New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #18

Hi Folks! I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm not sure how to find climbing partners my age.  I just moved to the Tacoma area and would love to meet some folks to climb with that are more "experienced".  Anyone available to play outside or inside?  I am retired so my schedule is open!

Pam

You all glossed right over the fact that Tony is a terrifying driver!  Of course he thinks he’s an “efficient”driver who knows how to get there on time.  He believes his eyes are everywhere always on the road (and mine are not).  I guess if this is a wartime situation—like Apocalypse Now—with helicopters in the air and sniper fire all around, then it makes sense.   (I wonder if there’s a route with this name!) 

And he says that until I’ve driven the Mackinaw Bridge in Michigan in the winter in sub-zero temps in the wind I don’t know what driving is.  

I compare speeding tickets (mine=zero), other evidence of hazardous driving… he just believes I am clueless.  I’m always saying “Where’s the fire?”

My recent solo trip to Paso Robles was SO relaxed. I pulled off the road a dozen times to inspect almond orchards and vineyards.  I guess we have to establish “my way” days and “your way” days… and I’ll bring sedation for Tony’s days.  

Pam Dollar wrote:

Hi Folks! I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm not sure how to find climbing partners my age.  I just moved to the Tacoma area and would love to meet some folks to climb with that are more "experienced".  Anyone available to play outside or inside?  I am retired so my schedule is open!

Pam

Hey Pam! Welcome! I hope you’ll find some partners here.   

S. Neoh wrote:

Yes.
IMHO, CT and NY have the worst "urban" drivers when it comes to safe passing and lane discipline.

As a NYer I always thought NJ drivers were the worst :)  I was wrong - South FL drivers are MUCH worse!  

Yeah, I had forgotten about NJ.  Awful.  Visiting the in-laws there BITD scarred me for life!  Had not driven there since early 2000's.  Been to Miami but we used cabs and ride-share instead so I did not experience first hand.  Driven most of WA, OR, and CA when I lived out est in the '80's.  I still visit CA and CO.  I find traffic congestions the most annoying thing out there.  Driver behavior has not left a lasting impression.  YMMV.   

I think someone already mentioned it upstream but its worth repeating.  the Europeans know how to drive on multilane roads.  Americans seem to have a phobia about changing lanes.  Also a phobia about using the right hand lane on multilane roads.  If you are not overtaking then don't use the middle lane - stay right. 

Eric Engberg wrote:

I think someone already mentioned it upstream but its worth repeating.  the Europeans know how to drive on multilane roads.  Americans seem to have a phobia about changing lanes.  Also a phobia about using the right hand lane on multilane roads.  If you are not overtaking then don't use the middle lane - stay right. 

Yep.  All Utah drivers seem to be playing "The right lane is lava."

After spending a year or so driving in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, it was clear why US drivers are so terrible on the freeway. We are a culture that is self righteous about our rights, and super judgy about lawbreakers. So, the speed limit is 65? Then I damn well am going drive where ever I want! And if you’re going to speed, then F you and the horse you road in on. Whereas European freeways were, at the time, unlimited. You could have any number of drivers come up on your tail, regardless of your own speed. And there were fewer and better trained drivers as well.

Here is Colorado, high speed passing in the right lane is totally a thing. But, it’s hard to blame people for dealing with the reality of unaware drivers. As I’ve aged, I really don’t like speeding, so I enjoy the relative peace and quiet of the far right lane. Put me on dirt road, however, and hang on!

Lastly, as a westerner, my favorite place for driving is Northern California (excepting Bay Area rush hour), my least favorite is Utah. YMMV was never more appropriate.

We only have 1 freeway, and a bit of a second one, for almost the entirety of Idaho. It's most of a days drive to whatever freeway might cross up north, so who cares.

Here, you get to paved two lane (at 90mph if you think the cops aren't checking or don't care). Then paved 2ish lane where you essentially go down the middle. No paint at all and kinda narrow, but two cars might get by each other. Which means lanes optional.

Then you get down to an assortment of dirt roads. Some might as well be freeways, others, pinstripe both sides of your car from the bushes scraping.

Then there's what the BLM passes off as a road. Essentially you are in road optional territory then, hope you brought a shovel and a spare tire. Or 2 spares, for the Pahsimeroi.

Yesterday we were on one of the paved but not painted roads. Didn't see any other cars. That lead to the dirt road freeway....with a warning sign.

"Objects may fall from the sky".

Yeah, the USAF bombing range has it's own hazards.   

Dunno what you people are whining about here.

Best, Helen

I'm one of those that is ALWAYS speeding.  I enjoy driving and I enjoy racing.  The closer I can come to racing while driving, the better.  I'm with Tony, those just sitting in their cars dinking along are the most dangerous ones.  They aren't paying real attention.  Once you get about 20+ over the speed limit you need to be fully engaged and my feeling is that this makes you a better driver.  Speeding tickets in your history are a GOOD thing and except for the stupid amount they cost you should be proud to have gotten plenty.  When I first got my WRX (250hp turbocharged sport wagon) I got 4 speeding tickets the first two years.  I even got a nice letter from the DMV congratulating me on the achievement!  

I live to drive and drive to live!!!

Guy and I did LA to an hour above Lake Shasta in a 9 hour sprint a couple weeks ago.  Then we drove down to Bishop from there.  Then home to LA. Great fun!

Back on the range, it felt good this morning to just get out and wander. I drove over to sit and admire dog day and it’s always astonishing to look at that line from a distance and to think even for a minute I was on that route. This was my first and only ‘project’ with Bob and we just kept coming back four, five, maybe six times I don’t know, but each time I learned a little more. Now there’s a few loose ends to clean up and maybe this year get to the top without some artful tugging.
   (There’s a sequence here, but it has to be done fast and precise to get through it.  I never quite got the whole thing worked out. Bob has an amazing memory and promised me that he would still be able to recall all the moves even a year later) 

In May. 

