Yay for Squamish Granite

So in addition to meeting my little honorary nephew Patrick, Daniel and I spent our mini vacation up in Squamish BC for some rock climbing. Once again questionable weather...we were actually going to go to the City of Rocks in Idaho but the weather was even worse there...so we took our chances with up North. I love Squamish, it feels like trad climbing paradise. Despite the wait, it was an uneventful border crossing. They are still doing a lot of work on the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler, but what a beautiful drive. If I could have the money for a vacation home.... and become Canadian (*I think that's the clincher right there) I know that is where I would buy. Spend my winters in Canmore and the CA Rockies and then summer over in Squamish for some rock climbing...tough life...

The first day of climbing on the 25th we got to know the Smoke Bluffs area right in town. I was really impressed with this "crag" with tons of classic climbs of varying ability. We climbed Penny Lane 5.9 first. Daniel let it and then I led it. I was initially going to just follow it but another girl was talking about leading it when we were done...so I guess pride comes before fear in my book ;-) Great climb with a bit of a funky section at the bottom until you realize just how sticky Squamish granite really is. Then off to Quarryman 5.8 which I lead and then down to Neat and Cool. At Neat and Cool I lead Cornflackes a really easy but entertaning 5.7, and then lead Corner Crack 5.8 (fun!) . I finally convinced Daniel into leading Flying Circus 5.10a which we both were really glad he did, it was a great climb. then we toproped this unprotectable large flake called Lieback Flake5.9. We went ahead and called it a day after that, went and got coffee, and laid out in the grass and read and napped...ahh vacation...

Baby got a new pair of shoes

Dan on Penny Lane 5.9

Elisif on Quarryman 5.8

Elisif on Corner Crack 5.8

Elisif on Lieback Flake

The next day we did Diedre, one of my favorite multi-pitch climbs. It is 6 pitches with a couple of pitches of classic 5.8. We got done with Diedre in under 2 hours and decided to climb another climb on the Apron. We did Calculus Crack 5.8, a climb with 6 pitches , with the plan on climbing Karen's Math 10a up to Memorial Crack 5.9 at the top. the first two pitches are bullcrap of climbing a vertical jungle of sketchy trees who knows how many people have pulled on, the 5.8 and 5.7 pitches were really fun but that was when it started raining :-( Daniel had gotten the first pitch and ended up linking the two and I boogied as fast as I could because I wasn't sure how many pitches we had left on the climb and didn't want to be leading on wet, slippery granite. Luckily we were virtually done with the climb by the time things really got wet but I wish I had enjoyed those pitches a bit more, plus we didn't get to do Memorial but oh well, with two multipitches under our belt we headed down once again, this time for burgers and beer and not a lot to complain about!

Elisif on Pitch 3 of Diedre

Daniel on Pitch 4 of Diedre

The ominous sky

The third and last day we slept in hoping for things to dry out. We wishfully checked out Exasperator 5.10c which of course was wet and seepy...so we headed to the Smoke Bluffs again because they dry out so quickly. We went back to Neat and Cool and hung out near Cat Crack 5.7 doing that and then a 5.9, Jigsaw Flow (felt like an 8) to the left. We headed over to and I lead Pixie corner 5.8 , a little wet but really fun. We then decided to head over to Octopus' Garden...but guess what... It started raining. No biggie though, we got great climbing in and a ton of classics under our belt with a good tic list set up for next time. We grabbed coffee and headed South, stopped at my parents' in Olympia to hang out for a short while, then to Tigard to pick up Reuben, and home to get ready for work the next day! What a great, relaxing vacation, it was so nice and laidback that I was a little grumpy to be back in PDX ;-) Until the next adventure....

Patrick McCambridge Hower Enters the World!

Our good friends Kelly and Jason had their baby boy! After a very long and harrowing labor Patrick entered the world at 4:44PM on May 19th. 7lbs and 15oz. Congratulations Howers!!! We got to visit sweet little Patrick in Seattle on our way up to Squamish on May 24th, just 5 days old and adorable. I felt so lucky to get to meet him in person so soon and am soooo excited to watch him grow. I wish wish wish we lived closer to Kelly and Jason, but at least our blogs' keep us together :-) Here are some pictures of our meeting with the little man and then some others of his first week. Enjoy!

