Back In The Saddle, Party Like It's Your Birthday (challenge)

"You're looking for something you ain't quite found yet," Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie by Bob Dylan

Summertime is a season for joyous routine, get into a healthy zone, and stick with it. Last summer I failed to do that, but this summer I’ve got it back. Lots of writing, lots of sleep, and lots of climbing; climbing into that next level.

I write for many reasons, but one reason I write is that the story I want to read has not yet been written. Many years ago I lamented to a friend that there were so many books in the library, why try to write another? Later, after that thought had passed I would walk into the library and wonder why my book was not yet on the shelves. Today, my book is only on the shelves of e-readers, but someday it will be on the shelves of a library. They say there is nothing new under the sun, but I think my generation is proving that wrong; the future unfolds with new fresh ideas and ways of living.

I feel myself becoming more optimistic with each passing day, and I wish I could pass that along to those younger than myself. The world we live in is crowded, no doubt, but there is so much potential for new ideas, and new ways of living. The world may be a place of finite resources, but the heart is infinite.

I don’t use this blog to write about climbing as much as I used to, now that The Climbing Zine has its own website and blog, but sometimes I can’t help it. Climbing is what gives me a feeling of being alive, and begs me to continue to be optimistic; a pessimistic climber does not grow.

Currently I am training for a “birthday challenge”, a fun concept to try to climb the number of routes, for the age you are turning. I’ve written a couple blog posts for The Climbing Zine about it, and I’ll leave links for those at the end of this post.

In the midst of training for this challenge, I’m trying to tune my body to climb as much as possible, without bonking, or feeling overly tired. My training ground has been the Golf Wall, an overhanging chunk of limestone, just north of Durango. Lately the crag, and the friends I go with, have set the tone for living. Keep trying harder, don’t be afraid to fail, it only makes you stronger, and most of all enjoy the ride by living in the moment. Everything will pass us by, and pass through someday, sink deep into what is now… 

Blog posts on www.climbingzine.com: 

The Birthday Challenge

Just One More, B-Day Challenge Training 

Summer Dreams

Does anyone have that thing they just have to do, or nothing else in life will be right? I have a few of those, and one, for sure, is writing. Lately I’ve been doing more editing and formatting than writing, and I’m missing that good old loving feeling of putting words down onto the canvas.

As for what I’ve been doing, I’ve been working hard to get my first book, Climbing Out of Bed, ready for publication on the Fourth of July. It’s going to be released as an e-book first, on Kindle, and it’s going to be published with a variety of photographs as well. In the past I’ve only published the words on Kindle, but the people have been asking for images, and I want to deliver. As I’m figuring out the formatting for publishing photos, I’ve been experimenting with Volume 3 and 4 of The Climbing Zine. The deluxe photo version of Volume 3 was released on Kindle this afternoon, and later this week I’ll release Volume 4, with photos.

This smoky, hot summer has been full of dreams, ones that come true, and ones that drive me wild as they are dreamt up. Durango is surrounded by various wildfires, and the smoke makes for intense red colors at sunset. My friend Tim tells me the fire season will change as more and more lightning happens. So, who knows what will happen in Colorado this hot summer.

I just know this summer I’ll write from the heart, I’ll follow dreams and see where they lead, regardless of what else I have to experience and see for them to unfold.

Climbing, as always, is a driving force. Like the Wu-Tang song C.R.E.A.M. (cash rules everything around me), climbing rules everything around me. It is that force for clarity, strength, confidence, and willingness to suffer to live out a dream. I continue to use climbing as a metaphor for life.

Summer unfolds as it does, and summer is often the greatest time to live in the moment. People come out of the woodwork in the summer, here in Durango the people, especially the beautiful women, are out, everywhere, and they motivate me. Their presence motivates me, drives me wild, drives me to write, read, love, climb, dance, in wild celebration of this precious existence we all share… 

Climbing Out of Bed Photographs

Here's some photos from my upcoming, debut, book, Climbing Out of Bed. Much thanks to the dope photographers who took some of these shots. Climbing Out of Bed will drop as an e-book via Kinde, on Wednesday, July 4th.

Electric Lighting (5.7) Hartman Rocks, Gunnison, Colorado. photo by Mike Brenneman

photo by Braden Gunem. www.bradengunem.com 

www.bradengunem.com

www.bradengunem.com

www.bradengunem.com

www.bradengunem.com 

El Potrero Chico, Hidalgo, Mexico

Climbing Out of Bed Dropping on Freedom Day

I'm proud to announce my first book, Climbing Out of Bed will be released on the Fourth of July. It will be released as an e-book first, followed by the print version. Here's a look at the cover, with design by Lisa Slagle, and photo by Braden Gunem.

