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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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If I remember right, ole Dr. Freddy Von Zeal said he climbed Surprised back in the 70s. Perhaps around the same time period as Off Whites?
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Gramicci- Ah, the fabled Tahquitz Nordwand...I remember it well. Of course, before we reached the famous “White Beatle,” we passed the other legendary features: the Moderately Easy Crack, the Almost Frozen Hose, the The First and Second Slushfields, the Lark’s Nest, the Traverse of the Boneheads, the Off-Ramp, and the dreaded Poodle Bivouac.
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todd-gordon
climber
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I had the opportunity to climb the N. Face of Tahquitz one winter (Late 70's) when the whole face was covered with hard packed snow and sections of water ice..I bought my crampons at the Newport Beach Ski Mart....Rob helped me put together my SMC crampons....lots of pieces to fit together....My partner was Ian Carter...a college buddy who knew as much about ice climbing as me....(basically nothing..).We climbed 8 pitches , about up where the Larks go.....it took all day, we were hit by big spindrift avalanches, and for portection, we hacked through the snow and ice and tied off branches of small trees and bushes, or occasionally we found exposed rock and pounded in pitons in shallow cracks (The pins stuck way out and we tied them off with slings) We couldn't use any hexes or stoppers, for the cracks were completely covered or iced up . We were cold , scared, way in above our heads experience-wise, and very happy to finally get to the top without anything bad happening to ourselves. We front-pointed everything, for that is all we knew how to do, and our legs were aching. You would think that after such an "epic", we would swear off ice climbing?.....The next week-end we were back, for the conditions were still excellent, and , in the period of 1 week, we had forgotten all about the fear, danger, cold......and only remembered how cool, and exciting the whole experience was......this time we started up Hoodunnit....Why did we do this stuff?....The Stonemasters were climbing "The Shit" in the 70's....we thought we could too....or at least we were inspired by what they were doing.......doin' loads and climbing every free moment and climing hard.....only our talent level wasn't quite up to snuff with the Stonemaster's.;.....We were lucky to have survived our youth....
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rmuir
Social climber
the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Man! Every Winter route on the North Face of the 'Quitz was an epic! Why did we do that stuff? No matter how low the rating, the routes were a crap shoot on even the best of cold winter days! Remember that Chouinard poster, of the Scot soloing some winter spindrift? (Personally, I'm thinking we should blame the short guy for suckering us all into those Winter heroics and he manufactured the goods so that we, young, impressionable yout could get all jiggly on that stuff.) And, Todd, you ASKED to buy those crampons, right? ;-p
Ken Cook and I stomped up the North drainage, since the conditions looked promising that weekend... (Maybe 1973 or 1974?) Over near El Wampo/Northeast Farce, there was this runnel that seemed good. 5.7. How hard could it be, right? Scottish conditions, fer sure. Dodgy, thin, no decent protection, and you've got this ENTIRE RACK of pointy screws and daggers that have no hope of getting placed. Big pointy teeth! (In retrospect, it's good that not many of us fell during those winters!)
Somewhere on the second pitch, we were watching thin sheets slough-off the slabs; stuff that looked like the crap that Grammich was leading in that Ricky photo. Man, my neoprene gloves are sweating just looking at that photo! (Memories I'd like to forget!) So, tell us guys, that MUST be the "Traverse of the Boneheads!' Right?
"We were lucky to have survived our youth..." Indeed.
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Just got back from 2 hrs of thermaling my paraglider in the Laguna Mtns. before the rains come. Got my fix for the next 2 weeks. San Gorgonio, and San Jacinto from 7000' in the distance is looking nice and white but the snowline is kinda high, bummer.
This is all good stuff. Lots of history. It truly is amazing how Rubidoux, Tahquitz, Suicide, the Stonemasters, and even climbing ice on Tahq. all came together in So. Cal. and real pivitol marks were made in North American Climbing and all the legends that have born from that. Truly great stuff.
Rick A. -- I have read that quote by Tom Patey, but I can't remember where I read it. Just glanced through my copy of Climbing Ice (Chouinard) with plenty of pics of Tom, but couldn't find it there. Yea, Tahquitz ice is not to be counted on and it certainly is serious climbing (I haven't been on it in winter), when the conditions are right you just have to drop everything and go I guess. It's nice that we can relie on Lee Vining in Winter, and Sierra Couloirs in Fall, however, the couliors are now coming into condition earlier than normal (in the summer now) from what I hear. This global warming has me worried.
Chamonix has a special place in my heart -- I call it Disneyland for Alpine sports. I was able to climb Mont Blanc on the 200 yr. anniversary of Bastille day in 1989. My daughter's name is Chamonix.
Also, when the N. face of San Jac is plastered in Winter, there are so many serious looking mixed climbing ridge routes. Even right now with not a lot of snow, there is long ridge after ridge routes up there. Seems to me many first ascent plums to pick, summer or winter. The N. face of San Jac is big. I'm surprised we don't hear about it more being right here in So. Cal.
