Date: June 28th, 2006
It’s been an insane week of flying here in the Rockies, I’ve flown about ten hours in the last three days. I put up some photos of the last day here. It just doesn’t get any better in the Rockies!
Kim and I hiked Lady Mac on the 24th, had a super fun flight in very strong conditions, just touring around the valley.
Kim, Graham and I flew Golden on the 25th, a nice 50K+ out and back. Blue day, but good lift. Flew the Boomerang IV.
On the 26th Frank, Doug and I wrangled a heli ride to the Lady Mac Launch, nice to just step out of the heli and be ready to go. Frank has had some health issues or we would have walked, at least that’s my story, grin. Super crazy good flying, about the best I’ve had the last year. It was a go-anywhere kind of day, so we ran a task down to Lake Minnewanka and back, then I flew around some more including directly over the top of the Three Sisters. Amazing day!
Workouts:
Got a quick one in the 26th after flying at the Vsion, mainly finger/core power/Cross-Fit mix. Went to Heart last night with Kevin, Scott and Greg. Left the house at 5:00 and walked out of Heart at 10:00 just pounded, managed to send a harder route and deja vu (I’ve done the routes before but damned if I can remember ’em) a bunch of stuff in the Bayon. Greg sent his second 12a, his goal is to climb 13a by the end of the summer, should be possible. My base fitness is hangin in there well despite all the paragliding of late, if I can just climb one day a week and hit the plastic gym a couple of times it seems to work out.
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 24th, 2006
I survived the Conan show and so did Conan despite his best efforts–he chose to “summit” the mock iceberg, which had the producers a bit freaked out as that wasn’t planned and there was no padding on the far side of the wall, so Conan’s head was about 15 feet off the concrete… Conan is actually a decent athlete and didn’t fall off, impale himself or me with an ice tool, break a leg, in short the long list of concerns the show’s producer went through with me at length and with intensity just before I walked on didn’t happen.
Doing the show was as intense as anything I’ve ever done, I can see why people get addicted to the pace and glam factor of big-time media–I did my normal comp or hard climb warmup before I went out, I needed to get rid of the bats flapping around my stomach. Backstage was pretty fun, I got to meet some “real” famous people–the actor Ty Reece said he might try ice climbing one day but not anytime soon. Kate Blankinsett (sp?) is indeed pretty damn hot, but she didn’t show much interest in the guy ripping up the floor with his crampons on while waiting to go out (that’d be me). I had a pose-down contest with the actor playing the Incredible Hulk, I did not win that one, going to have to work on the old double-bicep pose some more (read, I’ll need to get some biceps and he definitely has some.).
It was full madness, as was the evening with some friends in NYC after the show. I went straight from the show to Chelsea Piers climbing wall and got a great session in on there with Ivan and his bud Rex, thanks for the pump! My old friend Les runs the Chelsea walls, good to see faces from my sport climbing past still at the game. We did a tour of bars in Manhattan afterwards, somehow the Red Bull guys had amazing hookups. I of course missed my flight yesterday morning and felt like ass all the way home, but it was worth it.
I’m now back home in Canmore, it’s a spliiter blue day and time to get outside and give ‘er a bit. I’ll publish some photos from the Conan show when I get ’em, should be some fun stuff there…
Workouts: In the midst of all the travel and general chaos I’ve actually managed to keep some degree of climbing fitness with bouldering and climbing gym visits, sent my first really hard rock (for me) route last week. It’s been hard to find the time/energy with everything that’s been going on, but climbig keeps me sane when everything else isn’t. I’m definitely addicted to just slapping chalk on my hands, I care less and less about where, just going climbing on something is what’s most important to me these days.
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 22nd, 2006
Somehow I’m in New York City to do a show on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” I feel a bit like saying, “Um, you know I’m not exactly Adam Sandler?” I bring that up ’cause I’m watching Conan’s show right now and Adam Sandler is the first guest (Figured I should do some research before going on the show..). I’m probably going to get bit by Triumph the Insult Dog, a sock puppet sketch gag Conan uses. Triumph alienated half of Canada when he insulted all of Quebec a year or so back with some pretty over-the-top (OK, I laughed at it…) comedy at Quebec’s expense. I don’t think I’ll bring up why I went to NYC when I return through customs in Calgary on the way home, they’ll probably strip search me or something. Anyhow, I’m pretty nervous about the whole experience, I haven’t done this sort of thing before. Conan’s back from break and there on the screen interviewing Adam Sandler again, who is actually funny, and funny is what people on the show want. What the hell is funny about climbing icebergs, which is apparently what we’re going to talk about? Icebergs rolling over with me on them isn’t too funny, or even if they rolled over on Ben Firth, who I did the iceberg climbing trip with. So I’m pretty nervous about it all–I’m fundamentally a dirtbag in need of a haircut, here I am in NYC in some monster hotel suite getting ready to do a TV show that’s broadcast world-wide. I’m going to have to remember not to swear, not to fart excessively loudly, no picking my nose, in short it’s going to be just like going to visit my grandparents when I was a kid. So I’m nervous.
