Led Fourteen on Mountaineering Expedition

True Adventures headed to Colorado for a long weekend, Thursday through Monday in mid October 2009.  I took fourteen people from True Adventures out with me.  We met at church the weekend before and I asked how many had experience with mountaineering or winter camping.  Right around zero people raised their hands.  So we were off on a crash course on winter camping and the mountains and altitude!  I taught them as much as I could that day and over a series of emails during the ensuing week.  People were able to either purchase what they needed or rent it from REI or borrow from friends.  I love the first part of a trip – buying gear and packing is half the fun.  We all flew into Denver and managed to get cars and all meet up in Leadville where we spent the night at the Alps motel, quite clean and reasonably priced.  The next morning we woke up and distributed food – all $270 worth from Costco!  We had plenty.  Off to the trailhead for the Missouri basin route up Mounts Missouri, Belford, and Oxford. 

On the trail up into Missouri Basin

We hiked up the very steep first section of the trail about two hours, the girls leading the charge to our campsite where we took a break and set up camp near an old dilapidated log cabin around noon.  After a lunch of pb&j’s on pita we all packed up our daypacks and headed further up the valley, quickly getting above treeline and into a stunning valley with a fresh blanket of pristine white snow.  Our group split into smaller groups naturally as those who walked at a similar pace grouped together.  Gradually folks started turning back and my group was six, then four, then finally just two of us high on a mountain ridge,

Almost there!

going for the summit of Mount Missouri with a quickly dropping sun, Katy’s wet feet, and with about an hour to go and a tired me, not sure of the trail as we were going to descend a different route, I called it off and down we went, trying some glissading and having a very pleasant stroll back to camp, arriving just before sundown to a yummy pasta and beef frank dinner and a roaring fire.  One important note – the wind was gusting to forty miles an hour at least – so our raging fire would periodically be blown to bits, only to be enormous when the wind died down, then with each new gust shot embers deep into the snow covered woods.  All night the wind gusted like that, making for quite an exciting evening for most of us, and fitful.  Tents are very noisy from inside in the wind.  Fortunately all held together excepting one that had only our food in it.  The next morning four girls headed down immediately to the cars – availing themselves of wine and cheese and crackers at a cabin they rented for us at the Mount Princeton Hot Springs.  A quote I remember was “This is the Colorado I had in mind!”  All very good-natured.

The remaining nine of us headed through the still-roaring wind up the valley and hung a left to ascend the west flank of Mount Belford.  Through brutal winds so bad we were often forced to stop and turn away from the gusts as snow and dirt pelted us, we continued to ascend, hour after hour, plodding more and more slowly the higher we climbed and the thinner the air became.  We enjoyed a glorious bright blue sky and plenty of sunshine.  After only one small false summit we were there!  Six of us victorious, a successful expedition!

Mt Belford Missouri Basin Trail

 

 

Tom and Pete at the summit

Then we headed down, several more hours on our feet to camp.  We filled up our water bottles in the nearby stream as we were parched and straggled back into camp.  Down came the tents and into the packs went the food and gear, and off down the trail we went as a team.  A couple more hours of slow walking and we were down at the cars, glorious to be back to civilization.  We headed off to join the others at the hot springs, where we relaxed in the pools and the river and enjoyed a nice meal together.    One amazing thing happened on the drive – it was in the low sixties in the high country, and as we descended towards Denver, the temperature dropped thirty degrees in forty-five minutes!  We had lunch at the delicious mexican Morrison Inn in Morrsison, then checked out Red Rocks Amphitheater, and then to Boulder and REI and the airport.  Spectacular trip and the feedback everybody had a great time.

True Crew at the Hot Springs

Kayaking the Apostle Islands

 

The True Adventures Apostle Islands Crew

We did a True Adventures trip to the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior for a very long weekend last weekend.  I have to say it was one of my favorite trips in recent memory.  The scenery and location were really special, the people were great, trip went smoothly, weather was absolutely ideal (sunny and low 80s), and not a mosquito to be found.  Really spectacular.

We drove about eight hours from Chicago to Bayfield Wisconsin where we rented kayaks from Trek and Trail.  We were required to take a class where we learned to self rescue and to rescue others should our kayaks flip out in the open water, very useful and comforting to know we all knew what to do in case of emergency.  We had decided to go without a guide, and that turned ut to be a great decision, definitely not worth the extra expense nor the pull of a stranger in our midst. 

We had Trek and Trail shuttle the kayaks to Sand Inlet where we loaded up our gear and paddled about 45 minutes across to Sand Island to a beautiful beach and made our way into the campsite.  Some cooked, some hiked, some lounged.

