March 16, 2026

Season 1, Episode 10 - "Joy and Faith of Climbing 7 Summits" with Julie Smith

Season 1, Episode 10 - "Joy and Faith of Climbing 7 Summits" with Julie Smith

Send a text Julie Smith was born in Deadwood, SD; grew up near Black Hawk, SD and graduated from High School in Rapid City, SD. She graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry. After a year-long internship in Medical Laboratory Science, Smith started working at the Hospital laboratory in Centralia Washington for 37 years. Between her Sophomore and Junior years in college, she took a year off to work in a research Laboratory...

Send a text

Julie Smith was born in Deadwood, SD; grew up near Black Hawk, SD and graduated from High School in Rapid City, SD. She graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry. After a year-long internship in Medical Laboratory Science, Smith started working at the Hospital laboratory in Centralia Washington for 37 years. Between her Sophomore and Junior years in college, she took a year off to work in a research Laboratory in Nebraska. During her college years, Smith's brothers introduced her to climbing, leading to her applying for internships after college in Colorado, Oregon and Washington, where ultimately she chose Washington state. After getting a job in Centralia, Smith took the Olympia Mountaineers basic and intermediate climbing courses and completed most of her early climbing in the western half of the US.  In her later years, Smith began climbing outside the US and thoroughly enjoyed meeting people from other countries. Smith completed the Seven Summits in 2012, and still enjoys getting out in God’s creation.  

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Julie Smith, a remarkable woman whose idea of adventure began not in the Himalayas, but in the windswept badlands of South Dakota.

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From her early curiosity about adventure to a lifetime spent on the world's highest peak, Julie's story is one of focus, discipline, and deep faith.

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After nearly four decades as a medical laboratory scientist, she devoted her free time to the mountains.

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Each climb, a test not only of endurance, but of purpose.

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She has summitted the topest peak on every continent, the seven summits, and attempted that effort three times, both from the north and south faces.

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On one climb to return back, within reach of the top to save another climber's life.

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Through her steady pace, unwavering resolve, and belief that joy and humility belong at every altitude, Julie reminds us that greatness isn't measured by height, but by heart.

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This is her story of faith, focus, and what it truly means to keep climbing.

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Well, good morning, Julie.

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We are welcoming you to Upper Creek with Neil, our podcast, and uh you are a bonus episode for us about climbing to new heights.

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Uh, we've had a chance to know each other um over the last several years, and you have climbed with my wife, and she's always talked about how compelling you are and how uh challenging you are and what you've taught her.

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And uh as you know, she just recently got back from her um tour or trek at El Camino Santiago, and she referred to you many times.

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But uh this is going to be a bonus episode, and we look forward to uh welcoming you to the show.

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Okay, well thanks.

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Yeah, it's good to be here.

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Well, great.

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Um Julie, what was your last climb?

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Where have you been?

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Oh, just yesterday we hiked up um to Hogback Mountain.

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You know, we got a lot of snow in the mountains here, so we went to White Pass and just hiked up and skied down.

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It's always fun to get out there and enjoy the first snow that falls.

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Oh, that's great.

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I we're always admire your adventures and and where you've been and where you've come from.

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But um I guess I'd like to reflect back on where you were born.

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You were born in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and having been there in near Deadwood area, that is a beautiful uh country.

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Um but how did that stir your curiosity about doing an adventure or adventures?

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Oh, you know, I think um I don't know that that did so much because you know we grew up on a farm and really did not leave.

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We kind of went to visit relatives once a year, and that was about it.

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Um, but certainly we hiked in the hills.

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I had a pastor there at our church who took our youth group out hiking in the Black Hills.

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He probably got me started, you know, doing a lot of hiking, and I enjoyed being out in the hills.

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There was it was fun.

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And it's fun being with people too, you know, that we uh that we hiked with.

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And yeah, he was uh really I looked back and that was a lot of work for him to get us all out on these hikes.

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So yeah, that was fun.

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I enjoyed the people there in the Black Hills and still do.

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I still get back there once in a while and enjoy a lot of the people that I went to high school with, I still get together with them and it's fun to fun to see them.

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That is absolutely stunning, beautiful country to see.

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It's it's amazing to see that country.

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But uh uh you shared in your bio that how your brothers introduced you to the adventure, and and I guess I'd like to ask uh how did how did that um introduction from your brothers lead you to the adventures you've done?

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You know, I think um as an athlete, you know, in high school and in college, I played sports, and so I really enjoyed being active.

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But my senior year of college, my two oldest brothers invited me to go to the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

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And we went in there on a 10-day hike and climbed a couple of peaks that were 13,000 feet and saw all these mountains and these lakes and went fishing.

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And I thought, oh, I want to do this the rest of my life.

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This is really fun.

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Um, and so that probably um that's how they got me started.

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So my brother Cord was part of the instigator of all of that.

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He'd been climbing out in the Tetons and uh in the Wind River Range, and so that was and I had seen pictures of him climbing down in the Andes Mountains, and so that was always inspiring.

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He was a big inspiration to me getting out in the mountains.

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Yeah.

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Did you ever think at that time that you would go on to summit the seven summits?

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Oh no, not at all.

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I never thought I would even attempt Everest because it's too dangerous.

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I thought it was too dangerous.

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It is dangerous.

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I'm not gonna say that it's not, but um no, I never yeah, that just that whole progression was just you know a lifetime of climbing.

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And I think had I gotten married and had kids, there's no way I would have gone on to climb at all.

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But um, yeah, you know, I just never got married, never had kids.

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And so, you know, you kept climbing more difficult stuff, and then you kept climbing higher at higher elevations and finding that I was, you know, God made me so I was able to climb.

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You know, he gave me two legs and two lungs that I can climb.

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And not to mention, he's made this whole planet full of mountains, and I've climbed just a handful.

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You know, he's uh he's certainly, you know, it's a God thing that I even got to go because I think of the people who can't walk, and I can, you know, so I had no control over the mountains he made or the fact that I can walk uphill, and here I am born in a country where I could go to high school, go to college, and have an economy where I can get a job and make money to go.

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So, yeah, there's a lot of credit there to God, I think, to getting me out there.

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Um, you know, it certainly was my desire.

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I sometimes struggle with that desire because, you know, it's like um, you know, God would want me to put him first in my life, not this idol that I have over here of climbing.

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And so that's always been a struggle with me.

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Is this an idol or is this, you know, something God wants me to do?

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But certainly was my pastime and it's what I enjoyed doing.

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But um always grateful to God for bringing me back alive.

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I always had my Bible in my backpack and a prayer on my heart.

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I certainly didn't walk up to these big mountains thinking I'm gonna climb this.

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I always walked up to him thinking, I'm gonna try.

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And I always had a prayer in my heart to God that, you know, he would, you know, you know, keep me alive and bring me back in one piece.

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And, you know, if it's his will, I would get to the top.

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Um, so a lot of credit to God to for getting me through a lot of stuff.

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Yeah.

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But uh what I I always wonder what is in a person's DNA that drives them to do what you do?

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What what click or do you recall a moment when you said, I'm going to do this, I'm going to summit every mountain?

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What what was in your DNA that that just jettisoned you off?

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Yeah, you know, it is interesting because I think I'm a I want to stay alive.

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I do not want to die.

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And there's that, I mean, it's a dangerous, and I knew that by taking the basic and intermediate climbing courses through the Olympia Mountaineers.

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I knew all the risks, you know, and I had lost a friend to the mountains um when I was 24.

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She just died in her sleep on Mount Adams.

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But it made me think at the age of 24, oh, do I don't want to die, you know?

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And so, but I do want to climb these mountains.

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I knew I wanted to, I just loved it.

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It was so much fun.

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But I think it's the physical activity, um, you know, and try and it's also a puzzle trying to figure out how to get to the top, especially in rock climbing.

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You know, where can you put your hands, where can you put your feet to get up this thing?

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So there's physical activity, I think there's the puzzle of it.

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And um it's interesting.

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Someone told me this, and I think they're right.

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Um, that because I can't really pinpoint either why I would go do this stuff, because I really don't want to die, I want to live.

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But she said that some people need more stimulation than others.

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And I think there's something to that.

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When you look at these guys who are out there free soloing without a rope, I don't do that.

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Yes.

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Um their brain is different.

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Their brain is different, and I don't think they register fear, and I think they've measured that in these guys.

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They don't register fear.

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And so maybe I'm part way there, not like them, but um, maybe I'm able to put fear, fear behind me.

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And I and I know that because every year I'd go out and I'd get up on the rock and I'd think, oh, this is scary up here.

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But then you can put it out of your mind and focus on what you're doing here.

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You know, you're climbing the rock, you're not looking down where you're gonna fall.

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I think I'm able to put that fear behind me and be and I always climb something I knew I could get up because I always had a top rope on, you know, climbing rock.

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I knew what I could get up and what I would fall off of.

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And I never led anything that I was gonna fall off of.

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I was too chicken to do that.

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I didn't want to get hurt.

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And so I pretty much would look at a route and I would look at what I was able to climb, um, you know, what I what was within my ability.

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So that's so yeah, I think if I I hope I didn't digress from what your question was, but I think it's about fear, and um I think everybody's different on that level.

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You know, you look at some of those climbers who do free soloing, and they're just in a really different world uh than I am.

