RIP, Jan Conn

Photo by Dwight Deal, Wikimedia

This one’s for Jan.

Last week, legend and pioneer Jan Conn passed away at the age of 99. Along with her husband Herb Conn, they put up a bunch of first ascents in some of the classic climbing crags in the Maryland/Virginia area. In the early 1940s, they developed what has become my home crag – Carderock, Maryland. 

Their style was amazing – they used neither harnesses nor belay devices, and would hip belay the climber on a hemp rope from atop the cliff, or lead routes using two or three pitons for protection. 

This place is special to me, and generations of climbers. I’ve thought about her and the departed Herb while climbing here –enjoying the quartz knob holds on Jan’s Face, delicately dancing on Herbie’s Horror, or cruising up Ronnie’s Leap (named after their dog who took a leap off the top – he was OK).

They also put up Conn’s East in Seneca Rock, in addition to gnarly first ascents in desert spires out West. The pair explored and mapped South Dakota’s Jewel Cave for more than 22 years and over 700 trips, and they received numerous awards for their outdoor endeavors. I recently read a post calling Jan “the oldest living dirtbag” – a term of endearment applied to scrappy, obsessive climbers who charge hard and tend to live on the fringes of society. She earned all her titles and praise, and I wish I could have met her.

In her post-climbing years, she still loved the outdoors, and once said: “Fortunately, the slower we move, the more we see.” A fitting reminder to slow down and take in the beauty of nature around us, wherever we find it. 

Carderock today, from atop Trudy's Terror

RIP, Jan, ya legend.

Arizona's awesome wilderness and wine

I recently returned from an amazing Arizona trip, and I already can’t wait to go back. I’ve been travelling to Arizona for 12 years now, and I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.

My favorite thing to do in Arizona is explore the Sonoran Desert mountains – specifically Tonto National Forest and the Superstition Mountains. This trip included some new-to-me summits, plenty of route-finding, some exposed downclimbs on rock of questionable quality, getting caught in a brief hail storm, and finding a rattlesnake and tarantula. (All three of us agreed we’d like to stay far away from each other.)

I also had a blast birdwatching – Arizona in the wintertime is an amazing place to scope birds. I managed to spot about 25 species, and three new ones (life-birds).

In addition to the natural beauty and wildlife, while visiting Arizona I always pick up some local vino to share with family after an outdoor adventure. I’ve written a lot about Arizona wine country, which is expansive, diverse, and full of impressive producers. From Jerome to Page Springs to Cochise County in the south, there is a ton to explore. I didn’t make it out to visit any winemakers on this trip, but I did snag up a few wines from producers I respect.

Here's a few notes of some fun AZ wines, that offer a good introduction to the wines of this state.

2020 Arizona Stronghold Vineyard Chardonnay “Dala” Stronghold Vineyard - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
Impressively bright and fresh. Shows nice chunks of pineapple and white peach, with some nougat and floral tones. Straightforward, simple, but more "real" tasting than most any Cali chard at this price point. (87 points)

2020 Page Springs Cellars “Mule's Mistake” - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
So fun. Loving the tart fruit, dusty light feel, bright acidity. Spicy, floral, peppery, with cola and earth tones. Enjoyable mineral vibes, too. Always a fun and reliable Arizona kitchen sink blend. This was a fun one to crush with burgers after a day climbing in the Sonoran desert mountains. (89 points)

2020 Carlson Creek Sangiovese - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
Spicy and red-fruited on the nose, cherries, black pepper, some paprika and tar. The palate is crunchy and tangy, a zesty and spicy appeal pervades this wine. Raspberry and cherry fruit, tossed with clay, black tea, tar, dried roses. This is a lot of fun, and a solid barbecue or grilled pizza wine. (88 points)

2019 Arizona Stronghold Vineyard “Nachise” (USA, Arizona, Cochise County)
A deep and juicy Arizona blend. The nose is packed with black cherries and blueberries, along with tar, pepper and roasted red peppers. The palate is ripe and juicy with fleshy tannins and moderate acidity. Jammy raspberries and black cherry fruit, mixed with cool red pepper flakes, creosote and black pepper. Fun but complex. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. (89 points)