The next day we paddled maybe 5 hours to another island, passing two en route on gorgeous smooth seas, no wind and heavy sun.  I got so tan on the trip – it was terrific.  Another huge beautiful beach. 

The following morning four folks took off and the core leaders stayed, four of us.  We paddled another five or so easy hours to the mainland and made camp actually out on the beach – check the tranquility of this spot in this video:

The following day we paddled to these amazing sea caves where you could paddle in and around – really stunning. 

 

 

Made our way to a beach where we napped in the sun, as had become our mid afternoon habit.  A hobo meal of meat and veggies chopped up, wrapped in aluminum foil, and into the embers of the fire.  Yum!

 

 

 

The following day made our way back to the car, shuttled the kayaks back, and continued enjoying ourselves all the way back to Chicago. Really terrific and relaxing trip.

And a bonus video of goofing around at camp on the second night:

Random Clips

I haven’t posted in a while and have a hadful of random things to talk about that have occurred the last month or so.

First is this video of my friend Tadd Maudlin, cruising on his sailboat off the coast of Belize, doing a dance that I used to do in college and most likely still do.  I’m very jealous of him – bought a boat and is cruising on it indefinitely with his girlfriend, they are now in the Carribbean off Belize – follow them on their blog at http://lastknownposition.blogspot.com 

 

Speaking of boats, mine was broken for two long weeks – the motor went out while we were sailing, so we had to sail her into the can with pretty much no wind – super fun and challenging.  Then I tried a zillion differnet things to fix her, all to no avail and making it worse over about ten days.  Called a boat mechanic named Doug Pietz recommended by my boat neighbor.  He met me out on the boat and proceeded to tear into the motor fearlessly – fixing three problems, each of which could have been a major issue on its own, all in the span of under two hours.  A true professional and it was really amazing to watch him work.  I was very impressed with his skill and his pricing and efficiency and fun attitude.  If you need boat engine work done certainly call him at 847 533 9030, he is spectacular.

This past weekend I went to another lake house, also in Michigan and on the shore of Lake Michigan and its spectacular giant sand beaches – they are truly stunning if you have a chance to check out the west coast of the lower peninsula definitely do, they seriously rival many of the great beaches around the world in my opinion in the summer, and also very cool to experience in the wintertime.  Stretches a couple hundred miles up the coast.  Here’s a view from the kitchen:

 

Took different crew sailing each day of the air and water show including Friday – very fun and gorgeous days.  Check the picture of the enormous American flag on a sailboat we saw. 

At the Air and Water Show in Chicago 2009

Went to Devil’s Lake one Sunday a couple weeks back to rock climb with some climbing friends, great time had by all.  Gorgeous, perfect day and terrific group of climbers.

This weekend we head to Lake Superior to kayak the Apostle Islands for five days, should be a great trip, sevn of us are going, really looking forward to it.

Went to a Purdue football game last Saturday, very fun to see all my old buddies and wander by my old apartment.   In college I managed to jump a car over the embankment shown below, they seem to have put up posts to stop this in the future.

Scene of trouble back in the day

At the Air and Water Show in Chicago 2009

Scene of trouble back in the day

Cruising the North Channel of Lake Huron

After racing the 101st Chicago to Mackinac sailboat race and having a heck of a good time at the party afterwards on Mackinac Island, I made my way to the ferry the next morning and managed to find my folks’ vehicle they had so kindly had their friends deliver for me to Mackinaw City.  I hopped in and cruised north across the five mile long Mackinac Bridge (They actually have drivers on each side waiting to drive your car across for you if you’re nervous).   

Shot from the bridge

I made it to Soo Saint Marie, and crossed the bridge into Canada.  I actually was stopped at customs and they ran my record, clean of course and into Canada I went.  Got pulled over and was given a speeding ticket after about three hours.  Apparently at about 20 mph over they impound your car and you get in big trouble.  Note this should you want to speed in Ontario.  I made it to Killarney and wandered the docks until I found my folks.  Spent the night there and visited with some of their friends on the surrounding boats in the harbor, and enjoyed a nice dinner in town with some of their friends.  Even listened to the “Cruiser’s Net” for the north channel the next morning, a fellow who does a daily radio show for the region, aimed at boaters and you can pick it up on VHF.  Quite fun to watch and listen to.

It’s very beautiful up in that area and I love the lifestyle of cruising on a sailboat in the wilderness.  Essentially camping but in comfort and on the water.  Wake up, have breakfast, pull the anchor, sail for a few hours to a new cove or harbor, drop the anchor, take the dinghy to shore, hike, pick blueberries, cocktails on other boats, grill dinner, eat, play cards, go to sleep, repeat.   Very fun way to live!  We climbed a small mountain one day, making our way down a quite precarious slope on the way down, different than the way we came up, and exceedingly steep for my 60+ year old folks, and actually for me for that matter. 

