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Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 10, 2007 - 10:38pm PT

Heard a rumor of a new Poway thread...and found photos of my mug back when I had hair on my head instead of in my ears! Thanks Grug--I have lots of photos of course and really will put some out... one day.

Your brother Jim made those particular shots on the Salathe in '73 rather than the Nose in '72. Thought I would add a little memory form that ascent:

Somewhere on the lower route, near the "half dollar," the climbing reminded me so much of Tahquitz, I decided to try and free a whole pitch, wanting to go faster. As I moved upward, the holds got dicier and dicier and I began to drip sweat in the broiling sun rays. I spotted what looked to be a jug about twenty feet higher sensed a moment of victorious glory ahead, went all out, too sketched to place any gear. Finally I was within firing range of the "jughold" and launched for it, in full dyno mode. Boy was I optimistic back in those days! The jug was actually a smooth sloper, and I shot downward about sixty feet. While falling, the climbing rope snagged a jagged piton remnant. I first saw miles of slackened rope in the air. and then the rope seemed to actually explode into a broad shower of fibers. I had the sick feelling that "I'd dooded a 'no no'" but finally came to a stop without any injuries. The sheath was demolished and innards were exposed for twenty feet of its length and one of the three inner strands had been completely severed. I was thoroughly ashamed for compromising our success. We switched over to using the very ancient haul line as our climbing rope gambling that our now, shortened haul line would be long enough to reach the belay stations. I went back and led the pitch free, just trying to save face, and this time was careful to doctor the jagged lost arrow stub with my trusty hickory-handled Yosemite hammer which I still have.

But the over-all mental experience of that climb was the feeling of respect for the first ones, Robbins, Pratt and Frost, I believe, and the perfection of the route (with the exception of the Block pitch).

*

Grug, I feel bad for not schooling you more in the early days of the Poway Klimbers. For me it started officially in 1966, at age 11 when I saw the Disney flick, "Third Man on the Mountain," after school in the Meadowbrook cafeteria. (Some of you Supertopoans might be amused that Grug, by the way, was later selected to deliver the graduation speech at Meadowbrook school and he did an inspirational job!) Anyway, after the movie was over, I was so stunned, I read all the credits scrolling by and noticed the movie was based on the book called "Banner in the Sky," by James Ramsey Ullman. The next day I found the book in the library and other climbing books too.

I enlisted my brothers Kinley and Brian as partners. We stole our dog's long tether and attatched it to a tent stake we would drive into dirt at the top of the more impressive roadcuts on the hillsides, and batman up and down, again and again. My older brother Dennis got in on the action and we began to climb boulders too, the actual rocks, not the rope. Sometimes the rope would break. About that time ('66,'67), Dennis met Dave Goeddel at HIgh School.

Dave seemed to us like a miracle of sorts. His father was in the Sierra Club and so Dave by this time had already been introduced to real climbing and owned iron pitons, steel carabiners, a goldline rope, webbing, klettershuhs, knickers...he had it all, and he could friction right up the angled handball court walls in perfect balance. HIs Dad had all the literary classics which we read, even memorizing certain lines and all the big names like Hintertoisser and Lachanel. It was Dennis and Dave who began callling themselves the Poway Mountaineers. Because I was in Middle School still, my climbing partners (which included Tim stelling and Frank Green) and I were considered "JV's." When Grug started climbing , we identified he and Kinley as the "Freshman Poway Mountaineers." Other high school students joined in the trips to Mission Gorge, Mt. Baldy, and early forays to Tahquitz and the Sierras, which seemed to always generate amazing epics, long repeated falls, and bloody messes. The Poway Mountaineers, would try almost anything, like repeated blizzard attempts at the East Face of Whitney in January, even though at that time we could barely climb 5.8 at Tahquitz. Still we got up some good stuff and we always climbed with some style. If anybody took a fall less than twenty feet they were a "Wuss." If anyboody got offroute, they were a "Stupid Turkey." The worst thing you could be called was a "Moron." Those were the main words we always used. Redemption could only be gained by some great and daring feat. That is how I managed to climb the Open Book at age 13, running out the second pitch. I had to prove that a JV could climb. At age twelve I had announced my intention to climb the Nose. It was an announcement met with eternal ridicule and laughter, but turned out well for me.

Every epic seemed to lead to one which was even worse, yet amazingly, nobody died. Other early Poway climbers were Dan McClung, Nate Smith, Steve Faupel. Later Mike Wise and Big Rog were part of the group. So at that point, Hepler had nothing to do with it. But later, '69, we started the high school club with Hep as the faculty advisor. It allowed us to sponsor a school dance which in turn allowed us to buy some ropes and chrome moly pitons. After Dave and his endless hysterical charisma went to college, we gave ourselves Duke numbers in honor of Dan Heiser, The Big Duke Himself, Duke #Big.

Big Duke, at 6'5" and solid, was not as Big as Big Rog, who was 6'7',' but he was way more fun and had a '62 Ford van filled with every kind of sports equipment there is, like hockey sticks, scuba masks and squash rackets. In the van, we played Poway basketball. The Big Duke was an athlete in many sports, but couldn't climb so well because he was just starting. He idolized us for our climbing ability, drove us everywhere, protected us when we mouthed off to strangers, but was the kindest person on earth and told me spicey stories of his college dates. Dave met him at UC San Diego, where they were studying chemistry. (Dave would later become a world famous geneticist.) Big Duke went straight out and bought a ton of climbing gear and then would shamelessly toss it in the dirt and rub it in with his feet, saying he wanted to make it look like he was experienced. Big Duke was the most lovable climber ever! On a trip to Yosemite, he even once put a wine bottle on a prominent table at Camp Four with a ribbon on it and a note addressed to Royal Robbins saying something like: "with love, from the Big Duke!"

