CDT in Winter

After trying a few different times and ways to "hike" this trail from Homestake, I got a few hour window on MLK Day to see how far and what I could see while traveling on skis this time. The day was sunny and some good bouldering finds were to be had--the down side being that my battery died before snapping three mini-zone cracks (hand, finger, hard OW)...


One of the first climbable trailside goodies






Atop a blank proposition


Cool problem



Water-Ice Zero difficulty


This one could be fun...


I didn't go in very far, and came out a different way, but saw enough potential to lure me back during dryer climes.

Mid-January in the Desert

There was lots of activity in the Desert on Saturday, with groups coming from 'round the State to meet up and climb on the pebbles. Ladd and myself was the Butte contingent:


Ladd maximizing his pad time.


Getting in a slab problem

After calming down over a freak-out, Ladd tops out.



Dean (Machino) representing the 'Zoo crew.




Levi capturing the second ascent of "Optronic Eye"



After seeing what we got for weather on MLK day, I am excited for warmer and sunnier days.

El Nino and Its Effects on Ski Season

It was the weekend but the skiing at Bridger sounded lame and the backcountry is trying to kill people this year. The sun has been shining and temps have been above freezing for a week. Kingsbury as always was stoked and I gotta feed the stoke. A trip to the Desert of the Batholith to meet-up with a larger then ever crew from Missoula, Helena, Dillon, Butte and Bozeman. DAMN!!!

We hit-up many of the established problems, cleaned-up a few others, added some variations, put down a couple newbies, and started to sus out the projects.

My upper-body and tips are soft and I feel like a yuppie for skiing so much. It was good to get grounded for day by the touch of granite on skin and rubber, feel the vibe of positivity that is bouldering, and remember what its all about.....climbing.

The light was flat and grey while the urge to climb was too strong, so here is what I could come up with. Lo-edit photo gallery:

Triage on the Mastodon Boulder




Levi sending SlabTech V3. A sweet little beauty we swamped out of the trees. Clean, crisp crimping on dark granite.




SlabTech



SlabTech

finishing 'er up


Thomas on Buttian Warlord (right variant)

Next on to a proud Fruh original. Beta was shared, it was sent two different ways and the train entailed. Senor Fruh: heal thy elbow biatch!

Optronic Eye


Optronic Eye

Sweet day, getting my season's stoke on. Gonna have to ski through April, that's just the way it is. Hopefully a couple sessions in the 'lith and many days getting my ego squashed by 13 year-olds and Dockins at plastic land will get me ready for the upcoming Bourbons season where we push how high we can get.