New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #39

Bill, it's fantastic to see you posting here. I miss our climbing a lot. Thanks always for so, so many great times and memories.

Still sorry about the "drain cleaner" incident.

Brad Young wrote:

Bill, it's fantastic to see you posting here. I miss our climbing a lot. Thanks always for so, so many great times and memories.

Still sorry about the "drain cleaner" incident.

Same here, Brad.  You probably still have a clean flowing drain, right?   

Maybe we could have a formal introduction to Bill? Sounds like there’s a lot of great history and friendship there.

Could I throw a question out there about crimping? I guess I was wearing a GoPro last year when climbing on King Dome and what I got were mostly pictures of my hands.   But it was a reminder of something I’ve had so much trouble with. These hand grips are what feels natural to me. I know that I have frustrated Bob because on climbs this steep and thin he says thumb over forefinger would give me much more strength,

I’ll bet if I would really put my mind to it I could learn to do thumb over forefinger crimp, but I honestly don’t know if it would improve my ability.  One day I’d like to climb Jan’s route over on Watergate so, there’s that.

Getting my thumb up on top of my forefinger just feels hard and awkward.  What am I doing wrong?  And how do you do it?  

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On my morning, walk past comic book I always understand why I’m not begging to go to suicide, Tahquitz or even Yosemite. My hands are full here. I’m already overwhelmed with all the climbing. I will never do. It would be awful to add more beautiful rock to that unattainable list.  By now, I should have claimed this.

Lori Milas wrote:

Getting my thumb up on top of my forefinger just feels hard and awkward.  What am I doing wrong?  And how do you do it?  

I can exert a lot of force in this position… maybe would be even that much more in a closed crimp?  

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It helps to have immense finger strength.   

Li Hu wrote:

It helps to have immense finger strength.   

Reviewing these pictures helps.  Those crimps will get me up a 10, but never an 11.  Good opportunity to practice something new! 

City of Rocks, June 2026.  I have reservation for June 7-14.  Hope to see many of you there.

Idaho Bob wrote:

City of Rocks, June 2026.  I have reservation for June 7-14.  Hope to see many of you there.

I'll miss you this year! Michael and I plan on going to Europe in June 2026.  God willing, we'll last another year and June 2027 at CoR will be on!

Idaho Bob wrote:

City of Rocks, June 2026.  I have reservation for June 7-14.  Hope to see many of you there.

Did Idaho change the rules for reservations?

Lori….. to do the “thumb over” you need to close your hand into almost a fist. Not open hand … like your photos.

Dragons- getting after IT !!!!!!!

Genetics really do play a part. Several of the men on my Mother’s side were all bent over driving wheelchairs in thier 60’s …..  I got the risky surgery cause I say no to the walker. The climbing is hard- 7 and 8 are max now- but really fun. Yesterday the boys got me to do a TR. They told me “it’s good, good knobs, do it…” Well I did it! Turns out they were sandbagging me- the line had never been tried.
So now they expect me to figure out the bolting, clean it up and bolt the sucker… 

Welcome to Bill. I’ve seen your name, good to match up a face with a name.

Later all

Took a break from climbing and made a quick road trip to the east side for some fly fishing with my wife Yvonne. 5 days of perfect weather- sunny, highs in the 60’s and no wind!

Thanks for the welcome, Guy! And thanks to Dan for some great photos, none of which I’ve ever seen. That photo of Charlotte and me on Sheila is priceless; truly the best we now have of ourselves. 🙏🏼  

Guy Keesee wrote:

Did Idaho change the rules for reservations?

Yes, to make reservations go to:  parksandrecreation.idaho.gov for reservations in the City or Castle Rock State Park(Smokey Mountain Campground).  Reservations at these two places can no longer be made on ReserveAmerica.com.

There are now two or three commercial campgrounds in Almo and these can be found on ReserveAmerica.com.  City of Rocks RV and City of Rocks Camp and Climb.  The reservation window goes through early May 2026 at this time.

Today is election day, and, I'm very happy to report, I got almost nothing whatsoever to vote on.

Except an open space levy. This isn't the first, and hopefully not the last. For only about $40/year, money gets used to buy up, well, open space. That means our foothills, mostly, but it can also be applied to other spaces and the projects that go with it.

We have a terrific trail system here, a big part of what makes Boise, Boise!

Many miles of paved greenbelt paths, too, both sides of the river. 

I'm working through the sudden darkness trauma. That's okay. It'll start to get better. Only 6 to 8 weeks of it getting worse to get through, yay. 

At least we are relatively sunny in the winter, what little there is. I couldn't live in Portland or Seattle in the winter!

My climbing partner seems to have gone into full hibernation mode, so I may hafta go hit up some autobelays. Ugh. Anyone else just have a visceral dislike of actually letting go and dropping off a climb? I do it, but it bugs me, every time. I think partly because autobelays go faster than a partner would normally lower, or I'd go down, if I was rappelling?? 

I also have still not gotten to any gyms at all, even though I know I need that strength training. 

Aw well. 

picture of the day. In the process of cleaning out the van to put it in winter storeage.. looks like snow and mix ed precip in the works and that means saslt on the roads so she needs to be sleeping in Isa's barn before that happens.. always a sad day.. Its a real loss of freedom for me. 

Isn't a van good for going south in the winter? Seems like van season to me.

Go south in the spring.. climb ice and ski in the winter❄️ ❄️ 

this was so cool because when you are living out past antelope flats every day you wake up to this  scene without the buffalo and then one morning you wake up and there they are... 

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

Nick, where is this wonderful picture? While it somewhat resembles Lotus Flower, the face is too narrow. I also don't recognize it as anything that I am familiar with in our mutual Northeast region.

Al, I am pretty much positive thats Spare Rib in Gallatin Canyon, Montana

Norm Larson wrote:

Al, I am pretty much positive thats Spare Rib in Gallatin Canyon, Montana

Thanks Norm. Looks like a beautiful route. Many ( many!!!!) years ago I climbed one route in Gallatin--an obvious 5.8ish line right above the road ( if my memory is correct---far from 'a given' these days!!!), called the Standard or something similar I believe. Pleasant climb.

Your memory is fine Al. The regular route up Gallatin Tower. It’s fun. Spare Rib is on the opposite side of the canyon and an undisputed classic 5.7.

It does look like a very mini Lotus Flower in that photo. Nowhere near as involved logistically