Dog of Water and Rocks

Zonked out in his dug-out dirt bed

I could tell about another perfect climbing weekend with great people complete with three great rope climbs at Kaymoor and a day of deep water soloing at the lake with all the pertinent climbing details
about the routes, but instead I'm going to tell about how incredible my dog was throughout all of this.

I had obligations at home Friday so Kenai and I made an early departure Saturday morning to meet folks for a day of climbing at Kaymoor. The weather wasn't ideal, so we met at the house and got a little bit of a late start, but it was all good. We arrived at the parking lot above Butchers Branch to find only a few cars. VERY odd for a Saturday at the NRG. It ended up being our group and one other group for the day. SO awesome.

The other group had three dogs. Kenai was a very good citizen around them, even though one of their dogs was really jealous anytime Kenai was close to the other dog's "girls". For all climbing trips, Kenai wears his remote trainer/shock collar. Its rare that I have to shock him as he sticks around  very close to where I am, usually dozing on a rock or dirt bed or exploring the bushes.

A short crisp whistle stops him in his tracks to turn and make eye contact with me; a whistle followed by his name has him pay even more mind; a whistle, name call, and arm gesture brings him to my side to check-in. I can call "No" at him to stop things, "C'mere" to have him stop and come to me, "Go" to have him move away from wherever he is (if he's standing on a rope for instance). He is respectful of people and children and other dogs, though he is a shameless beggar who will sit feet away from those who are eating and giving them his best sad husky puppy face (to which nearly everyone except me gives in to whether I've banned this action or not).

I had more compliments about his behavior than ever before this weekend. I'm not particularly certain why, but was proud of my pup for being so awesome. His worst trait about being a crag dog is that he occasionally likes to curl up and sleep atop ropes. No, no, no. Ropes need to be respected as they're helping protect our lives and this means no humans or canines standing or lying upon them. Usually a sharp "NO" and "GO" will redirect Kenai.

He runs ahead during our hikes, stopping around corners to wait to see me come around them ebfore going too much further, or pausing at my whistle. When I'm climbing or when he's grown tired, he finds an out-of-the-way place (usually keeping me in sight) to nap. If its sunny, he'll find a shady napping point, usually locating himself as close to me as he is able. He'll just doze in his spot and watch activity around him.

Saturday at the crag he had the "safety net" of his remote collar on, but Sunday at the lake he didn't. He was just wearing his life jacket. I towed him out into the water and had him swim several hundred yards (a break in the middle and a noodle under his waist on the way back for more assistance as the water was choppy from wind and boats). He was tuckered out after that and spent the rest of the day dozing uphill in the shade. There were easily two dozen people crammed in the tiny area near the cliff access at Whippoorwill. Despite the whirlwind of activity Kenai dozed most of the day post-swim, or silently observed all that was going on. We made certain that at least one person was on shore with
him at all times so he didn't fret too much (apparently he really cried the first time we all swam away and around the corner), but other than that, he was left to his own devices for the day.

Did my husky, with no containment or remote collar "safety net" run away? No. Not at all. In fact, I have more and more people comment to me how he is the ONLY husky they have EVER seen that behaves this well, sticking around and respecting my every word (most of the time). When he begged from people when I was in sight of it I'd give him a terse command and he'd cease the behavior and move onto another activity, sleeping primarily.

He was gentle with the small child who was there for part of the day, respected the space of climbers and their belongings, and came to check in with me at the waters edge when I gave a whistle. SUCH a good boy. I'm seriously going to be so hard-pressed to ever find/create a dog as wonderful as him. He's creating some seriously large paws to fill one day. He's seriously [one of] the best dog[s] ever.

Rendezvous X

• Incredible people
• Beautiful weather
• 10b climbs
• Ladders
• Views
• Threatening thunder
• Hiking
• Dancing
• Table bouldering
• Arm wrestling the greats
• ...watching your friend beat the great
• Local brews
• Wine
• Mad hops
• Volunteering
• Ahi tuna tacos
• Laughter
• Innuendos
• ...lots of innuendos
• ...lots of laughter
• Black snakes
• Lizards
• Spiders with babies
• Good music
• Woodland rave
• Quiet
• ...sleep
• Pancakes
• 10d climb
• New friends
• Old friends
• Happiness

Another amazing weekend volunteering at the New River Rendezvous climbing festival. My fourth Vous, my second one spent volunteering. Love the NRG, love the people, love climbing.

