Holy Guacamole It's been a while

Once again I've fallen behind on my posts and again, I refuse to apologize for it as I've been distracted by living the dream.

For the past month and a half I've been working on my weaknesses as a climber, DIYer and driver. I've also been getting back to my roots, gaming my face off whenever possible and having boat loads of fun doing all of this.

The view from the base of the new climb.

After kicking off my unemployment I got talked into bolting and projecting a new route with a couple friends outside of Carbondale, CO. While that act in and of itself is fairly unremarkable, the fact that the route is by leaps and bounds the hardest route I've ever bolted and tried to climb. This oddity has forced my to learn how to project, trying and failing over and over and over with minimal or no noticeable progress while trying to change that and keep motivation high. Prior to this experience I'd never tried a route more than 10-12 times and the hardest route I've done was in fewer than that. I suspect that this route has seen over the last month close to 30-35 tries and while I can now climb into the crux sequence there were a few show stopper moves that were rather disheartening. So I decided to hit the pause button, train this winter (also a new concept for me) and head to the desert to hopefully heal the ego and get fit and tan!

While it might not be waterproof, it's got a sweet clock!

Before heading to the desert I realized that with the resources available to me in the Roaring Fork Valley I ought to seal up the Dolphin's roof for any rain storms that I might happen upon while in the desert. Needless to say that I'm no expert roofer (is that a word?) and working on the Dolphin's roof has given me a huge appreciate for what those guys do! Unfortunately the RV roof has turned into another project with several goes already invested and a leak or two still persisting much to my frustration. As I sit here writing it continues to rain, as it has for the past few days...luckily I've invested in a 20x30' tarp that is keeping the rain out while I come up with another way to fix the roof once and for all!

Driving the Dolphin has been quite the adventure as the transition from a mini van to a 22' RV hasn't been rocky but has involved a little close contact with a rock or two and a picnic bench. Luckily, neither the RV or the stationary objects were harmed. One day I'll get the parallel parking dialed in that thing...until then be wary while I'm reversing! Despite the unwieldy nature of this beast the trade off is sooo much living space. Which of course means guests and games! I'm happy to say that dozens of hours have been spent cooking with friends, drinking beer and playing all manner of games late in to the night or early morning. The fact that it's so easy to have people over and comfortably hang out was one of the main reasons that I switched from being a lowly van dweller in to a real person living in a dilapidated RV.

It's felt so good to get back to the desert and the long haul mindset of staying there, working on new and old mini projects, reequiping old routes, cleaning, bolting and sending new ones, catching up with old friends and making new ones. I've gone on and on about the climbing community, particularly the dirtbag climbing community and again, I have had my weeks made by these fantastic people!

Well until next time faithful readers!

Canyoneering the the desert can be pretty neat!

It's time for a new home and new projects

About three weeks ago I purchased a Toyota Dolphin; I felt that it was time to upgrade my living quarters as over the past year I have grown tired of living full time in the shoe box of a Previa that I currently have. Yes I suppose I will be changing the name of the blog for all that have already asked.

I happened upon the Dolphin while walking down the sidewalk in Newcastle, CO and noticed it sitting amidst a bunch of other vehicles at a mechanic's shop. The next day I got this fellow's number and asked if it was for sale, luckily it was. I gave it a quick tour asked what he wanted for it, waited a few weeks and put up with some shenanigans, gave it a test drive and just before the 4th of July I bought that sucker.

It was hard in the time period before buying it to not think too much of what needed to be done and what I wanted to do to it, in the event that the sale fell through. But, when the title was in hand the demolition began with big dreams and high energy.

That was three weeks ago, granted I went on one last road trip in the Previa to the midwest in the middle, but now I sit here having just finished the new flooring and painting the walls, slightly exhausted. Last I'd checked the work tally was up to about 37 hours of work and several hundreds of dollars of materials.

Stay tuned for the final pictures but here are some before and during renovation pictures.

Also, if you or anyone you know would like to buy a Toyota Previa with a full living setup, give me a shout!

All ready for game night!

So excited to have a sweet cooking setup and a fridge!

The above are pre-remodel and the following are during.

Fresh Paint!

Ripped out this ceiling panel because of rot and water damage.

New floor!

Part of the bathroom removal

Most of the bathroom

All of the bathroom

Quivers for All!

