Summer days with a winter glaze

Zion

Greetings earthlings,

For those of you who have been with me from the start, it has been nearly five years now. With each year that passes and every new blog written, I am drawn further into a bit of a conundrum. In an age of such prolific self validation (yes, I'm talking to you Joe GoPro), it seems that adventure for the sake of adventure might soon take its place in the archives next to the abacus. "The moment" seems less important than getting the right lighting in a selfie. Such a bleak outlook is reinforced easily. For it was only a couple of months ago where I sat in a Bryce Canyon overlook and couldn't help but notice that 90% of the people who arrived spent more time looking at the view through a smart phone screen. This is where my dilemma arises; It is a bit ironic that I would make such complaints in my blog... But alas, let me clarify (even if only for myself) that my blog is intended to keep those whom I don't get to see or speak to often up to date. So allow me to get off of my high horse real quick, and with no further ado...

Angel's Landing

Welcome to another edition! While most of you are thawing out these days, I have been soaking up the sun in some of the only places that didn't feel winters icy breath on its neck. So pour yourself a drink (...better make it a double) and allow me to try and warm you up with tales from America's great southwest.



Life has been a bit of a blur since the last one of these was written. It should come as no surprise that most free time has been spent doing something dearly loved in some of the most beautiful places in the country (that would be climbing for those of you just joining).

The first few stops in the journey were Zion, Escalante, and Lake Powell. I recently began guiding people on recreational climbing/canyoneering trips and these are prime areas for such things to be done.

A new friend I made

After a couple of weeks of playing in nature and sleeping under the stars in southern Utah, it was back to Denver. Why? For ahead of me waited an adventure by the likes of which I had never known.

Somewhere near Ouray, CO

The plan was to pack up the motorcycle and take back roads all the way from Denver to Phoenix over a two week time frame. And aside from a few very very cold days of riding through the Rockies, it was one of the greatest times of my life. This style of traveling is hard to compare to anything else I have ever done. But if I had to I might compare it to a pumpkin pie. Yes that's right... pie. Most of the other traveling I have done is perhaps like catching a passing whiff of a fresh baked pumpkin pie. Sure you get to experience it in a sense, but its so brief and fleeting that it seems but a tease to your appetite. This trip was different however. This would be more like taking the biggest piece from the pie, throwing it in the microwave, glopping two big scoops of vanilla ice cream on it and rolling up your sleeves.

The route was primarily on dirt roads and trails, and when pavement was the only option it was always the scenic route. Along the way I ran into a few friends, got to climb in places I had never been before, saw tons of wildlife (including two big bull elks at a full run (no I wasn't chasing 'em....) and a young bobcat, and even saw my life flash before my eyes a few times (just joking mom). 

Lunch break at the Grand Canyon

So after two weeks of riding, I rolled into Phoenix like a tumbleweed on winters wings. Saddle sore and a few pounds heavier from a steady diet of sand, the couch seemed a fair place to recover. But a rolling stone gathers no moss, and a couch does little to satiate an appetite for adventure. And my timing in the desert couldn't be better... climbing season is just getting ripe. Off to Josh. 

Typical Joshua Tree Sunset

So it is in Phoenix where I will hide away from the chills of winter this year. The fire of 2014 is starting to dwindle and the flames of 2015 are already looking bright. I'm headed off to Germany for a month of work in January (so yes, I do actually work sometimes (but never too hard (...someone has got to take it easy for you after all))). So there you have it, folks. You're never too old to be filled with wonder. Life calls us and we go forth. Eat, drink, and be merry!





Truly, madly, deeply,

Danjerous

Hope yer hungry!

Good evening, and welcome to the Cafe Jerous. I'm Dan and I'll be your server this evening. Can I start you off with a drink? No? Well let me finish mine really quick.... there. Now, for tonight's special we have a three course meal. We'll start you off with a very sweet honey glazed Wyoming climbing trip. After that we have the very succulent Greenland loaf. And for dessert we have a caramel coated, bacon wrapped, deep fried, buttered job in California that is covered in sprinkles, more bacon and french fries. Sound good? Great, we'll get that started for you right away.


You may or may not recall but the last time we had spoke I had recently returned from travels abroad. I was faced with a tough decision to go back to work or take another month off for some climbing. It was a tough decision and after a lot of deliberation I opted to pack the van and head to the wild state of Wyoming for a solo climbing trip.

