AdventureDad

First Day Of (pre) School

2010-10-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest things that scared me about being on my own now is missing out on some of the “firsts” that Benjamin will inevitably encounter while he is spending days with his mom. i will certainly have my share of moments as well, but there will be, without a doubt, some things that i end up missing.

Well, one of those opportunities happened today and to my benefit, it was all me. Through a twist of circumstance, I got to spend a second Sunday in a row with Benjamin. This meant that he was with me this morning… his first day of pre-school.

I knew he was going, but it really didn’t hit me until I was getting him ready this morning that he was actually going to school. I don't think it really hit home for him either. He must have asked half a dozen times if Jaz was coming today. When I replied that she wasn’t, he asked, "Then who will be staying with me?"

I know that he knew school was today, but not sure he realized what was all involved as the two trial days he was accompanied by his grandma and mom the whole time. So it seemed pretty clear that he thought that someone would be staying with him all day. This worried me a bit in that I would have to leave him at some point… how would he react?

As it turns out... Splendidly. That's right, i said "Splendidly"

(Incidentally, though i would have to leave him, i didn't really want to. not only because i love spending time with him but that pre-school seems like about the coolest thing anyone could ever spend a day doing. How does the saying go? Youth is wasted on the young.)

When we got to school, even before we reached the door to his classroom, he found the coat hook he had been assigned last week and took of his coat and hung it up. They had it labeled with a purple pentagon (all the kids have different shapes). We went into the classroom and he pulled out his cubby with the same label and started to empty out his backpack into it. This kid sure does pick up on things in a hurry!

From there he took me on a tour of the classroom and I found out that he really likes the loft area. Really? This from the boy that likes to climb, jump, burrow…, so it did not surprise me at all that he seemed to enjoy the perch high (well, relatively high) above the classroom where he can both have a space to himself as well as survey the land around that is now his domain. We'll call this space, 'Jamland.'

We also found that the space below the loft that had pillows and books. For a brief second he asked me to read him a book but then we decided we should continue with the tour. It was off to the kitchen area. Benjamin loves kitchens and cooking – pretend or real.

We settled in on the “make believe table” where there was a fire truck puzzle. The teacher encouraged us to put it together and Benjamin jumped right in. He spotted a dalmatian on the front of the box and immediately went looking for the dog piece. We found it and while it was a unique piece, it was difficult to connect. We put together some other pieces and he eventually got back to the dalmatian. He was very pleased to have completed the puzzle and was enthusiastic about cleaning it up and putting away, singing the 'clean up' song the whole time - interrupted only when he insisted that I help him clean up as well. As the song goes, "everybody do their share." So i did :)

The teacher suggested another puzzle (btw, it was just the three of us and one other kid in the room at the time). She gave Benjamin the choice of a couple of puzzles. He picked the fish one with Nemo and Marlin. It wasn’t actually Nemo and Marlin, but these days most orange fish end up being Nemo and Marlin.

As they started to get out the pieces I thought it a good opportunity to leave. I didn’t want to – I wanted to stay and play with him all day – but it was a good time to go. He gave me a kiss and said, “bye dad,” and I left.

He was un-phased and I was very proud of him. I, on the other hand, was a little confused on how to react:
I got a little misty.
I debated running back and giving him a big hug.
I thought that maybe I could go by at lunch.
In the end I left, went to work and figured that this was one of those days where it was important for both of us to take that step.

I left happy, proud and with the full realization that my little guy was not as little as he used to be… and that there would be many, many days ahead where I would have to fight holding on or letting him grow. I hope that I can be as brave as he.

What I will miss, and what I would really like to do is to be there to pick him up this evening. I would love to hear all about his day! But alas, today is a day where Deborah gets to pick him up so I will have to wait a couple of days to talk to him about it. Regardless, this morning was mine to experience with my son. My wonderful, amazing son.

Update:
I spoke to the soon to him this evening on the phone. I asked if he had fun today. "Yep" he replied happily. Did you learn anything? "No, just played."

That sounds great to me!

A New Beginning

2010-10-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

So… as I am now headlong into my biggest and scariest adventure yet, I figure it may be a good idea to get back to keeping track of things myself. I would like to keep this regularly regardless of whether it is Benjamin related or not, but I think that regular posting is a pretty hard thing to do. Still, I will try.

I am not sure what direction this will take… short funny stories? Day long detail? Ramblings with no point whatsoever… who knows? Its been a crazy couple of months for sure and its all getting mixed up in my head – and that’s already a bit mixed up to begin with, so here we are again. .

One Of Those Moments

2009-11-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

At a baby shower for my cousin yesterday he was asking a little about parenting and its effect on what is currently 'normal' life. He said that he had friends that said that a lot of it sucks but that there are moments that are great. It got me to thinking...

I think I would modify the phrasing a little. Life is different, much different than it used to be and there are things that you do that take you away from what you might have been doing before the kid came along - things that you have always enjoyed and had fun with. Coming home and foregoing walking the dog or cooking a nice meal or simply laying on the couch in order to feed or entertain or pick up after the kid can seem like a sacrifice if all you do is dwell upon those things that you are not able to do. At that point it might seem like it sucks. Where it turns into my description of not being bad, but merely different it when I was able to change my perspective a little bit. Its not about not getting to do these other things, but rather what i get to do. I get to spend time with the most important person in my life.

Sure. Poop is nasty and your back starts to hurt from finger walking him around for months because he simply will not crawl, preferring to try to walk to get places. The house stayed a little messier and the improvement projects don't get done like they always have. Its just different.

He will not understand that I had a rough day at work. I can't explain to him that I am tired and just need to rest. But when I come home, he is so happy to see his dad and all he wants to do is spend time with me. It is a fantastic feeling and something you find in very few other places.

I've learned to enjoy what I am doing and the time I have with him - and that is better than any rerun that I might otherwise find on TV. Better than a fancy meal. Better than a nap. Its tough, but its not bad, at all.

There are days and times that are difficult and there are moments that are great. Then there are moments that are truly amazing. Moments that you never saw coming. Moments that are completely irreplaceable that you wouldn't trade for anything. I had one of those last night.

After a long day where he had been a serious trooper we put him to bed. He wasn't all that excited to go down but we did our routine, read stories and after some stalling on his part he decided it was OK to get in bed and lay down. We went downstairs and I watched some TV while AdventureWife blogged and sorted pictures from the weekend.

Not much time had passed and the boy started letting us know that he was in fact, not ready to go to bed. He started whining and then screaming, he was quiet and then it all started again. I went up and peeked through his door and he was yelling "Daddy, Daddy" I can only hear the unhappy boy yelling for me for so long before I give in and go rescue him. I creep in and there is no doubt that he is glad to see me. I want to avoid going downstairs as he would just fight to watch the Jungle Book. Which is OK, but I don't want him getting used to watching TV to fall asleep (though it works pretty well for his parents).

We sit in the rocking chair and he snuggles in and calms down. After a few minutes, he points to his little couch and says, "Couch, nap." So we migrate over to his couch and I bump the guitar that is sitting next to it. He points out that he put his guitars away before going to bed, for which I thank him. :) He then asks me to play, but is clear when he says, "no loud" that he wants me to play something mellow.

I start picking something and then start singing softly. He is a big fan of being sung to. He enjoys it and near the end climbs onto my lap. I am laying down so it's a little awkward and can no longer play the guitar. That's OK because after a couple of minutes he lays down on his back on my chest. His head is snuggled next to mine and he says "Daddy, book." I ask him what book he wants me to read and he replies, "Little Bear." Now this is where I just about lost it.

'Little Bear' is what he calls a book actually titled "I Love You Daddy." It is a book about a Daddy Bear who's son is growing up and takes him to do all sorts of things like climb trees and gather honey and find a winter den. Little Bear finds he is able to do all these things and Daddy Bear is very proud of his son.

I just hug him tightly for probably too long, shed more than one tear and tell him that I love my little bear. I figure that I should read his request but when I try to move to get the book he reaches back, grabs my face and says, "Stay." Well, this was followed by more waterworks and more squeezing of my wonderful little boy.

We lay there snuggling and he eventually fell asleep. I stayed for a while just enjoying the moment and not wanting it to end. I finally decide that it is time and I put him to bed. He stirs a little but snuggles in with his kitty and is right back to sleep.

There are a lot of things that get me down these days. There are a lot of things that I feel like I might be missing or having to sacrifice.

I wouldn't trade any of those things for the 45 minutes spent with my son last night.

Waking Up is Hard to Do

2009-05-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a song, but it is a sad reality. Its about half and half if the boy wakes up cute and easy or if he wakes up grumpy (though still cute). It usually takes just a few minutes until he is able to get hold of himself, realize that life is good and come out of it. Sometimes a cracker helps, but usually it is pretty quick. Yesterday was a different story.

He was asleep when I got home from work and slept for about a half hour after that. When he woke, I went to get him. He was a little unhappy and I let him try to work it out on his own for a few minutes. When it finally became clear that he wasn’t going to snap out of it, I thought it was time for Super-Dad (delusional temporary title) to step in and take care of his boy, hopefully providing an instant smile!

It was not to be.

To make this long story short, I tried everything I could think of and no matter if he got what he wanted he immediately wanted something else. About 50 minutes of crying and screaming later we were sitting in his room while I was trying to put his shoes on so that we could go outside, he wanted something else. My head dropped to my hands and I simply asked, “ Please Benjamin, please work with Dad here, please” there was a whimper and a sigh from the once deluded Super-Dad. Then the craziest thing happened… the crying stopped and his little foot went into the air. I did a bit of a double take but the sock went on followed by his shoe. The other sock was already on, but he lifted his foot for me to put his other shoe on. When we were done, he stood up and leaned over and gave me a hug. I nearly shed tears.

It seems that he knew that his dad was sad and needed a hug. He put his issues aside and came to support the person that is supposed to be there for him. The crying was done and the rest of the evening was a fun, playful time.

I truly have a wonderful little boy.

...Then again he might just be testing to see just how far he can push me… in which case he is a crafty little bugger

The Disappearing Act

2009-04-14T15:58:00.001-07:00

Like a magician's finale... poof... she was gone.

One of the most heart wrenching and emotional experiences happened this past weekend. It seems that in an instant my little Adventure-Dog had left our lives for good. At first it was just that she had run out of the yard through ones of its gaping holes as she is known to do. We figured a) she is in the neighbors yard, b) wee will look for her and call for her and she will come home or c) one of our friendly neighbors will find her, call us and while feeling like an awful dog parent I will go pick her up fro 7 houses away and bring her home.

This time was different, except for still feeling like an awful dog parent. After we noticed she was gone we wandered the immediate streets calling for her. Then decided that we would probably get a phone call in the next 15 minutes so we went home. Well, that phone call didn't come... and didn't come. That afternoon I drove around and while I was getting frustrated not finding the dog, I did run into a few people I hadn't seen in a while. A friend from High School that I hadn't seen in about a year. A girl I climbed with last year. And the wonderful Hill family, twice!

