Brush with Greatness

[dkemp]

So, in another thread I mentioned that in June this year I called and spoke briefly with Bradford Washburn, who got the FA of my objective at the time, Kahiltna Dome. To me, that was really special.

 

I've also talked to a couple other Alaska First Ascenters.

 

Two years ago I spoke with Thayer Scudder, who put up the FA of Mounts Brooks, Mather and Deception on a 1952 Harvard Climbing Club outing proposed by Brad W. He sounded kinda ornery and gruff but I think he was glad to hear from me. He said they scored on the weather and Brooks gave it up to them.

 

Last year I called Paul Crews. In 1967 Paul and his gang put up the FA of Iliamna Volcano from Chitina Bay - thats all 10,016 feet, including brush, bears, crevasses and whiteout. They improvised a raft from driftwood, tying the thing together with their climbing ropes, and floated out to the bay. Paul is in his eighties now, and I asked him if he still gets out and he said no-one wants to climb with him cause he's too slow. I said Well, I'll climb with ya and he said, 'Well, you better hurry up!'

 

I once had a beer with Fred at Fairview Inn in Talkeetna. Actually I had a beer and Fred had juice. We asked him what he was after on this outing and he said 'Oh, some peaks over to the west.' A little later we again asked his objective and he said 'Couple peaks - west of here.' Always playin' his cards close to his chest.

 

Anyway, those are my Alaska 'Brush with Greatness' stories. Thats all I got.

Dox

 

[rr666]

 

I chatted with John Long down at Mt. Williamson near LA a few years back. Cragged with him for a few hours, he can still climb...

 

 

[Dru]

Nazir Sabir hugged me once

[Figger_Eight]

I was eating breakfast one morning when Carlos Carsolio and Tomaz Humar plopped down at my table to eat theirs. Pretty cool

[scott_harpell]

had a beer next to kevin thaw.

[Necronomicon]

I fucked Chelsea Clinton.

[Dustin_B]

I lived in Texas when W was the governor! That was a special time...

[sobo]

Went cragging with Carlos Buhler several times in between his trips to the Karakoram. What a nice guy.

[Billygoat]

I was having a beer in Telluride and this guy suddenly appears and it is Sting. He was in town to by property and build a house I knew cause my friend worked for the architecture firm that was working with him. Anyways, my good buddy, a real joker, blurts out "Hey Look! It's Mick Jagger!" Sting was pissed and left. He ended up not buying a place. The reason he gave the architect was that he didn't like the locals.

 

I served dinner to Jesse Jackson and his family at a small reataurant in south Carolina. My good friend used to date Darryl Hannah and I was at a town park work party with Christy Brinkley. Mojo Nixon kicked me in the head, on purpose, at a Mojo and Skid show in Denver (he apologized between songs and played a request for me) . I know the guys from String Cheese and Leftover Salmon. Everyone I climbed with in Boulder is now famous. And I had Beers with The Jon at the Sausagsefest

[dryad]

I (indirectly) bought a tent from Ed Viesturs. Woo hoo!

[Billygoat]

Half of my reply is actually "Brush with Celebrity"

[lemon]

My father-in-law used to be roomates with Kramer (from Seinfeld) back in the early 70's.

[kurthicks]

i met Conrad Anker and Will Gadd at the Bozeman Ice Fest. nice guys.

 

last january we gave beta to Kim Csizmazia on Cascade...we felt pretty dumb later.

 

in February, Abby Watkins told us that we were going to get killed if we continued to stand where we were in Johnston Canyon. (we were right under the pillar that Barry Blanchard had broken off). we felt dumb once again.

Edited December 1, 2003 by wazzumountaineer

[catbirdseat]

Do you mean Michael Richards or the real Kramer?

[Dru]

i consumed an illegal substance with Chongo Chuck in J Tree

[ivan]

after consuming the majority of our expedition med kit safely back in talkeetna, i passed into an opiatic stupor and collapsed in the park beside jim bridwell, shortly after smoking the 50th joint of the day w/ him (well, it was the first of the day w/ him, but there were so many other strangers around too...)

[lemon]

catbirdseat said:

Do you mean Michael Richards or the real Kramer?

 

Michael Richards. He doesn't really remember much from those days...only that they all smoked a lot of dope.

[Bronco]

I thought Mike Adamson was gonna pound on me once.

 

Caveman wiped his ass with an old bandana I found!!!

 

Onetime I asked Alpine K where I could find a good deal on a BC ski set up and he replied - "a ski store".

 

Dru contradicted me on like my second post here (I've considered him a big meanie ever since).

 

Mattp said my friends are "dipshits" not too long ago

 

Erik told me he only cares what his friends think.

 

I haven't had any warnings from the moderators yet, but I have had some avatar's banned (for no reason!!! ).

[Bug]

I post on CC.COM.

 

How about a celebrity with a bush? I came around a downtown Holywood corner and ran smack into Loretta Swit. Knocked everything out of her hands. She was pissed off.

[erik]

everytime i take a leak.

 

 

[ScottP]

Fred glowered at me once as I passed him while skiing up the Muir Snowfield.

Another time I was witness to a major ass grabbing session by him on his female climbing partner at the 3 O'clock Rock parking area.

[bunglehead]

I played a hand of poker once with Judd Hirsch and lost.

 

I got complimented on my guitar playing by Dr and Mrs Benjamin Hooks at a NAACP benefit I was gigging at.

 

I've cooked for countless celebrities.

 

I saw Sting in La Guardia when I was like 16 years old.

 

One of my dad's good friends was the real captain from the boat in "Exodus"

 

 

[Rodchester]

I met and spoke with Pete Takeda at the Teton Climbers Ranch this September. Really nice and pretty funny guy.

[scot'teryx]

I helped the everly brothers with their bags at Ballys Reno

I helped the cast of "Northern Exposure" with their bags at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland

I helped Teri Garr with her bags and was her personal assistant for a week at the woodmark

I parked bill gates' car for him (nice guy)

i helped john ratzenberger (cheers) at the woodmark as well

quincy jones was an asshole, i kicked his bag

i rode the ebrake on Paul Allens car as well as riding it in 4th gear at 5 mph in the parking garage (stiffed me several times)

i met "ttt" on pilchuck

i skied with JERRY SANCHEZ on Green Mountain

I poured wine for Cindy Crawford at a benefit at Chateau Ste Swill

i watched some guy from "The Byrds" do lines in his hotel room at ballys in reno

i worked for the mayor of kirkland

 

 

 

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Spent an hour or so bouldering with Boone Speed and Mike Call at the PRG a couple years back. You'd think we'd learn by now not to be surprised when well-known climbers turn out to be cool people like anyone else, but it still happens. Discovered firsthand how quiet and reserved Mr. Sharma is as we walked by him at his truck at the B-Milks and swapped hellos and chit-chat about the weather. And who'da thunk that the much hyped Tori Allen was such a gracious, humble, polite person? Very encouraging and friendly as we shared warmup routes with her at Maple one day (well, she was warming up; we were getting pumped stupid). Was pleasantly surprised when Kurt Smith returned an e-mail (promptly, even!) requesting advice and info on running a climber's hostel type operation, and again running into him at Smith -- if he's as cocky as he seemed in Masters of Stone, it sure didn't show in person. Lynn Hill was awful nice as she belayed a hopelessly flailing DFA, dogging Deep Splash into oblivion and cheese-gratering her rope in the process.

 

We're all just climbers, and all just people, it seems.

 

Anyone had any ugly brushes with the well-knowns of our fair sport?