Back to blogging, Colorado trip

Things have been absolutely wild lately. About two months ago I got slammed at work for an extended period of time, and between that and training lost sight of a few different things I have been working on. On the verge of a burnout I decided I just needed to take a break and do the essential things in my daily life but put blogging and video making on the back burner.

 So what have I been up to? Well this summer has been great so far. I went out to Colorado to go to the No Barriers Summit. That was an adaptive sports festival for people with disabilites to introduce them not only to outdoor activities but also to various adaptive technologies from prosthetics, mountain bikes adapted for paraplegics and quadraplegics, eye implants for the blind, and just about everything in between. It was a really great event and I was glad to be a part of it. My main reason for being out there was to learn how to use the Wellman Rig. Essentially it is an ascending system I can use in the future at my adaptive clinics so that paraplegics and people with more severe disabilities can make it up the wall as well.

Mark Wellman was super cool to work with and I am looking forward to getting my own adaptive equipment in the future. Mark Wellman was the first paraplegic to do El Capitan among his many other accomplishments in the disabled community.

I also took the time while in Colorado to hang with a bunch of good friends from Challenged Athletes Foundation, Adaptive Action Sports, and Louder Than 11. 

Evan Strong, me, Jill Prichard, Amy Purdy, Carlos Moleda, Oscar Martinez and Jeff Erenstone

Colorado is known for its Alpine Bouldering and I got the opportunity to make it out to Mt. Evans Area A for a couple of days and send an old project The Dali (Stand V6).

The hike out to Mt. Evan's Area A

The Dali Boulder

 The first day was frustrating as we got hailed out almost immediately after arriving to the boulder (after an hour and a half of hiking). Thankfully I managed to get free another day and make it back. It was good to go and clean it up from my trip two years ago. The scenery was breathtaking and it was cool to hike the three miles out to the boulders and just enjoy the day.

Colorado summer alpine flowers

 On the last day of the trip I made it back out to Rocky Mountain National Park. Unfortunately most of the boulders in Lower Chaos Canyon, including several projects, were completely buried under snow. 

Lake Haiyaha and Upper Chaos Canyon in the distance completely buried in snow

Thankfully the boulders at Emerald Lake were clear and I did one of the best V5's I think I will ever do in my life, The Kind. It had some stellar movement and looking at Long's Peak from the top was a nice reward. 

Satisfaction

Jeff on top of the Kind

In hindsight we could have gotten some sick video done, but I was just happy to go hang out with friends, do some rock climbing, and enjoy life. I am reinvigorated and ready for whatever is next. Thanks to Jordan and Jon for letting me crash at their place in Boulder, and thanks to Jeff Erenstone for dragging me all around the state of Colorado.