New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #26

I saw this today and thought what a perfect quote to start the big 7-0… and for those of us who wonder what the point of climbing is if it cant be perfect. I love this!

Hi all, I haven’t posted in quite a while, so I thought I ought to update y’all on my recovery. I apologize for the major non-sequitor. Late last summer, I was struck by a rock while belaying, and got a fractured femur. I talked some about it when it happened.

Due to the absolute miracle of modern medicine, I was able to “touch down” my broken leg right after my surgery, and was weight bearing at 2 weeks. Because of all the internal titanium, no cast was needed. I started PT at about 8 weeks. A certain amount of violence was done to my knee by the surgery, so the focus of my early PT was to regain range of motion. Initially, I was at 90 degrees. I took myself back into the climbing gym at 10 weeks, and simply climbed around my limitations. Those first few sessions were kind of cool because I could tell the difference between 5.5 and 5.6. Also, pro tip, if your footwork sucks, you build upper body strength.

Anyway, after the new year, I started with a PT group that focused on athlete recovery. It’s been twice a week since January. I’ve learned a lot of exercises that I’d never done before, including free weights and kettle bells. My severely atrophied left quadriceps are pretty much back; it’s taken many months of work. Unfortunately, over all that time and effort, I still couldn’t walk comfortably. After a mile of so, it would get super painful. Weirdly, gym climbing was maybe even better than before. Not being able to walk was very disheartening, not only for me, but for my spouse, There were so many things that were off the table. But I also realized that my adapted life wasn’t horrible, just different. Hopefully, there are lessons there. If I‘m subject to a life change with no hope of recovery, I would hope for equanimity, and find a good life with the tools I have.

Luckily, my PT is smart, and he felt that there were issues with the hardware in my leg. My doctor concurred. It turned out that one of the screws securing the titanium rod was interfering with my IT band. It was removed 2 weeks ago, and i was immediately “cured”. In the blink of an eye (thank you anesthesia), I could walk normally with zero pain. I still have a bit of PT to do for full recovery, but it definitely seems that I will be back to my old self.

This was my first real injury, after a lifetime outdoors. While I probably would be happier if it hadn’t happened, I think I’m humbler and more grateful for what I CAN do. And I‘ve been more willing to try hard and fail. About a month ago, I put myself on a 5.13 in the gym. Prior to my injury, I was too worked up about whatever to even try (“that’s WAY above my pay grade!”). Now, it’s “hmm, let’s see how it goes.” BTW, it’s still above my pay grade, but not so far above it.

I’m already looking forward to COR in 2024! Now, if I can only do the opening rock-over on Redtail…

WOW! Glad you are on the mend!

Thank you for the update Victor. Great to hear that you are doing so well after such a major injury.

Victor, wow. What a journey.  Glad you are out the other side!

Yeah, good you're mending, Victor!! I'm looking forward to 2024 COR too!

And, Happy birthday, Lori!   

Victor, such good news and so motivating.  Glad to hear the positive update and that rockover will be simply another pt move.

Victor, what an inspiration you are! You’ve worked through some hard times and it looks like it’s paying off. Thanks for the great update.
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I know this is not a dog thread and I am sorry for all the posts but I’m a little overwhelmed. Maybe someone will have a thought. I’m waiting for the book that Kris recommended to arrive.  Our puppy, Issa… I think she’s just about perfect but at nine months old she has no idea about potty training so she has pooped throughout the house and Peed everywhere. I cleaned at least six piles of poop yesterday and mopped up endless puddles. I am taking her outside on the hour, and she runs and plays and even pees outside, but then comes in the house, and does it again. I have put pee-pads on the floor and she likes to pick those up and shred them eat the little bits so she doesn’t get what those are for. Tony and I rarely argue or disagree and this is not where I want to have a battle, but he sees it as defiance and that’s ridiculous.  I can’t think of the last time I had a dog this young so if I can’t figure something out in the next few days, maybe I can get a trainer. 

