A Tribute to Joe Szot and All He’s Done

Thank you Joe
I first caught a glimpse of the man, the living legend, that was Joe Szot back in 2002 while working at a central Jersey gear shop amidst a mid-life career change. The shop’s core climbing staff had a picture of Joe ‘holding court’ in the bivy (in center of it all, where else?!) thumbtacked above the store’s back counter. The pix was close enough to inspire them to return to the bivy soon yet far enough from wandering customer eyes… The staff’s persistent and effervescent banter of the seemingly mythical Joe figure at ‘Joe’s bivy’–not to mention his large main-like dark-haired ‘fro, chiseled physique, and sky-high stack of split firewood, quickly left an indelible impression on me, an aspiring late-in-life climber to seek out Joe–a living Adirondack climbing legend, a guy I had to meet.
Too many years rapidly past when a co-worker and seasoned ice climber Ed T. suggested we ‘scratch up some ice’ and stay at the bivy, having been referred by another rising climbing star, aka ‘Hoser.
Alas, we travelled north for Mountainfest with search of ice tame enough for a newbie like me, hopes of and getting in some backcountry skiing, and experience the bivy and meet Joe. While I had been skiing for over four decades, it was with a rather high degree of intimidation and self-consciousness that I, the newbie climber swung open the bivy door for the first time. (I recall having given more than a fleeting thought to a possible weak, self-effacing, attempt at conjuring up a first ascent response to Joe the almighty if he chanced to ask me: ‘so, what climbs had I done?,’ prepared to confess that my climbing might not quite count in his book having climbed hand-over-hand, 72-feet up the mast of a sailboat, albeit using no feet–in reality, having climbed less than a dozen times on rock let alone ice. Thankfully, such an inquisition never transpired.)
My first memory of Joe is firmly etched in my mind: Joe, Ubu in-hand, sitting center, The Dead (Cornell ’77 most likely) playing, climbing shells & ropes drying overhead, boots, ropes and crampons underfoot as Stella snaked the gauntlet of circled chairs scouting for loving pets and hugs, the well-stoked fire box pumping out btu’s as if fueled by the warmth of camaraderie that seemed to fill the room.
With route names like Chiller, Gorilla’s in the Mist, Dark Lord, an epic endurance ‘Trilogy’ High Peaks 19-hour link-up, and talk of ‘rollies’ being bandied about, I quickly realized I was in the graces of Joe Szot, the living climbing legend.
Drawn back to the magic of the bivy far too few but oh-so memorable times, I feel privileged to have started to get to know the kind of humble yet brazen, bad-ass, down-to-earth guy that was Joe Szot.
Stays at the bivy were oh so sweet yet memorable! So what’s my top 10 list of life lessons having been so lucky to meet Joe during my lifetime? Here’s an attempt:
10 Joe you were a living legend and have left a legacy; you lived to climb, you
climbed to live. And live large you did!
9 Joe, you inspired us mortals to get out, reach for the goal, fall, get up and climb
again. “Well, you’ll just have to get up there and do it again!”
8 ~”If you can’t take time to stop the treadmill and talk to and make friends, than
what the f*** you got time for?!”
7 Extend yourself to people you meet in life and with some luck, paybacks will
reap dividends, if not, hopefully a few (several would be better) beers and
laughs.
6 You can never listen to too much Grateful Dead.
5 “I did this because I saw a need.”
4 ~”If your not laughin’, your not livin’!”
3 Even giants practice humility. Joe’s self-admission to me on more than one
occasion: ‘I’m not really much of a skier,” as if apologetic. And, when I chose
to greet him one morning with ‘Good morning Captain’ as he strided
purposefully from house to bivy, he embarrassingly responded
“Captain?, hardly ‘Captain’!”
2 Trust true friends: “The first rule is: ‘there are no rules!’”
1 “I’ll sleep when I am dead”
Joe, the other day I heard Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’. You musta’ been wishin’
us well…
May god bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you

May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay, forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young

Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young
R.I.P. Joe, you lived LARGE, LARGER than we can ever hope to live, but we’ll certainly give it our best.

Thanks man,
Dave DePo.