Coloradans love their quivers, there is no questioning that; you can talk to just about any active local Coloradan and many of the folks that have moved here and are blending in, what their favorite ski, bike, climbing shoes, fill in the gear blank. You'll likely receive a response something along the lines of "Well...for_____? Or ________? I've got my powder, rock, resort, backcountry, nordic, skate etc. skis for all those different conditions (or lack of), or downhill, crosscountry, cruiser, road bikes...or slab, offwidth, thin crack, sport, all day, climbing shoes."  

Photo by Elliot Bernhagen

I realized this morning while driving from a local bouldering area to scout out a new fly fishing area, before swimming some laps and going for a mountain bike ride with my uncle, that I have quivers for my quiver of sports. Yes, I have a problem and I'm not trying to solve it at the moment, as the more that I considered it I began to consider that this might be the key to dealing with unexpected variances in weather, energy levels, availability of partners etc. This spring has been rainy and full of work and so climbing has been side lined in favor of fly fishing and a bit of mountain biking. When weather has been better and partners more abundant, I climb. It's been awesome because it means that instead of wallowing in a coffee shop while it rains I still get outside (I do also acknowledge that here in the west I've been spoiled by the 330+ days of sun each year). 

Not stellar ski conditions? Try ski blading!
Photo by Todd Babos

The downside of course to all of this is those dolla billz, and finding ways to fund all of these experiences and passions. I find that I am constantly turning down more sports because I lack the room in the van for a kayak or surf board and because those funds are better spent on refining my current quivers. Growing up I always thought of myself having a summer activity and a winter activity and that was my quiver. I find it's not quite so simple any more with the fair and foul weather outdoor pursuits for every season...but eight sports isn't so many right? 

How many sports are in your quiver? Why? Which would you like to add?

Perfect temps in a nice weather window on Moonlight Buttress in Zion N.P.
Photo by Derek Chang

Great weather on a ski tour in the Elk Mountains.
Photo by Todd Babos

Zambia travel journal #2: understanding the rainy season.

3-2-14

Ahh the adventure of uncomfortable moments… After getting into Mbala after catching a ride from Kasama without any issues I tried to resupply my wallet via the local ATMs, however none of them would accept any of my cards so a little frustrated we departed the town; though not before swinging by to see a couple of Nick’s friends Lazarus and Annock and having a quick beer, that was a bit more leisurely than intended, resulting in a dusky departure for the start of our 20K bike ride to Nick’s village.
I’d say spirits were high while avoiding being clothes-lined by fences and navigating the dirt roads by failing light and we actively convinced ourselves and each other that this was the best course of action. Then the rains began, just a few small drops here and there, growing in to more of a misty fine rain. So as per Nick’s direction we pulled over and did our best to batten down the hatches and protect our stuff as best we could from the water, as Nick so accurately said “It can just open up at the drop of a hat here.” So after hopping back on our bikes and riding for a few more minutes, the rains acted just as Nick has predicted and really introduced me to the reason they call it the rainy season. Were we bothered, ha! Of course not, it was just part of the adventure after all, so we continued barreling on, now in total darkness, down a flooded and actively washing out, pot hole ridden dirt road with no moon or stars to guide our way with some laughter and physical exertion to keep us warm and spirits high. Packs and packages were lashed down and despite the conditions we were making pretty decent, time all things considered.

The culprit

I distinctly remember on one fairly mellow spot the thought of ‘Oh man all this mud cannot be good for the life of these chains’ popping in to my head. That single though was all the encouragement my chain needed and then there was a ping CRGHHHHH and my chain suddenly became a lot straighter. So we stopped and regrouped at the nearest house with a family cooking up dinner on their porch while the rains continued to fall. We busted out the bike repair kit the Peace Corps had supplied Nick with, only to discover a fully disassembled chain tool. Upon reassembly, we realized that one of the tool’s crucial parts that punches out the pins of a bike chain was conveniently snapped off, but that was just an opportunity for some extra Macgyver points, and so with a little teamwork and creative engineering we muddled our way through the process of getting the chain put back together. During this process I turned to Nick and said (half as a warning and half as an excuse for the dicey workmanship on the chain) something along the lines of the chain being pretty much toast and it would be a miracle held through the rest of the ride. Regardless, we were unfazed as we hopped back on our bikes to continue on with our mission. Two pedal strokes later, snap zzzzzz and the chain was off again.

