Lexi Ice Climbing

Today we went right outside of Cooper Landing to take Lexi ice climbing. She had been all amped up all winter long to go, but since we have not had the best cold winter up here until recently none of the ice had really formed well so she has had to wait. We found some smaller sections that had developed and she was ready to climb them. Lexi is 12 years old and just the right size to be able to handle the tools. The tools are still a bit big for our younger girls, but Mia and Madi didn't mind playing in the snow while Lex climbed. We all cheered Lexi on and she completed every route she climbed today!:)

Lexi all ready to go ice climbing, Nic getting her crampons ready.

 

Lexi checking out one spot first

Natalie excited that Lex is finally getting the chance to climb this yea.

Natalie pointing with a stick on some possible ice tool placements, Mia waiting for her stick back lol

Natalie and Merek

Natalie and Merek, Merek was trying to escape to get out of the van.

Lex looking at another route

There she goes!

Almost there....

YEAH!!! Lex at the top!

 Now that Lexi was all warmed up she was ready to climb a bigger, longer route. So we moved to another spot right down the road and she went for it.

Lexi starting the second route

Lexi getting over some of the trees on the route

Lex getting around the trees

Lex working her way up

Almost there!!!!!

Lex getting over the last lumpy bulb at the top!

Lex at the top!!!!

 
Lex said she felt like a champion afterwards and we were all so proud of her hard work! She rocked it!

Here is a video of her Send!

All American Family

Recently we bought a Sentria 2 Kirby vacuum. We never thought in a million years we would be so freakin excited about a vacuum! LOL! Surprise, but we are!  Its seriously one of the best buys! Its shiny and perfect for EVERYTHING! We have vacuumed every surface of the house and shampooed the carpets, oh oh and we used it to unclog drains. Its an all around tool. Plus it drives itself! Did I say its SHINY;)

Natalie showing off our the worlds smallest car

 

Merek checking it out

Merek laughing as he wants a ride

Yeah mama!

I wanna go again!

Wow yeah!



Yeah lets ride!
in black and white

its soo shiny!

Merek going on a ride

Nic enjoying the shampooing action

Nats super happy since now her floors will be truly clean!

It made our floors so clean and the carpet so fluffy! Def stoked on the ole Kirby!

Ninilchik Bluff Ice

This last weekend we took a trip down to Ninilchik to see if the Ice was in for climbing on the bluffs. The conditions were rather dismal, with this winter being so lackluster as it is. The Ice is not very great and overall not the safest thing to be climbing, but as Nic has been chomping at the bit to climb all winter long he braved the conditions to try what looked to be the most solid route on the bluff at the moment. Climbing aside we had a wonderful day out on the beach, the girls had fun playing around, and we tested out our new method of keeping Merek happy by pushing him all the way there in the jogger, bundled up in his snow gear and blankets he did wonderfully! He even had a nice little nap! 

 

All geared up and ready to go!

Heading up the approach, under the snow is all ice

Honestly the pictures make this look small! but it seems much bigger when your standing under it and are 30feet up from the beach.

Lexi was taking pictures and she got some super cool shots we all really liked. This is our rope with some random ice chunks

Placed a screw at the bottom to catch me incase the Ice gave out, it was really weird consistency, the constant freeze and thaw this winter has taken its toll

There was about 2 inches of crap ice over the top of all the "good" ice and even better ice was iffy, this winter has got to be the worst ever for climbing on the Kenai

I originally wanted to take the line to the left but it was total crap, all melted and rotten, with lots of water running down it, to our right about 50 feet there was actually a waterfall still fully falling down the bluff with no freeze!

next are a couple pics of the lackluster amount of ice on this normally solid section of bluff

So we went over to a little protected gully that Nat has wanted to climb thinking maybe less sun could get in there

Plans to just solo this little section didn't really pan out as again the warm weather has created such a weird freeze, the top layer is just complete crap and then the ice underneath was almost slushy, not an ideal situation



We both looked at it and came to the same conclusion, Not worth taking a slide down the gully for!



Our Littlest Climber

Our kids rock climb with us and really enjoy climbing whenever we climb. They are always eager to boulder in our climbing gym and outside with us, scout out new hidden places with us where there is climbable rocks and we super enjoy being able to do it as a family.They really love doing it and it makes for a wonderful family activity and sport where we encourage one another and achieve our goals together. Merek, our 8 month old son, has been exposed to climbing since he was born. With us constantly climbing and teaching classes, he has begun to gravitate to our climbing wall. He enjoys watching us and our students climb and when he is on the matts after we are done he quickly crawls over to the wall, grabs the holds and stands himself up. He will usually throw a glance and a wide smile as he turns his head towards us and yells, AH!" 

Merek loves to be picked up so he can feel the holds and even pulls his body weight on to them.

 

Merek checking out the holds

Look at me guys!!!-Merek looking at Nat smiling wide:)

Merek loves sitting on our volumes in the gym-so happy!

Oh!

"Yeah!" - Merek literally pulls himself into the holds he grabs

Merek "this is serious guys, quiet down back there" :)

And afterwards Merek gets big smooches from Nat and his big sister Madi :)