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malabarista
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Apr 15, 2005 - 02:07pm PT
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it's not much of a story, but it's all I have:
Bridwell spent an evening with us in camp 4 this summer. He was hanging out with a couple guys from Arizona camped next to us that had just bailed off the Prow they said due to clusterf*#k and lack of sufficient water. They had met them when they did Central Pillar of Frenzy as a warmup climb for it. He was giving them bits of wisdom intermixed with little stories to help them with their climbing technique. I remember the AZ guys said he told them to ditch a large part of their rack for CPF and they felt the climb was poorly protected as a result of that. He laughed and said "when in doubt, run it out."
That's the only time I've ever met him in person. He was crashing out in the woods and didn't have a spot -still dodging the rangers. I think they had busted him once and he was a bit miffed. He refused beer we offered him (does he no longer drink?) He also asked us "Where are the chicks, guys?" and recounted how he used to juggle several girlfriends. So we said, "we thought you were bringing them" He told climbing related stories and jokes, some of which I'd heard before but mostly I was just in awe that he was spending time with us. We talked about some of the routes of his that we had done and how we'd enjoyed them. After midnight he grabbed his pack and went back into the woods to crash somewhere.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Apr 15, 2005 - 02:35pm PT
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I don't know if there's anything signifcant with this story, since everything went as according to normal Bridwell SOP (my interpretation of it that is), that being having a rousing good time with good friends in the mountains.
It was at Jim and Peggy's wedding reception (78 or 79) at the old Hofbrau (razed for ski area expansion) in Squaw Valley, where he had been a pro-patroler. It was a big party with a host of whos' who of climbing, skiing and family. The center piece being a big plastic trashcan full of an everclear mixed punch that wrecked havoc on the guests. But everyone seemed to have a good time none the less. The cast included many old Yosemite partners of the Bird and I got whiplash just looking at all the faces.
I was pretty hungover the next day, but man was it a good party.
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Melissa
Big Wall climber
oakland, ca
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Apr 15, 2005 - 09:51pm PT
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I don't know if lore from people who don't really know the guy is useful, but since my story is of good not evil, I'll post up...
From all of the stories that I'd heard about Bridwell, when I met him I expected him to start chasing sticks and biting the tires of passing cars or somesuch. I've only been around him twice, and did not get to witness any hazing, debauchery, or extraordinarily bold climbing. I only saw only 'nice' things really...although he did have scabs on his face suggesting that there was something to those climbing tales...
One day my friend and I had spent the day feigning to climb a wall (i.e. getting stuck in a conga line that wasn't moving) and then driving to the lower canyon in her truck only to realize that we'd left all of our ropes fixed. We went back to the Lodge to get the remaining 8.1 mm out of my truck and see if we could get one pitch in at Swan Slab before dark. Anyway, he came through the parking lot with about ten 20-year-old boys orbitting him as he advanced, several of whom knew my partner. They stopped and chatted for a while. We told them the tale of our day's gumby misadventures and our plans to conquer the Swan Slab Gulley on my twin rope. He looked at it and said, "You can't go climb on that skinny thing!" Then he reached in the back of his rig and graciously produced a brand new 10ish mm rope for us to use on our proud summit bid. He didn't know us at all and might have been hard pressed to track us down had we opted to disappear with his stuff. He just said to look for him in C4 or the bar later.
That he seemed to just realize that we knew who he was, and also my decision to post this bland little story did make me think about something that he's probably dealt with for 30 years...I wonder how it feels when nearly every stranger that you meet when climbing knows who you are and will likely pass on some commentary on your interaction with them?
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Apr 20, 2005 - 01:07pm PT
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I recall an interview with some movie star person; she said being famous is a pain in the ass. She could only go into clean bathrooms b/c if she left a dirty one someone would spread the story of how so&so was a total slob, left a mess etc. Probably not a problem for the Birdman but still, who needs to carry around the weight of other people's preconceptions?
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VW
Big Wall climber
CA
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Apr 27, 2005 - 07:19pm PT
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Bruce,
Im a humble climber/producer with an idea Id like to run by you?
How can we communicate directly?
My email is david@identityfx.com
Thanks!
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hollyclimber
Big Wall climber
Seattle, Wa
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Well, most of us young folk can only listen to the stories of old. I do like to tell occasionally about how Jim hung around my van over multiple days, suddenly even knew my name, because he wanted to borrow MY CHEATER STICK!! Now, since it did not belong to me, I had to say no every time (he kept asking). But we had a good time hanging in the meadow anyway and this year I'll bring an extra one just for him.
hgb
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10b4me
Trad climber
On that V2 problem at the Happies
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Jim hung around my van over multiple days, suddenly even knew my name, because he wanted to borrow MY CHEATER STICK!!
Jim, using a cheater stick? what's the world coming to?
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whattimeisit
climber
Moab
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Second hand story. Jim was at an O.R. party and Wills Young( Mr. Rands) was talking sh#t to his son Layton. So Jim goes up to him and busts a beer bottle across his face.Ouch.
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wildone
Social climber
the little ditch
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Heard of that one before...any more details? Sounds like a classic story for sure.
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hamie
Trad climber
Nelson B.C. Canada
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Oct 12, 2006 - 02:09pm PT
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are you still collecting stories about bridwell? i knew him in the mid 60s just before he became a legend. also some early pix. if interested please reply to my email address. cheers hamie
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville
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Oct 12, 2006 - 09:26pm PT
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A few years ago The Bird was doing a slideshow at Nomad Ventures in Jtree. we happened to be at the monument so we drove in for the show.
It was awesome with great tales and photo's of Jim doing stuff on walls that would terrify most.
