New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #12

Lori Milaswrote: Happy 4th everyone!  
I'm curious about having a home wall.  Does anyone have one and regularly work out on it?  If so, what kind?
I have just assumed that a home wall would get boring quickly with the same routes/holds, and it would be bulky and finally just gather dust.  
What say you?  

I have one in my basement that I used regularly for several years.  But the closest outdoor climbing available to me at the time was 1.5 hours away (Safe Harbor was closed at the time) and the closest decent climb gin (Gunks) was 3.5 hours away. The nearest gym was 1 hour away in a Philly suburb.  When the Delaware rock gym was built and Safe Harbor opened up again, I stopped using it.  Today is is still there but blocked by portable shelving and kayaks.

In short, with other options available (i.e. if I lived in Josh with dependable weather and amazing climbing 20 minutes away), I doubt I would ever use an in home wall.

Lori Milaswrote: Happy 4th everyone!  
I'm curious about having a home wall.  Does anyone have one and regularly work out on it?  If so, what kind?
I have just assumed that a home wall would get boring quickly with the same routes/holds, and it would be bulky and finally just gather dust.  
What say you?  

We had a bouldering wall in our house when we lived in Canada. Because winter. Since relocating back to Colorado in 2009 we have not felt the need since we have close access to climbing year round. We were strong when we had the indoor setup, and it was fun to set problems. Having access to a gym is so much better though really, their sets are way better than ours were and they have a lot more real estate to work with! Holds are also expensive - a decent home wall can cost a fair bit, even if you build it yourself.

Old lady Hwrote: SEPTEMBER CAMPING AT CITY!

September 10-21
Twin Sisters area, campsites 1,2,3,4

September 13-18
Twin Sisters group camp

Details:
This is the entirety of the Twin sisters camping, except the group camp was already booked both weekends.

Site 1-4 share a little parking turnaround. 3 and 4 are right off the turnaround, 1 and 2 a short little trail up. All sites have at least a tent pad, picnic table, and fire ring with grill. This area can take anything on the smaller side, vans, small rv's, very small trailers. The info says 1 vehicle per site, but two per site is fine. There is no longer a fee for a second vehicle.

The group camp is a large parking lot adjacent to camping. Several fire pits, tables and areas where a tent can be pitched. This is where bigger RVs and trailers can be accommodated, including our glampers living in that lovely fifth wheeler!

The group camp is also the vault toilet (very clean and well maintained) for the Twin Sisters area. The group camp is just across the road from the 1-4 campsites.

The Twin Sisters formations are off limits to climbing, but there is a fair bit of stuff up there  The Indian Chief formation is right at the group camp  This area is off the beaten path, sorta, so we'll have the place to ourselves.

There is no water in the park, except at Bath rock and Castle Rocks, but there is an outside pump at the visitors center in Almo where you can fill up.

There is a general store, Tracy's, with a gas pump, a pretty good variety of whatever you forgot to pack (coffee!!!!), really nice burgers and lunch specials (don't expect a full menu), ice cream, extremely dangerously good cookies, and yes, the post office for Almo. Also you can buy a shower from them and laundry service. Nice people. Married 45 years last fall, IIRC.

Almo also has a hot springs. Concrete pools, four of them, varying in size and temperature, including a pool cool and large enough to swim.

Again, all of this is already a done deal, awaiting any of you who can mosey over. So long as camping doesn't close up, and I am ambulatory enough to drive, I will be there 10-21.

Best, Helen

The Twin Sisters. I'm parked at site one parking. Behind me, is the group camp. EDIT to clarify, I took this pic from the road. My Honda is parked at the site one parking. Across the road behind my back is the gate to the group camp.

Climbers on Suncup Slab.

I can't wait till September!
I am getting prepared already!

Thanks Erika, Tim, Russ.
As with so many things here there are trade offs, which I am happy to make. With a little innovation I can probably devise a type of circuit in the Park. Maybe Brandt will have some ideas. Or the younger boulderers.
But for upper body I haven’t yet figured it out. Not yet ready to free solo Leave It To Beaver.   

I miss this. 

and then there’s weather to consider   



NOT A PROBLEM. I will enjoy figuring it out. :)

Old lady Hwrote:And would someone put up a nice easy offwidthy kinda thing on Lori's home turf? I really like the idea of a route name....so I can maybe someday also text "Eaten by a Chuckwalla".

Best, Helen

Here it is Helen.  Waiting for you to come take a deep inhale and hold it while you figure out the next move.   

Lol, Lori! Thanks! Re upper body, whole thing actually, if you don't want to pump iron with Russ, the TRX straps are pretty good. Tons of ways to make stuff harder or easier, including working one arm or leg at a time. Helpful when something's lopsided or needs rehabbing. I admit, I'm not on them as much as I should be, but that's the cat's fault.

