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klinefelter
Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 6, 2006 - 04:33pm PT
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Just wondering what some of the ol' timers remember about this era of climbing in the 'Milks. What were some of the testpieces and who was climbing them? Stories behind the classics: High Plains Drifter, Change of Heart, Pope's Prow, and others?
Also, does anyone recall the Lidja Boulders or other areas outside the main boulders?
The place is a bit of a zoo now, but those quiet times back in the day are a bit fuzzy in terms of history, so see if you can squeeze some memories from your LSD/THC addled minds. Pics are welcomed and encouraged.
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G_Gnome
Social climber
Tendonitis City
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Mr. Dale owned everything and everone.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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I remember going skiing and realizing that the Barlett/Allen guidebook I owned had full on beta for a boulderfield full of granite orbs. We stopped on the way back to So Cal.
I'm not an old timer by any means, but there was ABSOLUTELY NO ONE THERE in the 80s.
Green wall was a testpiece of foot trickery.
The overhangs were stout back then, even on big jugs. Overhanging was new to me having grown up climbing-wise in J-tree slab country. But the rock texture was like an old friend. Smoother than Jumbo.
Moving over stone was the key. Doug's video narrative of multiple techniques and how to climb naked got me to first thinking about the place. I kept looking for the shoe demo that never appeared. Just lizards and sand landings before there were crash pads known to us.
Not long after that I started looking for Deadman's. Damn video with Robinson jumping out at the summit sign totally fooled me, but at least I found the hand traverse he almost fell off of.
Later in the 90s we would stop at Aeolian Buttes to do the one problem we could.
It was vista-mania. Killer boulders, to chill with a cold beer, and enjoy looking at the Range of Light. True meditation thru movement.
ps- i have pics of me in those 80s work out pants at Buttermilks. lemme see if I can find them. complete with 'rock crop' with short hair. BUAhahahahah
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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*wink*
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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I was there, bouldered the place too much, had all the beta, everything dialed in, then I took some LSD/THC and now I can't remeber a thing! Dale had/has the place wired. Them were the "good ol'days", but the 70's was EVEN better. Bachar....you MUST have some info/stories, give it up baby!
Peace
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Here's a few climbing and bouldering shots.
Late '70's, early '80's. I have plenty more but, a little harder to find.
Ken
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klinefelter
Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 6, 2006 - 09:01pm PT
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oh man, these are classic! Bard looks like a 70's Pr0n star.
Who's on the Ironman? Post more if you got 'em.
Thanks.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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That would be Banny Root.
I will have to look through my slides and scan some more. It won't be until after the weekend.
Ken
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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I onsighted ironman T in the early Fireboat days; no pads, no ass worshipers and a buzzworm in the bush on the left, that is no longer there.
Probably no vitamin L, no doubt vitamin m.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Neither, last time I was there.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nice goin' Mr Chicken Skinner!
Banny Root, or the "Bantam Rooster" as we called him.
Did Smokestack and Pebbles 'N Bam Bam up on the Wheeler Crest with Banny.
Just saw him out at the JTree Geritol Reunion.
But I digress.
Here's Scott Burke, 'Milkin' It"
Circa Winter '83/'84
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klinefelter
Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 7, 2006 - 12:15am PT
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Burke looking quite vogue modeling the latest in red-neck chic. Nice.
Now is that chalk on his holds or...
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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Bouldering at the Buttermilks in the 70s and 80s was a Trip!
We used to have a lot of birthday parties there, in case you wonder why the Birthday boulders are called what they are.
We would consume a lot of beer and other things and boulder until we couldn't move.
One would rarely see another person other than those that they were with.
I did go bouldering there one day last year and I was the only one there. Maybe it was because it was 6am.
Here's a few photos. I have lots more somewhere.
Sorry that all the problems are easy. Also sorry for the lack of crash pads and spotters.
Peabody Boulders and Mt Tom.
