The man from Hartford will be sending a Thank You card to...

[Tom Rankin]

I suspect huge crowds filling up parking lots has something to do with late/early starts.

[OldEric]

Wasn't Williams co-owner of Rock and Ice, the climbing shop in New Paltz? I think he also authored a Gunks Guidebook.

Not bad for a Vulgarian!

And was it John Standard who replaced all the rusty iron pins in the Trapps with shiny new stainless steel ones?

Dick Williams did indeed publish a number of guidebooks over several decades starting with the "Blue Dick" in 1972 - followed by red, grey, black... He was also the subject matter for an iconic photo on Shockley's ceiling - neither the photo or route name will fly in today's culture.

John Stannard (not Standard although he did make standard angle pins) was indeed the maker of some very durable pins that were intended to be used once (not driven and removed by the second) in an attempt to preserve the rock. However just slightly later he became a proponents of clean (LNT) climbing and was responsible for tracking the first clean ascents of many routes.

[Tom Rankin]

Wasn't Williams co-owner of Rock and Ice, the climbing shop in New Paltz?

To be precise, 'Rock and Snow'.

[TEO]

. . . makes as much sense as Kramer thinking he could drive forever when the gas tank needle is on E.

If you ever owned a Saab 900, you'd know that what Kramer did made a surprising amount of sense. I suspect that there was a 1/4–1/3 of a tank left when the needle first hit the E and I also suspect that it was a misguided attempt to keep people from running out of gas, because the assumption was that people would refill on hitting "empty," but that they'd have a significant reserve in case there wasn't a gas station nearby. The problem was that once you figured out that E did not equal empty, you'd do exactly what Kramer did, especially if you were a dirtbag college student. IIRC, I once drove from BTV to Mad River Glen and back on "empty." I also ran out of gas twice. Sadly Keith Hernandez wasn't with me on either occasion.

[Mike P.]

If you ever owned a Saab 900, you'd know that what Kramer did made a surprising amount of sense. I suspect that there was a 1/4–1/3 of a tank left when the needle first hit the E and I also suspect that it was a misguided attempt to keep people from running out of gas, because the assumption was that people would refill on hitting "empty," but that they'd have a significant reserve in case there wasn't a gas station nearby. The problem was that once you figured out that E did not equal empty, you'd do exactly what Kramer did, especially if you were a dirtbag college student. IIRC, I once drove from BTV to Mad River Glen and back on "empty." I also ran out of gas twice. Sadly Keith Hernandez wasn't with me on either occasion.

E, doesn't that stand for Enough?

[Andrew]

If you ever owned a Saab 900, you'd know that what Kramer did made a surprising amount of sense. I suspect that there was a 1/4–1/3 of a tank left when the needle first hit the E and I also suspect that it was a misguided attempt to keep people from running out of gas, because the assumption was that people would refill on hitting "empty," but that they'd have a significant reserve in case there wasn't a gas station nearby. The problem was that once you figured out that E did not equal empty, you'd do exactly what Kramer did, especially if you were a dirtbag college student. IIRC, I once drove from BTV to Mad River Glen and back on "empty." I also ran out of gas twice. Sadly Keith Hernandez wasn't with me on either occasion.

I know...too true, and probably why we straggle out of the woods many times when when the available resources says we shouldn't. I manned the trailheads many times over 15 years at Monadnock, and it was just a weird practical disconnect to encounter with the daily late hiker arrivals in the dozens per week with the same conversation: "So where are you headed so late?", "The summit", "I don't think there is enough time to make it up and back before dark, do you have a flashlight and a back-up?", "No", "How do plan to make it out in the dark?", "I dunno, I guess I I'll call you guys if I get stranded", "Well, don't you think it makes more sense to bring some flashlights so as avoid getting yourself stranded and making yourself my problem?".

This was day after day to the tune of hundreds of similar conversations over the years, I just didn't get the practical disconnect. I more frequently didn't get paid for all these late night adventures like the F&G guys, and at that time could not always rely on their help.

[Grey J]

I know...too true, and probably why we straggle out of the woods many times when when the available resources says we shouldn't. I manned the trailheads many times over 15 years at Monadnock, and it was just a weird practical disconnect to encounter with the daily late hiker arrivals in the dozens per week with the same conversation: "So where are you headed so late?", "The summit", "I don't think there is enough time to make it up and back before dark, do you have a flashlight and a back-up?", "No", "How do plan to make it out in the dark?", "I dunno, I guess I I'll call you guys if I get stranded", "Well, don't you think it makes more sense to bring some flashlights so as avoid getting yourself stranded and making yourself my problem?".

This was day after day to the tune of hundreds of similar conversations over the years, I just didn't get the practical disconnect. I more frequently didn't get paid for all these late night adventures like the F&G guys, and at that time could not always rely on their help.

Very good analogy.

[NHClimber]

I agree and thank you for saying so. One of my favorites on the Spectrum is Dick Williams. To quote from gunksapp.com “ Around 1958 a group challenging the status quo appeared on the scene, the notorious Vulgarians. The 60s brought us unprecedented social upheaval and drugs, so it is without surprise these names came to us from that decade: Cascading Crystal Kaleidoscope (1968) and Psychedelic (1965). Beside these innocent names, the Vulgarians also introduced names that purposely flouted the stodgy establishment of the time... the Appalachian Mountain Club or "Appies”.

CCK - great climb! The venerable DW. Cool dude.

[ChrisB]

CCK - great climb! The venerable DW. Cool dude.

A very different vibe than Fritz W, Hans Krauss and Bonnie Pruden.

[jfb]

Here he is: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/254171972696709351/

[skiguy]

Here he is: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/254171972696709351/

He definitely liked hanging it out there.

[OldEric]

A very different vibe than Fritz W, Hans Krauss and Bonnie Pruden.

I think Hans and Bonnie might have surprised you with some of their antics...

[David Metsky]

Thought I was cool until I met the guy who had been hiking it every DAY for many years (before he went to work)!

https://newengland.com/today/travel/...ock-every-day/

That would be Larry Davis. I hiked up Monadnock with him a few times when I lived in southern NH.

[bikehikeskifish]

Larry lives in Gorham now. Maintains several of the trails in the area now. Hiked up to Mount Surprise with him last week.

Tim

[skiguy]

Interesting how this thread only made it to post #4 someone mentions mushrooms and the whole thread totally drifts off topic.