Come to the Playmill at 8 tonight (or at 7 when the doors open).
Watch a short trailer by The Snaz.
Watch some Brits get gnarly on gritstone.
Watch Chris Sharma send around the world.

Enjoy.

I could list dozens of reasons why I moved to Jackson. But, sailing would not have been one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love sailing! I moved to Jackson from Seattle where I got out and “hoisted the main” as much as I could. I even crewed on a recreation race boat in the Puget Sound and owned a 17 foot catamaran that I would go out and scare myself on.

But when I moved to my self-proclaimed paradise, I accepted that I would have to, unfortunately, sacrifice sailing. Apparently I was wrong and I’m very glad I was.

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Finish up your tick list! Last minute road trips, climbs you wanted get in, trails to get ridden, spots you wanted to fish. With mother nature displaying her finest work, fall is here. Neon yellows, deep reds and burnt oranges will soon give way to barren trees and brown crunchy earth. Pants and long sleeves dominate the wardrobe and a rain jacket and warm layer are a must in your pack. Fall gives us a bit of sanity in our sanctuary. The summer rush relaxes a bit and awakens a sense of why we are here, to play. The climbs are uncrowded and the dirt is good. Get the last out of your summer toys, one of the best seasons is here.

NOTE: There’s an unspoken rule in the world of caving about not publicizing caves and their locations, so with respect to that I have chosen to leave out any reference of said cave in this report. Caving is dangerous, rescues are extremely difficult and caves are very fragile. If you do ever choose to go, make sure it’s with someone who is experienced and be prepared.

"Sure Luke, sounds good man. I’m in!" Right after I hung up the phone it sunk in what I’d just agreed to. WHAT THE HELL was I thinking? I’d just agreed to go caving with a group a friends. I pondered my last trip to the same cave a couple years ago, a through-trip where you go in one cave and exit out another. I’m pretty sure it took my mind about a month to come to terms with what I went through on that day two years ago.

I’m a big fan of climbing, the gear is cool, the challenge is great; I especially love being in the mountains. But caving? The challenge is there for sure, you use a lot of the same gear and you’re… uhh… under the mountains. I’m still unsure how I feel about the whole experience, but I must have found some enjoyment the last time I went because I agreed to go in again.

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Everyone told us from the start – “Having a kid changes your life.” We knew it was true, but we were ready for the challenge. I mean, it’s a change for the better, right? A year later – with a one year old we adore – we get the picture.

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A little while ago I wrote a post about the wonders of Google Earth and using it as a tool for trip planning.

Just recently I was made aware of another similar program from NASA called World Wind.  Although World Wind seems similar to Google Earth at first, it’s not and is actually quite different in many ways. I’ll spare you the details, but if you’re dying to know go check out their comparison wiki.

By far the best feature this program has (in my opinion) is a topo map overlay feature which allows you to view a high resolution topo of anywhere in the US (it doesn’t have the maps for anywhere outside the US though). You can also tilt the view to get a 3d visual of the area you’re looking at. One of my gripes about Google Earth is that you can get a good visualization of a destination, but you can’t really replace that with the info you get  from a good topo map. World Wind also gives you access to current weather info such as cloud cover, barometric pressure and rainfall. It also has several plug-ins for GPS devices. Read More »

The Sublimation Experiment – This years film from the Jackson Hole based KGB Productions is premiering Friday night at the Playmill Theater in Jackson. Don’t miss the after party, $10 at the door with a huge raffle and free beer from our favorite Snake River Brewery!

The Sublimation Experiment is a progressive alternative to the traditional ski film that, integrates aggressive action skiing, with a narrative storyline. The Sublimation Experiment is a candid look at a handful of athletes throughout the epic winters of 2006 and 2007 as they showcase their skills while struggling to integrate their passion for skiing and snowboarding with a sustainable lifestyle. This is not a story of big name pros, but a story of people who are devoted to the sport and the mountains who struggle to make it work, just like you and me.