Panorama of the gorge from Diamond point; below my feet is the route I'm climbing in subsequent photos

Jeremy working Jesus and Tequila

Chalkin' up and goonin' on Strike a Scowl

Babies!

Beautiful stand of hemlocks; hope these make it through the hemlock wooly adelgid infestation...

Understory community

Where I spent most of my volunteering time

360° view of sponsor row

Saw three of these guys this weekend; this one was around 3' and the smallest of them all; had two 4' beauties crawl over our rope bag two days prior as we were climbing

Spyder working that 10d at Kaymoor on Sunday morning

Another vertical weekend

With Q and babysitter Griffin (also on stall rest with Q for the duration) entrusted into the caring hands of friends to feed/clean for the weekend, I headed down to the New for another few days of climbing with friends. After a long week of emotional ups and downs with the animals, I really needed this escape.

I got a late morning start on Friday, but arrived with plenty of time to tackle three climbs at the lake with the guys. They all climb a lot harder than I do - they also devote a lot more time to it than I have in recent years - but they're always so accommodating of my level and put up climbs for me to do. With time, I hope to lead climbs on my own mid-late summer, but I want to build up my strength and work on pushing back my irrational fear of falling (its seriously far more excessive than it should be) between now and then. Mostly, I want to be confident in my abilities.

Jeremy put up a 5.9 for me right away Friday once we got settled at the crag. I'd been on this climb before (Personal Pronoun) but it had been a few years. For some reason, it really kicked my ass. I got up between the second and third bolt and just let go, taking the mini-fall and the rope stretch/bounce. Push past the pain? Nonsense! Jeremy was a little astonished at me and gave me a real hard time for it. I shot back some snarky response and then finished the climb with one or two more hangs. Poor, sad, weak forearms!

I cleaned the route, watched the guys work an 11c around the corner, and then talked tricked Jeremy into going over to a wall with several easy climbs. I wanted to get on a 7 over there (That Eight), which had been my first lead ~4 years ago when I was climbing steadily. Jeremy tried to get me to lead it that day, but my fear rose up and at the second bolt I refused to go further, declaring he needed to give me more time and accept the small victory that I was finally comfortable cleaning a climb again after years of minimal climbing. (In college, I worked at a rock wall and climbed multiple times a week. I graduated and came home and have been climbing about 2x a year - yes, I'm aware how shameful this is considering my close proximity to Seneca and the New.) With consent to accept small victories, I shot up the 7 on top rope, cleaned it, then we did the same song and dance with Sniff the Drill, a 5.8 right next to That Eight.

I called it quits after this, my forearms screaming at me, and belayed Jeremy on an 11d (Simple Minds). The climb didn't go quite as simply as he'd hoped, so logically his friend and I heckled him encouraged him through it until to the end. Once he'd cleaned this route, we called the day and headed to Pies and Pints for dinner before rolling over to the cabin to meet friends for the night.

I'd been invited by Joe last minute on Thursday to a cabin with several of his climbing friends from Pittsburgh for the weekend. I only stayed the one night due to the horses, but it was fun to meet so many new people (from all over the world) and climb with them Saturday. And honestly, I doubt I could have kept up with the drinking on the second night anyway! Haha.

: : : : :

Saturday was a slow start. We made breakfast and sat around the cabin until around 10a when we (Joe, Jeremy and I) finally rolled out to Bubba City for the day. I started my day with Jeremy and Joe at Central Bubba, but upon learning that everyone else had actually arrived two walls down from us at Beer Wall, Kenai and I walked down there to join them on a cluster of easier climbs.

I'd barely stood at the new crag for 30 seconds when they noted that a 5.7 (Gilded Otter) was open. It was a great warm up for me before my second climb, St. Pauli Girl, a 10b two climbs to the right. St. Pauli Girl was a tricky climb for me because while my mind remembers how I need to maneuver my body to work through it, my body is too weak to follow suit right now. The start was super balancey for me and took a few goes, but it went on the third try. The climb really presented itself in three separate parts to me and I worked through each section bit by bit. It was a puzzle to figure out how I wanted to move through it and then get my body to follow suit with what I'd figured. Overall, it was a really awesome climb and something I definitely hope to hit up again when I've got more strength.

