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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2005 - 10:54pm PT
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Wow! Nice rush of comments! First, great to hear from you John!! From reading some other posts I raced back to edit my earlier post, but couldn't...D5 forever!!!! Next, howdy Kris!!! You definitely established your name here for sure!! Juan...can't really use that shot, it is property of my old friend Epps. and I don't have the original anyway, but cheers nonetheless for remembering! Cactus Pricks are on summer hiatus! I'd imagine all those years living out here might have changed me a bit...
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jt
Trad climber
joshua tree, ca
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Jul 12, 2005 - 09:34am PT
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Dang, a lot of old timers here. I was climbing there in the mid 80's when i was approached by Dick Cilley, who asked me if i wanted to be in a Patagonia catalog. Dick was wearing a blazer, and my partner and i were wearing our typical ghetto climbing attire. I believe that i was wearing a pair of Chouinard Rock Bottoms. Anyone remember those? The photgrapher was Rick Ridgeway. I didn't know who he was, but my partner told me that he was some mountaineering dude. I climbed a couple of routes with Rick. I remember Rick walking up the crack on Mama Woolsey. He was actually walking up the crack line. Standing on top of it. I believe that most people put fingers in the crack, so this was pretty cool. I then led Double Cross with Rick, and he said "nice lead". I was a nobody, but i felt like a somebody that day. After that season I migrated to The Valley for the summer. One of the locals told me if i really wanted to be a "Valley Dude" it didn't really matter how hard or bold i climbed. The true measure was whether i could score a bivi with a betty in The Terrace. I took a shot at it, but was getting no where. I met a lady who appeared to have an interest in me, but every time that i got ready to close the deal.....DENIED! I was kinda bummed after my last attempt at some afternoon delight and strolled down to the Mountain Shop. The minute i walked in, some dude said, "Hey, you're in the Patagonia catalog". He showed me the catalog, and yep it was me and my partner and Silly Dick at JT. I borrowed the catalog and ran back up to The Terrace and showed the picture to my prospect. I immediately sent that route!Thank you Rick Ridgeway and Dick Cilley.
Zip
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HandCrack
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal.
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Jul 12, 2005 - 03:47pm PT
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One of my early memories of JT is seeing Mike and his posse gathering in the morning in HVCG parking lot to go for a run. Mike led the way in a pair of silver tights, the likes of which I hope to never see again.
And who can forget the Kinnaloa T-shirt with a large image of Mike's twisted mug and the caption "Lose your hair and your mind will follow."
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 12, 2005 - 04:21pm PT
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Wow, is that you Brandt? Yeah those awful silver tights!!! Argh! Who did I think I was? The "Silver Surfer?" Problem is that I was photographed soloing "Jaws" at Woodson in the first Five-Tennies, (Silver, Black X) for the first "5.10 advert." so I'll never actually be able to escape from them...and oh yes the "T-Shirt"...only person I know who got credit for going bald!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Jul 12, 2005 - 06:12pm PT
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Hi Brandt! I don't know if any of you guys wuld remember Brent Ingrham. He used to live in "Desperate Hot Springs" (as he would call it) and climbed in Josh a lot. He was bald, and had a T shirt which said on the front "I am not bald" and on the back "It's the collector for a solar powered sex machine."
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Ca
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Jul 12, 2005 - 07:01pm PT
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I knew Mike. He was at Kamps' memorial service and looked good. Doing lots of flyfishing in S. America with Yvon now days.
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 13, 2005 - 12:28am PT
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I actually remember Mike myself, saw some of the wild animation work he's been doing as well.
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Shano
Trad climber
CA
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Jul 13, 2005 - 10:59am PT
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hey is this the same Mike Paul that put up all them thar sandbags back in the Werner days at Mission Gorge down south?!?!
They haven't gotten any easier (nor have the bolts ever been replaced judging by appearances (gulp.))
Fun stuff!
If you can climb the MG slime you can stick to anything :')
-s
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 13, 2005 - 11:15am PT
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Aye that be me!!! But when we did those things in the early to mid 70's there weren't 5.12's established yet so we didn't know what to call some of them. As far as the bolts are concerned we mostly top-roped to avoid rap bolting, someone came along later and bolted them all up on rappell. I myself really didn't care but others were infinitely butt-hurt by this! I just went back and led them using the new bolts (new back then at least!)
