Who do you admire as a climber or mountaineer and what lessons have they passed on?
There's a group of ambitious Northwest alpinists that do some very inspiring climbs and ski descents, among whom I am a mere neophyte. I admire all these local climbers who are dedicated to training, climbing challenging routes in the mountains, and who are eager to see other ambitious folks get out there because that's where their passions lay. I kinda chuckle when I hear sponsored sport climbers at Smith Rock or Squamish complain about being cold at the crag, when I think about all these guys in the alpine who buy their own stuff, drive all night to the trailhead after working late, and are out there pushing it in these harsh and inhospitable places. 

I've been fortunate enough to climb with a few local veteran hardmen, including Gordy Skoog and the man who showed me the basics, Bob Nielsen. Bob taught me to be a resourceful climber first and foremost, by belaying and rappelling with little or no gear, tying my own harness, and prusiking up a fir tree in his yard. The importance of being resourceful and adaptive, rather than technology dependent, has struck with me ever since. The first time I ever tied in to a rope was with Bob on a failed attempt of a new alpine route. I started school in Bellingham the next fall after having only climbed in the mountains. I didn't know what bouldering was and I spent my first day in the climbing gym trying to convince other climbers that if they spent an hour trying to make it eight feet up the rock, a storm would come in and night would fall before they were off the route. I went back and completed the alpine route the next year, but I still can't boulder worth a darn. I am definitely backwards in that regard, though, having learned in the mountains, and then taken that to crags, boulders, and indoors.