New and experienced climbers over 50 #36

Born in Davenport Iowa and moved to Riverside California age 9 months when Dad landed a HS teaching/coaching job there.

Lived and raised there which at the time was a nice small city (not so anymore) an hour drive to Beaches, Mountains, high desert and LA sports and entertainment. 

Boy Scouts exposed me to wilderness activity which I greatly enjoyed, camping, canoeing, backpacking, etc. 

On a scout trip in 1971 to Joshua Tree National Monument I witnessed technical rock climbing for the first time and had to try it.

Dad had Jim "Rubidoux" Wilson in one of his PE classes and knew he was an active climber, so he hooked us up together and I started climbing with Jim in 72 who mentored me until

I learned the ropes so to speak and got my lead head together.

Riverside was a great place to be a climber, out our backdoor I had bouldering on Box Springs Mtn, Mt Rubidoux a 10 minute drive, Big Rock at lake Perris 20 mins. and J-Tree, Tahquitz/Suicide Rocks an hour away.

Moved to Susanville Ca. for Junior College in 76 where I happened to have Joe Fitschen as an English instructor, had a few discussions with him about his climbing history and asked him if he knew of any climbing in the area. Joe told me of the Pigeon Cliff just outside town and that he and Robbins had done a short route there a few years previous. I nabbed a couple FA's there until Joe told me of a granite formation he had seen but not climbed on just south of Thompson Peak. 

www.mountainproject.com/area/106940043/pigeon-cliff

Went to check it out and found a gem virgin crag that had not been climbed previously, a mini version of Lovers Leap sporting many dike and knob sections.

Over the next 2 years with help from partners Dane Scott and Paul Robie, I put up many FA's there either on top rope (No bolting kit) or on lead that I could protect ground up with trad gear. 

We called the place Cannabis Crag BITD, Today it's known as Tom's Thumb.

 www.mountainproject.com/area/106940046/toms-thumb

Anyway, Returned to Riverside for a couple years to work to save for finishing college knowing I'd return to NorCal which I did in 81 with my GF and future wife settling in Redding.

Earned my B.A. degree and teaching credential at CSU, Chico, got married, started teaching and a family, signed a 30 yr. mortgage and stopped climbing. 

Then in 2012 my 30 yr. climbing hiatus ended when my son-in-law told me he was interested in starting to climb as my daughter had told him I used to be pretty good BITD.

So I purchased a new rope, harness and shoes and pulled out the old tub of gear and took him out for his first trad climb.

Have no regrets leaving SoCal for NorCal, one of the best decisions I've made in life.

Mom made me pose for this pic in our backyard in 74.

My Son-in-law and I in 2012 on his 1st climb and me after a 30 yrs. long hiatus.

Colden Darkwrote:

Here’s a question I’d like to pose to this group: why do you live where you live? Here’s why I’m posing this question: 1. I’m pretty baked 2. most folks on this thread seem to live either in the northeast/New England or California. I realize there are some international stragglers, but most seem to live in these two regions. And there are a lot of accomplished climbers here, obviously. 

I moved to the US from NZ to get married, in '98 (having met my now ex-wife in Yosemite in '96). Have lived in CA, then NH for 7 years, and MA now for about 17 years. Life's twists and turns, as folks have mentioned above, made an east coaster out of me, and by and large that's been great. I love having different ways of getting into the hills and lakes in the different seasons. Work possibilities are great. My kids are growing up here. I met my new girlfriend here. There's a great climbing community (I live near Ward, Paula and Alan, among many other wonderful folks). And there's plenty of new route/boulder development to be done, esp in southern NH, which keeps me young. But - I love the Sierra and the desert and have a hankering to retire (many years away) out that way. For the moment, until my kids are grown, I try to get out west every other year or so. There's a feeling of not wasting time and getting some fun mountain adventures done - to fuel the soul -  and introducing my GF (who is a more recent climber) to these experiences. The wide open sky and landscapes of the west feel like home to me.

Colden Darkwrote:

Here’s a question I’d like to pose to this group: why do you live where you live? Here’s why I’m posing this question: 1. I’m pretty baked 2. most folks on this thread seem to live either in the northeast/New England or California. I realize there are some international stragglers, but most seem to live in these two regions. And there are a lot of accomplished climbers here, obviously. 

As far as I can gather, the two most respected climbers in this thread went to U Chicago (no mountains). So what’s the connection between climbing and big mountains and other things (like proximity to family and career opportunities)?

I grew up in the northeast, went to college in VT and knew after one particularly potent telemarking acid trip on top of Mad River Glen back in the late 80s, that I needed to get out west and live forever where the mountains went way above treeline and the spaces down below weren’t so thickly settled.

So, I suppose my question is, why would those of you who live back east choose the ADKs/Green/White mountains over what the west has to offer? Was it prioritizing buggy crags over alpine adventures? Or preferring other things over big mountain living? Big east coast money? Something else? Just curious.

