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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 6, 2009 - 07:56pm PT
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In 1983 I huffed and puffed my way into the winds with Bart Cannon. 50 Classic climbs had just come out and we went into see what it was all about
We started out at Big Sandy as a helicopter was flying in to remove the body of a man who got hit by lightning up on the Wolfs Head.
We did that route as our warm up. It is a total boss route. clean rock on a steep little sidewalk in the sky. Crux move of a 5.6 step out. Theres a pin at your feet that you have to ballet down to to clip in. Then you walk amongst the gargoyles to the top.
On the descent we grabbed a couple of rocks to use as rudders and did a long long slide down.
Pingora was day two. We got up in the middle of the night and we climbed and climbed and climbed-The hummock pitch still had grass and Todd Skinner told us that on the top third you could go anywhere and it was 5.8 forever. And it was.
We topped out at sundown and then rapping the backside our ropes got stuck and that sun kept falling and we spent a cold one. Spooning and shivering in the long,slow Wyoming night.
murf
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Good one!
Got pictures?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Dang, we busted our butts into there in about '74 and had to rescue two guys who luckily were only singed and dinged from flying a ways after the singeing (sp?). Kind o' puts you off your supper, so to speak. Then, of course, the weather clamped down and that was that for all our trouble. But it was a nice hike, sort of.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Wolf's Head (l) Pingora (r), from what's-its-name pass:
(that was a nice tent; a MOSS, which fit five of us)
Yes, 5.8 forever!
On excellent Tuolumne Meadows quality granite:
Summit photos, the first with War Bonnet in the background:
Descending from Pingora, with Wolf's Head in the background:
Members of our team sorting through their marching orders for the hike out!
(A handy pile of psychedelic mushrooms)
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drljefe
climber
Toostoned, AZ
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Thanks Tarbuster-I took photos but the mosquitos made off with the film!
Anyone stay in that killer camp with the cook cave and boulder problems?
Tar- you and how many chickies AND mushies in that tent???!!!
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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At the start of the sidewalk pitch on Wolf's Head. We retreated from there due to misgivings about the weather, and just beat a mega lightning and rain storm to the ground.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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"Tar- you and how many chickies AND mushies in that tent???!!!
Ha!
..............
That is Sue Wint, Anne Tomaskovic, & Tracy Shallow pictured.
I will admit Cory Dudley, another guy, was on hand to help me man handle the harem.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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I love the Wind River Range!
here is Warbonnet massif in 2001
and Pingora later that same day
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tenesmus
Trad climber
slc
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Posted in September, but relevant:
best burgers in Kemmerer?
Big Sandy river in September
approaching the cirque
Warming up on K-cracks
Nice exposure for Zoso
Sunny D
Kinda late in the day.
near the summit of Pingora
Zoso
If you're going to fall off the mountain, be sure you fall from the very top...
Right here my friends are thinking, "why didn't Clay drink more and eat more?" Day 2
Pingora for breakfast
Northeast Butress had more ice and snow than looked comfortable. We had to hike all the way up there to figure it out but its pretty cool around that way.
We opted for the Southeast butress? I think that's what it was?
long pitches
What is a tower?
could this qualify for the bouldering thread?[/quote]
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the museum
Trad climber
Rapid City, SD
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We're going back to Haystack this summer. And this isn't relevant, but the Shadow Lake side is cool too.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Serious glory, there, boys & girls.
In the Muir sense of the word.
Like a good campfire. Only better.
Yow.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Oh what a wonder!
I loved Pingora and the cirque.
Have to go back and bag Wolfshead, as we had an off day and
didn't make it. . .
What a wonderful place!!!
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adam d
climber
CA
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hard to go wrong just about anywhere in the Winds...
climbing west toward the divide out of Golden Lakes
clean FA's south of Elephant Head
halfway up the Ellingwood Arete, one of the best 5.6's anywhere
more virgin territory? in Cathedral Lakes
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Powerful shizz, there, No doubt.
Calgon, Take me away!
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Wow. I want to go.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 7, 2009 - 05:26pm PT
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Tarbuster I've got some nice photos but I have to get them on digital- they're still on 35mm slides
It's the early to mid 80's. the four boys hike in to the cirque and the weather clamps down,
Wayne does not have what it takes to be a serious mountaineer- he is unable to sit on his ass for four or five days straight.
A very small break in the weather occurs and so Chris and Wayne are going to try Warbonnet.
going up at about 800 feet they pass a rap sling pinned under a pick-up truck sized rock on a downward slanting ledge
Chris tells me he's thinking who would ever use THAT as an anchor.
500 feet higher the window closes and then it slams shut in a bad way.
