Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2007 - 12:07pm PT
|
Hey Alan, Mom found some more posters… One has three photos, a “Mount McKinley Circum Navigation” logo in the center, and across the bottom it says… "Nortur distributors of: Epoke Skis, Rottefella Bindings, Suveren Boots, and Janus Clothing." There is also a short quote from Ned. We have three of the posters – one for Mom, one for me, and an extra. It’s too big to scan. Email me a mailing address and I’ll send you one! It might take a while because I’m back in my truck later today and won’t get a chance to be in front of a computer very often.
Write a book? Whew… dunno about that. I might be able to come up with enough for half of a chapter… Interesting idea, though. Thanks, Riley.
Nice to hear that you guys have enjoyed this thread.
Maybe we should thank Alan for starting the thread...? Thanks, Alan!
|
|
Fat Ba$tard
Social climber
St. Paul, MN
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2007 - 04:09pm PT
|
Thanks so much for the poster offer, I'll frame the poster and hang it in my gear room/gear museum. Among other things I collect old packs, stoves and assorted bits of vintage gear. I happen to have a pair of Suveren ski boots, still use them once in a while.
By the way, if anybody out there has a Paul Petzoldt Wilderness Equipment wool shirt that is gathering dust, let me know. I also need the issues of Wilderness Camping magazine from 1977.
I noticed someone linked Bruce's Oregon Photos web site to this post, I've been helping Bruce hunt down information for the site as well as scanning old catalogs and the like.
Ned's rowing trip is an amazing adventure. The thought of being in rough water on the open seas in anything smaller than a nuclear aircraft carrier scares the crap out of me.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2007 - 04:26pm PT
|
Man O Man!
The Minerals makeshift Gilette sled story was really somethin'.
FB:
Your collection sounds cool.
A while back, you showed us a Rivendell Bombshelter right?
Very nice.
I had 3 Fisher Europa models:
the 88's, the white/red with aluminum edges
green 99's w/alum edges
and blue 99's w/steel
Traded them with Gary Neptune for a new set of new Tuas a bit ago, which get some good mileage...
Tom Carter still has a pair of those red Kastle LW's rat holed away.
|
|
Fat Ba$tard
Social climber
St. Paul, MN
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2007 - 04:43pm PT
|
Yes I did post the bombshelter photos, good memory.
Latest acquisition, the Class 5 Quim rucksack.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2007 - 05:43pm PT
|
That pack looks mint.
But waidaminute, those ain't stock bindings on them Epokes.
So you must be skiing them with newer nnn shoes?
Shoot, why not.
Would love to see a link to your collection.
|
|
captain chaos
climber
|
|
|
Dec 22, 2007 - 03:27pm PT
|
Great story about the bobsled Bryan... I can just hear Ned's laughter, its possible he was having more fun then you, let's keep in touch... and more stories later-
Those were some wild pictures of the boat trip, pretty unbelievable... Craig
|
|
Fat Ba$tard
Social climber
St. Paul, MN
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2007 - 03:28pm PT
|
The pack is nearly new, I snagged it from a Craigslist ad. The ski bindings are NNN BC and obviously not vintage. I found Merrell boots on a clearance rack and had corresponding bindings mounted on the 900's. Although I love vintage gear, I'm also frugal, some would call it cheap, and I could not resist the bargain.
I do not have my own website and actually don't have a lot of my gear photographed. Someday I would like to create a site, but for now here are a few shots of assorted pieces.
Hine Snowbridge (my favorite pack maker) Tamarack
Optimus 111C with Optimus mini oven.
Optimus 111T and Optimus 199
Cannondale tents - they made four models and I have three. I do not have the version with snow flaps, I believe the name was the Lackawanna.
Rivendell bombshelter in the rain.
Me on the Superior Hiking Trail with a Rivendell Giant Jensen and Hine Snowbridge fanny pack.
Same trip with a Sierra Designs Starflite.
Class 5 magazine ad from Backpacker.
Monte Dodge's website with vintage gear.
http://www.pbase.com/mad_monte1/_retro_outdoor_gear
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
|
Dec 27, 2007 - 05:14pm PT
|
Thanks for those shots.
