Little Van. Big Country: The Importance of Great Friends

Hi all! Per my usual style, it’s been a few weeks since my last update. However, I have good reason for the delay. If I had to summarize how we’ve spent the last few weeks, two words come to mind: GREAT FRIENDS! We’ve been occupying our time in the company of some amazing friends, and, when in such good company, I find it impossible to steal away for a few moments to catch up on this blog. I want to soak up as much amazing friend time as possible—particularly since it’s been quite a while since Marco and I have had the chance to hang out with friends. But, since we’ve parted ways with our friends for now, I’ve managed to take advantage of some downtime to fill you all in on our whereabouts!

After we finished up our grand tour of the national parks in Wyoming & Montana, we jetted over to Portland, Oregon to spend some time with one of my dearest and most amazing friends, Lindsey, and her husband Anan. Lindsey and Anan are friends from NY, and, like us, they jumped ship and moved out of the city last November and opted for a smaller city closer to family. In addition to spending some quality time with Linds and Anan, we got to hang out with Lindsey’s sister Stephanie, her husband Kyle, and their uber-friendly dog Koda. They were kind enough to let us park Bean at their amazingly adorable house in Portland all weekend! It was pretty fabulous to spend a weekend in an apartment with running water, a toilet, a shower, AND…drum roll…a washer and dryer! We also loved spending time at Steph and Kyle’s house. It is so comfortable and relaxing—the backyard is killer and I would NEVER leave it if I lived there. Portland is a phenomenal city…and I’m sure it helps that we saw Portland in late June when the sun was shining and the weather was perfect. Our weekend consisted of lots of food, lots of great wine and tasty beer, and lots of relaxing. In fact, we were in such relaxation mode that I didn’t take my camera out once and didn’t get any pictures of Linds, Anan, Steph or Kyle L Thanks to the Kantawee/Rasmussen (formerly Raub!) clan for hosting us in Portland! Your kindness, hospitality and delicious supply of cheese, wine and delicious beer was SO very, very appreciated.

While in Portland, we also got to spend time with Nikki and Ian. We met them for a delicious brunch and got some awesome beta on climbing in Oregon and Washington. It was really good to see them and catch up. It was also a nice reminder that it’s important to keep in touch with old friends and put in the effort to see them. I am pretty bad at staying in touch with people…it’s never been a strong point of mine. I think a lot of it has to do with me being overly and annoyingly concerned with inconveniencing people. Whenever I think of reaching out to someone I haven’t spoken with in a while, I always think “Eh, they’re probably busy and I didn’t give them enough notice that I’d be in town and I don’t want to bother them…blah blah blah.” I also give in to inertia pretty easily—I like to do my own thing and if I don’t have plans, I get lazy even thinking about making plans. But, when driving to Portland, I reminded Marco that Nikki lived in the city and he was psyched to get in touch with her. And I’m really glad he did. We had a genuinely good time catching up with her and Ian. As we get older and move to new places and get busy with our own lives and jobs, it’s harder to keep in touch with people, particularly those people who you may not have been super close with. But reaching out and keeping in touch with all friends is pretty critical. One of the many things this trip is teaching me is that friends are just as important to leading a happy and healthy life as food is. A lack of friends may not result in physical starvation, but it sure will cause some serious emotional, social and personal starvation! I didn’t realize how starving I was for friends prior to arriving in Portland. So, having both friends and good food in Portland totally hit the spot.

After Portland, we spent a couple days on the Oregon coast. Um, BEST BEACHES EVER! I can not believe how amazing the Oregon beaches are. We drove into Cannon Beach; we are told it is the town in which the Goonies was shot—it is every bit as majestic and enchanting as the movie makes it out to be. The beaches in Oregon are not like the beaches I am used to on the east coast. The Oregon beaches are surrounded by breathtaking cliffs and enthralling forests—I swear, I thought I was going to see tree elves peak their heads out of the trees as we walked through the woods to the beach. Marco got in two days of surfing at Short Sand Beach in West Oswald State Park. He had rave reviews of the surfing area. Apparently the locals are the friendliest surfers he has yet to encounter, the waves were perfect for him, he had his best surfing session to date, and he saw a sea otter. I loved the beach for a couple reasons. First, it’s dog friendly, so there are dogs EVERYWHERE…adorable little poopers just running around the beach and loving life. For those that don’t know, I like dogs more than I like people. There are not many other things in the world that can make me as happy as watching a dog that is completely in his element running around and having fun. So for me, Short Sand Beach was heaven. Second, it was sunny and beautiful, but breezy enough that I could wear a hat, a hooded sweatshirt and long pants on the beach. In other words, no sun for me! I swear, with my red hair, I am part vampire. I despise sitting in the sun, so it was nice to be able to bundle up and shade myself from the sun and not be hot at the same time. We spent an afternoon strolling around the downtown area of Cannon Beach. It’s adorable…kind of like a mini-Cape Cod. There are lots of unique and interesting shops, as well as some delicious restaurants and ice cream joints. All in all, we had an amazing time on the Oregon coast.

