Mission: Boulder Wall--COMPLETED

So for those of you out there in the state who might actually climb on our wall...it's done. Climb-ready, anyways...There's a few more details to finish up.





- Need to fill cracks between boards
- Texturize
- Put roof on back side
- Lay rubber mulch or something

But no one here cares about those details anyways....

So the rain kept us from finishing the wall in time for the wedding, but the first 8 feet of the right side were done and climbable. It was fun, except for all the kids there thinking the crash pads were for jumping on. Well there's no kids here now, and there never will be, so the landing is good.



Kris and I finished off the in a few hours. Dang, one day without rain and we'd have finished in time...oh,well.





I climbed in between hammering bolts into the plywood...



Did I mention the wall is big enough to fit Kris' truck AND crazy under it at the same time! WOW!



Truck did make an awesome ladder for putting up those top 4x8's!

It's finally September, and the temps are dropping...ready to go out back and climb?

The progress goes on...

Ten days to finish it...think we can make it?

The concrete finally starting showing up on Wednesday....FREE CONCRETE! The best kind...We had rented a power buggy(fancy automatic wheelbarrow) for a week to port the conrete from the trucks on the street in front, all the way back of the yard to the wall. Our next door neighbor, Denny, was more than happy to help drive the power buggy for us while we were at work. In three days we topped off the holes with what is about 15 tons of commercial, high grade cee-ment!







Then the dirt piles were hauled away and the steel started going up...





As well as other important parts, like the lip...gotta have something to grab at the top! Thing is, our center truss ended up a few inches higher than the two on either side, so we had to do some creative "bending" to get the 2x8 to be flush to the bottom edge....Wood Bending Tools: 2 Adult Men, 2x4, ability to hang on 2x4...



Now we're on the the reinforcing of the structure...finding all the wiggle spots and tightening them up. We will need to put two front supports on, angled into the wall....after 35W we're all about over engineering!





So this is how she looks today...




well, there maybe more steel in there now...but close enough...here she is from the front...







She's not done yet...but she still holds weight!



The plywood should go on this weekend! We can't wait to have one of the most bad ass outdoor home walls...in the country, probably! Sweeeeet....

Mmmm...More Progress

So last wednesday we put up the last truss after work. Dillion help out...AGAIN! Along with Kris' old climbing buds Pat and Pat....Patton Fast & Pat Keeley...











Wew...that was easy...now for the hard part....squaring it off!








It took us a long time to figure out that one of the diagonal beams was on the opposite side its the vertical beam from the other two...our measurements weren't working out...Why were we over 4" too wide between the beams, but still 24 feet wide total? Daaa! But then Pat noticed the diagonal beam's orientation, and it all made sense...and all measured up...and level....Thank God! And thanks to the Pat's, who did all the brain work!







Kris started welding some of the steel support beams in, but we're still waiting for the concrete to get poured. Slow going...but we're getting there!

New Rock in Town

So there might not be a lot of great climbing in the Twin Cities yet! But SOON! Behold...the progress!



At first the neighbors thought we were trying to dispose of bodies....

















But they were wrong...





























We weren't trying to kill Dillion and Neil....well, not anymore....they were a HUGE help to us this weekend!
































Now that doesn't look quite right.....
















Ah, yes! Now that's starting to look like something you can climb on!













When we were done all we could do was sit and stare at its HUGENESS! And that's only HALF of it! One more frame to go and it will 24 feet wide, 12.5 feet tall and angled at 50 degrees! If you're coming to the wedding next month it'll be waiting for you! So bring your shoes and chalk!

Minnesota Skin in Minnesota Spring

So, it was totally beautiful out on St. Patties day, and a whole bunch of us got together at Taylors for some early season action!
Of course, since the bees haven't showed up yet, we all started out on the Lloyd's boulder...It was in the sun, and most of us were down to our t shirts...except Nic, who was hugging rocks bare-chested...

Half of us spent time flailing on Llyod's Sit, and the other half on Left of Llyod's



No, Nic still hasn't done Left of Llyod's with any witnesses...I think he's a dirty liar....

Crazy found her favorite little hiding spot under the pads against the Llyod's boulder...my dog ain't too smart...



For some reason Corey and Dillion brought along a whole rack of gear...I thought we were bouldering? So Nic set up a top rope on Genetic Control to try to flash it. He first thought he could bouldering it if he flashed it first try. Good thing he fell, I wouldn't spot his ass on a dumb stunt like that! He got it on his second go, and Chris finished on his "second" full try...there's some dubiousness about that since I guess there was some hang-dogging, whatever, I don't care, I don't climb on ropes, I just fall and the attempt is over.






There were big ice sheets floating in the river...kind neat...


Then we all went over to Lunge or Plunge...not my idea...All the 6ft guys got it, no problem....not much of a "lunge" as it was mostly "static". Kris & Neil flashed it...Scott, Corey, Nic, & Chris all sent, but I don't remember if they flashed or not...








Dillon and I had a few more complications, being that we could barely span the set up move to the dyno...Dillion took a few nice falls...



And I could barely reach the side pull, I don't like it way up there and sideways...



Then everyone turned their focus to The Prow just behind Lunge or Plunge...Nic did a little gardening in the bucket...



Then it was ready for climbin on...





This is the tree that Dillions ankle slid between after falling on this try...SHAKE THAT DAMN TREE, SHAKEN BABY TREE SYNDROME!!!








Then Chris started up Slick Sides w/ 1 pad underneath him...everything was going great,

until the last crack (in below pic) at the top gave out some sort of screech...

Nic and I were on top, and heard it too...we were all like, "What the Hell was THAT?" Not wanting to be bitten by a shreeking spider, as Nic suggested it must be, Chris quickly jumped down. Further probing and jamming with the stick brush found nothing...Nic probably just farted and didn't want to admit it...

And that's the story of our first day out at Taylors this spring...Not as exciting as Heuco, I know...but we had a great time, and a great landing zone!--Still not good enough for me to actually TRY at Lunge or Plunge...someday...when I grow up and get big!