New and Experienced climbers over 50 #23

Hey Lori, how much stuff did you net out of that indoor hydroponic thingy? Was it worth it, do you think? Pros/cons?

I've not done any climbing inside or out, for ages. Still trying to get in some sort of shape after the hit the body took post surgery. Plus, winter. I'm not Nick, but, boy, I sure enjoy his (and everyone else's) pics. I am trying pretty diligently to get into the regular gyms regularly. Went into the lap pool yesterday. First time for that in decades!

Did all of you east coasters get through the cold okay? I saw that record low for Mt. Washington recently. Holy crap!! Past a certain point, how can you even tell??? I don't know about low temps, but for me, the misery level is all the same on the high end, once it's 113ish or so, doesn't matter if it gets up around 120. The overnight temp stays stupid hot also, either way.

Best, H.

The only good thing about the cold snap here is that it was a ‘snap’—very brief—basically 36 hours. Most bizarre, though seemingly typical of our messed up climate, was that in Boston it went from something like -10 F Friday night to around +50F on Sunday—really crazy!!!! For me, I just hunkered down ( fortunately not losing power). My wife, desperate to ski ( no snow around here) actually drove up to New Hampshire on Saturday ( stayed at Pinkham Notch at the base of Mt. Washington) to position herself to get on her x-c boards once it warmed up to tolerable temps for Sunday and Monday. I stayed home on dog duty ( with a gym session on Sunday) and that was fine with me.

 yes I am frazzled...   I do really well with routine. I had been in that cabin 20 years. 21 in the previous cabin. upending my life and moving has been a bit traumatic for both of us... yesterdays big solo was awesome but still didn't sleep well.    on a brighter note they finally tracked me down and mailed me my trophy for winning state muzzleloader pistol champion back in September. Pretty sure  I was supposed to get maple syrup and sausage as well...   I also got a silver medal in the mail from last weeks biathlon.. 

Alan Rubinwrote:

The only good thing about the cold snap here is that it was a ‘snap’—very brief—basically 36 hours. Most bizarre, though seemingly typical of our messed up climate, was that in Boston it went from something like -10 F Friday night to around +50F on Sunday—really crazy!!!!

It was basically a 60F swing from 6am on Sat to noon on Sunday.  A span of 30 hours.  
Just think how much energy it took nature to do that. If only we could harness 10% of that energy for our power production.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

 yes I am frazzled...   I do really well with routine. I had been in that cabin 20 years. 21 in the previous cabin. upending my life and moving has been a bit traumatic for both of us... yesterdays big solo was awesome but still didn't sleep well.    on a brighter note they finally tracked me down and mailed me my trophy for winning state muzzleloader pistol champion back in September. Pretty sure  I was supposed to get maple syrup and sausage as well...   I also got a silver medal in the mail from last weeks biathlon.. 

Nick... so sorry I missed this whole part of your story!  Sometimes maybe that actual campfire is the better option.  But hopefully you know that we've all been upended a time or two. Just stay the course, take a break when you need to.  Breathe.     Keep posting pictures!

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Helen, the jury is out on my Farmstand.  I think you would do better with it than I have.  It can grow a lot of produce, but you may discover that you don't eat that much lettuce!  Because it won't grow a root vegetable, you can't grow carrots, potatoes, etc.  You can grow tomatoes, but only cherry ones.  So check out their website and see what they offer for plants.  Also, I found it to be a lot more labor-intensive than I could handle more recently.  It turns out my city water didn't please the little guys... I had to fill up gallon jugs of RO water and carry them one by one to the 15 gallon stand... a process that took literally a half day. And you have to refill weekly.  Then you have to add nutrients.  My farmstand is now upside down in the backyard... I keep wondering if I want to bring it back in and restart.  But instead I'm waiting for Russ to drop by and dig me a real garden just like he has.    

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If it wouldn't embarrass both me and Bob I would stand up and belt out "To Sir With Love".  I feel like that song best describes the relationship of Bob's great coaching of me, a very green student.  He finds the positive, and is always kind about the negative--and offers hope for the future.  But I did call him bossy... like Tony is in the kitchen.  OMG, Tony sits on his stool and folds his arms to monitor my cooking and tell me what to do.  He's the kitchen Mafia.  So, today I climbed Arturo's Special a couple of times.  Somehow it has become a 5.10+ route.  Maybe the wind blew off some holds?   (Or maybe my legs have grown weak).   I am drawn to King Dome no matter how much fun I do not have on it... like a moth to the flame. The routes on that rock are just hard... sustained, they just don't quit.  Lots of legs and crimps and edging. I love it.  When you think you should be done you're halfway there.  

I do not know how recovery will go tomorrow.  I'm sore today, but less sore than last time.  Have sent an SOS to my Endocrinologist.  But also thinking about Phylp's hantavirus.  Could it be that? 