Storm going off above and below the men- they have to rap into lightning.
meanwhile, the boys back down in the tent are beginning to divide the gear between them since there wont be any survivors. They prepare for what promises to be a heavy walk out.
Back on the wall Wayne takes a jolt in the nuts from a near miss.
Chris said they came to the pick-up/sling and he clipped and was rapping down without even thinking it was manky
At the culoir Wayne glissades down the steep snow.
Chris said he was so happy just to be alive that he enjoyed every slow kick step down to home
And how great was that?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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REAL great: that's how great!
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Barto
climber
Minneapolis, MN
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Wonderful photographs!
(Amazing how you photo-shoped the clouds of mosquitoes out of the pictures!)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Barto,
I wondering about that too! Although when I was there it was too cold and wet even for the skeets.
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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um.... wow!
that looks like so much fun!
I need at road trip or something...
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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I went into the cirque with the 'Slev in Aug. 81 (maybe 82?)
I had a funny trailside encounter on the hike in.
We were about half way to the pass when this good sized black dog came ambling down the trail. The dog look oddly familiar but I couldn't place'm. The dog walked past me, I said hello and it took a moment to give me a 'sniff test' and amble on. It seemed odd, but assuming that the master was not far behind we continued up the trail.
Sure enough the master was only a few minutes behind.
Down the trail comes Peter Cole whom I knew from New England ice climbing.
So I did know the dog, it was Peter's dog named 'Ace. I did not recognize 'Ace as it seemed so out of context to bump into him in the middle of the Wind River when the last time I saw him was three years prior when he was waiting for Peter in the bottom of Huntington's on Mt Washtub in N.H.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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I've only been to the cirque in the Winds. I'm hoping for a return trip to the range this summer. Any other areas I should go to? Sacagawea perhaps?
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona, Spain
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Feb 10, 2009 - 04:13am PT
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Titcomb Lakes is a hump to get into, but a great area once you're there. The last time I was there, summer of '86, the horse packers had churned the trail into a chunky stew of mud and sh#t that was about a foot deep. 20 miles of that will warm you up for Sacajawea!
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adam d
climber
CA
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Feb 10, 2009 - 04:35am PT
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Titcomb is a hump? it's no more than one day from Elkhart Park on one of the biggest trails in the range. It is worth it though, as you say.
But the skeeters...argh. life through a headnet can be a little rough. the first few days aren't so bad.
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Wack
climber
Dazevue
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Feb 10, 2009 - 08:55am PT
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In '85 to insure that the fickle weather gods didn't doom the 4 of us to failure or push us into epics we cheated and hired the Allen Brothers to pack our gear into the Cirque for a 2 week trip . No skimpy freeze dried mystery meals this time. Harding would have approved of our base camp, 4 cases of beer, 4 gallons of box wine and steaks. The guys we passed on the way in had been tent bound for a week waiting for the weather to break, it didn't. We acclimated for 3 days then did Wolfs Head. Third classing the Sidewalk got us psyched for Pingora.
Pingora's wilderness setting on the Divide, perfect rock and weather made topping out one of my best days on earth. We had 1 week of perfect weather and were out of booze. The decision was made to bail early and do Castleton on the way to the Valley.
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pip the dog
Mountain climber
the outer bitterroots
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Feb 13, 2009 - 02:03am PT
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hey tarbuster,
is the Sue Wint in your photo the one who (at least at one time) lived in boulder? studied as a physical therapist. was dating charlie fowler back when i knew her (like 85/86).
if so i once shared a house with her and a large crew of fellow dirtbags in boulder. how many climbing sue wints can there be? looks kinda familiar -- if that photo was taken some years later than when i saw her last (circa 86).
just wondering...
^,,^
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Feb 13, 2009 - 02:14am PT
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Amazing pics!
On the list-check.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 13, 2009 - 12:02pm PT
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Yes Pip,
There is only one Sue Wint.
1986 ... was Keith Gotschall in that household by any chance?
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scuffy b
climber
just below the San Andreas
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Feb 13, 2009 - 02:11pm PT
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Just gotta say, Pip...
