Well, it is hardly news now. I’ve been climbing in my boot. Hooray!
Last weekend was a great trip out to Tieton. This place is really just one good time. Not only was I able to climb one of the most stellar 75 foot 5.10a’s in the state (naked), I also got a reverse jersey sun burn! Thwarting ticks and spiteful rattlesnakes that nipped at our naughty bits, we played in the sun on several excellent lines at Lava Point, The Chunkyard, Dream Wall, and The Cave (the highest concentration of rattlesnakes were found here).
Tieton is such a kingly name, and indeed, this area has very little in the way of futuristic lines with mindboggling grades that launch our sense of what’s possible into the stratosphere, but is a kingly place indeed. The valley stretches out for miles and the Tieton River rolls right alongside highway 12, tempting rafters, waders, campers, and fishermen alike. Certain areas have an alpine feel, while others are downright exposed, windy, and uncomfortably (or comfortably) hot/cold! The rock type is basalt, jumbled holds make for confusing onsights in some instances, and in others the face climbing and features are sublimely straightforward.
Dream Wall is a overhung jug paradise. The routes are junky looking, but climb really well and are LONG! The belay stations are wonderful and the afternoon/evening sun is refreshing. Take it from me, this is a quiet little crag that provides a perfect opportunity to let it all hang out.
Lava Wall is just one classic stretch of rock. The thin ledge can be a bit bothersome, but once you get situated, you don’t really think of it and you just climb. The sun absolutely bakes this place from the morning until late afternoon. But the routes are long, the sequences vary from complex to agonizingly straightforward and there are some gems to be found here. The rock is gas pocketed basalt in some places, and bullet hard basalt in others. The far left side of the crag has one of the best 5.11d’s I’ve ever tried, and the middle section is bursting at the seams with excellent 5.10’s and 5.11’s.
The Chunkyard is a new area not found in the guide book. Just a small walk up from Moon Rocks (which is accessed by a foot bridge across the mighty Tieton) the Chunkyard is a nice outcropping of rock. Highway 12 can be heard constantly (especially when a local is taking his gun powder fueled rage out on the nearest mountainside), but the routes take your focus off of the traffic below. The rock is jumbled basalt streaked with neon yellow lichen. MANY options for hand holds and feet are found on each route, but usually the line emerges and is quite good. I only climbed three lines here but enjoyed them all thoroughly. Much thanks to the guys equipping this wall, I could tell a lot of work has gone into making this a safe wall for climbing.
The Cave is just a steep hike from the road and opens you up to an area that varies in difficulty and style. We were greeted by an elk carcass on our way up the winding trail (I’m assuming it was a victim of the terribly angry rattlesnakes that terrorize all that cross their path). The left side of the crag (the first part you come to) has short sport climbs on semi-pillars. The rock is bullet hard with edges and side pulls, but the routes are STOUT! I warmed up on a 5.8 that felt like 5.11, sheesh! I did manage a 5.10 there that was awesome! Edges and small ledges with a sweet boulder problem start. The right side of the crag is long and boasts a high concentration of routes in the 5.11 range that are all 3-4 star classics. The rock in this area is broken and jumbled basalt, but the tops of most of the climbs finish on rock that is like no other I have climbed on. High textured bullet hard basalt that is streaked with bright orange lichen, beautiful. The far right side has a couple 12’s and some 11’s but the rock is pretty crumbly. However the routes for the most part climb quite well and the Live Oaks in this part of the crag offer some shade if the sun is ablaze.
Well, there you have it. Besides getting stuck in the mud and subsequently pulled out by our neighbors at the free camping who looked at me and nodded before driving over to my car where it sat with one half of the front wheel hopelessly submerged in a thick sweaty black paste, the trip was a great success. The young man whose mercy I threw myself upon, baseball hat cocked to one side, dropped his tail gate, and there; as if he had been waiting all day for me to come along and get stuck no more than 50 yards from where they camped in a black lagoon, sat all of the equipment needed to pull ANYthing out of a mud hole. I went from slightly annoyed, to livid, to scared, to standing next to my mud splattered Forester sheepishly grinning and holding out a couple beers to my new best friend. Other highlights include trying to start a fire with wet wood, star gazing, and climbing with ten of my friends in a very beautiful setting.
Thanks everyone for making this last trip a great one. Looking forward to this weekend and Vantage!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Bare Feet
re-post
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 could still ask visitors to remove their shoes if you were too lend them 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. 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.
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 could still ask visitors to remove their shoes if you were too lend them 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. 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.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Being Straight With Guests
re-post
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.