The drying process, luckily no harm was done.

So we hopped back off and walked the bikes back to the house and inspect the chain to find that the repaired link totally mangled. So we returned once more to set up our make shift chain repair shop. After spending some time fixing the chain once again, watching the family watch us and admiring the stars that came out with the clearing of the storm; the chain was fixed once again. This time before embarking into the darkness we reassessed our situation and with my chain being as unreliable as the minibuses we has been riding the past week, we decided another 15K of bad roads in the darkness to Nick’s house wasn’t maybe the best bet. So with our tails between our legs we began our retreat back to Mbala and the promise of food and a bed at Annock & Laz’s house. After a half mile of pedaling along, cuhchunk and the chain was 15 feet behind us lying in the mud for the third time. This time we discovered that it had snapped in an entirely new spot. We walked, talked and marveled at the constellations overhead for a good 40 minutes before coming to the final downhill to our destination that I could coast down. We were warmly received, despite our soaked, muddy and late arrival. We feasted on some chili mac, spread out our stuff to dry and proceeded to crater into bed with the intention of sorting everything out in the morning. 

The dance floor at Laz & Annock's

A few curious kids checking out the visitor.

Setting off once more with a perfectly balanced load.

Zambia journal #1

2-26-14

I feel as though I am watching another one of the hundreds of adventure films that I have and continue to enjoy. I am only semi-lucid as I take my seat on a bus packed to the gills with Zambians and sticking out like sore thumbs, Nick and I. It’s closing in on 6am and the bus we’re on is headed from Lusaka to Livingstone.

Well worth a little lost sleep and a slightly uncomfortable bus ride.

As soon as I shut my eyes the film begins to play, the chaos of so many people in such a small space is the opening soundtrack and the camera begins to pan out from me using my duffel as a pillow on my lap; as the angle gets wider the Ipod I’m plugged into begins to play Gregory Alan Isakov’s Stable Song. Slowly the bus groans to life and begins to plow its way through the hustle and bustle of taxi drivers, waiting passengers, drunks, merchants and all of their friends, a startling three minutes ahead of schedule. Only six hours (hopefully) to our destination, new adventures and who knows what else.

This was certainly one of the best out of body experiences that I’ve ever had, entertaining and perfectly cliché. Certainly what I felt and saw was made possible by the fact that I’d not slept for more than seven hours in the past 72. Game on.

2-27-14

The Green is the path I took over the course of my trip.
Photo: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/zambia/map_of_zambia.jpg

After an evening of drinking and revelry with retirement to a real bed, it is no exaggeration to say that I feel reborn, comfortably waking up a 730 after a solid eight hours of sleep. I enjoy a hot shower (a luxury for the style I was traveling in while in Africa) and sit around the quiet but active hostel to journal, ponder and juice up my Ipod in anticipation of another long travel day ahead. The goal for the day is to catch a free bus in a couple of hours from the hostel to Victoria Falls, wander around, take some pictures and see what there is to see, then return to Livingstone proper, grab our packs  and hitch north, hopefully to Lusaka (the capitol city). Over the next couple days it is my intent to hitch and catch busses from the Southern border up to the Northern border with Tanzania, where Nick’s site with the Peace Corps is. To prepare I have put on my adventure pants and can do attitude, as well as stretching my neck as I anticipate a lot of smiling and nodding over the course of the trip (my go to action when locals talk at me in one of the dozens of dialects that I cannot even begin to understand). 

A two year reunion as Victoria Falls.

That is the spray coming back up, not a cloud on the left side.

Living in a Van During the Winter Part 2: The Necessities

Whenever people find out that I live in a van I am pretty consistently asked three questions that might vary in construction but have the same gist. 1. Where do you shower? 2. Where do you go to the bathroom? 3. Where do you park? In the winter often a 'Doesn't it get cold?' gets thrown in there pretty regularly also.

#8 Showering is one of the easier questions to field particularly during the winter. Basically, the way I see it is during the winter either you're super hardcore (read: not me) and you have to options: snow baths or no showers, pretty burly either way. Or you shower at friends houses and community centers with a few sink spritz ups to see you through longer shower less periods which is fairly normal van dwelling protocol.

