Just Outside My Door...

First day of school is upon me! I'm currently entrenched and wading through the murky waters of Thomas Khuns' Structure of Scientific Revolutions. His vernacular is seldom dynamic and he tends to be very loquacious and verbose, as well as a little sexist, but the content is mind blowing and gives me a lot to think about. Especially as I enter the second year of my masters program and begin to ponder what it is I actually want to contribute, or can for that matter, to the scientific community at large.
Other matters that have nothing to do with school include our first successful home brew! We have made quite a tasty amber ale, we affectionately refer to as Fly Spit(or maybe I'm the only one, but the story behind the name reveals our adolescent first attempts at brewing). We currently have a second batch in the works, a decadently colored brown ale. Dark and rich, it will be ready just in time to match the mood of our environment and the color of the leaves strewn about the streets of down town Olympia.
I have left my project in good standing, a couple of two hnag attempts and managing to link it through the crux and to the crimpy finish from the last set of underclings. I haven't climbed a lick in 5 days now but I'm satisfied with where I am at. There is a lot of good conversation out there in the blogosphere, especially on Peter Beal's site. So what are you doing wasting time reading this? Click away my friends, I'll see you all soon.


Our 'Easy Amber Ale'


My neighborhood.

Shoe Covers

Occasionally some people suggest shoe covers as an alternative to shoe-removal.

I have expressed scepticism before that shoe covers can be worn with high heeled shoes. I find it impossible to imagine what an high-heeled shoe with a cover on would look like. Shirley Saunders supports my suspicion. She points out in her book that shoe covers can be damaged by high heeled shoes.

From an aesthetic point of view, I would not want people walking about my home in covered shoes. I want it to be a place of relaxation not a crime scene. In any case, I think most people would feel sillier and more self-conscious in shoe covers than in socks or bare feet.

Roundworms

Something horrible I learned from Shirley Saunders' book.

Roundworms live in the intestines of dogs and cats. They pass their eggs into the feces. These tiny eggs can survive in the soil for months.

You might not see any dog or cat plop on the ground on which you walk, but potentially you are picking up Roundworm eggs on your shoes.

If you allow shoes in your house, Roundworm eggs may be introduced onto the same floor on which your children play. It just takes your child one mouth to hand contact for her to become infected. Potentially she could develope lung problems as a result of infection.

Just take your shoes off and ask others to do the same. Its not rocket science.

Cafe.Mom: The No-Shoe Rule for Houseguests

Cafe.Mom: The No-Shoe Rule for Houseguests

Got my copy of 'Sole Truth About Those Soles!' by Shirley Saunders

I received my copy of Shirley Saunders' book 'Sole Truth about those Soles!' today. Shirley Saunders is a nurse practitioner in the USA who argues forcefully that wearing shoes in homes is a really bad idea.

Get your copy of 'Sole Truth about Those Soles!'

Treating other people with respect

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We should always do our utmost to treat other people with respect.

All of us have little things that we are sensitive about. Other people might find it hard to understand those things and may think we are oversensitive about them. However, that does not mean that we should not take those things into consideration.

For instance, some people may not like to hear bad language. If so, you should try as hard as you can not to swear when in that person's company. You may think that is silly. You may think they have the problem, not you and they should deal with it. I disagree. I think that you should respect the fact that those people do not like bad language.

Some people may not like you to smoke when there children are present. You may think that is silly, after all they are not going to be affected by you smoking just one cigarette in front of them. However, perhaps these people do not want you to set an example to your children. You should respect that.

Likewise, some people do not want shoes to be worn inside their homes. This is something important to them.

You may think this is daft. If it is for cultural reasons you may think "They are living in the UK not in China." If it is to protect the carpet you may think "Carpets are meant to be walked on." That is fine. You are entitled to your opinion. However, you should still treat their preference with respect. They are fellow human beings who have the right to their preferences and opinions as much as you do. So please don't complain if you are asked to remove your shoes in such homes.

