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Max & Bearpaws

@maxskoolie

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I saw Indiana Jones too many times

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Here's my Bus! Hope you guys enjoy! #buslife by @maxskoolie

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3 years ago

Back in Yosemite, this time with a rack instead of a hiking map.

El Cap is still absolutely fucking ridiculous to stand underneath. Last time I was here I hiked the Upper Falls because I didn’t know how to climb. This time I came back for the classics.

Perfect weather, warm granite, river days, climbing almost every day, and enough dirtbag behavior to earn a couple parking tickets and irritate the Park Service.

Central Pillar of Frenzy might be the best 5.9 I’ve ever climbed. Soloing the Waterfall Route on Sunnyside Bench with three of my favorite people was another proper “holy shit, I’m alive” moment.

Bruno spent the trip infiltrating Yosemite in a service dog vest because apparently being a very good boy grants diplomatic immunity.

Somehow made friends with park employees and acquired access to employee showers. Civilization restored.

Then Tuolumne with a new friend Steve. Classic after classic after classic. Matthew Crest was the standout probably the coolest traverse I’ve ever climbed.

Old climbing history, questionable decisions, great people, ridiculous granite.

a thousand climbs. Several parking tickets. Zero regrets.

Still a dirtbag. Just a slightly more experienced one. taken in Yosemite National Park, California by @maxskoolie

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12 days ago

A lot has happened, and I’m terrible at posting, so here’s the condensed version since mexico city:

The boarder crossing from mexico to texas went suspiciously smoothly. Headed to big bend and then roughly an hour later the bus exploded into a very expensive stationary object.

After a grueling week of heat, grease, confusion, and increasingly creative profanity, I finally found the culprit and headed north to Carlsbad thanks to some kind mechanics letting me tinker in their shop. Carlsbad Caverns was 10 year old me's dream. White Sands for desert!

Then I made my way to Indian Creek and accidentally became obsessed with crack climbing. Turns out voluntarily stuffing your body into rock fissures is strangely rewarding. Somewhere along the way we started a band, put posters in bathroom stalls expecting two people to show up, and somehow ended up with thirty. There was dancing, music, questionable decisionmaking, and a suspicious lack of law enforcement. We even found a pizza oven in the middle of the desert because Utah occasionally feels like a bug in the simulation.

Back in Moab, I reunited with friends I hadn’t seen in years. The same wonderful collection of dirtbags, climbers, musicians, and highly functional degenerates who somehow keep convincing me that sleeping on the ground is a lifestyle choice.

We played board games, jumped in rivers, howled at passing trains, shared incredible family dinners, met new friends, drank with old ones, and generally behaved like people who had collectively decided calendars were a government conspiracy.

A trip to Telluride involved snowy via ferratas and building our own hot springs beside waterfalls in the mud. OSHA would not have approved... because of the nudity

The adventure wrapped up with my friends making a homemade In-N-Out burger from scratch (my favorite if you don't already know me) a completely reasonable amount of effort for a cheeseburger.

Then came Salt Lake City, more climbing, more incredible people, and more proof that strangers become friends surprisingly fast when everyone is covered in dust.

Now I’m writing this from Yosemite with Bruno the dog. Thanks for all the memories everyone taken in Moab, Utah by @maxskoolie

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3 months ago

Two months in El Potrero Chico started the way most good life decisions do: I was sitting alone in my bus in Guadalajara when I got a text from a very cool girl asking if I wanted to come climb some extremely tall rocks.
Naturally I responded the only responsible way possible: “hell yeah.”

Cue heavy metal soundtrack. Plan set in metaphorical limestone.

I left early because I had absolutely nothing going on in my life and also wanted to see the mountains of Nuevo León. When I rolled in, the universe decided to reward my poor life choices by placing three of my favorite humans there when I arrived. they taught me how to mulitpitch and not not climb like a newborn giraffe.

The next two months turned into the most shagadelic limestone fever dream of my life. Massive cliffs, giant alpine-looking summits, and fossils everywhere. For a geology nerd like me it was basically Disneyland, except the rides are vertical and occasionally try to kill you.
Life in the little town was perfect. Mexican markets overflowing with fruit, vegetables, gorditas, elote, and enough tortillas to emotionally support a small nation. No mames güey.

