Camping is pretty grim at the New right now, not just because of baby Jung, but also because Roger's closed. We're giving the Jungs space, they don't have a guest room anymore, but we've still camped low key in their yard; plus, we have one other friend whom we stay with sometimes there, too (though he is popping out the kids, lately, as well). I'd just ask Jay; he's always been really up front about saying "sorry, not this week" if it's a hassle for them, so no biggie if you just ask.

Other options: free camping at Summersville Dam, free camping at awesome sites on the Meadow River (I can give you directions if you want). Legal stealth car camping at the Cottontop parking, and in that area wherever there are not signs prohibiting it.

Also, there are a few places that are more for rafters, but have camping plus showers for $8/night or so: The New River Gorge Gateway Center, Cooter's Camping and Cabins, and Chestnut Grove campground, all of which are within 10 minutes of town.

Next year, the AAC should have their climber's campground set up, but for now, be psyched that numbers are WAY down at the NRG!

I will be at the slightly overhanging slabby area tomorrow.

Got straight seshed in Josh today. Baby Huey Smokes an Anti-Pipeload... is no warmup. Nearly perished free soloing up The Nose In A Day, the silly 5.9 next door. It didn't look so bad from the ground, but then all of a sudden I'm on a chickenwing, my knee is stuck below a constriction, I have no right hand at all and I'm standing on a tiny foot in sloppy moccasyms... in the sun. I'm nearly greasing. got to the top and started shaking. Woo!

so you solod the nose in a day?

I'm sleeping in the elephant so at least that will be easy. Did you guys make it through your lack of sleep day? It's funny how the brain gets twisted up when sleep deprived, no?

Camping is pretty grim at the New right now, not just because of baby Jung, but also because Roger's closed. We're giving the Jungs space, they don't have a guest room anymore, but we've still camped low key in their yard; plus, we have one other friend whom we stay with sometimes there, too (though he is popping out the kids, lately, as well). I'd just ask Jay; he's always been really up front about saying "sorry, not this week" if it's a hassle for them, so no biggie if you just ask.
.....
Next year, the AAC should have their climber's campground set up, but for now, be psyched that numbers are WAY down at the NRG!

Today was a disappointing day that highlighted two things:

1) the Hueco rules really suck

2) Climbing hard matters.

I mentioned that we were going on a guided tour today b/c we wanted to see something other than the North Mountain. Banz is a pretty organized person, despite every outward indication to the opposite, so he planned it all out, we didn't have a reservation for this day, and we signed up for the commercial guided tour -- not the volunteer-guided-- as soon as we got here, the very first day.

We were the first ones to sign up for it, which means (theoretically) that we were the ones to decide where we wanted to go with the guide, and if any additional people signed up for the commercial tour for the same slot after us, well, they'd go where we wanted to go.

What happened in practice last night was that the guide came up and said, only with moderate politeness, what amounted to this: hey, listen, a bunch of strong friends of mine want to do the guided tour, and i would much rather guide them and climb the amazing V-double-digits with them, instead of guiding you guys on some stuff you want to climb, so basicly, you can either pay for guiding anyway, and tag along with us, and we will try to find something for you to climb near out sick gnar prodj, or you can just bugger off and go wait in line for the North Mountain... or take a rest day, for all I care.

Never mind the rules of how the guided tours are supposed to work. I mean, I totally understand the guy who would rather boulder with his buddies, and all, and get paid in the bargain, but for commercial tour I expected a bit more... professionalism?



I really wanted to try Dragonfly, and they were not going there, so we decided not to pay for the so-called "guided tour" a.k.a. the privilege of tagging along with some guys who really didn't care to have our company in the first place, and we went back to the North Mountain again.

We got in O.K. as walk-ins, since this is really the end of the season here.

But the day kept going downside from there.

[MAJOR WHINE ALERT]

I got on Girls of Juarez at the end of the day on Sunday, and got it clean to the lip move on first try. I worked on it for a while, figured it out, but didn't have the juice to link it all together... oh well, no big deal, plenty of time, and it felt like it would go for sure.

Came back today, tried the cruxy move at the lip from the middle of the problem a couple of times, got it to where I thought I was pretty solid on it, and started from the bottom... WTF??? I couldn't do the moves I flashed!
Fell off the start like a dozen times, freaked myself out big-time, b/c we only had our 2 pads, and that was not enough, really. Banz kept moving the pad in anticipation of me making the move, and then I wouldn't make it...
Finally made it through the start, sloppy, flailing, foot-cutting, overgripping, major shaking and sweating, everything wrong you could possibly picture... made it through the crux anyway -- and fell.