The details moving forward are not important, but the anguish felt by our family is. It was much worse than I would have expected this to be. What am I thinking? She was a pet. Just a pet. Not a part of the family. She wasn't AdventureBaby. She wasn't AdventureWife. she was just a dog. I shouldn't be torn up about a dog disappearing.

Don't worry, I don't believe that crap either!

She has been the best hiking partner, my yard work helper, my pillow, someone who would listen to me complain and not get tired of it. A good wrestler. A great fetcher even if she isn't so great at giving it back once she retrieved it.

She is our dog, our four legged daughter and a big part of our family. It was awful when she was gone and i was beyond joyful when i heard she was found!

We will lose her someday, I know this. But it won't be because she slipped through a gap in a fence and disappeared. it will be after many more years of hiking, swimming, playing and teaching AdventureBaby about how wonderful dogs can be. i will miss her then, but for now... I will not think about it. I have my friend back and I will appreciate that for as long as she is with us.

Dropping the bomb

2009-04-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

As some of you (ok all of you) have heard, my sweet little boy said a naughty the other day. Not the worst, but right on up there.

You see, he is quite the giften mimmick these days. He likes ice. I say Jam, do you want some ice? He says, "Ih" (Ice without the s sound). How about down? "dow" he says. So it seems only logical that when dad took a little slip on a stair and follows it with a certain exclamation tha he would surely say "fu." And did he say it just once? Nope, he said it again, and then again, and then, as I reached the bottom of the stairs, he said it again. Apparently it is super fun to say. Apparently I also enjoy saying it. I'll have to work on that...

I have been toying with other 'swear' words that are not so sweary. There is the obvious 'Fudge.' But that just seems silly. I have mostly been trying 'snap!' which seems to work pretty well in most cases, but it is hardly second nature yet. If anyone has suggestions for alternative swear words that have worked for you, please let me know!

After that last paragraph, it gets me wondering... why do I need a swear word? I am going to leave that question for another day and just kind of ease out of it with a replacement... for now. Until that time when I can be completely swear free (any bets on when that happens?) I will just have to make sure that AdventureBaby has things to repeat that are a little more appropriate for a boy of his age and cuteness.

a little time on my hands

2009-04-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

So I am sitting in the airport in Redmond, OR and have some time to kill. I think, "What better time to catch up on the blog than this?" It might seem like it was entirely my brilliant idea to do this, but over the past couple of days I have been 'reminded' that I have not kept my promise to keep up a little better on this here page.

With that said, I think I will knock out a couple...

But first let's talk about Redmond Oregon. Lovely place, did you know it snows here?

After the last meeting of the day and before heading out to look at some RR locations, we swung by the Smith Rock climbing area. Despite the snow there were a dozen or so cars in the parking lot. (for those not in the climbing know, Smith Rock is one of the premier climbing areas in the US).

We walked up to a lookout and sure enough, there were people all over the rock! Smartly, they were climbing on the leeward side, but still, the rock had to have been freezing their fingers. Last year, about this time, I was in Leavenworth under similar conditions. While I did enjoy myself, I decided there that climbing was to be a warmer weather endeavor.

So anyway... there are some quick thoughts on Redmond and its most interesting surrounding area.

A Little Help From My Friends

2009-03-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

At PEPS last night we had our occasional “guys night out.” It was a great time, engaging conversation with enlightening opinions. We talked about the economy, bailouts, sports, and of course our kids.

What really stood out as everyone was swapping stories was that it highlighted how AdventureBaby just hasn’t been himself. As I was talking, it just didn’t sound like the same kid I have gotten to know: fussy, moody, intentionally disobedient. He has been sick and having issues with transition between people to the heartache of his parents. I feel bad for him and while we are doing everything we can, he is just beside himself most of the time. It is a frustrating time to be a dad when there seems like there is nothing you can do to cheer up your little guy.

The good thing was that there were similar issues with the other kids. Not good in that I am glad other parents are having issues, but good in the way that I know I am not the only one to ever have gone through these troubling stages. I am really grateful for our PEPS group. They are wonderful people and I am very fortunate to have made these new friends. Being a parent is tough, but is made a little easier when you have people around that you can relate and talk to about things. To them all I say, “Thanks!”

Now I won’t be entirely depressing here. Life is generally good. We have made great strides on our house and our ‘yard remodel’ is making progress. We hope to have made a permanent change in the usability of our backyard now that AdventureBaby is getting older. With that said… he doesn’t seem too much like a baby anymore. Maybe I will try out some new names for him in the near future.

Coming soon will be backyard pictures and updates and likely an account of the inaugural Sounders FC game which I will be attending tonight. I am so excited for this. Big time soccer in Seattle! I remember the original Sounders back when I was a kid, but, even with the 1st division Sounders that have played more recently, it hasn’t felt that it was big around the city. Well, the Big Time is back and there is a huge buzz that I am right in the middle of.

Until next time….

P.S. Thanks Christina for the motivation. We’ll work at this becoming more of a routine.

Desire vs. Will

2009-03-12T23:13:00.000-07:00

This blog is linked to just a couple of other blogs, both of which have amazingly not deleted my link in favor of a more relevant page. It is late and I can't sleep so was looking at some things online. One of the blogs that has been steadfast is their belief that I would once again post has a "last post" counter. The count for mine read six months. That is just embarrassing enough to shame me into writing something that should at least get me back in the rhythm. Give me a kick start. Make me make a bold promise to the world - or the two people that might actually check this - that more are coming. I know that my family has a much better update that come in the form of the more famous blog, but this one is mine and sometimes sheds a little perspective from a dad... when I actually post.

To the meat of things, I guess. Its not that I haven't wanted to write. Its not that I haven't done anything worthy of note - actually I have been quite busy. .. and therein lies the problem. I have really, REALLY wanted to update on the happenings in the world of Adventure, but have not been able to prioritize it and make it happen.

Since the last post there has been a first birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, a new bathroom, yard work, and Maui for Christ's sake. And I've yet to get anything here.

Here is my proclamation: my promise, nay, my oath: I will post again - soon. There will be stories and pictures and a chuckle or two. There will be a much larger little boy than was last seen. There will be updates!

See you soon.

AdventureDad

HUSKY DAY!

2008-09-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know it has been a really long time since I last posted. My days of adventuring and thus posting about said adventures have been a little light as of late. Really though, every day is there is some kind of an adventure and there should always be something to write about. Hopefully I will pick up on more of this and take to time to write about the 'little things.' This one however, is about a big thing...

AdventureBaby's first Husky game!

Though I became a Zag (or officially a Gonzaga Bulldog), I was born a Husky. Living next door to us were my godparents, two of the biggest Husky fans you could ever meet. They had been going to games for 40 years and inspired fanaticism. Once they were no longer able to go to games, the tickets were moved to us and my family has been going, as life allows, for the last 15 years.

AdventureBaby too was literally born a Husky. While his mom was in labor, there was a Husky game on TV (sensitive husband I know, but ask her... it was OK), and before he left the hospital, he had already been issued his first UW cap and socks from his grandmother(from the Adventure side). Today would not only be AdventureBaby's first experience of Husky football, but first live sporting event.

My mom came over to pick us up and we were out on the front steps with Adventure-wife taking pictures of how cute we were. My mom jumped in and became the subject of a few herself. Then we were off.

We had lucked into a parking pass and after a near altercation with an overzealous frat boy, were were parked and ready to cruise the tailgates so that Grandma could show her little husky to all of her friends.

One problem. AdventureBaby was sound asleep. And given that we would be trying to have a happy baby for the next four hours, waking him didn't seem like the best of ideas, so mom and I got to have a nice little mini tailgate. At one point some friends of hers stopped by for a chat and eventually the little guy woke up and we got to make the rounds.

Then it was game time.

In we went, to the seats, where surprise! the new people in front of us this year went to high school with my mom. That makes four within talking distance of our seats. I can't imagine Roosevelt was big enough that there were 40,000 people that went to high school and graduated with my mom, but it seems like we run into someone new no matter where we go...
As neither my dad nor brother could make the game and I didn't want to subject any of my friends to the uncertaintly of how AdventureBaby would react to his first game, we had two extra seats in which to spread out.

AdventureBaby immediately began to make friends with all of those around us, especially the row of gentlemen, aged 60 + behind us. He would stand on my lap and stare behind me, waving his arms and do what I could only imagine was cheering. One time, after waving his arms, he came back with a chip. I wondered if he had stolen it, but it seems the nice man behind us was just sharing his lunch. Nice man.

It was actually a pretty good game. Its early in the season and a fairly young team, so there were a fair share of mistakes. Some of them I understand, but really, if the ball hits you in the hands, just catch it... please! As the game went on the little guy was startled a few times by abrupt cheering, jeering, clapping and yapping. But held it together nicely. We made sure to have his ears covered during the sustained loud parts. I thought about seeing if I could plug his ears with Cheerios or banana parts, but decided that probably wouldn't be the best way to go and that cupped hands would suffice.

He was a little trooper and was really well behaved and more or less content throughout the entire game. At the end of the third quarter, my mom commented on how good he had been, which really scared me as I thought for sure she had jinxed it and that he would surely become something resembling the Tasmanian Devil from the old Looney Tunes cartoons.

Then, about ten minutes later we noticed the telltale head bob of a tired little boy. We took away his straw toy that he had been waving around like a magic wand and turned him around. He collapsed into my shoulder and was sound asleep. He's not much of a cuddler anymore and the opportunities to snuggle up with my baby are few and far between, so I took advantage. The little guy cheered so hard and had such a big day that he just needed to sleep right there.

He slept for most of the fourth quarter, and as the sun crept around the upper deck I had to share my hat with him to keep from beating down on his little blond baby head.

He woke up just in time for a fast, exciting, yet heart wrenching finish to the game. I could go on for pages on this topic, but will say that while the referee's call was made appears to be appropriate to how the rule was written, the play was not an example of why the rule was written. That's a 'no-call' in my book, and maybe the game turns out differently. Maybe it doesn't, but there sure would have been a different feeling in the room had the ref swallowed his whistle and left that flag in his pocket.

After hearing few words that, well, who am I kidding, he's heard before, AventureBaby made it through the game and it was back out to the parking lot to pack up, visit some more friends and head on home. It was a day that could truly be called a successful adventure and an experience good enough that I think the boy will get to come to the next game as well. Surely AdventureWife will appreciate a few hours on Saturday to herself while the boys get to go and watch some football!

Sahale

2008-08-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well, this was climb number four since last Wednesday. I was a little nervous about this one because I had just cancelled going on climb number five (explanation later), and if we didn't make it up this I would have to find another late season glacier climb to do and not many are being offered this time of year. As it turns out, there was nothing to worry about.

I met my passenger (we were carpooling) at 4:30 and we headed north... for the third time in a week.

As a side note. If you have to go someplace often, this is the place to do it. This is the most beautiful, serene, diverse, amazing, perfect area I think I have ever been to. I have been peaceful on the beach, amazed by rivers, adventurous in the jungle, exhilarated at being at the top of a volcano, but I can't think of anywhere that feels like this. I have tried to take pictures, but they just can't capture what it is like to sit on the edge of a mountain and look at the vastness and majesty that are these mountains. AdventureWife and I have experienced the outdoors often in similar areas, but someday I hope to take her and AdventureBaby out tto the North Casacdes. To share that with them would be amazing!

