Summer's Over

The summer has just flown by and I never really seem to know what happened.  For the first year in a long time, my fingers have held up and I've had one of my best climbing years ever.  For most of the summer I've been making the drive up to Little Cottonwood Canyon or LCC as we lazy folks like to call it two to three days a week.  My camera goes occasionally, but mostly I've just enjoyed climbing rock again and scouring the canyon for new lines and areas. (More on that later this fall).

Thomas Betterton sending Euro V9

Mike McClure flashing Who Ate the Beaver V7

Nathan Smith sending Awaking the Sleeping Giants V6 - Check out the sick farmers tan...

Along with the time spent in Little, I've been making my summerly pilgrimages to the Uinta range shooting photos, climbing and even managing a few first ascents.  Stay tuned to Rock and Ice magazine for more on the Uintas.

Nathan at the Stone Garden © Rich Hagio

Deric Brown on FYD, Stone Garden

Provo River Falls

Uintas

In the beginning of September I headed out on the road for 3 weeks away from home.

While heading to Los Angeles for a design project I happened to pass through Vegas just before an Obama rally so Cheri and I decided to stop in and check it out. We ended up a few people back from front row only about 30 feet from Barack Obama. I was wishing I could have brought more camera gear in but without a press pass I was lucky to bring in the one body and lens I had. The energy of the crowd was amazing! I'm not sure I have ever experienced that type of reaction to a person before. Whatever your politics, there is no getting around the fact that Barack is an amazing public speaker. Coming from Utah where we never get either of the presidential hopefuls to even take a bathroom break I was psyched to have been able to attend the event.

Barack in Las Vegas

Barack in Las Vegas

Barack in Las Vegas

From Vegas we continued on to LA for a few days of design work and a weekend at the beach, surfing and climbing. Thanks to Sang Lee for his gracious hospitality while in LA.

Sang Lee

While heading to Pirates Cove in Newport Beach on Sunday for a bit of beach bouldering we were surprised to find the entire cove taken over by at least 1000 Christian churchgoers watching the baptism of 250 new converts. 

Mass baptism at Corona Del Mar

After Los Angeles, Cheri flew home and I headed back to Vegas for the InterBike tradeshow.  A few days trolling the isles, drooling over 10,000+ dollar bikes and it was time to head home and pack up for another climbing trip. 

Just a few days after unloading from Vegas it was back in the car for 12+ hours of driving that landed "Princess" Christine Balaz, "Brian" Dean Lords and I at Devil's Tower in Wyoming.  For a week straight we went up and down the tower climbing every aspect while there.  The towers continous cracks were some of the best I've ever seen and a lot of fun to climb.  The only negative to the trip was trying to miss the tourists on the paved tower trail so we did not have to repeat the same answers over and over.  "4 hours to the top."  "Not much up there." "Yes, it is an amazing view." "Ha, Ha, you are so original, but no, we did not see any spaceships or alien landing sites." 'No we are not crazy." "No I have not climbed Everest."   We were graciously hosted by Frank Sanders of the Devil's Tower Lodge and could not have asked for a better host.  

Devil's Tower

Nathan catching "Big Air" while on the summit of the tower

Hopefully if the weather cooperates I'll be able to get some shots of the local fall color and reveal some new work in the canyons.