1232

[Para_Frog]

Span – February 24^th, 2007 – Perrine Bridge, Idaho – 486’

I met the wonderful woman whom is to become Mrs. Harvey in August of 2004, Friday the 13^th to be precise. I met her on the plane back from Army Officer Candidate School at Ft. Lewis Washington. If you ever get a chance to meet the Blondie and I, you will see what a very particular couple we are; perfect for no one else in the world but each other.


So I find out she lives in Twin Falls (I live in Boise) and I make the journey to come see her. I see the BASE jumpers and tell her its something I have wanted to do since I began my parachuting career at Ft. Benning, GA in 1991. Several bad relationship situations had not only kept me from pursuing BASE, but had put my skydiving career on hiatus for about 5 years. Blondie got me back in the air and told me that if I had wanted to BASE jump for so long, by golly, it was more of our fate that I had been brought to Twin Falls.

Blondie and I spent most of our free time on the weekends I came to Twin watching the locals and the transient jumpers. We got to know a few of them, and I knew I would be doing this.


My local DZO in Star, ID mentioned he had a BASE rig. I asked him if I could take it to Twin one weekend to have the locals check it over. He agreed, and I took it to Twin the weekend of February 24^th, 2007. I met a very nice BASE jumper, whom I asked if I could watch pack, he agreed and took the time to explain everything to me slowly. He asked about my background  I am a former Force Recon Marine, and he was Richard, former Navy fighter pilot. We connected, and before I knew it, he was inspecting my rig and offering to PCA me from the bridge.

I have learned never to pass up big opportunities, and told him absolutely. I called Blondie on the phone, Get your ass down here, Im jumping! Blondie got there in about 10 minutes, I suited up, and Rich put me off to a textbook stand-up landing. Tom A. was there and invited us over for the tri-tip. I brought a 5^th of Patron (my famous poison) and we all polished it off. All the BASE jumpers in attendance signed the bottle. It was a great 1^st jump. My next 80 or so BASE jumps were from the Perrine.

Antenna – September 1^st, 2007 - “The Omelet” – American Falls, ID – 292’

Not a whole lot to this one, except for the fact that it was the first time my regular jump buddies figured out that I don’t stick around on objects. We climbed the freestander in about 10 minutes and sat on the catwalk. I was scared to death. (Did I mention I’m scared of heights?). So as soon as my arms were rested enough from the death-grip climb, I had Andrew check my bridle routing and I was GONE. Turned the wrong way – downwind, and managed to hook a 180 and come screaming in to a perfectish landing in a lettuce patch. Pulled out a mini of Patron and we toasted! Blondie was ground crew at the base of the antenna. Jumped with Andrew and Adam.

Earth – February 3^rd, 2008 – “The Jawbone” – Twin Falls, ID – 260’

Superbowl Sunday. We (The TF locals) had all been invited to Tree’s house for the game. Abbie had the idea to all jump Jawbone before the game. I loved the plan! So when everyone got there – Abbie, Jamiel, Ray Ray, Mark, Tree, and Andrew, we loaded up into Abbie’s truck and drove to the top of the canyon. It was windy, and everyone bagged it before we got out of the truck. I was bummed, since it would have been my first E. So we sat and watched the game, and I kept looking out Tree’s window at the shrubs on the rim of the canyon. By halftime, I thought it looked good, so I grabbed Jamie and the Blondie and we headed out to take a look. It had just gotten dark by the time we hit the exit point, but I liked the conditions. With Blondie filming and Jamie watching, I nailed Jawbone in a 90-degree crosswind. Perfect landing. Made it back only 2 minutes into the second half! Drank Patron of course.

Building – February 25^th, 2008 18:32 – “Crack Den (My Name)” – New Orleans, LA – 170’

I love this story. So back in November, I was informed that I had to go to yet another military conference, this time in New Orleans. I did all my homework and discovered that a majority of the high-rise buildings in the city are still abandoned from Katrina. There are a bunch of PRIMO objects in the city and out. For this trip, however, my organization did not authorize a rental car, so it restricted my options. From the hotel window on Canal St., Blondie and I could see a building in a bad state of disrepair right next to the projects. So we set out to scout it. The first pass we did during the day appeared to show by simply walking through the front of the building, which was completely destroyed, you could access the building. The landing area was a HUGE gravel parking lot across the street. Hmmm. We went and ate $80 worth of crawfish and martinis to mull it over. The building was obviously too low to freefall. (For me at least – I limit my FFs to 250’) so the most viable option was PCA. I didn’t have any BASE jumpers around…”Hey baby, you wanna PCA me?” “Sure!” So I taught Blondie how to PCA in our hotel room. I even let her pull the pins to see how it felt. “You think you can handle that baby?” “Who the hell are you talking to?” she says.


We headed out to the building while it was still daylight with my gear and the video camera. Sure enough, we walked right in the front window to the stairs and climbed to the roof. So, within view of the French Quarter and, um, a Police Station, we hung out and giggled as we sent texts to our BASE buddies back in Twin. Andrew still doesn’t have his B, so I HAD to bust his balls. The boys were nervous for me since it was Blondie’s first PCA and my first B. But WTF, that’s what trust is all about. Blondie told them to relax, and Abbie said he wanted my rig when I went in. You could feel the love.

Dark fell, and the Blondie and I headed over to the exit point. It looked good, and I was ready to shit myself. We perched the video camera on the ledge next to where my feet would be and let it rip. About the time Blondie had the bridle prepped and we were ready, gunfire erupted on the street below in the projects – friggin PERFECT timing! So we waited just a sec, and I was ready again. Then we had to wait for a security guard down the street to lock up a gate. Grrrr. Friggin urban parachuting, right? So now we’re ready.

“You got me baby?” I ask. For the 37^th time.
“Yep”
“You sure?”
“Yep.”
“I love you baby,” I say.
“I love you too honey” (kiss) “Have fun!”

Some gang members flying red walk along the street directly under me, and away we go. I climb onto the ledge, take one last check of Blondie, and go. Beautiful. Right up to the point where my dumb ass turned downwind. I landed to the cheers of the local gang bangers at about a thousand miles an hour in the gravel parking lot, skidding to a stop. Thank God for pads and gloves…and helmets.

“Yo man! You just jump that bitch?!?”
“Yeah buddy – you see any Po-Po?”
“No, but hurry up – They rollin! You need help?”
“No, I’m good!”


I stash my shit, jump a fence, and am GONE.

So the Blondie, who had just pulled off the most picture-perfect 1^st PCA in the history of modern BASE, grabs the camera and films my arrival (it wasn’t anything resembling a landing), and turns to see a flashlight in her face.

“What are you doing up here ma’am?”
“I was just getting my purse and leaving!” Blondie tells the flashlight.
“And then you’re leaving, right?”
“Yes Sir!”
“Are you up here alone?”
“Yes sir, I am.”

She grabbed her purse and smoked her way down 17 stories…like world record egress.


We met up 2 blocks away and hit Bourbon Street with my stashbag and still in pads for a drink. It was a beautiful BASE night. More special due to the fact that I qualified with my life in the hands of the woman I love.

I know why I BASE now….more than I ever did.


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