Fremont Canyon

Having my roof-rack rip off of my car (with my bike and rocket box attached) while doing 75 on I-80 seemed a bit of a bad omen on my first day. But despite the set back much enjoyment was had on the trip. I climbed in the likes of Vedauwoo, Fremont Canyon, and Wild Iris, saw places new to my eyes, made friends out of strangers, and fell in love with life a hundred times over.


One of the more memorable experiences had upon the trip was a big climb in the Tetons. It was an adventure from start to finish to say the least. It began with an optimistic two-lake paddle in. But swarms of mosquito's and warnings of grizzly bears proved to be ominous foreshadowing.

My partner Terry paddling on our way to the climb

For not being able to find the climbers trail, we were punished with a rather unpleasant hike in. And despite a midnight mountain storm with no tent or flat ground on an exposed rock slope, two hours of sleep, a heart attack scare (my climbing partner was 65), a lost shoe, and two and a half hours of the worst bushwhacking of my life, we succeeded and finally made it back to town at around 3am.

But it isn't always fun and games here at the Cafe Jerous. I gotta do something more with my life than just have a good time, right? So off to Greenland for some work.

They say that after you've been everywhere, there is always Greenland. It has an almost overwhelmingly vast, baron, melancholic landscape. There are sweeping mountains of shattered rock that lead to horizons of ice beneath everlasting grey skies and the midnight sun. The particular place I was at was quite unique however. We were surrounded by a mountain range, the ice cap, three separate glaciers and a large bay filled with icebergs. And even though I had been coating my coworkers boots with seal blubber I was unsuccessful in seeing a polar bear. I did manage to work up the courage to jump in the water though. I suspect it would be quite hard to survive in that water for even a few minutes. But in Greenland, when it rains, it pours. The same can be said of my work schedule.

So straight from the icy grip of the Arctic to the warm embrace of southern California.

A fog dragon slinks across the valley floor

We worked right on the coast near Oxnard for the first week or so and then had another job on a remote site in the Channel Islands. We had to pack in all of our own food, sleeping gear, everything and take a long boat ride to get there. Our reward was constant post card quality landscapes.

Santa Cruz Island fox

There were also these cute little buggers all over the island.





But seriously... enough about work already, right? Let's get back to vacation. So after two months of work I was jonesing for some climbing (surprise, surprise). This time I was lucky enough to get to tie in to the ropes with my pops, who had come out to spend a few days out in the woods, clambering around on rocks together.

But alas good friends. The warm season is coming to an end and so too must this blog. With the falling leaves I take my queue to flee to warmer lands. So tomorrow I head to Arizona for a few weeks of climbing and canyoneering in Zion and Lake Powell. Got a few more cool adventures before this year ends so make sure you tune in next time. But until then.... don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Charming the fog dragon with some flute music

DanJerous

Mainlining Life

 2:30am- The alarm goes off. Time for 45 minutes of physical and mental exercise. A quick bowl of granola and yogurt, some instant coffee and its time to go.

4:00am- Work truck leaves. It's a 30 minute drive to the job site. The stars look nice in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. Gotta keep my eyes on the road... damn kangaroo's love playing chicken in these awful hours.

4:30am- Arrive at the job site. Time to clear the guards and multiple check points... "No sir, another cavity search will not be necessary today, sir!"

5:00-11:00am- Work. The sun's still low and so is the heat. Like clockwork, when the sun pops up, the flies arrive.

11:00am- Lunch (One of my favorite times of year)

12:00pm- Back to work. (To replicate the average condition of working in summer in the outback of Australia; enter into a sauna wearing long pants and long sleeve shirt. Turn on super lamps and release a medium sized bag of flies and commence with manual labor).

3:00pm- Time to go. Finally.

3:30-6:30pm- Relax, rehydrate, food, beer, TV, dinner, etc.

6:30pm- Pass out.

2:30am- The alarm goes off...

Rinse and repeat this for 6 days a week for 10 weeks and you will get the idea. Ever seen the movie "Groundhogs Day"? The mind-numbing monotony was broken up only by the one day off a week (Sunday), which was often spent recovering from Saturday night. This is how I spent most my time from early Feb through the middle of April.

So there... now that the boring stuff is out of the way, let your hair down, loosen up that tie, and pour yourself a stiff drink...

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. The scales have been tipped in one direction and its time to even the score. After 2 and a half months of work its time for 2 and a half months of fun, right? That's how it works for you guys, isn't it?  "So long Alice Springs; Cairns, here I come!"



Bungee jumping, 3 dives in the Great Barrier Reef, crocodiles and jungle tours? Geez... I better pace myself. This is only the first 4 days of vacation.


