From Movement: 2015

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Cedar

I had a baby boy on November 19th. I can't think of a great way to describe how awesome it is to have a son. Mostly I feel the same as before, just better. I get this incredible sense that I have so much to look forward to.

Adrienne and I had this idea that we would take at least one picture of Cedar on an adventure of some sort every weekend. This will serve as a memory book both of Cedar growing up and as an excuse to get out and have fun. Well so far it has been tough because as it turns out having a kid requires ample recovery time for mom. Last weekend we brought Cedar out to Lost Horse to get a Christmas tree. It was a real test for me because there was definitely deep powder skiing to be had farther up the canyon. I was minimally grumpy at first but that changed quickly with a few snowballs and general wonder at the beauty of falling snow. Cedar does very well outside. We have been on a number of walks in cold temps. He doesn't seem to mind the cold on his face. In fact he seems very much at peace, even when splattered with the sharp wetness of collateral snowball debris. I couldn't be happier.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Intro to Spring

I can't wait for my wife to finish PA school for the summer. It seems like forever since our last weekend adventure. Just one more week! Pretty sure she'll want to get on the river or maybe head down to city of rocks for the weekend.

Spring has been wonderful however. I've enjoyed landscaping, building a fence for Adrienne's massive garden, a day on Shoshone, and skiing at the Bitterroot and Mission high points. Matt, Andrew and I skied the south and west aspects of McDonald. We climbed and traversed an aesthetic east ridge in time to catch the west aspect of Sheepshead in great corn, descending west from the summit and later traversing north into a prominent chute which had snow almost to the lake. The west aspect of Sheepshead is a true classic that requires respect and totals around four thousand vertical in the descent to the lake.

I forgot my camera in the missions but here is a terrific perspective of the west aspect of McDonald from M. Pagel.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Good

I'm gonna just throw this out there. This winter was good. Not epic, maybe not even above average, especially in terms of snowfall, but you know, I just like being in the mountains.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Why?

I spend hours each day considering weather, season, risk, etc. in preparation for the weekend. My wife thinks it’s a little over the top. On some level I don’t disagree, and her comments persuaded me to consider the root of my actions. The answer is both gratifying and cringeworthy: Art. After preparation and practice, the terrain becomes a canvas, the route, the traveling, a brush stroke. Ha! how self righteous that sounds.

But this is not just some silly pastime. Its the collision of consciousness and physics and true fable, temporarily spewed into existence by a crude and unapologetic earth monster. Ok maybe not totally unapologetic. I am sorry, I do realize how selfish I am.