How you know your on a climbing road trip...

1)  You haven't showered in days
2) Your car is packed to the roof with crash pads, clothing, gear, and it has an odd smell to it
3) There is no skin on your finger tips
4) You consider your tent home, your therma rest a bed and your sleeping bag blankets
5) You meet people from around the world who you have mutual acquaintances with
6) Figuring out where you want to climb is the hardest part of your day
7) Rice and beans in a delicacy
8) You are excited for two dollar movies in Lexington, KY
9) You go to bed early and wake with the sun (especially after a few beers)
10) Your hair and beard grow long and you start to smell!

The drive down went very well.  The 17 hours seemed to fly by.  Chad and I left Plymouth, NH at 930pm, and drove down to Massachusetts.  We picked up Alexa, a friend of Chad's who is joining us in the RED RIVER GORGE!  We left Alexa's around 1130pm and drove through the night.  Mutilated deer carcases lined the highway in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, luckily no deer darted out in front of us.  The Maryland sun rise was long and sweet.  The sun draped astonishing streaks of red, orange and yellow on the horizon as the sun gave light to the day.  We arrived at Miguel's around 300 in the afternoon. 

The soup-can aka, the Subaru made the drive well. A few days prior to leaving, my car began to leak coolant.  It got worse so I decided to take it to a shop.  Deep down I knew it was a bad head gasket, but I was hoping that it would be something else.  No more then an hour after dropping the Outback off at Currier and Sons Garage, I got the phone call I was dreading.  The head gasket was bad and had a pencil sized hole in it.  I commissioned the work.  3 days and 987.00 dollars later She was fixed!  They did a great job.  New head gasket, they re-sealed my valve covers, new spark plugs, air filer, and a few other things I am forgetting; the Subaru was ready for launch.  I literally picked the car up at 700 pm Monday, two and a half hours later Chad and I were on the road. An instantaneous 1000 mile test!  With fingers crossed; no more mechanical problems!  However, the other night one of the trunk actuators broke!  It snapped off where it connects to the car frame!  We found the perfect stick to take its place, but the gate is still heavy to lift and it comes down fast!  We hope to find a replacement actuator today, a rest day.

TRAGEDY TODAY!!!! We are out of coffee!  Chad and I are forced to pay for coffee at Miguel's!  It isn't the end of the world but it isn't the best coffee!

We have climbed for three days.  We are planning on a 3 and 1 schedule.  3 days of climbing, 1 of rest.  It may change depending on weather and how we feel.

So far I haven't sent anything.  I am stepping up my game this year.  We are going to be here for a while and I really want to send some 5.13's.  It may prove to be futile, the past few days I haven't felt that strong on the steep climbs.  It is to be expected since I don't climb or train for this style.  I still love it, although it is frustrating to get shut down on 13a.  I feel as though I should be able to do a 13a in half a dozen tries!  Time and rest will tell!  If I keep getting shut down, then it's back to 5.12.  Chad and Alexa are climbing very well.  I am excited for them!

Sorry I have no pictures to share, hopefully that will change.  As freeing as it is to be on the road I am still burdened with the future.  I'm not sure what I want to do after the road trip.  I am excited as always for climbing but still frustrated with the future.  Sometimes I wonder about the other people at Miguels.  Are they as lost as me?  Do they not care?  Or is this it for them? 



  

Anxiety and excitement!

I am shaking with emotions (and coffee).  A lot has gone in the past weeks, and the summer as well.  As of November 1st I have been homeless.  Not actually.  I moved out of my apartment, and now I am spending a few nights at my friend and climbing legend Tom Armstrongs' home.  I am also borrowing his truck.  My car began leaking copious amounts of coolant two days ago.  Low and behold, 5 days before leaving on the road trip my car needs a head gasket.  Of course.  Murphy's law?  A catch-22?  Fixing the head gasket is going to cost me 1/4 of my savings!  I don't have much of a choice in the matter.  Fortunately, I still have enough money for the trip.  This hit has the potential to cut the trip short or make it more stressful towards the end.... not having enough money is annoying!  On a responsible and adult note, I purchased heath insurance last week.  As my friend Jason Conway put it; "Health insurance is the one thing you pay into and don't want to use!"  How true is that?

I am excited for the trip, however, at the same time I feel anxious.  My car needing the head gasket hasn't helped.  Aside from that, I am still nervous.  I think I am more nervous for what I am going to do after the trip.  I am going to be broke and homeless.  I am thinking about returning to Stone Ridge, and spending some time with my mom.  Hopefully I will be able to find work, and save enough money to go to Turkey!

