Never did hear enough of his stories....

I only had the chance to go on a couple climbs with John, and neither turned out to be the epic adventures that he seemed to attract. Each time, the day flew by as John filled it with stories and cautionary tales, with the occasional joke tossed in for flavor.
On one of our climbs he told me the reason he liked the basic climbs so much was because he got to see so many new climbers find out what they could really do and see their accomplishment. I don't doubt that for a minute. He seemed to want to help everyone, in his own gruff way, to be better.

The world is poorer now, having lost another good man and a great storyteller.

Go in peace, John.
You will be missed.