After a near 3 months of being down-under it seemed like it was time to move on. "To Indonesia, Jeeves."

Shortly after arriving in Bali I made my way to the nearby island of Lombok. It was there that my path crossed with that of a crew of scurvy sea dogs. Shanghaied, I soon found myself on a small vessel carrying us toward the infamous Komodo islands.

We sailed the warm, clear, calm waters of the Indian Ocean (this is the color blue that ocean water ought to be), surrounded by a plethora of lush and dramatic volcanic islands. After four days of snorkeling, swimming with Manta Rays, midnight dips in bio luminescent plankton, island hopping, and a hundred other shenanigans, we had arrived... the Komodo Islands!

It was here that one of those wretched dinosaurs made a go at me. Shortly after crossing his path, the cunning beast flanked a couple of us and began to run. The stick I had in hand would have done little to help me, but I'm guessing I could have outrun the cute blond girl in the flip flops. Only a few days before we had arrived, a ranger had been bitten by one of these voracious monsters.

The initial wound is perhaps the least of your concerns, although the pictures assure that no part of a Komodo Dragon bite with worth experiencing. A dragon has 64 different types of bacteria in its mouth. After it bites its prey, it stalks it for days, biting it more and more. Eventually the wounded animal becomes too sick and falls over. This is when the dragon moves in... feeding time. The ranger ended up having his foot amputated due to the amount of infection that had set in (health care is never close in Indonesia). And oh, don't mind the vipers and cobras....

Having landed in Labuan Bajo (Flores Island), it was time for a new plan. After returning to Lombok and spending a few days surfing and consuming copious amounts of fresh coconut on the beach, it seemed like I needed to take it a bit easier... Next stop; Gili Islands!

The Gili Islands are by all appearances, paradise. To walk around one of the islands would take perhaps a couple of hours (or more depending largely on how many beach side bars your stop at). There are no cars and no police. I will leave much to your imagination. When I was able to pry myself from my beach side hammock, I would stagger only a short distance to enjoy the cuisine and views from one of the many beautiful restaurants like that in the picture above. 

 

After spending far too much time in the sun, it seemed best to enjoy the interior of some of the islands. It is on the eastern end of Java that numerous active volcanoes are located. The one above is called Bromo. The one below is Ijen.

 These men are mining sulfur. This is without a doubt the worst job I have ever seen anyone do and each one of them is smiling, singing and happy. To give you an idea of what these guys go through everyday... Imagine hiking uphill for an hour, and then down 30 minutes into the crater of a volcano. Congratulations, you have arrived at work.  Now bust up the sulfur as you are asphyxiated by thick billowing smoke. Done? Got your (150lb-200lb) load? Good, now throw all of that weight onto one shoulder and hike back up and out of the crater and then down the volcano. Still smiling and singing? You should be... you just earned 70 cents. Don't spend it all in one place.

 

 As my Indonesia trip drew to an end I soaked up at much as I could in Ubud. Ubud is a beautiful place in the center of Bali where the rice paddies are immaculate, the police are corrupt, the Luwac coffee flows like a river (now that's a visual), and a fight with a monkey is not out of the question.

Returning from Indonesia I had but a week long layover in Colorado before departing again. Where to this time? Colombia! My oldest of friends had his wedding in Bogota and so I took it upon myself to go early to get some good ol' fashioned exploring in.

 I was a bit caught off guard that very few people in Colombia spoke English. It was time to dust off the school Spanish lessons and do my best to pantomime as little as possible.

I tried to take in as much as possible, but there is just so much to do and see in Colombia. The countryside is peppered with quaint little colonial villages. The Andes offer a lifetime of fun and excitement. The people are so incredibly friendly. If you get a chance... go.

My friend Jasmine accompanied me for the second week. We spent our time getting to know Bogota as well as we could.

As you can see from this photo, Bogota is both colorful and beautiful (as are the women)... damn this language barrier. But I suppose there is no need to be well versed in Spanish when you are fluent in the language of love.

So there it is.... sheesh. I think I need a vacation from all of my vacation. Where to next? Tune in next time to find out. And remember; dont do anything I wouldn't do!

Truly, madly, deeply,

ME

Here's to a new year

The Pencil of Denver

 Hello, hello,

It has been a while, and it is that time again. So sit back and enjoy.


(This is a nice pic that my buddy took of the smokestack in downtown Denver that I was lucky enough to get to paint -->)



Since the last time we spoke, I have found myself far and wide. Some travels have been for work, some have been for leisure. The first of these places was in beautiful Crestone, CO. I went for a week long retreat up in the mountains. Here is my faithful van (named Apollo for those who dont know) looking in awe at the scenery before us. 

