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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 5, 2014 - 07:47pm PT
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I interviewed Eric Bjornstad this summer and he had lots of stories about working at a restaurant in Seattle called the Pizza Kitchen in the 1960s.
Eric managed the joint and a climber could always count on getting a meal with or with money to pay for it. Many of his partnerships and plans were started here and it got me thinking about climber friendly businesses and households that have sprung up in various places and the contributions that they have had to the social scene in the climbing communities involved. The English pub scenes are a clear example or the Wilts house in southern California.
We had a really vibrant climbing community in Tucson during the 1970s and 80s and it had a lot to do with folks getting together regularly and showing slides and having fun together partying when we weren't actually out climbing. Once I moved up to Seattle I really grew to appreciate how special the social side of climbing is and what is required to create that sort of closeness and mutual appreciation.
The Gordon Ranch in JT is the closest thing that I have experienced in recent years to that kind of scene and I really appreciate Todd and Andrea fostering community in that way. Not something to take for granted
What are some of your favorite climbing Hubs and Hangouts over the years?
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Yo Steve! Great meeting you at the Metanoia event! Still working on getting you pix of my hooks. That stuff is all in storage so it's a PITA to access.
I guess my favorite hub/hang has got to be the Mountain Brauhaus at the Gunks. Run by good folks. Good food, even better beer!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 5, 2014 - 08:24pm PT
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Evel- It was fun to meet you too and I look forward to checking out the Verminware.
Yup, the Brauhaus is an institution. On our first visit to the Gunks in 2008, Mimi, the Verm and me had the pleasure of being part of the Reunion dinner there and sitting across from Henry Barber while he told his side of the many Yosemite stories at my prompting. We were all hurting from the laughter as Henry is a great storyteller. He had some hilarious stories about the Brauhaus too involving Trudy (if memory serves) a formidable waitress of renown.
Laura and Geno Smith along with Rick Cronk made that whole scene possible and we really appreciated the warm welcome as newcomers. Sherman hadn't been back to the Gunks since he took a horrendous groundfall there when a fixed pin failed on him.
More on that amazing gathering here.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/697229/Gunks-Reunion-2008
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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BITD Der Dirtbagger in Leavenworth was so climber friendly it had Ed Cooper
photos on the wall. The one that springs to mind was of Fred Stanley doing
Angel Crack in mountain boots and wearing knickers (yeah, go ahead and giggle,Tami).
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Wednesday night at the Cecil Hotel in Vancouver.
Great times bitd. I don't think you could call it a climber hangout, but at least they tolerated us. Probably because we were marginally more desirable than the crazies and homeless guys that were their other customers.
Then they brought in strippers. Which would have been okay, but the strippers did their thing to really loud music, which ended the possibility of conversation. So we moved it to another sleazy hotel called the Ivanhoe, but it was never the same.
R.I.P Wednesday night at the Cecil.
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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During my tenure at Chattanooga we almost always went to the River Inn on the road to T-Wall or Suck Creek. Really nice place until the owner burned it down.
And then there was Mervs. HoMan! The "Mervs Challenge" involved going into the joint without changing or covering your lycra! Had a coupla close calls!
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jbaker
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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The porch of The Gendarme at Seneca Rocks was a great place to hang out after a day of climbing.
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Shoot man I grew up on the porch at the Gendarme!
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Round here, during the early 90s there grew up a habit of meeting at Fred Feit's place on Millionaire Drive. Wednesday was perfect, long after recovering from the weekend and early enough to not affect the next weekend's activities.
A crew of younger kids, wildly talented and bold, made it into something special: Jonny Copp, Mike Pennings, Jeff Hollenbaugh, Cameron Tague, many, many more, a real who's who of top local up and coming talent, with an ever shifting cast of visitors.
The Millionaire Drive scene grew until it might be several dozen climbers, with occasional slideshows, kegs, feasts, dancing. Various boulder problems existed, too.
It was a real vibrant scene. We would feed off each other's positive enthusiasm. Many great first ascents were planned at Millionaire Drive. Felt like it would go on forever.
But it had to end. Fred eventually got tired of it, especially when parts of the house began really suffering from aid- and dry-tooling ascents (hard on the drywall!).
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Steve, where was this 'Pizza Kitchen'?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 5, 2014 - 11:49pm PT
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Reilly- I think it was located in Seattle in the University district but I don't know the exact address.
This thread should fetch you an answer pretty quick.
I have heard several people mention The Sink in Boulder as a popular Boulder hangout back in the early days.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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The closest for me was Yosemite Lodge with the big central fireplace
and big metal cone of a chimney that we would try to mantel.
This was around 1970 and 1972. My friends and I were too young to get in the Mountain Room.
OK, Gustav's in Leavenworth has good beer and food, but responsibility w.r.t
drink and drive puts the damper on hanging out there for an evening. I guess it's not that long a bike ride to Eight Mile camp ground.
I went to a couple pubs in and around Sheffield in this century,
but I don't think they were climbing pubs, as much as I wanted them to be.
