Summer Skies - Nor CA and Southern Oregon

Crack Climbing at Donner Pass, CA

The climbing at Donner Pass is the best I've experienced (so far). There are dozens of big beautiful walls.  The granite is smooth  with long cracks trailing upwards.  The views are vast and it's a short drive from Nevada City.

Learning to crack climb involves learning how to position fingers and hands into thin cracks.  Although I'm still top-roping, it was the most exposed climbing I've done yet.  The rock face was vertical and higher than anything I've climbed on.  The sun appeared and disappeared quickly beneath fast moving clouds.  Wind whipped across my back and challenged me to hold on and focus.  

The view from the top was inspiring and well earned.  Home sweet home... 

Larry David

Thrift Shop Fortune

After a rough morning,
I stopped by a local thrift shop
and tried on a sports coat. 
Folded inside of the coat's breast pocket
was an old fortune from a Chinese restaurant. 
It read: "You will die alone and poorly dressed."

Prettiest Girl in Lithia Park

I'm about to pass by the prettiest girl in Lithia Park 
(and thinking of something clever to say)
when she stops to pick a flower
just beyond her reach. 

Bad Dream

In my dream last night, I slipped off the face of a cliff. 
I had held on for as long as I could before falling.
I squeezed my eyes closed and slammed against the rock as I fell. 
I didn't wake with a sudden jolt.
I woke slowly, calmly, and peacefully. 
- on my bedroom floor.

Bouldering Heaven - Klamath Beach, CA

4 Mile Lake - OR

4 Mile Lake is my new favorite car camping spot. Trout are large, campsites are lakeside and well maintained, kayaking comes with an amazing view of Mt. McLoughlin, and the campground is only an hour away. Landscape around the lake is varied - stretches of bald dead trees, lush green carpets, sandy beaches, slimy coves, and rocky stretches. Water was warm and mosquitoes took the weekend off. 

Looking forward to skiing in next winter - after the access road becomes a nordic trail.