The Spot Bouldering Gym

Loving the “Spot”

Personally, the Spot is one of the best climbing gyms I have ever climbed in. Five years ago, I moved to Colorado to be closer to the outdoors, climbing specifically. My first week in Boulder, I had to check out the Spot Bouldering Gym. I had heard it was pretty much the best bouldering gym in the U.S. Not being a huge gym junkie, I walked through the doors for the first time and about crapped myself. The climbing gyms in San Diego California were ok, but nothing like the gyms up north in San Francisco or even L.A.  Still, “The Spot” is a place where I have met so many insanely strong climbers.

 I remember my first session very well, it went like this, I was working on what I thought was something fairly hard, when some older guy came up and asked if he could try. Of course he flashed what I was falling on and said thanks for “letting” him try the problem. Better yet, I some how ended up bouldering with a group of women one night. Not knowing who they were, I thought I would be able to keep up. Wrong, as it turned out, I ended up bouldering with some of the strongest women in the world. On any given day, you can stroll into the Spot and see a list of names that usually are in some climbing publication like Rock and Ice, Climbing Magazine or Urban Climber.

Coming to Boulder Colorado as a mid range climber can be a bit intimidating. Given some time and being pushed to get stronger, climb harder and just plain being motivated by world class climbers has increased my love for the sport and the “Spot”. When I came to Colorado five years ago, I was bouldering V10. Living in an area with so many talented climbers, I never considered myself a great climber. Now, being in my 40’s, I have done multiple V12’s and it is all because I have met and climbed with some of the nicest, most humble and strongest climbers in the world. To top it off, I met all of them at the “Spot”.  

When I lived in San Diego, I mostly rope climbed. I used to frequent Joshua tree, Yosemite, and other smaller areas. I put myself through school full time and worked full time. That didn’t leave me much time to stay in shape, so I started bouldering more. Next thing I knew, I was only bouldering. There weren’t that many boulderers that were motivated to get strong at that time in San Diego. The gym I climbed at was mostly a route climbing gym, but they did have a couple of small boulders. The routes on the boulders were awful and I asked if I could set since all I did was boulder. Next thing I knew, I was their only setter for the boulders and I loved it. People enjoyed my problems and I started to get stronger.

A couple years later I moved to Colorado and thought it would be kind of cool to set again at some point. The setting crew at the “Spot” are serious about what they do. The comps that the “Spot” puts on are some of the funnest comps I have ever seen and climbed in. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of getting to know some of the setters and have built great relationships with them. They are all by far some of the nicest, strongest people I have ever met. I had always hoped that one day I could be a part of such a great crew and now I am. I am now setting at the “Spot” a couple days a week and am learning a lot. Some of the setters have been doing it for years and for very large comps like the World Cup. I believe with my 15 years of climbing experience that I will be able to set fun, challenging problems for people like myself who walk into the “Spot” for their first time.

Evolv rep

Yeah buddy, I am now the Rocky Mountain sales rep for Evolv. I have finally quit my job that crushed my climbing this last summer with tendinitis and couldn't be any more psyched! I love to talk shop and help promote a product that is top quality. Along with the sales part, I am still the team captain and am always looking for great people that want to a part of such a great family. I have had a fair share of conversations about how Evolv is one of the most grounded companies and I am the first one to say that we by far have the most quality people representing the brand. I have been with Evolv for the past 6 to 7 years. Chris Lindner and I met Brian, the owner at the Phoenix Bouldering Comp when he had two models of shoes, the Docon and the Kaos. He was selling them for $40 and we told all of our friends back in San Diego. At that time. Boreal USA went under and Brian offered Chris a sponsorship. He took it and the rest is history. Buck came into the picture a year or two later and then became their first sales rep for So Cal. He pimped all of us discounted shoes and for that I started going to the trade shows to help out at the booth. Even then, I felt like I needed to give back for allowing me to purchase discounted shoes. I was by far not the strongest climber, but I was receiving the "Bro Deal" for helping to promote the brand that I truly believed in. In 2003 I moved to Colorado and got in touch with the territory sales rep to let him know I could be counted on to help out in any way he needed. I helped out at shoe demos and started learning about the different models and what they were designed for. Since I was doing all of the demos, team stuff and knew everyone at Evolv, any time they needed me to fill in when a rep moved on, I could be counted on. I started to get Evolv involved with events around Colorado like the Hera Climb For Life, The Horse Tooth Hang, The Spot Bouldering Series and other smaller events like college comps, high school comps and really started supporting Jr teams. In 2008, Evolv helped support five Jr Teams and it keeps growing.



