Chasing Winter: The Last, Grand Hurrah

By the time we reached Munising, on Lake Superior's south shore, seven inches of fresh powder blanketed the land. The forecast called for seven more inches in the next twelve hours. A local gas station attendant thought we were crazy for driving north in an April blizzard. (She also said, “We only have two seasons here: shovelin' and swattin'.”) For us, coming to Munising was rational: this was our final chance to climb the best ice the Midwest has seen in decades...… Read More »

Late Season Ice at Lone Rock

For the first time this year, I went ice climbing near Lone Rock, WI. Next to highway 133 was a nicely formed column of ice, ending at the frozen Wisconsin River. Because of this year's lengthy winter, the ice was in better condition than last March. Not for long, though: this week's high temperatures probably mark the end of the ice climbing season, at least in southern Wisconsin. But there still should be climbable ice north of here....… Read More »

Starved Rock Ice Climbing

Here are some pictures from our day of ice climbing in Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. This continues to be an amazing winter for outdoor recreation. Despite the lengthening days, the frigid temperatures aren't rising. I know I'm weird for saying this, but I hope to get another month of this weather before the… Read More »

Ice Climbing at Cox Hollow

With winter in full swing, it was time for some more ice-climbing fun, this time a bit closer to home. I went with a few folks from the Hoofers Mountaineering Club to Cox Hollow in Governor Dodge State Park, about an hour from Madison. With the temperature at… Read More »

Ship Rock Winter Ascent

As a zany way to celebrate the new year, Gokul and I set out for a winter ascent of Ship Rock. Several of these castellated sandstone mounds jut from the otherwise flat terrain in central and western Wisconsin. Many are visible from I-94; this… Read More »

Avoiding the Screaming Barfies

We left just in time, or so I thought. With bitter cold temperatures descending upon Minocqua, our group took off early in the morning for the relative warmth of Munising, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. As we drove north, the mercury rose from below zero to around ten degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately for us, the UP had… Read More »

Bouldering at Governor Dodge

I made a quick trip to Governor Dodge State Park, about an hour from Madison, with the Hoofer Mountaineering Club for some bouldering on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon. We started at the Backbone, a beautiful wall with dozens of problems ranging in difficulty from V0 to… Read More »

Climbing the Crestone Needle

Over Labor Day weekend, Kim, Gokul and I took a road trip to Colorado to climb the Crestone Needle. This mountain was featured in Fifty Classic Climbs on North America by Steve Roper and Allen Steck. We climbed the Ellingwood Ledges route, which contains several… Read More »

Climbing at Necedah and Ship Rock

I recently went climbing with three friends in Necedah, WI. After a nice sport warmup on a 5.6 called Air, I went for my first ever trad lead. It was only a 5.4, which I could normally climb without even thinking about it, but having to place my… Read More »