Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Dangerious? or a blessing?

Have you ever seen your mast and spreaders glowing with a bright green
luminious plasma?

We had a fast front move thru last week and the corposant was standing
on my upper spreaders.

Joe

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dangerious? or a blessing?

Have you ever seen your mast and spreaders glowing with a bright green
luminious plasma?

We had a fast front move thru last week and the corposant was standing
on my upper spreaders.

Joe


I was standing watch on top of the helo hanger one night when we went
through an electrical storm. The lightning was hitting slightly greater than
once a second (within view) and was pink in color. The water had a pink
strobe effect. Then the ship started glowing. When we rotated watch
stations I walked up and touched the guy I was relieving on the shoulder. He
screamed and jump 4 feet into the air. I never have seen anything like it
again.

It was God's work!

Amen!

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Joe wrote:
Dangerious? or a blessing?


I've read the theory that the electrical discharge reduces
the chance of being struck by lightning.... don't know if
that's true.

Have you ever seen your mast and spreaders glowing with a bright green
luminious plasma?


Green plasma? No
I have seen yellowish and blueish glow originating from the
top of the mast a couple of times, can't remember seeing it
from spreaders.

It's a spooky looking effect.

We had a fast front move thru last week and the corposant was standing
on my upper spreaders.


Did it make you get religion?

DSK

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

DSK wrote:
Joe wrote:
Dangerious? or a blessing?


I've read the theory that the electrical discharge reduces
the chance of being struck by lightning.... don't know if
that's true.


I've read that it is a precurser to lighting jumping up

Have you ever seen your mast and spreaders glowing with a bright green
luminious plasma?


Green plasma? No
I have seen yellowish and blueish glow originating from the
top of the mast a couple of times, can't remember seeing it
from spreaders.

I've seen blue and green and orange. Once in the Indian Ocean everyone
on the bridge saw what I think was ball lighting, It was the classic
limish green oval ball that hovered in frot of the ship maybe 3 miles
out, then shot up into the sky at breakneck speed

It's a spooky looking effect.

On the workboats we used to grab fluorescent tubes and hold them up
outside the wheelhouse and watch then light up when keying the sideband
radio

We had a fast front move thru last week and the corposant was standing
on my upper spreaders.

Yeah Corposant means body of the saint.


Did it make you get religion?

Yelp, that and great sunset and sunrises.

Joe


DSK

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dangerious? or a blessing?

Have you ever seen your mast and spreaders glowing with a bright green
luminious plasma?

We had a fast front move thru last week and the corposant was standing
on my upper spreaders.

I've never seen St Elmo's fire.

I have seen lightning from about 50 yards while I was on Setanta. We were
near a ferry terminal when lightning struck a very tall lampost in the ferry
loading area. I *think* that I saw a wavy blue plasma along the length of
the lamppost, but I cannot be 100% certain. The flash and the bang were
simultaneous, and I felt like someone had kicked me in the chest.

On one of the other boats in my flotilla, someone received a nasty jolt from
a winch a few seconds after the strike.




Regards


Donal
--

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...

DSK wrote:
Joe wrote:
Dangerious? or a blessing?


I've read the theory that the electrical discharge reduces
the chance of being struck by lightning.... don't know if
that's true.


I've read that it is a precurser to lighting jumping up

I'd tend to agree. Brief story: my wife, brother, sis-in-law and I were
standing on the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado some years back. Beautiful
day, but ominous clouds were rolling in. Soon it was overcast and we began
to hear thunder from about 50 miles away. As we watched the cell approach
we began to notice that the rocks around us were emanating a sound similar
to frying bacon. Gradually the volume increased until it sounded more like
an electrical crackle. Also noted was that our hair was beginning to stand
away from our heads. Ignorant as we were up to that point, we finally got
the message and beat a very hasty retreat to lower ground. About 15 seconds
later a deafening bolt of lightning struck the area in which we had been
standing. Back at the restaurant/tourist trap at the end of the access
road, we told one of the people who worked there about our experience. She
told us that during storms at night (she and others lived in the dorm up
there at 14,000+ ft.) the workers could see the rocks glowing a subtle blue
in the minutes before a lightning strike. A scientist working at the
high-altitude research adjacent to the restaurant told her it was St. Elmo's
Fire. The following seems to lend some credence to that.

