In 2005 I married my best friend. Today, Rachel is still my best friend, but even more. To me this seems so natural and easy, but most of my experience tells me that we're an exception. I'm not really sure what we did to deserve this. Tonight we are going out on a "just because" date that I am really looking forward to. We do this quite often, but we are making this one a little more special, you know, just because. Sometimes these outing seem more like a "date," but a lot of times it just feels like it did back in college- hanging out, talking, and doing things we both enjoy. It's great. And so, just because, I wanted to give a shout out here to Rach for being the coolest wife a guy could ask for.

*****

This week has been a really good week, mostly because of lots of little things adding up. It was one of those weeks that strike a really nice balance between self, friends, family, fun, and work. Things seemed to flow well.

Here are some photos:

As mentioned earlier on the blog, Maren has a slight obsession with Bob Ross. It's random and I have no idea why. I thought it would be fun though, to take her on a painting date. We had a wonderful time painting, eating pizza, and drinking homemade root beer. What a fun, quirky kid Maren is!

Another ski weekend in the books! We have definitely become a ski family, and everyone seems to really enjoy it. Our remaining days on the mountain are limited as the weather warms up, but we are already looking forward to next season. After consulting the kids about vacation plans for the year, we decided to buy a multi-resort pass (Mountain Collective) for everyone in the family as well as the one we usually get to our local ski area. This means that next winter will be full of travel as we explore some the the greatest mountains the country has to offer, as well as several in Canada. Good times ahead!

That is a lot of kids! We had a friends night/pizza party on Sunday and I'm pretty sure everyone had a great time.

A friend and I went climbing at Deep Creek for the first time. No, this picture isn't of either of us. It is of Jonathan Siegrist, a pro climber, on the wall where we spent most of our time. We basically look the same though, and since we didn't take any pictures you can just pretend. There are so many routes in this area that I am dying to try, and after climbing yesterday I am convinced that the fitness requirements for the steep sporty style will push me to a level I have never been at before. I think I am ready. I guess we will see.

This is not me either. This is Elsa, looking at her frozen fingers and wondering if they are still attached to the rest of her body. This is what I did on virtually every climb yesterday. It was like 30 degrees in the shade of the wall, and on multiple occasions I had to visually confirm that my hand was actually on a hold before committing my weight. So. Very. Fun. Right? Why do I do this to myself?

Back Right

I think I mentioned this is last week's post, but it has been so nice being able to play the guitar in front of people again. Rach snapped this photo of me getting ready this week. Addy is filling in on the bass as I practice my lead riffs, and she is actually doing pretty well. Sometimes Ev will jump in on the drums also. 

Well, that's about all I've got for you for now. On Friday we're headed down to Utah for the weekend and we're looking forward to seeing people down there.

Have a good week!

Last week I wrote about how Rachel and I were able to escape family life for a while and go on a rock climbing vacation in Vegas. It was a wonderful time. The other half of that story, however, is with the kids who had a pleasant stay with my parents while we were gone. Grandma and Grandpa never just sit around, and activities ranged from home parties to outdoor adventures to trips to the zoo. Rachel and I are so grateful that they came up, and it sounds like the kids are too. Good times all around!

As for this week, not too much happened. Weather is getting nicer and spring cleaning is well underway. I have been spending more time on the guitar and bass lately, and it turns out I have missed being on stage more than I though I would. It's nice to be back. I also built a bike rack that I'm pretty proud of, so...yeah.

Most of the photos I have to share are from the boy scout snowshoeing trip that Jack and I went on. The kids made their own snowshoes. It was a big, time consuming project. In spite of best efforts however, "hand-crafted" doesn't always equate with quality. In the beginning we were stopping every fifty feet or so (no, that is not an exaggeration) to adjust bindings and make jerry-rigged repairs. In the end, let's just say I am glad there were enough "real" snowshoes to go around.

While Jack and I were out snowshoeing, the girls had a great ski day. Conditions were perfect for spring skiing and I have to admit I'm a little jealous. As of this season, all of our kids (including Lindsey- finally!) are able to ski the whole mountain on their own. I don't know if it is possible to overstate how much this means to Rachel and me. We can finally have freedom, sweet freedom on the hill. We can ski together, or with whatever kid/group of kids we want, or not at all. It is great! Maren did complain a little bit about how slow Lindsey still was, but it's only a matter of time...

Anyway, that's about all I have for you today. Have a good week!

Home walls are cool and everything, but I can't wait to get outdoors again! This photo is from a session in a friend's basement this week. 

 Right now it is Tuesday morning. I feel like I just woke up from a dream that lasted for the past four days. I have to admit, it was a bit jarring going into work this morning, seeing all the regular people, doing all the regular things. Carrying on as if things were just...normal. But they weren't. It wasn't a dream.

It was amazing.

*****

Last Thursday, I got off work a few hours early and my Dad drove Rachel and me to the airport. My parents had driven up the day before and would watch the kids for the next four days. Rach and I, on the other hand, would be off doing "us things." No kids. No work. No worries. Just two best friends hanging out in one of the coolest places ever.

