Jump to content

Plutonium Bill is climbing


Pug

Recommended Posts

Bill Painter is planning to climb Hood tonight as a warm-up to Rainier. Bill is 84 years old and set the record as the oldest person to climb Rainier at the age of 81 1/2 in 2004. In 2005 and 2006 he raised the bar to 82 and 83 years old. LAst year's climb up Rainier was via the Kautz route. Pretty good ice-climb for an old guy.

 

If Bill passes you on the way up Hood tonight, please wish him well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 9
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Plutonium Bill summitted about 5:30AM today and at 7:30AM phoned on his descent. He was already below the Palmer Lift. Said he had a little icy sections in the chute, but it was a fine morning. I don't know if anyone older than 84 years has summitted Mt.Hood, but I suspect there have been others. This isn't Bill's first assent of Hood. Bill wanted needed a "warm-up" to judge his fitness for another Rainier climb in June.

I'm sure he will be in Hood River drinking a beer by lunchtime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Usually stops at Big Horse. Those stairs are so much fun after a climb and then stiffening up in the car for an hour.

 

Bill served in the army in WWII in the North African, European, and Japanese theaters. After surviving that, he worked at Hanford in eastern Washington for 40 years. He worked in the PUREX (Plutonium Uranium Reduction EXtraction) facility and when he retired was manager of the PFP (Plutonium Finishing Facility). Bill lives with his beautiful dark-eyed bride of 60 years in Richland, Washington.

 

Bill is a avid bicyclist (down to 6,000+ miles/year) and a recreational climber. Bill plans to climb Ingram direct in early June.

 

He should sell vials of his blood.

Edited by Pug
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...