Troy Johnson

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Loomis

climber
Topic Author's Original Post - May 21, 2019 - 08:38am PT
It has come to my attention, that Troy Johnson has recently passed away.
One of the nicest humans I have ever met.
He let me use his Forrest Mountaineering hammock to do my first big wall, ( The Prow, with Mike Fogarty.) unfortunately he did not have the spreader bars for the thing.
I remember him always being open and kind, as there sure were a lot of self centered aššholeš around Camp 4, during the early 1980's.
R.I.M. Troy!

ron gomez

Trad climber
May 21, 2019 - 08:51am PT
He’s back with Virginia! Got the word from Lucy yesterday. Rest well Brother
Peace
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
May 21, 2019 - 08:54am PT
Wtf??. How?

What a bummer... great guy
Fogarty

climber
BITD
May 21, 2019 - 09:10am PT

Troy we shared some great adventures you will be forever missed, at 19 I climbed my first El Cap route the Mushroom with him. We always kept in touch laughing about fun times that I will never forget, Peace to family and all that had the opportunity to spend time with such a cool guy🙏❤️
Weenis

Trad climber
Tel Aviv
May 21, 2019 - 09:12am PT
When the Troy-Trons showed up in the valley it was so entertaining. Some young kids from so cal. Watching Troy throwing a football and playing hacky sack it was clear that he was going to get good. And he did, quickly.
Some years after his injuries we met and went to the Jam Crack and Lazy Bum. I led everything and supervised but he climbed well. The next day, against general opinion, We did Central Pillar of Frenzy. He moved like an enthused athlete. I used a simul-rap and we went to the deli.

Troy was a burst of energy that left a mark in the valley and many peoples lives. A great sense of humor and real love for life.
fosburg

climber
May 21, 2019 - 11:16am PT
RIP Troy Johnson
A warm and kind-hearted individual and solid partner for the big jobs
Levy

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
May 21, 2019 - 12:03pm PT
R.I.P. Troy

Although I didn't know him well, we met a few times and he was always friendly and affable. Those who did know him well always spoke well of him.


Condolences to his family & friends.
lars johansen

Trad climber
West Marin, CA
May 21, 2019 - 12:20pm PT
I'll miss him. He was lovely person. He's with Chuck now. RIP-lars

correction: He IS with Virginia, but Chuck is waiting in the wings to go climbing.
snyd

Sport climber
Lexington, KY
May 21, 2019 - 12:51pm PT
Troy was the first climber I met in Yosemite.
Always kind. I miss him already. RIP...
ron gomez

Trad climber
May 21, 2019 - 01:30pm PT
Russ, he had some long standing health related issues that his body was just not able to over come. Sad day, he’s back with Virginia.
Peace
aldude

climber
Monument Manor
May 21, 2019 - 01:31pm PT
Such a drag....the prototype is gone:-(
klaus

Big Wall climber
6th and Mission
May 21, 2019 - 02:12pm PT
Troy was one of the first people I met in Yosemite in 1985. He was already a hard core wall climber and a super nice guy. I had no desire to aid climb or do a wall, but after hanging out with him and watching him lead the first pitch of ZM, which was still difficult back then, he convinced me to give it a try. I remember him being tall and very muscular. Years later in 2000 he hiked a load up to my new route on SF of HD. This was 9 years after his accident. He still looked strong but he had no short term memory. he always carried a notebook and pen with him to write simple stuff down because he knew he would forget it 5 minutes later.

Such a sweet guy. Always eager to help and share company and stories with. When he and Walt did the FA of Native Son I aspired to also do new routes.

Troy's health issues were directly related to the 50+ foot free solo fall at Church Bowl back in 1991. Bill Russell was first responder and likely saved his life. He suffered a serious hit to his parietal lobe and basically never fully recovered. During the next few years he suffered from seizures and lost his sense of smell and taste. When I saw him last, a few years ago, he had an electronic stimulator and was very skinny as he told me he had not much desire to eat since he couldn't taste anything. I now regret not visiting him more recently.

RIP brother. You are a legend and your legacy will live on.

