Back in the Day

[Brad Young]

I froze my ass off when I did LA Direct. We did it in May. Temps were very nice. But the falls were roaring and a breeze swept through them and then onto us. We didn't get wet, but it was like a swamp cooler effect. Damn cold.

[Brad Young]

Here's one more. Our last bivy on Excalibur. In a corner too low angle for a porta-ledge. Not to worry, there's a ledge - Frosties Claustrophobic bivy. The slot is so narrow you've got to go in face up or face down - your hips are too wide to allow you to roll over:

[mungeclimber]

those are some great pics Brad. you should post em on bigwalls.net forum too

[karl]

Brad,

You look like Quinn at the end of Jaws.

[Brad Young]

The morning after one of three nights I've spent sleeping in a one point hammock. On the Gobi Wall, 1988. Not comfortable:

[Brad Young]

So, since the slides scanned well, I had a bunch of prints scanned too. From June 1990, Direct Northwest Face of Half Dome:

Bivy at the U shaped ledge (top of 5th pitch):




Bivy on The Grand terrace:




Same:






Chimney leading up to Big Sandy Ledge:




Afternoon on Big Sandy Ledge:




Randy following 13th pitch:




Randy following the Thank God Ledge pitch. Note, storm starting to come in. We hiked down the cables with lightning threatening, and then continued hiking in a storm until late.

[Brad Young]

From my first ever wall, South Face of Washington Column, May 1985; Carl on Dinner Ledge:




A little later in time; late 1990s, first ascent of Hexentric, Sonora Pass Highway:










From the first ascent of Four Days Off, also Sonora Pass Highway:

[Brad Young]

May 1987, Lost Arrow Direct, at the First Error:




Cold beef stew, same place. the falls were roaring and we froze from the "swamp cooler" effect:




West Face, Leaning Tower, July 1987;  fixing over to Ahwanee Ledge:




Evil Tree pitch:




After the climb. I guess I was pretty skinny at age 26:

[Brad Young]

Three more, and then I'm done reminiscing. From the LA Direct, May 1987:




The oldest photos I have of me climbing. On top of the Royal Arches route, August 1984, age 23. More than half a lifetime ago:







OK, someone else's turn to add oldies.

[mudworm]

That rock there is one wonder of the nature.


You should have posed for the photo like this:

OK, someone else's turn to add oldies.

I wish I had any. Guess I'll have to wait for a few years.

[squiddo]

I have a shit load but I need to scan them.

[salad]

well i didnt know what rock climbing was in the 80's, but i guess we all have our own verion of BITD:

lost arrow tip, 97
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/yosemite/lostarrow/jeff_jugging.jpg

summit of SFWC, 97
http://www.jeffnjen.com/images/climbing/yosemite/southface/jg_rs_summit.jpg

[F'ueco]

I don't have any really old pictures of me climbing. But here is one of me from the fall of 1996 sitting at the base of Indian Rock.

[Brad Young]

Still having old old photos scanned. Done now with all prints, working through 2,000 slides.

Here's from June, 1992, The Nose with Ron Skelton. Unreal conditions. We climbed the first two days among snow flurries and then it cleared up wonderfully. As a result we had the route totally to ourselves until a NIAD team passed us on the third day.

Waiting for snow to stop on Sickle Ledge:







Ron, after the pendulum into Dolt Hole:





Ron following the first pitch of the Stoveleg Cracks:




Him leading the next pitch:





On Dolt Tower:





Leading to El Cap Tower (woke up to good weather this day - finally):




My pants third and last trip up El Cap:




Ron following the King Swing pitch (taken with telephoto):




Morning at Camp Four:




Ron leading The Great Roof:




Following The Great Roof:




Leading the Pancake Flake pitch:




Me jugging up to Camp five (last shot from this climb - we ran out of film):




I'll post more later; got two Rob especially might appreciate.

[Brad Young]

This shot was taken on the last weekend of September, 1992. It is of me leading Guiding Light, in Yosemite Falls amphitheater. It is significant because this is the first time I ever climbed with Rob. This was two weeks after Vicki and I got married:




Here are Doug and Janet Burton with me on top of Dragonfly Dome. These are the two people Rob lived with when he was in college. I climbed with them for several years, and met Rob through them.

[Brad Young]

In June, 1994, Rob and Ray and I did the North Ridge of Mount Conness. In hindsight, maybe a little early in the year, there was still a fair amount of snow around. But we got it done and had fun.




On the summit:




Those of you who have seen my purple crag pack might be surprised at how un-faded it is in this photo!:




Who is the young kid?




OK, the thread might be big enough now. If I ever post more, I guess I'll start a new thread then.

[MUCCI]

Fantastic pics Brad, and to think, all of that without a helmet and cell phone!  One of the best set of pics I have seen.  I can attest to the Hammock bivy being less than ideal (I've had 3) never again!  I have never seen a pic of the frosty bivy, now that looks cumfy.  More pics, maybe some grade V walls?

[mungeclimber]

nice