Decided to take a longish break and combat those pesky tears of frustration, spotted Banz on some random V2, he staggered back, not even falling, just lost his footing at the start, and pinned my arm to the rock.

Of course, it had to be the same arm that finally barely healed, and in the same place, and the rock had to be really sharp.

I am hoping it is just a bruise, and it just hurts all the way through the muscle because the blow was pretty sharp, but it hurts in the same way, and in the same place as before, and I can't pinch my fingers together without it hurting pretty badly.

[/END WHINE ALERT, START TEAR ALERT]

Needless to say, this ended the day pretty early.

Burritos were awesome as usual, and Banz is good with dorky board games, so that is all good. Hanging out at the barn now. bleh...

I will be at the slightly overhanging slabby area tomorrow.

Well, I wood have been happy to join ewe gays... and gun sum rope, ifs ewe hadn't texted me yore plans at 10:30 last nite.

With a day or so notice, I can makes thing happen.. but last minute joe... won't awlways werk.

Hope teh tick list werked owt fer ewe... Whut did ewe gets on?

Oh... and I awlmost fergots. I checked my guide, did teh Baby Huey in 1985.

That's funny.

I was born in 1985.

That's funny.

I was born in 1985.

So a couple ov weeks back when teh pros from SLC came owt, they had a photog with them....

Hears a shot he took of C-ya tredpoynting teh Sic Gnar.

hotlinking disabled, cheesetitting enabled.

Huh? it seems to werk fer me.

Huh? it seems to werk fer me.

Well, I wood have been happy to join ewe gays... and gun sum rope, ifs ewe hadn't texted me yore plans at 10:30 last nite.

With a day or so notice, I can makes thing happen.. but last minute joe... won't awlways werk.

Hope teh tick list werked owt fer ewe... Whut did ewe gets on?

http://www.mikeboden.com/...687776075_large.html

You can get to the another photo here

Today was a disappointing day that highlighted two things:

1) the Hueco rules really suck

2) Climbing hard matters.

I mentioned that we were going on a guided tour today b/c we wanted to see something other than the North Mountain. Banz is a pretty organized person, despite every outward indication to the opposite, so he planned it all out, we didn't have a reservation for this day, and we signed up for the commercial guided tour -- not the volunteer-guided-- as soon as we got here, the very first day.

We were the first ones to sign up for it, which means (theoretically) that we were the ones to decide where we wanted to go with the guide, and if any additional people signed up for the commercial tour for the same slot after us, well, they'd go where we wanted to go.

What happened in practice last night was that the guide came up and said, only with moderate politeness, what amounted to this: hey, listen, a bunch of strong friends of mine want to do the guided tour, and i would much rather guide them and climb the amazing V-double-digits with them, instead of guiding you guys on some stuff you want to climb, so basicly, you can either pay for guiding anyway, and tag along with us, and we will try to find something for you to climb near out sick gnar prodj, or you can just bugger off and go wait in line for the North Mountain... or take a rest day, for all I care.

Never mind the rules of how the guided tours are supposed to work. I mean, I totally understand the guy who would rather boulder with his buddies, and all, and get paid in the bargain, but for commercial tour I expected a bit more... professionalism?



I really wanted to try Dragonfly, and they were not going there, so we decided not to pay for the so-called "guided tour" a.k.a. the privilege of tagging along with some guys who really didn't care to have our company in the first place, and we went back to the North Mountain again.

We got in O.K. as walk-ins, since this is really the end of the season here.

But the day kept going downside from there.

I will be at the slightly overhanging slabby area tomorrow.

Got straight seshed in Josh today. Baby Huey Smokes an Anti-Pipeload... is no warmup. Nearly perished free soloing up The Nose In A Day, the silly 5.9 next door. It didn't look so bad from the ground, but then all of a sudden I'm on a chickenwing, my knee is stuck below a constriction, I have no right hand at all and I'm standing on a tiny foot in sloppy moccasyms... in the sun. I'm nearly greasing. got to the top and started shaking. Woo!

That's funny.

I was born in 1985.

I gradumerated high school then