A grey week

It’s been a grey week of rain in the usually sunny and dry Arizon desert. When it rains, the bus feels small, there is too much mud and dog hair, and patience runs thin… I had a lingering feeling of sadness. Nothing clear-cut, just a low-grade melancholy… Even with the rock gym subscription we took for the month, the great mountain biking trails, meeting a great new family and the release of the Web episode that was filmed in the summer of 2014 in the Yukon on our life on the road (you can still watch it online for a few more days, in French only), I was not on top of my game. It’s nothing to worry about, I know that as soon as the sun and warmth will come back, I’ll feel better. That’s just how I roll. 

I’ve given a lot of thought about the idea of change lately. How things and people don’t really change… and how hard it is to let go of our attachment to change. I’ve laid awake at night a few times, listening to the desert owls discussions, thinking about that...

We are staying at the BLM near Tucson right now. This is a bit of a desolate place, with a bit of a weird vibe. There is a guy living in a tent nearby that has an electronic keyboard in his tent… we can hear him play the same few notes over and over at any time of the day… As my friend Isabelle beautiful expressed it: There is literally everything in this world, mostly lonely people sharing their loneliness.

We’ve had Jehovah witnesses coming at the bus door at the BLM, then Mexican itinerant meat sellers (with really good deals… Hmmm… illegal border crossing with meat anyone?). It’s a weird place, I tell ya’… But the kids enjoy the space and built a really cool bike trail with jumps and wooden features. And we sure are making the most of that gym subscription. We went 4 times this week!

Starting the year right!

in ,

Raphael did his first two boulder problems!!

Little bro was quite happy to rock hop around the boulder

All the kids had a blast and were able to top it out.

I did it too... many times!

The plan was to go set up a few ropes at Hidden Jewel on Mount Lemmon, but after a pretty steep climb and lots and lots of scouting, Antonio deemed the place not safe enough to go with a bunch of kids, so we headed back down and decided to go back to the Hairpin boulders sector where we bouldered last time. It was the perfect place to cool down and enjoy the end of the day.

Bouldering in Tanque Verde, Mount Lemmon, Tucson, AZ

in ,

The girls couldn't wait to try their new crashpad!

Jump down, I got you!

Sisters helping sisters!

The girls paid attention to Pascale's every move...

She topped out on the first try!

Inspired, Mara got to work.

It is so fun to climb with experienced climbers. They are just beautiful to watch!

Lunch in our little paradise.

Pascale showing the girls another bouldering problem

This little guy has some great genetic!

I love this sweet family!

When we left our friends' home on Sunday morning, it was just above 0 degrees... We put on longjohns and layers of wool  and headed out to Mount Lemmon. By the time we reached Marble Cake Boulder, we had striped down to our t-shirts! The sun was glorious and the place where we set upvlooked like an oasis in the middle of a canyon.

We are new to bouldering and it is hard work! It is also quite different to not be ropped in and to feel *very* high (even if you're not that high). Most of us chickened out and did not top out any problem, but it is still fun to work on them. It was great to see how determined our kids were to figure them out, how they helped and spotted each other, how they moved the crashpads around depending on where the climber was, as they had seen many times in rock climbing movies... They worked hard!

Merry celebrations!

Awesome wine and good cheese and salads.

Antonio made his mom's famous Portughese cod dish (Bachalau a Zé do Pipo). It is soooo good!!

He also made delicious grilled Portughese chicken (Doval style, for those who ever had the chance to try it at that awesome Montreal restaurant).

Homemade gifts exchanges. The boys made our girls some very sweet presents.

Aisha drew a Ninja turtle for Raphael.

Carrot-appel juice making for our Christmas morning breakfast.

Delicious belgian waffles.

The girls really wanted to make gingerbread cookies.

Cutest bike bells ever!

A neighbor's house. I just love the style of houses around here.

A little afternoon hike in Catalina with Karl, Jen and the kids.

Hiking in a vintage pink velvet dress? Why not.

Sweetwater trailhead. Awesome bike trails among the saguaros.

