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Bushman
Social climber
In this form at present
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 7, 2015 - 01:16pm PT
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Bushman
Social climber
In this form at present
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 7, 2015 - 01:41pm PT
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Bushman
Social climber
In this form at present
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 7, 2015 - 01:50pm PT
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Had a little trouble getting the order straight.
I climbed it several years later with a partner from Sacramento named Brad Hart and my memory of all the pitches is a bit rusty.
The triple cracks and the whole headwall were so awesome.
Tobin Groucho Marx is one of my favorites.
-Tim
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couchmaster
climber
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Cool history shots Tim! Thanks for sharing!
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Thanks for posting this Tim! There can’t be that many siblings who have done El Cap, much less the Shield.
The shot of Tobin jumaring the “fixed” rope on the Shield roof shows the famous incident. Tobin of course, thought this would save some time, so he did not hesitate to clip his jumars on and start up it. Imagine his surprise when he reached the end of it and found that it was not anchored to a bolt, but instead was merely twisted by happenstance into the crack! Yikes!
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Great stuff, Tim. Pure gold!
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whitemeat
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Great pictures of a wild route!
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climbfitcoachtom
climber
covina, ca
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I love it. I only remember hearing the stories and being so young at the time, didn't know what any of the slang terms really meant but later putting it all together at slide show presentations and tales told in camp. What an awesome and amazing time. What awesome and amazing brothers!
If you can imagine, our twos story home where we grew up had tennis shoe smears on the stucco under the slings hung under eaves from the traffic of traverse from older brothers bedroom window. Wild trips to Yosemite, JT, Idyllwild. What a great theater to grow up in! Thanks for sharing photos Brother Tim.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Thanks Tim!!
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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just a tourist here in my loafers
with a super-sweet margarita,
gawking at proud pasts
which cascade over my present.
is there a can into which i can
drop my dirty currency?
thanks for the oohhs and ahhs,
i really admire your brother.
i notice that your memory
is rusty, frayed and barely connected,
like an old head,
thus we wouldn't hang much
on it, definitely not a life,
whereas your understanding is
obviously solid,
bounce-tested by your story.
egads, does anyone have some salt,
i'm gagging on this agave.
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 8, 2015 - 10:24am PT
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'The Norwegee Board'
You know that one particular route?
It's rising from the scree,
It's wet now,
Slimed with moss,
But when it dries sometimes late spring,
Maybe you or a similar being,
Will paste your soles on its lichened streak,
Not for the aged or the meek,
Quite run the start to first good piece,
Oh I'm not sure which route you'll do,
It scuffed eroded chipped and ground,
With trundled stones that smell of flint,
And sulfurous fumes like Hades pipe,
That burn the nose to make one squint,
I know not what new route you'll do,
Like sons and daughters would,
With stone or ice or gnarled brown wood,
And grassy cracks,
The sanded shelf awaits the toe,
And anchors set with courage steeled,
Knowing not Norwegian's climb,
Still see him climbing in my mind.
-bushman
02/08/2015
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Awesome Tim, thanks for that!
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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Only weeks following Tobin's funeral service, Tim and I were able to rope up together at JT briefly. Bushman was sorta bushy even then, by the way, but more like just stubbles on his face.
The climb was called "A Nice Day to Die." I guess it had an odd therapeutic aspect to it for both of us maybe.
I had soft fingers and pudge from Grad school and marriage, but what I remember most was Tim's sensational climbing ability. The Dude is mega strong! Tobin made mention of it to me often.
Rick is right- having the fortitude to continue climbing for years at a high level in the wake of Tobin's passing shows phenomenal soul, Tim. Thank you for affirming us all by keeping the connections and memories alive.
Greetings to Tom Sorenson! Long Live Tim and Tom Sorenson!
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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This is a notable event in Poway Mountaineering history.
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2015 - 03:29pm PT
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Thanks for the kind words, Bruno.
Maybe you could give us some more Tobin memories and a story about that climb?
I would especially like to hear about those goofy antics on what looked like Chickenhead ledge near the top, and what was my bro thinkin' by jugging that old rope at the roof?
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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EE-onk-EEE reminds me that I should mention that in late October the Poway Mountaineers celebrated their fifty year anniversary in Yosemite. We had a simple ceremony, recalling Tobin, along with fallen Poway Climbers, George Manson and Dan Hines. Tobin was an official Honorary Poway Mountaineer as well as an Original Stonemaster, but you know, Stonemasters are commonplace nowadays!
Bushman: I will try and write a little or find something I have already written or at least a photo. Final version of writing is yet to come, but lately, progress. -- Progress spurred on by Rick Accomazzo's writing about Tobin in the new Alpinist, as is rumored. Can't wait. -B
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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This from some beginning parts:
"…One day he approached me, arms in the air, his mouth wide open and calling out over and over again, "The bones began to walk," and "The bones are now alive!" (He was referring to Ezekiel's vision.)
