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Aeriq
Sport climber
100-year Visitor
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May 17, 2019 - 05:44pm PT
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Perhaps the demise of this forum represents the end of the old, eccentric, anarchistic activities variously lumped under the term "climbing." Miscreants, ne'er-do-wells, vagabonds and scalawags, but of course there were probably many fine people as well....
Climbing has finally made it through a prolonged and painful adolescence, emerging with enthusiastic respectability along with a surge of technical advancement, as it ventures onto the Olympic arena. The first doping scandals have already emerged - how ironic, when certain generations of climbers looked with suspicion on anyone who did not partake.
As surfing bifurcated into parallel but distinct paths, competitions and huge wave riding garnered attention, but lifelong diehards still just kept doing their thing in zen reflection mode.
Climbing will abide, perhaps with the momentary blaze of Olympic fervor generating a new crop of insanely talented youngsters, but that may be a blessing in disguise, as the classics will remain, with less attention paid to them. Savor the moves.
Very eloquent AE!
It is a mixed blessing - thanks for a fun run.
"It's better to burn out than to fade away" -Neil Young
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California, now Ireland
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May 17, 2019 - 05:47pm PT
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Thank you Chris, RJ and all. It was a blast. I wish I could have posted more climbing-related material then I did, instead of some of the stuff I put up. I hope I contributed some worthwhile posts, I know I posted some crap.
I have been a Taco Stander since 2005, I got in contact with some old friends and made some new ones. I enjoyed all of it, yes even some of the political posts (but not especially). I also learned a lot about a number of things and issues, and of course found the Mac help better than any Mac forum.
Best wishes to you Chris and the Supertopians.
Cheers
Patrick
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Sport climber
moving thru
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May 17, 2019 - 05:55pm PT
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Patrick, have to say glad I met you on this forum. Many of us, myself included, have struggled with life and this place gave to us from the community to help us forward. Cheers! Keep peace and joy in your heart.
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Nate Ricklin
climber
San Diego
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May 17, 2019 - 06:11pm PT
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Damn I guess we’ll never find out about Licky’s stupid book.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
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May 17, 2019 - 06:18pm PT
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Aeriq....Thanks for the Neil Young song and the royalties it brings me...See you at the lumber yard...rotting johnny
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 17, 2019 - 06:37pm PT
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Yeah, I also like what AE just wrote.
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Radical Rebirth
Trad climber
Texas
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May 17, 2019 - 06:48pm PT
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For me this was the always the only forum on the internet. Amazed me how I could be so interested in ST and couldn’t spend more than a few minutes on any other site.
Want to thank Chris, RJ, Mike, Hardman and others for creating this place for all of us.
ST was certainly a time hole, but I took away so many lessons from this site and I still continue to grow today and into the future. The polarity that formed, the debates, discussions, and mistakes have helped me learn to examine opposing arguments and variables and I still continue to deprogram today in the most wonderful ways because of ST. Life is 95 percent politics and 100 percent keeping your mouth shut and I’ve learned that to a great degree on ST.
ST taught me to write and I used this skill to go back to school and become an emergency room NP. As well, right now I’m working hard to get a part time job to work with migrants here along the border and I really try to make a good difference in their lives. I can promise that I would never have made it through family, work and 10 papers a week without the writing practice I acquired on ST. Medicine has been the greatest adventure of my life ( excluding El Cap) and it probably wouldn’t have happened with out my fascination with this crazy forum.
As I read that ST was closing today, I’m right now laying in a hospital bed waiting to go to OR for my second back surgery in a week which will ironically and hopefully open a new door to new climbing just as this one is closing. I’m laying here and thinking about all the climbers we lost on this forum in the last 18 years - cancer, suicide, climbing accidents, work place accidents, old age, wing suits. It’s so daunting and I think it had made me angry with the climbing community that the culture didn’t dial back the obsession, cheerleading and risk. I myself had read the history of climbing and practiced my own climbing as a study in risk mitigation. But it’s a tough line and now know that it’s only luck that I or anyone of us here today didn’t get the chop in some way.
