Dave burled down the shitty Mount Woodson trail headed downhill to Starface when red flashed down below. It's rare to see another climber down here, especially on a weekday. As we continued down the slope scrambling the occasional boulder I recognized my longtime friend and climbing partner Janet coming up the hill towards us. And…
Five years of early mornings, long days, and late nights. I am quite possibly the epitome of what defines the concept of the 99%. A struggling american citizen with no reprieve in sight, but trudging forth steadfast despite the constant adversity. That's what I enrolled in college for, to get away from the aimless state…
I was sitting with my lifelong friend Jake on his patio talking climbing and talking life--where those two end and begin, I'm not sure. He laughed in reference to the amount of people who compare their climbing ability and progress with his, and, often so, they haven't spent a fraction of the time honing the…
It started in early recovery--a group of friends with a common goal to cut weight and get in better shape chose to hike Cowles Mountain regularly. In the beginning we all walked, and my being much younger, not to mention restless, wanted to walk faster. I started hiking ahead and going to the top by…
It was cold. I laid in my tent playing the same game I always play with my climbing partners on cold mornings with looming scary days in the mountains ahead, and waited to see if they will stir or if I can sabotage the day by going back to sleep. But I always decide to…
When I started this project, SaftyThird, I was focused on delving into the fringes of our society and our individual lives, the places where the profound lessons hide and the most fulfilling experiences wait, but that many are too afraid to explore and find. We instead employ a margin of safety that serves as an adequate precaution…
