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.

Pit Your Own Destiny

Sometimes it is all about the present moment, even when you are dying to relive the past or lose yourself in dreams of the future. Sometimes it is the here and now. These instances are what make contentment or give you the desire to move towards such a state.

Today I...
picked and pitted cherries for 4 hours; never again.
practiced baseball for an hour, which was about 2 hours too little.
slept until 10.
swallowed complaints and instead tried to make others happy.
heard two cyclists talking about their new careers.
played barefooted on a slip-n'-slide in the backyard.
spent several hours reliving the past and dreaming of the future.
gave love to a child.

This reads like a jack of all trades, parent, or someone who experiences variety on a daily basis. However, these are not my desires; they are my choices. Tomorrow will be another day in the Park. Another day of climbing, hiking, and driving. Another day to escape, to explore, and to investigate. I wish I were going to Utah for the next 4 days to relive the past and establish a future, but my current choices do not allow for such a trip. Someday the eight things that happened today will manifest themselves into something completely wonderful. Until then, it's cherries for me.

Kicking and Screaming

Another big day happened at the Park yesterday, and was only shortened due to swarming mosquitos. Dan Michels, Anne, and I went to lower Chaos. We arrived in the parking lot around 10 only to find three others with a similar mindset. So three became six and we headed up the canyon. Anne warmed up with a send of Autobot, and I followed suit with the low start to it. Both great climbs. Unfortunately Dan was off to a bit of a slow start, having forgotten his shoes and chalk. No worries. Our new friends gladly contributed in the needed departments and Dan warmed up with a quick send of the Fat Lady Stand. Now technically this really isn't a problem, but so many people are doing it, that it's becomming something of a must do in the area.

So six split back into three as the other half went further up the trail. Meanwhile, Dan proceeded over to flash Taurus or do it on his second try. Amazingly fast considering he was using shoes that didn't fit. Then it was over to Tommy's Arete. Now I had sworn it off for two years. Supposedly saving it for only one try. Mostly, it was a moderate climb in difficulty and a satchel full of moves. So by then we had run into friends Carry And Kell from Boulder and the forces were strong once more. I managed to have a foot slip off and take two tries with Dan being shortly behind on the send train. Carry had a repeat for a warmup and Anne posed for pictures. Gracias.

Lastly, it was back to Autobot. I am intrigued by problems with less moves than can be counted on one hand with loads of power and nuances to each move and hold. That said, I has always enjoyed the short roof behind Mikala. I sent, saw that it was grade 7B+, and decided to give it a name; as all climbs should have names. Carry was heartbreakingly close on more than one try. Afterwards I had convinced Anne to try Wyoming Chinese, an arete on the far right of the same face as Mikala. It is a standing start, four move problem with an intense terraced landing, thin holds and committing moves. We both complete the problem in less than ten attempts between us. I screamed on three of the moves and started celebrating before I had even done all the moves. People claimed to have heard me several miles up the canyon. Even Chris Sharma and Michael Jackson would be proud of a scream of that magnitude. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNl2Pm9-7Vk.

Anne working on the Marble

Tommy's Arete in lower Choas. A must-do if you can climb the grade.

Justin Vernon and a Guy Named Tommy

Saturday turned out to be one of the most enjoyable days I've had in a long time. On most off days from work I climb from 10 to 10. That's about as fun as it gets to me. However, a concert was squeezed in on Saturday and memories were made. Around 9am Lauren Vogl and I left for RMNP. We met some friends at Emerald Lake and climbed there for a while before a quick trip up to Lower Chaos. Even though we had to leave at 5pm for the show and not the most climbing got done, it was another wonderful day in the Park. We managed to drive out just as it was beginning to rain. There was a quick rush to clean up, get a drink, and head to the show. Several weeks ago Lauren bought me a ticket...as an early birthday present. Turns out it was a ticket to Bon Iver at the Ogden. What, an amazing show. Almost every night I would sit in my car after sundown on Buttermilk Rd. in Bishop and listen to his 14 recorded songs. Listening to his music alone in the desert at the base of Mt. Tom was so many meaningful things. The melodies and words became the soundtrack to my life for that month and will always have a special place with me. Check him out at http://boniver.org/. After the show the night was not over. We had dinner at Pete's Diner, which can be described with words like hearty, hoppin', and cosy. We called it quits with two episodes from Felicity season 2 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifm2nBvzKA). Brilliant. A show that was wholesome part of middle school for me.

Photos of Tommy's Other Arete courtesy of Said Parirokh. A masterpiece of a line from Tommy Caldwell, whose father suggested that the would be bouldering in the park over a decade ago.

Well, it's is Monday and I'm off. Instead of going to the Park again today, since rainw as forecast, I'm working on a set of architectural drawings for a friend's parent's new home. It's been a while since I've drawn on the computer, but it's relaxing in a strange way. Like putting on an old pair of jeans for an early fall football game. Good stuff.

RMNP is My Favorite P

Park season has officially started. With almost every problem acessible and the snow melting at mach speed, RMNP will be the place to climb over the next 3 months. Park season is a wonderful time. A time to meet up with people, make new friends, discover remote areas with old ones, work on your tan, and get stronger. I cannot begin to explain my excitement, but rather I will tell you that I am making the drive and hike every other day for the next week, and I would go more if I thought I could handle it. I have dreamed of these three months in the Park since the beginning of the year, and I am hoping to make many fond memories. So, while the time is right and the next 3 months are still the future, visit Rocky Mountain National Park.