I think this is a good move at this point in my life. Danielle graduates in May and we both decided that I might as well be happy and as long as we can pay the bills, why not. I hope I can grow the brand in the Rocky Mountain Territory and have a good time along the way.

Hueco Tanks

Cool Hueco Tanks Indian Art.
Jacinda crushing "No One Here Gets Out Alive".

Way too warm for Loaded With Power!!!

Me, getting my ass handed to me on "The Mexican Chicken".

Joel go for the "The Sweedish Slot".

Cory on "Lobster Claw".

Danielle on "Lobster Claw".

The Harrison family headed it down to Hueco for Thanksgiving this year. I have only been there once and only for one day years ago. Danielle has spent quit a bit of time there and I was psyched to finally go to Hueco for more than one day. A couple of friends of ours, Cory and Jacinda, headed down with us as well. Poor Danielle has been loaded down pretty heavy with school and really can't climb as much as she would like to. Any time she has a chance to go on a small climbing trip, she is pretty much climbing off the couch. She gets frustrated because she is not in the climbing shape she would like to be in. For her, just getting to go and climb without stressing about school is good enough. I've been feeling as though I'm getting back into the shape I was in, before taking so much time off for tendinitis this past summer.

Hueco was pretty much dead. I think everyone was in Bishop this Thanksgiving which was really nice. Joel, Erin, and Kelly were down there for the entire week and told us that the temps were in the 50's earlier in the week. When we arrived on Thursday, the temps were in the upper 60's to 70ish. We all climbed at North Mountain the two days we were there. I got to see a bunch of problems that I have only seen in videos. We started at "No One Here Gets Out Alive". Joel, Erin and Kelly met us there and Joel gave me a list of problems I should try. He got me on "The Mexican Chicken". Wow, what a great problem. Horizontal is not my terrain and I got a bit worked right off the bat. He then got me on "Loaded With Power". Oh my god, what an insane problem! It had just gone into the shade and Joel sprayed me down with beta. I gave it a couple of goes, but when I started sweating, I decided it was too warm. We all headed over to Chris's arete. Danielle had worked on this problem a couple of years earlier and wanted to try to finish it. It is in a really small cave that does not accommodate very many people. She got kind of frustrated because everyone was either doing the problem or working moves on it and she just could not focus. When I say everyone, I mean at leased 8 people. Near by, Kelly showed me what is known as the Swedish Slot. It is this insanely small slot between two boulders that you have to squeeze through. It is the funniest shit to watch someone try and squeeze through this slot without getting stuck. After that, we headed over to "Girls of Juarez". Just another insanely classic roof with gigantic huecos. Toe hooks, heal hooks, under clings, and a nice top out. After that, on the way back to the parking lot, we stopped at "Loaded". The temps cooled down a bit and there was a large French posse there working on Loaded and Loaded Direct with lots of pads. On my first try, I got all the way to the last crimp and could not figure out what to do to dyno to the lip. My tips were pretty much gone at that point. I was kind of bummed because I truly believe that if the temps were better the first time I got on it, I would have done it. My tips were sweaty pretty much the entire day which made them hurt pretty badly at the end of our first day. We all partied at a great Mexican restaurant that night and crashed out hard. The next day, we headed to "Lobster Claw". Cory, Jacinda, Danielle and I were pretty cooked already and it was only the second day. We hung at that area for a while, so I got on "Schwerer Gustov" and "Anal Intruder". Yeah, way too warm for "Schwere" and I was way too cooked for "Anal Intruder". After that, we headed back over to "Girls of Texas" and I tried "Baby Martini on the Rocks". I was able to do all the moves after the hueco, but my tips were way too thrashed to do the first move. I think we were all pretty much done after that and sent out for margis. The trip was pretty fun, but I wished it was a bit cooler. I would of loved to have sent "Loaded With Power", but that will only make me want to go back to Hueco. There are a bunch of other problems we looked at that I think I may have stood a pretty good chance of sending because they never see sun and stay cool, oh well. We all had a great time and can't wait to go back.