Random sex with dudes I didn't really know.

Helen wins the "straight to the point" award.

And Tad, hems on shorts from the mid 70s???   You must have just mad photoshop skills.

EDIT: and thanks Tad for the links to some of your early climbing haunts. Places I've never heard of. I suspect that solitude isn't hard to find at them even today?

T. Hocking - loved your life history post, thanks! If you are ever down Joshua Tree way and need a climbing partner, give me a holler.

OLH - call me maybe?

Woot woot!  I climbed my project today and I’m celebrating the win!!!  This was a really big deal for me … it took six days over six months.  I just really thought I should give it up but had to try one more time. 

The crux was sort of out of view. I did not want to make that final move… 

Welcome all you new people!!!   

Lori Milaswrote:

Woot woot!  I climbed my project today and I’m celebrating the win!!!  This was a really big deal for me … it took six days over six months.  I just really thought I should give it up but had to try one more time. 

The crux was sort of out of view.

HUGE thanks to Bob.  HUGE thanks!  

Welcome all you new people!!!   

Congrats. Nice chimney and stem moves.

Good job, Lori!

Yay Lori!!!

Proud effort,

Tad

Dave Orsmanwrote:

I moved to the US from NZ to get married, in '98 (having met my now ex-wife in Yosemite in '96). Have lived in CA, then NH for 7 years, and MA now for about 17 years. Life's twists and turns, as folks have mentioned above, made an east coaster out of me, and by and large that's been great. I love having different ways of getting into the hills and lakes in the different seasons. Work possibilities are great. My kids are growing up here. I met my new girlfriend here. There's a great climbing community (I live near Ward, Paula and Alan, among many other wonderful folks). And there's plenty of new route/boulder development to be done, esp in southern NH, which keeps me young. But - I love the Sierra and the desert and have a hankering to retire (many years away) out that way. For the moment, until my kids are grown, I try to get out west every other year or so. There's a feeling of not wasting time and getting some fun mountain adventures done - to fuel the soul -  and introducing my GF (who is a more recent climber) to these experiences. The wide open sky and landscapes of the west feel like home to me.

That area of Massachusetts is a great place to live. 

Born in Portland, OR and living there now. Have spent time in other places, but this is home. Was always into hiking/backpacking, but didn't start climbing until getting involved with the Mazamas in 2011. Yes, we have gray skies and rain much of the year, but summers here are nice. 80 degrees, low humidity and no few bugs.

Way to stick it out, Lori!

Does this now-done-project now have a name??

I live in the north east Kingdom of Vermont because I have family there and there is more ice climbing in a100 mile radius of my house than in the entire state of Colorado. I love visiting many other destinations but would not want to live in most of them. 

Way to go, Lori! 

Did the Vulgarians  and Stone Masters ever have a climb off?

You know… like Tupac and Bigee?  

Lori Milaswrote:

Did the Vulgarians  and Stone Masters ever have a climb off?

You know… like Tupac and Bigee?  

I would think the Stonemasters climbed a bit harder, being a little later than the Vulgarians. Weren't the Vulgarians freeing 5.11s (maybe some 12s), while the Stonemasters later were establishing 12s and 13s. Of course Lynn Hill took it to another level.

Bruce and I are both east-coasters who went to school in the Boston area. While we really liked, and still feel nostalgic for, Boston and New England, after a few trips out west we knew it was where we wanted to be for the spectacular scenery, climbing, and backcountry skiing. Then it was a question of where I had the best chance of finding a job fresh out of law school and where he might be able to get into an affordable law school. Denver was the best fit, so once I got my JD (1975), we packed the Dodge van and headed west. We moved from Denver to Boulder in '76 and have been here ever since.

Congratulations Lori. Well done. It is great to see dedication and persistence pay off. Now, it will be on to the next project---as it almost always is....

As Mark said, the Vulgarians were at their prime about a decade before the Stonemasters. Also, while many of the Vulgarians were strong climbers, much of their 'cachet' and energy revolved around their 'climbing-adjacent' activities!!! The Gunks contemporaries of the Stonemasters were folks such as Barber, Stannard, Bragg, and Wunsch ( though he was primarily Colorado-based). As I recall, there was actually sort of a face-off or 2, between Barber and some of the Stonemasters....Fish Crack, I believe.

M Spraguewrote:

I would think the Stonemasters climbed a bit harder, being a little later than the Vulgarians. Weren't the Vulgarians freeing 5.11s (maybe some 12s), while the Stonemasters later were establishing 12s and 13s. Of course Lynn Hill took it to another level.

Ratings are super soft in the west so there is that to consider 

M Mwrote:

Ratings are super soft in the west so there is that to consider 

Not so sure about that. They say “if you can climb 5.9 solid at Joshua Tree you can climb 5.9 anywhere.”