light outside in the middle of the night when I had briefly awoken, but I shrugged it off to my imagination. Finally, around 6am when I got up for good I looked out the window and saw a blanket of white snow covering as far as I could see in the city. Immediately I felt the buzz that a snow storm gives me. It was as if the city was transformed into an entirely new environment. I knew from the swelling feeling inside me that I needed to submerge myself in the new environment. I also had this trip planned with my Outdoor Club from school in which we were suppose to meet at 7:30 am and go on a day hike in Matka Canyon, Macedonia. As I walked to school I realized that the chances of most of the kids showing up was slim, and even slimmer chance of getting the buses to do the 2 hr drive to Matka.

When I arrived at school only 1 student, Krenare, was there. She had the same buzz as I and was ready to make the most of this new environment. Within a few minutes another student arrived, Sami. He too was one of us. As a group of 3 we waited around for awhile for any other students but none came. We took one look at the bus which was running and ready to go, but decided that the rear tires were so bald, and the roads were to bad to risk the drive to Matka. So, we did the next best thing and walked through the city and made our way to Germia Park where we could get into the woods and hike the snowed in trails. Krenare wanted to take photos of the snowed in city so she went her separate way. Sami and I spent the next 7 hours or so hiking, helping stuck cars get out, and talking about life. It was great to connect on a different level with one of my students. Sami is an extremely bright kid with a great perspective on things. It was great to share with him and learn from him throughout the day. He hopes one day to design cars. I have no doubt that if that's the path he continues on, that sure enough, one day he will be the one shaping the future look of automobiles. Here are a few pictures that I took from the day.

A FEW SHORT WEEKEND TRIPS MIXED UP WITH WEEKLY BOREDOM

2008-11-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

Looking into Tara Canyon Montenegro

Hiking in Durmitor National Park, Montenegro

Durmitor Ski resort

Look closely, I took these pictures one morning to capture the massive crow invasion that wakes us up every morning. I swear there are literally thousands.

Drinking beer, hiking, and cow roaming wild-yup, that's Montenegro

This one's for you Andrea. A local meat shop where they hang the animal in the window and drain the blood out. UMM YUMMY!

Prizren- an old Ottoman city

Last weekend me and Tracy rented a car and drove over the mountain into Montenegro. We didn't have any real plan but just went exploring. We had hopes of finding this place Durmitor National Park but one thing I've learned living in this part of the world is to not expect finding a place when you can't speak the language, read the road signs, and have never been there before. Lucky for us we found Durmitor but not without nearly driving out of the country into Serbia. Here are some pictures from our trip. The video is funny as hell and a perfect example of how boredom can seriously affect a person.

Craziness in Macedonia and at home

2008-11-07T23:10:00.000-08:00

My new do. Notice the facial growth -1 week so far, only 6.5 more to go. I love how it grows in like Joe Dirt, all redneck like.

Blues brotha

Standing among legends-city murals in Skopje, Macedonia

Some cows shared the path with us on route from Matka Canyon to Skopje

Umm! Doh!nuts

This bear is locked in this cage the size of Uhaul truck. Oh, and the cage is right next to the playground. I'm suprised a kid hasn't reached into the cage yet and gotten mauled.

Hanging at a local Kulla-a traditonal "hangout" for local men to discuss issues

Here are a few pictures we took on a trip to Skopje, Macedonia. I was a concentration camp victim for Halloween, hence the shaved head. No, not really-just a rash decision because I was hot and annoyed with hair curling around my ears. One more thing... Tracy has always wanted me to grow a beard but I always end of shaving after a week or so because it starts to annoy me. In fact the longest I've ever gone without shaving was 3 weeks one summer ago. We have a bet going between the two of us in which if I win-I WIN BIG TIME!!! So, I'm determined to win. All I have to do is not shave until we return to the states on Dec. 21. So, I'll post a picture of me to evaluate the grizz-factor every couple of weeks. Just wait, I'll return to the states like a Pakistani terrorist but a great reward awaits me.

SOLO TRIP TO THE SHARI MOUNTAINS

2008-10-12T23:52:00.001-07:00

Accursed Peaks in Albania
Fall foliage in the Shari Mountian wilderness
Mountain house in Restilica
Village of Restilica
Cows walking through downtown Restilica

Frozen pond

Looking out a sheep herders hut

My first night
Bivied out under a rock overhang
The valley I hiked up out of from Brod
Wilderness
Alpine Lake about 8km up from Brod

I was in desperate need of some mountainization (I'm not sure if I made this word up or if it really exists but nevertheless I like it). So this past weekend I escaped off to Prizren, an old Ottoman city in the south of Kosovo surrounded by the Shari Mountains of Macedonia and the Accursed Mountains of Albania. I didn't spend too much time in Prizren because i know that Tracy wants to see the city and figured we could explore it together. Also, I've had about as much of city-life as I can handle. Although I realize every city has its own identity, its own culture, its own pulse; to me they still seem very similar in what debilitating way, their chaos.

Once I peiced together a ride to Dragash Valley from a local named Gezim who I'm not sure understood what I was going to do in the mountains but knew he was going to get paid for taking me the 30km up the dirt roads into the mountains. Once in Dragash I realized I wanted to get further up into the mountains. Basically, I want to get as far out as possible and into the most wild area I could explore. I was told by a student of mine to check out the village of Brod which is a small village of less than 300 which sits as the last sign of civilization before you hit the Great wilderness of the Shari Mountain Range and Accursed peaks. After having a machiato and a cigarette with Gezim (He was so excited to meet an American that he bascially forced me to sit down at the only cafe in Brod to show me around to the locals-or at least that's how it seemed to me).

After Gezim left I was on my own to figure out where and what I was going to do. I had all I needed to survive for 2 nights and next 3 days on my back. There is something magical about stripping life down to the basics in which you carry only what you need on yourself. Exploring amazing places (and yourself) by foot have always been a great cleansing agent for me, as well as a great source of inspiration. So, I hiked out of Brod onto a horse trail into a great valley with a small mountain river in the middle and huge steep rocky mountains on both sides. As I climbed in elevation I began to realize that i was truly heading to an area that rarely ever gets visited. This place was wild. Trails disappeared with the exception of a few sheep trail and gave way to an open mountain landscape that appeared to go on infinitely.

Over the next 2 days I found what i was looking for; a sense of peace. As I continued to explore the mountains by foot I was presented with the crux, do I retrace my steps and go back the way I came (remember there were no trails) or do I continue in my present direction and try to create a huge loop and hope that i make it back to Brod. Well, of course I decided on the second, knowing very well that I was rolling the dice and very likely might not be back for work on Tuesday. Around mid day on my second day, I saw a small village in the same direction as Brod. I figured it must be Brod and that I would make my way down towards the village.

A few more hours of cross country travel brought me to the village which I immediatley realized was not Brod. Damn, I thought to myself. I really don't want to reverse my steps back to Brod, this will take another 2 days. This small village was only 10km or so from Brod as far as the crow flies but because of the rugged terrain the only road to Brod was over 50km away. After finding one local who could speak a little English I realized that cross-countrying it over the next few mountains would not be a good idea because of the wild Shar dogs. I wanted adventure but I wasn't looking for that kind of adventure. So my only option was to begin walking out of the village and hope that someone driving in the same direction would give me a ride back towards Dragash, or even better, Prizren. I realized that i might be walking a longs way because I could count the number of cars I saw on one hand.