My Review of XY Custom Rock Shoe Gift Card

Originally submitted at Mountain Gear

You're a unique individual and you rock your own one-of-a-kind climbing style. Now Evolv is giving you the chance to "Express Yourself" with the XY Rock shoe - a fully customized, made-to-order shoe, just for you. Choose from one of 3 Evolv shoe styles, then customize it further with ...

XY Custom Rock Shoe Gift Card

Really Fun Idea

By EZE from Boulder, Colorado on 11/24/2009

 

5out of 5

Sizing: Feels true to size

Width: Feels true to width

Best Uses: Outdoor, Sprint Climbs, Indoor, Long Climbs, Bouldering

Describe Yourself: Avid Climber

Being able to cusomize the shoe's midsole(stiffness), heal rand hight and upper's rubber configuration(Optomus Prime, Puntas lace up or standard)is a great way to build a shoe to your personal flavor. Adding custom color is a bonus that personalizes the shoe all the way around.
Personally, I like a sensitive shoe with lots of rubber for toe hooking and aggressive heal hooking. My sensive velcro Pontas with the lace up rubber configuration and extended heal rand is an amazing technical shoe. Change the colors to match the Denver Broncos and BAMM!!!

(legalese)

A super good friend's passing.

Darrin, Eric, Bill in Yosemite.
Bill on "Ship Wreck", Joshua Tree.

Bill, always the safest guy.

I would not be here climbing if it wasn't for Bill Burges. About 14 years ago, a good friend that I grew up with, Darrin Steiff, started climbing with this really nice guy Bill. They were going to Joshua Tree every weekend. Darrin and I grew up surfing the Ventura coast and climbing was the last thing on our minds. One day, Darrin and his wife Christy, asked if I wanted to go to Stoney Point to go climbing. I finally broke down and went. Bill had been teaching Darrin how to place gear and build anchors. I saw that Darrin was really having a lot of fun doing something different. I ended up buying a pair of shoes and started going to J-Tree with Darrin and Bill. I was living in Manhattan Beach at the time and Bill lived about 15 minutes from me. Darrin lived about an hour away and would meet Bill and I in J-Tree or where ever we decided to go.