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But then again, there's some people who wouldn't even venture into the mountains because that's just too scary.

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Here's an interesting story.

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I have a friend, uh, and I would go hiking with her a lot.

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And she had a friend that would come from Minnesota and hike with her, also.

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And this friend from Minnesota, her mother would always be worried when she came out here and went hiking with Carol.

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And truly all they're doing is going backpacking.

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And um, when I went backpacking with Carol, so her mother was afraid when she came out here.

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My mother was relieved when I went with Carol because uh she knew we were just gonna be backpacking and not climbing.

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So it's kind of a funny where people's fears are, you know, those moms that um that worry about their kids.

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So it is interesting uh how you know in my own life, um I don't fear public speaking, you know.

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I I I welcome it.

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I I am energized by it, and it's it's it just there.

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But I can I I can never picture uh what you've looked at from a climbing perspective.

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And are there do you have other fears?

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If it's not the mountain, what do you fear?

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Oh, I fear public speaking for sure.

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Yeah.

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I would rather be on a cliff than in front of a crowd.

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You know, and I have done some slideshows and stuff, but if I have a slide to prompt me and a story to tell, that's fine.

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But just public speaking, for me, that is difficult.

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It's not, I'm not good at it for one thing.

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And um yeah, it is kind of a fear, I think, for me.

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Wow, wow.

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Yeah.

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Well, I'm gonna talk about this more on each of your uh summits that you did at which summit may have been more fearful than others, but you uh your work uh in over 37 years in uh laboratory science and that was precise, it was methodical work.

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And I guess what discipline shaped you from that work and how you approach life or how you approach climbing?

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Yeah, you know, um certainly I loved science.

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It was really fun to study science.

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Um, and certainly being in the laboratory, you know, we had to follow certain rules, and those rules had a purpose so we don't accidentally hurt the patient or kill the patient, right?

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And so um part of my job too is just looking for errors that we might have, you know, a close call or an error, you know, and we report those things and we look at them and we try to figure out how not to have that happen again, how to help the humans do the right thing.

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Well, the same thing kind of is in climbing, also.

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I used to read this book, it's called Climbing Accidents in North American Mountaineering.

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So you read about what happened and then what you could do to not have that happen.

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And safety rules come out of that, you know, and so both of those really coincided.

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My job, you know, at the hospital and also um in climbing, you know, and nobody wants to die out there, and how can you avoid that?

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So through the mountaineers and through the American Alpine Club, I had um lots of safety um uh uh information, you know, and uh and learning learning sessions.

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So that was that was helpful.

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So those two really did coincide.

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Yeah, you're right.

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It's they're both real, it's probably who I am.

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I'm sort of methodical and I like to, you know, do things one way and um try and figure out how to how to do things right, I suppose, so you don't get hurt.

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And uh I don't know if that helps, but yeah, that's uh well they say professionals in any occupation.

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Um and uh I understand of course the world series are going on now, and how even professional baseball players go back to the basics and practice the same thing over and over and over again.

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So it becomes second nature.

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So yeah.

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Does that apply to you as well when you think about how you tie in or how you uh approach a climb or a difficult situation in climbing?

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Yeah, you know, um when I think back to sports, you know, the more you play and the more you practice, the easier it becomes, actually.

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You know, you can hit that basket or you can hit your partner on a bounce pass for the layup, you know, and and all those things.

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What um and also in rock climbing, the more I was out there rock climbing, not only the stronger you get, but the more in tune you are with the rock, and the more you realize that if I hold this rock, you know, if I put my hand on this hold this way, I don't have as much strength as if I, you know, hold on it this way.

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I've got more power.

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Um, you know, it's things like that, learning that and always being, I call it being in tune with the rock.

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That was kind of my how I called it.

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Because I felt like it was a fluid movement and I felt confident in that movement.

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So yeah, being out there and practicing all the time and just going over it and over it.

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When I rock climbed a lot, I was out there at least twice a week.

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You know, we were practicing and then we were out on the rock on the weekend.

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And so that was um, yeah, just like in baseball, you know, I think you have to go back to the basics and just practice everything.

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So it's um, yeah, same thing in our jobs or in work, you know, the routine of doing things over and over can be good and bad, you know.

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You need to focus on it and always know what you're doing, and that muscle memory is there at work too.

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Um, but sometimes you can that muscle memory can put you over that edge where you're not thinking about what you're doing, too.

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I think that can be that can happen in climbing too, I think.

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I have found myself getting ready for a rappel and I had not clipped in yet because you're so used to that routine.

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And that's where double checking everything has to happen.

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You know, you need to do everything.

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So, yeah, it's amazing.

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I mean, God's kept me alive through a lot of stuff when I think back on, you know, rockfall or avalanches or just the human things that I could possibly have done wrong.

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There's twice I can think of where I was not clipped in and I should have been.

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But I didn't mean I it's not like I didn't mean to.

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I don't know what happened.

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I mean, one time I just simply was probably just going through the motions and didn't get clipped in.

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So, you know, I mean, so God has kept me alive through stuff like that, you know, and I there's really no reason I should be here.

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Why why did I get to climb these mountains?

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You know, it's he's um I give a lot of credit to God for all that he's he's done.

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But uh it's interesting to see or meet you, but one might think you are a timid librarian, but not a person of this massive strength and ability to climb seven summits.

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How did your profile or physique uh either prepare you or challenge you uh for climbing these summits?

00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:43.759
Yeah, you know, that's kind of an interesting question.

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I can get on a hiking trail with people and they will just leave me in the dust because I'm short.

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I'm only five foot four, and my probably my inseam is really short.

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So I don't have long legs.

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And so I don't I can't keep up with people on a trail.

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Wow, you know, going downhill or flat.

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But um, generally on the uphill, I probably have a little bit more power, maybe just in my legs, I suppose.

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And that's a God-given thing.

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It's nothing I did.

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Um, but certainly I think it's a progression.

00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:14.640
You know, I started climbing small stuff and then you climb bigger stuff.

00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:20.720
And it's also a mind thing because you know you can do 2,000 feet, and then you know, oh, I can do 4,000 feet in a day.

00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.839
Oh, you know, I can do 6,000 feet in a day, and I'm still okay.

00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:33.839
And um, so that's a progression both of realizing you can do it in your head, but also training yourself physically to get there.

00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:40.799
But yeah, the physique thing, I um certainly I was not that I'm never the fastest person going uphill.

00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:41.680
I never have been.

00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:53.839
Even on when I was on Everest, of course I'm competing with a lot of men, but even some of the women were faster than I, but I know I know my speed, and I and I know that I can get it done in a day.

00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.160
And I know what I can do in a day, I guess.

00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:02.480
Um, and I would stay within those limits is kind of what I would do, not try to push beyond that what I could do.

00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:04.960
So, yeah, I don't know.

00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:07.680
I I think there's a lot of, I had a lot of desire.

00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:12.880
I don't think I was really built to be a climber, probably, but it was sure a lot of fun.

00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:22.400
And I'm certainly not built to be a great rock climber or an ice climber, but I think when it comes to high altitude endurance, that's kind of where I excelled.

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.440
Um, just that slow, steady pace uphill.

00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:31.119
And I think it's all about even on one big mountain, or even each day, there's always a goal you set for yourself.

00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:35.119
Like I'm gonna make it that first thousand feet, then I'm gonna make it the next thousand.

00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:41.759
So you're always looking forward not to the summit, but you're always looking forward to you know that first thousand feet.

00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:44.000
I'm gonna make it this far, I'm gonna make it this far.

00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:47.920
And then you always have to remember that when you get to the top, you always have to get down.

00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:50.960
I mean, that's just that's it's only half over.

00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:52.960
It's only half over when you get to the top.

00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:53.279
Yeah.

00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:55.440
Which is harder, going up or going down?

00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:58.720
Well, physically coming going up is harder.

00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:02.960
Um, you know, you're out of balance more coming down because you're facing outward.

00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:07.839
Um, so your your possibility of tripping or falling is easier coming down.

00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:10.960
Um, and you're tired, um, especially on Everest.

00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:13.200
I think that's probably the most taxing.

00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:21.200
It's hard to describe, but because of the lack of oxygen, it really taxes your body and zaps your energy, or it did for me anyway.

00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:23.440
And your mind, I presume.

00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:25.279
Yeah, yeah, your mind too.

00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.359
I mean, that's where that focus comes in.

00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.279
You're always focusing on every step.

00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:30.480
Every step counts.

00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:36.720
That went through my head a lot when I'm out there in difficult places where there's a big fall on either side.

00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:42.079
I and you're just walking, but you know, it's 10,000 feet down one side and 2,000 down the other.

00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:50.960
You're still saying every footstep counts, every footstep counts, and you're focusing, even though you're tired, you're at you know, 29,000, 28,000 feet.

00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:54.880
Um, yeah, you're focusing on every footstep.

00:19:55.119 --> 00:20:02.720
But uh it's interesting uh what you've uh taught my wife, Susan, and what she's also taught me.

00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:07.920
I'm Nora climber, but I enjoy uh getting out and seeing different things.

00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:17.200
But that pacing of yourself and step by step and taking that on, uh, explain that to us how that works for you.

00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:21.839
Yeah, certainly at altitude, um, it's called a rest step.

00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:27.839
So you actually take a step up and you hesitate for a second, and you're basically relaxing your leg.

