Batso couldn't cut the boredom, so he formed his own group. More farce, but fewer farts?
Anyone know the people on Batso's right?
This was taken by my climbing partner from Upper Michigan, Kelly Laakso. So he was burned out at Indian Cyn. and came to Moab, only to run into these burn-outs.
Then he came west to do Lurking Fear. With Mouse,
Brian Bermingham "Mouse"
Credit: throwpie
who learned from this guy, Millis, who learned from Chuck Ostin, among others.
Dennis Miller, left. Is the other fellow Kurtab? It's who's indicated by TC's filename, Millerkurtab.
Credit: Tom Carter
Randy Hamm, Mouse, Me, Mathis
Credit: throwpie
His partial legacy: Hamm, Mouse, Throwpie, Mathis, Tuolumne, 1973 or 1974?
Yes, yes, yes! We are not to be confused with these black musicians or the hippie scums.
We are not Famous Flames, but infamous stealers of government biscuits.
I gott go make some Cowboy caw-fee.
Cowboy Larry in the winter of '71. (Degnan's parking lot)
Credit: Gypsy
Larry "Cowboy Larry" aka "Crazy Larry" Moore.
The best free climber in the bunch. Despite the Bircheff's reputation, shining as it is, Larry could've kept up with almost anyone.
Peggy, Steve Walstead, Randy Hamm--hey throwpie here is one of you and Peggy back in about 1976
Credit: Gypsy
The artistic Flames, Throwpie and Peggy, and Randy.
Step on the rope again, and see what happens, dipsit.
Credit: Jim Shirley
A typical Flames outing. Maxines Wall.
Red Lodge MT Anyone know this crag? We just came upon it. I remember an offwith at the bottom...
Credit: throwpie
The only other picture of Mathis on rock that I know of. Red Lodge, MT.
Randy Hamm and myself shopping at Joe Brown's climbing store in North Wales about 1973.
Credit: Sheila Jackson
The travelers of the bunch, Randy and Gypsy.
Randy and Gypsy Hamm
Credit: throwpie
The very first (legal) procreators of the bunch.
Jeff Mathis and Mike Dwyer, a hitcher in front of DORF, '64 Econoline. At the rest stop on Hwy 140 in Merced. 1971.
Credit: mouse from merced
The DORF, Mouse's 1964 Ford Econoline laundry van and hauler of Flamehood around the State.
I sure do hope everyone who lived in Camp 4 at one time or another had at least as much fun
and learned as much and met as many
staunch, rowdy, and loveable friends as I and my buddies have.
It's a wonderful life, George Bailey, and don't ever take it for granted.
One more and I'm done for tonight. This is my rendering of the Arch Rock Cliff, the Playground of hardmen.
Credit: mouse from merced
The triumvirate of Mouse, Millis, and Mathis returned after Christmas to the Valley to put into use the practical experience we had gained by growing
beards, drinking to excess, and trying to keep warm at JT in snowy conditions.
We coulda stayed in Camp 4, but why? The desert's nice in the winter.
I went up to do the Gripper with Mark, the Bullfrog, and came down a bit wiser about 5.10. I got poison oak real bad from the talus there
at Arch Rock, so beware. I also got a flu bug which sent me packing down to Merced for a week, but while there, I got the news that my money from
the settlement over the loss of my thumb
in the peach cannery accident came in and I paid cash money for DORF and didn't come back for months, or so it seems.
We rolled out of YV to the Consumnes River, Larry Mooore and I and the two of us had a ball. We took Mathis and Randy over to Hetch Hetchy and had a ball.
Shining times! Big walls ahead! Watch our smoke! And where there are Flames, there's generally some around.
No, bro, what it is not is the Pinnacles. What it is is a photo of Randy Hamm, I'm certain of that.
It's also a photo of myself, not Mathis, as I had thought.
Jim Shirley took the photo, also. Positively, no pun meant. (Not much!)
We three were never in Pinnacles together.
This was just when Jim Shirley was learning to climb. He and I had driven to the Valley to climb and Randy and Gypsy were living in the bread truck they got from Dick Ellsworth when he lit out for AK. Randy must have initiated this climb, whether it's Maxine's or not, I can't say, because if I had suggested it, I would likely have remembered it.
I know I had a beard about this time (my foruth or fifth by then). I am wearing easily-identifiable boots, the BBs from Galibier. What really threw me when these slides came from Jim, was the holster on the left. I always wore mine on the right. It leads me to believe the slide is reversed. This may have led me to say Maxine's. It may or may not be so, but it's the best I can say about it.
There are more pix of this climb at the very tail end of the Camp 4 Photos thread. It sure looks like granite to me. Not a cobble in sight.
Brian,
Here are 6 related photos that you've posted on supertopo, and a 7th that I am sure is Maxine's Wall (p1; I've done the higher pitches also).
Step on the rope again, and see what happens, dipsit.
Credit: Jim Shirley
1. Main photo. I claim it is not Maxine's Wall. *Might* be Derringer.
Brian leading.
Waterchute photo, horizontally flipped. Mouse leading. Sweater guy belaying.
Credit: Jim Shirley / CC
1A. Horizontally flipped version.
Tim Harrison. Maxine's Wall.
Credit: Jim Shirley
2. Climber dressed the same as lower climber in main photo.
I am claiming this also is not Maxine's Wall.
The bowl at the start of Maxine's is similar to this, but the holds are not this big!
Tim Harrison. Or it might be Randy Hamm. There is no clear face shot, they dressed very similarly, had EBs, too.
Jim played with the verticality in this and the other one. See the angle of the dangle of the crab.
Credit: Jim Shirley
3. Same climber
Pinnacles N.M., 1974 or 75
Credit: Jim Shirley
4. Brian, dressed the same in main photo 1.
Cowboy Larry and Mouse, 1974
Credit: Jim Shirley
5. Brian, dressed the same, following with pack.
Mouse from Berkeley atop some pinnacle in Pinnacles. '74?
Parallel lives slightly offset in time and juggled in space. A fine thread to be videying here in Moab on the front porch of the love muffin, swilling caffeine waiting for my droogs, anticipating today's adventures in longs cnyon or some obscure tower or something. Gotta work tomorrow.
Maxine's wall was my first five ten lead back in '75/76 or so.....
Sorry as heck to disappoint you. Had the topic actually been
about Jimi and those Flames, it would have read The Blue Flame.
Or The Famous Flames. Or Colored Music.
See ya.
Next page, clint, the print won't go off the edge, maybe.
I respect your judgement more than I trust my memory.
If is is Maxine's fine. If it's not, I have to be equally fine with that.
I am guessing on what I say, because I did not take the photos, obviously, and the slides Jim shipped to me were ordered pretty well, but not by each individual climb, exactly. I don't like it, but that's what I have to do in some instances. I'm not trying to stir up sh#t. Nor are you.
I am certain you have argued this kind of case in the past. It's not worth our time, I think you'll agree. Let's get together at the Oakdale Festival and yammer. OK?
Let us know!