As much as I love New Hampshire I think my time here is coming to an end.  This summer was tumultuous.  I think I am done working in restaurants (or at least around here).  The job lacks inspiration, I'm not stimulated by it anymore.  90% of my customers annoy me, I don't find them interesting and they are cheap.  I can't, it hurts my soul.  Last night, unprompted or provoked a couple at the bar spent 5 minutes forcing their conservative, ignorant and completely insane political opinions down my throat!  It took all my restraint to keep from telling them off.  They think Obama is a socialist.  They said he hasn't done anything he promised and he has put us further in debt.  Yeah, like he was handed his presidency on a silver platter.  Then they went on to tell me that Obama should have let GM fail.  Stupidly I asked, "what about all the GM employees that would be out of a job?"  They told me that they would have to fend for themselves... then they said they don't believe in unemployment, so I asked what people should do, and they said if people are starving they should turn to their churches.  At that point I walked away.  I don't disagree fully, yes, people take advantage of unemployment and welfare.  But some people need it!  Anyway, those people are insane.  Wealthy land owners from Connecticut up for the weekend to shut down their Lake house on Winnipeesaukee.

I've been saying it for a while and it is finally time.  After the road trip and hopefully a trip to Turkey I am going to move out west or go to graduate school.  Most likely I will get a masters in Mathematics Education.  I can't fathom the idea of working all year round.  At least not yet.  I still need to climb 5.14a!

I go back and forth, this morning I was feeling super excited about the road trip, then I felt anxious.  I think things will be better once I am on the road.  The road is calming.  It is relaxing.  Hopefully my car troubles are done.  I've put 2000 into that thing this summer.  I bought it last year for 4100.  Cars are not cheap.

I haven't climbed much in the past week.  The weather has been shitty and I am resting for the trip.  I hope to send a few 13's in the red and hopefully put down some hard boulder problems.  I'd love to do a V10, but I'd settle for some 8's and 9's.  I'm excited for the RED!  Especially for Chad.  He is climbing so well this year.  It is going to be a good time!

                 

Inspiration...

Inspiration is interesting.  Where does it come from? and where does it go?  It is enigmatic, some people are self inspired while others need 'inspiration.'  I find myself 50% inspired by others and 50% self driven.

A few weeks ago, my friend John (who I hadn't seen in a year) came into Canoe.  Sidebar:  Canoe is a restaurant that I am currently working in.  It is in Centre Harbor, NH.  It's nice, the food is great and I don't mind working there.  While serving John  and his friend Sweet and Sour Calamari, (which is phenomenal) he asked about my travels and said he enjoyed reading my blog.  That stood out to me.  It felt good to hear someone who I hadn't seen in a long time say that.  BAM, inspiration.  However, it has taken me close to a month to actually sit down and write.  The other 50% percent, self motivation.  Truth be told, I have been busy and my computer only works half the time I turn it on.  With that said, I am excited to blog again and set out on another trip!

Yes, that is correct.  Chad and I are hitting the road again.  It is going to be great.  Seasoned road veterans setting out on another epic trip.  (There are plans for another European adventure, but I can't tell you everything at once!)  It is time.  I need to get out.  I moving out of my apartment, and may be saying goodbye to NH for a long time.  It is hard to fathom that completely, but I haven't been happy since returning from Spain.  A large part of it stems from where I am living.  It has been a great, cheap apartment but I am done with it.

I know I have been saying this for a while, but the dream (my life since graduating college) needs a face lift, a  paradigm shift.  The ideal of the dream must continue but I need to promote myself.  Grad School, a move (out west) or a real job.  I think I am going gray from waiting tables! These things are going to happen.

As for climbing, what can be said I love it!  This summer hasn't been the best.  Lot of rain and humidity.  I sent Dodge the Lemons, a 5.13c/d on the Waimea wall of Rumney.  It is a beast of a motherfucker.  I got some recognition in a local climbing magazine for the ascent.  It was cool.  Aside from that, I have climbed Roaring Silence, 5.13b.  I am close on 3 other projects.  Two of the three are perpetually wet with all the rain, and the third, Beat Junky, I hope to send this week!

Opening moves of Dodge the Lemons

Intermediate hold before the toss to the brick.

   All in all it has been a great summer.  I got to witness and be apart of the marriage of two friends.  Anthony Cormier to Casey Martin.  They are both amazing people and I was honored to be apart of it.  I've visited friends all around the Northeast, I have money in the bank to travel with.  Life is good, the coffee I am drinking tastes great.

The adventure continues!

Friends...

I have never been the type of person who has a lot of friends.  Because of this, the friends I do have tend to be special and dear to me.  I have a core group of friends that I grew up with, friends in New Hampshire, and a few close friends in Asheville, NC.  More often then not I will go weeks, months, or even years without seeing some of them.  What I love the most about my friendships with them all, is that we pick up like we never left off.  And for that I am elated to have the friends I do. 

