Learning from Failure: Scott Johnston’s early days…

I just wanted to say I was completely delighted listening to Scott Johnston’s stories of flailing about in the Colorado mountains and other climes as a teenager and young man. I could relate to so much of that! I grew up in Colorado, too. I did have the great fortune of having a dad who took us on weekend backpacking trips to various 14ers when I was a little kid, but once I was on my own…yep, your brain and judgement take a while to catch up to your ambitions. I would pair up with different adventure buddies and go out and tackle these odd objectives (let’s hike barefoot around the entire Sand Dunes! How long could it possibly take?) that never quite turned out the way we imagined they would. And the story about guy with the drugs in his car–I once got picked up at the top of Molas Pass in a summer snowstorm after some ridiculous mountain biking loop that we couldn’t quite pull off by a guy who was 1) stoned 2) drinking and 3) told us he was just back from Mexico with a car full of dope. We got out at the top of Coal Bank Pass just a few minutes later. I have no recollection of how we got back to Durango, where I was living at the time.

Also–70’s parenting! (I’m a little younger so for me it was 80’s parenting! I wonder what they thought we were out doing?) Anyway–thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the stories and the reminiscing!