On a tangent, the Plough in the Stars on Clement in SF had a really good
open mike on Sunday nights. I would work late in the lab in grad school in
the late 80s and then swing by there on my bike on the way home
for some stellar music and a pint or two.
That kind of got me over the last hump and down the home stretch w.r.t finishing up.
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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in retrospect, i mighta been at the wrong circle k
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Bumpin this because I think it's a great topic!
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WBraun
climber
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In the old daze when the deli in the Valley was still owned by the Degnans.
I bet hardly anyone here was around back then?
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Degnan's Deli.
What? You saying it's something else now?
That place should be on the National Register of Historic Delis.
I still recall the pizza, like chewing on a much worn, salt-encrusted Swami.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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I bet hardly anyone here was around back then?
You got that right. I'd be in and outta there faster than, well, a Pacific
NW weanie looking to avoid the Yosemite gang bangers.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Yosemite, 60's- The Lodge's Coffee Shop and its reading lounge with its fireplace before it was transformed...
Stoney Point: The Munch Box on Devonshire Bl. It's still there!
W. L.A.: Don Lauria's old West Ridge. Later, the new West Ridge.
East Side: The old Independence drug store where you could get real ice cream milk shakes made in those old, tall metal cups. And they were LARGE SHAKES. "A little is good; more is better; and too much is JUST RIGHT."
Tahquitz/Idyllwild: There was a GREAT restaurant where we almost always would go. What was its name?
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Alpine Pizza
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Lurking Fear
Boulder climber
Bishop, California
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The Rat Room in Tuolumne Meadows was as much of a hang out as I've been a part of. Too many guys for such a small room.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2014 - 12:27am PT
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I am still laughing from Lauria's West Ridge stories from the first Oakdale Festival. Bar next door, pass through hole-in-the-wall and all!
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MisterE
climber
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Index Tavern, where the climber's stood out in the crowd.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Thank you MisterE. I miss Index Tavern, even though I was never a local. I watched a mid week World Cup game there after aid soloing(clean) City Park 15 years ago. I was very stoked from the climbing, I hardly ever rope soloed, but then to have a beer and watch Nederlands and Brazil play (just the group play, I think) was too good.
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Dave Davis
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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Actually back in the 60's and early70's, Shelton's Cafe was kind of a climbers hang in Leavenworth.Ironically they never went for the ersatz Bavarian storefront which became the theme of the town. That's also where they had that picture of a climber on Angel Crack. I was under the impression that it was Jim Stuart in the photo, but I'm not quite sure why. I think I might have read that somewhere. Anybody know for sure? Anyone ever knock a few back at the Chiefton in Squamish?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2014 - 10:19pm PT
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Don't tell me, let me guess...He said something, eh!?!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dave, I am positive it was Fred Stanley but, obviously, I can't prove it.
And am I alone in saying the venerable Last Exit On Brooklyn was a 'climber's hangout'?
Pretty hard to beat a PB&J samich an inch and a half thick for two bits!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 11, 2014 - 09:53pm PT
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Bump for a pitcher of Duffys...
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jan 11, 2014 - 09:55pm PT
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Of course, there's the Southern Sun to go to after a day
of Eldo prancin'
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jan 11, 2014 - 10:36pm PT
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Anyone ever knock a few back at the Chiefton in Squamish?
More than a few.
Ghost -funny you should mention the "ho" -i went there for a quiet beer the other night with messers stanhope and wheater
I haven't been to the Ivanhoe since the Wednesday night thing petered out decades ago. And haven't been to any pub in Vancouver for probably a dozen years, but I do have fond memories of the Cecil. Dump that it was.
If you run into Mr. Wheater again, say hi to him for me..
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Jan 11, 2014 - 10:57pm PT
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Jeez you guys are getting old. Of course it was Fred Stanley.
The Chiefton (or is it Chieftain?)-we used to get 10 cent schooners there. You went in through the "Men's" entrance, as opposed to the "Ladies with Escorts" entrance. We'd each start out with 6 or so 10 cent schooners and things would go downhill from there.
Dave-sorry about your dad. The world is a different place without your father.
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Jan 12, 2014 - 12:38am PT
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My Dad introduced me to climbing when I was 4 years old.
I hung out at The Gendarme alot while I was young.
And then a Whole Lot after being gone for a while.
Loves me some Seneca!
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Jan 12, 2014 - 10:46am PT
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Tahquitz/Idyllwild: There was a GREAT restaurant where we almost always would go. What was its name?
I don't know if these are the places you're thinking of, BooDawg, but a bunch of us climbers used to hang out at either Jan's Red Kettle, or Michelli's Pizza.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jan 12, 2014 - 12:15pm PT
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And what about the Drake in Canmore.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 12, 2014 - 01:52pm PT
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I just went looking for the Tami toon to no avail but I sure had fun in the effort!