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weathe...nts/stelmo.htm

Max

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Maxprop wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...

DSK wrote:

Joe wrote:

Dangerious? or a blessing?


I've read the theory that the electrical discharge reduces
the chance of being struck by lightning.... don't know if
that's true.


I've read that it is a precurser to lighting jumping up


I'd tend to agree. Brief story: my wife, brother, sis-in-law and I were
standing on the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado some years back. Beautiful
day, but ominous clouds were rolling in. Soon it was overcast and we began
to hear thunder from about 50 miles away. As we watched the cell approach
we began to notice that the rocks around us were emanating a sound similar
to frying bacon. Gradually the volume increased until it sounded more like
an electrical crackle. Also noted was that our hair was beginning to stand
away from our heads. Ignorant as we were up to that point, we finally got
the message and beat a very hasty retreat to lower ground. About 15 seconds
later a deafening bolt of lightning struck the area in which we had been
standing. Back at the restaurant/tourist trap at the end of the access
road, we told one of the people who worked there about our experience. She
told us that during storms at night (she and others lived in the dorm up
there at 14,000+ ft.) the workers could see the rocks glowing a subtle blue
in the minutes before a lightning strike. A scientist working at the
high-altitude research adjacent to the restaurant told her it was St. Elmo's
Fire. The following seems to lend some credence to that.

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weathe...nts/stelmo.htm

Max


I had a similar experience on top of Pike's Peak. But after the bolt of
lightening there was one guy dead. There is a place up on Pike's called
the Devils Playground where you can watch the electrical activity jump
from rock to rock.

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be
on our way down well before noon.

Gaz

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

I seem to have had an attractive relationship with lightning and it
scares me (living in FL). I've seen ball lightning twice, once so
close (20' or so) that it hit the pine tree next to me showering me
with flaming debris.
Once during a thunderstorm when I turned on a faucet, no water came out
when I turned it on but suddenly a bluish glow emerged and wandered
around in the washbasin till it touched the tap, expolded melting the
tap handle.
Sitting on the front porch, lightning hits the road 50' in front of me
leaving a dry spot 20' up and down the road.
My neighbors well has been hit so many times that I told him he has
blanket permission to connect to mine to get water when it happens.
His well is below ground level.
During a thunderstorm while camping, I got out of the car and waited
under a picnic shelter. Just on a hunch, I got up on top of the picnic
table under the shelter and suddenly a bolt jumps out of the nearby
conduit directly to the DRY concrete floor in front of me.
People do not understand why I will not go sailing in thunderstorm
season.

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Great link good stories

I found this looking a Junk info.

Zheng He was to flaunt the might of Chinese power and collect tribute
from the "barbarians from beyond the seas." On his first trip, leading
more than 60 massive galleons, Zheng He visited what would later become
Vietnam and reached the port of Calicut, India. On his return, he
battled pirates and established massive warehouses in the Straits of
Malacca for sorting all the goods accumulated on this and subsequent
voyages.

While voyaging to India, the ships encountered a ferocious hurricane.
Zheng He prayed to the Taoist Goddess known as the Celestial Spouse. In
response, a "divine light" shone at the tips of the mast, and the storm
subsided. This heavenly sign -- perhaps the static electrical
phenomenon known as St. Elmo's fire -- led Zheng He to believe that his
missions were under special divine protection.

The emperor launched Zheng He's fourth and most ambitious voyage in
January 1414. Its destination was Hormuz on the Persian Gulf, where
artisans strung together exquisite pearls and merchants dealt in
precious stones and metals. While Zheng He lingered in the city to
amass treasure for the emperor, another branch of the fleet sailed to
the kingdom of Bengal in present-day Bangladesh.

Here the travelers saw a giraffe that the east African potentate of
Malindi had presented to the Bengal ruler. The Chinese persuaded their
hosts to part with the giraffe as a gift to the emperor and to procure
another like it from Africa. When the giraffe arrived at the court in
Nanjing in 1415, the emperor's philosophers identified it, despite its
pair of horns, as the fabled chi'i-lin or unicorn, an animal associated
with an age of exceptional peace and prosperity. As the fleet's
merchants laid treasures from Arabia and India at the feet of the
emperor, this omen must surely have seemed fitting.