It feels good to see your Mark.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 13, 2009 - 02:19pm PT
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How do you place a photo on ST- I scanned some shots and now I'd like to share them. I have a great picture of me standing an old VW bug that was used for target practice onthe way to Big Sandy opening- I need to learn how to enter it.
murf
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Slabby D
Trad climber
B'ham WA
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Feb 13, 2009 - 02:31pm PT
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Haystack from the Cirque
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pip the dog
Mountain climber
the outer bitterroots
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Feb 13, 2009 - 04:15pm PT
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tarbuster,
wow, small world. increasingly teeny.
as for your question, i don't recall Keith being there. but as i am down to like 3 brain cells (Manny, Moe, & Jack) in my dotage, who knows. and that household had a large and forever changing cast of characters. you never knew who you would run into in the morning as you slithered down to the kitchen in your underpants for that first caffiene fix.
that and after just a few months there i headed off to kemmerer with my then sweetie -- and sue's then bestus buddy -- leslie gordon. also a most excellent soul and now also a PT.
give my best to sue if you are still in touch (from leslie's then beau dogboy, aka michael). i wonder where she is today (she could take her excellent PT package anywhere she wants).
sue fascinated me during my time near her in her ability to switch between very focused very smart person (which she was/is) and complete ditz, in a heartbeat. i suspect the very smart side was always in the driver seat, and that the ditz mode was something she would switch on simply to entertain and astound us. it was entertaining. her "doggie confusion trick" with Bob her then dog... well, you'd have to see it to believe it. mere words could not capture it. well, at least not my words.
i remember her, not once but twice, showing up with one of those big handles from the gas pumps sticking out of the gas tank on her car. apparently, such hoses/handles have a breakaway mode, i suspect one that doesn't leave gas hosing out all over the place. i do recall following the newspaper closely after these "events" looking for word of like a city block being incinerated. never saw word of it.
well, as you said "There is only one Sue Wint."
thanks for the reply,
^,,^
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pip the dog
Mountain climber
the outer bitterroots
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Feb 13, 2009 - 05:16pm PT
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scuffy b,
what mark would i know you by, from back in the day on that other venue.
i've lurked here enough to discern that MH2 is our brother andy, Matisse is our sister sue, and Dingus is of course the mighty dingus. the rest of the .wreck crew i am still trying to translate.
i joined the .wreck when it was already in it's death throes. and that worked for me, as the number of posts was managable and they endured (mostly) my 17 page posts on what appeared to be every topic but climbing. but to me, the nuts and bolt stuff about whether an alien size X was the same size as a tech friend size Y was not especially interesting.
important, yes, sure -- when you are strung way out and fading on some pitch and your new rock jewelry doesn't fit. but my experiences had led me think that the heart of what is best in climbing is not about the numbers (be they altitude or preceded by 5.x). i was thinking about, and writing about, something else. something closer (i believe) to the heart of it.
my transition to this venue has been slow. sure, i've lurked for years to read what my heroes, the 'big kids' were writing. but i never was compelled to write, as surely brother Jello doesn't need to hear my tips on climbing or my vision of philosophy. i didn't want to tie up the bandwidth and interfering with the good stuff from my many betters.
having now 'taken the plunge' into supertaco, i find myself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of threads and posts. that and how they all get chopped up into various threads. in my couple weeks here i've asked questions on a couple of threads, and it is everything my limited geek skills can do to find those threads again to see if someone was kind enough to answer.
there are questions i've asked, and yet for the life of me i cna't find the thread again to see if someone was nice enough to respond. it's driving me rather nuts (ok, more nuts).
that and i miss brother Guillume's posts on the .wreck. one of the reasons i rarely posted a TR there is that brother Guillume and i seem to have the same taste in climbs (i more than suspect he does them in better style). that and his photography skills are outstanding. and he writes TR better than i can -- even in what is for him a second (or third) language.
my skills with a camera are frankly lame, while his are clearly outstanding. i do try, and read all the tech stuff. but i believe one is either born with an eye for it, or not. put me in the 'not' column. ah, ok. asa the outstanding grandfather who raised me used to say 'know your weaknesses'. amen.
ok, that is like a thousand words. soon i will slide into 10,000 words - despite my best efforts. what did james joyce write? something like "what is bred in the bone can't fail me to fly." a polite and poetic way of saying 'sheesh, i am genetically wired to not shut up' i suspect my clan were simply born without the chromosome required for 'terse'. arghhh.
ok, enough. be well,
^,,^
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scuffy b
climber
just below the San Andreas
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Feb 13, 2009 - 05:45pm PT
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Dog,
I'm replying after reading only the start of your post.
Don't worry, I'll go back and finish it.
I posted as Steve m on the wreck.
I didn't post all that much. It seemed somewhat clubby at that
time. Maybe ST would be that way to a newcomer. I hope not, but
I'm too close to tell.
I discovered the wreck when its demise was a subject much
discussed. Then less so, though there seemed to be an annual
hand-wringing, with fewer hands each year.