After climbing St. Pauli Girl, I took some time to belay another girl in the group up Daisy Cutter, a 5.7 friends suggested that she lead. She is just like me when it comes to leading/falling/fear. The climb is a chimney climb (big crack) and mostly just a big pain in the ass if you don't love that kind of thing. She led it up to the 3rd bolt and then fear got the best of her and I lowered her. I didn't blame her one little bit. She did a HELL of a lot more than I would have. I was really proud of her for her progress in pushing past her fear multiple times on the part she did. It was really good for me to get to climb with someone who shares the same silly level of fear I do about things (and she climbs harder than me on climbs that are on top rope).

Fortunately for us, as I was lowering her, Joe and Jeremy walked up. Jeremy oped to lead the 7 the rest of the way for us (and even he shared a story about a rough chimney climb once and even sat in thought about how to maneuver through this one several times), and then I top roped it. I don't know how the girl I'd belayed got as far as she did. Even on top rope that damn thing was tricky! My commentary as I climbed it was pretty comical because I was so frustrated about the chimney, but I did push through and finish it. I don't know that I learned much from the experience (stupid chimneys), but I'm glad I completed it despite difficulty.

high feet!

My final climb of the day was Cerveza Verde, a really crimpy 5.9. I LOVED this climb. It played to my
strengths and I was able to zip up it without any issue. Super crimpy with high feet. Love, love, love. Definitely a climb I'd like to lead if I can work through my fear to get to that level.

Between all of my climbing these two days I belayed a lot, too. It was really fun to get back into the full swing of climbing. Seven climbs in two days, second time climbing in a month, two more climbing weekends planned in the next two weekends. Its good to be back.

I grabbed dinner at Diogi's with Jeremy and then rolled home late Saturday night. I was whooped Sunday morning, but it was so worth it. Such a great weekend! Thanks to all who made it awesome.

And now, have some photos - mostly of Kenai being the most awesomely chill crag dog ever!

Lake puppy!

He's wearing his PFD because its good for lowering him down the ladders

But much to Kenai's surprise/displeasure, we didn't have to lower him down the ladders this trip

Because clearly firefighter training means you're capable of carrying a 64lb. dog up and down a ladder

Luna Moth outside Pies and Pints

Giggling after doing some silly dance <3

I was cold

HIGH feet!

Crimpy crimpy everything

zonk

Vertical escape

After a nearly two year hiatus, I think I'm back.

This weekend was a blast. Seeing friends I haven't seen forever coupled with climbing? Phenomenal. I love the New River Gorge.

Kenai and I headed down Friday afternoon, snagged an easy evening around the campfire with friends, and caught up with those I haven't seen in a year +.  The night was cool, but with the promise of increasingly warmer days to follow - the first true spring-like weekend - it was a bearable evening.

The morning began slowly. Re-stoking of the fire, lackadaisical breakfast conversations, planning the day's climbs, the forming of sub-groups. All of this a part of an unspoken process to await the warming of the temperatures and thus the crag - because pulling cold rock just isn't as nice with the promise of sun and warmth.

I headed out with two of my friends I hadn't seen in ages plus another of their friends who quickly became a friend of  mine. We headed to the Meadow. I balled up and drove my car across what appeared to be an extremely sketchy old railroad bridge during the approach. The engineer in the car insisted that if we got out and walked it that I would be more than impressed with its stability. I chose to trust him - because he's never been wrong - despite the fact that stray rocks climbers had carried onto the bridge replaced areas where the ties had decomposed and fell away into the 30-foot streambed.

We arrived at the crag a few minutes after the terrifying bridge - which really wasn't so bad - and hike the 200 or so yards to our first climb. A warm up for all. A 5.10a, Rosetta Stone. Jeremy cruised up it. And then they deemed it my turn.

I haven't climbed since J-Tree. I haven't climbed steadily since junior year of college. The climb was

challenging in areas, but I managed it without any hangs. According to the guys, I "walked up it". I was proud of myself.

Tom and Joe cruised up it as well for their warm up and then we all moved down the wall to the 12a they all planned to project that day, Low Brow.

Tom set up his hammock where I planted myself for the majority of our time at that climb. Kenai proved to be a superior crag dog and went off away from us and dug out a nook in the dirt to settle himself for a few hours. Good boy.

I watched, encouraged, and heckled as the guys projected and eventually sent Low Brow. After Joe had sent it he and I waltzed around the corner so he could put up another 10a for me to climb. (I haven't lead since my second year climbing due to bad experiences with idiots; I hope with steady conditioning to begin leading again this summer.)