To navigate throughout the Indian Ocean, Zheng He would have made use
of the magnetic compass, invented in China during the Song dynasty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The initial diplomatic contact with Malindi now encouraged Zheng He to
plan a direct trading voyage to eastern Africa. Landing at Somalia on
the coast, he found himself offered such exotic items as "dragon
saliva, incense, and golden amber." But even these substances paled
before the extraordinary beasts that were loaded on board his ships.
Lions, leopards, "camel-birds" (ostriches), "celestial horses"
(zebras), and a "celestial stag" (oryx), were shipped back to the
imperial court. Here officials showered congratulations on Zheng He and
bowed low in awe before the divine creatures that accompanied him.

End of an era
Toward the end of his seventh voyage in 1433, the 62-year-old Zheng He
died and was said to have been buried at sea. Although he had extended
the wealth and power of China over a vast realm and is even today
revered as a god in remote parts of Indonesia, the tide was already
turning against foreign ventures.

The conservative Confucian faction now had the upper hand. In its
worldview, it was improper to go abroad while one's parents were still
alive. 'Barbarian' nations were seen as offering little of value to add
to the prosperity already present in the Middle Kingdom.

The renovation of the massive Grand Canal in 1411 offered a quicker and
safer route for transporting grain than along the coast, so the demand
for oceangoing vessels plummeted.

In addition, the threat of a new Mongol invasion drew military
investment away from the expensive maintenance of the treasure fleets.
By 1503 the navy had shrunk to one tenth of its size in the early Ming.
The final blow came in 1525 with the order to destroy all the larger
classes of ships. China was now set on its centuries-long course of
xenophobic isolation.


Impressive as they are, Chinese junks today are but pale shadows of
medieval Chinese ships.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Historians can only speculate on how differently world history might
have turned out had the Ming emperors pursued a vigorous colonial
policy. As it is, porcelain shards washed up on the beaches of east
Africa and old men's folktales of shipwreck are among the few tangible
relics of China's epic voyages of adventure.

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Bppqf.167172$Gd6.89956@pd7tw3no...
Maxprop wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...

DSK wrote:

Joe wrote:

Dangerious? or a blessing?


I've read the theory that the electrical discharge reduces
the chance of being struck by lightning.... don't know if
that's true.


I've read that it is a precurser to lighting jumping up


I'd tend to agree. Brief story: my wife, brother, sis-in-law and I were
standing on the top of Mt. Evans in Colorado some years back. Beautiful
day, but ominous clouds were rolling in. Soon it was overcast and we
began to hear thunder from about 50 miles away. As we watched the cell
approach we began to notice that the rocks around us were emanating a
sound similar to frying bacon. Gradually the volume increased until it
sounded more like an electrical crackle. Also noted was that our hair
was beginning to stand away from our heads. Ignorant as we were up to
that point, we finally got the message and beat a very hasty retreat to
lower ground. About 15 seconds later a deafening bolt of lightning
struck the area in which we had been standing. Back at the
restaurant/tourist trap at the end of the access road, we told one of the
people who worked there about our experience. She told us that during
storms at night (she and others lived in the dorm up there at 14,000+
ft.) the workers could see the rocks glowing a subtle blue in the minutes
before a lightning strike. A scientist working at the high-altitude
research adjacent to the restaurant told her it was St. Elmo's Fire. The
following seems to lend some credence to that.

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weathe...nts/stelmo.htm

Max
I had a similar experience on top of Pike's Peak. But after the bolt of
lightening there was one guy dead. There is a place up on Pike's called
the Devils Playground where you can watch the electrical activity jump
from rock to rock.

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of them.
Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be on our
way down well before noon.

We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We yelled
at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a pro ski
patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.

When were you there? Or do you still live in CO?

Max

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Maxprop wrote:


I had a similar experience on top of Pike's Peak. But after the bolt of
lightening there was one guy dead. There is a place up on Pike's called
the Devils Playground where you can watch the electrical activity jump
from rock to rock.

