Happy Birthday, "Life Is A Bivouac!!"

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Messages 1 - 38 of total 38 in this topic
BooDawg

Social climber
Butterfly Town
Topic Author's Original Post - May 10, 2013 - 03:28am PT
My dear, MATURING friend, McClinsky, "Life is a Bivouac," Russ McLean and I were born 5 days apart in the "Middle of May" we'd always joke about; that was the best time of year! Waterfalls are full of energy; life itself is renewed! For more that 50 years we've climbed, loved, cried, watched and generally been great friends tho months or maybe even years may have gone by without contact. Still the bonds that are born of climbing, of trusting one's life with another on the ends of the same rope, have remained strong and supple. So thanks for sharing parts of your life with me, my friend, and for letting me share parts of mine with you. As my great grandfather used to say, "The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune." And so it is with Russ!

Here are a few pictures of Russ and friends:
















Who else has photos or stories about Russ? Post 'em up, please!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
May 10, 2013 - 09:24am PT
Those are great photos Boo!!

I've got no stories, just wishing you all a Happy Birthday and requesting that you keep it up with those photos anytime you want!!
Peter Haan

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
May 10, 2013 - 09:57am PT
Best to a longtime friend and colleague! Great photos, too Ken. In fact wonderful ones and the string of them together better still.
Dennis Hennek

climber
May 10, 2013 - 10:09am PT
I'll make you a batch of cookies old friend, all the best Poo, and a happy birthday to you Boo.
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
May 10, 2013 - 11:39am PT
Happy Birthday you old Samarai you..........
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
May 10, 2013 - 12:05pm PT
hbd LIAB

only had the pleasure of being out with Russ once, to do Smoke's Rock Course...


looking forward to running into him in the future
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
May 10, 2013 - 12:07pm PT
Happy Birthdays, great photos

James
Tony Puppo

climber
Bishop
May 10, 2013 - 12:22pm PT
Happy Birthday Russ!
FRUMY

Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
May 10, 2013 - 12:26pm PT
Happy birthday too the both of you.
can't say

Social climber
Pasadena CA
May 10, 2013 - 12:26pm PT
Wow, what a fantastic tribute to a friend.
Michelle

Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
May 10, 2013 - 12:43pm PT
I don't know you but happy birthday and thanks for giving us an excuse to see some cool history!
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
May 10, 2013 - 12:48pm PT
If life is truly a bivouac, that would indicate climbing in the next plane of life. Grate idea!

To commitment to friendships built to last
I wish you well and raise my glass!

nita

Social climber
chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.
May 10, 2013 - 01:07pm PT

BooDawg, Thanks for the BITD pictures..fun!...
I do not know the birthday boy.. but ..wishing Russ a...

Happy Birthday!!!...
and dang,.. the birthday boy is handsome...


Powder

Trad climber
the Flower Box
May 10, 2013 - 01:39pm PT
Happy Birthday!!!!!

've never exchanged our names but we did exchange a few words at Oakdale Climbers Festival. Your friendliness and kindness is something I'll never forget.



Happy Birthday to you, too, BooDawg! Thanks for sharing all these great photos.
SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
May 10, 2013 - 01:57pm PT
Very Nice. Happy Birthday Russ


Susan and Michael (Ferretlegger)
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
May 10, 2013 - 02:26pm PT
I don't know him, but he seems to age pretty darn well. Feliz cumpilanos
scuffy b

climber
heading slowly NNW
May 10, 2013 - 04:38pm PT
Happy Birthday Russ!
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
May 10, 2013 - 05:18pm PT
Tis the same Bugs, off on a wee sailing adventure with Russ and gang, Santa Cruz circa ice age.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
May 10, 2013 - 07:07pm PT
Awesome additions Guido.

Ohh Yah, now yer hittin' it!
LilaBiene

Trad climber
May 10, 2013 - 08:57pm PT
Wishing you a very happy birthday and many more adventures in the years ahead!!!