We should also not be afraid to state our preferences. Nobody is going to know that you would rather they avoided using bad language in front of their children unless you tell them this. In the same way nobody will know that you would like shoes-off in your house unless you make it clear. There is nothing wrong with expressing how you feel and asserting your wishes. You have the right to be respected.

Yahoo! News: Sydney glows red under outback dust storm

Yahoo! News: Sydney glows red under outback dust storm

I bet most people in Sydney are taking off their shoes at the door.

AmuertechingaladiabloVENGA!

Oldschool

Okay, so another day out at the crag. A little dry, a little dusty, a tad on the warm side. Cotton mouth all around. It started off great, with nice gusts of wind accompanying us all the way to the crag. Ticked off a couple classics before getting down to work. Same story for Dom, so close but no prize today. I can tell he is getting fed up with Little si. Great to have Greg out and on the sharp end! And Andrew was definitely on point with a bunch of great leads.
I let Greg run around the crag with my camera and here are the results:


Life on the ledge!



Yes I can climb 5.1, but not after today.


My life is in your hands.


Belay Bitch (affectionately)


Crossing the great divide.


Endless coils


Fuck, I just remembered that I hate climbing.

Why the difference between Japan and Sweden?

Why is it that so many Americans go to Japan and declare that removing shoes in homes is wonderful, while so many other Americans go to Sweden (and Norway) and complain about having to remove their shoes in every home they visit.

It may be because of the different sorts of ex-pat that settle in Japan and Sweden respectively, but I have no idea what difference that would be.

It is nothing to do with the weather; winters in northern Japan are very cold and Japanese homes are much less likely than Swedish homes to have central heating. You are far more likely to get cold feet in a Japanese home.

It may be that Japanese come across as more polite or likeable than Swedish people. Better not go to far that way, or I might offend any Swedish visitors.

I think it has a lot to do with expectations. Everyone who goes to Japan knows that shoes need to be removed in Japanese homes. Not so many people know about removing shoes in Sweden, so people going there may not be psychologically prepared for the change of custom.

I suspect racial attitudes may come into it.

Japanese people look different to most westerners. We expect them to have strange and exotic customs. The exoticism of removing shoes in Japanese homes may come across as a quaint and aesthetically pleasing custom.

Not so the Swedish custom. The Swedes look like westerners, except in being demographically more fair-haired. we expect them to behave in a western manner and not have the sort of strange, exotic customs that we expect in Japan or Thailand.

The Swedes just come across as an whole nation of those awful westerners who expect you to remove their shoes to protect their wretched carpets.

The sort of westerner I am. And the sort of westerner that is becoming increasingly more common. The future is bright under a midnight sun, the future is Nordic.

Last Weekend, and the Weekend Before Last

Maybe I'll start with last weekend. It is just a foggy recollection in my mind by now. I guess blowing the dust off of it won't do me any good so I'll try to peek under the the thick film that has developed over the smooth album cover labeled 'Last Weekend In Tieton' and read you broken descriptions of the hits from that weekend.

1) Don't go to rainbow rocks, something about the approach being a horrible trudge up death scree with rattlesnakes(although we never saw a one) waiting to bite your extremities. The rock formations are pretty cool though.

2) Free camping rules!

3) Paper wasps do not rule.

4) Go to these places: Lava Point, South Fork, The Cave, Beehive Wall.


The view from the Cave area at Tieton.


Greg on a sweet looking 5.7 at South Fork.


The World Wall Onesque wall at South Fork.


View from the approach to South Fork.


5) The bigger the fire the more beer you have to drink




6) Don't drink the water in the porta potties. Just DON'T!

7) Climbing in the hot hot sun is hard.

8) Onsighting stuff is hard.

9) Falling just beneath the chains of several routes on the onsight attempt is maddening.

10) I heart Tieton.

There, you see? That sums it up pretty well and noone got hurt.