Man oh man, that Monte is a white gas burnin' archivist!
|
|
Fat Ba$tard
Social climber
St. Paul, MN
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2008 - 05:50pm PT
|
Minerals, did the email I sent to you ever get through? I tried a couple of different ways and the first one got bounced back.
Best regards,
Alan
|
|
tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
|
|
I'd always heard the name, but this thread has been a blast. Ned Gillette sounds like a extremely fun guy. Has anyone written a book about him?
The one thing that I am struck by is that his end came by human hands, not nature. People....f-in people. We just can't keep it togther can we? Rockfall, the ocean, avalanches they're all scary, but people take the cake for dangerous. What a terrbible shame.
Tom
|
|
Double D
climber
|
|
Brian,
Even though I only met Ned a couple of times and didn't know him that well, he was a great guy and always a crack-up.
You should write a book.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
Right after they did this thing, I saw the Jan Reynolds slide show. Beautiful image after beautiful image. From the 1985 account, here are a few. Great read too!
Jim leading out of Camp I, in the "hole" as Jan (center) belays and Steve (left) waits his turn.
Veranda view of Everest (and Ned) from Camp I.
Craig (left) and Jan on Mingbo Glacier, below the Mingbo La.
|
|
Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
|
|
Good bump! Thanks 144man!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Jan 10, 2008 - 11:09am PT
|
Anytime, Ned was one of my heroes too! Grace flowed through everything that he did.
|
|
captain chaos
climber
|
|
|
Jan 10, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
|
Thanks for posting up some of the photos from that book Steve... they bring back some good memories. The passes were a pretty good hump for example, since we didn't have any Sherpas to accompany us, we had full loads. I remember climbing up and over the top of Mingbo pass on our first day with that full load. Ned tied in short and was climbing about 30 ft. behind me as he wanted to speed things up a bit. It was a steep hard snow slope and I couldn't get anything in that would hold much of anything and so I just ran it out, all I had was one ice axe and so it was a balancing act between placements... Jan was tied off to a rock the size of an hand frozen in the ice and that was it. If anything went wrong, we were out of there. When I got to the top, there was a cornice and so I had to chop a hole through it (which took forever) so we could get up and over, just when I was making the move to go over the top one of my ski poles sticking out of my pack caught the edge of the cornice and consequently I came really close to getting knocked backwards off my front points which would have resulted in a really bad scenario, basically we would all gotten chopped as we would have gone the distance. Due to knowing the severity of the outcome, I fought with everything I had to keep from being launched backwards and powered over the top, which of course was followed by the appropriate sigh of relief. The following words describe these situations well. "Life is a series of narrow escapes with sighs of relief in between" I believe many of us here can relate to that one- anyway... thanks again for posting up the pics- Craig
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Jan 10, 2008 - 11:10pm PT
|
Awesome story Craig. The classic Kor quote,"don't fall now or we'll both go!" has come into play for me too! What an awesome adventure to reflect back on.
I remember Jan telling a classic Bridwell story about one incident. Your party hadn't seen anybody in quite a while and stumbled upon some poor fellow, dazed by the dayglow outfits and all. Jim, being the point man, tried to engage him in conversation with predictable results and so he began to progressively raise his voice in repetition well past the point of embarassment for everybody else. All to no avail, of course!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Jan 15, 2008 - 11:51am PT
|
Story bump!
|
|
Fat Ba$tard
Social climber
St. Paul, MN
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2008 - 09:42am PT
|
I've been a bit busy as of late, but wanted to post a photo of the poster Minerals sent me. I have not yet had a chance to get the framed poster on the wall so the photo is at a wierd angle. The size of the backpacks they used makes my back hurt just looking at them.
The local frame shop did their typical excellent job, I am quite pleased how it turned out. I think it looks really cool - the glare in the glass is just from the lighting, not part of the poster. I swear a similar poster from the Ellesmere Island expedition was done as well. If there is, I'll find one someday and hang them side by side.
Thanks again Minerals for the poster and to everyone else for sharing stories.
|
|
Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
|
|
|
Feb 25, 2008 - 11:56am PT
|
Cool. Looks great, Alan!
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!