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sr
climber
Bay Area, CA
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Jan 31, 2006 - 01:02am PT
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Actually, that is Mike, and Mari is wearing the striped sweater to the left of Mariah. Todd's not in it.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jan 31, 2006 - 01:22am PT
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damn.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Jan 31, 2006 - 01:38am PT
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That's a picture! What great stuff!
You are all getting most of it. I won’t name them all but I probably can (except two). I will add a few though. That is Rick Accomazzo. Gibb Lewis on the left, Randy Granstaft arm around him. Dave Brasheres (edit, wrong it is mike needed to put on my glasses) next to E.-Yerian behind Clark and Mariah. West at the east end.
I’ll leave some for others
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de eee
Mountain climber
Tustin
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Jan 31, 2006 - 11:23am PT
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left to right- Gib Lewis (Gibbo), Robs Muir (most naturally gifted ever), Randall Grandstaff,? (should know, sorry), Mari (gingspinkerbee)Gingery, Big Al (Bartlett), Dave Yerian (Bachar/Yerian), Mariah (most loved)Cranor, Clark Jacobs (King of The Flower), Ricky Accomazzo (the original "Master"), Mo (linky)Lechlinski, Guns (Craig Fry), DE, Steve West (Boreal)
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Jan 31, 2006 - 11:38am PT
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I can’t believe I didn’t recognized Robs with that beard! Went Surfing with RA the weekend before last, still looks as good. Saw Yerian this Weekend, same!
Dave that had to have been a great get-together.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 31, 2006 - 11:57am PT
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I wasn't the most influential Stonemaster–just the loudest. The most influential was Richard Harrison, who modeled to us the Prime Directive: Follow your own prerogative. That's what enabled us to mame a clean break from tradition. This all seems old hat now, but it wasn't 30 years ago.
JL
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Jan 31, 2006 - 12:36pm PT
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Not just the loudest, the strongest too!
I had to consult Richard on where to buy the white sailor pants. Then drove the 100 miles (hard to do when you’re 15) to get as many pairs as possible. Everyone always refers to them as painter pants. They just weren’t the same.
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paulj
climber
utah
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Jan 31, 2006 - 01:01pm PT
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Sh#t...sailor pants. I had the kind with the buttons up both sides. The squeeze chimney on New Dimensions ripped all the buttons off the left side, a big flap ended up hanging down over my thigh, and my Fruit of the Looms got torn to shreds. Sailor pants...sh#t. Maybe that sort of thing never happened to the Masters.
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Jan 31, 2006 - 01:22pm PT
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They actually made some with a single button up fly. One problem I remember was the bells getting in the way of your edging sight.
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de eee
Mountain climber
Tustin
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Jan 31, 2006 - 01:46pm PT
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OK here is one that has been nagging at me for years. It has two parts.
'75 or '76 Easter Week Yosemite Valley
Matt Cox and I are in the valley on a very wet Easter week trying to climb stuff. We are succeeding on some but getting shut down on others due to rain and inability. One afternoon we decide to try the Swan Slab Aid Rt. after looking at it and the funky 10d (?) start many times. We go over there and it is a little bit wet with more rain imminent. It's too hard for me to lead so Matt is giving it some tries. He finally scrapes his way up the short first pitch in a virtual/quasi free style and is nearing the belay when up walks Largo. Once again it's "Ho man, what's going on here. Give me a rope, I've gotta try this (in John's booming voice!)." It's my turn but I defer to the King. John dispatches the route with little difficulty, of course, and is soon on his way. "I'll see you boys later!" I somehow get up the pitch in a somewhat less free style than Matt and set off on the second pitch right as the rain really cuts loose. I soon am forced to resort to aid the bulk of the pitch in makeshift etriers and eventually top out. By then it's wet and dark and we are done.
Later we are in the lounge drying out and someone comments to us that Largo had managed to get in a free ascent of the SSAR on this rainy day. We tell him that yes it was true as we were there. He asks," Oh, YOU GUYS were there climbing with Largo (in an incredulous tone)?" To which we replied, "No, HE was there climbing with US!" Even we were pretty damn arrogant.
Just to be in the presence of John's huge persona was to be relegated to a subordinate or subservient role! We REALLY felt like B-team material then.
Late '80s Suicide Rock
Craig Fry and I are on the FA of my route Moondance on the Sunshine face one afternoon. We are high up on the 3rd pitch close to finishing the route. A voice booms up from below,"Ho man, what's going on up there?" It's John and his Myrmidon Dwight B. at the base calling up. We explain that we are doing an FA. To which John demands, "Ho man, throw me a rope!" Crag and I have a quick hushed conference and we both agree "no way!" But I yell back "sorry John, the rope won't reach." "Sure it will, I'll even solo up to the (Log)ledge". He even assured us, "just me, DB won't do it." We yell back and forth a couple of times until we finally have to tell him the truth which is "sorry John, this is our project, you can climb it tomorrow." John says,"I just want to climb the thing, you guys don't even have to include me on the FA".
