New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #31

Donald Thompsonwrote:

Currently the American voter has 3 issues they want resolved over all others: the economy, the border, and crime. To Democrats its only orange man bad -over and over again--because they got nothing. Nothing.

Woke libtards-- prepare yourselves for a whuppin'- which you richly deserve.

The Economy: unemployment is low, inflation is down, stock market at all time highs

The Border: Illegal border crossings are now lower than when Trump left office. He also blocked a bipartisan border bill just so he could campaign on it.

Crime: Violent crime continues to trend downward. Murder rate lower than when Trump left office.

And I will add something you conveniently left out, but that people really care about. 

Healthcare:  Trump wants to eliminate the ACA, cut Medicare/Medicaid, and continue to endanger women's lives with draconian abortion laws. 

So I would say the Democrats have plenty to offer. 

Too bad that voters in the election can't be limited to members of this thread.

I, and I suspect many others, avoided the religious and political threads on ST.  If this devolved into either of those I think this thread would lose a fair number of eyeballs (and perspectives)

Alan - that's super weird.  Anyway, I saw your post, I guess before it got nuked?  I'm thinking MMH is too $$ for what we'd get.  Especially with a kid in tow.  Was starting to think about the fancy hotel in North Conway, but it's booked up for a while, and this glorious weather is not going to hold out forever.  Oh well, maybe we'll do that next year.

GO

I climb pretty much year-round, but I can tell when I haven't been climbing enough when the skin on my fingertips starts to peel. Getting out Sunday to New Jack City was a good way to ease back into it after a long layoff.

(Thank you to the folks who have pledged off politics in the over-50 thread)

Speaking of North Conway, we are here for a couple days, foggy this morning, but turned into a beautiful sunny day. Climbed at Cathedral Ledge today; lots of fun 

Who do I vote for if I want a balanced budget?  Neither one of them.  Our current budget is about 8 TRILLION and 2 TRILLION is borrowing.  Neither side is even taking about it, but this will be THE issue within the next few years.  Interest on the debt will be the biggest non discretionary budget item in a few years.  As a result, the US is going to lose reserve currency status, which is the only thing that currently allows us to live high off the hog.  This is about to end, no matter which puppet you vote for.  Prepare accordingly, or don’t prepare and keep thinking that your vote matters.

Oh dear.  I guess our little experiment hasn't worked out so well..  I appreciate apogee's description of how a great political discussion should go.  But this one's too hot.  I am having the great good fortune of being able to hash out some issues one-on-one with a few folks from the 'other side'.  Maybe that's the way to do it.  

I have become friends with a filmmaker who shares his time between Colorado and L.A., and he has now made 3 treks out to my house.  Today we went for a hike to check out my back yard.  He was completely blown away by formations, trails, and the beauty of the Park.  He took non-stop pictures, and just didn't want to stop exploring.  It seemed every rock/route he asked about was one of Randy's.  Seeing 'my place' through someone else's eyes was really inspiring.  

What I didn't know about him was that he was a top competitor in downhill skating.  He's 71 now, and just stopped competing 2 years ago.  I asked him if downhill skating was anything like what James Kelly does... he said they used to skate together all the time.  Well, James is a hero of mine.

I have tried to explain to my friend that the climbing I do is no big deal... he should have a look at what you guys do.  And what was done here before.  I shared that I have a bird's eye view of the creativity and vision that existed here in Joshua Tree, climbing routes from those days, and experiencing shock when I see those first bolt placements on vertical walls... or the runouts way up high. 

I told my friend about Good To The Last Drop 5.9 which may not be a Joshua Tree classic, but no one climbs it because of the danger factor.  (And Jan won't let us drill in another dozen bolts on that face.   )  For some reason, I found it to be the perfect "Lori" route, just my speed, just the right amount of fun.  But no one wants to climb it.

We also talked about Kelly Slater, the surfer, who just seems to be the most genuine guy, with skills forever.  That Vedic word "dharma"... calling, quest, one's deepest nature... not easy to find right away, but you know it when you see it.   

So, I'm really starting to understand that adventurers are everywhere, marching along to their own internal drummers.  I just never thought I could be one of them.  

Tony's pesky aneurism surgery is tomorrow down at Eisenhower.  He is actually just annoyed with the delay to getting his hip replacements, not worried, just "can we just get on with this?'.  OMG. 

 Lori, this is from the MP post -

TOBIN, THE STONEMASTERS, AND ME 1970 -1980 by Rick Accomazzo

... December 13, 2024. I will be onstage  with Lynn Hill, John Long, Mike Graham, and Dean Fidelman, in connection with the  Joshua Tree bouldering contest. It will be  in the community center of Twenty-nine Palms, just down the road from Joshua Tree. This should be a memorable night among lots of old friends.  

https://cliffhangerguides.com/1st-annual-29-palms-rock-rumble-royale/ 

http://stonemasterbooks.com/

Looks like something you'd enjoy.

Idaho Bobwrote:

Tell me DT, how do you discuss felon Trump with your daughter or granddaughter?  I'd really like to know.  My great granddaughter is 9 and I hope I never have to explain to her how so many people were conned by Trump.  But, perhaps you don't have children, and are just a "catboy" to borrow a phrases from JTV.

Roflmao... "perhaps"... 

This place is finally rolling!!! Yeehaw.

apogeewrote:rational people 

Where? Never knew MP was known for their rational user base.

duncan...wrote:

I'm interested in the US election but there are plenty of other places more suited to taking about it.

Yeah true but there’s also other places more suited to talking about growing tomatoes, black mould and the house we are building but we talk about them here.

 That’s what I’ve always liked about this thread. We’re just old codgers who climb who talk about shit.  