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of them.
Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be on our
way down well before noon.


We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We yelled
at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a pro ski
patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.

When were you there? Or do you still live in CO?

Max


I was posted to Colorado Springs (Peterson AFB and Cheyenne Mnt) from
1999 to 2002. We took up Fourteeners for summer fun and skied in the
winter. We had Buddy Passes for Breck, Arapahoe and Keystone each year
we were there. We climbed many of the same mountains, Elbert, Evans
(three together near Evans I think), Gray's and Torrey's, Princeton,
Pike's (many times), Lindsay and others I can't remember.

I live in Victoria Canada now.

Gaz

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Bppqf.167172$Gd6.89956@pd7tw3no...

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be
on our way down well before noon.

I've climbed them all and am working on climbing all of them in winter.

Glory!

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Maxprop" wrote in message
We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We
yelled
at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a pro
ski
patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.

Have you skied Quandary?

Amen!

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Bob Crantz wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message
news:Bppqf.167172$Gd6.89956@pd7tw3no...

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be
on our way down well before noon.


I've climbed them all and am working on climbing all of them in winter.

Glory!


That is great. Which did you find the most challenging?

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Bob Crantz wrote:
"Maxprop" wrote in message

We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We

yelled

at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a pro

ski

patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.


Have you skied Quandary?

Amen!


I climbed Quandary. That's the one right beside Breck, right. I didn't
ski it though. Summer climb.

Gaz

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Fhzqf.161250$ki.32525@pd7tw2no...
Bob Crantz wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message
news:Bppqf.167172$Gd6.89956@pd7tw3no...

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be
on our way down well before noon.


I've climbed them all and am working on climbing all of them in winter.

Glory!


That is great. Which did you find the most challenging?

Everyone asks that question. By standard routes maybe Pyramid, Wetterhorn,
The Bells, Crestone Needle. I think rotted rock makes it more dangerous
(hence "challenging"), it depends on what one considers a challenge.
Did you know some people have run up 14 of them in less than 60 hours
(virtually non stop) without using a car or bicycle? One guy is attempting
to climb them all self powered.

Amen!

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Bob Crantz wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message
news:Fhzqf.161250$ki.32525@pd7tw2no...

Bob Crantz wrote:

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Bppqf.167172$Gd6.89956@pd7tw3no...


Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be
on our way down well before noon.


I've climbed them all and am working on climbing all of them in winter.

Glory!



That is great. Which did you find the most challenging?


Everyone asks that question. By standard routes maybe Pyramid, Wetterhorn,
The Bells, Crestone Needle. I think rotted rock makes it more dangerous
(hence "challenging"), it depends on what one considers a challenge.
Did you know some people have run up 14 of them in less than 60 hours
(virtually non stop) without using a car or bicycle? One guy is attempting
to climb them all self powered.

Amen!


I noticed the various 14er crazes while we were there. I think it is a
healthy passion. At least they are not killing their days arguing on
usenet. I'm envious.

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Joe,

As a mere lad I put in most of two seasons on a fishing schooner that
was well seasoned herself. The rig was not grounded and I did see St.
Elmo's fire on a number of occasions and was told that I missed some.
It did no damage. It could not have hurt the vessle's electrical gear
as there was none at all on board.

The first time it just looked like a light was leaking from the truck
fittings (she had steel truck rings). The next time was a light show
that was truely amazing and was everybit the display in the old Gregery
Peck Moby Dick.

Matt Colie


Joe wrote:

Dangerious? or a blessing?

Have you ever seen your mast and spreaders glowing with a bright green
luminious plasma?

We had a fast front move thru last week and the corposant was standing
on my upper spreaders.

Joe

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message
news:HiCqf.169697$Gd6.64134@pd7tw3no...
Bob Crantz wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message
news:Fhzqf.161250$ki.32525@pd7tw2no...

Bob Crantz wrote:

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Bppqf.167172$Gd6.89956@pd7tw3no...


Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to
be
on our way down well before noon.


I've climbed them all and am working on climbing all of them in winter.

Glory!



That is great. Which did you find the most challenging?


