I am committed to drastically unburdening myself of material possessions. This required me to investigate the contents of boxes that I’ve hauled all over the country, but not opened in many years, in some cases, decades. Here’s some stuff I found.
1. My first rosary. A gift from my uncle George Harvey, my Confirmation sponsor, 1963. Uncle George died alone, of covid in the early days of the pandemic. A remarkable man, dearly missed.
2. Stopwatch. A gift Christmas gift from my father, 1969. I used to carry this unwieldy object when I ran on the track. Still works just fine.
3. Salewa crampons, 1971. My first purchase from REI. First worn on Popocatepetl.
4. Mountain Gazette # 30, February 1975. The only edition of this magazine I saved, except for the one commemorating Hunter Thompson, which I can’t find. I read Dick Dorworth’s “Night Driving” and within a month loaded up my 1968 AMC Javelin and drove west, where I’ve mostly stayed.
5. Schonhofen label. When I first moved west I worked making packs with Mike and Margaret Schonhofen. After we dissolved that business, Mike and Marg had their own label before Mike left to design gear, first for Chouinard, then Nike etc. We remain best of friends.
6. Typewriter keys. I hauled this old Remington typewriter around for decades before finally, reluctantly, letting it go. I plucked the keys off like a deranged dentist.
7. Untitled first story (nonfiction) I wrote. Set at a Deroit Lions game. Less cringe-inducing than I expected. Typed on aforementioned typewriter.
8. Wooden spoon. Hand-carved by friend and climbing partner Jim Pinter-Lucke and gifted to me on the occasion of my 30th birthday, a year before we climbed Alpamayo together. Was really really glad to find this.
9. Letter from Fred Beckey. Note the purloined hotel stationery and “postage due.” Classic Fred!
10. Four copies of Conquest of Everest, John Hunt's story of the first ascent, 1953. Including Assault on Everest, the American version. I am keeping a fifth copy, not pictured here, signed by Ed Hillary. Let me know if you need one of these!
