climbingrocksandstuff-blog

[climbingrocksandstuff-blog]

Seattle, Washington

 May 24th to May 28th, 2018

A documentation of my mom and I’s adventures in the Emerald City.

That is me by the actual Space Needle. I grew a bit, or maybe the needle shrunk a little. We may never know 

The wonderful human being I get to call my mother takes her daughters on a long weekend trip to celebrate their college graduation. I choose the destination Seattle, Washington. Why there, you are thinking? Well, in all honesty, it probably stemmed from my minor obsession with Grey’s Anatomy. But the main reason I wanted to go to Seattle was that I have yet to experience the Northwest region of the States. The dream one day is the road trip the west coast, but I will save that for another adventure. 

The trip started out pretty rough. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:40am Thursday morning. So that meant we had to leave our house at 4:00 am to drive and park our car at the airport. Wednesday night I was waitressing at Somerby, my summer job, and one of my coworkers was sick so I had to close that night and ended up leaving work at 2:30 am. By the time I got home, showered and finished packing it was 3:15am. I had time to take a 45-minute nap before we had to be in the car to catch our flight.

THURSDAY

I’ll fast forward through me getting crappy sleep on the plane in a no leg room plane to arriving in Seattle. Let me pause here for a second to explain what I pictured Seattle was going to be like. I pictured a Duluth like city, where all the building and houses are on one big hill, the water is stretched at the edge of the hill, the trees are green, the sky is grey, and hipsters are ruling the streets. 

I was partially correct except I missed some majors parts that make the city what it is today. The graffiti, the homeless population, the horrible transportation system, and the lack of Minnesota nice. 

For those who aren’t aware of how Seattle is set up, let me explain it. The airport is south of Seattle. Seattle is made up of different districts and sits on the edge of the Elliot Bay. Surrounding the bay is many large islands that can be accessed easiest by ferries.

Okay, lets hit play now. We get our bags, follow the signs to the Link Light Rail system, and jump on the Link to head to the city (about a 35-minute ride). As we rode the link I felt as if I was Katiness (from the Hunger Games) riding the train through the districts on her victory tour. Every time the Link stopped, the area was different. First, it was all towering evergreens and beautiful houses, then it turned into an Asian American cultured area, then graffiti was covering all the buildings and houses were boarded up with chains on the windows. I wasn’t expecting such a prominent change going district to district. 

We got off the Link at Pioneer Square, the closest district to the ferry terminal. We stepped foot onto the street to the smell of garbage, a lady screaming I MADE IT... WE’VE DONE IT, people mumbling to her to shut up, and a group of homeless people sleeping on the sidewalk. I looked at Mom and thought I choose this city, oh god why did I do this to us. 

We headed to the ferry terminal with our overpacked luggage trailing us. We stayed in an Airbnb on Bainbridge Island, so each day we were able to travel on the ferry and enjoy the beautiful views of the city. 

Our Airbnb, The Cottage  

We settled into our little cottage and ferried back to the city to begin our long list of touristy things to see. We explored Pioneer Square’s hidden waterfall, took the Underground Tour and walked under the streets of Seattle, and got lost in Pike Place Market. It was a very long, full packed day. 

FRIDAY 

We took an uber to the ferry terminal in the morning. We ferried to Seattle in the morning with the plan to explore a couple more districts in the north. We took the link to Capitol Hill and then walked for about an hour. We wandered through gorgeous neighbors and down 45-degree hills. We reached the Japanese Gardens. It was a beautiful garden with a koi-filled pond in the middle. It was another tranquil area hidden within Seattle. 

The Japanese Gardens 

We then Ubered back to the Capitol Hill station, because we were not about to walk up those hills! We ate at a local chain hot spot, Dick’s Drive-In then jumped back on the link and headed to the Seattle downtown center. We had to also jump on a monorail to actually reach the downtown area. 

The downtown center is the home of the space needle, Chihuly Glass and Garden, MOPOP, weekly festivals, the Armory, and the Pacific Science Center. A folk festival was happening while we visited so we walked through all the pop tents and ended up sitting down with a physic. I am not completely sure if I trust physics but I gave it a try! My mom has always believed in this practices, so I am sure there is some truth to it. It was kind of an emotional process because you are so vulnerable. I enjoyed it although and would do it again. 

