Patsy Hughes ... born to be wild

Patsy's parents were young Nisei (second generation Japanese American), proud to be American and proud of their pretty little daughter.

It seems unlikely that Charles and Haruko Saito ever expected their little baby, their only daughter, to take up rock climbing but Patsy surprised them in many ways.

Belying that seemingly innocent baby smile, she was actually a bundle of trouble and, see for yourself, she has changed very little!

Born in Hawaii, Patsy was a brat, a military brat that is, who grew up in Hawaii, Okinawa and New York City. Some children are born to climb but Patsy's father, a lover of classical music, insisted that Patsy climb onto the piano stool every day until she finally earned a joint major in music.

These days, though, Patsy has forsaken piano stools and instead prefers to exercise her digits on the rough quartz monzonite of Joshua Tree or on the vertical to overhanging walls of Owens River Gorge, below.

Patsy has an almost insatiable appetite for the outdoors. Her favorite sport though is dragging her husband, whom she met while backpacking in Yosemite, up heinous rock climbs.

Patsy in front of the China Wall, Owens River Gorge, May 1994.