Wendover Wednesday

It was a Wendover Wednesday. Jess, Gus, and I pointed the Focus west on I-80 for a overnight getaway to a Utah's arch-nemesis and geographical anti-crist, Nevada. The quickest sip of sin city is Wendover, a true butt-hole of a town. People actually live here? Oh my God.

Quickly, we struck fear into the buffet at the Peppermill Casino. It was mostly Jess. I was partially satiated from a couple fried chicken legs and a pocket-sized eclair pie from several hours earlier, so I had the first-person perspective on the stages of Jess' buffet experience. It began with anticipation, then led to elation, then determination, then remorse.

Afterwards, the remorse was all the Peppermill's, as we laid waste to their most complex mechanisms of heathen gambling. First, Jess attacked the quarter slots for a net gain of 20 dollars. Then I brazenly took the video poker machine for another 5. Finally, it was the penny slots that gave out, and dumped another 10 bucks into our severely swollen pockets. Like taking money from a baby.

Just to prove that the pillaging wasn't over, the next morning we ate lots of waffles at the Day's Inn for free! Well, they come with the motel room, but nonetheless, they felt a little free because we didn't have to buy breakfast anywhere else.

Oh, yeah, the photos are from the Bonneville Salt Flats, just outside Wendover. We hung out there are played ball with Gussy until his paws bled. Ouch! He had fun, though, and is pretty tired right now.

Arm and Hammer!

Beckner was in town, although for unfortunate reasons. Darcy Deutcher was prepping for a contract in Lander, and as he was going through a drive-thru teller at a bank, he badly crushed his hand in the door of his car. Both Darcy and Josh are two of the folks I went to Greenland with.


He required immediate surgery, so Beckner drove him on down to Salt Lake to go to the hospital here. Darcy is in good spirits and anticipating full, if long, recovery. The doctors are concerned about the circulation in his hand and keeping him in a warm room with his arm elevated. He's such a good man and it's sad to see him in pain.


In the meantime, Josh had some time to kill. So we cruised up Bell Canyon to climb Arm and Hammer (III, 5.10, AO) on Middle Bell Tower. We didn't get to climbing until 4:45, so we had to go quickly.

The climb was beautiful. The rock on the lower 2/3rds of the climb is bomber, flawless granite. The highlight pitch is the "Zion Curtain" pitch, which is an offset flake that splits the middle of a blank buttress. The flake is less than 1/2 an inch thick at times and resounds like a drum when you tap on it. Eerie. On the previous pitch there was some difficult, thin face climbing that added a little spiciness to the overall experience.


The climb went well. We got to the top at around 7 p.m. and rappelled for half an hour, drank a Miller High Life, and hiked back to the car for an hour.

Darcy is supposed to go back to Lander today with Josh and his girlfriend Alli. The doctors don't seem to be giving him a ton of good attention, and he's frequently surprised with new information. It's possible that they'll surprise him anew, and he won't be able to leave for another day or two.

Tribute to Dad

My dad got hurt.

A few days ago, Dad was cleaning the gutters of their house and fell off of the roof. He tumbled 12 feet, hit a railing, flipped upside down, and came to rest on the grass next to the deck. The hose he was using to clean out the gutters with remained on the roof, and showered him with water while he laid unconscious.

Mom heard a low moan outside as Dad came to. She went outside to find him struggling to get up. He couldn't. She turned off the water, ran inside to get blankets to cover his drenched body, and called 911. The ambulance came and carted him to the hospital in Fortuna, where the doctors could do nothing but call an airplane to take him to San Francisco. He went to the VA hospital, and was diagnosed with three badly broken vertebrae in his lower neck.

Mom drove down there the following day and Aunt Lynne came in from Chico. Dad was in pain, and the meds they gave him did little to offset the agony. Over the next day or so, doctors changed their plan from surgery to no surgery, then to surgery again. His operation took nine hours, and they used bolts and nuts and plates to screw things back together. The lack of movement in his arm was supposed to go away, but at this time it has not. We hope that it will return as swelling subsides.

I love my father very much and am hoping that he has full recovery, and a painless one at that. Take care, Dad. I'll see you soon.

