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mazamarick
Trad climber
WA
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I was thinking about hosting a "git together" here in Mazama in late September or the 1st week Oct. Several sports crags within walking distance, Washington Pass Liberty Bell, Cutthroat, Kangaroo Ridge- 15 miles away and a slew of mtn. bike and road riding on the MVSTA trails/FS rds. Would that work? June could work as well, just a bit shorter notice that's all. It's an option if anyone's interested.
rl
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Late September gets my vote.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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how about Rick Graham and Greg McKenna and Frank Swife and Ken Abeta, anyone know whatever happened to those guys? Still out getting it done?
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mazamarick
Trad climber
WA
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McKenna still climbs, he has a place over here (Methow Valley)so I see him often. He did Liberty Crack last year with Timson and the W. Face of El Cap last fall. Not bad for a guy with 32 kids and a full time job!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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I'd be quite interested, but the Yosemite FaceLift is September 23rd - 27th this year. Sometime in early October may be better - perhaps October 9th & 10th, which happens to be Canucklehead thanksgiving?
I could possibly show some of my photos from the Climbing at Squamish in the 1970s thread - many are now on CD, and I used them for my presentation at VIMFF. Plus Dave and Dave might be interested in coming, or at least agree to my showing the Sentry Box video. Maybe Perry could be talked into coming, too.
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Chief
climber
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Anders, while I'd have to stop short of calling you an attractive man, I don't think a face lift is necessary.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Abraham Lincoln: God must have liked ordinary-looking people, because he made so many of them.
So there!
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mazamarick
Trad climber
WA
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Early Octo would work just as long as it doesn't coincide with the opening of the general hunting season. Perry, could you make it? It'd be awesome to get the Sqaumish hardcore together again!
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RDB
Social climber
way out there
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There was a good collection of climbing photos from the late '70s to early '80s lost in Gustav's fire. Although the photos could have been any vintage prior to the fire. Most if not all were traded to the climbers for free food. That would be a fun collection to dupicate here as well.
I have a few around somewhere I'll dig up. Anyone else out there trade out photos for food (was it Mike?) bitd?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Maybe a Flying Leonard will drop into the git-down...
Linda Givler doing justice to her blue suede shoes (ok, also her jeans)
Today's Mystery Crag!
Many know it as Too Far to Walk Rock. To me that moniker rests
firmly on the broad shoulders of The Mole. With visions of 'big wall'
solo stardom dancing before my eyes I humped a hundred pounder up there.
By the time I actually got into a position to abuse something besides
myself I was totally knackered. I also had the good excuse of having to
be back to work the next day. Luckily it was a big snow year so with a
mighty "See ya later sucker!" I kicked said pig off the col at the head
of Rat Creek and watched it go at least halfway to Icicle Creek.
The Too Far to Walk Rock above saw us a few pitches up. I led over an
overhang and started hauling. Of course the sow got hung on the lip.
The party to the second party, who shall remain nameless (unless he does me
further aggravation), jugged up and freed it. Then he came up and helped
haul the last 40'. It hung again on a small something so I leaned out to
pull it clear while the party to the second party heaved. With a mighty
"TWANG" I was suddenly holding 20' of slack as I watched our dearly
departed drop to the slabs below. The magnificent eruption was only
matched by the greater eruption of wailing from the owners of the extensive
collection of Pentax and Bolex Super 8 camera gear now liberally festooning
the slopes below. The party to the second party, who tied yon deflated
porcine nonentity, tried to disappear back into the bong that spawned this
sad tale but, as the saying goes, that was smoke up the chimney. We are
still friends.
Bonus blast from the past:
Steve Barnett of the Barnett Self-Belay System. Hey, it worked once
you got it dialed in even if it took half the day.
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mastadon
Trad climber
quaking has-been
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Steve Barnett---HA! I wonder whatever happened to him.
