Smth Rocks trip

I just got back from a great trip with my cousin to the sport climbing paradise of Smith Rock in Oregon and was nothing short of amazed by the amount of climbing and quality of climbing.

Driving Day: We left Bainbridge Island at 11:30 or 12:00 and got to Smith Rock State Park about 5 hours later as night fell. We put our tent up in the dark in a spot that we later found out was not a campsite at all but actually a picnic area but for the 2 nights we were there it worked out perfectly.

A Washington update!

It's been a long time since I last updated this so here goes:
For the past couple weeks I've been checking out the city as much as I can but for the most part staying on the Mercer Island side of the lake except for 2 trips to the climbing gym (one successful and one not) due to the climbing gym being situated in the industrial part of town that is super hard to drive through when your looking for a specific address. I'm getting better and better at finding my way around Seattle but I'm still far from knowing where I am all the time and that leads to some crazy detours that take me off course by more than a few miles over and over again until I'm too tired to care where I was going and just head home.

With the Boknechts!!

For the last couple days I've been staying in Salt Lake City with my cousin and her family cruising around and checking out the city. Sense I've been here we've gone skiing at Brighton, gone to a climbing gym to get some bouldering in, made some crazy train tracks, made planes out of tonka toys, played Wii Mario Kart (a few times), and Christmas hasn't even happened yet! Lots of activities going on here. I'm not going to write too much so I'll let these pics and video speak for themselves.

Heading Outta Leadvegas!

Me in 2 days? I hope so!!

In two days I will begin heading in the direction of Salt Lake City en route to Seattle and hopefully be gaining a ski instructing job along the way that I will be interviewing for on Saturday (thank you uncle Scott!). My dorm room is almost completely cleared out with the remaining items being my computer, the sheets on my bed, my math book(final final tomorrow), and my climbing grip strengtherizer that I have been using quite a bit now. Hopefully I will be able to climb in Moab along the way to Salt Lake but it seems unlikely right now because the forecast is calling for some snow but I'm keeping my hopes high by leaving my climbing crate of gear easily accessible at the tail end of my car. I'm planning on heading out of Leadville in the range of 4 or 5am so I have enough time to climb if I happen to meet anyone that is also hoping to get vertical. I'm really looking forward to going skiing in Salt Lake with Heather and John but even more than that I'm looking forward seeing Jeffrey make some turns and Ally for the first time ever for any of the Euro Darrows so my life is looking pretty good. I'm going to get back to studying for my math final and can't wait for the next few days to come. Going to be a trip!
-Owen

Climbing in Buena Vista Dec 3rd

After all of our other climbing plans fell through repeatedly stevo and I finally got out to Buena Vista for some sick climbing in the surprisingly warm weather. Not much to say but that we had an awesome time climbing and that I can feel the week or two of only climbing in the gym coming back to haunt me because my endurance is no where close to were it use to be. I was having trouble climbing a 5.10a which is not all that bad considering I led my first 5.11 last year. I just wish I could be out there everyday so that come spring I'm in excellent shape and am mentally ready to push myself beyond what I have previously. After climbing we headed up to a hot springs above Buena Vista which was the best idea for after climbing that i have ever heard of. After almost two hours soaking in the hot springs we called it a day by devouring some burgers and heading home. Here are a few pictures that I got yesterday. I lost my camera half way through the day so here are some deer and a sick view! Haha

Pictures from Buena Vista Dec 3rd

Just sitting in a backyard

Another shot of him

Not a bad view

A Small Poem Written By Chris Hulin

Leadville CMC

We ski steep mountains and climb tall rocks. just a few women, surrounded by cocks

We learn to to tie knots and drive a snow cat. preserve earths trees and roll one real fat.

We drink P.B.R and smoke lots of pot. Work a shitty desk job, i think NOT!

So i ask you... to be or not to be? part of the crazy group here at CMC.......

-Chris Hulin