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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Every spring break, I would drive from Joshua Tree to Moab;...the first place I stopped off at was Kyle's house, as soon as we got to town. Kyle sort of liked some peace and quiet, but there were always people at his house;...it was the center of the sandstone universe. Climbers, local Moab kooks, musicians,.....sometimes he was a grouch from all the madness and visitors;.....but he was always happy to see me and my friends each year, and way accomodating;....I must have taken 100 or more showers at his house over the years;....always made a mess of the bathroom....borrowed gear and beta from him;...but always took him out to dinner and breakfast, a pack of smokes, and a card at Xmas;...sometimes a phone call to warn him we were coming (and we had large mob groups some spring breaks....)....but after 20 some years of invading his house for a week each year, he came to expect it....The climbs we did together over the years were always a gas...magic moments in the most awesome places on earth........Everything he did , he was the best at;......Dinosaur bone collector, musician, climber, search and rescue expert, mechanic, designer, friend....
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Kyle on The Bride, Gemini Bridges area.
When Warren Harding moved to Moab, he really wasn't into climbing anymore. Kyle became friends with Warren, and they had lots of adventures together;.....Kyle got Warren to rope up now and again for a few climbs too. Warren gave Kyle most of his gear....Kyle had Warren's bat tent from the WAll of the Early Morning Light hanging on his livingroom wall....signed by Warren. He also had 3 boxes of Warren's pitons;..many of them homemade ones;....Kyle gave me a bunch of those pins, and I used them on many desert towers. During our spring break visits, for a couple of years in a row, we would get together with Kyle at Warren's house for BBQ, ice cream, and slideshows.....Warren got all drunk ( imagine that!) and invited Cyndie Bransford to join him in climbing again the Wall of the Early Morning Light!.....and Warren's slides and narration were way funny;....for Warren couldn't remember what many of the slides were.....nor did he care....but he always had something funny to say about each slide........Kyle was a good friend for Warren to have, because Kyle was always doing stuff, motivated, safe, smart, witty, and creative......Warren was game, but pretty comfortable hanging at home at watching the tube;....Kyle got him out alot and they had some great adventures together.....
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Kyle did the FA of most of the Potash routes;.....he did them just for kicks and fun, and never thought they would become anything but a novelty and sideshow for the handfull of local knuckleheads who lived and climbed around Moab;...when they became popular and a scene, he never climbed there again, and wouldn't even talk about the place;...he was over it. We climbed together a few times, and were the only ones there....way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth....(Check out his "Snuggles" chalkbag...)
Kyle climbing on Potash Rd, Moab, Utah.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Cyndie Bransford, myself, Margie Evans, Dave Evans, and Kyle, sorting gear in Moab.
I first met Kyle through Eric Bjornstad;......I met Eric through Lin Ottenger at the famous tourist place The Rock Shop in Moab;...as Eric was living there in a trailer, I believe. Eric said he had someone I needed to meet, and he took me over to Kyle's house. Kyle was already an awesome very well accomplished climber, with many ascents in Colorado, Yosemite, and other places;....El Cap, the Diamond, Eldo, etc....and was just starting to get into desert towere......we were both WAY into climbing desert towers, and in the early 80's....there were only a few of us........we instantly became great friends.....
Once a horse got loose in Moab, and was running around downtown, and the police and fire department couldn't catch it;...they call Kyle;.....he was wiley, focused, determined, and loved challenges like that, and the whole town knew it;....if anyone could catch the horse;..it was Kyle.....sure enough, he chased the horse down, tied it up and once again , saved the day.....
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unimog
climber
windy corner in the west
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Sorry to hear about Kyle it should also be noted that he was a vary good alpinist.
does any one have a phone number for the Hospital he is in so as to call or send a Bouquet of climbing rope and flowers.
