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bobtufo
Nov 17, 2003, 11:48 PM
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I have found myself going to this thread on a daily basis, and it has been a way to deal with some of my own grief. I can see that it is coming to an end, so let me thank all of those who contributed once again. I have such respect for this community of climbers.
From "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran:
On Friendship - "...When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence,
As the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain."
On Death - "...For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? Anc what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."
Kelly and Dave will live on in our hearts and minds.
Peace and Love, Toni Tufo
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deewhy
Sep 9, 2004, 4:43 PM
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On 9/7/04, a prominent local guide and I did The Step. As we ascended, we tried to find any more clues to where and how the 10/03 fatal accident happened. While we explored a few theories, we concluded the accident is still a mystery and may remain that way. I will say that one now feels ghosts on this route and one is extra cautious and thoughtful when climbing it.
For reasons posters on this site have already aired very well, we both could not commit to the theory that the climbers fell either while walking off at the top or while casually belaying in that same area. One can provide contrary explanations to each of the factors that are used to support the “summit-pitch” theories. We therefore focused our search below the summit pitch.
Looking at the route from the 2d or 3d “serious” pitch upward (since most agree the climbers fell near the top of the route), it is possible the leader fell on the giant flake pitch (5.8), which is pretty wide in spots (as well as steep and rounded) and therefore not easy to protect. His gear may have pulled out and he fell on the anchor.
Next, there is a large, slightly loose, block poised at the top of that flake. Perhaps the second fell following the flake (with extra slack in the rope, as others have proposed) and the upper anchor pulled out from behind the block. Or, if the same block were used as the belay anchor for the next pitch, perhaps the leader fell trying to lead up the final ramp on the harder Super Pooper finish, which offers little protection. (For those who know this finish, if the leader failed to sling the small tree at the foot of the ramp, or failed to put a cam into the floor of the ramp just above the tree, it is hard to get any gear in until the fixed green sling perhaps 20’ up the ramp.) A fall on the ramp would cause the leader to swing down and out into space, coming hard onto the belay.
The next possible belay spot is on the solid ledge to the climber’s left of the Super Pooper finish and to the right of the White Maiden finishes. On the ledge is a substantial and stable tree, on which is cradled another large but loose block, set against the headwall. One can place ˝” to 1.5” cams between the block and the headwall. An upward or downward pull could cause the block to shift enough that cams (or other pro) would pull or tip out. Also, at the south or right side of the block, an 18” X 14” section of the wall was broken out to a depth of 1-3” in the not-too-distant past; the small, broken shards of the wall are lying in the dirt below the block, at the root of the tree. Perhaps a cam set between the block and the wall crushed the exfoliating surface of the wall at that point, when someone suddenly fell on the cam. However, most Tahquitz climbers would sling the tree itself, or at least a grey nylon rap sling tied by water knot onto the tree, both of which seem bomber and undamaged.
Several final possibilities exist as one climbs up to the summit. A leader fall on any of the several White Maiden variations (or the other variations), if run-out or not properly protected, could cause any of the above-mentioned anchors to fail. We did not see any of the skid-marks mentioned by rescue personnel but we did not explore the summit area thoroughly. Also, I am not sure if skid-marks in lichen would still be visible after almost a year.
On the route itself, we made a concerted effort to find clear evidence of the site or cause of the fall and found none. We found no broken gear, no scratch- or scuff-marks, no broken holds, flakes or branches, or anything similar. While there is some loose rock on the route, it is no worse than many other Tahquitz routes and a lot of the rock there now probably came from the torrential rains a few weeks ago.
I would be happy to hear and respond to any (considered) comments on this post. Thanks.
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roseraie
Sep 9, 2004, 7:20 PM
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In reply to: I would be happy to hear and respond to any (considered) comments on this post. Thanks.
Several of your theories disregard the basic fact that an anchor, and only an anchor, was found on the line between the two fallen climbers. All signs point to the fact that no one was leading at the time. (The man who was tied in as the climber did not lead climb, according to friends.)
And, as for visible signs of damage to the rock, you DID wait nearly a year, when traffic up the route could have easily muddled all such evidence.