My Mom working her way down the cliff, Dad lower down

My father is the happiest I’ve ever seen him up there.  He’s usually a pretty happy guy, but even better up north on his beloved boat in some of his favorite country, the north channel of lake huron.

Dad and I on top of the mountain

Second City live Improv show with an audience!!

Yikes! Awesome!! Amazing – what a rush and how scary and crazy and cool to be on stage in front of a live audience – and have no idea what you’re going to say because it’s improv.  And be scared and nervous before the show but pumped and excited at the same time.  My class did great – we got a bunch of laughs from the audience and had fun and supported each other.  It was very cool – we were even better live than in class – I was worried we laughed so hard in class because we knew each other, but not the case, my friends that came said they REALLY enjoyed it – so next time I think I’ll invite more people, was a little nerve-wracking in case it was a total flop to invite people.  I didn’t stammer, stutter, or mumble – spoke loud and clear and people laughed at some stuff I said – whether at me or with me I suppose is irrelevant.  I wasn’t sure I was going to take the fourth class, level D as it takes time and going to class for three hours every week can be a drag, but I immediately signed up after the perfomance.   I had no idea it would be that fun while doing it live and so exhilirating when it was over and went so well.  I remember talking with Jimmy Buffett at the climbing wall one day and we were talking about how much of a rush it is to climb, and he said ”yeah I agree!” and then he said “and surfing too, I get so fired up!”, and I said ”yeah, for sure, me too!”  and Jimmy said “and being onstage in front of 50,000 people, it’s so amazing!” and I said… “er yeah….”  But now I have a small sense of what he was talking about – incredible, amazing experience, take Second City  improv classes if you have a chance!

The 101st running of the Race to Mackinac

The skipper in the Manitous

Very slow race yacht race this year – not much wind. We didn’t finish until Tuesday afternoon, usually we finish sometime during the day on Monday. The Valkyrie was doing well through about 2/3’s of the race, holding our own, near the front of our section when we took a fateful gybe too late into the Manitou islands passage and got stuck too close in to land as the wind shifted and pushed us in. We bobbed there helplessly as all the little boats we had passed over the previous days slowly caught us and passed us in the middle of the channel, and all we could do was watch.  In frustration we slowly worked our way up the coast – and I mean slowly, 0-.5 knots per hour for a good 15-20 hours, enough to drive a crew bonkers. I did actually

Banana Phil

enjoy the longer race – often when the race is shorter I am looking forward to it being over by this time.  On the third day I was in the groove ,

Homestretch

used to sleeping only every three hours for just three hours, enjoying the 3am to 6 am shifts – watching the black sky turn slowly less dark in the east, then blue, then finally a tiny bright orange sliver peek out over the horizon and speed up into the air, bringing warmth to us and allowing us to shed layers after the coldest part of the night. 

Dawn in the Manitous, Lake Michigan

We showed up at Mackinac just in time for the rum party on the front lawn of the

Rum Party Grand Hotel Mac 2009

Grand Hotel, a spectacular event where we had a blast and carried on to hut tub and party at the Pink Pony where

Rum Party!

apparently peeing in the pool is preferable to wandering into the hotel wet and in your underwear to find a bathroom as I found out the hard way, next time I’ll know.  The next morning I had breakfast with some crew members and was off to catch the ferry back to the mainland and finding my folks’ car to journey across the 5 mile long Mackinac bridge, through the U.P. and into Ontario and the north channel.

Sunrise during the Mac Race

Rocking out offshore with REO/Styx on the Imjatse

Twenty of my sister’s friends came cruising on the Imjatse Friday night.  That’s a record-shattering number and the boat handled everybody easily.  I believe this was our third annual event with this crew, and the biggest and possibly best yet.  One of the best nights of the summer. 

Watching REO Speedwagon from the boat

We picked everyone up at the dock at around six and headed straight for Northerly Island from Monroe Harbor and anchored (with a bit of slippage and re-anchoring) out just offshore in time to enjoy the sunset and hear the end of the .38 Special set.  Next up was REO Speedwagon and we heard them loud and clear from the water.  A bunch of guys swam and Brent entertained not only our boat but many of the surrounding craft with what is difficult to describe with words, fortunately I had my trusty camera with me and shot some video to commemorate, see below.

And then it continues with a strong finish below, an olympic-caliber air guitar scissor kick combo.

