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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jan 13, 2009 - 04:40pm PT
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Great post, Ron, and thanks to all who contributed.
I wish Kyle the best.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Jan 14, 2009 - 04:28pm PT
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Another pic from the same gear sorting.
Kyle was always a good host. He did sandbag us a few times on some sandy splitters and even face routes, not intentionally, of course. They were easy for him!
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small axe
climber
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Jan 16, 2009 - 11:20am PT
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i google kyle's name every few months to see how he's doing, and this latest news is saddening. in march of 1981 i was a recent transplant from the midwest hanging out in eldorado canyon with a couple friends and a bottle of yukon jack. kyle came over, introduced himself and we became fast friends. he introduced me to rock climbing so he'd have someone to tag along with him, and one of the most incredible days of my life was climbing the first flatiron with him and rappelling off the top, all while wearing hiking boots and a homemade harness made from webbing.
he started a company called 'small axe tree service' and i was his sole employee. we had a blast listening to reggae and climbing around in trees all day, then bouldering after work. to this day and without a doubt, kyle is one of the most talented, intelligent and certainly the most unique individual i've ever met in my life.
after i moved to the mountains kyle stopped by a couple times to crash for the night. once he stopped by about midnight excitedly talking about some first ascent he and his friend did in the park. i was too tired to listen and went back to bed, not understanding until a couple years ago what he had done, and who he was with. am i correct thinking it was charlie fowler who slept on my front room floor that night?
i've swung by kyle's place a few times during the past couple years, but he was never around.the last time i saw him was in 1993 and i still have this picture in my mind of him passing me on a mountain bike with a camel straight in his mouth. this was after his first bout with crohn's, and i remember him showing me a giant scar on his belly from what must've been his first surgery. he thought he got sick from drinking from black lakes on vail pass after a long day of climbing. not sure if that was ever determined to be the cause or not.
i have several pictures of a 22 year old kyle copeland that i'll dig out to post on this forum. maybe someone could pass them along to kyle and give him a 'hello' from tom @ small axe tree service.
thanks, and good luck kyle.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 23, 2009 - 01:50pm PT
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To Bushy and others,
the number above is good.
I just spoke with Kyle and, despite the loss of his leg, he is back over a hundred pounds.
He said that when they close the place down at night they have wheelchair races.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2009 - 09:31pm PT
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After OR I stopped off at Avalon.
Kyle has been in there without going out for 4 months. C'mon people, SOME of you are around.
I took him to lunch and then got him some glasses since his were stolen. He said he's been driving his chair through the halls stoned on oxycontin half blind smacking into stuff (sounds kinda fun actually).
I showed him this thread and suggested he log on, so we'll see.
He said the guy in the photo is Eric Johnson.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jan 27, 2009 - 10:04pm PT
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hey there piton ron... say, i just saw this... .i was just thinking if you all could share these post with kyle and let him see how WONDERFUL his stories to be shared would be...
also, just that fact that he is a special friend and beloved person, might be enough to get him online to visit...
that's what life is for, if you dont get out---you share what your inner man, is by word-of-mouth... telephone... radio waves, or now... the ol' internet....
SAY, RON---i remember OUCH! and how he shared out of his pain... perhaps you can share some of that and what OUCH! did...
say, kyle, you dont know me... (my brother chappy, mark chapman used to climb in yosemite) but say, even folks like ME, that are here, due to the fact that we love a family memeber and their life-work, etc, and the work that others do on the rock, just goes to show:
folks here really DO love you... and really DO enjoy shareing what you and others have done...
say, this can be ONE of your finest hours----shareing yourself with a whole world of folks...
some may even need a helping hand, and YOU just may have it!...
say, this is a whole new ROCK TO CLIMB, throw up a rope, and take the challenge....
:)
*(oh my... ain't i a sassy ol' gal, now... )
say, come on in... the challenge will do make you sparkle...
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goatboy smellz
climber
dirty south
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Jan 28, 2009 - 08:22pm PT
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Thanks for the update Ron.
Hopefully he can get off that Oxycontin soon.
That’s a bitch of a drug and I've seen a few friends
that can’t shake that bad habit once they have a taste.
Does he have a boom box for music?
C'mon Kyle post up, how about a story on the first ascent of Diamond Star Halo.