2012 Caduceus Cellars “Anubis” - USA, New Mexico
I was thinking this might be tired and baked, but it showed a lot better than I thought. The nose has plenty of fruit still going (cranberry relish, tart cherries) with a lot of pepperoni, graphite, leather, smoky charcoal. The palate has this crunchy appeal with smooth tannins and tangy red plum and cherry fruit. Flavors of spiced tea, black pepper, menthol, paprika. The wine has this deep, earthy, graphite feel, with lots of mesquite and savory spice tones on the finish. Really good! 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 20% Petit Sirah, aged 18 months in French oak. An Arizona producer using New Mexico fruit. (90 points)

Plenty of wilderness and wine to explore in Arizona

For about a dozen years now, I’ve been taking trips to the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. Each time I go, I hike my ass off, climb a lot of rocks, spend a ton of time along in the wilderness, scoping wildlife. And I haven’t even scratched the surface. There’s so much gnarly country out there, and each time I plan an excursion into a new area, looking for new summits, canyons, creeks, birds.

Out there, I’ve seen lots of lizards and snakes, a ton of birds, a bobcat, coyotes, and my first and only cougar tracks.

When I head to Arizona, I try to order some wines ahead of time from producers I’ve grown to love and respect. Alternatively, there are some shops that carry local producers, and I frequently check the local section to see if they have some of my favorites: Page Springs Cellars, Dos Cabezas, Rune, Callaghan. Nothing beats coming home after a long day of hiking and grilling up some meat, pairing it with a local Arizona wine.

Page Springs Cellars is a gem – great people in a beautiful place making singular wines. “Unique” is an overused word in wine circles (I’m guilty), but these wines are in a league of their own. Their kitchen sink blends mixes are always delicious and interesting, and their varietal single vineyard wines are clear interpretations of their place and grape. So, on my most recent Arizona trip, I had some of their wines shipped to my destination. I also picked up some bottles from another of my favorite producers, Dos Cabezas, based in Cochise County.

Arizona has a lot to offer in terms of wine and wilderness. You just have to hit the trails. Here are some photos and wine notes from my most recent trip this winter.

2020 Page Springs Vino Del Barrio Blanco - Arizona
Pale yellow. Peachy keen on the nose with limes and lemons, honey, white tea, some verbena and oregano elements. I like the zippy elements but there’s a pleasant creaminess that keeps it fun. Peaches and kiwi with honey, raw almond, along with flinty, crunchy, salty elements. Fun, bright, complex. What a cool blend of Traminette, Vidal Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard, Roussanne, Seyval Blanc, Vermentino, Bourbolenc, Malvasia Bianca and Riesling – sheesh! Some Arizona magic happening here. (90 points)

2019 Page Springs Viognier Deep Sky Vineyard – Arizona, Cochise County, Willcox
A beautifully tropical nose of peaches, kiwi and pineapple, with notes of sea salt, cucumber slices and white flowers. The palate is deep but fresh, this is no overly chunky Viognier, not at all. Beautiful texture with peaches and lemon cake, along with flinty, mineral tones and tons of white and yellow flowers. I feel like if you left some of this in the glass, a hummingbird would steal it from you – and for good measure. I’d love to see how this ages. (91 points)

2020 Page Springs Cellars Grenache "Blanc de Noir" Colibri Vineyard - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
So pale copper. The nose is exquisite, with saline and crushed shells, along with grapefruit pith, lemons, white flowers – a taut and bright appeal. The palate is tight and brisk with orange peel, grapefruit and lemon mixed with chalky, clean laundry and saline vibes. Flinty, precise. If I were sipping this blindfolded, I’d be all over the map (Muscadet? Galician white?). Really cool stuff. (91 points)