Howard Gardner

The Multiple Intelligence Theory of Howard Gardner and it’s (mis)Applications for Wilderness Education

By Nate Furman, NOLS Instructor

Introduction

I’ve got a bone to pick. I’m not going to hide it, and I’m not going to try to eloquently talk around it. I’m going to address it head on, and this paper is the manifestation of my bone-picking. I don’t much like some of the discussion I’ve heard at NOLS recently, and in wilderness education in general, about trying to utilize the idea of “learning styles” in our curriculum delivery. What follows is a discussion of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory and corresponding learning styles. At the end of the paper, I’ll offer an alternative that I think is much more useful for NOLS and much more important to our students than attempting to teach to individual leaning styles.

Many people involved with wilderness education are familiar with MI theory and learning styles. The theory expresses that humans generally have eight different intelligences: linguistic, mathematical, spatial, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Each of the intelligences, he contends, corresponds with a particular learning style. The implication is that each of us is differently talented in each of the eight domains and that each of us tends to learn best when information is presented in a way that corresponds with our intelligences. Fair enough.

Not surprisingly, the concept has garnered a substantial amount of attention. I will not deny that there is an intuitive attraction to a theory that says that educators need to consider their students as differently-abled, and to teach accordingly. There are schools that are founded on the premise, such as the New City School in St. Louis. Many curriculums have been developed around the idea and teachers have developed techniques to teach to different learning styles. Many parents have identified which intelligences their children are gifted in, and even children themselves often have an awareness of what their learning style is.

What does this mean for wilderness education? Well, mainly nothing.

This paper will explain why. There are primarily four reasons. First, the theory contends that we all have natural, separate intelligences, but this is largely incorrect. Second, the theory itself has very little empirical data to support it yet there are numerous studies that refute it. Third, it is highly impractical. Fourth, and most central to us, its primary application is the traditional classroom, and NOLS excels in a non-traditional classroom.

Separate Intelligences?

As noted before, MI theory contends that there are eight separate intelligences. This is largely a reaction to the idea that intelligence, as explained by the g-factor, is an inheritable trait that is resistant to change, and correlates with abilities to solve complex problems, marry models, have beautiful children, and die rich. The implication is that some lucky individuals are gifted at birth and that the rest of us end up wallowing around in the muck while working NOLS courses. An attractive alternative is to acknowledge that people are differently-abled and excel in different areas. Gardner took this path, and used the label “intelligence” to do so.

However, there are a number of difficulties with this stance. As it turns out, most of the eight intelligences are correlated with each other. That is, those of you who score high in a couple different intelligences are likely to score high in most of them—and score well on general intelligence tests to boot. This lends support to the idea that a high g factor is indeed the governing source of intellect and that the eight multiple intelligences are simply different parts of the g.

Empirical Evidence?

There are a good number of theories out there: the theory of gravity seems to work well, although rarely in our favor when we’re trying to send the sick new proj. Self-determination theory also works, stating (roughly) that when people have good relationships, have some control over their lives, and are good at what they do they’ll generally be happy and well-adjusted individuals. What these two theories have in common, and other useful theories, is a preponderance (yes, preponderance) of evidence to back them up, and very little that contests it.

If only this were the case with MI theory. Most of the evidence surrounding MI theory refutes it. Dr. Lynn Waterhouse, Professor Emeritus at the College of New Jersey adequately summarizes in Educational Psychologist:

To date there have been no published studies that offer evidence of the validity of the multiple intelligences. In 1994 Sternberg reported finding no empirical studies. In 2000 Allix reported finding no empirical validating studies, and at that time Gardner and Connell conceded that there was ‘little hard evidence for MI theory’ (2000, p. 292). In 2004 Sternberg and Grigerenko stated that there were no validating studies for multiple intelligences, and in 2004 Gardner asserted that he would be ‘delighted were such evidence to accrue’ (p. 214). (Waterhouse, 2006a, p. 208).

You’ll have to forgive me if I pulled that off of Wikipedia (I did—but at least I did pull up the primary sources afterwards), but when a Professor Emeritus does the research for me, who am I to think I could do better?

MI theory is not practical

Allrightythen, let’s do a scenario. Pretend you’re instructing a rock camp, and let’s say you have either a) the psychological training to assess the learning style of your students or, b) you administered a standardized test to them prior to leaving the field that told you which learning style each of your students are. What you found out is that all of them are musically intelligent. How are you going to teach them rappelling? “Alright, when I rap M.C. Hammer, you do a Munter rappel. When I sing Celine Dion, it’s a dulfersitz. Everyone got it?”

