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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Aug 10, 2007 - 10:22am PT
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The Conns? Who are they?
Prod.
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wiclimber
Trad climber
devil's lake, wi
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Aug 10, 2007 - 10:34am PT
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Herb and Jan were speleologists. They did "a bit" of climbing in the Needles too.
Jan and her female climbing partner were the first women to have climbed Devil's Tower.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 10, 2007 - 11:12am PT
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The Conn's turned to cave exploration, in Jewel Cave and Wind Cave, but were first of all rock-climbers. Originally from the Washington DC area, they moved to the Needles in 1947, at a time when very few climbs had been done there and the place was nearly off the map for American rock climbers.
Climbing almost daily in sneakers with a 50-foot rope and US Army soft-iron pitons, they made over 200 first ascents in their active period from 1947 to 1960. Some of their routes, like the classic East Face of the East Gruesome, approach 5.9 in difficulty. Rarely if ever has a single team of climbers had such a profound effect on the development of an area.
Herb was, I think, a civil engineer before they "dropped out," and put his surveying skills to work by creating extensive maps of the spires, maps that enabled all those who followed to find their way to new climbs and old ones.
Around 1959, the Conn's began exploring and mapping Jewel Cave, and this has been their passion, replacing rock-climbing, since then.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 10, 2007 - 12:59pm PT
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 10, 2007 - 01:20pm PT
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The Needles of SD has some of the spookiest knob climbing you will ever do,
Although this one is quite moderate for the area,
Tricouni Nail:
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Aug 10, 2007 - 01:59pm PT
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Oh boy Roy, I sure am glad you retired so you have more time to post.
Maybe we need to set up some sort of trust fund so we can keep your electricity up and buzzin.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 10, 2007 - 02:02pm PT
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Tar, I think the picture you posted is the Tent Peg, not the Tricouni Nail.
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wiclimber
Trad climber
devil's lake, wi
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Aug 10, 2007 - 02:07pm PT
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They most often climbed with a 50 foot rope and always down climbed their ascent route. If they didn't feel they could down climb it, they left it for another day.
They completed hundreds of 1st ascents.
Jan quote, "You climb anything in the Needles, if you have enough guts".
They lived in a cave too, right? Anyone ever see that cave?
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wiclimber
Trad climber
devil's lake, wi
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Aug 10, 2007 - 02:11pm PT
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RG,
It may look like Tent Peg because the flake looks larger than it normally does. It's Tricouni. That's Queen to the immediate left.
Super Pin in the background gives it away. Tent Peg is out of view to the right of Super.
AK
I love the pro on Tricouni. In ascending order: pin pin pin, medium nut, bolt, bolt.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 10, 2007 - 02:33pm PT
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Yeah, WiC, I guess you're right. The flake looks so much bigger than I remember it.
I've been to the Conn Cave years ago; maybe it was '64. It was actually a large overhanging boulder that the Conn's walled in. Both Herb and Jan were quite short and most people couldn't stand up all the way inside. I recall being amused that the built a proper garage for their VW van.
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jgill
climber
Colorado
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Aug 10, 2007 - 04:57pm PT
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Yes, the Conns were (are) quite short, which meant they could wriggle into little crevices that left me pinching nubbins on the outside sometimes! The Conncave was really very pleasant, with a stone patio and a natural shelf inside that they made their bed. I think that Herb may have been an electrical engineer, for I recall him showing me an experimental device he had built. But I could be mistaken. He worked for the Navy during their time in DC. Jan, a very competent musician, taught guitar and maybe flute in Custer. And at some point they got a trailer they put up near the cave. But all this is recollections from almost 50 years ago, so I could be wrong. I do recall a friend and I made the second ascent of their route on the South Tower, which we thought was quite nice.
It would be wonderful if they would (could) contribute to this discussion. As Rich mentioned, they were real pioneers in American rock climbing, especially the Needles. Incidentally, they "bouldered" on long nubbin traverses close to the ground.
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sweet sue
Trad climber
Hill City, SD
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Aug 10, 2007 - 05:21pm PT
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First time I've seen this site. As I've been a Needler forever, it seems, it is wonderful for Rich to share his stories. The Needles are one of the few places left in the country where you can't just clip and go on everything. It developes skills of assessing yourself and your partners, knowing what you really 'can climb'. The Eye is a super super classic, bring some gear for the horizontal to back up the old pins... and keep a super cool head for the 5.7 arete.
I once saw a guy take a whipper from the horizontal, just as he was moving into the dish. He yanked his belayer up about 10 feet and they both dangled 15 feet from the deck. Good thing a car wasn't parked there that day!
Cheers,
Keep on writing Rich. You should come back some summer for our annual Pinfest!
Susan Scheirbeck
Hill City
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wiclimber
Trad climber
devil's lake, wi
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Aug 10, 2007 - 05:28pm PT
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Susan,
Are you the Susan who guides out there (owns a climbing shop too maybe)? If so, I ran into you in the Outlets a few years ago.
Anyway, when is Pinfest?
Adrian
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Hammer
Social climber
Custer, SD
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Aug 10, 2007 - 06:48pm PT
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The 5.7 arete is actually about 5.4.
Hmmnnn, a Needler heh?
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Aug 10, 2007 - 09:32pm PT
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Great thread Rich...wonderful writing from you.
Funny story.
I did Roadside Attraction with Kevin in 1983. Kevin couldn't follow do to rain..I rapped off and pull the gear except for a number one friend that was stuck. Kevin told me not to worry that he would get it. I left the next morning and it rained for three straight days. Kevin went back and the friend was gone...so we thought.
I met Lew Hoffman in 1984...first trip to the San Luis Valley for Bob Murray and me. We meet Lew at the Ballon Ranch and he tells me about a crack he tried to do and there is a stuck friend on it. I asked him if he has/uses many friends...say no...just one that he found in the Needles last summer.
Make a long story short...it's my long lost friend...I do the route and get my friend back.
Small world.
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I'm hurtin . . .
Ice climber
land of cheese and beer
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Aug 12, 2007 - 12:00am PT
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Hi Sue! Good to see you here!
I posted this photo last year, but with the conversation of the Conn's coming up, I think it's worth posting again.
This is from last year's 100th anniversary party at Devils Tower for Devils Tower. Some influential Tower climbers also happen to be influential Needles climbers. Jan played her guitar and sang climbing songs and ballads for at least an hour. She is (still) an amazing lady!
L to R: Todd Skinner, Dennis Horning, Jan Conn, Jim McCarthy, Paul Piana, Herb Conn
I'll have to dig up a photo of Sue . . . also an influential Needles climber!
Rone
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Aug 12, 2007 - 03:38am PT
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Nice shot, nice group of people.
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Hammer
Social climber
Custer, SD
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Aug 13, 2007 - 07:33pm PT
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So, what about the question of replacing the pitons with modern bolts???
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wiclimber
Trad climber
devil's lake, wi
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Aug 13, 2007 - 09:02pm PT
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It is what it should be, with 1st ascensionists approval when possible, a concensus of the local climbing community and common sense with what type of protetion is available.
(nice try at starting something :)
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Aug 14, 2007 - 01:49am PT
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You guys sure have been having fun while I was away in Tuolumne and at the trade show. Though, referring to the photo upthread, I did meet Jim McCarthy in SLC.
bump.
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