The Cleanest Line

Fear and Laughter on Lost Arrow

2009-11-05T17:52:06-08:00

Today's post is from Patagonia Customer Service Representative, Dave Campbell. A climbing guide and instructor, Dave recently put his skills to use to lead a couple of Patagonia colleagues (one of them, his boss) up a Yosemite Valley icon, one that holds a special place in the founding of our company, the Lost Arrow Spire. Here's Dave . . .
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As a child I always regarded Halloween as my chance to run totally wild. It was the best shot we had as kids at letting our imaginations wander free; sometimes into a dark unknown where we got scared, other times into a colorful Peter-Pan mindset where anything was possible. As an adult I always feel as though an important part of me is fading away when I let another Halloween pass without a bit of sheer and unfiltered wildness and a good scare. Simply getting drunk at a rowdy Halloween costume party doesn’t cut it.

This year I set out with fellow Patagonia Customer Service lads Rob Flesher and Andrew Marshall on a mission—to Yosemite Valley to climb Lost Arrow Spire and set up a Tyrolean traverse 2,700 feet above the Valley floor. In order to pull off this semi-outlandish stunt we had to first hike 3000 vertical feet up to the Valley rim, rappel off the edge to a notch where the spire meets the main wall, and then climb a few exposed sections up the outside of the spire…and then do all of the rigging for the Tyrolean traverse.

[Rob Flesher on his way back to the Yosemite Valley rim from Lost Arrow Spire. Photo, Dave Campbell]

It’s important to bear in mind that we’re not Patagonia “Ambassadors”; we’re the guys at Patagonia you chat with when you can’t decide which soft shell to bring on your next trip—we sit at desks all day drinking coffee talking about clothing and climbing. So, naturally we were armed with a stove, French press, gourmet grounds and packets of cream & sugar. As the saying goes, “if you bring a sleeping bag, you’ll end up bivying”; thus, shortly after we began climbing, our progress completely halted at a perfect ledge for brewing and it took us a solid while to get going again. I guess this is what happens when the office crew hits the walls of Yose’. Ironically we froze our hides off in the early hours of the morning because we didn’t bring enough clothes!

And so the day went on and higher we went. Caffeinated. Until we were all a bit tipsy with exposure, and slightly off our rockers. Years ago when I worked in Hong Kong, I had a coworker named Martin Voon who would say that all people, especially western men, have rats inside them; rats that are hungry and almost constantly squirming around within us. According to Martin, it is these hungry rats which make us go out and do wild, and at times, horrible thing, and the only way we can find genuine peace of mind is if we find a positive outlet - such as climbing - that will scare us senseless and thus keep the rats “fed” for a temporary amount of time. I’m not sure if I completely agree with this ideology, but nonetheless, I guess he'd say the three of us were feeding our rats up there on Lost Arrow Spire.

Eventually we topped out. Having Fat Tire beer & a jug of wine stashed behind a tree at the other end of the Tyrolean was probably the best tactical decision we made, as there would have been very little incentive to jump on a rope suspended thousands of feet above the ground without being able to look forward to those treats on the other side. When it was all said and done, the rats were well-fed and after watching the sun set over the Valley, we made our way back down the Yosemite Falls Trail toward Camp 4. Strolling through fallen leaves and past creaking branches I thought I caught a glimpse in the shadows of Halloweens of my past.

When we got back down to Camp 4 we bumped into Valley fixture Dave Turner and learned that while we were having our “big” adventure on the Lost Arrow Spire, he and Patagonia ambassador Colin Haley had climbed the Northwest Regular Route of Half Dome and the Nose of El Cap in a mind boggling 20 hours. I guess in reality our coffee guzzling office crew wasn’t on the verge of breaking any intrepid records, but then again, to a kid that’s not what Halloween is all about.

[Above, right - Rob Flesher and Andrew Marshall brewing up a few cups o' joe and sharing laughs thousands of feet above the Yosemite Valley floor on Lost Arrow Spire. Above left - Rob Flesher enjoying a well earned Fat Tire at dusk, Yosemite Point. Photos, Dave Campbell]

2009 Adventure Film Festival - Nov. 12-14th - Get to Boulder Any Way You Can

2009-11-04T15:07:10-08:00

The Adventure Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado is an international forum for the best and most inspiring independent films of the year. The over 30 films featured in the Festival encompass all aspects of adventure from serious exploration and environmental heroism to gripping tales from the edge of the believable. With award-winning films from around the globe‚ adventure art and powerful speakers‚ the annual Adventure Film Festival in Boulder continues to inspire and awaken us all to the world we live in.

All of us at Patagonia are very proud to once again be the title sponsor for the event that was started by our late friend Jonny Copp. This will be the first year without Jonny's loving presence at the festival but producer/director Mark Reiner and his amazing staff have busted their butts to bring you an incredible lineup of films and activities. Special events include a family and kids show with Patagonia ambassador Lynn Hill, artwork from climber Renan Ozturk and a filmmakers' workshop with the director of photography for The Cove.

Tickets are available now. Please visit http://www.adventurefilm.org for more information, the festival schedule and film trailers. If you can't make the trip to Boulder, please consider sharing news of this unique event with your friends and family on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you. Descriptions of the films and events after the jump...

FAMILY/KIDS SHOW

Join rock climbing legend and mother, Lynn Hill as she introduces Wall Rats and shares with the audience some inspiration on climbing, life and family.

