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Shack
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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Dick Cilley trying to sell you chalk or whatever he happened to be pushing that day....
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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I made my first trip to Josh in 1980, whem I moved to California. But by then all the real old skool guys were telling me the place was done for...
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arete
Trad climber
Estes Park, Colorado
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Didn't know about it. I was a rank begginer then. I probably would have thought "who the hell is Don Lauria? What idiot would want to be known as Dolt and why in the world would I buy anything from him?"
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Chatsworth
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If was always buying tshirts from silly dick.
Juan
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pud
climber
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Jtree circa 1969,
Dad would take me and my little brother to split rock, set up a lawn chair, crack a sixer, find a country station on the portable and tell us to make it back before dark 'cause he didn't want to go out looking for us.
on one of these hikes Willy and i turned over a rock on some trail somewhere, and found a very old and very thrashed handgun practically falling apart from rust. we showed it to dad and he says, "that's nice son, don't point it at your brother".
we motored out of Jtree that late afternoon sitting on the tailgate of the town and counrty trying to pick off lizards with my trusty daisy BB gun while dad was weaving his way across the valley floor. we passed a ranger and he turns around and pulls us over, he collects my daisy and gives me and willy and dad a long talk about guns and critters and laws. he's ready to send us on our way and i'm ballin' cause he's keeping my gun, when dad tells him about me and willy finding the handgun and maybe his son could get his gun back for the find. the ranger agrees and tells me personally that i should never bring any kind of gun to Jtree again, but that it was a good thing that we had found the handgun. he sent us on our way with my daisy and a very cool story. i was 9 years old.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Old memories
Jumping on Damper with two bongs, (and after a couple of hits) because Woulfe said it was "5.5 and an exellent short beginners route"
Crawling across the campground loop in an altered state feeling for my sleeping bag on a moonless night.
Hiding my motorcycle and bivying in a cave on The Wall. Hiding the glow of the stove while the rangers hunted for the owner of the bike.
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WBraun
climber
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Hi Watusi
Awesome art that you have developed. It’s been along time Mike. If you ever float by the Valley again look me up.
Werner
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F10 Climber F11 Drinker
Trad climber
e350
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Started climbing there in 72 with the Wolfe guide. It made gettin to climbs fairly simple since their were not that many and they were in HVCG or near the road. The good ole easy days
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2005 - 12:15am PT
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Wow! This post really brought out some great responses!! Jaybro (Bro) it has been so long...eons (and I am talking geological time)Yeah Central Scrutinizer was a definite fav! Short and hard like at Woodson! Give me an e-mail, wait I'll e-mail you! Can't let my past slip away from me! Werner!! So glad to hear that you even remember me! You were and will always be my most exalted and illumined master, along with our friends Yanno, Ron, Largo, Bird, and Yabaho (one man tribe) just to name an infinitesimally small percentage of my ultimate heroes!!
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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God, I remember like yesterday my first forays out to Josh. The ultra bright blue sky of early October, the autumn heat somehow making the desert seem so clean and like some forgotten land we had discovered. As we grew up, our experiences changed; Josh changed us and changed with us.
From my first lead (The Bong) to Bongloads, experiencing my first nereltne, discovering the depths of the Wonderland of Rocks and the day DE and I went in on a 100 hits of Purple Dragon and nearly everyone in HVCG was frying. Climbing Josh with girlfirends, wives, and kids.... It is my spiritual home.
Thanks for the post Mike.
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2005 - 12:51am PT
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Randy, I'm so glad that some of the Real McCoy have chimed in here! Without all of you it would never have been so special!
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2005 - 03:00am PT
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Locker, I noticed you are from here. Have I met you ,if not yet when?
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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When I first showed up in Josh in 1980, The second person I met was the Fish who invited me to go take a look at the brain matter and blood that Crahsner may have left after his big solo whip on Spiderline.
(the first guy I met was Mike Freriks who asked me "do you like soloing?" then we went and soled Mike's Books--first climb for me in Josh).
My intro to Southern California climbers.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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I came into the scene in the mid 80's, after alot of you. But I do remember a funny time when Alf was on his fire rampage and poured white gas down the Pinched Rib calling it "BBQ Rib" Not long after he had poured some in a line about 20 feet long, Watusi and I were hangin together in camp when Alf was yelling for our attention. Once he got it and we both look to see what's up as he throws a match down and ignites the gas. He is now standing there laughing. With a smoking match in hand, and a 20' long 5' high flame going strong, the ranger came around the corner doing his evening stroll through camp. Mike and I go about our business pretending not to know him. The next day Alf is doing trash clean up around camp like a road side convict. Remember that Mike.
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2005 - 12:10pm PT
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Sure do Tommy!! I remember it left some char residue on the route and everyone made Alf rap down and scrub it!
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2005 - 11:28am PT
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Hey Klaus I'll try to enlighten you...try clicking that funny blue link Watusi, wow, my real name pops up! Let's try you...Ah, Eric Kohl, well fancy that.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Jul 10, 2005 - 12:18pm PT
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Remember also the Watusi doing Streetcar Named Desire a dozen different ways, astounding us all.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jul 10, 2005 - 06:36pm PT
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I remember big group solos, at night, under the influence of stalwart ragweed. Amazing that the notion of danger never came up that I can remember. Also, no one wore climbing shoes for those night fandangos--you just had a chalk bag. The point of the solo, if there ever was one, was basically to change locations for the next pipeload. Sometimes there was a pack, a quart bottle of water and a bong involved. After a night of soloing/smoking, that bong water was as toxic as plutonium, and if you got so much as a drop of it on your duds you had to chuck them straightaway. Nasty stuff, that bongwater . . .
JL
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