MudNCrud Forums
Sitting and Day Dreaming => Mud Puddle => Topic started by: F4? on April 09, 2011, 06:36:41 AM
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Let's face it, I think all of us have a good story of how we met Mr Mud for the first time.
Mine was in the meadows at daff dome. Tree trimmer charlie pulls up with this long haired guy. He didn't say much.
The next time was with mungie on the east side. He shows up in this ford van...the scary kind. We had a great day climbing.
Then he changed his name. Aren't you Dennis.....nope call me Erik..
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Mountain Biking at Bear Valley gave him and his soon to be wife a tour of the area. I did not realize at that time how much and well they climbed. I think they have pictures from that ride somewhere on this site.
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didn't know it was mr. mud at the time, but in Joshua Tree, xmas of 1990, a couple of guys (Dave W. and Mr. Mud) were camped in the site next to us at Feudal Wall, Indian Cove. Around the campfire and some beers, marvelous tales of quite good rock and first ascents were told to wide eyed yet-to-be pinns climbers. My only exposure to Pinnacles rock at that time was thru reading the Harlin guide to the West coast and 'loose' rock was to be avoided as something bad, at least back then.
That is what sparked the interest.
A two springs came and went, time was spent in Yosemite, and in January of 1993 I finally got a chance to climb at Pinnacles.
I had all but forgotten the trip til Mud saw a pic of Dave's rig in one of my photo albums. That's when we figured it out that we were 'those guys' we met on 'that trip'. Had a good laugh about that and realized how far back Mr. Mud goes.
You realize on your first trip that either you have a love or disdain for Pinnacles climbing and it's history. I love it.
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My old partners had the Harlingen book and refused tom climb there. I finally went there in fall 93 and loved it.
Come on there have to be more stories...
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Early December, 1995, at the base of Shake and Bake. Dave Harden and I walked in to do the route and found it taken by... Clint and Dennis. While Clint led the first pitch we waited and I talked with Dennis. I quickly realized that he was someone I should climb with. The next April, we spent most of a week in The Valley and on the Sierra Nevada East Side (that was back when his employer allowed six week sabbaticals every few years).
Now, speaking of The Devil: I led his route Jingus yesterday. We drove to Pinns expecting clearing, but arrived to sprinkles. So we went exploring two places where I suspected we might find old, never-reported routes (we found nothing). As we were hiking we were engulfed in periodic snow flurries but also had some blue skies. Then, with skies "clearing," but things still wet, I decided to go tick this route.
About all I can say is: "what the hell were you thinking Dennis?!!!" That is one scary route. It didn't help that halfway up it started raining again and I had to finish the run-out free climbing on wet rock. Moves up and left on utter choss (almost sand), followed by so thin a crack that I was aiding an overhanging section on ball-nuts and green Aliens, followed by the not-so hard (but slimy) run-out free section, and then no summit anchor. The whole experienced left me not-quite shattered mentally. Today I'd intended to get on Wild Turkey (another Dennis what-the-hell-were-you-thinking route) but couldn't summon the mental strength.
Holy Guadalcanal.
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I am quite certain that when he reads that he will will have that rye grin going that he wears so well.
:)
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that was a fun one. Think it was another route where I got sketched told Clint to go get help, waited until he ran 500 yards, called him back then finished the route. Bitchen and moanin the whole way.
That's how the story goes anyway. Always planned on going back to free that one. Only had a couple of aid moves.
Look forward to hearing what you think of Wild Turkey.
That was a good day with Charlie. Got pulled over on the way back for no tail or brake lights and they let us go. the good man upstairs was working over time that night.
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1. "that was a fun one. Think it was another route where I got sketched told Clint to go get help, waited until he ran 500 yards, called him back then finished the route. Bitchen and moanin the whole way."
Oh, yeah, fun. Fun in a "two-weeks-later-looking-at-the-guidebook-glad-I-did-it" sort of way. Not fun in the "shit-will-this-hold-/will-I-die-of-hypothermia" sense. And I can identify with the bitchin' and moaning the whole way thing.
2. "Always planned on going back to free that one. Only had a couple of aid moves."
Had more than a couple aid moves. Half the climb was aid. And you never told me to take a hook. A fishhook would have been very nice, on a bombproof edge. Instead I used nested and equalized Ball-Nuts in an overhanging crack. Fun.
And, fat chance you'll ever free that route. At least without adding bolts to it (which you could ethically do, but which would certainly ruin its character as an aid climb).
