The bolted anchors are just above the "Deception" route
Another adventure with Iskuhi! We finally got out to the Dorset Street Crag near Annisquam, MA. We decided to park off North Bennett Street so we could just hike to the top of the crag and drop top ropes. We found the parking along North Bennett street, but we couldn't find a trail from the street. However, further up the street, we did find a trail that went down to Dorset Drive. On Dorset Drive, we walked towards Washington Street and saw the crag on our left. If there was a trail to the crag from Washington Street we didn't find it. So we just bushwhacked in from Dorset Drive.
We passed this area on the trail from North Bennet Street to Dorset Drive
We set up a top rope for a couple of climbs on the left side of the Main Wall. It was so hot and humid, and the rock was super slick. But it sure was fun to get out for a couple of morning laps. It was pretty buggy there as well and although I used bug spray, I still got bit. Got sunburn as well and scraped up my right shin pretty good from jamming the crack of Deception, so next time I'll remember to wear long pants. The top of the crag is just 60 feet or so from North Bennett Street so we exited that way, then walked a bit up the road to our cars. We plan to come back in the fall when the temps are cooler - so I took coordinates of the top of the trail at the North Bennett Street using my iPhone's Compass app. Enjoy a few photos taken of our day at the Dorset Street Crag.
Lots of natural pro for top rope anchors on this ledge
The Corner (5.10+) in the Quarry area
Daedalus (5.6) in the Slabs area
Chip off the Old Block (5.7) in the Slabs area
Beginner's Route (5.5) on the Main Wall
Rope on Slippery When Wet (5.8+) on the Main Wall
Rope at the top of Deception (5.8+) & Mixed Up (5.8)
Met up with Nuno and we spent the morning climbing at two different crags in the Middlesex Fells. We started at the left side of Crag 1 Pinnacle Rock, and then onto Crag 3. As with our last climb together, in the parking lot, we didn't do any hugs, high-5's, or handshakes, but we never did anyway. We hiked to Crag 1 (Pinnacle Rock) maintaining social distancing and there was no one else on the trail. We were the first two climbers there, but soon after two women showed up. Later, two more guys showed up, and they set up a top rope to the right of us on Fern. Despite being new to outdoor climbing, they were doing great on their own. But one of the women in the other group started spraying beta, poor guys! Even as Nuno and I headed out to Crag 3, she continued loudly spraying her beta - she actually got louder as we walked away. I guess she wanted to make sure Nuno and I knew that she knew what she was talking about. So rude to put others (especially new climbers) in the position to have to say no or to make them feel awkward or uncomfortable for having to listen to unwanted climbing advice.
Nuno at the top of Crag 3
At Crag 3, Nuno and I climbed two routes. It was our first time climbing at Crag 3, it was hot and muggy, but it sure was fun to get back to climbing slabs. And since the slab wasn't under a blanket of trees like Crag 1 Pinnacle, it wasn't as muggy and the rock here wasn't too slick. There were no other climbers there but we did see 3 hikers.
Nuno brought along this Thermacell Patio Sheild Mosquito Repellent and it worked beautifully!
Nuno, Iskuhi, and I met up for some climbing at Middlesex Fells. We all live in Massachusetts and when we meet up to climb, we usually head north to places like Rumney, New Hampshire to climb. But with the pandemic, Rumney and many of our favorite climbing crags in New Hampshire are closed. So we met up to do some climbing at Pinnacle Rock, in the Black & White Rocks crag. In the parking lot, we didn't do any hugs, high-5's, or handshakes, but we never did anyways. We hiked to Crag 1 (Pinnacle Rock) maintaining social distancing and there was no one else on the trail. We purposely chose to climb on a weekday because it would be less crowded as the weekends here are mobbed by hikers and climbers. I'm sure Nuno and Iskuhi came prepared, but in case they didn't, I had extra facemasks, hand wipes, and hand sanitizer - which I also carry in my truck, golf bag, and hiking backpack. At the crag, we were the only climbers, and the only other people we saw that day was a group of 6 hikers on the main trail. I bought my trad rack with the intention of doing some trad leading but decided not to because the rock felt really slick and I personally don't like the idea of leading in muggy weather - I have a fear of slipping off the rock in muggy weather. After two hours of climbing, we called it quits because it just got way too muggy. Enjoy some photos of our day of climbing.
When I hiked on Oahu,
my cousin Darrell hiked with me to keep me company and look out for me.
I will miss him and will always remember his quiet confidence.
At the base of Mount Olympus summit
Hanauma Bay Rock Bridge
Peacock Flats hike
Aiea Loop Hike
Descending Pali Puka
(Pali Highway in background)
Mount Olomana
Mount Kaala
Lulumahu Falls - testing his underwater SmartPhone
Hike up to the Haiku Stairs via Moanalua Middle Ridge
Haiku Stairs Descent (video)
Here's a list of all the hikes that cousin Darrell and I did. We also had great company with us as well - mahalo to Neil for joining us on these fun hikes.
Nuno and I climbed the LHMW Bypass Slab at Crawford Notch. Swapped leads including the two snow pitches up to the base of The Cleft. Had originally planned to climb the LHMW (Left Hand Monkey Wrench) and The Cleft but there were a couple of parties already on both of the climbs. Sunny and breezy.....multi-pitch raps and a hike down on the trail back to tracks....great day for climbing!