00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.440
And I can keep up a pace like that for a very long time.

00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:35.759
So you're not pushing yourself hard, you're going at a pace where you're gonna make it there.

00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:37.039
You can't go too slow.

00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:39.119
If you're going too slow, you're never gonna make it there.

00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.440
But certainly pace yourself.

00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:44.160
Um, and breathing too at altitude.

00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:52.079
Breathing is important, you know, deep breathing to get that oxygen exchange to happen at your lungs, um, things like that.

00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:55.680
And so, yeah, if you just push yourself hard, you're gonna wear yourself out.

00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:57.519
So you certainly have to pace yourself.

00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:03.119
Um, my friend Eric and I were, oh, I don't know, we do these long crazy ski trips.

00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:13.279
And um he said to me, We said one day, I mean, we'd put in probably a 12, 14-hour day, and he said, I wonder how long I could just keep walking until I fell over.

00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:20.799
You know, we've never gotten to that point at all, but uh I've done some 24-hour days and I could still keep walking.

00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:25.039
Um, so you learn, you know, you learn stuff about your body and what you're capable of doing.

00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:27.839
I'm glad I haven't found that point where I just fall over.

00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:32.960
It's amazing not not only you're a climber, but you're a skier.

00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:40.400
And and share uh with us about some of your climb ski adventures.

00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:48.000
Yeah, you know, you know, I took the basic and intermediate climbing courses through the Olympic Mountaineers, so a lot of my friends were telemarket skiers.

00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:53.200
Everybody went back to kind of the old style telemarket skiing back in the 80s, and I got caught up in that.

00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:55.839
So I've been a telemarket skier for over 40 years.

00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.759
I just switched to um parallel skiing this last year.

00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.240
Year.

00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.319
I'm getting old and I'm not as strong as I used to be.

00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:06.000
But yeah, we would go out and ski up to Camp Meir and come back down.

00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:08.319
You know, Camp Meir is 10,000 feet on Mount Rainier.

00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:10.480
We'd hike up there and ski down.

00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:15.119
And of course, the volcanoes here in Washington are just absolutely fun to ski.

00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:19.680
And on Mount Rainier, you know, there's lots of different glaciers you can ski in the spring.

00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.839
I always ski them in the spring when they're when the crevasses are well covered with snow.

00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:28.960
And Mount Adams is fun because there's no crevasses and it's a little bit safer.

00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:32.240
But yeah, it's just fun to climb up and then be able to ski down.

00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:33.920
You can get down a lot faster.

00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:38.160
Now that I'm older, it's a whole lot easier on my knees than walking down.

00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:48.559
But yeah, and we went over to the Alps and we skied across we skied from uh Chamonet, France, to Zermatt, Switzerland, across the Alps one time, and that was really fun.

00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:50.000
I've done a couple of trips.

00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:51.680
Oh, I don't know.

00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:57.519
We were out there for about six or eight days, um, putting in 12-hour days, you know, uh crossing the mountains.

00:22:57.599 --> 00:22:58.640
But beautiful country.

00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:00.079
Wow, the Alps are amazing.

00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:03.519
And I've had a chance to do another ski tour there in Austria.

00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:11.200
And so, yeah, it's a great way to see the mountains, and then it's a great way to travel across snow quickly, is on skis.

00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:14.720
Um, so that's yeah, and then it's just fun to ski.

00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:18.480
Um, sometimes it turns into a survival trip, right?

00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:23.920
If you've got breakable crust, you've got just really difficult snow, then you just try to get down.

00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:28.960
But sometimes you get those really nice powder days or really nice spring corn snow, and that's fun.

00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:30.160
That's just fun.

00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:33.039
And um, and that's that's kind of where I'm at today.

00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:35.119
That's one of the things I enjoy the most.

00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:36.400
It's what we did yesterday.

00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:38.880
We just hiked up with our skins on and skied down.

00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:44.720
And it's one of the things I enjoy the exercise, and then you get to ski down, so that's fun.

00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:55.440
But yeah, um, yeah, mostly I've done some stuff up in Canada too, out of uh what out of Whistler and then the Pemberton Ice Cap north of uh Whistler.

00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:58.240
Yeah, there's some great country up there in Canada.

00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:01.200
There it's really amazing up there what they've got.

00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:04.160
And you know, it's it's what a privilege to live here.

00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:09.519
You know, you've got Canada's not so far away, and you can fly to Alaska to do stuff.

00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:12.880
And yeah, I live in a privileged time.

00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:23.519
That's uh how do you uh relate or can you relate to this recent climber skier that went to Everest and skied down Everest?

00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:26.079
Oh yeah, that was pretty cool what he did.

00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:30.079
I just briefly read a little bit about it, but he I believe he skied.

00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:34.000
If you can correct me if I'm wrong, I think he skied the Hornbine Coolar.

00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:40.400
And Tom Hornbine and those guys, they were on the American expedition in 63, I believe it was.

00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:43.119
And so that's when the Whitakers climbed the normal route.

00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:47.119
And Hornbine and Willie Ansild were on the West Ridge.

00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:52.160
And so they were the first ones to go up that route, which was just amazing.

00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:55.599
And I think they spent the night pretty close to the summit and then came down.

00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.960
So their trip they traversed up and over the mountain.

00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:01.519
And not many people have repeated that climb.

00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:03.119
And this guy skied it.

00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:05.200
And I didn't I don't know the whole story on that.

00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:07.359
Did he go up the normal route and then ski down this?

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.640
I don't know the answer to that.

00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:15.200
I'm not sure of the details, but I was thinking more of just how he released himself from the climb.

00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:28.000
I know, and the exhaustion of the climb and how he changes breathing and um focused on skiing versus climbing and the risk of fall at that altitude.

00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:28.720
I know.

00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:31.759
You know, that's exactly that's a good point.

00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:34.559
I mean, these guys are much stronger than I am.

00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:40.160
You know, they've I they've obviously they're number one, they're a better skier than I am, plus they're a lot stronger.

00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:44.960
I can't imagine trying to ski at that altitude because it's just hard enough walking downhill.

00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:57.519
It was surprising to me the first time I was on Everest, and I, you know, we got up to 25,000 feet and I'm trying to walk down, and I'm just breathing hard at trying to walk downhill because of the lack of oxygen.

00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:04.079
So yeah, that takes a lot of strength and oxygen and lung capacity to ski down Everest.

00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:13.279
So, you know, I would say he's got a lot of focus, um, obviously very strong, but I think you would probably just have to focus on every turn, you know.

00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:17.519
Uh yeah, it'd be interesting to listen to an interview with that guy.

00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:24.799
You know, what what does it take to Yeah, they've got a lot more more um guts than I do to ski something like that.

00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:28.319
Well, don't uh in any way knock yourself, Julie.

00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:32.240
You have something that a lot of people don't have.

00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:41.279
And even though this guy may have climbed Mount Everest and skied Mount Everest, not many women have done what you've done.

00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:45.039
How many women do you know of that have done all seven summits?

00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:52.000
Well, yeah, I don't, you know, at the time I don't know uh yeah, I don't know the answer to that question, how many people have done that, but it's not many.

00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:55.119
And I what's interesting, it's becoming more popular though.

00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:57.119
There's more and more people going out to do that.

00:26:57.279 --> 00:27:00.480
There's access to get there, you know, people know about it.

00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:05.759
And um, yeah, I never knew what the seven summits was until I was on Everest.

00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:16.079
And I had already climbed what McKinley and I'd done Akoncagua and Kilmanjaro, and um then there I was on Everest, and I realized there's this thing called the Seven Summits.

00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:19.920
And so I go, oh wow, if I make this one, maybe I should go do the other three.

00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:22.960
And so that's why I did it, because I did make the top of Everest.

00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:26.799
And so I thought it would be not only that, but it was really fun going to all those countries.

00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:38.880
You know, there is nothing, I think that's the thing I learned the most is seeing people from other cultures in other countries and realizing it how privileged we are here to be able to go do this stuff.

00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:47.359
Because, you know, we were in Papua New Guinea and we were or Papua, um, the island of Papua, and also um in Africa and you know, Nepal.

00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:53.359
And I think uh, and even in Russia, I talked to a woman there who it's not easy for them to go do the Seven Summers.

00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:57.680
They don't have the money, they can't make money like we can here in America or in Europe.

00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:01.119
Um, I mean, what a privilege to be able to go do that.

00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:07.920
Um, yeah, it's uh but no, it's um yeah, I'm grateful to have been able to go.

00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:14.160
Um and it's uh Well Julie, not only did you do Everest, you attempted Everest three times.

00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:15.440
Oh yeah, yeah.

00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:21.839
So we we hear about the South Face, we hear about the North Face, of course, from the North Face shacklets.

00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:32.000
But explain that, uh those three different summit attempts, and what was what was the most challenging of those and how did they differ?

00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:36.720
You know, um yeah, it's interesting to me because I didn't really want to climb Everest.

00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:38.400
What I wanted to climb was Chooyo.

00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:46.319
It's the sixth tallest peak on earth, and it was safer and it has more uh less deaths and more ascents than Everest.

00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:53.039
And I had talked to a friend and he agreed to go to Chooyo, but he would rather attempt Everest again.

00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:54.160
He'd already attempted it once.