Fire, Burning Desire

I’ve finally got a working computer again, and I’m stoked to get back in the writing zone; my life is incomplete without writing, in many ways. The first benefit is the meditation and head space I receive from writing, the second is that writing is my profession, how I feed myself; writing is my life, what I have to offer the world.

           

Officially it is still spring, but in Durango it feels like summer. It feels like a hot summer is on the way, we’ve already had fires popping up near town. This is my first summer in Durango, and something feels burning inside of me, a burning desire to experience life to the fullest, and manifest some dreams of mine.

I once heard someone say that the most common rhyme in music was fire and desire. After I heard that said, I’ve heard that rhyme all the time. And once a fire is in your heart and soul, there is a desire for it to grow.

My personal fire right now is on many fronts: the desire to become the best climber I can be, the dream to manifest my goal of becoming a successful writer, and that search for love, or as Johnny Cash says it better “flesh and blood needs flesh and blood.”

 Since I’ve last blogged I also have taken a job, a part time gig at my favorite Mexican restaurant in town, called Zia Taqueria. It feels good to be working in a kitchen again, and I’ve realized how much I missed that type of work. Many of my coworkers are Mexican, and I’m stoked to work on my Spanish. Plus there’s just something about the Latino spirit that moves me, the work environment there is really enjoyable.

I love climbing so much, more and more every day, and currently I’ve got a goal in mind, which usually helps me dedicate my energy to a dream. The goal is to do a Birthday Challenge in the next couple of weeks. My birthday is in December, which is a terrible time of year to do a proper rock climbing Birthday Challenge, plus the older one gets, the more difficult the challenge becomes. Recently I was talking with a climbing partner of mine, Badger, and we realized our birthdays are a mere three days apart. We are also only a year apart in age, he’s like a “brother from another Mother”. So, we decided we would do a mid-year challenge. Today will be our first training session at the local Golf Wall, as we build up to doing 34 pitches in day. So psyched!

I can’t overstate how much fire is building is my heart and soul right now, it’s almost a little overwhelming. I feel it leading to living my dreams, which is what the essence of being human is about, right? Please comment below to tell me what you are feeling, what wildfires are brewing in your heart, and what storms are starting to release thunderous bolts of lighting in your world.

peace,

Luke

Computer Crash, Dirtbags Part II and Mountain Film

Life has been full of awesomeness lately, despite minor technical difficulties. My computer has crashed, so I've resorted to borrowing computer time, and hanging out at the Durango Public Library. Here's some words from Part II of the Dirtbag Story, as well as a blog post on Mountain Film in Telluride. Oh, and we finally printed off Volume 4 of The Climbing Zine. There's a link below too, if you want to order a copy.

Julie, Dave and Jonathan hanging in an alley in Telluride during Mountain Film.

Dirtbags in Durango Part II, The Graduated Dirtbag

The Serindipidous Mountain Film

The print version of The Climbing Zine Volume 4, (can be ordered here) 

The Climbing Zine Volume 4 and climbingzine.com LIVE

As of today, 4/20, The Climbing Zine Volume 4 is live on Kindle, and our website, www.climbingzine.com is also live. Enjoy, and be sure to check in there for my climbing related writing.

The Climbing Zine, Volume 4 on Kindle
The Climbing Zine's website

peace,
Luke

The Climbing Zine Volume 4 set to be Released on 4/20

The Climbing Zine Volume 4 will be released as an eZine on April 20th, followed by the print version shortly after. Our theme for this issue is Back to the Essence. Here's a sample from the introduction to get a taste of what is to come, and the writers who are bringing the goods.

Cover shot by: Drew Ludwig. Design by Mallory Logan

We’re back to a lineup of having multiple writers featured in The Climbing Zine. The last issue was entirely my own writing, and while that was a fun experiment, I don’t want this zine to be just my words. Every climber has her or his own view of the activity, and their unique experiences which create this perspective. Add in some writing skills, and the potential for great climbing stories is infinite.

Here we are proud to present Mike Reddy’s incredibly brave and honest piece, The Long Way Back, which covers his journey of getting back to climbing after a nearly life ending fall. Even with his doctors saying he would never climb again, Reddy has been determined to do so, with help from the inspiring and empowering organization, Paradox Sports. Mike also contributed valuable editing services to this volume.

