two weeks in squamish and i haven’t a post to show for it. i spent almost everyday climbing and was usually too exhausted to have enough energy to put my thoughts into a coherent piece of writing. days on the rock were followed by big meals and soaks in the hot tub. not a bad way to spend the last few days of my extended climbing vacation. forgive me for the lack of posts.
as with my last trip to squamish, this one was just as fun filled. tyler played the gracious host once more, not only providing an amazingly comfortable home to chill in and a bed as soft as clouds to sleep in, but also a listening ear and the motivation to get out each and every sunny day to find some new rock to climb. having lived in squamish for the past decade and being the explorer he is, tyler is familiar with all the classic lines in the area, both those well known as well as the hidden gems known only by the longtime locals. every climb he suggested ended up being the best climb i’d ever been on in squamish. how is that even possible?
after a total of three weeks in squamish this summer, i am firmly addicted to crack. crack climbing that is. there is something about finding a natural feature in the rock and wedging your fingers, hands and feet into the seams, confidently pulling on jams to make your way up the rock, placing natural protection as you go, as your own judgement (and sometimes the rock) dictates. an amazing style of rock climbing.
thrown in my two weeks on the west coast was a trip down to seattle with an old friend from home, andrew vokey and his girlfriend amanada to see a built to spill show. one of my favourite indie bands, built to spill is currently touring on one of their old fan fave albums, “perfect from now on”. next to modest mouse (who i got to see in osaka in march), built to spill was the next big band to see live on my list of bands to see live. the show was in a bigger venue than was the modest mouse show i’d seen, but it didn’t take to much away from the performance. i sang along and melted into doug martch’s melodic guitar playing as the audience pulsed organically with the rhythm of the music. andrew, amanda and i left very contended and a little drunk, wandering around seattle in search of a place serving eats after most everything had closed. we ended up ordering some terrible pizza to our room at the moore.
seattle is one of the nicest cities i’ve had the pleasure to visit. a clean downtown with lots of hip cafes and shops, populated by some of the most polite people i’ve ever met. taking a walk at 7 am before vokey and amanda woke up, i made my way out into the city morning to explore and photograph. the public market was just setting up, getting ready for the afternoon buzz of business and tourists. the air, crisp, cool and hinted with a salt breeze from the nearby harbour. people smiling, drinking coffee and beginning their day. it dawned on me later in the afternoon when i saw someone run out into the street, cutting off a turning car, that there was an absence of horn blaring. no one was tooting their horns in frustration or yelling at people to get out of the way. almost all the intersections were four way stops, and everyone moved through them fluidly, efficiently and patiently. something i’ve rarely seen in big cities.
on the way back from seattle, we stopped in a few outlet shopping centers to pick up some ‘duty free’ items. though they weren’t actually duty free, we just merely ripped the tags off of everything and packed them in our bags. i picked up a bunch of clothes to add to my meager wardrobe for korea. and a new coffee grinder for the apartment i’ll be sharing with marissa.
now i’m sitting in the tom bradley international airport in los angeles, in transit from vancouver to pusan and ultimately to gyeongsan, where i’ll be living for the next few months. i’m excited about my return to korea, excited to see my old friends and old students. excietd to be arriving there for the fall, which was always my favorite time of year in korea. my mountain bike is waiting. as are a slew of unclimbed projects that i’m excited to get back on.
i have another hour and a half to blow before my plane boards. though i don’t have internet access, i thought i’d take this time to catch up on all the writing i’ve been meaning to do. not sure if this is sufficient to sum up my whole two weeks in squamish, but it’ll have to do. until the next post...
