Palomar Boulders V3

This is a short video I made from a 30 min. session at Palomar Boulders. There are 3 climbable boulders there that provide a few climbs on each. This one I do in the video is my favorite. It's a sit start with feet on the base of the rock and hands on a chest high rail. The next move is a left hand to a good crimp. Third move is right hand to a really sharp micro crimp. Fourth move is a quick bump out of the bad crimp to a slopy crimp at chest level. The next move is a very dynamic reach to a 2 finger pocket. It's the crux and my favorite move by far. You have to stay very close to the rock, as it is easy to come off the bad right sloper if you make any aggressive movements. Once you get the two finger pocket you are golden and off to jug city the rest of the way up.

If you watch the video and take note of the beta, you will see yourself flashing this climb very soon. Wish you the best of luck and stay safe!!

Taming the Cougar

A few months back we found an awesome crag just down the street from our house (Cougar Crag). My wife, friends, and I have put in hours out there. Blazing a trail was the first of many task we had to accomplish. Once we found our way around, setting up anchors was next. We found a few good bolts and a few rusty ones. Chalking up the holds was goal three. Setting foot on a route that hadn't been climbed in months or maybe a year was cool, but challenging.

This is my wife Jenny on the Cougar face. It is a mix of 5.10 variations and comprised of thin feet and small crimps. Tons of fun and my first outdoor 5.10 onsight.

This is an awesome boulder that I sent a few months ago. Its a pretty fun project. Few of the crew are getting close. Taylor Sather has the second ascent. We believe it's a v4.

OVERHEAD pier

I was at the pier just doing my thing. After a few tubes I began to wonder if anyone was shooting. I look up at the first outcropping and Bryce Bradford is hanging off shooting away. This kid puts in lots of hours behind the lens and it pays off. Check out these pics and others of his! http://www.flickr.com/photos/brb_photography/
Setting up for the cavern!

Looking ahead for the exit to the second section!

YOSEMITE spring

Yosemite is like no other place on earth. It's home to Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in the United States and has a vertical drop of 2,425 feet. In addition, Yose is home to El Capitan, or "El Cap", a 3,000-foot vertical granite monolith, the world's proving ground for rock climbers.

I remember taking my first trip to Yosemite with my neighbor Patrick. His aunt Mary drove us 8hrs to a hotel right outside of the park entrance. The next day we awoke with tons of excitement, waiting to catch our first glimpse of the huge pine trees and massive rock walls surrounding the valley like a fortress. If you've ever been, you know about the tunnel. Everyone who enters the park must go through the tunnel. When you are coming out into the valley, it's like entering another universe. The valley has a beautiful natural and untouched look. There are very few building and roads. If you want to get even closer to gods creation take a short walk on one of the nearby trails. While on the trail you are bound to see some kind of wildlife. On my second trip to Yose in 2008 we experienced 10 different bear encounters.

My Spring 2010 trip with Nate knapp was a blast. It's a mandatory trip for young adults. The wilderness is calming and rejuvenating. The lack of amenities toughens you up. Your mind set changes when there is no other person to rely on, but ones self. If something goes wrong, it's imperative that one must have faith in himself to get out of the situation. Most of our daily lives are pretty safe. If we get cold we turn on a heater. When you're in the wilderness and are wearing everything you brought to keep warm and you're still freezing, then there's a problem. Out here we learn to survive and adapt. It is a moment of heighten awareness. Hanging on the side of Half Dome thousands of feet from the valley floor by a 1/2 inch cable make us very aware of our every move. One small mistake can be fatal. Feeling superior at work or at school is common, but when your here, high on the peaks of Yosemite, you feel small, very small.
This was the start to our 22 mile round-trip backpack adventure. Nate's first backpacking trip. He had no idea what to expect. Shortly after this photo was taken we were into some heavy mist (more like rain) from the Mist Trail as we were following the Merced River up hill for a few thousand feet. Hiking the mist trail in august may not feel warm and dry, June maybe the total opposite, a full on down poor.

Me Standing in the spray path of Vernal Falls. Pure Yosemite beauty. Several people get swept off of these water falls. Just upstream is a pretty little emerald pool to swim in. Not a good idea!


Nate feeling the power of Nevada Falls. This landscape is highly photographed. It's a wonderful display of beauty and power. Thousands of gallons of water are being shot off this rock ledge all day and night long. It takes months for the water to slow down. Hard to believe a drought is possible.Going up! We are 1/3 of the way up and found a place to rest and calm our nerves. once you commit to the climb up your blood really gets pumping. We are wearing gloves with sticky rubber palms for good grip. I forgot to mention that the park service said not to climb HD because the cables were down. The cables were still connected so, we went for it. I thought it felt safer to have the cables low and weighted to the ground rather than high and wobbly.
Nate 8,800 ft. above sea level. If you fall off the edge here there's no bouncing and rolling to the bottom. The drop is 4,000 ft. straight down to your death. This is a photo few are willing to be in. Reaching the summit is exciting, but you're not done until you reach the bottom. It was an amazing day and a experience that will last us a lifetime.