Darrin, Bill and I were mostly trad climbing at that time and bouldered every once in a great while. I started climbing almost every weekend with these guys and really became addicted really fast. Bill and I had many epics on our adventures. Those were the days of getting off a multi pitch route in the dark and trying to find our way through the dark back to the truck. So many memories, so many stories. One in particular comes to mind; Bill and I were in the Valley and he wanted to do "Braille Book". I think it was like a 6 or 8 pitch 5.8. We got up the base of the climb way too early in my mind. We took off trading leads and only had small Gatorade bottles hanging off our harnesses. There was a party of three that were moving much faster than we were coming up from behind. The leader had done this route before and asked if they could pass. We said, not a problem and then proceeded to wait for far too long. By the time the party of three finally got far enough past us, we were blazing in the sun and almost out of water. On the next pitch, I was fallowing and could not get out a cam that Bill had placed, so I left it not knowing what to do. When I got to the next belay station, I had told Bill and he wasn't even pissed. He had to rappel down to clean the piece I had left. I think we still had like 5 pitches to go. Once the other party got far enough along, I began to lead the next pitch. As I got closer to the next belay ledge, the two followers were sitting were I needed to get to so I could set up and anchor. I waited while stemming for at leased 30 minutes or so. Bill started tugging on the rope because he had been waiting wondering what the hell was going on. I managed to slide my ass between the two followers and set up an anchor. By the time Bill climbed up to me, the other party were off and running. The next pitch was an off width that spooked the shit out of Bill, so he came down and told me to go for it. I did it and we meandered our way to the top of the route. There was a point during the last pitch were Bill was belaying me, dieing of dehydration, thinking to himself, Eric, just run it out and lets get the fuck out of here. He told me what he had been thinking when we were hiking down through hordes of mesquites and dry mouth so bad, I could barley swallow. Once we got to the truck in the dark of course, we headed to the Valley store and drank gallons of water, Gatorade, soda, you name it. Darlene, Peter and Korene were waiting at Darlene's house in El Portal to have a barbecue. We got there way after dark explaining our epic adventure. That was a typical day for Bill and I.
We did many routes together including, Reeds Pinnacle Direct, Royal Arches(simo climbing), Nutcracker, Braille Book, Bishop's Terrace, After Six,Positively 4th street, Beverly's Tower, Weat Thin, Catchy, Central Pillar of Frenzy, The Regular Route on Fairview Dome, Sail Away, Ace of Spades, Invisibility Lessons, Opes Crack, Sidewinder, Touch and Go, Loose Lady, Young Lust, Exorcist, Bird of Fire, Heart and Sole, Right Baskerville Crack, Solid Gold, Tossed Green, Tax Man, Caught Inside on A Big Set, Effigy Too, Party in the Desert, Clean and Jerk, and so many more. It has been many years since I have climbed with Bill, but I can remember every single route we had done together.
I had a good friend in high school, Demeat Fritz that I hadn't seen in a long while. He was now bouldering a ton and we reconnected. He really showed Bill and I what being strong really meant. We started going to a place in Ventura county called the Swimming Hole. We would go every weekend. We would mountain bike in, boulder all day, then bike back out in the middle of summer. We had a really great crew of guys that pushed each other. Demeat, Jeff Johnson, Bill, Darrin Stieff, Ray Ray, SpoMan, and myself. Bill and I were by far the weakest climbers, but tried to keep up the best we could. We did crazy shit with very small pads because this was back when crash pads were not being made yet. Lots of sprained ankles. Those were really good times.
I move to San Diego and sort of lost contact with Bill. We had met in J-Tree a couple times, but life stated to get pretty hectic for me. I think Bill moved back to Hawaii for a short bit, but ended up back in Redondo Beach. I managed to get a hold of him a couple months ago and it was really nice to hear his voice again. I feel really bad for not keeping in touch more often. He was by far the nicest guy in the world. He loved surfing, climbing, running, mountain biking, and reading. Bill was a super smart guy that always encouraged others to do their best. Bill will be missed.

Back on Track, Hopefully

I do believe I may be back on track to getting back into shape. It has been about two months since I started climbing again. I decided to just climb through the tendinitis and be super careful. I have been feeling better and better and more psyched than ever. This weekend, I wanted to get back up to the Matron area in Eldo. Last year Ryan Silvan and I started working on what was a project in the on line guide. We figured out the beta and began to put it together. Ryan was able to do it that day and called it "Fake Empire" and weighed it in at about V9/10. The next day, the area closed due to a Raptor Closer. Super fun compression prow/ arete. The boulder sort of sits up on a ledge and the start of the problem is down in a pit, very Huecoish. A hard heel hook is very necessary to hit a left hand slot that is super awkward. Heal hooks and toe hooks get you to the sloping lip that trends left and then you heel hook to pull yourself through a three boulder slot. I thought it was one of the coolest problems I have done in a while. I like problems that have really unique moves no matter how tall or small they may be. If the rock is good, then it's worth the effort.

Today, I went up to Clear Creek to finish off "Recession Proof". Some folks think that the problem is a "turd", but they should only climb the five star problems and leave the garbage to us weak asses. Why do some people climb something and then report that it was stupid or too small or something negative. I can understand if downgrading needs to happen if there is a general consensus. I typically look at a problem and decide weather or not I'm psyched to climb it or not. I tend to not get on something that doesn't look fun, duh. I think the problem is super cool. It lays down in the creek below the Primo Wall. The rock is super good with crimps, heel hooks, slopers, compression moves and big throws. Joe V. FA'd this fun problem last winter. I went down there early so that the rock was still cold. I warmed up and sent on my third try. Joe gave the problem 10 points, but some are saying it is more like 9. I think it is a hard 9 if that is the case. I have tried the problem two other days, three total. It had been pretty warm on my earlier attempts, but today, the temps were pretty nice. I guess if it were 50 degrees or so, it would be easier and worthy of a 9er. I guess I am just a bad judge of grades since I have only really started to try and climb harder again in the past couple of weeks. What ever the lame grade, the problem is really fun in my opinion which means nothing.

