November 2009 – Week 2

This whole week I climbed in the dark at night. I guess when you sleep in late and the sun is down by 6pm, it’s difficult to always get in a sunny climb.

Below I quickly discuss taking down my Light Maps show at Zephyr Gallery. If you didn’t get a chance to see them, here is a link to 10 of the 14 images. http://www.nataliebiesel.com/project/light-maps-with-artist-todd-smith/ These were the digital photographs shot by Natalie Biesel.

And please check out all the beautiful photography in Natalie’s portfolio!

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DAY 949 11.08.09 – Large Sweetgum tree where Payne Street curves right and Pope Street starts. I have climbed the other Sweetgum in the front of this vacant building a few times. I have looked at this larger Sweetgum many times and figured I would have to climb onto the roof to crawl into the overhanging limbs. But on this night I solved the beast of a problem with tiny finger holds in little knots. Even with my sore leg I muscled my way in to the limbs and surprised myself. The rest of the way to the top was easy.

It felt so good to actually climb a tree I’ve been eying for so long.

And to solve the problem in a more challenging way than just climbing the building.

Dropped to the leaf covered lawn and rolled. Then on the walk back ran into Devin and had a nice chat.

DAY 950 11.09.09 – Ate at La Que with my parents. They had picked me up but I wanted to rent a movie from Wild & Woolly and climb a tree so I insisted I would walk home from Baxter. I got The Motorcycle Diaries and then climbed a tree along the fence of the cemetery on Cherokee Road near the Baxter/Broadway intersection. It wasn’t a high climb and I almost ran my face into a spider web, but it was a good climb.

DAY 951 11.10.09 – Large tree in the tiniest park ever (Gnadinger) on the corner of Ellison and Reutlinger in Germantown. Garett, Drew and I left the Nach Bar to get some air and for me to climb. We found the large tree and they really wanted to see me climb it even though there was no way I could get into it. So they boosted me up and I was able to get up. Then I went up to the top and they couldn’t see me anymore. Some nice shots of Germantown.

DAY 952 11.11.09 – Small tree on large steps of Waterfront Park near Tumbleweed. Another night at Parkour where I took a few minutes to climb and get it out of the way. Afterward I wasn’t feeling much more activity and biked back home.

DAY 953 11.12.09 – Went for a jog with Morgan T. and Javier (her mutt) around the Loop of Cherokee. At the end of our jog near the golf course clubhouse I climbed a tall pine tree. It took a couple runs up the trunk to get the first limb and then I went up getting pretty sappy and avoiding the weak, broken and dying limbs. I got the top which had broken off in the wind or ice storm and left a perfect spot for me to stand and see all around me. I had a great view of the Louisville skyline.

Javier was freaking out below, and I didn’t want them to wait long so after shooting some shots I made my way back down pretty quickly. Dirty but high.

DAY 954 11.13.09 – Tree in my back alley of my house next to the aluminum corrugated studio behind my house. After some El Mundo and Bourbon at Bourbon Bistro with Drew.

DAY 955 11.14.09 – Took the show down. Took for ever and couldn’t have done it without Drew’s help. I wrapped the prints while he spackled and painted. Before that I went to Everett Ave in the Highlands to pick up Matt Milewski’s extra keys from his friend Meghan so I could borrow some of his camping gear for hiking the Knobstone Trail. After getting the keys I climbed the tree out in front of her Camelot Apartment complex

that had some cool branches, long and gnarly.

Some people saw me as they walked the sidewalks. They didn’t seem to care. Others I made sure to be still and try to avoid being seen. I don’t know what it is, but I try to judge people by their appearance and determine whether they would be the type to care or not. No problems though and a nice climb. Then after taking down the show Drew and I went to Garett’s for his birthday party. Good time but I wanted to get to bed early to get up to start my hike.