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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Mar 14, 2016 - 08:48pm PT
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Deep Ecology is an amazing legacy, all by itself, beyond the climbing accomplishments.
Condolences to you, Dave, and admiration for your father.
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Mar 14, 2016 - 09:11pm PT
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Who on this forum has climbed the Tollhouse Traverse at Tollhouse Rock and had one of their most enjoyable days of rock climbing they can remember? A thoroughly enjoyable outing which has taken on many forms over the years.
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Chris Jones
Social climber
Glen Ellen, CA
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Mar 14, 2016 - 09:26pm PT
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George Sessions seminal work, "Deep Ecology," was a large part of the influence for Doug Tompkins Foundation for Deep Ecology. See here for the basic tenents:
http://www.deepecology.org/platform.htm
It is great that so many climbers have contributed to our appreciation of nature and to its protection, George Sessions notable among them. John Muir, David Brower, Richard Leonard, Arne Naess, Galen Rowell, Reinhold Messner and Yvon Chouinard spring quickly to mind. Sometimes I wonder what, if anything, we climbers have contributed to the world. Here is an answer.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Mar 14, 2016 - 11:00pm PT
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^^^ BadAzz Chris Jones:) for bringing attention to how great George Sessions, was;(
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Mar 14, 2016 - 11:37pm PT
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Sorry to hear the news Dave about the loss of your father. I spent some wonderful times with him in the Valley and Meadows in the 60s and Beck was certainly correct as your dad always had a covey of good looking ladies trailing after him. Note the plural!
There is something about that James Dean look that your father, Harding and Rowell all possessed.
His FFA ascent of Arches Terrace with Calderwood and Merle Alley in 58 was a seminal event in low angle difficult friction climbing and was an inspiration for many to venture out on those simple looking but deceiving glacial polished slabs.
Looking at the group of climbers he made first ascents with is a great knock on the old nostalgia noggin. Reed, Alley, Calderwood, Whitmore, Irvin, Powell, Pratt ..................What a diverse and fascinating group of characters.
Thanks for the heads-up Chris on George's book, I look forward to it.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Mar 14, 2016 - 11:40pm PT
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In the history page for the Foundation for Deep Ecology,
http://www.deepecology.org/history.htm
it has a slightly different list of climbers/outdoors folks:
"I suppose it was logical, given my love affair with mountaineering and adventuring in the wilderness,” Tompkins has written, “that the influences of Arne Naess, John Muir, David Ehrenfeld, Paul Shepard, Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold and many others put me so firmly on a 'deep' ecological path."
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Cancer Boy
Trad climber
Freedonia
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Mar 14, 2016 - 11:43pm PT
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Dear Dave -
My condolences on your dad's passing. I did not appreciate until long after we parted ways how cool it was to be able to tell your pals that pop was a philosopher. I hope you received the red Roper's guide I sent a while back. I believe it was George's at one point.
Stay in touch - Bob
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Mar 15, 2016 - 05:48am PT
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Your Dad left quite a legacy, Dave.
Condolences to you and your family.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Mar 15, 2016 - 06:00am PT
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Hi, Dave:
I know what it's like to lose a father. That one hurts in ways that are impossible to understand before the event. You're dad lived quite the life, one worthy of celebration. You probably don't remember me, but you and I hung out and bouldered a little together back in the 80's. I was the tall, skinny one in that crew with Tucker in Marin. Still climbing, too.
Peace to you and your family.
BAd
AKA Scott Wayland from bitd.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Mar 15, 2016 - 06:25am PT
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Dave my sincerest condolences to you, your family and the many friends and colleagues of your father. Find peace in knowing the great contributions he gave to all. There are those who give back for their love of mountains and in doing so make us proud to be climbers.
“I do not believe it is an accident that many leaders of modern conservation and bioregional movements—John Muir, David Brower, Arne Naess, George Sessions, Gary Snyder— have been mountaineers.”
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Mar 15, 2016 - 06:47am PT
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dave, my condolences to you. my dad also taught me to climb and gave me that gift that both of us still have now...the gift of climbing. take care, steve
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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Mar 15, 2016 - 07:35am PT
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My condolences, Dave, to you and your family. I believe that I met George during the Summer of 1970, when it was still possible to drive in to Soda Springs in Tuolumne Meadows and camp near the Lodge. I was eighteen at the time…
"On no subject are our ideas more warped and pitiable than on death... Let children walk with nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life, and that the grave has no victory, for it never fights. All is divine harmony." —John Muir (1838-1914)
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Mar 15, 2016 - 10:22am PT
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A good life and a great legacy - something to be proud of.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Mar 15, 2016 - 12:07pm PT
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George was a good friend tho I never climbed with him. We'd encounter each other, over the years, mostly in the summer when he'd come to Tuolumne. He was thoughtful, always, and had a ready and infectious smile.
My sincere condolences to all his family and friends. We and the world will miss a VERY great guy!
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Mar 15, 2016 - 12:22pm PT
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My condolences to friends & family. George left an impressive legacy.
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Steven Amter
climber
Washington, DC
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Hey Dave, sorry to hear that your father has passed. Though I regrettably never met him, he was a Yosemite pioneer and a philosopher that made important contributions to human thought. His writings influenced many, including me. He will not be forgotten.
You might remember we did a couple of climbing trips to Yosemite/Tuolumne together about in the mid-'80s when I was living in Tucson, one with John Sherman. I still remember them fondly.
Hope you have been doing well these past decades.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Sorry to hear about your dad, Dave. He was an imposing figure. I first met him, I think, in 1974 out at Soda Springs when the Sierra Club still owned that property and the TM Rescue Team lived there far from the NPS "authorities". Coincidentally, that was just after I had did the Rivendale Crack that your father et alia had authored out at Whizz Domes. Remember how he was so intelligent George could look right through my youthful arrogance! I sure needed that back then . . .
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Harold Glasser
Trad climber
Michigan
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May 13, 2016 - 01:08pm PT
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Hi David — so sorry to learn about your dad's passing. We had some great times together, climbing and working on deep ecology. I have a vivid memory of when we were in the AZ desert with Arne Naess and your dad was so jones'n to get out of there and head back to the Sierra... I was just contacted to write a tribute to your dad for The Trumpeter. If you have anything that you'd like to share or have me include, please let me know. You can find an email for me if you search on Western Michigan University Sustainability. Take care, harold
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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May 14, 2016 - 11:33am PT
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Not being a frequent browser of Supertopo, I completely missed George's passing back in March. RIP.
Mark Powell introduced me to George back in 1965 around a fire in Camp 4. Lots of wine later, Mark suggested that George's seductive smile was usually just that for young women and although my daughters were way too young, as they aged, I should take warning. Of course Powell was only kidding - Roper was a much more serious threat.
The next day, June 25, Sessions and I climbed Royal Arches and we became good friends through the summer. We corresponded through the fall of that year and then lost track of each other.
My condolences to his family.
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Noel Farmer
Social climber
CA
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May 29, 2016 - 06:32am PT
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Was trying to connect with George 45 years. Itwas in his first year at Sierra and I took several Philosophy classes from him and ultimately graduated from SF State in Philosophy.
George and I were close at the time. I returned to Sierra on several occasions to visit his classes.
He was a great and inspiring instructor. I had a 35 year very successful career in Business thanks to my knowledge of the world and desire to learn more that came out of understanding of philosophy/
RIP
George
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