She is already such an effusive and happy puppy, and she just loves to be close. She really doesn’t want to be around Tony because he’s pretty gruff. I hope we can get this worked out sooner than later.

Lori,

I have house trained my dogs using the old-fashioned way: if they go to the bathroom in the house, I hold their face to the offending material (don't actually push the face into it), say "no," then take her/him outside for a couple of minutes.

All training must be timely. You can't admonish the dog if they misbehaved 5 or 10 minutes ago.

When you're housetraining the dog, you have to always have him in your sight; he can't just roam where you're not watching.

There is also "crate-training," but you can look that up. Personally, I don't like keeping a dog cooped up in a crate, but it works for many people.

House training takes work and time, so you have to put some effort into it. It only takes a few days or weeks, but it pays off.

Sounds like you've never had a puppy before.

Start training now - you shouldn't have to hire someone to do this for you.

Great news Victor! I would love to have the chance to belay you on Redtail next summer.

It’s like springtime out there!  

Reservations are open for City of Rocks, June 2024. I’ll be in Smokey Mountain campground June 9 to 23.  Hope to see and climb with many of you.

Lori Milaswrote:

It’s like springtime out there!  

No it’s FALL time! The best time in California IMHO. The mountain weather is settled into “Raisin Season” - that time of year when the Fresno Farmers feel confident enough to pick grapes and lay them on the ground for two weeks- if it rains they loose everything. The hi alpine stone is all washed off, Sierra Ice is forming up and you can go for it with a light pack. The cold nites kills the bugs.

Lori… Nice Dog! Good for you for saving her. Young pups can be a struggle, especially when they have been tossed into the cage at the pound/“shelter”. She never learned potty training, cause she wasn’t with Mom long enough to learn that. You need to become her Mom and teach her acceptable behavior. Dogs are only looking to fit in to a pack with a strong Alpha dog (that’s you) leading the way. (Franks advice was spot on)
A young dog has to get that energy out- you can’t do it on a leash. Is there a Dog Park in JT, 29 stumps or Yucca? If so use it! Out of control running is the prescription to calm that girl down for a few hours.
Watch “dog whisper” on YouTube. Cesar knows the good tricks.
I have had great Dalmatians before- two of them that were well trained. So well trained in fact that I would take them into “JT” with no leash. Got caught a few times, two short whistles, and they would come sit by my legs. Impressed the Rangers so much they just walked away with no ticket.
Take care of that dog now and she will take care of you for a long time! Luck to you.

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Carl- why such boring attire at “the comp” I figured you would be wearing extra loud tights with no shirt and a Cowboy hat! Any way props to you for trying!

Packing right now to go to the Mountains - Fall time does not last long, soon the snow flies.

Later all 

You gotta walk the neighborhood with the dog, taking it "out" is not what the dog wants, it most certainly wants to walk the neighborhood and poop somewhere else besides the living room floor.

I saw this post by Todd Gordon this morning on Facebook and thought, of course! This place is endless. As much as I have hiked and explored, I haven’t even begun to cover 1/10th of it.

I was out hiking yesterday, and heard footsteps behind me, and was so startled for a moment I was actually afraid. I turned around to meet a young guy in a bright yellow T-shirt and we struck up a conversation. he’s from orange county and took a week off to camp out here alone. I’m sure there’s a story there. I meet people all the time who just come here to get their heads together, or heal from a broken heart, or make big career changes. We joked a little because he said he was a climber but now he mostly mountain bikes. Turns out he was a boulderer and it was hurting his wrists too much , so we discussed the possibility of climbing some of these magnificent routes on a rope.

It kind of blows my mind that I can walk by the same rock formations 100 times and suddenly discover something new. One something new that is not new at all is this rock in real hidden Valley. But now I’m getting picky and if it looks like too much bother to hike up to, I put it off till tomorrow. (Something about an elephant)

Guy, you always save the day with your encouraging and supportive words. Thank you so much. This dog is a total doofus. She loves to race and careen into things. She’ll charge across our patio to chase a ball and then come to a screeching halt and bang her nose, and then bring the ball back to do it again.