That is when I knew we were already tasting Paradise, when our youthful faith poured out of our mouths. Can you imagine feeling so cleansed and innocent and so free as to easily agree the only thing which mattered in life was to know God more, to quest for miracle and to literally crawl through the sky and rush the Most High and say we wished to be among the spinning wheels and walking bones? We didn't want to meditate about it though. We wanted to pack our bags and tie-in..."
*
If he were still alive today…sigh… I believe Tobin was en route, no holds barred once again, to become a much needed figure in Christian theology, the sort of one who would be the opposite of what we have come to dread. He struggled at first with academics but then his intellect began to mature and obviously mushroom. As it is, I feel I can make a case for Tobin being the most original and serious Christian Mystic in modern times, interpreting his climbing experiences as true worship, and simultaneously, growing out towards other people, having done a complete about face in the end, unconcerned about his stature as a great climber, which he surely was.
There is a story to go with the Groucho glasses but it needs a certain photo with it I have to locate.
 Bruce Adams
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 10, 2015 - 03:48am PT
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Brunosafari/Bruce said:
… what I remember most was Tim's sensational climbing ability. The Dude is mega strong!
Yes, strong ... and he’s gutsy too!
Tim,
About 1981 you and I climbed Inverted Staircase on Fairview and Swept Away in Joshua Tree. You led the hard pitches on both climbs. We needed to do some preliminary route finding to get established on Inverted Staircase. I recall the bolt which you clipped on Staircase’s crux was pure crap! (We tried not to worry about spinners in those days, just happy to have something to clip, haha).
What I remember most about those two routes we partnered up for, was something you said before heading out on the crux of Swept Away: "I'm willing to go for it! And I am not afraid to take a fall!”.
Well, it isn't El Capitan, but quite a thrilling lead position on Swept Away and you did fall … It's a daunting little ripper from that position … And quickly, with total conviction and no fear, you got right back up there to fire the thing! No question, boldness runs in the family.
Really fun to see you posting here Tim.
We've missed you at the JT/Stonemaster reunions.
As you can imagine this story of your brother's antics on this ascent with Bruce has been told many times here on the forum. Thanks much for the great pictures!
Great stuff Bruce Adams, on Tobin's character.
Looking forward to more!
Cheers,
Roy
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 10, 2015 - 09:02am PT
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About that fixed rope over the Shield roof to the headwall.
Me and Dale Bard found that rope laying on the gray ledges.
I told Dale we should drag it with us and fix it at the anchors over the roof and at the anchors below the roof.
That way if we somehow get hurt on the shield headwall we could retreat easily.
Since we found this rope just laying there abandoned it seemed like a no brainer.
We were on the 5th ascent.
Dale anchored the rope thru the eye of one of the bolt hangers.
As far as the story being Tobin had found the rope just jammed into the crack when he got to the anchors over the roof seems far fetched to me ......
Who did the sixth ascent? Bachar, Kauk and Gramicci ? Followed by Sorenson on the 7th ascent.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Feb 10, 2015 - 10:20am PT
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Werner,
I saw that story of the rope in the crack in an old thread here in 2005 and a post from John Vawter:
My favorite story is the Shield Roof. (No idea if it's true.) He was up there with Denny Adams, a brother in Christ shall we say, and when they got to the A4 roof pitch they found a rope hanging down from above. Denny looks at Tobin and shakes his head in the negative. After a bit of debate, Tobin slaps his jumars on the line and starts to jug. He finishes the free jumar and is into the relative ease of steep rock when he spies the end of the rope . . . not fixed to an anchor, but running into a crack. As he nears the end he sees what he has been jumaring on: a knot wedged in the crack.
Luckily, we have Bruce available to set us straight: to what was the rope attached when Tobin jumared over the roof?
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2015 - 10:46am PT
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Hi Roy,
I've been out of the loop almost 20 years now but those were some epic times for all of us back then, good and bad. I didn't know anything about your illness a few years back and just want you to know I'm wishing you well and hope you are doing better these days. What an awesome job your friends here did in coming to your aid in difficult circumstances.
-Tim
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Feb 10, 2015 - 12:00pm PT
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Piton Ron did an early ascent of the Shield with Trevor Jones.
Maybe you can ask him about timing
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2015 - 12:14pm PT
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I climbed it around '84, it probably had many dozens of ascents by then.
The groove was a little dicey because out of all the fixed rurps, some had manky blown slings, I remember re-tying several with tiny square knots and making little 1" loops just big enough to clip and re-use, and the creak-creak of weighting and hanging on the rotten webbing. Only placed one rurp and a few heads on what used to be a famous rurp pitch.