Today I saw a route in the same vicinity as Dog Day and I don’t know how to identify it but it looks interesting It could be easy or hard I cannot tell.  If anyone knows what it is will you tell me please?

Ok, this… thing…sits above this route and may be a part of it. That crack probably doesn’t belong to me, yet.

And then I had the pleasure of meeting some new friends over at Loose Lady.  One is a Type 1 Diabetic who is a really strong climber and genuinely nice guy. I’m sure we’ll get out to climb one day.

If you want to drive fast and be surrounded by insane, like-minded people, go to Detroit.  For the most bizarre set of weird driving habits: Pittsburgh.

Lori, you were looking at this  

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/111685936/north-horror-rock-south-east-faces

M Appelquist wrote:

Tonopah NV to Caliente NV: just you and physics.

Be careful

in 1990, I was clocked at 104 in this area toyota pickup with 3 on the bench seat seeing how fast we could go down hill.  Cop flashed his lights we pulled over, he told us he was simply flashing his lights to let us know that town was getting close and we should slow down.  No ticket and we made it to the mountain room before closing after leaving Elko after work.

another incident, a $5 ticket and $10 court fee for wasting gas, cop would take cash,had to mail it in.

Bruce once got a fat ticket for going probably 90-100 in what we call The Empty Quarter up near the Maybell Gauge. Crafty cop evaded our radar detector. I'm generally more conservative behind the wheel, but BITD when I had to drive to Glenwood Springs fairly often for work, it sure was hard to stay below 90 on the stretch between Beaver Creek and Glenwood Canyon. Driving in the West's open spaces does that to you, especially when you see a "patrolled by aircraft" sign.  

PTR wrote:

If you want to drive fast and be surrounded by insane, like-minded people, go to Detroit.  For the most bizarre set of weird driving habits: Pittsburgh.

That figurs for "Motor City"!!

I am pretty tame when it comes to covering long distances quickly.
Probaby my consistently "best" was the steel bridge in New Paltz to my office in Natick, MA, starting at 5:30a on a Monday from the birdge.  I clocked several 3hr/3hr:05m over a distance of about 200 miles.  This was back in the '90's when speed limit was mostly 55mph.  Around the same time, I did a couple Walthan, MA to New River Gorge Bridge in WV (a distance of about 720 miles) in just less than 12 hours solo during the day.  This one is a little tricky; if I keep the speed between 65 and 70, I can make the drive with one gas and pee stop, but a much needed stop just after the Bridge.  I could go faster but that means I would need a quick stop around Cumberland, MD.  I always prefer fewer stops.

119, in my new Nissan pickup, 1985, iirc? A straight, long, long, downhill road just north of Crater Lake. The pickup was very happy around 90ish, got a vibration around 119, so I backed off. Fun!

These days I'm usually more or less the speed limit, unless I'm so far out there isn't one, like driving the bombing range. Then it's whatever works, for that road. I buy tires with dirt/gravel/snow in mind, for every vehicle I've ever owned.

My only speeding tickets have been in out of the way places, where the speed limit drops, without much expectation of it, and a single sign. Miss the sign, the county revenue goes up, lol! That happened on one trip to COR, a ticket I had to pay. 68 or something in a 55.

The other ticket, I was driving mountaineer friends to and from Mount Borah, for a 24+ hour car to car sufferfest. I slept, while they slogged.

Ironically, no tickets on the way there, mostly that 2 lane road where traffic is usually 90+. Instead, it was driving through a tiny town, Mackay, in the wee hours of the morning, when I got pulled over for 35 in a 25, or something like that.

I explained to the deputy that I had two very tired mountaineers I was transporting back to Boise, just down after their attempt at a super hard ice route on Borah, name dropped one of my friend's name (almost a local, with a known name) and also that he is a friend of another name drop....the recently retired sheriff.

And that I truly loved Mackay, love and respect Idaho small towns (including speed limits) and simply missed wherever the speed limit changed, and was taking a reasonable guess at it, in the middle of the night.

Every bit of this totally true.

My nonattempt at talking myself out of a ticket?

Talked me out of a ticket. 

My friend was impressed.

It's sometimes a good thing to be a small town girl, even if my small towns are all adopted now!

Best, Helen

A favorite picture, from way back. About 1980. From the tracks beside the road, this might be the tank gunnery range near Boise, but the USAF gunnery range is about the same. Really good roads, actually.

And my black kitty says Happy Halloween! 

I can't go anywhere without a pee stop these days..... 

I'm a remarkably slow driver, but one very early AM long ago, I was returning to the Bay Area from Bishop in my husband's car, which at the time was a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX turbo.  Heading north on 395, I really wasn't watching my speed and suddenly saw the flashing lights in my rear view.  Apparently I was going 97.  I did tell the officer it was my husband's car and apologized for not realizing it was going so fast.  As he was writing up the ticket, I said to him "My brother is an FA-18 pilot and he calls this car "the Bitchin' Sled". He laughed out loud.  Was worth going to comedy traffic school to make one of those notoriously deadpan CHPs laugh!

These days I generally ride if I can, that is, if its not raining or too cold. I very much like riding rather than driving. I never understood a mate who said that years ago, it seemed so uncomfortable, but it's so much more fun and you're so much more connected to the environment when you ride. Generally when I ride I don't do over the speed limit. 'Stop, go' drivers piss me off as do those who crawl up to a red light for 50 meters at 1K an hour. Just get there and stop! And get to where want to be and stay there. Don't stop, then 30 seconds later move up and stop, and keep doing that, it REALLY pisses me off....