Northwest

After an extremely busy year Sara and I are in the midst of a few weeks off together.  It's great to have the time to enjoy slow mornings together.  Sipping coffee, checking email, and listening to NPR.  After a year spent all over the world this is paradise.

Last week we packed the car up and headed towards Oregon to explore a part of the country we've never been to.  We found good beer, a little bit of snow, and most importantly some time to relax.

McCloud, CA in the shadows of Shasta.

We started the trip with a walk up Mt. Shasta.  Rainbow socks not required but recommended.  Not a lot snow but some great views and plenty of snow art (snart) opportunities.

In Oregon we found some snow and made a few turns on Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood.  We loved Bend and Ashland but it's great to be home!

Rainbow over Bend

Outside Ashland

Big Hood

Cheers to vacation!

Ski ~ 2

San Francisco Doesn't Suck

Whew... After months of travel and hard work (it's not over yet but at least I'm in my own bed for awhile) I'm home!  So excited to get back into the rhythm of life here in NorCal.  The temp has cooled and winter is in the air.

While I was gone there was a pro surf contest right here in SF.  Proving once again that SF doesn't suck.

Hella doesn't suck.

San Francisco Doesn't Suck. from Blake Kueny on Vimeo.

Listen to the Lama

This one is in heavy rotation on the Facebook machine over the last few days. I decided to pull it out and share it with my non Facebook friends. Enjoy these words and enjoy your Thursday.

Home October 15

After a few months rubbing elbows with the stars in LA.  I'm coming home Oct 15.  And not a moment too soon according to NOAA:

A WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 6000 FEET REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM
5 AM TO 11 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE WEST SLOPE OF THE NORTHERN
SIERRA NEVADA.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: UP TO A FOOT ABOVE 7000 FEET...WITH 3 TO 6
  INCHES ABOVE 6000 FEET BY WEDNESDAY EVENING.

Hollywood Goes To Bed

It rained in Hollywood tonight. Clouds at sunset were unreal.

'bu with my boo

Boo

Malibu

When in doubt, paddle out

Busy, busy, busy. I've had a few sessions in the last few weeks but have not made the time to document them so I'm doing it from my phone.

I've got a late start this am so I decided to run over to the beach and catch a a few waves. Short and sweet but did the trick. Surfing is fun, sometimes you just need a reminder.

A few pics from the infamous Venice pier here in dogtown.

~ surf 28

It Gets Big In SoCal

So, I was under the impression it only gets big in NorCal.  Not true my friends.  The old J-O-B sent me off to Miami for a few days but before I left I decided to jump in the water.  Venice was solid overhead surf, closing out on the beach.  So big in fact the lifeguards had a tractor and they were pulling the towers away from the water as the big waves flooded what is normally dry sand.

There were no takers in the water and I chatted with one of the guards who told me it was only getting bigger.  The thing was, the waves were pretty clean, they just needed a spot that could handle them.  I got word there was a place about 10 minutes drive south that would most likely be working. I packed up and hit the road.

Waves were a bit smaller and much more manageable.  I got a few but not many, the spot was tricky and will definitely take some getting use to.  Always good to explore and find a new spot though.

I even found a video of the same place going off on a really big day, much bigger than when I was out.  So yes, it does get big in SoCal.




Surf ~ 25

LA for a Spell

I'm down in LA working for a bit.  It has been quite an adventure already.  The work is challenging and the days are long.  12 hours seems to be a normal workday and we are still in the "easy" part of the production (gulp).  For all the hype LA is serious business.  Yes, this town is full of people trying to be something they will never be and posing as something they are not.  But what people don't normally talk about is the army of extremely talented people keeping their heads down and cranking out fantastic work. It's intimidating and invigorating all at the same time.

That said, I haven't had a a ton of time to paddle out and drop in but I have gotten a couple sessions in.  I plan on making surfing a priority and keeping it in my routine.  The good news is I'm living a half block from the beach in Venice.  It's ridiculous.  You can pour a hot cup of coffee in the kitchen and have your feet in the sand before the coffee cools off enough to sip.  Not only am I close but I've also been trunking it.  No neoprene required, which actually shaves off a lot of time too.  I can have the thought "I think I'm gonna surf" and be wet in less than 5 minutes.

The waves are in full summer mode right now.  Small, inconsistent, and not particularly memorable.  But the experience is everything it needs to be.  A short window of peace and centeredness.  Living in the moment only thinking about the next paddle, turn, or section.  When you get out of the water the pressure is still there and you are the same person but the break and connection back to nature reminds you why you do it.  In LA, this is the backcounty.

Surf ~ 24

It Only Takes One

Chris and I met up at my house after work and headed south down the coast.  Surf was looking poor and the fog was back in full effect.  We scooted down to Montara and parked in the dirt lot.  Made our way down the wooden steps to the beach and jumped over the the final few steps that are broken and beat.  Someone needs to fix those things.