The addiction of Ink

Once you start, you just want more. Ink is a funny addiction because at the time when your in the chair, you think to yourself, no more! Once the pain has gone away and the scabbing is gone to clean, new skin, you forget. Some people stay in the chair for hours on end, while others only last minutes. I can do about 3 hours and that is my limit.
I had started my leg piece years ago and just went back under the needle once again. I saw this great piece where someones dog was standing in a pair of checkered vans, it was hilarious. I love my doggy and thought, why not. So I had a piece done of our Peanut. This way, I will always have her close to me. I love art and always appreciated how much work goes into tattoos. I find the medium committing to say the leased. One f-up and ... Anyway, the last time I was in the chair, I thought to myself, no more ink! The whole process gets kind of old when you get tore up, keep it clean so no infection, don't bump anything or ouchy, itch, itch some more, scabbing, and a month later, new skin with a super colorful piece of ink artwork. I like having my leg inked. I can ware pants and no ever knows I have a big leg piece. I really do think I am done though. I don't want to go any higher because the pain is at the point where I don't know if I could handle it. I love ink and probably always will, but I want to keep it somewhat tasteful. I dig some of the sleeves I have seen, but once you go there, that's it. People are funny about judging others they don't know. I think that tattoos have come a long way in the fact that it is seen way more like an art form than ever before. Some of the artists out there are some of the best artists I have ever seen. The artists that did most of my work, paint, draw, and do many other types of artwork other than tattooing. Joel Long at Boulder Ink did my Japanese artwork and Greg Fuller at Tribal Rites did Peanut. Both artists are super good at their particular styles, check em out:)

EZ's Wine and Shoe Review

Oh yeah, a couple glasses of wine and it's time for "EZ's Wine and Shoe Review".

My lovely wife picked up a bottle of Yellowtail Cab Sav from Costco for $5.00. Before I start the shoe review, I have to uncork and let the 2008 Cab Sav breath. It's fruity aroma has my taste buds salivating, so I will pour a glass and begin the review.

Evolv has upgraded the ever classic Talon for this Spring 2010. The old Talon was by far one of the best shoes Evolv has ever designed. The new Talon has kept most of the previous qualities and upgraded a few more. The upper synthetic is now perforated for better breathabiliity, Evolv has decided to incorporate their antimicrobial liner within the new Talon which makes the shoe even more comfortable out of the box than it was previously, the slingshot heal rand is a bit more aggressive than the previous model, and the Evolv logo is now molded into the slingshot rubber, cool. The heal has also been modified by incorporating a "Knuckle" type of patern for better heal hooking. The toe rand has been brought up even further on top of the toe box and slimmed down with thinner perforated rubber for better sensitivity. The one difference that most folks will notice first off, would have to be the bright Evolv green rubber in the arch of the shoe. Evolv has decided to change up the look of the shoe with neon green, non-high friction rubber in an area that just simply does not need to be high friction rubber. I think it is a super nice look that brings the new Talon to the forefront of the entire line. The performance of the new Talon surpasses the old model in sensitivity, looks and durability. The upper, as before, is soft right out of the box, but retains it's down turned profile even when "broken in". I do believe that Evolv has once again nailed it, as it does with every new or redesigned model it brings forth.

Well, my wine glass is empty and this shoe review has come to a close.

The Yellowtail is a wonderful, yet inexpensive red wine that doesnt break the bank. It is an Austrailian wine that delivers quality. Its undertones of Blackberry and Chocolate caress the palet and encourages adventure.

Untill next time, drink wine and all will be fine:)

I will have to leave this shoe review with happy thoughts and sweaty palms knowing that I will for sure be able to climb grades harder in the new and improved TALONS, sober of course:)

Joes Valley

Grand Junction Wine Country
Cory giving it on "Filla Void".

My wife, Danielle on "Pimpers Paradise".


Jacinda puttin in the effort on "Frosted Flakes".

Working moves on the "Hulk".

Cory on the "Rail".

Mrs. Peanut

D on Riverside Traverse

Cory doin the river crossing.

"High Tide" super classic V6.

