Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

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In the Name of Climbing…er, Research!

In the Name of Climbing…er, Research!

This weekend’s mission was all about guidebook research…and by research I mean lots of climbing.  On Saturday Steve, Cragbaby and I met up with knowledgeable local Eddy Ramirez, who was kind enough to give us a tour of some of the lesser traveled areas of Crowders Mountain – namely the Resurgance Walls.  While sitting at home writing about climbing can get tedious at times, the cooler temps and low humidity levels have made my “research missions” a delightful escape.  As if I’m not already motivated enough to explore my new local crag, Crowders is probably the one area out of…Read the rest of this entry →

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Name that Caption: The Helmet Head Photoshoot

Name that Caption: The Helmet Head Photoshoot

It’s been a while since I’ve had a Name That Caption post, but although I’m admittedly biased, I do think today’s is pretty darn cute.  This was taken a couple of months ago on a climbing trip to the New River Gorge in West Virginia.  The ever observant Cragbaby has taken an interest in head pieces – climbing helmets, bicycle helmets, sun hats, and of course tupperware containers.  His usual M.O. is to put it over his face first, give a long, echoing shout (a little reminiscent of a dinosaur roar, actually), and then put it on his head, usually…Read the rest of this entry →

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The Perfect SEND-tember Combo: Tall Rock and Deep Water!

The Perfect SEND-tember Combo: Tall Rock and Deep Water!

  With Hurricanes Lee and Katia closing in on all sides, we were extremely lucky to get 2 days of great weather on our Labor Day climbing excursion to the Obed Scenic River.  This was substantial improvement over our last Obed trip, when we dealt with thunderstorms every few hours for the entire weekend.  Our posse ended up being a fairly large group, with a wide variety of climbing abilities and goals represented, but what very easily could have been a logistical nightmare turned into a weekend filled with adventure, laughter, and of course – some serious sending!  ***Note for…Read the rest of this entry →

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Green Hour Connection: Swept Away with Broomstick Fun!

Green Hour Connection: Swept Away with Broomstick Fun!

To my delight Cragbaby has discovered a love for housekeeping.  I’m not sure where he got that gene from, because both his Mommy and his Daddy are scarcely cleaner than dirty hippies, but I won’t question it.  His favorite cleaning apparatus is the broom, or in his words, the “bwuh, bwuh” and he is ranked as a top cleaner  in the family now.” So the other morning, while hanging out on a blanket underneath our oak trees, searching for cicada shells (another favorite pasttime, more on that here), a light bulb went off in my head – why not celebrate…Read the rest of this entry →

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Green Hour Connection: Not Just Your Garden Variety Spider

Green Hour Connection: Not Just Your Garden Variety Spider

I’ve always been fascinated by spiders.  Not that I want them in my house or anything, although for a while I did entertain the thought of a pet tarantula in college until the roommate nixed the idea.  I’ve just always thought they were kinda cool, and misunderstood by a large portion of our society.  They keep our gardens free of pests, their silk is ounce for ounce stronger than steel, and scientists are researching the properties of their venom for use in green insecticides.  Not to mention that they are among the best climbers on the planet!  So you can…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN