carolyn

Ice formed from snowmelt off the roof. Gutter was buried under the ice. IT was almost a little too soft that day -not bad, tho. I would say Grade 3, 10m, approximately 3-4 feet wide/2-4 inches thick in most spots. It was an honest to goodness genuine climb....literally outside my bedroom window. Too bad...or maybe its a good thing that Im in the process of moving out! Uncle Tricky- I need to find someone with a scanner and I will put some of the monkey face pictures up. Promise! I dont want no stinkin' dog chasing after me!!!!

Earlier this morning I took out the trash...something I should do more often. On my way back in the building I discovered a secret gem! I immediately called one of my climbing partners and told him to get over to my house with all his gear. We were going to climb some ice this afternoon! He arrived at my house about an hour later completely geared up (full pack and all), ready to go. Inquisitive, he kept pushing me for information on the climb I found. I explained that it was actually a very short approach and he didnt need his Das Parka today. I suprised him by offering to drive as well. We walked out the front door, loaded up the car and drove around to the back of my building. There it IS!!! We unloaded the gear from the car and got ready to go. I spent some time contemplating which route to take....drytooling up the stucco, the hanging curtains, or the attatched pillar (main line). Ice was falling everywhere from the warm sun, as well as being Afraid my neighbors were going to come out telling us how unsafe we were, I decided to make the long trek back inside my apartment to get my rope, helmet, and a few screws. Unfortunately, I forgot my draws and biners. Good thing I carry a biner on my keychain! That seemed to do the trick!!!! Oh, if you havent noticed, I forgot my harness as well. Didnt seem to think it would be too much of a problem to tie into my beltloop. I was a little worried after I couldnt get the first screw all the way in, tho I continued on... I realized how costly this adventure could be. Not so much for my physical being...but financially...as we heard my landlord next door start yelling out the window at us, I politely retreated. Until another day! Aaaaah Ice climbing in Minnesota! Its right outside your backdoor!

wierd, I just put DOolittle in my cd player before logging on and seeing this. Thanks for the heads up dru! Pixies RUUUUULE!

Ok, to be a little more positve about the new apt, despite the fact of not having a roommate for 7yrs and really cherishing my privacy... For 1000 bucks it includes... 3 bedrooms (ahhh, to have a computer/gear room) living room with fire place off street parking back yard front yard back deck my bedroom is over half the size of the apt Im living in right now. Basement storage An attic (clean and large!) Free laundry BIG and LOTS of closets all utilities , except phone. And a DOG! Hmmmm....my spoiled cat is going to use some adjustment time, thats for sure! My latest apt is a small 1 bedroom with basically none of the above. Ooooh...but my privacy!

Ice is Good for the most part. Tho after the cold this week Im afraid to swing my tools...might break a dinner plate the size of alaska! At least we got some snow....just 12 inches here....24+ up north w/in a day.

GOOD day when its -27 (not including windchill) and your car starts!!!!! BAD day when you call your landlord to tell him you will not be renewing your lease after 7 yrs because you cant afford the rent any longer....then he lowers your rent below the amount you will be paying at the new place! Too bad I already signed the fuckin lease! Guess the good and bad all even out, eh?

THats a bummer Why?

mike added a good point of the importance of staying hydrated. Something else that comes to mind which a friend suggested is taking 2 aspirin before heading out, to thin the blood. There are lots of good ideas being thrown around. Im sure if you play around with any or all of them you will find something that will help. Iain asked about cold fingers. Ive had some great success with keeping my hands/fingers warm this winter, even in below zero temps. *crazycreek wrist warmers *swingin' my arms like a windmill (20 times fwd/back each arm) before climbing and inbetween climbs. *wearing mittens that DONT get wet and keeping them on rather than changing them and exposing the skin. Not always an option, but I do my best. When I do have to change gloves/mittens I make sure the extra pair is kept in a warm spot (ie/belay jacket) and I keep a pair of shakers in them so they are warm when I put them on. *staying hydrated *Not gripping my tools so hard (thank you glassgokiss for the reminder way back when). *Dropping my hands at any break during the climb to shake em out and get the blood flowing.

