Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Fred Beckey

Article in NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/sports/othersports/16beckey.html

There's also a video; check the video section, I'm not sure how to link to it.

Quandry 98,

Thanks for the heads up on the Beckey article. Fascinating fellow. I met him this Fall (9/8/08) above UBSL. He was heading for the Fishook on Russell, he said. The previous night I believe I passed him while he was sleeping in a cave in the ledges above LBSL. As I recall, Bob R ran into him a couple of years ago up in the North Fork too.

I mentioned Fred to Doug Sr. As I recall, Doug said periodically people will return from the North Fork, come into the Store and report an ancient hiker has been seen lying on the ground and looks either dead or near dead. Actually, Beckey is just resting up before his next assault!

To those of us who are no longer young by chronological age (different from Real Age), Beckey is certainly inspiring and brings hope for some more good years ahead.

Jim F

Interesting character for sure. Love to read and hear about people who extend their ability to accomplish physical feats at an age where most retire to sedentary life. My take is that he appears to have anti-social tendencies from the article.Of course I don't know him. Maybe some of those who know him or of him better have a different take.Anyways it doesn't make him a bad person if he does. Got to admire someone who can forsake worldly goods to follow their passion.

"As a young man, Beckey earned a master’s degree in business administration and entered the printing industry, but the assignments he accepted, like driving a delivery truck, traded career ambitions for precious time."

What a great line. Is that perhaps Beckey's most important contribution? His recognition at a (relatively) early age, the preciousness of time? I think we all come to recognize this, eventually.

I find it also, ironic, that the Mountaineers would not publish his books, years ago. When I searched his name on Amazon, I got 43 hits today.

These struck a cord with me:





We had to step over him on our way up the Mountaineer's Route this past summer. (Odd the way he just spread out his gear on the trail.)

Interesting article and video.