Birkie 12

Just cant crack the 5 hour barrier, and this year was no different.  I suck....5:17 for the 54K race.  Super fun and warm, which was a good thing just getting in from 30+C Thailand temps.   So, looks like 2013 will be the year!  Twas a great weekend, with good company, good skiing and good weather.

pics of Ice fest-2012

If you want to read words look to the Osprey blog and the Scarpa blog in the coming days to read what I wrote.  Or read this now; http://downwindsports.com/icefest/2012/02/2012-michigan-ice-fest-recap/

Just enjoy the below.  pics are always good.

Is it Boredom? I Think it is so much more than that...

Coming off Climbing out in SW Colorado last week with that "climbing high" I was looking for something to bring that back. The Michigan Ice fest was this past weekend and I headed up with a car full of Scarpa demo boots and was looking for some ice to climb.  More on the Fest in my next post.

The conditions in Munising were not as they usually are this time of year.  Low snow, High temps, and an open lake don't mix will for ice up this way.

Climbed Saturday on a TR on a dripping wet pillar out past Sweet Mother Moses.  Didn't lead it as I though it was kinda stupid at the time, but thought long about it.  I wanted something to lead that was a little challenging and take my mind far far away. Sunday we went to the Curtains and got on a hanger on TR.  It was fun for about an hour.  Murf and Matt headed south and I hooked up with others. 

We walked over to the Dryer Hose to have a look.  It was thin, it was soaking wet, it was hollow, it was ready to fall in on it self, then I saw some kid beat on it on TR and it took it like a champ.  A nice loud, dull thump was all you heard when he finished his swing.  OK, inspiring I guess...It should hold..

I racked up, Matt Abbotts (http://asuperioradventure.com/) took photos and Megan from Downstate held the rope. A former Yupper now has a real job and misses the life up here.  Going to spend all that workin money on gas, eh?

Three screws is all it took, and bit of a run out over the top as there was zero gear over the thin ice shell that made up the top of the route. Kinda cool/scarry looking down into the tube on lead.  

 Megan cleaning.

It was fun.  It was what I was looking for, all of 5 minutes on my Sunday afternoon.  I thought this is fun, this is wet, this is really beat to shit, feet and hooks everywhere, this part is steeper then it looks, this is my last screw, this is really thin, this is stupid, this is dumb, what would happen if this collapsed and I fell in,  it is holding me, top out and smile.