“Don’t get happy!” came the thundering voice from the sidelines. It was a classic saying of the late Norm Walker, my football coach, English teacher, poet, wisdom-giver, and wonderful man in high school at Holderness School. It sounded strange at first blush, but made sense the longer one played for Coach Walker: he hated cockiness, […]
Take meTo the magic of the moment on a glory night I wasn’t expecting to hear the Scorpions in the rural outskirts of Danilovgrad. And especially not belted out by a group of passionate, wine-buzzed, new Montenegrin friends roughly in tune with an accordion player. But, strange things happen when you open up on the […]
The flakes stung my cheeks, wind whipped, swirling through pines swaying in the gale. It was only 25 degrees or so, not cold for this valley this time of year, but cold enough to feel icy tendrils snaking up my extremities. I wanted to go, to move, to get warm. But not yet. I came […]
September 12, 2013, on the banks of the Bhagirathi, Gangotri, Uttarakhand, India "The river is insane," Wende texted via satellite. I was confused: She couldn't know that, at that moment, I was sitting on the bank of a raging Bhagirathi River in the hamlet of Gangotri. Sure, she of course knew I was in India, […]
Ganges, india, Mountains of Memories
Read MoreThe world lost a legend yesterday with the passing of Kancha Sherpa, the last living member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition and, along with Jim Whittaker, the only living members of the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition. I didn't know Kancha well, but was fortunate to spend a couple days with him in […]
Everest History, History, In Memoriam, sherpa
Read MoreSeptember 10, 2006, Diraphuk Gompa on the Kailash Kora, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Gentle murmurings, soft, subtle, almost lost, camouflaged by a Himalayan breeze and squawks from goraks (Tibetan ravens). I sat and watched, quietly, trying not to disturb, not to invade their sacred space. The mother and daughter prostrated repeatedly - standing, then kneeling, then […]
September 25, 2000 - Near Pethang Ringmo, Tibet Note: I began writing this post a couple days ago while, interestingly, waiting out a storm in the Colorado high country above Fairplay. I didn’t know then that there were many trekkers stuck in the Kangshung Valley. I wish them well, and safe returns, and also send […]
mount everest, Mountains of Memories, Tibet
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