Passing Of a Great Legend

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Double D

climber
Jan 9, 2012 - 03:29pm PT
"he used to sing a lot..."

(-; One of my fondest Minks memory was just hanging out in the TC Trailer Park drinking gin and tonics and hearing him do his Roger Daultry impersonation to "We Won't Get Fooled Again." A classic "Brit" moment.

My sincere condolences goes out to his family and close friends.
IV

climber
tahoe
Jan 9, 2012 - 03:53pm PT
Young and new to Tahoe, I met Pete 10 years ago making snow at Alpine Meadows. Since he lived on the way from my house and didn't have a car we worked all the same nights and like any proper snowmaker, we enjoyed many morning pub visits. He truly was tough as nails and we called him the oldest snowmaker in the world. He loved being on the snowmobiles all night almost as much as his boys, climbing, or loud "ROCK AND ROLL BABY!!" The first time I picked him up he spotted a rope in the backseat and asked if I was a climber. After I said yes he let out a loud "OOOHHHHhh NNOOOO!" and we laughed hysterically. Peter became more than a climbing partner and mentor, he truly was a great friend and I'll miss him dearly. I feel very lucky to have shared as many great times with Minksy as I did and I'll never forget how special he was.
Chip


Son of a Minksy

Social climber
Medford, OR
Jan 9, 2012 - 04:58pm PT
Thanks everyone for all your thoughts. My dad was a great man, a great father and a loving human being. For everyone's information he had cancer of the bladder that spread to his lymphatic system. He was in for a long, grueling, and nasty battle with chemotherapy and other treatments. As we all know that is not his style. About 12 hours after surgery on his bladder, he began having breathing issues and and eventually stopped breathing all together. It was suspected that a clot traveled to his lungs. He did go quickly and did not suffer.

I am holding a memorial/celebration of life in his honor. The plan is to have it at Alpine Meadows this coming Saturday.
Wank

Ice climber
Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 9, 2012 - 05:17pm PT
I talked to a old friend of Peter's and mine ,we agreed that as we get older more people seem to leave our life then enter . For me the hope is that I can have as positive impression on the people that are in my life as they are to me. Peter was a huge impression , a day didn't go by were I was in aw of his climbing achievements and just fully stoked to be around him,@ Timmy I've know you from day ! and have some great stories for you and Curtis . Hope you boys are well and look forwards to seeing you at the Memorial service . David LeWinter
minksy 3

climber
wirral england
Jan 9, 2012 - 06:45pm PT
Pete was born in Birkenhead a suburb of Liverpool, he has two brothers Alan and David, the latter being myself. His passing has been a great loss to us his English family. Pete as most of you know lived his life to the full, sometimes to the extreme but to us he was and always will be our big brother. We have many memories of growing up together, all of them based on fun and laughter. Mum & Dad (May & Alf) always making sure after any falling out we shook hands and laughed about the stupidity of falling out. The countless times we would have to tread carefully because the downstairs rooms would be full of Peters climbing mates sleeping soundly until my mother started to make bacon butties for the whole bloody lot of them, to many to name, but most of them well known to the world of climbing - great times! As i have already said, he was our brother but to Tim & Curtis he is their dad, so our thoughts are with and for them.
mastadon

Trad climber
crack addict
Jan 9, 2012 - 07:18pm PT

David,
I met your mum, May, in the early 80's when she was visiting Peter at the Tahoe City trailer park. She was great. I had a vintage Italian Moto Guzzi motorcycle and took your mother to the store and around town a few times. That was when I learned what "riding pillion" meant. She just hiked up her skirt and hopped on. She and my wife and several others floated the Truckee river in rubber rafts several times. My wife adored her. I remember your mum talking about her beloved Alfie.

Your brother Peter was quite a character. I'll dig around and see if I can find some old pictures of our climbing adventures together.
LJM

climber
Liverpool
Jan 9, 2012 - 07:23pm PT
That definitely sounds like my Nana May!!!
Black Feather

Mountain climber
Tahoe City, CA
Jan 9, 2012 - 11:23pm PT
Hey. Memorial for Pete at Alpine Meadows Lodge Saturday January 14th, 5 to 8 pm. Slideshow and open mic, Eiger movie in the background. His sons Tim and Curtis will be there. Email pics to dthatcher@skialpine.com. We hope you all can make it, especially those from C4 and faraway.
chappy

