Good thing it's starting to snow here finally. Killing time, I just finished "Conquering the Impossible," Mike Horn's account of a 2+ year circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle. Holy shite. He is Chuck Norris's tougher, older brother. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this stuff. He did the same general area (No. Canada) but in the dead of winter. OTOH, for Gillette et all "unsupported" meant no communication devices. Probably no book out of Horn without his sat phone after he burned himself, clothes & melted tent with a benzene accident (Igloo & candles also helped bring the book to us). Many interesting things, but one that hit hard...preferred bindings circa 2004? Three pin. They work. Cabin-fever fantasizing also lead me to Explorer's Web (thepoles.com) where you can imagine fantasies taking life. Good thing it's snowing (cost of polar expeditions has risen above the $14K in the 70s).
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject: Ned Gillette- Ellesmere Island
Help!!
I have scanned the artical and have it on file but can't post it. Is there a way to do this? I can E-mail it but it went to Mitch @tetemarktips.com.
Hi, you can post the article in a photobucket, or similar, account and anyone can view the article via the web. If you email me the article I will post it to my photobucket account.
Here are the scans of the article. You can also view them in my photobucket account here (in reverse order). The print is a bit fuzzy, but I'm able to read most of the text. Thanks to crazymtnskier for the scans and thanks to you all for the input along the way.
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 4135 Location: psssttt, over here...
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject:
or upload it on teletips photos, one of us can link it into this thread or just go look at it over there. Hurry, I can't contain my excitement _________________ It's all about fun....
I have to say I'm amazed at the level of interest in the expedition and the era in general. My wife thinks I'm off my nut with this stuff, but the forum response makes me feel much more normal.
good stuff
I can't believe anyone old enough to remember that expedition could read that print
LOL. Well worth it, though. Thanks Alanw! Really liked the idea of their route. Was also struck by the photo of one of them prone on the ice. It reminded me of this very strong reminiscence of Ned posted by Chaos over on the "supertopo" link xkyzero gave. Gonna paste it here for any who didn't wander over there....added inducement to do so.
Quote:
Minerals.. your uncle was a very good friend of mine, and we did two great trips together, one was the Everest Grand Circle with Jan Reynolds, Steve McKinney and Jim Bridwell, and like all those kinds of trips there were some interesting times. The other one was on Aconcagua with Pete Patterson and Earl Wiggins, as a matter of fact when we were on our way to Aconcagua from Santiago we got stuck in Portillo for the night due to a slide over the pass. The Portillo ski area had just closed but there was still lots of snow and so we went out and tried our new skis and packs full of new gear. Ned wanted to try the lake run even though it was half water now, Pete and I knew the area well from past trips there and didn't recommend doing it, as we knew of people falling in even when it was frozen. Ned really wanted to do it badly and so finally we agreed to give it a go with the plan to hug the bank to get around the lake, if it would be possible anyway. I got to the bottom of the lake run first and when I looked up, Ned went blasting by me skating across the lake, I almost sht but then thought well if he falls in I'll know its not cool and so I followed in pursuit, about 200 meters out he broke though and disappeared I couldn't believe my eyes, then out of nowhere he popped up and was screaming for help. I looked back and saw that Pete & Earl were skirting the bank, I had two choices, go and try to save Ned and drown with him if it didn't work, or get my ass out of there before I broke though as well. In the end, I knew I had no choice... I had to go over there and try and pull him out as it was clear that he was going to drown if I didn't. The surface I was on was about 6 inches of wet snow with 3/4 of an inch of slush ice at the bottom and it was moving like swells in the ocean from Ned's thrashing to keep afloat with skis on and pack now full of water... so without hesitation, I went forward and spread eagled out and stuck my pole out to Ned, although he only managed to grab the tip of the pole, I got him half way out and then with no warning he lost his grip and down into the darkness he went... all I could see were bubbles and an eerie quite, suddenly he burst to the top of the surface with an wild electric type force I have never seen before... screaming bloody murder for help, I reached out with my pole and told him to grab around the basket, which he did, I gave a huge tug and yanked his ass out, skis, backpack full of water and all... which of course added a huge amount of weight onto the fragile surface we were on. I mean it didn't hold his weight when he was moving across it 60 pounds lighter (or more), before I could say anything he blew out of there like a bolt of lightening and was on the bank on the other side of the lake before I could blink. I put on the after burners and got my ass out of there as well, it was an intense situation and one that I'll never forget. The next trip Ned had planned was the row boat trip to Antarctica from Puenta Arenas, of course he asked me to go, I gave it a thought and said I don't know... I really have no experience with that kind of thing, he assured me I had the right stuff and would be OK, and so he took me out rowing so I could see what it was like, the first results were disastrous as I sunk his rowing scull out in the middle of some lake not far from his place in Stowe. I continued rowing and managed to keep the thing afloat but it wasn't enough for me to think I was the had the right kind of experience in the big seas like that to be of much help should something go wrong and so I declined. Anyway, I have many good stories of the two trips I did with Ned, so should you or any of your family wish to hear some, let me know, OK... I really miss Ned, he was a good friend, a great person with a spirit this earth does not see very often- Craig
I've been a bit busy as of late, but wanted to post a photo of the poster Minerals [from supertopo site] sent me. I have not yet had a chance to get the framed poster on the wall so the photo is at a wierd angle. The size of the backpacks they used makes my back hurt just looking at them.
The local frame shop did their typical excellent job, I am quite pleased how it turned out. I think it looks really cool - the glare in the glass is just from the lighting, not part of the poster. I swear a similar poster from the Ellesmere Island expedition was done as well. If there is, I'll find one someday and hang them side by side.
Thanks again Minerals for the poster and to everyone else for sharing stories.
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:21 am Post subject: Ned Gillette and the St. Elias Range ......
I hope that i didn't miss a previous mention of this but I'm looking at an old issue of Summit Magazine. December 1975 issue that features the St. Elias Range Ski Tour with Ned Gillette, Steve Darrow and Craig Patterson. All three of them were ski instructors at the Yosemite Mountaineering School. From a brief reading of the article -they were still using wooden skis with lignostone edges and pulling sleds.......
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:54 am Post subject: Ned Gillette and the Brooks Range ......
Further digging in the archives (basement) led me to a North Face catalog from 1972-1973 with Ned Gillette on the cover slogging up a slope with his Bonna 2400's (?) and Silveretta bindings (?) held securely in his pack. The catalog features the Brooks Range Tour - before the Alaska Pipeline went into place.
Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 13191 Location: People's Republic
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:12 am Post subject:
I believe they were still using that equipment when they skied from the summit of Mustagh Ata in about 1978. Remarkable skiers and mountaineers. _________________ that sounds like a sure-fire way to get bitch-slapped by devil's club -- dschane
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
All of the comments above are owned by the
poster, telemarktips.com is not responsible in any way for the
content. The views expressed by the posters are not necessarily
those of Tt.com, its management or owners. Ski safe, be happy,
rip it up, smile on your brother and sister!
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
