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prunes
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 18, 2007 - 06:59pm PT
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This site is dull as hell! How about a roundtable discussion on someone we love to hate or love to love. Who better then then a malt liqour swilling,cocky,swaggering,mouthy,arrogant asswipe who has been one f my most endearing climbing partners ever. I climbed with BIll from the Ditch to Eldo to The Tetons and on to The Canadian Rockies. I have many stories I can share with you but like to see ssome people post up first. I konw many people know him from drinking ol'80s outside the bar so post up. Fish,Tarbaby lets hear some stories!
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Nov 18, 2007 - 07:26pm PT
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Eleven NBA titles in thirteen years...not bad.
Oh...not that Bill Russell
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Shack
Big Wall climber
Reno NV
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Nov 18, 2007 - 08:00pm PT
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I only really knew him for one summer in C4 but,
he used to buy beer for me, so he'll always be a good friend.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Nov 18, 2007 - 08:02pm PT
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Bill turned me on to the heated stairs behind the lodge cafeteria. Warmed the bum while burning one. Or two. What could be better than that?
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 18, 2007 - 09:06pm PT
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a good guy; quirky as the rest of us. Smarter than most.
żBrussell?
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Risk
Mountain climber
Minkler, CA
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Nov 18, 2007 - 09:42pm PT
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My favorite skiing partner from the 80s who threw in humor and fun no matter what the situation was (sometimes cantankerous, but still okay to be around). Encourages and inspires adventure. Bill has been known to over do it big time, but somehow recovers the next day. Good upbringing, I think. A great friend you can disagree with.
A prankster too. Back about 1984 there was an Ostrander medical emergency where the victim needed drugs brought in. Nadim, Bill Russell and others, along with me made up the “Delivery Team.” Weather prevented an immediate evacuation, so we were just delivering the goods. On the ski out there, Nadim plowed way ahead and set up “shop” where he kindly fixed hot coffee on his Svea for everyone while having a puff. Later, we rendezvoused with Howard Weamer for the drug exchange near the top of Horizon Ridge. Howard joined us for a perfect descent on open slopes in perfect powder, and I felt pretty good skiing with the true Telemark masters of the day. Later, we all left Badger as I drove the old Suburban SAR wagon and plied our way down the GP road back to the Valley. Every car was pulling over for us each direction as we casually drove along. . . . I suddenly saw the reflection - Bill and Co. had thrown the LEO light bar switch without me knowing it!
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 18, 2007 - 10:23pm PT
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chez
Social climber
chicago ill
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Nov 18, 2007 - 10:28pm PT
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I've got quite a few Russell stories.
I'll just start with one i overheard in the late 70's.
At his parents home in Wisconsin Bill's mom yells down to him in the Basement,
" Billy you better not be hanging upside down smokin' down there"
At the time Bill and others used to hang by their toes off of roof eaves and drink Beers upside down.
Bill used to continue this activity at home on his pull-up bar and not only with beers.
Chez
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prunes
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 18, 2007 - 11:34pm PT
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Chez
How about the time you passed out face down in the puddle on the southshore of Devil's Lake surrounded by people from south of the border with fly's crawling on your face?
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murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
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Nov 18, 2007 - 11:45pm PT
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boy and i were guided by bill, working for yms, up a few valley climbs one day when karl baba was unavailable--so, he was our second guide ever. he was fun to climb with, and in fact he mentioned this forum with a shake of his head--so possibly he lurks.
i'd asked him to do some teaching of basic trad leading skills along with the leading. see, i'm just a little cautious; i'd followed a good deal, played with anchors on the ground, read about twenty books, and self-rescued from the garage rafters countless times, but i was still not comfortable leading. bill quickly sussed out the situation and told me that he knew at least five great-grandmothers bolder than me. (of course, i then asked if yms happened to have great-grandmothers for hire.)
he'd done a very good job being politic to that point!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Nov 19, 2007 - 12:00am PT
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I love listening to Bill talk cause he's got a wicked sense of humor. Of "those guys" only Fish is more funny.
We probably don't agree on everything, but I bet he doesn't agree with anyone on everything.
peace
Karl
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 19, 2007 - 12:36am PT
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Yeah, he is a consumate shttalker. I suspect I am more pro CMC than he is. Though we have never exchanged harsh words on anything.
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lori
Social climber
CA
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Nov 19, 2007 - 12:49am PT
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A scholar and a gentlemen . . . . . . .
Well, maybe not, but a valley classic for sure. One of my favorites!
Climbed with Bill the other day. My partner and i "guiding" Bill while he enjoys a leisurely day of following a couple of chicks and kicking back a few malt beverages. It gets dark early these days so the last two pitches are in the dark. Bill takes over the lead at this point afraid we'll f$ck up the route-finding. After he's started off i turn to my partner and say, "Wait a minute, why is the drunk guy leading?!?".
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Nov 19, 2007 - 01:11am PT
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After spending two springs and two summers in Tuolumne, I headed off to Madison, WI for graduate school. The first weekend there I was wandering around Devil's Lake looking for some climbs when I come across a group of guys toproping a nice looking crack. The crowd tells me it is 5.10 and I ask if I can run a lap and they say "OK". I tie in and head up the thing. At the crux, all I can think of is to do a dyno so I look over my shoulder and say, "this is not the best style" and stick the dyno. They all start laughing and say "that's the way we do it, too!".
Turns out it was Bill Russel and his DLFA buddies and after that, I had all the climbing partners I needed. Oh yeah, the crack was really something like 5.11b or so. Sandbaggers!
Bruce
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prunes
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 19, 2007 - 01:12am PT
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Walleye
Went to La Crosse to visit Dave G last weekend. I helped put up a stunning new route with Dave and Fred. My Job was to drink at the bottom
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Nov 19, 2007 - 11:51am PT
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.....that's our Billy
~Susan
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euro-brief-guy
climber
mountain view, ca
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Nov 19, 2007 - 12:39pm PT
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Separated at birth:
Billy Russell and Teddy Roosevelt.
One night at a campfire the combination of the mustache and some wire rim specs, the similarity was uncanny. We even got him to do a toothy grin to drive the point home.
SM
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Nov 19, 2007 - 12:46pm PT
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Oh yeah, we used to do a lot of building climbing at University of Wisconsin-Madison. It was a long-standing tradition, but you could always tell the favorite routes of Bill and the DLFA from the empty wine bottles(jugs, really) at the base. Kind of sacrilege being in the heart of beer country!
Bruce
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nov 19, 2007 - 05:32pm PT
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Swilly J Russel!
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Nov 19, 2007 - 06:31pm PT
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eKat, yeah that Billy is holding up well. Still in great shape, I never mind hiking in behind him (if you know what I mean). Great legs!
~Sooze
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