Cody's Kray̆ of Simplicity: April 2013

This morning I woke up before the sun to head up on the mountain and take a small hike. It started out very nice and ended very nice. It was the in between parts that added some spice to life. I've been on big mountains where wind is very strong and very loud, but today I found a new kind of wind. The breeze was gently pushing the branches back and forth when all of a sudden it let loose a growl that actually broke branches on trees near me. It sounded like the wind was full of an angry vengance with each of the enormous gusts that whipped by me. Along with the wind I got every kind of element you can have I think: snow, rain, hail, and sunshine. It made the whole experience much more interesting. I was grateful for the temperamental weather.

I was about a mile into my hike just strolling along enjoying life when I heard something move to my right. About eight feet away off the trail was a large moose. We sat there for a few seconds and had what seemed to be a staring contest. Then we snapped out of it, and I'm not sure who screamed louder, me or the moose. In the end the moose trotted off into sunrise...shouldn't that be the sunset? It was a friendly reminder that I was just a visitor in the mountains and that the hosts are sometimes a little larger than myself. The other wildlife that I saw while there included a few deer, a bunch of turkeys, and four heart attacks (aka grouse). Anybody who has spent time in the mountains knows what I mean about the grouse. They wait until you practically step on them to fly up in a flustered mess of a take-off.

As I wandered in the mountains this morning I kept noticing signs of spring wanting to take hold and bring new life. It was met with a fair amount of resistance today by ol' man winter. The snow landing on the new buds was a perfect example of the "transition" seasons on the Palouse. The small sprouts on the ground desperately trying to beat the competition for the sunshine. The leaves from autumn slowly decomposing and helping the next generation. The streams flowing very purposefully. The Caloscypha fungi sprouting it's small cups out of the ground. The newly fallen trees who didn't survive winter laying solemnly on the ground. It all came together to make a picture perfect spring morning. It's the small things that make the big things matter, mother nature knows that best in my opinion.

The Caloscypha's Beginnings

Attempting to capture the Caloscypha but not realizing my phone had flipped to the back camera.

Just a little tidbit about the Caloscypha fungi, also know as the orange peel fungus, it only grows in the spring. The only time you can find it, typically, is between March and July. It begins growing shortly after the snow has melted from the ground. And the final fact is this, it is a protected species in Slovakia.

Sorry the photos are so/so, I forgot my camera on the way out the door. These will have to suffice for now. I hope everyone finds time to get outside and enjoy Spring!

The "Highlight" Amidst the Boring

I recently read an article talking about how our culture today is so focused on comparing ourselves to everyone around us. It struck me how often I did this without even realizing it. Think about it, each time you see someone's awesome Instagram or Facebook pictures you think, "man my life is boring compared to theirs." The article I stumbled upon went on to say that the problem with this is that we only see people's pictures at their highest moments. So basically, instead of watching the entire soccer game where two goals were scored, you just get to see the two goals in action. It's as if we are able to edit out the so said "boring" things in our lives in our culture. How terrible is that?! What good is life if we don't have the ritual and necessary moments each day. While brushing our teeth may not be a Facebook worthy picture it is an essential part of any day, at least any day you want people to hold a conversation with you.
Having said that, nobody wants to read a blog about the mundane and ordinary. So I must carry forward and share a little about my recent trip to the City of Rocks National Reserve in southern Idaho. I decided about a month ago that I was itching to get out and climb and so I did what any rock junkie does, started calling people to get on-board. After a lot of coordinating it came down to six of us going to climb. Scott and Aj (both previous roommates, at different times) came from southern Idaho while the rest of us came from Moscow. The rest of us includes Ian, Matt, Jason, and myself.

Our First Morning

We rolled into the City around 2am on a Wednesday and quite literally rolled out of the truck into our sleeping bags in one motion. The stars were nothing short of amazing. I woke up a few times throughout the night, as short as it was, and just stared at the countless sparkling dots scattering the sky. It made me grateful that I live in a place I can see stars. I think we take them for granite personally, there is so much to gather from them.

Before the trip Ian and I had been talking about climbs that we really wanted to do while in the City. We decided that Tribal Boundaries 5.10a was one of the top climbs that we wanted to do while there. It proved to be quite the spectacular climb. The lighting was not the best for pictures so you get what you get, right? In honor of my first paragraph of this post I should explain one thing about this "epic" climb. The only place you can really belay your climber from is on a little platform on the edge of a large cliff. Normally this would be no big deal, but this one had somewhat of a dish worn in it from water. And you better believe that there was water in the baby. It made it very awkward to belay from, trying to pay out the right amount of rope and keep your feet dry and the rope dry. It proved to be a challenge.

Another climb that I had wanted to do while in the City was on Steinfell's Dome. This granite dome stands as a large guardian to the rest of the park at about 650ft high. It is easily picked out among the countless rock formations scattering the area. The route that I had originally wanted to climb ended up being somewhat of a bad idea due to weather and group dynamics. So after sucking up my pride I decided to bail off the route in order to keep the group happy and safe. In the long run, the alternate route ended up being an excellent climb that proved to be well worth our time.

While we were spending our time at the City we ran into every kind of weather imaginable: snow, rain, sun, wind, and cats and dogs. I always think it is funny when people complain about the weather. Honestly folks, what is the point in complaining about something you have absolutely no control over? Seems like a waste of perfectly clean energy to me. I have always liked the phrase that there is no such thing as poor weather but rather poorly dressed people. If you are prepared then who cares about the weather? I'm just happy as a clam to be outside loving life.

Upon returning home to the metropolitan of Moscow I found myself slightly buried in books. It may have been a burden for me as far as time goes but I'm fairly certain that I will look back on this trip for years to come and be grateful that I took time out of my schedule to enjoy God's creations. I love the outdoors as you all know, and I am always exhilarated to be among the company of good friends in the mountains. It doesn't get better than that.

I threw in a few extra photos for your viewing pleasure. Please view responsibly.