As some of you might remember, it is our third Christmas in Tucson with our friends Antonio and Pascale. The first time, in 2012, we were here at the same time as Antonio's parents and were treated to a traditional Portughese feast. This year, we had the pleasure of spending Christmas Eve with some of Antonio's and Pascale's friends who are also University professors like Pascale. The next morning, we tried Mathilde's belgian waffle maker (with Quebec maple products my mom had sent) and made a green juice and a carrot-apple juice. It was great to be able to be with my family as they were all celebrating together at my mom's with my grandma (with my dad and his wife: yes, my family is that cool!).

In the afternoon, we met with Jennifer, Karl and the kids at Catalina State Park and went for a short hike, then shared a delicious meal together. This morning, Antonio brought us to one of his favorite bike trails in Tucson (Sweetwater trailhead) and we had a blast. It was a real feel good ride!

That is my kind of Christmas. Lots of simple and beautiful handmade gifts, a few practical gifts (a crashpad! belay glasses! art supplies and flip flops!), good healthy food and lots of outdoor time.

I hope your celebrations were fun and simple too!

Hiking up to Flatiron (Syphon Draw), Superstition Mountains, AZ

in ,

This is where we are going. Yep.

Looking down at the Syphon

Last push before the summit... An 10 feet high rock wall!

We could see the mini red bus down there...

It takes more concentration coming down...

The sun came out as we were finishing the hike!

From the trailhead, it is hard to believe that we were standing on the top of the Flatiron!

Beautiful cloudy night sky.

This is actually a hike in two acts. The first part is called Siphon Draw (the Basin), which is aptly named for its ability to "drain off" (i.e. siphon) water from a large area on Superstition Mountain. Just a light amount of precipitation will result in water being siphoned into the canyon draw and flow over the slick rock. The polished slick rock offers clues to the violent blasts of water rocketing through the chute. Clearly not the place to be in a storm... This hike is somewhat unique in that in less than 2 miles it traverses a State Park (Lost Dutchman), a National Forest (Tonto), and a Wilderness Area (Superstition) while urban views of the Greater Phoenix Area are always at hand. 


The hike to the Basin is a 2 miles hike (with a 1000 feet elevation gain), and most peole turn around at this point, but you can push on another mile (but a 2000 feet elevation gain!) up to the Flatiron (at 4860 feet). A total of 6 miles (10 km) of strenuous and very rewarding hiking/scrambling.

The Flatiron got its name because it ressembles the New York Flatiron building. Here’s a little video that’ll give you a feel of the hike and the 360 degree view on top (but I would not want to come down in the dark!).

Hiking the Treasure Loop Trail, Lost Dutchman State Park

in ,

Oh! The Sonoran Desert! There is nothing like it with its plants with exotic names: cholla, ocotillo, palo verde, saguaro, yucca, agave, creosote bush, velvet mesquite, and its animals: javelinas, packrats, ringtails, jack rabbits and yes, rattlesnakes, tarentulas, scorpions and gila monsters. I am woken up every night by singing coyote. Gamble quails run around our campsites with their funky hairdos, like old ladies running late for a wedding. Lizards run under rocks as soon as we approach... I'm so glad we'll spend the next month in this beautiful ecosystem!

Hike to 49 Palms Oasis, Joshua Tree NP

in ,

Hiking in a dry dusty desert for a few miles, then rounding a corner and seeing that beautiful green oasis is a unique experience. The air was much cooler and damp under the fan palms. We totally understood how finding the proverbial oasis in the middle of the desert could feel.

More Joshua Tree rock climbing and bouldering goodness

in , ,

After the Thanksgiving crowd came and went, Joshua Tree is back to its normal quiet self, especially during the week, away from the main tourist destinations of the park. We have the crags to ourselves and it feels glorious!

One afternoon, the kids didn't feel like joining us, so JF and I took off just the two of us while they stayed back at camp with their friends and Jennifer and Karl. We were exhilarated to be climbing just by ourselves. I could actually hear the silence of that place, the bling-bling of the quickdraws dangling from JF's harness as he climbed, the swoosh of the rope as I quickly fed him some rope to clip. We each climbed two great routes in less than 2 hours, something impossible when you have to belay 6 kids on every route! 