Las Vegas.

But not that Las Vegas. To be honest, we could very well do without all the trashy neon lights, the ample glitz, and and boisterous, unrestrained excesses of the strip. It is kind of a blight, as far as I am concerned, on an otherwise beautiful location. 

No, the Vegas we went for looks more like this:

Red Rocks may be one of my favorite places on earth- especially in the shoulder seasons. The extraordinary beauty of the area is awe-inspiring, and the sunrises will never get old. For four days, this was our view every morning as we approached our various destinations, each one a gem hidden deep within these canyons. The time we spent here was sacred to us. I was often overcome with emotion just to be in a place like this, with my favorite person in the world, doing my favorite things.

In keeping with our established pattern for trips like this, our days were full of activity and our nights were full of leisure. It is difficult, at this time, to go back and give a play-by-play account of things, and I think doing so would actually subtract from the description of the experiences we had. Rather than remembering individual events, my thoughts of this trip are more like those I have after finishing a really good book. I mean, things happened, and we could break it down into it's small little scenes. There was excitement, fear, intense conversations, surprising plot twists, laughter, tears, and complete unbridled joy. But really, at the end, after arriving back at home, it isn't like those individual moments matter so much as the entirety of it all just washing over me, again and again and again. This was the kind of trip that makes me feel like I need to take the next several weeks just to...process. You know?

*****

Anyone who has known me for longer than about ten seconds knows that I am completely and unapologetically passionate about rock climbing. And I have tried many times, unsuccessfully of course, to articulate to myself why the pursuit holds such power over me. It is completely irrational- that much I understand. 

The closest I have come is to say that it strikes a perfect balance between athleticism, artistry, and stoicism, with undertones of laughter, fun, recklessness, friends around the campfire, adventure, story telling, early mornings, and clear starry nights. Moreover, each of these aspects combine in different ways on every climb, like colors in a kaleidoscope, making it impossible to ever do the same route twice. It is always a unique and memorable experience. 

Sometimes though, these colors blend in such a  distinctive and surprising way that I am just knocked completely on my heels and words become nonsensical as a means of expression. It would be like trying to describe Beethoven's 5th to a deaf person. It doesn't work. It can only be experienced. And that- that desire to store an experience in a little bottle made up of words and pictures, is what I feel this blog entry is about. But it won't work. It can just be remembered.

Well, it's certainly a memory worth holding onto.

*****

On top of Crimson Chrysalis- one of the coolest routes I have done

Rachel has become an excellent climbing partner, and I climb more efficiently with her than with any partner I have ever had. She led some great pitches, cleaned gear quickly, and made our transitions last less than two minutes apiece. It is fun to see the ground just drop away beneath us as we make time up the rock.

Another one on Crimson Chrysalis

This is the third pitch of a climb called Dark Shadows, and was probably my favorite pitch of the trip. Look closely and you can see Rachel jamming her way up the perfect corner. I just have to add here that Rachel has really taken climbing and made it her own. This is especially evident on climbs like this one, where careful technique beats strength on most days. Even after a lifetime of climbing, it is neat for me to watch her finesse her way up a crack in areas where I would just go into thug mode and grab tiny face holds. 

So good!

A little inside joke here. Rach wanted me to protect the traverse well. It turned out to be like 5.3 (very easy) but I sewed it up anyway with no fewer than 6 pieces in about 15 feet. She wasn't going anywhere!

Here's me on the rappel of Birdland. This little finger crack was really cool.

I had to laugh at this picture. People have pointed out to us that it would seem Rachel and I live in different seasons. It's true. Here's me with three layers on while Rachel is skipping along like we're in the middle of the desert or something. Wait...

Evenings were fun too. Each day we were done with our long climb around lunchtime. We did a little sport climbing most afternoons, and then partied at night. This is at an upscale little "speakeasy" that mimics the many Vegas establishments during the prohibition era. From the period décor to the live music on stage, it was a great experience.

Don't Tell Mama is a piano bar we came to love in New York a few years ago. The Vegas location was almost (but not quite) as good!

The Calico Hills- where we spent many afternoons. This is where we tried hard, took falls, and left plenty of blood, sweat, and tears behind on the rock. Climbing hard is its own sort of fun.

Jelly beans for power! Again, a little bit of an inside joke. I always carry Swedish Fish in my bouldering pack, and "Fish for Power" has become a thing of mine before most sessions. Well, I ran out of fish, but Rach came through with these. They didn't work as well, but they got the job done.

Scoping out the route

Working the route. This is what 80 percent of hard sport climbing looks like- sitting around recovering before the next attempt. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Also, I should add here that I had one "mini project" that I came back to several times during the trip. In the end, I came very close but didn't send (I had to hang on the rope for about 5 seconds before pulling back on). It was a little disappointing, but only a little. To me, the process of working a route is far more fun than actually clipping chains. I mean, it's always nice when the hard work pays off in the end, but I don't feel like I lost that much in walking away and leaving something to come back for.

