Recently found this glass lantern slide in Lewis Clark's basement collection. Underhill and Eichorn in the Palisades, August 1931. Garden gloves, Keds, and hardware store rope.

That's a great find, thanks for posting. If memory serves, it was Underhill who introduced European rope technique (i.e., belaying, and protecting) to California climbers Brower, Leonard, Dawson, Bedayn, et. al. BTW, one of my proudest (climbing) possessions is a Raffi Bedayn carabiner, found at the foot of the North American Wall in the 70's (the Bat Tent not even coming in a close second).

Definitely back in the day, before all these crazy androids and complicated computer-chip gadgetry

Not that I'm living in the past, but I wish those days would come back ... T.F.P.

Simple and pure

Technology?.........These guys had all the technology a person could ever need!

bearflag wrote:Technology?.........These guys had all the technology a person could ever need!

And mules to carry it in.

Those are some very cool photos.

However, Moapa has a point about the mules...

MoapaPk wrote:

bearflag wrote:Technology?.........These guys had all the technology a person could ever need!

And mules to carry it in.

And don't forget axes to cut wood for campfires and field shelters, and to make pine bough mattresses, and no problem cutting blazes in tree bark, building fire rings and camp ovens (note photo), or nailing things to trees for camp convenience.

Dick Leonard- 1930's

The latest in women's outdoor wear......participating in early Sierra Club outings faced clothing regulations......Eastern Sierra.

Norman Clyde

MoapaPk wrote:

bearflag wrote:Technology?.........These guys had all the technology a person could ever need!

And mules to carry it in.

Is that Clyde on the left in the hat? If so, I don't think he used mules, at least not on a regular basis. Rather, he had his legendary 90 lb. packs stuffed with cast iron pots, even a small anvil for repairing boots.

Personally, given the choice of then vs. now, I think I'd choose then.

Some great vintage shots from the Sierra 'Golden Age' are found here:

http://www.thehighsierra.org/mountainee ... r_1931.htm

These are great. Good reminders not to let a lack of gear hold you back. My son always reminds me that John Muir would disappear for a few days with nothing but a good jacket and a pocket full of biscuits. We've got it so easy...

fatdad wrote:

MoapaPk wrote:

bearflag wrote:Technology?.........These guys had all the technology a person could ever need!

And mules to carry it in.

Is that Clyde on the left in the hat? If so, I don't think he used mules, at least not on a regular basis. Rather, he had his legendary 90 lb. packs stuffed with cast iron pots, even a small anvil for repairing boots.

Personally, given the choice of then vs. now, I think I'd choose then.

Back then, Sierra Club trips in CA were heavily dependent on mules. I somewhat doubt that people carried up all those shelves that were subsequently nailed to trees. Brower was initially a "mule trip" proponent, but changed his mind (ca 1948) as backpacking equipment became lighter, and the evidence of eroded trails became more obvious. It's intriguing to read the accounts of those trips, and find the talk of burying garbage and other then-accepted practices. If Clyde is in those photos, he was probably just going along for the trip, and accepting whatever planning was imposed on him. However, Clyde did lead many of the High Sierra trips before 1941.

Read about the Sierra Club "High Trips":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Trips

http://www.earthisland.org/journal/inde ... /wildness/

The "High Trips" used to have up to 200 people. Some walked, but many preferred to ride.

An interesting document, available as a pdf on-line, is "Recreational Pack Stock Management in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks."

The camp scene photo above at Fourth Lake is by Lewis Clark and was made on August 11, 1931. Seems that they did take advantage of the pack station mules at Glacier Lodge. Francis Farquhar wrote of their subsequent adventures in the following year's Sierra Club Bulletin.

In August, 1931, a party of nine camped for several days at one of the little lakes near the head of the North Fork of Big Pine Creek. Food and dunnage bags were packed in from Glacier Lodge, a half-day's trip. Three first-class climbs were made. The first, on August 9th, was participated in by the entire party: Norman Clyde and Robert L. M. Underhill, leaders; Bestor Robinson, Lewis F. Clark, Neill C. Wilson, Elmer Collett, Glen Dawson, Jules M. Eichorn, and Francis P. Farquhar. Divided into three ropes, the party climbed from the glacier to the summit of North Palisade and traversed to the second highest peak, which stands close to the summit toward the northwest. The highest point of this second peak is a solitary pillar of granite, which was surmounted by all save three of the party. On August 11th, in spite of heavy rain, an ascent of Temple Crag was made by Underhill, Clyde, Dawson, and Eichorn.
The morning of the I3th began with clear weather, and all save Wilson and Collett started for a climb of the northwest peak of North Palisade, which we subsequently named Thunderbolt Peak. Clouds gathered rapidly, and shortly after the party reached the summit a violent thunder-storm drove all precipitately to a place of safety. So rapidly did the storm gather that Eichorn, last man to leave the ridge, was dangerously close to a lightning flash that appeared to strike the mountain. The importance of immediate retreat as soon as the rocks begin to "sing" was strongly impressed upon the members of the party. After half an hour of huddling on a ledge, in the face of hail and snow, the storm permitted us to return


Underhill descending Thunderbolt summit block on second go-around post storm.