When we came back to the rig, the 6 kids had completely cleaned the bus and had prepared a delicious feast for the both of us! How awesome! We were speechless!

Since we are back at Joshua Tree North BLM, we are only 15 min from Indian Cove (one of the main rock climbing sector in Joshua Tree NP) and we go there every afternoon. Yesterday, after trying to set up a route and deciding against it after the first bolt (yes, we are very careful!), we worked on some bouldering problems. Boudering is hard work, but oh so rewarding!

Hiking in Painted Canyon

in ,

This is the perfect introduction to slot canyons! The access is short and relatively easy (I would not recommend it to children 6 and younger) and it's only 45 min from Palm Desert (on Box Canyon Road). It took us only 3 hours to hike all the way out and back (the kids said it was too short!). It gave us just enough time to be back for a swim in the pool before sunset.

Rock climbing and the ego

in ,

Climbers have the coolest vehicles!

I am the little climber on that wall!

So good to see Karl back at it after a month long rest for his foot injury.

So good to see Karl back at it after a month long rest for his foot injury.

I left some blood and tears on that wall... and maybe a bit of my ego too.

On risk taking and injuries

in ,

Left: scrambling up to the route. Right: trying to spot all the bolts... not an easy task in Joshua Tree!

Pretty awesome "waiting room".

(photo by Isabelle Lauzon)

It is such an empowering feeling to leave, just Jennifer and I in the Westy with all the kids piled up in the back and head to the crag. Joshua Tree routes are not easy to find and you never know what to expect. As I said in my last post, there are often bolts missing, big runouts (long distances without a bolt or protection on the route) and impossible to find anchors on top (which is not a problem for trad climbers who can install their own protections, but it can be a problem for us, sport climbers). So we felt pretty badass leading the kids through a fun scramble in a canyon up to the routes, then assessing the routes with them (trying to spot bolts and anchors), making the decision to climb or not depending on that assesment and finally climbing a different route further down. We came back to the Westy at moon rise (again!) and felt so full from another day at the crag together!

(photos by Isabelle Lauzon)

The next day, Jennifer had a fall while leading a route that was supposed to be an easy 5.5 (we renamed it 5.5. My Ass!). And she sprained her ankle pretty bad. Three months ago it was JF that broke an arm in a mountain bike accident, then a month ago, Karl sprained his foot when he fell while lead climbing and his foot got caught... (and no! I am not next!). It is easy to assume that we partake in high-risk sports and that injuries are to be expected. It is in part true and we consciously choose to life an active life doing sports we love even if there are risks involved. Is there anything that is risk-free? Choosing to not be active also comes with a different type of risk (health consequences mainly). Also, a person might be a risk-taker in one sphere of its life and risk-averse in another one (one might bungee jump, but never invest in the stock market, for instance). 

JF is right where Jennifer was when she fell. It was about a a 5 feet fall and her ankle twisted when she landed in the crack (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

Due to media-coverage, many non-climbers are aware of numerous climbing fatalities. When a non-climber looks at a rock face and thinks its crazy for anyone to climb, a competent climber might see an established and well-protected route on immaculate rock and rightly judge it not risky.

Of course rock climbing involves a certain amount of risk. But with risk comes rewards. We all know what it feels like to be afraid of something, but to overcome it, to succeed, that's one of the best feelings in the world (inspired by this short movie).

Belaying Alex on his first outdoor climb! It's an honour to introduce friends and family to a sport we love so much (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

But still, the question remains (at least in our parents and siblings head!):

“So, why are you taking risks? If you look deeply enough, you’ll realize you take risks to grow and growth gives you experiences that make you feel alive. It’s important to recognize when your ego takes you off that path of growth. Take risks that are appropriate for you, learn what you need to learn, and feel alive and fulfilled in the process.” (from this great article). Read on for more excerpts from this article...