Eye Candy. 

phylp phylpwrote:

 Yesterday I got a seven card onsight straight: 5.9, 10a, 10b, 10c, the dreaded 10d, 11a, 11b (not in that order).  (Real ratings probably 5.8, 5.8, 5.9, 10b, 10c, 10c, 10c.)  Then I completely thrashed myself on a hard and physical TR, did one lap on a crack to finish and was done, done, done.  About 400 feet of climbing.  I was exhausted and had to ice numerous body parts last night.  Then slept for 10 solid hours.  I'm in awe of those of you who report going to the gym many days per week!

Sound like you are in Las Vegas?  R2C2?

I am also in awe of people I know who climb 5+ days a week.  I am hoping to bump it up to 3 days per week of climbing this month LOL

Mike Kwrote:

Sound like you are in Las Vegas?  R2C2?

I am also in awe of people I know who climb 5+ days a week.  I am hoping to bump it up to 3 days per week of climbing this month LOL

Mike, I haven’t managed to connect with you since you moved there!  Hopefully that will happen sometime this year!

S. Neohwrote:

It was basically a 60F swing from 6am on Sat to noon on Sunday.  A span of 30 hours.  
Just think how much energy it took nature to do that. If only we could harness 10% of that energy for our power production.

Except that isn't usually how it works.  In fact, that cold just got moved somewhere else and somewhere elses warm got moved to you.  Still a lot of energy to move that much air.

Jan Mcwrote:

Except that isn't usually how it works.  In fact, that cold just got moved somewhere else and somewhere elses warm got moved to you.  Still a lot of energy to move that much air.

Right.  Sorry if I implied that it was a static, closed container of air over New England and Nature heated it up without any atmospheric influence.

If I recall correctly, the Fri night and Sat morning cold was caused by a hi pressure system to our North pumping Artic cold air towards our South, as the weather system moves West to East (as normal for Northern Hampshire). Then the big turnaround during Sat when a hi pressure system to our South dragged in the warmer and more humid air.
It is impressive to me how qucikly these hi pressure systems get pushed along beyond what we can expect from the Coriolis Effect caused by Earth's rotation.
Definitely food for thought.

Todd Berlier wrote:

hi all just a short shout out: my 54 yo heart is warmed by a small group of young guys developing boulders in sacramento area: Ben G., Ryker H, Damien V. and Noah C. they are all in their 20s and they hunt, scrub and establish problems in folsom and tahoe just cause they love it. none of them are top end but they are putting up high single digit and low double digit problems. i think its important to aknowlefge their contributions to the sport and show the spirit of development is alive and well and that the new generation isn't all "boulder bros" trashing the environment, blaring music and over-crowding the classics. 

yesterday i went out to two of their problems and did one and i threw together this short video to show some love to them.

https://youtu.be/odl8_kmo4L4

Nice, Todd! I love that you posted this. When I was still living in Rocklin, one afternoon I was bored and went and sat at the quarry and saw two young guys really working some boulder problems there. I sat on a rock and took pictures, and I know they wondered what this woman was doing photographing them but eventually we all introduced ourselves and I got to know one of the guys pretty well. I think they just love the encouragement from older climbers and people who support and encourage what they are doing

Here in Joshua Tree there are a lot of younguns giving their all to climbing and I’m sure not everyone understands what they’re doing. I love to celebrate these young pups.

Todd Berlier wrote:

hi all just a short shout out: my 54 yo heart is warmed by a small group of young guys developing boulders in sacramento area: Ben G., Ryker H, Damien V. and Noah C. they are all in their 20s and they hunt, scrub and establish problems in folsom and tahoe just cause they love it. none of them are top end but they are putting up high single digit and low double digit problems. i think its important to aknowlefge their contributions to the sport and show the spirit of development is alive and well and that the new generation isn't all "boulder bros" trashing the environment, blaring music and over-crowding the classics. 

yesterday i went out to two of their problems and did one and i threw together this short video to show some love to them.

https://youtu.be/odl8_kmo4L4

Nice!  Hard to tell the angle of the boulder the pad is sitting on, but it looks like if you landed just a little further back on it than you did at 0:33 in the video, the whole rig might tip and send you off backward and head first into boulders and water.

