A few of my friends from the Sonoma, CA climbing community have created Professional Climbers International - a new nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the value of the sport for climbers, its industry and the environment. Board members include legendary pro climber Lynn Hill; one of the most humble guys and greatest teachers around, Kevin Jorgesen; fun-loving and super-strong climber Sarah McKay; climber Rusty Klassen who never ceases to impress with his great stories; and David Traversi (father of climbers Carlo and Giovanni Traversi). Sonoma County has one of the greatest climbing communities around and I feel so lucky to have befriended such fun and talented folks while I lived there. Check it out.

Have you heard of Ashima Shiraishi? She's a an adorable eight-year-old girl in Manhattan who boulders in Central Park and can climb V10. For you non-climbers, that means she's pretty much a child superhero. And the best thing about her is that she seems to really just love climbing for the fun of it. It's really inspirational to watch her and the rest of these athletes talk about their passions. We just need to remind ourselves that when we go to the gym and haven't climbed (or done whatever sport you're into) but maybe a few times in the past few months and, well, quite frankly, we suck, it's no big deal. Just have fun.

Ah, Bishop. It’s just a little bit of heaven on earth, if you’re a climber, or if you like hiking, or if you like tall snowy mountains, or if you like the smell of sage. And I feel sorry for those who don’t like any of that. I met up with some awesome friends from Sonoma County last week, including the Super Duper Sarah McKay shown in this photo. And although I didn’t send much hard stuff because I haven’t climbed since summer and bouldering scares the shizaz out of me, it was a wonderful escape and a really fun trip. While I was at Black Sheep (mmm, good coffee), I recognized the face of an online friend, Rachel Strate, a.k.a. Wasatch Girl. Small world. But it’s nice to know that online friends exist outside of Facebook and the Twitterverse.

When someone says “I’m going to Grand Junction area for the weekend,” the typical response is “Oh… Why?” It’s not exactly the hippest spot in Colorado, but I loved it when I visited one of my good friends there recently. The mesas surrounding the city trap light and glow with crimson, and nearby Unaweep Canyon is an incredibly special spot, with no crowds, great climbing and two creeks flowing from its center. During our climbing/camping trip, a stray splinter snagged our friend Trevor while he collected firewood, but thankfully the good doctor Brian DiMarzio was there to remove it. And the next day of climbing was saved.