stillcrankin

Go back to the Supertopo.com site where this picture was trolled from. I think they identify everyone in the picture....... The one in front is an ex-Seattleite.

Yah, it was pretty cool. We didn't see anyone the whole trip. We'd just come from Washington Pass after doing Liberty Crack. The Washington Pass road was under construction and still a dirt road at the time. We had to skirt a gate to get up to the pass. THAT was cool. There wasn't anyone anywhere. I'd love to have gone up there when it was still a trail and you had to hike ten miles to get there. Now THAT would have been wild.

MisterMo Sir, My bad!! You're absolutely right. It was Amphitheater that we did so many years ago. My, how our memories fade. (Thank goodness for the edit button!)

Donn Heller and Dave Anderson on Amphitheater Peak 1971. Long hike in. No people seen anywhere. Beautiful setting. Incredible cracks. Lots of lichen.

Donn Heller, 1971 on Amphitheater Peak.

Amphitheater Peak from Cathedral Lake......

Good God, MisterMo sir, could that have been........have been..........you?? After your prompting, I do remember Dick getting up and introducing himself as Mr Pat Emerson. At the time she (Pat) was very active in city politics and was easily recognized. Yes, I remember the laughter. Pat is STILL active in city politics, though not as much as she used to be. I'm sure there are still plenty of people who's nut-sacks shrivel at the very thought of the verbal beating they took from her.

MisterMo, Great shot!! Is that Jim Langdon? Weren't you with me at the Seattle city council meeting where they passed the ordinance against climbing at Wedgwood rock? I know Dick Emerson and Willi Unsoeld were. Actually, I remember Willi speaking. He said something like, "Climbers have an itch. An itch in their fingertips that they MUST scratch....." He sort of lost everyone when he went off on that tangent. I think it was a little too esoteric for the city council at the time. The "dirty, long-haired, bearded individuals" they were referring to were people like Mark Weigelt, Steve Ansell, and a few others that will remain unnamed (maybe yourself? certainly not me!). I remember listening to Steve Ansell rant and rave at the top of his lungs whenever he'd fail on a problem. I drove by there not too long ago and was amazed at how much the foilage has been cut back. What a great place to boulder. Nice quiet neighborhood. Easy approach. Excellent rock. Hmmmmmmmm...... How much is the fine??

MisterMo, Who's that in the picture?? Kinda looks like Givler.

"fun outside job??" Wait till it's snowing sideways outside and you have to climb towers.

Mr Mo Sir, Last week in Tahoe we had 10" of rain in three days with a snow level of 9500'. I didn't have to shovel it. I didn't have to work in it. I didn't have to thrash getting over the passes. I'm trying to think of the downside......

Ya think? We used what we had (1973). At least we weren't cutting steps............

Shit. Here's the photo....... Shit. Again.

Shit. Here's the photo.......

Hyalite was formed up nicely then...........

Okay....Okay........I stand properly rebuked. BTW- nice pic. You look 30 or so years younger. I guess Al must have taken it and it was obviously taken before the second pitch pillar with that beautiful 2" crack fell off of the Becky route and resulted in all the devestation at the base. Do you have any more from your trip up there? If you do, email them to me. I've got a bunch from my outings that I'll scan and send you... The "glory days" are now!

MisterMo Sir, Indignation might not be the right word. Resignation and maybe even disgust might be a better fit. It wouldn't be so bad if people (more then one) actually did the pitch free and used the bolts for that purpose but, if you read the posts above, it seems that this pitch may have never gone free in the first place. I need to be careful about criticizing people for placing stupid bolts as I may have placed a bolt or two where I wasn't on the absolute edge of death but I never did something like this on an established route-especially on a route where the only first ascenter that's still alive is bigger and nastier than I am. Perhaps the next time I'm in the area you and I can do a thirty-something year memorial ascent of the route in question. This would have particular meaning since you were the first to explore the beginning pitches so many years ago. We could carry a chisel and prybar and probably have a good time. You get snowed on today??

Jim Stottard and someone, I can't remember who, did the fist ascent in the late 60's. A couple friends of mine did the route in 1970 and didn't really say much about it other then it was kinda cool. They used only pitons-they didn't have a single nut, hook, cam, head, or any other device. They used multiple wraps of one inch webbing as swami belts and no leg loops. How did those old guys do it?? Shit, wait a minute, that's what I used to use!

Thank God. For a moment there I thought those added bolts might be superfluous and stupid.

Jesus H. Christ...... Where did all those bolts come from??

Moi aussi! Quite a character.....

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=119587&f=0&b=0

You-sell-it-to-me Valley...

You don't really need to pinch on this thing. The loaf will sorta naturally find its way out if you're not careful.

You don't want to start this thing any lower then you have to.