This last weekend, Danielle, Peanut, her friend from school Jacinda, her husband Cory and their doggie Denali and I went to Joe's Valley. The girls went out on Wednesday and Cory and I met them out there on Friday. Jacinda's parents let us use their tent trailer which was really nice. The weather was pretty cold during the week, but was perfect Saturday and Sunday. It was sunny and warm, yet windy which kept it pretty cool. Cory and Jacinda have never been out to Joe's, so D and I gave them the classic tour. We mostly stayed in Right Fork. I just realized that Joe's Valley is the land of the V6's. Their are so many freakin classic V6's, it's insane. I always want to go to Joe's and crush something hard, but I always seem to get sucked into doing way too many classics. Some folks might get bummed, but I really enjoy all the super fun mid range climbs. This trip, Danielle really wanted to finish "Moby Dick", but she was already cashed before she even got on the problem. She said that on the next trip she will get on the problem the first day instead of the third. She will crush it for sure. Cory and Jacinda mostly rope climb, so bouldering is sort of new for them. They both did really well. There are a lot of high, funky top outs, but they both went for it. Jacinda crushed "Sling Blade", "Sweet Seam" at Black and Tan and did really well on "Frosted Flakes, Cory was able to finish "Frosted Flakes", "Pimper's Paridise", "Pimper's Paridise Right", "Cave Traverse" and did really well on "High Tide". Danielle, Cory and I did the ever classic traverse over the water on the riverside warm up boulder as well as the Angler. I didn't really push myself too much because of a cold and my tendinitis. My list of climbs include, Better Than Coffee- V4, Scoop able V0 highball, 3 Weeks- V9, The Cave Man- V4, Sling Blade- V4, Dem Bones- V3, Todd's Easy Arete- V2/3, Shorty Pie- V3, Filla Void- V6, The Prow- V7, Blue Eyed- V5, Classic Crack- V3, Pimper's Paridise- V5, Pimper's Paradise Low- V6, Buoux Crack- V2, Buoux Problem- V3, Tradesque- V4,Buoux V4 face, Frosted Flakes- V4/5, Low Tide- V6, The Angler- V2, and the riverside warm up boulder's water traverse- V2.
It was a super great weekend with no injuries, lots of classic climbs and good company.

Horsetooth Hang 2009

Horsetooth Res.
EZ workin the Evolv booth.

Evolv booth going off!
Team member, Byron Johnson.

Team member, Ben Schmitt.

Peacefull Warrior coach, Alec Salimao.

Team member, Sebastian.

Team member, Brian Rhodes.

Once again, the Horsetooth Hang has come and gone. The Hang is a climbing festival put on by Cameron Cross and the Northern Climbing Coalition every October. http://www.horsetoothhang.net/
Horsetooth Reservoir is a sandstone bouldering area that sits up in the foot hills just above Ft. Collins, CO. Horsetooth, also known as Rotary Park, has some of the most famous boulder problems in the U.S. Problems like, The Pinch Overhang, Left and Right Eliminator, and Meat Hook are just a few problems put up by John Gill, the god father of bouldering.
The weather was perfect for a good day of climbing outside. I went to the Hang to represent Evolv Sports http://www.evolvesports.com/by setting up a booth and running a shoe demo along other shoe companies like 5.10, La Sportiva, and Scarpa. Other vender's that supported the Hang were The Access Fund, New Belgium, Northern Climbing Coalition and many others. The turn out was really good with lots of folks curious about the new Evolv product line. There were lots of good questions about the shoes and I hope I was able to help climbers with their next climbing shoe decision. I always enjoy helping climbers with climbing shoes and Evolv is by far the best climbing shoe out there, which makes it pretty easy. We had lots of team members show up to participate in the event and to help out at the booth, Brian Rhodes, Ben Schmidt, Byron Johnson, Nick Duttle, Paul Desatco, Wolfgang, The Peacefull Warriors and myself to just name a few. Most of the Evolv team members are always up to give a helping hand as well as discuss the products they utilize as athletes. We thoroughly enjoy participating in events like the Horsetooth Hang and love being part of the community.
Thanks Cam for putting on yet another phenomenal event.