#9 or is it #2...Unless you're living in a real RV chances are you don't have a full blown bathroom in your vehicle unless you've retro fitted your Outback's passenger seat with an after market hole or something of that ilk. And so you are faced with a dilemma, a where and when to do. This van life issue is magnified and really only becomes an issue during the winter, as during the summer in a pinch one can always dig a little cat hole somewhere, step outside at night to relieve that pressure etc. Getting out of one's sleeping bag in the middle of the night is unappealing, forget getting out of your home into knee deep snow to go pee. And so the simple solution that truckers have been using for decades is a simple pee bottle. There has been an ongoing discussion between myself and one of my cousins about the potentially harmful effects of human urine on grass (basing this on the observations of dogs) and I think that if you are emptying your pee bottles on lawns or areas that might be an eye sore it might be worthwhile using grass saver to minimize your impact. Stay tuned in the spring for more on how bottle dumping in a regular location can alter the local ecology.

When the situation in the winter is more dire, particularly after a morning coffee, the best solution I can offer is a real bathroom, whether at a workplace, library, your coffee shop (they started it...) or if you're really hardcore you could invest in wag bags or a poop tube, which is perfect for practicing for climbing your next big wall, El Cap? Baffin? Zion? The poop tube could be a perfect way to transport you to your dream climbing destination while taking care of business.

#10 Heating is a tricky subject. Before the last post I was steadfast in my belief that heaters were for sissys and all you really need is a bit of insulation in the walls, a warm sleeping situation and a "if you're gonna be dumb you gotta be tough" attitude. Now...I'm not so sure as I got kind of sick just before the new year and the more I think about it, the more I've come to realize that it is probably a result of sleeping in -25F and forcing my body to keep itself warm rather than keeping my immune system in tip top shape. So, this past week I have begun using a rather rudimentary heating system while I am sleeping. To be clear this system doesn't keep the van a sweltering 75F. It mostly serves to simply take the sharp edge off the air and I find myself remaining in my down jacket. I've definitely found myself sleeping without waking to a frozen nose in the night and found that I have been slowly getting over this sickness, that's now just a lingering cough rather than pneumonia that my mom thinks it would be otherwise. Don't worry I'll remain a slightly compromised van purist with this heating system, at least until a cold snap like the one on the east coast at the moment, then I'll follow the Weldin Way and get one of these things.

My Improvised heater, terracotta pots are hard to come by but empty paint cans are not and seem to work well.

#11 Hot beverages are one thing that I fully endorse. I'm not bothered if it's tea, coffee, hot chocolate or hot water (believe me, all have been consumed in large quantities in the van) all are equally awesome when it's cold out and your hands are frozen from scraping the inside of your windshield, handling cold clothes etc. And they're good for you even if you don't live in a van, so I encourage you all do take a beverage break, if you're of age I encourage a drop of whiskey or schnapps to spice things up (kids you get to wait until your parents leave their drink unattended for a responsibly sized sip).

On that note I think I'm going to prolong this series (yes, it's a series now) as a result of the number of cups of coffee I've consumed this morning and the fact that my shaking hands are severely compromising my ability to type.

So in the next post I'll cover van life entertainment, how nifty brooms are, reiterate why planning ahead might be helpful (I'm still working on this one myself) and then as per some external inspiration I'll saving food for a grand finale post.

If you're impressed by my use of hyperlinks (a recent discovery) or all the labels, that are like the # things (also a recent discovery) feel free to share my blog with anyone that might like it. If you're unimpressed with any of these things or have feedback/suggestions for me give me a shout!

'Nuff said.

Tips, tricks and the shortcomings of winter van living P.1

So I should preface this post with the statement that the following points are in no particular order and all can be equally valid when living in a vehicle during the colder months or might be all equally irrelevant, sometimes it's hard to say.

The van loves snow so much that sometimes it even needs to be pushed into moving. 

#1 Wine and beer do not freeze well. (This is number one because the learning experience was a rather poignant one.) I think this one is fairly self-explanatory, if you freeze them through the bottles will explode and leave you with a wine or beer slushy all over the interior of your vehicle. This will make you sad.