The schedule at the retreat was pretty regimented. However, when a little free time to explore arose, Great Sand Dunes National Park was just a short drive away. 

Pressure washing over the Cumberland River

Though the retreat was idyllic on every possible level, work was a callin' so I had to pack the bags... off to Nashville we go. The Coast Guard needed to have water level marks painted on a number of bridge legs.

After enjoying a bit of time in the East, it seemed like a good time to make the switch and head to the Southwest. Next stop... sunny Arizona.

Intended routes behind the saguaro

It is in AZ where my good friend (and best climbing partner) Colin live. And it was our desire to endure long hours of god-awful bushwhacking through some of the most hostile plants on the face of this earth, to climb infrequently traveled routes on questionable, crumbly rock (why do we have such a hard time finding climbing partners?).

Whilst in AZ, I was called away to work a few more times. Once to Norfolk, VA and another time to Albany, NY. Both jobs were cut short due to bad weather in the Northeast. After taking my yearly dose of cactus spines in a matter of weeks, it was time to move on yet again.... All aboard.

Chasm Lake (The Diamond in the background)

Back in Colorado life is much different than Arizona. The plants aren't sadists and I'm not wearing shorts and a t-shirt cause there is this cold white stuff that covers the ground that makes such apparel very uncomfortable. But if nothing else, your humble narrator/fun finder is a natural and makes the most out of it. As Christmas draws nearer though, thoughts turn from fun to family (haha, just joking mom and dad). But seriously, bundle up... it's off to MN. 

Sadly there were few pictures taken from the holidays. Seems that interests were re-prioritized and food and relaxing were placed at the forefront. After a few weeks of both MN and WI, it was time to pack the bags yet again. Buckle up.... California, here we come.

It is here in Anaheim, CA were I sit and type another one of these up. With record breaking lows throughout the country, the warm and sunny 70's of SoCal seem hard to beat. There is a pretty cool transit station that we are working on out here. I will have some better pictures ready on the next blog. Anywho, that ought to about catch you up for now.  I will be heading back to the Outback in Feb. and will be there for three months (I am starting to get pretty good at dodging cold weather).

I leave you with this.... Dirti Birdi. For anyone who doesn't know, I have been working hard at making the most of all my free time while hotel living, and making music. This is a promo picture my friend took. This is a mask I made and intend on wearing when I start doing shows. If you are so inclined, you can hear the music here... https://soundcloud.com/dirtibirdi























May 2014 be a good year for all of you!

-Dirti Birdi

The Fading of a Season

 To whom it may concern,

     It is that time of the year again. With each falling leaf my sentiment grows. As the fall season slowly fades, gasping in its final breaths, the impending winter stands poised, waiting patiently with sharpened fangs. It creeps in slowly, circling ever closer. The knowing summer sun, too weak to put up the fight any longer, lowers its head and submits. I sit, heavy hearted, and watch helplessly. Nature must take it course; there is nothing I can do. 

Panoramic view, climbing near Mt Rushmore

         
     Pictures become sentiments of brighter, warmer days. I reflect back and hope and wonder if the most had been made of my time. Could I have done more? Could I have done better? With each new day the frost grows thicker and serves as a reminder... It wont be long now. I beg and plead and barter for just a little more time; It wont be wasted, I promise...
     I rifle through the catalogue of memories. Like a drowning man desperate for something to grab, I seek out things to reassure me that my time had not been squandered. The more unique the experience, the more value it holds. A memory stands out...I recall hanging 160' above downtown Denver, painting an old dilapidated smokestack to look like a pencil.



















     I smile at the thought, indeed a unique experience, but it does little to console the sadness that still twinges at my heart. The days grow shorter and colder faster and my sense of urgency increases exponentially. Affirmations are left wanting. Give me the cure for what ails me. I roll up my sleeves and dig deeper into the bank of memories.
     I must try something different... Perhaps the solution is to invoke and relive such a memory. By doing this, I could take from the experience what I was too blind to notice before. I conjure up the best idea I can... I must return to the place most sacred and dear to my heart. 

Sawbill Lake B.W.C.A.

   
     It is in the stillness of this place that the sounds of my frantic mind are slowly muffled out. In the unchanging beauty and silence, a calmness slowly washes over and cleanses me. At peace (if even only for a short while), the acceptance of things to come calms my restless soul.





