Dennis Luther, 54, was a dedicated and veteran climber, establishing a slew of new routes in the Adirondacks from the early 1980s through 2007. At Poke-O-Moonshine, one of his favorite stomping grounds, he did first ascents of such popular routes as Son of a Mother (5.10b), Air Male (5.11c), Static Cling (5.10c) and, most recently, Pandemonium (5.10)....

Even before we tugged up our harnesses beside Orizaba's lower glacier, I'd been given hints the world was askew. The mice that infested the Quertano Hut pooled by the door as we readied to leave, their demonic eyes reflecting our headlamps....