Paddled out at cubby holes into what looked like tiny windchop.  Turned out there were actually a few fun set waves.  I snagged one first and Chris got the wave of the day.  I was perched just behind him on the shoulder as it wedged up and broke left.  It sent him all the way to beach on a clean, long, left.  We were both stoked.  And that's all it takes to have a great session.

I didn't take any pics so I pulled this one out of the archives.  Same dudes, same place, shot after a pre-work session in 2009.  We didn't know how good we had it.

Surf ~ 22

Wet and Better Than Work

Pulled into the lot and asked the guy next to me how the surf was as he peeled off his wetsuit.  With a big smile he said wet and better than work.  That's code for it's not that great.  He was right, it wasn't that great but it wasn't that bad either.  In fact some parts of the day were fantastic.  It was another hot and sunny afternoon at the coast, so hot that I had to run across the sand because it was burning my feet.  Something that never happens in norcal.  The wind was light and the waves were small but with the right board they were rideable.  I've taken my share of norcal beatings in icy water under foggy skies.  For now I'll enjoy the sunshine, warm water, and ankle slappers while they last.

I was singing this catchy tune in the lineup today.  It has been stuck in my head for weeks.


The Head and The Heart - Rivers & Roads (A Doe Bay Session Extra) from Sound on the Sound on Vimeo.

Surf ~ 21

Me and the Jellies

Headed down to Montara this evening.  There is a big music festival going on in Golden Gate Park so the beach was practically empty.  I bobbed in the water with some jellyfish and basically had the place to myself.  It was a rare clear night in Fogust and the water was warm, crisp and clean.  Set waves were bigger than I expected and standing up nicely on the lowtide sandbars.  After surfing my shortboard a bunch it was a breeze sliding in on my longboard.

It wasn't like the surf itself was amazing but the scenery couldn't be beat.  I found myself letting some nice ones pass me by as I stared at the horizon daydreaming about who knows what.  Nice night to clear out the cobwebs and get a few rides.  And only the jellies were there to see me claim it.



Surf ~20

We Miss You

Back into the groove surfing a lot.  One of the best parts about surfing a bunch is getting back in touch with nature.  Knowing what the tide, wind, water temp, and moon are doing somehow makes the rest of the world a little easier to handle.  Had a few fun sessions with Adam, Noah, and by myself over the last few days.  The swell backed off over the weekend but the weather at the coast is still nice.  There is a very mellow vibe at the beach.  Everyone got their fill of good waves and now they can relax...  That is until the next swell arrives.

Here's a great student film to remind you to get back in touch with nature however you choose to do it.


WE MISS YOU from fireapple films on Vimeo.


Surf ~ 19

Still Good Out There

Got back out again today afterwork.  It's still good.  Started off crowded and rowdy but by the time the sunset after 2 hours of surfing the crowd thinned out nicely.  More fun lefts off the pumphouse.

Local shaper Marc Andreini was in the water.  Here's a great video from Mollusk Surf Shop about him.  Make sure to watch until the end of the video to see his classic style.  Makes me think the early 1970's was a really cool time to be in California.  From Yosemite to the coast lots of people rewriting the rules and reshaping the future.


Meet Your Shaper: Marc Andreini from Mollusk Surf Shop on Vimeo.


Surf ~ 16

Simply Fun

The ocean gives us what we need.  Sometimes it's a healthy beating, sometimes it's small playful surf, sometimes it's heart in the throat death slabs, and for the last two days it was smooth walled up lefts.

My buddy Adam at work filled me in with just a few words, "south swell filling in" as we passed each other in the office.  As always he was right.  Monday was good, Adam and I shared waves at the far north end of the beach.  I bounced around on my shortboard while he goofed on his longboard, starting fins first without a leash and still killing it.  The night was warm, clear and quiet.

Tonight was really good, verging on great.  Went out alone in the fog and was pleasantly surprised by the size and shape.  Sorta big but smooth and clean, walled up and firing left.  At one point I thought I heard the cracking of thunder but it was just a big one freight training down the beach.  Definitely had the best ride in recent memory.  It was simply fun.  The rides reminded me of the famous surf drawings by artist Andy Davis.  You get the drift.

Surf ~ 15

Solitude

Had a busy week and didn't get out until Saturday.  Wind was light offshore and the waves were a playful size.  Missed the ideal tide by a few hours but that wasn't the problem.  Problem was all the agro dudes in the water turning every wave into a paddle battle.  Oh well, always good to get wet.  Instead of surfing on Sunday I decdided to stay home and repair some dings in the sun instead of going heads up with the bro-brahs.  Maybe next time I paddle out it will look like this video from Australia, perfect peelers and no attitude in sight.

