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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 16, 2013 - 08:27pm PT
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This is not about the Cobra climb on Royal Arches. Or malt liquor.
As Largo goes back to Led Zep, Mouse backs up time to the year 1971. I'm nailing one of the pitches on Carbon Wall. Bruce Price is my belayer and the instrumental in my head driving me is Quicksilver Messenger Service's "The Cobra." It features the lead by the late John Cipollina. I used to own the album "Just for Love" and "Happy Trails" on eight-track. Half of the band were Mercedians. Andy Cox and Ron Cagle and similar types would beg to ride around the Valley in the White Van, the DORF, so they could burn one to some good sounds. I obliged whenever I could, cruising slow. We had Zappa's "Chunga's Revenge" and "The Blues Project," an anthology with Jeff and Maria Muldaur for back-up. Later, the last Stones album I ever bought and I feel their greatest, "Exiles on Main Street," accompanied me on trips to the Valley after I moved out in 72.
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Another band which de Flames listened to back in the day in Merced: The Seeds. Check them out on Youtube and catch Betty Paige dancing to their song "I Can't Seem to Make You Mine." Largo, listen to "Pushin' Too Hard" by the Seeds. I am reminded of thee, somehow. I remember the first time I heard Led Zepp being played by the weekend workers from Fresburg in the tent cabin out by Leidig Meadow I shared with Richard Carlson, a bus person at the Caf and also a Merced guy. And who tried to ruin the night by drunken furor in the dorms parking lot but the Millis himself, prior to his conversion to gentler substances.
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For the sake of the young who never heard of de Flames, we were "just a bunch of rock and roll kids from Merced," none of whom owned cars, with the exception of what seemed like only one guy at a time. It was a farcical schtick invented by bored teens. It was essentially a car club, but for guys w/o wheels. Our members were augmented by the low-riders, Benny Bengosgos, and others of Latino origin, all fake. San Joaquin, patron saint of hitch-hikers was revered. There was a chapter in Campo Quatro: Millis, the Bircheffs, Randy Hamm, and Steve Walstead (our guy Throwpie), Cowboy Larry, all were definitely enrolled, and I think Bonebrake, as well. A lotta maids were Flames mammas at one time or another.
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As long as I'm here, there is a story I'd like to relate. In late October, 1971, nine of us from the Valley drove to Tuolumne for a hike in to Boothe Lake. I distinctly remember nine. We were in Rich's (last name?) station wagon, the Blue Polluter. Rich, me, the Bircheffs, Anne Baker, Julie Mathis, and another maid, maybe Karen Anders, Pettigrew and maybe Cagle, we all came back from Boothe in about 4-6 inches of new snow. Winter all of a sudden. We were the last campers that year.
We headed down the road and not far above Smokey Jack or Tamarack the Buick slid left and the left front wheel was over a bank, but there was no way it was going over. Rich had been driving real slowly and managed to keep us intact. It was slushy and I was the only one who refused to start walking. Someone had to watch the packs, so I sat there while they got wet. I dozed.
The snowplow was on me like a train, very loud. It was followed by a NPS ranger in a station wagon. The plow avoided the Buick, thank you Jesus. The ranger didn't hit the plow, but it was close. The f##k got clustered immediately when the ranger's vehicle wouldn't start (battery). The plow went down the hill, picked up some of the walkers who then called the tow truck. The tow truck got there, the driver turned off his motor. His battery died, too. The ranger started his car with a jump from the Buick. The tow truck driver started his unit off the ranger, then hauled the Polluter off. No harm, no foul, just a constant reminder to me to always high-tail it out of the high country by late October.
Someone's got to remember this tale of near-woe. Stories like these make it worthwhile being an OLD FART.
And the beat goes on. The above's from an old thread about the Cobra. I know now that they belong over to El Cap Bridge now, and can't think of much besides neckties and Shelby right now. Yesterday's gone, but this is some of the stuff I saw at Skip's place.
Skip Johnson of Merced.
Hangin' around.
Showin' off.
Jackin' my memories.