We also have a piece from Jesse Zacher titled Blackened, documenting his climb of The Hallucinogen Wall in the Black Canyon. This is Zacher’s first appearance in this publication, and his words beautifully dance with the pure essence of climbing. There’s nothing but brutal honesty in his prose as he takes the reader to The Black, and reveals what surfaced during his adventure.

Cliff Cash is back for this issue, with a fiction piece titled, Trim Season and The Mushroom Wall. Cash tells a cautionary tale about several climbers who get involved in the marijuana business to fund their climbing adventures. Also in the story, the trio of Cliff, Jack and Thurgood, have a psychedelic filled adventure on the made-up route, The Mushroom Wall, in a place that is out of this world, the Black Canyon.

Our final contributor is Scott Borden, who writes about the essence of climbing from a biological standpoint. He writes that our urge to climb, and how good that makes us feel, is imbedded into our DNA. His piece, Sending the Double Helix, is sure to stimulate the remaining brain cells left in every reader’s mind.

We’ve also added a new section to our zine: What We’re Reading, a space for reflections on classic climbing literature, new and old. In this initial installment we look at Jennifer Lowe Anker’s Forget Me Not. 

cheers, 

Luke

The Avalanche

Yesterday I witnessed my first avalanche, while sport climbing at the Golf Wall, in Durango. I used the experience for my assignment for the creative writing course I'm taking at Fort Lewis College with the wise, Will Gray, a former editor at National Geographic.

The avalanche happened on the right side of this cliff (the one in the background).

Springtime in the Rockies; there were concerns that it would be too hot, but that spring day was absolutely perfect for climbing. We drove my spray painted, red, white and blue car up the winding highway towards the mountains, stopping after fifteen minutes to arrive at our destination, The Golf Wall.

We hiked through a slightly muddy trail, the sky was a silky, translucent silver; protecting us from overheating. We arrived at the wall, the first climbers. The wall, an overhanging chunk of limestone, blue, pink, and grey, not much of a site to see, but a playground to monkey around on for a climber, that can fill a day with a fulfilling workout.

We always warmup; it awakens the muscles as we navigate a familiar climb. The hands feel carefully on the slippery rock, the feet delicately placed in the same way a ballet dancer does; this is our dance. A golf course below is shedding its white of snow for green of spring.

Other climbers arrive; they blast techno music and make fun of each other. They are mutual friends, we are a tribe.

Then, a crack, and then a series of rumbles, like a mining boom and crackle, releasing.

“Is it rock fall?” someone asks.

“It’s an avalanche,” Jonathan says.

Across the canyon, it is an avalanche. It looks like a waterfall. Snow powers down the cliff, cascading with the power I’ve only witnessed in a raging river. Mother Nature flexes her muscles, and then we go back to climbing.

The Climbing Zine is all up on the Nook

We're stoked to announce The Climbing Zine is now on the Barnes and Noble's Nook. Copies of Volume 3 are available for $3.99. We will have Volume 4 up there as well as soon as we publish, which will be really soon! I promise. If anyone buys this and encounters any weird formatting please let me know at lukemehall@gmail.com. This is all new terrain, and it's really exciting to be e-publishing. Cheers, Luke

To check it out click here.

Whatcha Gonna Do On The Planet Today?

Well, it's back to the blue bird skies up here in Durango, Colorado and I'm psyched to see them. My kind of weather. It's meant to snow in the winter, and I'm glad we got some snow on the mountains, but this blue bird weather is what does it for me. I've been spending way too much time in front of a computer lately, and I want to try and bask in the sun for a bit today. A few things first.

As I wrote yesterday I'm leaning towards self-publishing Climbing Out of Bed. The question of whether to self-publish or go the traditional route is heavy on my mind. I guess I need to meditate on it for a minute. So that's what I'll do.

In the midst of my angst of what to do with my book, a new friend reached out and shared a piece she wrote, inspired by some words that I wrote. So I wanted to share her piece, I Love, Love. Check it out.

Also, to try to boost our readership of The Climbing Zine I've been sharing stories on rockclimbing.com. If you're looking for a sneak peek into Volume 4 my piece A Climber in the Winter of his Content just went live. If you're looking to savor the entire zine together don't read it though :) The title is opposite of something I wrote a number of years back called A Climber in the Winter of his Discontent. The difference is actually climbing in the winter versus not.

Lastly, I'm trying to be grateful for what I have, and not trying to obsess about what I don't have. I've been getting some love from sponsors, and I'm especially grateful to be an ambassador for Deuter. Looking forward to blogging for them and testing out their awesome gear. Here's a link to my ambassador page.

