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

10th Mountain Hut endurance ski Nov 28th

I woke up this morning at about 10 or so. My alarm clock was still paying music and had been for the last 30 minutes so I though it was about time to get out of bed. I had made up my mind up the day before to skin to 10th Mountain Hut starting at the Tennessee Pass trail head located just opposite of the entrance from Ski Cooper. Most people going to 10th Mountain Hut start from Crane Park trailhead that is little over 1 mile closer to the hut. I wanted to take a longer tour pushing myself with speed so I decided to start from the Tennessee Pass trailhead. If I was ever going to skin into this hut with a fully loaded pack for an overnighter I would opt to use the Crane Park trailhead. The skin track was smooth as I started up the trail at about 11:30 with a very packed down trail leading all the way to the hut. I passed a group of two snowshoers heading out as I started to gain a small amount of elevation up to a meadow were I encountered a snowboarder that was pushing his board along the ground with a ski pole but looked unfazed by his mode of travel and method in which he was using so I pushed on. A little further I almost skinned passed a lady without even noticing here sitting on the ground just off the skin path. When I asked if she was okay I got a muffled response that made me keep pushing on almost missing a skier on cross country skis ripping through very thick trees, i'm guessing to cut the switchbacks out of the picture all together. On the last rise before the hut I met a nice older man that was carrying a fully loaded pack. I talked with him for a few minutes and found out he had been staying at the hut for 2 days and had made some nice turns yesterday. He turned out to be the last person I saw on the trail before getting to the hut to strip my skins, eat some lunch, and drink a little water. After lunch I headed down the way I had come passing all of the people I had seen on the way up and getting to the car at about 3:05. Good trip!

Pictures on 10th Mountain Hut endurance

Before gas...

After gas....much better

On the right track

10th Mountain Hut in all it's glory

Above doorway

Damn telemarkers. Only at Cooper with that suit!