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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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I agree. This is a great thread about a great guy, and it would be not only wonderful but important, if Mike would put some stuff up. We would love it.
Best PH
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WBraun
climber
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Ah yes, the Aquarian tale ......
You told me you were sitting on the ledge, and Virgina Parker showed up next to you and she wanted some of your bivy food. You were having a conversation with her up there. You were hypothermic and having difficulties.
When you topped out I went looking for you and found you staggering back to Camp 4 on the road. The first thing you said to me as I drove up to you: "Werner talk to me".
You had not spoken to anyone for days during your drenched cold climb up that rock called El Capitan.
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Peter thanks for that. You are one I always looked up to back then.
Rick you were scaring me when you mentioned shots of me in bed with someone
Werner you have an uncanny ability to remember some significant spiritual details. I don’t know if you noticed this but its you I always run into first in the valley still to this day.
I talked to several people about my experience that night on Thanksgiving ledge to try and understand the meaning of the whole thing. It involved both Virginia and her sister Lucy both native Yosemite Indians as you know. Without getting into the depth of the apparition at one point during it I was sharing what food I had left them. I had remembered tossing Virginia something to eat. At day break as I sat up shaking off the impossible and thinking I had an odd dream. I look over to see a half package of cheese about eight feet from me. To this day it still affects me. At that point I don’t think I was hypothermic anymore but I was sure tired and glad to get out of the hammock after spending 3 days and 4 nights in the same place and not sleeping much.
This was the view from my bed during a light rain and after the snow had stopped.
The Route is aptly named, when the water really came down it pounded so hard on my rain fly I couldn’t hear myself screaming for it to stop.
It didn’t take long that morning after to book it to the top. My self portrait has me drying out my feet and my clothes rotting off me. At this point I am just enjoying any sunlight that comes my way. As many of you know these moments are when you are the most connected with all that’s around you.
It was sure nice to see Werner as I’m stumbling down the road back to camp 4 I very well remember saying “Werner talk to me”
I mentioned my dream to the Indian sisters and they just smiled and said that is a very spiritual place.
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CathC
Social climber
Wyoming
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Very cool story Graham.. esp. the part about Lucy and Virginia... great photo of you also
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Thanks Catherine, great to hear from you here.
You, Richard and I had a pretty fun last minute ascent of the West Face of Sentinel.
Remember that?
Cheers,
Mike
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CathC
Social climber
Wyoming
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Hi Mike, I was thinking about that climb last night and what a whipper I took, and you and Richard were so kind to me after my airborne experience. I was rather gripped for a while, but we finished didn't we !!!Cath
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Mar 23, 2008 - 07:36pm PT
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This was a great read. Thanks Graham.
Bump.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Mar 23, 2008 - 10:24pm PT
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RE:
"At day break as I sat up shaking off the impossible and thinking I had an odd dream. I look over to see a half package of cheese about eight feet from me. To this day it still affects me"
excellent -
thanx for sharing +
thanx for the bump
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Mar 24, 2008 - 02:17am PT
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Mike! How about a SM pant with reinforced knees and ass? otherwise, white pant is right pant! thx mang!
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Anastasia
climber
Not here
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Mar 24, 2008 - 04:07am PT
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Graham, your story makes a few things in my life literally form into different shapes.
Please Graham...
Will you share a little more about this event?
AF
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Mar 24, 2008 - 08:16pm PT
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This is really weird, the past week I have been writing a tall tale about the Aquarian. I am right at the part about the thanksgiving ledge hallucination. And you dig this up.
Bizarre !
I’ll tell more someday soon.
Thanks for the bumps
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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bump, awesome pics/stories from BITD.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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I had my ledge that Mike made for me until just a few years ago. We were moving and I was cleaning house. I'm bummed to say that I simply tossed it in the trash. I really wish I hadn't done that.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Like watching a classic movie.... Happy 4th to everyone. Lynne
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Bump for the history channel.
Those of you that have other chapters,
please put them up!
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Hey Jorge are you the same Jorge that I had the pleasure of putting up a route on Sonora Pass in the early 80's?
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Thanks Blinny for clearin the beta... I hooked up with some local valley Dude in the early eighties from Germany???? and Can't remember his whole name Jorgensen ...........and we established some FA's in Sonora that I can Barely recall where and what... and it would be exceptional to get in touch with an ol' scool fella.... If I was more awake I'd Have realized that this was a George Meyers Gig and Knott gotten waysided.... Take care and keep the majic....
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Suicide '77ish
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Proud solo Mike!
The bed sale wouldn't be complete without this product shot from the great aquatic adventure.
And while Mike White's name is passing around, here's one of his claims to fame (as a photographer).
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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steve, you should scan and post the first page of that interview with mg. i literally have not read it in twenty-five or thirty years, but i can still remember the first lines:
"heard about the yank who's been climbing all the hard routes?"
"all the hard routes??" i replied, british pride sputtering inside me.
"profit of doom, white wall, [etc etc]", the sacred names reeled off his toungue..."
or words to that effect. it was a really great little profile, and especially telling if you were a student of mountain magazine, ken wilson's editorial style, the 70's british fascination with california climbing, and so on. plus it "outted" mike graham as a truly great climber, quiet or no.
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