I’m drawn to the romantic and comforting idea of Valhalla or Heaven where I once again meet my grandma, dog, best friends and many climbers that have passed too soon. I think these many deaths, school stress, and my own as#@&%e tendencies in the first place caused me to act like a jerk-off the last time I was on ST. I definitely took it too far and hurt some people I respect and love deeply. Fighting with my sushi fest friends is my deepest ST regret and I humbly apologize.
It’s so coincidental, I had tears in my eyes just yesterday posting a photo of Mount Louis and thinking that I might not hike or climb again due to such a poor surgery outcome last friday. This really distilled what was important to me in life and what will make me smile on my death bed. Family and my children are my passion and greatest love. But come on - it’s the climbing adventure that really spins the head. That photo got me motivated and back to San Antonio and emergent surgery today - and now ST closes.
( so got pulled away and had surgery at this point ) 🤣 20mg of morphine and anesthesia added to this minor rant now.🤪
So with all this considered ST, what I’m most grateful for is the climbing. For this young and screwed up kid from Northern, Alberta who spent his childhood climbing buildings, I’m so very fortunate to have lived my childhood dream of becoming an all around climber.. I close my eyes and see all the exploring, wonder and beauty .The long approaches, perfect finger cracks, ridges and all those beautiful summits.
The first time I saw the black mass of El Cap, while driving into the park at night with my wife, I swore on the spot that I would never ever climb such a crazy thing. It took 15 years to break this promise and it wasn’t easy. Thank you so much to Paul Soza, for climbing El Cap with me. We did it as I had always dreamed. Two El Cap noobs on the greatest adventure of their lives. I had had half a dozen overwhelmed partners quit on me over the years; then I came as close to a rope-chop death with Baba as two people can get- it’s a miracle Baba didn’t die. . Paul turned out to be the perfect guy and so technically intelligent, kind hearted and solid. Imagine us, sending El Cap with our eyes wide open and full of bliss the entire way. We felt as close to Harding as any first timers can in the modern age.
I’m high as hell here and can hardly see 😂😂🤘🏼🤪
But thank you to the many 100s if not thousands I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and climbing with in the last 18 years because of ST. Thanks to the mountain gods for allowing me to meet and become close with so many of my climbing heroes. Thank you to Doug for organizing all the Sushi Fests and to Jeff Lowe for suggesting that 100s of us meet to climb and become friends. Thank you to Mr Gordon for hosting so many parties and wonderful benefits. Thank you to the many mature, kind and senior members on this board who taught many of us grace and better examples of communication. And most of all to everyone I roped up with and shared crags and big walls with. My memory for events is still good and you all remain in my heart - too many people to mention. I’ll clean this up later cause I’m seeing double., But I lay here in the hospital bed and from Flag, to the Valley to Red Rocks, The Hulk, Lover’s Leap, J-tree, Zion, Indian Creek, Squish, Moab and so many more. You’re all running through my morphine drenched mind now and making me smile. Especially you , Tim. 🙈🙈🤪🤪🤘🏼🤘🏼😀😀🙏🙏❤️❤️🐸🐸🐸🐸
So long, ST
Riley
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Trump
climber
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May 17, 2019 - 07:09pm PT
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So long, and thanks for all the fish!
Nicely done. That was a really kind and generous thing you did for us all, and I appreciate it and am grateful.
Keep on keeping on people! Best wishes wherever the road leads you.
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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May 17, 2019 - 07:10pm PT
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Many thanks to all!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 17, 2019 - 07:16pm PT
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hey there, say, chris and rj... oh my, :(
say, thanks for letting us know the 'cut off date'... and thanks
for letting it still 'sit' to be read:
You can continue to post using your existing accounts for the next few weeks, but effective June 1st, the site will strictly become a read-only archive.
oh my... no more 'hey there, say... '
:(
best wishes... your site, here, planted seeds and grew many
healthy PLANTS with tentrils that will reach out to each other,
throughout the future...
only a good 'garden' space, rich, like yours, could have
done this...
thank you both...
:)
hee hee, you are always to be remembered as 'our fearless leader',
to me...
