Lowe Clan On Black Ice- Enclosure Tetons In Winter AAJ 1972

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 22, 2009 - 03:49pm PT

I was doing a little research this morning and stumbled on this AAJ 1972 entry. Epic or just another outing?

The mind reels at the talent in this party!

Jello- Do tell!?!

SteveW

Trad climber

The state of confusion

Mar 22, 2009 - 04:46pm PT

Not only does the mind reel at the talent there, but also
of Mr. Grossman, who keeps putting these gems up.

Many thanks to our resident rocstorian. . .

Jello

Social climber

No Ut

Mar 22, 2009 - 05:40pm PT

Hey Steve, I had forgotten about this climb! The next year, '72, George and I went back and completed the Black Ice/West Face winter combo, and that's the climb I remember.

There are a few comments I can make about the '71 climb:

1- Greg didn't feel comfortable leading on that pig-iron winter ice, so George and I did all the leading. Greg felt bad about this, so when he got home to Utah after the climb, he looked for ice to practice on, and found Malan's Waterfall virtually in his back yard. He made several trips up there to boulder and perfect his techniques over the next month, then led the first ascent of the full climb in 3 pitches by the harder left side, which would be WI 6 by today's standards. Thus was born modern waterfall high-standard free climbing.

2- I couldn't afford the double leather climbing boots of the day, but found a pair of Dunhill leather hunting packs, with felt liners on sale for $20. These were completely bendy and had uppers all the way up to mid-calf, but they were warm, and served their purpose. It's a wonder my Chouinard rigid crampos didn't break on the climb, though, paired with such flexible footwear.

3- Although most people know of Greg, George and me, probably few have heard of Dave. Dave was a cousin to Greg and me - George's brother. In my teenage years Dave was one of my main partners, behind Greg and George. He was quite a good rock climber and could follow most things I could lead. Later, he spent a season or two as a ranger in the Tetons, before graduating from college with a geology degree. He eventually worked his way into a high position with an oil company, based in Ankorage, Alaska. In the early '90's he had just finished developing a new technology or protocol for a more efficient and environmentally sound way to extract oil from the gound - which would cut out a middle-man step - when his home was broken into in the middle of the night, Dave was beaten so severely that he suffered brain-damage that he never recovered from, and his computer was stolen with all the pertinent data and info on the process he'd developed. We theorise that the "middle-man" company had hired the thugs to do this, but nothing was ever proven. A real mystery and tragedy.

-Jello

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 22, 2009 - 07:41pm PT

Thanks Jeff. I had never heard a peep about that one and so posted it. Very cool that it jogged your memory!

Greg working out the kinks on Mahlen's...

I asked about Dave on another thread and am glad to learn a bit about him. Tragic end however!

Henry Kendall, the Nobel physicist, climber and outspoken opponent of genetically engineered foods, died in a scuba diving accident that some consider to have been arranged.

Blackhearts, just plain scoundrels.....

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 3, 2009 - 12:52pm PT

Lowe family bump!

ydpl8s

Trad climber

Santa Monica, California

Jul 3, 2009 - 01:16pm PT

Jello,
I went to school in Gunnison and met you one day through Chuck Tolton, at your place, not too long after you had returned from doing the Black Ice on the Grand. You showed us some pics that I think eventually ended up in Climbing. Later I bought a Pentax Spotmatic from Chuck that he said he got from you, and that it was the one you used on the Black. That old thing was a workhorse and gave me many more years of service.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Jul 3, 2009 - 01:49pm PT

I had a Pentax. Screw mount lenses rather than a bayonet kind of weirded me.

So what is the truth to the rumor that our Jello is going to be inducted as an Honorary Member of the AAC in 16 days?

ydpl8s

Trad climber

Santa Monica, California

Jul 3, 2009 - 02:23pm PT

Yeah Ron,
I think most of the SLR's used to be screw mount, Pentax was kind of a hold out. I liked that Spotmatic so much that I bought an ESII overseas when I was in the service. It actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise (the screw mount lenses). Because everyone was using bayonet lenses, I was able to pick up some really fine screw mount lenses for cheap! I got a 1.8 50mm, a 200 - 2000 zoom, a micro-macro zoom and didn't pay more than $35 for any one of them.

NFB

Mountain climber

SLC UT

Jul 3, 2009 - 05:43pm PT

Jello,

What an awesome leap on an awesome route.

I climbed the Black Ice in winter 03 with Dan Carson and Pat Gilroy. It was one of the scaries routes I've done--and we had modern boots, crampons, ice tools.
It is an unfortunate reality that the Black Ice really does not hold very much ice anymore. When we did the route, we were mostly climbing choss with unconsolidated snow covering it. We got pins now and then in the choss for "pro".

Thanks for the old photos and text!

divad

Trad climber

wmass

Jul 3, 2009 - 06:18pm PT

I did it in 2000 in stellar conditions. It deterioated quickly soon after and I remember being on Mt. Moran in Aug. 03 and seeing an incomplete line. Sad to see this classic alpine route become another victim to global warming.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2010 - 08:03pm PT

Holiday on Ice Bump!

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 5, 2012 - 11:17am PT

The family that front points together...

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Jan 5, 2012 - 12:50pm PT

Epic or just another outing?

Epic for humans, just another outing for the Lowe Clan.

Trad climber

Calgary

Jan 5, 2012 - 02:13pm PT

Jeff: How many people in your family climbed?

HighTraverse

Trad climber

Bay Area

Jan 5, 2012 - 05:53pm PT

hypothetically attributed to George Lowe BITD:
"Fu*# the weather, climb it anyway"
I say hypothetically because I remember a couple of us tried to image what went through George's head the morning he started up Leaning Tower in February '75 in a driving rain with a buddy of ours. I'm sure he never used those precise words.
At least they were drier than we were. Hypothetically.