This past weekend was wonderful fun. A post birthday celebration with my family is always a good thing, with more food than I can burn off over the next few months. At least I'll have a nice layer of fat to keep me warm this Winter. Pancakes, yard work, errands, dog walking, laughter, food, awesome gifts(yes! I finally have a head torch now!!), and the serenity of the garden.













Sunday I had a great time at the crag with Dom and Laura. Dom coming agonizingly close to sending Californication again. Get the psych up, BAWSE!(I hope that doesn't warrant a letter from Joe Kinder's lawyer, does he have that copyrighted yet??). Laura just keeps stepping up her game, 2 hangs before the chains of Rainy Day, a clean TR of Abo, and a good attempt at Bust Tha' Move. NICE! I gave some valiant efforts on a few lines. The good news for me is that I have been able to repeat Techno consistently which makes me feel strong, and I have revamped my psych for Californicator. All in all I'm looking forward to getting out tomorrow, despite the heat, just to get some good training in. Plus, I need to embrace these hot days while they are still here. Sunday was foreshadowing to the colder months ahead where if you're not on a route you better have a down and some hand warmers handy. Here are some photos of a crowded World Wall:

Yet another American rants about having to remove shoes in Swedish homes

I have mentioned before the peculiar thing that American ex-pats in Japan seem to love removing their shoes in Japanese homes and tend to adopt the custom, while Americans living in Sweden seem to find the custom abhorrent and objectionable.

Karen, an American ex-pat actually went to the trouble of writing a five-part dissertation on removing shoes in Sweden. It does contain some strong language.

At no.97

The Telegraph recently reported on a poll of the top 100 things that British people find annoying.

At no. 97 was:

People who don't remove their shoes in the house

97 is rather low, but some of the things that made the top 10 are really annoying. Perhaps the reason it came so low was that those who find shoes in the house really annoying (like me) ask visitors to remove their shoes anyway.

Thanks go to Rachael for blogging this.

Mung Beans and Lentils

I had mung beans for tea last night. I have lentils or some other sort of pulse almost every day.

I suppose eating lentils and pulse is rather stereotypical for environmentalist, New Agey shoe-removers.

But I normally ruin the image by having sausages for breakfast.

Running Leaner and Greener: Leave your shoes at the door

Running Leaner and Greener: Leave your shoes at the door

The Future

I can forsee this blog becoming redundant in the future.

I see a lot of signs that removing shoes is steadily becoming the norm. I would venture to predict that in ten years time, keeping shoes on within a home will seem as antiquated as addressing your boss as 'sir,' as they do in The Good Life.

Of course, I might think differently if I were living in the north of the country rather than Hertfordshire, but the north can't be that far behind.

East European Family in KFC

I ate at a KFC today. I saw an East European couple in the restaurant, probably Polish. They had a small child, perhaps six years old. I found it fascinating that while the couple spoke to each other in their own language, their daughter frequently used English, even at such a young age.

The girl's father wiped the table before he sat down to eat with his daughter and her mother. East Europeans seem to recognise the value of cleanliness. As it happened, he was wearing the uniform of an hospital cleaner. I am sure this family, like most East Europeans remove their shoes when entering their home.

This family appeared like almost a model immigrant family. So often East Europeans seem to be so decent; hard working, clean living and generally moral (I suppose I mean conservative) in their values. I think it is wonderful that families like this from Poland and other East European countries are settling down here and having children.

I will admit that I have a tendency to romanticize East Europeans. Their cultures have their faults. I am well aware, as an alcohol misuse worker that many East Europeans drink far too much and are often arrested for drink driving. Yet I believe their exodus is enriching this nation. And may they bless us with their custom of shoes-off in homes.

Doctor

I was talking to some staff at the hospital and a doctor brought up the subject of removing shoes. She said that in her home she always takes her shoes off and when visiting other people, she always brought her slippers with her (with a bottle of wine for the hosts). Very thoughtful.