Funny Headline, but very dope for The Climbing Zine

The Climbing Zine's start on Kindle has been pretty stellar. Good enough that we are listed on Amazon.com as a Hot New Release in Mountain Climbing. Check it out.

Hot New Releases in Mountain Climbing via amazon.com

Zines on Kindle

I've spent a good part of my week trying to figure out how to upload my zines into the Kindle system. It's been a whole lot of trial and error, but I'm happy to report that I'm close to having The Climbing Zine Volume 3, and Moonlight Dreamchasers, the 2012 Edition good to go for reading on Kindles.

This is very exciting for me to have a product available for e-readers, and honestly now that I've committed to doing it, I've wondered why it took so long for me to do this. I encourage all young and emerging writers to explore this option for their self-published work.

That said, I am still going the traditional route for publishing my first book, Climbing Out of Bed. Though it will take longer to publish this way, I believe the final product will be worth it to go through a traditional publisher.

Thanks for reading, and I'll be sure to post when the zines are good to go on Kindle.

Of Writing, Computers, Horse Shit and Haters

Yesterday I was mucking horse shit. For those of ya’ll out there unfamiliar with this practice, it basically means I was shoveling poop out of a corral. It’s an odd job I do about once a week for a nice woman I met through a house sitting gig. As I was working I had a couple thoughts I wanted to share up on my blog here today.

First off, I was marinating over a couple responses towards my last blog post, a book review, which you can see below. On Saturday I received a most pleasant email from a woman who works at Mountaineers Books, the publisher of the book I reviewed. She expressed thanks for the review, and even noted that it was one of the best she’d read all year. I was beaming from the email, and even forwarded it to my Mom and Dad.

The second response was a random comment from an anonymous reader, who said my review was decent, but my grammar sucked and I needed to hire an editor. Immediately I was pissed off, and wished I knew who made the comment. I’ve had a few people hate on my writing online before though, and I brushed it off and continued my session in the coffee shop that afternoon. There are quite a few internet haters out there these days, and as I become more and more successful I’m likely to only get hated on more and more. A reality of this world we’re living in. If the person who made the comment is reading this, I’d like to invite you to find something else to read, this one is for the dreamers and the lovers.

So there I was all up in some horse shit. The activity isn’t the best form of making a buck, but it isn’t the worst either; it allows my brain to think and process. I’ve been a dishwasher in restaurants for 17 years now, and one thing I’ve learned is that while doing a simple mundane job the mind floats and a higher level of consciousness can be obtained.
I thought about something a professor of mine, Tyler Sage, said a while back in an Extended Studies English course at Western State, in Gunnison. He said (in different words of course) that the personal computer has highly influenced the modern writer in a profound way; so much that we really don’t know how deep it has affected the psyche of today’s writers. I personally can’t imagine not having a computer to write; I do 98 % of my writing on this laptop I’m typing away my thoughts this winter morning.

Then I thought about the internet hater who left the anonymous comment, where does this person get the nerve to say something negative about my writing when they are a user reading something at no charge to them? Quickly I switched my thoughts up to the kind email I received the day before, and realized a friendly email from a credible source is much more valuable than an anonymous comment from a hater. Focusing on positivity over negativity is a key attribute to a successful artist.

And this is where I’m at a crossroads, finding success in my writing. I believe it will happen someday, and in some regards I have found success. I’ve been published in some major magazines, and I’m so close to having my book finished that I can taste it. Financial success has alluded me though, hence the mucking of horse shit, and dishwashing.

However this is where an artist builds character, (that’s what I’m telling myself anyways) committing to the path, and doing whatever it takes to achieve the dream. The lovers and supporters over the years have instilled me with the confidence that I will be able to do this, and the haters give me the fuel. So with that said, happy holidays to all, and if you’re a dreamer, an artist, like yours truly, I encourage you to stay on the path. There’s something great just down the road, even if there’s some horse shit (or haters) to shovel out of the way.

Old Man Winter and Writing

“You could have been anywhere on the internet right now, but you’re here, and I appreciate that.”

I have several writing projects in the works, and I've got a great space to write here in Durango, out in the hills, with little distraction. The ground is covered in snow, and old man winter is in the house. This is typically the most productive time of year for me, writing wise, as long as I don't get the blues; which really doesn't happen to me here in Durango, it's just too mild of a winter for the dark side winter to really get to me.

When I really get into the writing zone I typically start as many writing projects as possible, I think it is the so called ADD of my mind (ADD is a term I've never liked, but I won't rant here) to start multiple projects at the same time, and then focus on whatever one I like when the time is right; or when I have a deadline.