Would love to hear some of your gang's stories from around the world - wow - I wish I was a minute fraction as cool as the lot of you are... :D

Boo and Guido -- your pictures are wonderful and capture so much humor and character -- really fun to live vicariously.

Thanks for sharing your friendships with the rest of us!!!

BooDawg

Social climber
Butterfly Town
Topic Author's Reply - May 10, 2013 - 09:04pm PT
I spoke with Russ early this morning, and he's off on a camping trip in the White Mtns this weekend, so he may not respnd for a bit.

Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and birthday greetings.
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
May 10, 2013 - 10:01pm PT
The whites are coated in snow...hope he has plenty of whiskey...?
tom Carter

Social climber
May 10, 2013 - 10:08pm PT
Happy Birthday Russ.

I remember something about a beard pulling contest???

Viva La Rechillia!!!
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
May 10, 2013 - 11:28pm PT
Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber
moving thru
May 10, 2013 - 11:50pm PT
Oh Happy Birthday and what a fantastisco Thread.

Smiling and giggling at all the bitd pics. Dreaming and heart wandering about the times all of us, tho different genre, spent time in the actual living of a life given to us. Cheers from spirit and heart, lynnie
JOEY.F

Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
May 11, 2013 - 12:31am PT
Great set of photos, brief, and tells the story. HBD LIAB.
pyro

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
May 11, 2013 - 01:00am PT
Happy bday Russ.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
May 11, 2013 - 01:10am PT
quickie edit:

Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
May 11, 2013 - 01:16am PT
Smiling and giggling at all the bitd pics.

Me too.

Have a most happy everyday, and the birthday too.
WBraun

climber
May 11, 2013 - 01:17am PT
No one is bivouacing in the picture.

There's a guy in the white shirt holding a briefcase.

The kind of briefcases spies use.

I think he's a secret spy type.

All the rest are double agents or the other side spies.

They are having a meeting to see who knows what?

These spy meetings seem to always occur in a parking lot.

Maybe they know his birthday and are celebrating?

Mimi

climber
May 11, 2013 - 01:19am PT
SO GLAD I got on the ST tonight to see this tribute! Thanks for posting such great pictures of your times together.

Happy Birthday Russ! It was an honor to meet you in Oakdale.
Ken

Trad climber
Arroyo Grande
May 11, 2013 - 03:58am PT
All the best

Klis
Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber
moving thru
May 11, 2013 - 11:37pm PT
Kicking this back up. This is life. lynnie
life is a bivouac

Trad climber
May 15, 2013 - 11:25am PT
Wow!! All you guys. I'm not worthy; but I did get another year older...( not too bad for a tree)
Thanks for all the well wishes and all the old photos; and Boo, Thanks!
Oh, on our trip around the Whites we encountered too many scorpions, up after a winter's nap and an uncanny amount of ant nests warming to the Spring sun.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Sep 7, 2018 - 04:12pm PT
Bump for the good old days when life was truly a beach bivouac.

Thx, Ken.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Sep 7, 2018 - 06:11pm PT
This was the occasion of LIAB's first visit back to YV in over thirty years, if not more. His amiable and well-traveled sidekick on this trip was none other than Don Lauria.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Sep 7, 2018 - 06:27pm PT
Nice mouse...I’m in Pakistan just back from revisiting a special valley I first saw forty years ago. Forty years was the human lifespan for millennia...it still represents a large chunk of a person’s passage. To be friends for fifty plus years is special and not something everyone gets to experience....enjoy!
Podunk Climber

Trad climber
Sep 8, 2018 - 12:15am PT
You'd think after 56 years of laughing, drinking, hiking, and climbing with Russie Poo (as opposed to Dennie Doo)that I might remember his birthday, but I didn't and I haven't over the years. But then, he probably doesn't remember mine either. So what? Happy birthday Russel, yes Russel, not Russell.
Messages 1 - 38 of total 38 in this topic
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