Luckily, within ten minutes i was picked up by a local guy who was making his way back to Dragash. He didn't have enough gas so he coasted in neutral most of the way back to his home. During the ride, he explained how he owns a lmarket in Dragash but because most of the village's poor economy he barely makes enough money to survive. He told me how he hopes to get a visa to Italy, Austria, or Slovenia in order to work and make enough money to help support his family. He explained that the visas were expensive and that coming up with the 2000 Euros for a 6 month visa to Italy was virtually impossible. Knowing that this guy and his family are virtually stuck in the life that they were born into made me realize how lucky I am to be American. Sure all the freedoms we are granted, all the modern niceties we have are great, but what I cherish above all as an American are the opportunities we have. The more I travel, the more I realize how lucky we are to be able to live the life we want.

After giving my local driver a couple of Euros for his service, i easily found another ride to Prizren with a local from Dragash. We exchanged stories about Kosovo, our families, and my experience in the mountains. He spoke really good English and was a treat to be able to communicate easily. I showed him pictures on my camera from my trip in the mountains, pictures of Tracy, and pictures from Slovenia. He fipped through the images studying them while whipping down switchbacks to Prizren.

An hour later I was back in Prizren. I figured if i hurried i just might catch the bus back to Pristina giving me my Monday to take care of choirs I've been neglecting. Back into the jungle I thought as i popped in my earplugs on my ipod, began listening to DJ Shadow, and tried to catch some shut-eye on the bus.

s-LOVE-nia

2008-10-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

Local Church
Paul McCartney ate at the same restaurant we ate at. Now I know why it cost us 50Euros for lunch.
Sheep outside our apartment in the morning
Local barn in the Julian Alps
Typical Slovenian house
Who's that ugly dude on the right?

I had to row across Bled lake to get to the Church. Unfortunately, unlike this guy, I had no clue what i was doing.
I did a little painting of Bled lake while I was there. Here is what it looks like.
My new Slav friends. They were transported to the future from the neolithic era to teach us how to live.

These are paintings by Ejti Stih, a popular Slovenian artist.

Triglav National Park-the Julian Alps meet the border of the Italian Alps on the west and the Austrian Alps in the North.
6th Century Castle overlooking Bled
Possibly the coolest Hotel I've ever seen. I loved the vegetation growing all over the building.
Ducks doing there thang in Bled Lake
This is the church we out rowed to.

Here are a few pictures from our 4 days in Slovenia. It costs us way too much but after all we are here to travel and we better get after it while we can. I can't wait to get back there. Now that we know a little more about the area we can plan to stay longer and not spend as much money Also we have a better idea about things to do there that will be fun. For example if we go back in the summer, I'm going to take Tracy on a real backpacking trip. All of the camping we have done has always been car camping, or setting up a basecamp at an AMC shelter and then climbing. In Triglav National Park in Slovenia, you need to hike at least 15km to get into the high peaks and once up in Apinewonderland you can bag peaks along the ridge all of the way back to Bled. Also, there is a lot of sport climbing in Slovenia. Because of my f-ed up finger I wasn't able to really climb so hopefully this summer I'll be back to normal and be able to sample European limestone (or slimestone, if you're a sandstone, granite, and gneiss snob like me). Anyways peep the photos for some of the highlights of our trip. Also, you can check Tracy's blog (she much better at updating her blogerito) for her take on the trip.

Exploring the Balkans

2008-09-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

I love the Balkans.

Drying peppers the local way
Alojz, Sasho, Goce, and me lunching after climbing at Matka
Yours truly posing in front of the Macedonian Flag. Tracy loves this flag it shouts peace to her. Can't say I disagree. Flags say a lot about a nation.
Chossing up a line at Matka
Skopje at night taken from the Turkish Fortress
Alojz and me enjoying "Pivolend" (Beer land). Look at the sign for the Skopje Beer festival. Bottoms up boys!

Puka Burger, uh no thanks.
Looking down at one of the cafes in Matka canyon.
This is where we slept. Vigilante poaching skills in effect.
"Little Matka"

She followed us around the first night in Matka and then slept right next to the camper and spent the entire day with us the next day. I think she is a stray but she sure knows how to pick her hood.

Entrance to Decani Monastery
New appartment complex in Prishtina
Decani Monastery
Hey look at that sexy kitten. My wife is hot!!
Grapes from a vine at a local Kula

So... I know I'm a big slacker when it comes to updating my blog but when you spend way too much time on the computer for work than you want, updating a blog can become a tiresome chore. LIfe here for me is characterized by work, work, and way too much work, puncuated by a few great weekends where we have managed to explore some of the local beauties of the region, meet new friends, and even manage some choss-aruski (hey it sounds kind of slavic) climbing.

Work: Work, ahh, the bane of my existence as of right now. The school where I work is a chaotic mess of students, teachers, and administration all tangled up in a dance where no one knows who leads and subsequently where we all step on each other's toes. Without getting into too many details, the situation is one in which it takes me 3 or maybe even 4 times the amount of time to get basic things done to run my class. The same can be said for conducting lessons in the classroom. And in the long run this equates to me spending way more time than I care to put into work. I've always been the kind of guy who needs his own time. That is to say I can only, and only want to, dedicate a certain amount of my time, MY LIFE, to my profession. Don't get me wrong, I care about my job and most of the time enjoy it. But when things get to the point where you barely have time to eat and sleep, then in my opinion its time to re-evaluate how you've arranged your life. Okay enough said, I could go on forever but will spare you my ranting.

Exploration: We've tried to leave the city as much as possible on the weekends since we've been here. In the past 3 weeks we've done a lot of exploring throughout the region. Although all the sights, sounds, tastes, and discoveries we've made have been fascinating, hands down the highlights have been the Decani Monastery outside of Peja, Matka Canyon in Macedonia, and the Beer festival our new friend Alojz took us to in Skopje. Since, I'm still burned out on computers,(until I get this job situation under control will probably remain that way), I'll let the pictures I took tell the story.

We're are heading to the Julian Alps in Slovenia tomorrow for 4 days of relaxation and mountainization. Time to load up the pack, breath a big gulp of air, and ready myself for some REAL LIVING!!!

First Impressions of Prishtina

2008-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Land mine warning in Germia Park

Chillin' at the pool at Germia

Look, Tracy is actually taller than someone

A traditional Albanian food called Pasul

Turkish Mosque in Skopje, Macedonia

Can read any of this? Neither could we.

Ahh! Peja, the local beer. I pay .50 cents for a bottle.

The "Newborn" sign celebrating Kosova's independence.

Our school, A.S.K.

Mother Theresa statue. She was from Kosova.

You mean to tell me you can't ride your bike with your dog and wave a gun around in the mall because I'm so used to doing this.

You see these all over the place.

UN land cruiser and 4-Runners are on every block.

They like tagging over here. I've seen some pretty good stuff.

War hero statue. They must have hippies here to because someone put flowers in his gun.

I can't understand it but it sure makes me feel like I'm in some Bombay ghetto club sucking on a hookah.

Local sheep herder in Rugova Valley.

The school's van overheated half way up the mountain in Rugova Valley.

Uh, Harold I don't think we'll be back in time for work on Tuesday.

Helping peel vegetables for the BBQ feast.

My new wife has decided to become Muslim.

Turkish coffee is traditionally served at the end of big meal. This stuff is lethally strong and will literally wake a corpse to life. But you got to drink unless you want to offend the host.

Clowning around with Texas Ben.

Well we arrived safely in Prishtina nearly 3 weeks ago. So it's safe to say that we are beginning to feel like this is home. My God, I can't believe I just said that! Let me further explain. This city is not unlike any other city in the world in that it is a chaotic mess filled with way too many people, way too many cars, way too many building, and way too little green space. Surely God did not intend for people to live like this. I think it was Minor Threat who sang "concrete and chaos rise up as one". I always remembered that line and now living in the heart of a city for the first time, I must say that it rings with more truth than I have ever realized.