Everyone asks that question. By standard routes maybe Pyramid,
Wetterhorn,
The Bells, Crestone Needle. I think rotted rock makes it more dangerous
(hence "challenging"), it depends on what one considers a challenge.
Did you know some people have run up 14 of them in less than 60 hours
(virtually non stop) without using a car or bicycle? One guy is
attempting
to climb them all self powered.

Amen!


I noticed the various 14er crazes while we were there. I think it is a
healthy passion. At least they are not killing their days arguing on
usenet. I'm envious.

Did you know of any USAF marathon runners stationed at the Academy while you
were in the Springs?

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Bob Crantz wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message
news:HiCqf.169697$Gd6.64134@pd7tw3no...

Bob Crantz wrote:

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Fhzqf.161250$ki.32525@pd7tw2no...


Bob Crantz wrote:


"Gary" wrote in message
news:Bppqf.167172$Gd6.89956@pd7tw3no...



Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to

be

on our way down well before noon.


I've climbed them all and am working on climbing all of them in winter.

Glory!



That is great. Which did you find the most challenging?


Everyone asks that question. By standard routes maybe Pyramid,

Wetterhorn,

The Bells, Crestone Needle. I think rotted rock makes it more dangerous
(hence "challenging"), it depends on what one considers a challenge.
Did you know some people have run up 14 of them in less than 60 hours
(virtually non stop) without using a car or bicycle? One guy is

attempting

to climb them all self powered.

Amen!



I noticed the various 14er crazes while we were there. I think it is a
healthy passion. At least they are not killing their days arguing on
usenet. I'm envious.


Did you know of any USAF marathon runners stationed at the Academy while you
were in the Springs?


No. Didn't meet anyone from the Academy.

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message
news:8krqf.49519$2k.18970@pd7tw1no...
Maxprop wrote:


I had a similar experience on top of Pike's Peak. But after the bolt of
lightening there was one guy dead. There is a place up on Pike's called
the Devils Playground where you can watch the electrical activity jump
from rock to rock.

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be on
our way down well before noon.


We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We
yelled at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We
did Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a
pro ski patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training
was mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.

When were you there? Or do you still live in CO?

Max
I was posted to Colorado Springs (Peterson AFB and Cheyenne Mnt) from 1999
to 2002. We took up Fourteeners for summer fun and skied in the winter.
We had Buddy Passes for Breck, Arapahoe and Keystone each year we were
there. We climbed many of the same mountains, Elbert, Evans (three
together near Evans I think), Gray's and Torrey's, Princeton, Pike's (many
times), Lindsay and others I can't remember.

I live in Victoria Canada now.

BC is a beautiful place, but I sure miss the Colorado Rockies. We go back
every other year to either ski or do some summer climbing. The mountain
real estate is exploding so rapidly as to boggle the mind. It's very
disturbing to those of us who spent the relatively undeveloped mid-70s
there.

Another quick Mt. Evans story: In a four hour segment on Evans we
experienced temperatures ranging from a high of 78 to a low of 28. We were
climbing in shorts, without shirts, and less than two hours later had
experienced torrential rain, winds in excess of 50kts. and eventually snow.
Ya gotta love the mountains.

Max

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...

Everyone asks that question. By standard routes maybe Pyramid,
Wetterhorn,
The Bells, Crestone Needle. I think rotted rock makes it more dangerous
(hence "challenging"), it depends on what one considers a challenge.

The rotten rock of North Maroon Peak will kill you about as quickly as
anything. I took a nasty fall on South Maroon once--had to be evac'd by the
local Aspen climbing rescue dudes. Three broken bones and a concussion. I
was even wearing a helmet. They said I was very lucky to be alive.

Max

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
k.net...

"Maxprop" wrote in message
We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We
yelled
at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a pro
ski
patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.

Have you skied Quandary?

Amen!

No. Actually one of our most arduous 'ski trips' was along the Divide just
opposite the Ten Mile Range above Breckenridge. We took a couple of radio
technicians up to a repeater on the crest. It had stopped functioning for
some reason. On the way down the snow was pure deep crud with a thick,
vicious crust atop about 3' of soft. How we didn't break a couple of legs
is one for the gods.

