BACKPACK BREATH

Remembering to breathe

Exercises to enhance breathing while backpacking

Story and photos by Luca Williams

BE AN AMERICAN HERO WEAR A MASK

his season I thought about backpacking Copper Lake Loop off Hannegan Pass, but the

Tfire in North Cascades National Park changed my plans. It’s been years since I went there on a solo backpack trip and scared myself silly. I keep wondering if that trip and my early adult life would have been easier had I learned to breathe deeply when things were going wrong.

The first day of that trip so long ago was full of mountains and sky while hiking up the ridge to the Copper Lake campsites. The next day, I descended the zigzag path, winding slowly downward to the Chilliwack River. Grunting and ready for a rest, I swung my backpack down at the edge of the river and sat beside it with a thump.

Suddenly, I felt a sting. “Ow!” I screamed. Then another sting, “Ow!” I jumped up screaming, feeling sting after sting up my shorts, on my knee, my neck and my head. Slapping myself, I ran as fast as I could away from the angry insects. I kept running even when I heard my backpack fall into the river.

Finally, I slowed down and didn’t feel any new stings. My whole body buzzed and my right knee started to swell. How was I going to hike out 17 more miles with a swollen knee? I headed back to the river edge to retrieve my backpack, avoiding the hole in the ground where the bees still buzzed around.

Vibrating with bee stings, I grumbled to myself and began to beat feet out of the mountains while my monkey mind swirled faster and faster. Worrying about the possibility of having an allergic reaction to so many bee stings, I never noticed the sharp branch sticking out from the underbrush. But the stabbing pain in my right leg, the one that was already swollen with bee stings, stopped my stream of conscious negative thought. It felt like a dagger had stabbed me.

Even with that pain, I didn’t turn to my breath to calm down. I poured water on the gash, cleaning it out as best as I could, then taped it together with Band-Aids, and wrapped it with a bandana, knowing that it needed stitches. But I still had another night and miles to go and still I worried while I walked, never allowing myself to breathe or notice the beauty of the forest.

While I made it out of the woods, today I wonder if the trip would have gone better if I had remembered to breathe. Obviously, I was breathing, I just didn’t turn to my breath to help me calm down. Since then, thankfully, none of my backpack trips have been as exciting. But still I know that stress, backpacking, driving, texting, reading and sitting at a computer have an impact on breathing. So breathing is something I work with to help both my mind and my posture. Here are a couple of exercises that can be done nearly anywhere to improve the way you breathe.

When most people breathe, they think about filling up the front of their bellies and chest. Yet by breathing into your back and the sides of the rib cage you are able to take in a larger breath and more oxygen. One thing you can do to remind yourself to breathe deeply is to: 1) Wrap your hands around your lower ribs and back (See picture to the left). 2) Fill the area between your hands on inhale. 3) While exhaling, use your hands to imagine that you are wearing an inner corset that draws your belly toward your back, lengthening your spine and shrinking your waist. 4) Try about 10 of these breaths. 5) Notice now after exhaling this way, the next inhale feels more free.

The next exercise is great for breathing and walking. All you need is a wall or a tree. 1) Stretch the arm that is farthest from the tree into the sky then side bend toward the tree. 2) Imagine stretching between each and every rib. If you find most of the stretch coming from your underarm, then use your other hand to make space between each rib. 3) Now take an inhale and fill the space between the ribs with your inhale. Do this gently but feel how your breath improves the stretch. 4) After stretching both sides, walk around and see how you feel.

More importantly than doing these exercises is just remembering to breathe. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. x

JIM WHITTAKER

MOUNT EVEREST MAY 1, 1963 FIRST AMERICAN TO REACH THE SUMMIT

Luca

Williams

Certified

Rolfer

Glacier, WA 360-599-3172 lucasrolfing.com

Roatan

A diver’s paradise

Story and photos by Pat Grubb

In June, my daughter Alex called me up out of the blue from San Francisco and asked if I wanted to go on a dive trip to Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras in central America. “Come on,” she said, “It will be a bonding experience.” An underwater bonding experience? How is that even possible, I asked myself. But, to paraphrase Lord Tennyson’s poem about the charge of the Light Brigade, ours is not to question why, ours is but to do or dive.

That’s how we found ourselves taking a flight from SFO through Dallas to Juan Manuel Galvez International Airport on Roatan, a trip taking about seven hours in total. We were headed to Barefoot Cay, a dive resort about 20 minutes from the airport and close to the island’s capital city, Coxen Hole. The town of about 5,000 people is named after Captain John Coxen, a buccaneering pirate who plundered throughout the Spanish Main during the late 17th Century. At that time, Roatan was home to around 5,000 pirates and their hangers-on.

