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The Wretch
Trad climber
Forest Knolls, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 25, 2007 - 08:03pm PT
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It must be 45 years or more since
I have seen Mort.
Here's the story. I escaped the ravenges of Los Angeles
and re-invented myself as, first a busboy in the Yosemite
Lodge Cafeteria, and later, decending into who knows
what depths, a dirt bag Yosemite climber. This in 1961.
One winter I escaped with several friends to a house in
the San Francisco Bay Area. A "climbers pad" in
Berkeley or Oakland. Then, I knew not the difference.
Might have been Roper's place (I still climb with him)
or a guy named Tavestock.
But, one seminal night, me a callow youth, new to
climbing, new to Northern California, new to freinds,
new to anything beyond the narrow confines of East Los
Angeles, I was THERE.
Mort Hemple was present, along with several bottles of
wine of which I managed to garner my share. He played
a twelve string guitar (another wonder to me) and sang
magically. One song revferbverates in my mind today,
"The Bells Of......"
A mile post in my life.
So, here is the climbers' tale.
A while back, another climbing friend of mine died.
Chuck Pratt, in Thailand. A second climnbing friend,
Jeff Foott, cleaned up the death site. Among the
remains was an audio tape that Chuck obviously treasured.
Jeff retrieved it, passed it on to Steve Roper.
Two weeks ago, in Roper's house, followiing yet another
climbing defeat, I mentioned Mort and my memory of decades
ago. Roper produced the tape, claimed not to have a
device to play it, and proffered it to me. Here was a
cassette of songs from my distant memory, obviously
treasured by Chuck.
My 1989 Toyoto pickup, 262,000 miles on it and just
broken in, HAS a cassette player. Many morning have I driven
to work and weeped, listening to these songs and
thinking about all of this history.
Today I dropped the tape off at a company which converts
cassettes to cd's. I am making about twenty copies of
Mort's songs, these for my climbing friends as Christmas
presanets. Warning. Don't tell them I want this to be a
suprise. My friends are so old tech they will never stumpbe across SuperTopo. So if they hear, it is YOUR fault.
But, last I heard, Mort was not doing so well. So, if
I could somehow honor his singing, get some people (my
friends, not you, so don't worry that this is a solicitation
for moeny) to cough up some dough, I could pass it on to
Mort.
Fourteen songs, I lke them. But I am an old guy. I
would call them, what, folk songs, ballads.
Forgive me for this lengthly email but it is the
length and history that, I think, makes it relevant to
SuperTopians.
Waht am I after? Mort's curent address or whereabouts.
Not to be hidden:
David Cook
PO Box 602
Forest Knolls, CA 94933
415.485-9405
david.cook@marin.edu
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Oct 26, 2007 - 01:00am PT
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Hi David,
I hope you can make twenty one copies and that I can have one for the Yosemite Climbing Association. It will be in good company and sounds appropriate.
Thanks,
Ken Yager
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Oct 26, 2007 - 01:10am PT
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thanks David Cook, good luck to Mort, who I've never met,in person, merry xmas to the lucky 21, I'll think of you all next time I'm at Indian rock, hopefully tomorrow.
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Oct 26, 2007 - 02:29am PT
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Mort gave me and several friends, obviously including Chuck, copies of that cassettte. Mort was quite unhappy with it, soon after its very limited distribution (to a handful of friends). He didn't feel he did too well on it. He was given an opportunity to record and was not used to the pressure of that environment. I didn't think it was bad, although I had heard him so many times in person I knew it didn't really capture his relaxed best. This doesn't mean it wouldn't by now be a kind of collector item. I was on the phone not long ago with Mort, maybe a year ago. He sounded the same, living his more or less recluse life in Boulder. Years ago I helped him find and get settled into the apartment he lives in still. Not to ruin any plans, but it might be a good thing to ask him first if he wants the cassette distributed. I suspect he wouldn't. I could be wrong, though. Has there been some new word as to a turn in his health? I probably should phone him...
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Oct 26, 2007 - 12:15pm PT
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RE:
"I probably should phone him..."
Pat, Anne-Marie Rizzi has been trying to contact him as well.
I used to see Mort pretty often (around town) but never got his contact info - her email is:
amrizzi@juno.com
I'm sure she'd appreciate the input.
Ray
EDIT:
"But, last I heard, Mort was not doing so well."
FYI we have spoken several times over the past three years and Mort seems ok, stable, kinda quiet, reserved but in good spirits; he always remembers my name. We've had some good talks, brief but engaging.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
St. Looney
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Oct 26, 2007 - 05:11pm PT
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bump
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Oct 26, 2007 - 09:32pm PT
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Hey cook you dog-just sent you an e-mail to your address. Denny put that large spread of myself, harding and mort in his latest book
"Yosemite in the 60's" Hanging loose on some friction in the Meadows around 1962 I believe. Would be great to put together a compilation of all of Mort's music. Its out there. Lauria, Hennek and I discussed this last winter.Ah yes, another project.
cheers
joe mckeown
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Risk
Mountain climber
Minkler, CA
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Oct 26, 2007 - 09:48pm PT
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Can anyone tell me if Mort Hemple is related to Yosemite Interpreter Gene Hemple? Gene was one of our family's first connection to the park and Tuolumne back in the early 60's.
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