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.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
My latest romp into the wild occurred last weekend. Leavenworth was on the menu, but I was very uneasy about trying to boulder with a boot (leading 5.10 is one thing, falling from 6-8 feet while sketching out on a V.3 is another). Besides, the weather was bad on Friday anyway so we just kept driving until we saw the Feathers. The weather in Vantage was overcast and cold, but we managed to get in two amazing pitches before settling down into the back of the old Forester and setting some wood on fire.
This was the first time I felt that death grip enter my body because of the lack of warm blood getting into my extremities. The holds on the first route were cold! A sweet little arête with crimps. Lovely climbing, and I managed to get the send, but my heart was pumping. Next up we got on the super, mega, ultra classic Satan’s Little Helper. It’s the best 5.9 in the state, and it was under our noses the whole time. Nestled in the back corner of the Feathers, this lovely face climb is slightly overhung and ends on a beautiful sequence of flat crimper rails. I was a little more than pumped coming down but very psyched. We fled to the car after this one, seeing as how it was already 8:00 at night.
The next day we rose early and hit the Feathers hard before any of the crowds showed up. I managed to get in 7 pitches, including a really nice 5.10a that started on some amazing holds on bomber rock and ended on an overhang on slightly less desirable rock. Plus, you had to top it out! What a rush it was slinging my foot over the lip and standing on a slanted ramp with my boot as I grunted and growled my way to victory. Despite the ‘loose’ holds on the overhanging part of this route, it was amazing. I also did the best 5.9 in the world 2 or 3 more times because it is just THAT good.
It’s funny. I find myself saying “That was the best route ever!”, or “That might have been the best 5.9 I’ve ever done!” A LOT lately. Slowing down, climbing routes that are below my skill level, and paying attention to details, small sequences, and my surroundings have been some of the most amazing gifts this injury has given me. I have a newfound appreciation for ALL levels of climbing now, and an overall newfound love for climbing period. Before this giant boot was a part of my life, climbing was only fun when I was really pushing myself to achieve some unthinkable feat. A climbing trip was deemed ‘a waste’ if I came away from it with only 5.11’s and below. Now, I’m psyched to just climb anything. Every time I can get to the chains is a chance to rejoice and celebrate the fact that I’m outside, I’m engaged in an activity that I love, in a place that I love, with people that I love (or strongly like). Climbing in itself should be the reward, and climbing at higher levels shouldn’t erase the holism that exists in the experience of climbing. Of course I want to climb hard routes (they are usually the best lines at the crag (define ‘best’ please?!)), but if I can’t I wouldn’t want that to ruin climbing for me. I think what I have realized is that I don’t need to be in the best shape of my life, or climbing the hardest routes I have ever climbed to enjoy and appreciate the act of climbing, and that is true love. I’m not looking at climbing to fulfill some missing piece of me. Self-fulfillment is my job, climbing is just an added bonus.
Back to the trip report. We finished up at the Feathers with another amazing 5.10a on the front side and then saw a big blue van pull into the camp site. It was Joe and Aimee there to accompany us on what was turning out to be a very beautiful day. Lazy white clouds drifted across the bright blue sky, and tufts of green and light green dotted the landscape. Vantage at this time of year is very beautiful and not the dry and dusty hot plate it can normally be during the summer months. It was good to see friends and we immediately set off to the Zig Zag crag. Unfortunately 20 other people had the same idea, a lot earlier than us, so we just kept walking. We got on top of the mesa and I suggested we keep walking along the rim in order to get to a sweet crag I had climbed at last year.
We stumbled upon a descent trail and luckily found the Clearview crag. A stellar little stretch of basalt that is home to some short but sweet sport climbs in the 5.6-5.11 range. It was Aimee’s first time out so Joe got to work showing her the ropes (oh, I do love puns), and I got to work trying to figure out which routes looked doable with one foot. I was a little out of my comfort zone here. Most of the climbs I had done were easy to read, with obvious jugs all over the place. This crag was slightly more confusing. Holds, or potential holds, were everywhere, and they weren’t necessarily all jugs.
I finally just gave up trying to find an ‘easy way out’ and decided to go for this pretty cool looking 5.10c. I was nervous, but as I started the climb I just learned to get in a rhythm, and keep going. Since I have the boot, I don’t really want to take any falls, so my plan of action if I got into a tight spot was to make sure I could always down climb o the last clip. Fortunately, I didn’t have to do that on this route. It started out slow, juggy, and then near the top there were some big pulls on good holds, one big move off of a crimp, and I was shakily clipping the chains. Man! What a confidence booster! 10.c onsight in the boot! I felt amazing, very pumped, but amazing. The sun was ablaze in the sky, with a slight breeze in the air, and I decided to go for another .10c. This one was really bouldery at the start with minimal feet. I fought my way to the second clip utilizing one of the coolest four finger slot features I’ve seen on this type of rock, and just kept going. I made a sketchy clip on a wrap, and then right as I was starting to peel off found a good flat crimp and made it to easier ground. I was even more psyched to have this one in the bag since the start seemed so improbable.