Back to the ride... we made great time. Even stopping for dinner were out to the trail head in three hours, arriving just before 8pm. We met our guide, made our beds (put the seats down in the back of the car), and hit the sack - 4 am would come quickly. Not the most comfortable sleep, but better than many nights I have had at a trailhead.

4am did come quickly and we were up, dressed, ate and arranged with the group to shuttle to a different trail head. We would be descending a different route than we were going up, ending where our cars now were so one must be left here.

We started up in the dark, hiking by headlamp through dense brush. There was a trail there, but as described in previous posts, climbers trails aren't exactly highways of the forest. Our packs and axes and rope kept getting caught on branches. And at one point we had to crawl up a portion where the brush overhung a rock outcropping. We crossed half a dozen streams, one right near the base of a waterfall.

The biggest river crossing was right below camp - or where camp would have been had this been a two day trip. It was here that we filled up on water and, for the first time on a trip I had been on, the leaders turned one member of the group back. He was really struggling to keep up and as we were just about to leave the forest and enter areas that were steeper and more exposed it was jsut about to get a little more 'real'. It was unfortunate, but probably the right thing to do for both him and the group.

Above the camp, we crossed big rock slabs that had been smoothed to nearly glass in places by millenia of running water and shifting ice. It was a bit tricky, but we manged our way up.

About halfway up, we came across an old mine shaft. A couple of us explored it (like you would expect any less from me than to go charging into something like this), but found that it dead-ended about 50 feet back. Disappointed, we moved up to the snowfields where we roped up.

It was a relatively short, but beautiful crossing of the glacier, and much of it was fairly straight forward. There were a couple of crevasses, but we were able to avoid them easily.

At the top of the glacier we crossed a moat onto the rock. After taking a short break for water and food, we scrambled towards the top. It is a scramble, but was pretty exposed, so we stayed roped up and Dave (leader) place a bit of protection just in case he should fall before reaching the top. He got there without incident, and belayed me up.

Here is where I got a little frustrated. The first frustration was due to the fact that I like to stand on the top. This actual top was skinny and pointy and I would have had to defy death to get there. Not something I was willing to do... so I stood next to it, touched the tip and called it good.

Next had to do with enjoyment Normally, reaching the top is a great relief and there is time to revel in the satisfaction of having accomplished what you set out to do that day and reflect on how this relates to the rest of your life. But it was no sooner than I have belayed up the person following me that Dave already was setting up the rappel lines to go down the other side of the peak. As soon as or last member of our rope team arrived, we all untied, threw down the rope for rappel and the first person was off. I was second, having spent only 10 minutes on the summit, working the whole time. It was a little anticlimactic to reach the summit and turn right down.

So I was second to rappel. What this did allow me was to find a nice, safe spot behind a buttress at the bottom of the ropes to relax. I even found a flat spot with a reclining rock so as to truly get comfortable. This is where I did my reflecting. I could not imagine another place so amazing to just lay there and look out. By myself for about 15 minutes I just got to enjoy it. I was about 180 feet below the summit, but enjoyed it as much as if I were on top. Simply... I don't have the words to describe the feeling.

But then, as quickly as i got there, the rest of the team arrived, breaking my zen-like state and bringing me back into climbing mode. We all scrambled down the talus and across a snow field until we reached some more rocks and then the Sahale Glacier (we had come up the Quien Sabe Glacier on the other side of the mountain). We roped up but skipped the crampons and were quickly across the glacier, passing three small crevasses along the way. There was a nother group of un-roped people playing on and sliding down the glacier. I think they thought twice about it as we passed them all roped up.

At the bottom of the glacier... more talus. we scrambled and slipped and slid down easily until one guy in our group slipped, but when he reached down to catch himself, cut his hand on the pick of his ice axe. Big flappy bloody piece of thumb flapping in the wind... that's all that I will say on that subject. Fortunately we had a doctor with us who fixed him right up... and we were off again.

We reached Cascade Pass which meant we had only 3.5 miles - and 36 switchbacks - left. This was the most awful part of the day. I led down at a brisk pace, all the while my feet aching and blisters forming. Being so close to being done, I didn't stop, just kept on to the car.

We made it down just after 5, making it 12 hours for just over 13 miles. Not bad, given the terrain.

Because we were ahead of the person who owned car that was left at the upper parking lot, we were there with nothing to do but wait and get eaten by mosquitoes. I saw some guys that we had met on the trails that were leaving the parking lot and hitched a ride to where we had left our cars that morning. As I arrived back at the parking lot, the others were just appearing. We finished up the day with a buffalo burger in Marblemount. Another successful peak :)

Now this was to be the 4th of 5 climbs, however due to scheduling, burnout and the desire to actually see my family I cancelled out of climb #5. So one short of what was intended, but still a pretty intense week. Lots of climbing and fun in one of the most beautiful places I can imagine.

More pictures can be found here.

South Early Winter Spire

2008-08-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Climb #3 (in a span of five days) took me to South Early Winter Spire.

This was a bit of a rough morning. We had climbed the night before, so I was extra tired. My legs had been cramping up all night. My tent mate had a migraine and was throwing up and getting up often. By the time morning came, I was tired, but ready to get up and get moving.

We broke camp and left Gary sleeping (the migraine guy). He would miss today despite this climb being his reason for coming on the weekend trip in the first place. Sad for him. But then again, one can always use a good excuse to get out into the North Cascades. In case you haven't been there, or its been a long time and you just forget, this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Mountains, lakes, rivers, sky uninterrupted save for the one road that got you there, and even that is curvy and pretty cool to look at from above. What was I talking about? Oh, right...

We had been told that the approach to this climb would be easier than the previous days, so when we started out on an established trails it was a walk in the park (or woods). That is until we reached a point in the trails where the leaders turned us left... and once again, straight uphill. I get the feeling that there aren't really any easy climbers trails. These people want to get up the hill as fast as possible sot hat they can start climbing. Can't blame them, just a realization for the weekend.

Still, it was easier than the day before. And shorter. In just about an hour we were at the base of our climb. AS we were setting up we noticed a group coming up behind us. After realizing that we too were just getting started they walked away, presumably to find a different route.

This climb was sold as being a little bit harder, bu less scenic that Cutthroat Peak and as it would happen the hardest climbing move of the day was about 8 feet off the ground on the first pitch. It involved moving horizontally across a slab of rock with virtually no holds. I found one, set my shoe against the rock, trusted that it would stick and committed to crossing. It worked. All was well. I made it!

Much of this route was a steep scramble and, completely different that the really exposed route on Cutthroat, climbing within the confines of chimney systems. Imagine rock formations that create a three sided chimney. Most were wide and gradual, however in a couple of places it got tight and steep. It was a little tricky getting up, especially while wearing a helmet and backpack, but got over the obstacle fairly quickly.

Looking up at the problem.

Looking down just below the chock stone at the top.

At the top of this pitch, we traded jobs and I got to lead! yay! It was an easy pitch, so they weren't really worried about placing their lives in my hands, but still, it was nice to get the opportunity to locate and place protection.

Despite the ease of the pitch, I placed a lot of pro. Probably a dozen pieces over the route, to get a feel for different types and placements. Still, I climbed quickly and easily to a big, safe flat spot below the last section.

The weather had played with us all day. Sunny and not, drizzle and even snow. This picture pretty much sums up the day. climbing into bright blue sky... and having it snow on us. Weird, weird weather.

This last bit was pretty varied and exciting. There were two chimney type sections and a crossing of what they call the "Whale Back" One of our leaders got a little crazy and thought he was at Sea World riding Shamu. He was roped in and it was pretty safe... and super funny.

After that it was an easy scramble to the top. For the second day running, I was first up, standing alone at the top of our objective. 360 degree views of some of the most beautiful country. I was lost in it for a minute until I looked across and saw people standing on top of two neighboring peaks. They were other Mountaineers groups that we knew and were tackling these other peaks that day. Astonishing really, that we were all on top at the same time. Since we only spent about 15 minutes on the summit, the chances that we would see one, much less two other groups was unlikely. It was fun. We took out the radios and called over to them, each team congratulating the other on a successful summit.

After snapping the requisite summit photos and having a bite to eat it was time to head down. Following the route we came up, we scrambled the same sections we scrambled up on and rappelled those sections we climbed. It was a very quick descent and the trail out was quick and easy. AS we passed the other peaks on our way out, we ran into the other groups that were on the summit at the same time we were. Joining together we hiked most of the way out as a big happy group.

For more pics, click here.

Next up, Sahale on Wednesday!

Cutthroat Peak

2008-08-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Climb number 2 in my marathon...

First off, while it is a daunting name, I believe that the peak was named after the creek below it, Cutthroat Creek, which was presumably named for the fishes that enjoy its cold, clear waters. That or if you squint your eyes and looks from just the right angle (and have had a drink or two) the rock itself looks like a fish.

We left camp at about 6 am and after dropping off a climber from another group at their trail head proceeded to our starting point and set off around 6:30. From the side of the road we dropped down about 60 feet into a creek valley. After about five minutes of bushwhacking through wet shrubbery over a primitive trail we crossed the creek and started up. Up, steeper up and even steeper up... and this was before we got to the actual climbing part.

The path was steep, but headed up through this beautiful, "Sound of Music" inspired meadow with wildflowers interrupted by the occasional huge boulder that at some point in recent geologic time had come rumbling down off the mountain. Jays and butterflies floated through the field and in the distance you could hear the marmots talking back and forth, no doubt announcing the presence of trespassers into their home.

After some time, and much sweat, we arrived at the most idyllic spot. At the top of the meadow and just below the moraine was a place that was tranquil and provided the rest area, as well as inspiration needed at the time. When approaching a large rock, I went to have a seat and set down my pack, when I noticed the inspiring features of this rock Just what I needed!

With a rest had and water consumed we headed up the rock field which quickly went from hike to scramble. Stashing our hiking poles in a tree, we continued upward clambering over rocks to the base of the climb. The first pitch was easy and could probably have done it without a belay, but it was nice to have the security of protection. It was a long pitch and our rope ran out just before the top. A short, awkward belay got us to relative safety.

From there, it was less technical, but much more dramatic. The next hour or so would take us along a knife edge ridge with much exposure (cliff) on each side. Instead of taking the time to anchor in and belay each other to the next anchor. We set a running belay. Basically travelling together while roped up, the leader placing at least a piece of protection between us as we moved and the follower cleaning it out as he passed. This allowed us to keep moving.

Dropping off the ridge, we traversed a narrow shelf on the back side of the peak before one last belayed pitch and a short scramble to the top. This was a peak that had turned away a number of climbers and no one in our group had talked to anyone within the Mountaineers that had known anyone to reach its peak recently - it hadn't even been attempted by the mountaineers in a couple of years. So that added an extra little bit of satisfaction to reaching the top. We waited for the arrival of the other members of our group and prepared for our decent.