This 10a - Hope Pathology - was crimpy as HELL. I didn't have too hard a time with it except for the crux where I got myself into a pickle placing both my hands and my feet opposite of where they needed to be. I was unable to correct it and had to fall/hang to correct myself and shake out. I made a solid go and send after that brief break. I was still satisfied with my progress though considering I've done so little in the past few years.

Joe and a fourth member, Pascal, cleaned up that climb and I headed back over to see what Jeremy and Tom were up to on Low Brow. I watched Tom take a few more burns on it  before the guys decided to move from Low Brow down two climbs to a 12b - Macauley's Irish Stout.

As three of them began to work the 12b, Jeremy put up a 9 beside it for me to climb.

Enter: Liz's nervous frame of mind.

The start of the climb involved a traverse, that if you fell, would send you on a pendulum swing with a good chance of bashing your head into a block on the wall. I took one swing and was fine. Jeremy lowered me to the ground from where I stopped swinging though, forcing me to begin again.

I was 3x more nervous on this second go. My muscles were fatigued and while certainly, my mind was capable of telling my body how to glide through the movements ingrained from former years of climbing experience, I feared my body was too tired to complete the moves.

My forearms were beginning to go. I glanced nervously at Jeremy multiple times, my eyes begging him to tell me it was okay and he'd just lower me. I was too stubborn to quit outright, knowing deep down that I was capable of this, but uncertain I could overcome my fear of letting go and swinging into that block.

Jeremy had nothing but kind encouragement for me. Fueled by his unwavering encouragement and my stubbornness, I made it past those first two bolts of scary climbing. Complete with a near full split as I spanned the two foot holds that took me from scary point of pendulum swinging to point of safety and a no-hands rest. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I made it to that point and stood for a few moments getting my head into a better place.

The rest of the climb went without consequence. A straight-forward lay-back crack to a series of jugs. An easy progression to the top. I was tired, but not overly pumped. I gave Jeremy a huge hug when I reached the ground - I'm really not sure I'd have pushed through without his encouragement.

: : : : :

That evening was another relatively chill one. I was a part of the small group that headed to Pies and Pints for pizza and brews. We shared some great conversation, recaps of our days, and suggestions for podcasts. We returned to camp, some awesome home-brews from a fellow climber, and a raging campfire complete with circle of all our friends and other campers who came over to join in the conversation. Czech Republic, Poland, and France were represented. I had a fun time listening to the accents and conversation that climbing provided to us.

: : : : :

Day two dawned early. I had a lot of driving ahead of me that day. NRG to home and home to Shepherdstown for a week of work-related training. I needed to get an early start to the crag if I wanted to get any climbing in that day. 

I managed to coax - without any arm twisting whatsoever - Jeremy into embarking to Kaymoor with me before the others vacated camp.

We arrived fairly early to a very packed Butcher's Branch of Kaymoor. Fortunately one of the 10s at the start - a 10b - was free and we hopped right on it.

I belayed Jeremy as he led it. His response upon finishing, "Its a little spicy in places." Ah, yes, I remember something like that the last time I climbed it. Ah well, I put on my shoes, tied my figure eight, followed it through and headed on up.

Right away I could tell my body was fatigued from the previous day's climbing. My brain knew what I should do, how I should fluidly progress through the moves. My body? It betrayed my brain every step of the way. 

I moved through the first 3/4 of the climb without too much issue. Sloppy moves in my mind, but nothing too bad. But then I reached the crux. An undercling with high feet. I struggled here years prior. While I knew what to do this go round, my arms couldn't handle my brief mistakes and I had to hang. My forearms were so pumped and exhausted. My legs were beginning to really betray me, too. 

After a long hang, I worked through the undercling move. 

My forearms were so pumped post-crux that I ended up taking multiple hangs after that. The shuts were 2 bolts away. But I just couldn't get there as easily as I should have. My movements got more and more sloppy and desperate. With time though, I made it to the top. Whew.

Jeremy mocked my poor pumped forearms when I came down. Of course. But damn did that burn feel good.

It was the only climb I did that morning. Partly due to crowds, but mostly due to my exhaustion. I watched the guys take a few burns on a short 12a. After both Joe and Jeremy sent it I said my farewells and headed home.

Four good climbs on the weekend. Two 10a's, a 10b, and a 9. Not too shabby at all for a girl who's barely touched rock in two years!

Plans are in place for at least two weekends in May. I think I've found my balance for climbing + riding this year. Bring it on.