Well... here it is Dec. 8th and the ice still hasn't made an appearance. I guess its a good thing though. I've had a great climbing season this year. We managed to get out on the rock about 95 days. Mix that with the winter climbing last Jan, Feb and March and we had well over 100 days of climbing, I'd say more like 125. My girlfriend Laura and I did a lot of development and work at Ohiopyle State Park. The park officially granted permission to climb there this season. It was the beginning of what will become a popular SWPA destination. I really enjoyed seeing everyone come and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We met several new climbers as well as saw many old faces. About a month ago Laura and I started a training program consisting of hang boards, free weights, running, etc. It has really been beating me up. I know this is normal and I keep telling myself its going to improve my climbing, but it doesn't make me feel better mentally. I like to feel strong, rested and ready to go. I'm a little anxious of the upcoming ice/mixed season and the balance between training and climbing. I want to continue to train for spring rock, but at the same time currently perform well with my crampons and tools. We went out for a little dry tooling last wed. at Meadow Run (No ice to be found). We were very limited on time, so we only managed 2 laps each on Season Finale. I'm not sure how much more I could've done. I have to attribute my poor climbing due to training. I've read many successful climbers training tips and most say that during a cycle don't expect to climb well. They are right! Hopefully the upcoming cold snap and frozen drips will have me motivated well beyond my battered body's abilities right now!