just had to share this

[giggy]

was doing some research on mt hood for this summer and ran across this picture of a guy high on the hogsback route - this ranks up there with the guy at camp muir this summer from Ill that was heading up to the rainier summit and never put on crampons before his summit day - and he was going unguided!!

http://www.summitpost.org/mountains...t_id=3&type=mountain&mountain_id=3&route_id=3

 

[sapblatt]

Just another day for a walk in the hills with my blue jeans and book bag...
Darwin will claim this guy sooner or later...

 

[blownaway]

Nice find giggy!! Feels good to laugh this morning.

After seeing this guy, maybe I have the ability to summit Hood afterall....

Notice the wet spots on his jeans.....musta done some ass surfing before this shot.

 

[Rick]

...Could have been anyone of us back in the 70's eh????

 

[Snowflea]

I know a guy who climbed Denali who had previously never worn crampons. As the story goes, when the rest of the group decided to put theirs on, he asked "So, how do these things go on anyway?"

 

[Chip]

...Could have been anyone of us back in the 70's eh????

Yes Sir ! Me at least. I'm sure I was wearing jeans the first time I hiked Marcy in the winter. And cotton long johns and gym socks !

We met a couple guys this past weekend in the Catskills. They had a pup-tent in the freezing rain/snow and work boots, no crampons or snowshoes. I didn't see all their gear, but I'm sure it was low tech. They were the nicest, happiest guys I've met on a trail in quite some time, they were just psyched to be out there doing it.

I'd like to see SAR stats re what type of gear was involved; if there's a huge correlation between better gear and safer travel. Like a comedian says; Darwin doesn't work anymore because the "naive" are protected so that the "experienced" can sell them stuff.

 

[Rick]

Thanks Chip!!!
Does anyone remember those 8" high "Orangish-tan" colored leather work boots (Wolverines or Redball perhaps) in the late 60's early 70's that had the little pocket near the ankle. they came with a small penknife or flashlight for the pocket. They were the greatest for wearing all summer long on various "expeditions", along with my tube socks with the strips on the top, where they came up to my knees.

 

[giggy]

haha - well I am sure there are exceptions to everything - pretty safe to assume this isn't the ideal "attire" to be high on hood.

 

[jbrown]

If I could have been evaluated on the technical quality of my gear when I was much younger, I would have fallen into the Darwin group too. Cotton/poly blend work pants, work boots, cotton shirts, cotton socks, heavy rectangular sleeping bag, pup tent; I used what I had and loved every minute of it.
I wouldn't have tried doing Marcy, let alone Hood with the gear I had, though. I knew enough to know I wasn't equipped for a trip like that...

 

[Frodo]

The guy in the picture is at the "Pearly Gates", which is the steepest part of the Hogsback Route (and also the end). What's not shown in the picture is the massive crevasse that is about 100 feet below that guy. It's the notorious crevasse that 7 climbers fell into a few years ago. That is one sketchy place to be without crampons and an ice axe...

 

[WhiteMTHike]

I've seen many unprepared hikers in my day but this guy takes first prize.

 

[Chip]

I wouldn't have tried doing Marcy, let alone Hood with the gear I had, though. I knew enough to know I wasn't equipped for a trip like that...

Cotton's not bad as long as it's cold enough so you don't sweat or get wet and warm enough so that you don't freeze.
A temp of 24.5*f is perfect, if it's any higher or lower you die.

I don't mean to suggest it's a good or rational idea to head up a major mountain unprepared, but a lot of mountains have been climbed in gear that most of us wouldn't walk our dogs in now.

 

[spencer]

Good point, Chip. Several years ago I did a backcountry ski/snowshoes trip in the Groulx mountains in northern Quebec and I quickly learned that there is no need for anythign but cotton. It's so cold and dry that moisture isn't a problem. A lot of the gear the "natives" used was down-filled cotton.

of course, the snowshoes looked like 40-gallon trash barrel lids, but that's another story.

spencer

 

[Mr. X]

The guy in the picture is at the "Pearly Gates", which is the steepest part of the Hogsback Route (and also the end). What's not shown in the picture is the massive crevasse that is about 100 feet below that guy. It's the notorious crevasse that 7 climbers fell into a few years ago. That is one sketchy place to be without crampons and an ice axe...

Frodo,

I can't believe you didn't take this opportunity to mention the guy you hiked with that brought a duffle bag instead of a back pack!!!

-X

 

[percious]

Given his position he looks like he is descending, but he may be on his way up. One has to wonder if he summitted or not, and if he did, how he got past the ice wall just after that section of the Hogback.

-percious

 

[spaddock]

I try not to trash people that are unprepared since most of us have fallen into that category at some point or another. I know I have. Although I have to admit the picture was pretty funny.

If that dude made it, he's one up on me.

Looking at the other pictures of Hood are so breathtaking. Kinda makes me rethink wanting to climb all those treed summits.


-Shayne

 

[DaveSunRa]

Back in the very late 60's and early 70's I attended a Forestry School in upstate New York. Coming from life in lower East Side Manhattan I had not a clue as to the needs of clothing for long duration outdoors in the Northern Adirondacks. However, it didn't take long to learn. One word: wool. Wool pants, wool shirt, wool socks, wool hat with helmet and wool hunting style coat. Boots were Redwing logging boots, steel toe. Turns out I didn't care for the science of Forestry but loved being in the woods.

 

[Rugger]

I never hiked in anything but Dunham hunting boots for the first 30 years of hiking. (first pairs were hand-me-down's when my father got new ones). Winter hiking was Johnson wool pants over jeans over long-johns and a down jacket. I admit that hiking boots and the newer clothing are more comfortable though.

 

[spencer]

Turns out I didn't care for the science of Forestry

Hey, what's wrong with the science of forestry?

spencer

 

[DaveSunRa]

Hey, what's wrong with the science of forestry?

spencer

In general, nothings wrong or bad about it. Can't speak for current day forestry practice but in the 60's it was all about either grooming a crop of trees for maximum board feet growth (Kind of like being a farmer) or determining how much board feet a standing tree would yield at a sawmill minus the but rot. I did enjoy many of the course (Silviculture, Dendrology, Surveying, Forest Soils, etc).

But in general it was not for me. I suppose if there was a concentration of Forestry and Recreation I might have pursued that course. I did stick it out and finished.