New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #28

Alan Rubinwrote:

Tim, my friends Steve and Sonya are there as well, waiting out the weather. Say 'hi' if you run into them. I really want to get there, but didn't work out for this year. Heading to Smoke Hole/Reeds in 2 weeks.

Yesterday, relaxed and recovered after 2 straight days in the gym, took a ride and short hike with my wife to a pretty waterfall that we'd never seen before on an unseasonably cold,raw day, had a pleasant dinner with friends. Today will try to climb outside if it warms up enough.

Probably spoke w them yesterday! Black PU w/Mass plates ?

Yesterday I went back to Rock Garden Valley and summoned up the courage to do Rockalot, a 5.7 route with a hard start that I wouldn't go for the other day. Yay me, I crushed that 5.7!

Helen - If I smell skunk around here, it usually means somebody is smoking something.

Lori - Have you noticed that the sun moves through the sky? At some point during the day almost every route will be in the shade.

Brandt Allenwrote:

Helen - If I smell skunk around here, it usually means somebody is smoking something.

I may have discouraged my kids from smoking weed when I mentioned that “smoking weed is about the same as sucking on a skunk’s arse with similar hallucinogenic effects” . Both deprive your brain of oxygen.   

Yesterday: Another hike in the woods, another cool boulder found.  About 25 feet high.

We went to Sherman’s Deli for lunch today, and saw the biggest cinnamon roll I’ve ever seen.  It’s times like this that I am grateful for diabetes and Celiac because otherwise I would have inhaled everything. 

Tim Schafstallwrote:

Probably spoke w them yesterday! Black PU w/Mass plates ?

Yep. That's them. Said they had a great day today once it warmed up.

PTRwrote:

Yesterday: Another hike in the woods, another cool boulder found.  About 25 feet high.

PA has some cool boulders 

That bottom one reminds me of a soldier's cap from the civil war...

Kristian Solemwrote:

That bottom one reminds me of a soldier's cap from the civil war...

Good observation Kris. I agree.

A kepi?

Speaking of rocks that look like hats....

In February, 2018 I had the privilege of creating two new climbing routes on a never-yet-climbed spire at Pinnacles National Park with my then 15 year old daughter Tricia. Tricia was passionate about playing the trumpet in her high school marching band then (and she's continued at university - it's the biggest reason she went to the University of Oregon).

Some marching bands wear hats that derive from military cavalry hats called Shakos. Hers did:

The pinnacle in question has a tree growing from it two thirds of the way up. So we named it The Shako:

Two new routes called Back Track and Hat Trick. They aren't great routes, but they're also not terrible (and it was much, much more about our experience together anyway, obviously). Tricia even helped drill the summit anchor:

She's a good kid. She and I expect to finish the last 109 miles of the PCT this August, to the Canadian border.

And by the way, yes that rock above looks amazingly like a kepi!

Brad, your journey on the PCT has been a great follow. Like watching a family grow.

Thank you for sharing.

PTRwrote:

Yesterday: Another hike in the woods, another cool boulder found.  About 25 feet high.

These look really great! Where specifically is this? I may have to get out there when visiting relatives…

Day 9 of my Araps trip. Nothing harder that a grade 13. Yesterday was a grade 9 four pitch route (Siren) with a long walk off that was horrific for my bad knees. It had a daunting step over a void that I really didn’t want to do but the move was well protected. Then a tricky traverse and a slabby section. Apparently the second route completed at Araps.
Here’s a rubbish climbing selfie.

That boulder is in PA near the intersection of interstates 80 and 81.  The easiest looking line exits the scoop/wave to the left.  It’s pretty far back in the woods.

"She's a good kid. She and I expect to finish the last 109 miles of the PCT this August, to the Canadian border. "

Well, it's about time!   

 Been following you guys since the Supertopo days and look forward to the last leg report.

Best wishes to you and the family Brad,

Tad

^^^

Yes, I suspect that Tricia and I will finish to Canada this summer. Every step of the way from Mexico, in consecutive order with my wife's help. A journey that started the day after she turned five years old and we'll be done. Anyone want to take odds on whether I'll be crying like a damn baby as we finish? It's been the goal. and yet to see it actually end??

And older daughter Katie has resumed her continuous footsteps on the PCT with me. Last August we made it to Agnew Meadow (behind Mammoth) in five days of backpacking. And for 2024? She's already got our trail permits for a trip in September!

I am one every luck guy.

EDIT: And Tad, thanks for your comments and support over the whole course of this thing. I feel like I know you well... and we've never even met!

Thanks Brad,

I remember giving you guys the heads up on the pancake challenge at the Seiad Valley Cafe while you were going thru.

Seiad Cafe (Northern California):

• Famous Food Challenge: The Pancake Challenge!
•  You must eat five large pancakes within two hours. Each pancake is around 13 inches in diameter and 1.4 inches thick, making the full stack weigh around nine pounds.

I never finished when I tried, don't think you did either? 

Pancakes? Oh, I thought what they brought out on those plates were unused bed mattresses. No, we didn't even get close to finishing (we didn't really even try):

Oh, and another fun thing about the Seiad Cafe? The right edge of the PCT IS the cafe's front window (with a trail that long at least parts of it have to go through civilization):

Likewise, been following the Young Trek for a long time, through all of the ST posts- I’ve admired the cohesiveness of a family and father committed to doing something meaningful together. I’d imagine tears will be shed, then on to new adventures together…

When I finished California waaaay bitd, there was a natural foods breakfast joint in Ashland that had a similar pancake- it was only a single, but about the same size, and made of bran or some other heavy flour (given it was Ashland, may have been hemp). I was quite embarrassed to not be able to finish the whole thing…it felt like about 9 lbs!