“Many climbers begin climbing in a gym. Mark Twight points out that in the gym, a climber expects to confront a minimal amount of fear and to have anxiety managed by others. We become accustomed to someone else managing these risks, which can lead to a false sense of security when climbing outside. In this way we tend to insulate ourselves from the situations we are engaged in. We’ve expected others to manage the risk while we were focused on having a nice, comfortable experience. The more comfortable and safe we make situations, the more separated we are from them.

Cars, these days, lock the doors, turn on/off the lights, and beep when we haven’t put on our safety belt. Decision-making has been taken away in an attempt to keep us safe. Does safety lie in gadgets making decisions for us or in technology that disengages us from the risk? Henry Barber’s maxim is “do more with less”. His approach puts him in close proximity to the risk with minimal insulation. He states that doing more with less [technology] requires creativity. It allows us to be the leader of our life and decisions, rather than succumbing to the sheep mentality. What we need to keep in mind is why we do what we do.”

Rock climbing in Indian Cove, Joshua Tree National Park

in ,

Belay glasses are the best invention since sliced bread! They are simply prisms that allow you to see your climber without having to lift your head up (it also magnifies so it looks closer to you). No more neck pain!!

Left: Jennifer leading a crazy 5.7 (called Feminine Itch, obviously named by a dirtbag woman!)... Oh Joshua Tree, you are always so full of surprises (major runouts, missing bolts, etc.)! You never know what you'll find once up there! Right: JF resting after the 5.10c section of this route! He did awesome!

We introduced Isabelle, Alex and Martin to rock climbing outside and they went up like pros!

Joshua Tree is a mecca for trad climbers! Undeniably one of the best places in the United States. However, when it comes to sport climbing, there isn't that many routes. Or rather, there are routes, but they are scattered here and there, and the only two spots where there are more than 2 or 3 routes require over one hour of approach walk, scrambling up ball bearing scree, washes and canyons.

We spent most of our days at Indian Cove campground where there are sport routes right behind the campsites. It was kind of weird to climb on someone's campsite while they were gone, but it was an ideal spot with no approach at all. 

Rock climbing Cryptic, Headstone Rock, Ryan campground, Joshua Tree

in ,

See that big boulder up there. That's where Cryptic is.

JF did it!!

Cryptic is hands down the most popular sport route in Joshua Tree (and in the overall top 10 of the park). Headstone rock stands proud and tall over Ryan Campground and simply begs to be climbed. However, the scramble up is quite sketchy with big drops, especially for short legs. It was a real shame to turn around, especially since there is almost always a line up for this awesome route (and that now, there was only a party of 2), so I stayed down with the kids while JF and Jennifer went up.

The kids found an amazing cave and bouldered in it (then turned it into a two storey house). I chatted with a super nice woman climber from Colorado as the sun was setting and I watched JF make it to the top of that crazy high boulder. The top platform is about 6 feet x 6 feet and you can sit on top to watch the moon rise, then rappel down. What a life we live!

Boondocking at Joshua Tree North BLM

in ,

The girls made a sun dial

Do you see how different the light is in the desert? The sun feels hot on our skin during the day and it feels glorious to lay on the hard cracked soil and soak up its warmth. The night air is crisp and smells of winter. The sky is wide open and the moon shines so bright we don't needlamps. It creates the best moon shadows I have ever seen! No wonder there has been scenes from Star Wars filmed right here!

An afternoon in Palo Alto

in

And we think our generation invented technological nomadism!!

First abacus and old computer chips

Playing Ping!

Left: PET the first Commodore with tape! Top right: the first Apple II. Bottom right: my first computer: a Commodore 64.... Hours and hours of video games with my dad!

The self-driving Google car! So exciting! The only vehicle in which you can actually text and drive! It was even nicer to see one on the road in traffic 5 minutes after we left the museum.

We really enjoyed the Computer History Museum. One of the highlights was playing with the Atari Pong game and seeing the Google self-driving car. There are quite a few of those on the roads around here (they still are prototypes, not sold yet). All the adults enjoyed some nostalgia from seeing devices they grew up with - which brought back fond memories of long gaming sessions with friends and relatives.  When's the last time anyone seen an Atari 2600 or Commodore 64? It was my first computer! I spent countless hours playing games on it with my dad! And who can forget those handheld football games (Coleco!).