3. "Look forward to hearing what you think of Wild Turkey."
Fifty-fifty chance that what I think will be unprintable (and so, you may ONLY hear it).
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In a gym. We were talking. Other mudsters there as well. At the gym.....
Now where is this aid route named jingus?.....
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Now where is this aid route named jingus?.....
In his mind, in his mind. It's figment of his overactive imagination...
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And, fat chance you'll ever free that route. At least without adding bolts to it (which you could ethically do, but which would certainly ruin its character as an aid climb).
I could add the bolt for him...especilly since he's out of town ;D
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It will go free. I did use Ballnuts. Cool route you need very thin to very wide.
It is in the book. Over looks Pinnacles Pond.
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Cool route you need very thin to very wide.
At one point while aiding I went from a green Alien onto the next piece which was a 4 1/2 Camalot.
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Dude, you aided the OW?
ah man that's desperate.
To be honest I really wanted a bolt at the exit moves. Do not know why I did not.
Clint must have threatened me.
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Yeah, I aided the offwidth, which was overhanging and wet. After that the gear finally gets good. Then you bust the free moss..., er, I mean moves.
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Oh, and if you were going to place one bolt and only one bolt, why not at least something on the summit? I had to have Joel walk around, climb halfway up the 5.2 route, clip to the ancient bolts there, tie the rope to him, and then had to wrap that around the top part of the pinnacle and lay it on/over a lower part, all in order to keep the rope close enough to the route so I could clean it on rappel without it slipping off and dropping me to my death (we had no jumars and it was getting to be too late for Joel to follow it by doing the aid moves).
Not that I'm criticizing, mind you. You're one of the absolute boldest Pinnacles climbers who's ever been. No, I'm not criticizing you; I just find myself occasionally cursing the fact that you exist.
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Clint threatened to physically harm me if I put in a bolt. It is all his fault.
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Josh, one extra note about Jingus. Dennis put this up all clean, with no pins. Knowing this I used the same style. I think that the aid would have been less intimidating if I'd used about three pitons, but that didn't seem right to me.
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C5 LIVES!!!
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A0
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HA!
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Clint threatened to physically harm me if I put in a bolt. It is all his fault.
Seems to be a common thread.....I thought D. Wood did the same thing on Edge of Darkness?
More people need to post of on how they 1st met Mr. Mud.
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Never met The Mud. Yet. ::)
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He's an ass.....drinks milk with a tad of coffee.
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Mudworm hasn't posted much lately. How did you and Mud meet (and tell the tale of the broken finger).
And Uber, you still checking in here at all? How'd you meet the evil genius?
Salad?
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She is trying to forget that it happened.
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She is trying to forget that it happened.
Maybe she took off? That or is changing the locks on the door.
I have dibbs on the mtn bike!
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DIE
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Don't forget to pick up some lederhosens.....
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Seriously, without Mudworm, this site has no source of grace, charm, intelligence and decorum. Why doesn't she post anymore?
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Why doesn't she post anymore?
Blame it on Mud. I told him that I would boycott the forum if he kept saying DIE. And see what he did?
Seriously, without Mudworm, this site has no source of grace, charm, intelligence and decorum.
Cool. Learned another word -- had to look up "decorum". :D And then I got confused with grammar -- See, "without a, b has no c" does not necessarily mean that "with a, b will have c", right? I think I need to attend an ESL school, and Brad, you need to fix your expectation.
Mudworm hasn't posted much lately. How did you and Mud meet (and tell the tale of the broken finger).
Hmmm...I think I met Mud the first time at your place, Brad. You hosted like a dozen scumbag climbers for that weekend's AAC gathering. He looked skinny and had a good voice. The second time... that was after F4 said to me in the gym that "You should climb with my buddy; he will love to take you up the Rostrum." That following weekend, we did climb the Rostrum (story here (http://www.mxi2000.net/mudworm/2005/08/the-rostrum-generator-crack-higher-cathedral-spire-and-central-pillar-of-frenzy))-- the first climb we did together (aka the climb he did on our wedding day). He didn't say much that weekend and even less on the climbs. Turned out that F4 told him that my name was "me" and guess he didn't know how to address me. When he did talk, I thought he had a sexy voice.
The broken finger? Well, we climbed a bunch that summer and fall (in 2006). Decided that it was probably easier to coordinate climbing if we moved in together. I didn't know it then -- don't people always break a finger, or two, when they move (full story (http://www.mxi2000.net/mudworm/2006/06/ha-im-back))?