Also, I remember trying to be super cautious climbing above chicken head ledge because we were told someone had fallen a short distance there and sustained a head injury sometime before we did the route.
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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Feb 10, 2015 - 06:33pm PT
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I see I need to update clarify some info:
Neither Tobin or I had the chance to actually see exactly how the rope was anchored in the crack. Tobin had stopped jumaring the pitch about forty or fifty feet premature and set up a virgin belay spot. Surely he came to his senses while he was jumaring and that is why he set an anchor early. I slightly weighted that crap rope at the belay and it instantly pulled out of the crack from above, swooshing past us and making a mighty snapping crack of the whip, which put us in a certain frame of mind. We wondered how it had been anchored because we could find no gear, but were so glad catastrophe had been averted we didn't seek to analyze it much, probably a little embarrassed to think about it much for analysis. Of course, now I wish I had questioned him about it more fully. At this time I was actually more the leader of the climb since I had more big wall experience. I didn't want to demoralize him in some kind of false superior way by bringing up the incident afterwards. And if I had been a stronger and wiser leader, it never would of happened. There is a more detailed account in Dean Fidelman and John Long's book, Stonemaster's …of the Seventies.
Dennis Adams, my older brother, was not on this particular ascent, Rick. He was however my first partner and coach, not to mention an original founder of the Poway Mountaineers and later became a very active kayak and canoe devotee. I wonder how his name crossed your cerebellum?
Under the Shield Roof, the fixed white rope's condition was such that it made made crunching sounds when even slightly handled and the kermantle sheath was heavily worn and barren in spots, presumably from the strong winds up there. I considered it unquestionably dangerous and 100 % fully expected him to rip the entire time he was jumaring. Fortunately, as always, he was very fast and once again proved the alpinists dictum which he lived by: Speed is safety.
-Bruce Adams
Edit: I was was just again reading over Werner Braun's excellent imput and I am wondering if a rope suspended from the lower Groove Pitch Anchor bolt Werner mentions, 40 or 50 feet down the crack, would appear to have been in the crack causing me to assume it at first. The funny account of Ron O's almost seems to pose itself as a solution to the puzzle. I personally have no certainty of the sequential record of the early ascents. "Groove Pitch was pinned up a bit."
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Feb 10, 2015 - 06:55pm PT
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Bruce,
I went back and edited my previous post to make clearer that I was quoting someone else's long ago post as the source of the jammed rope story. I had not even noticed that he got your name wrong.
Of course, I always knew it was you on the Shield with Tobin.
Rick
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cashlowe
Sport climber
Redmond, OR
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Feb 10, 2015 - 08:44pm PT
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Amazing history!!! Thank you for sharing, Tim.
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
OR
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Feb 10, 2015 - 11:28pm PT
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I think it was me up there with Tobin, but Bushman's photos posted shows a guy with hair on his head.
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2015 - 11:40pm PT
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Yeah Bruce, I take my hat off some times around my grandkids and exclaim that I had hair just this morning which is always good for a smile or a laugh.
They never knew me with hair on top of my head or with a beer in my hand or a ciggy or joint in my mouth either, of course giving up hair was completely involuntary, ha ha!
There's a couple more shots of Tobin on the route I found I'll post later.
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2015 - 01:17pm PT
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There's a couple more shots of Tobin on the route I found I'll post later.
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2015 - 04:04pm PT
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More Tobin pics from other routes forthcoming.
-Tim
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Feb 12, 2015 - 04:28pm PT
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Let me put this to rest (Werner should have remembered.)
I made the 7th ascent of the Shield in June '76 with Trevor Jones of Calgary (actually ex-pat brit).
We had the same idea about retreat potential so Trevor trailed the old rope cleaning the pitch after the roof. It didn't reach much farther so Trevor just took the end, made a single knot, and placed it like a nut in the crack (but made it "fit" with his hammer).
We never thought anyone would be crazy enough to jug a stiff mystery rope.
At least the crack he arrived at was A1 and he could get a good anchor for Bruce.
Didn't the same team free my route on the Diamond the prior year?
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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Feb 12, 2015 - 04:43pm PT
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There was lots of crap white kernmantle hanging around the Nose from when Glen Denny had fixed most of the route for filming. I vaguely recall there was a thin red thread running through the sheath. I know about that stuff, because Haan and I had rappelled from Sickle using that cord about ten years earlier. The shite creaked like Hell back then!
Werner, please tell me it wasn't some of that stuff that you found around the Grey Bands!
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 12, 2015 - 05:06pm PT
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Ron (Toker Villain) thanks for clearing up the mystery.
I remember watching you do the direct start to the shield roof.
