New and experienced climbers over 50 #37

Alan, I would be stunned if people were not cheating with electronics in that game. Do they call it geo cache here in the States? I found one a few years ago accidentally. 

Lori, If you download the area to your phone with OnX you should be able to zoom in where you are and see where you need to go. Pretty much like Google Earth. Your location will be a blue dot.

Alan Rubin wrote:

I admit that I am very old-fashioned, but we had no trouble getting to the Astrodomes--and many other parts of JT ( not Bighorn Mating Grotto, though---never been there) just using the directions in Randy's original guidebook--possibly even a predecessor. I understand the value of current devices for emergency situations, but still prefer words and maps on paper to get around--walking or driving. Above, Jim U. mentioned 'orienteeering'---a venerable sport in certain places, especially the UK, I imagine that activity may now be on the 'endangered list', if not already extinct, as a result of today's electronics!!!!

If my memory serves me right you passed it on the way to the Astro Dome. We had to duck behind some bushes as it seemed there was no trail. Amazing routes too.

If accessing the Astrodomes from Uncle Willie's as recommended, your memory does not serve you right. The grotto is well beyond the astrodomes.

Never been to Uncle Willie's

rgold wrote:

1898 was one of my best years.  They had the best architecture. Now we're stuck with concrete and glass.

We had much better navigation technology back then too.  You just told your horse to go home. The Equine Positioning System was infallible.

Well, since we already established that I am 90 way back in #33 or #34, this would put this 37 years before i emerged from the primordial ooze, therefore we will have to take your account as fact unless proven otherwise.

Having worked with horses and mules some, I can attest that The Equine Positioning System is indeed infallible, but maybe we would all do better if our aspirations were so simple as a bucket of oats. 

And Mr. Gill judging by these photos your spotting skills have not improved in the last 127 years.

dragons wrote:

I know  

Want to climb together some time perhaps? Not sure if you'd enjoy the relatively easy routes that I'm at. Shoot me a DM if you're in need of a partner.

Dragons, I have hardly climbed since 2012. One of the last climbs I led in 2012 was Yellow Ridge although having never done Yum Yum Yab Yum I might have to come out of retirement.     

M M wrote:

Never been to Uncle Willie's

Next time you are in JT, I'd be happy to take you to Uncle Wiilie's. Then on into the Wonderland to climb!

Edit: Uncle Wiilie's is rather disappointing; compared to what it was in the 80's there's not much still standing.

Longest day of the year starts now. Enjoy the light! Tomorrow we turn down the road to darkness. Nick will be ice climbing before we know it. Be mindful of the mama moose. 

Midnight sun tonight on the Kenai Peninsula

Rich Ross wrote:

Dragons, I have hardly climbed since 2012. One of the last climbs I led in 2012 was Yellow Ridge although having never done Yum Yum Yab Yum I might have to come out of retirement.     

It would be amazing if you could join us for the proposed mid-week Gunks get together this fall!  We'll definitely have to do YYYY on one of the days as that is just the best climb!

It is my favorite one by far of the whooping total of 15 different routes I've climbed here so far!

;)

Alan Rubin wrote:

I admit that I am very old-fashioned, but we had no trouble getting to the Astrodomes--and many other parts of JT ( not Bighorn Mating Grotto, though---never been there) just using the directions in Randy's original guidebook--possibly even a predecessor. I understand the value of current devices for emergency situations, but still prefer words and maps on paper to get around--walking or driving. Above, Jim U. mentioned 'orienteeering'---a venerable sport in certain places, especially the UK, I imagine that activity may now be on the 'endangered list', if not already extinct, as a result of today's electronics!!!!

I highly recommend the book 'Wayfinding'' which to a large degree is about the degradation of the hippocampus due to the way modern devices have replaced our ability to navigate. The middle of the book moves a little slow IMO, but the preface and  ending are excellent. 

• Buck Rogers wrote:

It would be amazing if you could join us for the proposed mid-week Gunks get together this fall!  We'll definitely have to do YYYY on one of the days as that is just the best climb!

It is my favorite one by far of the whooping total of 15 different routes I've climbed here so far!

;)

I'm in the 'same boat' as Rich R.---many years of climbing in the Gunks, but have never climbed YYYY. Even though it is a fairly old route, BITD it wasn't in the 'canon' of 'must do' Gunks routes, probably because it was a bit beyond the popular( and generally more 'solid') part of the Near Trapps. Obviously a gap in my 'CV' that will have to be rectified.

