Fossil Alpinism

Hock clearing the A2 pitch 100 feet off the bivvy at Dinner Ledge ... first time he ever placed a Friend!

So, what is your favorite mountain memory of Michael Franklin? And what is the next route that we will have a quorum on to spread some of hi...

"The Fat Boys Come Back Skinny Expedition." Hock and Mark moments after unloading their gear from the plane. Notice the feed bag ...

Friend of fossils taking NCS kids climbing in our own backyard. Hock also got a few laps in too.

Katika had a little baby that we named Hope. In another 3-4 days Selden will be back milking her and skimming off the cream. So, fossils it ...

Several weeks ago Larry R. - friend of fossils - took a bunch of 8th and 9th graders ice climbing on their "invitational only" tr...

Here is Gary at 18,500' at the base of the West Face, as we stalled out -- trying to forgo the advance basecamp -- and do a one-day blas...

Multiplication Gully (NEI III) will be our warm up ... how does mid-February sound?

Click here to read a draft of Jon's first movie review for the Lake Placid News

The final rappel getting off the "Eye of the Needle" NEI 3+ on the backside of Pitchoff.

If this doesn't get you energized nothing will. (Click on this link.)

Kind of like us fossils. The original guidebook is pretty worn and well thumbed ... When we going back?

On top of the Aiguille de Argentiere outside of Chamonix in the summer of 1977. Notice a few period pieces, the puffy Gerry down jacket whic...

While skiing around campus yesterday I came upon this scene, one of my students pulling out a 13 inch lake trout while ice fishing. Hello Fo...

John D. - the tele guru - and one of my teachers is giving an advanced lesson. I was his helper ... Somebody has to do it and it sure beat...

Cresting Jackass Pass in the Wind Rivers, the boys managed to do: East Ridge of Wolf's Head (II 5.6), South Buttress of Pingora (II, 5.6...

Family outing in 1990 at Tuolumne Meadows. (With apologies for the blurriness ... This is an iPhone snapshot of a picture.)

Click here to read this article from the NY Times

To get ready for Doug Scott's slideshow, friend of fossils - Matt Hoffman - is doing laps on a thawing Pitchoff Right.

Introduction: I am excited but also flattered, as well as a bit surprised to be introducing our guest Doug Scott....

The video is in French, but it is a sensational trailer on ice climbing

Lucy and Hock are skiing the one kilometer trail from our property to the biathlon trails. (Click on the photo to enlarge it ... our cabin ...

Well worth a look and a brief reminder

Friend of Fossils, Edward Kenney is smiling but ... he has two identical "right" boots while his identical twin William - in Franc...

The buffet at the clubhouse ... The cabin is ready to go, the ice is better than antime in the past decade AND we are not getting any youn...

In 1982 Mark went head-to-head in the California Gold Rush ski marathon and beat Hock. (Of course, Hock insanely went out with the lead pack...

AP News is reporting a story that several - possibly many - objects of rare art will be housed in the almost completed Fossil Clubhouse. It...

Painted by noted Fossilette watercolorist - Selden - this piece is entitled, "Jonny Dome." It depicts Hock roping up his three y...

Selden claims that Hock's caprilene long-johns smell. I personally assured her that no self respecting fossils wash their garments more...

Larry Robjent (the Order of the Friends of Fossils) running it out on Quarry Wall (NEI 4+) by Cascade Lakes. We then ran some laps on this ...

The plum, the big kahuna, the trophy fish that has never been landed ... the Cassin Ridge of Denali. One of the most aesthetic and direct l...

All the windows went in, some furniture, and we are getting ready to christen the Fossil Clubhouse with a New Year's Eve party. (Click...

The fives pictures below, represent routes that have been done multiple times by Fossils and their friends. NAME THE ROUTES ...

SCORING: 5 correct (either too much time indoors or you are a relatively young fossil with brain cells intact), 4 correct (you are a hard ma...

Mark Ewing went back with Lewie and on successive trips did the Moonlight Goddess and Sun Ribbon. There has been talk - off and on - of goin...

In the late 1970s Mark, Michael, and Hock hoofed it into the North Palisades for a week of climbing. It was early season and there was lots ...

Lucy made a Fossil sign for the cabin.

A medium hex and a tri-cam on the other side of the fireplace hold the stockings up.

What Fossil has ascended the Southeast Buttress route (III 5.6) of Cathedral Peak most frequently? When were the trips, and who was in atten...

A mini-guide to the Pharaoh Mountain classic ice route (click here)

We are planning to christen the Fossil Clubhouse with a New Year's Eve party. Selden is amazing ... Although not too sexy looking in Mic...

An original Chouinard ice hammer being put to good use banging nails on the Clubhouse loft. The last time this fossil gear was used was in ...

The Fossil Clubhouse sleeping loft is going up but oops ... The cut boards are not a good fit. Not having a come-along handy, Hock breaks o...

Trimming our tree, Lucy gets to hang the ice tool ornament!

The guest lecturer for January's Mountainfest, sponsored by the Mountaineer is Dou Scott. His slideshow will be about his epic trip to ...

Folding the laundry and came across my commemorative 50th birthday shirt from 2002 ... it needs updating ... so what routes have two or more...

Skiing out in the sugarbush with dad to make sure he doesn't have a coronary.