The day was just getting better and better. I sat down with the guide and started head hunting. I saw another .10c farther down the crag that was given 4 stars. I had to do it! This would prove to be the biggest battle, and unfortunately I lost. The line was amazing though. An open book with cool slopey features. I wish I would have been able to utilize the stem in some places because it would have made some spots a lot easier. I managed to get to the top but not without a few down climbs and “Takes!” to rest. Joe and Aimee caught up with us and we went around the corner and did a very interesting 5.9. I say ‘interesting’ because it really made me think, in a good way, about how to unravel the next sequence. I’ve really had to make crucial and sometimes uncomfortable adjustments to the way I view climbs because of my ‘giant plastic robot foot’. I managed the onsight but it was gripping in some places because of how technical it was. The day was winding down. The dogs were getting thirsty, and my pallid skin was starting to look like a boiled lobster.
I checked the guide book one more time and spotted a couple lines to the left of us that looked promising. I sat and stared at the beginning of this 5.11b for what seemed like an eternity before coaxing myself to do it, and believing that I had worked out a one footed sequence. I made the first clip off the ground and then launched into ‘go’ mode. I made it halfway to the next clip before I realized this was not going to happen. I came back down and rested. I tried once more with the same result. The hold I was trying to crank off of was just too stretched for me. I spotted what looked like a sloper from the ground, but it was really the only option I could see that would grant me passage past the opening boulder problem. So, after some hand wringing and much-needed hand holding I broke free from my hesitation and went for it. I pulled through the first series of slimpers and when I got to the point I had been falling at I lunged out right grasping/hoping for a good edge to materialize on top of the slopey feature I was putting all my money on. Success!! It had a nice edge tucked way back on its balding precipice and I clung to it with hawk like strength. I was so scared of falling at this point I shuffled my legs as high as I could get them and stood on the crimpers below. I looked up and right and lurched towards a jug just barely nabbing it by the ear. I made the clip, and moved on to easier ground. The rest of the climb was 5.8, thank god!
I would be more proud of this ascent if it had been a real continuous fight, but it was a pretty typical Vantage 5.11b (meaning it had a boulder problem start to a 5.8). Still, in my condition, I was happy to have this in the bag and to finish off a great trip with another cool send. We had started climbing at 8:30 in the morning. It was now 5:00, and we were ready to head home. I was sad to see the sun setting behind us as we drove straight into the mouth of a rainstorm, but also pleased to have another climbing trip under my belt, and even more pleased with the confidence I had cultivated over the past ten days.
The last two trips to Vantage have been by far some of the most entertaining and morale boosting experiences. I have spent so much time lately laying around healing and feeling like I would never return to normalcy and these trips have been just what the doctor ordered (not literally though)!
Blossom
The blossom is falling like snow. It's very pretty, but it's starting to cover the street. It's not the sort of thing you want to walk into your carpet, so taking your shoes off at the door is definitely a good idea.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Husbands
re-post
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?
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?
Monday, April 11, 2011
First Route in the Boot!
I couldn't decide if people would stop and stare and then shake their heads in disgust, or if people would stop and stare and take pity on the injured wiener dog that tried enthusiastically to pull himself up the hill; his useless hindlegs cradled in the fabricated two wheeled cart behind him.
I drove up over and through the Snoqualmie Valley leaving thick rain clouds and wet snow behind me in order to embrace the loving rays of the sun, that has decided to call the East it's home. With a lot of encouragement from Steph, and a last minute decision, we decided to meet our firends at Vanatage for this years first outdoor climbing trip. I was 3 weeks and 4 days post surgery and a tad ambivalent about hiking and climbing around outside. But, I decided to suck it up and give being outside a chance.
The last three weekends I had spent watching movies and trying not to think about all of the beautiful weather I was missing in destinations like this one. We arrived at the main campground around 4 in the afternoon and to my surprise it wasn't all that crowded. The sun felt so good on my skin as we hiked the short distance up to the Feathers. I was a little self concious of my plastic boot, but I looked over the first route and decided to give it a whirl. A really sweet 5.9 arete that follows some excellent flat jugs up to a small slab. I grabbed and hopped, grabbed and hopped, and finally found myself at the top. I was pretty gassed but very happy. A few calculated risks and I was able to clip the chains of my first outdoor route for the year 2011. Hooray for me!
