New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #39

Love those ancient bristlecones, Dan. Miss those Eastern Sierra hikes. Is that still Bear in your pictures? Or an offspring? Little Bear’s been gone for 11 years now; Charlotte and I are trying to do the math here.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Brian. Right State but not anywhere near Bozeman.. 

South Face of Shoshone in Blodgett?  Give us a hint!

Ahh...I think I found it.  East Rosebud, the Ramp?  I've climbed multiple days from Bozeman in the Beartooth so I'd consider it nearby...ish...ha ha.

Bill Lundeenwrote:

Love those ancient bristlecones, Dan. Miss those Eastern Sierra hikes. Is that still Bear in your pictures? Or an offspring? Little Bear’s been gone for 11 years now; Charlotte and I are trying to do the math here.

Hi Bill, yeah that forest sure is an incredible place. This time of year, we were the only visitors too. 

Bear passed in 2017, our new boy is named Etienne, same breed but as far as we know, not directly related. He is a real lover of mountains but much more gentle than Bear. We got him when he was 12 weeks old and raised him in the Sierra. Bear was a rescue, we got him at about a year and a half and he was pretty set in his rowdy ways. He had a real sweet side too though. 

It’s wild trying to manage the passage of time. 

I hope you two have a great weekend. 

 The directions we got in Red Lodge was to drive by the biker bar and then take a right turn on a dirt road. Look for the ramp on your right. Climb the crack..  I don't think we went Bozeman on that trip so I did not make the connection. camped at the base. swam in the lake.

This is super cool. Congrats Lori!

https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/what-its-really-like-to-start-climbing-in-your-60s/

Back in Arizona, climbing with the guy I first went roped climbing with in 1976, I was 15, he was 21 and had a car and treated me as an equal.  Steve Landry on Three Ravens, 5.7.  

Worked the boulder project and was shocked that the holds haven’t grown in the interim lol.

Lately I’m completely unpsyched, even my indoor bouldering sessions now consist of me bailing at the crux, elegantly downclimbing the problem, then looking at it quizzically before slinking away.

https://youtube.com/shorts/f7FKHxAKBOE?si=C0Uyg4GdpL-2Q60l

A successful day of replacing mechanical bolts with glue-ins on The Verdict at Pinnacles National Park with Clint and Bruce.

I told Clint of the comments here and the hellos. He had stories about each of you (and told me that I've met phylp!).

He successfully extracted a 3/8 inch sleeve bolt (work!!). We then drilled the hole out to 1/2 inch for the glue in:

I brought and used eye and ear protection (thanks Daniel):

Brad Youngwrote:

A successful day of replacing mechanical bolts with glue-ins on The Verdict at Pinnacles National Park with Clint and Bruce.

I told Clint of the comments here and the hellos. He had stories about each of you (and told me that I've met phylp!).

He successfully extracted a 3/8 inch sleeve bolt (work!!). We then drilled the hole out to 1/2 inch for the glue in:

I brought and used eye and ear protection (thanks Daniel):

Nice work guys! Tac,tac,tac…

The Dark Glow of the Mountains

Messner, Kammerlander, Herzog and Gasherbrum. Fantastic footage and introspection…so many great vignettes along the way. Highly recommended, if you can find it somewhere.

I am reading Conquestedors of the useless.

Dragons the wind was definitely howling up high. Had a great couple of days at the Gunks. 5.6 is entertaining there. Through the first roof of Shockleys. 

I thought you were supposed to climb that naked..

Brad Youngwrote:

I told Clint of the comments here and the hellos. He had stories about each of you (and told me that I've met Phylp.

I brought and used eye and ear protection (thanks Daniel):

And, undoubtedly, we all have stories about the younger Clint!!!!

Great work on the bolt replacement guys--such actions are always appreciated,even if I will never do the route being 'renovated'.

Nick, one gets a dispensation about climbing Shockley's while clothed, on days when the November winds are 'howling'!!!!

Good morning everyone. 

Hi Bill, your post yesterday prompted a trip down memory lane and into my photo library. Here‘s a few images of Charlotte and crag dogs Little Bear (actually the larger of the two) and Bear Shar Pei. 

I hope that everybody has a great weekend. 

J Westgatewrote:

Dragons the wind was definitely howling up high. Had a great couple of days at the Gunks. 5.6 is entertaining there. Through the first roof of Shockleys. 

I still haven't been on Shockleys. It might be too much to ask, but I hope to onsight it   

dragonswrote:

I still haven't been on Shockleys. It might be too much to ask, but I hope to onsight it   

Great goal for you,  dragons!!!!!

First, great to see everyone here using the correct--unredacted--name for the route. Shockley had horribly bad social beliefs, but they had nothing to do with the fact that he was the one who first climbed that roof!!!!

It is a route that is more psychological ( even though very well protected) than physical (though is a roof, so does require some strength)--it seems intimidatingly big, but the holds are numerous, huge, and positive. It is a route for which gym training can be particularly helpful---and I remember some overhangs at your GV that are very appropriate simulators. Also, once you are on the route and over 'The' ceiling, don't 'let down your guard' too soon, there is another innocent-appearing much smaller overhang higher up that is almost as difficult!!! But, you've got this. Something to train for over the coming winter ( if not sooner).

Alan Rubinwrote:

Great goal for you,  dragons!!!!!

First, great to see everyone here using the correct--unredacted--name for the route. Shockley had horribly bad social beliefs, but they had nothing to do with the fact that he was the one who first climbed that roof!!!!

As a solid state physicist I'm well acquainted with Shockleys work. He was brilliant, but also a truly loathsome person. It wasn't just his social beliefs either. Even as a young man his coworkers who were were mostly white and male couldn't stand him. I wonder how we was able to find climbing partners with that personality even though he was talented there as well.

Emil Briggswrote:

As a solid state physicist I'm well acquainted with Shockleys work. He was brilliant, but also a truly loathsome person. It wasn't just his social beliefs either. Even as a young man his coworkers who were were mostly white and male couldn't stand him. I wonder how we was able to find climbing partners with that personality even though he was talented there as well.

Sadly, not all climbers, even very good ones, are also decent human beings--as is true in pretty much all spheres of human activity. Shockley, a Nobel laureate and solid climber for his day, but, yes, loathsome in many other ways, is just one example--recent threads on MP have discussed others.

Great stuff, Dan! Thanks so much for posting these old pics. Charlotte was really moved seeing LB and her younger self.