Stefan Feller
Whenever I do a mountain or a mole hill I think to myself, "When was John
Roper up this one, and who was he with?" The mountain could be Mt. Buckner,
or it could be point 1120+ on some farm in the Palouse. The only thing
that stops John from attaining any summit is a private landowner with a gun--a "No
Trespassing" sign is still game.
Everytime I enter the North Cascades I look
around and see the time this man has spent in this area. The time spent
is probably more than the hours I have spent in school and work combined--for
which I am jealous of. He has an incredible wealth of historical knowledge
and a keen interest in native American nomenclature which I find interesting
and admirable. When the ashes of John Roper are spread among the peaks
of the North Cascades the thoughts of future climbing children, grandchildren,
and generations will come to the same conclusion I have -- "When was
John Roper up this one, and who was he with?"
I am priveleged to know
John Roper today.
Stefan Feller
Copyright 2004, John W. Roper.
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