I wish my own trauma had not prevented me from doing the kind of investigating you have done. I was only recently able to return to Tahquitz, and I highly doubt I will ever be able to climb The Step.
We all appreciate your speculation, but please remember that a lot of information provided in this thread is firsthand, not speculation (including from how high the climbers fell, the anchor and gear setup on the line, and the positions of the climber and belayer).
Meg
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deewhy
Sep 9, 2004, 8:29 PM
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Well, my report isn’t speculation and is firsthand in the sense that we actually climbed the route after the accident. We had the benefit of hindsight, detachment and others’ analyses. We were looking specifically for evidence of the accident. I may have missed them but I haven’t seen many (if any) posts by others who’ve climbed the route after the accident. I have read nearly all the posts about the gear and other details involved in the accident (and several other reports from outside rockclimbing.com) and know that the reports are sometimes at odds and even internally inconsistent. Like any disaster, witnesses and investigators see different things, stress different factors and reach different conclusions, none of which may be entirely on-point and correct (my own comments included).
Other than my sense that the climbers did not fall at the summit, I cannot reach any meaningful conclusions about the site or cause of the accident. And even the “summit-pitch” theories are certainly plausible, even though they don’t seem as likely to me as the possibility of a fall before the summit pitch.
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deewhy
Sep 10, 2004, 10:12 PM
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I saw a number of posts that suggested gear was found on or near the climbers. For example:
Excerpts from eyewitness Meg’s 1st 2 posts on the subject, on the same day the accident happened:
“The belayer had the anchor pieces attached to him and there were some pieces still on the rope.”
“This leads us to believe that what may have happened was a flake broke off, the pieces zippered, and then the leader took a huge fall on the anchor…”
RMRU report dated 10/19/03:
“Coiling the rope we discovered that there wasn't any gear on the rope. The only gear that was on or near the ledge [with] was two Camelots, a carabiner, and a prussik attached to a cordalette.”
RMRU got to the bodies well after the accident happened. Anything could have happened to the climbers and their gear between the time they landed on the lower ledge and RMRU arrived. Moreover, gear could have been left in the rock when they fell or biners with pro attached could have broken or popped off during the fall. Who knows whether, five years from now, someone might find some of the climbers’ gear lodged deep in an offwidth or buried under dirt and leaves far down the slope below the Rock? The routes at Tahquitz have many deep slots, chockstones and rodent warrens and we have no idea what is in or under them.
Also, there are quite a few climbs at Tahquitz that go years without anyone getting on them. Who knows anyone who has done Le Toit recently—say, in the last 5 years? How about Bodacious? Both are right in line with The Step and could harbor all kinds of secrets.
As far as who (if anyone) might have been leading, I suppose anyone who can get up The Step is at least capable of leading 5.8 or higher. Since the crux is around 10b, one has to be an ok climber to get over it. The less skilled climber surely could have led the upper pitches, where the route eases up. And even if he didn’t typically lead or had not ever led, there comes a time in almost all developing climbers’ lives when the climber says, “I’d like to try to lead this one,” or his partner asks if he’d like to lead the next pitch. No one else was up there with these guys so no one really knows what they had worked out.
I agree that, a year later, the rock might not still show gear- or scratch-marks, etc. I guess it’s a function of the quality of the rock at a given spot, the depth of the mark, weathering of the rock, and so on. I do know that granite will hold marks from ice axes and crampons for a long time.
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roseraie
Sep 11, 2004, 9:37 PM
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In reply to: I saw a number of posts that suggested gear was found on or near the climbers. For example: Excerpts from eyewitness Meg’s 1st 2 posts on the subject, on the same day the accident happened: “The belayer had the anchor pieces attached to him and there were some pieces still on the rope.” “This leads us to believe that what may have happened was a flake broke off, the pieces zippered, and then the leader took a huge fall on the anchor…”
I was eventually corrected in my assessment that there was gear on the line. That was reported to me the day of the accident by the climbers who reached Kelly Tufo to confirm his status. It was, however, not the case.
In reply to: RMRU report dated 10/19/03: “Coiling the rope we discovered that there wasn't any gear on the rope. The only gear that was on or near the ledge [with] was two Camelots, a carabiner, and a prussik attached to a cordalette.”
