Banquet of the Infinite

A Remarkable Memoir of Mountains and Outdoor Adventure

Washington's Cascades, California's Sierra, and Wyoming's Wind River Range form the backdrop for the gritty personal stories of Bill's engaging memoir. Seventies Seattle was a beautiful and rich basecamp for the recent Midwest architecture graduate, and Bill kept saying yes to the wilderness invitations from his adventurous new friends.

Bill's transformational story weaves through a series of narrative essays and visual vignettes that paint the magic of the mountains, the thrill of climbing, the challenges of the outdoor business, and a host of colorful characters, his quirky risk-taking companions.

Timothy Leary's metaphor of the moment resonated with him.

"Turn on, tune in, drop out."

As Leary intended, dropping out meant self-reliance, a discovery of one's singularity, a commitment to mobility, choice, and change. For Bill, dropping out would be an active, selective process of detaching from the convention of his planned architectural career path.  When his wild-haired climbing mentor suggested joining him to make mountaineering tents, Bill accepted his offer, dropping out of career and into adventure.

Bill's memoir of his formative years is at times hilarious, and yet wise with meaningful insights that will inspire others in the quest for their immutable truths.

Over 80 timeless photos add life and texture to Bill's stories.

Here's what an early fan of Banquet of the Infinite had to say

• The 13th Omnipotent - "Intriguing and a leap into an unconventional lifestyle."
• To Climb a Rock - "Loved your descriptions of the Valley, climbing instructors, taking lessons and putting them to use."
• Beers in the Stream - "I found myself immersed in the story, the characters, the scenery, and the climb."
• It'll Burn Off - "This is a harrowing tale. It has lots of danger, risk, intrigue, and suffering."
• Warbonnet and Wolf's Head - "I liked how the story illustrated the hard and soft parts of each person in this delightfully adventurous group."

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