Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 19, 2012 - 06:29pm PT
|
This is a great piece to start a thread about a great and influential mountaineer. Only seventeen at the time this article was written, Bradford was clearly heading places in the many decades ahead. Between his climbs and his superb and inspiring large format photography, the Washburn legacy is truly astounding.
Much, much more to follow...
|
|
Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2012 - 07:05pm PT
|
I remember a lunch we had at Anthony's on Boston Harbor.
Too bad he wasn't there today for only the second time that the USS Constitution sailed under her own power in over a century!
WOOT!!!!
|
|
phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2012 - 07:31pm PT
|
I met Bradford Washburn under interesting circumstances.
When I was a senior in college (1973-74), I worked at a private club located on Bolyston street across from the Pru, the Tennis and Racquet Club of Boston. Very expensive club with fairly exclusive board controlled membership. There was a private dining room where I worked as a waitress. I waited on Bradford Washburn there a couple of times, at least one of the times with his son. This was before I knew anything about the climbing and mountaineering world, but one of the staff told me who he was and his significance. I remember him specifically because he was so very nice. Always looked at me (as a person) and said hello and was genuinely warm and friendly. This was quite unusual for that club - most of the diners never gave any kind of personal acknowledgment of the staff.
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
|
Aug 20, 2012 - 12:29am PT
|
I just completed Escape from Lucania about his and Bob Bates'
climb and epic escaping the mountain. Quite the tale, those guys
were tough. . .
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2012 - 01:26pm PT
|
Bump for Bradford...
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 4, 2015 - 02:50pm PT
|
Bump for Barb and Brad in remembrance.
|
|
Avery
climber
NZ
|
|
Simply the best.
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
One of the true adventurers, of the likes of Shipton and Tilman.
I have a letter from him that is one of my prized possessions.
|
|
mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
|
|
Could be called the "Ansel Adams of the Aerial View."
Those old AAJs were so much better for his photos!
|
|
Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
|
|
David Roberts wrote a very-good bio of Bradford Washburn a few years back. It is a good read. I had always thought of him as a flyer & photographer who had a Mckinley climb of note.
He was involved in some incredible Alaskan "sufferfests".
A great man.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2017 - 07:18pm PT
|
Bump for the discerning eye in the sky. Sure wish that I had the opportunity to interview Brad or Barbara.
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
|
Feb 11, 2017 - 08:02pm PT
|
Old skool badazz with class.
Washburn rhymes with Tilman and Shipton.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2017 - 04:48pm PT
|
I think it is safe to say that Brad knew the big mountains of North America better than anyone.
|
|
Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
|
|
|
Feb 12, 2017 - 10:21pm PT
|
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2017 - 04:28am PT
|
I first met Brad and Barbara when they were nearly 90. Wow....what a handsome couple even then!
|
|
sempervirens
climber
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2017 - 08:05am PT
|
Anyone read White Winds, by Joe Wilcox? A well written account of tragedy while climbing Mt. McKinley. An excellent book on mountaineering.
Washburn has a part in the epic and tragic story. It's a small part, but significant. He disrespects Wilcox, then after the tragedy he spends years publicly holding onto his unfounded criticisms. Years go by, he attends a slideshow given by Wilcox. After the show he approaches Wilcox and apologizes. He realized he was completely wrong.
|
|
clarkolator
climber
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2017 - 08:28am PT
|
Rad Brad!
|
|
Happy Cowboy
Social climber
Boz MT
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2017 - 09:31am PT
|
Bradford Washburn saved my life. His Mount McKinley map that is. First published in the late 60's, it was my roadmap for our climb in summer 71' of the Traleika glacier that flows from Thayer basin down thru two icefalls, and forms the West Fork.
We had no photos but the accuracy of his map was far better.
I returned in 73' for Mount Hunter and felt compromised that our hopeful route was not on his ^^^ map. But...I did have this one pic of his!
Never met Bradford but spoke by phone. He was a huge mentor I never met (actually a thought I've had for my first thread). There was another "partner" of Washburn's concerning high mountain Alaskan knowledge, and that was Boyd Everett. His "Organization of an Alaskan Expedition" was the bible on how to build an Expedition, and live. He wrote it based partly on Washburns photos and both their experiences.
It's info on food, fuel, gear and party makeup that's concluded by the first catalog like route book of Denali, Logan and many other peaks.
Unfortunitly Boyd died that same spring on Dhaulagiri.
Long live Brad!
|
|
Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2017 - 10:57am PT
|
Brad Washburn was a true gentleman who clearly represented the best of the "Boston Brahmins". Not only was he a bold and accomplished climber/explorer but he also was one of the pioneers in using aircraft to support mountaineering expeditions. Following his most active climbing years--though both he and Barbara continued adventurous outdoor activities throughout their lives, Washburn remained for many years a key figure in the development of Alaskan climbing. As Happy Cowboy discusses he was a 'mentor' to many both in person and long distance sharing his knowledge and his incredible collection of black and white photographs of Alaskan peaks with all who were interested, in addition to publishing his topo map of the heart of the Alaska Range. His photos and 'route suggestions' in the AAJ sparked many an adventure. There were few, if any, expeditions to that region for many years that did not rely on his information--and, I'm sure that many still do. Later he was also very involved in creating a detailed map of the Mount Everest massif.
Beyond that--for his 'day job' of many years, he created and ran the Boston Museum of Science, one of the first and best of its type in the country He was definitely a man of many accomplishments.
|
|
Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
|
|
|
Feb 13, 2017 - 01:51pm PT
|
I first met Brad when I was District Ranger at Wonder Lake. About 1966 I think. It was a precarious meeting.
Just northwest of the station was a small hill, which was sort of a “gun sight” against a gap in farther hills and made a beautiful sunset composition. But there was a concrete block on top of it which looked artificial. I went up and looked at it. There were no marks on it. Maybe someone had started to put up a flagpole there or something? So I took a bar and tipped it a little so it would look natural, like a rock.
A few weeks later a car rolled up and it was Washburn. He came into the station and we had a great chat about McKinley climbers and climbing in general. Lots of laughs. Then he looked out the window, did a double take, reared back and said, “Where in hell is my monument?”
I said, “Oh, you mean that concrete block up there? It’s right there. I just tipped it a little. It was ruining my sunsets.”
Brad’s temper was legendary, and he seemed to swell up and get red in the face - and I braced for a blast. But then he saw the humour in the situation and he deflated and got a good laugh out of it. As did I, from sheer relief.
Apparently he had used that hill as a survey point on his early surveys. Past history.
We were good friends after that.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!