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New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #34

Buck Rogers · · West Point, NY · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 240
Daniel Joder wrote:

Hey, Buck. Out of curiosity, would they let you in with a retiree military ID? Or is it specifically only for active duty Army (as you stated)? Just double confirming. 

Great question that I do not know the answer to!

You can definitely get on post with any visitor pass and an ID card of any form after going through the visitor's center but to access this area, I'm not sure?

If the MP's come, you have to show your Department of Defense current ID card.

The head of the Climbing Team said it is only for people associated with the Climbing Club so I would guess not.

Buck Rogers · · West Point, NY · Joined Nov 2018 · Points: 240
Alan Rubin wrote:

Buck. I sent you a PM. Farley definitely has enough in that grade range for at least a day. In the past most of the easier routes were a bit scattered in various parts of a complex cliff. But over the past couple of years a couple of friends opened up a new sector with a pretty dense concentration of easier, well-bolted routes. A bit slow to dry, but very worthwhile. The walk-in from the parking to that section is about 15 minutes.

Thanks Alan! I replied to an AOL.com email account.

I was taken aback as I thought that I was the only one with those old type of email accounts!  I'm still rocking my Hotmail.com account that I created in the 90's!

And is there still an annual gathering at CoR for this Over 50 Thread?

I might have to put some leave in and try to make it this year!

Sam Findley · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2021 · Points: 0

Buuuck!!!


all this talk of Farley reminds me of the time I visited a friend in Amherst in the early 90’s. We went to climb at Farley (I think…it wasn’t rose ledges!), and found, affixed to the first bolt on a climb a lovely little poem that I remember to this day: 

“we know where you live/we know what you drive/stop chopping our bolts/and you will stay alive”

Alas, I don’t remember any of the climbs from that day.  

Cheers!

-Sam.

Daniel Joder · · Barcelona, ES · Joined Nov 2015 · Points: 0

Thanks, Buck. Yeah, the area sounds pretty private and well-controlled.

Li Hu - Thanks for that reminder. The next time I’m in the States I’ll have to do that. 

Lori Milas · · Joshua Tree, CA · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 240

For some reason, I have been thinking about Rod Stewart before and after his defection.   I think it’s because Tony keeps playing an old video.Do Ya Think I’m Sexy. For my own sanity I try to remember that pure blues sound of Rod Stewart‘s first solo album and all the work he did with Jeff Beck. So this is accompanying me on my morning walks.



it’s also been a walk down more recent memory lane. I think if I was 30 these pictures would not evoke so much emotion. At 70 they just fill me with gratitude and awe.

Chalk Up Another One.  

Run For Your Life


EBGBs

An Eye For An Eye and a Route For A Route


Dog Day Afternoon—one of the ones that got away

when I moved here, my plan was to be outside climbing two times a week and  build strength and technique endlessly. That’s not quite how it goes.   Life gets in the way. Weather intrudes. The needs of others seem to always bollocks up my plans. By far, my own personal needs screw things up. So the upside is, I’ll have to keep climbing another year or two to make up for lost time. God willing.


Carl… I saw the video of the woman taking the wombat.  I can see why it caused such outrage.  

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10
Sam Findley wrote:

Buuuck!!!


all this talk of Farley reminds me of the time I visited a friend in Amherst in the early 90’s. We went to climb at Farley (I think…it wasn’t rose ledges!), and found, affixed to the first bolt on a climb a lovely little poem that I remember to this day: 

“we know where you live/we know what you drive/stop chopping our bolts/and you will stay alive”

Alas, I don’t remember any of the climbs from that day.  

Cheers!

-Sam.

It was our friend on this thread, Ward, who's diligence and sharp thinking allowed him to literally catch that notorious bolt vandal 'in the act'. This led directly to said vandal's successful prosecution which has kept him away ever since.

Brandt Allen · · Joshua Tree, Cal · Joined Jan 2004 · Points: 220

Rod Stewart's Gasoline Alley has always been a favorite of mine.

Sorry Tony, when he went disco I lost interest.

Buck - there will be a group at City of Rocks this June. Seems like every year it gets less and less organized! Not sure if that's good or bad.

If you're interested let me know and I can give you more info.

Kevinmurray · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 0

I like Rod Stewart but not the Jeff Beck stuff. Rod is not a blues singer and his solo stuff is far better than anything he did with Beck. His American songbook stuf is good and his disco era is indeed crap..