I've been doing a bunch of bouldering.  My weekly sessions at the gym I go up and down all the auto-belays for endurance.  Rest.  Then work on a boulder problem at my limit for power.  Here's a video of my latest that took me many tries over two sessions.  That last left hand is a really awful sloper.  If you try to move your body up before getting the right foot you'll spin right off.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fPtMRo2RQWXNdsBs7

GO

Edited to add:  The link takes you to a picture and you you have to click on the picture to see the video

Todd Berlier wrote:

hi all just a short shout out: my 54 yo heart is warmed by a small group of young guys developing boulders in sacramento area: Ben G., Ryker H, Damien V. and Noah C. they are all in their 20s and they hunt, scrub and establish problems in folsom and tahoe just cause they love it. none of them are top end but they are putting up high single digit and low double digit problems. i think its important to aknowlefge their contributions to the sport and show the spirit of development is alive and well and that the new generation isn't all "boulder bros" trashing the environment, blaring music and over-crowding the classics. 

yesterday i went out to two of their problems and did one and i threw together this short video to show some love to them.

https://youtu.be/odl8_kmo4L4

I boulder almost as much as I climb and have definitely been one of the "boulder bros" oblivious to making even the smallest attempt to leave no trace. Alpine bouldering is one thing, even with the crowds that will eventually come if the rock is good, the environment can handle it. The desert bouldering is definitely having a very negative and long term impact in most places. Places like Big Bend, IC, Moes, Craft, the Happys , Buttermilks and Jtree, zillions of trails, vegetation receding daily, basically major brofests that have changed a ton in 20 years. Don't get me wrong though, I love the process too, I just see what crowds do.

The rock in your video looks nice, I'd probably need a spotter though! Is there room for a spotter?

@Todd, yeah, that looks like a not so lovely landing zone! Plus side, I suppose, is you could cool off if it's warmer weather! Looks fun, though, otherwise!

@Gabe, that problem is one of those sorts that are especially fun to watch different sizes of climbers working it out. Height and hand size can change how people do these, plus just how people choose to attempt stuff. Always interesting to see different types on the same problem.

Even if I was ever any good at any of this, my rom just isn't there. Flexibility is part of it, but, I hit mechanical limits. When bone runs into bone, that's all ya get. Thus my "strategy" becomes to just do whatever seems fun, that I can remotely take a shot at! Sometimes that even means seeking out a bit of rock a heel hook can be tried on, see if I can make anything remotely like it work. Usually, that means an almost side pull sorta thing to get the leg up high. A sideways shot at up, lol!

It's creeping SO CLOSE to almost warm enough to get outside on stuff here! That'll likely start with bouldering. The snow is pretty much mostly gone, but the water in the bottom of the canal is still frozen, and the ground too. Which means being cautious of tramping around on our local trails as they thaw somewhat but are still wet. It just destroys them instantly. It's sandy out where the boulders are though, plus lower elevation, right by a big river, and warmer. Sunny and no wind is what we're waiting for!

Best, Helen

Weather has been decent here in the Mid-Atlantic.  Almost got outside this week for the 1st time since the injury, but I got sick.  Aarrrgggh !  At least next week looks good also.

Old lady Hwrote:

@Todd, yeah, that looks like a not so lovely landing zone! Plus side, I suppose, is you could cool off if it's warmer weather! Looks fun, though, otherwise!

@Gabe, that problem is one of those sorts that are especially fun to watch different sizes of climbers working it out. Height and hand size can change how people do these, plus just how people choose to attempt stuff. Always interesting to see different types on the same problem.

Even if I was ever any good at any of this, my rom just isn't there. Flexibility is part of it, but, I hit mechanical limits. When bone runs into bone, that's all ya get. Thus my "strategy" becomes to just do whatever seems fun, that I can remotely take a shot at! Sometimes that even means seeking out a bit of rock a heel hook can be tried on, see if I can make anything remotely like it work. Usually, that means an almost side pull sorta thing to get the leg up high. A sideways shot at up, lol!

It's creeping SO CLOSE to almost warm enough to get outside on stuff here! That'll likely start with bouldering. The snow is pretty much mostly gone, but the water in the bottom of the canal is still frozen, and the ground too. Which means being cautious of tramping around on our local trails as they thaw somewhat but are still wet. It just destroys them instantly. It's sandy out where the boulders are though, plus lower elevation, right by a big river, and warmer. Sunny and no wind is what we're waiting for!

Best, Helen

Helen, we do what we can and dad asked to be good enough and fun enough. I love that you have shared so much of your journey from your walks to get cheesecake and back, the long road to get surgery and recovery and getting out to boulder when you can.  Whereas, in the beginning, we really didn’t know each other now it truly feels like we have good friends everywhere.  That has only come from the willingness to share up close and personal.

It’s 58° here today. I am finally understanding how Climbing goes here in the park. This is the perfect time to choose routes that are directly in the sun. We have four or five months to work on those and then soon enough it’s completely shut down for the rest of the season and you’re hunting for routes in the shade. You just dont  want to be climbing in full sun unless it’s really cold outside.  Now I understand that if I want to work on some of my favorite routes times a wasting.

Todd Berlier wrote:

its not as bad as it looks!

... i started to fall back. i managed to jump across a couple rocks and didnt get wet, but it was close. best part is there was a group of kayakers watching me andv i got a little cheer when i stuck the jump landing.