Not all those within the RMRU who provided observation were climbers. On the ledge with Dave Kellogg was an apparantly equalized Cordalette with two Camalots and a Metolius cam. One cam was missing a caribiner (a fact that contributed much to the RMRU's unlikely solution), because Adam Baramoud, the first climber on scene, removed the caribiner because the anchor was wrapped around Dave. He took that caribiner home with him, and returned it to Florabel at Dave's funeral.
Also, the bodies were not on the same ledge. They were actually quite far apart. The anchor was found on Dave, as was a tube-style belay device... his hand was still clutching the brake end.
In reply to: Also, there are quite a few climbs at Tahquitz that go years without anyone getting on them. Who knows anyone who has done Le Toit recently—say, in the last 5 years? How about Bodacious? Both are right in line with The Step and could harbor all kinds of secrets.
Dave and Kelly had climbed the step 7 days before the accident occurred. They were forced to retreat because of weather or darkness, and they told Florabel that they planned to return to finish the route. They had previous knowledge of the route, and they told those they left behind that their plan for the day was to climb The Step. I feel pretty secure in assuming they were on that route.
In reply to: As far as who (if anyone) might have been leading, I suppose anyone who can get up The Step is at least capable of leading 5.8 or higher. Since the crux is around 10b, one has to be an ok climber to get over it. The less skilled climber surely could have led the upper pitches, where the route eases up. And even if he didn’t typically lead or had not ever led, there comes a time in almost all developing climbers’ lives when the climber says, “I’d like to try to lead this one,” or his partner asks if he’d like to lead the next pitch. No one else was up there with these guys so no one really knows what they had worked out.
If Kelly Tufo was leading at the time of the fall, he did not bother to rack up beforehand. The gear on his harness was in disarray, with no particular order to it, 'biners facing in different directions, etc. The configuration looked to me and to others present to be that of someone following a pitch.
deewhy, I am not trying to argue with you, I am just attempting to provide my observations so as to rule out some possible explanations.
Meg
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deewhy
Sep 11, 2004, 9:43 PM
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Thanks for additional clarification.
I was not suggesting they were on a climb other than The Step; I was suggesting that rarely-climbed routes below or next to The Step might still hold as-yet-undiscovered evidence regarding the accident.
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amywd
Sep 16, 2004, 4:21 AM
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Thank you for the continued search for answers. Tomorrow would have been Kelly's 43rd birthday. I find it hard to believe still, but also find comfort that so many people are still thinking of that day. I think Kelly would have loved the quest and the examination for the truth.
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artm
Sep 17, 2004, 4:21 AM
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In reply to: We were looking specifically for evidence of the accident. I may have missed them but I haven’t seen many (if any) posts by others who’ve climbed the route after the accident.
I went up to Tahquitz in April of this year and climbed the Step with Mike Reardon. Mike led all the pitches which freed me to simply climb, clean and keep my eyes open for anything of interest. Mike is a very talented Free Soloist and the route is far below his ability level, I only mention this fact because that left another set of eyes to examine the route and look for evidence.
We had an objective investigator (Mike) and one of the only 2 witnesses to the fall itself (me). Even armed with first hand eyewitness knowledge of the line of fall, the exact impact zone, and many other facts gleaned from reports and theories we also could not come to any definite irrefutable conclusions.
We both came away with some theories and conclusions about what might have happened. But in the end they remain pure speculation.
In reply to: I cannot reach any meaningful conclusions about the site or cause of the accident. And even the “summit-pitch” theories are certainly plausible, even though they don’t seem as likely to me as the possibility of a fall before the summit pitch.
Rest In Peace Dave and Kelly my thoughts are with you.
To this day I regret we couldn't have done more to help and I apologize to your friends and family for that.