Down was just a reversal of our route up. It went quicker though, as with the ridge traverse we were already aware of the opportunities for protection and breezed right through. Finishing the final rappel down to we realized that one of our members was not feeling well. He had slowed up considerably and learned that he had a migraine.

We changed out of our rock shoes and harnesses and began our hike / scree ski down the mountain. Back near our idyllic little resting place the migraine took its effect and we lost Gary for about a half hour while he succumbed to vomiting, etc. It was slow going from there as he was miserable, but we eventually gained the creek and then the car with beers and watermelon waiting. Aaah.

Now it was back to camp to eat dinner, meet the rest of the group and head to bed in preparation for the next day of climbing.

Day one was a success. :)

Click here for more pics.

Kangaroo Temple

2008-08-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

After working on Portland / Vancouver on Tuesday I made the 7.5 hour trek up to Washington Pass on the North Cascades highway for the latest of my outings and the first of my crazy schedule over the next couple of weeks.

We rolled into the campsite a little after 11 and began setting up camp in the dark. We made quick work of it as one chose a bivy, one the car and two of us shared a tent. You would think that I would remember this, but the ground is hard and uncomfortable. Given the option, I guess I would rather not sleep on it. But since I fancy myself an outdoorsman, it will have to do.

After a fitful and sporadic sleep we were up at five, had a quick bite to eat, broke camp and were off.

Meeting one additional person at the trailhead (loose term - it was a pull off n the side of the road where we started out over the meadows with no discernible trail), we sorted gear, I added a rope to my pack and we headed out. It really was a pretty hike. First across a meadow, then scrambling over boulder fields through a marshy area with tranquil streams running through, over another boulder field until the terrain changed and we foll wed the yearly snow / water runoff valley up to Kangaroo Pass. It was only from here that we could first see our objective, Kangaroo Temple.

We started down the other side of the pass as we traversed around a large rock nose and towards the Temple. It was here that we were joined by a friendly mountain goat, whom we name Heinrich. He followed us for about ten minutes when we now noticed 4 mountain goats, included a small kid (baby goat, not a child adopted by goats). Adorable, he was. We decided that Heinrich couldn't be the only one with a name, so the others were dubbed Liesl, Gretl and Frederick. (I am sure you have caught on by now, but first one to name the name inspiration gets a cookie!) They followed us, led us and intermingled with us all the way up to the first pitch of the climb. It was nice to have the company and really feel like you were a part of nature, but we worried that our food, clothing and sweaty boots would all be goat-lunch by the time we got back. Fortunately they got tired of waiting for us to give them something or leave our gear and left in search of others more willing to share.

Beginning our climb our leader chose the route. None of us, including the leaders, had ever been up this before and we discovered that our route went a little of course. It gave us a route that was more challenging, but still doable, which made us all feel pretty good about having made it up. What was normally two pitches, we are able to do in one, which saved us much time - something for which I am always grateful.

It was a pretty straight forward climb done in two roped pitches that culminated into a short scramble to the top. It was a beautiful day and everyone performed quite well.

A highlight for me was the descent. Previously when rappelling there were short stretches of vertical with some scramble between. The rappel off of Kangaroo Temple was two, very vertical, double rope (60 meters instead of 30) rappels. It went very quickly and we all arrived safely at the bottom in no time. It was time to go.

Now here is my issue with any type of in / out hike or climb. One you've reached the destination, the only thing on my mind is getting to the car. we had a 2 + hour hike out ahead of us over loose terrain, and we were all tired. There were some slips and scratches on the way down, but we managed. In all, it was about a ten hour day from car to car.

We packed up, sorted gear back to whom it belonged and headed out. One of or leaders had told us about this organic ice cram place in Marblemount that we were all very much looking froward to. Although we were all anxious to get home, this was a necessary stop. Yu-um. Just what I needed before another three hour drive home. Rolling in just before ten, a quick shower and then off to bed. The problem with these mid week climbs is that work comes calling quickly. So here I am with a day to rest and I am off again on Friday night (to roughly the same location) for two climbs this weekend. It will be exhausting, but also a blast!

Wish me luck!

UPDATE - Click here for more pics

Two Weeks of Crazy

2008-08-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Today begins what will be roughly two weeks of being pulled in many directions. Most of these are just one day issues, but I am sure that by the end I will be confused as to where I am actually supposed to be. Early mornings and late nights mean that time with my boy will be very limited. I'll have to make due as best I can.

One work trip and five peaks will make for an exciting but exhausting couple of weeks. I'll try to stay current, but will definitely update in a couple of weeks when life returns to 'normal'

Not an evil death ray

2008-07-31T07:18:00.000-07:00

I guess its just a phone. I didn't get to actually try the experiment, but was able to find (and be presented with) enough online resources to determine that it is, in fact, a hoax.

I watched a video where a person involved with a blue tooth headset company engaged in some "viral marketing" Where they put these fake videos out there to promote the sales of their product.

Now it seems that they got much more than the attention they bargained for and were already talking about the next stage in a, "how do we top this?" kind of way. This got me to thinking.

If they had gone the route of traditional marketing, like a commercial, rather than sticking this video on You Tube, it wouldn't fly. The message that would be in the ad would be (as I summarize it in my head) "Buy our hands free headsets! If you keep placing phones to your head it will explode and you will no longer have a head. You will get cancer. All phones are the same and WILL KILL YOU! And men, don't put the phones in your laps either because, well, you saw the popcorn... POP!" Ouch!

There is no way this ad would be allowed on legitimate media because it is simply not true. Yet the company's representative is proud of the fact that this"viral Marketing" campaign succeeded in bringing more attention to blue tooth headsets.

Call me Ned Flanders, or some naive Nelly goody two shoes, but it just doesn't seem right. This guy not only got away with spreading mis-information (or propaganda) but was proud of it and publicly plotting more. What can you do? I guess I could not buy his brand of blue tooth... or counter viral!

I seem to have drifted from AdventureDad theme over the last few days, but I guess worrying is also part of being a dad.

More rants sure to follow at a later date :)

Kitchen appliance, phone or evil death ray

2008-07-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

I had heard about this before, however never had seen it demonstrated.

Apparently one can pop popcorn using only a couple of cell phones. This leads me to wonder what, exactly is going on inside my head when I talk on the phone. Do I have a magic skull that prevents any harmful waves from getting in? Am I more resistant than a kernel of corn to exploding? How can a phone pop a corn?

When I think about it, the ever watchful government wouldn't let a product on the market that was harmful, would they? Like cigarettes and guns there is certainly no risk to the user, much less those around them, so I think, "of course phones are safe."

Then I watch the video again. This can't be right, can it? These are phones... that I hold up to my head... that I hold up to my baby's head so he can talk to his Mom.

I would initially think this is a hoax, but i have heard it from too many sources now. Perhaps some first hand research will be in order. Update forthcoming.

In the meantime, here is a link to a couple of budding scientists as they try out this experiment.

Popcorn phone

Wading Pool

2008-07-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today AdventureBaby and I walked down to Greenlake to meet up with his friend Luca and his dad. It was a beautiful afternoon, the water nice and sun-warmed, and a couple of happy boys.

When we first met up, Luca met Maisy, aka AdventureDog, and took to her in a hurry. Maisy was all love and kisses and Luca could not get enough of it! Apparently, although watching dogs from a distance, this was the first dog that he got to interact with and I would say it was definitely a positive experience. Luca laughed and laughed and laughed whenever Maisy would get close, and Maisy seemed to really like the attention as well.

After pleasantries, it was off to the pool. Luca was all decked out in baby beach wear, and AdventureBaby stripped down to just a swim diaper. Different fashion statements, but I don't think either of them really cared what they were wearing. It was time to splash!

We spent a little time finger walking around the pool and then settled in to the shallower end and sat down. Despite being a month or so younger, Luca crawled circles around a contentedly sitting AdventureBaby. It was fun to watch them each find their own way of learning about the water: crawling in it. swooshing their hands and feet around or just slapping at it and getting wet.

The shadows soon came and it was time to go. We had a great time and will surely be back t the pool often to enjoy the rest of these sunny summer days.

Haiku

2008-07-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

So my lovely wife was the only one to respond to the request for Haiku endings. For her effort, I reveal the remainder of the slogan. (Thank you Internet!)

I guess this was some guy's high school English project and it became somewhat of a popular t-shirt design. Good for him!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

2008-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the 9th anniversary for me and AdventureWife! We've come a long way baby!

The years have been (mostly) good and this past year topped them all!

It is amazing to look back and see how our little family has grown; adding a cat (well, that was the out of wedlock addition, but..) a dog and now the wonderful AdventureBaby. Still, at the heart of it was you and me. Doing what we like to do... together.

Thanks for another great year and I am sure that they will continue to just keep getting better and better!

ILY D!

Here are a few pictures of us that make me smile...

Wow! how young do we look?

Boarding the dinner train. That was fun!

working on the house. How's this for a Christmas card photo?

At Margaret Lake

At Camp Muir

On Mt. Adams

With AdventureBaby added to the mix

SP 20

2008-07-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

This was a great weekend!

Music is something I haven't touched on here yet, although it is a big part of, well, me.

Saturday I got to spend much of the day hanging out with the rest of the AdventureFamily; going on walks, doing yard work and lounging about. In the late afternoon, I met up with my brother and it was off to Marymoor Park for the start of two days of concert commemorating the 20th anniversary of SUB POP records.

There were about 20 bands playing over the weekend and due to our late start we missed about three of them, including Seaweed - one of the bands I had really hoped to see. I had seen them years ago in a club in Spokane and again here is Seattle, but it had been over a decade. But MGM's daughter had a soccer tournament and as he once told me, never disappoint a pre-teen girl... so we went late.

The rest of the day was surprisingly diverse. I had been a big fan of the local music scene back in the day and came prepared to see about a dozen bands that were trying to be Mudhoney. With the exception of the first band we saw, Pissed Jeans (what a name!) the only band that day that sounded remotely like Mudhoney was Mudhoney... and they were great!

A treat for today was that following Mudhoney was The Vasalines. Legendary UK group who had a trio of songs made more famous by Nirvana having covered them (Molly's Lips, Son of a Gun, Jesus Don't Want Me For a Sunbeam). They were fantastic live, and a real treat that I did not expect. I had heard them only on CD before and the live performance was just so much more engaging. Plus they were funny and a bit crass... which I always enjoy.

SUB POP had changed from how I once knew them. They now represent lighter sounds such as the ethereal Fleet Foxes and the very enjoyable, acoustic Iron and Wine. a nice surprise near the end of a long, hot Saturday. They have also gone the way of comedy, including comedians such as David Cross and Patton Oswalt, who performed at the Moore on previous days, but most notably the headliner for the evening, Flight of the Conchords. Despite being a bit under the weather, and likely suffering from mild heat stroke by this time, I enjoyed their set.

Sunday I was able to get some more yard work done in the morning and spend a little bit of time with AdventureFamily before once again heading east for the show. This was a day that brought on a nice nap in the sun to bands that weren't terrible, but didn't do much for me either. One exception to this was Red Red Meat which I enjoyed.