Those are just some random thoughts, what I'm really thinking about this morning is making it, as in making it as a writer; supporting myself with the pen. I've done it before, professionally, when I worked in public relations in higher education, but that was writing for someone else, creating stories for an institution, telling their story. Now I'm trying to make it with pure honesty, my own words, my own stories.

Trying to make it, on my own, has been directly tied to the economy, and I imagine there are thousands and thousands of other artists out there who lost their 9-5 jobs with the downturn, and are now focused more on their art. That’s exactly what happened to me, my job was cut as the government gave less to the college I was working for, and I was one of the victims.

Economically that may have been one of the worst things that could of happened to me as my thirties started, but artistically and spiritually it was the best thing that could have happened. Now, a year later after being laid off I have my first book, “Climbing Out of Bed” nearly done, and it’s so, very close to publication. I don’t think I would be so close if I was still slaving away in the 9-5 world.

For this blog, as I really delve into my writing this winter, I’m going to use it as a forum for more than just climbing, as I don’t only write about climbing, and also because The Climbing Zine is finally going to have its own website, and thus I won’t have to use lukemehall.blogspot.com for the zine’s main page. (Look for The Climbing Zine website to drop within the next month or two.) I’ll probably change the name of this blog, as I have many times before, but the address will remain the same.

So, welcome old man winter, and to all of the artists out there, putting your 10,000 hours in, for the love, keep your head up, stay positive, and create. After all, what else is there to do with your life?

Here's a couple photos I took yesterday during a snowy bouldering session in Durango at Turtle Lake. We had seven people out yesterday, and I'm relieved that so many folks here are willing to climb in the snow, because I plan on doing that all winter long baby!

Heather and Tim, psyched on winter bouldering!

Onsight Weather

Climbing's leader in weather forecasting: T-Drizzle. Here is the first installment from Timmy Foulkes TV, courtesy of the Stokelab. Reporting from Indian Creek, Utah.

Click here to watch the video via the lab

Stokelab and Heather Robinson, The Balance

For the past two months I've been working for the Stokelab, a web site and online magazine that features solely inspiring, stoke-worthy content. This video of Heather Robinson is perhaps one of the most inspiring climbing videos I've posted up there. So smooth and so humble, just wanted to share it up on my bloggy-blog here!

Click here to watch it on Stokelab

Revisiting God’s Crag, Lake City

This summer I’ve mostly been bouldering. For the last month and a half I’ve been getting my climbing fix by getting on my bike and heading up to our local bouldering area called Skyland. Crested Butte is my favorite place in Colorado to spend the summer, and the Skyland Boulders are my all time favorite. Plus, there’s no driving required since the boulders are only a mile and a half of single track away from town. Perfection.

Part of the reason I’ve mostly been bouldering is that I spent a lot of time roping up this winter and spring; and the other part is that several people I know have been involved in climbing accidents. I won’t go into much detail about that, but it always makes me pause and contemplate when such things happen. Is climbing worth the risk? If I died climbing would it be worth it?

I could go in many philosophical directions here, but I simply just want to write about how much I love climbing, and when that feeling is confirmed it’s a revelation.

My good friend Scott is in town, visiting from Yosemite, and he is one motivated dude. He suggested we climb at God’s Crag, down in Lake City. God’s Crag is my favorite sport climbing area, and it’s just about two hours from Crested Butte.

Our session was glorious as we pulled on pockets, encouraging each other, and trying as hard as we could. It didn’t take long to recall that fine feeling that comes after such an effort, in an inspiring environment. It’s that feeling that is better than any drug.

Near the end of our session we moved over to an area where we could cool down. Above us was a trio of climbers near the top of a multipitch line. As I started up the pitch a shower of rocks came down from above, with no warning. The climbers either didn’t call rock, or we didn’t hear them. Either way the incident brought a sobering tone to the evening, and we were grateful that we didn’t get hit by the rocks.

It turns out they dislodged the rocks while pulling their ropes on the first rappel. The rocks ended up giving their rope a mean core shot, and luckily they weren’t hurt either.

Damn. All I wanted was a day without any incident to get me inspired on rope climbing again. Regardless I am inspired. That day left me with that oh-so familiar high that comes after a day at the crag, God’s Crag to be specific.

I’m continuing to contemplate. I want to live a long, happy existence and experience what I was meant to experience. I want to live and love and grow old, while continuing to climb. None of that is guaranteed, and my risks aren’t simply limited to climbing. We don’t get to control our deaths. We’re all simply living out lives on a big chunk of rock floating through space, and risk is inherent to living.

That said, I’ve got the bug back, and I’m psyched to be back on the sharp end.