Solitude from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.

Surf ~ 13

Goldilocks

I was back down in LA yesterday for a morning meeting.  I decided to drive instead of fly because not only is it cheaper to drive but I can also bring a surfboard and take a dip in the ocean after taking care of business.  The meeting went well in the morning and I was heading north out of town by noon.  About an hour out of LA I stumbled onto a place called "surfers point" in Ventura.  Yeah, that will do.  It's a nice little right point that must absolutely light-up during the right swell, tide and wind conditions.  Waves were small but I managed a few on my shortboard.  Even in marginal conditions the point setup a few nice shoulders to feel the glide.

It was a surf session Goldilocks would have been proud of.  The water was neither warm nor cold.  The waves were not really good or bad.  I wasn't quite in Southern California anymore but I definitely wasn't in Northern California either.  It was just another day on the Central California coast.  A place that doesn't get a lot of attention.  There is a lot of talk about SoCal and NorCal but my guess is that the people of CenCal prefer it that way.  So here's a short video from that magnificent stretch of coast that might just make you rethink the California landscape.

Surf ~ 12

Rude Beast

Got a lovely note from Howard this morning.  Already planning ski trips for next season!  He attached a fun photo of me from this year's eastside adventures.  And in true Howard fashion his caption captures so much more than the frame.

And what rude beast is this

His hour come round at last

Slouching toward Dunderburg

To be reborn ~H.W.

Happy weekend everyone!

Summer in the City

It was a beautiful summer weekend here in SF.  It was even hot and sunny at the beach, a rare San Francisco moment for sure.  But with the holiday and gorgeous weather brought the crowds.  What is normally a cold and quiet sanctuary became a hot and rowdy zoo.  I'm not complaining, just telling it like it is.  Chris and I battled the crowds to get a few rides.  Had some fun ones for sure and enjoyed the weather.

I've also been told the blog is getting a tad boring with the same parking lot shots week after week.  I get it. So with that I bring you a video from a far off place.  Perfect peeling lefts without a 4th of July kook in sight.



Surf ~ 11

Into the Brambles

Guest Blog by our pal Chris!

Even a hardened writer such as the esteemed Jonny needs a break now and again. Sunday was classic bay area summer surfing weather - warm and sweet, light breeze and a thick bank of fog lurking on the horizon. We headed to Montara to escape the crowds and got the classic reward. The whole place smelled like sage and grass and nor-cal outside living. Only a couple guys out and, hey, those waves don't look so big from up here on top of the cliff....

...from your stomach scratching towards the horizon as another set rolls in, well, they do seem to be a tad larger than expected. Not to worry though, we both found a bunch of fun lefts and even a few big rights to keep things loose. Just another day in the brambles.

Surf ~ 8

Solstice

Hope you all enjoyed all the daylight today!  I'm in LA working for a few days and decided to make good use of the solstice.  I didn't bring a board so I had to do it old school, bodysurfing!

Caught a few before the sunset.  Now that's socal living.

Surf ~ 6

Sunset Session

And there you have it.  As if the ocean read my last post.  

Chris and I headed out for what we both thought would be just another mediocre session.  Even when we got to the beach things looked fair at best.  We slipped into our neoprene cocoons and paddled into the ice water.  And than it happened.  As the sun set the waves cleaned up into beautiful waist high peelers.  We started to get some good rides and by the the end of the session we were all giggles.  Got one of the best rides of the year so far and I'm sure Chris would say the same thing about a few of his.  Noodle arms and salty lips, that's the way to end a day.

i heart sf

So here's to paddling out no matter how bad you think it's going to be.

I didn't snap a pic at the beach so here's one from out the window at home.  Happy Father's Day!!

Surf ~ 5

It's not a good sign...

When you pull up to a surf spot and people are kite and windsurfing.  But what are you really going to do, go home?  If you're always looking for the perfect day you're going to miss some fun ones.  Chris and I paddled out into a fresh gale that would make Sir Francis Beaufort proud.










I look at days like this as making a deposit into the surf ATM.  Sooner or later the commitment to just paddle out will payoff with an unexpected withdraw.  Usually it's a random Wednesday afternoon in pea soup fog when you thought the surf would be absolute garbage.  Anywho, when in doubt, paddle out.

Batten down the hatches!

~ Surf 4

Good To Be Home

What was once a routine is now a wonderful treat.  Got a short sunset session in at boatdocks after work.

It's good to be home.

Surf ~ 3

Teamwork

Our pal and new father (congrats!) Kevin sent over this gem from the winter.



