Happenings

Most people that read my blog probably know by now about the losses of Micah Dash, Jonny Copp, and Wade Johnson. Some of you knew one or more of these guys. I had never personally met any of them and yet for some reason I've been affected more by their deaths than the deaths of the many other climbers that have passed since I took up the sport/religion 10 years ago. Alpinists are sometimes prone to romanticizing death in pursuit of their passion. I won't go so far as to say its a good way to die. It would be far better to live to a ripe old age after living one's passion to the fullest. Still, to die in pursuit of passion, refusing to play by the rules, is something I would choose over a long life lived in restraint. I just hope the friends and families of these three men can be consoled by the knowledge that their boys lived a blessed life.

Micah Dash and Johnny Copp segment of "The Sharp End" from Cedar Wright on Vimeo.

My personal life has been far less dangerous than climbing new routes in the remote reaches of western China. I've moved out of Peter's place and into a storage unit, I've been training at the Great Western Power Company, and I've made it outside a few random times to climb on some new stone. Last weekend Becky and I visited the Sierra Buttes for the first time. I'd been curious about this place for nearly 5 years, ever since I spotted it on Terraserver (a precursor to Google Earth). I left with a very good impression. The rock is high quality, steep, featured, and the setting is gorgeous! The only drawbacks are the steep hike in (not that bad really cause it'll keep the riff-raff out) and the inconvenient location if you're traveling from the Bay Area. From Truckee, where we stayed, it was a mild 50 minute drive. From Oakland it's nearly four hours. Thanks to Brian Sweeny, his friend Ty, and anyone else that put in all the hard work creating the trail to the boulders.

Becky's photo of a warm-up.

Last but certainly not least, Becky had her graduation ceremony for finishing her studies to become an RN! While she'll modestly tell you that it's not that big of a deal because she still has two more years to finish her master's degree, I can honestly say that its a huge accomplishment and I'm very proud of her.