:)
*cleo-- will come post on your wonderful THREAD, soon,
but, right now-- i am falling asleep ... got up too
early, :O
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 17, 2019 - 07:18pm PT
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hey there, say, johntp... yep, oh yep in deed:
i will miss this place, too...
always checked it, even if i had not time to post...
had to 'check in on the family' ...
:)
EDIT-- RADICAL... radical riley...
say, just saw the post...
i will check in on you, at facebook and send a card...
man oh man, no wonder we have hard from you, over there...
(well, what did i know, i been so busy, i only stop by there, fast) ...
so glad you SAW about the taco, and posted here...
you belong in the 'sign off's ...
:)
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zip
Trad climber
pacific beach, ca
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May 17, 2019 - 07:32pm PT
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Bummer.
Thanks for the ride.
Where do we go now?
Are there any other forums like this one?
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rock grrl
Trad climber
CA
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May 17, 2019 - 07:37pm PT
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Feels like the end of an era... thank you for the hard work on the forums. I know how hard it can be having been an admin on a popular forum in another industry.
Glad the forums will still be around to be read, it will serve as a time capsule of the past 18 years!
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donald perry
Trad climber
kearny, NJ
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May 17, 2019 - 07:53pm PT
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Supertopo Management,
I have tried to contact you in the past, but there has been no response.
Would you be interested in selling the Forum so it can remain active, and if so for how much?
You know how to reach me.
Donald Perry
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 17, 2019 - 08:26pm PT
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Radical Riley rides again!
Dude:
Welcome back here at the 11th hour. Love what you just wrote. Don't change a thing!
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limpingcrab
Gym climber
Minkler, CA
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May 17, 2019 - 08:29pm PT
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There are few things I despise more than unnecessary and excessive lawsuits
What is one of the main drivers of expensive medical care and medication?
Lawsuits
Why do many areas get closed to the public?
Lawsuits
What's with all the no trespassing signs and locked gates?
Lawsuits
Why is insurance so expensive?
Lawsuits
What is a main cause of excessive regulation?
Lawsuits
Why do some climbing areas get closed?
Lawsuits
What ruined many of the fun things you used to be allowed to do?
Lawsuits
WHAT KILLED SUPERTOPO!?!?!?!?!
LAWSUITS!!!!
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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May 17, 2019 - 08:30pm PT
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This is an incredible opportunity for all the people on this forum who couldn't believe that SuperTopo wasn't raking in the big bucks to start their own website and get filthy rich!!!
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F10
Trad climber
Bishop
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May 17, 2019 - 08:36pm PT
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Thanks for the great times
It’s been a super place for a lot of climbing info and experiences
F10 climber F11 drinker and F10 say thanks
It’s been a fun ride
James
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Hubbard
climber
San Diego
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May 17, 2019 - 08:38pm PT
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We had a forum in San Diego at one time. It started out well but soon a few trolls started calling anyone who posted names and slagged anyone and everyone. The guy running the forum didn't want to edit anyone. The shitshow continued. All the good posters slowly faded away not enjoying getting smeared by the trolls. eventually it was just the trolls slagging each other each evening for their entertainment. Then it was just king troll all alone shouting out to nobody on the road to nowhere. That forum died and the plug was pulled. I have seen this movie before.
They think that life is but a joke, but you and I have been through that and this is not our fate.....
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Lorenzo
Trad climber
Portland Oregon
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May 17, 2019 - 09:20pm PT
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What is one of the main drivers of expensive medical care and medication?
Lobbiestst paying off congress to make competitive bidding for drugs illegal. Also, allowing drug patents to be extended. Also: same lobbiests keeping medical care privatized.
Why do many areas get closed to the public?
Oil and mining want the land. See: Bears Ears.
What's with all the no trespassing signs and locked gates?
Property rights. Stay the hell outa my yard without permission,
Why is insurance so expensive?
See: insurance lobby
What is a main cause of excessive regulation?
Congress. Also: people doing things that killed and maimed people. Somebody died for every line in the electrical and building codes.
Why do some climbing areas get closed?
See: Bears Ears. Also, you probably made yourself annoying. Did you forget to close the cattle gate?
What ruined many of the fun things you used to be allowed to do?
You were too st00pid a peckerhead to not draw attention to what you were doing.
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