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MZiebell
Social climber
Prescott, AZ
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Jun 15, 2007 - 04:53pm PT
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Dennis Horning has a titanium plate in his head...
I'm sure this is serious but all the same a smile came across my face... something about being hard-headed maybe?
What's the story?
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jun 16, 2007 - 02:07am PT
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Of all the Frank Sanders' in the world he's the Frank sanders-est*.
Bach to Zep, man.
I'm sure a lot of people here, especially reading this thread, are familiar with the Frank show, but to anyone else, that podcast is just the tip of the iceberg.
-Frank Piano adventure-
We left the valley en route to Davis about 10pm, in Frank's Van, with the gauge on big, "E". I had voted for waiting for the morning, but Frank had life waiting for him.
Michele (meep-meep, honey) and I fell asleep in the back. I woke up briefly somewhere around groveland when Frank pulled into a bar.
"Guess we're bivvying here,"I thought, before passing out again.
Sometime later I woke when Frank started the bus and followed a pickup truck to a closed gas station.
Then some guy got out of the truck turned on the pumps and filled Frank's tank.
WTF?
Maurice the bus was running on Fumes. All the gas stations were closed. Frank followed the sound of piano music into the bar. He talked to the piano dude for a while, then palyed duets with him for some time. He ended up telling the guy the story of havng his rig in the lot with no gas, and having to wait till morning.
The guy wouldn't hear of it and ended up dispatching 'his boy' to open the pumps of his establishment, to tip his fellow piano player.
only Frank...
Of all The Dingus Mcgees in the world ... *
I don't think it's a secret, so I'll tell. Dennis was climbing (with a surgeon)in an undisclosed climbing area north of Colorado when he got clobbered by a rock, fortunately it hit him in the head. An epic hike out with kowledgeble help from his climbing partner led him to the E-room and the titanium plate.
This happened about ten years ago. He started an email with the line "I have a titanium plate in my head," a short while later.
Both/Either,
Frank, 'The Colonel' Sanders
&/or
Dennis Horning, 'Dingus Mcgee'
would make could subjects for dedicated threads if someone feels ambitous.
Back on topic, who freed Hollywood & Vine?
*apologies to Charles Schultz, RIP
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2007 - 11:41am PT
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Great piano story
I don't know who did the ffa. Was the route originally put up by Royal Robbins?
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My Name Is Drew
Big Wall climber
Dogtown, LosAngeles, CA.
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Jun 16, 2007 - 09:11pm PT
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The sudden shift in emotional polarity from grimaced fear to grinning accomplishment is a familiar one of course. Find yourself on some gawdforsaken route in the middle of nowhere asking yourself what the hell was I thinking when and very rapidly approaching the point where you pray for your lives only to reach the top and ask each other which route to do next.
Yep. lol
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 10, 2007 - 12:05am PT
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So what do I have to do to get my big wall crab back? Have I not begged enough? Have we not had enough "fun"?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 10, 2007 - 01:18am PT
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good post dredging
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 10, 2007 - 01:19am PT
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I've, like, been up on the wall a while, eh?
And while there is something to be said for ovine ascents [like "baaaaaa!" for instance] I really prefer climbing with crustaceans.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 24, 2009 - 06:27pm PT
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bump for Devils Tower
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homemade salsa
Trad climber
west tetons
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Aug 25, 2009 - 08:14pm PT
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Hey Murph- Hobo Dan- that summer you and Shawn Callahan climbed together at the Tower- remember climbing with one of rangers? Well that was me, the one year I worked for the park service, poaching partners from the climbers cars as I took their money at the entrance station.
I ran into Shawn at the hot springs outside Mammoth one day- he came up to my truck (with WY plates) and asked me if I knew lynne wolfe. Now that is me, and I looked at him funny and said "who wants to know" sortof a weird moment. Then we played the "do you remember" game and had a great time. That was my first climb of El Mat, and it kicked my butt.
But I sure do love that Hollywood and Vine... remember that a #4 RP is the key to the crux, as is remembering to breathe as you stand on insecure obtuse angle stems. So many good memories...
