When we visit the Black Hills and stay in a Hotel that supplies soap to its guest we all take it for granted that that is the way it is everywhere. Imagine the soap you don't use ending up in the hands of refugees who need it to better their hygiene just to stay alive. Local hotels have signed on with the Global Soap Project, and it is an awesome idea that I hope can go on for a very long time, and reduce the suffering in the world.

Learn a little more about this project by enjoying this short video about Derreck Kayongo, the founder of The Global Soap Project.

Many of you know that Dyneema is a great product for climbing gear....so long as you use it within its limitations.  I was very excited about it when I first came out, but quickly decided that climbing on Dyneema around the Black Hills was maybe not the best idea.  Mostly because, as a guide, I need to have my gear be very versatile.   I personally feel that nylon slings are better for what I do out there on the rock.  For you, perhaps Dyneema is a good fit for climbing.  DMM put together a nice little video about drop testing tied Dymeena, something that is never recommended and you can see why. 

 I hope you enjoy this and learn something too.

So I received an email from a photographer wanting to know if I knew who these crazy rock climbers might be.  Steven Shepard of http://www.shepardimages.com/  was out in Custer State Park and stopped to snap a few nice photos from Needles Highway with a super cool macho lens.   If you recognize yourself, drop me an email and I think Steven would like to share some of his nice climbing photos with you.  These are just of few of many he sent to me in his quest to track down the mystery climbers captured by his lens on 4/21 in the Cathedral Spires of Custer State Park, SD.

Cheryl and I had to run down to Colorado for a Wilderness First Responder recert course last week.   After being in Greenland I was looking forward to some flip flops and sand in my shoes type of living and was not disappointed.  We went biking in the Fruita / Grand Junction area, and were AMAZED at the number of folks from every walk of life out there enjoying the sweet mountain biking trails that area has.  I saw more riders in the first hour down there then I see in a year around here.  What stuck me most was how normal it all seems down there.  I saw grandmas and 20 something rockstars all sharing the same parking lot and trailheads.  Each could head out to seek their own challenge. 

 Met up with Peter Lev for a climb in Colorado National Monument on Otto's Route.  It was Peter's idea, and we all liked it.  A Classic Route for sure.  Back in 1911 or so, this fellow Otto climbed the route with a hammer and chisel to drill holes for the pipes he placed into the rock for ladder rungs...you can see the steps he carved in some of the photos.  Most the metal is gone and people get all bent outa shape about ottos chipping on a route.  The scene was a bit different back then, and I think Otto was a real go getter,   I know I don't wanna go up there in cowboy boots, without a rope and do all that pounding.  Like any other climber, I'm sure he did it for bragging rights, and I think he earned them.   We happened to meet up with John Jones, a climber from back in the day that knew Lev and all the wild guys that were putting up routes around Boulder during college.  John took some nice photos and shared them with us.  The route is about 4 pitches and gets you to the top of a nice desert tower.  The heat put the hurt on us a bit, but got me thinking about climbing on Devils Tower all summer.

 Enjoy a few great photos from John Jones.

Johns vantage point

Where are those pipe handles now? Otto must have sat on a pipe to pound the next hole in.

Up Date on the Black Canyon Climbing Access from the AMGA

Good news from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison! As many of you were aware, as part of the Draft Wilderness and Backcountry Management Plan of August 2011, the National Park Service's Preferred Alternative proposed to prohibit guided climbing in the Inner Canyon section, home of most of the Black Canyon's famous long multi-pitch routes. Many concerns were voiced over this proposal, including those from several members of Congress, as well as members of the climbing and guiding community. Last week the National Park Service sent out a letter to all of the Senators and Congressmen who had written to the NPS about this issue on the AMGA's behalf, stating that they were not going to proceed with prohibiting guided climbing at this time. The letter states in pertinent part, "This issue will not move forward without much more internal deliberation and then close collaboration with all interested parties..."

The AMGA applauds the willingness of the National Park Service to reconsider their proposal, and is looking forward to being a part of the collaborative process. We sincerely thank Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), and Representative Scott Tipton (R-CO) for the support they have given, both to preserving the unique wilderness environment of the Black Canyon, as well as the ability of the public to choose a facilitated recreational experience with a certified guide.

The AMGA would like to thank all of the members who submitted comments and letters to their congressional delegates. The final count was 39 letters that AMGA members sent out. It is through the involvement and support of the stakeholders who take the time to communicate with our public land managers that an effective process can be had.

