Lake Placid 2013

High Peaks Hostel for $35 a night for three nights which I bargained down from $45. Owner is John Griesen who lives in South Bend Indiana. Got the key in the mailbox.

First day we went to the ski jumping complex for $7 built for the 1983? winter Olympics.

It’s scary to trust a slim piece of rope with your life. Wrapped around a tree, attahing a carbiner to it and the main climbing rope to that. Trusting a car or planes on autopilot, but this slim piece of material is right in front of you. Right there carrying all your weight, taut under tension.

The cold of 9 degrees Fahrenheit was biting. Draining all my energy. As soon as I took off a glove to undo my crampon clip. I could feel precious heat instantly draining away. Touching cold metal’s the wrost sucking away warmth. Immediately I feel the blood withdrawing from my fingers, then fingers feeling numb, then a dull ache.

After climbing and swinging my ice aces, taking a break before the Green Gulleys vertical section of ice, blood has begun rushing back into my hands. First they have a slight hot feeling, increasing steadily to a burning sensation. Until they are throbbing. I can feel my heartbeat pounding at my fingertips. It feels like they are expanding and contracting like small balloons in my gloves with every heartbeat. But I embrace the feeling because it’s a sign of my body reacing and doing its job to belp me finish the climb.

jargon: slay, phat ice, meat missile, lay siege to ice, beta soloing, onsite, flash

Already I’m missing it. Even though it wasn’t comfortable and was a bit of physical punishment. I want to be out on the ice again. Crazy that I’m back at work the next day.