Sam Findley · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2021 · Points: 0
Alan Rubin wrote:

It was our friend on this thread, Ward, who's diligence and sharp thinking allowed him to literally catch that notorious bolt vandal 'in the act'. This led directly to said vandal's successful prosecution which has kept him away ever since.

I’m guessing I know who that guy was…the first or second (anyway, early) time I went to ragged mountain, walking in I ran into some climbers who didn’t greet me with a hello, but rather an irate query as to whether I knew that person.  I had no idea who that was (I was 16? Which puts this in 1990?).  Was that you guys?

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10
Sam Findley wrote:

I’m guessing I know who that guy was…the first or second (anyway, early) time I went to ragged mountain, walking in I ran into some climbers who didn’t greet me with a hello, but rather an irate query as to whether I knew that person.  I had no idea who that was (I was 16? Which puts this in 1990?).  Was that you guys?

You are undoubtedly guessing correctly as to the person. I'm sure it wasn't us who 'greeted' you like that---not the way my friends do things ( we are friendly to strangers) but he definitely had people riled up in this area for a long time.

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349

OLH…. Thank you for the post.

It’s good to know about Charlie’s studio.

THX



Kristian Solem · · Monrovia, CA · Joined Apr 2004 · Points: 1,070
Old lady H wrote:

OLH does not/did not know Charlie Crist, but he sounds like someone  I would have liked.

However?  Crist rang a bell. Crist. Gallery. Was that that little building way back then? That interesting one? 

So, with some sleuthing, I got J Crist Gallery. It is long gone as a gallery, but I'm sure I was there for some snazzy wear your artiste get up thing or other at some point, and it's quite possible, even probable I intersected with your friend,  in my artsy life, way way way before climbing showed up.

The building is still there, and I remembered it as being unusual and quite nice. It also won awards for Trout Architects back then.

Now, it's pretty unassuming from the outside (always has been) but is a nifty space nonetheless. The entrance was/is a nice courtyard, and the inside is all trapezoids. Lots of nice, but subtle, detail. The award part is the daylighting design. Deliver daylight to artwork without sunlight killing it. It truly is a very nice place for art.

And now?

It is the James Castle Archive. Open by appointment only. I peaked in a window, and it's still striking inside. I trespassed enough to take a few pics, outside. If you hunt around a bit you can get the site design, and see the trapezoids, and how perfectly is suits the lot.

It's also worth googling James Castle, who was a notable (and interesting!!) Idaho artist, now in museums.

This building was built to be the J Crist gallery, I'm pretty sure. So your friend left rather a nice legacy here.

Helen

The J is for Charlie's wife, Jacqui. She and Charlie ran the gallery together. I didn't know she'd closed it, but I don't think it was due to lack of success, it had an international reputation and was frequented by collectors from around the world. Jacqui and my first wife, Julie Lazar, worked together at MOCA, The Museum of Contemporary Art, in downtown L.A. when the museum opened in 1980. I'm not sure what Jacqui's position was, Julie was Curator for Performing Arts. That's how I came to know Charlie. Julie was also a very good climber, but it didn’t interest Jacqui, so the three of us had some memorable times mostly in Joshua Tree. Of course, soon enough the museum was keeping Julie very busy, and Charlie and I started pushing our limits as a pair.

Jacqui is still living in Boise, we exchange an occasional message on Facebook. Charlie’s death was very hard on her, and each time we message I hope she’ll start a dialog, but then she goes dark for a while.

Charlie was a funny guy. One time he took a bunch of old wine bottles into his workshop and started breaking their necks off. When he got just the break he was looking for, he took a torch and melted a bead on the glass, so it was relatively safe to drink out of. The next time we went to Josh, we went campfire hopping that night in the campground. Charlie would walk up to a group of complete strangers drinking out of his broken neck wine bottle.

Li Hu · · Different places · Joined Jul 2022 · Points: 55
Alan Rubin wrote:

You are undoubtedly guessing correctly as to the person. I'm sure it wasn't us who 'greeted' you like that---not the way my friends do things ( we are friendly to strangers) but he definitely had people riled up in this area for a long time.

After reading a poem like that, the only “friendliness” I can envisage is like “Grandpa” from “Texas Chainsaw Massacre(s)”, or the Banjo player from “Deliverance”   

Cherokee Nunes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 0

He made all his enemies stronger. He was their Barbarosa!

