Tuesday Trifle

So I went up to the Monolith Bouldering Area at DL to start to sort some things out on MP because it was an unsorted mess. I ended up splitting what used to be titled Monolith Rocks into two areas East and West. While I was up there I ended up finding a bunch of problems that weren't on the site already - although I'm sure at least some of them have been done in the past.

So I added the following to the site:
Awkward Mushroom (V1)
Deep Doodoo Left (V0)
Deep Doodoo Right (V0)
Just Another Sick Old New Rig Left (V1)
Just Another Sick Old New Rig Right (V1)

The Just Another Sick Old New Rig problems might be new, might not, ultimately who cares? They're short fun and meaningless. I did shoot some video of them though:

Enjoy them if you get there!

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.

James Schroeder, hitting the jug at the end of the difficulties on Thoroughfare (5.11a) at Devil's Lake - Jay Knower Photo

I'm on TV!

A few weeks back I helped my boss, Nick, at Devil's Lake Climbing Guides, out, by doing a TV spot for WGN. I have to admit that I look pretty silly in the few cameos I make and the speaking role I have at about 1:24..."I'm never more at home than when I'm right here in this place. [Unless of course I'm being filmed, then I'm not at home at all.]"
When I see myself in the WGN piece I can't help but think of this:

Last Night

I had a great night last night! Spent a few hours teaching an awesome group of clients how to rappel, then got a few laps in on my Balanced Rock Wall circuit, and then met my buddy, Matt, in the CCC parking lot for a beer.

It was one of those amazing nights at DL as the video below will attest:

Some of the best days...

People tend to avoid climbing on days with bad forecasts like they tend to avoid hazardous material spills. While the latter of these avoidances is generally a good decision, the former is not...at least not at Devil's Lake. At the Lake, spring, summer and fall storms tend to be short and intense, but clear quickly - some locals have speculated that this is due to the Baraboo Range's tendency to "split" storm systems. I am no meteorologist, but I have witnessed this strange weather pattern firsthand in the past, and have come to believe in it, if nothing more, as a useful heuristic to get me off the couch and out to the bluffs.

A Quick Note From Friday Night

My good friend Eric came met me after work for a few hours of climbing last Friday, we wanted to tick a few pitches off, and here's what we did:

Coming Full-Circle on a Magical Night at Devil's Lake

It has been about twelve years since I have gotten paid to go climbing (which in my case usually means getting paid to build anchors and belay - not pull down). I loved guiding when I was in college - it provided me with a great avenue for sharing the skills and knowledge I had acquired, put me in generally amazing work environments, allowed me to meet a bunch of cool people (my wife included) and gave me the opportunity to really build my skills by having to know them so well that I could teach them to a variety of people in a variety of circumstances.

About six months ago Nick Wilkes, owner of Devil's Lake Climbing Guides, and I were introduced through mutual friends. Nick and I began a conversation that led to him hiring me on as a part-time guide. I helped him out for the first time on the night of Wednesday, May 6th - it was a blast working with clients again, and I look forward to more of the same as the season goes on. As fun as guiding was, the highlight of the night came after I said goodbye to everyone in the parking lot. With gorgeous temps (and 0 pitches to my name for the evening) I grabbed my shoes, chalkbag and headlamp and ran back up the Balanced Rock Trail for a few quick solos.
The night was amazing, perfect temps, a light breeze, the stars, the moon. I did five quick "pitches":

• Basswood Chimney (5.2)
• Jam Crack (5.6 or V-easy)
• Balanced Rock (V-easy)
• New Box (5.4)
• Red Pulpit (5.6)

Balanced Rock Wall is the perfect place for this kind of thing, if one is so inclined. Fun climbing, low cruxes, and easy access.

Heading back down the trail on a perfect spring evening.

Walking down the trail in the dark, the climbing behind me, the talus still radiating the now-faded sun's heat and the warm breeze on my skin...all of  it, lit only by the small cone of light from my headlamp...I felt a deep a peace, a sense of place, and reverence for all that surrounded me. I felt in sync, if only for the briefest of moments, with the world pulsing around me. In that moment, life was not a struggle, or a race, but perfectly-natural, and easy - the whole universe was properly ordered, everything, including me, was in its place. The stars twinkled in the vast, unending sky and I touched eternity.

Opening Weekend at Devil's Lake - March 7-8, 2015

The weather over this past weekend was amazing! On Saturday, I met Matthew shortly after noon at the CCC parking lot, and we headed up to the East Bluff for an afternoon of fun in the sun. It was a little chilly in the valley, but by the time we made it to the top of the CCC trail we were sweating. The sun was out, the rock was warm and we were psyched.

Hope on the Horizon

Which horizon you ask? The 10-day forecast I reply.

