Steve Gladbach

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Rastaman566
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by Rastaman566 »

I don't think 14ers.com or the CO climbing community will be the same without Steve Gladbach. He was a human encyclopedia for a number of trips I did while I lived in Colorado, and from what I've heard he was an outstanding human being. This is truly awful news for his family. My heart is with them and the rest of the climbing community that have been touched by Steve's life.
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Rainier_Wolfcastle
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by Rainier_Wolfcastle »

To Steve’s family, please accept my heartfelt condolences for your loss and my genuine thanks for sharing his time with all of us that loved climbing with him.

Steve, thank you for lending this winter climbing novice your mittens, giving me that Three Musketeers when I was ready to give up (not to mention your traditional orange gel candy on the summits), breaking all that trail while constantly telling stories and sharing knowledge without one bit of judgement directed towards us weaker links, staying up and discussing life and climbing with me through the wee hours of the night …and treating me as if I were your equal at either, all the good laughs, and thank you for being my friend!!!
Shawn
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michaelgrundy
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by michaelgrundy »

Rest in peace Steve. You will be missed.
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Cruiser
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by Cruiser »

What a tragic loss. Peace be with Steve's family and close friends in this most trying time.
Where ever you are... There you are.
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mollykay
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by mollykay »

My condolences to Steve's friends and family. I feel so fortunate to have met Steve once up on Tabeguache and Shavano. He lent me a helping hand on that climb and selflessly allowed me to get Shavano by completely altering his plans. I will never forget seeing him roar into the Shavano trailhead driving John's truck with a big grin on his face. My heart is sick for all those that knew him and loved him.
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Fisching
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by Fisching »

14ers.com has always been a site where we can revel in one another’s accomplishments and feats. It’s been a place where we can learn from one another, share our tales, relive the experiences of others, and share our expertise and our gear. By all means, Steve fit every single one of these categories better than any other member of our mountaineer community as his accomplishments have (and always will be unmatched). However, he doesn’t deserve to be reduced to the accolades of accomplishments in the mountains. The truth is Steve Gladbach, the legendary mountaineer, was a far more exceptional person.

When my wife and I both uprooted ourselves from Chicago in the summer of 2010 to take a last second teaching job in Pueblo, we knew not a single soul within 1000 miles in either direction. Within our first month here, Steve became the first person to reach out and welcome me to my new home. The first time I traveled with him, never meeting Steve in person before, we spent the next 2.5 hours in the car conversing as if our friendship spanned years. I felt – and still do – privileged to call him my mentor and my friend. Not only did he tutor a new hiker in the Colorado alpine, he became a friend invested in far more than my knowledge of mountains.

After an incident last year, Steve was one of the first people to reach out to me and he continued to check up on me in the months that followed. He truly uplifted my spirits and brought a bounce back in my step at a time when my world was very bleak merely by being himself, the guy who you could spend 2.5 hours talking with and not realize more than 10 minutes had pass (I can’t even count the number of times that’s happened to us). He was always willing to go above and beyond and never felt anyone’s personal situation was out of touch from his life story. Regardless of your problem, Steve could relate not through sympathy but empathy. Steve's life was testament that our lowest moments in life do not break us, they make us exemplary individuals.

In the summer of 2011, I experienced one of my best days in the mountains with Steve. He asked me if I’d be willing to accompany him as he was bringing two of his high school summer school students up Humboldt. It became a quintessential experience with Steve from a circle-tour route to our seemingly endless conversations, and always encouraging our young hiking partners. At one point in the day he relayed the story of a dead car battery at the South Colony Lakes TH he had in early January of 1988 as if it happened yesterday with the level of detail. I laughed at him and said, “Steve, that happened 3 weeks before I was born.” He pondered for a second and asked, “When were you born???” I told him and he immediately responded, “That makes me old enough to be your dad. Come here, Son!” as he put his arm around me.

To Alise and Linda, your dad was an incredibly amazing person, he loves you dearly and ALWAYS took pride in your accomplishments. I am eternally humbled by the fact that I could call him my friend.
~Greg Fischer
Last edited by Fisching on Mon Jun 24, 2013 2:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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CarpeDM
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by CarpeDM »

My first impressions of Steve were formed three years ago on a climb of Snowmass. I recorded those impressions at the time. I had the privilege of hiking with him a few times since, and those impressions were only reinforced:

"Steve <Gladbach>. This guy is a true superhero: He summitted (way before me, of course), hauled Stephanie's (70lb!) dog up when he got stuck, summitted again with me when I was ready to turn back with ~200 vertical feet to go, went over to help with the rescue of a fallen climber, hauled out some of the climber's gear (several people helped with this), and on the hike out came halfway back across the logjam to give me a trek pole to use (one of mine never locked). Then, after hearing that I was having problems with blisters on the hike out, hiked back from the trailhead 3/4 mile so he could carry my pack for me. And that's just the stuff I know about."

And that was just on one hike.

Deepest condolences to his family and to his many, many friends.

Britt, as someone else mentioned, you have a lot of shoulders to lean on.
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aliciaf
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by aliciaf »

I am so sorry to hear this. I never met him, but always held him in high regard due to his many accomplishments. What a terrible loss. My condolences to family and friends.
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ajkagy
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by ajkagy »

horrible news...prayers to the family and friends. At a loss for words right now, Steve will definitely be missed.
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MountainSlayer
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by MountainSlayer »

A soul who would summit, then proceed to re-summit in order to help another (human OR animal alike) is one that will certainly return to this Earth, time and time again. Whether it be as a marmot, mountain goat, eagle, wildflower or blade of grass, I look forward to meeting you, Steve.

May we all be as graceful in our willingness to help others summit and de-summit peaks, both mental and physical.
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Corn
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by Corn »

Living here in Pueblo West I feel that I have done myself a great disservice by not reaching out to a true Colorado climbing legend. My heart goes out to his family and friends. As with some of the other 14ers.com members that Steve has joined, he will not be forgotten. His legacy will live on, stories with him will continue to be told, photos will be shared, trip reports will be reread and old posts will be reviewed. On this day this community has lost a father, a friend, a mentor and a teacher. During a recent conversation with a relative i was asked when I would take a break from my newly found passion for climbing? My response..."Maybe when I'm dead. But I doubt it, there's got to be some pretty cool peaks in heaven!." Climb on 'sgladbach'!
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rijaca
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Re: Steve Gladbach

Post by rijaca »

A sad day. RIP Steve.
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