Alright- that's about all I have to write. Again, I don't know how to put it into words, but it really was a wonderful extended weekend. Rachel sure is a cool wife.

Have a good week!

In our family, we really like hanging out with friends. Especially if there is an activity involved. It seems that having other people around to share an experience gives it that much more depth, in the moment as well as in our memories. 

This past weekend was one of those times, and even though it was a short break for us (two instead of the usual three days) it felt more refreshing than normal. So here's a shout out to good friends and fun times.

We started the weekend by spending a day at Vantage. Climbing, exploring, and hitting rocks together (I don't know...) were the activities, and I'm pretty sure everyone was able to have a great afternoon in their own ways. Jack finally did a clean lead on a climb with a committing move he has bailed on in the past, and Addy worked on a new project that is at her limit. The kids were self-sufficient enough to allow the adults time to do their thing. Lindsey found new ways to get stuck on top of cliffs (only climb up what you can climb down!), kids all enjoyed raiding our stash of fruit and granola bars, and nobody got bitten by snakes or had to call an ambulance. All in all, a good day.

Keeping it light while trying hard. Big holds, but this girl has to do a series of all-points-off jumps to reach them. I've no doubt she'll lead it in the near future.

That evening we drove to a hotel in Wenatchee where we got adjoining hotel rooms. After the highlight of swimming in the little puddle the hotel had to offer (I still don't get it), we all ordered pizza and watched a movie before finding our places to sleep for the night. The night was mostly uneventful, except for the part where Jackson rolled off the bed and landed on Addy, and the part where Maren got up and locked herself in the bathroom because she didn't want to listen to Lindsey breathing. So, yeah...one of our better hotel stays.

The next morning, the Misners took off early to secure a good parking spot at Mission Ridge ski resort. Meanwhile, our family had a leisurely breakfast and arrived just after the chairs opened. It was a gorgeous day and the views were stunning. Except for a wonderful tailgate-style lunch, we were on the mountain until it closed, and in that time we were able to switch partners/groups several times. 

The views were incredible! We could see many of the major peaks in the Cascade range, the trees were heavy with windblown snow, and the sun was shining. You couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Pictured are Jack, John, and Anders scoping out their line.

Part of an airplane. Hit it on your way down for good luck!

It is so great that our kids are finally all old enough and skilled enough to be on their own. It's been a quick minute since Rach and I were able to take some laps together- just us.

Looks like everyone had a good day. Tired kids make for a quiet drive home. It was nice :)

Also, I want to include a memory here for my grandpa, just in case he happens to be reading this (Hi Grandpa!). When I was a kid, he and my dad took me to ski at Dodge Ridge, a small resort in California. We stayed the night in an homey little cabin, and for dinner we had split pea soup at the only open restaurant we could find. It was warm and cozy, and the whole experience came back to me as I sat with my own kids at a different resort, chatting among friends and eating Phil's homemade split-pea soup. 

Anyway- now nobody can accuse me for lack of sentimentality. Really, there is nothing like spending time with friends and family, laughing, playing, and just hanging out. I hope my kids have their own great memories of these sorts of weekends.

Have a good week!

 I'm just going to borrow Rachel's post on Facebook for this blogpost, even though it's a little late: 

*****

Something wonderful happened at our house this weekend. We are excited to now have a teenager in our family!

Evelyn is growing into a fantastic young woman who loves anime, drumming, creating art, scary movies, hanging out with friends, baking, and hoodies. She is fun to talk to about life, and I love her witty humor.

Teenage years can be wild, exciting, busy, unpredictable, and fun. I look forward to enjoying the ride.

She has inherited Rachel's apparent immunity to cold weather. She often walks to school in below-freezing temps in nothing but a hoodie and jeans.

I told her to look angsty (after all, she is a teenager now). This is the best she could do.

Just some context to know what's going on here- we took a family walk and Evelyn sort of disappeared for a while. I walked around by myself looking for her, and finally found her down by the river with a set of sidewalk chalk. All of this will be underwater in about a month, but for now, she has created a beautiful mural for those who can hike far enough out of their way to find it.

*****

I have to say that for years I have been looking forward to the teenage years for our kids. It seems like many parents roll their eyes and give me a condescending smile when I say this. "You don't know what you are in for," is what they seem to be expressing. But to me, that prospect is all the more exciting! They are right- I don't. Nobody does. But teenagers and so cool, and are rarely given the credit they deserve. Evelyn acts more and more like a young adult every day, and in doing so becomes so much more relatable. She is definitely her own person and she sometimes surprises me, usually in good ways. I feel lucky to have her in our family, and as cliché as it may sound, I am thrilled to watch her grow into the amazing person that she is.

Here's to many more years, jamming with one of my favorite people. Isn't that what parenting teenagers is about? Jamming? I think so.