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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 22, 2006 - 07:10am PT
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Hey Campers, Mark Chapman-Chappy-has joined us. Mark put up some mighty fine routes in the 70s in the Valley.
Welcome to ST Mark. Is this your son Picture of Mark?
Glad to 'see' you, Roger
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Sep 22, 2006 - 08:42am PT
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Hey Mark, it's been a long time dude. Welcome to the Taco
Cheers
Pat Nay
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Sep 22, 2006 - 10:08am PT
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hip hip hooray!
hip hip hooray!
hip hip hooray!
The Mark of Art of Mark upon the TacoVille...
(cheers from royboy)
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
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Sep 22, 2006 - 10:21am PT
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Chili? is that you??????????
Welcome my son..... Cubs in '07.
Consider this your invite to the World Series party at my estate.
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Mimi
climber
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Sep 22, 2006 - 10:29am PT
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Hey Mark! Looking forward to some great climbing tales from you too.
Cheers,
Mimi
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Sep 22, 2006 - 11:30am PT
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Mark has a great well-written piece in the Huber/Zak book by the way. Hi Mark.
PH
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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Sep 22, 2006 - 12:25pm PT
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Hi, Mark!
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
St. Louis
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Sep 22, 2006 - 01:02pm PT
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Welcome! Happy to have you here...
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Sep 22, 2006 - 01:51pm PT
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Chapman, are you there???
JL
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Sep 22, 2006 - 10:20pm PT
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Hello to all!
Where to start and what to say...Roger its been way too long...some good memories there. Roy what's up? Russ I think you better switch sports and start pulling for da Bears. Largo still the man only now the pen is mightier than the bicep! Kathy, Pat, Peter, and wow!! This is really too much...
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Mark Rodell
Trad climber
Bangkok
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Sep 22, 2006 - 10:31pm PT
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Hi Mark, I look forward to reading your posts. It has been a long time. Turrentine says he has seen you at times. E-mail me when you find the time. callflowers@hotmail.com
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Jorge
climber
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Sep 22, 2006 - 11:06pm PT
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Hey Mark, Jorge here. I'm a newcomer too, and man they set pretty high --or is it just imaginative -- standards for remembering the past. My strategy I think is to start posting some photos when I get them back from being scanned and maybe work on some captions... In the first batch I saw at least a couple of you...
Hope all is well with you, bro.
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WBraun
climber
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Sep 22, 2006 - 11:55pm PT
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Mark
Hahahahaha you here now too.
Too funny ......................
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2006 - 11:55pm PT
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Hey Mark, it has been too long.
But we can make amends. George and Rick and I got together in the next century and had a great time. Can't suppress the glorious past for long, at least not when the net allows it to commingle so easily with the here and now.
Just a little of public fawning here: you were one of the most stand-up guys of the period. First class. Oh, yeah, and a great climber too.
Jorge? Well, let's just try to help him along. That high Colorado air has addled him a bit. Nothing permanent. It will all come back.
Best, Roger
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Sep 23, 2006 - 12:35am PT
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Hey Mark,
How are you?
Mark Rodell,
I think I saw you get hit by a rock once at the base of the West Face of El Cap in 1977. It grazed your head after blasting through a tree. Was that you?
Ken
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WBraun
climber
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Sep 23, 2006 - 12:46am PT
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Rodell ran the railroad.
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Mark Rodell
Trad climber
Bangkok
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Sep 23, 2006 - 04:17am PT
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Mr. Chicken, Yes, It was I who got grazed.
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Sep 23, 2006 - 11:52am PT
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Again hello to all. Of course I have catching up to do--stories to revisit with everyone. Here's one that comes to mind: Mark remember when you burned your hands catching me on that big whipper I took on Chingando oh so many years ago? The back story goes like this. My climbing life in Yosemite began when I was 16 in the summer of 71. My mom took me to the grocery store bought me a bunch of peanut butter and other staples and put me on the bus to the valley. I remember arriving at Yosemite Lodge being somewhat overwhelmed and lost but making my way to Camp 4. I remember meeting Werner that summer. Luke Freeman, Matt and Bruce Pollock, Rick Sylvester, and Ed Barry (who we called wire rims because of his John Lennon style glasses) as well. Of course the Bird, Mark Klemens and others were all the there and I would come to know them all. Having learned how to climb on the knobby volcanic rock of Pinnacles National Monument the smooth seemingly featureless granite of the Valley was challenging to me. One day, several weeks into my stay, a guy by the name of John (sorry John I can't remember how to spell your last name) took me down to Generator Crack. No he wasn't a sadist! people actually climbed primarily wide cracks back then (believe it or not!)This was in August in the Valley with no chalk. After a great effort and much lost skin I managed to wiggle my way up the thing starting off the tree. After that things got better...we headed off to Chingando. He set up a top rope did a lap and then it was my turn. Needless to say things didn't go too well. I didn't get anywhere and felt like I wanted to puke from the effort. On the way back to the car, myself raw and skinned, John knocked a huge boulder onto the road. John freaked ran onto the road lifted this massive thing and hucked it over the stonewall. To my skinny little 16 year old self the whole experience was overwhelming. Summer passed, my tutelage continued, and the following summer I again found myself in the Valley. I don't know how or why I ended up back at Chingando but there I was with you Mark. I started up the thing--no rope--just to see how it was and surprised myself by easily surpassing my highpoint from the previous year. You tossed me my one inch swami and the rope, put me on your basic hip belay and off I went. The only pro on the lower half of the route was some old soft iron fixed pin which I clipped. I nearly made it to the chicken head where the thing opens up when I suddenly popped and was off and flying. I was in Robbins boots and I think my heal toe jamb popped (the boots were so stiff you couldn't feel the rock). The only thing between me and a very bad landing was your hip belay and one old soft iron pin. Both held and I landed softly on the ground. Your poor hands got the worst of it! I think I fell around fifty feet. I remember seeing Klemens the next day. I didn't even know he knew my name. He was an intimidating guy to me. The famous Mark Klemens, off width master! He had long black air, black cut off jeans, black tennis shoes, and very dark skin from a summer of Valley sun. Very Rasputin like. He never said a peep to me. You would see him in Camp 4 playing his electric guitar (sans the electricity). I was embarrassed about my fall and I as I quietly passed, head down, he shouted to me: "Hey Chapman!" Expecting the worst I approached but all he offered were words of support. It was a big moment in my life and growth as a Yosemite climber.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 23, 2006 - 12:19pm PT
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Nice story, Mark. Klemens was great, Rasputin looks aside.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Sep 23, 2006 - 12:31pm PT
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Chappy,
Werner was that person for me. I remember going to a dance in Curry Village after doing the Zodiac and Werner came up to me and asked how the route was. I said it was pretty scary. He then asked if I had led any of the pitches and I replied "Just half of them". Werner started grinning, slapping me on the back and said "Way to go man". It made my night and I will never forget it.
Mark Rodell,
That was the first time that I had seen a rock fall over a thousand feet. I remember hearing it first and then watched it head right towards you guys. It went right through the tree you were hiding behind. We rapped down our fixed ropes to see if you were alright. Your head was bleeding and you were dazed. It threw you for a loop for days afterward. You were so lucky, it could have been a lot worse.
Ken
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