The highlight of the weekend for me was the reunited Green River. This is the band that is largely attributed to the beginning of the Seattle Music Scene as we knew it back in the early 90's. When they initially broke up, their members went on to form Mudhoney & Mother Love Bone, which in turn spawned Pearl Jam (among others).

These guys seemed to be having the most fun of any band that played and that definitely translated to my experience as well. At the end of their set, despite there being one band left on the bill we decided it was time to head out. To leave on such a positive note was the way to go.

Someday I hope to take the boy that AdventureBaby will someday become with me to shows. Music is definitely something I would like to experience with him.

As an update to this post, and since I don't think there is anyone under18 that reads this, I will post my three favorite T-Shirt slogans from the weekend:

#3 (on a roughly 18 month old kid)
I am the Electric Fetus

#2 (on a roughly 30 year old man)
Haikus are easy
Sometimes they don't make sense
?????

He was walking quickly and I missed the last line. I was a bit bummed at first, but figured it would be a fun fun poll here.. what should the last line be? Feel free to share your creativity in the comments section :)

#1 (on a roughly 30 year old man)
I shaved my balls for this?

The Tooth

2008-07-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Last week I took a day off work in the middle of the week to do some climbing. This was my first 'club climb' with the Mountaineers and part one of three required climbs for completion of my climbing course.

We headed out to a place I had been just a month before, Pineapple pass, and the home of The Tooth. While I had never heard of The Tooth before, it seems it is one of the quintessential basic climbs. Easy enough for those with moderate skills, but challenging enough for those in the intermediate class to lead it.

After about a two and a half hour hike to the base of The Tooth, we wrapped around The Pineapple to get to the back side of our starting point. A snow bridge had melted out of the gully leading to our initial belay station forcing us to circumvent the pineapple to get to where we needed to be. After some of the over cautiousness that the Mountaineers are known for, about two and a half hours later I finally got to start climbing.

The climbing, as mentioned, was relatively easy, but fun to be using this new found talent to get to the top of a mountain. There are many peaks out there that you can get most of the way up by hiking, crossing snow or scrambling, but for that final push need to be able to get up a few pitches of rock.

Sparing details, it took a frustrating 14 hours to complete the day. I was able to pick up AdventureBaby from my very accommodating and understanding sister-in-law a mere 3 hours after I was supposed to have picked him up (Thanks Judith!).

It was a long day filled with much waiting. I think that with a good partner, that route could be done in half the time. Someday, I'll give it another shot. Wanna come?

Ansel-Dad

2008-06-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

Saturday was my foray into being a professional photographer. Judith was hired to photograph a wedding this weekend and she needed someone to help her out. While I took photography classes in high school and college, I hadn't done much in a while.

Back in the classes there was much about composition and the dark room was where the magic happened (not that kind of magic). All the pictures I took, I could cure any errors in the taking of the picture itself by creative developing. I was a bit nervous as with all the pictures I would be taking, I would turn over in raw format to the boss and be judged on how they looked without editing.

I think I generally take pretty good pictures with the background that I have, so I was comfortable that the basic composition of the photograph would be OK, but with so much to try to recall and so many things to think about... the right shot... proper framing... use of light... not pissing off the bride or annoying the groom... all that was a little daunting.

I turned over my pictures and don't have them to post, however for a few of our combined shots, visit the JFP site here.

*** A very inportant addition to this post is that I am ever grateful to Roy for lending me some of hie photo gear for this event. I am sure that AdventureWife may be less thrilled that I fell in love with his $800 lens :)

Father's Day... etc.

2008-06-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday was my first Father's Day. We may have celebrated my impending fatherhood last year, but this was the first where the reason that I got to celebrate could look back at me.

As previously mentioned, Sunday was also my birthday, so while Saturday was the 'go out and do what I want' day, Sunday we got to celebrate with everyone.

The day began with breakfast at my in-laws'. Always a treat, we enjoyed tasty pancakes with multiple yummy topping options. We celebrated fathers day for Jon, John and me as well as mine and Madeline's birthdays. A full morning for sure, and as gifts I received a fantastic canvas framed picture of my favorite little guy and a good start to my collection of rock climbing gear.

From there it was off to the Arboretum. My photographer SIL, to whom I owe much thanks for many cute pics of AdventureBaby, is shooting a wedding this weekend and we went to scout locations for the best pictures. I came along for two reasons. One, I will be her assistant this weekend so I too needed a lay of the land, and I just love the arboretum.

We had a fantastic time walking through. It is so pretty and the dog and kids were able to run about and burn what energy they could while the sun was actually out. I think we found some good spots and took some decent photos in the process.

After the arboretum, it was down to the U Village for some last minute birthday details and then to my folks' place for dinner, two more Fathers' Days, and three more birthdays, in addition to mine.

We had a great time and couldn't have had a nicer evening to sit out on the deck and enjoy the day.

It was a good weekend. :)

Double Whammy!

2008-06-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

My first Father's Day happened to also fall on my birthday, so this weekend had much to celebrate. Because my actual birthday was going to be busy with Father's day activities, we decided to take the whole weekend to celebrate. Saturday would be the day that I got to pick the activities and Sunday would be more dedicated to families and group celebrations.

I think we'll address Saturday here and post later about Sunday.

There was a list of things that we wanted to happen this weekend and I think we accomplished all of it: go on a hike, visit REI for birthday shopping, go out to dinner, see a movie, fathers day with in laws, fathers day with my family, finish shopping for plethora of June birthdays being celebrated this weekend as well.

We accomplished everything... and then some! Saturday began with breakfast with my birthday buddy Madeline before getting ready to head for this hills.

The hike was a lot of fun. We chose a short hike close to town, but it was beautiful and exciting. I like when a hike will offer some variety and this hike delivered. We hiked to Talapus Lake with the thought that if conditions were good enough we would continue on to Ollalie Lake. It was a good day, but in the end, too much snow to continue on to Ollalie.

The hike started out with a gradual grade on clear ground and then, as if a magical line had been drawn, the trail turned to snow. The rest of the way to the Lake was on snow.

At times it was difficult to locate the trail due to the snow, so we used our route finding skills and dog-compass (follow Maisy) to find our way up the hill. It was a perfect day for a hike as it was neither raining nor too hot. Though otherwise prepared, neither of us had brought our gaiters along, AdventureWife and I both spent a fair amount of time knocking snow out of our boots.

In the end, we saw a beautiful lake and got some good exercise.

It was nice to hike with AdventureWife again. Along with AdventurePooch, she had been my hiking partner for the last decade plus and with my class this year, along with the weather, we hadn't gotten out at all.

AdventureBaby seemed to have a good time as well and tallied a National Forest and Wilderness Area in the same trip!

That night, Grandma came over to play with the little guy and I was treated to a wonderful dinner at one of my favorite places (Ray's Boathouse) by my beautiful wife. We had a large table on the deck to ourselves and my birthday salmon did not disappoint! Dinner was followed by a movie (at home) which surprisingly, given the day we had, we both made it through.

Time for bed to get ready for a big day on Sunday!

Seven Months!

2008-06-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Today, AdventureBaby is seven months old! It is still hard to believe that I am even a dad, much less that I have been one for seven months. It has been really amazing watch him grow day in and day out; most of the time not really realizing what I am seeing. When you see someone every day it is hard to notice the little differences. Sure, I notice the events, like today he is eating solid food, he now sleeps through the night, today is is using a new sound, today he figured out that taking steps (while being held up) will get him closer to the cat...

What is harder to notice is the physical growth. In my mind he is the same size as he was when he first came home. But in reality (obviously) he has grown quite a bit. His dark hair at birth has fallen out and was replaced by the blond that is now growing... with a stretch of near complete baldness in between. He is taller, thicker, definitely heavier, and is really starting to look like a little kid rather than a baby. Although I will hold onto the 'baby' for a while despite his looks.

His face has taken shape and his head as well. His little hands now have such a strong, kung fu grip that I am sure AdventureWife has lost a bit of hair from this talent. His feet are no longer super wrinkly as when I first met him and he is three sizes up in diapers.

There are just so many things that have changed and so many super smiley moments along the way that I thought I would post a series of some of my favorite pictures from his first seven months. Here's to enjoying the first seven as well and the many many seven month stretches to come!

ILY Boy!

Update to "Envy'

2008-06-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

So, for both of my friends that were supposed to climb this weekend, one on Baker and the other on The Brothers, both climbs were cancelled due to the most recent appearance of winter in our region.

June; its freakin' June. Warm up already!

Anyway, while I feel less bad about not being able to go, but I do feel for them as they were both pretty excited about it. It was going to be the first climb towards fulfilling the requirements of the class. I guess that will have to wait.

A few of us are signed up to climb The Tooth in a couple of weeks, so hopefully the weather holds out for that.

Sounds

2008-06-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

AdventureBaby has been hitting milestones recently,: sleeping through the night, solid foods, rolling over, finger walking...

The thing that has cracked me up lately is that he really has his "M's" down. He'll sit there, and in a loud and deep voice just keep saying, "Mmmma mmmmamma mmmaaa mmmmammamamamama." He contorts his mouth into all sorts of different shapes, playing with the sounds, and has managed some variations on "Mmmmaa." It is adorable and he is very confident in his sounds.

This has been going on for a week or so, but for the last day or two he has added, in a very soft whisper, "da." It's as if you were breathing out and just threw a 'd' in there.

He makes me smile all the time but this new little development adds a chuckle to that smile. :)

He is a funny little man!

A Bit Envious

2008-06-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

I found out yesterday that two of my friends from Climbing Class will be going on their first climbs this weekend. One will be going up Mt. Baker and the other up The Brothers in the Olympic Mountains. Baker will be fun, and I am sure that I will do it someday, but The Brothers is the one I am truly jealous of.

Pre-AdventureBaby, heck, pre-AdventureDog, AdventureWife and I would go hiking in the Olympics (dogs are not allowed in the National Parks). One of our favorite hikes was on the flanks of The Brothers to Lena Lake. It is a beautiful hike and something on which we always discussed going farther up the trail.

It is also the most identifiable mountain(s) in the Olympic range as is is seen from Seattle. Every morning when I get in my car and drive towards 99, I see The Brothers poking out over the top of Greenlake.

I'll get there. Maybe I'll make it appropriate and get my brother to come with me.

New Links

2008-06-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Inspired yet again by AdventureWife, I have added a few links.

I had fun with the Free Rice site. Click on link at right to go to the site and read about it. Basically you answer vocabulary questions and rice is donated to those in need. Do they really donate rice because I have a grasp of the English language? Who knows? Seems an odd correlation, but there it is. Help the world and learn some new words.

Our soccer team has a blog as well. Team name Beermonsters. The site will have game updates and musings from team members. Sometimes entertaining... sometimes not.

Finally, I had seen this a while back, but forgot about it until I saw it on Josie's site. A website dedicated to Stuff White People Like. I'd like to say that I am offended that they have stuffed us all into a box based on the pigment of our skin, but really, it is pretty much dead on... and I don't offend easily. I tend to see the humor in things rather than get too worked up about it. Anyway, this is a fun site with some broad generalizations that usually hit the mark.

Well, enjoy the links and practice your vocabulary!