Glassgokiss- Someone recently mentioned looking into heated superfeet. Thanks to your reminder, I looked them up on the net. The set up doesnt seem to be much different than what I use already...custom made superfeet and footwarmers. http://ecom1.sno-ski.com/product228.html How about some electric socks?!?!?!

I always have COLD/FROZEN toes. I think I might have some tissue damage in addition to the fact that I smoke, tho. So far, learning to tie my boots properly has helped a great deal ( tightening them more at the top vs down by the toes). Also, not wearing my crampons if I dont have to makes a HUGE difference. Thats not always an option, but when it is, take advantage of it. Toe warmers can help, if you dont use them already. footbeds are saviors...Im thinking of figuring out a way to dbl up on them. I try to walk around as much as possible when Im in my boots, tap my toes frequently, etc. Thicker socks might not always be the answer as they may make your boots tighter, constricting blood flow. I know for me and the fit of my boot, if I wear a thick sock there is no hope. Glassgokiss has an interesting thought about strengthening the muscles. SOmething to consider for sure!

30+ minutes, if your computer is as slow as mine!

Well, NYE I will unfortunately be bartending. Which means I will sleep NY day away. But...with any luck I will spend Christmas Eve thru the weekend climbing up in Canada!

Ive been on a major search for something to keep my hands warm this winter. Ive got a pair of marmot waterproof mits and some fleece liners (tho it hasnt been cold enough to use them). The cloudveil ice flo gloves kick ass for dexterity, but below 30 degrees my hands freeze. I found a good deal on some whitesmoke (?) gloves from patagonia which might do the trick. Unfortunately they are two different sizes...one being just a tad too large....and no way to exchange them. Something that has been helpful is using crazy creek's thermaband. They wrap around your wrist allowing you to put a handwarmer in its pocket. THis way you are warming up the blood flowing to your fingers. So far I have noticed it gives me a warmer temp 'base'. Doesnt work well if you are using leases though. Leashless also allows you to shake out your hands easier and get the blood flowing again. Ah yes...and swinging your arms like a windmill a zillion times before hitting the climb makes a world of difference. Anyway, probly stuff you all know already...any other tips or glove suggestions for an extrodinarily cold fingered creature is always welcomed!

Today I experienced something which I found to be pretty interesting. Hopefully it will make some sense. I spent some time bouldering after work. In this particular area there are sequences I can do consistantly, sequences which arent consistant, and others which are extremely difficult/impossible that I continue to work on. At one point (during one of my inconsistent sequences) I had a major burn and thought there was noo way in hell I could hold on and finish the next move. At this point I often try to continue but LET myself fall off. Occassionally I will jump off as well. For some reason today, I didnt want to LET myself fall off. On the other hand, I REALLY didnt think I had the physical strength to hold on. I continued the sequence and made it through (and then some). I even managed to work through some of the difficult/impossible problems with incredible success. What struck me as odd is that I COULD do it, even though I didnt believe I had the strength. There have been plenty of times when I climb where I believe a positive mental attitude is what gave me the physical strength to suceed (ya know that adrenaline rush). THe difference between those days and the experience today is that I didnt necessarily have the attitude "I can do this". It was more the attitude of "try it despite the fact you might not be strong enough and see what happens". The other difference had to do with not letting myself fall off. Im not really sure how to explain it. You can either jump off or fall off. THough sometimes I think when I fall off, I am subconsciuosly jumping off. It made me wonder how many times I have actually had the strength to keep going, but didnt allow myself to do so. I know when I am really pumped and not sure if I can do something I tell my partner Im not strong enough. I often give it a go anyway...until I fall. I always thought I gave a 100% effort towards my climbing. Today opened my eyes to the possibility that I dont. Its kind of a kewl lesson because it opens the door for a great deal of improvement. (just an added note...I doubt I showed improvements today because I am stronger. Ive only been climbing about a week now after a month and a half off of limited activity due to an injury. If anything I am MUCH weaker, physically). Discuss!