Styx finished the night and were excellent. AFter they finished we pulled up anchor and motored back to the harbor. Gorgeous night, great time, great crew, good food, plenty to drink, great bands, great city!

Everybody Loves a Lake House – Coldwater Michigan

Went to a lake house in Michigan last weekend.  Michigan is a beautiful state and has lots of lakes and subsequently lots of lake houses, which I love.  It’s always so relaxing, such great food, fun for everybody.  Swimming, kayaking, waterskiing, tubing, wakeboarding, cruising around on a pontoon boat, partying…  grilling out, people show up and leave whenever, totally laid back and cool.  Ryan is the man!  Terrific place on Coldwater Lake and lots of cool people and fun activities, not too far from Chicago, and I was able to stop by my 94 year old Grandma’s place in South Bend on the way and take her grocery shopping with me for the supplies I was tasked with bringing.  Always fun to see her, still getting around just fine at 94, how great is that?  And still whipping up delicious zucchini bread and split pea soup for her grateful grandson.  Also got to see my cuz who’s about my age and my Aunt and Uncle in Elkhart on the way back Sunday.

On the porch grubbing down

One fun story to share is on the pontoon boat we cruised a few miles up lakes and canals one evening.  We came to a particularly low bridge and people encouraged Will and I to climb on it, run across the road and hop back in the boat – a flimsy sewer pipe and caution deterred us… however on the return trip I gathered some courage, grabbed the bridge and pulled myself out of the boat, scampered up and over the railing, and halfway into the road before looking for cars, then ran across, hopped onto the sewer pipe just as the beginning of the boat emerged under me.   A big fluffy-looking seat was wide open, and I knew behind it was the steering wheel, driver, more people and then no boat, so I had to jump NOW, which I did and shazam, it was over. 

In the video below Ryan cuts the power at the apex of the tubing pyramid… and hilarity ensues.

 

Sunday we anchored the pontoon boat on a sandbar and goofed around.

Standing up (briefly) while tubing - Will is number 1!

Heading out for the afternoon on the pontoon boat

Me, also heading out for an afternoon on the water

Los Angeles Quick Trip – LAX

LAX at Los Angeles Airport

Went to LA last Thursday and Friday for a couple work meetings, one in Redondo Beach and then dinner with some others in the fancy shmancy, famed Beverly Hills.  Good meetings, good folks.  I used to live out in Orange County for a consulting project running around eight months, managed to get a hotel on the beach in Newport and learned to surf a little before and after work.  I was struck by the amount of materialism and the focus on how you look there.  Also the amount of highways and signs and the lifestyle and the obsession with celebrities.  I enjoyed my time but was happy to leave as well.  Same with this most recent trip – I find LA fascinating.  The huge homes up in the hills, the beach homes, the slums, gangs, hollywood, fame…  Met a girl on the plane who flew in from Chicago to go to Michael Jackson’s funeral, that’s a big trip for the event.

Major thought that struck me as I was back in Chicago driving home down 90/94 on three little lanes, fresh off a trip on the 405 (they precede their highways with “the” out there – the 5, the 405, the PCH) and all seven lanes or however many there are – the thought was that Chicago is really pretty small relative to LA.  Funny as I don’t usually think that living here.

LAX Long Beach, "the" 405 Highway

Rippin it up in So Ill on the Sandstone

Alan rapping off Cranial Implosion (12a) at Jackson Falls, So Ill

Went to Southern Illinois over the weekend to rock climb at Jackson Falls with my friend from the gym, Alan. We had a great time and got on some good routes including some 5.8s to warm up on the east side of the canyon and Cranial Implosion, a 5.12a I’d really like to get at some point. I worked out the crux sequence which I haven’t been able to do before, so that was encouraging. Also got on Lovely Arete again, but it was soaking wet so much more difficult and scarier to do as it was slippery, so no dice. It’s an 11a. It was hot and muggy and the rock was mostly wet so we climbed hard most of the day Saturday and came back to the city late Saturday night, getting in around 2am. I swam in the pool under the falls again to cool off, I was covered in sweat after each climb, soaking my shoes and slick with the stuff, what a relief to jump in a pond after. Here’s a good site showing how to get to the crags and some details on the climbing at Jackson Falls in Shawnee National forest if you’re interested.  And here’s an even better site showing a map of some of the climbs and grades and how to get there.  It’s a five-six hour road trip from Chicago.  We drove through a long, massive rainstorm on the way down – bonus was a full rainbow across the highway – so gorgeous!  Snapped a shot of it with my Blackberry.

June rainbow in Southern Illinois from the car