A fun little climb we found off the beaten near Mirror Lake.


Yosemite Falls. One evening out for a little stroll. Very nice sunset just above the sleeping giant.

JOSHUA TREE is a must!

Skull Rock is amazing!
Just went for a little free solo. I felt very exposed even though the rock doesn't look steep or tall.
We had to climb though a cave to get on top of this high ball.
Night time is amazing in the desert. There is no better place on earth for star gazing.
Joshua Trees grow taller than you think they would.

Expolring Cedar Creek Falls

If you can't find me in the ocean, I am most likely exploring the mountainous landscape of Southern California. Hiking in this region during the spring and summer months can be very hot. There is one solution to this problem: Make sure your destination is a place where you can cool off. Waterfall hikes are among my favorite destinations. They are naturally alluring in their power, size, sound and uniqueness to our dry climate.

While looking through my book, "101 Hikes in Southern California", I found a hike called Cedar Creek Falls. It was a catchy one. It described a moderate trail about 2.5 miles long to a 90 ft. fall over a large granite punchbowl. During the start of the hike you could look to your left and see Mildrid Falls which at 100 ft. is the tallest waterfall in San Diego County. As you keep descending you pass by hills covered in wildflowers and smell the aromas of native plants. After navigating your way down a rocky chute you turn left and get your first glimpse of the falls. Looking from the pool at the bottom all the way to the top you are astonished that something like this is less then two hours away from home.

My first attempt at the falls was a failed one, that left my wife Jenny and I sitting on the top pool looking down the face wondering how to get to the bottom. Two months ago I took my neighbor Patrick down there. After good trail selection and persistence we finally arrived at the bottom. For the past month we have taken a total of four groups to the falls. Our day consist of a 2 hour drive, a 45 min. hike and a few hours of rock jumps and rope-swing jumps. When the sun drops behind the hill it's time to hike out and head over to Wynola Pizza for pizza and apple pie.

To contact me about arranging a trip or to see more photos, go to my FACEBOOK. Have fun enjoying the outdoors. Pack out what you brought in so I don't have to. Last but not least, bring plenty of drinking water and don't dive head first. There have been several fatalities in the past!!!

SURF RIDE CONTEST

Most of my weekends are spent judging high school and junior high surf contests. This weekend was spent on the other end of the spectrum; I was surfing in a contest. Surf Ride and Vans have put together an awesome pro/am event that has about $5,000 dollars at stake! Although I didn't win the contest, I did give it a heck of a shot with a few solid maneuvers that impressed the judges.

After squeaking through my first heat I looked at my next heat draw and was surprised. It looked like a semi final in a 1 or 2 star WQS event! With that in mind, I knew I had to go for broke. It was all or nothing. When I was in the water in my round two heat I found a few sections that had some scoring potential. I put my head down and smashed 'em. On one wave I was able to blow the fins and the other I just kept spinning which ended in a pretty gnarly reverse. The judges rewarded my efforts and I advanced on to the quarter finals. I tried to surf as well in my next heat but was held back by deteriorating conditions and poor wave selection on my part.

The 2010 Freedom Surf Series presented by Surf Ride and Vans also offers $10K to the overall winner of the pro/am. The contests will be held every month or two, so stay tuned for the next attempt at a $5,000 dollar check!

HERE IS A VIDEO FROM THE LAST COMP. I HAVE A FEW CLIPS IN IT!

Surf Ride $100,000 Freedom Pro Am by Vans Hits Ocean Beach Pier from Surf Ride on Vimeo.

KEAHANA TV

Having glanced outside during the last big storm I was surprised. Almost everyday I awoke to horrible south wind but, today was different, the wind had switched to "side-offshore". With the good winds blowing I better get my butt in the water asap. I grabbed my board, wetsuit, towel, and some wax then called my filmer friend Guto. Once the truck started, I was off to Swamis to battle the 15mph off-shore's. This is the footage that we used for a promo video!

Great Snow Conditions!

My wife, friends and I have been taking advantage of the great winter weather we've been blessed with over the passed few days. The first day we went up to Palomar Mountain and built a 4 foot kicker. The next adventure was off to Mountain High. They had more snow than I'd ever seen before.