From: MD1sheclimber@aol.com

Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2000 11:48 AM

To: Openletters@mail.kinkele.net

Subject: My time with Scott MD1sheclimber- 8-9-00

I met Scott at "Earth Trecks Climbing Gym" sometime in November 1998. Our

initial meeting was something we laughed about. He asked me if I new how to

"lead belay," all I heard was "belay." So I said "yes." Next thing I know

he's giving me a quick run down on how to use a grigri and off he went. Like

spider man climbing up the wall. I'm so nervous because I had never seen a

devise like the one I was holding and the rope was running out backwards.

Well, he finished, like the master climber he was. Amazing to watch. With

such finesse that it made you jealous. Later that night we went to a pub.

That's when he found out that I missunderstood what he had said. I had only

been climbing a few weeks. And I didn't know anything about lead climbing.

We had spent Thanksgiving together that year. We started the day with a bike

ride in Patapsco State Park. I would have to say that this day was one of my

favorite's. Something I will always remember. It was so much fun. One of

the reasons may have been because he was ready to bonk and I was still going

strong. To outlast that guy at any sport is an amazing achievement. So I

was pretty proud of myself. We got lost. After riding around in circles,

we found the direction we needed to go. We decided to take the short cut

across the river. We carried are bikes on our shoulders, he went back and

carried my dog, and we finally made it to my house. We had dinner with a

dear friend of his, Pedro and his wife. It was nice. We drank wine and had

samples of foreign dishes. Scott was at his best. Sweet, loving, a true

gentleman. He had a kind heart.

During the next couple weeks we spent a lot time together. He became a good

friend. And I loved him. He sent me roses when he was visiting his folks at

Christmas time. I laughed at him when he got back because he sent a card

saying "I miss you." First of all, he said he would never say that. But the

funny part was that he slipped and told me that he ordered the flowers before

he left for his trip to California. But I know his heart was in the right

place. He wanted to make me happy. He enjoyed surprising the woman in his

life.

New Years, 1999. Scott, Jim Tyldesley and myself went to New Hampshire. He

had a friend who owned an Inn. We stayed in a bunk house. On December 31,

Jim and I dropped Scott off at Mt. Washington so he could do some hiking.

Jim and I went skiing for the day. I remember when we went to pick him up he

was two hours late. I was so worried those two hours. But at the same time

new that Scott would never be the one to get hurt. He could make it through

anything. That night we went out to a local pub. It was freezing! The bar

was full of locals. We laughed when Jim kissed an unattractive girl just so

he could have a New Years kiss. We made fun of him from then on. The next

day all of us went skiing at Sunday River in Maine. Later that evening we

met up with Esther and Steve for dinner.

Scott left for Florida, if my memory serves me right, a few weeks after New

Years. We spent part of our time together ice climbing in the Adirondacks.

The last time I saw him was when he stopped by to surprise me at my first

climbing competition in southern Virginia. From then on we kept in touch

only by e-mail.

Scott and I shared some of my favorite times in life together. I am grateful

that I knew him. I didn't realize it before but I can say that he added to

my desire to take a cross country trip by myself last September. In him I

saw a man that wasn't afraid of anything. He tackled fear straight on. I

was this way before I met him. But he made me stronger.

His death has made me revaluate my life. Things that I have been putting off

doing I am now focusing on. My time spent with the people I love is

appreciated even more. Scott Kinkele, you will surely be missed.

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