The views along the coast were breathtaking!

Heading to the beach

The old trees, which had fallen down and died, had tons of new life growing on them!

Check out the roots on this tree! I was hoping to get a glimpse of whatever little creature lives in this tree…elf, gnome, hobbit...we weren’t sure.

After our journey through the forest, we found the beach!

Short Sand Beach is short quarter mile alcove of sand that is protected on either side by land.

Someone's excited to get in the water!

Heading out for Day 1 of surfing...

…and coming back, a bit sore but psyched to go out again the next day!

Heading out for Day 2 of surfing...

…and coming back, totally sore and wrecked, after two days in Mother Oceana. I have never heard him complain so much about how sore he was.

Cannon Beach

After leaving Oregon, we spent a night at Mount Rainier. We were semi-tuckered out with respect to national parks due to our national park tour in Wyoming and Montana, so, unfortunately, we didn’t give Mount Rainier as much of our attention as it deserves. But, we nonetheless took in as much as we could and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Fun fact (which maybe everyone in the world already knows, but one that I have no shame in admitting I was unaware of): Mount Rainier is one of the world’s largest volcanoes! I had no idea Mount Rainier is a volcano. As with everything else on this trip, I blame it on my east coast upbringing…we didn’t learn much about the west coast. I was pretty intrigued to learn that Mount Rainier is a volcano covered in glaciers and that it is still active, with its last eruption being roughly 100 years ago. More recently than its last eruption, Mount Rainier experienced a flash flood in 1947 due to the meltwater of one of its glaciers, Kautz Glacier. Apparently it buried the road that winds through Mount Rainier under 50 feet of mud. Learning these facts made me appreciate my time on Mount Rainier much more—it’s always more intriguing and interesting when you’re hiking around a place that is so alive and potentially treacherous.

Shots of Mount Rainier...

Notice how it is covered in glaciers--the icy patches on the right.

Close-up of the glaciers.

Narada Falls, a 168-foot waterfall in Paradise River.

Reflection Lakes. Supposedly, on a calm day, the reflection of Mount Rainier in the lake is as clear as the mountain itself. I guess we visited on a not-so-calm day. Still pretty though!

Crossing the bridge on Grove of the Patriarchs nature trail.

The underbelly of a massive fallen tree! It was so large I could have climbed in it…and no doubt would have encountered so many creepy critters and spiders I would have died of a heart attack.

The trees were HUGE!

This tree had really interesting branches. They were reaching down—they wanted to tangle themselves up in Marco’s hair!

These two Douglas-firs are over 1,000 years old. Crazy old trees!

Done with the nature trail!

Ohanapecosh River

After our short stop at Mount Rainier, we spent a couple nights in Puyallup, WA with one of my old college roommates, Naomi, her husband Dave, and their ridiculously-adorable little nugget-of-a-son David! It was SO fabulous to spend time with the Berry family! Nay and I were roommates during college and it has been FAR too long since we have had the chance to spend a significant amount of time together. Marco and I had such a great time staying with them. We got to check out the Tacoma Zoo with Naomi’s parents and we spent the Fourth of July BBQ’ing in Nay’s backyard with a few of her friends. I love that I got the opportunity to get a peak into Nay’s life. And, more importantly, I love that I got to spend time with her son, who turns two this fall. It is so fun to hang out with the little guy! Again, it was a nice reminder of how important it is to stay in touch with friends. Nay and I have lived on opposite coasts since we graduated Boston College and she moved back home to the Seattle area. She got married to her college sweetheart and now has an adorable son, and I, sadly, have not had the chance to experience or share in any part of her life since college. We’ve seen each other at various weddings, but it felt really great to reconnect and be able to spend some time just relaxing and catching up. Now that I’ve already compared friends to food, I’m going to keep running with the weird-o comparisons and say friends are also like Coleman two-burner stoves. Given that I live in a van, I’m very familiar with such stoves. They can run for a pretty long time hooked up to a propane tank, but, eventually, that propane tank is going to run out and the flames will die down. So, every now and then, you’ve got to refill the propane tank to keep the flame burning. Same deal with friends. Friendships, especially very close friendships, can last a long while without much interaction, but, every now and then, it’s important to refill the friendship tank with some good old interaction and genuine catching up. There are a few handfuls of key friends in my life with whom I would be genuinely lost without. My college roommates are among those select friends. So seeing Nay really reminded me of how important it is to keep in touch and catch up with your friends every now and again…even the ones that live really far away! Thank you Berry family for a wonderful and homey few days. It completely recharged our batteries!

