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Suicide Rock
After climbing The Trough on Tahquitz, a local recommended White Maiden’s Walkaway as a good follow-up. Greater exposure, slightly more difficult climbing, and more complex route-finding, I was told. WMW is an 800 foot route that leads straight up the center of the Maiden Buttress of Tahquitz. From the ground, it looks vertical and intimidating. […]
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Torrey Pines State Reserve
Just a short day hike with the kids. We started at the top of the bluffs and hiked down to the beach, where there’s a neat little path through the sandstone that opens access to Blacks Beach during high tide. Torrey Pines is usually known for it’s annual golf tournament, but it happens to be […]
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Valley of the Moon
Joey suggested we climb at Valley of the Moon – he managed to make it out there a week earlier in a 2WD truck. How, I have no idea. That is one hell of a road. It rained lightly during the drive out, but the skies cleared as we dropped into the Imperial Valley and […]
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Bear Creek Spire
Bear Creek Spire (13,713 feet) is one of the classic climbs in the High Sierra, and it recently occurred to Ryan and I that we might be able to climb the mountain without a guide. This impressive granite peak awaits the eager climber at the terminus of the picturesque Little Lakes Valley, a hike I did […]
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PCT: Mt. Laguna to Lake Morena
The Pacific Crest Trail (2,650 miles) extends from Mexico to Canada. Having already completed the John Muir Trail and Wonderland Trail, the Wilderness Innovations Crew decided, on a whim, to attempt the entire length of the PCT in one season. We abandoned the idea approximately 3 minutes after it’s inception. Jobs, kids, pets, and most […]
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Joshua Tree
I met Justin in 2009, when his wife Cara began her uro-gyn fellowship with Jasmine at UCSD. He has ~20 years of climbing experience and is the reason that I got back into the sport. It’s been really helpful to learn from such an experienced mentor, and unfortunately the Grimes-Marquis family will be moving back […]
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Riverside Quarry
Hard to believe, but nearly a year has passed since I first met Johnny, Ryan, and Joey while climbing at Mission Gorge. These three were all fairly new to climbing, and I was just getting back into it after a long layoff. A lot has happened since then, and there’s no question that we’ve all […]
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Joshua Tree
A while back , Justin recommended a Joshua Tree climb called Stichter Quits (5.7). I think he brought it up when I told him that I had my eye on the Snake Dike route up Yosemite’s Half Dome. Anyway, I filed it away in my head and when Joey and I decided to make a […]
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El Cajon Mountain
Ryan and I were talking about spending the weekend in Joshua Tree, but I got busy with work and he had a cold, so we decided on an easy day trip to El Cajon Mountain, instead. I hadn’t climbed outdoors since Red Rocks in December, and I felt rusty and out of shape. No problem, […]