Erika, City cell service is better this year, some new tower went up somewhere, and Twin Sisters is good, IIRC. WiFi is in town, as already stated, at Tracy's, the pizza place (which has greatly reduced hours this season), the visitor center, and by the buildings at Castle. The last two are the Parks department, free, and have some picnic tables and shade if you don't want to sit in the Jeep. Various random locations around the park will have cell service, hit and miss, but I'm pretty sure Twin Sisters was pretty solid. Sometimes, it's only a matter of moving a few feet and you suddenly have all 48 Facebook notifications. Oh joy. I'll drive up to Twin and check later this month, but I think you're good to go.

Thanks for the Suncup offer, Dwain! It's a completely useless belay, so I could manage that, I'm sure! There's tons around though, including climbing right out of the group camp. I think Bingham even says something about being careful not to lower off into the fire pit, lol! I promise I'll only toast marshmallows with my off hand, not the brake hand, while belaying, eh?

Best, Helen

My garage climbing wall:

Regarding climbing outside versus at a home wall, it doesn't have to be one or the other. Both have their place in my life. For me, climbing in JT is more for fun with friends, looking for new routes, or replaying old favorites. The garage, obviously, is for training purposes only. During the shutdown I worked out at home 6 days a week, alternating ARC, hangboard, and aerobic days. The garage wall was a great asset then. Even when the Park is open it is still very valuable on days when I don't have enough free time for a trip into the Park, or there is unfavorable weather, or if I want to work on a particular weakness (no shortage of those).

I had a nice phone call with the The Great Cosmic One earlier today. As much as I really want to get up to City of Rocks for the September get-together, I'm worried about the recent resurgence of the pandemic. I will wait and see how things unfold in the next couple of months, and then make a decision as to whether travelling is a wise thing to do. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome!

Brandt Allenwrote: My garage climbing wall:

Regarding climbing outside versus at a home wall, it doesn't have to be one or the other. Both have their place in my life. For me, climbing in JT is more for fun with friends, looking for new routes, or replaying old favorites. The garage, obviously, is for training purposes only. During the shutdown I worked out at home 6 days a week, alternating ARC, hangboard, and aerobic days. The garage wall was a great asset then. Even when the Park is open it is still very valuable on days when I don't have enough free time for a trip into the Park, or there is unfavorable weather, or if I want to work on a particular weakness (no shortage of those).

I had a nice phone call with the The Great Cosmic One earlier today. As much as I really want to get up to City of Rocks for the September get-together, I'm worried about the recent resurgence of the pandemic. I will wait and see how things unfold in the next couple of months, and then make a decision as to whether travelling is a wise thing to do. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome!

Yeah Brandt. It was good talking with youI always enjoy it!

Thanks for being a friend all these years.

Brandt Allenwrote: My garage climbing wall:

Regarding climbing outside versus at a home wall, it doesn't have to be one or the other. Both have their place in my life. For me, climbing in JT is more for fun with friends, looking for new routes, or replaying old favorites. The garage, obviously, is for training purposes only. During the shutdown I worked out at home 6 days a week, alternating ARC, hangboard, and aerobic days. The garage wall was a great asset then. Even when the Park is open it is still very valuable on days when I don't have enough free time for a trip into the Park, or there is unfavorable weather, or if I want to work on a particular weakness (no shortage of those).

I had a nice phone call with the The Great Cosmic One earlier today. As much as I really want to get up to City of Rocks for the September get-together, I'm worried about the recent resurgence of the pandemic. I will wait and see how things unfold in the next couple of months, and then make a decision as to whether travelling is a wise thing to do. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome!

Oh Brandt. I was just about to let it go but yours looks perfect.  I know Todd has one in his garage or basement too.  Can you advise me on building one of these?  Do you move the holds around?  By any chance is there a kit?  

I was more disappointed than I expected to find that the local climbing gym had permanently closed. I thought it was just perfect for this area. It would have been a part of my routine here.  Don’t know if I can improvise with Park routes.  

Brandt Allenwrote: I'm worried about the recent resurgence of the pandemic. I will wait and see how things unfold in the next couple of months, and then make a decision as to whether travelling is a wise thing to do. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome!

I just saw a chart that ranked various activities from low risk to high risk.  Low risk activities included: pumping gas, grocery shopping, camping, walking on a trail, getting takeout food. That is essentially most of what I'm doing on a climbing trip with the RV.   I include climbing with one other careful person at a time, while we both wear our masks and periodically hand wash/sanitize, as one of my low risk activities.  So maybe it will be OK for your September trip.

With grocery stores, the chains I use are large (Vons, Whole Foods, Sprouts) and they are very careful about hygiene.  One probably needs to be a bit careful about the takeout food thing.  I went out for a climbing day at Holcomb on Tuesday and thought I might stop and get a few tacos before doing the drive home.  I walked into the shop in Big Bear and the cook was not wearing a mask.  The person taking orders had her mask under her nose.  I turned around and walked out.  Yesterday we went to a taco place in Riverside.  The whole kitchen was in view and the three staff all had gloves and properly worn masks on.  We felt good about getting takeout there.