Okay, so it’s not a realistic scenario, but it illustrates the problem. Largely, NOLS instructors are untrained to accurately assess learning styles and we haven’t invented the techniques to teach with that consider them. It’s possible to tweak our curriculum to suit the needs of an individual student, but we already do that and more. I’ll explain how in a bit.

NOLS is Not a Traditional Classroom

You knew that one already, right? But that’s where Gardner’s theory is most applicable. Lets look at the reality of the traditional classroom: large class sizes, limited time, overwhelmed/underpaid teachers, pressure to have students succeed on standardized tests, dealing with disciplinarian issues on a daily basis, and not having much time to form meaningful relationships with students.

Now lets look at a NOLS classroom: we have really small classes and there are at least three instructors on each course. That’s a 4-1 ratio! We typically have plenty of time: if we need to teach more or revisit something, we can hike fewer miles that day. And if we really need to make those miles and it’s going to be a rough one for the students, then we’re teaching tolerance for adversity instead of VOEMPing. We aren’t really that overwhelmed very often. We’re still underpaid: the plight of the educator. We don’t have pressure to have students to do well on standardized tests, and rarely do we deal with disciplinarian issues the way a typical teacher does. We have oodles of time to get to know our students and frequently end up friending them on Facebook afterwards and exchanging YouTube videos. These are but a few of the differences between a NOLS classroom and a traditional classroom.

All of this means one thing: we have the opportunity to provide outstanding educational experiences for our students in a way* that regular teachers do not. I don’t need to know if one of my students has a naturalistic intelligence or a kinesthetic intelligence. There are certain educational principles that transcend learning styles: the ability to engage someone in a close-knit learning community, to look in eyes and be able to see if they understand. To plan and enact engaging learning experiences. To have plenty of time for questions and dialogue and reflection. To build rapport with students during a long day of sea kayaking or rounds of hot drinks. These things will go far further than trying to reach out to someone’s innate specific intelligence, especially considering these intelligences have never been shown to exist.

Alternative to Learning Styles

Because it’s a cruel thing to cast a stone and not proffer a different way, I’ll end with an alternative to learning styles. These aren’t things I came up with; they’re what outdoor educators have been doing since the time Socrates sat in an open square and posed a bothersome question, and probably before that. If you can do these things, you don’t need to worry about what learning styles your students present.

1. Build rapport and trust.
2. Create engaging and active learning experiences.
3. Provide ample time for reflection.
4. Invite questions.
5. Engage in dialogue about curriculum.
6. Provide time for practice.
7. Meet students on their level, not the level you wished they were at.
8. Offer opportunities for challenge.
9. Support when needed.
10. Invite fun.

And yes, in case you were wondering, there is plenty of empirical evidence to support the pedagogical value of each of these ten things.

September Bliss

September is by far the best month of the year. The scorching temperatures of summer are on their way out, the mosquitoes have died down, tourists are dwindling, the leaves are turning color, there is limited rainfall, and alpine climbing is at it's best.

In celebration of September 2008, Nick Storm and I went to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. The base elevation of the meadows is around 9,000 feet, and the peaks rise in excess of 13,000 feet. I flew out on September 15th; Nick picked me up in Reno and we headed South.


The climbing in Tuolumne is amazing! There are dozens of exposed granite domes that begin somewhat steep at the base and round out as you climb higher. The rock is peppered with crystalline knobs that make for good hand and foot holds. But the best part is that there is easy access to the peaks of the high sierra. We climbed one of those peaks, Mt. Conness, despite the four hour hike in.


This is what we climbed:
West Crack on Daff Dome (5.9, III, 5 pitches)
Southwest Face of Mt. Conness (5.10c, IV, 10 pitches)
South Crack on Stately Pleasure Dome (5.8, III, 6 pitches)
Aqua Knobby on Pywiack Dome (5.9, III, 4 pitches)
Bear's Reach at Lover's Leap (5.7, II)

Climbing with Nick was awesome. He's getting ready to go to New Zealand to work for NOLS for 9 months. This little trip was a way of getting some climbing in before he departs. We enjoyed each others' company, talked about what it would be like to be Ron Kauk, what the difference between a fruit and a vegetable is, and reminisced about college years.


On Thursday night we headed to Lovers Leap near South Lake Tahoe. Friday morning we climbed Bear's Reach, which is one of my all-time favorite climbs. The climbing is a slightly physical and extraordinarily positive. All sorts of jamcracks and liebacks. I wish there was a 5.10 version of it somewhere.

