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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Jun 23, 2006 - 08:41am PT
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Klimmer, I didn't realize you were a PHS alumnus (not that it matters). Let's see, 1980,...my brother Mark would have graduated around then. He's one of 7 brothers and 3 sisters that all graduated from PHS. I'd be up for some kind of Woodson get together - maybe not so much a bouldering competition, but something.
Since this thread is still alive, think I'll throw in a bit more history. The PMB started off as a climbing club at PHS. Gary Hepler, long-time science teacher and a great guy, started it in 1970 at the prompting of Dave Goeddel and Denny Adams, who had recently graduated. The first members were (with their "Duke" numbers, where I remember): Dave Goeddel (Duke #1), Dan Heiser (Duke #Big), Denny Adams, Bruce Adams (Duke #5.10), Jim Cameron (Duke #4.0), Rick Piggot (Duke #5.11), me (Duke #Grug), Colin Piggot, and Kinley Adams.
By 1973, the older members had all graduated from PHS, leaving Colin, Kinley, and I. Colin and Kinley by that time got into other things, but Rick was still very active. Enter Tom Gibson. We began climbing together that year, and in 1974, his cousin George from Toronto began coming out to Poway and climbing with us.
From 1974 on, the PMB were pretty much Rick, Tom, George, and I, although Bruce still climbed a lot (he was one of Tobin Sorenson's good friends). I started also climbing regularly with Dennis Sullivan, who was conferred the honor of "honorary Poway". Woodson, Tahquitz/Suicide, and Yosemite were our main haunts.
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Nihilismus
climber
Seattle
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Jun 23, 2006 - 04:26pm PT
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Hey I'm Travis, Kinleys son. I vaugely remember the reuinion in the meadows when I was a kid. Anyway my dads doing well, still lives in the California foothills and is just did 11b. Bruce is in Bend OR. I'm in Seattle learning the mysteries of cascade choss. Anyway drop me an email for further info.
-Travis Adams
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Jun 23, 2006 - 07:13pm PT
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Grug,
The PMBs history is really good stuff.
By the time I got to PHS '76/'77 I was already climbing, however, I remember spending a lot of time in the library on my own time going through the mountaineering section. Amazingly, PHS had quite the collection. I remember reading Chris Jones's anthology on climbing history for North America and looking out the windows above the book stacks and seeing the sweeping West ridge of Mt. Woodson descending toward Poway Lake where we would often run cross country. I would often sit there reading and dreaming while looking up at Woodson. What other HS had such a collection of climbing books? Must of been the influence of the PMBs and a few PHS staff members who climbed who made that happen. I would check out all those books over, and over again.
Mr. Wrightmer (sp?) a Calculas teacher and also my spring board diving coach on the swim team, and coach Torreto (sp?) were into climbing when I was there. Mr. Wrightmer told us about the time he got pulled over in his Porsche 911 with climbing gear in the back and a block of broken chalk wrapped in the paper lying there opened and the CHP thought he had found evidence of cocaine! Wrightmer was a blast. I didn't have him for Calculas (didn't take it until college) but as a coach he was very good and wickedly funny. I recall a very important equation he taught all of us guys on the diving team to show to the girls/woman, I'll never forget it:
RU
--------
18 Q T (Pi)
PHS was a great HS. We were able to do sooo many things then, unlike today at most HS. I took an all in one advanced swimming, life saving, and advanced open water SCUBA certification course as a Sophmore at PHS, taught by the "Diving Locker" out of Escondido. PHS had a very active Ski Club. And my closest climbing partners Tim Umstead, and Perry VanVolkinburg were also fellow PH students. At one time we were all on the swim team together.
Good times for sure.
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gonamok
Trad climber
poway, ca
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I have lived in poway since 82 and spent alot of time on that hill when there was a lot of good local talent climbing there - michael paul (watusi) was resident crack master, bob van belle, greg epperson, rick allenby and dozens of other good sd climbers who were like the next generation to follow the poway mountyain boys on woodson.
I gotta say that the mountain boys cleaned up on the plum lines and did some way good climbs that remain test pieces (put up 30+ years ago in EB's!). One constant was Rick Piggot, who was
probably the best climber on the hill until he moved to tahoe - that saying alot too.
Hats off to the poway mountain boys - the original San Diego hardmen! Your legacy is secure and your accomplishments speak for themself.
Peace, Ron Amick
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gonamok
Trad climber
poway, ca
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You mentioned Al Chase, who died on Denali, and it brought back memories of my first trip to the valley. Me and Michael Paul stayed for a couple weeks in the summer of 76 or 77 and met up with Al. We were drinking beers outside degnans one afternoon when we decided to do serenity crack. We ran back to camp grabbed our stuff and hopped a tram then prectically ran to the base. Alan was barefoot the whole time, and when we got there realized he didnt bring his shoes. Long story short, Al climbed the whole thing barefoot without falling. He even chalked his feet before the crux thin section. I have the summit photo of 3 very young climbers grinning ear to ear with thumbs up.
Al left the valley the next day to start getting ready for his upcoming trip to Denali...
Rest in peace bud, we havent forgot ya.
Ron
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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gonamok - if you can, I'd really appreciate your posting of that picture of the three of you on top of Serenity crack. Al was one of my main climbing partners in the Valley for 2 - 3 years. I don't have a single picture of him.
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Tui
Boulder climber
SD
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Nov 12, 2007 - 10:52pm PT
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Bump for the PMB's and Mt. Woodson
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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Nov 12, 2007 - 11:56pm PT
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Yeah Bump from me as well! Hey Ron! Cool to see ya posting and talking of Al sure brought up some cool memories!