I followed it up by leading a 5.8 and then swallowed my fears and did a short but steep 5.10a. So far this was turning into a great trip. I was ecstatic to have the feel of reel rock under my hands; something I was afraid wouldn't happen for at least another month and a half. We eventually saw the 5 figures of our friends make their way to the campsite and we headed down to greet them.
Another major part of a climbing trip that I thoroughly enjoy is the campfire banter!! I laughed so hard, it was great to be outside in my element surrounded by friendly faces. The next day was more of the same. I led a few routes at the ZigZag crag, and then finished the day by top roping a couple 5.10b's (that looked a little too technical for my one footed technique) and managed to flash one and get the other one with a hang or two. I also re-learned the magic that is toproping. As much as I love leading I had forgotten how much top roping can make you focus simply on the rock and the movement of a climb. We spent all day at the ZigZag crag ticking almost every route the crag had to offer. It was another great day but I was glad to be headed back home. My knee and my upper body are both in need of a rest day.
I drove up over and through the Snoqualmie Valley leaving thick rain clouds and wet snow behind me in order to embrace the loving rays of the sun, that has decided to call the East it's home. With a lot of encouragement from Steph, and a last minute decision, we decided to meet our firends at Vanatage for this years first outdoor climbing trip. I was 3 weeks and 4 days post surgery and a tad ambivalent about hiking and climbing around outside. But, I decided to suck it up and give being outside a chance.
The last three weekends I had spent watching movies and trying not to think about all of the beautiful weather I was missing in destinations like this one. We arrived at the main campground around 4 in the afternoon and to my surprise it wasn't all that crowded. The sun felt so good on my skin as we hiked the short distance up to the Feathers. I was a little self concious of my plastic boot, but I looked over the first route and decided to give it a whirl. A really sweet 5.9 arete that follows some excellent flat jugs up to a small slab. I grabbed and hopped, grabbed and hopped, and finally found myself at the top. I was pretty gassed but very happy. A few calculated risks and I was able to clip the chains of my first outdoor route for the year 2011. Hooray for me!
I followed it up by leading a 5.8 and then swallowed my fears and did a short but steep 5.10a. So far this was turning into a great trip. I was ecstatic to have the feel of reel rock under my hands; something I was afraid wouldn't happen for at least another month and a half. We eventually saw the 5 figures of our friends make their way to the campsite and we headed down to greet them.
Another major part of a climbing trip that I thoroughly enjoy is the campfire banter!! I laughed so hard, it was great to be outside in my element surrounded by friendly faces. The next day was more of the same. I led a few routes at the ZigZag crag, and then finished the day by top roping a couple 5.10b's (that looked a little too technical for my one footed technique) and managed to flash one and get the other one with a hang or two. I also re-learned the magic that is toproping. As much as I love leading I had forgotten how much top roping can make you focus simply on the rock and the movement of a climb. We spent all day at the ZigZag crag ticking almost every route the crag had to offer. It was another great day but I was glad to be headed back home. My knee and my upper body are both in need of a rest day.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Hospitality Part 2
re-post
Guests are aware when they visit a home that the hosts have boundaries that cannot be crossed.
Guests know or should know that they cannot go wandering about upstairs, looking in their hosts' bedrooms. They ought to be careful in conversation that they do not mention subjects that may cause offence to the host. If the host has strong views on a subject, it is best not to argue with him or her. Guests know that they cannot bring their pet dog to somebody else's home unless the host has expressly said this is acceptable. Even if the host is an animal lover, permission to bring a pet dog must be sought.
It is now recognised by most people that when you visit the home of a non-smoker, they should not smoke inside. If they need to smoke, they should put their coat on and go outside. There are still some people, probably mostly from the upper strata of British society who think it is rude to forbid smoking in one's home. However, this view is very much in a minority.
It is important to recognise these boundaries when one visits a home and if hosts prefer, even if they do not insist on it, removal of shoes, this should be complied with by guests. To ignore this boundary is, as stated in the previous post, taking hospitality for granted.
Some people would object to comparisons with smoking pointing out the health risks of smoking, compared with the minor ill effects to health of wearing shoes past the door. However, it is not so much the health risks that should deter smoking in a non-smoking home. Nobody is going to get lung cancer because a few guests smoked at a dinner party. They are unlikely to even develope a cough because of it. No, the reason one should not smoke in a non-smoking home is simply because the smells and mess are not convenient for such hosts. It is simply impolite. Likewise it is not convenient to impose the dirt and dust of your shoes in the home of a person who would object to it.
Some would argue that it is polite for guests to remove their shoes if this is what the hosts do, but it is impolite for the host to request shoes-off. They feel that it is better to leave the responsiblity of politness to guests. To my mind, this is not quite logical. If guests have the responsibility to comply with the preference of their hosts, then it is surely quite reasonable for guests to make their preference known.