The island is the largest of the Bay Islands, about 40 miles off the coast of northern Honduras and is a department of that country. Oriented on an east to west axis, the island is about 30 miles long and just 5 miles across at its widest point. It sits on an ancient coral reef abutter the Mesoamerican Reef which, at over 700 miles long, is the second largest barrier reef system in the world, the first being the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The reef contains well over 100 dive spots surrounding the entire island; the entire reef system is protected by local and federal law with a number of conservation organizations working to protect and preserve the sensitive environment. For example, in 2019 the sale and use of plastic bags, bottles, containers and styrofoam was outlawed by the local government. Local schools and organizations hold regular clean-up programs and dive shops pick up debris on most dives. New sewer systems have been built and irrigation and runoff impacts have been mitigated to help protect the reef and the economy created by it.

Barefoot Cay is one of many dive resorts on the island and it came well-recommended by friends of my daughter. It was purchased from the original owner in 2020 by a Guatemalan businessman who wasted no time renovating and refreshing the small resort.

The cay itself holds the Silversides Restaurant & Bar, pool and oceanfront villas and palapa. A narrow channel separates the cay from the mainland where the diveshop and boats are located. A fleet of two pontoon boats takes guests across in under 30 seconds and runs 24/7.

Diving in Roatan is about as reasonable as it gets these days. A five-day, 10-dive package at Barefoot Cay costs $350; make one or more dives over that and the price drops to $30 per dive. That price includes weights and tanks. The dive shop also offers advanced courses as well as learn to dive programs.

Why is diving so inexpensive in Roatan? Many of the dive sites are within 5 or 10 minutes of the dock so the operators aren’t spending a lot of money on diesel. Still, this is not econo-style diving – Barefoot Divers calls it valet diving.

Divemaster Daniel and boat captain Justin make sure of that. Your tank and BCD are set on the boat, you hand your mask to a crewmember who cleans, de-fogs and hands it back to you; the captain grabs the tank stem and takes the weight off you as you stand and walk to the back of the boat; the divemaster escorts you around the dive site, pointing out things of interest that you would otherwise swim past without noticing; you pass your mask and fins up to the captain back at the boat, he again takes the weight off you as you climb the ladder and retake your seat; and finally, he hands you a container of ice-cold watermelon to quench your thirst after breathing compressed air for the last 40-50 minutes.

This was the easiest diving I have ever done in my life and I’ve done a bit of diving around the world: B.C., Great Barrier Reef, the Red Sea, the Maldives, Hawaii, Truk Lagoon (Chuuk) in Micronesia and elsewhere. My daughter, on the other hand, had only dived off of Monterey, California. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the first time I dove in tropical waters was when I decided I would never dive in cold water again. Here in Roatan, the water was 86 degrees F (30° C) at depth, meaning no wetsuit or rash guard necessary. Visibility ranged from 70–100 feet which is just fine in my opinion.

Marine life is abundant. Turtles, eels, eagle rays were commonly seen; however, we missed seeing whale sharks or sharks of any kind, for that matter. Barrel sponges were huge and everywhere, soft and fan corals predominated – you could probably spend a whole dive looking at 10 square feet of marine life and feel it was one of the best dives ever. You won’t but you could.

In these pandemic days, you need to go through a few hoops to enter Honduras and Roatan. If you’re not fully vaccinated, you’ll need a Covid-19 test. These need to be uploaded to a government website before you board the plane.

I’ll let you know now – this is not the easiest procedure and you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to do so. Expect the site to freeze or to suddenly revert to Spanish even though you chose the English version. It’s a pain but it’s worth it.

Most of the dive resorts have the latest information on their websites so check there first. For more information about Barefoot Cay, go to barefootcay.com. (Note: We paid full-price for our stay and did not receive any promotional consideration from the resort.) x

Finding the Lost Ledge:

A Miniguide

Guide and photos by Jason D. Martin

Discovered and developed by a small cadre of Bellingham boulderers, the development of the Lost Ledge bouldering area in Larrabee State Park was a passion project. Countless hours have gone into the area, first with the development and cleaning of the routes. Second, with the partnership of the state park allowing for said development. And finally, with the construction of trails to the area.

Every single hour put into this place was worth it!

The Lost Ledge zone holds some of the best bouldering in the Bellingham area.

There are literally hundreds of problems and variations on Chuckanut Sandstone. In addition to this, the area is accessed from the most aesthetic lowland trail in the county.

And the actual problems are nestled in the trees, like the eggs of a rare bird. It is a wonderful area.

