For most of us, it seems, there is the distinct possibility that we wouldn’t be where we are today without the help and support of our parents. I know I wouldn’t be who I am today without the unconditional love and complete support of my parents. When I was a kid they drove me all over the place so that I could go to mountain bike races, and on hiking and backpacking trips. As an adult they have embraced my decision to be a full-time climbing guide. In fact they might even be my biggest followers and promoters of this site.

So, if your mom is anything like my Mom, remember to thank her today and everyday for being a wonderful, hard-working person and helping you to achieve success in this life. Thank you dad too; he’ll appreciate it;)

I don’t generally post just a link, but this one is worth a look. Quite inspirational and good to remember when you’re having a hard time out there. Here is the link to a post on the Alpine Endeavors Blog. Enjoy and be thankful for all the good things you are able to do in  this life.

Black Diamond has had a “Journal” section on their website for a while now. They post all sorts of things: reports about products, equipment testing results and humorous videos.

I’ve been watching the “Winger for the Weekend” for a few months now. I look forward to every week’s post and have watched many of the older posts. If you want a rollicking gut laugh watch of few of these videos.

Some of my favorites are #64 (I laughed until I cried), #63 (Talking Kitty part 2), and #54 (the yosemitebear double rainbow). You can also find them on the BD website by searching for “winger for the weekend”.

Have fun and don’t forget to share these links.

We’re just about settled in our new place in the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts. I’ve been trying to check out the local crags whenever possible to sample the really fine climbing here. The other day I was out walking just behind my house (there is a trail straight out of the backyard) and I took this picture down by the lake. I’m pretty sure the excessive amount of goldenrod in bloom right now is the source of my snot faucet, but it’s pretty nonetheless.

Not climbing talk, I know. Heck, most climbers like beer though. I know I do. I frequently stand scratching the scruff on my chin as I pore over a beverage center’s beer selection. There is a lot of beer out there, and the microbrew and high-gravity ale revolution is in full swing in the United States. On the east coast there are a number of really outstanding breweries to sample. If you enjoy a frosty cold one just a bit more than once in a while and haven’t already, be sure to check out the breweries listed below.

Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown NY

Ommegang may be the finest Belgian-style beer brewery in the United States. I’ve drunk a lot of this stuff. Particularly the Abbey Ale and the Hennepin. Their beers are bottle conditioned so rack them away for a while in a cool dark place or at the back of your refrigerator if you have that kind of self control. While you can buy these beers in 12 oz. bottles they’re better in the 25 oz. cork top bottle-conditioned bottles. Priced at $7-8/25 oz bottle they’re reasonably priced as well. The Abbey Ale is my favorite U.S. beer of that genre and perhaps my favorite beer. The Hennepin might be the best U.S. example of a saison (a farmhouse ale, which is a bit like a winey hefeweizen). These beers are well worth the money and time, but don’t drink too much. Like many other Belgian beers they’re heavy on the malt, making them warm fuzzy hangover machines.

Dogfish Head, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Look out! I was initially averse to the Dogfish Head beers, but I’ve been won over and they’re another one of my favorites. They make some pretty good IPA’s, which I’m not generally a fan of. However, they drink much more like strong ales, with a little less hoppiness than most IPA’s. You really can’t go wrong with any of their beers. They’re getting to be more popular, and in terms of availability, are a bit the way Sierra Nevada was 10 years ago. The 90 Minute IPA (available in 4 packs) is a great place to start.

Troegs Brewing Company, Mechanicsburg, PA

Another brewery that makes good tasting beer all-around. I guess they must not have much else to do in Pennsyltucky. They aren’t terribly high-gravity but they taste great. The sampler 12-pack is a good place to start. The Hopback Amber Ale is particulary good, and worth getting your hands on. Again this beer can be hard to find outside of the Mid-Atlantic so definitely try it when you get the chance.

Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA

Wow. These guys are hitting homeruns left and right. Again, a sampler is the way to go for starters. Golden Monkey packs a real punch (don’t drink more than a few) with serious sweetness and high gravity, even for a trippel. The Hop Devil and Prima Pils are very fine beers, you really can’t get much better than them in their genre (American IPA and Pilsner respectively). Victory beer is on the pricey side and when I feel like spending a little extra it’s definitely an outstanding choice.

Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth, NH

Good old reliable Smuttynose. It’s easy to find in supermarkets and beverage centers. It tastes good. Most of their beer is, all things considered, reasonably priced. This is routinely my brewery of choice for regular beer drinking. They have a big bottle (25 oz.) series with many seasonally available beers to try. They’re all good. I have been enjoying the Wheat Wine (big) and the Summer Weizen on hot days (of which there were many this summer). Their beer is eminently drinkable and widely available. Keep up the good work boys.

Have fun with this list, I know I do!

About 8 years ago, one year out of college, I moved to Bend, Oregon. Actually, my girlfriend at the time and I set out from Burlington, Vermont with no particular destination in mind. We knew we wanted to live somewhere out west. After thousands of miles and several weeks of traveling in a fully loaded pickup truck we arrived in central Oregon. At that time Bend was a popular destination for recently graduated Larries (St. Lawrence University graduates). It seemed like a pretty hip outdoor town and we couch surfed with some friends for a few weeks while we found a place to live.

During that time we struck up a friendship with a nice couple from Maine who had also recently relocated to Bend. They were Thor and Sarah (along with their dog Ocean) and they were friendly, funny and perhaps feeling a bit isolated, as we were. Being in a new town with no friends is hard and companionship eases one’s transition when you’re in a new place. We quickly became fast friends with Thor and Sarah, whom we shared a New England bond with. They were both from Maine, and like us, shared a love for the outdoors.

Our stay in Bend lasted for only one year. Thor and Sarah stayed there a few more years but they too have come home to the northeast. They now live in Lincolnville, Maine and run a day and multi-day sailing excursion business called Thorfinn Expeditions along the coast of Maine and beyond. Their custom boat, a Presto 30, has a really shallow draft so it can be sailed into coves and around shoals where most other boats can’t go.

Thorfinn Expeditions offers a number of cool day trips and can do custom trips that involve multiple sports. The small nimble Presto 30 can be used to approach maritime climbing areas and rocky coves for sea kayaking. Thor, the boat’s captain is a really competent sea kayaker and climber  and has extensive experience traveling on both the Atlantic and Pacific maritime coasts.

If you’re interested in sailing along the Maine coast and want a unique experience, or are looking for a different way of approaching the climbing at Acadia give Thor a call or shoot him an email. He’ll show you a good time and make sure you have a safe experience. I’m hoping to make the Thorfinn my approach vessel for a southern Newfoundland rock trip just as soon as I can.

My old camera, a Panasonic Lumix TZ-4, travelled with me everywhere I went. Over the past year I took thousands of images with that camera. It was a relatively basic point-and-shoot camera with a 28mm lens. Panasonic has been using Leica lenses in their cameras and the image quality is pretty darn good.

I let the camera hang off of a shoulder sling with the lens open (camera in the “ON” position) a bit too often and after about a year now the lens has a lot of scratches. The image quality was affected by these scratches, especially when shooting in bright daylight conditions.

My new camera, a Lumix ZS-5, arrived from B&H last week and I could barely contain my excitement. I could care less about the even bigger zoom than my old model. What I’m psyched about is the 25mm super wide lens (good for getting more into the image), the added megapixels for larger blow ups should I decide to print, and the “M” option. This “manual” option allows the user to adjust the aperture and speed for better images.

We’ll see over the coming weeks, as the leaves turn. I shot these few images at Sandy Hook, down near my folks place.

I unloaded images off of my Blackberry a few days ago and was treated to a few surprises. This may have been the best (along with the Minnewaska sunset from the last post) image there. It’s a shot of my friend Suzy’s house outside Three Forks, MT. They have a sweet spot with a little lake on the property. Standing water is hard to come by in the Rockies and this place seems like a real oasis. Lucky them, I guess. Not a bad shot for a 3 megapixel phone either.