Wall Rats - 60 min
Directed by Steve Edwards

Tori Allen, 13, and Scott Cory, 11, are sport climbers who've excelled at international competitions. Speed climber Hans Florine thinks that their small stature might allow them, as a team, to make the second free ascent of the Nose, a famous route shooting straight up Yosemite Valley's El Capitan. Neither of the kids have much outdoor climbing experience or have ever been more than 100' off the ground. How they'll respond to a multi-day adventure up a 3,000 foot wall is anybody's guess, not to mention... no one that young has ever climbed El Capitan! With very little planning, they embark on a 5-day adventure into history.

FEATURED ARTIST

RENAN OZTURK - A passion for climbing adventure has led Renan to an intimate understanding of remote mountain landscapes from not only a climber's physical perspective but also that of a landscape artist. His large scale mixed media pieces are connected to climbing exploration around the globe including the Pakistani Himalaya, the Atlas mountains of Morocco and the spires of Patagonia. Most recently Renan's adventures include a harrowing 20 day high altitude big-wall climb on Mt. Meru in the Indian Himalaya and a successful mission to help archeologists explore cliff-cave city complexes in Nepal's Mustang Kingdom on the Tibetan plateau.

CHINA EPISODE

First Ascent: Point of No Return
(30 min, 2009)
Director/Producer: Sender Films

This special episode of the new Nat Geo Adventure series follows alpinist Jonny Copp, his climbing partner Micah Dash, and videographer Wade Johnson on their fateful expedition to the unclimbed east face of Mt. Edgar, in western China. The episode documents the lives of these climbers leading up to the expedition, and features extensive footage of the expedition recovered from the massive avalanche that tragically took their lives. This is Wade Johnson's final masterpiece, and homage to three people who were an integral part of the Adventure Film family.

FILMMAKER WORKSHOP

Saturday, November 14, 11 am - 1 pm at The B.Side Lounge
Free with a Festival Pass- $20 without (Limited Space)

Join the only community conversation of its kind -- the Filmmaker Workshop is open to anyone excited to learn the latest film making techniques from some of Colorado's best adventure shooters, directors and producers.

This year’s panel includes: Brook Aitken, director of photography for eco-thriller The Cove, winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, producer Vance Howard, who is using the latest video and hybrid dSLR technologies in Grand Canyon by Nature: River of Life, an ultra-high resolution fulldome production, and filmmaker Kunga Lama, outreach coordinator at eh Center for Asian Studies, who is producing a video about environmental issues in Tibet.

Each panelist will give a short multi-media presentation about recent projects, followed by a Q&A on the latest equipment, shooting techniques, production development and marketing. The workshop is moderated by Meryem Ersoz, from Boulder’s own Red Pine Studios. We will conclude this session with a Gear Giveaway!

MOUNTAIN BIKING FILMS

Over the Bars - FRI at b-side 7pm
The DH Productions' crew has dug deep into their archive and sifted through more than a decade’s worth of footage, pulling out the sickest crash clips they could find. You will hear first-hand from the athletes involved as they take you through the details and explain why they push their limits for sake of progression. Sit back as these pros take you through the mashups blow by blow. OTB is filled with all the broken bikes, bones and blood that have made us famous.

New World Disorder 10: Dust & Bones - SAT B-theater 8pm
Dust & Bones is the final installment of New World Disorder, the end of an era. Shot in high definition with RED cameras, the film opens with a ridiculous throw down by Darren Berrecloth and then moves on to unbelievable back flip combinations from Greg Watts and the new school styles of Graham Agassiz. Follow the Clump, Stumps and Jumps Tour as they jam the west coast and entertain a Giants baseball game from the Hell Barge in San Francisco Bay. Watch Paul Basagoitia slay his personal playground in Nevada, Gee Atherton "keep it lit" through the forests of Italy and Aaron Chase with Adam Hauck and friends session Highland MTB park in New Hampshire. This film is the culmination of a decade of blood and sweat and represents the state of the art in freeride and slopestyle mountain biking – don’t miss it!

CLIMBING FILMS

Andy Parkin: life in Adaptation - FRI B-theater 5pm
Andy Parkin is regarded as one of the world’s finest alpine climbers but, in 1984, he suffered a near fatal climbing accident in the Alps, and many believed his love affair with mountains was over. Andy’s slow rehabilitation involved painting and sculpting of the mountains that had so very nearly claimed his life, and now Andy is known as much for his inspirational artwork as his climbing. Incredibly, Andy also learned to climb again, adapting his climbing style to the demands of his damaged body. Andy Parkin: A Life in Adaptation was a collaboration between the artist and a small group of filmmakers with a genuine mutual fascination and respect for the mountains and for Andy's intriguing way of life, and gives an insightful peak into the life and work of Andy Parkin.

First Ascent: Point of No Return - SAT B-theater 7pm
This special episode of the new Nat Geo Adventure series follows Alpinist Jonny Copp, his climbing partner Micah Dash, and Sender Films cameraman Wade Johnson on their fateful expedition to the unclimbed east face of Mt. Edgar, in western China. The episode documents the lives of these climbers leading up to the expedition, and features extensive footage of the expedition recovered from the massive avalanche that tragically took their lives. This is Wade Johnson's final masterpiece, and homage to three people who were an integral part of the Adventure Film family.

Pra- Caramba
Taste Brazil in this spicy short! Accompany climber Cedar Wright for a literal “walk-on-the-edge.” The usual palette of exotic sport climbing, slack-lining and adventure driving take on a tropic piquancy with death-defying free soloing and Base-jumping—Brazilian style.