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Shano
Trad climber
CA
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Jul 13, 2005 - 11:39am PT
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Man theres some weird history at that place. Its grid bolted yet now theres an absolute bolting ban so those old home-mades and Leepers can't even be replaced and people are leading (and falling) on them! Props to you for the no rap-bolt ethic, but the bolts do make for some heady (albeit brief) leads. All my q-draws are Screamers for some of those routes.
Did you put up KhazaadDum? Glamdring? Aqualunge? They didn't look like ground-up jobs unless you had some real sticky hooks.
BTW theres a a shot or two of you (OOOLDDDDD skool) on the RC.com site in the MG area. Glad to hear you're still active. I see Werner around occasionally; climbed w/ him at Woodson a while back. He's still one BURLY mofo. He could kill people with those big paws of his. He's hot and heavy on Canon Tajo when its not sizzling down there.
Take it easy there Watusi. Share some MG stories if ya got any!
-Trapped in SD
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 13, 2005 - 12:30pm PT
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Yeah I was in on Aqualunge in '75 or '76, but those others... we had done most of the stuff at Middle Earth by then as well, but whoever wrote the guide kind of added the names to them. I don't recognize those names myself. Man a couple of those shots of me from RC.Com are from '75 or'76, and are really crusty!!
I mean check the funky tennies I've got on while soloing "I hear my train a'comin'"
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Shano
Trad climber
CA
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Jul 13, 2005 - 01:33pm PT
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hey, somebody tell that guy his rope fell off!
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PMS
Social climber
Woodland Park, CO
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Jul 13, 2005 - 01:55pm PT
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Watusi wrote "I'd imagine all those years living out here might have changed me a bit..."
You look the same as you did 20 some odd years ago !!!!!!
Father time has indeed been good to you.
Paul M.
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 13, 2005 - 02:44pm PT
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Cheers!! Great to hear from you Paul!!
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DE
Mountain climber
Tustin, Calif.
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Jul 13, 2005 - 04:05pm PT
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Fun thread Mike.
My first Josh route was Mike's Books in '71 with my cousin Ken. We had my dad's old goldline and about 10 Clog hexes on funk white cord.
Two years later (?) we met the Stonemasters doing a mass ascent of the Dogleg. We were impressed and watched for awhile before Richard H. asked me if I wanted to climb. I was stoked and nervous but did it. I couldn't believe I had gotten to climb with those guys.
About a year after that we were over roping up for the FA of Negasaurus and right as I was to leave the ground the entire Stonemaster posse came around the corner on a bouldering tour. They settled in to watch and even though they were my friends I couldn't handle the pressure of having the "Hotties" watch. After all what if I did something stupid in front of my heros? I had to ask Largo if they would leave! He/ they were totally cool, they understood and left without ever slandering me. That was before Mo and the time when slander ruled supreme.
The memories are flooding back but , damn, I've got to get more work done!
Just like you Randy, Josh is my spiritual home.
Hey Watusi, is that Curtis in the left hand photo?
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jul 13, 2005 - 04:12pm PT
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Hey Mike, remember this Eastside outing with Shawn and the girls?
Not that we had any fun or anything eh:)
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Mill Valley
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Jul 13, 2005 - 04:22pm PT
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Hey that's Shepard's Tub, isn't it?
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 13, 2005 - 11:15pm PT
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Hi Dave! No, those two are old pics. of me, but a lot of people said we could have been twin sons from different mothers! (When I had hair!) So glad to keep seeing my compatriots posting!
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 13, 2005 - 11:20pm PT
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Nice Pat! Shawn with his fish-eye again!
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lad
Trad climber
near Fresno, CA
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Jul 14, 2005 - 05:16pm PT
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hey Mike.... I especially remember you from a Sante' boulders climb off - LOL, when you were going around dressed up in jester.. Remember that event - was probably early 80's around Halloween?
That pic of you on "hear my train a comin" - my jaw dropped at first cause the garb you were wearing looks like one of my old climbing get ups - right down to the color of the chalk bag and them ole pair of "scats"? Or were the original 5.10's? BTW, great hiball bouldering problem!
You probably don't know me but by face and ability - hehe... If I can, I'll dig up some ole pics from back in 70's/80's and post up some vintage JT, Woodson stuff...
cheers..
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