Decisions, Decisions

I was born and raised in Bend Oregon, but it is not where I feel that I grew up.  I feel that the place I called home for most of my adult life is the great town of Fort Collins, Colorado.  While living in Fort Collins I experienced everything a so called adult can ask for.  I bought a house, went to school, got married, got divorced, made many mistakes and made many a friend.  I consider the people I know from there as some of the greatest people in my life.  The community that I developed over a seven year period is something I cherish and I wish I could see them more often.  Then why don't you live there still you might ask?

Monkey face high line.  Pretty ugly backdrop!

There are many reasons for me moving back to my home town.  One of the largest reasons was family.  I had not lived in the same area as my family for so long that I lost track of cousins, grandparents etc.  A few weeks back it was my grandmas 90th birthday and it confirmed that my decision was for the best.  I was able to introduce Vanessa to my extended family and see many people I hadn't seen for years.  It's always hard to say bye for now to one set of friends and try to make new ones, but family outweighed everything and I made the leap to come back home.

Spring trail day at Smith Rock

With my family close, I have now found a new group of friends to hangout with.  Smith Rock is the local hang and climbing is the game.  The community here is small yet very tight.  Everyone knows each other and trys there best to support the best they can.  This community uses all means neccesary to support other climbers.  A good case in point is that I've never been around a group of folks that are more internet savy.  If you or anyone you know sends something at Smith its almost a guarantee it will be all over Facebook before you even get back to the car.  They are also some of the more sarcastic people I've met anywhere.  I guess it is hard to takes ones climbing too serious when the local area is known as a vertical mud pile. And generally has sand bag grades and very painfull climbing.

Ryan Palo before the send on Just do it

Ian Caldwell "the mayor"  doing trail work

  What does all this mean? I'm not a philosopher by any means, but I think it means that we should embrace change. I love the people that are far to many to count from the Front Range community, but embracing family and new found situations I have found a new group of people to call a community. As they say "if you could have your cake and eat it to" then I would have both communities here to hang with. I'd also be fat if I ate all the cake, so who knows... and i dont like fat so i guess i cant have both. Damn quotes and them screwing my strength to weight ratio!!!!!!  THE END

Racking up for the big rig

JPA "bouldering"

Central oregon bouldering antics

Kirk showing the arsenal of uppers and downers
you must have to boulder here

My sister and Mom

Pops and Brandon

The Ortman clan on my Grandmas 90th

Grandpa Don stylish as always.

Grandma listening to my niece and cousins
play for her bday.

Games with the fam.

What Would Daisy Do?

For a couple months now, I have been dealing with some sort of complex that keeps me from climbing at my full potential.  I insist on top roping everything, being the follower on complicated-to-clean routes, and somehow my initial fear of falling has come back in full force.  How did I get to this point again?!  I haven't taken any scary falls and I haven't seen any crazy accidents, so how did I get here?

After working hard on two projects last winter, Latest Rage and Watt's Tots, I realized that I did not like projecting.  I wanted to climb routes that I could send quick, so obviously I didn't try anything where I would have the potential to fall.  Of course I would develop a complex and poor Grant has to deal with me being super nervous before a hard route or always hearing me talk about wanting to climb harder.

Full Overboard 11d.  Photo by Neighbor and Brofriend Ryan Palo

Saturdays and a couple night sessions here and there are Grant and my days to climb together.  Grant has been such a supportive climbing partner for the last year and wants me to succeed probably as much as I want him to.  He puts me in my place when I get scared and makes me feel comfortable to know that he will try to protect me as much as he can.  He is the first person I tell about a send and usually has flowers waiting for me when I get home to show how proud of me he really is.  I am truly grateful to have met such a caring man.

Grant and I, we just recently celebrated our ONE year! 

But that being said, I recently found a new crew of partners who climb with me almost every Tuesday, as some in the park have deemed as "Girls' day".  Andi has Justin, Cristina has Drew, and I, of course, have Grant, but Tuesday is the day where we can finally sack up and figure out how to put up our own ropes.

Photos of us and our significant others.  Photos are from Facebook!

It's been so inspiring climbing with these two women.  We all have our own strengths, movement, support, and awe of back muscles.  These days are full of pitches, laughs, and try hard, there is no judgement and all support.  It's incredibly awesome to climb with Andi and Cristina and I hope that Girl's day happens for a long time.

Drew Peterson poaching in on Girl's day!  Check out Drew and Cristina's blog here.

