GeoPooch Sobachka wrote:Oh wow, this page cracks me up. I always thought the 1st mountain on the page ought to be called a Delusion of Grandeur Peak.
http://www.willhiteweb.com/utah_climbin ... bs_305.htm

Summitpost isn't quite free of the same attitude though. "Climb" a thousand humpy bumps, build a following if your pictures are good and your own voting habits generous.

Great find, GeoPooch. Very insightful into Eric Willhite as more than just a narcissistic jerk on SP. Eric Willhite even has a website dedicated to spouting his wisdom for the poor simple folk in Utah.

For all you fellow Utahns, check out this gem on what Eric Willhite thinks of all of us from Salt Lake City. Maybe Eric Willhite the wise one can teach all of us poor Utahns a thing or two about mountaineering:

"Although the majority of Utah’s population sits at the base of 11,000 foot peaks, few of them become peakbaggers. A high number hike, even hike up the highest peaks but few become addicted to climbing peaks elsewhere. Wondering why this was, I believe I have discovered the reason. I believe for most climbers, as their climbing experience grew to climbing harder and harder mountains, they develop a passion for the sport. In Utah, the average person has the ability to climb the highest and most well known peaks by a trail in one summer. Utah gives away its finest peaks leaving all the others missed. Most climbers I know from Seattle or Colorado started out climbing up trails to summits. At some point, they ventured off the trail, scrambling their way up a hard peak, receiving a real feeling of accomplishment. Then they aspire to climb the next greater peak, the one with a rock or glacier climb to the summit. Experience is gained climbing various peaks, eventually leading to that summit they never thought they could climb. This is how a climber falls in love with climbing, or something in this fashion. So in Utah, locals get the cake first without eating dinner. They don’t climb the small, lesser known peaks working their way up to the big ones. That’s my theory on why Utah doesn’t produce many peakbaggers. So, If you are a Utah hiker, consider some off trail peakbagging. Feel free to email me with any questions."

- Eric Willhite

Yeah day hiker. I don't know how I'm ever going to recover from that. It's been bothering me all week.

Well now, a venomous thread. I used to jump on the bandwagon when ANY thing happened at my home peak Mt Hood. I am no longer going to do that. Why? None of us know what any of us would do if we were in other peoples crampons.

Eric Willhite, you stepped in shit, now clean off your boots and apologize and let’s move on. You weren’t there, none of us were. Just because you have freedom of speech doesn’t mean you need to use it.

I did step in it. I agree. Although I strongly believe what I was trying to express, I should not have brought it up at this time nor in the comments of your post. Mark, I do apologize for that.

Deltaoperator17 wrote:Just because you have freedom of speech doesn’t mean you need to use it.

Wow, I think I just found, thanks to Deltaoperator, the perfect phrase to tell loud and obnoxious students who won't shut-up.

ericwillhite wrote:I did step in it. I agree. Although I strongly believe what I was trying to express, I should not have brought it up at this time nor in the comments of your post. Mark, I do apologize for that.

In only his 5th post on SP, eric has shown some humility. It ought to count for something and that "something" should be capping the venom.

ericwillhite wrote:I did step in it. I agree. Although I strongly believe what I was trying to express, I should not have brought it up at this time nor in the comments of your post. Mark, I do apologize for that.

Nice work Whillhite, you admit you stepped in it and you apologized to PW but then you reiterate, "I strongly believe what I was trying to express". We all get it. Adios.

mrchad9 wrote:

I second that

+1.

But . . . Willhite's website appears to be a commercial venture -- lots of ads, and direct links to buy products from retailers (REI/Altrec in particular). Either he really loves REI or he is getting paid when people purchase through his site.

I am suspicious of his sudden emergence and apparent desire to incite and continue a firefight. A ploy to direct attention to himself and his site? More traffic, more money. I could be wrong . . . maybe just being cynical after reading his other comments.

Sorry to extend this thread, but had to ask.

kozman18 wrote:+1.

But . . . Willhite's website appears to be a commercial venture -- lots of ads, and direct links to buy products from retailers (REI/Altrec in particular). Either he really loves REI or he is getting paid when people purchase through his site.

I am suspicious of his sudden emergence and apparent desire to incite and continue a firefight. A ploy to direct attention to himself and his site? More traffic, more money. I could be wrong . . . maybe just being cynical after reading his other comments.

Sorry to extend this thread, but had to ask.

I looked at his site earlier as well and though the same thing. But if Google searches are done, all his dribble will be seen as well from this thread. Possible it backfires?

I don't know how his site works or how he is compensated (if he is). Don't some advertisers pay according to the traffic on the site (regardless of whether the traffic is "good")? And so, wouldn't any publicity be good publicity? I am just suspicious of the way in which this unfolded.