Sibleyville

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Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Jan 21, 2012 - 12:42pm PT

I just visited Sibleyville and we were laughing that the esteemed residents should have signed the wall on the way out! LOL

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Jan 21, 2012 - 01:40pm PT

I was in the middle of a really stressful construction project in I guess 1974, building the Catalyst nightclub in Santa Cruz and after about half a year of this nonsense, could hardly bear to deal with its alcoholic bully of an owner Randall Kane, the hipster-beat heir to the Underwood Typewriter fortune. This was a nightmare job and it was a different story each day, coming from him and his strange henchmen whom we called “Kandi Kanes” behind their backs. He even had us hire his totally hung-over know-nothing bartenders as carpenter-laborers whilst a couple of nasty accidents ensued.

So I disappeared for an unscheduled five-day weekend; was it summer or later Spring as I got on the plane in SFO heading for Denver? I never had climbed in the state and was thrilled to give it a try though I had no real connections there. The first day and that night, I was down in Colorado Springs, staying incognito at some vintage motel, having driven a rental car from the airport, and climbing with two young noob guys I met in the Garden. Even though it was my first time at the spot, I quickly ran out of curiosity and headed for Eldo where a couple of hours later bouldering roadside were Sibley, Kevin Donald, Mike Lowe and others. Sibley had been in the Valley a few years prior and we had become friends. Much thanks to him, he now put me up at his wonderful Pony Express Station for the rest of the trip while I climbed with Lowe in Eldo. Tremendous climbing---very reminiscent of a giant Indian Rock (Berkeley); wonderful group of guys and superb weather. We buildered downtown one of the nights even. Were we at the Boulderado? Mike was starting a climbing and guiding business at the mouth of the Canyon in those days. When I returned to my baleful project, I was able to tolerate it for another month, thanks to those guys and the great state of Colorado. Very memorable!

jopay

climber

so.il

Jan 22, 2012 - 02:57pm PT

Enjoying this thread, I remember a rainy day in Eldo when everyone took refuge in Paul Sibley's gear shop. I took a seat on the porch next to Bobby Knight who had just recently had an article in Climbing about a trip to Patagonia, he described for me watching a condor sweep by their belay, needless to say I was in awe.

steveA

Trad climber

bedford,massachusetts

Jan 22, 2012 - 05:04pm PT

Funny,

Jimmy Dunn called me today, just to say hello.

I asked him if he knew Paul Sibley. I know that I visited his place way back,and what I remember most was the underground coal fires, and you could feel the heat coming out of the cracks.

Anyway, Jimmy brought that up in our conversation as well.

He said that he helped Paul clean up the place right after he bought it. Apparently there were a bunch of drug addicts in there, and there were hypodermic needles and crap all over the place.

Long time ago.