New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #42

Norm Larsonwrote:

Dan we seem to seek out some of the same scrambles..

Living at Tioga Pass Resort from 2004 to 2015 put the Twenty Lakes Basin and Mt Conness literally in my backyard. One of my oft-repeated circuits was North Pk and Conness. Favorite linkup there: up the North Ridge of North Peak, down to Roosevelt Lake, up the West Ridge of Conness to summit. Then down the North Ridge of Conness (that puts the two cruxes as up rather than down climbs) back to base of North Pk in the 20 Lakes Basin and Saddlebag Lake. Good day, lots of mileage, massive inspiration.

Thanks to all of you who share these beautiful photos, especially my friend Dan. Miss adventuring with you and Denise.

Bill Lundeenwrote:

Living at Tioga Pass Resort from 2004 to 2015 put the Twenty Lakes Basin and Mt Conness literally in my backyard. One of my oft-repeated circuits was North Pk and Conness. Favorite linkup there: up the North Ridge of North Peak, down to Roosevelt Lake, up the West Ridge of Conness to summit. Then down the North Ridge of Conness (that puts the two cruxes as up rather than down climbs) back to base of North Pk in the 20 Lakes Basin and Saddlebag Lake. Good day, lots of mileage, massive inspiration.

Thanks to all of you who share these beautiful photos, especially my friend Dan. Miss adventuring with you and Denise.

We miss you too! 

I’ve managed to inflame my right knee to the point of a forced activity break for rehabilitation. I experienced no major trauma, so hoping it’s an overuse injury and will resolve itself with RICE and time. Multiple 20 minute soaks in the icy waters of Pine Creek seem to be helping. Shutting down my activity drive is a difficult but sometimes necessary action.

I found the cane that I’m relying on while hiking around the Wheeler Crest over 20 years ago. Anytime that I use it, I wonder how and why it was abandoned high in a remote canyon. I’m aware that native people would sometimes walk into the mountains to find their final resting place, and when my imagination wanders, I sometimes speculate how this could be the origin of my cane. 

I hope that everyone has a great Saturday. 

A couple more pictures from skiing the last few days .

High of 10 this day, horrendous wind chill when I snapped this one!

Nice and balmy 15 this morning with no wind, breaking new trails in the marsh 

After full day approaches, this is one of my favorite feelings... finally getting ready to climb!!! 

I took this shot of my friends Laura and Steve on a short, old classic on Pinnacles West Side (Sombrero). I like the color. And Steve obviously loves his wife - look at that attentive belay!

It'll go in the book when we work on it next week.

James Harvey wrote:

Wife just after the spot where there was a fatality the month before.
June 2022 Old Army Pass.. very benign in the “right” condition. A great day just cruising otherwise.

Daniel- Pine Creek ice water is sent to you from above. Heal up soon my friend. I’m sure you will. The cane was yours to find all along. Always love your input. Time with your best friends is time well spent..

Hope everyone is well.

Thank you James. I appreciate your thoughts and images. 

Heal up quickly Daniel--and anyone else who is ailing!!!

Everyone keep those photos coming. While folks like Nick, Ed, Ward, my wife, etc. are out playing in the New England snow, this cold-phobic old dude is hibernating, with occasional escapes to the gym. Longest serious cold snap, biggest snow we've had around here in many years. And it is predicted to be sunny on Monday, so Puxatawney Phil will likely see his shadow!!!!

Alan Rubinwrote:

Everyone keep those photos coming. While folks like Nick, Ed, Ward, my wife, etc. are out playing in the New England snow, this cold-phobic old dude is hibernating, 

Here’s one for you Al:

Conditions were wonderful at A-Hills Thursday and in the ORG Friday.

Have you climbed in the ORG Al? So much fun  - this one is called Chewy the Beaver.

Here’s another one we did around the corner. also super fun and probably one of the best route names ever.

Phylanthropy 5.7 great fun stemming all the way up. 

Alan Rubinwrote:

Heal up quickly Daniel--and anyone else who is ailing!!!

Everyone keep those photos coming. While folks like Nick, Ed, Ward, my wife, etc. are out playing in the New England snow, this cold-phobic old dude is hibernating, with occasional escapes to the gym. Longest serious cold snap, biggest snow we've had around here in many years. And it is predicted to be sunny on Monday, so Puxatawney Phil will likely see his shadow!!!!

Thanks Alan, and send some of the snow here to the Sierra Nevada, we really need it. It’s an amusing coincidence that you mention Punxsutawney Phil, that’s where I grew up and spent a few February 2nd mornings up at Gobblers Knob waiting for Phil to make his prediction. For a few years, my dad was a member of the Groundhog Club’s inner circle and was one of the guys in a top hat who helped to officiate the proceedings. Lol

Thanks Phyl. I initially didn't fully read the email before looking at the first photo--and thought--'I didn't think the Alabama Hills had climbs like that!!!' Then I read the remainder of the email!!!