A Little Time For Me: Changing the World.. One Shoe at a Time

A Little Time For Me: Changing the World.. One Shoe at a Time

Strollerderby: Kick Off Your Shoes For the Kids

Strollerderby: Kick Off Your Shoes For the Kids

Encourage but not insist?

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Some people say that it is fine to encourage people to remove their shoes, but one should not insist that they do so.

There is a fine line between insisting on people removing their shoes and encouraging people to take them off. There are a number of things one could say that are subtle encouragements:

We take our shoes off here.


You might like to take your shoes off.

These imply strongly that the host wants the guest to remove her shoes. I do not see that insisting or asking is worse than encouraging. If you encourage people to take their shoes off, then you have started from the assumption that people will be willing to take them off. By encouraging, you apply a degree of moral pressure to comply.

I think a lot of people would not want the uncertainty of just being encouraged. I was dating a girl a few years ago when I was not 100% sold out to the shoes-off rule. She asked me if she should remove her shoes. I told her that we removed our shoes but she did not have to. She was actually uncomfortable at this answer and asked me whether I wanted her to take them off or not.

Sometimes it is simpler just to be straight with people and ask them to remove their shoes. No need to beat around the bush.

'Free Love'

Doing a late night shift at the hospital last night, I saw part of a documentary on 'free love'.

The presenter, Dawn Porter, visited a house in San Diego which hosted a sort of club for people who engaged in 'free love'. They also used New Age techniques and enjoyed naked communal bathing. Dawn Porter was asked to remove her shoes before entering the house.

Not the sort of behaviour I would commend, but at least they take their shoes off for their 'free love' parties. I like the fact that although removing shoes is a very practical and sensible thing, you also get lots of odd and interesting people who do it and insist on it.

Inspections

My apartment wasd inspected by the letting agents yesterday. I got a letter today saying that it is being kept in good condition.

I don't know if the letting agents complied with my doormat message of 'Please take off your shoes', but it would be nice to think they did. It might have even prompted them to remove their shoes in the other two apartments in the block.

I think my 'shoes-off' doormat is a great way of sending a message about shoes in homes.

Icebreaker

I gave three medics at the hospital some training about alcohol misuse today.

As trainers often do, I gave them an icebreaking exercise. I asked them each to name something they really disliked.

With my occasional crusading zeal, I named my pet dislike as people not removing their shoes in my home, though I said that it seldom happens because I don't permit it.

One of the medics said she felt the same way. She permitted shoes downstairs, but did not allow them to be worn upstairs, where a carpet was fitted.

Happy Home: shoe-free or not?

Happy Home: shoe-free or not?

Bare Feet

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In the UK and the USA a lot of people feel a sense of disgust and abjection towards feet. Of course, in many Asian countries, the foot is considered to be unclean. However, this is in connection with the fact that the foot touches the ground. Thus, shoes are considered to be far more unclean than the naked foot. In an Asian home, barefeet are acceptable, but shoes are not. This is actually the very opposite of the western abjection of the foot.

It is very common in internet discussions about shoes-off in homes for the subject of barefeet to be raised. It is argued that barefeet are disgusting, more so than the dirt on peoples' shoes. Of course, if you do feel that feet are disgusting, you can still ask visitors to remove their shoes if you lend then flip flops or socks to wear. Angie mentioned this in a previous post.

It is very likely that the sense of disgust about barefeet will decline. Sandals and flip flops have become incredibly popular in the UK and the USA. People are becoming more used to exposed feet. And ladies (and maybe some men) are spending good money on keeping them looking nice.

The argument that feet are more unhygienic than shoes is quite wrong. Unless a person has been going barefoot outdoors, they will not have been picking up the awful things that the soles of shoes pick up (though sandal-shod feet do get a bit dusty). You may think your feet are disgusting, however, you undoubtedly have more germs on your hands than on your feet. Feet are usually remarkably cleaner than the average pair of hands.