00:28:54.240 --> 00:29:05.680
And he talked me into going to the north side, and we tried that without Sherpa support, and um, there is less um objective hazards, so things that can fall on you and kill you on that north side.

00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:09.359
So that was a drawing point for me.

00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:13.680
You know, if there's not those objective hazards that can kill you, I'm more apt to go.

00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:17.039
There are, and don't get me wrong, there are things that can kill you there for sure.

00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:21.039
Um, it's a big mountain and big things, big bad things can happen on those mountains.

00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:26.799
Um, but it um yeah, so we ended up going there and we got to 27,000 feet.

00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:31.599
That's the 26,000 feet, I think, or 27 is the high camp on the north side.

00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:34.000
And we took off for the summit the next day.

00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:40.799
And we talked about this later, my climbing partner and I, but he decided to turn around because he wasn't feeling so well.

00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:44.000
But he's a really tall guy and I'm a smaller person.

00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:48.880
We were both running on the same amount of oxygen per minute, and so I felt good, but he did not.

00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:51.839
He probably needed more oxygen per minute than I did.

00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:55.839
Um, so he wanted to turn around, and I certainly wasn't going to go by myself.

00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:58.000
And we were some of the last people going for the summit.

00:29:58.319 --> 00:29:59.759
But you did not have a sherpa.

00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:01.039
We didn't, no.

00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:01.920
We hadn't, yeah.

00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:03.839
So we hauled a lot of stuff up.

00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:05.759
Um, you know, that was probably a mistake.

00:30:05.839 --> 00:30:07.920
I, you know, I know sherpas.

00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:09.119
So we wore ourselves out.

00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:10.480
We're the last people going for the summit.

00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:12.400
It's very lonely up there at that point.

00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:13.920
And did you have oxygen?

00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:14.720
Were you taking it?

00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:16.480
Yeah, we'd carried oxygen up.

00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:22.480
Yeah, I find that's the other thing I learned on that climb was that at about 25,000 feet is where I need oxygen.

00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:25.200
I'm just going so slow, I'm not making much progress.

00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:27.839
So that's something I learned on that climb.

00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:31.519
Anyway, we can't, we but I got higher than Choyo on that climb.

00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:33.759
And I thought, okay, this is good.

00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:35.359
I'm higher than the mountain I wanted to do.

00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:36.400
I don't need to come back here.

00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:37.519
I got back alive.

00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:42.240
That was I was grateful for that, you know, and I got to see the north side of the mountain.

00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:44.960
It was neat seeing Tibet and that north side.

00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:48.000
Came back from that, and I thought, ah, I'm not gonna go back.

00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:58.720
And um, it's funny, there's this woman, her name's Elizabeth Hawley, and she has since passed away, but she's the historian on all the mountains, the 7,000, 8,000 meter peaks.

00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:03.359
And she interviewed me because she tries to figure out whether you made the summit or not.

00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:10.160
But I got back from that climb on the north side, and um she just I said to her, I said, Yeah, I think I'm done.

00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:10.880
I don't need to come back.

00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:14.559
And she she looks at me like this, she pulls her glasses down, she said, You'll be back.

00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:15.920
She said, just don't come next year.

00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.640
It's the 50th anniversary of when it first got climbed.

00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:28.160
And so, but there's a book out and it's called uh I'll call you in Kathmandu, and it's a picture of Elizabeth Holly, and she's got her glasses down like this, and she's looking at you.

00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:30.640
And so it was a privilege to meet her on that climb.

00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:35.920
Um, since then she uh had died, and I so it was really neat to have met her on that climb.

00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:42.240
And um, she's not a climber herself, she's a reporter, but she was the historian for a lot of the mountaineering that went on.

00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:44.480
Um, she wrote for the American Alpine Club.

00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:51.279
Anyway, so I came back from that climb and I it did eat at me for about four or five years, and I thought, you know, I think I can get to the top of that thing.

00:31:51.440 --> 00:32:00.160
And there was a guide I had met on the north side, and he sort of convinced me that the ice fault wasn't that um dangerous.

00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:09.279
He said, I'd been through there 50 times, he said, and I hadn't had any problems, and I thought, well, okay, because I thought that thing just ate people alive, and I certainly didn't want to die.

00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:16.319
Um, so I went there and um we tried, and so the second time around, we just ran across really bad winds up to the top.

00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:26.240
And I know how hard it is to climb uh Rainier in a hard wind, and so I thought there's no way I'm gonna even attempt the tallest peak on earth in a really strong wind.

00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:32.319
These two guys that were much stronger than I, two Germans, came down and said I was just brutal up there, and they had turned around.

00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:36.480
I thought, well, I have no business going up there, and I don't want to lose my fingers and toes and die.

00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:40.240
So I came down, and that was kind of our summit attempt on that.

00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:44.640
And the season was getting later and later, and so I came home from that one.

00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:49.519
Felt very disappointed, but um again, absolutely grateful that I was alive.

00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:59.759
You know, I like I said, I never went to Everest not asking God whether I should go for one thing and asking him to keep me safe and bring me back alive, and he certainly did that for me.

00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:05.359
Um anyway, so yeah, the third time around I went, you know, I had more experience, knew where I needed oxygen.

00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:07.359
Let me put let me date this for you.

00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:13.759
Sorry to ask your age, but how old were you when you attempted the first summit and then your last summit?

00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:14.240
Yeah.

00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:25.759
Would have been 2002 was the first attempt, and I believe I would have been 42 at that point, and then 2006 is when I summited, so 46 years old when I summited.

00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:27.039
Um, yeah.

00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:31.119
Um, but yeah, that last summit, it went like clockwork.

00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:37.440
And of course, I kind of knew the mountain a little bit more, and I, you know, in your head, you know you can make these certain points.

00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:39.440
You just don't know that last piece.

00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:41.920
How am I gonna perform at that last piece?

00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:54.880
And um so I had the experience under my belt and um had a great team of guys that I was with, and um just had um good weather and things worked out, and I knew I could get good weather up there.

00:33:54.960 --> 00:34:05.839
I just had to wait it out and go on the right day because I've seen people up there with no wind, with you know, just uh a fleece jacket on, and so I knew it could happen, and that's what we got.

00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:10.000
And so my wife recalls when she went with you to base camp.

00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:12.320
So, which which summit was that?

00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:15.440
That was the first time in 2002.

00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:21.119
So every time that I went to Everest, I always went to the base camp on the south side to acclimatize that 17,000 feet.

00:34:21.199 --> 00:34:23.360
It's easy to trek there and come back.

00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:28.719
Um, you know, last time around, I think I figured out that what we did was we trekked in a little bit longer route.

00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:34.559
And so I went to some 18,000 foot passes and peaks before I got to the base camp.

00:34:34.719 --> 00:34:45.360
Because that's one way I could eliminate the risk of the ice fall, is the quicker I can get through that ice fall, the less objective hazards, you know, things that can fall on you.

00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:50.559
So I um try to get myself as acclimatized as possible before going through there.

00:34:50.800 --> 00:34:56.159
And um, yeah, the faster you move, the the less hazard uh hazardous it is.

00:34:56.800 --> 00:35:03.440
So yeah, she was on one of those trucks with this, but um yeah, um yeah, we're we know your question.

00:35:03.519 --> 00:35:06.559
I'm thinking I got off subject here, but uh no, that's fine.

00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:07.039
That's fine.

00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:15.920
Yeah, how do you uh differentiate uh for a non-climber the difference between the south summit or the south face and north face?

00:35:16.320 --> 00:35:17.119
Yeah, the north face.

00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:21.679
Um I think that the south side is a little bit easier, and that's another reason I went that way.

00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:28.000
And then I also went with Sherpa support because um no one's gonna rescue up there except a Sherpa.

00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:31.360
And so that's what we did with our teams, is that we had Sherpa's helping us.

00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:34.079
We also had a Sherpa up at the high camp with oxygen.

00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:37.280
So if something happened, they could come up and help you.

00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:51.119
But the difference between the two is the north side has these three difficult steps on summit day, called they just call them step one, two, and three, and they're rock, it's a rock climb basically, and crampons with the ice axe.

00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:53.119
And so those are the difficult spots.

00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:58.239
And I think you're and you're also more it there's less oxygen, so it's more taxing.

00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:00.960
So I think it's more difficult on the north side.

00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:12.639
Um, but on the south side, it's it was all snow for me going up to um, it's just kind of a steep snow climb up to a pit place called the balcony, and then it's a ridge climb from there.

00:36:12.800 --> 00:36:15.840
And the Hillary step is probably the hardest thing.

00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:21.599
Although I ran across something before you get to the south side, it was a downwardly sloping rock that was difficult to climb.

00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:24.559
I had a fixed line, so I'm hooked into something.

00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:27.119
If I fall, I'm probably not gonna go anywhere.

00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:28.320
But that seemed difficult.

00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:34.079
The Hillary step to me seemed fairly easy because there were big footholds on it.

00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:37.199
And so it just is easier on Summit Day.

00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:42.960
Um there's some steep stuff on the Lotsi face down low, and the the yellow band is a little bit lower.

00:36:43.199 --> 00:36:47.440
So that steep section is lower on the mountain where you've got more oxygen.

00:36:47.599 --> 00:36:54.559
And um, but on Summit Day there's less steep stuff, so it's a little bit easier, um, is what I could say about that route.

