FROZEN CREEKS

Well it seems that I have been invited to participate on this blog as the token mountain biker. I'd like to introduce myself more as a member of the DSC or Dangerous Sports Club. I like fear. It is a great teacher. The skills that I acquire while facing my fears in sports I apply to love, life, and the resolution of my karma.

I found teamscum by a sticker that said "support soulful lifestyles". From that moment I was hooked. I sent some emails and some pics and became an honorary member. I won't bore you with too much blah blah, here's the cool shit I did recently to scare myself.


This is Sam's Branch coming off the backside of Sam's Knob about a week ago. The climb was about 1000' of elevation. We meandered over frozen pools and up small falls for about 2 miles until we got to the top. The final pitch was about 100' of verticle and near verticle. We free climbed (no ropes) the entire creek.



At moments on the falls, you could hear the water roaring underneath you, the ice gently vibrating. The ice was NC style, meaning thin and risky at times. There were many holes large enough to fall through to your death into the quickly moving water below.

At one point I did break through the ice on a flat pool area. Only one boot in the water and clutching a tree, I looked down to see pool was about 8' deep.


This is Winding Stair Gap. Its a road cut that freezes up near Franklin, with about 120' of pure verticle. This was my 1st time out there and my second lead climb. Fun and intense.