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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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Fet, I hope you don't think I advocated the removal of the cables. I just thought the Park Service sorta wanted to, what with their focus on safety and all.
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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I commented at there website...:)
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Well, at Scuffy's suggestion, I went to my beloved xrez just now (http://www.xrez.com/yose_proj/yose_deepzoom/index.html); and could not find any rust streaks. But the vantage point of that particular camera setting is awfully far away, so no surprise.
I guess too that the present-day ladder thingy could be right on top of his work, maybe.
At any rate, looking carefully at the HDump shoulder, George Anderson's holes have to be within a very narrow perimeter of the existing elephant train--- the scope of possibility is limited there for a 19th century project. It shouldn't be too hard to find some of the drillings. Hard to believe also that no one has done this before now.....??
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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The Phimster Proctor ascent a year or so after the avalanche took out Andersons cables is one of the most remarkable climbing adventures ever written about. Basically two cowboys, with no climbing experience, but experts in rope throwing managed to get to the top on the remains of Andersons cables. I have a copy of the book that Proctor wrote. If you have trouble getting one, e-mail me at: aspendougy@gmail.com, and I can lend you my copy.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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It would be really cool to find those holes
OT, if you don't move to have the cables declared 'rustic' or whatever would they declare them litter, and take take them down?
Think carefully about this.
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MTucker
Ice climber
Arizona
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Doubt that the Cables will ever go away. How about two? One up, one down.
One on each side. Shorter hike if it was on the south face.
Historical significance.
Significant usage.
Predates the wilderness act.
Even a trash pit that is 25 years or older is historical and can not be disturbed. Or is it 50 years? Either way.
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TripL7
Trad climber
san diego
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This George Anderson was AWAY ahead of his time!
Really fascinating story, and remarkable individual.
Looking forward to seeing his original 'line' up South(Half)Dome.
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Ranger Dan
Mountain climber
Mariposa, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 7, 2010 - 12:06pm PT
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Cool quote related to the Half Dome Cables taken from A. Phimister Proctor's "A Ascent of Half Dome in 1884":
There are times in a young man's life that a great experience changes it. Those two days on Half Dome were for me the divide between careless youth and serious manhood.
It seems most probable that George Anderson's route up Half Dome follows very closely to the present alignment of the Half Dome Cables.
At this point, I would say that it is a little short of conclusive, but it appears that Anderson's route followed very closely the alignment of the Half Dome cables.
Thanks for all your help!
Danny
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Awesome History Detectives work!
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Yes, very cool. I can't wait to look for the holes the next time I'm up there.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Nice job, Danny. That's for sharing the pics with us!
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Chris Wegener
Trad climber
St. John, Virgin Islands
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I have found going up and down the cables to be non trivial. I can't imagine doing while the rock is wet. All of the feet have made the rock Slick!
I can not see any reason to remove the cables. As others have pointed out it can be a highlight of someone's life to go up and down.
As a sidelight I have been told of Royal Robbins walking down next to the cables without using them. Anybody else want to try?
Regards,
Chris
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gunsmoke
Trad climber
Clackamas, Oregon
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The day before this thread was started I ascended the cables looking for evidence of Anderson's ascent. Given the 45 minutes it took for the elephant line to push me to the top, I had plenty of opportunity to look. We know that Anderson began work from the high point of a previous attempt which had relied on natural features. It seems to me that this previous attempt probably began along a flake system just right of the cables. However, higher up the better system of flakes and natural features is to the left. The cables are, of course, a direttissima. Since Anderson was trying to take advantage of natural features, as evidenced by his statement of climbing up to twenty feet before resuming drilling, I speculate that Anderson began to the right of the current cables and crossed the cable route, ending up to the left. I think it is unlikely that he strictly stuck to the route of the 1919 cables (which is the same route as today). I looked for holes, but there are so many holes from previous cable installations (as many as four in a square foot in some places) that it would be a CSI project to figure out which ones were Anderson's. Also, I wonder if cable installations might have redrilled some of Anderson's holes to a larger diameter. Dan, would it be possible to get a metal sample from your suspected bolt and compare it with the known extant bolt? As an aside, before climbing Half Dome Anderson drilled his way up Mount Starr King. There may be some of Anderson's eye bolts still in place there.
Edit
I would suggest a rappel alongside the cables looking for evidence of Anderson that is not on the 3 foot wide path of the cables.
A hardness test on the two steel bolts would be an relatively non-invasive way to see if they are of the same vintage.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Gunsmoke- the mystery is on. To Starr King!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Thanks for sharing the photos, Dan. Fun puzzle/project!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 10, 2010 - 12:36pm PT
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An Ed Cooper shot of the cables from The Vertical World of Yosemite by Galen Rowell.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 11, 2010 - 12:47pm PT
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From Galen Rowell's wonderful 100th anniversary release of John Muir's seminal work, The Yosemite, one of my favorite bits of South Dome history!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 16, 2010 - 09:12pm PT
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Spectre of the Bumpin'...
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Alexander P. Proctor's grandson (whew!)
climber
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Jul 24, 2010 - 05:45pm PT
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Knowing granddad (An Ascent of Half Dome in 1884) I'd say he filled the original holes with Bazooka bubblegum but as such didn't exist back then I will profess to drawing blanks.
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