I am amazed at how fast she’s learning. A very quiet no will make her stop. She really wants to please. she doesn’t want to go in her crate as much but she does like her treats so it’s a fair exchange until she gets this potty training worked out. She loves her pink eight dollar Walmart, blanket and any toy or ball that squeaks.

Both Tony and I have a lot to learn. I like rough-housing with her and playing with her toys, but she still learning how not to hurt me. If we get too carried away, she’ll miss and nip me. And then I know she feels bad. We do need an adult in the room and I’m not sure I am the adult!   

There are a few dog parks locally, but I don’t know what that really means. If it means bring your dog on a leash and make her play nicely, I don’t think we’re ready for that. But we have a half-acre lot and there is a whole lot of room to run hard, my only concern is there are goats heads everywhere and if she gets them stuck in her paws that won’t be so fun. 

I had kind of been hoping for a basset hound. 

Lori- Morning. Frantically packing now to go north.
Just to add about dogs. MM is quite correct about the walk around the block, you might have a large lot, but a dog wants to know what is around their territory and mark that territory with some poo and pee. The dog park is so your dog can begin to socialize with other dogs and run free and fast for a while. This is the way to have a good dog- do this everyday and I guarantee it will work. And dog parks are fun for the people too.
My Dalmatians were great dogs -if I could run them everyday for 45 minutes minimum. A 12 mile mountain bike ride up behind my home did the trick.

This is the secret to good dog behavior.

Sounds like your pup will respond, try it.

Happy Climbing 

For Colden.  

EDIT: I wanted to add a mention of the farmstand. When all else fails, you can sure grow a crop indoors on this. I bought it a couple of years ago and it was pricey, but after that initial investment, it requires very little. I don’t know if we have a season here for lettuces and most herbs but I can grow all that year round on the Farmstand . Right now I have six different kinds of lettuce, bok choi, strawberries, cherry, tomatoes, basil, and thyme, marigolds and zinnias… and plenty of everything for large salads or stirfry every day.

Wow Lori, you're garden looks great! Do you have to buy starts from them? Use your own seeds? How does it work? I assume hydroponic, and needs a nutrient solution added now and then?

I'm also assuming you meant cherry tomatoes. If you're getting cherries off of that thing, well, I'm seriously impressed!

So, I walked/ran my second 5k today. Did way better than I expected! Goal was simply to do the thing. Beyond that, try to run at least some. Then, it became little things, like stay ahead of the pink flamingo girls and the bridal gowns ladies. Try to catch up with those pinwheel hats up there ...   

Now it's sit under Catcat, suck up some coffee, and enjoy a pumpkin scone from the market. That was today too. Then?

It's time to pick storage crops. And....

Just might be digging the spuds this week. Yes, it's exciting. Yes, I am a VERY cheap date.

Best, Helen

Lori Milas wrote:

Hey Helen!  That tank holds 15 gallons of water and it’s easier if you order the starts right off the website but you can certainly use your own seeds. You add a couple different nutrients to the water and keep an eye on the pH. I did find that I had much better results if I took the time to use reverse osmosis water. It could be our desert water here is just the wrong kind and my tank would grow green stuff and everything would die spontaneously with water from the hose. I just wanted to see color in the house and see if I could grow a few flowers to add to the salads. So, if you don’t have a desperate need to hoe and weed, this is a way to go.