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 13, 2007 - 07:57am PT
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Hey Tui, I assume that SD doesn't stand for South Dakota. You should come to one of the Front Range gatherings we have from time to time - they're announced here and happen maybe every three months or so.
gonamuk and Watusi - if either of you have pictures of Al - or in your case Mike, Al or George, could you please post them? I loved those guys and have no pictures of them.
btw - Where are you Leroy? You haven't posted since early May. Hope all is well!
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Leroy
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 15, 2007 - 09:50am PT
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Im around
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Nov 15, 2007 - 10:17am PT
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Quite a history of notable climbs & climbers in them there Poway crew. Here's a few fron the Woodson climbing day & that evenings after-party held at Salad's home. Good fun for all!
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 15, 2007 - 11:17am PT
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Glad to hear you're around, Leroy.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Nov 15, 2007 - 11:27am PT
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Nice to see the PMBs (aka Poway Mountaineers) thread bumped from the past. Haven't been up to Woodson since the fires. I would like to get up there and have a look around. Seen some of the images posted though.
I know I have promised, and I'm still gonna do it some time. For all the Adam's Family (PMBs/Poway Mountaineers) I will eventually print some historic B&W images of George Tabler (neighbor to the Adam's Family, da-da-da-duhm) bouldering on Woodson with me from the 70s. I just have to make time in our school photo lab.
I'm sure you would like to know that George did at least climb a few times with me up there. It was hard to convince him to go, but eventually he did, and I think he had a great time. George was way into indoor Power Volleyball at the time. I played lots of that with him. I sure miss George and all the other usual suspects from my church youth group in Poway. Great memories.
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Phantom X
Trad climber
Honeycomb Hideout
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Nov 16, 2007 - 03:15pm PT
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I would like to make a motion to remove Bruce Adams from the Poway Mountaineers and replace him with the much better and improved Colorado Bruce Adams. Any nays?
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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Nov 16, 2007 - 04:42pm PT
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Phantom X,
before you can get yeas and nays, that motion must be seconded.
I don't know if people are even ready to consider the question.
Have you crushed eeyonkee in any adjustable cracks?
Find a hat for me?
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Phantom X
Trad climber
Honeycomb Hideout
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Nov 16, 2007 - 07:42pm PT
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I second this excellent motion. As of now it looks to be a shutout and a landslide. Scuffy, I suspect you were banished from hatdom by your own clan and most likely there is something you wish to get off your shoulders. As for Grug, thanks for reminding me, he's in Brazil climbing their Matterhorn and absentee voted yea, that makes three.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Going through some old photos/slides at my Dad's.
Bruce Adams, (Brunosafari) on the Nose, 1972.
Jim Cameron, on top of the Nose, 1972.
The boulders in the Cameron back yard.
Mt Woodson from the Cameron house.
Phantom X. I'm good with it.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Greg,
Nice shot of the prophet, Bruce A., on the Nose 35 years ago! That must have been quite the adventure, the three of you being so young. How old were you, 17?
Thought I’d post again this little vignette from the Stonemaster Stories thread featuring Bruce. It belongs here, also, in the PMB thread and maybe some of the recent contributors to this thread haven’t seen it.
Tuolumne meadows, midsummer, perfect day, group of us sitting at the picnic tables outside of the store. On the table is a box of peaches provided by Bruce, who just arrived from San Diego. Seems that on the drive up, it was harvest time in the groves bordering the road and the group in the car noticed some boxes of freshly picked peaches, unattended. This was too much temptation and several boxes were “nicked,” as the resident C4 Brits would have put it at the time.
We dig into the peaches and they are outstanding. Life is good: central valley peaches and summer in Tuolumne. Just then, a car pulls into the parking space next to our table and who should get out, but a group of nuns in full habit. We can’t think of much to say to a covey of nuns, except for Bruce, who stands up and addresses the Mother Superior. Bruce is exceedingly courteous and friendly, as if he were a maitre’d at a fine restaurant. By all appearances, he has been waiting for this opportunity to welcome the nuns to the meadows:
“Good Afternoon Sister, I hope you had a pleasant drive.“
“Thank you very much, young man.”
“Lovely day isn’t it?”
“Yes, very beautiful and what a marvelous place this is!“
“Yes indeed, Sister; truly one of God’s finest creations. Would you like a peach?”
“Oh, no, thank you, we couldn’t.“
“Are you sure? They are wonderfully ripe and delicious. And we have lots of them.”
“Well, if you insist. Thank you so much. “
Bruce hands one out to each of the nuns with a flourish, and pretty soon, the nuns are holding up their end of the conversation well, remarking on how ripe, juicy and delicious the peaches are. After a little while, however, this vein is exhausted and an awkward silence arises, but plucky Mother Superior fills the void:
“Where did you get these lovely peaches?“
We all turn to see how Bruce will handle this, but he is unflappable. I can picture to this day the angelic look on Bruce’s face as he looks Mother Superior in the eye, and says with a smile,
“We stole them, Sister.”
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nice story, Rick! Sounds just like Bruce. Turns out, I wasn't on that 1972 (actually, it may have been '71) ascent of the Nose. The ascent certainly made a big impression on me, however. Here's another coupla' pictures of Bruce on the Nose.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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thank you Greg for the pictures! and all of you for the thread... somehow someone has to weave these tribal threads together into the tapestry story that describes climbing in the 70's and 80's.
wonderful stuff to look back on
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