Prague Daily Monitor: Leave your shoes at the door

Prague Daily Monitor: Leave your shoes at the door

By Emily Prucha

About removing shoes in the Czech Republic.

"When I first arrived in Prague, my American roommate and I were told that Czechs take off their shoes before entering someone's house. Although we weren't required to remove our shoes during our TEFL training course, we noted that our teachers and support staff often did, wearing "indoor shoes" or slippers instead. The first clue of how this tradition would affect me came one morning when our downstairs neighbor pounded angrily on our front door. She stormed inside and stomped around in her street shoes, presumably mimicking what we did, and then pantomimed putting on slippers and scuffled noisily in her stocking feet. Chagrined, we vowed to remember to take our shoes off, at least to prevent bad neighborly relations, if not to conform to a culture we were still trying to understand."

The Ramen Girl

Last night, I watched The Ramen Girl, a weepy romantic comedy. It is about an American girl who goes to live in Tokyo and gets dumped by her boyfriend. She then decides to learn to cook ramen, Japanese noodle broth and takes on the tutelage of a bad-tempered Japanese cook. I don't normally go in for weepy rom-coms, but I like Japan and I like Japanese food, so I gave it a try. It was a very enjoyable film.

The American heroine makes the mistake at one point of setting foot in a Japanese home with her shoes on. Not so surprising given that her American boyfriend wears shoes in his apartment, as does another foreigner. However, I am a bit sceptical of this. I get the impression most foreigners living in Japan adopt the local custom of removing shoes. Not necessarily out of choice; if you rent an apartment in Japan, the landlord will require you to go shoeless and to make sure any visitors do the same.

Party Last Night

I attended a party last night that was in honour of somebody leaving for university. The guests were all young people who attended, apart from a middle-aged couple. Everybody removed their shoes.

It is always encouraging when older people remove their shoes. Young people tend to remove their shoes as a matter of course, but when older people do so, it shows real consideration.

Shoes Off in Great Britain!

Britannia agrees.

Shoeless at Home: Is it Safer for Baby?

Shoeless at Home: Is it Safer for Baby?

Being Straight with Guests

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I would argue that having a 'don't ask but encourage' policy with shoes is not really any more polite than having a shoes-off rule.

Sometimes it is good for people to know where they stand.

It did occur to me that having a 'don't ask' policy might cause resentment and division amongst guests at party.

The people who take their shoes off may feel superior to those who have kept their shoes on. Even worse they may feel resentful of those people who have kept their shoes on.

A bigger problem is the embarrassment caused to guests who have kept their shoes on when they realise that shoes-off is preferred. Discovering that shoes-off is preferred when they have been walking about the house shod for an hour might make them feel rather awkward.

Husbands

There are an awful lot of comments on the internet by ladies who would like to have a no-shoes house, but have an husband who refuses to remove his shoes. I can only recall one comment by a man whose partner was reluctant to comply with a shoes-off policy.

Husbands, can you not see any benefit in having a clean home? If you have to get your carpet cleaned or replaced it will cost you money.

Why be bossed about by your wife? Why not take the initiative and introduce a shoes-off policy in the home yourself. Take some leadership in the household. If you read this blog, you will find plenty of reasons for not wearing shoes at home.

You cannot think that there is anything manly about being worried about getting cold feet?

Gorgeous made easy: 1st step to your Gorgeous home.. Take your shoes off at the door!

Gorgeous made easy: 1st step to your Gorgeous home.. Take your shoes off at the door!

This blogger was nice enough to link here.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Escape into the great unknown. Finally a chance to go camping for a few days and enjoy a new climbing area. Our best chance was Tieton. We had previously been set on Mazama but the forecast made the five hour journey sound down right unappealing. We settled for two and half and by dinner time Dom, Laura, and myself were pulling into Haus Creek campsite. The drive was a very pleasant one by the way, taking us approx. 80-90 miles down a single lane road after getting off I-5. Past many farms, small towns, and up and over White Pass. Tieton River snaked alongside the road after a while and the feeling of our surroundings was mountainous. We enjoyed a small campfire and some good food before hitting the sack.



