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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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I get it, have read those books and seen those movies, I was just drawing an absurdist comparison, pretty sure Walt Never met Neal, or at least when we talked about him, Walt never let on... My brother met Alen Ginsburg though, and my cousin went to High School with Laurie anderson who knew William Burroughs pretty well who new Keroauc, more than pretty well and prolly met Cowboy Neal through him... just doing that sh#t
Agreed, I think that had some kindred spiritedness about them...
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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This isn't my line, but..
Walt lives in our hearts and he don't pay no rent.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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May 11, 2009 - 06:07pm PT
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Yep, that's the Mussy (Fish) and CC3 (Charles Cole) playing chess, with Stretch looking on. It's one of only about seven pictures I have from my time living in the Yosemite dirt (well, I have many that others took, but only a few of my own).
I think the photo was taken shortly after Walt had his experience breathing fire, which is why he grew the beard (this was pre-Afghan film days, I believe).
Here's the story, probably Russ can tell it with more flavor:
Walt decided he was going to breathe fire, so had found out about how it was done, etc, and then, after a few olde E's most likely, gathered a small audience and pulled it off! Well , of course the gang gathered soon after hearing of the new hyjinks, and goaded Walt into performing the trick again.
The second time, with a much larger audience, did not go well--the fire came back and burned his face. No one saw Walt for a few days after that, apparently the blistering was quite bad. When he reappeared he was often wearing balaclavas even though it was quite warm out.
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fosburg
climber
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May 11, 2009 - 08:32pm PT
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A lot of good times climbing with Walt.
I remember one spring he showed up all psyched because he realized he'd done every route in The Vertical World of Yosemite except two, The Muir Wall and Lost Arrow Chimney. I immediately agreed to get on those with him asap. On the Muir I distinctly remember him jugging up to one of my anchors, looking me in the eye and saying, "I need to be tied into MORE THINGS." On the Lost Arrow Chimney we got the glory of freeing the pitches out of the notch thanks to some good beta from Tucker who'd recently toughed out a frosty bivy in the notch with Brad Huys(sp.).
So many other great adventures: Sentinel Falls, Nevada Falls, Illouete Falls, Half Dome in winter, Fight or Flight, Skindad the Scaler, Nerve Storm. Now my feeling is that I sort of probably took Walt for granted. I thought he'd be around for lots more adventures though the kayaking stories gave me the creeps from day one.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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May 11, 2009 - 10:25pm PT
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"I sort of probably took Walt for granted"
-Bingo!
I always knew, any time I went to the valley, in those years, that this guy, one of the most fascinating I would ever meet, was going to be there to twist my mind and accompany me on any adventure I could suggest and blow my mind with his own suggestions. Thanks, for that shrit, Walt!
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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May 12, 2009 - 12:38am PT
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Coz mamma, you the coolest.
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WBraun
climber
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May 12, 2009 - 01:27am PT
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Nope.
Walt still would have paddled into that hole.
He was humble man at heart.
He went into that hole because he knew we loved him .......
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona, Spain
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May 12, 2009 - 04:05am PT
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Man, this 5 degrees of separation sh#t really works! I met Jaybro one time bouldering under a bridge in Davis CA. Any now though him I get to Jack Kerouac in only a few steps. Imagine all the people Kerouac knew. Holy buckets!
On topic, it was plainly obvious that Walt was often not a happy guy. He had big ups and big downs, and he would be one of the last people to take for granted.
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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May 12, 2009 - 04:41am PT
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Man I can't believe it's been that long since I was listening to his stories around the campfire in Tuolumne.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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May 12, 2009 - 06:04am PT
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Deuce beat me to it.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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May 12, 2009 - 06:16am PT
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Jay, you're the coolest too!
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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May 12, 2009 - 06:25am PT
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Loves ya too, John, you too, Scott!
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fosburg
climber
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May 12, 2009 - 11:17am PT
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Another thought about Walt. I don't really feel like he "died young". A friend and I were talking recently about David Foster Wallace, the author who died last year at 47 from an "untimely suicide". Some people live at such an intense level that it's truly remarkable they make it through any given day. Add into that hobbies like white water boating and threshold soloing way on cid and drunk and well, there ya go. Kierkegaard died at the same age as Walt, 43 and in retrospect it's easy to see his life was in no way incomplete. I think the same is true with Walt. Walt was a creative genius who happened to be way into climbing. What a great gift to be acquainted with these people!
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Vulva, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - May 14, 2009 - 02:35pm PT
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Good link Clint! Read the article and then read the letter posted below.
Walt was a pretty big letter writer and I somehow managed to save a few. This one is about making hammers at the old A5 Factory! Cool stuff! Deuce has some too.... they make for interesting reading.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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May 14, 2009 - 03:06pm PT
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Cool letter, Russ - thanks for sharing. I definitely cracked up with the bit at the top of the 3rd page. :-)
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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May 14, 2009 - 03:06pm PT
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"Who is that guy with the Thorazine Glare?"--great description!!!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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May 15, 2009 - 07:09pm PT
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Nice stuff, Russ! I hung out with Walt in the Deucy shop with John and Raypole, one afternoon around the time of that letter. That was when he told us 'The Afghanistan story'.
I climbed 'Day in Court' a few years later, definitely the hardest route, I've, done in Sedona. Wonder if that was the second ascent?
Thanks Walt.
Keep those letters, coming in, Russ.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 15, 2009 - 07:28pm PT
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I've been waiting for the proper irreverent moment to post this one...
Cripes, it being Friday and all.
And speaking of Solid Gold,
Here's my personally annotated topo (by Shipley) of Shipley's route, "Strike a Bitch".
Ahem, obviously a play on Strike It Rich, never mind that someone, Walt?, thought it might be called the Claim Jumper for starters:
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