Climb the Lion's Mane

UPDATE: My great friend, Jen O., has been working tirelessly for years to educate people about the harm that mountaintop removal coal mining causes for people's health s well as the health of the one environment that we are all linked to.
The main goal is to end this harmful practice. Jen has been using the powerful medium of music to get her message out to the world; a wonderful musician and singer indeed! Check out her non-profit organixation and the whole scene here: http://www.auroralights.org/journey/. Keep it up, rebel rocker!


Rad Ad tearin' up the Lion's Mane


My younger brother, Adam, and his g-friend, Kate, are visiting the east before sailing the skies west to Boulder. On Monday we went on a stellar hike out to Lion's Head, an iconic destination in the Dolly Sods Wilderness. Tony B., Adam, Kate, and I did a bit of bouldering and one sweet top-rope climb right up the Lion's mane...a sweet climb at an even sweeter locale.


The hike out to Lion's Head is ~four (~4) miles, a hefty hike for a climb...Adam and Kate joked that the climbers in CO would never hike that far for a climb....it wasn't just about the climb though...of course. The hike is phreakin' astounding with giant marshy expanses that sit high atop the Dolly Sods Wilderness (bring good boots!), and the old railroad grade makes for a good trail. Astounding to think of a train trudging through those tall(er) trees, taking each big stick down and out to feed the boom that was happening...


Sir Tony awaits the rapel...gotta trust the gear!



Ferns: a favorite plant; the aroma = divine!

The next day (Tues.) we went on a short stroll out to Pendelton Falls, a radical and steep canyon waterfall....we found one sandal and a long-sleeved shirt....I sniffed for a body but found only moss.

Pendelton Falls, perfect for a skinny dip!

This past weekend the 24 Hours of Big Bear transpired...Jo Mo worked it (mainly ripping around on a motorbike and, as usual, grinning) and the Waite Boys raced it. I picked up Addy and Kate and we caught the end of the race...



Established racer, NickcantWaite, enjoying quality race fuel with Mommadukes. If his brother trains like he does the duo will be unstoppable! Go Waite Brothers!

The CO couple are leaving today, boo...which means that I will need to plan a trip to see them, climb, and hear supadope music....can we say "Red Rocks?"

Spring is trying to establish itself as the main political actor in today’s quasi-seasonal race for domination. I hope that we can keep with the trends and have spring beat out winter…’cause there is climbing and barefoot fun to be had!
The climbing/bouldering around Morgantown is simply superb. Mo, Steve, and I (and Lilly pup) went out to Pioneer Rocks last week for a little adventure. Here's a nice sequence of Mo conquering the 5.14x named Super Killa…. Ha, 'twas not as difficult as it may seem.

After the day, an alien grapefruit appeared as a gesture of homage to we climbers...we gladly sacrificed it for more juice to get home.

Mo has a little forge set-up out at the rebel base (exact location disputed) in Canrain Valley. Upon first sight of Ben Nelson’s homemade veggie oil burner (literally a metal coffee can with oil inside that has a metal pipe coming off the side, where a hair dryer blows enough air to keep a nice flame going, go Ben!), I wondered if it would be hot enough to forge with…veggie oil is a lot less harmful to be around than the coal you see in these pictures below. We did get to multitask with maple syrup boiling and a little forging on the side…hey, if the flames are gonna blaze up, use’ em!

Last night Mo and I made some pizza….some lightly fried tempeh, ramp, onion, mozzarella, celery, and orange bell pepper pizza….out of this world! Mo has been known to Sriracha the hell outta most foods, the pizza was not exception. After dinner I began a seed project…which led to the eventual bashing of lower thoracic spine on metal sink…don’t ask. I almost passed out when trying to get up from the hit, and barely made it to the pad on the floor, where Mo put a frozen jar of bee pollen on the wound….nighty night I went…then awakened to finish that Maeve Leakey anthropology paper before the a.m.!

Enter saliva...

Freshly injured............spice up your life!

One more thing: breathe slowly.