    One Tuesday, I watched a girl I had recently met during my trip to Bishop, named Daisy, climb Magic Light.  It was apparent this climb was at her max and she had so much try hard, which made it inspiring to watch.  She screamed, she fell, she conquered her way to the top, not once saying "Take."  Ugh.  I miss climbing like that.  I have decided to make my personal climbing motto, "What Would Daisy Do?"  Plus, she had a sick pair of pants that I could never forget.

So with some subconscious encouragement from Daisy, I recently had a mental climbing breakthrough!  I finally got the courage to lead Full Heinous, with a bunch of pushes from Grant of course.  After taking a fall that was long enough to scream twice, I think I am finally back on the horse.  I came to ground saying, "That was exhilarating!" I am confident that I am back on track to finish up my Goal for the year!

Another photo by Ryan Palo.  He is getting pretty good at this btw.

Recap:

-Latest Rage 12b (check),

-Watt's Tots 12b (check),

-Latin Lover 12a (check),

-Doritos 12c,

-Full Heinous 12c,

-Cool Ranch 12a (check),

-Vision 12b,

-Energy Crisis 12b (check),

-Take a Powder 12a,

-Crack Babies 12b,

-Full Magic Light 12a,

-Made in the Shade 12c

I hope to climb into the 13 range this year as well

Grant has something to say

So its been a ton of time since I've been on this blog thing.  I wish what LLcoolJ said " don't call it a come back" would apply, but after thinking about it how can one come back to something that they never started.  Anyway I'm going to try to post more and add something to the blog that has my name prominently placed on it.

Lately I've been wondering about the names of routes.  Where do they come from?  Who thought of them?  Why are they so lame?  Why so many inside jokes?  Most of the names are generic and easy to understand.  There are regional names such as, Rocky Mtn high, California dreaming etc.  There are also names of routes that I'm sure have been used in multiple places.  Examples are "License to Bolt", "Nirvana" or  "Crack of doom".   I'm sick of all these names and every other lame one I've ever heard... SO  I am setting up an online database for anyone to use for the next FA they have.

These are all names anyone can use if they are cant think of an idea when people ask what they named there new sicky gnar gnar proj.  Feel free to add anything as you think of it. And without further wait here is a start.

• Butterflys and Hand-grenades
• smoosh push
• Shirt cocking
• (for side by side routes) " I Bleed Crimp Strength" and "I piss excellence"
• Facebook killed the Myspace star
• climbing is for fat kids
• who brought the french guy?
• Kombucha my eggo
• C.R.A.P.P  aka climbing rocks ain't ping pong 
• Ice climbing is neither
• Vanessa (she told me I should name one after her)  Its required to name things after your better half.

With that I'm parched!  I'll post photos soon and try to update this blog thing on a more regular basis.  I'll also add more names in the comment section as they come to me.

Cheers,

Grant

Bishop trip!

I can't believe that two years in a row now, I have been fortunate enough to go to Bishop for spring break.  Bishop is a world-class bouldering area only 10-12 hours away from our precious Smith Rock.

Coaches from Bend Endurance Academy, Multnomah Athletic Club and 9 kids in Bishop, CA.

Bishop paved my way into what bouldering is all about.  I used to be terrified with the idea of not being on a rope, but Bishop took away my fear and helped me achieve the thought of scary top-outs.    

Ethan Flattery

Tempest and Ethan at the kitchen

This trip was dedicated to my team kids.  It was their turn to start climbing outside and to realize how much fun they could have without their parents, just roughing it with their coaches.

9 year old Alana excited to be here

6 days, two teams, 4 coaches, and 9 kids was a pretty epic experience for all.  We stopped in Reno for a night and climbed at CommRow, home of the world's tallest climbing wall which was pretty scary and had a lot of exposure.  Next day, off to bishop for 4 days of climbing and no rests.

River flashed Acid wash right sit start (V9) and sent Acid wash left sit start (V10) in 4 goes!!

Mike and I were super excited to see River join us on the trip.  To see the psych come back in this kid's eyes was quite the sight.

Sadie Koch

Coach Mikaroni and Steez

 Although, I didn't get very many photos of them climbing, they adapted to real rock quite quickly.  With a few hours at the Sad boulders, two days at the Happy boulders, and one full day of climbing at the Buttermilks, the kids were ready to come home with sore fingers and huge smiles on their faces.

What's a climbing trip without a couple of injuries.  Fortunately for us, it was only one of our kids.

The sign says "Never STOP Climbing"

Colorado Trip

Colorado border at 7ish in the morning

Grant and I had a very exciting trip to Colorado a few weeks ago.  It's hard to believe that I had only spent three days there before and was wishing for my car to break down so that I didn't have to travel any further.  Who would have known that two years later I would finally make it back to this wonderful state.