Part of the reason why a verbal request for shoes-off may be necesary is because etiquette is so uncertain and in such a state fo flux on this point. While it may be a good idea to remove one's shoes when one is welcomed by a shoe-less host, as this may be a shoes-off home, such a gesture might be taken as impolite by some. There are some who go shoe-less in their home who would be surprised by guests going shoe-less. It is probably necessary for those who desire shoe-removal to make their wish known.
Guests are aware when they visit a home that the hosts have boundaries that cannot be crossed.
Guests know or should know that they cannot go wandering about upstairs, looking in their hosts' bedrooms. They ought to be careful in conversation that they do not mention subjects that may cause offence to the host. If the host has strong views on a subject, it is best not to argue with him or her. Guests know that they cannot bring their pet dog to somebody else's home unless the host has expressly said this is acceptable. Even if the host is an animal lover, permission to bring a pet dog must be sought.
It is now recognised by most people that when you visit the home of a non-smoker, they should not smoke inside. If they need to smoke, they should put their coat on and go outside. There are still some people, probably mostly from the upper strata of British society who think it is rude to forbid smoking in one's home. However, this view is very much in a minority.
It is important to recognise these boundaries when one visits a home and if hosts prefer, even if they do not insist on it, removal of shoes, this should be complied with by guests. To ignore this boundary is, as stated in the previous post, taking hospitality for granted.
Some people would object to comparisons with smoking pointing out the health risks of smoking, compared with the minor ill effects to health of wearing shoes past the door. However, it is not so much the health risks that should deter smoking in a non-smoking home. Nobody is going to get lung cancer because a few guests smoked at a dinner party. They are unlikely to even develope a cough because of it. No, the reason one should not smoke in a non-smoking home is simply because the smells and mess are not convenient for such hosts. It is simply impolite. Likewise it is not convenient to impose the dirt and dust of your shoes in the home of a person who would object to it.
Some would argue that it is polite for guests to remove their shoes if this is what the hosts do, but it is impolite for the host to request shoes-off. They feel that it is better to leave the responsiblity of politness to guests. To my mind, this is not quite logical. If guests have the responsibility to comply with the preference of their hosts, then it is surely quite reasonable for guests to make their preference known.
Part of the reason why a verbal request for shoes-off may be necesary is because etiquette is so uncertain and in such a state fo flux on this point. While it may be a good idea to remove one's shoes when one is welcomed by a shoe-less host, as this may be a shoes-off home, such a gesture might be taken as impolite by some. There are some who go shoe-less in their home who would be surprised by guests going shoe-less. It is probably necessary for those who desire shoe-removal to make their wish known.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Evergreen Gym
Woah, the Evergreen gym. SO many fond memories. In fact, the absolute birth place of the inspiration that lead to my climbing career (part 2). I used to work in the TESC climbing gym. For nearly three and a half years I inhaled stale sweat, chalk dust, normal dust, and patchouli oil. I dragged giant foam mats from one corner to the next and got blisters on my finger tips from screwing and unscrewing countless holds from the plywood paradise painted grey which transformed an ordinary racquetball court into a rock jockeys artificial play ground.
My first memory of the rock gym was stepping inside of the musty dimly lit room after a basketball game. I had just started attending TESC and was more interested in getting in good with the basketball coach then I was with trolling local climbers for beta on the best crags. I took a look around and on the next trip up to Seattle I made a point to look through my old climbing gear and find a pair of shoes and a chalk bag. Upon my next trip to the climbing gym I donned a pair of Anasazi Mocasyms (the red slippers) that I hadn't worn since I was 14, an old CG chalk bag, and my usual basketball attire. I traversed around and even got to set a problem. The people in the gym were extremely nice and welcoming. The atmosphere was a good one and I remembered why I had fallen in love with climbing all those years ago. So, I started climbing again. From that point on I would show up on a regular weekly basis. Basketball still took priority, but every now and then I would stop in at the rock wall and try to throw down on the latest problem. I met a lot of people who were continuously stoked on climbing and improving their skills. Travis, Daniel, Eligh, to name a few. Travis was really the catalyst bahind the Olympia climbing community at Evergreen having people over on a weekly basis to watch the latest climbing flick, eat good food, drink, and just talk climbing. A year went by and I finally started to garner a wage by coming into the gym, setting routes, and just climbing and encouraging other people to climb (ahh, the cycle continues).
The gym was always kind of a thorn in the side of the College's recreational budget and never really got the kind of attention it deserved without some severe teeth pulling by the student organizations that begged and pleaded for money. We did however manage to get $5,000 worth of holds one year and boy was that like Christmas everyday.
