Day 273 - Rainy Day Activities

Betcha you weren't ever expecting to see my eyeball from so close. Well there ya have it.

Day 272 - I Could Haul A Bus!

With help from Mr. Pat, I installed a trailer hitch and cargo carrier. Now I won't have to choose whether I pack my crash pad/kayak or clothing/food. 

Day 271 - Roped Solo Climbing: Belay Yourself, You Dingus!

Spent the day at Pinnacle to try out some roped solo climbing. Ended up top-rope soloing a few climbs then trad soloing a nice 5.8 finger crack as seen above. While it was slightly nerve wracking working out the kinks and finding which techniques worked best, there was definitely something peaceful and rewarding about being alone with your thoughts on the side of a cliff. While this certainly won't be my go-to climbing style, it's good to know that it's possible with the gear I have.

Day 270 - A Bat Themed Wedding

Matt and Megan's wedding was absolutely beautiful and super fun. The lunar eclipse was the perfect icing on the cake too. Congrats Meg Meg and Pep Pep!

Day 269 - That's a Hot Fire

Pre-wedding day hangs at Mike and Liza's. Good to see the college crew again!

Day 268 - Rose Ledge

Spent the day at Rose Ledge with Sara. As you can see here, sometimes she doesn't even need a belay. Sent some easier cracks to work on my finger locks and fist jams. Then got on her 2 projects, both 5.11's. She sent both! I made decent work of them, but definitely need some more trad experience before getting the sends. 

Day 254 - Whoops

Totally dropped the ball and missed a day. Here it is. What's up cat?

Day 267 - True Grit

Today we learned how to grind and polish stone. Well... I just held the water tube. 

Day 266 - Sleeping Giant

Finally made it to Happy Valley and Hideaway and boy did we have a crew! Had an awesome session on Sleeping Giant (V5). Tim and Steve crushed it with the sends. Once again, would love to make it back here to attempt the send before heading out! The projects are piling up. 

Day 265 - 1.9 Liter, 4-Cylinder, SOHC; Sleeps 1

After some custom sheet and padding work the bed is complete! And it's at least as comfortable as my regular bed. It also transforms into a passenger seat and has storage underneath. Many thanks to Christian for the design and fabrication help. 

Day 264 - Trad Send Train

Another great session at Farley with Sara. We both got the send on Connecticut Crack (5.11+). She also sent her other project Sickle (5.11+). Took some nice whips on trad gear today, which felt really good. I love how a small nut like this can catch your fall time and time again. 

Day 263 - Vertigo

Burly session in Great Barrington today. Tried some killer new boulders and came "close-ish" to flashing a V7. 

Day 262 - Sweet Caroline

Made some great progress on the dirtbag-mobile. Without Christian's help, I'd probably just be sleeping in the driver's seat again. Then headed to the Belchertown Fair to see Shayne's friend's band play at McCarthy's.

Day 261 - I've Been Everywhere Man

Maine Beer Co, Reel Rock Film Tour, and The Hangar. Ready for sleep!

Day 260 - The Precipice

Awesome climbing and an even more breathtaking hike up the precipice trail today. Reminded me a lot of Angel's Landing in Zion. Reached the summit just in time for the sunset. Finished the night with food and drinks in Bar Harbor.  

Day 259 - Otter Cliff

Great day of climbing at Otter Cliffs! Most exciting part was rigging a trad anchor in the dark so that we could get Dart out of the ocean. A true test of my newfound anchor building knowledge.

Day 258 - Acadia

Made it to Acadia! Cooked a tasty dinner, explored the area, and found some boulders to scramble on to end the night. 

Day 257 - Whippin' on Cams and Sending the Brown Streak

 Connecticut Crack at Farley. A new project.

Great trad day at Farley! Had my first fall on trad gear, first trad 5.10- send and first trad 5.11+ send (both lines had 1 bolt for the hard to protect sections...). Then watched Meru with Christian and Tim. Great film. And then drove to Boston to get ready for Acadia tomorrow. Bukowski's Tavern is awesome.

Day 256 - Iron Duke

From North Conway NH to Ludlow MA. Iron Duke Brewery brewed a special beer to benefit Jessica's Boundless Playground. Although I arrived too late to get a full glass, I was able to try it out and it was a pretty decent brew. 

Day 255 - The Beast Flake

Such a fantastic time climbing multi-pitch with Justin, Tim, Charlie and James in North Conway. Looking forward to many more multi-pitch adventures in the future.

Day 253 - You Ever Wind and Thread a Bobbin Before?

Over 10 years since I took home economics in high school and my sewing game is still strong.

Day 252 - I'm More Confident With Fabric Than I Am With Wood

Today I started working on curtains for the Saturn. Couple hours in, I decided it wasn't going to work out well. Back to the drawing board for a better and more effective design. An awesome storm and solid Hadley session finished the day.