ania Posted July 18, 2004 Posted July 18, 2004 Coming down off the Tooth this morning, I saw these plaques mounted on a big rock. They're a couple hundred feet beneath the end of the trail that ends near Source Lake. Does anyone know what their origin is? They are inscribed with: JOHANNA ELLEN STEIL 1908-1993 Helan Cabiness Griffith 1881-1985 James Simpson Steil 1944-1984 MELVILLE PETER STEIL 1904-1997 And since someone is bound to ask what I was doing up there, the answer is at www.cs.washington.edu/homes/ania/Tooth Quote
Matt Posted July 18, 2004 Posted July 18, 2004 I can't help you with your plaque question, but I thought I'd say you have a nice TR. Mattp and I soloed the tooth last sunday as a sunday afternoon outing and we were scoping the summit for bivy spots thinking it could be a nice place to chill. Re soloing: I have soloed alone and with others and I enjoy both. It's nice to really enjoy it all with someone else without the complications of gear, etc. Of course a solo should by it's very nature be solo, sometimes. BTW, it IS worth it to write a TR on the tooth and totally UNNECESSARY for others to mock it, berate it or otherwise go on about how easy it is to climb. Nice climb! Quote
Mal_Con Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 From Stanford news obit: Melville P. Steil, '27, MA '27, of Seattle, June 8, at 93, of respiratory failure. He was an entrepreneur, often working with his uncle, J.B. Simpson. Among their business ventures was the Monarch Brewery in Los Angeles, of which he was president. He moved to Seattle to serve as president of Alaska Arctic Furs for 20 years. While at Stanford, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Survivors: his son, Peter, '65; and two grandchildren. Quote
Alpinfox Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Ania, Congrats on your first solo. The "unnamed pyramid" is called "The Pineapple". It's not unusual for a solo ascent to be faster than a rappeled descent. Cheers. Quote
JoshK Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Interesting...but litter none the less...Damn, Helan lived to 104. Quote
ania Posted July 19, 2004 Author Posted July 19, 2004 Matt: Thanks for the nice compliments. Although I think it's unfortunate that you'd feel need to comment about people mocking a TR for being too easy. "Easy" climbs can make for a good story whether they're done as a mellow trip, or as an exciting alpine adventure for someone just learning. IMO. Mal Con: Thanks for the info! I still wonder why the plaques are where they are. Alpinfox: "The Pineapple". Thanks. I amended my TR. Quote
ChocChick Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 Hmmm, I wonder if those folks had their ashes spread in the area and it is just an area in the mountains that they loved coming to? Nice work on The Tooth solo! First time I soloed it alone it was a little diconcerting. But after the first time that feeling goes away. It is a nice trip to do alone when you want to get away in the mountains, but don't want to drive far. Quote
Ricardo_Montalban Posted July 19, 2004 Posted July 19, 2004 i'd have to agree with some of you that the plaques are litter. granted they probably mean a lot to friends and family who put them there, but for everyone else it's just trash. a friend in CO picks up trash whenever he goes backpacking or climbing. sometimes that would mean coming down with a summit register to dispose of it properly. go john! Quote
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