A Bloody Rough Game

2008-06-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Those that have known me and my soccer team for a while will attest to the fact that there was a time when we were passionate about the game. A time when we would get worked up about any call and when winning or losing mattered. Now, however, for most of us it is a once a week opportunity to see our friends and get a little bit of exercise. Its nice to score and to win a game, but win or lose, we all go out for beers after the game (except last night... too wet).

This change in attitude is nice because I think I am less likely to die of a stressed induced heart attack from getting worked up over an offsides call.

Where this becomes a problem is when the other team has not reached our level of Zen and approach to the game.

Last night's game began with pouring down rain followed shortly by a 1/4" gash in one of our players' heads because an opponent was a bit overzealous going for an early header, which was clearly out of reach. I showed up a bit late and saw him as he was getting ready to re-enter the game with three band-aids holding closed his wound and his cheek covered in blood, dripping down and soaking his beard. Later in the game there were hurt ribs, a shot to the gut, nearly pulled hair and AdventureDad himself getting completely laid out on the field with only seconds remaining... all by the same guy. In addition, I stuck my foot out where I shouldn't have and tweaked my ankle again. I don't think it will turn out to be anything huge, but it sure hurt and is stiff, swollen and sore today.

Occasionally my dad asks when I am going to grow up and start playing golf instead of subjecting my body to the pounding it gets in a soccer games, and sometimes, after games such as last night's, I am inclined to look further into that transition. In the end though, soccer is what gets me up and moving. Soccer is where I get to see my friends and soccer is less expensive, which with gas prices and baby-related expenses may be the overriding factor.

We have a bye next week, so hopefully we all have a chance to heal up and be ready to go at it again in a couple of weeks.

Class Dismissed!

2008-06-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Mt. Shuksan
Mt. Baker

This was the final outing and also evaluation for the snow portion of our class. We had initially planned to go up on the flanks of Mt. Baker (with possible summit if time & schedules allowed), but as the access road was still not clear, our leaders opted for a different approach.

Instead, we headed to Ptarmigan Ridge. Starting from the upper parking lot of the Mt. baker ski area, we hiked towards Table Mountain.we crossed some water running along the bluest of blue glacier ice before heading up the ridge.

As we gained altitude Mt. Shuksan came back into view. we had initially seen it in the parking lot, but from this Vantage point, it was quite spectacular!

Gaining elevation on the ridge we started to make out other Peaks along it. Unfortunately, I did not learnt he names of the other Peaks along the ridge, but will surely research it as it would be amazing to traverse the entire ridge someday.

Just before we made the top of the ridge, Mt/ Baker poked its head out. There we were, standing on top of the ridge, looking at such an amazing panorama of Shuksan (which I am climbing later this summer), Ptarmigan Ridge and Mt. baker. It was a beautiful spot.

We dropped down the other side of the ridge and camped just above Icicle Lake. Not much of the lake was to be seen at this time, but the whole thing was oddly suncupped which made it look like it had been poked with a large poker several thousand times. Also, it was just starting to melt out, so the edges showed the blue glacier water that looks so pretty, but soooooo cold. I would like to be able to post more of my pics here, but instead will just add this link where they can all be viewed. http://www.flickr.com/photos/23417666@N02/ (if this doens't work, it shuodl shortly)

After setting up camp in my tiny one man tent, our sub-sig as we call it (SIG=Small Instructional Group) set out to practice some of the systems before being tested on them Sunday. WE flew through and were called over for some additional instruction. What I am learning more each and every day is that there is as many ways of doing things as there are people teaching them It is nice to get different perspectives, but can be frustrating to have five different variations on the same thing coming at you... especially when you will be tested on doing it one certain way. Woops, sorry for the side note / complaint....

After this instruction, it was time for dinner, some conversation and then bed. My tent was great for sleeping in, but when it came to finding room for changing or getting gear together, it will take an approach that I haven't yet been able to figure out. I will have many opportunities. Evaluation day was great! It went very quickly and very smoothly. We all passed and felt really good about finishing up the class. Now we are at the point that we get to get after the thing that got us into the class in the first place... CLIMBING MOUNTAINS!!!

First climb is a Rock climb of The Tooth on the 25th - a Wednesday! It will undoubtedly beat working!

me jumping a 'crevasse'

Welcome New Readers!

2008-05-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

So I have hit the jackpot and obtained a prime mention and permanent link on the world's (well, my world anyway) most popular blog site! I fully expect my readership to double or even triple!

With that in mind, I will surely step up my posts. I have been a bit, off, of late and wasn't really inspired to post. But all that has changed now and I am re-invigorated! Re-inspired! Re-inmotivated! (?!).

Here's the rundown. My blog is a a bit different that that of my spousal unit. Hers focuses entirely on Jammy (here known as AdventureBaby) and events that surround his life... and a bit of other things, but mostly Jammy. My blog is a bit more about me and my role as Dad. It will reference similar AdventureBaby related events that show up on BabyJammy, but also talk about my outdoor excursions, the occasional political comment, but also my observations and comments on being a dad while trying to retain a bit of who I was before the child came along.

As all parents will understand, my life has changed with the arrival of AdventureBaby, but I don't want to lose who I was before either. This blog is to help me remember that while life is about him right now, that I will serve him better in the long run by not losing track of who I am. I will continue to be active in the outdoors, around the house and with friends and will then be able to pass what I learn on to him when the time is comes.

I hope you all enjoy this blog, but in the end, I hope it serves its purpose to remind me that in order to be a better dad, I need to keep growing as a person.

To sleep, perchance to dream:... For in that sleep... what dreams may come?

2008-05-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

There was not much in the way of sleep in the Adventure household last night.

This first picture is how I like to think about my boy.

The second picture is what he was like all last night.

AdventureWife and I are both quite tired today.

Was that an Avalanche?

2008-05-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

While we had been out a couple of times before, this weekend was our first 'official' snow outing. We started out from the upper most parking lot at Alpental and hiked (post holed and snowshoed- sometimes both) up to the pineapple pass area just below "the Tooth" - a basic climb we will likely be doing later in the summer once the snow has cleared... which from the looks of things, could be a very long time.

We worked mainly on ice axe arrest. from standing. From glissade. Head first on stomach and head first on back. It was a bit crazy and you get a little disoriented, but good to know how to should should we fall when it matters.

We also worked on rope team arrest and anchor building. This was interesting, but by the time we got to anchor building we were all tired and wet from all of the ice axe arrest practice and merely looking to get back down to the cars.

The exciting and somewhat scary part of the day was the many avalanches that we hear and saw.

On our way up, while we waited for the instructors to get us set up, we took a break and while we were eating our sandwiches heard a loud crash and looked over to see a bit of snow tumbling down Hemlock Peak, across the valley from us.

Now this was a tiny bit of snow, with a really loud noise. I have read about how large avalanches sound like a jet is coming towards you, but I never could envision how that could be. After seeing and hearing the sound that such a relatively small one makes, I can definitely understand the how the huge avalanches that you read about could roar as they are described.

Seeing that little avalanche prepared me a little for what would come later in the day. Shortly after reaching the pass it began to warm up and we got socked in by fog. Visibility was no more than 100' for most of the day and much less than that at times. As it warmed up, show started to release and we heard what totaled about a dozen avalanches throughout the day; each rivaling the noise that we heard the first time. Fortunately we had seen the first one, otherwise I would have sworn that the whole mountain was coming down.

It was still a bit scary, but we were fortunate to have good, experienced leaders who, even in the whiteout, were able to navigate the team down while staying safely away from where any avalanche might hit.

An exciting day and only two snow trips left before the class part of this course is done. One day of testing and then it is off to the experience climbs. This is why we all did this class... to be able to get out and actually climb these mountains!!!

Who Knew?

2008-05-02T14:38:00.001-07:00

Who knew that Spokane would turn out to be my happy place. Who knew it would be Spokane that would inspire me? Who knew that things would become clear there? Who knew?

I went to Spokane for work this week and managed to accomplish more than just the work I had intended. It was good to go back. To visit campus. To see the town I spent those few years in... where I figured myself out the first time around.

Vague post, I know, but wanted to get it in here.

What a Night!

2008-04-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Not having to do with much, other than life in general... last night was awful.

D's allergies are kicking in, so she has not been feeling well, breathing well or sleeping well. Having to try to sleep upright doesn't make for great sleep, so she was struggling a bit. Jammy too, wasn't sleeping well and was up multiple times last night and awake even more often. Thankfully, sometimes he was able to soothe himself back down.

As happens about once per year, and about this time of year, Maisy had one of her 2:00 AM freakouts which sent me launching out of bed and running (slipping) down the stairs cursing out any potential intruder. After determining that there was, in fact, no intruder, I trudged back up the stairs curing out Maisy the whole way.

As a result of her being downstairs and barking, I closed the baby gate a t the top of the stairs to keep her from wandering down and getting too riled up about anything. Problem solved, right? Well, yes - and no.

With the gate closed, the dog couldn't get downstairs, but neither could the cat. Dog - used to going by our schedule and doing what we let her. Cat - very independent. Has constant feed food dish so he can eat whenever. Has series of cat doors that let him come and go as he pleases.

At around 4:00 AM the decided that it would please him to go downstairs. With the gate closed, he could not. So he started meowing, and meowing, and meowing. Successfully ignored, he went quiet and stopped with the noise... And started with the clawing of the big yellow chair in our room. Well, that is something I can't ignore. Instead of getting up, I grabbed a pillow from above me and launched it in his direction. Apparently the point was made b/c I didn't hear any more from him the rest of the night.

Then the time came for our friendly neighborhood squirrels to have their fun. They play on the roof and in the gutters (and maybe in the eves, but I am not sure), and were doing a great job at waking me up. Ahh, the 5:00 AM distraction. And I thought I was going to have to sleep last night.

After feeling bad for A-wife, working with Jammy to get him to sleep, dealing with the dog, the cat and the squirrels and getting to sleep, the alarm went off at 6. Time to get up. The squirrels were still at it and the cat had rested up for a new round of telling me he wanted out. After finishing my morning routine and letting the cat downstairs to eat and do whatever he does in the morning, I took the dog out, grabbed the paper and was able to eat a little breakfast. Just as I was finishing the monitor sprung to life signalling that Jammy was awake. I went up and said good morning, saw his super smiley morning baby face, changed him and took him to his mom for breakfast.

Before handing him over I got to play with him a little bit. He smiled and laughed and made noises and smiled some more. Bad night... good morning :)

Missing Out

2008-04-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

I just checked my email and had a "Wish you were here" email from Josie (in yellow, with Scott & dogs). They had done Mailbox Peak today - a beautiful day for a climb.

Snow, dogs, friends.

Granted I am going to get my fill of snow this next month with the snow portion of my class coming up, But this email made me remember back to last spring when we were training for Rainier when we were out just about every weekend hiking and talking about the impending climb of Rainier.

This year is just as exciting, but different. I get to learn a bunch of new stuff, meet a bunch of new people and climb a bunch of mountains.