We also went to the Chihuly Glass and Garden Museum. It is a beautiful museum that holds Dale Chihuly glass blown sculptures.  He is the same person that made those chandeliers in the Mayo Clinic Gonda Building in Rochester. It was a very cool experience to walk through. 

Chihuly Glass and Garden exhibits

We then used a shared bike system and biked towards the water to the look around the Olympic Sculpture Garden, an outside museum. We then biked the boardwalk, shopped around, and then ferried back to Bainbridge. 

We ended up taking 6 different modes of transportation on Friday. 

SATURDAY

Saturday was the most relaxing day of the four. We shuttled to the ferry terminal and then boarded the ferry. We were headed back to the airport to rent a car for our last two days. On the ferry, people would leave puzzles in booths so mom and I would race to finish the puzzle before the ferry reached Seattle. 

Seattle, WA skyline from the ferry

Once we got the car we headed to Alki Beach, a California like beach south of Seattle. People were playing volleyball, relaxing on the sand, even some kids were braving the ice cold water. We ate and shopped around for a bit then headed to Fremont, north of Seattle. We toured Theo’s Chocolate factory, shopped at this rad store called Evo. and visited the famous troll. 

The Fremont Troll 

SUNDAY

For our last day, we explored Bainbridge Island and then went to Seattle to tour some places we have yet to see. We grabbed breakfast at this little quaint cafe and ate on our cottage deck with the view of Mount Rainier. The mountain was so prominent all day long. 

The view of Mount Rainier on our way to the airport 

Bainbridge Island is a gorgeous place. Most of the island is a forest with small neighborhoods and big houses tucked within it. We drove on the edge of the island, stopping at different beach access points. We walked on a beach and the view of the mountains was breathtaking. It took us a minute to realize that we were walking on a beach full of clam shells. With each step we took, we were shattering the shells. 

We spent a few hours shopping the local businesses on Bainbridge Island before we ferried to Seattle for the last time. We went to the MOPOP, Museum of Pop Culture, and wandered the building for hours. It was full of a variety of exhibits all having to do with either music or film. There was this horror-themed room where there were interactive displays all around. Props used in famous horror films and tv shows filled the room. They even had severed heads they used in The Walking Dead and Michael Meyers costume that was worn in the Halloween films. 

The outside of MOPOP

I had a great time exploring a new city and spending some one on one time with my mom. This trip will be a memory I will always cherish. Thank you Mom!

[climbingrocksandstuff-blog]

I GRADUATED!!!

May 6, 2018

I don’t know where I should even start! I have so much to be grateful for and to look back on. I really can’t believe that I graduated from college yesterday! It really does feel like I was just moving into the dorms.

Before I reflect on the last three years, I need to say thank you. Especially to my parents. Without their support, I would have not walked across that stage yesterday. I cannot thank them enough. They push me when I needed it, picked me up when I was down, and guided me when I was lost. 

Thank you to both of my sisters (and brothers). Knowing that they were all just a phone call away was comforting. Their advice from their own experiences really helped me along this journey. 

To my mentors, thank you for believing in me and taking me under your wing. You are the reason I accomplished so much within my three years at MNSU. 

Now for a reflection on the last three years. 

Freshmen year I found my niche early. I began to work at the MNSU Alumni Center where I met amazing people and uncovered opportunities I didn’t even know I had. I ended up working with the Alumni Center until the day I graduated. They gave me experience and lifelong skills. 

My second year of school I found my passion for rock climbing and the determination to build my resume. I became an intern at an amazing agency in Rochester, which opened many doors for my career. 

My final year at school was by far the best. I began to freelance my marketing skills, become an avid rock climber, and met some lifelong friends.

Thank you to everyone who has made an impact on my life in these last few years. I am so grateful for all of you.

[climbingrocksandstuff-blog]

17 Minutes of Silence

Credit: Annie Tritt for The New York Times

March 14, 2018

It was very quiet as I walked across campus this morning. I turned the corner to see a crowd people gathered by our fountain. The crowd was made of students, teachers, and administration just standing there in silence. I joined the group knowing they were honoring the 17 people who died in the Florida Parkland Shooting and all victims of gun violence. After each minute passed, the group grew together. Strangers standing among each other fighting for the same cause. It was powerful, moving and inspiring. 

As I was silently standing there, I found myself thinking about how we got to this place. 