The view from Lava Point.





The next day we awoke to sun and good chances of climbing. I had never been here before but Dom and Laura had come several years back and decided which crag we were to start our trip at. A few miles up a grated dirt road led us to a trail and then finally to our destination. Lava Point. With spectacular views that stretched out on either side and a long list of new climbs we got to work with enthusiasm. The rock was very nice. Orange to dark brown basalt(?), broken in some places by gas pocketed chunks of rock that offered nice but sharp pockets and jugs, and smooth almost featureless patches of rock that had small to large flat edges. The climbing was a bit technical and slabby in places but could also turn into roofs or overhangs quickly so you had be prepared to whip out your full bag of tricks on almost every climb. We started out with a .10a that was nice and mellow to start with and then jumped straight on an .11a that had a reachy and tenuous crux move in the middle. I managed the onsight and then Laura stepped up and flashed it with a display of graceful confidence. Good way to start the trip.


Laura flashes an .11a at Lava Point.

We played around on a couple more routes, Laura almost flashed another .11a making it all the way through the sustained parts only to fall at the very last hard move. She was keen to get back on it but the rain came and we decided it was time for lunch anyway.

After a small rain shower, and a good lunch we headed back out to another crag called the Beehive. Horizontal columns pushed their way out of the earth only to be cut short on one side forming a three dimensional masterpiece of a crag. I better just let the photos tell the story here. In short I got spanked on an .11a slab, but managed to flash the .11c and .12a, while Dom got onsights of nearly everything. And Laura put up a cool looking .10d on the other side of the road that didn’t climb nearly as cool as it looked.




Dom onsighting Anaphylactic Shock(5.12a), at the Beehive wall.


Dom on AS.


Laura onsighting Horizontally Yours(5.10d)




The crimp!

That night we waited for friends who never showed, opting to arrive early morning instead, and enjoyed an uproariously good fire. We ate, drank, and talked into the night.


Aaaahhhhhh, there is truly nothing like a campfire in life.

The morning brought friends from Oly’, along with torrential downpours. We decided climbing could wait for dryer times and headed out to Yakima for some wine tasting. Out of the five wineries there only 1 is free, 1 is three dollars for a tasting, and all the rest are just too expensive or swanky looking for our campfire encrusted garments. We chose to drink for free, twice, and then antied up for the three dollar tasting and ended up buying a few bottles and having our first book club meeting right smack dab in the middle of the tasting room. I actually think our table full of young self proclaimed scholars attracted business for the winery and so we were doing everyone a favor by talking loudly and enjoying the fermented grapes of the region. Afterwards we ate lunch in a park and headed back to the soggy campsite.



A cloudy Yakima.

By nighttime the clouds had removed themselves and we sat around another slightly smaller campfire but with more faces to share in a game called…well I’m not sure but involved guessing words and asking cleverly worded questions.
We awoke yet again to more rain and the company from Oly’ plus Laura decided to take off on an adventure hike leaving Dom and I to nap peacefully during the depressingly long rain showers. It was four o’clock the next time I gained consciousness and Dom’s phone was ringing. Laura was on the other end spraying about dry rock and other climbers. We hopped in the car and raced down to meet them. The Oly’ crew coughed up Laura and sped off to the campsite while Dom, Laura and myself trudged up a steep hill to find a bone dry crag laying in wait for us. We had a sense of dire urgency and quickly flew up a .10c, which was amazing(!), before hunting down the next line. So far the rain was leaving us alone and we decided to try this unique looking .11a that started out of the corner of the mouth of a large cave. The rock was like no other rock I’ve climbed on before except held a strange resemblance and feel to some of the sandstone I’ve climbed on in Utah. The route was close to perfection. The holds and moves complemented each other like a good set of cheeses and wines. It flowed delicately up a swooping face and none of the moves were desperate or unbalanced. Just pure climbing and pure fun. I was honored to have the onsight, and then Laura stepped up and flashed this gem as well, another .11a flash, oh hell yeah! Dom did it as well, and we were on to the next route wasting no time. Clouds loomed and then were upon us raining down drops of discouragement but we never really got wet and neither did the crag. We managed a very lengthy .10c that was excellent IMO but loose and crumbly in some places. We were almost done and heading down the trail when it hit us to do one more climb. A super long 5.9 on mini columns was the last route of the day, and it also held a bit of drama, but nothing we couldn’t handle.

