Part II and a 1/2: Crashing the Gunks
When we arrived in New Paltz, things changed.
Everywhere were beautiful colors of red and yellow that you don’t see in California.
This was the Gunks.
Our first interviews with Ajax Greene and Rich “Bukowski” Goldstone were so inspiring that we floated out (at around 10 or 11pm, some hours after we had said we would be done).
We floated around the Mohonk, unperterbed that we couldn’t find ‘Camp Slime’, and eventually floated down our sleeping bags on the hard gravel of the Mohonk Parking Lot.
It was balmy (compared to Colorado), perfect for sitting against a tire well drinking beer, writing, reading, looking at the sky.
We floated on through the morning to Oasis Coffee Shop, where we would stop every morning to wash up once we found Camp Slime (as the ‘camp’ has no water and only one portapotty).
In the shop, we floated into the gregarious Bob D’Antonio (who we’d just had a prolific interview with in CO days earlier).
Together we floated down the street to Rock&Snow, agreeing to climb together and chatting with store owner Rich Gottlieb.
Then we floated by Henry Barber as he pulled up with Russ Clune and talked about our plans to meet him in New Hampshire.
It was magical, this many different people from Gunks history walking around and us wrapped up in it like just so many red and yellow leaves in the wind.
We agreed to meet at the Cliffs, and floated into our car, floated out of the driveway, and then floated…into oncoming traffic.
CRASH!
To say I was unaffected would be a lie. Do I even have insurance in a rental car? How much is this going to cost? When is our next interview for the day?
“Does this mean we’re not going climbing anymore?”
Just when things had begun to loosen up, a moments miscalculation had ruined my perfect driving record and threatened (along with the fat lady frantically wheezing about her defaced Subaru) my insurance rates.
Once the small town cops had decided we were young California reckless-driving stereotypes they went on their way. Max, in a nice gentle way, asked me if I was ok, and if I wanted a beer or cup of coffee. As we stood back inside of Oasis getting some more Joe, The Five Stair Steps was playing overhead…
Ooh-oo child, things are gonna get easier
Ooh-oo child, things’ll be brighter
Some day, yeah
We’ll put it together and we’ll get it all done
Well, I’m not citing any kind of cosmic Playlist, but I’m sure I’ll remember the feeling of drinking coffee over interview notes on the bumpy polyester arm chairs at Oasis on a crisp New York autumn day whenever I hear this song again.