Social climber
ventura
Jan 10, 2012 - 12:03am PT
This is really a sad, shocking moment for me. Pete was a great friend back in the day. I should correct that statement and say he is still a great friend of mine. I have no doubt that if he was still with us and he and I were so blessed to have our paths cross again that we would hit it off just as we did in the past. He was just one of those great fun guys to be around. A great climber too. I still remember him as if it were yesterday on the FA of the Silver Strand. Kevin and I were so happy to have an actual experienced English alpine climber along with us. If I may correct Kevin's memory it was the second pitch Pete led (of four total). It was a steep mixture of ice and rotten snow. Hard to get any decent gear in. Pete ran it way out. Near the top of his lead he shouted down, "What ever you do don't pull on the rope!" We didn't and he made it to a belay. On the decent we had some great laughs butt skiing down the decent snow gullies. At the bottom Pete looked like a snowman as he was covered head to toe in snow which stuck to his pile suit. To Terry and his boys all the best. Pete was a great guy.
Chappy
Stewart Johnson

climber
lake forest
Jan 10, 2012 - 09:36am PT
"dont rest in peace mate. reek havok"
Wank

Ice climber
Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2012 - 11:41am PT
http://youtu.be/ukNSiSH42vk

in Memory Of Pete
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jan 10, 2012 - 01:04pm PT
An article about his work as a snowmaker, in a Tahoe paper/website:
http://www.tahoetopia.com/news/night-action-snowmaking
Brian Biega

climber
Truckee, CA
Jan 10, 2012 - 04:36pm PT
My Condolences to all the friends and family of Peter Minks.


More photos to come...

Regards, Brian
Stewart Johnson

climber
lake forest
Jan 10, 2012 - 11:44pm PT
Peter on the 5.9
Russ Walling

Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
Jan 11, 2012 - 12:06am PT
Minksy is in this clip making snow at Alpine

[Click to View YouTube Video]
Fritz

Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
Jan 11, 2012 - 12:08am PT
Mr. Minks is someone I wish I had known----climbed with, drank with.

Best wishes to Peter & his family!
Charles Perry

Big Wall climber
Fort Collins CO
Jan 11, 2012 - 12:00pm PT
Can't count all the beers Minksy and drank together. Farewell friend.
IV

climber
tahoe
Jan 11, 2012 - 12:02pm PT
rodermck

Social climber
san jose ca.
Jan 11, 2012 - 04:49pm PT
Brandi Lyn Mckay sent me message facebook he had cancer call him i did right away,phone not accepting callers at this time,called the truckee hospital not there,i talked to him new years day we talked about climbing and his shoulder injury and other things but nothing about any thing that would take his life so quickly after that thats the way minks was tough, then one Minks RIP, i was hopeing this wasn't true,super topo came in my mail confirming what i didn't want to hear with many wonderful posts and pictures i put on my pic page on my computer and one video from snow making alpine,the first time i met minks the mt room bar in the valley,some one was standing up on the table leading his mates in song wondering why the rangers hadn,t drug him out by this time,i asked some one who this wild drunk wild man was thats pete minks,we remained friends all summer his girl friend a school teacher from england came over to climb,after that invided him to my mothers in san jose he spent a week because she came down sick with my mother taking care of her, with trips to oaklnd fentons for banna splits they are famouus then on to SF to the Buena vista bar famous for friendly parting people and irish coffee, to pinicles to climb with yabo the next day bouldering on the sea clifs pacfic grove great times, he got married to terry lived in C4 north in truckee made many trips up to ski and go out drinking with the fun minks at night,always a blast, they moved in town visted them there then on to a condos or apt north of truckee hard to find would call him from truckee and he would pick me up on the hiway where i parked and take me back would have never found that place terry moved to oregon with her kids and eventually devorsed, i saw him times after that then lost contact then had a phone no, but hard to reach, i called him if he was going to the harding memorial, none of hi climbing friends wanted to go, he as was pissed, tell them this f***king memorial they wanted to climb what a bummer for him, then saw him at the party for old time climbers on east side i haven't seen him sence,only on the phone, the this amazing, climber hard parting minks will live on in history of climbing and memories of people that knew himand cared for him knowing him he would want you to party in his memory not grieve, his memorial at alpine i can't be there even though its aa total bummer, but for every one there let the party begin
Don'tKnowHim

Social climber
California
Jan 11, 2012 - 07:13pm PT
Condolences to the family and friends. I didn't know Peter personally, was an aqauintence of Terry in the very early 80's. I hope she's holding up well and I wish her the very best.
Messages 41 - 60 of total 103 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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