The drive the first night was rather exciting.  Grant was pulled over for going 20+ over the speed limit, only 30 miles east of Bend.  We were separated and asked to have the car searched for drugs in which we both responded that it was fine but we needed our jackets first.  He let us go with a warning and no search!  How crazy. Must be lucky to be a hot blond.

We pulled a full 19 hour drive the first night after debating on weather or not we should stop.  I'm not sure if I made a good impression on his friends the first day because I was so loopy from lack of sleep.

We had an awesome day hanging out with Grant's "favorite climbing partner" and his adorable wife and baby.  I'm still going to tell myself that I am his favorite partner even when Geoff is around!

Geoff's homemade cam!!  This thing weighed a ton!

Brady being cute on the slide

The breweries in Fort Collins made it almost feel like Bend.  We went to O'Dell's, which apparently makes Grant's favorite beer which I didn't know about and of course to New Belgium.  The breweries in FOCO had this atmosphere that you just wanted to kick it there all day.  The bartenders didn't accept tips and most profits went to some sort of cause making the beers essentially free.  Good deed of the day was go buy some beer, is that normal?

Samplers at O'Dell's

Postcard home to Taylor

New Belgium taps, so shiny!

 

Matty Lite climbing Punk Rock Traverse

After the first day it was just two days of climbing in Horsetooth Reservoir and a day at Clear Creek Canyon.  It was exciting to go to different areas and interesting to test out steeper climbs.  It made me realize that I need to travel for longer periods of time so that I could get the hang of certain types of climbing.

Grant on Punk Rock Traverse

Enjoying the sun

Penny Boulder

Horsetooth Reservoir 

Grant, Lauren, myself, and Jersey Matt

The night life was awesome in Fort Collins and hanging out with Grant's friends was great because everyone was so friendly!  It was great to meet everyone and of course see my favorite Fort Collin's lady, Lauren Fukuhara.

Thanks to Paul and Emily for letting us crash at their place and giving me a new perspective on pink nailpolish!

"Strike a pose"

Grant and I enjoying the rest after an adventure hike in Clear Creek Canyon

We spent our last night in Salt Lake City with our friends Rachel and Alex and celebrated Alex's birthday at a pretty nice brewery.

On the way to Rachel and Alex's house!

Goal for now is to blog more!

Climbs and Crafts

It's been a while since our last post.  Shortly after the 2012 post was published, bad weather hit...for about two weeks.

Grant had a real tough time during those two weeks.  He had to deal with the constant crafting and messes that are involved with crafting:  yarn and knitting needles, ropes, sewing machine, thread, fabric, duct tape, etc.  The constant giggles from women knitting was getting to him.  He knew that shortly, he too would  be forced into some project or another.  As Bill Ortman, Grant's dad, says, "I never invite her (Grant's mom) to the job to help me with my projects, but somehow I'm involved in every one of hers."

Amy, Julie, and I knitting and Toby is not excited about it.

The rope rug:

The first rope rug I made took a 60m rope, a huge piece of wood, a lot of nails, 4 days, lots of beer, shots, and lots of pulling.  That rope rug now hangs out in front of our house for Grant to trip on everyday before he gets out of work.

This rope rug was going to be different.  And it was.  6 climbing ropes from the gym, a cocking gun, and a day with nothing to do later...

Here, Grant is cutting a rope to start getting the core out.  Which is suprisingly hard to do.

The start of the rugs

Taylor and core shot ropes go hand in hand.

Grant and Taylor trying to take the core out of the rope.  It really is a two person job.

Grant adding the glue

The finished product.  This one only took three hours to make!

Thank you Metolius for making most of these ropes!

Alright, now about climbing.

     I have never felt so spoiled when it came to climbing until I moved to Bend.  Being from Washington last, it was kind of unthinkable to climb outside in winter.  So this year, I was expecting a long cold snowed out winter with occasional climbing here and there in 4 puffy jackets.

December went, January hit, and now it's Februrary and still climbing in tanktops.  This is nuts.

Attempting Full Cool Ranch 12a

We find ourselves picking out "winter" routes and "summer" routes because its possible to climb at all seasons here.  Freezing fog doesn't deter us because we know that as soon as the sun hits, it's "suns out, guns out."

Grant on the bottom of Vicious Fish

Grant is making great progression on his route even though he is typically able to climb outside one day a week, due to work and normal life activities.  Going from working out the bottom half of Vicious Fish 5.13d to one hangs at the top in such little time.  He will send it at any go now as long as he fights off the numbed out fingers.

Grant falling.