Art
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epic_ed
Sep 17, 2004, 4:48 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: We were looking specifically for evidence of the accident. I may have missed them but I haven’t seen many (if any) posts by others who’ve climbed the route after the accident. I quite honestly am reluctant to post this and may delete it. I went up to Tahquitz in April of this year and climbed the Step with Mike Reardon. Mike led all the pitches which freed me to simply climb, clean and keep my eyes open for anything of interest. Mike is a very talented Free Soloist and the route is far below his ability level, I only mention this fact because that left another set of eyes to examine the route and look for evidence. We had an objective investigator (Mike) and one of the only 2 witnesses to the fall itself (me). Even armed with first hand eyewitness knowledge of the line of fall, the exact impact zone, and many other facts gleaned from reports and theories we also could not come to any definite irrefutable conclusions. We both came away with some theories and conclusions about what might have happened. But in the end they remain pure speculation. In reply to: I cannot reach any meaningful conclusions about the site or cause of the accident. And even the “summit-pitch” theories are certainly plausible, even though they don’t seem as likely to me as the possibility of a fall before the summit pitch. I think the RMRU report stated it best in saying that this is most likely to remain a mystery and the only people with any answers are no longer with us. Rest In Peace Dave and Kelly my thoughts are with you. To this day I regret we couldn't have done more to help and I apologize to your friends and family for that. Art
I'm glad you posted this. It's important. No one could have done any more in this situation than you and Meg, and I know it's been hard for both of you. Several people had their lives irreparably changed that day, and how you and Meg handled yourselves that afternoon and those diffucult weeks that followed speak volumes about your character. I'm proud to call you friends.
Ed
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artm
Sep 7, 2008, 5:47 AM
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We are coming up on the anniversray of this tragedy.
David and Kellly we all did our best, please forggive us that our best was not good enough.
Forgive me.
forgive us
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curt
Sep 7, 2008, 4:50 PM
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Art, you really need to stop beating yourself up over this.
Curt
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stymingersfink
Sep 8, 2008, 6:00 AM
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curt wrote: Art, you really need to stop beating yourself up over this. Curt
You gotta remember art, they did their best first.
Be thankful that it wasn't you, let it go. Where they are now, they have no fear of falling.
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bbziger
Sep 8, 2008, 2:27 PM
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artm wrote: We are coming up on the anniversray of this tragedy. David and Kellly we all did our best, please forggive us that our best was not good enough. Forgive me. forgive us
Those who were at Dave’s memorial service will remember some of his family members asking us to honor Dave by continuing to do what we love to do – climb. It showed great strength and character. They understood how much Dave loved to climb, and in turn, understood what it meant to us.
Dave wouldn’t want you to be burdened with regret. And from what I heard from his family, neither would they.
Art, I don’t know you. But from what I’ve been told, you did all that anyone could possibly do in an impossible situation.
You asked Dave and Kelly for forgiveness. But I’m sure if they could, they’d be giving you their thanks instead.
B
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SCat
Nov 3, 2008, 1:00 AM
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Hi all,
As I’m sure many of you know, these are days traditionally reserved in Mexico for remembering the dead. In another one of life’s whopping coincidences, after ten years of wondering how to get in touch with Kelly Tufo, I’ve landed here, at this website, which gives me every indication that the person I’ve been looking for is the same Kelly involved in this accident. Can anyone confirm that Kelly made a trip to Glacier National Park in 1998? At first, when saw his age reported in the paper, I was relieved because the man I knew would have been too old to have been 32 in 2003. But I see from these posts that there were initial errors in the accident report, that Kelly was a contractor living in southern California, that he loved the outdoors, and was vibrant and generous and kind. It sounds much like the man I knew and I’d like to share a little of the days I spent with him because I’ve continued to tell friends this story over the years, and because if I can’t thank Kelly himself, I’d like to thank his family and let them know the way in which Kelly touched my life and will now, I hope, continue to touch others.
In 1998 I was 24 years old and working my third summer in Glacier National Park. In three seasons, it had never been warm enough to really swim in Swiftcurrent Lake, but that July was hotter than most and we all sprawled out on the small gravel beach and took turns on the raft. My friends and I were close, loud, and our speech was peppered with inside jokes. I would have been intimidated to approach us, but Kelly just walked up, sat down, and asked us to tell him our favorite hikes. Before long, we’d not only revealed our secret spots, but invited him to come along with us the next day, and to hang out with us that night. We discovered that Kelly and I were both going through tough break-ups. He’d come to the mountains to regroup, and I was looking for way to tear myself away from those mountains, my friends, and my ex, so that I could do the same. I’d been on the seasonal circuit since graduating from college and didn’t know where I’d go, or how I would afford it, only that I had to leave. I’d quit my job with the park concessionaire the day before, but the property manager was a friend and was allowing me to stay in employee housing for as long as I needed, or until she needed the bed for someone else.