Descending Grandma Peabody.
Grant Hiskes stayed there for a month once. He says he ate a lot of rattlesnakes.
Hey, where's the fence?
Mr Large, you must have a "large" collection of photos. Post up!
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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the 'milks in the 70's were pretty exotic to us socal youngsters.
the trip i recall most fondly: we piled a bunch of the scumbags into off white's mom's huge, leather-upholstered, pimped-out maroon-and-white 1973 cadillac for a trip to the 'milks in the spring of '77. we'd boulder all day, smoke huge loads, then soak at hot creek all night. pretty good times for a bunch of 19 year olds. having the caddy really made the trip. we'd roll up and down 395 through bishop thinking we were made men. watusi was on that trip, pretty sure i recall he flashed ironman. off white was the only guy in our crew with a camera, he might have some slides from that trip. you out there, doug? post up.
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Richard Large
climber
where you least expect
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I DO have a Large collection. Trouble is they are all old 35mm slides that I would have to cherry pick and scan. I may get around to it in 2015 or so.
Blitzo, remember the time you, Charlene and I camped at the Milks and were attacked by hoards of scorpions??
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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"I hate snakes"
---Indiana Jones
My most intense encounters with rattlesnakes have been around the Buttermilk Boulders region. The split-boulder that Galen Rowell made so famous in his image for his book "Mountain Light" that is a sub-set of boulders to the North of the Buttermilks is a den of snakes. A friend of mine Randy O'Connell and I, were climbing and exploring the boulders in that area (early '90s), having just done a climb I quickly rapped-off into an alcove with no escape but one way, and as soon as I touched down a rattler went-off right behind me about 4 feet away. I immediately turned around and jumped over the coiled rattler out of shear fear and panic. I don't think I have ever spun-around so fast and jumped so high. Immediate adrenaline. Then just having jumped over that coiled rattler, a second rattler was scammpering away into the great basin sage but wasn't coiled and without stopping I jumped over that snake too. In a far away safe clearing I yelled at Randy and told him what just happened. Needless to say he didn't come down the same way.
Another encounter, I was hiking up to the "The Bib" paragliding launch at the base of Mt. Tom, to fly. And I had my head down, sweating like a pig and hiking with my wing on my back on the old mining road, I nearly stepped on a startled rattler that was just as paniced as I was, trying to move away from me and coil to strike at the same time. We both paniced and ran away from one another. After my heart recovered, I continued to hike to the launch but sang songs and clapped my hands all the way to the top. I was letting every beast of the field know I was coming. I now have an anklet of cow bells I carry in my pack as a result.
Seems like the area has more than enough of it's share of rattlesnakes.
Did I say I hate snakes?
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Rankin
climber
Bishop, CA
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Funny thing about the Buttermilks these days is that there's not many people climbing there. This spring and early summer have been the best months of weather I've seen there in six years. Many afternoons with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Afternoon clouds and a nice breeze. I love it.
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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I lived in Round Valley for a year in 1986 and used to ride my bike to the buttermilks every day. I rarely saw anyone there but Dale or Bobbie or Mimi-dude, and if they went I usually rode with them.
I never heard a single name of a problem except the Transporter Room. It was great. I damn near had the place all to myself. It was totally deserted. Occasionally I would run into someone. Very rarely.
Funny thing was, from the front porch of the house we could see the top of the gorge and never had a clue about it or the bouldering in the table lands. We would climb along the river road, but had no idea of all the cool hidden stuff.
Never ran into a snake.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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speaking of mimi dude, i had dinner with her and her significant other steve grossman and off white in olympia not long ago. she's living in seattle with grossman and doing quite well. the wierd thing is we'd been eating and drinking for a good 45 minutes before the light bulb switched on and i realized that this was the same "mimi" that i'd bump into in the valley and josh and woodson. small world......
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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I love snakes! I have only seen one at the milks though. He was beautiful!