This miniguide only covers a small portion of the boulders that have been discovered and cleaned. A full guidebook to Chuckanut Sandstone, for both roped and unroped climbs, is currently in development.

AREA CONSIDERATIONS:

• Be wary of the sandstone when wet. • A Discover Pass or a day pass is required for parking.

APPROACH DIRECTIONS:

The trailhead for the Chuckanut Boulders starts at the top of Cleator Road in Larrabee State Park.

To get to the Cleator Road, take exit 250 off I-5 and drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway. Turn left on Chuckanut Drive (12th Street), go 3.9 miles to Cleator Road (also marked as Hiline Road — the boat launch road sign is directly across from the turn). If approaching from the south on Chuckanut Drive, Cleator may be found 1.3 miles north of the standard entrance to Larrabee State Park. Take Cleator Road 3.5 miles up from Chuckanut Drive to the Cyrus Gates Overlook picnic area at the top. Note that there is an outhouse here.

From the parking/picnic area at the top of the road, take the Rock Trail on the southwest end lot. The trail contours around the mountain. Drop down several wooden stairs, eventually on passing a long cliff band. As you move away from the cliff band, you’ll see deep huecos (gaps) in the face. This is Hueco Wall. Continue on the trail across a footbridge and then continue a bit farther to the next set of steps, .75 miles from the parking lot. Do not go down the steps.

Instead, go straight on the climbers’ trail, the Lost Ledge Trail. After walking for about 60 seconds, you will encounter “The First Trail,” up to some boulders not covered here. After about 2.5 minutes, you will arrive at the Pandemic Boulders. Continue on for another minute or two and you will come to a switchback that drops off to the right. There is also the possibility of going straight. There are a handful of problems — short bouldering climbs with a series of hard moves — at a clearing just beyond the switchback in the Upper Area (not covered here). The remainder of the problems require that you drop down some steps and then cut back to the north. The trail will take you right into the heart of the boulders.

The main area is .9 miles from the parking lot, west of the north end of Lost Lake. It's easy to hear people down at the lake from the area. It takes between 20 and 30 minutes to make the approach. Expect to lose a fair bit of elevation on the way down to Lost Ledge.

PANDEMIC BOULDERS

Plandemic (V2) This is the obvious line right next to the trail. The line starts on a horizontal edge and then works up to the right, with a top-out on the left. First Ascent (FA): Art Bass, 2020

Lip Traverse (V1) To get to the Lip Traverse and the Social Distancing Slab, follow the trail left of Plandemic. The Lip Traverse faces the Social Distancing Slab. The line is low, and a bit dirty, with a beached whale finish … but is kinda cool despite all that. FA: Unknown

Social Distancing Slab (V2) This line climbs up the left-hand side of the slab and starts with a side-pull. A line that is fun and slightly out of character from the others in the area. FA: Art Bass, 2020

COVID Toes (V2) Start from the same side-pull as the last climb, but trend straight up/stay right. FA: Art Bass, 2020

There is a small cave immediately to the right of COVID Toes. This is the Batcave and doesn’t go anywhere. To the right, there is another cave — the Corona Cave — that will take you down to the remaining Pandemic Boulders from the Social Distancing Slab.

Murder Hornet (V2/V3) This cool face climb is oriented toward the Lost Ledge Trail. It’s possible to approach from the previous climbs through the Corona Cave, but it makes more sense to continue for a few seconds past Plandemic on the Lost Ledge Trail. There’s a single big move at the top! FA: Art Bass, 2020

N95 (V4) Start immediately to the left of Fauci’s Folly. Stay on the arete to keep it V4. FA: Trip Brannen, 2020

Fauci’s Folly (V1) There are four problems near the Corona Cave, three of which are on the same feature, left of the Corona Cave. This is the middle climb, just above the retaining wall. This line shares the same start as the following problem. Make your way out to the left on the face. FA: Art Bass, 2020

Viral Load (V1) Start as for the preceding line and make your way up past a horizontal crack. FA: Art Bass, 2020

Spike Protein (V1) This is the block above the Corona Cave. The problem may also be used as a downclimbing option for those who don’t wish to climb through the cave. FA: Art Bass, 2020

No Hands Slab (V0) This is a fun little thing. Try it on both sides. FA: Unknown

Flatten the Curve (V2 or V3) The final boulder in the Pandemic Boulders can be found just left of the No Hands Slab. The V2 variation starts in the pockets on the left. The V3 variation begins with a sit-start, left hand in an undercling and right hand in a 3-finger pocket. FA: Art Bass, 2020

Fauci’s Folly (V1) Social Distancing Slab (V2) Covid Toes (V3)

Viral Load (V1)

Murder Hornet (V2/V3)

N95 (V4) Spike Protein (V1)

Flatten the Curve (V2/V3)

MAIN LOST LEDGE AREA

The main area can be found down the trail a few minutes from the upper area. The heart of the area is at the easily identifiable Snaked Boulder. This is the boulder that will be used to identify other boulders in the area. The main trail drops you right at the Snaked South line.

