This post will be historical and biographical. And I can hear people saying , "Oh here goes for another story again!"
I was a middle school teacher who taught 37 years between 1958 and 1997. For a number of years I was assigned an outdoor education class. This meant teaching about weather, clothing, foods, safety, maps... Of course, we would do a couple of field trips to put things into practice.
Now my teaching partner and I liked to find good places for a trip. We'd driven by Windy Point Ridge for a few years and always looked up at it. So one weekend we decided to go up Windy Point Ridge and check it out. So these photos are from our first trip up the ridge to the peak. Now here's the history. These photos are from 1992. And yes, the area is still as beautiful as ever.
Going up the side of the bare rock ridge is steep. 75% of the time you can walk but at other times it's scrambling. (using hands)
The ridge is made up of three peaks and a couple of buckles joining the peaks.
To gain the highest peak we had to go around the back of it and it was an easy walk to the top. The cliff face was about 500 ft.
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| Crossing a buckle |
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| Keep on moving |
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| The top of the cliff is the orange rock in the front of the photo |
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| Will this guy ever get to the top? |
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| Going behind the peak to get to the top |
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| My turn to be on the peak |
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| Down below is Windy point and the highway. |
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| My partner on the edge of the cliff we could see on the way up. |
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| Scrambling Can you see the road beside the water? |
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| There's a small cairn at the top Well, after all that effort we decided that this was not a very good place to take middle school kids but we had a lot of fun climbing up the ridge.. |
Magnificent landscape!
ReplyDeleteI miss it now.
DeleteHi Red, Sure agree, not a trip for the middle school kids, but a great one for you and your partner. These are some neat pics from your archive. Just wondering ... How did you save your older pictures? Slides or paper prints?
ReplyDeleteThe pictures I just digitalized were all paper. All my northern experience is on slides. Kids were usually pretty good on these trips as we emphasized safety but this would have been beyond them.
DeleteUmmmm... yes, I can see where that might not be the safest place to take the kids. I can just imagine all the waiver forms you'd have to get signed.
ReplyDeleteWe had to get waver forms even when we were going off the yard.
DeleteWhat a lovely area to explore. It looks tough to hike with all the incline and loose rock.
ReplyDeleteIt was tough and risky.
DeleteA sporty achievement to reach the top!
ReplyDeleteI reached quite a few peaks. Most of them you just walk up.I did not do any technical climbing as I had no training.
DeleteWhat a trek! You are such an active man. An inspiration. How is your injury?!
ReplyDelete(ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, where I am still cleaning up branches from our ice storm!
The young guys were my mentors. I was always flattered to be included. The shoulder is pretty well back to normal.
Deletethat is too cool! what a view!
ReplyDeleteWe would always sit in top for at least half an hour.
DeleteWOW Red I love your archives what an adventurer you are then and still. Great shots. and memories. B
ReplyDeleteYes, I miss climbing around up in the rocks.
DeleteI really enjoy when you put up posts like this one. What an amazing place. Looks very challenging...but fun.
ReplyDeleteThere was risk but when you're 50 you're invincible. Right?
DeleteThat peak reminds me of some of the Colorado peaks I climbed. Love the cairn on top! Climbing these peaks are good for adults but I'm glad you didn't try to take the kids up. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, they're the same set if mountains. It's all shale and sandstone. We did take the kids to some peaks.
DeleteWhat beautiful scenery. Yes, I think you might have lost a middle schooler or two over the edge. Wise decision!
ReplyDeleteKids were always good on these trips and they hung onto you. We rarely had a mishap.
DeleteI bet you were a great teacher and your outdoor class was a big hit.
ReplyDeleteThere were days. They didn't really like the learning of skills but the trips were a hit. some of those poor kids had rarely been out of town.
DeleteQuite a scramble up to the top. It must have been fun and I bet you slept well that night.
ReplyDeleteI remember that as the first climb where I came down and my legs were really sore and then stiffened up. It was painful.
DeleteYeah, I could see how that might be challenging terrain for the average middle-schooler!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - That's quite an excursion! I'm back from a long absence - long story. Just haven't been into blogging for a few months.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful spot but you were probably right in not taking the middle school kids there:)
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