While this issue does not constitute a final decision regarding the status of guided climbing in the Wilderness Management Plan, it is an important step towards a closer partnership with the National Park Service. The AMGA welcomes future dialogue with our partners in the NPS and Congress aimed at creating an appropriate level of guiding in the vertical Wilderness of the Black Canyon.
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AOC ‘Adopt-A-Crag’ Event

 Wear appropriate clothing to work and play in  Pack drinking water & personal items for the day Bring any tools you think you might need or have for clean-up and trail maintenance Be ready to work and have fun in the outdoors.  Park entrance license not required for those signed up as a volunteer participating in the event.   Contact Information: Mark Greeno  Augustana Outdoor Program Coordinator fmgreeno@msn.com - 605-360-7465  

This has been a popular and excellent event put on by Mr. Greeno and we here at Sylvan Rocks can't thank him and all the folks who help him out enough!

The local weather men came out with a report last week stating that we were here working during the 4th coldest period of time since they have records in Thule, Greenland.  So it was little wonder that it took me several tries to find a day with nice enough weather to stroll out on the sea ice to visit the ice bergs and up on the ice cap.

I made it to the ice cap first.  Shep and I headed out one Sunday.

While I would not call it a nice day.  Compared to the -30 F temps we had been seeing, it felt OK.

We climbed up a gully from the rocky permafrost onto the ice cap near an area previously used by the US military to build Camp Century, a secret outpost that they built into and under the ice to hide it.

 The sastrugi was pretty rough, and I can see where it would get pretty old pounding over it for 1400 miles on the traverse in a tractor.

It was easy to start to feel pretty small and vulnerable in the cold snowy world that is the Greenland icecap.  This is what I came for, and I was thrilled to take it all in.

For whatever reason the open space of the great white flat ocean drew me out to it like a rip current.  I asked several people if there was anything to watch out for.  They all stated obvious things like cracks, sudden storms, bears, and stuff, but no one seemed to really know much about dangers of being out there.  I had seen a friend our 2 out there and so off I went. I have long loved ice skating and so being on ice was nothing new, but thinking about the tides coming in and out beneath that ice was a whole new item to ponder.  

 Hiking around Dundas Mountain was the first of my longer hikes out there.  Shep and I went out to the point, and decided that it would be best to just go all the way around.  Getting away from the base and the dorm life is a welcome treat.  We hiked out there in the evening, and listened to the snow crunch and squeak under our feet.

We celebrated our circumnavigation with a few Emergency Beers from Sheps pack...always good to be prepared to whatever life may through your way.

My next hike out on the sea ice took me further.  The goal was to get up close and personal with an iceberg or 2 that was trapped in the bay close enough to us to hike to.  I set out with Alan on this mission.  Again we hiked around Dundas Mountain and then just kept going.

We again felt pretty small out there on the sea ice.  And I did keep an eye open for hungry polar bears.  Actually I'm pretty sure anything living out here is always hungry.  Unless you can live on snow and cold air, there is just not much else.

I carried my own tea and snacks for the adventure.

 We looked into the fjord beyond the icebergs and saw one of the 4 glaciers that feed into it.  I'd love to have a way to get up there and back for a closer look.  It is incredibly beautiful.

The distant icebergs rose up like a mirage in the desert.  Fata Morgana is the name for the process where objects are stretched, flipped and changed to our eyes as to what is really there.  It is an awesome sight to behold.

Up close, the icebergs took on all kinds of shapes and sizes as well. 

 It has been an amazing trip.  We have all worked hard to support the GrIT mission, and if all goes as planned the crew will be out on their journey tomorrow afternoon.  I have spent the past several days packing loads onto the giant sleds with the trusty 931C Cat Dozer.  I took this self portrait during a brief lunch break after clearing a drift that had blown in front of the sled where I then forked over a dozen big fish totes full of tractor parts and tools needed for the trip.

I have leaned up against a tractor on many occasions out in the fields of Illinois where my families farm is and enjoyed many a meal this way.  This time, sitting there all alone on the Greenland icecap sucking in all the bright whiteness and silence, it was a joy and a vision I'm not sure I'll get to enjoy again.  I've been thrilled to be here and experience working in -40F, and all the interesting people that go along with an adventure in a place like this.  With the sleds now all loaded, our plane is supposed to fly out Wed. morning to fly further south in Greenland then to NY for another night and finally home.  I'm hoping for a clear sunny day so I can see more of the worlds largest island.  Even more so, I'm looking forward to seeing something green and alive and inhaling air that is above freezing.  It is 8 degrees above zero today a regular heat wave.  About as warm as I have seen it in a couple months.  At home it has been 68 or 78 and that sounds to crazy to understand.  Going outdoors without putting on 12 layers of clothing or not needing a face mask.  That is crazy talk.  I cant wait! 