I read an Editor's commentary in National Review this morning on the subject of the changes made to the OBBB- the great majority of the piece spoke to changes that a typical conservative Republican would appreciate, including preserving tax cuts, Medicaid changes, SALT adjustments, and so forth. There isn't a single mention of the public lands sale provision, and it only just barely mentions the impact this will have to the deficit. For this group, not surprising that there wouldn't be much on the former, but the latter should be front and present in the mind of any true conservative. NR commonly calls out the media bias that exists...they really need to look in the mirror themselves.

Victor Creazzi wrote:

I highly recommend the book 'Wayfinding'' which to a large degree is about the degradation of the hippocampus due to the way modern devices have replaced our ability to navigate. The middle of the book moves a little slow IMO, but the preface and  ending are excellent. 

Victor, I’m wondering if the book you read was one of these and if so, which one?

“Wayfinding: The Art and Science of How We Find and Lose Our Way” by Michael Bond  

or 

“Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World” by M. R. O'Connor

Thanks!

Alan Rubin wrote:

I'm in the 'same boat' as Rich R.---many years of climbing in the Gunks, but have never climbed YYYY. Even though it is a fairly old route, BITD it wasn't in the 'canon' of 'must do' Gunks routes, probably because it was a bit beyond the popular( and generally more 'solid') part of the Near Trapps. 

Could it be that it was too easy? I mean after all 5.3, most of us didn't even rope up for that.

fossil wrote:

Could it be that it was too easy? I mean after all 5.3, most of us didn't even rope up for that.

In the Gunks, most people, at least the first time, rope up for 5.3s, especially exposed ones such as YYYY. Plus, way BITD, for at least some of us, 5.3 wasn't easy, more like close to our limits at first!!!! And, there were plenty of routes of that grade, and easier, that were ( still are) in that Gunks 'must do canon'.

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

Alan, I would be stunned if people were not cheating with electronics in that game. Do they call it geo cache here in the States? I found one a few years ago accidentally. 

Orienteering is different from geocaching which is different from letterboxing. I've read about orienteering, but never participated.
Roughly, in orienteering you've got a map and a compass and a set of location points that you're required to get to. There's some means of making sure you actually got to each point, see the wiki page. I suppose you could cheat by using electronics.
In geocaching, you're given the GPS where the cache (often an ammo box) is located and you just have to go find it. So far as I recall, you're supposed to take an item and also leave an item. Not really sure about how you "cheat" here, since so far as I can tell, you just get to the cache however you like.
In letterboxing, you're given clues, and have to figure out how to get to the cache. To me that's more fun than geocaching. You've got your own rubber stamp and you're supposed to stamp your book with the letterbox's stamp, and then stamp the letterbox's book with your own stamp, kind of exchanging stamp "signatures". That's one thing I've done in the past. I discovered a letterbox by accident, and became hooked.

5.5 and under, in the Gunks, is utterly unlike any other 5.5 and under place I've personally visited. Steep and intimidating with giants roofs how can that be 5.3???   I had to trust the words of my predecessors - just climb on up there and all will be revealed.

So, not unlike other places I have visited, at the same time!

dragons wrote:

Orienteering is different from geocaching which is different from letterboxing. I've read about orienteering, but never participated.
Roughly, in orienteering you've got a map and a compass and a set of location points that you're required to get to. There's some means of making sure you actually got to each point, see the wiki page. I suppose you could cheat by using electronics.
In geocaching, you're given the GPS where the cache (often an ammo box) is located and you just have to go find it. So far as I recall, you're supposed to take an item and also leave an item. Not really sure about how you "cheat" here, since so far as I can tell, you just get to the cache however you like.
In letterboxing, you're given clues, and have to figure out how to get to the cache. To me that's more fun than geocaching. You've got your own rubber stamp and you're supposed to stamp your book with the letterbox's stamp, and then stamp the letterbox's book with your own stamp, kind of exchanging stamp "signatures". That's one thing I've done in the past. I discovered a letterbox by accident, and became hooked.

yah geocahcing is great with kids.  hand them the GPS and let them walk.  orienteering is a lot of fun also, though every time I was doing it I had a M16 banging around on my back.  But a lot better means of navigation than dead reckoning.  There are a lot of comps and courses around if you look for them. 

apogee wrote:

I read an Editor's commentary in National Review this morning on the subject of the changes made to the OBBB- the great majority of the piece spoke to changes that a typical conservative Republican would appreciate, including preserving tax cuts, Medicaid changes, SALT adjustments, and so forth. There isn't a single mention of the public lands sale provision, and it only just barely mentions the impact this will have to the deficit. For this group, not surprising that there wouldn't be much on the former, but the latter should be front and present in the mind of any true conservative. NR commonly calls out the media bias that exists...they really need to look in the mirror themselves.

The whole SALT thing seems bullshit..... it's more about getting votes than anything else.