Leading up the first pitch of the massive "High on Boulder" (WI4) near Cody, WY. We started the day with wet fog and falling snow. 

Cody Ice Festival

Went down to Cody friday night to test out the Cody Ice festival. We had a good time, enjoyed the Saturday night slideshow best, but we can go down there whenever we want and not have to be nickeled and dimed for festival fees (come on! friday night's $15 per person entertainment fee got us a couple of glasses of FOAMY beer and a climbing DVD from someone's home collection!) and always with less crowds. Met some cool people though, and I guess our festival fees went to good organizations like the American Alpine Club and the Access Fund. As always, we did some great routes and look forward to getting back down there again in March.

This upcoming weekend I'll be in Chicago catching up with old friends on a fast year, some Modest Mouse, and maybe a little indoor climbing, look around, you might see me.

With the skies clearing, Fabrizio (left) and Joel (right) head up the crux second pitch of "High on Boulder" (WI4) Cody, WY.

Anya cleaning up on "High on Boulder" (WI4) Cody, WY. 

Joel leading up a rockband pitch on "Reality Strikes" (WI3) Cody, WY. 

Joel on "Reality Stikes" (WI3) Cody, WY. 

Anya telling you it may be cold up here but she doesn't care. 

Joel wondering when he can drop the pack and pick up the ice tools. 

1.2.3.4....1.2.3.4.....Here We Go

I've put up some of our better climbing photos from the past couple months as a base to grow from. There's a lot more, and I might post them later if things get slow. If you click on the photo your brower should open up to a larger version. I plan to toss up some non-climbing stuff whenever I actually do something that doesn't relate to climbing, but until then.........

We scored a powder day this past Saturday on the backside of Red Lodge Mountain and this weekend we're heading to the Cody Ice Festival.

Joel finishing the approach to Funeral for a Friend (WI4+) Rock Creek Canyon, MT, October 2004. The snowstorm and spindrift means this is about as high as we got. This photo was later posted on the front page of the Billings Gazette Outdoors section, much to my surprise.

Anya coming up to the third belay of Finishing Hammer (WI3) near Banff, Canada, November 2004.

Joel leading up the thin first pitch of Stringer (WI3+) Cody, WY 

Looking up the 400' ice wall of California Ice (WI4) East Rosebud Canyon, MT 

Joel lost in the sea of ice on the first pitch of California Ice (WI4) East Rosebud Canyon, MT 

Anya leading the steep second pitch of Curtains (WI3+) Cody, WY, February 2005.

Joel freezing through the hanging belay on California Ice (WI4) East Rosebud Canyon, MT, January 2005.

Anya following the first pitch of Too Cold to Fire (WI4) Cody, WY, January 2005.

Natural Anthem

Natural: pure, organic.
Anthem: song, statement.

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