Have fun in NZ, Nick! We'll miss you!

Thought Salad

Last week I re-labeled two six packs of Pacifico with my own label called, Back to School Brew. I didn't have any extra time on my hands, I just wanted to make myself laugh. It only took 5 minutes to make the labels out of scratch paper and tape them on. I guess I thought the beer and the extra laugh would come in handy at the start of the year. I felt pretty stressed about going back. To my surprise it is week 2 and it's flown by. My teaching has become intuitive in some ways and I seem to float around observing all the learning that's going on in the classroom. I still have a few Back to School Brews in the fridge. I hear this is one of the last summer-like weekends we can expect so I bet I'll finish the beers in my hammock on Sunday afternoon.

I went on a really great ride the other day (early, before the storm came in). I didn't step off the bike start to finish...a very satisfying ride. I was so psyched -partly because I was listening to a sweet tune on my shuffle, and partly because my bod just felt good, but I rode around the last bend too quickly, hit some gravel and smacked the ground hard on my right side. I put my head between my legs before I could fade to black and waited for my heart rate to slow. I heard a huddle of voices around me asking, "are you ok?" Gus didn't seem to care...he was off in the near-by stream lapping it up. I limped away cursing the injuries and wishing I had some hard alcohol. An oatmeal bath and 800mg of IBU later, I was feeling alright. Now I've got sweet scabs and bruises to show my students which always increases my stock. (I think I started my first year at Realms with similar injuries due to a skateboarding accident!)

I am so looking forward to fall. The smell changes, the light changes, the air is crisp so you throw on a cozy scarf and drink coffee bundled on the front steps in the morning. You kick leaves and collect a few really gorgeous ones. You begin to see your breath when you exhale. I'll make stews and drink wine on Sundays. The weather is cool enough to go on rides mid-day. Yes!

Looking forward to having Nate home. I've missed the man so much.

Jess

Wind River Mountaineering Seminar

In late August I taught a mountaineering seminar for NOLS in the Wind Rivers with Josh Beckner. Nick Storm was able to come in for a couple days to help teach as well. It's a dream working with two folks on this contract.


Seminars are designed for NOLS instructors to increase their technical skills in different arenas. This one, being a mountaineering seminar, gave folks a chance to practice ice, snow, and rock climbing skills. There were 10 participants.


Over the 11 days, we climbed many different routes, from snow couliours on Fremont Peak to rock routes on Ellingwood Peak to a whole-course ascent of Gannett Peak.

The seminar was rescue-intensive, and nearly every day we were able to focus on rescue skills to some extent.

Cardiology and Pork Fried Rice

I just ate a 32oz. container of pork fried rice and I'm enjoying this side of my three day weekend. It's finally cooled down to 80 degrees. Tomorrow morning I'm going to broga and farmers market. In the afternoon I'm going to swim in a lake with a bunch of friends. I love the feeling of open swimming. I've been a swimmer all my life but it's never felt so good...therapeutic. I went last weekend and I'm hooked. The rest of the weekend I'd like to spend in the backyard, in the hammock, on my bike, or painting the attic space.

Nate is working in the field and having a great time. I spent all summer with him and got used to it. This last separation has felt like a lifetime and I've found myself feeling pretty lonely at times.

School has started and I am enjoying what comes with experience. I am more organized than I've ever been. The kids are great. The other day we made hula hoops and after finding circumference, diameter, and radius, we headed to the park for some hoop Olympics. It was too much fun. I reverted back to third grade for a few hours.

Lots is going on with the house. We are re-doing the bathroom, painting the outside of house, and getting up to code in a few more places. I can't believe that in a year we will be thinking about leaving Salt Lake City.

Today I went to the cardiologist to get to the bottom of whats going on with my ticker. I saw a wonderful doctor who explained to me at length the magic of the heart. I had an ultrasound which was a very touching experience. I've taken my heart for granted. I had the best intentions of giving myself a heart healthy dinner afterward, but there were too many errands to run and Sampan was there when my stomach demanded food.

I read a quote recently: "what are you doing instead of living your dreams?" That is so inspirational to me that I want to repeat it 10 times a day, everyday. I tried to answer that question but instead got stuck on the fact that I just might be living my dreams. The feelings that I may not be, only come up because perhaps society trains us to want more and more. The fact is that I love my job, my friends, my husband, the lifestyle I lead...what more do I want? I'd like to be able to travel without money worries, explore a new career, and maybe have some kids down the road. It's also interesting to explore what fear will do to a dream.