Where do I start? Our apartment is a 2 room rig on the top floor (4th) of what is considered an above average apartment complex in Prishtina. Its not too bad of a place except for the fact that the building is tagged like it was sitting in the Bronx and many of the exterior niceties that you would have in the states are not there. Basically, it would be the most ghetto complex in the hood but here in Prishtina its occupants aren't members of the Wu-tang Clan, but instead people working for the state department, UN, or EU. As far as our unit goes it does have its share of problems but nothing that isn't livable (hell, I've spent many nights bivouacked under boulders where you wake up with a rock partially melded to your back and where squirrel size rodents scurry beside you all night, hoping that they might find some crumbs underneath you from the night's dinner. I can do this).

One thing that is kind of annoying is the fact that the electricity seems to go off daily at the most inconvenient times. There simply isn't enough power to supply the city so the way they deal with it is to cut power in random areas of the city on a daily basis. So imagine renting a movie, the popcorn is popped, the beer is poured, and all of sudden whomp! the power goes off and you are suddenly transported back to medieval times where you use candles to light rooms. WTF! If that isn't annoying enough, they also cut off the water at certain times of the day (usually at night after 9pm and until 6am). So lets say you need to leave the flat (that's what they call apartments here) before 6am, well you best sport that bed head with style and hand pick out those eye crusties because you ain't getting a shower. Or lets say you have to take a leak, or even worse, a dump after 9pm, well, its gonna sit in the toilet all night long and brew and you can't wash your hands unless you have a bottle of water sitting underneath the sink like we've learned to do now. I'm not an easily grossed out person, but personal hygiene is something I care to keep up. Yea, its true that I can spend a month out in the mountains rarely showering only swimming or washing up in a river, alpine lake, etc. but somehow in the wild I never truly feel dirty, in fact I always feel cleaner in a sense. Or for better words, more pure. But in the city, doing the 9 to 5 thing, and all the corrupt crap you put your body and mind through I always feel dirty and I always want that shower or hand wash. So when that water goes off it really sucks.

Alright enough about that the apartment, or flat (like my Irish UN friend Dave would call it), let me tell you more about the city. I was expecting simple people dressed in clothing that you would find fashionable 20 years ago and at that kind of ragged. I also expected the people to be malnourished (I read that Kosova has an unemployment rate of nearly 60%) with all the complexities that that brings such as missing teeth, hunched over, etc. I couldn't be more wrong. People here are dressed in the newest fashions from around the world. In fact it seems that every other shop in the city is either a trendy clothing boutique with a name like "Arsenal" or a shoe store. People here aren't malnourished either. I'm not a tall guy, but I've never really thought that I was extremely short either. Here, it seems that everyone is 6 feet tall, including the women. Most people have extremely good hygiene, at least it seems) and are very attractive looking. Guys, I swear to you when I say this- the women here are downright gorgeous. I'm talking HOT EUROPEAN SUPERMODELS gorgeous. Unbelievably gorgeous actually. And I'm no homo (sorry I'm not a PC type of guy) but the dudes here are some serious studs. There is no real "look" to Albanians (People from Kosova are actually ethnic Albanians). Some have blond hair and blue eyes. Some have dark features with blue eyes. Some have dark hair and features and brown eyes. Some have a typical Russian look. Some have a Mediterranean look. But I swear to you when I say this, it seems as if the largest modeling firms in the world have set up shop in Prishtina and everyone of their models lives in this city.

The city itself is in the process of becoming a 1st world European city with a vibrant cafe culture and nightlife. Matter of fact, most of the restaurants, stores, and cafes are less than 3 years old. So what you have is a city that is mixed with the most ghetto buildings imaginable (many still have half of the wall exploded off from the Serb conflict 10 years ago and rubble piled all over it) with brand new building with beautiful glass exteriors and fancy decorations etc. Did I mention that most of the population of Prishtina, all 500,000 of them, is young. 70% of the population is under 30 in this city. That makes for a lot of partying. Also, everyone smokes. I mean everyone. Hot Euro-supermodel women, old Turkish looking men, principles of schools, policemen (KFOR). People wake up in this city with a macchiato and cigarette at one of the 1000 or so cafes. I've never realized how much I actually hate breathing in cigarette smoke until I move here. I've had a cold for 2 weeks because of it. There is no escaping that friggin' smoke. I wake up to the smell of a neighbor smoking, I walk to work past hundreds of people smoking cigarettes, I eat lunch at a cafe or restaurant where the place is clouded in a haze of smoke, and I go to bars where not smoking isn't an option because involuntarily you breathe in the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes in a few hours drinking there.

Let's see, what else can I say about life here. Oh, my co-workers at school are great. There are almost as many Canadians as there are Americans and definitely more Albanians than us but everyone is really cool. There's Jeff, the 40 year old from Ontario, who works as a teacher on an Indian reservation but is on sabbatical for 5 years while he teaches abroad and travels. He's super chill, loves music (collects vinyl and has over 5000 classics so far) and reminds me of friends from Boone in the way that carries himself and parties (if you know what I mean). Then there is Erwin who is from Banff, Canada but isn't at all what I would expect a person from Bannf to be like. He seems to be super conservative but has a hidden wild streak that should be tons of fun to see uncaged throughout the year. Janet- she from Michigan and is working to save money for her kid's college tuition. She is the mom of the group and is sincerely a nice person. Seems like a great teacher also. Heck she even likes Mark Knopfler, Paul Simon, Dylan, and many other great musicians. Then, there is Emin who is a local who "fought "for his country against the Serbs. I put fought in quotations because it wasn't much of a fight. The Serbs had an airforce, modern weaponry, tens of thousands more enlisted, and the backing of the Russians, where the Albanians didn't have an airforce, and fought with rifles and hand grenades and a few modern weapons that the U.S. and other Western nations began to leak to them. The war was basically a holocaust in which the Serbs closed off the borders, made the Albanians stay in doors most of the day, closed down Albanian businesses, schools, etc. and eventually began a mass genocide through villages and towns in order to regain that region for a greater serbian empire. This all was happening while the U.S. was involved in the Persian Gulf War so it wasn't so much as we allowed it to happen, but rather, that we had our priorities elsewhere.

Anyways, Emin lived through this, he was one of the young 18 year olds up in the hills trying to defend against an advancing Serbian army with his rifle, knife, and friends to "protect" his village. Admirable beyond words. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot more stories from him. I can tell the wounds run deep and I won't pry but hope as I befriend him I'll learn more about this horrible time in his life. Emin also owns a dojo and on the side he is martial arts instructor. The dude is a serious bad ass. He looks at martial arts as I do climbing. Its a way of life for him. A life long pursuit which will continue to mold him until the day he dies. I've been working out with him occasionally. But must say I've been so depressed with the lack of climbing, hell the lack of any real wilderness area nearby that I've been doing a whole lot more drinking than I care to admit. Nevertheless I've managed to join Emin for runs at Germia (the only park in Prishtina where the cafe is more appreciated than the trails) We also go to his dojo sometimes where I'll pretend to be the next Randy Courture in training punching and kicking punching bags, lifting weights, doing other exercises that I hate. I'm a rock climber damnit, not a meathead Men's Health type of guy. Climbing and hiking doesn't feel like exercise to me, it's a passion. I've never had to exercise in the traditional way and when I have in the past I've always hated it. It feels like torture. Hell, it is torture. But if I don't do anything while I'm here I'm gonna come back to the states so out of shape and so weak on rock that I'll be disgusted with myself. I also become a raging alcoholic with the pace I've been consuming. If I don't figure out a way to squash my restlessness and general dismay over city life I'll go insane.