It was you right?
WOW!!!!
Trevor hammered the knotted rope into the crack and Tobin was crazy enough to jumar that rope
without knowing what it was ultimately anchored to.
LOL !!
rmuir
No it wasn't a rope from Denny's old fixed lines for sure.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Feb 12, 2015 - 05:13pm PT
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Well Werner,
your memory is a bit off again.
I finished the direct start with Yaniro the following year on the 11th or 12th ascent.
(I wanted to lead the pitches I had followed).
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WBraun
climber
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Feb 12, 2015 - 05:52pm PT
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Good for you Ron I've done the shield twice too.
Thanks for the photos of Tobin, Bushman
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eagle
Trad climber
new paltz, ny
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Feb 18, 2015 - 11:11am PT
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GREAT OLDIE SET OF PHOTOS
I HAEN'T DONE THEM ALL BUT THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST EVER, AT LEAST THE ROOF PITCH AND THE HEADWALL PITCHES, CLIMBS ON TE PLANET
I DID THIS IN 1977 WHEN IT WAS STILL A4. SOMETIMES WONDER WHAT A KICK IT WOULD BE FOR A 3RD TO CUT LOSE FROM THE BELAY UNDER THE ROOF AND JUST SWING OUT THERE...YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
IF ANYONE HAS DONE THAT PM ME AND TELL ME ABOUT IT
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Feb 18, 2015 - 12:02pm PT
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Great to get the story confirmed, once and for all here from Ron and Bruce! The rope Tobin jumared was attached to El Cap by a jammed knot in the headwall crack, akin to what I have read they use in Dresden.
It bears repeating: Yikes!
Ron- It was a different Bruce Adams--the Colorado Bruce Adams, not the California Bruce Adams posting here (Brunosafari)--who freed with Tobin your route D7 on the Diamond .
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melski
Trad climber
bytheriver
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Feb 18, 2015 - 02:20pm PT
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very cool bruce,one of my favorite routes ,havent seen or heard from you since the mid eighties in alaska, are you in oregon or colo.??
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 18, 2015 - 06:05pm PT
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Ricky,
Thanks for clarifying the two Bruce Adams!
When I met the Colorado Bruce Adams, I asked: didn't you climb with Tobin?
He knew I was from California and answered: I did, but I'm not the Bruce Adams you're thinking of.
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rich sims
Social climber
co
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Feb 18, 2015 - 10:26pm PT
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Hey Tim
Guess you were thinking same as your Bro when we did Pan Am, glad I talked you out of it saying I wanted to lead the Brown Dihedral, was true I did want to.
How about the midnight serenade the week before.
Glad your well thanks for posting up
Rich
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2015 - 08:07am PT
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Hi Rich,
How goes it these days?
Luckily, memory doesn't serve me well when it comes to recalling some of the wild partying I did back in those days. Fortunately I'm taking better care of my health in that department.
Pan Am route a cool memory with a great partner in a remote place. Thanks for not letting me jug that old rope. That trip might not have turned out so well.
Midnight serenade? I'm almost scared to ask.
-Tim
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Russ Aulds
Trad climber
Delano, TN
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Feb 21, 2015 - 07:39am PT
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Ever since I first read stories about this guy written by John Long, I've always admired his passion for living on the edge. R.I.P. Tobin.
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Jefe'
Boulder climber
Bishop
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Mar 27, 2015 - 08:18am PT
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 27, 2015 - 09:59pm PT
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Sorry Jefe'
Pretty sure that's not a photo of me,
I never wore a helmet climbing except when ice climbing many years later years in Lee Vining Canyon.
Must be someone else...
-bushman/dibbs
PS
Possibly my younger brother Tom but I don't recognize the photo.
Cool pics of Tobin on the Accamazzo article thread btw.
Thanks for posting them.
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Jefe'
Boulder climber
Bishop
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Mar 30, 2015 - 11:42am PT
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Dibbs, that's you....
You scrounged that helmet somewhere
and wore it for a joke.
I was doing a climb to your left
and you wanted a picture.
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Bushman
Social climber
Elk Grove, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 30, 2015 - 01:09pm PT
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Helmet, Robbins boots, and longjohns under daisy dukes, what an ensemble. No wonder my wife won't take me anywhere. What route was that if you recall? I must have selected that day right out of my memory.
Thanks Jefe'
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Jefe'
Boulder climber
Bishop
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Mar 30, 2015 - 04:01pm PT
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Suicide.
Left of Valhalla.
Early to Mid-70's.
You were just a lad.
The first time I met you
I was with Harrison and
Tobin, we were bouldering
at Baldy.
If I remember correctly,
your dad had a place in
Baldy, just don't remember
the name of the canyon.
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