This is my second year in a row taking Appalachian State men out camping in nothing more than a sleeping bag atop one of Tennessee’s highest peaks. The wise ones take heed and prepare for winter conditions. The less-than-wise guys show up in cotton hoodies carrying summer sleeping bags. For them, the coldest night of...
It was a cold and soggy weekend in Boone, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the 300+ climbers who came out to sample some of the best bouldering in the country. Once a year, the private community of Hound Ears swings open their gates and let in the rock climbing community to do their...
Clement turned 8 today and began his birthday celebration with a soccer match. The Animals played hard but were outmatched by their opponents.
Blowing Rock Boulders Bachelor party for Zachary. Fresh from Boulder, CO and ready to be hitched, Zachary joins the WCC gang for some perfect early fall action. Way to rock the shirt for all your fans out there Zachary!
Once again, I’m experimenting with my GoPro camera mounted to my bike. This time, it’s clamped to the rear triangle of the frame. I have the camera set to take still photos every 2 seconds. On any given ride, I usually find that 98% of the shots are duds, but a few surprises often emerge....
Ready, set, go! It’s Saturday morning and I have two hours before the rest of the world needs me. Two hours to look for good light and see what unfolds. I’ll confess, I’ don’t have the patience to be a classical landscape photographer. I don’t usually set up shots before dawn and then wait for...
Snake Mountain is one of my favorite peaks in North Carolina. She’s rugged and off the beaten track. She’s moody and often shrouded in clouds. She may be small by western standards, but she can deliver a serious bite. A winter ascent might have you wading through waist deep snow with arctic wind blasts thrown...
Tonight I was thumbing through I. Harding Hughes, Jr’s book, Valle Crucis, A History of an Uncommon Place. I like the Preface which records the words of the 1989 Valle Crucis Community Council: “The residents are fortunate to live where there is unsurpassed natural beauty and where exists a vibrant past and vigorous present. Those...
On October 1st, one of the premiere bouldering competitions comes to Boone: Hound Ears, part of the Triple Crown Bouldering Series. I joined a small crew of climbers on Saturday to “get the rock ready” for the competition. After a thorough inspection, we declared that the rock was good. Here are some images from the...
I’m back from my summer travels and was treated to an evening bouldering session at Grandmother Mountain with the WCC crew. The light was pretty flat most of the session. But around 8:30pm, the west facing wall we were climbing on took on a cool glow. The images below weren’t taken with any flash, save...
