Member Spotlight: Oct 2016
Karen & Elizabeth Hume
Members since 2013
How did you start climbing?
Karen: I signed Elizabeth and her brother up for a homeschool climbing class. Elizabeth’s skill and passion for climbing led her to join Team Edgeworks last year and she couldn’t be happier. About a month after the kids started climbing, Edgeworks was having a special, a month membership with rental equipment. So, I signed up! I always wanted to try climbing and I immediately loved it!
Why do you climb at Edgeworks?
Elizabeth: “Edgeworks is awesome!”
Karen: I love the staff and the spirit of the community at Edgeworks and there are always new problems to try and solve.
Where is your favorite place to climb outside?
Elizabeth: Leavenworth, Swiftwater boulders.
Karen: I am new to climbing outside. My first experience was this summer at Smith Rock State Park and it was great!
What do you do when you’re not climbing?
Karen: Elizabeth is always busy. She loves horse riding, making and editing videos, and taking care of her animals. One of her favorite summer activities is pier jumping into the frigid waters of Commencement Bay with friends. When I am not climbing I enjoy reading, knitting, and working with and walking our two Golden Retrievers.
What are some interesting facts you’d like to share with the Edgeworks community?
Karen: A dogs sense of smell is smell is 10,000-100,000 times more acute than a humans. That means on a beach that is 1500 feet long, 150 feet wide and 40 inches deep a dog can detect two grains of sand that smell differently. Or if you make an analogy to vision, what humans can see at a third of a mile a dog could see 3,000 miles away and see just as clearly.
Which do you prefer: top rope, lead, or bouldering?
Elizabeth: Bouldering
Karen: Bouldering is my favorite but, I recently started lead climbing and I like the way
it makes me think differently about the route.
What’s your go-to route grade?
Elizabeth: V-7
Karen: V-4, V-5
