High Sierra Topix

mav: and, your most-ancient is?

As mentioned in my opening post, 85, at Second Lake, this year.

Before that, an 80 year young man at Shadow Lake, who has been hiking the JMT every 3 years, taking 3 weeks to complete, his family resupplied him along the way.

Before that, some 74 year young men at Colby Lake, who had been up climbing Midway and Milestone Mtn.

92! Solo hiking and stealth camping. 1983 near Comanche Meadows. He kept a stash of cooking gear at his campsite. Given his age Duncan (then the Roaring River Ranger) and I (then the Rowell Meadow Ranger) gave him a pass. I checked the site the next year and he was camped there again. Never saw any sign of use after that. He said his family didn't want him hiking solo but he did it anyway--I can identify with that.

Paul Petzoldt did his last free climb of the Grand Teton on his 86th birthday.

Free climbing uses ropes for belay, but not for direct aid. The rope is a safety feature in case you fall, but is not used for lifting the climber. There is a chimney near the top of the climb of the Grand. One must leap upwards into the chimney, lock into a scissor position, then ascend the chimney.

We met a guy up at South Fork Cottonwood Lakes over summer, all by himself. He was 78. He had just come over New Army Pass from Sky Blue Lake/Miter Basin.

Such an inspiration to know someone 20 years older than me is still out there.

John

Just read in todays paper that Fred Becky died at 94. He has been climbing nearly all his life. The article said that he was planning a trip to the Himalaya this year. In his later years Fred Becky had a lot of "groupies" who would help him out. He was quite a character. I met him up at Tuolumne Meadows after the dedication of Camp 4, and he had a bevy of women swarming around him!

By the way, Petzoldt was actively going out on NOLS courses in his 70's. He had an "assistant" who pretty much cooked his meals and did a lot of camp chores and carried some of his gear. His later life climbing and backpacking, however, were hampered by his loss of eyesight ( I think it was from macular degeneration). At the end his partners basically guided him down the trail.

84 years old. Descending northbound from Junction Pass into Center Basin. 27 years later still an inspiration to me.

Just curious. Do you actually ask someone how old they are? Or do people really volunteer such information? I have run into many older backpackers but have to just guess their age. I never have had someone simply state their age.

Yes, and Yes.. We should be proud of our age. Especially if you're bald and grey..

While coming back down from Boulder Creek Lakes in the Trinity Alps last year I met a man who was 83, heading up to the lakes with a younger woman. I'm thinking she wasn't more than 70, though I know better than to ask a woman her age. I don't remember how I found out his age, but I didn't just ask him. It was definitely due to something he said.

If they don't answer the age question, you could just ask how much they weigh..