Climb

Trying to beat the heat, I ducked into the Autry Museum (of the American West) yesterday while I was waiting for my friend's event to start outside. I'm glad that I did, as I stumbled upon a really cool exhibit on the history of rock climbing at Yosemite.

I learned all about how the techniques and equipment have evolved in the nearly 150 years since naturalist John Muir pioneered climbs in this region. There was even the iconic Teddy Roosevelt-John Muir photo from the book that I am reading on display. Now I finally know what carabiners, pitons and cams are, and how to use them - in case I am ever in a tight spot.

It reminded me of this great documentary that I saw a few months ago, Blindsight. It's a nail-biting film about renowned blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer, who led a group of blind Tibetan teens - outcasts in their society - to climb Mount Everest. If any story illustrates the "Yes, we can" philosophy better, I'm sure I haven't found it yet. It's an incredibly inspiring film on many levels.

I want to check out some of the other great climbing docs like Touching the Void, and a few, like Vertical Frontier and To the Limit, that specifically highlight Yosemite climbing.

In another story of an uphill climb (sort of), my last two blog feed emails haven't been coming through, so I'm hoping the third time is a charm.

Day by day, step by step. We'll get there.

Woodstock

I finally made it to Woodstock this week. I didn't attend the festival 40 years ago (this month), nor was I the Woodstock baby (missed it by a few weeks, a few hundred miles and the fact that my parents wouldn't have been caught dead there). No, I finally caught up with the legendary event via film and documentaries - the next best thing to being there.

I started my Woodstock week by attending a screening of the new Ang Lee film, Taking Woodstock, about how the whole crazy thing came to take place on Max Yasgur's farm. It has good intentions, a stellar cast and some fun moments, but it's nothing like the real thing.

Save your money instead to rent the newly enhanced Woodstock director's cut version now out on DVD. Last night, I attended a screening of Michael Wadleigh's iconic film at my local theatre. The documentary clocks in at nearly four hours, but it was worth the time to see it on the big screen. I had never even seen the theatrical cut all the way through on any medium, so this was a special treat. While I was watching it, I kept thinking how different the Woodstock experience would have been today, in the age of instant media and communication. I loved the scene of concertgoers standing in line at pay phones to call home.

The film won an Oscar in 1970 for Best Documentary Feature, and was one of the early editing collaborations of Martin Scorcese and Thelma Schoonmaker. It combines a fantastic anthropological study of the experience with incredible music and photography. Joe Cocker's kinetic energy, Janis Joplin's raw emotion, Jimi Hendrix's electricity. All unforgettable. These legends and many others all shared the music scene when it was idealistic and authentic. We won't see the likes of them again.

I also checked out the VH1 Rock Docs and History Channel broadcast collaboration of Oscar-winning director Barbara Kopple's Woodstock: Now & Then, which canvasses the event from the recollections of key participants and fans who came together on a farm all those years ago for 3 days of music and peace.

Peace out.

Bicycles

Bicycle haiku:

Shiny, red, two wheels.
My bicycle waits for me.
Lingers in garage.

I finally dragged my bike out of the garage last weekend. It only took 7 years. Pumped up the tires (mostly by hand, with a little help from the bike shop down the street), then joined a local bike tour of the arts in town. It was so fun and easy - there is a designated bike path from my house all the way to the beach, for crying out loud! I resolve to do this more often, in lieu of haiku laments.

I am going to check out the Bicycle Film Festival in LA tomorrow, which I learned about on my tour. I had never heard of such a thing, but apparently it has been around for several years, travelling to many cities around the world and celebrating the bicycle through music, art and film. Whaddya know. There are a few bicycle documentaries (features and shorts) on the slate, so you know where I will be.

Next stop, Tour de France!