Besides Emin, there is Harold and Charley, the two principles at our school. Both are great guys in and out of school. What I love about this place is that not only do we all work together but we all hang out together too. We drink beers together, share dvds, go shopping together, we basically are a family out here.

Although I've been bitching and complaining endlessly to Tracy about living in a city (and after this I'll never live in a city again-I'm just not the city type) I've come to realize that this is a great time to be here. There is a refreshed, vibrant spirit about the people here. They know that they are at a the dawn of a new era for Kosova and its people. The nation isn't even a year old yet and is still filled with UN, KFOR, and EU troops throughout the city to "keep the peace". But the locals know that things are getting better. They know that within 20 years Prishtina could be the new Budhapest. They know that Rugova Valley could be on the travel circuit for many European tourists. And because of this spirit, you can't help but get wrapped up in wanting to be part of this transitional period. I guess my part is helping to teach the youth here. But also, it's in the connections I make with the people. The stories we share. The experiences we share. The heated conversations over our 3rd macchiato about politics in the world. Some how I know that years later I will look back on this experiece will great memories and admiration for these people, my co-workers; and cherish the first years of my marriage.

WEDDING PICTURES

2008-09-01T00:23:00.001-07:00

Here is the link to the pictures from our wedding. The photographer took over 1000 snaps so you're bound to see some good ones. I'm no Derek Zoolander hence the many frankenstein poses. :)
Be sure to check out picture #665 to see Chewbacha. Dude, shave that Jeremiah Merle Watson beard of yours, for the love of Nascar. :) Engeline you might have a career as a supermodel. There are some great pictures of you. Little Lila (Ryan's daughter) steals the show though. What a cutie. I'm posting about Prishtina tomorrow with tons of pics.

www.bobupdegrove.com
Browse to the private wedding galleries and look for Tracy and Joe
Password: boehl

I'M A MARRIED MAN NOW! OH CRAP WHAT'VE I DONE? :)

2008-08-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

August 16th, 2008 is a date I will never forget. On that beautiful Saturday I was married to Tracy. After loads of planning (thanks mostly to Tracy) and tons of preparation by both Tracy and I, our families, and friends, we turned Rick and Paige Peck’s estate into the perfect venue for our wedding. Most of our closest relatives and friends were able to join in our celebration and the only real disappointment was not having my friend’s band play but we managed fine anyhow. It was great catching up with family members and friends who I had not seen or talked to in awhile. It made me realize how special those people are and how truly horrible I am at keeping in touch. Now being in Prishtina is only going to make things harder but I plan on trying to do a better job and when we return to the States to make up for lost time.
So, I really wasn’t nervous in the days leading up to Saturday but once I started driving to the farm I started to really feel it. I’m not sure if it was the coffee I drank in the morning with Bill, or just the magnitude of the day, probably both, but I sure was damn nervous driving there, even more nervous while getting ready, and absolutely sweating bullets walking up to the “alter” with our family and friends watching on. Even though I knew Tracy would say “I do”, I swear I nearly passed out from the anxiety that I felt while Bishop Andrus was reading Tracy her vows.
Anyways its all over now. So do I feel any different now that I’m a married man? Not really! Life is pretty much the same as always, except for the fact that I’m now living a foreign country thousands of miles from the USA where most people don’t even know a lick of English. More on that later. Peep the photos from the wedding.

YOSEMITE SUMMER O8'

2008-08-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Like summers past, I spent most of my time this summer in Yosemite climbing and hiking. Unlike past summers I realized that its not only the climbing that attracts me to the Sierras every summer but the friends that I meet out there, and the new ones that I meet every year. Once a year for a month I get to see these guys and gals and catch up. We come from all walks of life. We range from over fifty to under fifteen (Max you're a beast kid, keep it up and I look forward to future adventures with you and your family). Some are recent college grads, others are young professionals, and many are accomplished professionals with loads of experience in there fields, as in life. The common bond that brings everyone together is the rock, the mountains, and the general beauty in the simplicity of life that a climbing trip in the Sierras creates. I used to return home after these summer trips and mostly recall epic onsights, captivating moves that stumped me, classic ridges that led to beautiful summits, and pristine alpine lakes that made for refreshing after climb swims. This year however, I find myself telling family and friends about my friends out there much more than anything else. I find myself cherishing the cycles that my friends go through from waking up to going to bed out there. For instance, I was telling my buddy Bill, how my friend Sascha wakes up every morning and does yoga as part of her daily routine. What an inspiration. I remember being on the plane talking to Gray (who was out there with me) about how I finally understand how Hunt, Bob, and Dave can spend hours in the morning sitting by the stream before they set out to do anything. I realize now that each of them relish the conversations and cherish the bond that they have between them so much that the climbing is secondary. My new friends the Wasers were in full-on family mode every morning managing two boys. This year I got to see one of my best friends, Gray Joines (I spelled it right this time gangStar) mature and grow into a great climber that I knew he would become. I'm proud of you man- you ripped this year. Also, I got to see Mad Max Joseph , the belt sander offwidth machine, before he embarks on a roadtrip of a lifetime in which he undoubtedly will crank, and more importantly grow as a person. Keep up the good work Boris and I'll see ya when I get back where I'm sure to have you rope gun for me up some big wall. Finally, I got to know Ben (the soloing machine) Doyle better when we spent the day running up peaks and ridges as if we were two elusive big horn sheep returning to our herd. What an amazing day, man. All those peaks and ridges solo was truly remarkable and something I'll never forget. I'll see ya in good ole West "By God" Virginia during Christmas time.

As I get older I realize that its the friends that you get to share company with and the new ones you meet, the stories you share with each other, the powerful experiences that you embark on together(Phil, Gray-Half Dome was sick-remember the base jumpers and never forget that full moon) (Max,Gray-The Nose full commitment style was proud and brave-We learned a lot) that truly make these trips lifetime memories for me. So here's to another great season in the Sierras and the gang I call Le Dirtbag Sophistacate.

MORE PICS FROM COLORADO AND BIG NEWS

2008-06-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

I just got the pictures that Steve took from our Colorado climbing trip and wanted to put a few more up. Check out the crux pitch of Medicine Man. Steve shot pictures of me trying to follow his lead. Man, i'll have to try that one again some time.

Also, I just got back from the New River Gorge where i spent an amazing, rain free, 8 days with my girlfriend, now fiance (more on that later) and my dog.

On the first day I asked Tracy to marry me by hanging a note and a ring at the anchor of a climb that i led. I thought it felt kind of hard for 5.9 so as I was climbing it I asked her "are you sure you've done this one before?" and she responded curtly, with a "Yes, i have!", relaying a tone as to say what do you think i'm not good enough to get up this. I just wanted to make sure babe. So as she followed up the route and neared the top, I waited and watched for a sign that she saw the note and ring. Everything worked out perfectly. The sun emerged from the clouds, the wind sat idle for a few minutes, and the only sound audible was the lulling of the waves breaking on the shore from Summersville Lake, as she made her way to the anchor. Finally, I heard her laugh and all the tension that seemed to swell in my throat in a matter of a few minutes vanished. She turned around and said yes with her huge glowing smile and in that minute i knew that my life I had began to merge on a new path, a path in which I've envisioned for years but couldn't quite find until recently. Life feels so new and invigorating to me now. Instead of just me on this wild path, I now have my lover, my best friend, my emerging clan with me. It's hard for me to admit this because i've always prided myself on being a "lone wolf' so to speak, but I've come to realize that there is great comfort in knowing that i'll never be alone again.