YAAAYYY - my first day out on the ice this season - super stoked! Climbed with Jeni and Ken for some stellar fun conditions at Kinsman. Thank you, Jeni and Ken for your help and support for my "Turning 60 and Climbing About It" project! With today’s climbing, I’m at 87 pitches!
I visited Moab, Utah for a rock climbing festival and to continue my bucket list and do some hiking at the Arches National Park. I flew into Moab's Canyonland Field Airport (CNY) via SkyWest/United Airlines Express with a connecting flight from Denver, CO. The flight takes less than an hour and if you fly into Moab from Denver (or vice versa), make sure to get a window seat - on a clear day the views are phenomenal! I picked up my car rental from the Enterprise window that also shares space with National and Alamo car rentals. You can also rent through Canyonlands Car Rentals at the next window. **NOTE: The car rental offices at the airport only operate during certain hours! So make sure you find out what those hours are and make some sort of arrangements (Uber or cab) to get to your hotel/campground if you arrive after the car rental office has closed. This airport is very small. There's only one check-in counter, one gate and the only commercial passenger airline that flies in and out of this airport is SkyWest/United Airlines Express. There are only two daily flights between Canyonlands Field Airport and Denver, Colorado on Thursdays thru Mondays. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, there is only one round-trip flight. So plan accordingly if you decide to fly in and out of this airport.
Keep in mind that the weather in Denver can affect your flight into or out of Canyonland Field Airport as it did mine. My flight out to Denver was delayed 3 times and as a result, I missed my connecting flight from Denver to Boston. The ground crew was fabulous and kept us updated and provided water bottles and snacks while we waited. I was automatically rebooked on the next flight out of Denver to Boston.
From the airport, it's a 30-minute drive to Moab and you'll pass the Arches National Park on the way. And you can't miss it either. As you come around a bend near the park's entrance on US Hwy 191, you can see the walls of the Courthouse Towers rising above the park's winding road. It's pretty impressive and I wanted to stop to take photos but was afraid I'd get a ticket.
Flight from Moab to Denver
While in Moab I didn't eat out very much. My room was equipped with a microwave oven and a small refrigerator. And a well-stocked, all-you-can-eat breakfast was included every morning: hot and cold cereals, cheesy omelets, egg-white omelets, sausages, bacon, turkey patties, waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, lots of fresh fruits and pastries, boiled eggs, yogurt, juices, water, coffee, and teas. The hotel also provided two bottles of water at check-in and they set out a large basket of free granola bars at the front desk. I picked up more bottled water and a few groceries and fruits at the local City Market grocery store to make my own sandwiches to take with me to the climbing clinic and on my hikes.
I arrived into Moab well before the hotel's check-in time so to kill some time I went shopping. My first stop was the Moab Rock Shop at600 N Main Street. This store is jammed pack with stones and fossils so give yourself plenty of time to browse. It has a wonderful history, the folks who work here are very knowledgable and its a must-stop if you're ever in Moab. Of course, I picked up some rocks!
High-quality leather goods...I love the smell of leather! Authentic leather cowboy hats, boots, belts, purses, etc. Also, carries jewelry, clothing, Native American artifacts & jewelry, and more.
A beautiful shop with the museum-feel to it! Stunning handcrafted Native American pottery, rugs, jewelry and more! The shop owner was very friendly and knowledgable.
Excellent waitstaff service and delicious sushi! Since every sushi chef is different, I had the Chirashi and was not disappointed with their chef's version of my favorite dish. Highly recommend.
Gorgeous sunset views, there is a window view at every seat. Outstanding and attentive waitstaff service. But the food was okay. I ordered the Wild Ahi Tuna and it was a 1.25-inch thick slab of tuna that was lightly grilled. It tasted wonderful but I didn't care for the mushroom sauce or the vegetables that accompanied the meal. I guess I will always prefer my seafood with either a Hawaiian or Asian flair. I would still eat here and when I go back, will try their other dishes.
Sunset Grill - Gorgeous sunset views, there is a window view at every seat.
I flew first class on United Airlines. First class includes breakfast, lunch or dinner depending on the flight time. On the Boston to Denver flight, I had their breakfast meal (left) and on the Denver to Boston flight, I had their dinner meal (right). Since they have two meal options to choose from, I always try to choose the meal option that contains the least-amount-of/no dairy products.
I visited Moab, Utah for a rock climbing festival and to continue my bucket list and do some hiking in the beautiful Arches National Park! I was not prepared to be so amazed when hiking and driving through the park. The colors of the rock in the morning light was vibrant and breath-taking. The park's paved road is a 36-mile round trip loop. The park entrance is only a 5-minute, 3-mile drive from the Holiday Inn Express that I was staying at in Moab. I wanted a morning start to avoid any heat and crowds, but I was prepared for a large crowd, especially on my hike to see the famed Delicate Arch. Fortunately, I started early enough and avoided large crowds on my hike up to and at the Delicate Arch. It was on my hike back down to my car that I encountered many hikers headed to the arch. Surprisingly, there were several folks on this hike that weren't prepared! They had no backpacks....not even a water bottle! I hope they didn't think there was water at the arch! It's fall but be prepared with food, water, a hat, sunglasses, layers, and sunscreen when hiking here. At the visitor center, I browsed the displays and bought an "Arches NP" t-shirt. Enjoy some photos taken on my hike through the park. Also, read about Moab Food & Shopping.