As time went on I started to meet more and more people just by working and climbing in the gym. I never went downtown to the Warehouse Rock gym at this point, I was too enamored with the tall grey walls of 'my' gym (affectionately 'my' gym). For almost a year I climbed solely inside before I finally was invited on a Smith Rock climbing trip. As I met more and more people the inevitable happened and I found myself drenched in terror and quick draws over-gripping my way up some real rock. It took a few trips but I eventually caught the real-rock-bug and became an outdoor junky. This only made me want to improve so I could climb the dream lines outside (and impress my friends). I started to set more and more in the Eevergreen gym. I can remember when I was the only one setting, besides a few others, and I had full creative range. I would try and set anything that I thought would stop me, but was doable. I became a bit selfish with what I would set and I started setting 'projects' (back then a project was in the V.6/7 range) specifically tailored to the kind of movement I enjoyed or found challenging. I set long circuits of V.3-V.5/6 traverses and would try to link them into one another for endurance training (this definitely became one of my favorite activities in the gym). My favorite wall in the gym was our 45. It was short, but utilised correctly, you could really get strong on this thing. I would try and plaster every t-nut with crimps on the 45 and just go around and around until I couldn't close my hands. Such good times!
The best sessions in the gym consisted of Dom, Nick, Jimmy and myself all sessioning the sick futuristic lines I was trying to envision and bring to life. The gym had a sort of intimate feel to it somedays, almost an exclusivity to it that when talking of where you climbed made one puff up there chest and declare "I train at the Evergreen gym" (maybe that was just me?).
My boulder problems and traverses started to gain notoriety within the small community drawing suitors from every corner of Olympia (okay, it was more like a few of my friends that I would spray endlessly too about my problems until they finally came to try them out of sympathy). The first major boulder problem (really a traverse) was Black Beauty. It was only V.6 (more like a .12c route) but it took me ages to finally get the send. Nick, Jimmy, and Dom were all fighting for the second third and fourth ascents and soon it was falling on a regular basis. I can remember when Jimmy came in for the first time since I had started setting hard boulder problems and made a flash ascent of Slap Face which was shutting everyone down at the time. I met Laura and Dom through this gym, and Nick was an old time gym goer who I met through the gym's guru Travis. The people I met through the Eevrgreen gym are still my climbing partners to this day!
I loved this gym, and have easily climbed and set some of the hardest and most classic boulder problems of my entire life. Some of the problems I remember the most were 'Knock Out Mouse' (V.7), 'Chemical Cat' (V.8), 'Triton's Daughters' (V.7), 'Poisoned Catalyst' (V.6), 'The New Hotness' (V.9), 'Where the Sidewalk Ends'(V.10/11), and 'I've Got Mono'(V.4, probably the best boulder problem I have EVER set). There are so many more amazing problems that this gym has given birth to, but I just can't remember them all.
Finally, time took it's toll on the gym. No money was being spent on maintenance, the walls started to get worn down, and the large foam mattresses started hemorrhaging foam to the point to where they were not as fun to land on anymore. I finally gave up my post as caretaker and moved on to a more professional setting and the gym fell into obscurity. I started setting at the Warehouse and eventually just forgot abut the gym and it's golden years.
I have been going to the Evergreen weight room lately and noticed that the TESC Rock Gym has finally received funding to install brand new certified rock gym floors!! A HUGE step forward for this gym. Now, all they need to do is buy all new holds, re-finish and patch the existing walls, re-t-nut the entire gym, add new lighting, and install a ventilation system and it will be all good. But I guess new floors is a decent start. I owe a lot to this little gym. It has changed my life. I can honestly say that I probably would not be where I am today, know the people I know, or enjoy life as much as I do if the Evergreen gym had not existed. And for that, I salute you!
My first memory of the rock gym was stepping inside of the musty dimly lit room after a basketball game. I had just started attending TESC and was more interested in getting in good with the basketball coach then I was with trolling local climbers for beta on the best crags. I took a look around and on the next trip up to Seattle I made a point to look through my old climbing gear and find a pair of shoes and a chalk bag. Upon my next trip to the climbing gym I donned a pair of Anasazi Mocasyms (the red slippers) that I hadn't worn since I was 14, an old CG chalk bag, and my usual basketball attire. I traversed around and even got to set a problem. The people in the gym were extremely nice and welcoming. The atmosphere was a good one and I remembered why I had fallen in love with climbing all those years ago. So, I started climbing again. From that point on I would show up on a regular weekly basis. Basketball still took priority, but every now and then I would stop in at the rock wall and try to throw down on the latest problem. I met a lot of people who were continuously stoked on climbing and improving their skills. Travis, Daniel, Eligh, to name a few. Travis was really the catalyst bahind the Olympia climbing community at Evergreen having people over on a weekly basis to watch the latest climbing flick, eat good food, drink, and just talk climbing. A year went by and I finally started to garner a wage by coming into the gym, setting routes, and just climbing and encouraging other people to climb (ahh, the cycle continues).