So that was the main priority of my trip to the New, but we also climbed a whole lot, made killer gourmet meals at camp, played Catch Phrase, and hung out with old and new friends around the camp fire. By the end of the trip I had climbed my hardest sport climb to date and felt strong enough to onsight a classic trad climb called Agent Orange. I planned on taking pictures but I forgot to charge my camera's battery. Doh!

4 DAYS OF CLIMBING IN COLORADO

2008-05-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

To many people Memorial Day means a weekend of BBQ's, beer, hanging out with the family, and pool openings. BUT, to a climber, Memorial Day means a lengthy ROAD TRIP. So, off i was to Colorado with my friend and climbing partner, Steve. Some things you need to know about Steve up front: He is 50 years old. Works as a Dentist for the Air Force (i'm sure glad you're not putting your gnarled hands in my mouth buddy :) . Eats more for breakfast than most. I'm talking 2 big bagels with heaping amounts of Peanut Butter, 2 Protein bars, a few handfuls of Peanut M&Ms, and a banana, all washed down by his homemade "toilet coffee" prepped the night before. All this before 6am and consumed in a matter of mere mintues. Damn impressive if you ask me. Oh, and one other thing about old Stever, he can CRUSH! Technical face climbs, desperate slabs, overhanging cracks of all sizes, you name it, he can climb it. SOLID 5.12 like I've never seen before. The rest of you know me, pysched as always, and constantly pysched on climbing. Oh and one more thing about Steve. He's as pysched as me, if not more, about climbing. The past few months we have been doing local weekend trips to Seneca and Old Rag together and he has been walking out to the crag on crutches and climbing with a foot that he can barely weight. He's such a nut about climbing that he can't not climb while waiting for his foot to heal completely. I'm the same exact way and if you're reading this Steve, i mean no disrespect above, only admiration. You are inspiring. Some day my hands might even look like yours. Ok, enough worshipping on my part for god's sake. Off to the story. So the plan was fly into Denver, rent a car, drive west into the desert to climb at Colorado Monument and try this route Medicine Man, and then off to Black Canyon for a go at Scenic Cruise and Atlantis. The latter two routes are roughly 2000 feet long, dead vertical, and contain enough hard and scary climbing to make anyone thank the good man above for allowing him passage back to solid ground on the rim above the climb. Going into the trip the weather looked real iffy. Rain, thunderstorms, and even snow were all high possbilities throughout Colorado. We kept out fingers crossed and took it day to day. The first night we drove like hell out of Denver, finally stopping a few hours outside of Grand Junction to spend a cold night in a dirt lot just off of the highway. Awaking at 5am we headed out, got provisions, and sped off to Colorado Monument with the enthusiasm of two high school graduates on there way to meet up with friends for a week long hoo rah at the beach with no parents, no rules, and way too much beer, liquor, and herb. We were pysched. Driving to the Colorado Monument Steve turned me onto a band from the late 60s, early 70s who evidently still put out albums today called the Kinks. I was instantly hooked. Think Beatles, hopped up on speed, with darker, deeper,and much more polticallyl oriented lyrics. If you get a chance check em out. Colorado Monument is a huge wilderness area that one could backpack into, set up base camp, and then spend the next week, hiking, bouldering, climbing single pitches, or doing a few big routes a day and still have a million other walls, boulders and aroyos left to explore. We decided on a route called Medicine Man. Its a 500 foot free standing pinnacle laced with laser cut cracks and corners. The money pitch is a 100 foot 12b thin hands crack that looks like Zeus himself had weilded with one thunderous lighting bolt. I managed to link pitch 2 and 3 into one long pitch to set up Steve for pitch 4 the ''Zeus Crack". Upon first seeing it i thought it looked easy. Matter of fact, watching Steve stroll up it, I was sure it was going to be a cake walk. But damn that thing sure was ass-kicking hard. i took two falls seconding it before I even got to the crux and at the crux i had to pull on gear to reach the anchor. I was so spent desperately trying to get a jam to fit that i didn't even want to try to figure out moves when it began to overhang at the the crux. A thorough ass kicking it was. Humbling experience to say the least. We topped out after i lead one long 5.10 pitch. The view was awesome above. As i peered into the vast sandstone desert thoughts of mythical anasazi shamans on peyote fueled pyschadelic voyages wandering around in the same terrain as i was presently immersed in raced through my mind (I swear Dean Potter didn't say that). After Medicine Man, we climbed two single pitches on a wall heading out. Both were quality and tough. I'll definitely be back to that magical place. Next time i plan on setting up camp in the backcounty,doing a whole lot more routes, exploring tons more, and watching the sun rise and set in Desert Solitaire land. Next stop was Black Canyon. Black Canyon is one of those places that it only takes one experience there to get you hooked and change you forever. Its a place of another world. On the rim of the canyon, life is good. Camp, ranger station, bathrooms, running water, friends, car, food, beer, etc. are all there. But as you descend the ruthlessly steep and loose gullies into the "Black" you enter another world. A world with walls that loom 2000 plus feet overhead. A world filled with the roar of raging white water that wants nothing but to churn you a million times over. A world where once dragons indeed ruled over. A world where huge suffocating walls with Jackson Pollack esque pegmatite bands would surely set the mind a flame of any acid-head and then proceed to induce a fear so real that one very well could lose their mind imagining the canyon closing up on you forever. The Black is a world where rock climbers are not welcome. Loose rock, dangerous runouts, big walls, freezing belays, and the constant fear of getting lost on that wall all add to the paranoia. However, if you are lucky by chance and the great beast allows you passage from the depths of its belly, THEN you are rewarded deeply. This was our fate. We managed to climb a route called Scenic Cruise and after numerous pitches of linking up crack systems, corners, and pegamatite traverses we managed to top out to a perfect blue sky. I felt a sense of greater maturity, heightened clarity, and a sense of vitality like I've felt on only a few occasions before. After the climb we raced back into Crawford, the local town, to eat a dinner fit for kings at a local cowboy Steakhouse. They must of seen the ravenous look in our eyes because when our food appeared it was stacked so high on the plate that we both spent the next 15 minutes in silence swapping between chow and suds until every last morsel was consumed. That night we decided that Atlantis was out of the question for the next day. Two Grade V's back to back take dedication (4am wake up call, pain enduring, possible freezing night on the wall, etc.) and although we have plenty of it, we realized that with Steve's ankle swelling (it's still not completely healed), the late hour we would get to bed, and the shear thought of starting up another monster route was more than we wanted to chew off. So instead of Atlantis the next day we opted for a shorter route called Escape Artist. This route was located in the SOB Gully and is roughly 1000 feet long with quality pitches. We decided to link up the choice pitches from another climb called Comic Relief so that our actual route would consist of sustained 5.10 climbing, and even one 5.11 pitch to end it. We climbed quick and efficiently with Steve taking the 2nd pitch Pegmatite traverse with its tricky facey moves and I took the 3rd pitch with its enduro jamathon. We then did a traverse pitch and one short corner pitch to reach the "lighting bolt" pitch. This pitch was 5.11 and it was my turn to lead. I went for the onsight but was so worked that I botched the crux taking a small fall. Soon after, I made my way to a ledge and set an anchor and brought Steve up. I was ready to get off of this thing. My hands hurt after 3 consecutive days of hard crack climbing, I had open cuts on all of my knuckles. My feet felt as if they were on fire and being crushed in a vice grip. And my throat was as dry as the chalk and blood caked on my fiflthy hands. The last 400 feet of the climb we decided to simul climb. The climbing was never any harder than 5.5 but in places the rock was very loose. Although I was extremely careful i pulled a block the size of a small backpack off the cliff sending it 1000 feet to the deck. I screamed the obligatory "rock", hoping that no one was under us. An hour and 1 rappel later saw us heading out another gully back to the rim. That was the last of the Black for us. We left that night heading towards Colorado Springs to spend the night at Jeff and Amy's house who live a mere 1000 feet from some of the best single pitch crack craggin I've ever seen. Although we had already consumed the rest of the beer we had in our car on our way out of the Black, and we had already devoured foot-long subs paired with chips and cookies, we were still hungry and in need of ICE CREAM. Just as we lost all hope of finding an ice cream store in the deserted backwoods of Colorado, out of the horizon like a beacon of hope, we saw a 10 foot ice cream cone mounted on top of a big gas station sign. YESSSSSS! i ordered a scoop of Rocky Road, a scoop of Coffee, and a scoop of Cookies and Cream in a sugar cone. Steve got a hot fudge sundae. And just like that we were heading into the setting Colorado sun with smirks on our face as if we just got the courage to ask a girl we liked and she said yes. A few hours later we had reached the small town near Jeff and Amy's house. We purchased a sixer, and hit the dirt road that led to "Casa de Turkey Rocks". Steve had told me that their house was nice but holy shit this place was amazing. Jeff and Amy's original house had burned down in forest fire a few years back and when they had the chance to build their dream house they did it. It was perfect. Beautiful arched doorways, great upper porch, beautiful tiles, and wooden decor. About as perfect as a house can get. They even built a garage with an upstairs workout room complete with a climbing woody, workout equipment, weights, and wrestling mats. Jeff and Amy are Judo instructors and although climbing and other outdoor sports are interests, Judo is their real passion. We didn't get to spend too much time hanging out with them but the little time we did spend together was great. Amy can make a great salsa (with soy sauce as a special ingriedient), Jeff can make a mean burger, both can whip the snot out of just about anyone, and they dig punk rawk. What's not to like. Seriously though, they are really great people who make you realize that in this society of impersonalization and insincerity, that there are still good folks out there. After a much needed good night's sleep we awoke early( 5am) to head up to the cliff that Steve had told me so much about. He assured me that this was The Place for honing crack skills. So after coffee and cliff bars we scrambled up the scruffy hill side through boulders, yucca, and sage to reach the cliff line. I wondered why places like Indian Creek get so much attention in the climbing media and places like Turkey Rocks don't get much. Well, I guess i kind of like it that way. Its always nice to have a place that is kind of a secret (although people have been climbing there for years: Jimmy Dunn, Dean Potter, Pete Takeda, and even John Bachar have spent time up there) and not as popular as the "crag du jour". Steve and Jeff had told me about this one line called Drumstick Direct. They said I should go and try to onsight it. I was skeptical but I sure was gonna give it a go. I figured if I could manage one last pitch it would be a hell of a way to end the trip. I roped up and fought throught the straight in hand jamming, grovelled my way through the wide fists section, eventually making my way through the roof all the while trying to manage an ever increasing ruthless pump. With screams of desparation i managed to pull out of the akward roof and establish on the face. With only about 10 feet left of crack climbing to the anchor i knew i had it in the bag. 130 feet later and sitting at the anchor, I pulled slack while Steve climbed up and watched a group of hawks soar back and forth from ledge to crack on the very cliff that i was perched on. I thought to myself what a life. It doesn't get much better than this. That's what climbing is all about for me. That feeling after 4 days of great climbing where body and mind are completely exhausted but pysche, vitality, and clarity are just begining to awaken again and soar like the birds around me.