Okay, I'm getting back to my knitting now...
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See, "without a, b has no c" does not necessarily mean that "with a, b will have c", right? I think I need to attend an ESL school, and Brad, you need to fix your expectation.
yes, but I forget the name of that. it's a logical fallacy. not remembering this is going to drive me nuts.
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Mudworm:
1. My expectation? No, what I wrote isn't expectation, it's opinion, point of view. In other words, I think it to be true;
2. Correction: most of the climbers at our house that weekend were dirtbags; only one was a scumbag (and some people think he still is);
3. Dennis' "DIE" has to remain; it's a core function of this site;
4. Never forget that you balance him out here. We like it when you post now and then.
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My first time... Hiking down from some outback first ascenting and there was Clint with this beefy, hairy, quiet dude at the Monolith sport hang.
Many months or years later I get a cold call from this Dennis guy asking "are you Jim McConachie" and if I wasn't still climbing could he jump one of my lines - White Punks on Rope. I said yes still climbing and sure you can jump it as long as it is with me.
A date was set, and on arrival at Yaks Wall I convinced Brad and Dennis to help me finish the third pitch of Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust (little did they know that this was a trial ballon to see about their personalities, ethics, and capabilities). We had a great time finishing the climb, topping out I insisted on drilling the anchors knowing we were cutting it close to the 6 PM closure.
Mr not-so-nice Ranger was waiting at the parking lot. Dennis sort of wandered away in the dark while I got the third degree (riot act, ID, etc.) and a warning. Turns out Dennis was busted a week or two prior by same ranger - got off with a warning.
Dennis was great in helping close out some other fun, lingering projects (White Punks on Rope, 2nd pitch Bandits in Bondage, and several other newer endeavors).
...and then he became Erik and it's been all so confusing since.
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(little did they know that this was a trial ballon to see about their personalities, ethics, and capabilities).
Little did HE know that....
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I keep trying to get him to say die.
I still call him dennis.
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3. Dennis' "DIE" has to remain; it's a core function of this site;
Brad, you are not helping. >:(
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So Jim, are you saying Eric was at the monolith sport climbing? He was at the monolith climbing......
I love this forum.
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Paging Clint... there seems to be theme here.
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Is Clint the corruptor of Eric?
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On the production floor at Acuson in1987. I was doing QA, Mr Mud was fixing bad boards. At a TGIF one of my first weeks at work we got talking bikes and decided to ride over to the ocean and back the next day. I had just gotten my first bike since high school, and Moody/Page Mill kicked my butt. Don't think we made it to the ocean that day, but many fine rides and climbing trips and other adventures followed.
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I remember that ride. I do not think we made it to the Pacific but we rode along Skyline. You got a wicked sunburn. Blisters on blisters. Kept thinking dam that looks nasty and no bitchin at all. Yep many good rides and climbs. The scumbag learned to dirtbag from a natural.
Clint was a good mentor. Ever patient and knew all the tricks. He lacked a proper student.
Jim, thank you for letting me jump/get on those lines. had a good time. Will try do better. Although now there are a couple of other guys around that can actually climb.
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Nothing will ever compare to taking Mr Mud diving for his 1st time.... ;D ;D
He was so wide eyed. Especially when I took him through kelp.
For some reason he thought the kelp was going to grap ahold of him...he kept shaking his head, not wanting to float through the kelp.
I bet you he still has dreams of the kelp grabbing him... ;D
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Such is true. For what ever reason kelp freaked me out. When ever I got near it I would get panic attacks. Some weird phobia raising it's ugly head.
One day it just went away. I think it was diving in palm kelp. It does not bother me anymore and i really like diving in it, the thicker the better. On occasion I think back on it. It is an easy way to get a laugh out of myself. I think finally realizing that if you just keep your reg in your mouth and breath for the most part everything will be ok helped me relax a lot while diving.
I am glad I learned to dive with the folks that I did. I think it made me a lousy diving partner though. Having gone with other groups it seems they get a bit stressed out when you just swim off to check stuff out. On more than one occasion I got a lecture for not staying with my dive buddy.
Factor remember that time you brought that guy and we had to be all together and give a thumbs up signal before dropping down. Man that was so confusing.
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Yeah, there were some real winners.
You were always a good buddy. We had some fun adventures and maybe more to come.
You were good at fining wierd stuff like that huge octopuss and the Wolf Eel.
Sure there were times when we mis-placed each other, but it always worked out.
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And that 1 hour night dive. Those were good fun for a while.