This is a report about my October 2024 trip with a focus on climbing in The
Gunks in New York. The leaves were falling during this trip - and, new to me, it
seemed as though leaves might the inspiration for butterflies. Multiple
times I’d be overlooking a beautiful vista to notice a fluttering specimen in
the wind. In October in Austin, these flutterers are butterflies dancing in the
air, harvesting the pollens and nectars - the leaves don’t fall til later.
However, in Gardiner, NY at this time, the air dancers were leaves. I wondered:
did leaves give ideas to butterflies on how to move around?
This is a report about a climbing trip to Joshua Tree National Park in April and
May 2024. We camped and climbed trad for 4 days in beautiful weather.
Joshua Tree National Park West Entrance Sign
My hope for this story is that climbers may be able to leverage some insights
within and apply lessons during their climbing experiences. Non-climbers may
also enjoy getting to know my world a little more even though it’s primarily a
story about climbing.
This post is a story about a climbing trip that Luke and I went on to Red Rock
just outside of Las Vegas in 2023 to attempt to finish Epinephrine (Epi). For an intro
and to our first two scouting sessions on Epi, see
https://www.jasonkoppe.com/posts/climbing-trip-report-epi-1-and-2/. I won’t go
into the details of that trip here, but suffice it to say that we didn’t ever
finish Epi on our first two attempts - nor did we think we would - but one of
the attempts was … more influential than the other. So, if you’re a intrigued,
make sure to check out that post.
This post is a story about two climbing trips that Luke and I went on to Red
Rocks just outside of Las Vegas in 2022 to prepare for an eventual climb of
Epinephrine, the famous 5.9 in Red Rocks. We made progress on our climbing
goals, did some scouting, changed plans numerous times, were involved in
multiple accidents, one of us got a moderate injury and, of course, we had fun.
Some of the accidents led to much reflection and discussion, and some of them
became awesome stories of climbing at its finest. I first drafted this story in
January 2023 as one of many steps I took personally to process the second trip.
The story sat for a year while I finished work at Indeed and settled into
post-Indeed time. In January 2024, I picked it back up with some light editing
and final touches. My hope for this story is that climbers may be able to
leverage some insights within and apply lessons during their climbing
experiences. Non-climbers may also enjoy getting to know my world a little more
even though it’s primarily a story about climbing.
We were hosting a potluck with family and I was in charge of cooking the
standing rib roast (aka prime rib). It was my first time cooking this dish which
is popular in the USA at this time of year. Leading up to the cooking day, we
researched portion sizes and cooking approaches. Beforehand, we decided not to
bother with frenching the ribs since it seemed more cosmetic than practical and
to skip tying the ribs since we didn’t have twine. As plans go, on cooking day I
read that twine helped the rib cook more evenly, so I found myself asking my mom
and a neighbor:
My last day at Indeed was Friday, March 10. I spent about 14 of my 36 years there, approximately 40% of my life. It’s been a fun ride! I’ve grown so much during my time at Indeed, in large part because of the amazing people that I got to learn from. I cherish the friendships that I’ve developed through these years and will continue to grow them. I consider myself lucky to have joined Indeed, and I feel grateful for being a part of growing a company with a socially-oriented mission of helping people get jobs. I am excited for the next phase in my life, equipped with lessons from these years of growth at Indeed.
I recently went through a private and individual Somatic Release Breathwork session with Dr Dave Cohodes in Austin, Texas. I was curious to try the session because:
I’ve had increased anxiety recently, so I’ve been trying to learn about anxiety, understand anxiety, and what contributes to mine.
After going through 3 years of talk therapy, being privileged to have months of EMDR and practicing meditation for over 5 years, I am a huge proponent of mental health therapies. It strikes me as odd that we learn about geometry and chemistry in childhood education but we don’t learn how to process our difficult life experiences. So, I am all for trying mental health practices, and this one was new to me.
I just finished Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It’s a narrative of the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada which interleaves a multitude of stories, perspectives, and calls to action throughout. And while this approximately 300 page narrative is a summary of reality, it was eye opening for me.
I learned about colonialism, assimilation, racism, perseverance, and partnership.
Joshua Tree National Park West Entrance Sign