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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Sep 23, 2006 - 02:06pm PT
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Mark,
Welcome and nice story.
Look forward to hearing more from you and Kevin and George. One of you guys should tap out the tale of the FA of the Widow’s Tears. That was one of the great adventures of that era and less well known than it should be.
Rick
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Jobee
Social climber
El Portal
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Sep 23, 2006 - 06:06pm PT
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Mark Chapman...on the SuperTopo!
-just thought i'd take a peek on here today..what fun!
Hello and Welcome Mark, please post a photo of Pearl real soon!!
-OMG That was one heck of a "Chilli Whipper".
Jo W.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Sep 23, 2006 - 07:10pm PT
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Hi, Mark.
Nice to see you here! I hope we get to see you this fall.
Melissa
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Sep 23, 2006 - 08:33pm PT
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Roger,
Klemens was/is great. He came and visited Ron K and I once about eight years ago in Huntington Beach. You could tell he missed our extended Yosemite family a lot..too much. His back injury and inability to climb and get physical bothered him a lot more than he ever let on. It would be great to hear from him...hey Mark K. you out there?? By the way Roger how did you end up in Ohio?? Did you grow up there?? I was born in Columbus. I remember climbing Book of Job with you and Paradise Lost as well. What else did we do?...jog my memory. Melissa how are you and Jay? Jason and the Largonots! John L. you don't know Jay but we climbed some on Middle Rock and I would tell him stories about the old days on Middle. I think I told him about your leap on Mother Earth: "I'm going to have to jump for it!" or some such nonsense until you did it! Because he is the opposite of you in physical stature(though certainly not in matters of heart or spirit) I used to describe our new Middle Rock efforts as the adventures of Jason and the Largonots. We did among other routes Jig Saw. Jorge and Kev remember when we did that route? I swear you guys would send me up on these Middle pitches just to scare the crap out of me. Kev, Jay and I got pretty high up on that route we scoped out up the north face of Middle (we used Jig Saw as our approach route)...there bolts up there but they seemed to be in odd places and not lead anywhere. Strange. Jorge post pictures!...I'd love to see more photos of us back then. I have some good ones as well but they are all in Yosemite. I could kick myself for not taking more. High Rick...I still remember the old Pinto. The Widows Tears was in many ways the best adventure I ever had in the Valley...I think Kev probably feels the same...I'll let him start that tale if he wants. Peter Hahn tell us all about the first free ascent of the left side of the hourglass. That ascent still stands out after all these years...you still in Santa Cruz? High Ken and Jobee...
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JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
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Sep 23, 2006 - 08:44pm PT
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Another reason to love the Taco Stand...legands keep materializing. I worked in the Valley in 72 and 73, but wasn't a climber then. Wonder if I saw y'all. If only to do over again.
Jobee is helping me know who you all are!
Cheers!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 24, 2006 - 12:19am PT
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Hi Mark,
Lots of great times. I cannot remember 99% of them. I remember Book of Job--harder than I expected on the crux--that subtle shift from cruising to careful climbing (so you didn't fall to your death or something worse).
I remember Paradise Lost also. It is a great route. I think that we met up with Ron and ???, who had just finished the DNB. I chided Ron for not backing up the rappel with a second piece. Ron had such presence of mind--I think he was about 6 or something. He said something to the effect that older climbers needed to tell younger climbers these tricks and rules. I was 7. maybe a little older. Maybe you have a more exact memory.
Were you on the cluster climb of "The Good Book" (Right side of the Folly) soon after it was done free? I remember about six of us did the route. All of you yahoos third classed the first pitch--stained my pants. I think Ron lead the long book and I led the wild pitch out on that thin flake and back into the crack. I have negatives of some of us climbing that route, but I don't recognize anyone. You know the colors are reversed.
Klemens back injury was a real blow to him and Valley climbing. If you stare at the history of the first ascents, nothing was happening in the Valley from 1967 to 1970, until Mark returned. He and Jim put up so many hard routes in that two-year period from 1970 to 1972. Then he hurt his back and it ended. Lots of folks kept the fire going, but I think Mark started it. Mark was a great guy--he was so sharp, quick, and cut. Kept us on our toes. We should try to entice him back into the cyber fold.
All the best, Roger
Ps: Get your pictures out, man. We are going to have dueling picture with you, me, Rick, Jorge, and Kevin. But just remember, I am older and must be treated with unquestioned respect at all times to support my fragile ego (not to mention my more fragile bodily parts).