Bernard, Sara, Kevin and I were skinning up the mountain behind Bnard's cabin when Sara's skin fell off her ski.  Covered in snow, the glue that normally sticks to the bottom of your ski was useless.  We could have stopped there and headed down the mountain but we decided to get to the top with a little teamwork.  That's what friends are for after all.  Looking forward to more misadventures next season!

Good Enough

Made a quick trip out to Pacifica for a sunset session.  Conditions looked fair but when we got to the beach afterwork it was warm, sunny and decent.  We found a little peak on the south end and paddled out.  We had the little peak to ourselves and started catching some fun little ones on our longboards.  After about the third one Chris paddled up and said "Good enough" with a smile.  Damn right, good enough.

Surf ~ 2

First Surf of 2011

Kind of crazy how long it's been since I paddled out.  After much prodding from my buddy Adam at work I pulled my 9'0" down from the rafters in my garage and drove to the beach after work.  Adam lives at the beach and easily surfs over 200 days a year.  He can predict the wind, waves, and weather better than any site online.  If he says it's going to be good, it's going to be good.

Last night was a classic Pacifica session at Boatdocks.  Small, fun, playful, the perfect way to get back out after a long hiatus.  I was expecting the worst after so much time off but I managed to catch a few and not completely kook out.  Here's to the first surf of the year!

Surf ~1

Attitude of Gratitude

First look at the Eastside

Over the past year I've been exchanging messages with our friend Howard to get together for s ski trip.  It started with grand plans to do the famed Haute Route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland.  Schedules and timing got tight and we decided that maybe a trans-Sierra tour would work better.  But as the date got closer we were faced with even tighter schedules and a winter that just would not turn to spring.  Making a traverse not only challenging but downright dangerous.  We listened to nature and made alternate plans to head over to the Eastside of the Sierra and take some day trips, weather and conditions permitting.

So many possibilities

Basecamp

Bernard and I headed out to Virginia Lakes and met up with Howard, Art, and Csuri.  We based ourselves out of Art's house perched at 10,000 feet.  The weather was, well, not really cooperating with our spring time plans.  It was more like mid-winter than mid-spring.  It stormed, it blew, and the snowpack was sketchy.

Not a bad place to wait for a weather window.  Hey there's one!

We were lucky enough to find a few breaks in the clouds and make the best of them.  The highlight of the trip was climbing and skiing Dunderberg Peak.  We decided to skip skins and kick steps to the top.  Howard led nearly all 2000 feet, at times kicking three times per step to make a small ledge for the toe of your boot.  Leaving me, at half his age, in the dust.

Top of the world

At the top we relaxed for a few minutes as the next storm rolled in.  It was time to head down and enjoy the turns.  The snow turned out to be pretty good spring corn and we bombed back to the house.

First turn is a doosey

First tracks down the upper bowl

Howard tears up the lower half

Bernard makes it look easy on his way back home

On the way home Bernard and I stopped at Echo Lake and spent one night there.  We ended up getting some very fun turns in the place that arguably started this whole backcountry skiing thing for both of us.  It was great to get a few more before Bnard headed back to the midwest.

Back to where it all started

Monsters!

The entire trip Howard was wearing a baseball hat with a little Buddha on the front and the saying Attitude of Gratitude on the back.  Seemed like the perfect choice of headwear for this one.

Until next year

~38

Bear Valley | Mt. Reba

Kevin and I made a quick trip out towards Bear Valley this past weekend.  It's a very mellow family friendly spot tucked away between Tahoe and Yosemite.  There is a small ski resort at the end of the road, literally. This is where the plows stop on Highway 4.

The plan was to skin into the backcountry on Saturday, make camp and ski delicious spring corn under sunny blue skies.  But instead of bluebird spring conditions we got cold and rainy instead.  Well at least it started as rain.  There was also hail, sleet, thunder and lightning.  We started with the best intentions, heads down, skinning through the rain.  After we had traveled far enough to get soaked down to our baselayers we decided to set up a tarp and wait it out.  Sometimes the mountains show you how much you can take, you go further and climb higher than you ever thought you could.  Sometimes, they don't.  We decided (and I was ready to pitch this option hard) to head back to the car, get some dry clothes and have a hot meal (I think I'm getting old).  We headed to the Snowshoe Brewery, drank beer and played Buck Hunter until they kicked us out.  By the way, kevin is an ace marksmen.  Who would've thunk it.

Waiting it out.  This sucks, let's go play Buck Hunter.

The next morning it was bright, sunny, and Spring.  Now that's more like it!  We headed up Mount Reba and harvested fantastic Spring corn.  And to top it off Kevin and I poached the backside of Bear Valley ski taking the chairlift up and out of the valley instead of climbing.  Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.

Kevin, in it to win it.

The corn harvest.

The poach.  Shhhh!  I'm trying to hunt rabbits.

ThirtyThreeSkiDays.