00:36:54.880 --> 00:37:06.239
Julie, I can't help but ask, what compelled you, a five foot four giant from South Dakota, to attempt the North base without Sherpas.

00:37:06.800 --> 00:37:06.960
Yeah.

00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:08.559
And your first attempt.

00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:11.039
What what drove you to do that?

00:37:11.199 --> 00:37:12.400
Why would you do that?

00:37:12.639 --> 00:37:12.880
Yeah.

00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:15.440
You know, I used to be able to carry, I can't anymore.

00:37:15.519 --> 00:37:17.920
I used to be able to carry a 60 to 65 pound pack.

00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:19.199
So I don't know.

00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:20.639
I thought, yeah, with enough.

00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:24.559
Well, and I think this friend I was going with, I think he had a legitimate thing here.

00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:28.960
He said, you know, if you let the Sherpas do all the carrying, you don't get yourself acclimatized.

00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:32.800
So it makes sense to go up and down the mountain and get acclimatized, get stronger.

00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:36.480
Um, and I think that makes a sense, makes sense to a point.

00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:39.519
Um, because you can really wear yourself out doing that too.

00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:44.559
Um, and yeah, I think I've never lost so much weight not having a sherpa there.

00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:45.360
We lost weight.

00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:48.960
I felt pretty weak at the end of that climb, things like that.

00:37:49.119 --> 00:37:53.119
But I um I guess you're young and you're crazy and you think you can do it.

00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:57.920
And you know, I always know that I can walk up there and if I can't do this, I'm just gonna turn around and come home.

00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:59.679
I I don't have any, I don't have any shame.

00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:03.199
Um, it's not like I'm gonna I I never said I'm gonna go climb this thing.

00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:05.360
I said I'm gonna go try to climb this thing.

00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:10.400
And that's kind of what I always looked at on that is, you know, I can always turn around.

00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:12.800
I mean, I don't want to die, and if I can't make it, I can't make it.

00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:14.400
That's not a big deal, you know.

00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:15.199
Amazing.

00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:16.400
Absolutely amazing.

00:38:17.039 --> 00:38:22.320
What of the seven summits, which one gave you the most fearful moment?

00:38:23.920 --> 00:38:24.719
Let me think.

00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:27.119
Uh it was probably on Everest.

00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:32.639
I was on the Lotsi face when an unusual storm came up and I got hypothermic.

00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:39.280
Um, I knew I was going hypothermic because I was on the radio calling into base camp, going, my hands are shaking uncontrollably.

00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:40.079
I couldn't stop it.

00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:41.840
So I knew I was going hypothermic.

00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:43.519
I think when you know it, you're okay.

00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:45.840
It's when you don't know it, is when you're not okay anymore.

00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:50.639
So I knew it was pretty, pretty dire that I make this next 500 feet.

00:38:50.800 --> 00:38:54.880
Um, so I told them where I was and I said, I'm on my way up, I'm gonna try and keep going.

00:38:54.960 --> 00:38:59.360
I didn't tell them that I'm shaking uncontrollably, but I knew I was in trouble.

00:38:59.599 --> 00:39:03.119
And so I just said, Well, I gotta make it or die.

00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:05.840
And so I just kept climbing and I got there.

00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:07.760
It was quite cold when I got there.

00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:15.039
And, you know, we got some water bottles, some hot water going, and um, I just put some water bottles in the bag with me and I got warmed up again.

00:39:15.199 --> 00:39:19.360
But uh it was so that was probably one of the scarier moments, I suppose.

00:39:19.599 --> 00:39:21.039
Um yeah.

00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:26.880
Everything else, I mean, I do choose the seven summits, if you look at it, the routes are not that difficult.

00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:29.679
So I'm not choosing something extremely difficult to climb.

00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:32.960
K2 is much harder to climb, it's the second tallest peak.

00:39:33.119 --> 00:39:37.280
Um, I think Kenya's much harder in Africa, it's the second tallest peak.

00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:41.280
Um so I do choose routes that I believe I can get up.

00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:44.880
Um so that takes the fear out of it, I guess.

00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:51.119
Or um yeah, um but yeah, and so things, yeah, they worked out, I guess.

00:39:51.199 --> 00:40:13.599
That um Julie, that's amazing to me when I talk to you because for those that don't know you, you are so humble and such a uh gentle giant in your own way, but you talk of these episodes, these adventures of climbing the seven summits and of going to Everest without a sherpa.

00:40:14.719 --> 00:40:18.480
I just I I'm just I can't believe it.

00:40:18.719 --> 00:40:26.639
How how anyone like you, such a giant of five foot four, could or would do this?

00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:29.119
That just boggles my mind.

00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:30.079
Yeah, yeah.

00:40:30.239 --> 00:40:33.440
It's um I loved climbing, I think is what it was.

00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:36.159
I really enjoyed it, and I just wanted to see what I could do.

00:40:36.239 --> 00:40:39.360
And like I said, I think I wasn't afraid of failure.

00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:43.039
Um, sometimes you learn more from failure than you do from a success.

00:40:43.199 --> 00:40:46.480
And um, you know, if you can't make it, you can't make it, you turn around and you come home.

00:40:46.559 --> 00:40:47.360
That's no big deal.

00:40:47.440 --> 00:40:48.320
But I enjoyed being out there.

00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:49.840
I loved camping on the side of a mountain.

00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:59.760
I mean, I uh when I look back, the places we camped on Everest, the places I've camped here in the North Cascades or the mountains here, those campsites sitting on the side of a mountain.

00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:05.599
I mean, that's where I love to be, you know, and so that's um, and certainly I I mean, I couldn't have done it.

00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:07.280
Like I said, I give a lot of credit to God.

00:41:07.440 --> 00:41:13.760
I mean, he made them, you know, I I've only climbed a handful of what he's made, and he gave me the strength to get there.

00:41:13.920 --> 00:41:16.320
You know, he gave me two legs at work, lungs at work.

00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:18.000
I mean, I couldn't have done that.

00:41:18.159 --> 00:41:24.880
Um, and yeah, so it's it's not uh Do you think that's what drives you?

00:41:25.039 --> 00:41:26.719
Is it a God thing or is it you?

00:41:26.880 --> 00:41:27.599
What drove you?

00:41:27.840 --> 00:41:28.239
Mm-hmm.

00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:29.519
Well, it certainly is.

00:41:29.599 --> 00:41:31.280
Um, I think it's probably inside of me.

00:41:31.360 --> 00:41:32.960
It's something that I wanted to do.

00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:36.719
Um, but I certainly didn't go there without God, let me tell you.

00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:39.679
You don't walk up to a big mountain like Everest and say, I'm gonna climb you.

00:41:39.760 --> 00:41:45.440
You know, I walk I I remember driving down the freeway and I go, God, I'm gonna go climb Everest.

00:41:45.519 --> 00:41:46.639
I hope that's okay with you.

00:41:46.800 --> 00:41:51.039
Um I said, like, I'm gonna go, but you're gonna have to break my leg if you don't want me to go.

00:41:51.199 --> 00:41:55.199
So, you know, but it God's never come out of the sky and talked to me and told me what to do at all.

00:41:55.360 --> 00:41:56.000
I do pray to him.

00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:57.440
I read his word, I read God's word.

00:41:57.599 --> 00:42:02.880
He talks to me more through the Bible and through my church and through Bible study than than uh talking to me.

00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:06.800
But um no, uh I there's a lot of credit there.

00:42:06.880 --> 00:42:07.920
I mean, he made me.

00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:08.639
I can't.

00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:14.800
I I I think of the people who, you know, they've got a permanent limp or they're in a wheelchair and they can't climb.

00:42:15.280 --> 00:42:17.199
I have nothing to do with that, you know.

00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:19.760
I mean, he he made me.

00:42:20.159 --> 00:42:22.159
So yeah, and yeah, the desire.

00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:24.239
Yeah, I just love being out there.

00:42:24.320 --> 00:42:45.280
I suppose it's uh who do you uh when you think of the seven summits, uh who do you think of in your mind was wow, I met this person, or this person was such a remarkable impact you in that you did what you did, but you saw somebody in that.

00:42:45.679 --> 00:42:47.280
That's unbelievable.

00:42:48.800 --> 00:42:49.840
Oh, yeah.

00:42:50.079 --> 00:42:52.159
Um, wow, yeah.

00:42:53.280 --> 00:42:55.840
I try not to put humans on pedestals, right?

00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:57.679
Because they can fall off pretty quickly.

00:42:57.840 --> 00:43:02.079
Um, because we're human and we can hurt people easily.

00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:05.280
Um but I think uh, you know, I'd have to say my brothers.

00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:10.320
I saw my brother climbing big mountains, you know, in Peru, and I thought, wow, that's pretty cool.

00:43:10.559 --> 00:43:19.360
Um and certainly friends, um one friend in particular, Linda, that who was an excellent rock climber and taught me a lot.

00:43:19.519 --> 00:43:26.960
Um and she was excellent at what she did, and I probably have done a lot of things that she did because I followed in her footsteps, I suppose.

00:43:27.119 --> 00:43:28.639
Yeah, she was an amazing person.

00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:34.239
Um yeah, it's uh not to mention she was a Christian too, so she was a great friend.

00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:36.320
Um so yeah.

00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:44.480
When you read books or uh into thin air is a popular book that many people refer to when they think of Everest.

