stillcrankin

Jeebus! That is an AWSOME picture! Beautiful black and white with perfect clarity. EB’s. Perlon and webbing slung hexes and stoppers. Maybe even a MOAC. Hole in the seat of your pants. Doesn’t get much better than that. You’re throwing down some beauties, Mr. Off_White. I still can’t believe we never crossed paths. Here’s another Reeds area climb on the far left side. Probably 1974 or so. The Left Side of the Remnant. A burly, overhanging, hard to protect, wide, horror show. Perfect. What could possibly go wrong.

Timson, on that same fateful day in the Reeds Pinnacle parking area before heading up.

OK Mr Off_White, here’s another B&W photo. This is at the top of the 2nd pitch of Reeds Direct in 1974. This might have been the time Timson, Bob Crawford and I did all three pitches when Timson gave Crawford a bunch of slack on the desperate 3rd pitch off-width.

I can’t believe we never crossed paths in the 70’s, Mr Off_White. The Central Pillar is a proud climb-especially back then. 1977 wasn’t that long after the 1st ascent. Here’s an old pic of MisterMo on Moby Dick Center in 1972. This is an old-school Yosemite crack that goes from 3/4” to 3-1/2”. I’m one of the proud few that can say I backed off this climb when I was 16 after I ran out of 3-1/2” bongs.

More oldies: Hardman Timson on the Slack Center at the base of El Capitan 1974. This is a pretty stout 5.10, even today. I really like black and white photography and shot B&W film for a couple seasons in the 70’s.

num1mc, I’m still waiting for an answer.... Meanwhile, here another oldie. Not mine, though. Bruce Albert took this one of Carla Firey, probably sometime in the 70’s, somewhere at Peshastin Pinnacles. One of these days Bruce (MrMo) is gonna kick my ass for using his photos.

I know it’s hard to believe but I don’t recognize you from that picture of you when you were 12 years old so you’re gonna have to tell me your name. You might even be in this hacky-sac circle next to the Tuolumne Meadows gas station. From right to left, Marko Milano, Eric Thixton (facing the other way), Rick LeDuc and three other Washingtonians.

Hahahaha! Fake news!!! Actually, not so fake, although mother and my home had nothing to do with this incident. I may have been heard to say, “I don’t know about you fuckers, but I’m going down”. Dave Anderson, Dave Davis, Don Brooks and I were attempting the Norwegian buttress in ‘74 or so. Donn Heller wasn’t along. I may have uttered that shocking statement after doing a horrendous half lead through an overhanging loose block section that no one else was willing to finish. So which one of those kids is a Tarver and which one is you? I met Annies brother John many moons ago. Here’s Anne in Tuolumne in 1980. The cowboys LOVED her....

You got that right tan-staff. This is what he looked like 44 years ago and he might be even more fit today. Mutant doesn’t even start to describe him. Driven beyond reason might be closer.

Are all of those kids Tarvers? OK, here’s another. Dave Anderson taking a swing at the 1st free ascent of Japanese Gardens in the mid 70’s. All we had were hexes for protection and neither of us was willing to commit. Probably would have been a grounder from way too far up...

Jason, there’s always more. I’m glad you like them... Not my picture but Anne Tarver’s dad, Frank, is on the left with Warren Harding and Harding’s Jag in the back. Frank Tarver was involved early on with the 1st ascent of The Nose.

Another wayback photo. I seem to have plenty... Anne Tarver at Peshastin Pinnacles on Washboard sometime in the mid to late ‘70’s.

I don’t ever remember climbing with Donn and Don. Had to think about it. Here’s Timson and I having a bro’ moment partway up Vanishing Point in The Trench in 1975

OK you old farts 💨 Time to throw down som more chit. first pic: Amphitheater Peak 1971? If you look closely, you can see Dave or Donn in the dihedral on the left side of the buttress. I had to scuttle back to camp for more hardware. We hadn’t really planned on climbing the whole thing that day so we hadn’t grabbed much gear. It actually only took a few hours to get to the top. second pic: Meat Grinder, Yosemite 1972 third pic: Steph Atwood on Breacfast of Champions 1976 fourth pic: Grand Wall December 1970 fifth pic: Town Crier UTW 1970 sixth pic: Green Drag-on 1972-73 maybe first ascent or first ascent attempt. I can’t remember which. seventh pic: remains of the original 2nd pitch of Town Crier after it peeled off eighth pic: Don Brooks Leaning Tower Yosemite 1973 ninth pic: Kit Lewis Midnight Rock mid 70’s last pic: Dawn Wall 1980

Older than you? Ouch!! Now that really hurts. At least we’re both still out there gettin’ it done. When young gym rats tease me for being a has-been, I always reply with, “I’d rather be a has-been than a never-was-and-never-will-be”. Haha 😂.... When I rapped off of Madsen’s ledge that day, I moved the fixed line to the left so I could rap down Abraxis, Timson’s route that I took two 50 footers off of in 1970. Here’s a picture looking up the second pitch. If you look closely, you can see the crack is festooned with copperheads. Would’a traded my left nut for some of those back then. Also, here’s a picture of the single 1/4” belay bolt Pat used with a tied off knifeblade. Now there are four shiny 3/8” stainless bolts next to Pat’s original.