This horrible trend of mass shootings is becoming too normalized. I read through my news feed and out of habit I just scroll past the articles stating the latest mass shooting. These articles are becoming too common, too often. I avoid the articles until I can’t anymore. It hurts me to face the increase of tragedy in our country. 

Finally, things are happening. Students, the youth of our country, are standing up. They are calling for the end of gun violence. They are calling for change. The change will come, but it is a matter of when and what this change will look like. 

Here are my two cents on this issue. No civilian needs an AR-15 or any high powered weapon. I am not saying that ALL guns are bad and that NO ONE should have guns, but I am saying that we need to have better and more in-depth gun control. All guns should be regulated like driving licenses. 

There was this article I came across while scrolling my feed. No matter what side you are in this controversy, you should read it. It is well worth your time. At least the time I hope you have, because who knows, any of us could be apart of the next mass shooting.

 https://agingmillennialengineer.com/2018/02/15/fuck-you-i-like-guns-2/

[climbingrocksandstuff-blog]

Red River Gorge, Kentucky

Red River Gorge, Kentucky March 2 to March 7, 2018

 For the past four years, several climbers from the Mankato climbing wall have gone to the Red River Gorge for a spring break trip. Having only been climbing for a little over a year, I never thought I would have enough experience and the ability to climb outdoors, let alone climb at one of the most famous places in the states. A friend of mine, Kenny, convinced me to come along on this year’s spring break trip. So the next thing I know, I am all packed up and on my way to Kentucky along with 12 other friends.

We left on Friday at 6:30 pm. The Subaru was packed to the brim with all our camping and climbing gear. Two friends and I embarked on the 12 hour and 45 min road trip to the Red. There were late night and early morning gas station stretches, there were a few hours of being the only car on the road with just truckers and the endless singing to myself to stay awake as I drove through the night. I drove from 2 am until 4:30 am and my co-pilots were passed out the whole time. I somehow got 3 hours of sleep after my driving shift. I woke up as the sun rose and my excitement grew as we reached Kentucky. Signs for the Red began to appear as we made our way through the bluffs. We turned the corner and there it was, Miguel’s pizza. 

Miguel’s Pizza has been a tradition at the Red since 1984 and it was founded by a family of local climbers. They created a safe haven for climbers in the gorge. Allowing a place for ONLY climbers to camp out and rest after climbing each day. It is more of a community than a pizza place.

We canvased the area to see what we were really getting ourselves into. The front of the property is Miguel’s restaurant. Behind Miguel’s is an open field where all the climbers camp out for $3 a night. There is a separate building that is open underneath and holds picnic tables to cook your food, hang out, and a place to socialize with fellow climbers. Walk up the stairs of the building and you enter the “Zen Den”. A place we took cover in to get out of the cold weather.

We set up camp and made the place our home for the week. It was early morning when we arrived, so we had time to get some climbs in for the day. We grabbed our guidebook (which was basically our bible for the trip) and figured out where in the Red we wanted to climb.

So some facts about the Red River Gorge. It is 29,000 acres full of trees, streams, waterfalls, rock, and cliffs. Our camp was right on the edge of the Red so we had to drive each day to where we were climbing. There are numerous areas to climb within the Red. Within each area are crags. A crag is a specific chain of cliffs that we climb within the area.  

The first area we went to was the Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve (PMRP). About a 25-minute drive away from camp. It is 750 acres with at least 10 different crags in it. We drove 15 minutes on the paved road to the area and then farther on an unmaintained gravel road to reach the specific crag.

Now picture a Jeep commercial where they take the car out on these back roads and drive over these big rocks and go through big potholes and water. That is exactly what we were driving through. It was pretty thrilling and bumpy.

We drove deep into PMRP until we reached the first crag, volunteer wall. We parked grabbed our gear, strapped up and began our approach. Now, in my brain, I thought the approach to the wall was going to be a 3-minute easy hike. Oh, I was so wrong. (Queue me taking my inhaler). The approach to each crag is a work out for itself. It is a 15-minute uphill battle of going through mud, roots, rocks, and trees. Finally, the cliff emerged from the trees and we were all thinking, oh crap we are going to climb this.

The bible guidebook tells us where to park and where to hike to get to the rock. Once you get to the rock, you have to find the route you want to climb by looking at pictures and reading descriptions. Sometimes it is really hard to find the route on the wall because there are not any markers. You have to have some keen map reading skills (which we lacked at times).