The gym was always kind of a thorn in the side of the College's recreational budget and never really got the kind of attention it deserved without some severe teeth pulling by the student organizations that begged and pleaded for money. We did however manage to get $5,000 worth of holds one year and boy was that like Christmas everyday.
As time went on I started to meet more and more people just by working and climbing in the gym. I never went downtown to the Warehouse Rock gym at this point, I was too enamored with the tall grey walls of 'my' gym (affectionately 'my' gym). For almost a year I climbed solely inside before I finally was invited on a Smith Rock climbing trip. As I met more and more people the inevitable happened and I found myself drenched in terror and quick draws over-gripping my way up some real rock. It took a few trips but I eventually caught the real-rock-bug and became an outdoor junky. This only made me want to improve so I could climb the dream lines outside (and impress my friends). I started to set more and more in the Eevergreen gym. I can remember when I was the only one setting, besides a few others, and I had full creative range. I would try and set anything that I thought would stop me, but was doable. I became a bit selfish with what I would set and I started setting 'projects' (back then a project was in the V.6/7 range) specifically tailored to the kind of movement I enjoyed or found challenging. I set long circuits of V.3-V.5/6 traverses and would try to link them into one another for endurance training (this definitely became one of my favorite activities in the gym). My favorite wall in the gym was our 45. It was short, but utilised correctly, you could really get strong on this thing. I would try and plaster every t-nut with crimps on the 45 and just go around and around until I couldn't close my hands. Such good times!
The best sessions in the gym consisted of Dom, Nick, Jimmy and myself all sessioning the sick futuristic lines I was trying to envision and bring to life. The gym had a sort of intimate feel to it somedays, almost an exclusivity to it that when talking of where you climbed made one puff up there chest and declare "I train at the Evergreen gym" (maybe that was just me?).
My boulder problems and traverses started to gain notoriety within the small community drawing suitors from every corner of Olympia (okay, it was more like a few of my friends that I would spray endlessly too about my problems until they finally came to try them out of sympathy). The first major boulder problem (really a traverse) was Black Beauty. It was only V.6 (more like a .12c route) but it took me ages to finally get the send. Nick, Jimmy, and Dom were all fighting for the second third and fourth ascents and soon it was falling on a regular basis. I can remember when Jimmy came in for the first time since I had started setting hard boulder problems and made a flash ascent of Slap Face which was shutting everyone down at the time. I met Laura and Dom through this gym, and Nick was an old time gym goer who I met through the gym's guru Travis. The people I met through the Eevrgreen gym are still my climbing partners to this day!
I loved this gym, and have easily climbed and set some of the hardest and most classic boulder problems of my entire life. Some of the problems I remember the most were 'Knock Out Mouse' (V.7), 'Chemical Cat' (V.8), 'Triton's Daughters' (V.7), 'Poisoned Catalyst' (V.6), 'The New Hotness' (V.9), 'Where the Sidewalk Ends'(V.10/11), and 'I've Got Mono'(V.4, probably the best boulder problem I have EVER set). There are so many more amazing problems that this gym has given birth to, but I just can't remember them all.
Finally, time took it's toll on the gym. No money was being spent on maintenance, the walls started to get worn down, and the large foam mattresses started hemorrhaging foam to the point to where they were not as fun to land on anymore. I finally gave up my post as caretaker and moved on to a more professional setting and the gym fell into obscurity. I started setting at the Warehouse and eventually just forgot abut the gym and it's golden years.
I have been going to the Evergreen weight room lately and noticed that the TESC Rock Gym has finally received funding to install brand new certified rock gym floors!! A HUGE step forward for this gym. Now, all they need to do is buy all new holds, re-finish and patch the existing walls, re-t-nut the entire gym, add new lighting, and install a ventilation system and it will be all good. But I guess new floors is a decent start. I owe a lot to this little gym. It has changed my life. I can honestly say that I probably would not be where I am today, know the people I know, or enjoy life as much as I do if the Evergreen gym had not existed. And for that, I salute you!
Green Beans: Baby Steps to Cleaner, Greener Living: Week 2 Take Off Your Shoes
Green Beans: Baby Steps to Cleaner, Greener Living: Week 2 Take Off Your Shoes
'Stop right there!! Don’t take another step!! Go back to the door and take off your shoes!! Phew. That’s better.