Samsara - FRI B-theater 7pm
In the heart of the lofty, knife-sharp Vindhya Mountains in India sits a 6,500-foot rock and ice route that resembles a massive shark fin and rises from the ocean of crags. This fin, that is twice as long as anything on El Capitan and just as steep, has denied many notable climbers from reaching its summit. In Samsara, Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk set out to attempt a first ascent. The film is woven together with art, journal excerpts and still photography. Produced by the athletes, Samara is an unfiltered perspective into a powerful Himalayan climbing experience. The team spends twenty days of life on the cliff face with ten days of food through major storm cycles on a hanging platform smaller than the size of a single bed. They push to the very edge of what they thought possible and rediscover why they are drawn to suffer in such sacred and beautiful places.

Slate Monkeys
Check out Boulder’s own trad rock climbing phenom Matt Segal along with Hazel Findlay and the legendary Johnny Dawes wrestle with the post-modern landscape of vertical Welsh slate. Whose technique will prove successful?

Waypoint: Namibia
Patagonia athletes Majka Burnhart and Kate Rutherford departed for Namibia with two goals: to find a way up an unexplored face, and to find a way into a deeper understanding of southern Africa Along with Peter Doucette, the trio discover a climbing-plus adventure in a landscape of translucent scorpions, laser sharp granite cracks, and foreboding meter-long cobra tracks. Along the way, they mingle with the Himba--one of the last great Southern African pastoral tribes. An esoteric exploration – in the name of first ascents –and remarkable cultural connection.

SKI FILMS

Winter's Wind
A montage of cuts, breathtaking Chamonix-valley scenery, and of course, amazing skiing, all backed by a poetic narrative by pro-skier Micah Black, Winter’s Wind might very well help us understand why we ski.

The Ripple Effect
Set in the heart of Colorado during one of the deepest winters on record, The Ripple Effect captures the essence of life in the Rocky Mountains. From the progeny of an accomplished mountaineer to the cultural influence of an Olympic snowboarder, the compelling role of snow and its effect on multi-generations is undeniable. At once an action-driven homage to Colorado's snow-covered Elk Range and a poignant story of loss and affirmation, The Ripple Effect promises to emerge as the definitive meditation on life in the mountains.

Swift. Silent. Deep - SAT b-side 3pm
Swift. Silent. Deep is the story of a secretive, underground crew who call themselves the Jackson Hole Air Force, a band of civil disobedients in the unknown realm of Out-of Bounds. The influence of the Jackson Hole Air Force has reached far beyond Jackson; JHAF members won the first three World Extreme Skiing Championships and are directly responsible for pioneering the big mountain skiing in the world’s most incredible playground – Alaska, which brought about the fat ski revolution, and changed the face of skiing forever. This exploration into the roots of the modern American ski bum features many familiar faces in the action sports world like Warren Miller, Scot Schmidt, and the late Doug Coombs.

Signatures - THURS B-theater 7pm
From the orange and gold of fall to the pink cherry blossoms of spring, Signatures follows an entire winter deep in the hardwoods of Hokkaido, Japan. Deliciously deep January blower to April corn, we bring you a film about expression, and the art of riding on snow. At the heart of this lovely tale of deep powder mystery: the seasons. In Japan there is a cultural connection to the different signatures of our terrestrial home - a sense that the rhythm of fall, winter, spring, summer influences the rhythm of the person, their energy, their style, and the lines they choose. Shot in vibrant HD, Signatures is 100% human powered backcountry skiing in all snow-sliding styles: board, noboard, ski, and drop-knee.

KAYAKING FILMS

The Last Descent - FRI b-side 7pm
The World's rivers are being dammed now faster than ever. In response to this, a group of whitewater paddlers set out on a one-year adventure to document what could be the last descents of Nepal's Marsyangdi River, Uganda's White Nile River and India's Brahmaputra River. These rivers are all in the process of being dammed or are threatened by large-scale hydroelectric projects. In addition to native people living sustainably in their environment and the most ecologically diverse areas in the world, these rivers are also home to gigantic whitewater. The adventure of travel and exploration, the story of native people fighting to survive and the exhilaration of whitewater kayaking are mingled together in this award-winning film.

Africa Revolutions Tour - Thurs B-theater 7pm
Join the Africa Revolutions Tour team as they set out on one of the most action-packed, ambitious kayaking adventures ever! Building on years of film-making and whitewater exploration, the Tour represents a new genre of action sports documentary that couples the adventure and excitement of extreme sport with cause-driven initiatives. The expedition provided the opportunity to educate the people encountered about their solar potential and the Sun Catchers Project, a non-profit that installs solar cooking facilities in African orphanages, hospitals and communities. From the crocodile-infested White Nile in Uganda to big water first descents throughout Madagascar and the highest documented descent of the Zambezi. Come join the adventure!

ENVIRO FILMS

Garbage Warrior - SAT b-side 1pm
Imagine a home that heats itself, provides its own water, and grows its own food. Imagine that it needs no expensive technology, recycles its own waste, and has its own power source. And now imagine that it can be built anywhere, by anyone, out of the things society throws away. Shot over three years in the USA, India and Mexico, Garbage Warrior tells the epic story of maverick architect Michael Reynolds, his crew of renegade house builders from New Mexico, and their fight to introduce radically different ways of living. A snapshot of contemporary geo-politics and an inspirational tale of triumph over bureaucracy, Garbage Warrior is above all an intimate portrait of an extraordinary individual and his dream of changing the world.