For a time reference, when I started lurking there, Inez was
still in Berkeley, before San Diego, before her disappearance.
sm
EDIT
"my transition to this venue has been slow. sure, i've lurked for years to read what my heroes, the 'big kids' were writing. but i never was compelled to write, as surely brother Jello doesn't need to hear my tips on climbing or my vision of philosophy. i didn't want to tie up the bandwidth and interfering with the good stuff from my many betters."
I'm glad you've overcome your reluctance. By now the "big kids"
and their fans and detractors have come to realize that what
matters is not the moves, the views or the numbers, but the
people.
Yes, we lost out when Guillaume moved back to Europe.
"tying up bandwidth" is like the boogeyman to me. That and
thread drift. It doesn't seem to hurt any to ignore those that
complain.
Maybe you could keep a file of your own posts (many do all their
writing in a program like Word) so you can find the right key
words for searching out your questions.
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pip the dog
Mountain climber
the outer bitterroots
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Feb 13, 2009 - 08:38pm PT
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brother scuffy wrote, in part:
>Maybe you could keep a file of your own posts (many do all
>their writing in a program like Word) so you can find the
>right keywords for searching out your questions.
good advice, but as this would require actual big boy in big boy pants personal management skills (and some measure of associated geek skills) -- i'm still quite fooked. for my people^,,^ seem to lack the chromosome required for that trick (among others).
ah, "It's evolution, baby"
(from my post on What You Are Listenening To, Now).
canis fidelis est,
^,,^
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Feb 13, 2009 - 09:08pm PT
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Nice shot Slabby!
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Feb 25, 2009 - 11:21am PT
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I killed 17 mosquitos with one swat *BUMP*
Weather was perfect, though.
Love the Winds.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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BUMP!
....and Tarbuster's a DOG!
not a Pip the dog.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Pingorabump
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Oh, I wanna go back!
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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So... you're with 3 beautiful women and you got your rope "stuck" and had to spoon all night?
Did I get that right?
Ha ha, there are easier ways ;)
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 2, 2013 - 09:34am PT
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Bump for the Cirque on a cold morning in February
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Thanks Hobo Dan!
Cold and clear with a thin dusting of snow on the ground here this morning.
Pip the Dog wrote:
i remember her, not once but twice, showing up with one of those big handles from the gas pumps sticking out of the gas tank on her car
Some of the anecdote you get on this forum are such a bust up!
Pip hasn't posted since 2010.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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One of the most memorable parts of my trip, or at least the icing on the cake, was the campsite we scored for our stay in the Cirque.
I couldn't say exactly where it was but it seemed like it had been THE established spot forever.
There was a massive boulder with good problems on all sides, with a cook cave on one side. It provided a convenient place to hang the food- boulder up and hang the bag off the overhanging side. Good wind block too.
A pigmy forest of weathered trees with a perfectly flat spot to set up our Mid, and easy access to a nice little stream and a windy place to eat. We picked the windiest place to eat for mosquito abatement reasons.
Also, the descent from Pingora and Wolfshead seemed to meander right to our doorstep.
We stayed for a week.
But really, this site oozed with history. Well used for generations, and the vibe of "yeah, Fred was here". It was perfect.
So, I'm wondering if any of you Cirque climbers stayed in the same campsite.
The only bummer was on our last night a father showed up with his wife and screaming, colicky infant in tow, and camped oh-too-close by.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Roy
Jackass Pass. . .Just love that name. But what a thread!!!!
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Yeah, that first view of the Cirque is amazing from Jackass Pass.
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WyoRockMan
Trad climber
Flank of the Bighorns
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NE face of Pingora is alpine Sweetness!
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Wind River dreamin'
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Thanks Rich,
I'm going back this August-- to the East Fork Valley.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Wow, Rich!
What a show!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Looks like you were toting some quality film and lenses!
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scuffy b
climber
heading slowly NNW
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Wow, pretty pictures.
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MH2
climber
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Thanks for the PSA on the 'keep the Dr away' thread. As a less than thorough follower of the Topo I appreciate the help and greatly enjoyed the new pictures.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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I wanna go there!!!!!!!
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Went to the Cirque of the Towers for the first time around 1980/81. Hiked in by myself and soloed the South Buttress of Pingora and the East Ridge of Wolfs Head. I had brought my harness, shoes and chalk bag in case I could find a partner, which I did. Did the "50 crowded climbs" NE Face of Pingora with this guy I happened to meet. I ended up leading the last two pitches in a snow storm with this unknown guy...never saw him again and don't even remember his name.
What an awesome, beautiful, amazing place. Definitely one of a kind.
Paul
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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when do the mosquitos die off typically?
when there is no more blood to suck...
(I actually didn't find the mosquitos too annoying compared to the northeast in the spring time)
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