|
March 18, 2009 |
Former RMRU member and well-known local climber and mountaineer Woody Stark was killed in a climbing accident Sunday at Joshua Tree. The tribute below was written by another former RMRU member, Bill Briggs.
Remembrances of Woody: Having known him for a few years, maybe 55; could tell a few stories.
We lived a few blocks apart in Riverside and went to the same schools. To clarify, I am not the Bill Briggs from Boulder, nor the Bill Briggs from Jackson Hole, just the “real” Bill Briggs, as my wife Karen calls me, the Riverside/Santa Fe one. Dick Webster and his dad, who were also neighbors, got us into climbing and hand digging the hole for their swimming pool.
Woody was always the one with the more outrageous ideas. “Let’s go over the two highest peaks in southern California between Christmas and New Years, regardless of the weather, starting at Poopout hill (or Jinks Lake) and ending up in Idyllwild. Lets climb the highest peaks in Mexico over spring break… How about the highest mountains in Ecuador and Peru… Olancha by its East Ridge from Owens valley in mid-winter… Snow Creek in the winter with the rescue team (RMRU)… That needle off Geology Tour road”. So of course most of us fell-in. He wound up in Singapore for the first Grand Traverse. I went skiing at Mammoth for the second weekend of the needle so missed witnessing the bolt ladder up the other side when they topped out. How about a tent fire on Willie in the winter!
You all have expressed his special qualities very well. He was a real mover, always willing to push hard and challenge us on almost any subject. I could only top him on opera but then he took up snowboarding recently and had never skied! He was a help with my cancer, would come out to JT and lead us up any easy route we chose, although sometimes we took him to challenging places which expanded his horizons a bit.
I skimmed through some photos, have a few of our early days in the Monument but no close-ups that show a wrap or two around the waist of Plymouth white nylon or later, Goldline rope, shoes being hightop tennies, lug sole vibram (Pivetta with padded high tops but thin lugs) or finally the klettershuh. Pitons and one inch slings for the only pro, setting a bolt was anathema to us. Anyway: found some photos from the 60’s and 70’s in places other than JT.
Bye Woody, we are missing you and will be missing you for soooo long. It is going to be quiet around the house with you not stopping by after climbing (with us or others) to solve all the problems of the world! The challenge was picking sides and debating with such aplomb. Woody was not only a great climber but a widely read observer of the world scene. We had such a fun over multiple soft drinks on the front porch.