Chad and I found ourselves in Asheville, NC on the final leg of our trip.  It was great because Josh and Cameron were still around and crushing as usual.  Chad and I stayed with Josh and we got in a couple good days at Rumbling Bald.  While there, I spent some time with my Aunt Maggie and my cousin Lola.  Both of whom I have a great relationship with.  No matter how short a time I am in Asheville, I love it.  I wish I had the ability to just move there!  The funny thing is... what's stopping me? Nothing, expect myself.  Which is an interesting thing to say.

Since returning from the road trip, I have and still am (due to snow) spending time home in Stone Ridge.  It is interesting how you can grow up in an area, spend a majority of your life there, and feel like a stranger after living away.  When I'm home I lack motivation and I feel like there is nothing to do.  I am "out of my element?"  Does that make any sense?  Or is it that I have grown past what I know here?  I am also in a debate over work, what to do in February, i.e., go to Spain, go to Asheville for a few weeks, stay in NH... etc.  I am definitely in the post college, mid-twenties purgatory of life!  It really isn't a bad place to be.  It is filled with travels and adventures that are interesting and comical, but it is also a desolate place.  Not knowing what the future has in store is a scary thing.  Funny thing, I am going to see a movie with my mother tonight called Tiny Furniture.  It is about a girl who comes home after graduating college and is going through the same thing!  True story.  Not the movie just the coincidence. 

The time I have spent home has been fun.  I saw my friend Toby for his birthday and met his new (only new to me) girlfriend.  I went to Long Island for my friend Andrews 25th birthday, spent a few days with Dave and ended up in the Hampton's for New Years.  It defiantly ranks among my best New Years'.  I also went Ice Climbing with my friend Brad.  Yes, I am addicted to it again.  And yes, I need new crampons, the Rambo 4's have seen there day and are no longer safe to climb with.   

With all that said, life is a great adventure that I am honored to be apart of.  Yes, it has its down but it is predominately great.  Oh, don't ever watch a movie called The Fourth Kind.  I watched it last night with Scott and it is one fucked up movie!               

Interesting Tan line!

So, it has just occurred to me.  That, at some point in the future when I shave my beard, I am going to have a reverse goggle tan.  It is sunny on the west coast.  I have a thick beard.  I am getting tan.  The sun light doesn't penetrate my beard.  Therefore, I am going to have a fascinating tan line after I shave. 

The time spent in Bishop went too fast.  Was I having that much fun?  Must have been.  It seemed like Chad and I were only there for a week.  In fact, we had been there for three weeks.  Most notable sends in Bishop:  Flash of Solarium V4, Flash of Mister Witty V6, The Hulk V6, High Plains Drifter V7, and Soul Slinger Right V8.   

It can be said, that we left NH, a state that borders the Atlantic Ocean, and drove all the way to the Pacific Ocean.  Chad and I gave his girlfriend Jenny a ride to Ventura, California.  She is visiting a family that she used to nanny for.  They are a nice couple.  The mother Dianne just began a job working for Patagonia and Sacha is an independent graphic designer.  Their son Amato, is an over energetic smart 3 1/2 year old.  I wanted to steel their dog Emma!  She was the sweetest dog (next to Josh Cooper's dog Layla (Shes my girl)). 



Amato and Emma enjoying my sleeping corridors

Diane and Sacha were great hosts.  They kept apologizing for the lack of furniture.  They had just moved  from Boulder, CO.  It was quite alright and it was nice to sleep indoors for once!  Their house was the first place I had slept indoors for weeks.  We spent some time checking out Ventura.  It is a beach community for sure.  Tattoo parlors, board shops and blonds!  We walked the beach and had some tacos!  If you are ever in Ventura and you want cheap Patagonia clothing, go to Really Cheap Sports.  They sell Patagonia gear cheap!  It's still expensive but not as much. 

Vegas is Vegas.  The climbing is really fun. But, to have fun in Vegas you need to have money to spend.  It is still fun to walk around and see the sights and sounds.  The other night, while walking around, I met a real hooker.  She began to yell and Tim and I from across the street.  She came over to me and introduced herself.  I can't remember her name.  She put out two fingers and asked me my name.  Upon telling her, she motioned for me to shake her hand.  With her two fingers in my hand she did a curtsy and said, "pleasure to meet you Emile.  Where are we going to do this thing?"  At that point I informed her that I was looking for a place to eat and that was all.  She instantly started to tell me all of her favorite places to eat.  She was nice, but a real life hooker. 

We've sport climbed the past few days and went bouldering today.  The bouldering is really fun, but I wouldn't commit an entire trip here to it.  We plan on doing a day in the canyons, climbing the bigger stuff.  We won't be able to do anything super classic and long because of the temperatures.  It is warm at the crags, but cold up in the canyons. 

There is a strong chance that Chad and I will stop in Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. It is in Arkansa.  We have herd a lot of good things about it, and it is on our way back.  We plan on driving I-40.  If we take that route. I will have driven I-80, I-90, I-70, and I-40 across the country. 