Yes, I have climbed in the ORG, spent about a week there, early 2000s I think. I really enjoyed the climbing, not so much the walk in and, especially, out!!! Given the current state of my knees, probably not a good destination for me now. Never climbed in the Hills, though. Looks like fun.

That's cool, Daniel. You should get one of those top hats and see if you can lure a marmot out somewhere on the East Side next Feb. 2!!!

Edit to a add: Checked my notes. That trip to the ORG was in 1992, so about a decade earlier than I thought!!! Undoubtedly there has been as lot of development since then---while my abilities have gone in the opposite direction!!!

A few random photos from this past year since currently the only thing I could take a picture of is my leg bone slowly healing.

Tuolumne, Corsica granite, Wind Rivers, Corsica
Everyones pictures are so uplifting, keep em coming.

Healing thoughts to you Dan. 

No climbing here, just snowshoeing. It's cold, but doable. The sunny blue sky days feel wonderful after what seems like months of dreary grayness.

Dan, I for sure and probably everyone here knows how hard it is to curb the activity gene… It’s been 3 years and 3 months for me, and sometimes I go INSANE. Then I live in old guidebooks and outdoor videos and MP. Can be a real bitch living vicariously, but seems to be meant to be (for now). Turning 70 in a few weeks and it feels way too young to be so disabled…

Bill Lundeenwrote:

Dan, I for sure and probably everyone here knows how hard it is to curb the activity gene… It’s been 3 years and 3 months for me, and sometimes I go INSANE. Then I live in old guidebooks and outdoor videos and MP. Can be a real bitch living vicariously, but seems to be meant to be (for now). Turning 70 in a few weeks and it feels way too young to be so disabled…

Damn, Bill, it's hard to read this passage. If you ever do get to the state where you can do some stuff, there's at least six or eight of us here who would be thrilled to join you (anywhere, on anything). Obviously there are plenty of people on the eastern side of the Sierra who must feel the same.

I can't believe you'll be 70 in March. For reference though, Katie is now 30 years old.

That means that this shot, at our campsite in Ryan, is almost that old:

Hugi hibrinated under the covers All day and now that I am home and started the wood stove he has moved to the couch. We had our VT Smuggs ice bash this weekend. So glad I didn't have to work it. It was seriously cold up there. 

Cold enough that I no longer enjoy climbing in these temps. I did one pitch and threaded off. Great presentations in the evening. Some of these folks are ridiculously strong.  Kudos to all the guides who worked all day and the guests who hung tough and had a great time. I am not certain I would have stuck with ice climbing if my first day was this cold and bulletproof.  To be fair our ice tools back in the day might have sucked but they weighed at least as much as a framing hammer and would hit that concrete ice hard enough to get it done on days like this. 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

We had our VT Smuggs ice bash this weekend. So glad I didn't have to work it. It was seriously cold up there. 

Good stuff!  Can't believe its been almost 23 years since I climbed there...

Funny...my long time avatar for this website is from Smuggs.

Cheers to having winter!

Close!  First gen Cobras with viper fangs.  And yellow duct tape.  Ha ha.  Still have them but once I tried Nomics...never went back.

Bit better view of the kit...

My friend Tom giving me a "spot"...(not seriously).  His dad Denis was a big deal in UVM athletics.  I was on a business trip to Burlington which happened to intersect with Tom (and Theresa) visiting Tom's parents.  We'd climbed a bit in the bay area and was fun to connect with them in Tom's home country.  Connections from "wreck.climbing" back in the day and random partnering in Yosemite on a trip.   Good times.

Edit to add...we climbed Dave's, Doug's and Blue Ice Bulge over two days.  In between we climbed at Lake Willoughby.

Of course I am wondering what you got on. it a bitt too much of a close up to identify..  perhaps something on south wall? 

We XC slied today across the Valley from Willoughby. Still very sparse ice at the lake. @0 below and Glass are getting close but still not really touching down.. 

float is not even there and nothing of substance in the ampetheater....   I know I have this same shot from a few years ago somewhere but cold not find it.  The phone takes such crappy files.. 

Sierra vibes. Best wishes for a great February. 

Don't have much to offer, but, temps here are definitely creeping into the "let's go bouldering!" category. High 40s. Not much sun, though. And, no winter. At all. The ground finally froze, when it dipped into the 20s overnights. Dry dry dry, too. I'm actually a little worried about plants. Dry ground, frozen, no moisture..... that's hard on stuff. It's looking pretty dessicated out there. Oh well. We'll see.

Here's a good winter pic of a pic for you photogs out there, though! My (now deceased) photojournalist hubby, way back, on the job. Probably 1980? Must've been something needing lots of coverage, with a second person taking pics! That was really rare. Maybe an intern or something.

If anyone needs to know, cameras would be a Nikon/Nikor combo, for bodies and lenses. He had a lot, plus a bunch of other cameras too. He was a photographer from a young age. One of the many things he was quite good at.

Helen