Max

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Uizqf.161257$ki.137943@pd7tw2no...
Bob Crantz wrote:
"Maxprop" wrote in message

We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We

yelled

at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a pro

ski

patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.


Have you skied Quandary?

Amen!


I climbed Quandary. That's the one right beside Breck, right. I didn't
ski it though. Summer climb.

Same here. I don't recall anyone skiing it back then, at least no one I
knew. Today however there is almost no limit to what folks will try. The
accessible approaches to Quandary's summit are seriously steep, IIRC. It's
been a while.

Max

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Maxprop wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message
news:8krqf.49519$2k.18970@pd7tw1no...

Maxprop wrote:


I had a similar experience on top of Pike's Peak. But after the bolt of
lightening there was one guy dead. There is a place up on Pike's called
the Devils Playground where you can watch the electrical activity jump

from rock to rock.

Are you a Fourteener bagger? My wife and I have climbed about 15 of
them. Most had significant electrical activity and we always try to be on
our way down well before noon.


We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We
yelled at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We
did Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a
pro ski patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training
was mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.

When were you there? Or do you still live in CO?

Max

I was posted to Colorado Springs (Peterson AFB and Cheyenne Mnt) from 1999
to 2002. We took up Fourteeners for summer fun and skied in the winter.
We had Buddy Passes for Breck, Arapahoe and Keystone each year we were
there. We climbed many of the same mountains, Elbert, Evans (three
together near Evans I think), Gray's and Torrey's, Princeton, Pike's (many
times), Lindsay and others I can't remember.

I live in Victoria Canada now.


BC is a beautiful place, but I sure miss the Colorado Rockies. We go back
every other year to either ski or do some summer climbing. The mountain
real estate is exploding so rapidly as to boggle the mind. It's very
disturbing to those of us who spent the relatively undeveloped mid-70s
there.

Another quick Mt. Evans story: In a four hour segment on Evans we
experienced temperatures ranging from a high of 78 to a low of 28. We were
climbing in shorts, without shirts, and less than two hours later had
experienced torrential rain, winds in excess of 50kts. and eventually snow.
Ya gotta love the mountains.

Max


I had an experience similar to that on Elbert when fall climbing with my
sons and a storm came in quickly. Vis was very poor and I was a bit
stressed with my two sons with me.

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Maxprop wrote:
"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...


Everyone asks that question. By standard routes maybe Pyramid,
Wetterhorn,
The Bells, Crestone Needle. I think rotted rock makes it more dangerous
(hence "challenging"), it depends on what one considers a challenge.


The rotten rock of North Maroon Peak will kill you about as quickly as
anything. I took a nasty fall on South Maroon once--had to be evac'd by the
local Aspen climbing rescue dudes. Three broken bones and a concussion. I
was even wearing a helmet. They said I was very lucky to be alive.

Max




I am finding it interesting that so many of you are also climbers as
well as sailors. It seems that the search for the adrenaline rush knows
no bounds.

Anyone run whitewater?

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

I've been tubing.

Joe

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Maxprop wrote:
"Gary" wrote in message
news:Uizqf.161257$ki.137943@pd7tw2no...

Bob Crantz wrote:

"Maxprop" wrote in message

We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We

yelled


at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a pro

ski


patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.


Have you skied Quandary?

Amen!



I climbed Quandary. That's the one right beside Breck, right. I didn't
ski it though. Summer climb.


Same here. I don't recall anyone skiing it back then, at least no one I
knew. Today however there is almost no limit to what folks will try. The
accessible approaches to Quandary's summit are seriously steep, IIRC. It's
been a while.

Max


Have you ever heard of the Three Peaks Yacht Race?

http://www.sleepmonsters.co.uk/site_3peaks/index.php3

Its a brilliant idea for a different race. The topography here on
Vancouver Island and on the Sunshine Coast is right for a similar event.
What a blast it would be.

Gaz

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Maxprop" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...

Everyone asks that question. By standard routes maybe Pyramid,
Wetterhorn,
The Bells, Crestone Needle. I think rotted rock makes it more dangerous
(hence "challenging"), it depends on what one considers a challenge.

