More March Thoughts

Well it seems that sunny weather, Mexican food, hotsprings, clipping bolts, acres of V5 problems, and long distance tours on nordic gear just hasn't captured everyone's fancy. So, if there is more adrenaline needed, please know that there are zillion more steep chutes like these two (Mt. Locke) in the Bishop area. (As always click on the images to enlarge the photograph.)

Blast from the Past!

I was perusing my personal archival photos, and found this image from my first climbing trip to the Alps (click on the image to enlarge it). I spent a month rock climbing in the United Kingdom, a month in the dolomites, and then another month climbing in the Zermatt and Chamonix areas. (Notice the north face routes on Les Courtes and the Grand Jorasses in the background.) This was the trip when I met Mark and Danny. Finally, as an aside, that old puffy expedition parka, is still hanging on a peg in the Fossil Cabin.

Upcoming Weekend

Brian and High Peaks Cyclery are sponsoring a Fall Adirondack Climbing Festival. (Click on the image to enlarge the font.) There will be everything from slideshows to yoga sessions, gear demos to gear raffles, and of course a film festival. Any Fossils in the area come on up!

Owl's Head Sunset

Doing an easy bouldering session at the end of the day ... fantastic view of Hurricane.

March Vacation?

One of things we are tossing around NCS - at the moment - is a 10 day March trip to the East side of the Sierras. The standard fun package includes: Bishop bouldering (click on this text to see a short video), natural hot spring soaks, clipping bolts in Owens River Gorge, aerobic nordic workouts skiing the snow covered trans-Sierra highways, skinning up 13,000' summits, Schat's baked goods, and awesome Mexican food. Danny, Mark, Gary, Brian, John D ... be advised.

Shrinking Himalayan Glaciers

Click on the text to access a New York Times editorial about the continued evidence that tropical, and sub-tropical mountain glaciers are shrinking fast. Specifically, this talks about how China has realized how important the Tibetan glaciers are to the welfare of their country, and how this shrinkage is really a bit like the "canaries in the mind shaft." The satellite photograph is an image of these hydrologically very important Asian glaciers.

Beautiful Day at the NCS Crag

I only spent about 90 minutes at the crag, cheering on my students - alpinists in the making - as they cranked off lap after lap. I did four laps on moderate routes and belayed a bunch of students. (As always click on these images to enlarge the photographs.)

Archival Photos

Click on this text to access a superb collection of 1950s Teton mountaineering photographs, featuring: Chouinard, Lev, Gill, Read, Dornan, Weeks, and Langford. The picture enclosed is of Willi Unsoeld doing a tyrolean traverse on Symmetry Spire.

The Leaves are Turning!

It is not even October and our foliage is almost at its height, and the leaves are starting to fall. Morning temperatures have already fallen into the mid-twenties. Before you know it, winter will be here ... sharpen the crampons and ice axes, pull out the parkas and double boots, and get ready to turn into lean-mean ice climbing machines!

Different Kind of Day

No crag routes today. No grand alpinism, no summits, no red-points, and no third classing ... Instead today was chicken harvest. We had a small harvest as three weeks ago coyotes got past the electric fence and decimated our flock. Still, we plucked, gutted, and cleaned 31 birds a total, which included almost a dozen turkeys. The photograph of me is manning the plucking station. The very short video shows the difference between meat birds and laying hens.

Video: gear for Nanga Parbat

Click on this text to access this 15 minute video which has Steve House sharing his thoughts on all the gear he took up the Rupal Face. Some specialized thoughts: titanium pins and only a few cams, air mattress, one sleeping bag for a climbing pair, 8mm rope and a 5mm static rap line, lightweight tools for the second, wire gate superlight biners, and he talks of some interesting modifications on the crampons.

The Dirtbag Diaries

Very cool, a must do for Fossils and Fossils in the making. ... click on this link to access a couple of audio presentations of the dirtbag diaries. You can go to iTunes Store and download them for free to your computer, iPod, or iPhone. I listened to "Seeds" and "Dreamers" (interviews with Hot Henry Barber, Steve Schneider, Steve House, and Colin Haley) on a short hike with ski poles this morning on the Olympic nordic trails.


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Steph Davis Video

Click on this text to access a link to an amazing 8 minute video of Steph Davis soloing Castleton Tower and the Diamond. Spectacular photography ... well worth viewing.

Students at the NCS Crag

Today was the first weekend of the term and we had a dozen students spend a day cragging. In one of the photographs you can see Lucy working "Dirty Dave Variation" (5.6). I came out for about 60 minutes and managed to do five laps ... it turned into a beautiful day! (As always, click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)

How Many have You Read?

Click on the text to access Patagonia's Recommended Book List ... it sure is a different kind of list ... very interesting. I have only read 12 but my appetite has been whetted.

Hot off the Press

Click on the text to read a review of Steve House's new book from the Boulder newspaper. I am only a couple of chapters into the book - it just arrived - however he is the real deal, and Messner doesn't write introductions for just anyone! Howse peak, North Twin, K7, Nanga Parbat, Cho Oyu, Slovak Direct-West Rib-Mascioli Pillar- Washburn Wall on Denali, and Masherbrum ... this guy has done it all.

Future Hamburger

This is Charles Bronson. He was born yesterday. Charlie is a 7/8 Jersey bull calf. His mother was 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 Holstein, but looked entirely Holstein — big and black-and-white, what the kids call a “Ben and Jerry’s cow.” His father was a purebred Jersey bull. Charlie is going to be our relief milker until Selden dries Katika up in March. Then next summer he will be Katika's romantic interest, and shortly after that he'll be put in the freezer for upcoming Fossil dinners.

Hock hangs up the spikes ...

