Arkansas's Hardest Boulders

I compiled this list in January '09 while trying to convince myself and a friend to visit Arkansas and give the state's difficult bouldering some attention. The two months spent there turned out to be an absolute domination by the two of us and two east coast gentlemen. Here is the best list of what I know for Arkansas.

V10
Center Spooge, Fontaine Red, likely the first at the grade
Hannibal, Fontaine Red
Buddy, Fontaine Red
Ab Lounge/Her Majesty, Invasion
Trackman, Stack Rock
Daddy Long Legs, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch
Glass Bowl, HCR
Tang, HCR
Flash Gordon, HCR
Dark Elf, HCR (broken)
Starburst, HCR
Swollen Knuckles, HCR
Harricane, HCR
Undertow, HCR
Smooth Operator, HCR
A Perfect 10/ Power of Silence, Springdale Lutz Rd.
House of Magic, Area 74
Shapeshifter Direct, Area 74
From Darkness Comes Light, Area 74
High Maintenance, Area 74
Buddha, DeSoto
Superfly, Lincoln Lake
Crimpit's Tea Room, Goat Farm
Wyatt Earp, Petit Jean

V11
Fred's Roof, Fontaine Red
Broken Earth, Fontaine Red
Stackin Paper, Stack Rock
Bushido, HCR
52 to 1 Cardeck, HCR
Bloody Knuckles, HCR
Shadow Jumper, HCR
Starburst Assis, HCR
Typhoon, HCR
Double Live Gonzo, Area 74
The Oracle, Area 74, (broken)
Thug Jump, Area 74
Thug Life, Area 74
Midnight Frightening, DeSoto

V12
King Lion, Sam's Throne
One Inch Pinch, Fontaine Red
Snakebite, HCR
The Zone, HCR
The Total Package, HCR
The Dirty 30, HCR
The Dirty 40, HCR
Southern Lean, HCR
Pangea, HCR
Release the Squirrels, Split Rocks
Zen's Garden, Desoto

V13
Chunk up the Deuce, Fontaine Red
PCP Fontaine Red
All Screwed Up, HCR
Loved By Few Hated By Many, HCR
Anti-Hero, HCR
Welcome to Fight Club, HCR
Forever Botany, Split Rocks

v14
Witness the Fitness, Hwy23, (broken)
Woodgrain Grippin, Hwy 23
Lost in the Hood, Invasion

These are all the double digit established boulders in the state. There may be more at lesser know locations around Russellville, but this is the list thus far. There are also many undone projects which would make the list, but I will stick to the established for now. If anyone has more current information please let me know, as I think such a list is useful documentation.

What Do I Do with My Hands?

Sometimes it's no fun to be finished. In architecture school, I always found the time between being finished with architecture studio and being completely done with school for the semester a bit overwhelming. What do you do when something that has occupied countless hours of your life no longer exists or requires any time? Like finishing a project, coming out of a long relationship, or experiencing the harsh reality of death, it's hard to know what to do once something is closed. Some people like Ricky Bobby put their hands right back over their mouth.

Guess this means my architecture portfolio is finished for the time being. One calender year of somewhat intense work yielded 65 pages of architecture and 75 pages of photography in a nine by seven format. So now is this strange aformentioned time. Does this mean I rekindle my love of architecture? Does my architecture take a cue from my photography? Does this open the door for me to sell work? I am lost for the moment, but maybe the answers are already upon me. Perhaps they have always been there and are a gentle suggestion of a persuasion to my will. In jest I hope this persuasion results in the form of a Flava Flav enormous golden clock chain. Actually, I don't care any which way other than "to do/produce cool shit." That is all.

On a final and unrelated note, except for the title, here is a comical dance that goes with a rap song unaffiliated with a movie mention earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ixK0Epr7gw

Sometimes It's Good Not to Have Everything

Everyone always wishes they had more. More money, more time, more anything. Well this morning I was wishing it was a little cooler in my house so that I could go back to sleep at 4am. Even after several moves throuhgout the house for a cooler spot; it was not to be. So, I decided to use my sleepless time wisely and take some pictures. This had happened earlier this summer, and I would need some different scenery this time. A short drive to Golden, CO, remedied this. 200 hundred photos and 3 hours later...jackpot. Two photos of the same sunrise about 20 minutes apart were produced. It's like mining for gold. Lots of time and lots of work yield a small but precious reward. Unfortunately, my camera is a disposable and 6 megapixels is rather pedestrian today, not to mention an average lens, terrible tripod, and a film speed that bottoms out at 200. One of these days, I'll have a camera that doesn't say Fisher Price on it. Still, it felt like I was back on the road again, and my only responsibility was to suck the marrow out of each day. Sunrises are a wonderful way to begin the day.

Work is a Four Letter Word

It's true. When was the last time you were excited about work? After all no one calls it easy work. It's always hard work, yard work, or work late. I justed started work again this past week, but this kind is a little less black and white. Also, I've been hard at work on other things than my "real work." A portfolio of my architecture work in college and my photography over the past eight months will actually be finished soon, and it will be nice to focus on climbing and being healthy as I did for 6 months this past winter. Here are a few things I've been pouring time into.

Only One

Check this before anything else because you will be proud to have heard it before all of your friends and listen to Only One. http://www.myspace.com/flyunion

There have been lots of visitors in the last week and more to come. My brother (Jason), Pierre, Ariel, and Stuart made the trek from Arkansas last week and will leave this weekend. Tons of climbing has happened this week and last. Also, the parents came to town. First time to visit Boulder with me here so that has been nice and exciting to show them around. Here are a few snapshots thus far.

Mostly silliness at the Front Porch in Denver.

Looks like a Rex Quando wanna-be to mehttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmi3UZQpQ1X-D32EWwcPiqn6c3lUPAqtxL5eE5VDvWoW8TTXHPiFPN_8I7eNhrtL1y5JVNd6PNCe_tHFxDJB5jdyp1AWGEnn6YfstuzrkWEWdcKk0rnLYAAQR1M1kaGYoaTFzRkzDVRdR/s1600-h/Rex%20Kwon%20Do%201.jpg


Sometimes you only want to show half of your torso.

Taking your pants off is the only way to cure a fall on your tailbone.

Jumping in Lake Haiyaha is always a good decision no matter how cold.

Love and Life

On the similar mindset from the last post. Here is another great track from Little Brother and an old favourite to remind us of younger days without scars and only the future ahead of us.

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD-2eQuq3Hg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnoQlZdabys

"I got dreams, but dreams don't keep the lights on."

First things first, listen to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phno9K6fdlI and you will understand.

I used to dream at night so much that I awoke exhausted in the morning. Like most dreams they were rarely congruous as the events and people were a strange amalgamation. Sometimes they were so vivid I could barely distinguish between conscious and unconscious occurrences. Almost every dream was about climbing and never about anything I was or am capable of climbing. Visions and futures revealed nightly as eyelids fell and my head floated.

Here are some of the recent things I have been dreaming about.
Secret Splendour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAXKGgZW6s&feature=channel_page

Nuthin but Sunshine
No super quality videos for this bad boy, but I find myself looking at this stretch of rock every time I come to the Park. History, difficulty, and stature. This one has it all.

Midnight Express
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUDMBVJW5q8

And of course randomness in Arkansas.