“Tsunami warning systems are put in after tsunamis, security is tightened after terrorist attacks, and we’ll deal with global warming after it happens” Michael Reynolds

End of the Line - FRI b-side 5pm
Imagine an ocean without fish. Imagine your meals without seafood. Imagine the global consequences. This is the future if we do not stop, think and act. In this film we see firsthand the effects of our global love affair with fish as food. Filmed across the world, from the Straits of Gibraltar to the coasts of Senegal and Alaska to the Tokyo fish market, The End of the Line follows the investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts politicians and celebrity restaurateurs, who exhibit little regard for the damage they are doing to the oceans. A wake-up call to the world, this film points to solutions that are simple and doable, but political will and activism are crucial to solve this international problem.

No Impact Man - SAT B-theater 4pm
Ever wonder just what you can give up? Ever wonder what would be left after you removed all environmental impacts from your life? Do you think you could make it a week? How about a whole year? This very relevant movie follows the Beaven family as they abandon their high consumption Fifth Avenue lifestyle in an attempt to make no-net environmental impact for twelve months. Will they make it? Will their relationship make it? You will come away with new ideas and a strong sense of inspiration to reduce your own environmental footprint.

Ascending the Giants - THURS B-theater 7pm
The Klootchy Creek Sitka Spruce Tree on the Oregon Coast was the largest of its kind. In December of 2007, it toppled during a fierce windstorm, leaving the designation of largest Sitka spruce in Oregon up for grabs. With just a handful of contenders for the title, Brian French and Will Koomjian spent several months measuring the candidates. Join them as they travel to four massive Sitkas, each with its own unique personality and growing conditions. This short documentary features stunning cinematography from both ground and canopy that captures the excitement of climbing these proud behemoths.

SOCIAL CHANGE FILMS

Making the Crooked Straight - Patagonia SAT 8pm
Making the Crooked Straight is a film about one man’s journey to save the world by saving one child at a time. Born on Long Island and educated at John Hopkins, Dr. Rick Hodes has dedicated his life to helping heal the sick and poor of Ethiopia over the past 20 years. Often compared with Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa, Hodes believes the only way to change the world is to be the change you want to see. We are led through an exploration of this remarkable man’s work in Ethiopia, his highly original family life, and the spirituality that has guided his choices and sacrifices.

Reporter - SAT B-theater 6pm
This important film explores the world of Nicholas Kristof, the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the New York Times who almost single-handedly put the crisis in Darfur on the world map. The film puts the viewer in Kristof’s pocket, revealing the man and his methods, and just how and why real reporting is vital to our democracy, our world-awareness, and our capacity to be a force for good. Nicholas knows that statistics deaden his readers' interest and compassion so he goes in search of individuals whose stories will reflect the country's desperate crisis and mobilize readers worldwide. He journeys through ravaged villages and displacement camps, and makes a harrowing visit to Congo's reigning rebel warlord, General Nkunda, at his jungle hideout.

Tibet: Murder in the Snow - FRI B-theater 9pm
In September 2006, two very different groups attempted to climb in the snow capped Himalayas. One sought freedom, the other adventure. A murder bought them together. This is a true story. Tibet: Murder in the Snow centers around an incident which shocked the world, a teenage Tibetan nun, Kelsang Namtso, was killed when Chinese border police opened fire on a group of pilgrims as they fled Tibet over the infamous Nangpa Pass. The shooting was witnessed by several climbers, some of whom videotaped or photographed the events, helped rescue survivors and sent the story out to the world. Using the original climber footage, reenactments and interviews with witnesses and survivors, Tibet: Murder in the Snow tells of young Tibetans who risk their lives each year to illegally cross the rugged Himalaya Mountains in an attempt to see their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, or attend school in India.

Stormfront Boomerang – Part 2

2009-11-03T17:19:33-08:00

Christian Beamish is back with his hand-built sailboat, Cormorant, and the conclusion to his story from Baja. Please read part 1 first if you missed it yesterday.

This was bad, but in the realm of wilderness breakdowns, not so bad really. I was not injured, I would not go hypothermic – worst case scenario I would drift across the bay and wash in along the beach somewhere that night or the next morning. But how the hell did I know? Anything could have happened. So I guess it was a bad enough. At any rate, I soon caught sight of a panga charging towards me over the rough water, and yet again in my short career of Baja seafaring and beachcombing, I was about to experience the kindness and generosity of Mexican fishermen.

The pilot was a young fellow who saw the whole catastrophe from his camp, and I threw him a line, which he tied to the stern of the panga, then throttled up and brought me in at a slow crawl. My vessel was submarining and I moved aft to keep the bow up, lunging occasionally to prevent the dagger board, the surfboard, or the seat cushions from washing away. I had strapped the Stormfront pack to the mizzen, so I didn’t worry about that. The young fisherman and I couldn’t communicate over the wind, so I just gestured to the landing cove, and he motored in, swiveled the motor hard over, and gave me one last burst of speed to glide in on before he released the tow rope. Cormorant veered off course, missed the keyhole landing, and full-up with several tons of seawater made a sickening crashing sound as we hit the rocks and stove-in the port side bow.