Kelly slept in the campground until the park service told him he’d exceeded his allotted number of nights, then he began sleeping in his car in the hotel parking lot. During the day, we’d go hiking. At night, he’d join us for beer in our ring of employee cabins. We talked a lot about relationships, and the dreams we had for our lives. We talked construction, because my family is in the business, and I told him (back when I usually kept this to myself) that I wanted to be a writer. Kelly was easy to talk to, and I remember him as he’s been described in several posts here—generous, engaged, capable, thoughtful, and so full of energy and enthusiasm for life. He inspired me, but I was in a pretty bad place in my life and inspiration wasn’t enough. I felt stuck, both emotionally and physically.
On one hike, I took a picture of Kelly standing in a field of wildflowers next to a waterfall. Just after the picture was taken, he and I lay down on a flat, red rock within splashing distance of the falls.
“I’ve been thinking about your conversation with Andrea last night,” he said.
We’d been talking about money, which was a frequent topic among employees. Although we were privileged to live in one of the most beautiful valleys on the planet, each employee’s take-home salary was less than $80 per week and I was recently unemployed. Someone had said something about what we could do with two thousand dollars, and Andrea and I had both agreed that we could live like queens in Mexico for a year if we ever had such a grand sum of money all at once.
“I’ve been thinking,” Kelly now said, “about how lucky I am. I have two thousand dollars, and then some. I have work, and family, and good friends, and I can come to places like this for weeks at a time.” He smiled. “I've been so upset, but your conversation made me realize how much I have to appreciate.”
A couple of days later, I returned to my cabin to find someone else in my bed. I began packing my car, but I didn’t have anywhere to go other than the campground across the street. Someone must have told Kelly because before I could register for a site, he found me and handed me a key to one of the motel rooms. “I’ve gotten a room with two beds,” he said. “It seems neither one of us is ready to leave yet.”
I have to admit that I was suspicious. What kind of a guy would do this? What was he expecting from me? Maybe those of you who knew Kelly won’t be surprised that he didn’t expect anything at all. In fact, it seemed he made every effort to avoid the room while I was in it. As the days went by, Kelly seemed to be healing his own broken heart with his forays into the mountains. I knew I needed to do what was necessary in order to heal my own, so, with Kelly’s encouragment, I finally set a date to leave.
That morning, Kelly wasn’t in the room when I got up, but he’d left an envelope on my bed. “Don’t open this until you’re on the road,” he’d written on the outside. I waited half the day for Kelly to return, but I eventually understood that if I didn’t leave immediately, I didn’t know how I’d go at all. I hugged each of my friends goodbye, knowing we’d never all be together like that again, and I drove down the potholed dirt road toward Babb, and then, on a whim, turned the car toward the west, not knowing where I was going but that I'd know when I'd arrivedIn reply to: . Kelly’s card is in a box of papers now stored in a plastic bin in my grandmother’s basement. In it had been a sweet message of inspiration, a small square of paper with Kelly’s address, and $300. “You can pay me back when you’re a famous writer,” he’d written, “or don’t pay me back at all. Maybe you’ll meet someone else who needs help along the way. For now, use this to get wherever it is that you’re going.” I must’ve read the card a couple of dozen times as I drove into the setting sun. I spent that night in a campground outside of Truckee and, in the morning, the piece of paper with Kelly’s address on it was gone. I searched for hours, but I never found it. For years, I tried to track Kelly down. He hadn’t left his address with any of my friends in Montana, so I plugged his name into search engines, searched telephone directories, looked for him on the street when I was in the beach communities south of Los Angeles, and even thought about placing an add in the LA Times, although I never went through with it. I moved back east, went to graduate school, taught college English courses, and started a new relationship. I got busy, and perhaps didn’t look as hard as I could have. I know that I Googled Kelly a couple of times when I returned to graduate school in Idaho between 2004 and 2007, but for some reason, his name never appeared until now. I’m sorry that I never got the chance to thank him for his companionship and generosity in a time when I so needed it. I never got to thank him for being so selfless in a time of his own sorrow. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to repay him or let him know the part he played in reawakening me to my own life. Kelly’s $300 would be worth nearly $500 today, depending on how you calculate for inflation. Now that I know I won’t be able to return this money to him, I’m going to pass it along to someone else who needs it, and tell him or her about Kelly. It’ll be a loan, repayable to someone else down the line. I envision a legacy of one person helping another, one leg up at a time. I hope that in some small way this helps to keep such a wonderful spirit alive in this world. My best to all of you who were his friends and family, and my heartfelt condolences for your loss. Sayzie Koldys
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glytch
Nov 4, 2008, 11:16 PM
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Thank you for posting this incredibly moving story.
