The above photo shows the Pok-O-Moonshine slab in the Adirondacks. This photo appeared in the book “Climbing in North America” by Chris Jones (1976,p.288).  Front row: Claude Suhl, John Weichsel, Al DeMaria, Roman Sadowy; back row: Dick Williams, Brian Carey; date: June, 1963.  This photo is opposite the well known  Dick Williams nude on Shockley’s Ceiling (Gunks). The nude ascent was done September, 1964 by Dick, Al and Pete Geiser.

The first climbs at Pok-O were done by John Turner and climbers from Montreal. It seems that Pok-O was the only cliff in the northeast NOT visited by Fritz Wiessner. In 1957 Turner did Catharsis on the slab, and FM on the main cliff. In 1958 the Arch was done on the slab (see above photo) and Discord on the main cliff. Turner supplied all the info on his new climbs to Art Gran and we made repeats of all those early climbs; also done were Gamesmanship, Bloody Mary, and Paralysis, all done before 1960. In June, 1962 Jim McCarthy and I went to PokO and were eaten by black flies. We awoke at 3 AM and climbed Discord to escape the flies. Not wanting to battle the flies again, we drove down to the Gunks and next day did first ascent of Son of Easy O. A memorable weekend for the climb, and for the flies!

In those early years we made winter attempts on Wallface, and climbed Gothics north face in winter. I loved snowshoeing in the Dacks. Two fond memories were: a winter camping trip to bushwack Santanoni and loop out past Duck Hole; a winter backpack where we camped at the Sno-Bird leanto between Basin and Haystack and had to DIG our way into the leanto because it was completely covered by snow! Sadly, that leanto was removed by the DEC in later years. Another winter memory in New Hampshire: three consecutive winter trips to Crag Camp, the closed cabin on the edge of King Ravine, with the most spectacular outhouse in New England. The cabin had an ORGAN, which was played by Bill Goldner to while away the long winter night.

Other highlights of those early years: Mohonk Hotel weekends in November where the Vulgarians were the only guests (it was an off-season then), climbing at SkyTop in Indian Summer and partying all night. Wonderful caving trips to some of the biggest and most difficult caves: Kookens (PA.)-3 trips with a prussik fiasco and frozen coveralls (now closed); Schoolhouse (W.V.)-twice in 3 days, 16 and 13 hours (also now closed); Overholt Blowing (W.V.)-3 trips and we discovered a virgin cave with BIG pits and rooms.

FUN – FUN – FUN!!