MAIN AREA — SNAKED AREA (First Boulder Basin)

Snaked (Left Variation) (V4) Start on the big jug on the left side of the feature. Work up right onto the state. FA; John Lyman, May 13

Snaked (Stand Start) (V4) Truc Allen was the first to play on this gem. He called it Snaked because he never got the sit start. Johnny G took the prize line. FA: Truc Allen

Snaked (Sit Start) (V8) FA: Johnny G for sit start.

Baby Snake (easier than V) This nohands, low-angle descent slab is found right of the previous line. Call it one for the kids. FA: Unknown

Snaked South (V0) This south-facing slab is the first you'll see when approaching the main area. There are a couple of different variations here, all in the V0-V1 range depending on how you link them. FA: Unknown

Snaked East (V0) Another lowish-angled slab. There are a number of variations here as well, often combining slab moves with scrubbed nubbins. FA: Unknown

Benjit's Warm Up (V1) To the right of the Snaked East variations, and to the left of the Snaked jug, a crimp-line that allows for a sit-start may be found. FA: Benjit Hull

Benjit’s Mantle (V1) Start on the same jug as the left variation of Snaked. Mantle on the jug, going straight up. FA: Benjit Hull

Pablo's Warm Up (V0) Directly across from Snaked. Climb the left arete to the top.

Pablo's Warm Up Slab (V0) The slab with many variations on it found on the west-face of the Pablo's Warm Up boulder. There are a number of very easy scrambles here on nubbins. FA: Unknown

MCL (V5)

To access the Name of the Wind boulder and other problems around it, walk uphill from the Snaked boulder toward The Conjuring. Take a trail to the left and pass beneath the Name of the Wind. Alternately, it's possible to walk directly up to it by following a faint trail next to an overhanging boulder (Worst Problem Ever – V3), 50 feet before reaching the Snaked boulder.

Benjit Slab (V2) This dirty little warm-up is on the trail just downhill and left of Name of the Wind. Start on the “oldman-nose-knob” and go up. FA: Unknown. FA: Benjit Hull

Underthing (V7) This line starts in the triangular cave behind the small boulder. Sit start with left hand pinch in triangular cave, and right on an undercling. Blast up to the second hold for Name of the Wind and then finish on that route. FA; Gabriel Cisneros

Name of the Wind (V7) Sit start on blocky boulder, just right of the middle. Use the lowest possible crimp and then work your way up. The feet are tough. FA: Gabriel Cisneros

Road to Tinue (V4) This line starts to the right of the blocky boulder, right of Name of the Wind. Sit start on jugs, up into the finish of the previous line. FA: Gabriel Cisneros

The Conjuring (V9) Less than 100 feet west of the Snaked Boulder, this line climbs a beautiful left-leaning arete. The area's initial write-up called this the "king of lines," for obvious reasons. It was discovered and cleaned by Isaac Howard. FA: Art Lim?

The Slab (V1) This is found on the north face of the Conjuring Boulder, about 100 feet uphill from Pablo's Warm-Up. FA: Unknown

MCL (V5) This may be found on the south facing Collateral Damage Boulder, directly across from The Slab, and about 100 feet uphill of Pablo's Warm-Up. Start low on the rail and work up to the left side of the boulder. FA: Art Lim

ACL (V6) Start on the same rail as the previous route. Work up to a big dyno. The dyno's not so big if done from small crimps, but ... small crimps. FA: Art Lim

Collateral Damage (V7) Start on rail, and lung up and right to a bad gaston. Isaac Howard blew out his knee attempting this line. He returned a week after the injury to complete the send. FA: Isaac Howard

The Bet (V7) Immediately right of the Collateral Damage Boulder, there's a slabby problem above a dirty sloping landing. Start on the left, right hand in small shallow two-fingered pocket and a high foot. FA: Art Lim

The Right Boulder (V0) This boulder with a cool "eye" feature is about 50-feet right of the previous problem up a small trail. FA: Unknown

Continued on page 36

ACL (V6)

Collateral Damage (V7)

Benjit’s Mantle (V1)

Snaked Left (V4)

Snaked Stand Start (V4) Snaked Sit Start (V8)

MAIN AREA — AEOLIAN AREA

(Second Boulder Basin)

This area is found less than 60 seconds north of Snaked on the main trail. The Aeolian Area is in the “Second Boulder Basin." The first boulder up and to the left, with the obvious rib going up the middle is the Laid Back Boulder.