GabeO · · Boston, MA · Joined May 2006 · Points: 302
Alan Rubin wrote:

Wow Ward, a rare occurrence--we agree about something involving national politics!!!! On a 'non-climbing' note, I'm wondering if I will be able to even get up a VB or 5.6--even with Hadley grades--after I return from my current 10 day family trip with too little exercise and too much eating---though otherwise very pleasant.

Buck. I sent you a PM. Farley definitely has enough in that grade range for at least a day. In the past most of the easier routes were a bit scattered in various parts of a complex cliff. But over the past couple of years a couple of friends opened up a new sector with a pretty dense concentration of easier, well-bolted routes. A bit slow to dry, but very worthwhile. The walk-in from the parking to that section is about 15 minutes.

They reasonably kid friendly? If so I'd like to check them out with Roz (my daughter) 

GO

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10

Yes, seems kid friendly ( though this is coming from my no-longer-a-kid perspective, of course!!!). Let me know when you want to come out and we can meet and I can show you around. Close by are some bolted roof routes that I think you would like.

Colden Dark · · Funny River · Joined Apr 2023 · Points: 0

Springtime in Alaska Range. Nice ride out of Cantwell on the Denali Highway today. Sunshine and low 30s.  Good as it gets.

Especially the dogs


Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,375
Kristian Solem wrote:

The J is for Charlie's wife, Jacqui. She and Charlie ran the gallery together. I didn't know she'd closed it, but I don't think it was due to lack of success, it had an international reputation and was frequented by collectors from around the world. Jacqui and my first wife, Julie Lazar, worked together at MOCA, The Museum of Contemporary Art, in downtown L.A. when the museum opened in 1980. I'm not sure what Jacqui's position was, Julie was Curator for Performing Arts. That's how I came to know Charlie. Julie was also a very good climber, but it didn’t interest Jacqui, so the three of us had some memorable times mostly in Joshua Tree. Of course, soon enough the museum was keeping Julie very busy, and Charlie and I started pushing our limits as a pair.

Jacqui is still living in Boise, we exchange an occasional message on Facebook. Charlie’s death was very hard on her, and each time we message I hope she’ll start a dialog, but then she goes dark for a while.

Charlie was a funny guy. One time he took a bunch of old wine bottles into his workshop and started breaking their necks off. When he got just the break he was looking for, he took a torch and melted a bead on the glass, so it was relatively safe to drink out of. The next time we went to Josh, we went campfire hopping that night in the campground. Charlie would walk up to a group of complete strangers drinking out of his broken neck wine bottle.

Lol! Right around that same time here, a local restaurant got fed up with all the bottles they were going through, so they started converting them to drinking glasses for the restaurants. Then, a bottle cutting place opened.

The bottle cutting place is long gone, but that restauranteur is Dave Krick, who continues chasing down restaurant waste to this day. Those bottles started the thought process of what could they do in house? Okay, let's cut our own fries, no bags. 

These days?

They went from cutting spuds to making their own ketchup...and on from there. Then the worm composting. Then the full remodel of the working parts of the place.

Gotta house them worms and spuds somewhere.

Boise has 2 biggiah farmers markets, and has had a very lively, award winning, local food thing going for decades now. Everyone growing, building off of everyone else, and what they were doing.

And, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if your friend, and his broken bottle story, didn't play a part. Maybe planted a seed of a wisp of a thought....

Cuz there's just so many times that "coincidences" happen, and ya just can't remotely predict how ripples may spread.

  

GabeO · · Boston, MA · Joined May 2006 · Points: 302
Alan Rubin wrote:

Yes, seems kid friendly ( though this is coming from my no-longer-a-kid perspective, of course!!!). Let me know when you want to come out and we can meet and I can show you around. Close by are some bolted roof routes that I think you would like.

Oh, are you talking about the wall left and down from Oosik?  That looks good, but was too warm in the sun the last time we were there so we did the climbs on the arete and around the corner to the left.

Would definitely like to go back and set those slabs up for the kids when it's a little cooler (like now).

And i certainly wouldn't mind getting in a run on Oosik. Haven't been on it in 20 years! 

GO

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10
GabeO wrote:

Oh, are you talking about the wall left and down from Oosik?  That looks good, but was too warm in the sun the last time we were there so we did the climbs on the arete and around the corner to the left.

Would definitely like to go back and set those slabs up for the kids when it's a little cooler (like now).

And i certainly wouldn't mind getting in a run on Oosik. Haven't been on it in 20 years! 

GO

Yes, down and left ( looking up from below) from the Bat Cave area ( where Oosik is located). It is called the Shelter Overhangs---Quarryman, etc. 

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