Yes, Mr. Large, I remember the night of the scorpions. That was creepy! That one that was pinching Charleen's ear. Then the look of horror on her face when I shined the light on it! The way you and I started dancing when I shined the light down at our feet and saw hundreds of them! Very creepy, but most memorable. We never camped at that spot again.
Remember that rattlesnake that we were playing with last year at the Monastery? He was cool! I've never seen one act like that before.
I look for rattlesnakes down here in Joshua Tree all the time, but rarely find any and haven't gotten any good photos of them.
I haven't seen any scorpions either, but something bit or stung me while sleeping. The bite keeps oozing and the skin around it is dying and peeling off. It didn't make me sick though. I wonder what it was.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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Blitzo, you need to get that checked out yo.
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klinefelter
Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2006 - 11:16am PT
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That'd be Grandma Peabody. Love the lycra.
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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Mungeclimber, I'll get Tucker to look at it. He knows about these things. He once split his head open in a fall and stopped the bleeding with a tampon.
Dr. Tucker Tech (right) and the late Tom Burke (left).
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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May 16, 2010 - 06:16pm PT
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I was out there today, quite a few people, though the past few weeks have been unpopulated.
I love the Dale Bard beta on change of heart. I guess that's the official way.
More pics please if you old guys got 'em.
I've been out there for the past six or seven years, and I don't have any to share- sorry.
Just imagine a fat hairy guy falling off everything, and you got what I'd be able to show.
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Hell A
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May 16, 2010 - 06:33pm PT
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Mungeclimber, I'll get Tucker to look at it. He knows about these things. He once split his head open in a fall and stopped the bleeding with a tampon.
not to hijack the thread, but how did Tucker happen to have a tampon on him?
I don't have any old pictures on me but, do have some more current ones.
just curious, why don't they hold any bouldering cvontests at the'milks anymore?
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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May 17, 2010 - 07:57pm PT
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I´ll officially register my request to hear first-hand, third-hand, or tenth the story of Mr. Midwest shooting off flue-on holds up at the Lydia Boulders.
I´ll patiently await a response, or outright slander. Either way, we all win.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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May 17, 2010 - 08:13pm PT
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Whoever posted of going up there recently and seeing no one else has immaculate timing, that or mine is really bad. Last time I was there it was overrun with pad people, Subarus, chicks with bikini tops and cowboy hats (not a bad look actually but I was with my wife) and the like, most of whom were standing around, not climbing. At least the problems and the view were the same. Such a different scene from the early 80s though, when I'd stop by driving home from the Meadow as a young punk. Even the late 80s/early 90s were lonesome compared to today. Not that I blame anyone. Even if the rock was only half as good, it'd still be an absolutely spectacular area.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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May 17, 2010 - 11:31pm PT
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Fat Dad- the post you speak of by Rankin was from 2006. I think there was a lull there for a year or two.
Since the book came out, I perceive the place to be way more crowded.
It also seems like the people season is getting longer. I thought the crowds were done for the year, but this weekend was pretty full, about half of Spring break, but still pretty full.
In past years, people get scarce from May to October, but last year there were people out there in the summer, not a lot, but anybody beyond a handful of local seems like a lot in the summer.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti visitor- I just hope everyone buries their poo real deep so the gub'mint types don't have to step in.
I actually have started to like having people around. Everyone is psyched as they should be because the Buttermilk Country is the best.
I also second Marty(r) - bring on the stories!
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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May 18, 2010 - 12:28am PT
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1972 ? C. Cochrane, Harrington, Oakeshott, Wheeler, Hitchcock, Vern etc in my 1963 Nova convertable cruize down from our winter bivy, a one room cabin at Happy Jacks, to see what DR has been telling us all about. At Safeway we buy a bunch of large Brown Derbys and spend the $$$ thats left on gas (maybe 6 bucks)?
Glorious day in the Milks. Everything is a wonder, all the problems new, no chalk. The crest glowing, snow covered bla bla bla.