I just noticed that everyone on the show is wearing nice clothes. I brought two dirty T-shirts and some chalk-covered Arc’teryx pants ’cause I want to bust it to the climbing gym tomorrow night after the show. Doh.
OK, now Conan has got some freak wrestler on the show, a guy named John Ceena or something. He’s at least wearing a T Shirt, but has the steroid-enhanced frame to make a T-Shirt look good. I’ve got arms like a 10-year old. This show is giving an inferiority complex already, my hands are sweating like I’m 20 feet out on bad gear. I’m gonna have to chalk up and send it. I tape from 5 to 6 tomorrow night, Conan just mentioned that I’ll be on the show, jesus!
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 20th, 2006
We just finished up with Karen McNeill’s memorial. I went into it feeling sad, that’s just how it is and has been. Life moves forward, but there’s always a sad presence in my mind. Today I listened to the stories of Karen’s life, and they lifted my spirits through remembering hers. There are friends from all over the world in town, and it’s good to see so many people connected with Karen. She spun a big web of friends, and I’m happy to have been a small strand of that. Some of the Morley First Nation’s people attended, and added some deep drumming, along with some wild art from the classes she taught at the school there: life-sized paper pants painted up to match Karen’s infamous choices for clothing. I “stole” a pair, they will hang with pride in our house. I was impressed with how diverse Karen’s web is–at times it would have been hard to believe the speakers were talking about the same women. Perhaps one measure of a well-lived life is how broad a spectrum your friends span; Karen’s was one hell of a rainbow.
Sue was also there in my mind, I’m going to miss her too. Many of us at the memorial knew both women, and they are linked in all our minds for their climbs together and what a friend called,”Putting the girly back into climbing.” I always respected Sue’s opinions, even if we were both sure the other was a taco short of a combination plate at times. “Fiesty” was an oft-used word when describing Sue, and I will miss that energy whether she was talking about climbing or whatever was on her super-charged mind at the time.
I wish that these gatherings of the community happened under “better” circumstances, but they are also an opportunity to see the web in tangible form, even with some strands missing. The web of life will be there long after all of us are gone, Karen and Sue helped the web shine in the sun for me. Mt. Foraker is about the most beautiful resting place I can imagine, and I’ll always look at photos of it with the knowledge that Karen and Sue are now part of that beauty. Peace to the families and friends of both women.
WG
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 14th, 2006
I’ve had a bunch of people email and ask about the memorials for Karen and Sue, here’s the info.
Karen McNeill: 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20th, at the Canmore Seniors Centre located at 600 9th Street in Canmore, Alberta.
Sue Nott: A Celebration of Life for Sue Nott will be held at the Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Colorado on Sunday, June 18, at 1:00 PM.
WG
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 13th, 2006
Karen and Sue
The rescue mission for my friends on Foraker has officially ended, as the rangers believe there is realisticially no hope of finding the two women alive. I’ve felt this way for some time, but really hoped I was wrong. The rangers will continue to fly with the hope of possibly recovering their bodies or at least gathering some more information on what went wrong. I would like to commend the Rangers and Denali National Park for a job well done both on the rescue and conveying information to the public and friends about what was happening with the search. It’s very easy to let a slight mis-wording or piece of bad information turn into something confusing for everyone during a high-profile rescue, yet the rangers kept it very smooth. The rangers also gave a lot of information quickly and accurately; I had some inside information, but was always impressed with how quickly that information was availible publicly–usually within minutes of the families hearing it. I have full faith that the Denali Rangers and everyone else who worked on the rescue did a great job, and that is very comforting. I know Karen and Sue’s friends from around the world who followed the rescue on the web appreciated the information even if the news wasn’t good. No rescuers were also lost despite hours and hours of dangerous high-altitude flying, which is a testament to the skill and dedication of all involved. Good job and thanks to all who worked on the rescue and conveying information to all of us.
Plans for the memorials to both women are near-finalized. If, against the longest odds imaginable, my friends do somehow show up it will be a joy to cancel their memorials.
Yukon
I’ve spent the last week up in the Yukon researching the flying there for a possible paragliding competition the locals want to put on next year. I felt almost guilty at times for chasing thermals while the fate of my two friends was still undecided, but I’m certain that both Karen and Sue would have heckled me mercilessly if I had cancelled the trip because they were missing. That’s not a very logical thought, but damned it it doesn’t bring a smile to my face.