A month and a half of no climbing, the chiro last week told me his tx plan involved 15 more visits! My eyes about popped out of my head!!!! He told me I need to come in more often and slowly ween away from adjustments. There have been some major improvements, but Im having a hard time deciphering between whether the improvements are coming from the adjustments or just rest. The shoulder seems to be doing quite well most of the time. My neck, on the other hand feels relief after the adjustment. Usually a day or two later i get the 'kink' again. According to him, the kink is a pinched nerve, which is what travels down and causes pain in the shoulder. I couldnt resist any longer and went climbing last weekend. I vowed to stop if I felt the slightest bit of pain. I had no pain in the shoulder. The kink in the neck became obvious again after belaying a bunch, but it didnt affect the shoulder or my climbing. I was suprised. Tho, leashless seems to be more forgiving on the shoulder (if youlet go of the tools), it also seemed to be pretty damn strenuous to climb mixed. The next day, I had to lift the little boy I work with and that triggered the pain in the shoulder. Could it be the different motion of lifting vs pulling that is causing the strain? Did the increased kink in my neck make me more suseptible? Why didnt it affect my climbing then? The other question/thoughts I have... Is the chiro an appropriate person to be seeing? Tho he is giving me a good deal financially, I wonder if it might be in my better interest to find another one who I can go to just a few times vs months and months of seeing this other one. Could I get quicker results with someone else?

Ok, I have one more...it doesnt so much relate to breakthoughs in climbing, itself. More so in my life. A year and a half ago (?) I climbed my first multipitch with Erik and another friend of his. I think it was R&D out in L'worth. ANway..near the last pitch, his friend forgot to trail the rope for me. Hahahaha! He was new to climbing too and neither of us knew what to do once we realized what happened. He continued up to Erik, while I hung out, clipped into the anchors. It was a kewl moment by myself as I looked around at the scenery. I was right where I wanted to be, doing something I had always wanted to do...and I got myself there (w/a bit of help). I know this might sound strange, but I will go with it....It made me realize how my choices and efforts in life got me to this spot. There always seemed to be so many mental, physical, and financial barriers which kept me from climbing. i had finally worked thu those barriers. I often remind myself of that experience when I face new or scary situations in life. There ya have it! Im done now!

A year or so ago I was pushing it on 5.6/5.7's. So, a lot of climbs this past season were "breakthroughs" for me. It was fun to go back to do climbs I struggled on or couldnt do in the past and just fly up 'em this time. Even though there were obvious improvements, it was difficult for me to actually see it and be confident when faced with challenging grades. There are two climbs this season which opened my eyes... 1. 5.8 offwidth on the N.shore here in MN. A year and a half ago I tried it. I swear it took me like an hour or more to get my ass up 100ft. I was so scared of being 'stranded' (if you dont get up these climbs you be swimming accross lake superior). I cried. I never wanted to climb rock again. This year I was terrified as I rapped down to the base of the climb. I had to put into practice all the mental tricks Ive learned to keep myself calm and focused (I swear I thought I was literally going to shit my pants ). Closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths and off I went. Flew up in 10 min or so. It was a super fun climb! I did shed some tears...this time they were 'happy' tears (or maybe just tears of relief). 2. I went back to the N.SHore after my trip out to Wa/Or this fall. The folks I climbed with warm up on .10/.11's. I got a few .10's under my belt over the season and out at smith. I always felt like it was a fluke that I could climb them, tho. I followed their leads this day and warmed up on some .10's successfully. Then....I made it up my first .11!!!!! Yup, I cried again! It wasnt so much the grade. It was more the fact that I could finally see and believe how much I have improved both physically and mentally in my climbing. Its been fun to see my confidence and ability carry over to the ice (I know this isnt and ice forum ). My first climb of the season was a grade higher than Ive ever done. And tho I flailed a lot, I got myself up mid grade mixed routes, leashless...the first time I had tried either. What a f'in blast!!!!!

It was shown out here last weekend. I heard it was okay... not one of the better one's. Too bad I had to work. All five shows were sold out anyway.*sniff sniff*