Unknown Left-Facing Crack (V2) This crack line is found 4 feet to the left of the central Barefooted Lady rib. Sit start. A combination of poor jams, liebacks and smearing will win the day. FA: Unknown

Barefooted Lady (V4) A beautiful line up the center of the boulder on the central rib. Start as low as possible on an undercling and work up. FA: Jeremey Zachariash

Scoop Project (V12/13) A scoop can be seen about 10 feet to the right of the Barefooted Lady. Start in the scoop, move left onto crimps and work up. FA: Not yet climbed

Truc’s Lip Traverse (V1-V4: Variation and length dependent) This is found on the main trail about 100 feet past the Laid Back Boulder turnoff, just before you drop into the third "boulder basin" and the Load Management Area. Climb up from either side. The farther you go, the weirder and harder it is. The complete traverse is V4. FA: Truc Allen

Aeolian (V6) The Aeolian Boulder is directly uphill from the previous boulder, just right of a massive tree. Sit start on the chalky jug near the shallow cave, with the right foot way out on the edge of the boulder. Work up the face to a sloping rail and then top-out. FA: Gabriel Cisneros Ventifact (V8) This is a left-variation to the previous line. Start as for Aeolian, but work left on the crimp rail. Use the crimp left of the Aeolian rail and throw fir the top. FA: Art Lim Jungle Warefare (V5) A large mossy boulder leans up against the Aeolian Boulder. This problem is found to the right of that, 15 feet right of Aeolian. Start on an undercling on the right side of a shallow triangle. Make a massive reach for the blowhole, then work up to the top, either on the inside or the outside of the arete. Exceptional footwork required. FA: Isaac Howard Time Bomb (V4/5) To get to the Time Bomb area, walk up the trail right of Jungle Warfare. The trail arcs back around to the left, under a face with a large hueco in the center of the wall. This line is to the left of the largest hueco. Start on a right-angled edge with the right hand and an uncut sidepull with the left. Work up the left side of the face on delicate holds to a sketchy mantle over the central bulge. Not a great place to fall. FA: Sam Sheesley

Stray Bullet (V1) From the central hueco, make a big move up and right to a jug. Work up left to more — sometimes mossy — jugs to the top of the boulder. FA: Trip Brannon

Bullseye (V5) To the right of the previous route. Start with the right hand on a sidepull about 4 feet off the ground, and the left in cobble. Work up and left into Stray Bullet, but then leave that line, reaching out right to the little hueco about 10 feet up. Finish on good crimps. FA: Trip Brannon

MAIN AREA — LOAD MANAGE-

MENT AREA (Third Boulder Basin)

This is the "Third Boulder Basin" on the main trail. It is just beyond Truc’s Lip Traverse. The most obvious boulder in this basin is the Load Management Boulder, which is easily identified by the tree growing off the top of the right-hand side.

Backward Jockstrap (V4) This is the crack problem left of Load Management Boulder. Start on the jug that points to the right in the cave. Work up into the crack and top-out. Beware the landing. FA: Isaac Howard

Load Master (V4) The boulder to the right of Backward Jockstrap. Start on the jug in the center of the boulder. Hit the slopes, working up left and top-out. FA: Isaac Howard

Air Bud (V3) Start at the jug and dyno to the lip. FA: Ian Dandridge

Load Management (V3) Start at the jug and work up right, topping out next to the tree. FA: Isaac Howard

Many Faces (V0) This boulder with a number of fun and easy variations on it may be found approximately 100 feet northwest of Load Management Boulder on the Lost Ledge Trail. The actual Many Faces problem climbs up left of the moss, up over a mild overhang. However, there are many other options and variations. FA: Mateo Cisneros

Second Face (V0) This problem is to the right of the moss beard on the rock and uses a combination of the horizontal crack and the arete on the right hand side. FA: Sky Cisneros x

Time Bomb (V4/V5)

Load Master (V3/V4) Load Management (V3)

LOST LEDGE RESOURCES:

• Mountain Project Lost Ledge: bit.ly/2X2RdF6. • Lost Ledge Bouldering FB Group: bit.ly/3l1rDIG. • Lost Ledge Boulder Problems Google Drive: bit.ly/38NXSVX.

Stray Bullet (V1) Bullseye (V5)