I’ll write something up on flying in the Yukon once I get my feet back under me here, but the short version is that the Yukon has some great flying based on a very active and enthusiastic group of local pilots. Despite being a bit distracted with Karen and Sue I had a fantastic time both flying and “parawaiting” with the locals. Two hours before my flight yesterday afternoon I cored a last thermal, that’s how it works in Whitehorse. More later.
WG
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 10th, 2006
Karen and Sue
Two friends, Karen and Sue, are missing in Alaska. They left basecamp on the 12th of May and and started up the challenging Infinite Spur route on Mt. Foraker on May 14. A rescue effort started about a week ago when friends became concerned that they had not been seen on the descent route, which faces Denali and is pretty easy to see with binoculars. At this point the details of where and when they were last seen, tracks, and gear found at the base just do not add up to a good outcome. The pair likely ran out of fuel and food over a week ago, and without fuel there’s no way to melt snow for water. No water means no life. There are stil lingering thoughts of hope along the lines that they have descended the back side of the mountain all the way to tree line and are, to quote a friend, “Roasting porcupines and wondering how the hell to get out of the woods.” If the two are in fact alive it would be the survival story of the century, and I would love to get the good news. But reality is harsh on hope most of the time in these situations. Friends are starting to plan memorial services, and personally I ache for the families of both women.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time with both Karen and Sue over the years; Karen has always been generous with her research, time and smiles. Karen had started to really make her climbing life work, yet remained very honest about what she did and how. Some “Professional” climbers seem to be on a quest to support their own egos, Karen was on a quest to climb in stupendous places with close friends, and did so with a modesty that was as refreshing as sticking your head in a glacial stream. I just realized I wrote the above in past tense; I would so love to be wrong!
Last year Sue and I, along with a couple of other friends, had a long discussion about alpinism. She sat on the steps in our house and just went off, it was impressive. Her energy and bounce were all out of proportion to her size, in the best possible way. I also remember Karen sitting on those same steps at a party with glitter all over the place, those two memories make me bust a smile right now.
I’m feeling very conflicted about alpine climbing at the moment. The sublime beauty of the mountains is absolutely worth exploring them, but mountains are so damn big and oblivious to the small human ants scurrying around on them. Karen and Sue are yet two more friends I miss deeply. I so hope they are instilling fear in the porcupines of Denali National Park, but know intellectually that this just isn’t likely. Peace to their families and friends around the world.
WG, up in the Yukon.
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 4th, 2006
This morning looked grim–foggy, windy and building high clouds. Somehow it all cleaned up by about 12:00, and a short (42.5K) task was called. Waiting for the start in the air was interesting–it was very windy above about 7,000 feet (I use feet in US meets to keep it simpler), we kept drifting downwind at high rates of speed up high. But the cloud flying was amazing–I think there was some sort of wave action, we were able to surf the front of clouds at least 1500 feet above base, a rare treat in paragliding.
The task was a couple of laps around the local Wood Rat valley, then off into the small hills of the Rogue valley. I had a solid start and hammered around the first two laps in the lead with Eric Reed, the conditions were really nice with smooth glides and fast climbs. Eric and I were able to glide the first two laps with only one thermal, but had to use a lot of bar on the into the wind legs. Most of the field wasn’t far behind us, which lent motivation to pushing on the speed bar. We then headed out into the Rogue valley and got slowed down–Bruce Goldsmith, Bill Belcourt and a couple of others caught us, and we all climbed together in a weak thermal. I was sure that there had to be something better and left to go find it. I thought the hills were going to work better than the flats, but got flushed out of them and very low, about 200 feet above the ground, but I could just tell it was going to work and sure enough I was able to slowly grovel back into the sky. Unfortunately Bill and the others had gone on glide to goal by then, with Bill into goal first. I’m pretty sure he won the meet as he also did well on the first task. I played it conservative into goal, once I’ve lost the lead I’d rather be solid in getting to goal than land early as many pilots did. In the end there were probably 20+ pilots into goal, amazing given how the day looked. I don’t know where I placed but had a great flight. It’s always better to end a meet with a good day of flying!
Workouts:
Last night I hit the Rogue Rock gym again, and started out by learning how to slack line instead of climbing for about 45 minutes, super fun. I’ve only tried slacklining a few times, I’m going to have set one up in my yard for the future. Got a good session of bouldering on the crew there, we ended up in keeping the gym open to beat ourselves up on a cool hard route into the night, a great workout. I really like visiting different gyms as I travel, I always meet good people and have a good time. The Rogue Gym is a good gym if you’re ever in the Medford area, well worth a visit.
Posted in: Blog
Date: June 3rd, 2006
The last three days have been rained out. It happens.
Workouts: A fair amount of drinking, running, climbing in the Rogue Rock gym, Yoga and drinking has gone on and been fun.
Posted in: Blog
