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john hansen
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 9, 2009 - 01:57pm PT
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I remember some stories about the big quake in 1980.
Anyone been on a wall when a big quake rolled thru?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Yup. and it was a series of quakes in '80. Get Cilley to recount our tall, "one night ascent of El cap to be there for the big one" Tale.
-Okay we only got as far as the top of little John...,
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apogee
climber
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I was up in Tahquitz Valley when an early morning quake rolled through the San Jacintos. I was sleeping on the ground, and from that view, could watch the ground roll like a waterbed. That same quake cut loose a bunch of blocks that smashed several bolts/hangers on Suicide.
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hooblie
climber
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on a holiday weekend during my senior year in high school, '68-'69, i bused and hitched to the valley on a solo reconnoiter. camped in one of the pines campground i was invited next door for dinner by a lady and her daughter. we slurped our soup on a shared cot, and things started getting a little unsettled. at first i suspected my seatmate. she must have been thinking the same thing judging from the quizzical looks we exchanged. then things really started rocking. i moved to my feet and cut a staggering path toward the picnic table to off load the hot soup.
i was amazed at the waves moving thru the valley floor and the wagging of trees at every angle but vertical. to tell the truth the absence of rockfall made more of an impression on me because i really expected some action given what the floor of the valley was doing. when the ranger interprets the word lacustrine sediments, (which means filled in lake basin,) i'm all over that idea because i saw it do everything but slosh over the moraine
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Yes - doing a new route on North Finger in Pinnacles National Monument in December 2003 with Bruce Hildenbrand. I was hanging from a hook, drilling a bolt when the whole formation started swaying slightly from side to side. At first I thought it was just me quaking or shivering. Fortunately there was no loose stuff above me, and it's a big / well-attached formation, so I just stopped and enjoyed the ride!
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Scott Cole
Trad climber
Jackson, WY^
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In 1980 Chris Cantwell and I were working on Hall of Mirrors. We were in the Four Seasons when the first quake of the season. Everyone in the restaurant was underneath the tables, except me. I calmly sipped my horrible coffe while eveyone returned to their tables, or left the building.
We headed up to our high point the next day. Chris was drilling away on one of his famous ladder pitches when a second big quake hit. From the belay I watched blocks the size of train cars tumbling down the Panorama Cliffs, fortunatly nothing came down where we were.
We rapped off again, and made another attempt a few days later with similar results. Every day there was another aftershock, followed by a snow squall. We eventually put the route on hold until later that season.
Scole
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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I was belaying Clint on the route on the North Finger (December 23, 2003 if I remember correctly) ensconced in Clint's deluxe down belay jacket when the rock started moving back and forth. Pretty wild to see such movement. Clint was a stud. Hanging in there and finishing placing the crux bolt.
As a bit of geology, the Pinnacles National Monument is right on the San Andreas fault. In fact, half of the Pinnacles National Monument is about 200 miles to the south down by Coalinga. I believe you can use power drills and rap bolt new routes down there.
Bruce
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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My ol' buds Dusan Jagerski and Jim Wickwire were on Mt Fairweather. They had just awakened in their tent on a knife edged snow/rock ridge. They were fine but every face for miles started letting loose. The problem was that his Beckeyness was in their basecamp as there had been some kind of 'misunderstanding'. The valley filled with thousands of feet of powder and they assumed Fred was a goner. It was days before they got off the mountain to discover that the many 'lanches had all stopped short of camp. In some cases there was major debris within 100 yards! Fred has led a charmed life.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Someone I know was a few pitches from the top of the Dawn Wall or Mescalito in the 1980 earthquake. Got the ride of his life, somewhat injured, had to be lowered a rope to get out.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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I was soloing After 6 or 7 (can't remember which one) with Dimitri Barton, when the quake that trashed downtown Coalinga in 1983 hit. We were near the top and on big holds and I never felt really in danger but it was eerie how it felt to be swaying on the rock and not being tied in
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Alaska 1992 - Earthquake hit while we were climbing the East Buttress of Denali. About 4 hours later we experienced a major serac fall. Nothing like having a few tons of ice the size of bowling balls and bigger come down on ya to screw up your day. Made history latter that day being the first climbers to be short hauled off Denali. Gotta love screamer suits.
Another time while sleeping in my truck up at Humber Park things started rocking and rolling. Though it was my partner trying to wake me up. Nope just another SoCal quake.
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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When that '80 one hit me and MoonFuzz were on Camp 5 on the Nose.....
