Seneca - Rock & Ice #183

Just hitting the stands is Rock & Ice's January issue, 183 with my Seneca Rocks article. Here are some thumbnails.

Seneca

Earlier in the spring I went back East with a few good friends to spend a week climbing and photographing at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia for Rock & Ice Magazine. Unfortunately rain and snow kept us out for the first half of the week so we spent a few days climbing the sheltered overhangs at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. I'd have to say that for me, the Red is THE best sport climbing I've done in North America. I had no endurance and got spanked on the long pumpy routes, but can't wait to take a vacation to go there and just climb.

Mid week the weather settled down so we headed out to Seneca. The January 2010 issue of Rock & Ice features an article on the trip and some of the climbers that have called Seneca home. If you haven't been to Seneca yet, you should check it out. The trad lines are a lot of fun. Here are a few teaser shots.

Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

Seneca Guidebook Author and local coffee shop owner, Tony Barnes

Restaurant, Hotel, Campground and Local Store Owner, Shirley Yokum

Dean Lords excited about an upcoming concert

The start of spring at Seneca

Veterans Day

Here's a shot that seems appropriate today.

Walker Center, Downtown Salt Lake City, UT

Thanks to all our veterans and their families. My condolences go out to the families of those who just lost their lives at Ft. Hood, Texas, my home of two years while serving in the Army.

This We'll Defend

American Alpine Club - Craggin' Classic 2009 Part Deux

Here is a slideshow of the portraits from the American Alpine Club's 2009 Craggin' Classic. Whoever emails me the most complete list of slideshow participants in order of showing by October 25th, 2009, will win a signed 8" x 10" print of their choice.

American Alpine Club - 2009 Craggin' Classic from Nathan Smith on Vimeo.

Photo slideshow of some of the participants of the American Alpine Club's 2009 Craggin' Classic in Salt Lake City, Utah. Taken by Nathan Smith - Pull Photography.

www.pullphotography.com

American Alpine Club - Craggin' Classic 2009

This last weekend, Salt Lake was host to the American Alpine Club's Craggin' Classic, a weekend climber's gathering hosted in a different state each year. I set up a small studio and photographed over 50 participants in just a few hours. I'll post up a more comprehensive viewing later, but for now, here are a few diptych's from the shoot.

Tom Nay

Heath Christensen

Elizabeth Hardwick

Travis Rypkema

Góry Fotoedycja 09

It's been a busy spring/summer with visits to 8 countries, 7 states and thousands of photos taken. Earlier in the year I was introduced to a Polish climbing magazine, Góry. Their Photo Edition was beautiful so I put together a submission and next thing I know they are telling me I got the cover. Here is a peek at The July Photo Edition of Góry. Once I get a copy I'll post more photos.

Christine Balaz on Tofu Crack 5.10, Indian Creek, Utah

Left: Photographer Andrew Burr, Indian Creek, UT. Bottom Right: Dean Lords, Teton Canyon, ID

Top Right:La Sportiva Mountain Team Runner, Jared Campbell, Wasatch Mountains, UT

The Legend - John Bachar 1957-2009

I started climbing in 1992 in a town with a small climbing community, so my link to the “scene” was through climbing magazines, books and videos. There were many names that stood out for me, Jeff Lowe, Wolfgang Gullich, Tony Yaniro, John Long and many, many others, but the one that stood out above the rest was John Bachar. His image leapt off the pages with exposure inducing photos of him soloing (climbing without a rope) groundbreaking climbs. Videos of his exploits in early Masters of Stone made me yearn to be a real climber and head to California and experience the Sierras, Yosemite and Joshua Tree. Tales of his $10,000 bounty to anyone who could follow him for a day put him so far above everyone else that in my mind there was nobody in the climbing world that could ever match John.

Six years later while working for Rockreation in Salt Lake City, I answered a phone call from Boreal USA asking if someone would be available to help them with the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show. Immediately I volunteered and days later my wife and I were setting up a booth in the Salt Palace when John walked in. I immediately recognized him and stood dumbly as he introduced himself and started to help us put the booth together. While working the 4 day show, John patiently answered all my questions about his climbing career, signed autographs and revealed the everyday normal side of himself to me.

Over the next 8 years we saw each other at shows and events and kept planning to meet up to climb together but it never seemed to work out. The Summer OR show in 2006 we hung out and spoke for a couple hours, again loosely planned to climb together in the fall and then said goodbye. While driving back to California with his girlfriend Anastasia and business partner Steve Karafa in the car, John fell asleep at the wheel just outside of Ely, Nevada and rolled his 4 runner. The wreck instantly killed Steve and broke John’s back. Anastasia suffered only minor injuries and was able to fly with John back to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake where he underwent numerous surgeries. I found out about the accident from a mutual friend and went immediately to the hospital. John was a bit out of it still, but was stable. He asked if I might be able to go to Ely with Anastasia to get their things out of what was left of the truck, so we left right away. The car ride was sureal, a 3 hour drive on lonely roads in the middle of nowhere picturing the wreck, thinking about how fragile our stake in life is. John was a legend on the rock. For almost 30 years he had solo’d routes no others would even think of attempting without a rope and always had the presence of mind to back down when he felt things were not right. For years people had predicted his death while climbing, but almost taken out in a car wreck?

We spoke little in the car, Anastasia was still in shock and her thoughts came out jumbled and confused. 20 miles before Ely, we passed the site of the wreck but we could not bring ourselves to stop. We kept on to Ely and made our way through town to the repair shop where his 4 Runner had been towed. When we first saw the truck, we slowly circled it not believing that John survived. The drivers side was completely mashed, the seat covers stained in blood. Broken glass was everywhere. On the floor next to the gas pedal was a John Coltrane cassette tape filled with blood still not dry. Their bags were scattered throughout the truck, the contents spilt out haphazardly. I crawled in and started handing what I could out the windows. Shattered pieces of peoples lives. A old wall hammer with a skyhook attached by a 3 foot long piece of webbing. Bags of climbing shoes, a glove box with personal letters, photos and knickknacks collected over the years. We hauled out everything we could and headed back to Salt Lake, stopping only briefly at the crash site. This was definitely not the way I ever thought I’d get to know one of my hero’s better.

John recovered from the wreck and started climbing again, even starting up a smaller and easier solo circuit around his home in Mammoth, California. We saw each other again at all the trade shows and then just 2 months ago at a slide show in Provo, Utah. Over the years our conversations changed from my Hero-worshipping climbing questions to normal conversations with a friend. He was still a hero to me, one that I thought would always be around, so when each trip fell through including one we were supposed to meet up on in February of this year, it was not that big of a deal. We’d just get together in the fall.

Early this morning I logged in and saw the news, John had died in a fall while soloing over the weekend. The climbing community has lost one of our greatest Legends, John's son Tyrus lost his father and his family lost their son and brother. My condolences to them.