This is great but, at the risk of sounding a bit cheese, I miss what we had last year. I miss hiking with Maisy. The downside about this class is that while I am getting out into the mountains, the yellowdog sits at home. A dog needs to get out into the mountains. Hopefully, once the class is over in June and the weather is nicer, I can take Maisy along with AdventureWife & Baby and head to the hills. Jammy is so alert these days and really taking things in so I think he would really enjoy it.

I look forward to getting out. Maybe S&J will find a good hike for us this summer... after they get back from climbing Shasta (without me b/c it is my final exam weekend for snow).

I Passed!

2008-04-26T22:45:00.001-07:00

Today was the "final exam" if you will, for the rock portion of my climbing class. It took longer than we originally thought, but when you are trying to get a number of people tested on the same areas in the same spot, this can happen. Nonetheless, we got through it all and the evaluator praised appropriately and said I was ready for the intermediate course.

This is something I am considering. I had thought about it before, but it was nice to hear someone whose job it was to evaluate ability say that I could / should go in that direction. There is much more involved in the intermediate class, but it is more advanced and I think I would be more comfortable and fit in better with the ability of those taking that class. plus, you get five years to complete all of the requirements. This could be a good way to make sure that I keep up on the climbing, increase my skills, find people to climb with.

Another aspect of this is the requirement to help instruct a basic class. Oddly enough, this appeals to me. I like the idea of sharing what I know with others. I never really thought of myself as the teaching type, but in really thinking about it... its suits me.

Now I realize that i am not actually through with the basic class, and I still have a newborn,but I am thoroughly enjoying this and feel like it is something I can benefit from and enjoy long term. so it is under consideration. As said before, AdventureWife has been very accommodating and tolerant of my schedule this spring, so I don't want to push my luck next year as well. We'll see how it goes.

Half way done with the instruction part of the class with one very busy May ahead of me.

Leavenworth

2008-04-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend was about climbing. It was our final weekend before Rock Evaluations and moving into the 'snow' portion of the class, and we spent both days in Leavenworth.

I had a bit of a warm fuzzy moment when on the morning of the first day, the instructor was divvying up assistant instructors and the areas that they would be helping out with that day. A number of students needed more practice on their escape from belay and others with rappelling. They went to practice while others were going to work on cleaning a route. Then she said, ' Loren, you and I are going to climb a mountain."

It was nice as she thought me capable and prepared enough to single me out to do this multi-pitch climb. It was a relatively simple climb, but on it we would be working on a most of what we had practiced thus far... and that some were still practicing. She said that the criteria for signing off on e to complete the class was that she would have to say that she would be willing to rope up with me on a climb. What better compliment than being the first!

I don't intend to toot my own horn (maybe a little) but while I pick up things pretty quickly, I typically consider myself as being pathetically (or outstandingly) average. Here I am being singled out in class - for something good. It was nice.

After making it to the top She said "great job, I'll sign your card." Now this was nice and all, but we were only about 40 minutes into the first day. What was I to do the rest of the weekend? Answer... Have a load of fun!

On day two some were still working on skills and a few of us were started on a route that we would be able to climb without instructors. After my turn an instructor that was running late showed up and the first assistant told her to take me with her and go climbing. We were able to run off 5 climbs in the next couple of hours and increased difficulty on each. Again, glad to be picked to climb with the instructor.

In case it is unclear, I am totally enjoying this class and had a great weekend. Adding to the excitement of the weekend Shannon, my friend from GU was having his Bachelor Party in Leavenworth that weekend. After dinner on Day one I met up with that group, sat through dessert with them and headed off to the local karaoke bar. These boys are karaoke freaks! Shannon and his brother must have done a dozen songs by the time I left at ten (had to be up early) with some added entertainment from Paul.

Also, when I was leaving dinner I ran into my cousin Justin, who was over there helping out with a climbing course put on by a different group. Small town, Leavenworth.

The only downside to the weekend was the drive over Friday night. With Seattle's (and the region) latest snow since I was born, it made for a long, slow, snowy trip across the pass.

A little headache for a great weekend. I did miss my wife and boy though. I made sure to give extra big hugs when I got back!

Sunshine and airtime with Jammy

2008-04-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

Although he is five months old, this was Jammy's first exposure to prolonged sunlight and the warmth that is typically associated with it. Having been born in Seattle in November, this is not something he has seen too often, and definitely has not felt. We did our best to keep him out of the direct sun too much. That along with his super cute swim outfit seemed to protect him quite well.

In addition to enjoying some sunshine, this was his first exposure to swimming. As a swimmer and general waterhound growing up it is important to me that he be comfortable in and around the water.

He took to it very well and didn't fuss at all when, because of an overactive cousin or two using me as a floatation device slash jungle gym, his little face got in the water. This seems like a sign of good things to come.

One of the things that helped surely was the accidental (?) reversal of hot tub vs. pool heating where our pool was pretty close to 98.6 degrees. We could stay in it for a long time and get out only because we were pruny, not having anything to do with getting too cold. The boy was not in it for long stretches, but seemed to enjoy following me around and laughed a bit at the motorboating and bubble blowing.

I can't wait to get him on more trips and more outings where we expose him to new things and experiences. One of my favorite things to do is watch the little guy process new information. IT is as if I can actually see the little wheels turning in his head.

It was a good trip for us all and although there was no stuffed or plastic animal attack, a great experience for AdventureBaby!

Vacation!

2008-04-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

There's a lot to bring together from a mere 4 days of vacation, so I think I will separate it out into a couple of entries. I will focus first on the climbing and second on the rest.

Colin took Vince and I to do some climbing in Joshua Tree National Park. What a strange and cool landscape that was. Colin was obviously nervous about tackling anything too hard for a couple of reasons: one as he hadn't really climbed in a couple of years, and two: that I was a double noob - new to many of the aspects of climbing and a new climbing partner to him. I don't blame him for being nervous, as it is a dangerous sport and there is a lot to take into consideration.

We were able to get in a couple of real climbs, including my first lead with Trad gear! (my first lead period, actually). Colin called it and on site, red point lead. Which means something like no research, never done it before, didn't hang on a rope to place... just showed up and did it! it was a relatively easy route, but a guy's got to cut his teeth somewhere, right? May as well be Joshua tree! We also got the opportunity to do much scrambling over large boulders and other varied terrain that was a ton of fun!

I will definitely be going back there someday, hopefully in better shape as a climber and with all the knowledge necessary to tackle some good climbs.

Giraffe Attack!

2008-04-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, It seems like the little guy just can't stay out of trouble...

We're sitting at home, just enjoying a nice little chat, when all of a sudden AdventureBaby was blindsided by the rarely seen, but deadly pygmy giraffe.

Once Again, instincts took over, but this time, unlike the bear attack in January, AdventureBaby now has the use of his hands. Perhaps there were some rumors out there, perhaps spread by the defeated bears themselves, that he would be an easy target if one knew what his weaknesses were. But this particular giraffe ended up getting more than he could handle as Jammy turned the tables quickly, grabbed hold and immediately was able to subdue the unprepared giraffe.

After a short struggle which included much drool and some baby growling, AdventureBaby was able to finish him off. One bite to the jugular and it was all over.

In the end, AdventureBaby was unharmed, and even was able to enjoy the well deserved spoils that come with thwarting an attack such as this.

Little Drummer Boy

2008-04-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

While he has had ongoing guitar lessons, today I introduced Benjamin to the drum. A simple introduction. A single drum. To my surprise and delight he was into it...for a moment. And my into it, I mean he tolerated me playing it while I held onto his hands.

Once propped in front of the drum, he toyed with it a bit and even whacked at it a few times. Then, in true rockstar fashion, threw up, screamed and tipped over.

I wouldn't say he is well versed at it just yet, but it was a good first attempt. We'll try again soon.

Frenchman's Coulee

2008-04-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend on Saturday our class headed back out to Vantage to do some climbing. We were originally slated to go to Exit 38 off I-90, which would have worked much better in the grand plan for Saturday , but to Vantage it was. It turned out to be a good decision as the weather there was beautiful all morning, while back in Seattle... crappy.

Although I was looking forward to getting out and doing some more climbing, there now was a serious conflict with the surprise 30th B-day party we were throwing for AdventureWife that night. I am happy to say that with the cooperation of my instructor and carpool, I made it home with about 8 minutes to spare. The surprise went off without a hitch and a great time was had by all.

Back to the climbing... This was a day we were going to once again get to climb some, but work on our belays and repels and also introduce the autoblock and escape from belay.

I teamed up with Gary, who I think I match up with pretty well skill-wise, and we worked through the belay escapes. We followed Evgeny to a 5.8 route that I forget on the Cornwall and climbed some. Evgeny took the lead - and the camera to get some pictures from above as we noticed any pics from below tend to focus on your backside.

Having knocked out the routes and worked more on the belay escape, it was off to the feathers of some rappel practice. We were introduced to the autoblock and they introduced the rappel stations as one being harder than the other. I had done the "harder" one last time so I went there. I was the only one. This was great since I needed to get out of there early, I was able to knock out four rappels in a hurry. A couple of climbs and a bit of belaying and we were out of there. I volunteered to drive so that I could ultimately be responsible for getting us back in time for the party. Success.

So, looking back, there wasn't much interesting here, just a log of the day, but it was an excuse to put up the first picks of me climbing on rock! Yay!

Ahh, memories...

2008-04-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

So my brother dug up this picture from when we were just tots. It looks like a fishing trip or camping or something. I am not sure which is worse, my hair or my Dad's hat.

You think that you've seen all of the pictures that your parents have of you and then this little moment in time surfaces that just brings you back.

I remember going fishing with Dad, and there was always (still is) a family campout where the entire extended family would get together. We took road trips, went to Disneyland and played sports. All this stuff my folks were able to do with their kids. Kids didn't seem to slow them down and I have a ton of great memories of great parents.

I am looking forward to my opportunity to create memories for my kid. There are lots of activities with the little man in our future. Hopefully down the road, he will think of them - and me - fondly.

A Little Handsy

2008-03-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

So the greatest thing about this last week or so is watching Benjamin figure out his hands. I used to get a kick out of watching him flail them around without actually realizing that they were attached to his body. Then I am pretty sure he knew they were attached, but was not aware that he could control their movement. He would occasionally whack himself on the side of the head and look around in wonder as to how that could have happened.

Now he is to the point that he knows that he can reach out and grab something. He hasn't gotten the complete hand / eye coordination thing down just yet, but he is definitely on track.

It is really amazing to see the difference in what he is able to accomplish every day. If I continued to learn at the pace he is right now, I would be a freaking genius. As it is, I'll settle for being semi-smart and just try to be a good dad for him.

Someday, one day - But not now, not yet

2008-03-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Not so much an adventure as a funny picture. I got home from work and nanny needed to rush out to the airport that afternoon. They were outside when I got home, so I did not grab the groceries. Once nanny left I went back to get the groceries. At first lean with Benjamin in hand, I couldn't reach all the way to the other side of the car, so I set him down in the seat.

Before I could reach across, I noticed how cute and funny he was. Since I always seem to have a camera on me these days, I pulled it out of my pocket and snapped a couple of pictures.

