New and experienced climbers over 50 # 25

Hey, New England isn't bad at all on the coast, few bugs, cooler temps, lots of sunny days, not much more to want besides a fat bank account to be able to afford it. Luckily my significant other works hard!

Jan Mcwrote:

I have found that river rafting really forces one to deal with bodily functions since you are forced by law to pee in the river.  The boat(s) pull up to the bank, everyone piles out, everyone drops trousers and pees.  Takes all that stigma away really fast.  Then when you have to poop you need to go find the poop bucket and add your mess to everyone else's.

LOL, Tim & Jan, this is valuable information.  Thanks!

This bloomed last night in our backyard. Tan hua (in Mandarin) or night blooming cactus, which you might remember if you saw the movie Crazy Rich Asians.

Cactus flowers are gorgeous. I wish the climate was mild enough here to grow them outdoors. Opuntia are the only ones I see growing wild outside. 

Nice, Maquinna!  

We are also having beautiful days here.  It's summer vacation always... On my morning hike I thought I'd go back to Steve Canyon with guidebook to see what I have missed.  Me and guidebooks are not a great match.  

Kris, that flake is still very much in tact, and perhaps it's a sign.  Maybe you should come back and visit this route.  

I'm a little disappointed that Sidewinder won't be for me.  I looked at it from every angle.  It doesn't look good (for me) to follow or top rope.  

Finally figured out which of two similar formations is the Decompensator of Lhasa.  I think that one might work for me.  

With regards to being ok with 'natural functions' when out climbing, I have no problem there.  I can only think of one time when I was shy... climbing a vertical wall with shorts possibly too short and a group of very quiet men below.  It just didn't feel right.  But Beth was talking about her awareness of belly fat that will be a permanent part of her physique forever as a result of having a baby.  (And there wasn't that much of it).  But I could relate.  She had decided to throw on a halter top.  I might not be ready to do that (but I wish I would).  I thought it was particularly brave of her to post a picture of herself with wet pants after a jog.  She had been reluctant to run because she dribbled.  That pelvic wall can get weak.  I can relate to this, too.  

Tony is home, Mallory is gone, and there is an ache I wasn't expecting.  Her little dog grew on me and we became friends.  We strategized on her dog's impulsive barking and begging at meals... and I think we made progress.  I woke up this morning with no Mal, no puppy.  Thinking this all over. 

Sidewinder can be safely followed by having the leader not place gear at the end of the upper traverse and then position himself above the middle of the traverse as the follower comes up. That way the follower is never in danger of a long swing. The lower traverse takes enough gear to protect the follower. I've done it, it works!

Many years ago I helped load a guy into an ambulance who had tried to solo Candelabra and fell off the undercling flake. Broken leg(s) and fear of spinal injury.

Brandt Allenwrote:

Sidewinder can be safely followed by having the leader not place gear at the end of the upper traverse and then position himself above the middle of the traverse as the follower comes up. That way the follower is never in danger of a long swing. The lower traverse takes enough gear to protect the follower. I've done it, it works!

Many years ago I helped load a guy into an ambulance who had tried to solo Candelabra and fell off the undercling flake. Broken leg(s) and fear of spinal injury.

Thank you for the glimmer of hope, Brandt.   I’d love to get out with you this summer… any early morning or cooler evening.  

Brandt Allenwrote:

Sidewinder can be safely followed by having the leader not place gear at the end of the upper traverse and then position himself above the middle of the traverse as the follower comes up. That way the follower is never in danger of a long swing. The lower traverse takes enough gear to protect the follower. I've done it, it works!

Of course, Brandt is completely correct. There is absolutely no need for the leader to place gear after the last bolt. The anchor is about 12+ feet back from the edge directly above the traverse. The belayer can easily move as the second follows the traverse, maintaining a good top rope. 

This is standard practice for the climb. 

The technical crux is at the bottom, passing the first bolt. The traverse is not particularly difficult, just a bit balancy as it is all foot work.

Decompensator is quite fun.

Idaho Bobwrote:

Why we moved to the mountains in the northwest 24 years ago.  That and having to ski on ice instead of soft powder!

So true!
I can't imagine living in the NE well into my 70's. I have no idea how Alan and others just a tad younger cope with it!

S. Neohwrote:

So true!
I can't imagine living in the NE well into my 70's. I have no idea how Alan and others just a tad younger cope with it!

Force of Habit. Lack of imagination. Job and life responsibilities. Roots. Too complicated to move. Probably other reasons as well. I can say though, while some of my generation may disapprove, the existence of convenient and decent quality local climbing gyms has made a major difference. Pre-gyms, a wet and miserable summer such as this one so far, let alone the typical winters, would probably have necessitated committing me to an institution ( or, at least, led to a divorce). But now, when the forecast is outside my ( very narrow) ‘Goldilocks’ zone, I can just shrug and decide, that there are those new routes that I want to check out in the gym anyway. Honestly, as Soon knows, these are often more satisfying than flailing on very familiar outside routes at my local crags that I once did routinely—the joys of growing old!!!!