00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:49.360
How does that story differ from what you saw?

00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:50.960
Yeah.

00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:54.639
Well, that was that whole incident was kind of interesting.

00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:56.159
Um, you know, he wrote that book.

00:43:56.320 --> 00:44:03.119
I met some people on Everest who absolutely disliked um John Krakaur, because of what he wrote, and they disagreed with what he wrote.

00:44:03.199 --> 00:44:07.280
So there's a lot of books that came out of that, all in disagreement of what happened that day.

00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:17.920
You know, you think about it, any story, people see things differently here at sea level, much less at, you know, 25,000 feet in a storm.

00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:19.760
People see things differently.

00:44:19.920 --> 00:44:31.840
Um, so yeah, I think what came out of that whole incident, though, was um I think people shared weather information and there became the weather information became more accessible.

00:44:32.000 --> 00:44:34.480
People shared that information, people worked together.

00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:37.679
I think people left for the summit earlier too in the day.

00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:43.199
I think the fixed lines got set before that first climb, you know, things like that.

00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:46.000
A lot of things changed on the mountain after that year.

00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:51.119
Um, and I think it's I was talking to, I just went to a lecture the other night um by a guy from Olympia.

00:44:51.280 --> 00:44:57.199
He's a mountain climbing guide, trying to think of his name right now, and I can't, but he said he really believes it is safer.

00:44:57.360 --> 00:44:59.039
I'm not going to say any mountain is safe.

00:44:59.199 --> 00:44:59.840
You can die.

00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:12.639
So with that said, it's safer because um, you know, the Sherpas are up there looking at those lines every day, setting those lines, and they've just got that dialed in, how to how to set the lines to make it safer.

00:45:13.119 --> 00:45:16.079
And so there's that on the mountain.

00:45:16.400 --> 00:45:18.320
Am I deviating from your question here?

00:45:18.400 --> 00:45:18.960
I probably am.

00:45:19.199 --> 00:45:21.599
No, no, I I I think it's relevant.

00:45:21.760 --> 00:45:32.159
Um, but when you uh went up there, I presume you saw the failed attempts of others, uh bodies on the mountain or whatever.

00:45:32.400 --> 00:45:33.039
Yeah, yeah.

00:45:33.360 --> 00:45:37.280
Do you recall when you saw that, what impact that had on you?

00:45:37.440 --> 00:45:41.679
Like what decision did they make or what happened to them?

00:45:41.760 --> 00:45:43.519
And could that be me?

00:45:44.079 --> 00:45:45.199
Yeah, yeah.

00:45:45.440 --> 00:45:48.960
Yeah, going back to yeah, so the weather can change on you there.

00:45:49.039 --> 00:45:52.559
But um, certainly we ran across people died on the mountain every time I was there.

00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:56.079
And there would be a depression that would go over base camp when someone dies.

00:45:56.639 --> 00:45:58.559
But it's different than any other mountain.

00:45:58.639 --> 00:46:05.360
You know, it's kind of like here in the Cascades, you'd all go home, but there it's spent all this money to get there.

00:46:05.519 --> 00:46:10.000
You know, it's the understood risk of Everest that you might die.

00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:13.599
It's I think it's more understood that this is a very dangerous mountain.

00:46:13.760 --> 00:46:20.880
Um, and so yeah, everybody kind of goes through a depression and um and then you kind of go back out there and climb again.

00:46:21.039 --> 00:46:28.159
Um certainly I there were, yeah, I've walked by a couple of bodies there, but they were wrapped in tents and there were recent deaths.

00:46:28.320 --> 00:46:31.199
I didn't walk by anybody who'd been there for a long time.

00:46:31.440 --> 00:46:33.599
They it we had a lot of snow that year.

00:46:33.840 --> 00:46:36.400
If they're there, they were probably covered and I didn't see them.

00:46:36.480 --> 00:46:41.519
Um but yeah, that the looming of death on Everest is certainly in your mind the whole time.

00:46:41.760 --> 00:46:47.599
And I I mean, I remember thinking before I left, um, man, I need to buy some new bath towels.

00:46:47.679 --> 00:46:48.800
My bath towels are just rags.

00:46:48.960 --> 00:46:53.360
And I thought, well, wait, I'm not gonna buy them yet because if I come back alive, I'll buy some.

00:46:53.519 --> 00:46:57.039
You know, you know, in the back of your room, you might not come back alive.

00:46:57.199 --> 00:47:01.920
I wouldn't, I wouldn't say that I accepted that in my head.

00:47:02.079 --> 00:47:06.639
I always thought I was coming back alive, um, even though I don't have control over that.

00:47:06.800 --> 00:47:09.199
But um, it certainly goes through the back of your mind.

00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:15.119
It was back there, but I would never have admitted it when I was in the thick of it going out there.

00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:16.000
Yeah.

00:47:16.719 --> 00:47:22.639
It's kind of interesting, that mindset of life and death on on big mountains.

00:47:23.119 --> 00:47:28.480
When you hear or you think of the word success, what does success mean to you?

00:47:30.400 --> 00:47:37.199
Success means that God has saved me from my sins and he's taught me to believe in him.

00:47:37.440 --> 00:47:39.360
The biggest success in my life is that I'm a Christian.

00:47:39.440 --> 00:47:41.199
It's not any mountain I've ever climbed.

00:47:41.519 --> 00:47:45.280
I mean, God has, you know, he sent his son to die on a cross for my sins.

00:47:45.360 --> 00:47:50.639
I'm a sinner, I'm a horrible person, but he has saved me and he's given me the Holy Spirit.

00:47:50.719 --> 00:47:51.519
He's given me faith.

00:47:51.599 --> 00:47:54.320
To me, that's the biggest success in anybody's life.

00:47:54.639 --> 00:47:57.199
I've I sorry I'm a Christian, but I am.

00:47:57.280 --> 00:47:59.519
I can't separate myself from who I am.

00:47:59.760 --> 00:48:04.639
And so that would be my biggest success is that God's got me in his hands.

00:48:04.719 --> 00:48:10.480
And um, I know if I die, you know, going up to all those mountains, I knew I was gonna be in heaven if I died.

00:48:10.559 --> 00:48:11.920
That was not a big deal to me.

00:48:12.159 --> 00:48:14.559
Maybe that's part of how I could put fear out of my head.

00:48:14.719 --> 00:48:20.400
I know there's a God who loves me, he cares about me, and I believe in eternal life, which he speaks of, you know.

00:48:20.880 --> 00:48:27.519
Um yeah, I uh that it's that's my biggest success is that God's made me a Christian.

00:48:27.760 --> 00:48:29.119
Um yeah.

00:48:29.679 --> 00:48:30.800
I appreciate that.

00:48:30.960 --> 00:48:41.199
I also want to ask, do you recall sharing or experiencing that faith with another person in a difficult situation on a mountain?

00:48:42.159 --> 00:48:43.360
Let me think about that.

00:48:43.519 --> 00:48:47.119
Um, not really.

00:48:47.360 --> 00:48:51.199
Um, I mean, you certainly do find other Christians out there once in a while, not many.

00:48:51.360 --> 00:48:58.960
Um, but no, um I would have to say that I have not had a lot of difficult times in the mountains.

00:48:59.039 --> 00:49:01.119
I have lost friends to the mountains, you know.

00:49:01.280 --> 00:49:05.599
And um, I'd have to say the few friends that I've lost to the mountains, they were Christians.

00:49:05.679 --> 00:49:07.840
And I think I'll see them again, you know.

00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:16.719
Um, and that's uh that's a real that's a peace that, you know, I don't think everybody can find.

00:49:16.800 --> 00:49:21.760
And I think that's part of the piece of that's maybe why I could go to the mountains, is because of my faith in God.

00:49:22.000 --> 00:49:27.280
I mean, I didn't want to die, but um I knew it could happen, and but I also know it's on the other side of death.

00:49:27.519 --> 00:49:29.679
And uh here's one thing I did share one time.

00:49:29.840 --> 00:49:33.280
I was climbing with some guys and we were it was pretty difficult climb.

00:49:33.360 --> 00:49:39.360
I didn't lead it, this other guy did, but they yelled it down to me and told me to bring up some more slings and things.

00:49:39.519 --> 00:49:46.719
And and I get up there and I find out that we don't have a very good repel uh situation, right?

00:49:46.800 --> 00:49:52.400
So that's why they had me bring up more slings and so we're putting stuff on here and we're hoping this anchor is gonna hold.

00:49:52.480 --> 00:49:54.320
And I said, Well, you know what?

00:49:54.400 --> 00:49:58.000
I'm a Christian, I know I'm gonna end up in heaven if this doesn't work, so I should go first.

00:49:58.960 --> 00:49:59.840
That's what I heard.

00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:00.800
So I went first.

00:50:01.119 --> 00:50:01.519
It worked.

00:50:01.599 --> 00:50:08.320
Uh I think we kind of knew, but yeah, we added some more slings to what we had there, and and uh I said, I better go first.

00:50:08.960 --> 00:50:14.960
So did you find uh others of different faiths or agnostic?

00:50:15.039 --> 00:50:16.000
What did you find?

00:50:16.800 --> 00:50:25.440
You know, yeah, it's interesting to me that there's so many people who are either agnostic or um and we're in this incredibly beautiful place that I don't think just happened.