I always like to say, loosely based on empirical data, climbers often get hurt not climbing/bouldering but in activities connected to it.  Like hiking in and out, fooling around (a friend had a career ending tib-fib fracture), and driving to/from (Wolfgang Gullich and friends).  And that is not even considering fatal last-rap-of-the-day incidents.  

Glad you made the gymnastic moves, Todd.

I took a little drive this afternoon to visit one of my favorite rocks.  I was hoping for a little attitude adjustment, and it worked.  I've been pretty blue about the iron situation but I think now I can see the glass half full.  (hopefully)

There is no reason to love this particular rock, except I just do, and I'd like to climb it again.  It does happen to be a Houser route, which is why I was wearing my Dave's Not Here red T-shirt.  Dave is STILL not here, but hope springs eternal. (Dave Houser, Ed Ehrenfeld and Bob Molloy, November 1974)  Who are Ed and Bob?  

The likelihood of Dave showing up is about the same as the likelihood that I will ever learn the secret handshake start to C.S. Special.  I already accept that I will have to climb around it.... for now.   Todd could do it for sure.  Probably most here could.  Carl for sure.  Not me.   No amount of hydration or protein is going to help with this.  

Secret handshake above: “all you have to do “ is grab that horn underneath and reach far right to grab that first tiny crimp on the face and HAUL YOURSELF ON UP.  

Later I want to talk about cordyceps.  It has grossed me out to the point where I cannot discuss it yet. 

Cordyceps has been in used for a long time in traditional Chinese medicine.  And yet I will not claim it as perfectly safe or effective.  
My Mom gave it to me on an "as needed" basis (using some metric that escaped me) when I lived at home till I was 20.
I then went 30 years hardly taking any of it. I started taking it in standardized capsule form in my 50's.

Here are just two double blind clinical trials I found within 2 Google seconds;
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20804368/      My takeaway - "After receiving Cs-4 for 12 weeks, the metabolic threshold (above which lactate accumulates) increased by 10.5% from 0.83 +/- 0.06 to 0.93 +/- 0.08 L/min (p < 0.02) and the ventilatory threshold (above which unbuffered H(+) stimulates ventilation) increased by 8.5% from 1.25 +/- 0.11 to 1.36 +/- 0.15 L/min."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30925876/      My takeaway - "The results suggest that the immune system functions well with CBG-CS-2 supplementation, perhaps with less accompanying inflammation. Thus, CBG-CS-2 is safe and effective for enhancing cell-mediated immunity in healthy adults."

I will be the first to say that Cordyceps is not a silver bullet.  It is a supplement.  Just another tool (e.g. Vitamin D3) to slow down the decline inherent to getting older.  And as with most diets, supplements, life styles, and exercise routines, YMMV.  

S. Neohwrote:

Cordyceps has been in used for a long time in traditional Chinese medicine.  And yet I will not claim it as perfectly safe or effective.  
My Mom gave it to me on an "as needed" basis (using some metric that escaped me) when I lived at home till I was 20.
I then went 30 years hardly taking any of it. I started taking it in standardized capsule form in my 50's.

Here are just two double blind clinical trials I found within 2 Google seconds;
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20804368/      My takeaway - "After receiving Cs-4 for 12 weeks, the metabolic threshold (above which lactate accumulates) increased by 10.5% from 0.83 +/- 0.06 to 0.93 +/- 0.08 L/min (p < 0.02) and the ventilatory threshold (above which unbuffered H(+) stimulates ventilation) increased by 8.5% from 1.25 +/- 0.11 to 1.36 +/- 0.15 L/min."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30925876/      My takeaway - "The results suggest that the immune system functions well with CBG-CS-2 supplementation, perhaps with less accompanying inflammation. Thus, CBG-CS-2 is safe and effective for enhancing cell-mediated immunity in healthy adults."

I will be the first to say that Cordyceps is not a silver bullet.  It is a supplement.  Just another tool (e.g. Vitamin D3) to slow down the decline inherent to getting older.  And as with most diets, supplements, life styles, and exercise routines, YMMV.  

OK, I seriously don’t know if I can have this conversation without throwing up.

I heard about cordyceps a few years ago and I really wanted to try it.  I think I first saw it in the below company, HanahLife promoted by Jimmy Chin. And then I got to hunting around and found out that it’s also manufactured in another way, but I really didn’t get the full impact of this being a parasitic fungus that takes over the body of its host, and in some cases takes over their brain and forces the host to do certain things that allows it to propagate itself.

I WANT TO EAT THIS???  I want to eat this fungus that takes over the brains of its hosts? I’ll tell you who wouldn’t eat it. Russ wouldn’t eat it! In this instance, we would be agreed.

I honestly don’t know if I’m going to be able to get over this. It just won’t leave me!  Helen, Wendy are you ok with this? Phylp?  

It is also, apparently, causing end of the world type chaos