Below: Patrick and his Daddy Jason, Patrick and Mom Kelly, Patrick and his proud Uncle Mark , Paddy Mac himself!

Stuart Shutdown

It wouldn't be alpine season without a requisite Mt. Stuart shutdown. Armed with a few days off on Mother's day weekend we headed to Leavenworth and the trailhead. The road was great until about a mile before and then we (and at least ten other cars) got stopped by mushy snow blocking the road for about 100ft. Daniel thought the 4runner and it's prowess in 4Low could handle the blockade...but the soft snow said hell no. However, though we were stuck I almost feel that subconsciously Daniel did it on purpose....you should have seen the smile he had on his face when he was using his new winch and all of it's accoutrements. It was like a kid in a candy store. The winch did prove it's prowess and once we were unstuck we parked and loaded packs.


The trail to Mt. Stuart is not one I particularly enjoy. It is about 8 miles in (plus the extra mile from the road being blocked by snow making it 9), some of which is on a trail, this time covered in mushy snow, and some of it on a cross-country post-holing adventure. Typically what happens is you're walking along and all of a sudden you leg disappears up to your crotch. Never pleasant falling in...and definitely not pleasant trying to find the correct angle of your foot (typically not the way nature intended your foot to bend) to struggle your way out...all with a pack on no less. This is the time to be the follower and not the leader as your luck is much improved...unless you are hiking with our friend John after he has eaten freeze-dried food, and then you will be thanking your lucky stars if you get to lead in order to avoid the subsequent stench :-D

before the majority of the postholing

So off we went. The weather was supposed to be questionable, but it's just one of those things you just have to try, especially this year where a perfectly stellar alpine climbing forecast is once in a blue moon, and most likely not corresponding with any of your days off. The longer we hiked the more we realized that yes it was raining, and yes we were getting wet. it wasn't until we were about 7 miles in that we finally let ourselves realize how wet we actually were and that a decision needed to be made. It was about 5pm and I wasn't sure if I could mentally handle hiking the 18 mile round trip back to the car...plus we had all of our overnight gear and we were almost there so why not.

Wet....and postholing

Hmm...Mt. Stuart in the Morning

Once we got to the base of Mt. Stuart, it was definitely raining and definitely windy. We found a spot as much under the trees as we could and holed up in our Firstlight tent for the night. After some fairly miserable sleep (I think it was worse for Daniel, he was wedged between me and a tree) we woke up around 5am and said this sucks. Got out of the tent and took a good look at Stuart with the clouds positively whipping over the top, freezing our arses off at the base, and conceded that the mountain had won this time and started the hike out. After a quick stop at Heidleburger we headed back to Olympia to pick up Reuben. We spent some quality time with my parents, wished my Mom a happy mother's day, and headed back home to reality once again.

Getting sunny on the way out...but check out Mt. Stuart (*hint it's the one you can't see)

Team Harro's always happy to be outside though....check out Dan's bloody nose, I didn't see that until I downloaded this pic.....ewww grrrroooosss...

Oh well, there's always next time... :-)

Circus Besurkus

Great Weather, the weekend off, and a husband in class....time to go climbing with John and Shannon! Once again we piled in Shannon's VW, but this time with three people, three kittens, two bassetts, and one australian shepherd. I think we qualified for the carpool lane this time! We headed to Horsethief Falls and had a good time bouldering and climbing around the crags. I'm not sure about the kittens (they chased the shade in their designer kitten bag) but I know the dogs had fun, especially Reuben who decided to make a break for it with another climber's dinner roll :-P Shoot , maybe he felt like he deserved it...he just got his first ear infection a few days ago :-( I'm pretty sure he's fine, he's still being Mister Monster all the same!

[Shannon volunteers for a no-kill animal shelter and fosters baby kittens who need bottle feedings about every three hours, quite the job!]

"What do you think Gordy, should we eat them?"

"You kids are all crazy, I think I'll just die here"