Frame of mind is soooo important to me. Last year at this time I was barely able to get my ass up a .7 My last rock climb of this season was an onsight of an .11 (t.r) first and foremost i have to believe in myself. I convince myself one way or another that I CAN do this. If I dont get myself in that mind frame I will flail and possibly not meet my goal of completing the climb. Deep breaths before I start. Studying the route. I dont do as well when I watch someone climb it first. Much better when I have an open mind. Shutting my mind down. I cant seem to do this all the time. My best climbing comes when the thinking is done and left on the ground. When I climb I just need to move...thats all there is to it! (easier said than done, I know). silly thing...When I onsighted my first .10 I was soooo gonna fall and I thought to myself, "I can climb with the big boys". It doesnt have such a literal meaning to me. Basically, I want to climb at a level where I can have the freedom to climb what I want. Ive used that phrase in my head in times of need (I try not to abuse it) and it has never failed me. I think it gets my mind back in the phase of believing in myself AND it forces me to breath, which I often forget to do. Another silly thing...I will sometimes talk with the rock. Not to myself, but the rock itself. When Im struggling or expecting a struggle, its easy for me to think its ME against IT. When the reality (or delusion) is that we are there together. When I lead, which isnt too often right now, I decide its not okay to fall. This...I believe...holds me back a lot! Calling out for my mommy and banging my head on the rock (yes, Im a helmet type folk) does wonders in extreme emergencies. Chewing gum and humming a song is vital!

mid summer someone I was climbing with told me that I should work on doing more pull ups. I wanted to cry. Even when I was a strong gymnast as a kid I could never do a pull up. I wasnt sure where to begin...where does one start when they cant even do one? Well, to my suprise I could do a pull up. I wound up getting a pull up bar (20 bucks) that I hung in one of my doorways. Cheapest and best climbing investment yet. If you cant get a pull up bar, check the top of your doorways. Sometimes they are big enough where you can hang by your fingers (ouch! That was painful for me). To prevent slipping on either the pull up bar or door way, tape some fine sandpaper where the point of contact will be with your hands. To start with I wouldnt necessarily recommend going to failure. Im no fitness expert. But if someone had told me that I needed to work on my pullups and to do X until I reached failure...I would. And I would have gotten myself injured pretty quick. Granted, I know working to failure can be beneficial at times. I started by putting my feet on a chair while hanging from the pull up bar....using less and less of my weight. A few sets (give or take) led to a decrease in strength, but not failure. Pull up bars are great at home, too because... *You dont have anyone watching you! (bonus for me) *You can also do leg lifts and other stomach muscle exercises to help reduce injuries. As mentioned, dont forget to stretch those shoulders! Courtenay has some good stretches on her site, in addition to tons of information on pull ups! Distel....OUCH! Hey! That was a page top! pull ups!

The chiro went well for the most part. Lots of info spewed out in a short amount of time. The scans showed problems on the entire right side from my neck down to my lower back. The most severe were in the neck and lower back. He believed it was a pinched nerve in the neck causing the shoulder pain/tingling/aching/etc...even the mysterious headaches (just thought I wasnt getting enough water!). This would all make sense considering it started with a kink in my neck months ago after belaying. His thougths on why it keeps getting irritated is because when I do long reaches on that particular side, Im twisting my neck funny. Mimicking the moves with my arms I can definately see how that is accurate. I cant remember his explanation for the weakness in the arm. I will have to ask next time. I got adjusted for the first time ever. It seems to have relieved the symptoms a little bit, altho as the day/eve goes on they are increasing again. He recommended I come back a few more times this week. *fingers crossed* The strange thing is the greatest abnormalities on the scan were in my lower back. I do have lower back issues, but really no current pain...especially to have it show one side being 2018% out of the normal range! Anyway, Im developing a more positive attitude toward letting this heal and grateful for the opportunity to work on some of my weaknesses (like cardio). Rob- Sorry to hear about your shoulder. Tho, maybe it will be an end all to the pain! How long do they say it will take to fully heal from the surgery?

Drugged up and slept most of the weekend cause of the pain in my shoulder while others hit the ice for the first time this season. I wuz however awake long enough to see a bit of the eclipse.

Come climb the basalt out here and you might change your toon!

I tend to avoid these political conversations all together. In fact, I am one of those folks who tries to ignore politics as much as possible. It seriously depresses me too much. I did however hear about all these new jobs. WIth all the budget cuts in the social service field, human services, etc. I wonder, what kind of jobs these are? Are they at McD's? Burger king? Walmart? Etc. Are they jobs that help people feel satisfied with who they are and what they do? Im not trying to be defensive or start an argument. Im actually curious.... Even if these jobs are mcD type, will this boost the economy enough in the long run so people CAN go to school and PURSUE (meaning get employment) careers which are meaningful to them? (this is by no means dissing on those who actually enjoy working in the service industry).