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hooblie
climber
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Jun 18, 2009 - 03:35am PT
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now that's a worthy objective. thanks, it sooths just a little. kind of speaks for what his heart was set on. like laying down a wreath, but more appropriate for a man who had an eye, and the will to fit his vision
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mooch
Big Wall climber
The Immaculate Conception
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 18, 2009 - 11:10am PT
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Dingus -
Bob Burd (summitpost) took that shot back on May 25th while he was on the High Sierra Trail, headed to Eagle Scout Peak. This was the photo we were studying prior to the trip to see if we needed crampon for the snow tongue in the gully between The Fin and CRS.
Hey Rob -
Did you get my email regarding the east side of the spire?
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lucye
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jun 18, 2009 - 12:15pm PT
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Heard the terrible news through the grapevine and registered to try to express our sadness at this loss...I don't climb, but I ski and my husband Mark and I had the gift of meeting Bruce and Em through the tele classes we took with them at LTCC. In bounds skiing was hardly an environment for Brutus' wild nature to fully express itself, but nonetheless in reading this thread I can recognize so much of his exuberance and the very special bond he shared with Em. He routinely skied with double whippets which ensured him space in the lift lines and, particularly that first season, took more body-slam wipeouts than the entire rest of the class combined. Incredibly (to me), his masochistic approach seemed to work; a season later he was ripping with steeze and the class coronated him 'most improved'! He was so typically modest, I don't think anyone in the class realized they were skiing with a Sierra rock legend.
I also remember how 'crashing' at Em and Bruce's ski cabin near Angora was invariably a gourmet affair. Bruce would concoct elaborate, delicious multicourse dinners and breakfasts that this ski bum didn't deserve and was very grateful for.
Em, if you're reading this our thoughts are with you, and we mourn the loss to you and to our entire outdoor community. I hope time can help ease some of the pain and allow you to find peace. If there is a public celebration of Bruce's life sometime in the future, please post the info here so we can share in the remembrance.
Namaste,
Lucy and Mark
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Eric Coomer
climber
Colorado
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Jun 18, 2009 - 12:20pm PT
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Wow, that pic of the spire brings back some incredible memories.
Bruce and I lugging 120 lb packs- this is no tall tale, bruce brought a scale and weighed the bags in the parking lot
Stashing beer in the crick on the way up
Endless slogging over game trails
The epic gully- fully snow chocked during the last week of winter
Bruce "rope is fixed" as he dug a hole and became the anchor at the top of the 200' slope to the saddle of the spire.
Bruce-the-anchor saving my ass as the entire slope avalanched on me half way up
Watching a perfect Sierra Sunset from the top of the spire 3 days later when we topped out, right before the epic, pitch-black, blind descent...
Finally dodging constant avalanches heading back down the gulley.
What a ride Bruce- thank you!
e
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 01:11pm PT
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Wishon climbing trip - coolers, campfires and climbers, oh my!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 01:12pm PT
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 01:13pm PT
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jun 18, 2009 - 01:32pm PT
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Every so often I start to burn out on the taco.
Then along comes a thread like this.
What a wonderful tribute to someone I barely got to know.
This is sort of a psyber-wake, except far better. There is more time for stories and pictures. It's self-catered, so you don't have to worry about people showing up just to wolf down the ham. And for people like me it is an opportunity which, despite the sadness, allows me to know him better.
Again, best wishes to Em.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 01:49pm PT
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Absolutely. Hearing about other's trips with him really has been good stuff.
I'm really hoping to reach out to more folks next week and do some inviting to other trips.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 01:52pm PT
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hanging out having fun on a Wishon OW problem.
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mooch
Big Wall climber
The Immaculate Conception
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 18, 2009 - 01:53pm PT
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I loved that dude..
DITO! Remarkable how one man can change your life.....forever. What an incredible mentor he was to me, on the high angle stone and with life's challenges. I loved Brutus' brutality....it was the cornerstone of his personality! And, as said before, the way he cared for his partners and friends.......priceless! Remember takin' a 40' whipper off some route to the left of Sweet Home Alabama in the A-Hills. Thought for sure my ankle was broken.....AGAIN! He and Em were quick to give me a look over and applying one of many uses from an ice cold Sappporo. Satisfying it was....but my ankle still hurt. ;)
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 02:04pm PT
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LOL!! nice one
here's some more I found, borrowed from his own photobucket account...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 02:09pm PT
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true hardman rack
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Ray-J
Social climber
cali
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Jun 18, 2009 - 03:08pm PT
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So sorry to hear...
Didn't know Brutus myself but
Can relate to the amazing hit of
Losing a good friend
Suddenly.
It can be/is very very hard.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Jun 18, 2009 - 03:58pm PT
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I never met Brutus, but after reading 364 posts, I know him now and feel his loss.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jun 18, 2009 - 05:04pm PT
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It appears that his gear collection was only surpassed by his well-earned popularity. Heartfelt condolences to friends and family.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 05:20pm PT
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just in case I didn't mention it, thx to all that have posted up kind words. I think Dingus already mentioned that Em has appreciated it too, and Jurel is on board the taco and hopefully will post some pics. Just cool to see folks telling their stories, and their 'best of brutus' hits.
I had to break the news to Noots today and he said it right "that just f*#king sucks"
word
but we go. we go to have fun adventures. get out all! do it like there is little time left. be smart, but get out there!
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jun 18, 2009 - 07:17pm PT
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Brutus didn't want the FedEx guy to deliver the package. A new technique...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 07:30pm PT
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looks like training for inverted offwidth technique
:)
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RobNaylor
Trad climber
Kent, United Kingdom
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Jun 19, 2009 - 10:37am PT
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I'm really sorry to hear about Bruce's death.
I never met Bruce, but his trip reports, advice and humour on rec.climbing in the mid 90s were one of the things that kept me going back there again and again. We had a few exchanges of views and he put me right a couple of times when I was being an arse.
One thing that sticks in my mind was playing the "Six Degrees of Separation" game between posters and Dingus Milktoast, the proviso being that you actually had to have climbed with the person named as the link.
Almost everyone who played had at most 4 degrees of separation. However, I posted that I thought I could beat the odds, as I was here in the UK and the only person I knew in the whole USA who climbed was a girl called Carolyn who'd recently emigrated to California.
Within minutes there was a post from Brutus saying "Would that be Carolyn D***, then?". Snookered, first shot!
It was Carolyn, now back in the UK, who alerted me to the tragedy.
A great character. I wish I'd known him IRL.
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