There are all sorts of cool displays all the way back from 2,000 BC to the mainframes of the 1960s, Cray supercomputers, to the early Altair 8800, and even an original Apple 1! It clearly is more of an adult museum, but Martin made it quite interesting for the kids by explaining to them some of the exhibits, like the Babbage machine and the ancient calcultators, the punch cards for census.

If you are interested, there is a Groupon deal for 6 tickets (Kids 12 years and younger are free). It is a must see when you are at the heart of the Silicon Valley! Palo Alto is home to Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Intel, Tesla, HP, Skype, Paypal, SurveyMonkey and so many more! That is where it all happens!

Then we went to have dinner at an awesome restaurant called Lyfe Kitchen. This chain has been created by Mike Roberts, the former global president of McDonald's, teamed up with Stephen Sidwell, who helped found the meat substitute Gardein, and Mike Donahue, McDonald's USA's former chief of corporate communications, to launch LYFE Kitchen three years ago. So, as you'd expect, Lyfe aims to bring a fast-food sensibility to healthy fare: you order at the counter, go sit down to a comfortable table in a beautiful zen minimalist atmosphere (unlike McDonald’s) and your food is brought to your table in 3 to 5 minutes. The prices are very reasonable. I got a lime ginger chia water (with fresh mint and strawberries floating in it) for $1.50, a side of baked sweet potato fries with chipotle aioli for $3.50. Everything was delicious, from the Crunchy quinoa salad (with edamame hummus and arugula) to the thai red curry bowl and the fish tacos. Aisha was quite excited to see vegan faux-chicken fingers on the kids menu with the sweet potato fries! It’s a mostly vegan restaurant with lots of gluten-free options. The only meat and fish they serve is organic and grass-fed (and sustainably produced). They also serve great local beer on tap.

The chain now has 18 locations and ambitious plans to open 250 more within the next five years. Every dish on the menu is under 600 calories with less than 1,000 milligrams of sodium, and the average check size is $4 to $14, according to the company. Butter, trans fats, white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and other food additives are barred from the menu, and locally sourced ingredients are used when available. There are no more excuses to eat at McDonald’s when in a hurry!

Then, we went to walk in downtown Palo Alto and stopped for ice cream at Cream for the kids and then to Scoop, a microcreamery (how cool… just like in microbrewery). Scoop uses liquid nitrogen to create their ice cream which makes for a very smooth treat. We loved everything we sampled: vegan mango and strawberry sorbet (the instant freeze from the liquid nitrogen turn the strawberry piece into a gummy bear texture: awesome!), the sweet potato and pecan one, the macha tea…

Downtown Santa Cruz

in

Java was terrified of this little boy...

Santa Cruz is a cool town. A very cool hippy-surf-bum town.... There is great food here too, Café Gratitude, Penny Ice Creamery, Verve Coffee roasters and more that all cater to all types of food intolerances you could have. Bike shops and surf shops are everywhere. The beaches are right there. What's not to love about this place?

In the Redwoods

in ,

This is the Frémont Tree, a burnt-out, hollow redwood tree. We could all fit inside it. It was pitch black in there (but we could see high up into the trunk with a flashlight). It was an incredible feeling. I stood into a tree!

As you enter a redwood forest, you are hit right away by its majestic beauty, a sense of reverence and awe. Then, you breathe the fresh forest air. The Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a special type of temperate rain forest, an old-growth coast redwood forest. These trees can grow beyond 300 ft tall and live to the mature age of over 2,000 years. It was stricking to see a slice of a redwood in front of the visitor center where major historical events have been marked on the tree lines (from 105 when the Chinese invented print to 1934 when it fell, this tree has seen a lot of history, Shakespeare's birth, Magellan's voyage and so much more). No wonder we feel their wisdoms when we walk in the forest! There is a feeling a protection, an embrace, not unlike what one experiences in a slot canyon...