Geez, I almost passed out there. Don’t you know what you’ve been tracking into your home? Besides regular dirt and grit that can scratch up and eat away at your flooring, there’s dust, mold, microbes, feces, chemicals, viruses, and general “EWE” (that’s the unidentified gunk that scientists have not yet determined to actually exist, but I know is there!) Even worse, that toxic germy soup settles into your carpets and corners just waiting for you to kick it up and breathe it in. Yum!'
'Stop right there!! Don’t take another step!! Go back to the door and take off your shoes!! Phew. That’s better.
Geez, I almost passed out there. Don’t you know what you’ve been tracking into your home? Besides regular dirt and grit that can scratch up and eat away at your flooring, there’s dust, mold, microbes, feces, chemicals, viruses, and general “EWE” (that’s the unidentified gunk that scientists have not yet determined to actually exist, but I know is there!) Even worse, that toxic germy soup settles into your carpets and corners just waiting for you to kick it up and breathe it in. Yum!'
Practically Green:Earth Day Celebration all Month Long! #5 is SO Environmentally Healthy: Take Off Shoes When You Come Indoors!
Practically Green- Earth Day Celebration all Month Long! #5 is SO Environmentally Healthy: Take Off Shoes When You Come Indoors!
'Growing up in Florida with the beach virtually my backyard, I spent a good deal of my childhood barefoot — outside and inside — so maybe that’s why having a shoes-off policy in my own home feels completely natural. I now live in New England, where “mud season” stretches well into April and almost every house has a mudroom and a pile of boots near the door. ‘Boots off’ is the norm in my neighborhood.
But even if you’re lucky enough to live in a place where it’s flip-flop season year round, a shoes-off policy is an essential step in protecting your family from germs that can creep in on the soles of your shoes. “Dirt” tracked in endangers more than carpets. Residues from the lead in car exhaust, toxins from lawn pesticides, traces of animal waste and allergens like pollen on the ground all present a health risk, especially to small children and pets that spend time on the floor. You don’t have to be neat freak like Monica from Friends or a germaphobe like Monk, the TV detective, to care about these risks. Removing shoes at the door is simply a matter of good hygiene, like hand washing.'
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Hospitality Part1
re-post
There are some who think that asking guests to remove their shoes is contrary to the principle of hospitality.
This is a culturally relative matter. Albania and Turkey are countries in which hospitality is greatly valued and yet it is expected in those countries that guests remove their shoes.
The shoes-on people argue that a hostess should primarily be concerned with her guests comfort and not with the state of her carpet or floor. However, most guests will feel more comfortable after removing their shoes. They may, admittedly, be uncomfortable because they are embarassed about their feet or they feel their shoes are part of their outfit. Those problems can be dealt with by letting guests know in advance that shoes-off is expected and so they can either bring slippers or plan their outfits with bare or stocking feet in mind. Any embarassment should be minimal if guests are not taken by surprise.
In my opinion, those who insist that guests should be allowed to keep their shoes on take hospitality for granted. I may well invite you. I will give you the best seat. I will cook for you. I will serve you the best food I can. I will give you whatever you want to drink, whether it be alcoholic or not. I will give you my undivided attention. I will entertain you with conversation. If you live nearby, I will drive you home in my car. If not, I will let you stay the night. I will wash up the dishes and cutelry you have used and clean up any mess you make. Given that I am willing to do all this for you, do you really think it is so unreasonable that I ask you to take your shoes off?
There are some who think that asking guests to remove their shoes is contrary to the principle of hospitality.
This is a culturally relative matter. Albania and Turkey are countries in which hospitality is greatly valued and yet it is expected in those countries that guests remove their shoes.
The shoes-on people argue that a hostess should primarily be concerned with her guests comfort and not with the state of her carpet or floor. However, most guests will feel more comfortable after removing their shoes. They may, admittedly, be uncomfortable because they are embarassed about their feet or they feel their shoes are part of their outfit. Those problems can be dealt with by letting guests know in advance that shoes-off is expected and so they can either bring slippers or plan their outfits with bare or stocking feet in mind. Any embarassment should be minimal if guests are not taken by surprise.
In my opinion, those who insist that guests should be allowed to keep their shoes on take hospitality for granted. I may well invite you. I will give you the best seat. I will cook for you. I will serve you the best food I can. I will give you whatever you want to drink, whether it be alcoholic or not. I will give you my undivided attention. I will entertain you with conversation. If you live nearby, I will drive you home in my car. If not, I will let you stay the night. I will wash up the dishes and cutelry you have used and clean up any mess you make. Given that I am willing to do all this for you, do you really think it is so unreasonable that I ask you to take your shoes off?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)