Glacier Point Apron appreciation

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snakefoot

climber
Nor Cal
Jan 31, 2016 - 02:16pm PT
^^^misty was good back in the day. so was the perfect master!
tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
Jan 31, 2016 - 02:29pm PT
JOEY.F

Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
Jan 31, 2016 - 03:58pm PT

Looking for change.
Fossil climber

Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
Jan 31, 2016 - 04:31pm PT
Way back in about 1956 or 57, Ellen Searby and I got way up exploring a new route - I don't even know which one - pushed a little too long before retreating, and noticed a crowd gathering in the meadow to see the Firefall as the sun went down.

If you aren't familiar with that, the Curry Co. used to burn a huge pile of red fir bark on Glacier Point, and just after dark someone in the valley would shout through a megaphone with immense drama, " Let the fire fall!!". And the guys on top would slowly push a torrent of glowing coals over the edge, creating quite a spectacular display while a loudspeaker in the background played "Indian Love Call". Unbelievably hokey. But people loved it.

Anyway, we figured if anyone spotted our headlamps there would be all kinds of excitement and agitation for a rescue and we'd be in trouble. So we just hunkered down and waited, trying to look inconspicuous, and the fire fell. Almost all of it stopped on the big ledge - just a few bits whizzed by us.

After everyone left the meadow we cautiously resumed our rappels, trying not to use the lamps.

The Firefall was discontinued a few years later, being recognized as the artificial display that it was, and because Stoneman Meadow threatened to become a dust bowl from the crowds, and because all the red fir bark for miles around had disappeared.

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
Jan 31, 2016 - 04:57pm PT
GPA in Winter
Fritz

Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
Jan 31, 2016 - 05:17pm PT
I gave myself a new scanner for Christmas & scanned this slide from 1975 yesterday.

The Mouth, with Gary Clark following Dave Neff. Gary had PA's & he was a very unhappy slab climber that day. Dave & I, with EB's had a great time.


F10

Trad climber
Bishop
Jan 31, 2016 - 07:51pm PT
Lots of fun times on GPA back in the 70's
tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
Jan 31, 2016 - 08:34pm PT
some fun in the 80s too

BruceHildenbrand

Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
Jan 31, 2016 - 11:32pm PT
BVB wrote:
Tightrope is a good one. Can't believe nobody had mentioned Misty Beethoven or a Mother's Lament, both rites of passage on the Apron.

Yes! Mother's Lament! The fourth pitch has real pucker factor regardless if you do the original 5.10c line to the left or the 5.11 more direct line to the right which has about a 50' runout on 5.11a or so climbing. I seem to remember the next pitch being only 5.9, but there was no protection and the belay was a single 1/4" bolt.
wstmrnclmr

Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
Feb 1, 2016 - 01:16am PT
Messages 61 - 70 of total 70 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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