I was teary-eyed listening to the speeches at the Democratic National Convention. I actually felt some love and pride for my country. America might be getting it's shit together!

That's all for now.

Jess

Mid August

Today I am riding old pass road. It's one of the last things on my original list of things to do this summer. The thing is, the list has grown as I've learned about this area.

A good friend of mine, Jen, came up for a visit and we canoed the Teton River, rode the aspen trail and at (someone's) basin up at Targhee. It was really neat to have a buddy here besides Nate. Jen went home and told her fiance that she wants to move here.

Gus and I had a two week stay in SLC where I worked two science camps at the museum (ecosystems and science theater). It was really neat to see friends, care for the house, see my dad, and hit up some of my favorite stops.

A few days ago I went to Lander to meet Nate after he and his friend Josh had spent 4 days in the Winds climbing all over it. We ate at the Lander Bar on the patio and Nate had a sparkle in his eye...content, inspired, and tired.

We spent the next three days in Lander with our friend Nick who will be leaving shortly for a 9 month adventure in New Zealand!

In two days I report for duty at school. Where did the summer go?

Early August

It’s 12:15 am and Gus has just curled up beside me. I spent the day with my dad who is visiting from California.

I went this great place for coffee this morning and mingled with the counter culture…drinking my dark coffee while playing online scrabble…the wifi password was “skeletons”…a good morning exploring a different nook of the SLC. At 11:40 dad’s plane had landed and I took the ten-minute drive out to the airport.

I gave dad a great tour of the city starting with a farmer’s market experience. We sampled a lot but only left carrying 4 ears of corn. Dad said he got a good taste of community and got a kick out of the Jack Mormon coffee co. He took lots of pictures and continues to refer to himself as a “Japanese tourist”. We had lunch at Café Molise just down the road from the Outdoor Retailer madness. I love seeing all the fit people out and about. We had a nice table in the shade on the sidewalk and really enjoyed our meal of pasta, chicken, and salad. The conversation was flowing. Next, I showed him the downtown library, that is, once I found it. He enjoyed the design and architecture immensely. We sipped coffee on the roof while watching an afternoon storm roll in. It was really pleasant. Next we went to the U so he could see Nate’s office (or what had been since last week). Dad expressed that he wished Nate were with us. Me too. I took him to see Realms and all it’s funkiness and finally to our home.

In the afternoon we tackled the electrical problem that has been a mystery and a royal pain in the ass for the past week. Took at trip to Home Depot with dad (very cliché) and bought some supplies. We stopped tracing wires and testing outlets for electricity at 7:15 so we could catch our movie/dinner at Brewvies.

Once home, dad solved the electrical issue and we sat and talked-very heart to heart- about life. I am so enjoying this time with my dad. It is very special that he is here. Tomorrow breakfast, a hike, fix-a faucet, and dinner at Frescos.

Nate is climbing for the next three days in the Winds. I pick him up on Tuesday and we will spend some time in Lander with Nick for a few days.

Wind Rivers

Josh Beckner and I cruised into the Winds on Saturday evening for 3 days of climbing. It was one of the best little climbing missions I've done. So damn hot! We climbed the NE Buttress of Pingora (IV, 5.9) on Sunday, Black Elk on Warbonnet (IV, 5.11a) on Monday, and the North Face, Left of Mt. Mitchell (III, 5.8) on Tuesday. Then we hiked out. Mucho tired.

The climb of Black Elk was especially significant. It was Pete Absolon's favorite climb in the Wind Rivers, one that he had done dozens of times. For Pete it was a walk in the park. He was a master of gettin' vertical, and although the Elk was a testpiece for many he could run laps on it. His death was one of the saddest moments I can remember, and many, many folks miss him.


Pete's passing at NOLS left many with a hole in their life. For Josh and I, Pete filled the mentor role; not just a friend or someone to climb with up in Sinks Canyon, but an inspiration and role model. Josh and I were both climbing and mountaineering instructors at NOLS, and Pete represented the archetype that we wished we could be. In my eyes, he was one of the few that made the transition from "hard man" to "family man" without a problem. He incorporated the two different lifestyles into one seamless, beautiful poem.