A sad day for me, as I am hanging up the compass and straightedge for geometry class! I anticipate an even busier travel schedule this year with the approaching capital campaign, and so I have handed the baton for the accelerated math class off to my Dean of Students. This is a picture of me teaching the class last year in my office, prepping my kids for their multi-day final exam. (Notice the framed Bradford Washburn photograph of Denali hanging in the far corner of my office.)

First Day of School

Our children are arriving from the four corners of the globe. As you can see from the enclosed picture, it is September 13th, leaves have started to drop, and Fall is on the way! Take advantage of the great prices on airfares and buy your ticket to the Fossil Icefest in December.

Greg's Wanderings

Greg continues to mix work in the Arctic (notice the polar bear) with some climbing in the Canadian Rockies. The word on the street is that he still has unfinished business with the imposing face of Edith Cavell in the picture. (As always, you may click on the photograph to enlarge the image.)

Our 25th

Out for drinks at the Lake Placid Lodge and a movie at the Palace. We
are both cheap dates. Not that it comes as a surprise to me, but my
charming bride of 25 years is something of an odd duck ... Her idea of
the perfect gift ... 18 tons of lime so she can spread it on our
property and "sweeten" the soil.

Lindsay: A Serious Fossil Expedition

Former US Ski team nordic member, an early female member of The Ski To Die Club, and NCS Spanish teacher and ski coach - Lindsay - hangs it out there on a deep wilderness paddling trip this summer. Her and her husband were in the back-of-beyond in Quebec, on the Portneuf River. I'll quote from a recent email, "Here are a couple of photos of old fossils doing the expedition of their lives. We are smiling because it isn't pouring buckets of rain (hence, the ability to photograph) and we aren't dead yet. It isn't really climbing, but we did spend time lowering the raft over 20 foot cliffs and tieing the tent in at night so it wouldn't get washed into the rapids. ( Had to move it one night when the river rose and was lapping at the door). Also, bouldering along the edge of the river for kilometers on end, with 200 pounds of gear. No photos as our hands were too busy. But here we are."

My Next Set of Boards

Jake - a recent NCS alum - who is living the life, climbing and skiing full time, in between guiding gigs, has turned us on to righteous skis ... the 333 ski by Michael Lish ... ecologically sound, inexpensively priced, cured in the open-air on the East Side of the Sierras, and evocative of Yvon Chouinard selling pitons from the back of his truck. Click on this text to access his website, and enjoy this photograph of his home and factory parked at Mammoth.

Lucy's Triumph

A short two minute video, set to the soundtrack from "The English Patient." The story line is simple ... Lucy is afraid of heights, she struggles and continues to try the climbing wall and crag, and discovers that like cross country skiing, if she sticks with it, she master a challenge, and even learns to enjoy it.

Fairhope Farm

Work continues round the clock to make sure that all is in readiness for when the Fossils converge for the Icefest. The garage is almost closed in, Selden has gotten some more chickens, I am starting to split the Fall wood, and I am even considering emptying the outhouse.

Still Undone

Click on the image to enlarge the photograph. A project at the crag with the working name of "Antiguan Liar" has NCS alum - Jake - from the class of 2003 working the undercling and the thin wrinkles on the bulge. Jake is a solid 5.11 on-sight leader ... and while he sent a lot of climbs at the crag today, including the infamous "Sickle" he had no luck on this project! (It was another good day for the Hockmeister - trying to keep fit - he managed a quick 9 laps before heading back to the laptop.)

FALL IS COMING!

As you can see from the photo (click to enlarge it), Adirondack temperatures are getting down into the low 30s. Before we know it, ice will be forming on the crags. Take your calendars out ... I am suggesting December 18-21 for the Fossil Icefest. (Of course, we are also hoping for a good winter that will enable a late February or March gathering as well.)

Staff Orientation at the Crag

A short (80 second) video with some Mozart in the background. A fabulous day was had by all ... MANY THANKS!

More Crag Shots

Hannah is on the 5.10 "Splitting Hairs," while Katie is leading the 5.6 "Hock's Blessing," and Greg is doing the TR on "Unexpected." Of course Larry was out there climbing solid 5.10 in approach shoes, and Dave was trying to send some hard unclimbed projects. (As always click on the image to enlarge the photos.)

Staff Training

Today during staff orientation today we focused on our outdoor program. The faculty chose one of four trips to attend, and I spent a couple hours at the crag with the 8 teachers who lead climbing activities. I was able to log 13 laps in the 5.3 - 5.9 range.

Yurt Bouldering Session

Enjoy this three minute video, with a soundtrack by Hot Tuna. Mostly I am just playing around, trying to learn how to edit things in iMovie.

Another Photo from Matt

Danny, your old buddies from Denali Matt H. and "Bear" said hello. I saw them at our recent school and camp reunion. Matt is just back from a hiking trip on Vancouver Island (Strathcona Park) with a former Treetop camper Camille.

From the Fossil Archives

Taken thirty years ago, the picture shows Hock and Michael at the stance above the Kor Roof on the Grade V, South Face of Washington Column. Mark is on Dinner Ledge belaying. (As always, click on the photograph to enlarge the image.)

Vitamin I ... ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatories

Click on this text to access the link to a New York Times article which reports the results of a new study (British Journal of Sports Medicine), as well as data based on the Western States 100 and other elite endurance events. Bottom line ... take only after swelling appears, not before or during your activity as a preventative.

Book Talk

Perusing the Fossil library, I sat with Andy Goldsworthy's book - A Collaboration With Nature - a brilliant and engaging collections of pictures he has taken of his very ephemeral art which takes advantage of natural found objects. Click on the text to see a four minute clip from the longer video about his work

.Or, click on this text to access a slideshow set to music of about 30 different works that he has done over the past two decades