In response to the National Park Service's recent draft proposal to prohibit guided climbing in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), and Representative Scott Tipton (R-CO) recently urged the National Park Service to reconsider the proposal.

In a joint letter written by Udall, Bennet and Baucus the Senators wrote, "While most climbers in the park choose not to climb with a guide, many do utilize guides, and we believe that given the extremely challenging nature of climbing in the Black Canyon, the option to climb with a guide should be available." This sentiment was reinforced by Rep. Tipton, who wrote in his letter, "...if adopted, the Proposal will reduce opportunities for safe, facilitated wilderness recreation and education not only at the Black Canyon but also in other areas of our country's great National Park System."  Betsy Winter, Executive Director for the AMGA, applauded the congressional intervention and renewed the organization's request for a suitable Wilderness management plan.

"The AMGA is grateful for the support of Senators Udall, Bennet, Baucus and Rep. Tipton, and shares their goal to protect the unique wilderness character of the Black Canyon.  Like our partners in Congress, the AMGA believes that sound wilderness management policy for the Black Canyon does not require elimination of a service that enhances safety, enjoyment, and personal growth for the countless visitors that choose to partner with a licensed guide when enjoying the legendary vertical challenges found only in the Black Canyon.  Consequently, the AMGA looks forward to working with our partners in Congress and in the National Park Service to ensure that visitors to the Black Canyon continue to have access to guided climbing in 2012 and beyond.

While the proposal to eliminate guided climbing access in the Black Canyon is still on the table, I am very encouraged by the support and attention our Senators and Congressmen have given to this very important issue. By far, this is one of the most consequential proposals our profession has faced, due to the potential negative impacts it could have on AMGA membership and the mountain guiding community at large. The AMGA and our constituents, therefore thank the members of Congress for taking notice of the concerns expressed by the climbing and guiding profession, and look forward to working with the National Park Service to reverse their draft proposal."

To access the full text from the congressional letters as well as video of Representative Tipton questioning NPS Director, Jon Jarvis on the proposal, please click here.

Thanks to all of you who acted by sending a letter or email in when I contacted you about this issue awhile back.

The small sign read Dundas Village and had an arrow.  I'm sure more rustic signs have stood there in decades past.  They were not the preprinted aluminum sign on a post stuck into the rocky soil version that is there today, but perhaps piles of rocks, Karns, a painted piece of wood, or maybe an unmarked forked road or trail that you just had to know was the way to go.  But since it seems that nothing grows tall enough to tack a sign to....I'm sure there was never anything tacked to a tree.  Regardless, we followed the signs along the snowy road.  It was only the 2nd place off of base I'd been in the 3 weeks (and I think the only other place that has roads to it) I'd been in Thule Air Base.  

Thule Air Base is pretty grim so I jumped at the chance to see something new.  The shades of gray, brown, OD green all capped with hard blown snow must get pretty old during a years deployment to the base.  Especially in the winter when for months and months the only outdoor light comes from the ugly yellow street lamps.  The metal pipes called 'Bonstradt' that carry the utilities to and from the buildings angle up and over the roads and around the base add that real industrial flavor.  It is a cold harsh world up here for sure.  Calling the place 'Green' land was a wicked media trick.

Up and over the hill, things are a little different then here on base though.  The cold winds still blow, but there are little homes and buildings more like something you'd see in an old prairie town.  More homey for sure!  The village is left over from a 1910 trading post, and was home to a radio station outpost through the 1970's that allowed communication between other villages in the region.  Danish and Greenlandic people sometimes still maintain the homes, although they are not allowed to own the land.  There are also ruins of sod huts left over from earlier times.  The site has been shown to be habituated on and off for over 900 years.  If you are going to be a Greenlandic Eskimo hunter, you better be tough, is all I can say.

A highlight for me was seeing the Arctic Hares. 

One sprinted on hind legs across the snow to put on a show for us.   We  took photos of where they had dug into the snow down to the ground for plant scraps that they must survive in.  Their metabolism in the winter must be pretty amazing to live on such meager rations in such a cold environment.  Their fur and fat no doubt help out, but there is just not much out here for food.  We have seen them at the edge of the ice sheet also, but not yet in town.  The sun is seen in the sky an hour longer every day now, so the hares will probably soon be seen around town.  The photo below is just the random rocks and slight snow covering found on the permafrost that we work and live on up here. 

If you'd like to learn more about Dundas Village, here are a few other postings with more detailed history and a great blog from one to the fellows I'm with and photos from another of a visit last year when some Greenlandic hunters came though on dogsleds.  It was quite cold and windy, so we did not hike out to the sod huts, but viewed them and Dundas Mountain from afar, hoping to return on a day when it was perhaps only 5 below zero and windy.