Somehow, despite still being relatively new to climbing, I managed my first multipitch. For the non-climbers: that’s when you climb past the first anchors (about 100 ft) and keep going until the ground looks like a distant childhood memory.

Highlights include:
– Climbing my heart out every day with a crew of outrageously cool (and suspiciously attractive) friends
– Asking Jarvis wildly inappropriate questions while dangling on a wall
– Family dinners cooked by friends better than 3 star restaurants
– Mexican bingo with the abuelas
– Hitching rides into town in the back of pickup trucks like a bunch of dusty rock pirates
– Improvised dance parties and hot tub nights with conversations that might be used against us in court one day.

10/10.

The best part wasn’t the climbing though. It was the people. When you live on the road you get used to saying goodbye, so accidentally building a little desert family here meant everything. I love you all

Anyway… if anyone needs me I’ll be emotionally processing this while hanging off another rock somewhere taken in El Potrero Chico Mexico by @maxskoolie

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7 months ago

Currently typing this from a hole in the wall birria joint on a cobblestone street in Mexico. Late is better than never, they say a mantra for anyone who’s ever watched a flight depart without them.

After realizing my three month Italian love affair had an expiration date, I scrambled for an exit. The cheapest flight back to Canada came with a single, beautiful condition: a 24-hour layover in Casablanca. Most would see that as a precaution. I saw it as a strongly worded suggestion. I clicked “book” before the airline could reconsider.

Landed in Morocco knowing precisely nothing about it. Language? No. Culture? Vague shapes. Flag? Could’ve been a barcode for all I knew. The locals greeted me in French a lovely colonial leftover I was entirely unprepared for. But ignorance has never stopped me. I’ve built a life on the sturdy philosophy of “fuck around and find out.”

And let it be known: if you fuck around, you will find out. If you don’t fuck around, you’ll die bored. Words to live or at least travel by.

Slept in the airport. “Slept” being a generous term for shifting on a metal bench while hugging my backpack. A small price to pay for fiscal righteousness.

Morning arrived, mercifully. Found a train to the old medina. Took a bus. Watched the city scroll by a blur of Arabic script, vibrant scarves, and purposeful chaos. Notably absent: Americans. Always a good sign.

I wandered the streets like a kid who’d escaped a field trip, wide-eyed and aimless, until the Atlantic appeared and, with it, the Hassan II Mosque. staggering, majestic, a stone giant dipping its toes in the ocean.

And then, the moment. I turned. A crowd swelled. Voices rose in harmonic, haunting unison. A ceremony I didn’t understand and couldn’t name. Chills down the spine. The kind of beautiful, unplanned collision that makes the whole miserable airport bench experience worthwhile.

The chanting faded. Time to go. But not before a sacred ritual of my own: etting lost in a foreign grocery aisle. Nothing says “I respect your culture” like staring at unrecognizable chips for 20 minutes.

Morocco you sneaky, dazzling, chaotic tease. I’ll be back. Next time, I’ll even learn your flag 🇲🇦 taken in Casablanca, Morocco, Africa by @maxskoolie

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9 months ago

Craving chinese food so I went to China. Apparently they don't call it chinese food there they just call it "food".

22 days spent in one of the most incredibly interesting countries I've ever seen and smoked way too many free cigarettes. Flew from Italy to Shanghai, saw the future. Flew to Shenzhen, saw robots and tech. Train to Hong Kong, saw the culture and streets. Train to Guangzhou, ate a bathtub of noodles with friends and lights. Saw the countryside in Hefei, beauty in Qingdao, and the ancient history in Beijing and the nightlife in Chongqing.

I actually picked up some Mandarin and every time I spoke to locals, they would put everything down and buy me dinner and beer. China is like nothing I've ever seen. It's the closest thing to traveling to a different planet, because they're so completely evolved differently than North America and the West. They are in their own ecosystem. It's such an interesting feel. The people are so warm, generous, kind, and different. Maybe a little too generous with the cigarettes.

I met so many random locals who would come up and take pictures with me like I was a celebrity. I guess foreigners don't travel there often. The compliments on being handsome were endless. An older woman offered me her daughter's hand in marriage. If I accept, you're invited.

