Blowing the mind, becoming a legend, and other musings of an eleven-year-old rock climber
John Paul wants to be a legend in the climbing community. He’s 11 years old and started climbing about 2 years ago. Kevin Jorgeson is a legend in the climbing community. He’s 33 years old, started climbing when he was about John Paul’s age, and in 2015 became the first person in history, together with his climbing partner, Tommy […]
Smiling, gratitude, and other creepy things
Knock, Knock. . . Who’s there? . . . Belay? . . . Belay who? . . . NO! For the 9th time, it’s belay ON! OK, stupid, but made you smile. I recently did this 30 day challenge sponsored through a podcast that I listen to called The Art of Charm (www.theArtOfCharm.com). The idea […]
Tips for great service, karma, and a quarter
A number of years ago my wife and I were in the very picturesque and quaint mountain town of Frisco, Colorado. Nestled just off of I-70 in Summit County, Frisco offers access to scenic bike paths, Dillon Lake, beautiful hiking, and of course, world class skiing and snow boarding. It also boasts a number of […]
Breathe. Live. Inspire.
July 21, 1969. (I know, most of you weren’t even alive yet.) I was alive: a young boy sitting on the brown shag carpet of our living room floor with my dad, watching a nail biting drama being played out in real life. It’s one of the first memories of my life that I have […]
The Leader/Climber, a natural symbiosis
“Great leaders are hard to find.” I’m not sure who first said that, but it certainly does seem to be true today. It was easy to find great leaders in the past. Men like George S. Patton or Winston Churchill during WWII; Martin Luther King, Jr during the civil rights movement; and way before her […]
Do you believe?
I grew up in an amazing family. My dad always was and always will be my hero. Such an incredible man: honest, hard working, trust worthy, sacrificial are all words that any who knew him would use to describe his character. He worked as a traveling salesman. I loved going on the road with him during […]
Zach Petersen: 2016 Bliss Member of the Year!
Bliss has the greatest members in the world. That fact alone made choosing a member of the year for 2016 so insanely difficult, as there were literally dozens of people in the running. However, Zach’s name kept coming up time and time again. He has been involved with us from the very start, having followed […]
Don’t you quit on me!
You are a stud! (or studdette, or whatever other designation you prefer as an expression of your awesomeness). How do I know? Because it is now February and you are reading a climbing blog . . . which means you are likely also still climbing! And that means that climbing is not just another lame […]
Resolving to resolve, making 2017 your best year ever
I hate new years resolutions. And I don’t make them. I’m not alone. Less Americans each year are participating in the January 1 ritual. The reason: because the only thing certain about most New Years Resolutions is that you will probably fail at them. And since failing just really sucks, why make the resolution […]
If I Can’t then I Must – Reflections on 9th grade chemistry and the four-minute mile
Jennifer Cramner sat across from me in 9th-grade chemistry (names have been changed to protect me!). She was blond, blue-eyed, and had the most amazing teeth (OK, I never actually noticed her teeth, but it would probably be inappropriate to describe what a 15-year-old boy would notice). Anyway, she was perfect. I . . . […]
