New and experienced climbers over 50 # 25

@Carl- my experience was mostly bouldering comps but I did a few route comps.
I would highly recommend doing a mock comp, ideally at the gym the comp will be held at.
try to mimic the comp as closely as possible. You will definitely learn something useful!
Personally I found that I tended to overestimate how likely I was to send routes and tried things that were too hard, then was too tired to do well on routes that I might have sent otherwise.
YMMV

Other advice remains the same- get as much advice from other competitors as possible, watch for beta, get there early, be prepared by knowing details in advance  

And also have fun!

Mark Frumkinwrote:

Nice photo Mark. You know if you walk east from Cottonwood lakes trailhead, when you get near “the rim” of the Owens Valley, at about 11,000 foot elevation you start finding dead trees that are about 3,000 years old. Some are still standing- no ants or termites live that hi- they look like corkscrews or drill bits. Carved by the wind and elements they are stunning! It’s a good hi-altitude day hike with an impressive view at the end.

LORI- Big Mac!!! Good Lord! So many places along the 5 to enjoy. Loads of places that make really great Indian Food and you have this place… https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g32227-d626732-Reviews-Harris_Ranch_Inn_Restaurant-Coalinga_California.html#travelerReviews

Regarding your crazy neighbors…. The “imbalance caused by crystals”. Those are Meth Crystals !!! Pure and simple. Good luck with them.
Sorry to hear about Tony. Hopefully he improves soon.

And did you hear about the woman who had a worm in her brain?!? I guess she had symptoms, pain etc that they couldn’t figure out. Maybe you have one?

https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/28/live-worm-living-womans-brain-australia-depression-forgetfulness

Phylp….. think you have it bad? At least you live in San Bernardino county. LA county IS the wild wild wild west- the folks who run the county and the city are clearly insane! But I guess the 15-20% turn out in the elections, are getting what they vote for. Sad.
In Ventura county, where I live is fairly safe. A few weeks ago a several hours long car chase came to a swift end. After being “chased-but not chased” by LAPD all around west LA, SF Valley the driver strayed into Ventura County- a bad move for him. Now this is Funny. The Driver exits on Thousand Oaks Blvd. A sheriff who was keeping cars off the FWY knew the chase was coming his way- so he waited at the top of the off ramp. When the chase came up the off ramp the Sheriff put his car in gear and hit the perp head on!! Chase over! That’s how we roll in the 805.

Cary on everyone, anyone climbing this weekend? 

Heading out on Sunday for ten days at City of Rocks. Come on up, Guy!

Great weather in the Northeast for a change. Couldn’t climb today despite perfect conditions. Will be climbing locally tomorrow and Saturday. Then. Sunday heading up to meet friends in Quebec for a week—along the St. Lawrence about 1.5 hours east of Quebec City—-gorgeous country, excellent sport climbing, very European ambience not very far from home. When we were last there, Labor Day weekend just before the Pandemic, it was extremely busy, so we are hoping that it will be significantly quieter the week after ( hope everyone else doesn’t have the same idea!!!!). Have a great weekend everyone.

are you going to Kamaraska??? we plan of hitting that in october if Isa has recovered enough from her knee surgery. 

Yep, Kamouraska. Great place. Really stunning scenery, neat villages, a good brew pub within walking distance of the campground, oh yeah, and good climbing on unique rock ( quartzite that thinks it’s limestone) with a wide range of grades. Could be pretty chilly up there in October, but you live in the NE Kingdom, so should be used to that!!!!

I do not think I have a worm in my brain but thanks for the suggestion Guy.    Another thing to wonder about when I’m not feeling right.

I had the most amazing visit with three of my grandkids. If ever there were a study of the best way to raise children, you would have to include these three little girls. My son and his wife live very much off the grid in Soda Springs and they love it. I don’t understand how anyone can endure the blizzard‘s and the snow – – especially the 20+ feet of snow they had last winter – – and they have not yet been able to build their house so they are still living in a fifth wheel. The well is 30 yards or so down the hill. They finally connected a hose to the well so they can get water when they need it.

Then again, summer is my favorite season and Joshua Tree and most people don’t get that either

I have never heard these little girls cry, whine,  complain, or say they are bored. They are feral. They play outside from morning till night. They don’t have many toys – – intentionally so – – they MAKE toys out of everything. They are gleeful when they find a little stone or new flower.  I brought them a few marbles from Joshua Tree and they lost their minds over that.

