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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Jul 14, 2009 - 06:41pm PT
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So interesting, how a thread like this can put me back in a time and place...when things seemed so simple.....
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Jeanne Lee
climber
Clarkdale AZ
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Oct 19, 2014 - 10:35am PT
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I just love google. Thank all of you for your input. While I was in Yosemite Valley before the accident I knew Donna. A tragic turn of events but she certainly contributed to all disabled people. As a caretaker for a loved one right now I appreciate her spirit and dedication.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Oct 19, 2014 - 11:54am PT
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Brief was my acquaintance with Donna.
Far too brief. She was a dynamite lady and was a journeyperson on the sewing machine. Some of the B.A.T. was made by her for Harding, as I heard it.
The winter of 1971 she and Cindy Merry decided they wanted another person along on a trans-Sierra Nevada cross country trip over Tioga, and so they collected Jeff Mathis, the Rev, who had just started in with old army surplus wood skis and clunky boots. The ski tip on one broke and he had a plastic tip, so it wasn't that awful.
the Rev said Donna was twice the skier he was at the time, although he improved a wee bit with more practice...like wintering at Ostrander and at TM two years in succession. That will do it, for sure.
I met Tim Fitzgerald, the one who did the FA of Tiny Tim. He was crashing in his station wagon and kept a dog, a very well-mannered dog. I don't know what's become of him, of course, since that was in 1970, my first season in C4. The other Tim has published a book and the only reason I know this is because he came into the restaurant where my sister works and they talked a bit.
That's all, folks.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Oct 19, 2014 - 02:34pm PT
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Donna was a great gal - strong, assertive, a laugh a minute. She and Bev Johnson were good buddies. They, with Ned Gillette, were our early resident x-c instructors. Bev and Donna used to come giggling into the Mountain Shop, usually late, to meet their students with yogurt and pastry crumbs all over the front of their dark red uniform ski sweaters, looking totally unprofessional, and the students loved them both. They were warm and fun, took wonderful care of their group, and really got people to enjoy themselves.
In March of 72 Donna, Nancy Gillette, Mary Stauffer, Stacy Studebaker and Cindy Merry packed up the Snow Creek trail and skied over to LeeVining in really deep snow conditions. Wood skis, Bonna 2400s. Pack frames, knickers. Cindy says that Donna really took a sort of safety officer responsibility wherever there was avalanche potential.
Cindy remembers meeting Jeff, but can't recall if it was that trip or another.
Pete Thompson will remember Donna - she baby-sat son Josh and our kids too, and skied with them.
Donna, Ned, Bev - all gone - way too young. What great people.
WM
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Oct 19, 2014 - 04:02pm PT
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Thank you, sir!
And we mourn their passing at their relatively young ages.
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Park Rat
Social climber
CA, UT,CT,FL
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Oct 19, 2014 - 04:36pm PT
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I met Donna in the summer of 70 and 71 when I started working as a barmaid in the old mountain room. I remember her being very friendly, outgoing and energetic.
I also had the impression that she and Warren Harding were very close friends. This was after his bad to accident, they seem to be on the same crazy wavelength. It was a tough time for Harding and I think Donna helped him through that period of time.
When I heard about her accident and remember thinking how terribly sad that was, we were all so young and happy during those times.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Oct 23, 2014 - 05:06am PT
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This was also most likely why Steve McKinney died. He was trying to be a safe driver and he climbed into the back of his pick up to sleep. The truck was hit by a sleepy driver of a big rig .
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Oct 23, 2014 - 07:44am PT
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My honey, Kristi Stouffer, daughter of Mary Stouffer who Wayne mentioned as having done the first women's winter ski traverse from the Valley to the East side, told me that Donna Pritchett taught her how to sew stuff sacks when Donna was watching the Merry's and Stouffer's kids in Yosemite. She said that Donna told her that if she sewed little bows on the sacks, that the boys wouldn't steal them from her.
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