Sasha
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Double D
climber
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Ron & Todd, thanks for posting about Kyle...sounds like an amazing guy. My thoughts and prayers go out for him, family and friends during this difficult period in his life.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
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Ron & Todd, thanks for this post and the stories & photos in it. I've heard many an amazing story about Kyle from all the time I spent out in the Moab area (his genius and exploits way before I found climbing). His name is attached to so many FA's in my desert rock guidebooks.
The first 2 climbs I did in Moab were his. Potash Rd as a total noob. Nervous in Suburbia and 30 Seconds Over Potash. I think for a lot of new climbers arriving in Moab, those are the first tastes of the place. And we're all thankful for Kyle.
Sending out positive thoughts to Kyle. His legacy in Moab climbing is so proud and greatly appreciated. His vision lives on for so many climbers to come.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 8, 2008 - 05:42pm PT
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Anybody got more info on Avalon?
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goatboy smellz
climber
dirty south
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Excellent stories and photos Todd!
Wanye, I can burn a few from Garcia amd crew,
just need to know where to send them.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2008 - 09:59am PT
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Wow.
Its like a senior hospice.
Little doubt as to how Kyle feels about that, but it is probably a good situation considering.
Thanks for the pics Todd.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 10, 2008 - 11:40am PT
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Bump for Kyle,
Once an excellent host and Moab ambassador extrordinaire:
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2008 - 08:37pm PT
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Nice teddy bear chalk bag.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 11, 2008 - 09:10pm PT
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He really was an excellent host there in MOAB.
In the early 90s several of us went out to the desert to get up some towers.
Nancy was a friend of Kyle’s so she said we should stop in and see him and added that this visit was a requirement of any desert trip.
One afternoon after we got back from Castleton; Kyle gave us an excellent tour of the good routes at Potash Road and that night we watched a slideshow projected up on the building next to where he lived. Warren Harding was there regaling us with tales of pitons, wine, women and sports cars.
These were good times.
Kyle, the night of said party, crouching on the lower right:
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2008 - 09:22pm PT
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Ah yes, the "textured" slide shows on the stucco on the back of the Bowdin Motel.
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goatboy smellz
climber
dirty south
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Dec 12, 2008 - 08:34pm PT
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So Ron, how about a story on the first ascent of Acromaniac.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 12, 2008 - 09:23pm PT
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Yes in fact, if you look at that picture just above,
Kyle's fingers are on the slide projector remote advance trigger.
That particular night was a terrific party. Earlier that afternoon, Kyle and I had just met, so I was stoked for him to give me a little tour of all the different sewing machines he had in the house. (I have been known to wield a needle and thread in my time as well).
The next day we climbed North Six Shooter.
This was July mind you, so we waited for the tower to get into the shade and I distinctly remember swetting a little bit of tequila on that approach...
When we got back, an old friend of Boulder, Patty Fay, was at Kyle's house hanging out with him. She wasn't even a climber; just another one of the many people Kyle knows. The place was a nexus.
This is really the only time I met Kyle.
A year or two later, when a buddy and I topped out on Fine Jade, Kyle was hanging out on top of the Rectory doing rigging for some sort of film shoot.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2008 - 09:40pm PT
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Not much to it Goatboy.
Showed up at Kyle Central and he says he's got a line with my name all over it.
Next day out in Day Canyon it turns out he's right.
We do a little constructive scarring at the start and then fly up the C1.
I guess we didn't have any Concepcion of what we were doing....
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Bushy
Trad climber
LA
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Jan 12, 2009 - 01:52am PT
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Kyle, you old coot, I hope you read this, but you probably won't, you always hated the rags. So you got some sh#t goin on huh? That sucks, sorry bout it. Chin up man, call me some time 917-701-7625//Bushy
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Joe Huggins
Trad climber
Lafayette, CO
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Jan 13, 2009 - 02:47pm PT
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Kyle, I've been trying to find you,(also Marc). Call 303 554 1462,email imnotjoeh@yahoo.com or jhuggins@digitalglobe.com
If anyone reads this and knows where Kyle is, I would appreciate it if you would let me know.
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