Alan Rubinwrote:

Force of Habit. Lack of imagination. Job and life responsibilities. Roots. Too complicated to move. Probably other reasons as well. I can say though, while some of my generation may disapprove, the existence of convenient and decent quality local climbing gyms has made a major difference. Pre-gyms, a wet and miserable summer such as this one so far, let alone the typical winters, would probably have necessitated committing me to an institution ( or, at least, led to a divorce). But now, when the forecast is outside my ( very narrow) ‘Goldilocks’ zone, I can just shrug and decide, that there are those new routes that I want to check out in the gym anyway. Honestly, as Soon knows, these are often more satisfying than flailing on very familiar outside routes at my local crags that I once did routinely—the joys of growing old!!!!

You are getting a lot of mileage out of that "Goldilocks" term I  coined for you years ago :-) - but I think you nailed the "why" of  it.  Living here (and "here" is different for everybody) just feels right.  Feels like home.  Embrace the changing of the seasons.  The deep snow and the bright cold of winter (even if that is fleeting now).  The bugs and humidify of summer.  Just think if you liked the beach/ocean what you'd have to look forward to....  Or playing in the snow in the winter.  For me living someplace like San Diego (or wherever your Utopia is) would get boring pretty fast.  I can't imagine uprooting myself - although maybe some day.

Alan Rubinwrote:

 Roots. Too complicated to move. 

My husband was very reluctant to leave the Bay area after 30 years there.  It was deeper roots than anywhere he had ever had in his life.  I got him to "try" southern California by promising him that if he was unhappy after a year, we could move back.  He loves it here, is happier than near SF, and has more, closer friends here than up north now.

Now that you are retired, it might be fun for you to do a "sabbatical" to a place you'd like to climb/explore. somewhere in Europe maybe!?!  and rent out your home for the duration to someone else who is doing a sabbatical or longer term visit to your area...

I think "Goldilocks" lives near me. Another nice, after work ride in near perfect weather.

I love where I live.  Yeah, the weather can be a pain sometimes (mostly the summer heat and humidity for the spouse), but that is why I have multiple hobbies.  If it is dry I can climb and bike; if it is rainy or too hot, I can kayak.  Newark, DE is a nice college town with a vibrant downtown that I can bike to in 5 minutes.  I have over 100 miles of bike trails out my front door, 2 nice sport crags within 1.5 hours, the Gunks and Seneca easily reached on a weekend.  A lot of decent kayaking within day tripping distance and world class kayaking 5 hours or less away.  A great climbing gym 20 minutes from the house.  Philly, Balto/DC, and NY all easily reached by car or commuter rail. All this, plus tax-free shopping and a political climate that suits us. We thought about leaving upon retirement, but we just like it here.

I have more ice within an hour of my door than in the whole state of Colorado..  with climate change the north east kingdom of VT was rated as the safest place to live... 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

I have more ice within an hour of my door than in the whole state of Colorado..  with climate change the north east kingdom of VT was rated as the safest place to live... 

I admit that I do miss Vermont, especially in the fall and on those rare days when we'd get a big snowfall and be able to ski the trees.  But I knew that my knees would not take the icy snow long term. Here in the mountains of central Idaho we have two ski areas just outside of town, decent tree skiing, no lift lines during the week, longest multipitch climbing in Idaho 10 miles from my house, rivers to raft and kayak,  mountain biking and road biking, a sizeable lake on the edge of town. Minutes to excellent camping, access to Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in less than an hour.  Safe, small town but the regional medical center.  Virtually no crime and no violence.  Safe schools.  Moderate summer temperatures (no air conditioning needed!) but cold in the winter (keeps the powder fresh!).  Assured water supply.  Boise, a cool city with everything need for a "city fix" is 2 hours away.  

One downside is that we are in the middle of the forest with the associated fire risks. Smoke (usually from California) can be an issue.  There is a smokejumper base at our small airport and about 600 seasonal firefighters stationed here in the summer.  The other downside is the population growth during the pandemic.  It's now slowed but the impact on affordable housing will linger and some of the recent arrivals seem to be unable to leave their city attitudes behind.  

Randywrote:

Of course, Brandt is completely correct. 

Thanks, Randy. I'll let my wife know you said that.

It’s so great reading these posts! It’s not easy finding the place you can call home, and making the best of the downsides  I kind  of envy Helen who has rooted into her home and town forever (?). Generations, maybe?

it was a long process for me to land in Joshua Tree. Every so often I would hop in the car and drive to a new area to consider for a move. I kept looking at Paso Robles. Drove to Santa Cruz over and over. Lake Forest. Parts of Nevada. Lake Havasu. Nevada City. Temecula. I just kept coming up empty. The worst was my last excursion to San Diego with the surprise endless cars and congestion in and around Mission Bay. Bad claustrophobia. I grew up in Glendale—close to LA. But we stopped going to all the great cultural places because it was just too long to get there. My doctor was/is 11 miles from my house… it took 1.5 hours to get there, stranded in stop and go along Wilshire Blvd. (But there was Mark and Brian to keep company on KLOS).

I’m glad I can remind myself of all this whenever I wonder why I moved to Joshua Tree.  And also… you honestly can’t go back. My mom purchased The home I grew up in Glendale for $29,000 in 1970.  It just sold for $1.1M.  2 bed 1 bath one block from the railroad tracks. 

Vermont is not perfect but there have been precious few places I have visited that I would want to actually live. the west is awesome for two  or 3 months at a time..