Inquiring minds want to know...
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 28, 2009 - 09:24pm PT
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Give him a break Goatboy. He has problems with his right arm and can only type with his left hand. I can't even zip up my fly with my left hand!
(Then again, I noticed he has a pretty nurse, so that may explain why this is all might be just a ruse,... LOL)
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goatboy smellz
climber
dirty south
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Jan 28, 2009 - 09:27pm PT
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Say no more.
Pretty nurses trump all.
Get well Kyle.
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Joe Huggins
Trad climber
Lafayette, CO
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Jan 29, 2009 - 09:13pm PT
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Thanks for the heads up, Ron. Kyle, c'mon, just send a goddamn email, okay? I know you have to at least look at this once in a while. Joe
imnotjoeh@yahoo.com
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DJMac
Big Wall climber
Bonedale, CO
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Wow ... I'm having flashbacks. I was just thinking about KC, so googled and found this thread.
Sucks to hear some of the news. Kyle, get off yer butt and send some replies ... even if it's just a grunt (I know you can do that).
You've got all the slides dude!
Hope you don't think we all forgot about you, you old curmudgeon.
 John McMullen
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bigmig
Trad climber
Boulder, Co
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Kyle You Crazy F*#ker,
Every time I go to Moab, I try and check-in with you. Last couple of years, you have not been home. I was wondering if you wandered off in the desert in search of dinosaur bones, rock art from the Freemont culture, first assents, or just solitude.
I miss seeing you, you Big Nut.
I hope you are still whacky as ever. Loved that about you.
Chips in Space at the Mexican Restaurant in Boulder...Flying Chain saws out of trees near the Pearl Street MAll when you worked for Hayes...Crazy guitar licks...Hippy Speed BAlls...
I still have the chalk bag you made me with the secret pocket for my can of Copenhagen...I quit chewing that sh#t BTW...
Just know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Scott Sanders
Boulder, Co
303-913-0151
bigmig62@comcast.net
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 7, 2009 - 05:59pm PT
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I just got back from spending three days with team Kor-Ingalls (what a treat! Those guys truly love each other, friends for life.)
Kyle was in our thoughts.
When we saw each other last Kyle asked me to take charge of the Hall Of Flame, one of the most outstanding antique hardware collections extant.
We will then inventory and label each item.
He knows I plan to give it away to appropriate museum collections.
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small axe
climber
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Mar 14, 2009 - 12:37am PT
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From Summer 1981. When chain saws flew through the air and we'd hang out in the beer cooler at Liquor Mart on hot summer days just to watch the girls walk in.
'Buildering' and playing hacky-sack in the courtyard at Hudson Apartments. Somewhere I still have one of the few 'Knights of Zanzibar' hacky-sack sacks that Kyle made.
Bear Lake in RMNP
Kyle the All Star
Jammin'
I hope you like these. And if you ever read this Kyle, I still feel horrible over smokin' your hands in Eldorado Canyon when you were teaching me how to belay.
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DJMac
Big Wall climber
Bonedale, CO
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Ron, Since there is practically no way to get in touch with Kyle other than visiting him. Can you ask him if it would be possible for me to get some dupes of some of his slides? He has many climbing slides from our adventures over the years, and I have no copies. I would really appreciate it.
Will you be the keeper of the slides too?
The wall of flame must be huge by now, lol. I remember when we had a lot of stuff on the mantle at our place in Boulder ... some really cool old stuff.
John McMullen
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2009 - 01:06pm PT
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He's been moved to a facility in Provo.
I've tried calling him there a dozen times (last time yesterday) but he's been keeping his phone turned off.
There has been no discussion of photos.
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DJMac
Big Wall climber
Bonedale, CO
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Apr 14, 2009 - 06:44pm PT
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OK, thanks for the reply Ron! Hope you're doing well man!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2009 - 07:52pm PT
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Cheers John.
I just spoke to Jeff about going up in a few weeks and taking Kyle to Ogden for lunch.
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mbrooks@frontrangebouldering.com
Social climber
boulder colorado
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i used to climb with kyle in boulder, colorado
we did a slew of f.a.'s together. he was always fun and
upbeat. very sad to hear he's not doing well. all my best wishes go out to him.
mike brooks
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