COntent Meaning Well Enough Pleased

Have you ever been content? For some people it's a daily occurrence; for others and probably most, it is not so common. The difficulty lies in a small detail. You must be overwhelmingly content to realize this state of being. Well, I am currently residing in that state. I've been before and I am sure to visit again, but it's nice to be here again. There is a quote from a song and I forget who sings it but it goes something like this, "It's not a party if it happens every night." That's not techinically correct, but it almost always holds true. Now that quote has relevance to the subject at hand, because if you have found the recipe for contentment, why would you chose to change it? Why not wash, rinse, and repeat? Maybe people try this. Maybe it works for some period of time. However, like the nightly party, it eventually loses it's luster and the recipe no longer works. So, each person is presented with a daily dilemma. How do you reach contentment each day? Supposing you find the right mix, do you keep with it until it no longer produces or do you change it anticipating the inevitable outcome?

That said, I am planning another road trip. If it works, I will be on the road again around the new year. I enjoy the majority of what I am currently doing, but sometimes I go through the motions with my children and children need more than that even if they're not my own. This trip should be exciting. It'll hopefully be a reward well earned. A chance to regroup, recharge, and rediscover. This one will be well-thought, precise, but most of all in time and just enough.

A pine needle path in Yosemite, which kept me wandering for 15 miles one day. Just enough.

Late Fees are for Overdue Mess

It's been over a month since an update. No internet and a severe change in scenery will do that. The time that has passed since was equivalent to all the daily journal entries, if you will, from the Bishop point in my road trip. We'll skip that and we'll also skip all the details to what has happened in between then. However, I will say that I have internet again thanks to a relatively new job as a nanny. Updating should be a bit easier. Also, a nasty foot/ankle injury several weeks ago is looking quite promising. Another few weeks and I'll be able to sit Indian style and resume praticing my Rex Quando leg sweeps. So the important news...

1. Sunrises and sunsets are a beautiful thing to see alone or to share
2. Outdoor climbing will commence once again with two ankles
3. Michael Jackson died = drastic change in music for the summer
4. I'm going to Bon Iver in Denver

End of the road means new beginnings

Last Wednesday marked the end of a six month traveling and climbing journey around the US.  Needless to say, I was tired physically and emotionally.  The road can be a very rewarding place, but also an unforgiving one.  Even the smallest of hiccups can bring your life to a screeching halt.  Side bar: never lose your keys while crossing a river and hiking in the woods, especially if those are the keys to your whole life.  Those six months were and will always be special to me for the people I met, the places I experienced, and the climbing.  After only a week, a part of me wishes I was already leaving for another adventure again.  The road is everything you need it to be right when you need it.  Example, you can leave for a new setting as soon as the current one stops being what you want or need.  Well, that's not the case anymore for at least a good while.  I'm in Boulder for the time being as I have just taken a job as a live-in nanny for a wonderful family of five.  I hope to have children someday if it's in the works, but that only because I love them so much.  This should be a good trial and a nice way to get the toes wet before diving in head first.

So the bulk of the next, undetermined amount of posts will be from the last month and a half in my journal.  Unfortunately, a journal of daily happenings was not kept throughout the trip; however, the other four months were spent in places I had been previously.  Little exploration done in those places and more settling into routines that once existed.  Also the last 45 days were more or less a solo mission with different supporting cast at each venue.  Enjoy if you are interested; if not, this will be all you receive from this blog each day for a while.

3.25.09 Day 1

I arrived in Bishop late this afternoon.  Had to call Pierre for directions the last 15 miles, but the extra effort was completely worth it.  Clutch, Pierre.  The Buttermilks are amazing!!  The weather was perfect when I arrived around 5:30.  Quite a few people are here for Spring Break and just in general.  Perfect, perfect, setting.  Steep mountains with snow in the near background and quartz monzonite eggs of all sizes litter the hillsides.  Super concentrated boulder field, zero approach, fairly friendly landings, and stone that offers a variety of textures and holds.  So pretty; gorgeous!! I'm parked below the Iron Man Traverse.  I don't have a guidebook, but that seems fine.  There is a small field of this blood red, twiggy ground cover next to my car with random large tufts of waist-high, golden wheat.  The Sierras are only a few miles away and are covered in snow.  This is already a special place to me even though I've only been here for a few hours.  I couldn't sleep much last night at Rob's house in Vegas.  Probably because of all the crazy dreaming or that I wasn't used to sleeping on an air mattress. 

 There is more but not necessary for here.

COming Home

I arrived in Colorado on Saturday night after an exhausting 13hr drive.  Glad to be done with that until I have to drive to Hueco Tanks this weekend.  It's always strange returning to familiar faces and places after being away for an extended period of time.  Like seeing friends on the first day of school after summer break, I was excited to be back home.  Everyone is more or less the same, and it feels like I never really left Colorado at all.  Even the weather is the same, which is perfect.  Somehow over the past three months I managed to forget what it was like to be in Boulder, a place so full of good energy, life, and happiness that it can carry you.  This place has a vibe that makes me want to get out, live, and accomplish things.  I love it.  

Since arriving, there has been almost nothing but climbing.  Sunday, it was Carter Lake with a 12 person super posse.  Great warm weather and a peaceful setting, but terrible rock.  I've never felt or acted like a rock snob until that day; however, the friends were still top notch.  Monday, it was an early breakfast at the dinning halls and then Flagstaff.  I would like to thank Addison Maier for making my dream to eat in the dinning hall come true.  That night it was an overly pschyed session at the Spot.  My boys crushed everything with no regard for difficulty while I made up problems, coached, heckled, and brain-pointed every single problem in the gym.  Yesterday, SOrens and I ran the one-two on Turning Point in the Satellites.  A great problem and a must do if you have the strength and time.  Then it was time for a night session in the gym.  I gave moral support as she climbed all the 3 spots and rebrain-pointed everything in sight.  Today is finally a rest day, but I will get to watch Brob at the Rock Club tonight.  So excited to be back and living this week of my life in Boulder!