I hopped over and waded ashore, pulling my smashed up boat alongside, and bucketful by bucketful, emptied the seawater until she was light enough to pull a bit farther up and unscrew the drain plugs. K and Rio had walked to the other side of the point and so they missed the whole show, which was for the best as there was little either one of them could have done. That night, licking my wounds with a little Nescafé and Hornitos (even if I had quit drinking three years before), and planning out the repair so we could sail our way homeward a week or two later, I realized that I hadn’t retrieved the Stormfront pack. With a headlamp I stumbled back to the landing cove (remembering now with each stagger why I do not drink) and discovered that the pack was gone.

“C’est la vie en Mexico,” I thought, and decided to have a few beers at the camp cantina where the young fellow who rescued me works (I had 100 pesos in the zipper pocket of my boardshorts). Since I’d wrecked my boat, lost my keys and wallet (not to mention K’s passport, which, it turns out, is a prized, sentimental item as it has stamps from the many countries she has worked and made friends in, those visas apparently much more than mere bureaucratic inkings from the depths of Africa and the far reaches of Europe – they are, in fact, totems, indeed, all she has to remember these places by – and my losing said passport, and not showing sufficient remorse for the loss, made the desert night that much colder around the old MSR stove)… I thought, “What the heck, three years not drinking wasn’t that big a deal anyway.” (Which of course was not true.)
[Photos: Top - the surf. Middle - the landing cove. Bottom - K... long day on the water! All photos: Christian Beamish Collection]
* * *
The waves came up a few days later and got so good that the busted boat, the car keys, wallet, and even passport loss, seemed inconsequential. We were into it now – hours and hours of the paddle out and ride and ride and ride routine. Feathering peaks that wrapped into honing little point walls were the order of business, the 6’2” Simmons-inspired keel fin, modified displacement hull, a veritable spacecraft in these conditions. And regarding the car keys and other missing items, I took as philosophical a stance as I could, realizing that Mexico is about the best place to be if you need to improvise some means of getting your car running again. K, however, was still pretty sore about the passport.
Last day of the swell, Dr. A.J. S – from the field studies program back in town, came out for a day of surf. We talked that night at the cantina tent about the fecal parts-per-million in the water adjacent the town (“It’s like the Ganges,” he said), and I told my harrowing tale. “Maybe a fisherman will find your bag,” he said hopefully, and the evening drifted into itself and then to sleep under a galaxy full of stars and meteors. Re-tracing our steps, we sailed back the way we’d come, had the locksmith from Ciudad Insurgentes come out and fashion a new key (plus replace the rusted-out windshield wipers and long-broken door handle on my rig for an extra twenty dollars), then made the 800-mile drive north through withering desert heat, sunburned and silent for most of the way – Rio dazed by the conditions, but charming our way through the Army checkpoints.
A few days later, showered at least, but still feeling worked like you do from the best journeys, I saw an email from Dr. AJ at the field studies program:
A fisherman found a bag wash up at the left point the other day, I think he mentioned the name was K... Did you guys lose her bag/passport when you dumped the boat? I can’t think of anyone else here who may have lost a passport. If you think it's hers I will go get it and mail it to you guys next week when I'm in AZ.
Nada surf since y'all left. 12 guys out on the island playing ping pong.
Best,
AJ
I asked AJ if he could give the man 200 pesos as meager thanks for his help, and got one more email the next day:
Ok I went to the guy’s house and got everything: the passport, the dry bag, the wetty, your glasses, the car keys, your boardies, some loose change, a tide chart, swiss army knife, fishing license… the whole enchilada con queso!
I'll be in AZ Monday and send you everything on Tuesday. I'll let you know how much it cost to ship. I gave the guy the $200 pesos, he was STOKED!
Yer a lucky one!
What is your address?
So yeah, the Stormfront is a good piece of gear!
—Christian Beamish

Our thanks go out to Christian for sharing his story and photos. To hear another example of the kindness and generosity of Mexican fishermen, listen to Christian's Dirtbag Diaries episode "Three Eighths to Eternity."

Long live Cormorant. May the wind always be at her back.

[Photos: Top - the surf. Bottom - Rio with gear...good dog! All photos: Christian Beamish Collection]

Stormfront Boomerang – Part 1

2009-11-02T17:34:20-08:00

When you build your own sailboat in Southern California and attempt to sail it the length of the Baja peninsula you don't come back with just one story, you come back with many. Today, we're stoked to have Christian Beamish join us again with another high-seas tale to complement his Dirtbag Diaries episode "Three Eighths to Eternity." Here's Christian:

A ten-mile sail across a shallow estuary, with cormorants and pelicans in their thousands on sand island rookeries, brought us to a desolate Baja village living out the hangover of a used-up fishery. One hundred miles of mangrove channels lay to the north, but our destination was the reef point where desert bluffs meet the sea on the other side of the barrier island. Everything came off beautifully – the dog stayed on board when we ran the surfline, my friend K called out the approaching set waves as I rowed the swift water of the estuary mouth, and then, once in deep water, we glided under sail (silent and magical) out to the headland.

I didn’t think anything of paddling out the next day to move Cormorant, my 18-foot Shetland Isle beach boat, when the wind came up hard and began shoving her rudely on the anchor line. Nor did I consider that having brought the water tanks (which also serve as ballast) ashore, Cormorant would be riding much higher on the sea. I also failed to recognize that without our dry bags on board there would be far less buoyancy. So there it is… the anatomy of a disaster.
I threw the Stormfront pack on because I wanted to have dry clothes for the walk back to camp from the landing, and since I hadn’t thought about much else surrounding this little errand, why should the car keys, my wallet, or K’s passport in the zipper pouch of the backpack have caused me any concern? No sooner had I stowed the surfboard and pack, pulled the hook and set the mainsail, but Cormorant tore off across the wind like a crazed dog. Over we went – red sails on aquamarine water – me swimming and my boat swamped. I righted her easily enough, but we were awash to the gunwales. Bailing was useless. The wind kept on with whitecaps to the horizon, and it was a forlorn feeling indeed standing knee-deep in my little ship-come-bathtub, with land fast receding and afternoon turning to evening...

Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion. If you missed it the first time around, be sure and listen to "Three Eighths to Eternity."

[Photos: Top - Crossing the estuary. Middle - Surfline running. Bottom - Panga beach. All photos: Christian Beamish Collection]

"Takashi Sends" - from Kelly Cordes' New Alpine Climbing Blog

2009-10-30T12:39:39-07:00

Patagonia friend, product tester, writer, disaster-style alpine climber, sleeping-bag spooner (and, ahem, senior editor of The American Alpine Journal) recently realized he's not keeping himself busy enough. Nowadays, that's as good a reason as any to fire up a blog. What makes Kelly's different and special? Of course you'll have to find out for yourself, but here's a teaser: true tales of under-funded, uninformed, seat-of-your-pants style climbing epics; insightful reflections on the nature climbing's 'beginner's mind'; and some of the most thorough-yet-readable gear talk you could hope to find from true luminaries of the sport. Here's one of Kelly's first posts to his new blog - and here's to hoping it inspires you to get your weekend started a little early:
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Just returned from a great weekend in Joshua Tree – not much personal climbing, but that’s OK. Sometimes it’s not about that.

The Friends of Joshua Tree puts on this cool little event, and Patagonia sent me to teach clinics and do a slide show, ironic as it may seem since the event is named “Climb Smart.” Midway through my show, it struck me that all of my best stories – the ones you naturally tell when giving a show – have very little to do with being smart. For the clinics, though, I tried my best to help and to teach, and I brought my A-game safety-wise, which I can do. After all, I’m the guy who Josh Wharton accused of “AMGA-ing the anchors” on Shingu Charpa. (“Sorry dude,” I remember saying early on the climb, “I’ll make ‘em sketchier and faster” – he was right…)

[Scott DeCapio climbing Expert's Choice in the Canadian Rockies. Photo, Kelly Cordes.]

The coolest things about these events are the passionate beginners. Un-jaded and ego-less, eyes wide open, trying their hardest. Everything new, the opportunities unlimited – it’s the beauty of the beginner’s mind. I love it when people have personal breakthroughs, those “Aha!” moments. Such moments are universal, no? We all have them at our individual levels in our individual pursuits, and someone else usually helps us. Remember some of yours? What have they been?

A young man named Takashi came to the J-Tree event – it was his second time climbing outdoors (his first was at last year’s Climb Smart). He’s polite and quiet, smiles a lot, and has a thick Japanese accent that’s stuck with him since immigrating to the U.S. 12 years ago. And he’s game. I think he took all six clinics over the weekend. Many others skipped out, taking breaks to head for the shade – understandable, as it was unseasonably hot and all of the clinic climbs roasted in the sun. Takashi kept smiling, sweating bullets, and kept climbing. The last clinic of the weekend was a bouldering clinic put on by an awesome guy named Mike Duncan from Black Diamond. Takashi took Mike’s clinic last year, too, and kept trying a particular boulder problem, but he never got it. This year he tried again, with Mike’s coaching, and then he tried some more. Still, no dice. Hot, sweltering rock, and the end of a big weekend. Late in the day, everyone else had packed-up and left. Takashi, seemingly reserved by nature, thanked Mike for his time and politely retreated. Except Mike would have none of it, insisting that Takashi try again. One more try. And so Takashi smiled, gently nodded his head, and took a big breath. He dipped into his chalk bag, stepped onto the rock, and tried his hardest. “C’mon, Takashi, you can do it,” Mike whispered. Mike cheered as Takashi stuck the crux hold and topped out. As the afternoon sun baked the Joshua Tree landscape, Takashi stood atop the boulder, pumping his fists into the desert air and smiling to the sky.

Dirtbag Diaries: The New Conservationists

2009-10-28T17:49:05-07:00

After attending the Tools for Grassroots Activists conference earlier this month, I'm particularly fired up to hear today's Dirtbag Diaries. Host Fitz Cahall introduces "The New Conservationists."

Our sports, our passions provide a special opportunity to visit the natural world's wildest places. This tradition began with climber, writer and godfather of conservation John Muir. He was a dirtbag before he was an icon. Now, there are members of our community -- boaters, skiers and photographers -- who are following in Muir's footsteps. They don't necessarily come from traditional activist roots, but have chosen to take a stand for little places and big ideas. Today, we present three stories. A city girl sheds caution to start a farm. A kayaker becomes a journalist. An adventure photographer forgoes a career traveling the globe to run for office back at home. I am John Muir. You are John Muir. We all have a Yosemite.

Download "The New Conservationists"
(mp3 - right-click to download - contains some expletives)

One of my takeaways from Tools was the appreciation each group had for their volunteers. If you're on the lookout for a worthy organization to support with your time or donation, visit our Environmental Grants Program page. There you can search our current list of grantees by city and state, each is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and in need of your help. You are John Muir. Thank you.

For more information on the music in today's episode, visit The Dirtbag Diaries.

[Radical DBD artwork by Walker Cahall.]