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We had a little setback here with our puppy, and it cost me a night of sleep, but it cost Tony more. In the process of getting her leash somehow his hand got caught up in the leash and she freaked and clamped down hard, and when I came running in his hand was literally wrapped in her leash, and her jaw, and both were desperate to get loose. Then I added to the mess by trying to pry her jaw open and I got bit quite a few times. I finally cut her leash off—both were then free—and the whole scene was a bloody mass. The following morning Tony went to the ER and his hand is as big as a baseball, and he needed  X-rays and quite a bit of triage on that hand. When he came home, the first thing he said was “this was not the dogs fault. She didn’t do anything wrong“. And I could tell she felt terrible—we all felt terrible, but learned a good lesson even about playtime.  Even when she’s grabbing her toy or her blanket She’s learning how to judge distance so as not to accidentally bite me but she is a puppy so we will have to be really careful. This is a chewing dog. She has been all day working on a rawhide bone. She’s pulled the stuffing out of her favorite toy after hours of diligent hard work and pulled the eyeballs off. I don’t think she has a bone of aggression in her, she is nothing but kindness. Except for the eyeballs I guess. 

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I’ve done a lot of thinking this summer about climbing and what I hope to gain this coming year aside from climbing itself. 10,000 posts ago rgold helped me make peace with not leading and I’ve never looked back. 

However, I want to feel like I can take care of myself and not feel so totally dependent so I’ve kind of cooked up a wish list. I realized how much I need this when Nelson and I went back to climb Good to the last Drop a second time. It’s a little scramble to get to a ledge at the base of the route and probably best to do on a short rope just to be safe. But when I got to that ledge, which hovers probably 40 feet over a drop off chasm, I suddenly felt panicky, because I was having an impending low blood sugar but also because Nelson said “stay right here while I walk up to the top and set up a top rope and Ill drop a rope in about 30 minutes “. And I looked around and realized that I have no idea how to get down if I needed to and really not the skills even to build a little anchor and rap off if I needed to. Just knowing that I could do that and had done it before would have given me the confidence to feel comfortable on that ledge . So this year I hope that I can learn and practice some self rescue techniques and maybe see if I feel like doing more from there.

This morning I was having fun looking at beautiful rocks I will never climb.

Hey, thanks for the info, Lori! Could be a plus, in the winter?

Re the pup?

Multiple hand bites, isn't "a little setback". Sure, maybe panic by the pup, but still....

My two cents?

If you are intending to keep her (and it sounds like it's too late for Tony, no going back on her now??), hire a professional. Now, not later. Start serious training, get good advice on what to do, what not to do, heck, it might even help if she was in a different collar/harness. There's lots of ways to do things, the right professional might be a huge, huge, help! Where would your climbing be, without the people you hired to help you? Yeah, maybe you'd be where you are now....but maybe not. There's only so much time available to do stuff, we all know that, so....we need to pick what we can waste time doing on our own, or, what should just be turned over to people who can do a far better job of it, and faster. Plus, you guys get to learn, fast, without dangerous trial and error. 

On the home front, here?

Old lady knees are definitely aware she did sumthin today. Tomorrow I might be fossilized, lol!

H.

EDIT to add:

Tomatoes for dinner, Thai peppers for future seed stock. One fruit picked off each plant. Dry, and set aside somewhere. When I need to grow them out again in 5ish years? I'll get 2 seeds per pod, and get starts going. There's an ample overabundance out there, these beautiful little plants just crank these out, and I only need 1 or 2 peppers per stir fry, so.....once picked and dried, I'll have I dunno how many quart jars of these. It's the only way, though. Grow them, save seeds myself....or live without. If anyone of you hotheads wants some, just let me know, eh?

Hey, Lori, and I do hope Tony's hand, and your nips heal up with no difficulties! Got bit to the bone by cats a couple times over the years. Rescued half to almost feral kittens. Lap cats, every one of them....but it took some time for the wildest/most scared ones.

Guy, you’re the third person that mentioned my boring comp attire.  I guess that tells me normally I’m NOT boring.  I’ve learnt my lesson about tights, though there will have to be a tights day during my upcoming Arapiles trip. I’m feeling very unmotivated to climb at all. I’ve only climbed once during the past week.
Lori, you should learn how to build a trad anchor. It’s not too difficult it’s fun to learn and as you found it can be useful if things go wrong.