For some reason this field of yellow flowers near my tent made me think of American soldiers in Vietnam fighting in paddy fields.

So I did a poem thingy.

Daisies

We lie among the daisies,

As we fire our M16s,

We used to know a girl named Daisy,

When we were a young 16.

The daisies contrast starkly,

With our dirty combat greens,

We wished they didn’t clash so much,

As we wish not to be seen.

We think of blue/green buses,

With rounded noses and chrome 

a-gleam,

As we lie among the daisies, 

And re-load our M16s.

And Mary said she’d marry me,

When I returned from war,

But I’m thinking of shooting myself in the head, 

Because I don’t want to fight anymore.

Todd… dogs are the best! Great rescue story.

Apogee…. Let’s not devolve into a supertopo “discussion” - thanks for the reminder.  And some of the other topics like- bolting in wilderness, free solo of Romantic Warrior, runout ego face climbing and others stuff that I could easily forget.

Carl - the Blue Mts look fabulous. I just love going to new stuff. Makes the same old same old feeling go away and I always get energized about climbing. Keep the cards n letters coming.

Later all 

Carl Schneiderwrote:

We’re just old codgers who climb who talk about shit.  

Yeah, that’s pretty much how the debate between Trump and Biden sounded like.  

Speaking of other old people things to do, golfed yesterday, played terrible, but felt good I was able to drive one ball 300 yards. Rolled into a ditch and ran an extra 75 yards. Hiked today, made it up 1 mile 900-1000 feet of gain. Felt like “it was enough“. Sure enough, I got down and it really was my limit.   

Will climb tomorrow… 

Todd Berlier wrote:

How is NJC?

When I lived in SLC and the first guide came out (late 90s?) locals bashed on the place as short and chossy...?

It seems people love it or hate it.  I love it, I think the environment is beautiful and there's a huge range of difficulty, from 5.6-5.13, so there's something for everyone.  Maybe it was chossy at one time.  I don't find it that chossy now except for the new routes.  But it's so well bolted, the choss doesn't bother me.  It's convenient to find sun and shade, so it's good except in the summer.

What's you skin cream of choice. I've tried so many in unscientific ways I've finally settled on Burts for even more unscientific reasons: I like the smell and how it feels!

Have anything for me to try skin care wise?

I've settled on Gold Bond Healing with Aloe as my daily body moisturizer.  Even my husband likes it. They have a variety of products.  But if you go to their website, they have a product finder and you can search it for your need.  They do have an Advanced Healing Ointment.  I have so many allergies but I've never had a reaction to the Gold Bond products. For my face I use a variety of more expensive things in a useless attempt to hold the line on the wrinkle thing. I'm quite assiduous about moisturizing. Are you washing your hands all day because of your work? That must be tough.  When I was in the lab I was in latex free powder free gloves all day so my hands were not affected by work all that much.

Got out on Hawk w rgold today. Thank you Rich!!!

Rich approaching the P2 crux:

View from top of P2:

Gear swap at the top of P2:

Rapping down over Northern Pillar:

It doesn't get better than this   

I was taken to NJC for a winter's day ( southern CA winter--sunny and 60s) several years ago. Some of the strangest rock that I ever climbed on---it seemed to be laminated. But the place grew on me over the course of the day and I really enjoyed it. Also agree with Phyl that the setting is great---especially to an escapee from a New England winter.

Dragons---I'm jealous!!! Glad that you and Rich had a good day!!!

Lori--wishing Tony ( and you) the best for his surgery---and a speedy recovery.

Ward Smithwrote:

Who do I vote for if I want a balanced budget?  Neither one of them.  Our current budget is about 8 TRILLION and 2 TRILLION is borrowing.  Neither side is even taking about it, but this will be THE issue within the next few years.  Interest on the debt will be the biggest non discretionary budget item in a few years.  As a result, the US is going to lose reserve currency status, which is the only thing that currently allows us to live high off the hog.  This is about to end, no matter which puppet you vote for.  Prepare accordingly, or don’t prepare and keep thinking that your vote matters.

Seems like war is historically the solution to this scenario, go figure. We certainly have a good jump start on that eh?

Drove a bit, hiked a bit

Hiked a bit more and finally busted up above tree line

fairly warm and very sunny but 50mph winds gusting to 85mph regularly. every 30 seconds or so it would gust to 85. I would have fallen dozens of times without my trekking poles. 

Found the summit. funny they don't have a sign that tells you its the top of Mt Adams. maybe it was stolen? the sighn .5 miles down the trail tells you that the top of Adams is .50 miles ahead then you get to the top and no Adams summit sign. Just tells you how to get to Mt Washington etc..  not a single party all day and then two very young girls from Quebec descending just below the summit. Saw no one for the rest of my journey.  Almost all of last weeks snow is gone. just a few patches here and there.

Lots of the cairns had very cool quartz crystals on top of them

I had never done this one before and was a bit intimidated. Didn't know if I could do it with all my old nagging injuries...  Didn't know I was going to climb it today until I left the house at 9am... 

4,500ft elevation gain. 9 miles CTC. I took a different trail down for variety but man its a whole lot of walking on steep rocks either way. My arthritic feet are killing me... 

Todd Berlier wrote:

Ironically, i've never actually looked at my wrinkles that closely, but I did today. A former technician came to see me with her dog and I haven't seen her in 8 years so when she said it didn't look like I'd aged, I thought BS. Looked in the mirror and really saw how many deep lines I have on my face! I don't think I'll do anything about them, but it was a "huh," moment for me.

No matter how you tell yourself, it’s what we all go through, those lines are pretty hard to take when they’re staring back at you. Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time

Every line grooves a memory of an amazing adventure under the big open sky.