#2 Small scented candles are wonderful. During the winter I have found that I'm less inclined to let the van 'air' out as that's also letting out precious heat. As a result of this the smell of cooking, flatulence and dirty clothes can linger. If you're driving anyone around or spending anytime kicking it in your van/car yourself it can be nice to just sweep that eau d' you under the rug with a scented candle until you get a break in the weather for an air out session. Nice bonus is the heat gained from the candle flame, it's just the right size to warm your hands over in the morning or before climbing into bed.

#3 Water can be a bit tricky for the same reason (though not as messy) as #1. My way around water freezing solid, and thus inaccessible in water bottles or bladders is a little personalized but you may be able to extrapolate or adapt this strategy for yourselves. I will use what ever water I need at night for cooking and hot beverages and the remaining water is divided between my kettle (a standard enameled camping kettle) and my coffee percolator, so that in the morning I am able to reach over to my stove from the security and warmth of my sleeping bag and set those two to boiling, thus minimizing my time spent in the cold air and raising the level of stoke while waiting for a hot cup of coffee. Basically, just store your water in a place where, when it freezes you can easily melt it.

Remember in the winter time if you run out of water and you're in a snowy environment, in a pinch you can always melt snow, though it can be rather time consuming to get a sizable quantity of water this way but if you live in a van, chances are you have the time. Just stay away from snow that's not white...

#4 Layering. If you've spent anytime being active in the cold you understand the importance of layering. If you have not, the idea is as you get warmer you can drop layers and still maintain decent warmth and as you get cold you can add layers to trap warmth. This is true for the winter van dweller also but can be applied to more than just your clothes. I use layering in my sleeping set up as my sleeping bag is not sufficient alone on -20F nights so I have a light cotton liner (this is also for ease of washing), and several blankets and a quilt I can pile on top of my sleeping bag for the coldest nights. On warmer nights I might just sleep with my sleeping bag unzipped and as a blanket.

#5 Just to keep things complicated a super warm puffy is awesome and pretty much a requirement. Mine is one from PHD, you can check out their stuff via the link over >. This is awesome for when you first emerge from your sleeping bag, into your chilly interior or more importantly for when you venture out into the frigid world you are choosing to live in. A puffy just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, literally and figuratively.

#6 Mess control. I'm still working on this one myself as my messes seem to ebb and flow but basically it's even easier to turn that small living environment into a pig stye during the winter than during the summer because you're wearing more layers that eventually have to be taken off and put somewhere, I, at least, am less inclined to organize in the cold because I'm hesitant to open doors and let out the warm air. Washing dishes is also less appealing because wet hands are cold hands and that sucks in the winter. This can be mitigated by washing dishes at work or friends houses where it's warm or by sucking it up and doing them in warm water and having a quick way to dry your hands, or just by not doing them and eating off dirty dishes.
                                    
                                             Argh, the dreaded mess can befall even me.

#7 Drying stuff kind of goes hand-in-hand with #6 in that when you're tromping around in the snow or whatever your clothes will get wet, whether it's from sweat or snow, and if you're like me and enjoy a winter sport or two then you know that ski or ice boots love to collect ice in all their nooks and crannies  and that it is far from the most enjoyable feeling to jam your toasty feet into a frozen liner and wait for your feet to thaw it out and then rewarm them. To avoid this, if possible put them in front of your vents when driving (this is imperfect but helps) or whenever possible bring them inside, this goes for liners as well as layers. I know that I try and wear wet layers in to work to hang and dry while I'm doing my thing.

A sample of a growing mess - note the missing boot liners.

Dampness is a huge thing in the winter van living because it is so present. This is a result as I said of bringing in the moisture from the outside as well as the condensation that occurs while sleeping, which is fairly unavoidable. I'm currently trying to experiment with silica and/or rice to absorb some of that moisture and I'll hopefully have results fairly soon to share.

I have spontaneously decided to make this a two part post as this is getting to be longer than anticipated and I am still just a little ways through my list and have not even gotten to some of the juicy stuff (besides boot liners).

So stay tuned for details on potty talk and personal hygiene, cooking, entertainment, heaters and my thoughts on planning. Until then here are a few pictures to keep the psyche high.

A day out climbing in December at the Puoux in Glenwood.

A delightful day in the backcountry with the Pearces. Looking over the Roaring Fork Valley.