We found the route we wanted to climb. It was on the side of the 50-foot cliff by man-made stairs. We put on our gear and looked at each other until someone finally stepped up to climb first. 

Our first route was “Nice To Know You” (5.10b) 50ft

Luke stepped up and shotgunned the route. Shotgunning means that the first climber climbs the route and attaches the quickdraws (Click on it) to the already placed bolts on the rock. Shotgunning a route is hard for a few reasons.

You have to carry 5 more pounds of equipment with you, you haven’t observed others climb the route, and you have to attach the quickdraws to the rock and then attach your rope to the quickdraws.

It was 45 degrees and windy, so the rock was cold to the point of people using hand warmers in their chalk bag as they climbed.

Finally, it was my turn to lead climb. I was scared, my leggings were shaking (I blamed it on the inhaler though) and of course my hands were sweating. I tied in, made sure I had my safety gear on just in case something sent wrong, and checked to see if my belayer’s (the person who controls my rope below) equipment was correct.

Well shit, here I went. The minute my hands were on the rock, the nervousness and worry disappeared and a smile appeared on my face. I felt like I’ve been doing this for years. I found a good place on the rock for my hands then looked for small ledges for my feet.

The thing about outdoor climbing is that the world is your oyster. You can grab any part of the rock you want. The ultimate goal is to reach the top. I would be on the wall holding a jug (big hold) with one hand while feeling the wall for a place for my other hand. Once you found a good hold you start looking for feet. Sometimes you have the smallest feet and sometimes you have a huge ledge to stand on.

Next thing you know, I was already on my second clip. I asked for take (meaning the belayer takes in all the slack and I can hang there without holding on). I was loving it. Long story short, I made it to the top. I hooked my rope into the draws on top and looked down. I was 50 feet up, surrounded by trees and fresh air. I was hooked! (sorry mom).

We arrived back at Miguel’s, ordered pizza and warmed up in the Zen Den. Camping the first two nights were cold. I was engulfed in my sleeping bag because my face was freezing, but I had no complaints because this trip felt like a dream. (The pizza was amazing by the way).  

There are people that have camping stoves and make meals every day, those who order pizza and live off that, those who shower every day and those who haven’t all week. Dogs are running around, people are living out of their vans and people sleeping in hammocks. It was so unique.

Each day seemed like a repeat, but with different crags, routes, and memories. At Miguel’s, we ended up meeting several groups of people. People from Penn State, SDSU, and a college in Florida. Also individuals from Canada, South Carolina, Boston, and Virginia. This is when I realized this wasn’t just a vacation spot, it was a community where you could converse and hang with anyone and everyone.

It was now Sunday and a few of us woke up and headed up to the restaurant. Each morning we ordered some tea, coffee, and breakfast. We would lay out our bible guidebook and plan out our day. We again packed our gear, flooded into the cars and drove to the same area; PMRP.

We decided to go to the crag called Drive-By. The approach again was lung burning but I made it. Our group today had about 9 people in it today, which was bigger then I preferred.

I climbed a route called “A Wave New World” (5.10c).

Well, that climb was way too ambitious for me. The start of the climb was a fun sequence but I could not complete the route because of the crux (the crux is the hardest part of the climb). So I didn’t finish the climb which was super frustrating. I enjoyed watching friends do some amazing moves and complete climbs they didn’t know they could, so it felt like a successful day.

Everyone went back to camp except for four of us. Since I didn’t get much climbing in that day, I wanted to find another route to get on. So we went on a hike deeper into the crag to find a route.

We searched for the route for about an hour and a half. We ended up giving up because it was getting dark. We couldn’t find the route, but it was a fun hike and a good time to get to know my friends more.

The night went fast. I ate pizza and then bundled up in my sleeping bag which basically had me suffocating but still no complaints because I was having a blast. (PS. I finally showered that day).

Monday was the day we finally started to get a hang of things and find a routine in all the chaos. A friend and I woke up with the sun and sat in Miguel’s. I had tea and a muffin while taking in the atmosphere. Waking up to fresh air is one of the best things about camping in my opinion.

We embarked to PMRP for the third day around 9:30 am. We went to the crag called The Gallery. It was empty and beautiful. There were only four other climbers at this crag beside our group of 6.

