LIFELONG
LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP AND ADVENTURE.
>>
>> Reporter: FRIENDSHIP FOLLOWS THE TRACKS IN GLENWOOD
CANYON STEP BY STEP.
>> DUDE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS
OVER BEERS LAST WEEK.
THAT'S NOT HOW WE AGREED TO
START THE STORY.
>> Reporter: YOU DON'T WANT TO
DO IT?
DO IT?
DO IT? OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
WE WANTED TO START AT THE END.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WHERE I'M CLINGING TO THAT ROCK
RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT THERE. >> Reporter: AND I'M STANDING
ON TOP OF IT.
>> SHUT UP.
>> Reporter: I CAN SAY THAT
BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS.
ANYWAY THAT'S US WITH TWO GUYS
WE JUST MET, STEVE KIBLER AND
MIKE PADDOCK.
MIKE PADDOCK. >> IT'S ACTUALLY MICHAEL.
>> AND THIS WE'LL GET TO LATER.
OKAY.
OKAY. NOW
OKAY. NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE
GOT HERE.
>>
>> YOU'RE
>> YOU'RE GETTING MORE EXERCISE THAN WE ARE.
>> Reporter: GETTING AN
OPENING SHOT IS HARD WORK.
>> I THINK I GOT IT.
>> Reporter: ONE THAT CAPTURES
FOUR FRIENDS BEGINNING AN
ADVENTURE.
ADVENTURE. >> IT'S GETTING THERE.
NOT SURE WHERE THERE IS, BUT
IT'S GETTING THERE.
>> Reporter: TWO OF THEM KNOW
THE ROUTE LIKE IT'S THEIR
BACKYARD.
BACKYARD.
BACKYARD. >> IT'S ALMOST LIKE GOING HOME
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. >> Reporter: MIKE IS USUALLY
THE GUY IN THE LEAD.
>> GOING VERY GOOD, NICE DAY
FOR IT.
FOR IT.
FOR IT. >> Reporter: STAPH IS THE ONE
SOAKING IT IN.
>> THE FEEL OF THE ROCK AND THE
SMELL OF THE LICHEN, IT
COULDN'T BE BETTER, COULDN'T BE
BETTER.
BETTER.
BETTER. >> Reporter: MIKE'S DAUGHTER
AND THEIR FRIEND JOSH TAG
ALONG.
ALONG.
ALONG. STEVE AND MIKE GO WAY BACK.
>> HOW FAR BACK?
>> Reporter: FAR ENOUGH THAT
WE HAVE TO USE ONE OF THESE.
THE
THE PAIR
THE PAIR STARTED HANGING OUT IN THE '60s.
THE '60s.
THE '60s. >> ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND
BEING CRAZY AS WE ARE,
EVERYTHING CLICKED.
EVERYTHING CLICKED. >> Reporter: 19-YEAR-OLDS WHO
LOVED CLIMBING, THE TOUGHER,
THE BETTER.
THE BETTER. THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED.
RIGHT
RIGHT BEFORE THE VIETNAM WAR CAME CALLING THEY HAD AN IDEA.
>> I WAS ONE WEEK FROM THE AIR
FORCE.
FORCE.
FORCE. HE
FORCE. HE WAS TWO WEEKS FROM THE ARMY.
SO WE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING
CRAZY.
>>
>> SAID
>> SAID WE OUGHT TO LEAVE SOMETHING TO REMEMBER US BY
JUST FOR FUN.
>> SO THE 13th OF MARCH, 1968,
WE PUT A FLAG UP.
>> Reporter: UP AS IN WAY UP
THERE ON THE CLIFFS OF GLENWOOD
CANYON.
CANYON.
CANYON. >> AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAULING
CAMERA EQUIPMENT THROUGH THIS
JUNGLE.
JUNGLE.
JUNGLE. >> Reporter: AND WHY ARE THERE
SO MANY LOOSE ROCKS?
>>
>> KNOW
>> KNOW WHAT? ROCKS HURT.
ROCKS HURT. JUST LISTEN AND LOOK AT THIS
ANGRY PICTURE.
>>
>> OH,
>> OH, WHOA.
>>
>> THIS
>> THIS IS NUTS. >> OF COURSE.
WHY DO YOU THINK 19-YEAR-OLDS
DO IT?
DO IT?
DO IT? >>
DO IT? >> Reporter: THE SAME REASON
71-YEAR-OLDS KEEP DOING IT.
■
■■
>>
>> IT
>> IT JUST BECAME SOMETHING THAT WE DID.
>>
>> AND
>> AND THE NEXT YEAR WELL, WE DID IT LAST YEAR.
WE BETTER DO IT AGAIN.
PRETTY SOON IT'S 50 YEARS.
WE
WE HAVE
WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE SAID I MAKE MY KIDS LOOK
FOR IT EVERY YEAR EVERY TIME WE
GO THROUGH THE CANYON.
THEY HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT.
>> THIS EDGE HAS GOT A LOT OF
GOOD HAND HOLDS.
>> Reporter: AS AGE CREEPS UP
AND ACHES SINK IN --
>> I'VE GOT A KNEE AND HIP AND
SHOULDER REPLACED.
SHOULDER REPLACED. >> Reporter: -- THEY KNOW THIS
CAN'T LAST FOREVER.
>>
>> I
>> I WILL
>> I WILL REGRET NOT BEING ABLE TO DO IT AT SOME POINT IN MY
LIFE.
>>
>> THAT'S
>> THAT'S WHERE THAT JOSH DUDE FROM THE BEGINNING COMES IN.
>> Reporter: THE GUY HOLDING
OUR CAMERA DOWN THERE.
>> WE WERE TWO.
WE'RE NOW THREE.
>> NOW HE'S JUST ONE OF US.
HE'S THE THIRD WHEEL.
>> Reporter: NOT AS OLD BUT
JUST AS NUTS.
>>
>> YOU
>> YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE NUTS, THEN I'M NUTS.
LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
>>
>> Reporter: MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKED INTO
TAKING THIS TRIP.
>> THE FLAG IS A TOOL TO
FRIENDSHIP.
FRIENDSHIP. FRIENDSHIP IS A TOOL TO THE
FLAG.
EVERYBODY
EVERYBODY THAT'S COME UP HERE I CLAIM IS A FRIEND.
>> WE BETTER BE INCLUDED
BECAUSE THAT WAS THE SCARIEST
SHOOT I'VE BEEN ON.
>>
>> Reporter: SHOULD I TELL MY WIFE HOW SMALL THIS LEDGE WAS?
>>
>> IN
>> IN TRUTH, I AM ABSOLUTELY TICKLED PINK THAT THE TWO OF
YOU CAME ALONG.
YOU
YOU KNOW,
YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS I CAN GET UP THERE AND BACK DOWN, YEAH,
WE'LL KEEP DOING IT.
>>
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHERE THE STORY ENDS FOR NOW.
>> IT'S WHERE IT STARTED, TOO.
>> I DEFINITELY WANT TO GET A
PICTURE OF EVERYBODY.
>> Reporter: TWO OLD FRIENDS
WILL KEEP DOING WHAT THEY'VE
ALWAYS DONE.
ALWAYS DONE. FRIENDS LIKE US ARE LUCKY.
>> LUCKY?
>> LUCKY?
>> LUCKY? >> Reporter: YEAH, LUCKY TO