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marta wildflower maven
Joined: 07 May 2003 Posts: 1761 | TRs | Pics
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marta
wildflower maven
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Wed Dec 24, 2003 8:00 am
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Today's Seattle Times (registration required) has an obituary for Robert L. Wood, author of several books and guides to the Olympic Mountains. He passed away on Sunday of complications from Parkinson's disease. I believe it includes a quote from Larry.
I'm sorry to hear of his passing.
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sarbar Living The Dream
Joined: 28 Jan 2002 Posts: 8055 | TRs | Pics Location: Freeland, Wa |
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sarbar
Living The Dream
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Wed Dec 24, 2003 8:22 am
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I was just reading that on the Seattle Times website Very sad to hear.
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
This time of year seems to take more than its share of souls.
God bless.
TB
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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lopper off-route
Joined: 22 Jan 2002 Posts: 845 | TRs | Pics
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lopper
off-route
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Wed Dec 24, 2003 9:59 am
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It was more than 30 years ago that I read Robert Wood's book about the Press Expedition across the Olympics. His writing is excellent. He wove a web of words and images that helped suck me into the mountain realm.
As an advocate and historian, he'll be remembered fondly be a lot of us.
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Karen Member
Joined: 22 Dec 2001 Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
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Karen
Member
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Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:06 am
Robert Wood
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I am so sorry to hear that he is gone. He has been an inspiration for many years -- my first edition of the Olympic Guidebook is tattered and in pieces. I practically lived in that book. I was fortunate enough to meet Bob a few times -- he once put on a slide show at the Mountaineers with an old-fashioned slide-projector and old-fashioned slides -- and still it was an impressive show. He truly loved the Olympics and his love for those mountains came through clear. They don't make people like him anymore -- so many guidebook writers today do not hike the trails they write about and Bob hiked every single one of the trails he has described in his guides.
Karen
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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Tsolo Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 166 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Tsolo
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Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:18 am
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I'd like to add that both of Bob's historical books are well worth reading --
Across the Olympic Mountains : the Press Expedition, 1889-90; and Men, Mules, and Mountains : Lieutenant O'Neil's Olympic Expeditions.
It's really mindboggling to realize from today's perspective what the early explorers went through a century ago when they first ventured into the Olympics, with minimal gear, no maps, and little other than their determination to get them through.
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sarbar Living The Dream
Joined: 28 Jan 2002 Posts: 8055 | TRs | Pics Location: Freeland, Wa |
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sarbar
Living The Dream
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Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:26 am
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One of the things I treasure is 2 maps that were given to me, when I lived on Whidbey Island by an old cartographer-they are of the Olympic Pennisula and show all the old trails. With Wood's book describing the "cat" trails and old abandoned trails, I could match them up to the old maps-then figure out where they went on the new maps. His bible of the Olympics is well used!
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Thu Dec 25, 2003 12:43 am
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His Olympic Mountain Trailguide is indispensable, and I read the Press expedition book by him, and it didn't even dawn on me that it was the same person authoring both books! He will be missed.
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Karen Member
Joined: 22 Dec 2001 Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
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Karen
Member
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Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:53 pm
Robert Wood
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I may come across as a cranky curmudgeon but it irks me a little bit that so few people have responded to the news of Robert Wood. Same with Ira Spring. Regardless of how anyone feels about their politics when it comes to land-use issues, we have lost a lot of great outdoor writers this past year and if you take the time to look back over the years you will see that they have published many fine hiking books and guidebooks. I think the loss of these writers is more important than racking up lists of lakes that most hikers will never get to. I've been to a few of those lakes myself but having said that, don't forget it is people like the Springs, H. Manning, Robert Wood, Bob Dreisbach (thank heavens he is still with us and so is Harvey) that have made getting to many of places possible. They opened doors for the rest of us. If not for them, we may never have found and opened those doors that lead to these more remote destinations.
Karen
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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Tom Admin
Joined: 15 Dec 2001 Posts: 17835 | TRs | Pics
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Tom
Admin
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Mon Dec 29, 2003 7:31 pm
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cranky curmudgeon wrote: | I think the loss of these writers is more important than racking up lists of lakes that most hikers will never get to. |
Good point, let's discuss pudding instead.
--------------
How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat - Pink Floyd
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Karen Member
Joined: 22 Dec 2001 Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
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Karen
Member
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Mon Dec 29, 2003 8:28 pm
Recipe
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Yes, Tom, I'm sure I could come up with some colorful recipes ala Nasty Pudding.
Let me contemplate that one and get back to you!!