Remember lots of summit rubble coming off.... I think something hit a guy in the thigh on the PO and that started a rescue.... lots of gullies running rock too.
Edit: this is probably the Anders guy too.... I slightly remember him as being Canadian... though I forget his name.
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adventurous one
Trad climber
Truckee Ca.
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Aug 10, 2009 - 12:14am PT
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REPOSTING THIS FROM MY POST TO THE APRIL 2008 "RENO EARTHQUAKE" THREAD:
Got to pass this story on.
Girlfriend and I spent Friday afternoon and all day Saturday climbing no more than about five miles from the epicenter of all this fun. Climbing on the cliffs a quarter mile upstream from River Rock. The cliffs here go right down to the banks of the Truckee River.
Felt a couple of the bumps but nothing to much coming down. On Saturday just after toping out I start looking around for our next route. Girfriend takes this minute in the lull in belaying me to relieve herself behind some bushes. With me at the top of the cliff scouting for our next route, and her with her harness around her ankles comes another little rumbler. Oh no! that's not our pack that just went rolling down the hill into the rushing Truckee is it? With me yelling from the top to "get the pack" girlfriend jumps into the melted snow water. Fully clothed, hooded sweatshirt and all, girlfriend heroicly swims and retrieves climbing gear laden pack, all the while with harness still threatening to slip back down around her knees. (Didn't have time to rebuckle) And this from a classy lady that has a daughter graduating from Berkley next month.
After getting her into some dry clothes we both had a good laugh and then went back to finishing our next route. Great girlfriend and climbing partner. I am afraid some partners would have let my gear sink to the bottom and ended up somewhere in Reno.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Aug 10, 2009 - 12:27am PT
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hey there say, john,
very interesting seeing all this... thunderstorm/lightning is just now up... so i will be back to read this later...
*say, i HAVE seen some the post as to being up on the rocks, during the ol' storms, though...
well---be back later, all...
thanks for sharing what i've yet to read... ;)
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Aug 10, 2009 - 01:09am PT
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I experienced my first big earthquake in Nepal in 1974. We were hiking back to Kathmandu from Rolwaling Valley, an 8 day walk in those days. We had just finished dinner in a lean-to made of woven bamboo mats. Suddenly an undulating roar came down the steep valley toward us and then the ground began shaking. I stood up to run out and was thrown to the ground. Nothing more frightening than not being able to walk on the face of the earth. Dogs were howling, birds flying around shrieking in the dark, and my Sherpa friends were praying frantically. And then boulders the size of cars began crashing down into our narrow canyon. We couldn't see a thing with our tiny flashlights and the nearest electricity was 5 days' walk away.
We were awake the whole night with aftershocks, giant boulders crashing, howling, shrieking, and prayers. In the morning all the suspension bridges were down. Fortunately it was early spring so the rivers were low and we could wade across, a still harrowing endeavor since the Sherpas did not know how to swim. In Kathmandu we learned it was a 7+ quake. Definitely a night to remember!
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divad
Trad climber
wmass
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Aug 10, 2009 - 05:32am PT
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No, but I thought about it when on a runout at JT. Sliding down that cheese grater didn't seem too appealing.
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john hansen
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 10, 2009 - 11:59pm PT
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I always wondered if anyone felt one while climbing a detatched pillar or a big flake, I have imagined all the pro falling out or the rock crushing cams ,,or your fingers.
Just thought I would throw this out there one more time.
Thanks for all the stories.
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 11, 2009 - 12:05am PT
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They told us not to go. More after shocks will come.
I said: "Blah, BFD, lets go anyway"
Almost big mistake. The wall buckled, rocks came down from above, cams fell out of the crack, the world almost ended.
But ... I survived .......
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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Aug 11, 2009 - 01:25am PT
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1971 San Fernando Quake (6.7) spent the whole day up at Idyllwild but never felt a thing. Suprised to come home and find the house destroyed next door.
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The Wolf
Trad climber
East SF Bay Area
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Aug 11, 2009 - 02:17pm PT
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It must have been 1980 as I read this thread that seems to be about the year. I was at the top of the chimney on the first pitch of the East Buttress of El Cap. I remember sinking a #2 wire stopper when I heard the rumble. I hung on to that piece, it was all I had between me and the ground. Lots of Rock fall near Cathedral. I came down but it seems there were earthquakes that whole week all based in Mammoth. Does this ring a bell or did I dream it all.
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