Trip Report
Hueco Tanks Old School

by Crump
Thursday May 17, 2012 7:16am
From the late '70s and early '80s, featuring the Head Brothers, and the rest of those Damn Texas Yahoos!

http://vimeo.com/42050469

Mike Head On the Border, Hueco Tanks
Mike Head On the Border, Hueco Tanks
Credit: Crump

  Trip Report Views: 1,729
Crump 		About the Author
Crump is a social climber from Lakewood, CO.

Comments
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chez

Social climber
chicago ill
  May 17, 2012 - 08:55am PT
Nice!!!!!!
Would kill to get a pair of those green striped adidas.
ydpl8s

Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
  May 17, 2012 - 10:13am PT
Nice, the only thing I know about Mike Head is a story that Philo tells about Mike coming to Taylor Canyon in Gunnison and climbing up and then downclimbing one of the hardest roof routes that all of our hard men had been working on for years!
TwistedCrank

climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
  May 17, 2012 - 03:51pm PT
How come guys in your pic are always smiling?
Crump

Social climber
Lakewood, CO
Author's Reply  May 17, 2012 - 04:37pm PT
Hey, back in those days we had Hueco to ourselves. If you were the ones to discover heaven would you be smiling?
Credit: Crump
Hankster

Social climber
Golden, CO
  May 17, 2012 - 04:15pm PT
Ah yeah, back when NOBODY bouldered and the park was pretty much deserted year round!! Wish the man would just leave that place alone.
Hueco Tanks
Hueco Tanks
Credit: James Crump
Crump

Social climber
Lakewood, CO
Author's Reply  May 17, 2012 - 04:24pm PT
Hank Spank cranking as a reformed 16 year old teenager! I remember doing that route with you and taking that picture. Rainbow Bridge, and you forgot to bring a belay device...

I had to make the choice, is our sole plate belaying you? Or my fat ass. And you wanted your shot at Mikie's brilliant 3rd pitch...

"spanky, here is my plate. You can do it! Go for it! No worries!"

Good lead on a Munter hitch baby!!! Haha...
Levy

Big Wall climber
So Cal
  May 17, 2012 - 07:09pm PT
F-ing cool! I loved seeing shots of Optical Promise, Road To Nowhere, Sea Of Holes & more. I really miss the way Hueco used to be. Also, those shots of a young Hankster are too funny. TFPU!
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
  May 18, 2012 - 07:03pm PT
WOOF! that was so cool. Wicked shots. Even though I got to hang and mix it up at Hueco with you TexaRadians in the mid eighties I sure wish I could have gotten there before I was a been Has-ed.
Nice stuff James TFPU and keep it up.
Heyzeus

climber
Hollywood,Ca
  May 18, 2012 - 09:28pm PT
Muy excellante!!!
Made my day, muchas thanks.
ß Î Ø T Ç H

climber
  May 18, 2012 - 11:10pm PT
Can you name-drop some of the bouldering lines from back then? My only knowledge of the place is a copy of Verm's guidebook, and the modern videos (Big Up etc).
HuecoRat

Trad climber
NJ
  Jul 16, 2012 - 07:03pm PT
Thanks, James! Brought back a lot of memories. I never knew you, but I was there a lot in the early 80s, climbing with Les Harmon and Fred Nakovic, among others. I miss those days.
Bowser

Social climber
Durango CO
  Jul 16, 2012 - 07:31pm PT
Ahh Hueco Tanks. I went there once in the early 90's just when Texas Parks took over. What a bunch of douche bags. A haboob blew in so we made for Queen Creek to save our trip.

Then went back a few years later and met Stewart Green and Dennis Jackson when Stewart was photographing for his guide book. We had no problems or issues with the rangers which made for a good trip.

Man, I wish I would have done Sea of Holes then.

Does anyone climb there anymore? That is some cool ass rock down there. I bet the days with Todd and Paul were a riot.

TB
Huecool

Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
  Nov 23, 2012 - 11:37pm PT
Hey Crump! Who took that picture? I seem to remember I'm the only person who belayed Mike on the one attempt with the the new (unfinished) route...
Huecool

Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
  Nov 23, 2012 - 11:50pm PT
Mike Head is one of the best climbers I ever met. And I have been fortunate to meet a lot of great climbers. If he had grown up in Yosemite he would have been one of the Stone Masters...
MisterE

Social climber
  Nov 24, 2012 - 05:59am PT
Crazy shots of Hugh Herr with super-extendo legs!

Thanks for the memories, I had one amazing three-month stay there in the mid-90's before TPR screwed it up.
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