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HIGHER_CLIMBER
Nov 9, 2008, 3:46 AM
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WOW, just when i thought this site was only good for beta and jokes, i find this thread. i hope that kelly's and dave's families are enjoying life. great job to all involved.
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justwanttoclimb
Dec 17, 2008, 3:21 PM
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Wtih respect, i felt compelled to write after reading
Two….together
Two….together in the early morning sunrise began to prepare for the day ahead
Two….together have their reasons for going, leaving loved ones at home
Two….together break camp and trek in full gear to face their chosen route
Two….together are not new but veterans at this high stakes game
Two….together gearing up for battle with the giants truly enjoy what they are ready take on
Two….together begin to attack there opponent using all their skill, courage and expertise
Two….together trade off leads, trusting and confident, they struggle to overcome
Two….together with all things done right still suffer their fate
Two….together fall to rest at the bottom of tradition
Kelly Tufo & David Kellogg
These two are the heart of the sport that only climbers can understand. I praise these men and hold the highest respect for them and their actions. I look at them as courageous, fearless and strong in mind. They are the type people that I should want to be. They decided not to stay but to enter the vertical world of the climber. They put all they had toward the challenge and faced it roped together. I admire and honor these two….together, great warriors of ours.
Traditional climber
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amywd
Sep 16, 2009, 8:18 AM
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Well, again I sit here on the eve of what would be Kelly Tufo's birthday and am simply amazed at the love and the out pouring that goes on years after the accident. It is not surprising that people still feel solace in telling their stories and sharing their heart strings that led us all to this. Kelly's and Dave will live on in the souls that they touched on their shortened journey of life.
Art - my love goes out to you and Meg now and always, you need to live with vigor and be grateful. Kelly and Dave's friends will always be thankful to you two - your compassion and sharing helps put the pieces of such a complicated puzzle together for all of us and helps thrust us past the pain.
With much love.
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JustJoey23
Feb 12, 2011, 11:17 PM
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I know this thread is old and there may not be anyone still checking it - I'm not even entirely certain that I am posting my comment properly....Anyways, I've been reading Aron Ralston's book that was recently made into the film "127 Hours" and reading it suddenly made me think about David. David was my cousin, actually, and I don't remember very much about him (I know Sergio and Mark better); well, I was just wondering if anyone who sees this who knew David would feel comfortable talking with me because coming on here and reading all of these kind words...I dunno, I'm just curious about his life and his love of climbing. Thank you for your time.
-Joey
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amywd
Oct 26, 2011, 8:31 AM
Post #221 of 221
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Registered: Aug 13, 2004
Posts: 5
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Hey Joey - Dave and Kelly are so not forgotten. I met Dave a few times through Kelly - all I can say is that Kelly had so much admiration for him and was always so proud to introduce him to everybody. He talked about him admirably, all the time. When I first heard of the the tragedy, I couldn't believe it was the two of them. Dave's climbing ability was inspiring; he was a master, this doesn't happen to masters.... but somehow, that day - it did. Dave was proud of his family - whether they "legally" a family or not - they were stronger than most. His smile was distracting; when he talked about his family - he glowed. There was an easiness about him that Kelly was attracted to - Kelly enjoyed the calm....
Here's to friends...family and the knowledge that souls are still here with us.
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