SummitPost.org

The subject describes the forum. What was it? Mine was a hill outside of Gunnison, Co when I was 17. It was a really cool feeling. Then I went up Guadeloupe Peak in Texas. That was a much more physical, and rewarding, task.

3,500 ft McKinley Mountain just to the northeast of the City of San Bernardino (California). We used to hang out with kids from the indian reservation at the base of the mountain, and we all went up it one day when we had nothing else to do on our Easter school break. Fire roads at first, then a lot of scrambing through chapparrel brush to the summit. Really tough for middle-school kids, but I remember the view from the top was incredibly clear for the early spring, without the blanket of smog and/or haze that usually blocks the view down into the San Bernardino Valley and beyond. 25 years later I summited the better known Mt. McKinley/Denali in Alaska, and a few months later I went back and hiked up McKinley Mountain for the memories (a lot easier this time!).

The earliest I remember was Mt Timpanogos Utah at age 7. It is possible that I climbed peaks around Salt Lake before this. I vaguely remember climbing Granduer Peak around the same time.

I climbed out of my crib @ 2-1/2 ...

It was in the Oquirrh Mtns. south of Tooele Valley, UT -- used to hunt mule deer with my pop.

After I had way too much to drink one night, my wife ordered me to stay downstairs on the couch. When I tried to climb up the stairs, she met me at the top and forced me back down; that was my first experience with failing to nail the crux.

First I can remember was Lone Peak, age 9, with my Dad. Then Timp and a few other Wasatch peaks the next year, including a stab at Gannett in the Wind Rivers. Made it to Dinwoody Pass then turned around, I remember it rained most of that trip.

First hike to a summit as a kid: Devils Den at Gettysburg on a Boy Scouts trip. It was cool hopping along the boulders, and we had no sense of the momentous events that had taken place there.

First hike to a summit as an adult: Probably Hawksbill in Shenandoah National Park. 1994, I think.

First scramble to a summit: some unnamed point above Pine Creek Lake in the Montana Absarokas. July 2000.

First technical route to a summit: Inwood Arete on Quandary Peak. Free solo. It rained the night before and the rock was wet, and I think I also got onto the 5.7 variation. Yeah, I was scared. August 2005.

First technical rock climb: Jay's Discovery at Great Falls, VA. 5.1 free solo. March 2007. I would go on in the next few months to free solo almost every 5.0-5.5 route out there, with the occasional 5.6 and 5.7 as well. I was stupid.

First technical rock climb on a rope: Great Beginnings (5.7) at Great Falls. March 2007. Toprope. It has an undercling traverse at the start, and it is the crux as well. At the time, I had no idea what an undercling was. Twice, I came off and took wild swings. After the belayer gave me some beta, I cruised it; he had a hard time keeping up with me.

First time following a trad lead: A Flake Called Lee (5.5) at Sugarloaf Mountain, MD. May 2007. This would turn out to be my first trad lead at Sugarloaf several years later.

First trad lead: Spring 2012, Sandbox Corner (5.4) at Great Falls.

First sport lead: April 2015 at The Slab in Red Rock Canyon.

First multi-pitch trad lead: Old Man's Route (5.2) at Seneca Rocks, WV. October 2012. Went up with my son, who was 8 at the time. I self-belayed using a Rock Exotica Soloist.

First multi-pitch sport lead: March 2016 on Aires Butte in Zion. My son, at that point 11, belayed and cleaned.

First multi-pitch solo trad lead: about two months ago on Sentinal Crack (5.7) in Sinks Canyon, WY.

So there are all kinds of milestones.

My first technical rock climb was at Hidden Rocks, VA in 1986. First trad lead was Edge of a Dream, Shiprock NC in 1992. First 14er was Pikes in 1994. Don't hold me yo those......31 yrs of climbing history can become a bit jumbled.

My first hike with the expressed intent of reaching the top was Bear Mountain in Connecticut back in 1984. It seemed like something to my 24 year old self back then, now it would just be a walk in the woods...

My first summit of any kind was Uluru (Ayers Rock) in central Australia, age 18, in 1985.

My first big summit where I deliberately set out and planned the journey was Telescope Peak (CA) in 1991. In the ensuing years I hiked a few big peaks - mainly the state highpoints that involved a trail. In 1997, I climbed Mounts Hood and Rainier, then later that year joined the Phoenix-area Mountain Rescue team and realized I didn't know anything. That's where I learned thousands of useful things about climbing, rope-tying, gear-hauling, and surviving in the backcountry.

Basham wrote:The subject describes the forum. What was it? Mine was a hill outside of Gunnison, Co when I was 17. It was a really cool feeling. Then I went up Guadeloupe Peak in Texas. That was a much more physical, and rewarding, task.

Mt Rainier on my 61st birthday. And have been trying to climb another peak each year since. So far it's been Rainier, Shuksan, Olympus and 1/2 way up the side of Mt Adams this past summer (got rained/snowed out). Have to try Adams again next year....and am giving some thought to Rainier again, this time via Kautz glacier. Retirement is GREAT!

Bob Sihler wrote:After I had way too much to drink one night, my wife ordered me to stay downstairs on the couch. When I tried to climb up the stairs, she met me at the top and forced me back down; that was my first experience with failing to nail the crux.

That is WAY too funny!

[quote="surgent"]My first summit of any kind was Uluru (Ayers Rock) in central Australia, age 18, in 1985.

quote]

Mine as well but I was 20 and it was in 2002