Desert Tortoise

Saw this guy/girl along the trail while I was walking to the Monkey Bar Boulder.  I've never seen a desert tortoise before!  It was nibbling on that thing in front of it and I'm not entirely sure but I think that was poop.  Still cute though, poop or not.

Tryptophan

When I first came to Las Vegas for bouldering two years ago I never imagined that I would end up living here. During that trip I tried Avian Flu, one of the few roof climbs in the area.

Avian Flu from back in the day.

I revisited this roof yesterday to try the other line called Tryptophan. This climb cuts under the roof at the halfway point and adds some really fun movement as well as a few grades of difficulty. I wasn't able to execute but I'm really looking forward to going back because this climb is super fun.

Photos by BLOCHEAD.

The one glaring downside to this climb is the top out. The holds in the light colored rock that I use to pull the lip are incredibly sandy and higher up you gain a large flake that is hollow. Beyond that the holds are thin and chossy and the climbing extends well past the height you see in the pictures above.

I am unsure of how I'm going to deal with this top out. Personally, I feel that it would be foolish and reckless to venture any higher than the hollow flake. There is no chalk visible past that point and it would be terrible to hurt myself in a fall. I see two options; traversing right around the corner on more perma-sand and choss or establishing above the lip and dropping, much like the widely accepted etablish and drop on Mexican Chicken.

When personal safety becomes a serious issue I tend to lean toward the more conservative option. It would be terrible to sustain an injury because of some stupid decision I made that results in taking time off from climbing. Health and mobility are requirements for bouldering just like rock shoes and crash pads.

Regardless, I won't be returning to Tryptophan for a few days due to much needed rest and other climbing obligations so I have time to mull this over before I get back on the problem.

Vegas from Tryptophan.

Flowers of Ice Box Canyon

 Redbud.

 ???

 Dune Evening Primrose.

The Dirty Rail Video and Big Sandy

Max already posted this but here it is again just in case you missed it.

Yesterday we went on an adventure to an area called Big Sandy. I don't have any pictures so whatever you imagine a place called Big Sandy looks like you are probably close. Despite the temperature, around 80 in the shade, we all managed to get some new boulders in.

The problems we climbed were steep and I thought they were fun, though I probably won't be going back anytime soon due to the approach factor. We drove through the desert on something that can hardly qualify as a road and there's no way my Subaru could have made it (Susie can get to Black Velvet Canyon and the Pollen Grains but I really try to avoid that type of driving). Be advised that you will need a high clearance vehicle to drive to the boulders and cooler temperatures will make it more pleasant.

We said goodbye to these guys over delicious chilled lime and coconut pie, brandy infused ice cream and several rounds of Catch Phrase. It was a great day.

The Dirty Rail

Yesterday I went searching for The Dirty Rail. A beautiful V7 roof that ends on glorious jugs. Beautiful only because I love horizontal climbing and there is a shortage of roofs here in Red Rocks, not because this thing is actually aesthetic. This particular sand stone usually lends itself to slightly overhanging crimps, slopers or odd blocky features so I'm happy to climb on steep roofs when they aren't too chossy.

Halfway through The Dirty Rail.

By this point I'm really pumped.

Climbing the day after getting my nails done (not relevant).

All photos by BLOCHEAD.

After figuring out my beta I gave the problem a few tries from the start. On my best attempt I fell as I was reaching for the last jug. The last not-so-glorious jug. When I fell I missed the pad completely, my knee hit the rock leaving a bump and a bruise and I scraped my right forearm. Oh and that weird strain in my palm came back. It was totally lame.

I crawled onto my pad and cried really, really hard. The combination of hurting my knee, re-hurting my palm, the embarrassment of falling, really wanting to do the problem and not being able to do it, the pressure trying to get a job and failing, feeling out of shape and who knows what else all came out in the form of tears.

What I did was completely ridiculous and slightly pathetic but I think it is important to admit that I got too caught up in myself and the boulder problem and I needed to let go. Some people throw shoes with their non-dominant hand, kick chalk bags or curse (I usually curse) but at that moment I cried. I felt much better after crying, though perhaps even more embarrassed than before, and it helped me get over myself.

I returned to The Dirty Rail earlier this evening for some revenge attempts. Well, I failed (punted at the end) on my first three tries and finally sent desperately on my fourth try. There was a moment when I honestly thought that I would have to walk away from this problem for the second day in a row. But after the emotional and physical battle, that once again reminded me that the rock doesn't owe me anything, I somehow managed to make it to the top using my try hard rather than my cry hard.

Keep your eyes peeled for the video, sans failure and tears.

Platinum Prints

When I was going to school in Chicago I spent a lot of time learning traditional printing processes; though most people now call them alternative. I made tintypes, cyanotypes, gum bichromate prints, platinum and palladium prints and learned the wet-plate collodion method.

At home I had some platinum prints framed for a show this fall. I know I'm several months ahead of myself but I'm not sure when I'll make it back to Northern California to take care of them. Proper scans of the negatives are not yet available so here's a rough sample of the prints:

4x5 negatives contact printed on Bienfang graphics paper.

Ten Days in California

Last night I returned to Vegas after ten days in California - which explains why I haven't posted anything in FOREVER. I was visiting my family and taking care of a few other things. Here are some pictures I managed to take.

George looking stately.

Found this delightful treat on the fridge.

Snowshoeing.

Delicious home made pizza.

George!

Easter brunch.

I didn't climb at all while I was there so I feel quite rested. And restless. I look forward to getting some new boulders in now that I am back.