How Climbing Kept Me Out Of The Clink

Crane Summit

These dudes are going to jail for sure, I thought to myself, as 75% of the house staggered back inside.  Pie eyed and reeking of cigarettes, mixed with something smelling slightly more exotic, this group acted like nothing was out of the ordinary.  And for them, there wasn't.  It was the summer of 2011 and I was mandated to a halfway house for "recovering" addicts and alcoholics located in super rural Canton, NY.  All of us were participating in Drug Court programs, felony probation, parole or some combination of serious legal situations.  Most of us were looking at a lengthy stay in state prison if we didn't complete this program.  I had already spent time in jail, followed by a long term inpatient facility before being shipped to the boondocks for the final stage of my treatment.  Apparently, most of the dozen or so "clients" in the house weren't taking things as seriously as I was.  It was glaringly obvious to me that most of the house's eleven residents were sneaking out to smoke "spice", also known as K2 or synthetic marijuana every chance they could get, especially when the more lax staff was working on nights and weekends.  At the time this heinous product was fairly new to the scene and none of the legal entities were testing for it.  That was all about to change.

View from Crane

I had got into hiking a few years prior, in the early 2000s.  My family wasn't very outdoorsy growing up besides maybe a week camping once a year in the Adirondacks or Martha's Vineyard with family friends.  I stumbled into it out of boredom at the suggestion of one of my fishing buddies.  As I became hooked on bagging the high peaks of the ADK (I tend to have an addictive trait in my personality) I started to notice climbers scaling the cliffs around Chapel Pond as I drove up to the Loj for my hikes.  In 2007 I hired out a guide and roped up for the first time, climbing at the Beer Walls (no pun intended).  Immediately, I realized this was for me.  The movement and zen focus hooking me in, plus I just loved taking in the beauty of my home I never realized was there growing up.  I took a few more lessons and bought a bunch of gear, but had a tough time finding partners.  I was into it for sure but didn't make it my lifestyle.  As the late 2000s approached I made some poor choices and found myself with a pretty nasty drug habit.  I was headed down the tubes pretty fast and ended up getting arrested for possession and going to jail in 2009.  I sat in jail, withdrawing from all the stuff I was taking, sick as a dog, and it was the lowest point I have ever been at in every conceivable way.

Destroyed after following Jay on an FA

Back in Canton I remember having my harness and a few caribiners up in my room.  There was a climbing wall at Saint Lawrence University where I was lifting weights and running, but it was closed for the summer.  I walked by it everyday and started to make plans to get back into the sport once I got my freedom back.  I was not really into AA meetings and other substance abuse treatment mumbo jumbo, although I recognize its worth and the fact that it works for many.  I needed something to live for beyond that, and while I realized climbing wasn't the cure (there is no cure) it certainly wouldn't hurt my chances of staying clean once I got out.

Jay Climbing Broken Broom

Eventually, I returned home to Lake George, NY on New Years Day 2012.  Pretty soon I found the Edge Climbing gym down near Albany, a new modern gym, and a really nice one at that.  That spring I wandered out to Crane Mountain and met Jay Harrison, the mayor and principal developer of the area.  Jay is a really cool guy, always including everyone in climbing there no matter who they are or how hard they climb.  Pretty soon I was getting spanked following first ascents and grabbing a wire brush to clean my own lines.  Through Jay I met all kinds of cool people and picked up a lot of knowledge on this sport I love so much.  The cool thing is that anyone new to climbing just needs to wander up the trail at Crane and they will be welcomed into the community with open arms.  Jay is there pretty much everyday throughout the season guiding or putting up new routes.

At the top of my route at Crane, Sleepy Hollow

So things haven't been smooth sailing since this time, but they have been a hell of a lot better than they were before.  I always have climbing to fall back on when times get tough, and friends that have proven they will be there for me no matter what.  As far as the posh smokers from the beginning of the story, they all got caught.  Not only is that stuff horrible for your health, they figured out a way to test for it.  All those guys violated their programs and a few of them are probably still in jail, or worse.  I'm thankful I was taking my situation and life seriously, and that I had that harness and those caribiners up in my room so I could day dream about the climbs I was going to do once I got out.  Thanks for taking the time to read this post and please feel free to leave a comment.