The subway system felt like the year 3077 and the trains were blurs. The biggest surprise was the affordability. I could get a luxury Mercedes taxi with a suited chauffeur in white gloves for an hour's drive, handing me water, for under $20. Food, hotels, everything was accessible.

For the last week my best friend, my brother, joined me. We ended the trip witnessing the massive, elusive Great Wall together, forming a core memory I will take to my death.

I will 100% be going back to China. I will 100% be eating chinese food (or "food") again. I encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and visit. Don't listen to anyone telling you not to go. taken in China中国 by @maxskoolie

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10 months ago

Almost 3 months in Italy, back to the homeland. When I was 7, I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, which apparently cursed me to return (or at least that is what everyone insists). And now, 18 years later, here I am, wondering if that coin actually had supernatural powers or if I simply have terrible long term planning skills.

Meeting my family for the first time was wild. Eating pizza every day and not getting tired of it was even wilder. Swimming in the Mediterranean, wandering through ancient ruins at night like it was a casual evening stroll, staring at crystal blue water in Ponza and Anzio, and calling all of that home for nearly 3 months felt unreal in the best possible way.

Italian drivers are terrifying. Driving stick for the first time in tiny mountain towns nearly made me replace the car seat. Confidence increased, lifespan decreased.

I once ordered a coffee with milk after 12 pm and the barista absolutely destroyed me with a loud lo stupido turista comment. They truly do not play around with weak coffee or time.

Learned Italian homes have bullet proof doors for reasons nobody can explain. Then we stepped out for a cigarette, forgot the keys, and locked everything inside. Phones, wallet, keys, dignity. Slept in the car like it was a low budget survival documentary. Good thing its my #1 hobby.

While trying to track down family with zero idea thier phone #s wereI accidentally met one of the coolest groups of people ever. They gave me coffee, chaos, swear words, and somehow a week later I was partying with them like we had known each other for years.

The part I still struggle to write: my father, Oliviero, passed away on November 13. Rare liver cancer that had already spread. Our relationship was not perfect, but it was ours. By timing or fate, I spent the last two and a half months of his life with him. I will always be grateful for that.

I am writing this from China because he always wanted to come here and when I told him I booked a ticket he said he was happy for me. So here I am.

Thanks to everyone who supported me while I wander this planet. Except the waiter who called me a girl for ordering a cappuccino after 12. Yeah fuck that guy. taken in Rome, Italy by @maxskoolie

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a year ago

living for almost 4 months LITERALLY touching the ocean in a self converted 20 year old schoolbus with the craziest nomad group to decide to come with me spearfishing, climbing rocks, swimming with mantarays, paddleboarding, whale watching, deep conversations, tropical mountain hotsprings and eating tacos every day, and of course, when local legend Marco (Spanish beach wizard) invites you to his homemade cabana at 11:30 PM for crab stew, and you go because (A) free food, (B) this man clearly knows the secrets of the universe, and (C) you’ve made worse life choices.

mexico you rock.

Anyway my spanish is getting a little better and we're taking the ferry to mainland in the next couple days. its a 14 hour ferry and we're super excited to see some trees finally. We're gonna stock up on tamales and download movies to watch (with Spanish subtitles of course)

I dont know how far south we're going to drive but we're at least going to try for costa rica.

cheers. taken in Baja California Sur, Mexico by @maxskoolie

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a year ago

sorry for the last post folks (times late by 4 months ahahahhaha anyways I'm not the best at posting on here so here's some updates FROM AUGUST TO SEPTEMBER in VANCOVER ISLAND TO OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK USA!)

Captured an actual angel on film to kick off our adventure—impressive, I know. Took the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria, then dove into our Vancouver Island escapade at Strathcona Provincial Park. Salmon fishing our way up the coast? Check. Suspension bridges, rainforests, and campsites? Easy peasy.

Met up with our good friend Tuan (at the iconic Canadian Tire parking lot, naturally), introduced Georgia, and removed a grey water tank for space reasons. Tuan joined the caravan, and together we lived like royalty—fresh salmon, nightly tea, epic game nights, and even a movie night with a projector.