Botany of Desire Looks at Human/Nature Relationship from Unexpected Angle

2009-10-27T17:52:37-07:00

Humans frequently assume that we are the architects of biological change, rather than mere participants. Genetic mapping and engineering do paint a compelling picture of us in the genetic driver’s seat. But what if we’re manipulated by the very agents we believe we’re manipulating? What if, for example, in our attempts to create a more cold-tolerant tomato, we’re unconsciously fulfilling the tomato’s desire to expand the environment in which it thrives? It’s discomforting – some would say, ridiculous - to think of ourselves as haplessly duped marionettes in an elaborate drama manipulated by the omniscient tomato – especially when things like consciousness and desire are not frequently listed among the tomato’s better-known traits.

And yet it cannot be denied that the tomato has achieved a depth of genetic diversity and breadth of distribution that it may never had known, had it not appealed to a specific set of human desires. In making itself so delicious (entire cuisines are built upon it), nutritious (rich in lycopene and Vitamins A & C), and easy to preserve (thanks to high acid content) it earned a free boat ride from the New World back to the European mainland, where it proceeded to re-write culinary history. Thus did a lowly, spindly member of the sometimes-poisonous nightshade family manage to effectively put human legs and boats and farmers to work for it, moving it from its original western Andean home to farms and backyard gardens around the world.

We have grown accustomed to the idea of measuring the environmental impacts of our consciously chosen actions. We’ve come to see that many of our choices have unintended environmental consequences, many of them harmful. But what about those unconscious choices that have sprung from pure desire, whether it be a desire for control, for taste, for intoxication, or even the simple desire . . .
. . . for beauty? And what about the unintended positive effects of those actions? Is ours the only set of desires acting to orchestrate the rhythms of our world?

There is a world of life that indeed responds to our desires; and in doing so, fulfills desires of its own. Such is the premise and on which Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World is built. One of his earlier books, The Botany of Desire uses four separate plants to make the case that humans have been exploited by these species to advance a decidedly non-anthropocentric genetic agenda. The four plants examined are tulips, potatoes, apples, and marijuana - crops that have, genetically speaking, become wildly successful based on their appeal to human desires for beauty, control, sweetness, and intoxication, respectively.

Pollan’s is an investigation whose premise is now (pardon the pun) ripe for exploration. And it’s the focus of a striking new PBS production that is set to air Wednesday, October 28th. In pursuing his inquiry from such an angle, Pollan highlights the unexpectedly intricate relationships humans have established with the natural world at a time when we can better appreciate the beauty of how little control we actually have over nature.

Times vary by region, so check your local listings.

If you're having trouble viewing the trailer here, try this link.

Action Alert: Help Prevent Pollution at Malibu's Surfrider Beach

2009-10-26T15:11:08-07:00

Up the road from Patagonia HQ, the fight to ban septic tanks at Rincon is making good progress. A similar shift is now being proposed for Rincon's southerly sister, Surfrider Beach in Malibu. The Malibu Surfing Association is one of many groups working on this issue and they're asking for your help. Take action: Help prevent pollution at Malibu's famous Surfrider Beach. Sign the online petition, and if you live in Los Angeles County, attend the public hearing on November 5th in downtown LA. Read on for more from Michael Blum, President of the Malibu Surfing Association...

As you know, Surfrider Beach is one of the state's most polluted beaches and certainly its most polluted surfing beach. A double shame given the iconic, even transcendent status Malibu holds in the history of our sport as well as popular culture.

For the past couple of years, our surfing club (MSA) has been working with a coalition of groups (Surfrider Foundation West LA/Malibu Chapter, Heal the Bay, and Santa Monica Baykeeper) to urge the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) to take action on poor water quality at Surfrider. The RWQCB is important here as they are the 'buck stops here' agency mandated to protect resources like Surfrider Beach with respect to water quality.

I'm proud to say RWQCB has responded and has proposed a prohibition on septic tanks in the area surrounding Surfrider Beach. I'm not a flashy or hyperbolic type ... I truly believe this is the once-in-a-generation opportunity to address summer weather water quality at Surfrider. And, by extension, preserve one of California's important surfing beaches.

The RWQCB is scheduled to hold a public hearing on this proposal Thursday, November 5th in downtown LA. As with other public hearings (e.g., Trestles Toll Road) turnout and engagement is important and makes a difference.

Simply, our coalition needs help -- your help -- to reach the larger surfing community and get the word out about the hearing and our online petition.

Thanks for your consideration.

Regards,

Michael
President, Malibu Surfing Association

TAKE ACTION: CLEAN WATER AT MALIBU

1) Visit the campaign website

2) Spread the word on Facebook

3) Sign the online petition

4) Attend the public hearing on Nov. 5

[Photos: (top) FCD's Ben Lemke goes nasal at Surfrider Beach, Malibu, California. Photo: Tim Davis. (bottom) Proposed map of the septic tank prohibition, courtesy of Malibu Surfing Association.]

[Sharing this graphic is an easy way to spread the word. Thank you for helping.]

Patagonia Dillon Gives Local Pronghorn a Little More Freedom to Roam

2009-10-22T17:59:27-07:00

Today's post is from the staff of our Outlet Store in Dillon, Montana, who were among the first to take part in a developing program called Witness for Wildlife, a new initiative from Patagonia and the Freedom to Roam Coalition designed to bring together the experiences of everyday Americans who are documenting wildlife activity and threats in their own backyards and speaking out on behalf of the migration corridors those animals depend on for survival. Read on for a first-hand account from our Dillon friends, as authored by Patagonia employee and Dillon-area environmental activist, Kenda Herman.