Well, anyway, we held fast and denied "Largo" the rope knowing that our roles would be diminished and our glory for putting up such a proud route would be minimal.
Sorry John, we never intended any disrespect.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Jan 31, 2006 - 02:25pm PT
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John's timing was often impecable (as DE's examples demonstrate). It was March of 1980, I had just placed the last bolt and lead up to the top of a new route in Steve Canyon (Grain Surgery). Brian Rennie, who had patiently belayed me, started up to follow and along comes John. John asks, in that special persuasive way of his, whether he can get a TR. Who are we to deny him?
After Brian tops out, I cast the line to John and he quickly dispatches the route. The rope is not even coiled and John is off to find other easy pickings. Brian and I decide not to include John in the FA since he had not contributed in any way.
But, as the years have passed, I've become more tolerant of others in the hope (or understanding) that others will extend similar charity to my own foibles (past and present). I see the humor in more things. The new guide (out in March) now for the first time has John listed on the FA; it somehow seems fitting.
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scuffy b
climber
S Cruz
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Jan 31, 2006 - 04:05pm PT
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I always thought the key was to get Milkman pants.
No bellbottom, regular fly, no extra loops etc.
like painter pants.
sm
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Gene
climber
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Jan 31, 2006 - 04:19pm PT
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Who coined "Stonemasters"?
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 31, 2006 - 04:36pm PT
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By the time folks were hoarding "their" projects (as was their right), the true Stonemaster era was already over. In the Stonemasters "Golden Era," it was come on, come all, and that included throwing down the top rope for total strangers to have a go at whatever we were doing--or begging a top rope for whatever else others were doing. The first ascent of some routes included upwards of 10 folk. The whole point of the thing was to get all the climbing in that you could, and move on to the next project. The business of who got credit for this or that was secondary to the thrill of the climbing itself. Once individual credit took precedence over the group experience, the Stonemasters, as a movement, were finished.
JL
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Jan 31, 2006 - 04:50pm PT
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"Once individual credit took precedence over the group experience, the Stonemasters, as a movement, were finished."
couldn't of put it better.
Probably pretty arguable and not that important regarding the coin. Regardless of who or how exactly we were a group.There are about 6 of us that should really sit down and shake each others memories if not just to recount some stories for the record.
MG
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de eee
Mountain climber
Tustin
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Jan 31, 2006 - 05:42pm PT
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Yes John, we were all young and arrogant.
Some of us still are.
Right on.
DE
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jan 31, 2006 - 06:14pm PT
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Ok, so I didn't start getting to Josh or the Valley until '77, thereby missing most of the Stonemaster glory (but Josh and the Beach were still pretty hopping). I do, however, have a good Werner Braun story.
Early 90s, my buddy and I are in the Valley for a week and a half to climb Mescalito. It's been a while since we'd done anything so we hope on the NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral to see how we move on a long climb. We're close to half way up in that wierd flared crack section, switching over at a tiny belay stance.
We look down and see Werner free soloing up to us. Pretty wild given the location. We just park it so he can cruise by. Werner climbs up to us, stuffs in a hand jam and eyeballs us up and down and says: "You guys speak Engish?"
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jan 31, 2006 - 06:14pm PT
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Ok, so I didn't start getting to Josh or the Valley until '77, thereby missing most of the Stonemaster glory (but Josh and the Beach were still pretty hopping). I do, however, have a good Werner Braun story.
Early 90s, my buddy and I are in the Valley for a week and a half to climb Mescalito. It's been a while since we'd done anything so we hope on the NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral to see how we move on a long climb. We're close to half way up in that wierd flared crack section, switching over at a tiny belay stance.
We look down and see Werner free soloing up to us. Pretty wild given the location. We just park it so he can cruise by. Werner climbs up to us, stuffs in a hand jam and eyeballs us up and down and says: "You guys speak English?"
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Jan 31, 2006 - 06:37pm PT
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"You guys speak English?"
That is pretty funny. Werner you crack me up!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jan 31, 2006 - 11:46pm PT
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Early 70s I meet another climber somewhere around Boulder and we do a few routes. His name is the one and the same Dwight Brooks. A CU student he lived at (if I recall) Nichols Hall #114.
Says he has a friend back in SoCal who is really good at weird size cracks because his hands are so big.
The first of the many Largo stories. Many came from Randy Grandstaff, doubt I'm not the only one who misses him.
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