Dave Berry, the big and the little version : )

4th of July fun!

Munchkin!

The Berry clan! Nay and little David enjoy some snacks while Dave mans the BBQ.

And now, for the moment Marco has been waiting for the last four years since he first set foot in British Columbia in July 2009…we made it to Squamish! For those not familiar with Squamish, British Columbia, it is the “Recreation Capitol of Canada.” In other words, it has the most amazing outdoorsy scene—loads of lakes and mountains, great kite surfing, phenomenal hiking, and, most importantly, some of the best climbing around. It is such an accessible area; the boulders and routes are all super easy to approach and, for the most part, are centered around the attention-demanding Stawamus Chief. The following are some pictures taken of the Chief and from two of the peaks of the Chief.

View of the Chief from a distance. Most of the boulders are nestled in the forests in front of the Chief. Very easily accessible.

View from the first peak looking north.

View from the first peak looking south.

Awwwwwwww.

View from a gully during our hike to the second peak.

View from the second peak looking north.

View from the second peak looking south.

View of the first peak from the second. Look at all the people on the first peak!

The strenuous, long, stair-master-like hike up was totally worth it! On our hike down we passed by Tim Emmett! Very cool encounter.

Marco and I spent three weeks bouldering in the forest and getting on the best (and only!) crack climbs I have ever done. I’m new to crack climbing, so I don’t have much of a comparison, but I can’t imagine finding cracks better than the ones in Squamish. I’m still struggling a bit to wrap my ahead around crack climbing enough to muster up the courage to lead some serious cracks, but I’m trying. And I am genuinely loving the ass-kicking (mentally and physically) that I am getting in the process. In my perspective, it’s a whole new type of climbing that is so physically demanding (read painful) in such a new and different way. I love that I have been climbing for almost five years, yet there is still a type of climbing that can humble me and make me a beginner climber all over again. There is this whole new world of crack climbing to learn—new techniques and new mental challenges to overcome.

Klahanie Crack, 5.7. A perfect 30 meter splitter…and a perfect first crack to get my hands jammed into!

Laughing Crack, 5.7. My first attempt at leading a crack...unfortunately, I bailed halfway through. I just couldn’t figure out the foot jamming beta--my feet give out so quickly. But it was a fun climb nonetheless.

Marco finishing up the first pitch of Exasperator, 5.10a. It was such a solid lead, but, unfortunately, he ran out of gear to link up the second pitch, which is a 5.10c.

And…ready for the best part of our Squamish trip…Marco and I returned from a late afternoon bouldering session and who do we find sitting in the parking lot next to our van…Dirk and Ben Huber! BEST SURPRISE EVER! We knew they were in the Washington area, but we did NOT know they were making the trek to Squamish to climb with us (in fact, I don’t think they knew they were making the trek to Squamish until three hours before they arrived…spontaneous decisions are the best). It was GREAT (huge emphasis on GREAT) to spend so much time with them in general and even better to spend so much time climbing with them! Lots of great meals, amazing climbs, and very fun relaxing rest time at the lake. Spending so much time with such great friends also greatly strengthened my relationship with Marco. It was surprisingly refreshing to see Marco interact with his good friends and just be himself. It was a breath of fresh air to see the Marco that I met and fell in love with four years ago. Over the course of this trip, I think I temporarily lost sight of how many amazing qualities he has and it was nice to see those qualities shine during his interactions with his friends. Sometimes it's nice to have a little reminder of how amazing your partner in life truly is...because sometimes it's easy to overlook.

Dirk, Marco and Ben (on the slab). There was a little rope cluster at the base of the cliff…

Dirk getting on Neat and Cool, 5.10a.

Dirk pulling the top moves.

Cobra Crack, 5.14. So very cool to see in person!

Dirk getting on an offwidth! March of the Kitchen Utensils, 5.9. Belay is courtesy of our friend Drew.

Ben on his first offwidth!

Dirk getting on Bop 'til You Drop, 5.10b. Awesome lead Dirk!

Ben found a killer tree crack and of course everyone had to get on it. This is Drew making an ascent!

Dirk’s birthday on The Spit! The wind inhibited our ability to light the candles, but it was nonetheless a very special celebration of a very special guy…DIRK! There's nothing like good friends.

Dirk and Ben...we MISS you! It was great to see you both and hang out. Hope the rest of your travels were epic!