I'm almost afraid to post any more pictures 'cause I've probably pissed all my old friends off by subjecting their pictures to the internet. Even the ones who've died- they probably can't wait for me to check out so they can kick my ass in the afterlife.
---
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mastadon
Trad climber
quaking has-been
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Yah, pretty much like that.... I'd forgotten about those. I'm gonna have some 'splainen to do.
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SGropp
Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
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The North Face of the Mole !
Did that one in '74 with Bruce Blume. A really cool otherworldly place with great views.
The most memorable parts of the climb were the terrifying rappels off the top from really crappy 1/4" bolts into a chasm filled with giant knife like flakes.
Also, during the long , long hike back down the screws that held the soles onto my Kronhoffers worked through into the inside of the shoes.
Any news on Bruces whereabouts?
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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The Mole, The Duolith. The Blockhouse. Rat Creek and Hook Creek and Edwards Mesa and Tolketie and Coney lake. What amazing places high in the sky above Leavenworth. One of my partners was up and down Tolketie lately and he said it is not the way to go into the Lost World Plateau anymore as so much deadfall from the fire blocks the trail now. Anyone ever been to the mountain lion caves(as we call em) on Edwards mesa? Or climbed the different summits of the Comb? Exceptionally amazing spires with all of eastern Washington as a backdrop 6000 feet below your heels
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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When does hunting season start? How about October 2nd & 3rd? Maybe Tami would come to the Methow, too.
It it's October 2/3, then I could stop there on the way back from the FaceLift.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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It seems like Barnett packed it in by the late 70's and
became Mr Telemark. I'm quite sure he moved to Winthrop and
I thought he was involved in the first heli-ski business up there.
Mazama should know.
Oh, as regards the photo, uh, I don't think he was soloing.
Of course some of my partners often felt they were.
"Hey, Doofus! Wake the phuk up!"
So is that poor pathetic tree on Yellowbird still hanging on for dear life?
Another aspect of Leavenworth that needs to be addressed is the
buzzworm issue. As someone who has climbed there, the Valley, the Southern
Sierras, and all through the desert, I aver that the buzzworms/acre
in the Leavenworth area is unsurpassed. I remember going up to
Midnight one cool fall morning. Right above Castle Rock the trail goes
around a big tree. Just before the tree is a boulder that everybody
naturally puts their left hand on. Just as I was about to do so I saw
the little feller curled up in the dish-like depression on top. Being a
buzzworm lover and seeing as how it was a weekday I figgered we'd be the
only ones up there all day. So it was and on the way down he was still
there although he'd warmed up to the point of stirring as we walked by two
feet away.
My best story is a Weigelt story. We'd been up at Givler's Dome. On the way down Mark walked by a big overhanging boulder. In a flash he practically leaped into my arms or at the least didn't even see me as he
exited the scene. It was a friggin' monster all right; easily a Burgner
forearm and pushing 7'. Mark was so worked up he started racing downhill
which naturally caused all of us to do so whooping and hollering all the way to the road.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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One evening around 1980 or so coming down the trail from Midnight my friend Stan jumped over a massive timber rattler must have been 10 feet long and massively thick body. It had curled up in the trail and we were jogging down and he ran over the top of it, and then turned and screamed at me to stop. It took me a minute to understand what he was saying and even longer to see the snake it was so well camoflauged on the trail. Never before or since have i seen a rattler even close to that big. Granddaddy of them all we figured.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Stud,
I was going to say ours was that big too but according to the
literature the N. Pacific Rattler only reaches 5' so I decided
to say 7' so as not to appear to daffy. But I am pretty sure it
was over 8'. What the hell do those academics know? It sure as
hell was way over 5'. I'll post some pics I took of Jim McCarthy
and me playin' with 'em - not the monster. He's even more goofy
than me when it comes to them things.
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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Barnett lives in Ferndale and is skiing in the Baker area backcountry almost every day. He has even been at Squamish a few times over the last several years.
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