Jimmie Dunn is perhaps the first person who envisioned single-pitch climbing in Indian Creek. In the mid-1970s, he walked up to an unclimbed Supercrack and thought, This place is going to be great for training someday.
I was first introduced to Jimmie by Stewart Green, who is seen in this photo bouldering in the Fringe of Death Canyon in those early days. Sadly, Stewart passed away earlier this year, and of course it was Jimmie who shared the news with me.
This fall we got the pleasure to link up with Jimmie in Indian Creek, nearly 50 years after he first climbed there. At 76 years old, Jimmie isn’t climbing much anymore, but he’s more than content to be at the cliff and spread his good cheer to everyone he meets. If you’ve had the pleasure to connect with Jimmie, you know what I mean.
Now, Jimmie’s son, Charlie Joe, who is 19 years old, has the climbing bug. I had the pleasure to belay Charlie Joe on Supercrack during our visit, while his dad proudly looked on.
One thing that Jimmie always says is to make time to take the adventures with your friends, because you never know when it will be the last one.
Thank you to Jimmie and to Stewart for introducing us. We offer our deepest condolences and love to Stewart’s friends and family.
This piece was published in Volume 25 of The Climbing Zine.
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