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RP3
Big Wall climber
Twain Harte
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 22, 2014 - 10:06am PT
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Bill Putnam, my uncle, passed away the other evening. I believe many of you on supertopo may have known him. He was a prominent member of the AAC for over 50 years and did a gazillion first ascents, dominantly in the Selkirks but also throughout many other ranges in the western hemisphere. We love him and he will be missed.
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grey thunder
Trad climber
Hanover, NH
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Dec 22, 2014 - 10:27am PT
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Roger,
Many people will miss him. He was a doer and contributor in many positive ways. Writing guides, helping as a volunteer working with UIAA, The AAC, AMC and others over his life time. I'm one that will miss him in so many ways.
Peace be with the family and with Bill.
Bruce Franks
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Dec 22, 2014 - 11:01am PT
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RP3, sorry to hear about your family's loss. Great picture and cool to have a strong climbing history in your family.
Regards,
Justin
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 22, 2014 - 11:10am PT
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Roger- I am very sorry for your loss and my sincerest condolences to your family. Bill was a truly great man and an accomplished climber admired by many including me.
I had been following this situation through Jim McCarthy and George Bain.
I had hoped to interview him this year but fell short on timing. I did have the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago at the Seattle AAC meeting where I accepted the Brower Award on behalf of Tom Frost.
I am glad that you are able to look after Bill's legacy as a climber yourself as that isn't always the case.
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jstan
climber
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Dec 22, 2014 - 11:21am PT
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Often I hear people being told their mold was broken before they were made. I got to see your work at Facelift. I have concluded Bill's mold has not been broken.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Dec 22, 2014 - 11:51am PT
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Had the opportunity to meet him at an AAC event a few years back.
He was a gracious and very nice person and lived a life fuller than most.
My condolences to his family and loved ones.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Dec 22, 2014 - 11:59am PT
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Sorry for your loss Roger.
I just saw an announcement on the AAC feed on FB and immediately thought about your name not knowing if there was a relation.
Best to you,
M
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donnski
Mountain climber
Nanoose Bay, BC
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Dec 22, 2014 - 01:26pm PT
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Sorry to read the news, from what I know of him, he was a good man. I have stayed at Battle Abbey too, and skied those same slopes
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wheatBeer
Social climber
TheBronx
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Dec 22, 2014 - 01:45pm PT
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I meet Bill a few times over the last 20 years.
His support of the AAC and the mountaineering is unmatched.
His climbing library is only matched by the AAC.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 22, 2014 - 01:50pm PT
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hey there say, RP3... oh my... very sad to hear this, for you and your family and loved ones, ...
we lost my father, last year, during a hard time, and just went family was going to come home for the holiday...
prayers and wishes of strength for you and your family and loved ones, at this hard time...
god bless to you... thank you for sharing, for the folks that knew him...
and for folks like, to learn about hm...
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Dec 22, 2014 - 02:53pm PT
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I always liked the story about how he tried registering his dog Pinkham into the AAC
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Dec 22, 2014 - 06:14pm PT
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Back in 1975, I was a college student during the day, and working an 8 hour shift at night at GE, as a machinist. The plant had a one week shutdown, in July, and I wanted to go join John Bouchard, in Chamonix, to climb the Walker Spur. John was over in Chamonix, on an international climbers exchange.
I really needed 2 weeks, and the management at GE refused to give me the extra week. Someone suggested I call Bill Putnam, who owned a TV station in Springfield. Bill told me that he would give GE some bad press, or something to that effect, if they didn't give me the extra week. In short order, I got the extra week, to the surprise of my night shift boss, and I did get up the Walker Spur.
Just last year, at an AAC dinner, I thanked Bill for that favor.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 22, 2014 - 07:25pm PT
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what a wonderful life, nearly spanning the entire history of climbing in the US...
from AAJ 1970 p139
Mount Washington, Pinnacle Gully. On February 1, 1970 a most beautiful winter day, I was privileged to partake of what most
climbers, thirty years ago, would have declared impossible, and what even today is improbable. Jim McCarthy, with myself as
second, and in the reassuring company of Rob Wallace, led the entire Pinnacle Gully without cutting a single step. The climb
was well secured with ice screws and various pitons; but the application of new techniques and equipment, plus a favorable
build-up of ice was all that was necessary. The elapsed time was appropriately reduced as well, and we were back at the car
at Pinkham Notch well before sundown.
