Feathered Friends Blog
Success on the Moose’s Tooth
By Mark Smiley
Janelle and I were very excited to get back into the classic climbing circuit for the fourth year in a row, after an amazing winter overseas. We had spent 90 days in Europe, where Janelle competed in several countries with the best ski mountaineering racers in the world, while I made videos of the experience. The videos can be scene here (episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5). In May we flew back to the States, and had 13 non-traveling days to pack and prep for our expeditions to Alaska. This was definitely not enough time, but we made it work. Most of the time I feel like a professional packer, always lugging around at least two fifty pound duffel bags and a way-to-heavy carry on. Life is so rough =)
The first climb on our calendar for the year was the West Ridge of the Moose’s Tooth. This would be our second attempt. In 2010 we tried to climb it but got turned around largely due to Alaska sized intimidation, and horrible snow conditions.
Join us August 14th at 7:30pm for an evening of photo, video, and stories with Mark and Janelle Smiley on their endeavor to climb the Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. 2012 and 2013 have been loaded with massive classic climbs. Mark and Janelle will highlight their successes in photo and video from the stunning … Continue reading August 14 | Committed with Mark & Janelle Smiley
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Most climbers (myself included) consider themselves a bit on the fringe. Like salmon, we swim against the flow knowing very well that the reward will be that much sweeter because we refrain from traveling along the path of least resistance. Whether we are plugging our way along an impossibly thin Cascadian finger crack or skinning up an far flung stretch of Alaskan powder, we are sure to earn it every step of the way. When we finally reach our summit, reveling in our own sweat and perhaps a little aftermath of fear, we just smile as the wave of accomplishment washes over us, knowing very well that nobody had to hold our hands to get us there.
It’s been a long-standing goal of mine to get down to Joshua Tree. I imagined I would marvel at the 7,000+ climbing routes dispersed among a veritable sea of monzonite granite. The dry air, warm temps and sunny skies are just the thing to revitalize the soul after a long and gloomy Seattle winter. It didn’t take much deliberation when choosing this season’s location for our Feathered Friend’s photo shoot.
Crossing the maritime obstacle course of kelp beds, giant driftwood and stony outcroppings the approach to Larabee bouldering was described to me as fourth class on the rocks with a dash of Jager. Really fun, exceedingly beautiful, but it might sting just a bit. Now here we all are, walking single file across a beached conifer, trying our best not to sail off and into the knee-deep and somewhat crabby tangle of seaweed below. With a gust of wind, my crash pad sets me in the exact opposite direction I had hoped for, down. Off and in the spongy weeds, the landing is soft, but my pride feels the sting.