At the end of the show he was fielding a few questions when a kid up front asked him what was the scariest thing he had ever done on a wall.
His reply went something like this,
"I once had to rap a f*#king fixed 8mm cord in the Goddamn rain 17 pitches up to escape an oncoming huge f*#king storm and the motherf*#king sheath on this cord was ripped to sh#t from dagling out there for months. I was scared shitless all the way down.
I think that sacred me more than any f*#king thing I'd done before or since."
The kids in the front row were in awe.
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 12, 2006 - 09:37pm PT
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Now that's funny pud. Yes Bridwell's ropes were some of the worst pieces of sh#t I've ever been on.
But, we got so used to seeing core shots on ropes it became normal. He would just put some tape over them at times. Hehehe
So it became a normal thing to wear my ropes to the core also and still use them. Cosgrove and I went to do our first ever climb together and I brought the lead line and he just about sh#t when he saw all the core shots and tape, hahahaha.
It was cool! He didn't want to lead .........so I got the lead.
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mastadon
Trad climber
Seattle
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Oct 12, 2006 - 09:37pm PT
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My Bridwell stories would only get a lot of prople in trouble. I'm pleading the 5th.
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climbrunride
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Oct 12, 2006 - 11:38pm PT
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whattimeisit wrote: "Second hand story. Jim was at an O.R. party and Wills Young( Mr. Rands) was talking sh#t to his son Layton. So Jim goes up to him and busts a beer bottle across his face.Ouch."
Actually it was at the Phoenix Bouldering Contest. I can't remember which year, but I'll guess '98. A bunch of us were hanging around a campfire when Peggy came up screaming at Jim about some British jerk at the Boreal party who had nastily insulted Layton. I can't remember the quote, but it was pretty bad. Anyways, Peggy was livid and insisted that Jim go and do something about it.
So Jim went to talk to the guy, who wasted no time in insulting Jim too. The guy apparently wanted a fight, but Jim "headed" him off at the pass with his beer bottle, and the situation quickly ended. If my fuzzy memory is right, the bottom, not side, of the bottle landed on the dude's forehead/nose junction.
The next morning I saw the bumper sticker on Jim's pickup: Age and tretchery will always beat youth and talent." (Or something like that.) Quite a fine example of that, I believe.
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Gabe
climber
San Clemente, CA
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Jan 30, 2007 - 03:20am PT
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Hey Jim.
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MisterE
Trad climber
White Van
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Jan 30, 2007 - 11:04am PT
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I have a second-hand Bridwell story.
My friend Chris related it to me thusly:
He was going to climb Hall of Mirrors, racking up at the base, when a tall ratty-looking guy popped out of the woods (he did not recognize him), and asked Chris if he was going to do that climb. Chris responded to the affirmative, and the stranger asked him for his shoes. Chris was more than a little concerned that his shoes were going to be stolen! But the guy was insistent, so finally Chris relented. The guy then ran off with his shoes without an explanation. Chris followed, alarmed, and saw, to his horror, this guy rubbing his shoes on a patch of pitch on a pine tree! He was like "Hey, WTF?" The guy turned back to him, now rubbing the soles of the shoes together briskly.
He saw Chris's dumbfounded expression and finally offered forth an explanation:
"The pine pitch will help you stick to the glacial polish, and the heat from the friction of the rubbing allows the pitch to absorb into the soles. Then he introduced himself as Jim Bridwell.
Chris said he stuck like a gecko on that climb.
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Jan 30, 2007 - 11:42am PT
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" Once at a Bridwell slide show he said, "I think my best contributions to climbing were the chalkbag, and quickdraw."
always wondered about that. "
" There is a great picture of Bridwell climbing on Mt. Everest with a butt hanging out of his mouth in Snow in the Kingdom by Ed Webster. You might want to contact Ed about the rights. "
I think it was Bridwell who also invented the bic lighter duc taped to the quickdraw so you could clip it in @ the belay and always have it at the ready.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jan 30, 2007 - 12:14pm PT
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"Jim Madsen, not the Bird, was the guy rumored to have booted Fifi off the Glacier Point Overlook. Then he (Madsen) threatened the cur's owner that she'd get the same ride lest she zipped her cakehole and backed the hell off.
Never happened . . ."
those were the days.....
"What about the story of the lunatic helicopter ride to angel falls.."
yeah, wasn't that "fool's goal" or something like that, first published in R&I and later reprinted in gorilla monsoon? classic gripper...bridwell bitch-slaps some dude who's losing it, snaps him back into shape, ducks his head into his parka to spark a camel straight, smirks over to largo and say hooo maaannnn....all this while they're pretty much convinced they're about to die...classic bridwell yarn as told by largo. you just don't read sh#t like that anymore.
fav bridwell pic: the shot of him gleefully holding up two ice tools after doing a very early ascent of cerro torre in 36 hours with some random pick-up partner, having shaved, like, three weeks off the previous fastest time.
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wildone
climber
Isolated in El Portal and loving it
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Jan 30, 2007 - 01:03pm PT
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bvb- Alpinist-18, has a feature article on the bird. If you don't have it, go to your local shop and PICK IT UP! Good vintage pics that I hadn't already seen
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jan 30, 2007 - 01:28pm PT
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A crazy high-school buddy of mine was living in Tahoe in the '70s...
"Hey Kelly, ever heard of this guy named Jim Bridwell?"
"Hell yeah, that dude is a rad Yosemite climber!"
"Dang, I've been washing dishes with him. The guy's a nut. We do lines on top of the sink and then rage through the dishes. He taught me how to use Draino to clean the pots that the cooks burned."
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