William Lowell Putnam
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Dec 22, 2014 - 07:48pm PT
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I still have a letter from Bill Putnam thanking me for submitting my new route on Idaho's Elephant's Perch to the AAJ, back in 1977, & asking for more details.
Sorry I never had the pleasure of meeting or climbing with a great man.
Condolences to family & friends.
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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Dec 22, 2014 - 08:32pm PT
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I'm sure you made your uncle proud, Roger.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Dec 22, 2014 - 09:12pm PT
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i spent a week or so camped next to him in the Bugaboos in the early '60s in non-stop pouring rainstorms...our main daily activities were brewing tea and using our ice axes to dig trenches around our tents directing water flow away from soggy sleeping bags...eventually the clouds parted and we got in some climbing...
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Dec 22, 2014 - 09:32pm PT
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Sorry he's gone Roger, but not sorry for the things he did and the way he lived his life. Wow.
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Saugy
Mountain climber
BC
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Dec 22, 2014 - 10:31pm PT
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The Bill Putnam (Fairy Meadow) Hut
I learned about the man while visiting this place back in April.
Condolences to the family
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Dec 22, 2014 - 10:38pm PT
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Putnam was one of the giants when it came to aiding and developing climbing in the USA. RIP Bill.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Dec 23, 2014 - 10:03am PT
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Soldier [2 purple hearts], scientist, explorer, climber, hut builder, writer, philanthropist and........prankster!
Bill Putnam's attempt to trick the AAC into accepting his dog Henry Pinkham as a member is a well known story, and has already been mentioned. Less well known is how he fooled the Canadian Geographic Features Naming Committee [or whatever it is called].
Way back in 1950 he and his companions made the first ascent of several mountains near Fairy Meadows in the Northern Selkirks. He decided to call these mountains the Nobility Group, and name them after himself and his friends, along with giving themselves honorary knighthoods. The results were:
Mt. Sir William. [Putnam]
Mt. Sir Andrew. [Kaufmann]
Mt. Sir Henry. [Pinkham, his dog!!]
The naming board was duly impressed, the names became official, and were duly printed on subsequent maps. About 10 years ago the hoax finally reached bureaucratic ears, and I believe that the official names were all revoked. Amongst other reasons it is not permitted to name mountains after living people [or mess with the bureaucracy]. Hopefully the name Sir William will now be reinstated, as it is well deserved. Sir Henry? Less likely.
On a historical note a similar, but more devious hoax was perpetrated by Kruszyna when he named the Chess Group in the Rockies.
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DesertRatExpeditions
Trad climber
Flagstaff, Arizona
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Dec 23, 2014 - 10:20am PT
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RIP Bill
The first time I met Bill I was bartending a party at his house. I was enamored by his collection of climbing pictures and mementos on the wall. His wife Kitty was amazingly cordial and always tipped all of the servers at their house much extra on top of the amount that was already included in their bill. Bill told me that night, that if I ever needed any thing, or if I ever needed help in the climbing community that he would love to help me.
Fast forward 3 years and I was working for Lowell Observatory. He didn't remember me, nor did I expect him to, but I always enjoyed his eccentricities, such as always bring the Lowell BOD meetings to motion by slamming an elk leg on the table as a gabble.
It is an incredible loss for the scientific community and for the climbing community.
Reading recently about Fred Beckey's AAC Presedential Award I was interested to see that out of the four awardees ever granted this award, that Bill was one of them.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 23, 2014 - 10:35am PT
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from Climbing in North America by Chris Jones, pages 237-238
ISBN 0-520-02976-3
In 1949 Fred Beckey turned to the peaks of the Juneau Icefield north of Devils Thumb. Other climbers had been into this spectacular area. When the leader of a rival group heard of Beckey's plans, he wrote ordering Beckey to keep away from "his" peaks. It was the incentive Beckey needed.
Once in the area of the dramatic Michaels Sword and Devils Paw, the party was prevented from making any climbs of note because of two weeks of bad weather. Beckey and Graham Matthews then flew north for a prearranged meeting with another group. However, this group was stalled by floe ice in Disenchantment Bay; they had made even less progress than the Juneau party. After urgent discussions it was agreed to cut their losses and head down to the Juneau Icefield. A few of the group flew south while others bartered their service as fishermen for passage on a fishing boat.
