190 nautical miles due south of St Petersburg, FL lies a cluster of small shoals and islands more reminiscent of the Caribbean than of the typical Gulf of Mexico beaches. In mid-April, we set a bee line course for the Dry Tortugas. The rough 40+ hour journey in gale force winds and large, confused seas was but a minor entry toll to a land lost in time.
Dry Tortugas – Images by Chris Brown
As a strong cold front barreled its way across the Southeast, plans emerged to check out Egmont Key for potential surf. After a promising exploratory mission to Shell Key a few weeks prior, the gang was psyched to see what a stronger system would produce wave-wise.
The front pushed through Wednesday night and Thursday was the day. The strong winds coupled with a huge full moon low tide made for some tricky conditions. It was not possible to safely get to Egmont. The shipping channel that seperates Egmont Key and Fort Desoto was completely closed out on either side with 4 – 8 ft breaking waves and shallow water. After unsuccessfully attempting to get through, we decided to check the inlet between Fort Desoto and Shell Key: Bunce’s Pass.
By the time we were in the water, the waves had diminished to 2 – 3 feet. Had we stopped at Bunce’s first we surely would have enjoyed the 3 – 5 footers we saw rolling through. Though it was no Teahupoo, the lack of crowds and the effort required to get there ensured all came away smiling
I recently dusted off some terrabytes and found some old classics. In this new How To exclusive, Laban Swafford demonstrates the proper way to take a Giant Gear-Ripping Whipper.
Step 1: Find a big, bad-ass route in North Carolina that has yet to be freed. (Wear your hard hat for safety of course)
Step 2: In an effort to preserve tradition based on local lore and ethics, clip your snatchlinks to a jumbled mess of aluminum and wire. Repeat to yourself “They’re bomber…” or maybe “I won’t fall.”
Step 3: Climb through the crux, over grip, get pumped and of course – take the whip.
The numerous islands off the southern coast of St Petersburg have long intrigued many for their unkown surf potential, but the logistics of actually getting there pose quite a barrier. On Tuesday, it all came together. Though not the head high glass every surfer dreams of, the pounding beach break still packed enough punch to snap a board or two.
The waters of the Gulf, Caribbean and Atlantic are heating up. How long until the swell is pumping? I dug up a few shots of Anna Maria doing its thing during Hurricane Wilma:
Nice little Caribbean Vid:
This is part 2. Check out part 1.
See Rock and Ice Issue 195 for the full feature on Sierra adventures.
It seems that for every backcountry objective ticked off in the Sierra, a dozen more pop up. The entire range is filled with unimaginable amounts of fresh granite beckoning the adventurous climber. The tricky part – choosing one and getting there. The hike’s are long and the terrain rough, but the payoff is worth it – white castles. ![storming castles Storming Castles [part 2 the sequel]climbing](http://highexposures.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/storming-castles.jpg "storming-castles")
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Psyched to have the cover and a feature article in the current issue of Rock & Ice. That really is legit beta, folks. Summer in the Sierra is about as good as it gets. Pick up an issue at your local retailer.
There’s something alluring about the ocean, the wind and the ability to go wherever your mind steers you.
See Rock and Ice Issue 195 for the full feature on Sierra adventures.
Two days into our supposed one day approach, near the summit of Mt. Whitney, things were getting grim. It wasn’t really one thing that was causing discomfort, but more of a combination of many minor and not so minor issues. The 70 pound packs didn’t help. Nor did the 12 mile approach up and over the Whitney Crest – the tallest ridge in the lower 48. Beyond the crest however, lay the stuff dreams are made of; gold and ivory ramparts shooting straight to the sky – white castles.
The international world of grand prix motorsports descended onto the streets of St Petersburg, FL over the weekend for the first event of the 2011 IRL season. With half of downtown and the airport cordoned off as part of the track, and the other half of downtown playing support to the myriad workers, racers, spectators and entrepreneurs looking to get in on the action, St Pete never seemed so hustling and bustling through all hours of the day.
And even if motorsports aren’t your thing, fast cars doing 160 mph down the streets of ANY downtown are always cool.
190 nautical miles due south of St Petersburg, FL lies a cluster of small shoals and islands more re…
As a strong cold front barreled its way across the Southeast, plans emerged to check out Egmont Key …
Got out to Egmont Key to shoot a sunset piece over the holiday weekend. Birds were everywhere, and…
![Storming Castles [part 2 - the sequel]](http://highexposures.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/storming-castles-150x99.jpg)