The rotten rock of North Maroon Peak will kill you about as quickly as
anything. I took a nasty fall on South Maroon once--had to be evac'd by
the
local Aspen climbing rescue dudes. Three broken bones and a concussion.
I
was even wearing a helmet. They said I was very lucky to be alive.

Max

I fell on South Maroon also. I skidded down an ice field from the summit
towards the east. I went quite a ways but finally arrested. I was really
close to getting killed, another 30 feet was a cliff. Those two peaks kill
people regularly. We had just done the traverse.

Amen!

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message I am finding it
interesting that so many of you are also climbers as
well as sailors. It seems that the search for the adrenaline rush knows
no bounds.

Anyone run whitewater?

I do a little whitewater. I'm not into climbing for the adrenaline rush. If
anything I try to avoid it. My attraction to climbing, especially
mountaineering, is the self reliance, the fitness level required, the broad
skillset required and the seriousness of judgement. I've seen the
adrenaline junkies get busted up real good on Mt. Edith Cavell in Canada.
Sailing is similar to mountaineering except there is little requirement for
fitness. Sailors don't have to lug a week or more worth of gear plus wet
climbing ropes up and down glacial valley walls on their back. Sailors have
air conditioners, heaters, stoves, ovens, boom boxes, wardrobe closets,
showers, a place to sleep without sharp rocks or rats, etc. They couldn't
live for a week on frozen sardines, frozen vienna sausages, Jolly Ranchers
and exert 5,000+ calories a day. The closest sailors come to true suffering
is here on this newsgroup, listening to Capt RB all day.

Amen!

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Maxprop" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Gary" wrote in message
news:Uizqf.161257$ki.137943@pd7tw2no...
Bob Crantz wrote:
"Maxprop" wrote in message

We did 32 Fourteeners before moving out of Colorado, including Elbert,
Massive, and Harvard. Our intent was to do them all, but we ran out of
time. Oddly enough we only experienced electrical activity on Evans
and
Uncompahgre. On Umcompahgre we saw a teen get struck and killed. He
was
fascinated by his long hair standing straight out from his head. We

yelled

at him to get the *%&$*& off the peak, but he just ignored us. We did
Gray's and Torrey's in the snow, same day as most folks do. I was a
pro

ski

patrolman at Breckenridge at the time, and part of our training was
mountaineering, which included climbing and skiing crud in untouched
snowfields. We climbed three Fourteeners to their peaks during our
training.


Have you skied Quandary?

Amen!


I climbed Quandary. That's the one right beside Breck, right. I didn't
ski it though. Summer climb.

Same here. I don't recall anyone skiing it back then, at least no one I
knew. Today however there is almost no limit to what folks will try. The
accessible approaches to Quandary's summit are seriously steep, IIRC.
It's
been a while.

Max


Quandary to the NE is a big ramp. Real popular for helicopter skiing. I've
skied it about 4 times.

Check out the run he

http://www.14ers.com/photos/Quandary...ndarypeak.html

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...
Sailing is similar to mountaineering except there is little requirement
for
fitness. Sailors don't have to lug a week or more worth of gear plus wet
climbing ropes up and down glacial valley walls on their back. Sailors
have
air conditioners, heaters, stoves, ovens, boom boxes, wardrobe closets,
showers, a place to sleep without sharp rocks or rats, etc.

Amen!

Otoh, when you go to sleep, the mountain doesn't slam up and down and make
the most godawful racket.

Amen!

John Cairns

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"John Cairns" wrote in message
. net...

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...
Sailing is similar to mountaineering except there is little requirement
for
fitness. Sailors don't have to lug a week or more worth of gear plus wet
climbing ropes up and down glacial valley walls on their back. Sailors
have
air conditioners, heaters, stoves, ovens, boom boxes, wardrobe closets,
showers, a place to sleep without sharp rocks or rats, etc.

Amen!

Otoh, when you go to sleep, the mountain doesn't slam up and down and make
the most godawful racket.

Amen!

John Cairns


Rocks don't rain down upon you in a boat. Rats don't crawl over you and
there's no grizzlies or mountain lions.

There's no pirates in the mountains........and.......