Among the climbers that finally assembled on the icefield were Henry Pinkham and the irreverent humorist Bill Putnam. On this second Juneau trip there was again plenty of bad weather. While Putnam and others passed the time playing bridge, Beckey kept up a barrage of jokes and comment. Patience wore thin, and he was banished from the communal tent. When the weather finally cleared, Beckey and partner picked off Michaels Sword, and Putnam, Pinkham, and two others went after the Devils Paw.
The gaping bergschrund that defended the Devils Paw took a couple of hours to negotiate, and the nervous Pinkham had to be urged across by the time-honored vigorous pull on the rope. With Pinkham balking at the exposure, it was late in the afternoon before the party reached the col that gave access to the summit. After checking out the route, they returned to camp.
The following morning the team set out again. By tacit agreement Pinkham remained in camp. The climbing was difficult all the way to the summit, and the trio did not arrive back in camp until past midnight. Generous-hearted Pinkham was the first to greet the victors.
Despite his failure on the Devils Paw, Pinkham had an impressive roster of climbs behind him. When the august council of the American Alpine Club received his membership application, it included one of the finest climbing records they had reviewed for some time. They were only too delighted to recruit members of such caliber and passed on the applicant with enthusiasm.
Pinkham's sponsors listed his address as Petersham, Massachusetts, where they had arranged with the postmaster to forward any mail. This proved to be their undoing. After the council meeting, club secretary Bradley Gilman was writing up the minutes at his home in nearby Barre, Massachusetts. In going over the applications again, it struck him as odd that he had never met or even heard of Pinkham. If so experienced a mountaineer were in the neighborhood, he would surely know him. Puzzled, Gilman went over the application in detail. The only climber he could associate with Petersham was practical joker Putnam. Suddenly it dawned on him that the unsuspecting hierarchy of the club had elected Putnam's malamute dog to membership. The matter was held over to the next council meeting, at which time the council reversed themselves on Pinkham's application, yet not without a touch of regret. His climbs were all genuine, and his politics would be no threat to the status quo.
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Alpamayo
Trad climber
Davis, CA
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Dec 23, 2014 - 10:44am PT
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Condolences. Sorry to hear about your loss, Roger.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 23, 2014 - 11:55am PT
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Great post hamie!
I was just going to inquire as to whether or not a Mount Putnam or Putnam Peak with any direct connection to Bill had ever been named and it turns out that he took care of that detail too albeit indirectly.
For those of you that still wander around the lesser known ranges in North America it would still be a fabulous honor to bestow upon a man who has done so much for climbing and climbers.
When Tom Frost took on the considerable task and expense of saving Camp 4 from certain development, Bill and Jim McCarthy saw fit to formally recognize his efforts with the AAC Gold Medal. Tom isn't big on accolades but that medal means something to him and he is quietly very proud of it as he has been of preserving Camp 4 for everyone.
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Dec 23, 2014 - 02:02pm PT
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Condolences Roger. Thanks for sharing about this man, there is some great stuff for all to reflect on...
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Chris Jones
Social climber
Glen Ellen, CA
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Dec 24, 2014 - 04:52pm PT
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I got to know Bill Putnam in the 1970s through various AAC meetings and events. A tireless advocate for climbing and climbers, he was the indispensable mover and shaker for the club.
With his passing, it seems as if most of his generation of climbers and skiers who joined the 10th Mountain Division in World War 2 are gone. They contributed so much to their country, and in turn to the nascent sports of skiing and climbing.
One day Bill asked me if I would act as co-author of a guide to the northern Canadian Rockies. As an inducement, he gave me an inscribed copy of his guide to the southern rockies. I was quite flattered, until I noticed that the various signatures making up the book were incorrectly bound in some random order - thus making the book damn hard to use. A lovely example of Bill's mischievous sense of humor.
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Dec 29, 2014 - 06:09am PT
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condolences roger. your uncle sounds like a really amazing man. i bet there were some fun family parties. i love the story about his dog. brilliant.
tell us some stories roger!
j
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Dec 29, 2014 - 06:36am PT
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What a proud life your uncle lived. Sorry for your family's loss Rodger.
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MisterE
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Dec 29, 2014 - 06:44am PT
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Sorry for your loss, RP3 - sounds like he was a great man.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Dec 29, 2014 - 07:02am PT
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These are all wonderful stories. They really give a sense of Bill Putnam's great sense of humor.
RP3, I am sorry for your loss.
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