My mom, Judy.

For as far back as I can remember, it was just me and my mom, Judy. We didn’t have much, but she showed me the thrill of fast running rivers and the joy of tiny tad poles in mountain ponds. And, on special occasions it was a present or two, wrapped in newspaper and topped with a funny red yarn ball she’d made herself. I don’t know where she’d learned to make them, but I wish I would’ve asked.
When I discovered rock climbing in the early 90’s, it didn’t take long to wonder if one of those silly yarn balls might help better distribute chalk over my hands without the caking or clumping resulting from crushing tiny chunks between my fingers. So, I made one, and that same berry has been in every one of my chalk bags since.
When she died unexpectedly in 2024, it was on our first trip back out bouldering that my wife and I looked at each other and said, ‘we should really start making these in her honor.’ So, we have. And in her name, a portion of this and every Berry sale, will be donated to animal and women’s shelters across the country. Thank you for your support.