High Sierra Topix

HI George,
Nice to hear from you and nice to hear you have a hip again.

ERIC wrote:It was a struggle over WC to pay for a hip replacement but that was just the tip of the iceberg of what followed over the past 6 months or so. Also, think you're confusing Channel Islands/Santa Rosa Island with Santa Cruz.

You're probably right. I spent more time diving Santa Cruz in an attempt to get to Santa Rosa, but weather rarely cooperated.

Hi all: further sidenote. I was on Santa Rosa Island at Channel Islands NP. Very different but very cool. Tiny foxes, about the size of cats. They like Purina Fox Chow, but don't tell anyone... .

George, I think it must have been one of those younger rangers you mention being brought in who first turned me on to Desert Solitaire. He was a seasonal named Chuck Brown who worked at Sonoma State the rest of the year. He was doing campfire programs at Happy Isles and the highlights were always rants from Abbey about Industrial Tourism and the need for old ladies to commune with nature by throwing off their clothes and getting some sun on their wrinkled dugs. Definitely not the usual Ranger Rick stuff. This would have been the summer of either 71 or 72. By the time I started working in Yosemite myself in 74 he was out of the picture and there was more of an LEO vibe in general.

I've always been grateful for that early dose of Abbey. I would have found him on my own but it would have taken a couple more years.

Finally had a chance to sit down and watch this...I thought it was a great documentary on the history of climbing in Yosemite. Some of the things towards the end - especially free solo climbing faces like El Cap and Half Dome - are pretty nuts

Available free "On Demand".