The day we climbed Black Elk was the one-year anniversary of his death. We awoke to threatening weather; the clouds raced over our camp with great haste, and the previous night's storm was fresh on our mind. Getting out of the tent at 4:45 a.m., Josh and I stewed about in silence, going through the motions of getting ready for a climb, but only halfheartedly, as it seemed like an exercise in futility. We ate a little breakfast and had rounds of coffee. Our intended alpine start was clearly not going to happen, and put us at risk of climbing in the late afternoon, when the possibility of getting throttled by p.m. thunderstorms, high on the face of Warbonnet, seemed likely and incredibly not fun. We only had one rope, as well, so rappelling the face could cost hundreds of dollars of gear.

Gary Cukjati, one of Pete's good friends and the Director of NOLS Rocky Mountain, asked us to retrieve Pete's cache that he had stashed under a boulder near the base of Black Elk. We had vague directions, but once we saw the tremendous talus field that guards the approach to Warbonnet, it seemed there was a million boulders where the cache could be located.


After stewing about until 7:30 in the morning, Beckner and I asked "What would Pete do?". The answer was simple. There wouldn't be a question in his mind. He would flash a mischievous grin and say "Get after it, buddy!".

We decided that we would search for the cache and hope that there was a rope in it. We racked, hiked up the talus and started looking for the needle in the haystack. As it turned out, the needle was deep under the second boulder we looked under.

There indeed was a rope. And some personal items; a jacket, climbing gear, a balaclava, some gloves, and well-worn climbing gear We rummaged through it, savoring the sensation that we had found a bit of quicksilver, and imagined that this was part of the essence of Pete. This was Pete's stuff; looking though it felt like touching some part of him. It was melancholy; it was sad and inspiring; it left us speechless and wistful. We made eye contact and stared at each other in silence, each processing the mixture of emotions pouring into us.

We took the rope and finished the approach to the base. It was the only thing left to do, and Pete was clearly with us. As we tied in at the first belay, the sky conceded to high pressure and the clouds vanished. The climb went the same way that all great climbs do; it was challenging and spectacular. Cracks came and went, transitioning from size to size and from move to move. We thrutched and screamed up the off-width, Elvis-ed up the slabby sections with machine-gun leg, and flowed through the hands and fingers. The whole time, Josh and I relished the sensation of climbing as a threesome, Pete was with us the whole time.

Dog Hucking!

Sometimes Gus isn't so sure about us.

Summer turns to Fall

I don’t want to leave! I feel like a child throwing a tantrum because I don’t want to do my chores.

I have been so happy here in the Teton Valley this summer. It’s the first summer I’ve taken off since I started teaching. Also, it’s our first summer together in 7 years!

It’s all the wonderful things about summer here less the unbearable heat. BBQs, friends, porch sitting, bike rides until 10pm, boating the rivers, reading, music festivals, sleeping in, cold beers, and free time with no obligation.

Practicing the art of chillaxin was not easy at first. When I first got here I applied for a job. Then, I began to make lists of everything I could accomplish this summer (learn guitar, become a well-read expert in classroom management, create art, train for a triathlon, volunteer for a non-profit). There has been some guilt too, for not working while Nate maintains a full-time job.

To date (because I want to, not out of obligation) I have engaged in pottery and yoga, attended get-togethers, gone fishing (caught a cutbow!) run a half marathon, gone on many bike rides, kayaked for the first time, volunteered at and attended a music festival, made at least two friends I’d really like to keep in my life, played numerous games of Scrabulous, became a fan of watching The Wire, and I’ve read 2.5 books! I have also spent an excess amount of time in the Victor specialty foods market reading ingredient labels and sampling the deli items.

I am humbled by the beauty of this place on a daily basis: The progression of wild flowers, the Tetons, storms rolling through, the light quality, the silence, and just open space!

Gus is having a blast. It is so fun to watch Nate and him play. Last week were in Salmon. We took regular trips to the river only blocks from the branch. Nate would hold Gus' stick above a strong current and Gus would swim toward it making little headway but nonetheless totally committed. He would finally snatch it and then Nate would let go…Gus happily floating downstream until he caught an eddy. He’d eagerly swim back to us and run a few victory laps after reaching the shore. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat…Tiana said she barely recognized Gus because he looked so fit. It’s true he’s fit but he still farts all the time.