Certainly just staying completely home and ordering all your groceries delivered may be safer than what I've been doing, but I've never done that.  I've been exercising outside and going to gas stations and grocery stores from the very start.

Lori Milaswrote: Happy 4th everyone!  

The 4th of July is wedding anniversary for me. 33 yearsd

phylp phylpwrote:

I just saw a chart that ranked various activities from low risk to high risk.  Low risk activities included: pumping gas, grocery shopping, camping, walking on a trail, getting takeout food. That is essentially most of what I'm doing on a climbing trip with the RV.   I include climbing with one other careful person at a time, while we both wear our masks and periodically hand wash/sanitize, as one of my low risk activities.  So maybe it will be OK for your September trip.

With grocery stores, the chains I use are large (Vons, Whole Foods, Sprouts) and they are very careful about hygiene.  One probably needs to be a bit careful about the takeout food thing.  I went out for a climbing day at Holcomb on Tuesday and thought I might stop and get a few tacos before doing the drive home.  I walked into the shop in Big Bear and the cook was not wearing a mask.  The person taking orders had her mask under her nose.  I turned around and walked out.  Yesterday we went to a taco place in Riverside.  The whole kitchen was in view and the three staff all had gloves and properly worn masks on.  We felt good about getting takeout there.

Certainly just staying completely home and ordering all your groceries delivered may be safer than what I've been doing, but I've never done that.  I've been exercising outside and going to gas stations and grocery stores from the very start.

I found this article helpful and reassuring, since it pretty much tracked how we've been coping.   washingtonpost.com/health/h…;

Carl Schneiderwrote:

The 4th of July is wedding anniversary for me. 33 yearsd

Congrats Carl! I'm only 4 years behind you on wedding anniversary.       

Have you ever done any gold prospecting in Australia? 

Carl Schneiderwrote:

The 4th of July is wedding anniversary for me. 33 yearsd

My wife and I started a little late; this August will be 33 years for us too. (Pic from just a few years ago: not from 33 years ago!)

Cosmiccragsman AKA Dwainwrote:

Congrats Carl! I'm only 4 years behind you on wedding anniversary.       

Have you ever done any gold prospecting in Australia? 

No, I haven't. Sounds extremely boring.. 

rgoldwrote:

My wife and I started a little late; this August will be 33 years for us too. (Pic from just a few years ago: not from 33 years ago!)

Congrats, you look like cool people... 

Lori Milaswrote: Thanks Erika, Tim, Russ.
As with so many things here there are trade offs, which I am happy to make. With a little innovation I can probably devise a type of circuit in the Park. Maybe Brandt will have some ideas. Or the younger boulderers.
But for upper body I haven’t yet figured it out. Not yet ready to free solo Leave It To Beaver.   

I miss this. 

and then there’s weather to consider   

NOT A PROBLEM. I will enjoy figuring it out. :)

JT looks like PERFECT weather for me! 

Old lady Hwrote: SEPTEMBER CAMPING AT CITY!

September 10-21
Twin Sisters area, campsites 1,2,3,4

September 13-18
Twin Sisters group camp

My schedule says I'm biking from Vienna to Budapest on those dates.  I don't think that will happen given that US residents now banned from the EU for non-essential travel.

I just reserved campsite 34 at COR for September 13-18.  I'll stay there if the Sisters group site is too crowded.  There will be room for 2-3 others at this site.

Hope to see a lot of the "Over 50" participants there.

Wendy - I wanted to read the Washington Post article but the link wouldn't work for me. Any ideas?

Wendy, link didn't work for me either.

All, I fully realize the days of cavalier get togethers may be over. The camping was booked way back, when it first came up.

Now? I'm staying optimistic circumstances in general, and for each person, will allow at least some to come. There is plenty of room, I don't expect it to be "crowded" even by post covid distancing standards. I also expect all of us will respect each other's decisions on all of this, including simply sitting at that real campfire together.

Boise is ramping up now, and I am going more conservative to protect vulnerable people my partner associates with. Idaho has long been populated with those who value individual freedoms over government, so that's a backlash fight. Then there's the younger group (18-29) that caused a big spike in cases when the bars reopened here. Even if the bars did everything reasonably, the downtown sidewalks were business as usual. Bars closed again, and at least two owners are seriously sick.

I now know someone I hang out with who has this, a now and then climbing partner. He and his son joined us at City, trip before last. Fortunately, that was well before he got sick, and we were out in the open air. They are supposed to join us there later this month, but we'll see. I'll be more cautious (separate cars, for example) than usual, if they do make it. 

I expect all of us will adjust later, as we can, but I do hope to see you there. I'm thinking I'll walk the campsites and group area this next trip, maybe some other spots, and pop up some videos on YouTube. Let those of you who haven't been get a sense of the place. It isn't a casual decision, I get it.

Best, Helen