The Christmas I lost my Mom
In 2001 we returned to Memphis to visit my parents over Christmas, something I had regularly done since leaving Memphis to start my career over three decades earlier. One of our annual traditions was going to the Christmas buffet at the famous Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. It was always special. We said hello to […]
The End of Innocence: 26 Dead in Connecticut
Standing at the curb, look annoyed by the canceled shuttle service from the hotel to LAX, I reminisced about the wonderful time we enjoyed at Disneyland the past few days. As I glanced at my iPhone to catch up on the news, I saw the headline “Shooting at Connecticut School”. Not again I thought and […]
The Colorado High Park Fire – A Personal Perspective
The fear of anyone living in the mountains is fire. While there are many ways to protect your home from the onslaught of a raging wave of fire, click sometimes there is nothing you can do. This past weekend, the residents of Northern Colorado saw such a fire develop and it continues today, 4 days […]
A Week in the UK: Ben Nevis and ADI
What an exciting week! I summited the highest peak in Scotland, ask the UK’s Ben Nevis on Monday and spoke at the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) annual conference in London on Thursday with a corporate speaking event in between. But more than that, I met some incredible people, shared some thoughts and learned even more […]
Climbing UK’s Ben Nevis for Alzheimer’s
I am excited to continue to climb the world to end Alzheimer’s. Next up is the highest in the UK, Ben Nevis, on March 5, 2012. I will be in the UK speaking at the Alzheimer’s Disease International annual conference. I will tell the story of my mom, Ida, her struggles and my sense of […]
Communicating from Everest – 2012 Update
I receive many questions on how I did my live dispatches for the 7 Summits so I put together this short tutorial for anyone wanting to communicate during an expedition from anywhere on our planet. While staying in touch is mandatory and part of an expedition for me, some people want to get away from […]
Words: 2011
In the last days of 2011, I wanted to write about my last 12 months of climbing mountains to raise awareness and research funds for Alzheimer’s, but I couldn’t find the words. The emotions and gratitude are immense. I could only come up with the following in hopes it expresses my feeling to everyone who […]
Thank you Steve Jobs
This may be the first time I have ever felt sad for a corporation because they lost one of their leaders. But this is different; it is personal. Steve Jobs passed away today, October 6, 2011. I feel like I lost a life long friend because I have. Steve and I started our relationship in […]
Everest 2011: A letter from my Congressman and more
I was surprised to receive this personal letter today from my US Senator, try Mark Udall. I didn’t know a lot about his climbing experience but the personal nature of this note led me to find a kindred spirit with my Senator. While my attention was immediately directed to his climbing comment, it was his […]
Gear Review: Patagonia R1 Hoody and MICROspikes
As I work my way through climbing the 7 Summits, stuff I am testing a few pieces of new gear both on the climbs and for training. First up is new to me, a mid layer for warmth – the Patagonia R1 Hoody. Patagonia has had variations of this style available for years but this […]