Stonemasters, did Tobin ever climb Tahquitz ice with any of you? Also, I would like to hear about those pillar climbs in the main Tram canyon. JL? Bridwell?
The last time I went up the Tram in winter a member of the Von Trap family was up there yodel singing. I swear I was in the Alps.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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This is good stuff fellas.
Off White, that picture of Galen on the Weeping Wall is a Peach!
Yes, Mr. Gramicci, I do have quite a bit less hair: additionally, in more recent years, I've found that totally bald bit just aft of top dead center feels realy weird man.
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rbolton
Social climber
Glendora, CA
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Largo,
Whip out the billfold, man. I spotted that fop Muir on
candlestickless in the early 80's. It made an impression on
me as I couldn't do it, with or without sticks.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Upstream Klimmer wrote: "jabs and barbs from the Rubidoux Boys and the Woodson Men still continues". Klimmer, perhaps you could go back to that post and fix the obvious transposing of Boys/Men? Yeap, seems like some issues can never quite get resolved. But then, I guess that's half (or more) the fun.
Tarbuster, dude I think we're gonna have to admit defeat. I have now come to the conclusion that exhibit "R" never existed. Thanks for the noble effort at extracting the truth out there in CO. Too bad Gramicci had too tease us like that.
OK. Largo, I really hate to do this to you, but I have to back Muir on this Candlestickless thing. Seems I've also seen him do it. Wish I hadn't, but I have.
And no Robs, you won't drag me onto it or even over to it, unless it's to take pictures of you on it (unless you already have some). New sticks or not.
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Dimes
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Candlestickless-tennis shoes-aspens. Funku-how,Funku-when,Funku-later. Dig deep boys for some World Peace.
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WBraun
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2006 - 01:25am PT
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Dimes
"Dig deep boys for some World Peace."
Do you have the method?
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Cool picture of the Big Stone.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Klimmer, perhaps you could go back to that post and fix the obvious transposing of Boys/Men?
sorry henny, but i think klimmer got that exactly right the first time. heh.
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Dimes
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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So if you are not up for World Peace then, you must be Helter Skelter. And if you are searching for one of the last undone mega-dime problems at the "Doux" then, Funku-how. Hint, near the Candlestickless.
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rmuir
Social climber
the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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So, Bolton, what do you mean by fop?! Huh?
Are you leading up to a story here?
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Tuan DeLusion
Social climber
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"So, Bolton, what do you mean by fop?! Huh?"
That is painful. I think you should demand satisfaction and name seconds.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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This might be gettin' really good. Send the story Bolton! And don't be teasing us and then hold out on the goods like Gramicci did with Exhibit "R".
("Are you leading up to a story here?" : Are we worried about something Robs?)
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Henny--
I looked back at that post. True, I'm not the best speller at times (my excuse -- I'm a HS Physics and Earth Science teacher not english), but I don't see anything wrong with it gramatically. Besides the "edit" button doesn't appear for me on that post. Weird huh?
OffWhite--
At the beginning of this post those are great shots of buildering in PB. They really bring out the climbing culture of the times. Nice shots.
In the tradition of the Stonemasters and the further south scumbags, Tim U. on the first barefoot ascent/lap of Indian Boulder (circa '78). The complete circuit is called "Scofflaw" near Barona Indian Reservation not far from "The Twilight Zone" mentioned in Crags and Boulders of San Diego County ('78). Pretty challenging to connect the entire circumnavigation. And another thing, we weren't PC either.
Photo by GHS/Realm of Light
Tim would say if you don't climb the routes sans chalk and shoes, then "you" really haven't done the climb. I hear sans clothes, shoes, and chalk are making a come-back soon??
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rbolton
Social climber
Glendora, CA
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Fop (fop)
n.
A man who is preoccupied with and often vain about his clothes and manners: a dandy.
I got this during a sh*t talking session with Kojak a couple years ago. I guess during the period when the stonemasters were running roughshod over the sensibilities of the old guys the following occurred. Ivan (Bud) Couch and Kojak are standing in Humber Park one lovely Sunday morning. The quiet of the morning is broken by the sound of a small car screaming up the hill. A drop top MG slides to a stop next to them. A young feller with EXTREMLY long hair and an immaculate white outfit hops out. He proceeds to carefully brush out the hair and fastidiously tie it back. He grabs his pack and jogs up the hill. While this show goes on, Ivan is clenching his fists, and gritting his teeth. He finally manages to spit out "That...G*ddamn...FOP"! He storms off, his day ruined by foppishness. The fop was Muir.
The other story Kojak tells is of Ivan giving a tour of his county park boulder problems. I don't know who all was in tow but I do know Largo was. I guess Ivan was getting a little frustrated by the fact that these young imps were pulling down all his best stuff. The frustration reached a crescendo at the end of the session when Largo inquires "so...Where you keep the hard stuff around here"?
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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"Besides the "edit" button doesn't appear for me on that post. Weird huh?"
Did you log in first?
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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YES. IT IS ONLY "THAT" POST. No edit button. Really weird. Really weird. What can you do?
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