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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 12, 2009 - 04:37pm PT
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So it was August in the late 1980s, probably 1988 but I don't recall. Eric Collins and I were in the Meadows for a few days of climbing when we decided to check out Shadow of Doubt on Hammer Dome. Neither of us had been there before so we checked the guidebook for approach beta and set off for a day of adventure. Little did we know that the day's adventure would include an infant rescue. As we approached our destination we looked up and saw 2 climbers on our route. The leader setting off on the 2nd pitch and his partner belaying him from a hanging stance. We arrived at the base of the climb and looked up in awe at the steep face covered with polished knobs....exactly what we were looking for.
A moment later I heard a scuffling sound from a nearby bush and looked over thinking it was a marmot. Then we heard something that shocked both of us...an infant crying and gagging. We looked over to discover a baby, maybe 6 or 7 months old, that had rolled off a pad and was face down in the dirt. We ran over to turn the baby over and began flushing dirt and gravel out of the baby's mouth with water from our water bottle. We yelled up to the climbers to let them know what was going on. They said that the baby was not suppose to wake up from his afternoon nap until they finished the climb. Apparently it was the father's turn to baby sit that day while the mom was climbing on Fairview. By the time they got down we had cleared the baby's mouth and put him back on his pad and gave him his bottle.
I don't remember exactly what we said to these guys. I think I said that they had acted irresponsibly and that the baby nearly chocked to death. As Eric & I walked over to prepare for our turn on Shadow of Doubt, we could hear the Dad say to his son..."Dude, you almost bit it."
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billygoat
climber
cruzville
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Dec 12, 2009 - 04:41pm PT
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Wouldn't it be funny if that baby is a current poster on the taco stand!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Dec 12, 2009 - 04:55pm PT
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Ugggghhhh....that is so weak. That was a nightmare of mine when when my boy was that age.
Thank God you guys just happened to be there, thank God!
I don't know what else to say....good job, lads!
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Srbphoto
Trad climber
Kennewick wa
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Dec 12, 2009 - 05:06pm PT
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I was going to make fun of the shorty shorts, but you saved a baby, so I will refrain.
As a father, I would want to kick that guy in the nuts!
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2009 - 05:13pm PT
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billygoat: that's one of the reasons I posted this tale...I was wondering what the boy is doing today. For some reason I have a vague recollection they were SoCal climbers.
I'm not posting for accolades...
Anyone would have done what we did...we did not risk anything to help the baby.
Srbphoto's comment about my shorts already made my day.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Dec 12, 2009 - 05:46pm PT
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Hullo!!!
You NEVER leave an infant or toddler unattended. Even for a few minutes.
That's obviously totally irresponsible. Legally: child endangerment.
Damned good thing you and Eric were alert. Well done!
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 12, 2009 - 05:54pm PT
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They said that the baby was not suppose to wake up from his afternoon nap until they finished the climb.
LOL
It was not the baby's time, it's number wasn't up.
That's why you guys showed up ......
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Dec 12, 2009 - 06:02pm PT
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It was not the baby's time, it's number wasn't up.
That's why you guys showed up ......
I was gonna say that too, old-school, but I knew you'd be along....I think you'd call it Karma, no?
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Dec 12, 2009 - 06:09pm PT
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Good job you guys.
Anybody can be a parent, even a dumb sh#t.
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rotten johnny
Social climber
mammoth lakes, ca
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Dec 12, 2009 - 06:36pm PT
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i use to get up at 3 in the morning to make sure my baby daughter was still breathing.....talk about being paranoid and anal......i know a lady that left her 2 daughters at home while she ran to the video store to drop off a movie...she was back in minutes and the one daughter had picked up the infant and accidently dropped her on her head killing the infant.....another lady friend , self-absorbed , use to go on hr. runs leaving her infant at home alone....doh! the climbing father that left the baby by itselfs was an idiot.....the coyotes could have had a field day....luckily you guys came along....
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Dec 12, 2009 - 07:29pm PT
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I had a similar experience in the Needles about 10 years ago that left my mind spinning. I arrived at the main "notch" area where most Needles action begins. This is between the Witch & the Sorcerer, at the top of the gully. My buddy & I go off to do a route & when we return we hear a baby crying. I look & see a little girl, perhaps 4 years old tied to a tree & bawling her eyes out. I look around & there is nobody looking after the girl. I cruise out to get a better look & see a party of 2 on the upper pitch of Igor Unchained.
I figure we better stay with the kid until one of her parents shows up. We gave her food & Gatorade but she kept crying she wanted her mommy. Sheesh- What can you do in this case. Finally an hour later, the couple from Igor descends. I asked them if the kid was theirs. The woman said, and I quote," Oh, I didn't think anybody could hear her crying, I'm so sorry."
I wanted to slap these fools so badly right then & there. They weren't the least fazed about leaving their kid tied to a tree in the forest, terrified. They were only concerned that someone heard the kid crying.
It's funny that you need a license to do massage, operate a ham radio etc. But any idiot can have a child & not know the first thng about raising that child. Go figure!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Dec 12, 2009 - 07:52pm PT
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Yeah, I think the first rule is no multipitch unless you have a babysitter to look after the baby.
Even on single pitch, while belaying the leader or toproping, the belayer might not be quite as free to look after the baby as they might think.
The kid also has to be in a spot where they can't be hit by falling rock/gear/people and can't crawl to a dropoff. This rules out many climbing areas.
We took our daughter many places in her first 6 months, with friends so there was always somebody free to look after her.
But we ran out of luck eventually.
I remember having her at Little Wing, where she fell asleep in her plastic seat. We went over 40' to another climb; were climbing when we heard her crying. She had woken up, and flipped the chair face down. We felt pretty bad about that.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
Sprocketville
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Dec 12, 2009 - 08:07pm PT
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dang babies, always gettin in the way,
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2009 - 08:51pm PT
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Rotten J - that's tragic.
Levy - very interesting how similar these stories are.
A day of bouldering at Tenaya Lake boulders or the Knobs would have been more appropriate.
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Dec 12, 2009 - 09:43pm PT
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About as close as Emory will get to the crags... at least for a couple months!
Lucky for us, grandma loves to hang with Emory, so we will be bringing her to the mountains to keep an eye on him.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Dec 12, 2009 - 09:51pm PT
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The kid's probably lucky he wasn't found by Dirtbags and raised in Camp 4. Or maybe he missed his big chance.
I'm working on the screenplay right now.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2009 - 09:59pm PT
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Clint's guidelines should probably be added to the Intro section of Barnes, et al's next Tuolumne Free Climbs SuperTopo guide.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Dec 12, 2009 - 10:18pm PT
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I remember hearing about that Needles incident.
Can't remember from who or where though.
To many beers ago.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Dec 12, 2009 - 10:21pm PT
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You go Chaz!
My wife and I skied out to Dewey Pt with our 5 month old on my back. Have a great pic of him with the valley below in the pack. What you don't see in the pic is my wife just out of the field of view. Of course I framed the pic as if he were on the precipice instead of 5 feet back.
Also skied with him 4 years old nearly to Winnemucca Lake in a blizzard (on my back). Turned back 1/2 mile before the ridgetop, BEFORE he got really cold. He grew up loving cross country skiing as much as he did downhill.
No reason you can't take your infants/kids out lots of places. As long as you're more than a half wit!@!
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Dec 12, 2009 - 10:31pm PT
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Great story but I have a question about the photo (which is really a cool one!) Is the person downclimbing, or is it a long runout?
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