THE REASON WHY WE ALL DRINK TOO MUCH

2008-04-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The Center for Disease Control has issued a medical alert about a highly contagious, potentially dangerous virus that is transmitted orally, by hand, and even electronically. This virus is called Weary Overload Recreational Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from your boss, any of your colleagues or anyone else via any means whatsoever - DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely. If you should come into contact with WORK you should immediately leave the premises.Take two good friends to the nearest grocery store and purchase one or both of the antidotes - Work Isolating Neutralizer Extract (WINE) and Bothersome Employer Elimination Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.You should immediately forward this medical alert to five friends. If you do not have five friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life.

Now I understand why I drink way too much B.E.E.R. W.O.R.K. is evil and takes a motivated, enthusiastic, fun loving, fit, and relatively sane (more likely completely insane) person and rapes him, or her (ya gotta be PC these days), of vitality and pursuit of life. In all reality I must admit I've been drinking way too much beer. Nothing extreme but a few beers a night, just about every night isn't healthy and is a really bad habit to get into. I guess its time to switch drugs. JK as my students say.

THIS IS WHY BOULDERING SUCKS

2008-04-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here are my top 10 reasons why bouldering sucks.

10) You always get weird stares by hikers, bikers, bird watchers, and picnic goers as to what the hell are you carrying on your back. It can be especially awkward when you are with a lady because i know that some of those old timers and bible thumpers alike are looking at you like some sort of procreating hippy in the woods silently swearing Jesus' wrath on us.

9) Bouldering hard is just plain too hard. I mean when you nearly pop a blood vessel in your neck or forehead while making a move it just isn't fun.

8) Its a cheap thrill. Shit, you're only climbing 15 feet or so.

7) It does't look badass. If you tell a nonclimbing friend that you just climbed this gnarly boulder problem and then show him or her, they will look at you like you're just plain lame.

6) No matter how good or strong you are, a girl can possibly climb the problem you can't. Now, I know that some of you boulder humpers out there are saying wait a minute brah, a girl could outclimb you on a route also. Not true: Maybe on a thin, techy sport route, but no way jose on a scrappy manly crack climb because you have to HAVE BALLS for that.

5) You have to clean holds with a toothbrush. If i wanted to be cleaning I would get a job at Molly frikin Merry Maids.

4) Female boulderers are ugly compared to Females route climbers. Lisa Rands, Alex Puccio, and Natasha Barnes v. Katie Brown (hubba hubba hubba), Lauren Lee (L-squared stands for lovely lady) and Collete McCinnery (Leave Kinder baby and date a real hardman). Point proven.

3) Boulders are ugly. Kinda toad, gremlin, hobbit-esque if you will. Cliffs are beautiful, grandiose, the land of deities.

2) On any given day a redneck meth addict weighing in at a scant 100lbs of pure marlboro red, wrangler jean, Bush Ice, meth stained hand raw power can outclimb you. The same can be said for the 12 year old kid who is out for a picnic with his family on the boulder across the ravine. Same thing with your dog who just ran up the backside of the boulder and is looking down on you falling on your ass off the first move thinking what a F-ing idiot, any dumb dog knows that the easiest line is around back.

1) This is the #1 reason why bouldering sucks.

IT'S A ZOO OUT THERE

2008-04-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been fun. Me and Tracy went to the Zoo in DC, went for a backcountry climbing trip overnight at Old Rag, VA, and just yesterday I went to Seneca Rocks with my friend Steve. My finger has been holding up and I think my plan of staying away from pulling plastic has been good one. Now if i only could gain the simian strength of those orangutans and gorillas i would be set. All jokes aside, you should have seen the muscles on those apes. The silverback's shoulder muscles were the size of dinner plates, his back was the size of a small dinner table, and his forearms were, no shit, the size of my thighs. That's frikin strooooonnnnggg! While at Old Rag i managed to onsight this 5.11 called Sunset Crack and few other easier routes. I even found this great crack trainer boulder problem less than 100 feet away from the shelter we camped in. Next time i get up there i'm gonna have to give that line a go and see how it feels. Looks like pretty good locks but really steep with a tricky mantle top out. I had a great day at Seneca yesterday onsighting 8 routes up to 12a. It felt good pluggin gear and getting off the deck. Oh, I almost forgot but i got some really great news yesterday that i will mention in few weeks. All i can say is that its really exciting and a great thing.

