Settling In

Settling In by Jessica Campbell

Muddy snow sprays from the bald tires of Chase Latta's blue chrysler minivan. We laugh hysterically like the 16 year olds we are. Doing donuts in the Skull Hollow parking lot in the middle of a cold February night beats the hell out of our normal high school lifestyle. The next day we sleep, wake without coffee, and charge towards the sunny walls of Smith Rock State Park. We climb innocent. No ego and no pressure.

Blue Light Special (5.11a) and Liquid Jade (5.12b)

Flash forward to last week. I'm not 16 anymore, but I'm back at Smith, ready for five days on stone that literally directed the course of my life. I learned to push my limits on it's walls and have never looked back.

River

Honcho

Jessica, Chase, Rachel, Max, Ryan, Jasmine, Drew, River, Honcho, and myself (thats a mouthful!) enjoyed a handful of days on the sweeping orange planes of Tuft (the rock type) that is Smith. Sharp crimpers tore tips, tiny feet tested toes, and heady climbing demanded bravery. Smith is awesome.

River watching the sunset

Vision (5.12b)


Go Dog Go (5.12c)

Leavenworth Psyche

Crisp breezes in golden fall and muddy rivers and wild flowers in new spring. Through these scenes we move in search of stone. Crossing rivers, fighting through brush, and hiking up hills come before climbing and that's how we like it. New challenges lurk around each corner and every monkey has a project. Leavenworth rewards a patient, creative approach. Amazing lines exist, but don't reveal themselves readily. Like many, I am passionate about it's domes, boulders, and walls.

This past spring, the psyche was nudged higher with the release of Viktor Kramer's newest edition of Leavenworth Rock. Viktor loves the canyons and it shows; Leavenworth Rock is awesome and inspiring.

Nice job Viktor!

So, if the unseasonable wet spring is getting you down, come out to the canyons and chase the rainshadow. For a little psyche I've uploaded a video shot and made by Max Hasson. Rat Creek Dome is a shady hang on the south side of the Icicle. Last season I led a fun top rope there called Codpiece Crack. Small fiddely gear and sizeable runouts made for some fun sports action. Nice work on the video Max!

Codpiece Crack from Jens Holsten on Vimeo.