________________________

Living in Dillon, Montana we take for granted seeing American Pronghorn speckle the landscape and have the luxury of witnessing these animals zoom across open ranges. We are charmed with the high desert backdrops of our home that allow a view of not just big sky, but large-scale mountain ranges and valleys. With an understanding of the local wildlifes’ perspective on usable countryside in mind, we brake on I-15 for whatever animal from the foothills that might cross the highway to visit the river.

Dillon’s Patagonia Outlet staff gained some “Freedom to Roam” this summer when we were funded for an environmental internship. We kicked off crisp work clothes in exchange for . . .

[A view of lower Centennial Valley. Pam Neumeyer]

. . . leather boots and gloves and headed to the high country where, literally, the deer and the antelope play. We chose to link up with American Wildlands (AWL), a Bozeman-based non-profit that works locally to identify and prioritize wildlife corridors, so that our staff could be a part of Freedom to Roam’s Witness for Wildlife program and be part of the physical process of linking crucial wildlife habitats. We believed that an internship with AWL was the best way to inform ourselves about the wildlife connectivity challenges in our region.

At the top of AWL’s priority list, and rated by the Montana Natural Heritage Program as one of the most significant natural landscapes in the state, the Centennial Valley stretches over 380,000 acres north and east of the Continental Divide. Within the valley, the Red Rock Wildlife Refuge and adjacent or nearby areas combine to create to the largest wetland complex in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This special valley is a crucial migration corridor for grizzly bear as well other migratory land animals and hundreds of bird species. With tough gloves and fencing pliers we removed miles of barbed wire from the bottoms of livestock fencing, installed garden hose over bottom string barbs, installed smooth wire as a replacement, or otherwise modified the distance between strands of wire to accommodate more frequent and widespread wildlife crossings at identified corridors.

“Unlike typical field work in my life, this has an immediate positive impact. What we did in one day impacted migratory animals the next day . . . [it's] instant gratification,” said store merchandiser, Bucky Ballou.

Mail Order Manager, Summer Miller adds, "When we arrived on-site, there were elk tracks and scat all along the fence. Modifying the fence was such a simple solution [with an] immediate impact.”

At one point someone spotted the remains of a failed fence crossing, a limb from a young antelope. Despite our location, and this feeling of place and connection to wildness, the evidence of impassable obstacles drove a message home. Clocked at speeds in excess of fifty miles an hour the American pronghorn is an impressive species without predators - other than fences. In a sense, we removed that last vector that might rob a pronghorn of its freedom to be.

Stay tuned for more on how you too can participate in Witness for Wildlife. If your curiosity is piqued, visit their site and sign-up for an informational newsletter. To contact the staff of Patagonia Dillon for more information about their work in the Centennial Valley, visit their store page. Out thanks go out to American Wildlands for their assistance and continued efforts.

[Middle, left - Antelope in Centennial valley. Middle, right - Store Merchandiser Bucky Ballou rolling removed barbed wire. Bottom - Store manager Beth Sullivan and sales associate Kenda Herman admiring the fruits of a hard day's labor. Photos: Pam Neumeyer]

2010 Mugs Stump Award

2009-10-20T17:37:08-07:00

Established in 1993 to honor the late alpinist Mugs Stump, the Mugs Stump Award annually awards grants to a select number of individuals and teams whose proposed climbs present an outstanding challenge – a first ascent, significant repeat, or first alpine-style ascent – with special emphasis placed on climbers leaving no trace of their passage. Sponsored by Alpinist Magazine, Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd., Mountain Gear, Patagonia, Inc., and W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., the Mugs Stump Award once again encourages men, women and teams from North America to submit their applications for a part of this year’s $25,000 in grant funding.

Mugs Stump was one of North America's most prolific and imaginative climbers until his death in a crevasse fall in Alaska in May 1992. Best-known for his first ascent of the Emperor Face on Mount Robson in the Canadian Rockies and his triptych of brilliant Alaskan climbs - the East Face of the Moose's Tooth and the Moonflower Buttress on Mount Hunter, and a one-day solo of Denali's Cassin Ridge - Mugs was the complete climber, adept at all forms of the game. The Mugs Stump Award has helped committed climbers fulfill their dreams of fast, lightweight ascents in the world's high places. If you share Mugs' vision of climbing as a celebration of boldness, purity, and simplicity, and have the determination to bring your dream to life, you are encouraged to apply.

Past recipients reflect both well-known and relatively unheard of alpinists, with objectives that include major ascents in Alaska, Patagonia, the Himalaya, the Rocky Mountains, Greenland and more, details of which can be found here.

[The only way is up. Mugs Stump a below the West Face of Gasherbrum IV, Karakoram, Pakistan, in July 1983. Photo: Michael Kennedy]

The 18th-annual alpine climbing award opened its grant cycle on October 1st and will be accepting grant applications from small climbing teams with fast and light alpine objectives until December 15, 2009. Further information and applications are available at www.mugsstumpaward.com. Climbs taking place between February 1, 2010 and March 1, 2011 are eligible. We encourage you to submit electronic applications to mugs_stump_award@patagonia.com (subject line "2010 Mugs Stump Application"); or mail 12 copies of your application to Kristo Torgersen, Patagonia, 259 W. Santa Clara St., Ventura, CA 93001.

Awards will be announced by January 31, 2010.

[Mugs Stump on the magic bus on the way into the Karakoram, Pakistan, in June 1983. Photo: Michael Kennedy]