Satiated, we headed back home in the dark and upon arrival were met with our friends from Oly’ packed up and ready to leave. We bid them farewell and plopped down in front of the fire and listened to 80’s, 90’s, and ‘whatever’, before the magic of the day faded away like so many embers before us in the fire pit.

Our last day we were just hoping for no rain and maybe a little sun. We got all of that and more. Giant fluffy clouds loomed above but were no more threatening then the small fluffy animals they resembled. We packed a still soggy campsite and headed back to Lava Point, the first crag we had gone to on our first day.





We had left many routes undone so we still had quite a nice selection of 5.9-5.11d climbs to choose from. We were all feeling a little sleepy from the night before so we did a nice long warm up of two really good 5.9’s. The air was cold, but the sun would peek out every once in a while to remind us of how miserable we would be if in fact it was blazing 100% on us. I did a sweet .11a with an exciting roof encounter before stepping over to a route Dom suggested called Long Strange Clip(5.11b). It had a sweet compression start on bullet stone edges and side pulls, before getting to a huge ledge and then a blank section. I made a clip, looked around and felt a little stumped for a while before finally seeing some edges up and right. I reached high, grabbed some flat small crimps and hoisted myself up on them using a tiny dime edge to finally propel myself to what was hopefully a jug. Yes! It was a jug. Whew, it was wonderful 5.10b climbing on cool edges and gas pockets to the top and was definitely a favorite of mine at this crag. I came down and then Laura hopped on it on top rope. She managed the flash easily, came down, and shedding her pullover sent the route on lead. Her second ever 5.11b and she sent with style and poise, nice job again Laura. This trip was turning out to be amazing for her.


Laura sending Long Strange Clip(5.11b).

Feeling psyched up I decided I would try to manage an onsight of the steepest route there, a 5.11d. Unfortunately I couldn’t pull the first move, but Dom was able to get the OS and hang the draws for me. I never did manage the first move but I pulled past it and flashed the rest of the route which was one of the funnest routes I had done so far and pretty pumpy but juggy almost the whole way up. We finished our time here on another 5.11b that Dom onsighted, I flashed and Laura got on TR. It was turning out to be a great last day. We were all excited to check out the bouldering here after all of the rope climbing we had done so we headed up to a place called the Caldera Boulders.

Located up a small mountain, the Caldera boulder field was nothing short of amazing coupled with beautiful. It had an alpine feel and the ground was covered with Juniper and pine trees dotted the landscape here and there. It was really easy to find the boulders and getting about was even easier. We walked up and over a hill and there they were. The majority of the boulders looked way more impressive from afar then they did up close but there were definite stand out gems, like the first boulder we came to that was the size of a small house and sported many lines all V.0 to V.2.













We walked a little further and found a really sweet fin of a boulder that had small flat and incut crimps on it and was home to some of the more technical vertical problems. We did a bunch of V.3’s, a V.4, and the V.5 low start to the V.4 before the sun dipped behind a ridge and the canyon started to get dark quick. We called it quits feeling more than satisfied with our decision to check out the bouldering and packed it in and headed back home.

My review of Tieton is definitely two thumbs up. I would recommend this place to anyone, and I look forward to returning. Hopefully this weekend.