Skiing at Granite Peak

Gabe and I went Skiing/Snowboarding at Granite Peak (Rib Mountain) in Wausau this weekend (Gabe is pictured on the left and I am on the right). We were a little apprehensive about the snow conditions as the website noted 12-14 runs closed down. However, when we got to the hill and the temp. was 20 degrees on Saturday AM, we knew we would be having a great day. The runs that they groomed the night before were hard packed but loosened up as the sun hit them. I would rate this as excellent late season skiing. The temps moved up to the 40's on a blue sky day. We hit all the single and double black diamond runs and found them to be short but fun. This will end the ski/snowboard season for us this year. We are getting ready to rock climb next weekend. If you are interested in learning how to climb and want to have a great time contact us at http://apexadventurealliance.com/index.php

Ice Climbing at Gov. Dodge State Park

Gabe and I spend Sunday at Gov. Dodge State Park doing some ice climbing with Todd Stowell. Temperatures were in the mid 30's which was a little warm to ice climb but very nice to belay. The ice was very soft and our ice axes and crampons sunk in deeply. We both had fun and we plan to do much more of it next year. Gabe is in the picture on the left and I am on the right.

Skiing and Snowboarding

The winter has gone quickly. Gabe and I have skied/snowboarded 2-3 times per week mainly at Mt. LaCrosse. As March closes in on us we are looking forward to rock climbing and other outdoor activities but we still have plans to ski/snowboard until late March.

Halloween Climb

Some of the best climbing at Devils Lake is in the fall and Halloween day is no exception. Gabe and I set a couple of routes on Pseudo's and climbed in the early PM. The weather was dry and the temp was 36 degrees. We only saw 12-15 people on the East Bluff today. The tree canopy had changed dramatically from last week as the bright leaf colors have begun to dull. We had a great time.

Yellowstone National Park

We took a trip to Yellowstone in August and were rewarded with beautiful views and abundant animal life. We hiked to the top of Mt. Washburn in search of a herd of Bighorn's that frequented the mountain top. We did find them and watched them for quite a while. If you want to see animal life, Yellowstone is the place to go. We also saw, two grizzlys, elk, bison and many other smaller species. Pictured is my brother Paul, Gabe and I.

Grand Teton National Park

My brother Paul, Gabe and I went backpacking in Grand Teton National Park in August. Here we are on the trail to Holly Lake (El. 9400 ft.) in the Paintbrush Canyon. Mt. Moran is just to the left in the photo. The Teton's are rugged and beautiful. It took us a day to acclimatize to the altitude. The trail to Holly Lake had an elevation gain of over 2000 ft. We arrived at the lake tired, but in good spirits.

The Needles

Gabe and I on the "Needle" in Custer State Park in South Dakota. The rock quality here has something that Devils Lake has little of...friction. We plan on making another trip back next summer to climb in some of the less traveled areas of the park.