High Sierra Topix

The new documentary, "Valley Uprising" examines Yosemite Park's counterculture of the ’60s and ’70s. More specifically, it delves into what is referred to as "the rock climbing revolution" of "beat-nicks and madmen" who gave up on the idea of house, picket fence and manicured lawn for a life on the edge.

Anyone here who counts themselves as one of these "beat-necks and man men"? How was this group regarded by your traditional hikers of the generation? Were they respected as trail blazers or were they scrutinized as trouble makers, bent on breaking the law?

Planning on renting the entire documentary, soon, looking forward to watching it.

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I have been looking forward to this release.

Yes they were trailblazers, and they were troublemakers! The stories that came from that time period are pretty wild. But what do you expect when a bunch of young men are in a sort of anarchistic atmosphere...kind of lord of the flies like, only more sensible.

Trees grow from Yosemites walls, and so do bolts. The climbers of that generation were much closer to the park than any of the NPS employees or tourist hikers.....livin' in the dirt and taking psychedelics will do that to you. I like to think of that lifestyle as remembering where we all came from, while the comforts of modern society is meant to forget. And then they climbed.....

I am not a climber or of that generation, but becoming a member at supertopo has let me be the fly on the wall to hear what went down in yosemite in that time. All I have to say is WOW

Sounds interesting. I remember hearing years ago about the Battle of Stoneman Meadow.

TehipiteTom wrote:Sounds interesting. I remember hearing years ago about the Battle of Stoneman Meadow.

July 3, 1969 and I was there - along with all the dirty hippies, blatantly smoking the herb out in the meadow just north of Curry. About 2:30, 25 - 30 mounted police in riot gear came through swinging batons...a bloody mess.

Where did the time go? 45 years ago, up in smoke.

I had not heard about this documentary, but will definitely search it out and watch it. While not there in 69 as I was 11, it is the folks of that era that got me into packing and that line of thinking still pushes me forward. Sparky, we have never had the pleasure of meeting, but I think you and I would get along just fine

Troutdog 59 wrote:I had not heard about this documentary, but will definitely search it out and watch it. While not there in 69 as I was 11, it is the folks of that era that got me into packing and that line of thinking still pushes me forward. Sparky, we have never had the pleasure of meeting, but I think you and I would get along just fine

I haven't searched for it yet. I would think it would be a similar release as, "Mile, Mile and a Half," the JMT documentary, where you can rent in for a one time viewing or unlock it for unlimited viewing on You Tube. If you find it out there, let us know, I too am looking forward to checking it out.

Discovery channel, April 25 at 8PM:

http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/discov ... ril-38480/

-Russ

Speaking of the era, whatever happend to George Durkee? He got stationed at Santa Cruz and never came back?

Jimr wrote:Speaking of the era, whatever happend to George Durkee? He got stationed at Santa Cruz and never came back?

He's around. I was in contact with him about a month ago. He's had some rotten luck with health issues over the past year.

I seem to recall he mentioned that when he told us he was to do the Santa Cruz stint.