Thanks for the rough and tumble details gf.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
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Jan 12, 2014 - 01:57pm PT
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In the old days the only climber hangout in Boulder was The Sink, a dark windowless dive whose walls were covered with grafiti and plenty of lewd remarks, especially in the johns.We would always hit the place for 3.2 beer which was legal for 18 year olds in Colorado at the time (it was rumored that Coors had a direct pipeline from their brewery in Golden to the Sink). That was of course where I first met Boulder climbing legend Layton Kor and many other notables. A secondary hangout was the student union but no alcohol was served there.
In Yosemite it was the cafeteria or coffee shop when we had enough money to buy something and the lounge with the big fireplace the rest of the time.Only the gainfully employed like Warren Harding could afford the bar.
In the daytime of course we could buy snacks and beer at Degnans and sit and eat it on the grass outside. They had a restaurant upstairs that had good food and the Degnans themselves were nice people and nice employers, unlike the Curry Company who really ripped off their employees, particularly the mostly Native American cabin cleaners. I lasted a week at Curry before shifting to Degnans where I worked as a waitress, biking back and forth from Camp 4 because it was quiet at night compared to the employees' dorm at Degnans. The Degnans themselves didn't seem to mind climbers (they were descended from an old pioneer family) while the Curry company hated us.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
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Jan 12, 2014 - 02:07pm PT
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How the heck did Daryl get up there and which side did he climb - the feathers or the nose?
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Jan 12, 2014 - 11:36pm PT
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on a related topic: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1617081/Best-bars-near-climbing-destinations-climbing-related
and a repost:
in my beloved BITD burg, there is a bar called the blue ribbon. stucco and a door. one wall was decorated with a rack for pool sticks. the window had A blinking neon rig. when the screen door slammed behind you, silence prevailed. you were pressed into a high stakes decision. at a dollar discount under any other brew in town, pbr filled the bill and a palpable calm settled in amongst the brooding crowd.
when you counted your change, you knew you'd found a home, in the climber's bar as we called it.
if you had a special place in your heart for a peanut shaped guy with a monockle and a top hat, your dietary needs were met to boot.
to celebrate a new grade V up where the billy goats roamed they would load up a 'lectric skillet with a few sliders.
ketchup was the safe call, ask for bbq sauce and your tenure got a little tenuous.
the juke box sported the whole spectrum from tami to waylon, you decide.
three plays for fifty cents, now you've earned some respect
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 4, 2014 - 10:18pm PT
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Nice slice hooblie!
Bump for memories of a small sea of empty Blue Ribbon Beer schooners purchased at the user friendly rate of seven for $10 at a watering hole in Tucson WBITD...Clear sailing with the decks awash. Hoy! Hoy!
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Why, the traveling feast, of course.....SUSHIFEST!
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Tricouni
Mountain climber
Vancouver
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Wednesday night at the Cecil Hotel in Vancouver.
Great times bitd. I don't think you could call it a climber hangout, but at least they tolerated us. Probably because we were marginally more desirable than the crazies and homeless guys that were their other customers.
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R.I.P Wednesday night at the Cecil.
Yes, great times at the Cece. I drank way too much beer there, and I even got banned for life from the place (not for drinking beer - as long as you could choke it down, it was ok with them). Of course, there was rapid turnover in bartenders and bouncers, so I was back there in a week or so.
Now the Cecil has gone, to be replaced by high-end housing. I don't know where all the rubbies who lived there went, 'cause all those old places are gone or going.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Is the Chieftain that dive in Squeamish where Bruce Hawkins and I had a
discussion about manhood with those loggers? When I stood up at 6'-1"/185
and Bruce stood up at 6'-3"/190 those gay loggers got all chummy like.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Is there still free camping at the strawberry lodge by lovers?
The grizzly bar in roscoe mt comes to mind as well as the grocery store in fishtail.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Is the Chieftain that dive in Squeamish where Bruce Hawkins and I had a discussion about manhood with those loggers?
I didn't witness it, but there are stories about Steve Sutton brawling with loggers in the Chieftain bitd.
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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this tiny version was the only image I could find of that Ed Cooper pic of Angel Crack. Definitely not Willi, could be Fred Stanley. I do recall the picture, it's as hard a start for a 5.8 route as you'll find anywhere.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 29, 2014 - 11:55am PT
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Bump for a primo hang...Where was yours?!?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 29, 2014 - 03:41pm PT
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I remember when Seattle had a vibrant climbing scene.....seems pretty dead now.
The Sink in Boulder was quite the climber's pub in the 70's.
Nothing in the States rivals the climbing pubs in the UK.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 29, 2014 - 04:08pm PT
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Off White, that was definitely Stanley looking for Livingstone.
There weren't any climber pubs in Seattle BITD, other than Givler's house.
The Northlake Pizza came as close to being one as there was. There was a
memorable evening there after Warren Harding's Dawn Wall slide show. Well,
the first few hours were memorable anyway.
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Oldfattradguy2
Trad climber
Here and there
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Nov 29, 2014 - 04:43pm PT
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Two of the classic gunks hangouts were lost in one night:
Any bets on how long it will take GOTD to reply.......
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 17, 2014 - 05:32pm PT
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Bump in memory of Eric Bjornstad...
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| Messages 1 - 51 of total 51 in this topic |
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