Intellicast is calling for great weather in Baraboo next Friday-Sunday (March 6-8). Sun and temps at or above the freezing mark. If this forecast holds it will be officially rock climbing season at Devil's Lake. I am writing this for myself, I need to believe.

The Winter of 2014/15 (so far)

So far it has been a mediocre winter for climbing in southwest Wisconsin, and real life has kept me from traveling too far afield since my trip to Jackson Falls over Halloween weekend. A quick check of my records shows only forty "pitches" in the last three months, more than half of which were laps on the short waterfall at the head of Cox Hollow in Governor Dodge State Park. I have been doing a lot of running, lifting, skiing and training on my campus and finger boards, but that is a weak substitute for the real thing. The ten-day forecast does not inspire any confidence either, and I think I am coming down with a solid case of cabin fever (despite seventeen-odd miles on skis and/or foot and about 400 feet of climbing in the last week).

Balanced Rock on an Autumn Evening

I walked out of work this afternoon and encountered perfect weather. I drove straight to the Lake so I could spend the perfect autumn evening doing a little climbing, here is a snippet of that perfect night.

Living The Dream

Summary

In the weeks (almost months now) since Phil and I returned from the trip to the Bighorn Mountains for which we were awarded an American Alpine Club/The North Face - Live Your Dream (AAC/TNF - LYD) grant, I have been hemming and hawing about how to write a trip report without making it sound as though I am attempting to make something out of nothing. It is true that by the standards of summits reached, or routes climbed, we had little success...but judged by, at least what I consider, the more important standards of adventures shared, knowledge gained of self, partner and place, and the strengthening of an old friendship - we accomplished much. For those that are only interested in summits and routes completed here is the list:

• In the Bighorns, we reached the summit of Buffalo Back (ca. 12,300') via the West Face Route (II 3rd)
• Outside of the Bighorns, we  reached the summit of Devil's Tower (5,114') via the Durrance Route (II 5.7)

For the rest of you that are psyched to hear about the adventure and the knowledge we gained...read on!

"Tickled" is the only way to describe it.

I have two-year old son, and one of my favorite things in this world is tickling him. His laugh is adorable, and the joy in his laughter is unmistakable. It is the kind of innocent, head-tossed-back, happy-to-be-alive-in-this-exact-time-and-place, sound that comes out of us with less and less frequency as we age. An "I-do-not-care-who-sees-or-hears" joy that cannot possibly be self-aware. I tell you this because as I briefly sat alone at the top of Gill's Buttress last night, the sun low on the western horizon, the valley below lit as if from within by the late-evening glow, I felt this feeling. I did not laugh out loud, but I felt tickled.

A Rad Weekend of Climbing in Wisconsin!

I had a great weekend climbing in Wisconsin this past weekend! It started on Saturday with a trip to Hillbilly Hollow. I met Justin, Matthew and Brittany in the parking lot and we headed back to the cliff.

Fun little Tuesday night

Last night was the perfect way to ease back into the climbing saddle. The weather was perfect and I got to meet a pair of new friends from Connecticut. I pulled into the CCC lot, where Liz and Matt were waiting for me. They were up for a quick run on some of the local classic moderates.

Buds!

One of my best and oldest friends, Ole, and his new lady-friend Jess spent a couple nights with us this week on their way from Boston, MA to Fairbanks, AK. I took a day off work so we could hang out and maybe get a little climbing in. Ole and Jess aren't avid climber, but have both been climbing before, so I figured a quick run up the Wiessner Wall would be a fun little outing. We headed up the grueling West Bluff Trail, and despite the humidity made it to the top of the Wiessner Wall.

Independence Training

Phil and I are leaving for the Bighorns in a couple of weeks, so we decided to have a "dress rehearsal" over the long Independence Day weekend. On Friday we decided to do an ascent of Turk's Head Ridge (5.6 variation) in the gear we planned on climbing in out west. It was fun, and we made pretty quick work of it.

Phil on the third-to-last pitch of Turk's Head Ridge

I Sent!

I can finally put a check in this box!

Rest day, and last week!

Wow, it has been 10 days since my last post. I am sorry, I have been working on some longer posts that will be coming out when I have time, and on top of that, I have been climbing/ training a lot, so I have been too busy with that to devote an appropriate amount of time, again, I apologize.

Since the last update I have been pretty busy, starting out on Saturday, June 7th.

Catching Up

Sorry I have been lazy about keeping the blog up over the last week or so. I needed a rest week from training, climbing and, I guess from blogging too.

By my judgement I had a good May, at least in comparison to my climbing over the last decade. The days leading up to, and including, Memorial Day weekend were no exception to that trend. I kicked my Memorial Day weekend off on Wednesday with a top rope send of a long-standing nemesis of mine at Horse Rampart. I took Thursday off from climbing, so I could see the Doctor about the nagging pain in shoulder/neck. On Friday, Christina and I agreed to meet my friends Willie and Heather at the Lake for a little more climbing.