We explored caves, hunted waterfalls, climbed, and soaked in all the beauty Vancouver Island could throw at us. Then it was off to the U.S., with the ferry to Port Angeles leading us straight to Olympic National Park. Hiking, swimming, mushroom-spotting, and all-around rainforest magic. taken in Vancouver Island by @maxskoolie

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2 years ago

Squamish Canada 🇨🇦 Appreciation post

don't come to Squamish.

unless you wanna have the best experience of your life, climb every day, meet cool hippies, swim in the bluest rivers and waterfalls, eat amazing food, hike in rainforest, drive around the sea, and you know touch some rocks with your fingers....

I only planned to spend 4 days in Squamish but ended up staying for a whole month and a bit... Oops.

not gonna a lie Francesca kinda peer pressured me and also I heard the og van chef himself was coming so how could I leave? (promises of tastey sweet greasy burritos were mentioned that may or may not have swayed me to stay)

Climbed literally almost every day... did my first trad lead and also saw the most beautiful views from the tops of almost every crag Squamish had to offer. area 44 will have my heart.

waterfalls were my showers and there were no shortage of them sons of witch's. there's a waterfall for every climb in Squamish almost. cold but refreshing hey that's why it's in canada eh.

met some amazing friends and some smelly stinky hippies living in cars but hey that's what u get for building bus sometimes.

first photos taken by the amazing @max_the_traveler23 taken in Squamish, British Columbia by @maxskoolie

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2 years ago

My Great American Adventure has come to an end... For now...

All these photos were taken in Washington and boy oh boy am I in love with this place. Mountains, lakes, more mountains and mountain goats... What more could a boy want? More mountains probably.

Did the coolest sunrise hike with the coolest people, spent my first 4th of July with even more cool people, some drunk guy broke my table, another guy convinced me to do a 23mile (50km) hike in what felt like Switzerland, had my first grizzly bear close encounter, and went backpacking overnight at a fire lookout tower on top of a mountain. Dreams really do come true... So far.

Whole months in the USA. Felt like a week. Absolutely thrilled to have experienced the things I have, beyond grateful for the people I met and will now be in my life for a long time hopefully (and in my memories for life) I will be back very soon... I have a whole team working on a way to smuggle me back in. Montana, Wyoming Tetons and Oregon I will be back to explore you more.

I think everything happens for a reason. I was 50% sure before I started this trip and now I'm 99% sure. This universe is amazing and we're on the good timeline. I am unbelievablely happy in my life and every day is an adventure.

Thanks to you all for being here with me and being a part of it. I fucking love hanging out with you hippies. (Even though you all smell like granola, beer and dirt) taken in Washington State by @maxskoolie

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2 years ago

FOLLOW THAT DREAM

Lots of problems have been endured to be able to fulfil that sentence. But that's just it right, you need to follow your dreams because you're the only one who can.

I'm in love with the road, the earth below my feet and the air in my lungs (especially in the redwood forest that stuffs clean as hell it tastes good too)

(Also InnOut if you're reading this I'm in love with you too)

Last time we left off was Yosemite I believe, I took to the road to pinnicles national park, did some cave exploring and then off to Santa Cruz did some ocean swimming, up the coast to San Francisco got my first tattoo, through the redwood forest, where I met a wizard named vagamon and he sent me on a quest to Oregon to see Mt.Hood and the shining hotel and now I'm headed to Mt. Rainer. (Wow finally spelled it right)

My deadline to be back in Canada is coming up very soon which is hilarious because my whole trip was supposed to be in BC but america took me by surprise then Baja hahahha. I will be back to explore Washington and Oregon, these have been beautiful and I've only been here for 3 days. Also goes to show how easy it is to convince max to go places. Hey max wanna come to Baja with us? Do it no balls. 😤 Fine ya got me.

I got lost on a forest road yesterday. I'm a god at directions though so I found my way back :) saw a wolf and a couple deer. Never gets old.

Anyway I'm gonna keep driving I just wanted to post these sick pics cause alot of you seemed to like them on my stories. Thanks to everyone I've met in the last couple weeks and everyone follwoing along this crazy journey I'm on.

Hello Washington! taken in Washington by @maxskoolie

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2 years ago