Once we were driving to Yosemite and I was shotgun in Big Duke's van. At a stop light a guy in the car ahead pulled out a big pistol and pointed it at the Big Duke with an intimidating stare. Big Duke reached under his seat and pulled out a very large butcher knife, held it up threateningly and showed his teeth!

Sorry to get wordy, but I am holding back and also I'm still groovin' on Klimmer's good attitude! Don't worry about the Phantom X--my brother Kinley--he is still proud of himself for having helped to confuse Pat Ament on an earlier thread.

Bruce Adams

Raydog

Trad climber

Boulder Colorado

Dec 10, 2007 - 10:44pm PT

great pics Greg - so,
boulders in the back yard
I see...

Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 10, 2007 - 10:52pm PT

That's right Raydog--and he and Jim could do some awesome finertip mantles on 'em. Their Mom could serve them kool -aid between problems.

Phantom X

Trad climber

Honeycomb Hideout

Dec 13, 2007 - 10:51pm PT

Thank you Rick A. for your despicable behavior story. There are moments in a siblings life when pride overwelms him and this certainly is one of them. So counting the Pope, Ed Hartouni, Raydog, Pat Ament, Raydog, Klimmer, Raydog, and Grug's seven votes it's something like sixteen votes in favor of dispatching the Nun ravisher. Oh, I forgot to count Salad's daughter and all the dogs on the German sheaperd thread. Merry Christmas Brunosafari! Good picture's Grug. We had an inspiring view of Woodson's mighty south face from our house. Our boulders were a half mile away. We also trained with a teatherball and swingset. Did everyone get a load of that Brunosarari guy's beard?! It's a strap on! He claim's it makes him write like literary master! And now folks how about some more energetic responses?

Raydog

Trad climber

Boulder Colorado

Dec 14, 2007 - 12:29am PT

RE:
"sixteen votes in favor of dispatching the Nun ravisher."

uh yeah, you...got my vote - I guess (?)

Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 14, 2007 - 12:59am PT

I would like to thank you too Rick. Thanks to you I now live in fear of Dominican retribution. My own people have turned on me and now I am being publicly disgraced, as you can see. Same kind of thing happened to John the Baptist. Cursed Romans!

Phantom X

Trad climber

Honeycomb Hideout

Dec 14, 2007 - 01:05am PT

John the Babtist did not eat peaches.

Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 14, 2007 - 01:18am PT

Essene scrolls recently deciphered from the Dead Sea region of Palestine reveal peach juice drippings mixed with honey and oil of locusts.

BA

Phantom X

Trad climber

Honeycomb Hideout

Dec 14, 2007 - 01:29am PT

Well, I stand corrected. I suppose these scrolls also contain the exploding cigar trick.

Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 14, 2007 - 01:41am PT

Perhaps now would be a fine time to light up a stogie and recount your memory of climbing the North Buttress of Middle Cat when you and Grug were both only three and a half years old...

Phantom X

Trad climber

Honeycomb Hideout

Dec 14, 2007 - 02:08am PT

There we were, it was toddlers against nature and I guess you know who BOOM!!! Hey B.A., speaking of being disgraced by your own people did you read Grugs omittance of my glorious climbing during 1973/74? As if our Easter Yosemite trip and Lone Pine Peak and countless other trips never happened. I can see him now, wanting to scream at me and call me names because he wasn't invited. Know why everybody? Here's why. On second thought I won't tell you. And why won't his brother publicly disgrace him? Are they not speaking? Lazy maybe? But I need no published glory. You know how it is, a guy like me. Aaaaaaaawshucks.

Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 14, 2007 - 02:20am PT

So far that is a pretty good start. What were you thinking when you buckled into your crampons on the third pitch?

Phantom X

Trad climber

Honeycomb Hideout

Dec 14, 2007 - 02:30am PT

I was wishing I had listened to Mom and had gotten a size larger so I could grow into them.

Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 14, 2007 - 02:36am PT

Alot of people don't realize what an amazing alpinist Mom really was, as if it didn't matter that you were born on the Ambruzzi Ridge during an early monsoon white out.

Phantom X

Trad climber

Honeycomb Hideout

Dec 14, 2007 - 02:45am PT

Alot of people don't realize what a good midwife were you on that memorial night.

Brunosafari

Boulder climber

Redmond, OR

Dec 14, 2007 - 03:04am PT

It was worth it to give you a spankin'.

eeyonkee

Trad climber

Golden, CO

Dec 14, 2007 - 09:55am PT

Thanks for the history lesson Bruce. Between Jim and I, we've got the collective memory of a 90-year-old alzheimer's patient. I'm sure Leroy, who started this thread, pretty much just thought of Rick, Tom, George and I as the Poway Mountain Boys. But that, of course, just scratches the surface. I can't even remember when the term PMB even started as opposed to just the Poway Mountaineers. Come to think of it, can't remember yesterday all that clearly.

I wish I still had boulders in my back yard. I've got that picture of the old neighborhood with Woodson in the background as my Windows background.

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Dec 14, 2007 - 10:09am PT

The boulders in the backyard right behind the swingset: too cool.
I know you still climb Greg, but do you cut loose and bail out of the swings for big air every now and again?