A List: New And Newly Found Routes Since the 2007 Guidebook

[Brad Young]

Switching over to This thread for photos of the Giants. Here's Marco eight feet away from the one anchor bolt at the end of pitch two of Pink Giant. Lots of room here and he seems to be channeling his best Royal Robbins.




Enjoying a Spring-like day on top of the third pitch:




Marco drilling the second bolt on the top anchor:

[Brad Young]

Waldo himself on top of Little Pink Giant:




Bob took this photo of the cairn on Secondary Summit. None of us were positive that it was human-made, but it certainly seemed so. Upon inspection, yes it was. The largest rock had been turned over (the pattern of lichens seemed to make this clear). Several places on the summit looked like rocks had once been there. And the rocks were arranged over each other in ways that nature couldn't have done:

[Brad Young]

And man, whoever got to that secondary summit? If they did it unroped, then big power to them. It's only a few moves across to the chimney on that thing, but WHOAAAA, the exposure! It's a 100 foot sheer drop if you fu#$ that up!

[Brad Young]

"...and he seems to be channeling his best Royal Robbins."

A reference to one of the most famous climbing photos from Yosemite's Golden Age. Royal Robbins famously relaxed and unroped on top of El Cap Spire during the first ascent of The Salathe Wall on El Cap:

[JC w KC redux]

Enjoying a Spring-like day on top of the third pitch:

As Rosie used to say it's the "bro show" - MY EYES! MY EYES!   



And how about this? (check out the lower left corner)

[JC w KC redux]

Bob took this photo of the cairn on Secondary Summit. None of us were positive that it was human-made, but it certainly seemed so. Upon inspection, yes it was. The largest rock had been turned over (the pattern of lichens seemed to make this clear). Several places on the summit looked like rocks had once been there. And the rocks were arranged over each other in ways that nature couldn't have done:

The look of the cairn was not at all what I expected.

I'll play Devil's advocate here and say I'm skeptical. That boulder looks like it could be in a natural state of disintegration. Why would they put a huge piece on top like that? Usually a cairn decreases in size toward the top. Lichen grows in some spots and not others.

Was there a film canister underneath? Maybe Barry ran out by the time he climbed this...

[Brad Young]

^^^

The first thing I did was move some rocks to look for a film canister or similar. None. And, no-one there to fib to me about a film canister either, and get me all pumped up for some history (I don't think I'll ever forgive or forget that one).

I wondered too seeing it from a distance like in the photo. Although I rearranged the rocks in my looking, they're still roughly the same as when I searched.

Come back to this thread if and when you climb the route. I suspect that you'll agree, but perhaps not?

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
Yep. It's hard to say how someone might have gotten up there - especially given the way they used to "climb" stuff in the old days - could have been a rope toss/prusik to the main summit followed by a rappel/scramble to the 2nd. Pinnacles musings. 



Remember this one?

[Brad Young]

^^^

Ah yes, that photo. From the first time the girls and I did Old Original together.

[JC w KC redux]

Here is a different screenshot of that famous guy enlarged and in a different order.

Who is that on El Cap spire? Clint perhaps?

Where was the picture of Machete taken? - somewhere on the Balconies far/northeast end?
I guess these questions should go on the Ask Mr. Mud thread.

[mynameismud]

Picture on the tower is my climbing partner from when I did Salathe.  He was a Japanese guy I met in Camp 4.
I do not remember where I took that Machete pic from. 
The bike pic is from my first 24 hour solo mt race at Laguna Seca.

[mynameismud]

Maybe those 24 hour races and other stuff is why today I am doubled up and can barely move.  Kidneys or something are all flared up.  At least I now have a Kidney specialist that seems to take this stuff seriously.  Will see what comes of it. 

[Brad Young]

I always thought that the photo on El Cap Spire was you. Maybe it's just the skinniness of the person shown and all.

Kidneys is a new issue? No longer a spring chicken and all that. It's 13 days until your 58th birthday? I know it's February 28, but the number of years might be off? Close though.

[mynameismud]

It could be, after leading up there we took turns taking pictures of that spot so we each had pictures.  Just fixed the line and rapped and jugged.  Also have pics from the alcove somewhere.

kidney stones are an ongoing issue for me.
yep, right around the corner

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
Thanks for the stories behind the pics.
Sorry to hear about your kidney issues.
Hope the doc figures things out and gets you well soon.

[Brad Young]

OK, Mud, since you apparently don't do hints: Which birthday is it coming up. That is to ask, how old will you be? I am fairly sure I was wrong about it being 58. Don't be shy, you are everyone on this site's hero and we love you.

[clink]

 Big love for Mud! (Not enlarged)

[NOAL]

No Heroes.

[mynameismud]

58+2

[clink]

 
 I’m getting close to that minus the +2. 60 is the old 50?