Shoe reviews

Here are a couple of links to great shoe reviews on the Evolv K-2's and the new Talon.
http://climbingshoetests.blogspot.com/search/label/Kaos%202
http://www.facebook.com/l/37c70;oldguydotcom.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-revamped-talons.html"

RMNP

Having been on the injured reserve list this entire summer, I have looked at Rocky Mountain National Park in a different way. RMNP means a lot more than just a place to go and climb. When I am healthy and fit, all I want to do is go to my projects and work them into submission. This summer, I have seen “the park” through a non climbing set of eyes.
Hiking up the trail heading to Chaos Canyon, I think to myself what an amazing place rocky is. The climbing is world class and the rock is amazing, but what about all the other things that make the park so impressive? For me, there are so many things that make the park one my favorite places to get away. Not being able to climb, I have been doing some hiking around the park and up to Chaos Canyon. There are so many things I took for granted only because the park was a place that I could go and be a selfish climber. Pushing my own personal limits in climbing requires a selfish approach unfortunately. Usually while hiking up the trail, I would focus on my project’s sequences or try to tap into that focus that for myself, is sometimes required to complete projects that are at my limit. In doing so, I thought I took in the amazing surroundings, but I really wasn’t seeing. Within the almost 1,000 square miles there are 359 miles of hiking trails, some of which are Alberta Falls, Dream Lake, Ouzel Falls, Mills Lake, Cub Lake, The Loch, Flattop Mountain, and Longs Peak. There are about 900 different species of flowers, 60 mountains exceeding 12,000 feet, topping off at 14,259 feet, and 60 species of mammals; more than 280 recorded bird species; six amphibians, including the federally endangered boreal toad; one reptile (the harmless garter snake); 11 species of fish; and countless insects, including a surprisingly large number of butterflies. The park is one of the most amazing places in the world. As a climber who mainly focuses on his goals, (bouldering), sometimes seeing things differently puts other things into perspective. I love climbing and always will, but opening my eyes to seeing what is really out there and I mean what is really out there as far as this earth is extremely refreshing.
Here are some other cool facts that make up RMNP.
Establishment
President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation on 26 Jan 1915 to create Rocky Mountain National Park. In 1976 the natural ecosystems of the park, which represent the Rocky Mountain Biogeographic Province, received recognition through the United Nations "Man and Biosphere" program as an international Biosphere Reserve. The reserve is part of the network of protected samples of the world's major ecosystem types that is devoted to conservation of nature and genetic material and to scientific research in the service of humanity. It provides a standard against which the effects of human impact on the environment can be measured.

Protecting the Rockies
In 1903, F. O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, came to Estes Park for his health. Impressed by the beauty of the valley and grateful for the improvement in his health, he decided to invest his money and his future there. In 1909, he opened the elegant Stanley Hotel, a classic hostelry exemplifying the golden age of touring.
Largely due to Stanley's efforts, the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association was established to protect local wildflowers and wildlife and to improve roads and trails. "Those who pull flowers up by the roots will be condemned by all worthy people, and also by the Estes Park Protective and Improvement Association," they warned. It was the start of a conservation ethic that has become increasingly important and complex.
Even more important to the future of the area was Enos Mills, who came to the Longs Peak area in 1884 when he was 14 years old. A dedicated naturalist, he wrote eloquent books about the area's natural history. Not long after his arrival, Mills bought the Longs Peak Inn and began conducting local nature trips.
In 1909, Mills first proposed that the area become the nation's tenth national park to preserve the wildlands from inappropriate use. It was his vision that you would arrive here years later to experience the wonderful Rocky Mountain wilderness he knew. "In years to come when I am asleep beneath the pines, thousands of families will find rest and hope in this park," he proclaimed.
Unleashing his diverse talents and inexhaustible energy, he spent several years lecturing across the nation, writing thousands of letters and articles, and lobbying Congress to create a new park that would stretch from the Wyoming border south to Pikes Peak, covering more than 1,000 square miles. Most civic leaders supported the idea, as did the Denver Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Mountain Club. In general, mining, logging, and agricultural interests opposed it. The compromise drafted by James G. Rogers, the first president of the Colorado Mountain Club, was the establishment of a smaller park (358.3 square miles). On January 26, 1915, under President Woodrow Wilson, it was declared Rocky Mountain National Park.
Today, the park stands as a legacy to those pioneers who looked beyond its harvestable resources to its more lasting values.
Size and Visitation
The park has grown to more than 415 square miles. In 1990, it gained an additional 465 acres when Congress approved expansion of the park to include the area known as Lily Lake. The National Park Service, the Conservation Fund, and some diligent legislators successfully halted land development in this area adjacent to the park's boundary. It now is an important buffer zone that helps protect the migratory routes of wildlife in the park.
Visitation - FY 2000Total Recreation Visits - 3,180,889