Eric Kohl
Risk

Mountain climber
Marooned, 855 miles from Tuolumne Meadows
May 21, 2019 - 05:55pm PT
Sad to learn this.
JLP

Social climber
The internet
May 21, 2019 - 07:38pm PT
Worthy - http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Interview-with-Troy-Johnson-about-first-ascent-of-Native-Son-El-Capitan/t10876n.html
Wildschwein

Trad climber
Celle
May 21, 2019 - 08:12pm PT
Great spirit.Always having a blast despite his injury.Good times.Mahalo bro.
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
May 21, 2019 - 08:52pm PT
Chuck picked up Troy in the mid 2000’s and we hung out for a weekend. Bouldering at glen park, Troy had his “brain” as he called it the notebook, in a pouch hung around his neck. We talked all weekend about walls, Tory remembered all kinds of placements, pin sizes and slander of days gone past.

Seemed to me at the time he was still right there in the valley with chuck, ready to rip.
He congratulated me for my first climb of the tower and said I was in good hands with Clance lol.

They were reminiscing the days with Virginia and Lucy and told some excellent stories.

Glad I got a chance to meet him and this was one of the most memorable stories I remember writing here in 09...

**Troy "Tron" Johnson, Groove pitch, early eighties, ripped the whole thing, had to cut the rope off his harness as the knot was the size of a quarter.

He said he had too much time to think.

200 feet? Can't remember exactly**

shipoopoi

Big Wall climber
oakland
May 21, 2019 - 10:32pm PT
that too bad. i hung out with a bunch bitd, and last saw him around 10 years ago and had . good day with him. anybody now what his child is up to that he had with verginia? ss
klaus

Big Wall climber
6th and Mission
May 22, 2019 - 07:19am PT
Oh yeah, he ripped The Groove pitch, forgot about that one.

Troy used to say, "There are two kinds of cheater sticks. Long ones and short ones". Short ones meaning a drill bit. He did work at Squaw for a while as a groomer and said, "The only good thing about snow is that it melts"
ron gomez

Trad climber
May 22, 2019 - 09:04am PT
Steve...if it was a son, Tobin, he is well, still living in Calif. See him in the summer, Yosemite/Tuolumne or some family gatherings.
Hope yer well Brother!
Peace
Fogarty

climber
BITD
May 22, 2019 - 11:56am PT
You will always be remembered my friend
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
May 22, 2019 - 07:06pm PT
Dang, he was Legend. I never had the opportunity to meet him.

RIP fellow Wall Rat
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
May 22, 2019 - 07:12pm PT
Great photo, Mike.

It all feels like an unpleasant reminder that disasterous free solo falls happen,
even to people who are very good climbers.
And that we may have to live with the sometimes bad consequences of our risk choices for many years.
Or our survivors will be doing that.
WBraun

climber
May 22, 2019 - 07:18pm PT
He chose the wrong path at a time and circumstance when he wasn't in a clear frame of mind and paid a huge price for it .......

jeff constine

Trad climber
Ao Namao
May 22, 2019 - 08:29pm PT
RIP.
Gagner

climber
Boulder
May 23, 2019 - 11:13am PT
I was bummed to see this the other day. Troy and I hung out a bunch BITD. In 1983 we tried a new route on Half Dome, but after a pitch with a completely closed off corner we started jokingly calling it The Big Drill. We bailed shortly thereafter though Bridwell ended up going up a few years later to finish it, drilling a massive number of holes if I recall correctly. Troy was always super fun and friendly to everyone. After his accident in 1991 Walt and I drove down to Visalia where he was in the hospital. He came out of a coma right when we got there, and as you might imagine, with Walt and I, we did our best to entertain him until the hospital staff kicked us out. Peace to Tobin, and RIP brother.
Bad Climber

Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
May 23, 2019 - 11:58am PT
Sad news. I probably met him once or twice, but The Trons were legendary. Wish I'd gotten to know him.

Bad
deuce4

climber
Hobart, Australia
May 23, 2019 - 08:20pm PT
Sad to hear this news. I worked with Troy and Tracy on rescue for many years. What a duo back then! Solid on rescues.

Native Son was a major turning point for both Walt and Troy.. He had a good heart. Wild man to be sure. RIP.
Messages 1 - 27 of total 27 in this topic
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