INJURED BUT NOT OUT FOR THE COUNT

2008-04-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well my friends i finally will admit it, i'm not invincible. Too much climbing and not enough rest hasn't exactly equated to Sharma esque strength and Graham like technique. In fact its done the worst possible thing, injured me, causing me to take time off of climbing. The joint in my right middle finger is severely swollen and the tendinitis is so bad that i can barely bend the finger into a closed grip position without grimacing after a day of climbing in the gym. So my plan is to avoid the gym at all costs and only climb outside on weekends with the occasional weekday session at the local crag. I'm addicted what can i say. Not climbing is not an option, but i do realize that im gonna need to baby this injury in order to not do permanent damage. Maybe Kosovo and not focusing on climbing will be good in the long run. Since im not climbing that much these days i've decided to dedicate this entry to all the crazy antics climbers do when they need to climb and haven't climbed in a few days. You all know what i mean. Campusing stairs and trees. Making up "boulder" problems on trees, buildings, inside your apartment, etc. I once even created a dyno circuit in my place in college that included double handed backwards snatches, sideways dynos from deck to tree branches and even a tree hug move into a full body aerial to a hanging rope. Crazy shit i tell ya, just to get a fix. Here's a quick video of me campusing a rest area pavillion on a long road trip to Yosemite from Washington DC a few years back. Look at that pathetic mantel at the end. Gray is just chuckling away at my futile attempts but i swear it was the sandals and when i ditched them i was able to heel out just right to crank the slopey move.

CRUISING AND BOOZING

2008-03-28T04:11:00.000-07:00

Unlike Spring Breaks in the past where I would leave dodge and head out to go climbing for the week with friends, this spring break I decided to go on a cruise vacation with my girlfriend and her family. In order to get to our ship we planned on driving to save money. This could be ok, or this could be real bad. Bear in mind, there were 6 of us. So we all piled into Chris' F250 and left DC around 12:00pm on Friday and some 15 hours or so later arrived in Miami the next morning. The drive really wasn't all that bad and actually seemed to go by quicker than any drive i'd been on of that length. Maybe, it was the fact that i never had to pull driving duty. Chris probally didn't trust me with his truck. Little does he know that i've had to drive a 20 foot U-Haul twice from DC to NC and while working for a catering company while in highschool had to regularly drive their trucks to and from events. Another reason the ride was relatively cush' was that we turned the camper covered bed of the truck into a sleeping quarters complete with my crashpad, blankets, pillows, even wireless internet thanks to Chris' anywhere card. We even had 3 lap tops to watch movies on. So all in all, not too bad of a trip. Now for the cruising and boozing part. Well, actually not too much boozing on my part, more like drinking 5 or 6 beers daily over the course of the day along with 5000 calories or so of food all the while turning into a fat, lazy vacationer. Not the chiseled and tuned machine I truly am. :) Anyway, as i was saying, the food was ridiculous. Anytime, everywhere, and tons of it. If you actually had some sort of self control you might not gain any weight while cruising but if your me who will eat just about anything and lots of it as long as its around, well then your in trouble. At least the cruise had a gym in which I actually worked out in 3 different days. Me working out in the gym, thats funny. All of these meathead types; or spring breakers trying to burn off the liquid calories for last night debauchery; or the anorexic mom trying to maintain the skeleton look, and then me desperately trying to figure out how to use the weight machines all the while trying to maintain the image that i do this all of the time. Along with the gym, the cruise had basketball courts, shuffle board, pingpong tables, dance clubs, sports bars, restaurants, casinos, observation decks, wifi cafe, basically anything you really needed, you had. A cruise ship is really a moving town. And like any tight knit town, you get to see the same people daily and although i really didn't talk to too many people besides Tracy's family, I did get a "feel" for many others who I observed. Yea, I admit it, I am a closet stalker. Well, maybe a better word is observer. As long as I can remember i've loved to observe people. Man, people can be really weird. Ok, this post is getting long and i haven't even begun to tell you about the island we stopped in. First stop, was Roatan, Honduras. This was my favorite spot. It truly felt like an island paradise isolated from all the worries and nonsense of everyday life. Here he went horseback riding with Sharkie as our guide. We rode for about 2 hours down the street, through the village, along the beach, and into the jungle. Later we went to the beach where i swam across the bay to a coral cave where i did my first, maybe only, climb in Roatoan. 9 biggish type moves on juggy, but painful, coral out of a very steep cave. At the end of the day before boarding the ship i played some music with local musicians and did some dancing. Our next stop was Belize City which was exactly what you'd expect from a third world city-50 years behind the times, hectic, and generally poor. In Belize we basically shopped around at the local craft market haggling for the best deal on hand made jewelery, knick nacks, etc. and walked around taking in the sights and sounds. One thing i really liked about Belize was that you could get a bag of fresh peanuts on just about every street corner for 1 us dollar. Oh, I almost forgot but I saw these kids jumping off of a building into the ocean in Belize and thought, damn, that looks fun I should go join them since there wasn't much else going on. It was about 25 feet into the ocean. The locals swore that it was deep enough but sure enough I hit coral and cut up my toes and feet which made for a painful next few days. Next stop, and much food and many beers later, was Cozumel. We had a fishing trip planned and Tracy thought i would get sea sick and even bet her Dad that I would. I told myself that no way, no how would i throw up just to prove that I got sea legs. Well, I didn't throw up but I sure didn't feel too good on that boat especially after a few beers began to rot in my gut. Sun plus beer plus rocky waves equals no bueno. In six hours of fishing we only got on freakin' bite but we caught the sucker. Chris reeled in a 3 foot long barracuda with teeth on it that could have chopped off a hand. The first mate took a 2 by 4 and clubbed the thing 4 times before it died. After Cozumel we had a day on the water which means a lot of time to be bored. So when your bored you gotta create shit to do. I climbed stairs upside down, jumped stairs using the railings (I think my record was 9 steps on that trip but I could have done much better if i hadn't cut up my toes on the coral jumping off that stupid building), I campused I-beams and support structures, and even played a little ping pong with mi nobia. For the record, i went Forest Gump on her ass and wupped up. I also ate and drank too much to point of feeling sick. Feeling sick was actually daily occurrence, especially by dinner when the boat's rocking began to take its effect and you felt like you were nauseous and dizzy. Our last stop was to the Bahamas where most stores and things were closed because of Good Friday. We ended up walking a few miles to this ritzy resort called Atlantis where there were casinos, lagoon pools, reggae bands, and baller yahts. I mean BALLER, LIKE BILL GATES OR HUGH HEFNER, like 50 million dollar private yahts docked at the resort. They're was also some real neat aquariams at the resort with all kinds of fish from Manta Rays to sharks. Last but not least was the trip home and after 7 days feeling pent up with energy and 15 hour car ride can make even the sanest of men go crazy. These videos are examples of how one can loose their mind when you've been doing too much CRUISING AND BOOZING