And Throwpie's.
Ducks on the pond.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 16, 2013 - 09:11pm PT
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 16, 2013 - 09:14pm PT
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Apr 16, 2013 - 10:19pm PT
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damn! (mighty) mouse that's an impressive display ya got there up yonder.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 16, 2013 - 10:22pm PT
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It is like walikng into a museum with no lights, no real organization, and no cleaning staff. It's the exhibition equivalent of a rat bike.
I've always had cool friends.--Dylan Thocking
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Apr 17, 2013 - 11:49am PT
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I've never been here. Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons.
Kinda reminds me of Mestigoit.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 17, 2013 - 11:57am PT
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Wendat happen, man, you gone go?
Marie, her on de good road to Tok nex'.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hlthenvt/210797663/
Mustugo?
Chimindo!
Yokuts had some word power, like Royal Robbins = blu blu
snow = pon-pon
horned owl = him-him
leaf = dap-dap
hawk = swoosh (+/-)
eye = ca-ca
arrow = g'el-g'el
duck = k'ui-k'ui
From Kroeber's work BITD.
taco = tok-tok
climb = up-up
From Mouse's work/play today.
Yuk-yuk = funny in the Murcan dialect
From Walter J. Miller's work in 1960.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 17, 2013 - 12:19pm PT
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[Click to View YouTube Video]
nneebbee, it's true, isn't it, that a little painting will bring a lot of good thoughts to your heart?
Wish you could see & hear this, Blind Lady of the North Country. :)
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 18, 2013 - 03:18am PT
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It's almost 12:22, Chico time.
Do you know where your hometown is?
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Merced is the "clone city" of Chico.
If you've been both places, you know this is true.
Chico = Chicago - ag
Chico State's motto.
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Apr 18, 2013 - 02:05pm PT
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Google is telling me it is 600 miles door to door to the corresponding street address in Chico from Chula Vista - says I can be there in 8 hours and 54 minutes by car.
I'm wondering why a 20 oz. Vaughan (999 L (made in USA for lefties)) framing hammer would have "WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES * A5C" stamped into it?
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Apr 18, 2013 - 04:26pm PT
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Hello...I lurk on this thread a lot, just pop in now and then to tell you it really is an eclectic stroll...feel like I'm watching a light show, reliving fun from BITD, just all kinds of stuff when I check it out. Interesting motorcycle stuff...I had a Ducati and a BSA way way way back.
Thanks for all you folks do on this thread...I get tons and tons of enjoyment from it!
Susan
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Apr 18, 2013 - 07:31pm PT
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The (or El) Chupacabra in modern American Life. First in a series.
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Apr 18, 2013 - 07:32pm PT
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Please allow me to introduce myself. Part 2.
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Apr 18, 2013 - 07:33pm PT
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Part Three.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Yeah it's got a good beat (certainly not the Bo Diddely beat), but can you still dance to it?
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
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Apr 18, 2013 - 09:22pm PT
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Short
beautiful
Story
<3
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Apr 18, 2013 - 11:44pm PT
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The only swamp person who has yet to catch a chupacabra, the inimitable Bruce (Uncle Sam headband).
Born on the Bayou (Guist Brothers)
Einstein disguised as Robin Hood
Ah, the memories:
Man bytes dog?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 19, 2013 - 06:24am PT
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Susan, please thank you for me. :)
That was a beauty of a shot of Half Dome you posted elsewhere, on the Doc/Photo thread.
Hear hear for the obscure, the ones that get behind something else, but are still worthy of a look...
I explained this "obscurity" perspective to Werner and his cat this morning on another day trip to the Cleft-Behind's Nirvana, via YART, which is really VIA, by the way.
He did his Werner shrug and changed the subject.
I meandered through this rocky talus beginning with the parking lot at the Lodge and following it across the road to the C4 lot and through it and then up and up till I intersected the Falls Trail someplace below the top of Selaginella Wall. Two climbers came down the trail just as I made my way over to it after a long blow and they took my picture with old Gary with the walking stick.
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