September 2009 – Week 1

November 2nd 2009 – Lesson NOT learned. Below in the second day you will read that I sustained a leg injury due to not properly stretching and warming up. Well… yesterday (Nov. 1st) I was at the Falls of the Ohio doing Parkour and didn’t warm-up or stretch and pulled a muscle in my butt. Lesson learned? I dare not get caught saying that again.

Again playing catch up with the blog. There seem to be many days where I didn’t bother to shoot pictures of the climb, but plenty of supplemental material from the other events of the day.

DAY 881 09.01.09 – Today I had a great climb. I was at the park and was looking up at the trees. I spotted a nice tall one beyond the nearby weeds and looked to the top. A flash of bright red caught my eye and I was immediately drawn to it. I gave the tree a close look and it seemed like there was a path to the top. Only I couldn’t see the bottom for the weeds. I started to trudge through and almost ran into the LARGEST spider I have ever seen (barring the tarantula in AZ when I was little).

I shot a couple shots of him, then carefully moved around to go on my way. I reached the end of the low weeds and walked into the wooded area. There I saw the massive trunk of my desired tree and its lack of low branches. I scanned for a way in and spotted a vine. I tested it and it seemed strong so I started to go up, but quickly it slipped and I came back to the ground. I moved right to a small tree nearby and began to climb its tiny limbs. Once up high enough I tried transferring to the first branch of the large tree but had trouble finding the right grip to complete the weight transfer without falling. Minutes later the obstacle was solved and I began my slow climb up the tree. Every impasse was met with determination and problem solving till I reached the top to discover the what that red flash was.

Decaying leaves from the now defunct vine. Bright red/orange with black berries. It was beautiful and I felt such a great sense of accomplishment. A simple desire to solve a mystery became an arduous task. But such an enjoyable one. I sent my first picture text to share my view with Natalie, then enjoyed one of the most beautiful days of the year.

Then I climbed down. It was all standard moves in reverse until I got to the tree transfer at the bottom. It was just too far to reach. I looked for all other options until I found myself hanging from my arms and no other alternatives left but finding a way to reach my foot to the other tree or falling. I became frantic and reached my foot out just hoping to make contact with the tree, not even sure it would even result in me being able to transfer. But it worked! I made my way down, injury free, mystery solved, experienced shared, and I felt pretty damn good.

DAY 882 09.02.09 – After a disappointing injury to my leg at Parkour I biked to Adams Street and climbed the first Sycamore I came to. As with all injuries I believe climbing a tree will fix it. So I went up to the top as the cicadas whirred and buzzed around flustered by my presence. My leg felt better but I realized it was a slight strain in a stabilizer muscle most likely caused from the lack of proper warm-up and stretching. Lesson learned. I stood at the top of the tree and looked out to the skyline in the dark sky. With no camera I didn’t stay long and focused on how my leg felt as I climbed back down.

DAY 883 09.03.09 – BBC night and I of course waited to climb till night and one beer in. I left the bar and walked over to the church on the corner of Market and Clay. I wanted a new tree, possibly in the back lot behind the church but there wasn’t anything there. So I just walked to the front and got right to climbing the Ginkgo. The first two times I climbed this tree it was either raining or snowing. Being dry and warm it was an easy and quick climb to a higher apex than I was able to achieve before. No camera but I shot with the phone.

Then I climbed back down to get another beer.

DAY 884 09.04.09 – Walked down Cabel to Adams thinking about how this will be one of the last times I make this walk to find a tree to climb since I am moving in less than a month. I headed towards the Hobo Habitat next to the interstate. I had the big Maple in mind but when I got into the woods and followed the worn path in the undergrowth I noticed about 10-20 mosquitoes swarming my legs. I jetted out of there and picked a Sycamore just off the sidewalk on Adams. It was small, easy, and the view wasn’t great.

It definitely felt like something I got out of the way before the bachelor events for the night.

Rickey, the Groom to be, and our server at the BBC on 4th Street, Kasey I believe.

Roderick, brother and best man

Drew, my roommate at the time and all around good guy.

CJ, friend, runner, martial arts specialist

Julio, friend, writer, lawyer, runner, awesome guy. To the Barret Bar!

DAY 885 09.05.09 – Went to Parkour at the Waterfront at 1pm. Jeremy and I were the only ones to show. We did some Parkour then my leg hurt from a minor injury I incurred Wednesday night. We did an arm strength circuit then I walked home. On the way I crossed the railroad tracks and walked along the fence by the interstate. I found a smallish Cottonwood and climbed to the top. It was a good continuation of the workout for my arms. The view wasn’t great but the weather was gorgeous. I took my phone out to take a picture and saw I had a text message so I replied, put the phone back in my pocket and climbed down. It wasn’t until I was on the ground that I realized I didn’t take a picture. Oh well.


A view from the Frazier Museum rooftop where I was for the wedding rehearsal for Rickey & Ryan’s wedding the next day. I was a groomsman.

DAY 886 09.06.09 – Rickey and Ryan’s wedding day. I got up and pretty much had to go go go all through the day. I was sitting at the reception watching people dance when it hit me, I hadn’t climbed yet. I freaked that I had let it slip my mind all day. That is a scary thought. But I still had more than 3 hours to get it in. I chose not to waste any time and went up to the lounge room to change into my street clothes. Then I went across Roy Wilkins and climbed a maple I had spotted a few weeks earlier but didn’t climb due to a tree service truck working nearby. It is a smaller Maple and had quite a few dead branches, but the nice thick leaf cover provided nice shelter from the sprinkling rain. That is, of course, until I made a major move in the tree and shook all the water onto my head. It was a refreshing shower however, and it was also neat to look over at the Glassworks building and see the flashing color lights coming from the reception dance floor. In spirit, I was still there, but it was great to get away and have this peaceful escape. I value it everyday. (Congrats you two!)


After the reception a few of us went to Roderick’s place for an after party. It was good to see my friends Aaryn and Luke (top photo) from Colorado, and Carden and Courtney (on the left bottom photo), hard working organic farmers in Henry County, KY.

DAY 887 09.07.09 – Waited till last minute again. I biked to the downtown Marriot to meet Aaryn, Luke and Rickey for a drink. Then I left at 11pm to find a tree. I went down Market and turned left on First Street when I spotted a decent tree. I waited for there to be no one looking at the White Castle across the street and then up I went. I climbed to the top and had a great view over the rooftop of the building to the nearby skyline.

It was incredible actually. And this time I had my camera on me.

After shooting I sat just a minute taking in the experience then climbed back down. I hung, dropped and biked home before midnight.