We hopped on a climb called “27 years of climbing” (5.8)

It was a really fun route and a climb I enjoyed. It had a bunch of pocket holds and a fun flake at the top. I completed this route and then hung out and watched my friends climb for the rest of the day. My friends jumped on “Starry night” (5.12a). It had a nasty 15-foot first clip so we had to get creative. It also had a big overhang. Luke took a scary whip (dropped 15 feet in the air) but the whole experience was awesome to watch from my hammock.

At this point of the trip I understood that it is not about the grade of the climb you are getting on, it is about the adventure and if you are personally feeling accomplished. Overall I realized that this trip is not about proving yourself to people but it is about having fun and experiencing the sport of outdoor climbing. I wish I would have recognized this on day one.

Since we didn’t climb too hard this day Tyler, Ed, Casey and I went hiking to the Natural Bridge State Park which was on the way back to camp.

It was breathtaking, literally. The hike up there had me gasping for air. But once you got to the top, the view was amazing. I started hiking before the other three, so it was really cool to walk at my own pace and experience nature by myself. It was a place that I found a lot of comfort, peace, and happiness in.

We got back to camp that night and I learned how to make mac and cheese on a backpacking camping stove. The weather this night was gorgeous and warm. It was the first night I didn’t have to suffocate in my sleeping bag.

Tuesday was my favorite and most successful day by far. Melissa, Casey and I all climb roughly the same grade so we separated from the group and climbed together for the day. We went to an area called the Natural Bridge and a crag called the Roadside Crag.

The first climb for the day, and the one I am proudest of is called “Valor of discretion” (5.8) 50 feet.

I shotgunned this route and it was thrilling. (If you haven’t realized yet, I am an adrenaline junky). I started on this huge boulder rock and clipped the first draw in just standing there. It then took about 15 minutes to figure out where to start with my hands and feet but I eventually got it. I began climbing up on an arete (the corner of the rock). After the second clip, I had to shimmy my way on the other side of the arete and climb up farther. It was so fun to shotgun my first route. I haven’t felt that accomplished in a long time.

Note: We were climbing next to Ro Shambo, a famous route that professional climbers get on. It was pretty cool.

After climbing “Valor of Discretion”, we then moved to the end of the crag to find more routes. The cliff was a giant slab wall. It reached 90 feet high, was flat all the way up and was very intimidating. Again it took us a while to find the exact route we were wanting to climb, but we found it eventually. 

The second climb of the day was called “All Cows Eat Grass” (5.8) 80 feet up. 9 bolts.

The first clip on this route is about ten feet up. So we had to get creative and tape two sticks together (thanks for the tape dad) and clip the quickdraw in. I was second to climb this route.

I decided not to lead climb the route, but to follow it. Following means that the person before me lead climbed the route. So the rope was weaved through the quickdraws all the way up, then threaded through the top quickdraw anchors and then drops to the ground. It is basically climbing top rope but it still has quickdraws attached. On my way up to the top, I have to disconnect those quickdraws and put them on my harness.

This route was by far my favorite of the trip. I realized I love climbing slab routes because they are technical and balance based.

The start of this route is on a crack. I had to match on the crack, smear my right foot, get a really high left foot on a crappy foot sloper, stand up and reach a crap crimp with my right hand. I achieved it on the third try. This route was made of all crimps (small holds) and small foot ledges. I climbed 80ft to the top while taking the quickdraws off while never resting. It was so AWESOME!!!

But don’t worry there is more… I then lead climbed on “C Sharp or B Flat” (5.7) 60ft. 6 bolts. 

This route was also very fun. I got to the top of the route and only rested once at the crux because I went right instead of left. Dumb Morgan. I knew I shouldn’t go right and still did it.

It was by far the best day of the trip. I liked being in smaller groups because it allowed me to get more climbs in and bond with my friends more.

Wednesday morning, we woke up to snow covering our tent. Looking at the weather we realized that we wouldn’t be able to climb today and it would be too cold to climb on Thursday also. We decided to drive home that morning. We left mid-morning and got home at 11 pm Wednesday night.

I was disappointed to come home so early, but I knew it was the right choice because all my friends that climb my grade were going to leave. I know this will not be my last time camping at the Red River Gorge. So I am sorry mom, I am now fascinated with climbing outside and will be taking every opportunity I get to travel and climb more rocks.