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Sep 24, 2006 - 12:37am PT
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Hey, Mark, I remember two things in particular about Mother Earth. First, you were just back from Alsaka and hadn't been rock climbing at all--especially high angle slab climbing--and somehow you ended up on one of those unprotected pitches down low--out about 100 feet on 5.9 and wondering why we'd been able to talk you into joinming the team. And then later up top--it was my lead on this sketchy looking aid bit with what looked like nailing around a bunch of deadly loose blocks and I kept trying to swindle you into taking over for me and you weren't going for any of it (it turned out to be like 5.10a, A2).
And I believe it was you who coined Jim B's second nickname: The Saint. Pretty damn funny . . . Think of what those girls had to put up with all those years.
JL
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St. Nanci
Social climber
Stone's throw from Yosemite
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Sep 24, 2006 - 12:07pm PT
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CHIP-CHAP-CHILI-WHIP !!!!!!
An important player in the history of Yosemite Climbing.
Best loved by a group of "valley local climbing girls" for all of your coaching and time spent teaching us and climbing with us. Hey,as a matter of fact,we could use you now as we've all been trying to make a go of it again. {climbed at Pat-n-Jack's yesterday with Little Sue and had dinner at Vicki's) Come and join us please!
RIP Pooch
How are your fingers?
Cheers and lots of love, Nanci
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Jorge
climber
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Sep 24, 2006 - 12:38pm PT
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Hey Mark and the gang
It pains me a bit when you talk about the old routes on Middle. I spent a couple hours yesterday pulling old slides of lots of things--Jigsay, Ron and Bachar on Black PRimo,taken from Jigsaw, Orange Peel, and of couse Mother Earth. I'll take em in to be scanned but gotta get em back this week, then I'm off to the land of Lookin Sketchy for a month. Maybe if I take a disk with me he can help me post a few... but they are headed your way...
G
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 24, 2006 - 01:02pm PT
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Hi George,
Enjoy your trip. Try to check in to keep track of the lies we tell about you. More dog food stories are on their way.
Say hi to M, all the best, Roger
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Sep 24, 2006 - 01:17pm PT
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John,
You are right about Mother Earth. I had just returned from an ascent of the Cassin Ridge with Vern Clevenger and you were getting a team together to have another go at Mother Earth after the dog food episode. I was hardly in any shape mentally or physically to take on Middle Rock and did my best to talk my way out of it. You were having none of my excuses and won me over. Between you and Ron what could an out of rock climbing shape me add to the team? I always had the greatest respect for Middle climbing--it was hard and scary. I had my good moments up there but never really felt like I mastered it like you or Kevin. The irony of the whole thing was on that on that run out "easy" pitch you are refering to I felt perhaps more relaxed that at any point ever climbing on Middle. I don't know if it was because I was finally getting it after a few years of Middle experience or if I was just in the proper mind set after climbing in Alaska where one has to be concious at all times of dying. No joke there...God Bless Sue Nott. Of course on the "hard pitches" I didn't fair so well. I do wish I had been free climbing fit so I could have freed more of the route on that ascent. George and Kevin: It didn't seem right up there without you two. I felt especially bad for you George as I believe you hard more time invested in that route than anyone..it was your and Eric's brainchild wasn't it?? Hi Nanci! You Yosemite gals are awesome...I do miss everyone there and hope to visit soon Iv'e been super busy as of late...PS my email address is markchap@inreach.com if any of you want to communicate outside this forum.
Chappy
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
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Sep 24, 2006 - 01:43pm PT
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Sep 24, 2006 - 11:50pm PT
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Bump
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Sep 29, 2006 - 08:09pm PT
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ba-da-bump, not to mention this old classic shot by KW of Chappy at Smith Rocks. Please excuse the pic quality as it's from an old poster I have that has seen better days. Anyway it's one of my favorite climbing shots.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Sep 30, 2006 - 12:37am PT
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ooops. so sorry joe, my memory ain't quite what it used to be.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Sep 30, 2006 - 02:12pm PT
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Speaking of Ed Barry, what's he up to?
Can't wait for him to become a Taco.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Did somebody mention a face that needs a picture?
Last I checked (quite a while back now),
Ed Barry-Berry was married to Sabine.
These are from the early 90's:
Walleye, Messick, Ed, Sabine, Croft.
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Jorge
climber
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Couldn't resist this:
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Pretty funny George. I remember those days. I weighed 153 lbs no matter what I ate and could do stacks of one arm pull ups. Sigh...
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