I have many fond memories of my all day excursions, which involved leaving my tent well before sunrise and sitting out in front of the old gas station next to C4, and hitching a ride to Merced with the high hopes of making it there before my 8:00 AM appointment. They always scheduled me for one of the earliest slots, on purpose, I am certain of that.
My address was general delivery Merced, but I was living in C4. I traveled there every two weeks for the $32.00 check, which was my sole form of support. That was the Spring of '74, and I, like Royal Robbins before me, had determined to totally commit my life to climbing (lol).
It was an all day trip, and I would generally arrive back to the Valley just as the sun was nearing the western horizon. But it would usually include a dip in the Merced, which one time included a VW bus full of hippie chicks (4-5) from somewhere, who were on their way to some preset destination / campground partway up to TM (forget the name of it). They all shed their cloths without the slightest discussion nor hesitation and I followed suit...or, I should say, I followed suitless. ;)
That is one of my fonder memories, although I was a little disapointed when they didn't respond in the slightest to my hints about how I wouldn't mind joining them.
Another time, I recall this one dude followed me in his car for a block or two as I walked along the sidewalk early on morning. All the while trying to convince me that the gold watch he was wearing was just that, solid gold, and how I could be the proud owner of it for X amount of dollars, which I didn't have and had absolutely no in interest in anyway. But, I must admit, he was pretty damn convincing of how he really didn't want to part with it, but was in dire need of money. I think he was asking something like $30 bucks, and always wondered if I had passed up the deal of a lifetime.
Then there was this one guy, around my age (24) whom linked up with me while I was hitching back to Yose at the edge of town that talked nonstop about Jefferson Airplanes new lineup and band Jefferson Starship. Which, he was convinced, was here from outer space and was going to take all the fans (& hip peeps in general i think) back to some planet and it would be an extended Woodstock type celebration. About all I contributed to the conversation was an occasional "Cool" or a "Far out, man".
I put up with a lot of crap from those peeps at the Employment Office. They would spring all kinds of trick questions, etc! One lady simply asked, "Have your ears popped yet." with a smug look on her face, and she didn't even bother to wait for an answer.
She was saying, in other words, "We know you are coming down here from Yosemite, you damn bum. And have made an absolutely zilch effort to find a job."
But it was always a fun journey, with interesting people and beautiful country which followed along the same path that Muir once took (i believe) when he herded the sheep that he was tending to higher and higher ground.
Perhaps we crossed paths, Mouse.
edit: I believe $32 would probably buy about the same amount of goods that $150 would today (if you take into account inflation). But, that is only generally speaking. Because I recall that the Mountain Shop in Yose, where I eventually went to work (once my unemployment ran out) was selling Edelrid ropes for $100. That would have been equivalent to around $500 today! Yikes!
Deal of a Lifetime. I, 5.10.
FA John Timex, Skip Mee
I John/5:10abcd
Everybody who believes in the Son of God
has this testimony inside him; and anyone who will not believe God
is making God out to be a liar,
because he has not tursted(?)
the testimony God has given about his Son.
Roper's jealous. Nice post, Splitter. BAAAD-ASS Dirtbaggerer from back in the Way. You were tryin' to live in the truth & light.
God's blessed you with some gifts, bro. Show up more often.
Monkey-Mouse-Shines-Mao's-Shoes-Atop-Tar-King.
All pics pigs inc.
Credit: mouse from merced
Encouraged by Mao, led by Mao, Mao by Mouse. Community communism. Selective collective living.
Long-March-Up-Snake's-Back-Yields-Security-For-The-Masses-In-Conga-Line.
Credit: mouse from merced
Fist there is a Mao Tse-Tung, then there is no mo Mao Tse-Tung, then there is.
Totalitarian-Rule-Kills-Smokers-And-Non-Smokers-Alike.
Tomorrow comes even earlier here--why it is here already
but spring is not
supposed to snow for the next 2 or 3 days and the high today will be 32 degrees
lovely
Members of the Flames rival gang just chillin' and plotting the next rumble
Credit: Gypsy
so here I sit drinking coffee and trying to stay warm
I have loved meadow larks ever since Sacramento in the
50s, gong to school each morning.
Alpine start. Alpine start.
Never happened!! Whatchoo sayin'? What is goin' throuh my head is a bunch of guys layin' in bed.
Won't get up till they've been fed.
Time was in Camp 4, you'd open the tent dooer and smell Camp 4--Cawfee!
And it often took the place of the challenge.
We'd end up boogerin' the day away.
In removing the piton, should it resist coming free, connect your cleaning biner, which is conncted to your waist, and hit the $&*#@! pin and push your weight away at the same time.
WHACK!
Surprise, surprise, surprise!
Waste time, f*#k around, just don't make another sound.
WHANG!
We're good...
Providing you are suspended from ascenders, of course!
Barbara raised me to love the One Who gave us life and breath.
This is dedicated to my best friend, the better half of Mouse and Jeff.
She and Betty both were both concerned
When our diplomae we had earned.
And to the Valley our faces turned.
There it was we met our fate
In forms we loved and forms we’d hate
With stacks of pancakes on our plate.
Jeff could really cook, and jam, and screw,
I washed, belayed, and wished I knew
A nice blonde easy gal or two.
All that happened long ago,
In days of Yo in old Camp 4,
He’s sixty-five. (I’m sixty-four.)
He’s older now and we’re both lots wiser.
I owe my life to Lilly and Pfizer,
And to Jeff. (can’t wipe my eyes, here).
Mom “came to me” this morning after I was out shooting on the balcony.
She and Jeff share the same birthday, the twenty-ninth of March.
I was pretty hammered last night. This nearly worked.
Happy Birthday coming, Mom.
We’ll see about the REV.
Jeff Mathis' address, birthday card-wise
PO Box 982
Groveland, CA. 95321
Ph. 209-878-0423
He's not online, never will be, but he's still connected.
I been out fightin' the law again, sure hope it doesn't win.
Here's a couple from Corona Del Mar (could be South Laguna), where I used to hang out.
Credit: zBrown
I can't remember if they tore down 2 or 3 houses to build this one. Some guy told me he knew who owned it, but he wasn't saying.
I just grinned and shook his hand, no was all I said.
Credit: zBrown
After you cut down those termite infested trees, you have to whack them up into little pieces. Always good to have an ax-man like Jimi around to listen to when you're whacking. Was kinda irritated anyway cuz all my orange shirts were in the washer.
Credit: zBrown
On a clear day you can see all the way from Corona Del Mar to Maui (it's somewhere some few meters over the rainbow).
Just don't judge me by my shoes.
Let us know!