What is the desert like grandma and do you have bears there and why don’t you live closer to us and when will you be coming back?   

Jean and I will leave Monday or Tuesday to head out west for our annual climbing trip. Spend 1-2 days at Vedauwoo, then spend a couple of days with our youngest son's family in Sandy UT. 11-15 we will be at COR. Hope to meet up with Brandt, Barb and Kim. We also have our good friends Angel and Eric that should be there that same week.

We then head up to Moscow ID to see our oldest son's Family. Depends on the time, maybe go spend a couple of days in Glacier. Head back south and spend another 2 days in COR. Visit our youngest again, and then 2 days at Maple Canyon sport climbing. After that 2-3 weeks in Red Rocks. If my nephew can get away, then climb at Jack's Canyon AZ or head out to Moab to climb with some friends.

On the way home maybe 1-2 days at Seneca Rocks. We have some friends that may want to do a Via Ferrata at Nelson Rocks WV which is near Seneca Rocks. Jean and I did that a long time ago before it was finished. I have to be back home for annual check up before Nov 13. Need blood work before check up.

John

gunkie Xwrote:

Did take a day off work yesterday to go surfing.  The east coast is finally firing.  This weekend should be good (read: no Gunks) and next week I might need to take another day.  Looking forward to not running a team of young engineers in a year or two.

Let’s see those surf shots! Fall storms are hitting Barrow. This is the tiny surf window before the ice returns in a few weeks. Chukchi Sea shorepound is 38 degrees. Polar bear tracks on the beach. Getting (my legs, at least) barreled for some Arctic stoke.

Hi Colden, I'm up in your neck of the woods (not quite as far north- I'm in Cooper Landing). No polar bears, only brown bears, but they showed up a few times and took over my fishing hole! For a fly fisher like me, Alaska is hard to beat.

Alan. We have been in kamarska in October and it was fine. 

Bob and his fish.   

Who’s the guy with the horns?  

Who’s the guy with the horns?  

Dall sheep in the living room of the cabin I'm staying at. The owner's son likes to hunt them. They hang out on the mountaintops above the treeline. 

Always seems to be staring at me!

Guy Keeseewrote:

Nice photo Mark. You know if you walk east from Cottonwood lakes trailhead, when you get near “the rim” of the Owens Valley, at about 11,000 foot elevation you start finding dead trees that are about 3,000 years old. Some are still standing- no ants or termites live that hi- they look like corkscrews or drill bits. Carved by the wind and elements they are stunning! It’s a good hi-altitude day hike with an impressive view at the end.

Interesting, Guy. I didn't know this. I find my self at the Horseshoe Meadows trailhead/campground a couple times per year. Any more details other than "walk east?"

Andrew… You get on the trail to cottonwood lake 1 I believe, not like you’re going to Cottonwood pass. Walk for maybe 1 mile and the trail passes really close to one of the branches of Cottonwood creek and below a formation -Golden Trout Buttress- that contains a climb “Fish Sticks” 5.8 FA Dave Daly and Deb Castro. (It’s on MP) There is some sort of dude ranch, tent cab deal that’s run by “the Thatcher” school, - Golden Trout camp- find it and pass to the south walking east up the drainage… keep walking and you get to the huge drop off. The drop off is about 1 miles north from the prominent summit.
Really wild place made even more so when you realize that a Trail comes up this canyon starting down at the “Lavender Farm” you drove past at the start of the switch backs (really good history about that road and the building of it) back in the day they herded stock up and down this trail.
Do the hike and see. 

Andrew… the camp “golden trout camp” is a good starting point. Head east from here- going up hill- Owens Point is to the north and a prominent pyramid shaped peak is south. 

wendy weisswrote:

"TR only for my category (over 50)." Carl, that's downright insulting.

Initially there was no ‘older persons’ category at all. There’s also TRing categories for the other age groups  however, it was explained to me that “we don’t want you getting ‘comp fever’ and messing up a clip”. Maybe they don’t mind younger folk ‘getting comp fever and messing up a clip’?
I thought it was a bit patronising too.  

Carl Schneiderwrote:

Initially there was no ‘older persons’ category at all. There’s also TRing categories for the other age groups  however, it was explained to me that “we don’t want you getting ‘comp fever’ and messing up a clip”. Maybe they don’t mind younger folk ‘getting comp fever and messing up a clip’?
I thought it was a bit patronising too.

That is completely ridiculous. 

Maybe they know Carl better than we do