From: Jim Long [jilong@cisco.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2000 1:01 PM
To: kinkeles@aol.com
Subject: Sorry to hear about Scott.
Hello. I know that we have never met, but I am a friend of Scott's
and
Pedro Espina's living in Maryland. Pedro told me what happened
this
morning, and I just cannot believe it. Scott was probably the
warmest and
instantly-most-likable person I have ever met, and I just cannot
imagine
that someone did this to him "just as a kick". I am so
glad that they
caught the men that killed him, and hope that the justice system
will give
them what they deserve.
I first met Scott a little over three years ago on my first ice
climbing
trip to the Adirondacks. We stayed in a cabin with a bunch of
people who
later became really good friends. Scott helped me out quite a bit
that
weekend with advice and tips on how to get the slippery stuff! He
never
minded helping people, or newbies like me with a 1000 questions.
His smile
and his laugh just made him so approachable. Pedro, Scott, and I
climbed
quite a bit together between Seneca Rocks, the 'Dacks, and New
Hampshire.
He is an amazing climber...I don't think there is anything he
could not get up.
I remember when we relaxed in the warm winter sun following a
climb in the
'Dacks, talking about climbing, and life, and the military ( I
spent four
years in the Marine Corps). We then decided it would be rather
humorous to
try and play a game of "ice ball" with a fallen tree
branch and ice chunks
that had fallen off the climb. We all had our chance to be Mark
McGwire
with Scott putting most of them "out of the park".
I will really miss him, and was looking forward to seeing him
again. I
haven't seen him since he went to Pensacola for flight school.
My thoughts and prayers are with
you.
If you need anything from this end of the country, please do not
hesitate
to contact myself or Pedro. My contact information will be at the
end of
the email.
Take care, and please let me know if
I can do anything to help.
With a heavy and saddened heart,
Jim Long
ice_climbr@hotmail.com
James F. Long
CCNP CCNA CCDA MCSE MCT
Project Engineer
Cisco Systems
Federal Professional Services