I made a list of everything I want to do before heading back. Yesterday Nate looked at me and said, "well, what should we do from your list today?" So we headed to Grand Teton National Park and ended up running around Jenny Lake (6.6 mi). It was so beautiful. The water was so clear and deep and most of the trail was lush and shaded. When we had completed our loop, we stopped to take a dip in the lake. Perfect temperature. Magical. We had been watching the thunderheads gather and we predicted that we had another 10 minutes until we saw lightning. Sure enough, the sky flashed, and I made my way out of Jenny Lake. We walked very slowly back to the car hoping to see big flashes of lightning above the Tetons. I love the image of the howling wolf (Nez Perce) that Nate pointed out. Once we reached the car, the big drops were falling and soon we could no longer see the mountain range. Huge hail like I'd never seen pelted us and I was convinced they were making huge dents in the car. Nate and I sat there giggling and he dared me to get out of the car. I did, and it resulted in a hail to the finger injury. I quickly made my way back in but then couldn't stop thinking about the old man I'd seen on the trail who was definitely still out there seeking whatever shelter he could find. After ten minutes the skies parted and we saw a clear view of the Tetons as we drove out of the park. Apparently the hailstorm was widespread. When we returned to Victor later that night, we found that 3 windows in the house had been broken due to "gobstopper" sized hail.

After the storm we headed into the J-Hole and had some dinner at the Snake River Brewing Co. followed by a superhero movie, Hancock. What a great day!

4 days and counting...

Our House....

Slim Shady Wall

Andy, Jess, and I cruised up to Slim Shady Wall yesterday to check out a newly developed crag in Teton Canyon. Lots of good climbing. It needs to get climbed a fair bit more, but at least it's not polished.

Andy was in a weird spot.  Two days ago I saw him up in the Tetons, guiding a group of clients up the Grand.  That evening, the guide he was working with, George, fell while soloing and died. Andy discovered the body the following morning.  Andy had just met him a couple days previous to that, but took an instant liking to the man.  He said that George reminded him of Pete Absolon, in a way, and that he thought maybe he had found a new mentor, the way Pete served as a mentor before his death.

It was good to climb, and talk, and enjoy each others' company.  My best to George's family. From everything I've heard, he was an incredible human being.  

Aspen Trail Mountain Biking

Kat, Jess and I went for a bike ride on the Aspen Trail today. Sweet singletrack. It was Kat's first ride on her new bike!

Cache Creek Mountain Biking

Jess and I went riding up in the Cache Creek area near Jackson Hole. We were re-routed by this moose who was standing in the middle of the trail and wouldn't budge.


But fortunately there were many other good options. Super buff singletrack everywhere!

Big Hole Mountain Biking

The Big Hole Mountains are less than 3 miles from our back door. Jess and I went mountain biking up there today, which was difficult and gorgeous. Good views of the Tetons and the Snake River Range.

Bored

Caveat Emptor

Jessie's First Trout

Jess caught her first fish!!!

Jess and I were supposed to go climbing today…we we’re going to do Irene’s Arete in the park, a classic six pitch 5.8. But after hearing that the conditions were still a little alpine-ish on the descent, we glommed onto Bruce for a little float trip on the South Fork of the Snake River.

Bruce and Kat Smithhammer are our summer roommates in Jaime Musnicki’s house. They are building a house in Victor right now, and it’s almost finished. They hope to move in sometime soon, but we really like living with them. Kat works as a program coordinator for NOLS Pro and Bruce is a fly fishing guide and author.

The South Fork of the Snake runs near Swan Valley, out on the other side of Pine Creek Pass. It’s a gorgeous river that is running quite high right now…about 12,000 cfs or so. It’s a spectacular river to float and fish. Biologists from Idaho State recently determined that there were 7,000 fish per river mile.

We floated about 12 miles, sat through a thunderstorm, fished along the banks, and drank a fair bit of cerveza. The fishing wasn’t incredible, but the company and scenery was perfect. I learned a ton about fly fishing, mostly about how to nymph, which I’d never done before.

And Jessie caught her first fish, a beautiful rainbow/cutthroat trout. She caught it while nymphing from shore. When it struck, she raised her rod up high and started yelling "What do I do, What do I do?" I was no help, but fortunately Bruce came over and made sure that the fish was treated well. At one point the trout slipped out of Jess' hands while it still had the nymph in its mouth, which resulted in this picture: