May 3, 2022 |
The preface to the second edition of Climbing and Hiking in the Wind River Mountains begins with a recollection. Joe Kelsey recalls that when he wrote the first edition of the book in the 1970s, he began with by writing letters to notable climbers seeking information. He included a stamped, self-addressed envelope seeking information. He would arrange interviews where he would show up with a “notebook, a six pack and a box of slides.” When he was preparing the second edition, email had been invented and he no longer had to bring beer to gain an invite. When writing the preface for the third edition, Kelsey lamented yet an even more modern invention, Google Earth, had him “imagine a day when a guidebook writer could appear authoritative without ever leaving his desk.”
Kelsey, whose book on the Winds is a considered a definitive guide for both novice and experienced climbers, assures readers that he hasn’t “given up the actual mountains.” He still spends his summers wandering the trails, even experiencing the thrill of new discoveries after years of trekking. His book on hiking and climbing the Winds remains central to the state’s tourism and recreation industry.
Kelsey will be conferred the University of Wyoming’s highest award next month. UW will confer an honorary doctorate degree on the famed mountaineer during commencement ceremonies on May 14th.
Kelsey’s signature book, one of several he has written about Wyoming, has served as both an inspiration and guidepost to three generations of outdoor adventurers, many of whom traveled to the state to trace his trails through the mountains.
Kelsey, who holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University, discovered the Wind River Mountains on a trip to the Cirque of the Towers in August 1969. Since then, he has ascended hundreds of peaks and routes in the iconic mountain range, with at least 23 first ascents. His signature book about the Winds cautions the reader that “climbers who achieve first ascents sometimes underrate the difficulty or danger of the climbing route.”
Danger lurks behind every decisions, he suggests. Success is never guaranteed. Kelsey will be the keynote speaker for undergraduates of several UW colleges next month as students begin ascents up mountains of their own making.
Courtesy photos.