00:50:25.519 --> 00:50:29.920
You know, it's so intricately made and and it's just it's just one planet in the universe.

00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:47.519
And it's yeah, so it was it's unbelievable to me that there's not more Christians in the mountains or people who believe there's a God that formed this, but certainly run across the Buddhist religion, you know, in the mountains there in uh Nepal, also the Hindus, and um, you know, I've been trying to understand other religions along the way, all of them.

00:50:47.599 --> 00:50:49.199
I still come back to Christianity.

00:50:49.280 --> 00:50:52.239
I've been trying to read the Quran and read some of these other books.

00:50:52.400 --> 00:50:59.199
Um, love all the people in there, but I I keep coming back to Jesus saying, I am the way, the truth, and life.

00:50:59.280 --> 00:51:01.280
No one comes under the Father except through me.

00:51:01.440 --> 00:51:07.039
And also um uh just the whole forgiveness of sins things.

00:51:07.280 --> 00:51:08.880
I can't earn heaven.

00:51:08.960 --> 00:51:12.079
I can Jesus has already done that for me.

00:51:12.159 --> 00:51:14.639
And so it's nothing I can do for myself.

00:51:14.800 --> 00:51:19.599
In other religions, it seems to be works of righteousness that gets you somewhere.

00:51:19.760 --> 00:51:22.800
Um, I come back to that and I think I I can't save myself.

00:51:22.960 --> 00:51:25.119
I'm grateful for a God who will.

00:51:25.280 --> 00:51:29.920
And there's other reasons I'm convinced Jesus is God, and so I don't want to go into that.

00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:37.039
I know we're talking not talking about I I know some people dislike Christianity and I don't want to go off on that.

00:51:37.280 --> 00:51:40.239
Okay, but I can't separate myself from it because it's who I am.

00:51:40.320 --> 00:51:49.519
And do you think some people went to the mountain or to climb the mountain to find God in whatever their thought God was?

00:51:52.159 --> 00:51:55.920
I certainly think people go to the mountains because that's their church.

00:51:56.079 --> 00:52:01.599
Um, when it comes to I think serious mountain climbing, I think people are kind of a we're addicted.

00:52:01.679 --> 00:52:03.119
We're it's an addiction, I think.

00:52:03.199 --> 00:52:05.920
I'd have to say that it is somewhat of an addiction.

00:52:06.079 --> 00:52:15.119
Some people I think are addicted to the adventures, some maybe to the higher adrenaline of um addicted to danger.

00:52:15.280 --> 00:52:17.280
There's a book out there called Addicted to Danger.

00:52:17.440 --> 00:52:22.800
I would say I'm addicted to um adventure, not to danger.

00:52:23.039 --> 00:52:28.159
And so um, because I usually climb things that I know are within my ability.

00:52:28.400 --> 00:52:29.920
And so, yeah.

00:52:30.719 --> 00:52:31.360
Yeah.

00:52:31.760 --> 00:52:34.000
But um that is an interesting statement.

00:52:34.239 --> 00:52:35.519
Addicted to danger.

00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:36.239
Yeah.

00:52:36.800 --> 00:52:37.360
Yeah.

00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:38.639
There's a book out.

00:52:38.719 --> 00:52:40.400
Um, I can't remember the guy who wrote it.

00:52:40.480 --> 00:52:52.480
I read it and I thought, wow, he really pushes the limits where I I know my limits with a top rope on, and I won't go beyond that when I lead, um, because I'm afraid of getting hurt or dying.

00:52:52.880 --> 00:52:57.840
And uh I I do like to have some control, but I realize I I'm not in total control.

00:52:58.880 --> 00:53:04.559
Yeah, but I think um, yeah, I think it's more about um not so much religion.

00:53:04.639 --> 00:53:08.960
I think people really are very into climbing or addicted to it.

00:53:09.039 --> 00:53:10.320
It's an addiction, I think.

00:53:10.480 --> 00:53:11.840
Uh it certainly is.

00:53:12.079 --> 00:53:22.320
Um when you now stand alone on a ridge or a glacier and and look out, um where does your mind go?

00:53:22.559 --> 00:53:27.840
Does it go to prayer or purpose or a peace?

00:53:28.079 --> 00:53:30.079
What comes to your mind?

00:53:30.400 --> 00:53:33.599
Yeah, um there is something about getting to the top.

00:53:33.920 --> 00:53:36.639
My peaks are much smaller than they used to be, and I'm a lot slower.

00:53:36.719 --> 00:53:40.960
Um, but I do there's something fun about getting to the top of something and looking down over everything.

00:53:41.039 --> 00:53:42.719
Maybe it's because I'm short, I don't know.

00:53:42.880 --> 00:53:47.920
But um it's uh I think it it's probably an accomplishment.

00:53:48.000 --> 00:53:56.960
You know, you've done this little thing and um you've gotten to the top, and it's probably a big ego thing, actually, you know, um probably more of a sinful thing than it is.

00:53:57.599 --> 00:53:59.519
But I uh it's fun being in the mountains.

00:53:59.679 --> 00:54:03.440
So I mean there's you know, you get to see God's creation, it's incredible.

00:54:03.679 --> 00:54:10.719
Um, you know, it's uh um, but yeah, when I get to the top, I guess you just feel some sort of an accomplishment, I suppose.

00:54:10.880 --> 00:54:19.840
Uh um there's probably you know, I look at it and I think, well, there's probably better things I could do, you know, go help the homeless, go do this and go do that.

00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:23.280
And um, you know, I help out at my church doing things here and there.

00:54:23.440 --> 00:54:28.480
But um But Judy, you you inspire so many, and it's interesting.

00:54:28.719 --> 00:54:51.599
I I think that what you've gone through, and uh I can only imagine well, I can't imagine, I really can't, but you stood on seven of the highest summits in the world on every continent, and when you think back, which one of those mountains changed you the most?

00:54:51.840 --> 00:54:53.920
Did they change you or were you always there?

00:54:54.719 --> 00:54:55.280
Let's see.

00:54:55.440 --> 00:54:58.800
Um, I think there's that constant within you that never changes.

00:54:58.960 --> 00:55:04.559
Um, probably, I mean, I've probably always been somewhat determined to do what I want to do.

00:55:04.880 --> 00:55:06.559
Um, always had God by my side.

00:55:06.639 --> 00:55:07.760
But yeah, you definitely change.

00:55:07.840 --> 00:55:09.840
You learn about yourself, right?

00:55:10.079 --> 00:55:17.519
You learn, you know, how high you can climb or what you can get up or how strong you are, or how strong you aren't, you know.

00:55:17.679 --> 00:55:19.920
Um, so yeah, you learn that about yourself.

00:55:20.079 --> 00:55:22.719
Um, how does it change you?

00:55:23.039 --> 00:55:32.960
Um for me, it's made me possibly more grateful, I think, especially the older you get when you look at what you've been allowed to go do.

00:55:33.119 --> 00:55:37.360
What um, you know, just what a privilege to be able to go do this stuff.

00:55:37.519 --> 00:55:39.360
Um so how does it change you?

00:55:39.440 --> 00:55:47.199
I certainly what's changed me more than anything are people out there uh that I've met, um, especially from other countries, you know.

00:55:47.519 --> 00:55:50.000
Um, just the wonderful people all over.

00:55:50.079 --> 00:55:51.760
Um that changes you.

00:55:52.239 --> 00:55:58.400
Um realizing that, you know, there's great people in all those countries, you know, people I met in Russia, they're wonderful people.

00:55:58.480 --> 00:55:59.360
I loved them.

00:55:59.679 --> 00:56:05.039
And um, yeah, the people in in New Guinea and places like that, they were.

00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:08.559
So yeah, and I I think it just makes you stop.

00:56:08.639 --> 00:56:14.719
That's that was the biggest change, you know, realizing what we have here in America when I traveled the world.

00:56:14.880 --> 00:56:27.760
Uh but as far as the peaks go, you know, I I suppose maybe it helps you at work because you realize, you know, you've made it through this, then this isn't so bad, you know.

00:56:28.079 --> 00:56:33.679
Is there anything you can't think you could not accomplish after doing seven summits, the world?

00:56:34.000 --> 00:56:36.719
Oh yeah, you know, there's like K2, I would never take that on.

00:56:36.800 --> 00:56:40.159
That's too difficult for me, and it's too scary for me.

00:56:40.320 --> 00:56:42.639
Um, you know, that's a lot of people die there.

00:56:43.039 --> 00:56:47.199
And um, there's routes I won't do because they're too difficult for me.

00:56:47.440 --> 00:56:52.480
Um yeah, um, yeah, it was interesting to have made Everest.

00:56:52.639 --> 00:56:56.320
I um yeah, you know, you I think it's just that progression.

00:56:56.400 --> 00:56:59.760
You climb higher and higher and you think, you know, I think I can get that high.

00:56:59.920 --> 00:57:01.280
Oh, I think I can get that high.

00:57:01.440 --> 00:57:03.519
You know, it's not like something you just go out and do.

00:57:03.679 --> 00:57:09.920
You really think it's amazing that you didn't make Everest the first time, but you did it three times.

00:57:10.480 --> 00:57:12.559
Yeah, that's amazing to me.

00:57:12.880 --> 00:57:15.519
Yeah, that's kind of a crazy determination, though.

