A Good Picture Tells A Story

Like most clichés, the phrase probably gained traction because it rang so true. Cheers to climbers like Sam Davis, Walker Kearney, the Lloyd Family, Max Hasson, Jens Holsten, Jonathan Siegrist, and these crazy Scandinavian guys, who use pictures to tell stories about their climbing adventures. Joe Kinder is probably at the top of the heap, due mostly to his energy and his beatific affect, but also to the constant stream of crisp, thoughtful, and colorful photos he offers the world.

Pictures don't spray. They don't speak in grades, but in gradations: shades, tones, textures. They transcend the banal. Imperfections are laid bare. They offer a hint of what lies beyond the computer screen, in a way that only the most gifted writers can accomplish. Storytellers...

I’ve given a lot of thought to the camera’s role as storyteller during the past few weeks, and I've tried to remain present with it when I've been out climbing. It has been daunting, but rewarding.

Summer Photos

Carlyn on the Green Goblin BoulderJoey T on the Crackulation TraverseThree of Joel on Johnny's New Problem Smoke SignalsTwo of Cortney on The Samurai

Drew on Johnny's New Problem Le BeefJoel on a New Problem on the Metriod Boulder

Gold Bar Fireworks

Fourth of July fireworks in the lower Sky Valley... be sure to turn on HD!

Leavenworth Photos

Here are some pictures from this spring in Leavenworth. There is no word yet about when the road will reopen; at this point the hillside is still considered unstable. Here is the latest update form the Forest Service.

I hope everyone has been getting out!

Cortney on the Yosemite HighballCole on Weather ReportWhich Way??Cortney on Atomic Hole"Oh, just what I've always wanted: graffiti!"Me climbing Kyle O's Atomic Lama LinkupJoel Kaufman in His ElementNanookLast Go...

Good as Gold

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks in Gold Bar. The forest has finally started to really dry out. Joel, Drew, Cole, Cortney, Carlyn and I returned to the forest with "beginners eyes" and found some amazing new climbs scattered among existing classics. We also tried some existing problems with some success: Drew came close on Johnny's futuristic Gorilla's Nest, Cole sent the Bearded Lady, and I managed to climb Jamrock, my summer-of-2006-nemesis, after a five-year hiatus. Here are some photos...

Joel on the FA of Pretty PossumCortney on Joel's New Problem Popul VuhCarlyn on Metroid PrimeJeremy on The Bricklayer DirectCortney on WaterHonchoName Those MonkeysThe Tiger's Nest CaveBryan Smith on the Topout to Tiger's Nest (unbouldererd as of yet)Joel Campbell Is A Cleaning MonsterNon-Anonymous Litter - Please Help To Keep Gold Bar Pristine!!!John Helmiere on the FA of Climbey McBoulderJamrockSky Valley Sunset

In other news, I graduated from law school on Sunday! Good job me!

The good news is that three years of stress, hard work, and interaction with a generally obnoxious environment are behind me. The bad news is that I will be spending the next six weeks studying for the bar exam, which is even more stressful and time-consuming... But this in turn has a silver lining: I have been amassing some nice footage that I won't be able to edit this summer, so I should be able to put together a longer video this fall. More on that later...

Icicle Road Closed - Again

Icicle Road suffered a large mudslide yesterday in the vicinity of 4th of July Trailhead. The USFS has the road closed just past Bridge Creek Campground, but will presumably open the area up to the slide in coming days as the hillside stabilizes. Scott Mitchell and his wife Susan almost got caught in the slide, and escaped only by speeding away in reverse in their truck! Roughly 30 people are stranded in the upper reaches of the canyon, and the Forest Service has arranged for a helicopter to medivac people in case of an emergency.

Needless to say, this is another big blow to the Icicle's bouldering, as it closes the Machine Gun, the Sword, Egg Rock, and several smaller areas. This is the second large slide to close Icicle Road this spring, and yet another delay for the opening of the canyon's magical upper reaches. I'll post updates here on the road's status over the next few days. Let's all hope for another quick repair job!

You can find the news release from the Forest Service here. Also, here are a few pics of the slide from Cascade Climbers.