Three Things Thursday. Issue #18

Topping out the Exum Ridge's "Golden Staircase" pitch just before sunrise. August 16, 2016.

First, a follow up to my last, curmudgeonly blog post. I'm doing ok. I'm doing more than ok. Thorough acceptance of certain ugly truths is the ultimate in catharsis. Mountains are dangerous and hard. That is all. I'm not quitting, I'm not "toning it back". I am sharpening and tempering and examining, but the danger and difficulty is an inherent part of the draw. It isn't noble to be drawn to dangerous things, but it is ultimately human. And humanity isn't all noble. In talking with others about the thoughts I shared, and in examining my own motives and responses, it seems that there are two polarized viewpoints; some go to the mountains despite the dangers and work to minimize their exposure to said hazards, while others go to the mountains because of the dangers and work to minimize their exposure to said hazards. Notably, the end result is exactly the same. Because you may see my fascination with the risks as morbid doesn't mean that my approach is any less diligent than yours. As long as we are both letting our perspective sharpen our attention, the product is the same.
Next, let's climb this fall! I'm mapping out my autumn and early winter. I will travel a great deal, and book up the remainder of 2016 in the next few weeks. With ever decreasing availability, this is a rough outline of the options for climbing with me (as always, bookings are made through a patchwork of partners, depending on timing and permits):

Lastly, this is throwing back to earlier in July. I was part of a bunch of Exum groups to summit the Grand Teton all together. In one of the Exum groups a marriage proposal was imminent. Most of us knew it was coming, warned by the soon to be fiance. The fiancee did not know it was coming. Anyway, this is how it unfolded.