Karen
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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puddin' head polarbear Member
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I don't do much hiking in the Olympics and I had never heard of Robert Wood, but I was saddened by the loss of Ira Spring. It's really hard to match the guide books written by people who have lived in the area for decades and are steeped in its history. When I think of Deep Lake, I think of the guy standing beside the stream with the mule as shown in the Spring guide book. As far as obscure lakes go, from the sounds of it, to some of the fishermen on this board, the lakes are not obscure at all! For one who has been only to Snow Lake, Lake Melakwa is obscure. It's all relative, and I like looking at maps and trying to find lakes in the ALW that no one here has been to yet. And I'm sure the authors who have passed before us are busy in the next world creating guidebooks for the great beyond. As far as pudding goes...has anyone tried the lemon pudding cake?
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Karen Member
Joined: 22 Dec 2001 Posts: 2866 | TRs | Pics
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Karen
Member
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Mon Dec 29, 2003 8:36 pm
Bob Wood
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I have kind of a humorous memory of Bob Wood. As I mentioned before when I was more active in the Mountaineers than I am today, I organized a lot of events and one of things I organized was to get Bob Wood to show his slides of the Olympics taken over the years. He was delighted to accept and was a good speaker. The slides were good, too. You could see the slides were for the most part older but still gorgeous. The humorous thing, though, is that he reminded me a little bit of the professor in the Wizard of Oz as he was bending over his old fashioned slide projector in the semi-darkness and putting the slides in. I don't know what that kind of projector was called but it's the kind where you stick each individual slide into a little holder and then view the slide through that. In other words, no slide trays. Just individual slides, one by one. The audience for the most part was much younger than he was and his photography setup was quaint and old-fashioned but it added to the charm of the slide show. And last but not least, there was a very good turnout.
Speaking of old slide shows, has anyone ever seen the lantern slides of Mount Rainier? They were at an exhibit last year at the Tacoma Museum -- THOSE are definitely worth getting a peek at.
Karen
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
stay together, learn the flowers, go light - from Turtle Island, Gary Snyder
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MooseAndSquirrel Member
Joined: 10 Nov 2002 Posts: 2036 | TRs | Pics
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puddin' head polarbear wrote: | I don't do much hiking in the Olympics and I had never heard of Robert Wood, but I was saddened by the loss of Ira Spring. It's really hard to match the guide books written by people who have lived in the area for decades and are steeped in its history. When I think of Deep Lake, I think of the guy standing beside the stream with the mule as shown in the Spring guide book. As far as obscure lakes go, from the sounds of it, to some of the fishermen on this board, the lakes are not obscure at all! For one who has been only to Snow Lake, Lake Melakwa is obscure. It's all relative, and I like looking at maps and trying to find lakes in the ALW that no one here has been to yet. And I'm sure the authors who have passed before us are busy in the next world creating guidebooks for the great beyond. As far as pudding goes...has anyone tried the lemon pudding cake? |
I had vaguely heard of Mr. Wood and haven't done much hiking in the Olympic interior as well. Ira Spring, though, is another story, and since I'm familiar with his work his loss is felt that much more. Also, I've never heard a bad word said about him, except from his cranky ex-partner Manning. I respect what Manning has done to spread the gospel of the outdoors, but his endless haranges are just that- endless, and is all I ever think of when his name is mentioned. At least folks like Mr. Wood have left a legacy with books they've had published, and have devotees like Karen, etc, who help spread the word about them.
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Newt Short Timer
Joined: 21 Dec 2001 Posts: 3176 | TRs | Pics Location: Down the road and around the corner |
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Newt
Short Timer
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Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:14 pm
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What can I say? What could I say. Being a Newbie, yes, I just really got into all this 5 years ago, I don't remember having ever seen his name. But trust me, whenever someone passes away, I feel the loss.
I think a lot has to do with the number of times a name comes up. Whether in conversation or print. Spring, Manning, Becky & Service have all been talked about so much that they have a reputation for being at the top of, at least, the *heard of* list. Not that they're the best, but maybe just better known.
Who knows, I may even have one of his books. I have hundreds that I've never read. Always purchasing with the intent before I go blind. I have a hard time reading so I don't, but maybe, just maybe, someday.
N
It's pretty safe to say that if we take all of man kinds accumulated knowledge, we still don't know everything. So, I hope you understand why I don't believe you know everything. But then again, maybe you do.
It's pretty safe to say that if we take all of man kinds accumulated knowledge, we still don't know everything. So, I hope you understand why I don't believe you know everything. But then again, maybe you do.
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