My Next Life

2008-02-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

If reincarnation is a real thing, then in my next life I want to be some sort of raptor. Maybe an eagle, a falcon, a hawk, it really doesn't matter too much to me as long as I can soar, swoop, dive, glide, and ride those endless thermals from one mountain ridge to the next. Those who know me well, know that I spend a lot of time in the mountains, usually in areas where there are cliffs. And in those areas I get to see the antics of these mountain aviators at work. I can't begin to tell you how many times in many different places I've been fascinated by what I've seen. There was the one time when I was in Linville Gorge above the Portabella Cave watching Peregrine Falcons dog fight in the sky right in front of me. There playfull game of aerial wrestling was one in which they would go from flying horizontally to dive bombing nearly a hundred feet in mere seconds. And boy did it make a noise. You could hear the birds' wings cutting through air from clear across the canyon. Then there was the time when I was hiking from Tenaya Lake in Tuolomne Meadows to Half Dome and saw right in front of my eyes some sort of raptor swoop in and in mid air grab another smaller baby bird and take it for dinner. It was amazing to say the least. Although I'm a believer that the human species is by far the most advanced species on the planet, I do recognize that we have serious limitations when compared with other species. The ability to fly being the one that I most envy. Just think about it; living in the mountains, flying from one craggy perch to the next, playing by running thermals through the air. Scoping things from above at all times must give one quite a unique perspective on things. That is one thing that I've always loved about climbing. The ability to get into places in which I have a unique view that I would never else be able to attain is one of the raddest things about climbing. Raptors always have that position. Humans have tried to replicate flight in many ways. Skydiving, Paragliding, Hangliding, basejumping, birdmaning, even slacklining are all attempts to tap into the sensation of being a bird. But having skydived and slacklined I can say that at least these two fail miserably. So if God's a granter of wishes and a man of logic he will reincarnate me in raptor form placing me somewhere in a mountain range with abundant rock and rock climbers in which I can "perform" my art and show the future generations of climbers what they are trying to replicate in their sport. Here's a great video of Europeans "birdmaning" (the closest thing to being a raptor for humans). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttz5oPpF1Js

Kam per te Kosovo!!

2008-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

Kam per te Kosovo. That means I'm going to Kosovo in Albanian. I just signed a 2-year contract to teach at the American School of Kosovo. I'll be teaching high school History as well as creating an outdoor adventure program for the school. Needless to say I'm psyched. I've always dreamed of living abroad and now that dream is going to be reality. Not only will I be heading to Kosovo, but my girlfriend, Tracy, will be teaching there as well. My life is gonna change dramatically in the next 6 months. I'll have to admit I'm a bit apprehensive of all these changes, but mostly, I'm just really excited about the adventure that is front of me. I'll be living in the capital city of Prishtina. Prishtina is an up an coming university town with a little over half a million people living there. The crazy thing is that roughly 90% of their population is 25 and under. Kosovo is a very diverse place drawing elements of Eastern Europe, the Meditterranean, Islam, and of course the Balkans. From what I've read it sounds like a very beautiful country, very rugged with lots of mountains and forests, with fairly poor infrastructure save a few bigger cities. I'm picturing it as a bit Wild, Wild, West, a bit Borat, and a bit Eastern European Suave. One of the great things about this opportunity is all the travelling we will be able to do. It sounds like I can be in any number of countries in a few hours. Kosovo is bordered by Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro. From what I researched so far, Albania and Montenegro sound like hidden gems in Europe. Matter of fact, the entire Balkans sound amazing. Amazing beaches and coastlines, deep water soloing on Ceuse-like limestone, huge rugged ski resorts without the heafty prices of Chamonix valley, Old World architecture and charm that is truly still Old World in nature, and many National Parks and World Heritage Sites.

Hangin' in North Carolina

2008-01-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

I always try to get out dodge when I have a long break between work. After all, a man can only take so much chaos in the big city. One of my favorite get aways is the western NC area. I went to school out there so I'm familiar with it, still have friends there, and it indeed is a beautiful place. In some ways it seems like a lost area not quite in touch with modern times, almost ancient in many ways. Heading down Rosebourgh, a dirt road that winds down off the Blue Ridge Parkway into Wilson Creek nearly seeming endless, places you into an area that seems untrammeled by man. An area that could easily be in the wilds of Africa, or the rainforest of South America. Picture, Green vegetation of every hue, mist rising out of the mountains, big swirly gray gneiss boulders that are so numerous that one can imagine an indian tribe, or a family of hobbits, living amongst the village of rocks in another world. While out there it rained all three days leaving much of the rock unclimbable but I still made the most of it. Little things like waking up in a tent every morning (except the one night at Linville Gorge where it was pouring so hard that me and Gray fled into our cars to spend the night to escape constant downpour) helped to re-set my mind and make me appreciate life to its fullest. I'll have to get some pics of my new tent, it is by far the coolest shelter I've stayed in. Thanks again babe for that present, you know me so good. I know many of good times in amazing far away places will be spent in that tent. I managed to hike one of my old favorite trails the Boone Fork Trail the first day. I also made good progress on a boulder problem that I wanted to check out called Have Guns Will Travel. Pretty sure I can send that fast. Its a great line, I wish I had some pictures. Finally, me and Gray went up the Daddy in horrible conditions probably doing the stupidest ascent ever on it. We thought it would be a good challenge to link the entire line in 2 really long 200 foot pitches. Bad mistake. Rope drap sucks and slows you down way more than just building an anchor and climbing more pitches. To make matters worse the entire route was soaking wet which made for some spicy sections where foot friction is important. Nevertheless, we made it up and its always a good time with a friend on a climb. Here are some pictures of the trip.

Gotta Get Back to Chasm Cirque: The Diamond-Longs Peak, CO

2008-01-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

This is hands down one of the coolest places I have ever been. This 2000 foot wall forms the north face of Longs Peak, CO which tops out at over 14,000 feet. Me and my buddy Gray made the 9 mile hike in and spent 3 days bivied under an overhanging boulder trying to climb a crack system that runs nearly the entire way up the wall. Unfortunately, we only made it 600 feet up the wall. In the end, the altitude, ice, route-finding, and overall enormity of the entire cirque proved too much for us. However, our failure did result in some serious memories. I soloed up 70 degree ice in approach shoes sans crampons and ice ax with only a rock to use as a pick. Probably the scariest "lead" of my life. The 600 foot north chimney took roughly a peice of gear every 50 feet or so and at that time in my climbing career those kind of runouts were pure horror for me. Anyway, I hope to go back at the end of this summer and climb this monster. Matter of fact, after 2 summers in Yosemite and the Sierras, I hope to climb a few routes on the Diamond. Until then I'll dream about that monster of a wall lurking high above Rocky Mountain National Park.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2007-12-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled with good company, good food, and good times.

I was in Hueco this time last year

2007-12-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time I was planning a trip to Hueco Tanks, TX for 7 days of climbing with friends. This year because of money constraints and injuries I'm not going. Instead, I'm going to split my time this holiday season between family, friends, and my girlfriend. This is something I haven't been too good at in the past. You see, I'm one of those weirdos who actually enjoy spending time alone by myself. Its not that I don't like hanging out with others, but more that I actually need the time by myself to collect myself, reflect, and gather focus and direction for the future. As I get older I feel that I'm getting better at this and am actually finding some balance. Here are some pictures from last year's Hueco Trip. Deren ripped it up sending his first V9, Glass Ass Crack. Erin and Megan climbed hard and didn't complain too much about the cold and lack of civilized comforts. Scotty cranked hard despite not climbing too much before the trip. Fred was the group photographer and even managed to climb a few problems. Keep at it Fred, I see tenacity in your heart and that's the greatest skill a climber can have. And I managed to climb every day and by the end of the trip was only bleeding from three finger tips. Can you imagine that?

Bodhi- my partner in crime

2007-12-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

"Who's a good boy?"

"What did you hear?"

This is Bodhi, my dog. Anybody who is a dog owner knows what a major responsibility they can be. But they also know the joy and companionship they bring. Bodhi is my partner in crime. He is five years old and for the last five years he has been on many of my climing and backpacking trips with me. He is the most loving dog ever. I sometimes wonder if he likes humans more than other dogs. He loves to greet people with a big old hug. I can't wait to go out for an overnighter in the Shenandoahs with Bodhi this weekend. Like me, Bodhi is most alive out in the mountains.