Describe your 1st encounter w Mr Mud

[F4?]

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..

[Uncle Stinky]

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. 

[mungeclimber]

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.

[F4?]

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...

[Brad Young]

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.

[mungeclimber]

I am quite certain that when he reads that he will will have that rye grin going that he wears so well. 

[mynameismud]

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. 

[Brad Young]

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).

[MUCCI]

In a gym.  We were talking. Other mudsters there as well. At the gym.....

Now where is this aid route named jingus?.....

[Brad Young]

Now where is this aid route named jingus?.....

In his mind, in his mind. It's figment of his overactive imagination...

[F4?]

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 

[mynameismud]

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.

[Brad Young]

 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.

[mynameismud]

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.

[Brad Young]

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.

[Brad Young]

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.

[mynameismud]

Clint threatened to physically harm me if I put in a bolt.  It is all his fault.

[Brad Young]

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.

[mungeclimber]

C5 LIVES!!!

[mynameismud]

A0