We decided to live there. The plan was to build a fake Pharaoh Cement boulder and live inside. The entrance would be on top - you would boulder to the front porch.
Needless to say we are beside ourselves - big problems (for us) get done - tons of fun. We explore and boulder our brains out. Now we are pretty toasted in more ways than one and we deem Wheeler the most sober - so he's driving, and we weave our way down the road - right into a huge rock and punch a hole in the gas tank. We were all yelling, "No left not at the rock no no no.." We tumble out howling, it was hilarious!
As the gas is soaking into the sand. Cockrane moans, "Sh#t we should have bought more beer" .
That was the winter Vern really screwed himself up skiing and we eventually had to cut his whitey tightys off moments before Wheeler answered the door in his panty hose when the FBI showed up and.... many more stories.
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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May 18, 2010 - 02:01am PT
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Yeah really classic this!! Got to meet you Tommy back when Kinnaloa was still there. Spent a lot of time hanging with Banny as well! Peace, great photos all! Especially the ol' timey ones of the Bardini! Cheers, Michael Paul.
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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May 19, 2010 - 01:58pm PT
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Watusi -
I remember well. Are you still playing with Donny "Lou" Reed?
Best to all down there!
Kevin that must be you posting???
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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May 19, 2010 - 08:00pm PT
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Fuzzy,
Ultra-classic! I too melted an engine out in them there hills. After a whole summer and fall of rallying around the Tableland and Buttermilk in my ´86 Civic I tried to get out to the Russel/Plunkett Estates (since renamed Sherman Acres)--never let low clearance or common sense get in the way of a good time, right? Anyhow, way out yonder, right around the fence-line where you arc left, I punctured my oil pan, drained it dry, and completely siezed the engine. A few years later Sherman signed my copy of ´Stone Crusade´ the message, ¨for your car´s sacrifices in the name of bouldering.¨
VLG
More stories please!
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campy
climber
California
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I went there a alot in spring 1973, never saw anyone except Smoke Blanchard one time.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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You go out there tonight and not see anyone either.
The crowds come, but the crowds go too.
I go out by myself alot so sometimes I actually hope I run into someone to boulder with. Otherwise it's the lowball circuit.
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Chinchen
climber
Way out there....
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I'll be moving in July 3rd. See you at the boulders every day after work!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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more pics or this thread will be deemed invalid
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Ha! Everyday- I wish.
Wednesday after work and Sunday- that's when I go.
Kid- job, you know the drill.
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Chinchen
climber
Way out there....
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;) Maybe Im exaggerating just a bit...
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The Wedge
Boulder climber
Santa Rosa & Bishop, CA
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Tom Woods....I hear ya on the Change of Heart beta. It was the last problem I did before I left for Santa Rosa. I was hoping to send Drifter too....but it was to hot. Now I have to go do Change again with the new beta. Better bettar???
Cant get over all the bushes and greenery around the boulder in the old photo.
I love climbing history!
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Scott Cole
Trad climber
Sunny California
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Hers a few shots from the archives. There are hundreds more in line to be scanned
Scole
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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Scott -
Nice additions!
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Scott Cole
Trad climber
Sunny California
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Jun 12, 2010 - 05:17pm PT
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Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
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Jun 13, 2010 - 10:00am PT
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That's not Sean! Sean would never have worn a watch bouldering - if ever.
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Scott Cole
Trad climber
Sunny California
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Jun 13, 2010 - 10:35am PT
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Yes it is, long, long ago in a faraway place. Back when even Sean had hair
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east side underground
Trad climber
Hilton crk,ca
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Jun 13, 2010 - 11:19am PT
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Plunkett with hair- hahahaha! Cromagnum man on the stone- yea "P"!
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chez
Social climber
chicago ill
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Jun 13, 2010 - 12:04pm PT
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sure thats not Steve Plunkett?
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