Once again, the snow has started to fly here in Crested Butte and I am anxiously awaiting ski season. Fall is spent gearing up or winter in my world. This consists of organizing my Ultimate Groove events all over the world. Stay tuned to www.ultimategrooves.com for a full schedule of events. In 2010 we will be hosting events at Crystal Mountain, WA and HooDoo, Oregon, (outside Bend), as well as Sugar Bowl in Tahoe, CA and back east at Sunapee, NH and Jay Peak , VT.

The lantern going on is harsh for our 3:00 a.m. wake up call at 11,600 feet on the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton. Bodies bumble about the Exum hut trying to choke down some food, get harnesses on and out the door by 4:00. We’ll scramble for an hour and a half on 3rd and 4th class terrain before the sun hits the Middle Teton and the rest of the world begins to wake up in the valley below.

I still don’t understand the appendix, even though I’ve had the privilege of looking at mine – all pink and red and limp in a glass vial - while recovering from the surgery in a Kathmandu hospital. It seems to me to be like a roulette wheel, or some organ of chance whose function is simply to cause some of us sudden and intense pain in the lower right-hand quadrant of the abdomen, followed closely by a trip to the hospital and hopefully, speedy removal.

It’s been a while and a pile of frequent flyer miles since typhoid. I’m back Stateside for the summer and, finally, feel strong again. It’s been good to be here, to feel the grass beneath my toes, to take a few moments and try to put all of the contradictions aside and focus upon the sun sliding down behind the maple trees.

All of the immediate goodness of America, infinite like yellow lines on the interstate. I’m always amazed at how our culture can encompass so many things that are simultaneously so arbitrary, yet so essential.

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

Kumite

Kumite is, from what I understand, sparring ones adversary. A great name for a great problem. Check out the video here: Kumite - http://www.kevinjorgeson.com/Japan/Kumite  

Enjoy!
 
KJ

I've made it back from Japan. What a trip! Simply awesome. The Five Ten Cup was a blast to compete in. I've cut together a quick video the comp:

Finals (small): www.kevinjorgeson.com/Japan/Finals

Saturday was a sightseeing day around Tokyo with Naoji. I have been in a constant state of being lost since I arrived in Japan, despite seeing plenty of signs like this one.

We began our day by going to the Asakusa shopping market tourist spot. It was quite overwhelming, with shops everywhere. It was cool to pick up some gifts to bring home however.

I made it!

After 12.5 hours on a rather empty plane, I'm in Japan. I'll let the video tell the story, but I had a great dinner last night where I ate some Ebi, Tai, Squid and Octopus, all the for the first time. That's what coming to Japan is for, right? When else am I going to get to do this?

Check out the first video: Japan Day 1

Whew...

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of airports, rental cars, slideshows, clinics, climbing and good times. Lets rewind three weeks. On April 26th, Rocky Mountain Highball had its World Premiere at the Boulder Theatre.

Working abroad isn’t always easy on the stomach and after ten relatively sickness-free years in Nepal, I developed a good and robust case of typhoid fever. I was trapped in the throes of a high fever, headache, and stomach cramps that kept me delirious and in bed for over a week, and will take weeks or even months more to fully recover.