I think the ranger that broke his ankle was Dick Guilmette, and someone might have been climbing with Jim Schlinkman, who was road patrol there in the 80s, went on to JTree and back to the Tower as Superintendant, not sure if he is still there. My summer there (1984) was the summer that Todd Skinner and Beth Wald were living in a teepee at the KOA, freeing a bunch of the old aid routes. They'd come shower at my crackerbox ranger housing apartment and we'd get in trouble for making too much noise.
I would do these "climbing demonstrations" on a portable little climbing wall with a crack or 2 in it, and all my climber buddies would laugh and laugh.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Aug 26, 2009 - 01:00am PT
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hey there hobo_dan... say, thanks for the bump here... so i can learn a bit more supertopo stuff...
nice to see the post from you...
god bless... :)
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 26, 2009 - 03:31am PT
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I climbed Dingus McGees favorite Free route on the Tower, 'Billy Bear Cranks the Rad' with Head Ranger emeritus Dick Guilmette.
OT, Hot Henry Digression;
I first successfully climbed the route Mainstreet, in Vedauwoo with Henry Barber when he onsight soloed it, dragging a 7 mil for my convenience. ( I'd had a number of epics on it before that) When I watched him climb it, I HAD to do it. My own success set me on the path of offwidth...
Last week, 32 yrs later I led that route and was followed by Dr Ed Hartouni, a native Bostonian, I think. I think Hot Hank is a native Bostonian as well, so maybe there is a weird sort of symmetry going here. I like to think so, any way.
Happy Lucille day, all.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2009 - 08:35pm PT
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Hey you guys-Where is Shawn Callahan now? I thought he was in Tuscon but I couldn't find him when i was there
El Matador is the only climb I ever hung on my fingers to rest my calves- got that idea from a Brit: Peter Best wasa his name maybe?
Hi Neebee Thanks for the card. Hope things are turning the corner
Lynne:
Todd Skinner was the guy who totally opened up North America. Before he came it was like a Bad Led Zeppelin guitar jam- all about image and being oh so cool! Skinner came and said it's time to climb-"get on board- I'm driving the bus!"
Todd Skinner does'nt get the credit he should and neither does Tony Yaniro-which will be my next post
murf
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homemade salsa
Trad climber
west tetons
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:44pm PT
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Completely agreed, Murf. Didn't matter to Todd that summer (and subsequently) if you climbed 5.7 or 5.12- he was just so open and psyched for every single climber. And he remembered everyone's name for ever after, and just lit up when he saw you again.
That was an amazing summer for me- I went from shaky follower on 10a to leading those long Tower cracks without completely losing my cool- learned to stem, to rest while placing gear, and to eagerly take my turn on the sharp end.
And you might look for Shawn on the East side of the Sierra- that was at least 10 yrs ago I saw him there...
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Curt
Boulder climber
Gilbert, AZ
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Aug 27, 2009 - 11:47pm PT
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hobo_dan, did you climb with Mark or Mike Jacobs? Have we met?
Curt
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 28, 2009 - 11:20am PT
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Lynn those long Tower cracks are the real deal. I've never seen anything that even comes close as far as sustained and consistent difficulty. I still whimper when I think about Mr. Clean- and i parked on the rest ledge for about 2 years before getting on with it
My only real Arizona contact was a lady: Caryl S Williams-a really really good climber. We hung out in Tuolumne in the early eighties. I think she got married and I have no idea where she is now. She was friends with Kevin Fosberg.
Mark or Mike Jacobs?- I don't recall.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 31, 2009 - 11:04pm PT
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Hey JayBro
The belayer without a thumb story- I heard about a guy from Minnesota who was hiking and he placed his hand on a big block and it shifted- pinning and shearing his thumb- same guy/story? Don't remember the context or the alcohol content behind the story but I wonder if they're related
murf
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Aug 31, 2009 - 11:07pm PT
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Could be. I don't know where the missing thumb from my story went missing.
I'm guessing the Colonel knows...
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dogtown
Gym climber
JackAssVille, Wyoming
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Blow Me & Whine. you mean? No?
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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Shawn is still in Tucson. Was as of a couple of years ago, anyway.
He said he wanted to go back to the Tower several times. I don't think he ever did. Not with me, anyway.
Hi Lynne!
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