So, when we weren’t getting our butts kicked on cracks, we were getting on the BEST boulders I have yet to encounter. The forest at the base of the Grand Wall of the Chief has an endless supply of ridiculously amazing boulders. It could keep any boulderer busy for years (probably longer). Also, it now holds a special place in my heart, because it’s the first area where I have “projected” a problem. Back in the Gunks, I wasn’t really bouldering consistently enough to have projects and I never got the itch to really spend time working a single project. Having three weeks in Squamish to actually scope out intriguing problems, pour lots of sweat, blood and skin into them, experience the frustration and challenges of failure, and then finally send them is one of the greatest and most satisfying feelings. It is such a meaningful and proud accomplishment. And it’s so personal and intimate. The achievement is mine on its own and I don’t care who saw me do it, I don’t care who knows I did it, I just care that I set my mind to something, I put in a lot of effort and hard work, and I accomplished a goal. It’s oddly personal and hard to describe. And it was really great to share those moments with Marco. He was always spotting me on my projects, helping me figure out potential beta, and keeping my spirits positive, so it was great to experience the accomplishment with him by my side. He is such a wonderful source of unwavering and constant support. He makes me an infinitely better climber and, more importantly, person. We definitely encountered our fair share of climbers in Squamish, including the ego-maniacs that spray beta and talk extra loudly about their ascents to let everyone know they’ve sent the hardest climbs and blah blah blah. Marco is so far from the stereotypical ego-maniac climber; he keeps his climbing very personal and intimate. He likes to work on problems on his own or with one or two people he has grown to trust. He doesn’t like to boast about any of his accomplishments. For Marco, sending a project is completely and totally about the personal accomplishment and the lessons he learns during the process. His modesty and dedication have impressed me immensely, but even more so has his true appreciation of and ability to learn from the frustrations of failure. He approaches every problem, whether a V0 or a V8, as if the rock has something to teach him. He thrives on the problems that give him the biggest challenge. It’s a very humbling experience to observe and be a part of. Being around such a presence has impressed similar feelings upon me. In my opinion, climbing loses all of its fun when any sense of competition creeps in. Some people may thrive on that, but I tend to shy away from it. Everyone climbs at different levels, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and everyone deserves to be proud of their accomplishments. A send is a send, despite the grade, and it’s such a great feeling. Having Marco’s constant support has made me proud of my accomplishments and has really got me psyched on bouldering! And now…some pics of the boulders!

Easy on an Easy Chair, V4.

ATD, V7. Still a project...but reason to come back!

Swank Stretch, V5.

Marco admiring his longstanding project from four years prior....Gibbs Cave, V8. But, due to an epic send on our last day, it is no longer a project of his! Yay Marco! It was a really great send!

In the words of Marco: “You have to sweet talk the problem. Clean her up nice and talk to her.”

Getting to the crux!

Crackhead, V3. My very first project! It will always be a favorite climb of mine.

Bobo Jones, V3. A marathon of a problem...it definitely taught me that endurance is not just reserved for the routes!

Superfly, V4. Still a project...I just need to build up a bit more endurance to finish off those powerful problems!

Squamish is a must-visit for any climber. Unlike the other climbing destinations I’ve raved about, it doesn’t have the crazy attractions—no wild ponies and the camping isn’t anything to write home about. But the climbing itself is just plain out-of-this-world. It is unparalleled and is reason enough to visit. And, if the climbing hasn’t sold you, it is home to the Birth Simulator—a very narrow squeeze through some rocks. In my opinion, it is anxiety provoking just to look at it (it makes me want to throw up when I look at it). But, of course, climbers love a good challenge. We met some really fun guys that actually went through the squeeze. Crazy!

Nick, inching his way out. He literally almost got stuck. It took loads of readjusting and slow exhales to get him through. I was in full panic mode for him!

Just when we thought he was a goner...

…the rock gave birth! I think you can see where the Birth Simulator name comes from.

Drew squeezed through in no time.

And he turned the exit into a handstand...BONUS!

And now for some random shots.

Check out the back of those Stonemasters...now that is some obvious loving. He loves those pants so much, I don’t think they’re surviving Squamish!

Check out this rig—full on patio and grill going. There was actually a dog up there! We’re not sure how it got up, but it seemed to be enjoying the view.

A bird perched outside our van in the morning.

Squamish is home to crazy huge slugs!

Yay bouldering! Loving the walk home after a long day of climbing because it means dinner courtesy of Marco bunny! Yummmmy!

Meet Radar! Our friend Swiss needed someone to dogsit for a few hours while he did a morning climb with Dirk and Ben. DOG!! Of course I jumped at the chance. It was so fun to hang out with Radar all morning! And, more importantly, it was really great to meet Swiss! We spent a ton of time hanging out/climbing with him and Radar. We look forward to future climbing trips with him! I'm really happy we connected on this trip.