00:57:15.679 --> 00:57:16.239
Yeah.

00:57:16.480 --> 00:57:21.119
Uh yeah, I I probably got obsessed with it a little bit, but I really thought I could get to the top.

00:57:21.280 --> 00:57:25.360
And I thought I can get to the top safely and back down again is why I went.

00:57:25.519 --> 00:57:28.639
And like I said, I didn't go there without a prayer.

00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:34.079
Um, so God I remember I remember after I made the summit and I'm walking back down.

00:57:34.400 --> 00:57:37.199
And I know I got to get through the ice fall where people die.

00:57:37.519 --> 00:57:41.199
Lots of things could fall on you, avalanches and ice fall.

00:57:41.360 --> 00:57:46.079
And I'm walking towards the ice fall, and I just said, Well, God, you let me get to the top of this thing.

00:57:46.239 --> 00:57:47.440
Could you bring me home?

00:57:47.599 --> 00:57:51.119
And so I didn't walk in there without praying to God to keep me alive.

00:57:51.199 --> 00:57:52.639
Um, that's for sure.

00:57:52.880 --> 00:57:58.320
Um Do you feel now that your climbs are smaller and slower?

00:57:58.639 --> 00:58:00.719
Yep, I've definitely slowed down on my pace.

00:58:00.880 --> 00:58:07.360
And um, yeah, that's the other thing is um probably don't like pushing myself at altitude that much anymore.

00:58:07.519 --> 00:58:10.320
No, it's just uh it's a lot more work at 65.

00:58:10.639 --> 00:58:20.400
Um, I still enjoy getting out and and working hard to get up something, but I certainly not push myself as hard as I used to, and that's okay.

00:58:20.480 --> 00:58:26.000
You know, it's um progression of life, you know, we all change, and um just grateful to get out there again.

00:58:26.079 --> 00:58:30.559
You know, my joints start to hurt more and this and that, and I've got a 12 knee replacement.

00:58:30.719 --> 00:58:36.880
So, you know, our bodies change, and pretty soon I won't be able to do anything, and that's okay, you know.

00:58:37.280 --> 00:58:39.119
You're 65 now.

00:58:39.360 --> 00:58:40.159
I am, yeah.

00:58:40.400 --> 00:58:57.360
And if if you were able to turn the clock back 25 years and you were 40 again, and having done what you've done, is there any route or any summit or any climb you wish you could do?

00:58:57.840 --> 00:59:02.800
You know, um, probably the one peak that got away from me was Mount Robson up in Canada.

00:59:02.960 --> 00:59:05.280
And I attempted it a few times and I never went back.

00:59:05.360 --> 00:59:10.320
But if I were younger, I probably would have spent more time ice climbing and maybe attempted that one.

00:59:10.480 --> 00:59:14.000
Uh, but most of the stuff that I wanted to climb, I climbed.

00:59:14.159 --> 00:59:18.800
That one probably got away from me and oh, a few others, but not not too many.

00:59:18.960 --> 00:59:20.800
Um, but you know, there's only so much you can do.

00:59:20.880 --> 00:59:24.800
You gotta work for a living and you gotta, and then you get vacation time and you go climbing.

00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:28.400
And yeah, it's uh and it's okay.

00:59:28.480 --> 00:59:32.000
I I've done plenty and I'm I'm thankful for that.

00:59:32.159 --> 00:59:50.800
And uh well, for the most part, Julie, those that will listen to this podcast, they may never climb a mountain, they may never experience the satisfaction, the success, or the just the accomplishment that you've experienced.

00:59:51.119 --> 01:00:07.199
I guess I'd like to ask, is there a lesson from your life that you'd want to share or have other people carry, even though their other people's lives may not be as monumental as yours?

01:00:08.159 --> 01:00:14.400
Yeah, well, I hate to put myself in monumental because I think everybody's life is important.

01:00:14.559 --> 01:00:17.440
Um, and people have other passions, right?

01:00:17.519 --> 01:00:20.639
Um, whether it be riding a horse or knitting, you know.

01:00:20.800 --> 01:00:30.400
I know some pretty amazing knitters, you know, and we would all say, well, you know, I I put them on a pedestal too, because I can't knit, you know, or piano.

01:00:30.559 --> 01:00:31.440
Who can play a piano?

01:00:31.599 --> 01:00:32.079
I can't.

01:00:32.239 --> 01:00:35.519
I mean, people who play a piano, I put them up here, right?

01:00:35.760 --> 01:00:41.840
But yeah, is there anything I learned from yeah, your question was, um, yeah, go back to your question again.

01:00:41.920 --> 01:00:53.840
I I probably missed out on it, but well, is there is there anything you uh would share with that person that has not done something as monumental as you that you want them to hold on to?

01:00:54.159 --> 01:00:59.679
Yeah, I guess for anybody, whatever your passion is, you know, go do that if that's what you want to do.

01:00:59.920 --> 01:01:08.719
Um uh I it it is interesting how some people have a passion for something and some people not so much.

01:01:08.880 --> 01:01:15.440
And I don't think that the people with a great passion should be put any higher than someone who doesn't.

01:01:15.599 --> 01:01:25.440
You know, the stay-at-home mom to me is probably a far greater thing than what I've done, if you think about it, trying to raise a bunch of kids at home.

01:01:25.679 --> 01:01:31.039
And um I mean, that's a monumental task in itself, I can't imagine.

01:01:31.199 --> 01:01:35.360
And it's much more selfless than me going out and climbing, right?

01:01:35.679 --> 01:01:41.119
I it I have to look at climbing and think it's a pretty um selfish sport, really, you know.

01:01:42.000 --> 01:01:46.719
But I mean, you know, I tried to get around that by helping people make it up right near or do this or that.

01:01:46.880 --> 01:01:56.320
Um, but yeah, when you look at a a mom taking care of kids, what a monumental task that is, and what an important task that is to raise good kids, right?

01:01:56.719 --> 01:02:00.079
Um, and I think we look down on that in life sometimes.

01:02:00.239 --> 01:02:02.159
Um, and we shouldn't.

01:02:02.320 --> 01:02:20.000
Uh yeah, there's do you recall um when you summited a mountain or attempted to summit a mountain of thinking back of something either your mother or father said to you that inspired you to go on?

01:02:20.400 --> 01:02:23.440
Oh, I think they didn't want me to go climbing.

01:02:23.519 --> 01:02:24.719
I think they're afraid I was gonna die.

01:02:24.800 --> 01:02:27.039
So I got no support from them for climbing.

01:02:27.119 --> 01:02:30.800
I mean, I think they supported me, but it's like I don't think they really wanted me to go.

01:02:30.960 --> 01:02:35.760
You know, um my mom was crying when I left for Everest, and so I felt bad about that.

01:02:36.000 --> 01:02:42.400
Um yeah, that was one of the one of the hardest things about climbing Everest was telling my mom where I'm going, right?

01:02:42.639 --> 01:02:44.400
Because she worries about you.

01:02:44.559 --> 01:02:49.119
And um, I think they supported me, but yeah, they didn't want you to go, right?

01:02:49.199 --> 01:02:50.639
Because they don't want you to die.

01:02:50.800 --> 01:02:54.239
And I get, I mean, I don't get that because I've never been a parent.

01:02:54.800 --> 01:03:02.239
But um no, I think they they supported all I did, but uh I think they'd rather I didn't become a mountain climber.

01:03:03.920 --> 01:03:09.119
Well, Julie, you are truly one of the most remarkable women I've met.

01:03:09.679 --> 01:03:37.920
And I'm excuse me, I am um I am just in awe of what you've done, but also your faith and how your faith drove you, how it guided you, how it protected you, uh, your testament to what you've done and the faith that you've shown, I think really will inspire others.

01:03:38.159 --> 01:04:05.599
And even though I or we that listen to this program may not ever sum it any more than our local mountain or hill, we still can look to you and think, wow, she did it, and we can experience something just as much in our own way just because of what you've done and how you lived your faith.

01:04:06.400 --> 01:04:06.960
Yeah.

01:04:07.199 --> 01:04:12.320
You know, you think about how so many more people are doing the seven summits, they probably looked and saw, wow, she did that.

01:04:12.400 --> 01:04:14.000
I ought to be able to do that.

01:04:16.320 --> 01:04:17.519
Well, good luck.

01:04:17.920 --> 01:04:18.320
Yeah.

01:04:18.960 --> 01:04:20.159
Well, Julie, thank you.

01:04:20.320 --> 01:04:22.880
I really appreciate you uh sharing.

01:04:22.960 --> 01:04:26.400
Is there anything else you'd like to share now that you've thought about that?

01:04:27.280 --> 01:04:29.039
Any other things you'd left out?

01:04:29.360 --> 01:04:34.159
Yeah, not that I can think of, but um, oh I'll leave you with one little quote quote.

01:04:34.239 --> 01:04:38.960
It's um old climbers never quit, they just keep reaching their peak.

01:04:40.000 --> 01:04:40.559
Good.

01:04:40.800 --> 01:04:41.360
Good.

01:04:41.599 --> 01:04:42.480
Well said.

01:04:43.360 --> 01:04:44.000
All right.

01:04:51.599 --> 01:04:54.000
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01:04:54.159 --> 01:04:58.480
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01:04:58.639 --> 01:05:00.159
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01:05:00.239 --> 01:05:04.400
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