Midrange boulder problems

I thought it would be kind of cool to put together a list of the mid range boulder problems in Colorado frontrange. I had sent out a message on Face book to all the other climbers that I know in Colorado to respond with what they feel are their favorite V6- V8 boulder problems. I am putting the list together and will post it as soon as folks hit me back. Colorado is known for it's really hard problems, but it seems as though the mid range problems get over looked. I wanted to bring to light our phenomenal mid range problems as well.

Balloon Ride

Danielle and I received a balloon ride as our wedding gift from all of our friends at Evolve. We finally took advantage of it and scheduled our ride for this last weekend. We were hoping to wait till October so that the fall colors would fill in, but we couldn't wait any longer, we were too psyched! Fair Winds was the Hot Air Balloon Company we went up with. The entire staff and the owner Jeff were the funniest people ever. They totally love their jobs and you could tell.
The Fair Winds Balloon Company has about 5 balloons. You can fit about 4 to 8 people per balloon basket depending on the basket. We had to be at the launch site at 6:30 a.m. in Gunbarrel. We took off around 7:30ish and stayed up for about 2 hours. It was super calm, about a whapping 4 miles per hour. The views were spectacular and the weather was perfect. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was actually warm that early in the morning. We thought it was going to be cold higher up in the atmosphere, so we dressed in pants and brought sweatshirts. Because you stand right below the burners, it felt like your hair, neck and shoulders were going to catch fire. It gets really warm in the basket, especially when the pilot hits the burners.
We floated along the Boulder skyline and enjoyed all the views of the Rockies, Plains and Front Range. Jeff, our pilot gave us all kinds of Boulder trivia and some cool history lessons of the area. We took tons of photos and just relaxed, enjoying the peaceful calm of the balloon ride. Because you float with the wind, you actually don’t feel any breeze at all. The balloons fallow wind currents and can change their direction by lifting or falling to other wind currents. The wind currents blow in different directions depending on the elevation you are at. The only time you feel any breeze is when you rise or fall to a different wind current. The balloons go up early in the morning because of wind speeds and because of air temp. The cooler the atmosphere, the easier it is to heat the air within the balloon, giving them the lift they need. I guess the wind speeds needs to be pretty minimal or it gets really difficult to control the balloon on the ground and in the air. Jeff told us that he has clocked himself at 40 miles per hour once. Landing in those conditions can be very dangerous.
Now, trying to find the right place to land sounds pretty easy, right? I guess in Boulder County, you can’t land in open space. Each balloon has a catch team that fallows them. Once the balloon lands, their catch team rolls up in either a van or a towed trailer. They then break down the balloon and away they go. The owner Jeff has been landing in various areas around Boulder for 30 years and knows just about everyone. We had landed in a spot, but realized we were in open space. We took off again and looked for another landing spot. Jeff started to land on a farmer’s property while asking his ground support crew to ask the farmer if it was ok via warlike talkie. We came in kind of hot. Jeff had to bypass a pond while trying to avoid a tree and land quick enough to not take out the farmer’s fence. It was as pin point as you could get. Jeff dropped us right between a fence and a fire pit. We were all impressed to say the least.
After we all helped break down the balloon, we met back at the launch site. Jeff and his crew gave everyone that flew that day a goodie bag with a t-shirt, a small bottle of champagne and a bunch of coupons to help support local business. The tradition goes; in France where ballooning started, farmers thought that ballooners were devils. When the ballooners landed, they would give the farmers either a bottle of wine or champagne to show where they were from. Today, ballooners carry bottles of wine or champagne to give to the farmers where they have to land to say thanks.
Danielle and I had wonderful time learning about hot air balloons and the traditions that encompass them. The Fair Winds team gave us a wonderful experience that we will remember for many years to come. We can’t wait to do it again.