This got me to thinking. I know he is only a few months old, but there will be a time when he will be much bigger, seated in this same position. My little boy will grow up. I won't dwell on this as there are many years of him being my little Jammy left, but it was one of those thoughts that make you think ahead and wonder all sorts of things... what will he look like? What will he be like? Who knows? I guess that what being a parent is about... the journey. the opportunity to find these things out over time.

Wow!

2008-03-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Add Erik Liu to that list...

Last nigh I attended a town hall meeting featuring Nick Hanauer and Erik Liu discussing their recent book. While my admiration for Nick is obvious below, I had not yet been introduced to Erik.

He is a fantastic speaker and amazing at presenting his thoughts and ideas. Co-author of The True Patriot and currently age 39. Much of his musings in the recent discussion came courtesy of his time as a speechwriter and advisor to Bill Clinton - in 1993. You do the math about his age at the time.

As if I didn't feel like an underachiever as it is, this certainly causes me to pause and re-evaluate just how much of an underachiever.

Regardless, it was a treat to hear both him and Nick speak about their book. The primary theme was that it doesn't do much good to sit and complain about something unless you can offer an alternative. What do YOU believe... and why?

Awakening

2008-03-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

So this deviates from my initial, intended theme of the blog, however these somewhat random thoughts are important to where I am right now.

Lately I have been afflicted with a certain, frustrating amount of inspiration. Inspiration from co-workers. Inspiration from relatives and extraordinary citizens. Inspiration from politicians. I am not sure if this inspiration comes because I am a new dad with a new outlook, if there simply was no one previously able to inspire me or if I just started really paying attention. I say 'frustrating' as I have all this positive energy coming in, by seem to lack the ability to do anything about it. More on this later.

Work has been frustrating as, while I enjoy the work that I do, there is too much of it to feel like I am able to do a good job at any one thing, but rather spread myself so thin as to merely keep my head above water. That coupled with the lack of motivation as there are no goals set to achieve, no monetary possibilities above where I currently am and no in-company promotion possibility unless my boss leaves (unlikely) or I want to move to Texas (not happening). A co-worker gave notice yesterday and I could literally see the weight lifted as she is no longer stuck. Free to improve herself. To move on.

Frustrating also as despite these limitations, the money is pretty good. The commute fantastic. My office - big, private (door), great view. Although there is some interruption and distraction, I am mainly left to my self. Which might actually be a problem if my motivation continued to subside. The company also is flexible with hours as I have shifted my work schedule to better accommodate our childcare situation.

Now this all sounds like a good thing, but it is what is keeping me from really looking to move on. I feel like I am spinning my wheels. That even though I make a decent paycheck, I don't make a difference. If there is no raise or promotion possibility, can I gain some sort of satisfaction from my job because it betters the City I live in? Nope. Because it gives me a moral satisfaction? Not even a little bit.

I do my job for the money. That's it. I know that this is probably what most people do, but right now it simply is not enough. I need to do something else, but what?

My two biggest sources of inspiration lately come in the form of a politician and, as I mentioned, and extraordinary citizen, Barack Obama and Nick Hanauer.

During this current presidential campaign, Obama has seemed to bring my attention to the fact that - whether it is because I am getting older, or again, just paying attention - that there is someone out there that can connect with me as well as the population as as whole. Someone who is galvanizing and seems to be really making an effort to bring people together and actually change the way things are done.

'Change' is a popular word this year, but none seem to embody it like Obama. His speech the other day addressing the race issue in this country was unprecedented in my memory. It wasn't one side blasting the other, saying why someone else is cheating them, or taking their opportunity, or responsible for something, or feeling responsible for something that was done in the past, but thouhghts by someone that can see both sides, trying to explain why each side feels resentment and their own frustration. These feelings are what must be understood before the necessary progress can occur.

The other, and possibly most frustrating inspiration comes from Nick Hanauer. Nick is a successful businessman which, along with running his family business has been responsible for a number of important and influential companies in the last decade. He is the aforementioned extraordinary citizen who has used his time, ability and resources to make the world a better place. Schools are important. Our country is important. Family is important. He is family.

At one point, the wealthy, the influential, the super smart and creative people were out there, but not like me. I didn't know them, and somehow, though obviously real, at the same time weren't. Then I met Nick. Now I knew one of them. Although we started differently, he's just like me - a real person. Here was an actual, real person that has "done it." He is making a difference. He is influencing the population. He is making his country a better place. It is possible. I would like to do the same. But how?

I want to be like these men, but have no idea how to get there. Surely, I could raise my son to be a great man, and honestly, if that is my only, lasting effect on the world, that would be enough. But in order to do that, I would like to lead by example, not merely by pointing out the accomplishments and characteristics of other people that I admire. Time to get to work.

Bear Attack

2008-03-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

I found this picture from a while back and wanted to recount an exciting day. This was the day that we realized that true danger can appear right there where you think you are safe...at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Imagine just laying there, relaxing, without a care in the world, when a pair of bears, through a coordinated effort, attack you from both sides at once. Not knowing what to do, the AdventureBaby instincts take over. Since the full funtion of hands haven't been figured out yet, you resort to the one thing you know how to use... your mouth.

I will tell you that the next few minutes were quite exciting, but that I will withold detail as the aftermath is gruesome. In a nutshell, there was drool and matted bear fur everywhere. In the end, the bears went into retreat with what dignity they had left.

A harrowing experience for sure, but one that no doubt left those bears with a new respect for people smaller than them. Surely they will be more careful the next time.

A Busy Weekend

2008-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The point of all this was to remain active, however with my family, not having to separate myself from them to do things. That said, while I am taking part in the previously mentioned class, getting out means just that. This weekend especially so.

Up until this point, even when I had things related to the class, it was one day of the weekend or one night in the week. As scheduling would have it, both days this weekend were taken up. It was a little tough as I did not see AdventureWife or Baby Friday night or Saturday morning at all. Saturday night it was for only about an hour and a half while I recovered, repacked by pack and got ready for day 2 that would have me up at 4:30 Sunday morning. Another long day.

Enough with the complaining. Despite it taking me away, I really had a great time this weekend. This was our first day of rock climbing out near Vantage at a spot called Frenchmen's Coulee. This is a expansive area with all sorts of climbs of just about every level as I understand it. After much talking about instruction and safetly, we split out with individual leaders and went to do our first belays and climbs.

Our instructors seemed to second guess a bit when they realized that a couple of us belaying them leading a pitch had never really done it before. We were away from the group, so we went with it. I am happy to say that my insturctor lived, so I guess I passed my first test.

It was then my turn to climb. The pitches most of the class were climbing were rated a 5.4 or 5.5. One other guy and I did a 5.7. It was pretty difficult, probably too much so for a first climb, but we both managed to make it. The route I climbed was called Sisterly Love. I guess most of these routes have somewhat pornographic names, but this one was tame by comparison.

After more climbing, belaying and rapelling (which was a lot of fun), the day was over and time to headhome. I got many compliments from the instructors, which made me grinny as I am working really hard at this.

Sunday was Navigation day. up at 4:30 and near Index by 6:15. Incidentally, I learned today that the Mountaineers really pad their schedule and travel times, so we ended up being about 45 minutes earlier than we had to be, which would have been much better spent in bed that in a car with 4 strangers.

The part of the day that we were doing activities was lots of fun, and the four strangers were not so strange after the day was through. But there was much more downtime than most of us thought necessary. Especially for those of us that hadn't really seen our kid this weekend!

Finally, the activity portion of the weekend was though and I we headed home to Wife and little boy for relaxation, cuddling and a movie. I forget how incredibly huggable he is. He smiles as I walk in the room and makes me wonder why I do anything else but hug and play with him all day long. I miss this little guy, but know that waht I am doing now will help both of us by making us safer when we begin our adventures together.

Baby's first wilderness adventure!

2008-03-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

The First Big Outing

We decided it was time to get out and introduce the little Jammer into the wild, so to speak. We packed up the super rugged front pack the we received from the Lykken's along with an extra bag or four and headed out to North Bend to meet up with Scott and Josie.

We got out along the old railroad grade a way and although we never ended up needing needed to put on our snowshoes, we were fully enjoying ourselves. That when the little guy got hungry.

Now understandably, AdventureWife was not real excited about plopping down on a snow covered rock and feed the little man, so we decided that this would be a good place to turn around, so we headed back towards the car.

Well, Jammy was not interested in waiting, so he was pretty vocal about his hunger. Amazingly, the trip back seemed a lot longer than it did getting to where we were at the turnaround point. When we finally got back to the cars, AdventureWife and Baby hopped right into the car and got to work. Ten minutes later, all was right with the world again.

Lesson learned. If we don't expect to find a suitable place to feed... bring a bottle. Nonetheless, this constituted our first adventure as a family. We all came out of it just fine... and a little smarter. This quote seems relevant, so I thought I would include it here.

"Having an adventure shows that someone is incompetent (or unprepared), that something has gone wrong. An adventure is interesting enough in retrospect, especially to the person who didn't have it; at the time it usually constitutes an extremely disagreeable experience"

-Vilhjalmur Stefanson
My Life With the Eskimo

The Big Conflict

2008-03-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

So my goal last year was to climb Mt. Rainier. I decided on this before we got pregnant and after a discussion with AdventureWife decided that I would still do it, even if she wasn't able to. So in July - on our anniversary no less - I was standing on the top of Mt. Rainier holding a little stuffed Kangaroo and joey I brought up in tribute to her and my as yet unborn AdventureBaby.

There's the background. One of the things that I wanted to do in order to prepare fore the climb was to take a course at the Mountaineers Club. They offer a Basic Climbing course that, well, teaches the basics of climbing. I was unable to get into that class as I joined the club a couple of weeks late to get into the class. I took an abbreviated one-day course from RMI and along with the expertise of the original Beermonster, we climbed.

So I didn't get into the class then, but still wanted to take it as I plan to continue climbing so I signed up for this year. This is the catalyst for my adventure for the year as well as the conflict.

It is a pretty intensive class for people that live a life outside of climbing, especially one with a new baby. The class is proving to be great, but it takes me away on many weekends that would be great to get to hang with the family. This weekend, I am gone both days, dawn til dusk. Should be fun, but not exactly a relaxing weekend with the fam.

As this is on going, there will no doubt be more posts, but this serves to set the stage.

The Beginning

2008-03-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Being a brand new Dad who enjoys the outdoors, as well spending time with my new son, I want to make sure that while there will be sacrifices on both sides to be able to continue what I love doing while also exploring this new wonder called fatherhood.

Many that I know lost a bit of fun and adventure once they had kids. I want to make sure that doesn't happen to me. Perhaps it is a bit naive at this point, but I'm a new dad, I'm allowed a bit of naivety at this point.

Part of the reason for this blog is to keep a reminder that I will be happier, and a better Dad if I keep active and maintain who I am and what I like to do. It will also allow me to keep a record of my activities and family events, both indoors and out.

So here's to keeping the excitement in life and making sure my son is able to grow and experience things in real life instead of just reading about them or seeing them on TV.
It will be a huge undertaking and a great challenge for AdventureDad!