THERE'S NO CAPT RB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMEN!!!!!!!!

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
k.net...

"John Cairns" wrote in message
. net...

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...
Sailing is similar to mountaineering except there is little requirement
for
fitness. Sailors don't have to lug a week or more worth of gear plus
wet
climbing ropes up and down glacial valley walls on their back. Sailors
have
air conditioners, heaters, stoves, ovens, boom boxes, wardrobe closets,
showers, a place to sleep without sharp rocks or rats, etc.

Amen!

Otoh, when you go to sleep, the mountain doesn't slam up and down and
make
the most godawful racket.

Amen!

John Cairns


Rocks don't rain down upon you in a boat. Rats don't crawl over you and
there's no grizzlies or mountain lions.

There's no pirates in the mountains........and.......

THERE'S NO CAPT RB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMEN!!!!!!!!

There's no bubbles offshore, with the exception of whale farts.

REPENT!!!

John Cairns

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"John Cairns" wrote in message
. net...

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
k.net...

"John Cairns" wrote in message
. net...

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...
Sailing is similar to mountaineering except there is little
requirement
for
fitness. Sailors don't have to lug a week or more worth of gear plus
wet
climbing ropes up and down glacial valley walls on their back.
Sailors
have
air conditioners, heaters, stoves, ovens, boom boxes, wardrobe
closets,
showers, a place to sleep without sharp rocks or rats, etc.

Amen!

Otoh, when you go to sleep, the mountain doesn't slam up and down and
make
the most godawful racket.

Amen!

John Cairns


Rocks don't rain down upon you in a boat. Rats don't crawl over you and
there's no grizzlies or mountain lions.

There's no pirates in the mountains........and.......

THERE'S NO CAPT RB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMEN!!!!!!!!

There's no bubbles offshore, with the exception of whale farts.

REPENT!!!

John Cairns


BWAAAHAAAAA!!!!!!

Amen!

Why don't sharks attack Capt Bubbles?

They mistake him for whale ****.

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

It hails like rocks at times, I've had a rat on the boat before, the
cat dragged it in.

We have Newtras and Rattlesnakes.

Pirates in the mountains are called gorillas. Replaced the cutlass with
a machette.

RB IS THE COMMODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

John Cairns wrote:
"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...

Sailing is similar to mountaineering except there is little requirement
for
fitness. Sailors don't have to lug a week or more worth of gear plus wet
climbing ropes up and down glacial valley walls on their back. Sailors
have
air conditioners, heaters, stoves, ovens, boom boxes, wardrobe closets,
showers, a place to sleep without sharp rocks or rats, etc.

Amen!


Otoh, when you go to sleep, the mountain doesn't slam up and down and make
the most godawful racket.

Amen!

John Cairns


I venture to say that Ellen MacArthur is one of the fittest and toughest
people on the planet. Extreme sailing is all that extreme climbing is.
Horizontal Everest!

Gaz

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

"Gary" wrote in message
news:DUJqf.52741$2k.8949@pd7tw1no...
John Cairns wrote:
"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
nk.net...

Sailing is similar to mountaineering except there is little requirement
for
fitness. Sailors don't have to lug a week or more worth of gear plus wet
climbing ropes up and down glacial valley walls on their back. Sailors
have
air conditioners, heaters, stoves, ovens, boom boxes, wardrobe closets,
showers, a place to sleep without sharp rocks or rats, etc.

Amen!


Otoh, when you go to sleep, the mountain doesn't slam up and down and
make
the most godawful racket.

Amen!

John Cairns


I venture to say that Ellen MacArthur is one of the fittest and toughest
people on the planet. Extreme sailing is all that extreme climbing is.
Horizontal Everest!

search: reinhold messner, there isn't much of a comparison.


Gaz

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

http://www.jerberyd.com/climbing/climbers/messner/

Is St. Elmos Fire
 

Bob Crantz wrote:
http://www.jerberyd.com/climbing/climbers/messner/



Impressive but check out Ellen. Remember she's only 28 and she holds
every long distance solo sailing record. Her feats are the subject of
many studies. Her minimum sleep needs are incredible.

And she does it all alone, for months at a time.