Last summer my good friend Phil and I went on a climbing trip to the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. You can revisit that post if you'd like, or you can just enjoy some of the photos set to music in the video below.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Sunday, August 9, 2015
A Quick Note from the Tetons
I've been in the Jackson area for a little over 24 hours now. I landed in SLC Friday night about 10pm Mountain. Jon picked me up at the airport, and we drove for a few hours before crashing at Allred Flat Campground in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The next morning (yesterday) we finished the drive in the morning, and checked in the American Alpine Club Grand Teton Climbers' Ranch (GTCR).
The weather was questionable at best, Jon wanted a nap after a long week of working the Outdoor Retailer Show - I wanted to breathe some thin air and get myself a little acclimated. So Jon napped while I carried a light pack to the Lower Saddle and back. When I got back, we had dinner and spent some time hanging out in the GTCR Library with the other climbers staying there. Sitting around the fire, swapping stories, looking at photos from a Liberty Ridge trip. Sitting in that room, surrounded by stocking-footed (no shoes allowed in the library) climbers and artifacts from well-over a century's worth of climbing I felt I was surrounded by close friends, despite only knowing one other person in the room. One of climbing's greatest strengths, and pulls for me is the community of people it brings together.
This morning Jon and I were both slow to rise from our bunks, but the fog was slow to lift from the valley too - so it didn't matter. Mostly it's been a slow day of resting, eating, and getting our kit put together for the next two days. We plan on starting up Teewinot tonight around 2am en route to do the Grand Traverse over the next two days. We had hoped to get a warm-up route in beforehand, but the weather looks questionable later in the week - so we'll use the two days of good forecast to go for it.
The weather was questionable at best, Jon wanted a nap after a long week of working the Outdoor Retailer Show - I wanted to breathe some thin air and get myself a little acclimated. So Jon napped while I carried a light pack to the Lower Saddle and back. When I got back, we had dinner and spent some time hanging out in the GTCR Library with the other climbers staying there. Sitting around the fire, swapping stories, looking at photos from a Liberty Ridge trip. Sitting in that room, surrounded by stocking-footed (no shoes allowed in the library) climbers and artifacts from well-over a century's worth of climbing I felt I was surrounded by close friends, despite only knowing one other person in the room. One of climbing's greatest strengths, and pulls for me is the community of people it brings together.
This morning Jon and I were both slow to rise from our bunks, but the fog was slow to lift from the valley too - so it didn't matter. Mostly it's been a slow day of resting, eating, and getting our kit put together for the next two days. We plan on starting up Teewinot tonight around 2am en route to do the Grand Traverse over the next two days. We had hoped to get a warm-up route in beforehand, but the weather looks questionable later in the week - so we'll use the two days of good forecast to go for it.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Cross One Off the List!
I love Thoroughfare, and I have loved it since the first time I climbed it on a top-rope close to a decade ago. At that time, if anyone would have asked if I would ever lead it, or any 5.11 trad route for that matter, I would have told them they were crazy! Even my considerably bolder early-twenties self would have thought leading 5.11 on gear was unlikely - I just did not have the mindset, commitment, or process that I do now. Latching the jug you see me holding in the picture below, is the result of over a year-and-a-half of hard work, dedication and commitment to a process. Two years ago this was an impossibility, and last night it became a reality - it won't land me in any of the mags next month and #Thoroughfare won't be trending on Twitter anytime soon, but I accomplished a goal I was not even aware that I had until recently and considered impossible up until a few months ago. There is no secret to doing this, and I really believe anyone can do it...set a goal, create a plan, and work the plan. It will take sacrifices along the way, but that moment, where you blow so far through any prior expectations you could have conceived of for yourself, is worth every bit of sacrifice along the way - the smile on my face speaks for itself.
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| James Schroeder, hitting the jug at the end of the difficulties on Thoroughfare (5.11a) at Devil's Lake - Jay Knower Photo |
Thursday, June 11, 2015
WAGG Day 14 - Goes 40-41
06/10/15
It's been three weeks since the last time I was up at Necedah, and truth be told, I had pretty much written Whiskey off until the fall when conditions came back around. But when Charles texted me last Saturday to see if I'd meet him up there last night, I couldn't miss the opportunity. A couple days later Nate texted to see if I wanted to meet up and I told him to join Charles and me.
It's been three weeks since the last time I was up at Necedah, and truth be told, I had pretty much written Whiskey off until the fall when conditions came back around. But when Charles texted me last Saturday to see if I'd meet him up there last night, I couldn't miss the opportunity. A couple days later Nate texted to see if I wanted to meet up and I told him to join Charles and me.
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