2020 Page Springs Cellars – Mule’s Mistake – Arizona, Cochise County
This is always such a fun wine, a total kitchen sink blend of everything, and it always delivers fun and excitement. 2020 is a total blast with juicy cherries, spicy pepper, rose petals and red and black licorice candies on the nose. The palate is bright with light tannins and tangy, ripe fruit (raspberries and red cherries) along with roses, black pepper, cola and clay. So fun, accessible, but it’s own thing entirely. One of the most fun, cheap wines I buy from anywhere in the world, year-in, year-out. A blend of so many grapes, each year it’s dizzying. Each vintage has like eight, from Counoise, Pinot Noir, Carignan and Sangiovese to white Rhone grapes and others. This wine portrays a lot about why I love Arizona. (89 points)

2019 Page Springs Mourvedre Pick 3 Colibri Vineyard – Arizona, Cochise County
Loving the floral and spicy complexity on the nose, these rose petal, rhubarb, creosote and paprika, over raspberries and pomegranate fruit – so good! On the palate, this is zippy and fresh with dusty tannins and a crushable but complex appeal. Raspberries and sour cherry fruit is tangy and so lively. The notes of pepper, paprika, warm clay and rose petals. So vibrant but has a lot of depth, too, and I’d like to see it in three to four years. I’d also love to see this thrown into a blind tasting with some wine nerd friends and see them try to place it. Aged 11 months in 20% Arizona oak. (93 points)

2016 Dos Cabezas Wine Works El Norte - USA, Arizona, Cochise County 

This wine shows classic red Grenache fruit (raspberries and strawberries) along with a complex mix of clove, rose hips, sliced bell pepper, mesquite. Fun appeal on the palate, but all sorts of complexity. Tangy red berries, very fresh but plenty of sun-roasted feel, mixed well with notes of charcoal, smoked meats, pepper, some floral potpourri. This is such a reliably great wine from Dos Cabezas, a cool mix of Garnacha, Syrah, Graciano, Petite Sirah, Monastrell and Vranc. (90 points)

2017 Dos Cabezas - Aguileon – Arizona, Cochise County
Love the nose here, so spicy and classic southern Arizona vibes, with creosote, clay, leather, black pepper, over the top of juicy raspberry and cherry fruit. Smooth but structured with vibrant acid and a juicy frame of raspberries and cherries. A lot of violets, mesquite, tilled soil, warm clay, some campfire and leather. These are flavors that just exude the Sonoran desert mountains, and I’m here for it. Tempranillo, Graciano, Petit Verdot, Garnacha, Petite Sirah and Monastrell. (91 points)

An Ode to Praia dos Supertubos

Happy Earth Day!

The ocean gives us everything. May we strive to be better stewards than we were last year.

I love it when one of the best waves of a session goes unridden, even in a crowded field of highly talented surfers. It serves as a good reminder that no one bests the ocean -- nobody conquers anything. Rather, we commune with the waves for a period of time, harness the ocean's raw energy, and return to shore rejuvenated, humbled and stoked.

What a truly astounding wave this is, and I am so thankful to mother ocean and the absolute charging locals who shared it with me. About 15 years ago now, I was surfing my home break in New Jersey on a fun four-foot day. I noticed two guys who seemed experienced but not from around here, so I paddled up and asked them where they were from. Portugal, one said. I was shocked. "No way! Where exactly?" They said Peniche. It blew my mind and I expressed how stoked I was to have Portuguese surfers visiting my wave. I officially welcomed them, and told them to have fun. They even said it reminded them of home on a small day. I told them I had always wanted to surf Supertubos. "You must," one said. So I said, "OK, I will," not knowing if I would ever live to see that promise fulfilled.

I was sitting on the beach, preparing myself mentally on a particularly intimidating Supertubos dawn raid -- six foot and barreling heavier than I've seen at that size, eight foot sneaker closeout sets, howling offshore winds, nobody yet out on the peak. A bodyboarder, older than me, with the look and presence of a true OG who I'd seen out a few times, comes up and asks me where I'm from. I say Bom Dia but he asks in English and somehow knows I'm American. "USA East Coast - New Jersey." He gives me a nod and says, "Welcome to our waves," and paddles out. No one had ever just come up to me and been so explicitly welcoming, in all the places I've traveled and shared waves. 

Dues must be payed.

I'm so thankful I was able to surf this wave a lot in different conditions and sizes, and get to know it a bit. I am humbled and in awe of this magical stretch of sand.