     Then comes a bittersweet revelation... It is only in these moments of realizing the finite nature of life that depth and value are truly added. The changing of the seasons is not just the ending of the known; it is also the beginning of a new unknown. I become steeped in gratefulness. Though too engulfed in the moment at the time, each memory becomes a blessing to have ever experienced at all. Suddenly I am aglow. Like a death-row inmate's final meal, I hardly even have to try to savor each moment.
     I warm my hands by the embers one last time and shed a grateful tear for the memories of a well written chapter. I take a final look around, so in love and so aware, extinguish the flames from fires of old and with one last deep breath, I brace for the cold and accept my fate; further down the river we go.

Where do reflections end and the real begin?

Truly, madly, deeply,

Daniel William Janssen

Work hard, play harder

Come one, come all.  It is time again for another entry from the diary of a madman.

It has been a little while since my last one of these. But as the temps warmed up, the jobs picked up. The first of which was painting the Purina logo on the side of the Purina factory in Denver. (In case you are having a hard time figuring out what is going on in this picture, this wannabe Picasso is hanging about 85' off the deck)

As the temps have risen out here in the Black Hills, so too have the number of "tourons" in the area (especially with the Sturgis rally just around the corner).  A solitary creature can hardly get from the car to the rocks without being bombarded by silly questions ("How do you get the ropes up there?") or statements of disbelief ("You're crazy!" says the Harley rider who just rolled in to town, sans helmet, moving into day 3 of a no-sleep meth binge)




But still, as you can see... this is a place of great beauty and even the worse of the two wheelin' neanderthals seem to have an appreciation for it.

After a short break, the work load came on heavy. I spent about a week working in Knoxville, TN, had a day off, and then headed to Greeley, CO to paint a water tower.

This is a structure that has been on my working to-do list for quite a while. The climbing ended up being a lot more technical than expected which is great. It keeps things engaging. In this photo, you can see me and my buddy Matt painting. The Greeley newspaper came out and did a story on us and put us on the front page, which reminds me... I need to fire my agent....


After another all-too-short break, I was back on the road. Destination: The exotic and foreign lands of Wisconsin.
For those amongst you who are long time readers, you may recall a tale from days gone by about working at the Brewers stadium; Miller Park. Well we returned again for another week of painting AND one of the most exciting experiences of my life... the pendulum!


After Miller Park we headed to another place in WI called Fond du Lac. Here, it was our task to fix up a public viewing platform. The old platform was in rough shape with lots of rust and even more graffiti ("Ricky" if I ever find you, I swear...)


Here is the tower after we finished. It was actually a huge effort to paint this thing. Every piece of metal you can see, and every angle on every piece you cant, had to be painted. We were all quite exhausted and tired of this job, so the end of it came with great rejoicing. And after working so hard, it seemed a little vacation was in order... Yellowstone/Tetons, here we come!!!

I had been to Yellowstone once before as a younger man, though I was so engulfed in my headphones and teen angst that I hardly recall seeing this amazing place... funny how things work.

Anywho, Lindsey and I got out there late Friday night, poached a campsite and snuck off early the next morning to avoid having to pay the fee to camp in national forest (which is usually a free place to camp). We saw a few things like the lower falls of the "Grand Canyon" of Yellowstone, and stumbled into the backcountry permit office.

Lo and behold, we got a free backcountry campsite and despite the huge amount of crowds at all the major attractions, not a soul was to be seen out where we stayed. One of the highlights of the trip IMHO was getting to longboard a two mile long paved path that had geysers and hot springs all along the way. One may have needed a crowbar to pry the smile off of our faces.

For any who have not had the pleasure of seeing Yellowstone, the Grand Prismatic was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen. The only other place that one might see such brilliant colors is in a Sherwin Williams store.


After getting our fill of bubbling and gurgling geysers and hot springs, we hit the road and headed onward.

It is hard to explain the excitement of being a climber and going to a new climbing area... especially when that area is the Tetons. These mountains are the youngest in the USA and because of this, the most dramatic. Rising suddenly from the rolling meadows, these titans command awe and respect.

This blog feels as though it has become long and there was far too much adventure to even begin to try and retell the whole tale. I will say though, we ended up getting another backcountry permit, camped in a beautiful forest oasis amongst the mountains (complete with the best water to have ever touched our lips, coming straight from the melting mountain snow), surrounded by the slumbering giants, Grand Teton, Middle Teton, and Teewinot. We had full moon nights, warm weather blue skies, and played harder than we have ever worked.





"There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar,
I love not man the less, but nature more."

-Lord Byron