The Mountaineers
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to ....
Name: Paul Spitalny
Hometown: Scarsdale, NY
Member Since: January 1993
Occupation: Electrical Engineer
Favorite Activities: Backpacking, scrambling, climbing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, hiking
10 Essentials: Questions
How did you get involved with The Mountaineers?
When I moved out to WA state I immediately joined The Mountaineers. I was familiar with the club through some folks back East who used to live in the PNW. I moved out here (Everett area) in Feb 1993 and within a week or two I was in the Everett Basic climbing class!
What motivates you to get outside with us?
Enjoying the beauty of the PNW with others, enjoying and maintaining good health through long days of hiking! This is an awesome organization with lots of nice people. We are SO lucky to have and be in a club like this!
What's your favorite Mountaineers memory?
Lots of amazing memories from the Basic climbing class, and also the Int climbing class. Too many memories to name just one as a favorite. Hey, who says we have to have a favorite anyhow?!
Who/What inspires you?
The sheer beauty of our planet.
What does adventure mean to you?
Being totally engrossed in route finding, traveling safely, the challenge of knowing when to keep going, and when to turn back, and how to somehow internally generate a "can do" attitude even when things are miserable and scary.
Lightning Round
What's your happy place? Above treeline, wandering in meadows with boulders, stunted evergreens, snowy peaks above, water running in little streams, maybe an alpine tarn. There's where I want to be!
If you could be a rock star at any outdoor activity overnight, what would it be? Why should we want to be a star? I am more interested in just "being" out in the mountains and being invisible, leave no trace!
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