I find this trip to be surreal.  In the fact that, I haven't worked in almost two months and I was able to pack up and leave my life behind.  Or is this my life?  It is a hard thing to determine.  I would like to be able to do this again next year.  At the same time, the thought of working in a restaurant in NH or anywhere for that matter is depressing.  However, that is the only industry that affords me the luxury of travel.  I hope, one day to be able to determine what I want to do.  I hope I am not destined to be perpetually perplexed. 

At the present moment, I don't see myself doing anything different.  All I know is this:  I have an epic beard, I am enjoying a Mammoth Brewing Company's Epic IPA, I am about to make some dinner, and I would like to travel some more this winter.  Maybe I will go to Spain or France, or maybe visit my friends in Asheville.  At this point, there is nothing stopping me from anything. I like that feeling.  I wish I could find a "real" job that would afford me this.




The view from Dianne and Sacha's place in Ventura.  You can't see it, but the ocean is down there.




 

Morning Coffee!

Chad and I are in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!  Call me corny, but I love this town.  I am not a gambler, nor am I usually attracted to flashy things.  However, I get a kick out of Vegas!  Our friend Tim Greene flew in from Boston and rented a gorgeous house for the week!  Once again, he is letting us stay with him for next to nothing!  It is crazy! 

Good friends are both rare and cherished.  It is a great feeling.  I value the people in my life.  Granted Tim has the means to rent a house like this, but it is extremely nice of him to let Chad and I stay.   

I will post more later.  We are excited to go climbing and everyone is giving me the hairy eyeball!   

33 Days...

I have been on this trip for 33 days.  What an experience it has been.  Is it sad that there is an end date?  Chad needs to be back for a job, and I would like to be home for friends birthdays.  Between December 20-22, Chad and I will return to the Northeast!  Yes, those dates are still far, and there is plenty that can be done and experienced in that time.  However, today was the first day that we talked about a termination date. 

I haven't found my calling in life.  It was an unreal "dream" of mine to accomplish on this trip.  Though the trip isn't over, it does not feel like I will find it.  What I have found, is a greater appreciation for life and what is around me.  My mornings are lazy, which I love.  I get out of my tent around 8, once the sun has heated it to a point that I feel the outside world is bearable.  I have coffee with Chad.  Either French Press of Espresso!  After which, breakfast is had, and depending on the day (rest day or climbing), I embark upon it.  It is a freeing and amazing feeling.  I do know this, and it is not a shocker to those that know me...  I am tired of restaurant work!  I hope to not return to the industry.  I still have some money.  More then likely I will travel around the northeast and visit friends for a while.  Depending on what develops in the months to come, i.e., job opportunities, picking up and leaving (moving west), returning home (to Stone Ridge), going to graduate school, or staying in New Hampshire; will determine what I do.  Could I spend another summer waiting tables?  Yes, as long as I have another trip to look forward to. 



The Pit!

The vagabond/dirt bag way of life is accepted here.  Maybe accepted is the wrong word, but there is a larger presence of it.  Bishop (from what I have seen) is home to many passerby.  Yes, there is world class climbing and fly fishing here, and climbing more so then fly fishing attracts people who choose to live out of there vehicles.  Coming from the east, you don't see it as much.  Of course, it is not uncommon to see a few vehicles at Rumney that people live in.  But, its different here.  There are more of them and they are more elaborate.  There is free camping on BLM land, or two dollar a night per car at the Pit.  The two coffee shops in town are receptive of the climbers.  There are brilliant gear stores in town, great laundry facilities, a place where you can shower with natural, hot spring water for only a dollar!  Where are these things on the east coast?  There are expensive camp grounds, that not always supply wonderful showers.  Some people I meet, who are living out of their vehicles own their own business.  They have found a way to make a living and still have time to travel and climb.  Others, are people my age, older and younger, who, don't know what they want to do.  Some appear to be trust fund babies and others are like me.  They work, save and travel.  It is a great culture, one that those who participate in appreciate.  There is an unspoken bond between us all.  None of us have a lot to spare but would help the other out.

The climbing keeps getting better.  I am becoming more familiar with the style and have been climbing a lot of great problems.  I haven't been able to return to High Plains Drifter.  The top of the boulder is still covered in snow.  Hopefully it will be dry and free of snow tomorrow!  Chad and I are leaving Bishop on the 8th.  We are giving his girlfriend a ride to Ventura, CA.  She flew in a few days ago.  Chad is extremely excited to see her, and now and again I feel like a third wheel.  It was to be expected. 



Drinking water in the Happies!

From Ventura we hope to meet with Tim Greene in Red Rocks!  After that, if there is time we might hit the Southeast for a bit.  Who knows!  That is the beauty of it all!



Me Flashing Mister Witty V6