Member Bio

Member #: 55
Member Year: 1973
Theodore Lindeman

Bio Summary
Community Activity Summary
Ted is a 50 year + member of the First Congregational Church and Chancel Choir. Local school district Volunteer from 1982-2018. History Day Volunteer 1997-to date. Science Education advocate 1982- present.
Occupation Summary
Ted is a retired physical chemist with particular interests in chemical kinetics, laser-induced reactions, and molecular spectroscopy. His strong side interest is in sharing physical sciences with the public, especially primary and secondary students, and whenever possible using attention-grabbing demonstrations.
AdAmAn Service
President 1999-2009. Maintaining Certified Pyrotechnic License. Taking part in several Adaman clean-up service days on Pikes Peak Maintenance and repair of pyro launch trailer. Teaching safe handling and proper electrical wiring of shells to volunteers on the Peak. Pre-climb squibbing of shells. Informational talks to service clubs and other organizations.
Hobbies
Hiking, biking, sourdough cookery, model rocketry, reading non-fiction and scientific literature.
Climbing Experience Summary
50 New Year's Adaman Climbs Summitting 31 Colorado Fourteeners Hiking and climbing in the Adirondacks of NY as a grad student.

Bio Detail
Community Activity Detail
Ted and his mother were the Tenor section of the First Congregational Chancel choir for a short time when he was in college at CC. He has enjoyed making music with the choir since including many years of playing the "fool" in Madrigal productions and shepherd/king in the annual Christmas Mystery presentation. He presented science demonstrations for classrooms in local public schools, for special summer programs at Colorado College and for other community groups when requested. Ted volunteered to help run the local competition of National History Day acting as staff member and judge for many years.
Occupation Detail
Ted's career as Professor of Chemistry began first as a visiting sabbatical replacement at Middlebury College, Vermont in 1981. This appointment included teaching General Chemistry and accompanying lab, and junior-senior level Physical Chemistry with labs. He later moved to Colorado College as Assistant Professor (tenure track) in 1982, with responsibilities largely as above in addition to research. He earned promotions to Associate Professor, later full Professor, on the schedule conventional for such (successful) appointments while teaching on the famous Block Plan for 38 years until his retirement in 2019. He received Emeritus status at CC upon retirement.
Climbing Experience Detail
Ted started hiking with his father George as a wee lad of 6 years old. He, his brothers and cousins spent many memorable summers backpacking and climbing the Colorado Rockies with Uncles Ted and George. Ted also enjoyed many additional backpacking adventures with college classmates, grad student friends, colleagues of his father's and family members. He was fortunate to be invited to join the Adaman Club climbers as a guest when he was just 16years old and has made most annual climbs since.

Memories
Memories From First Climb
I remember being very surprised at how encouraging and welcoming the older members of the group were on my first climb. They seemed like family and definitely exhibited the comradery for which the club is still famous. At this time, the shells were carried one by one from the summit house and placed in three or four steel mortars which were propped up by large stones. The fuses were then lit by nimble, experienced shooters using railroad flares. Electronic safety features were in the future!
Memories From First Member Year
My "New Member Year" adventure actually started on a Greyhound bus trip home for Christmas from grad school in Ithaca, New York. A massive winter storm hit the mid-west closing the intestate causing delays and an overnight stay on the bus at "The Majestic Service Station" in St. Francis, Kansas. The bus was able to get back on the road in the morning and I made it home on Christmas afternoon. As we started up Barr Trail on December 30th, I started to feel a little "iffy" and nauseous. It became apparent that my bus companions had shared more than just tobacco smoke. By the time I reached Barr Camp I was having trouble keeping food down. My "New Member Year" ended the next morning as my dad escorted me back down Barr Trail. Several members have never let me forget my "incomplete initiation."
Memories of Family
There were at least a few years when dinner at Barr Camp was "BYO." Dad and my brothers shared some of mom's home-made rolls and wonderful beef stew heated over the camp wood stove. My one-year-old daughter Robin helped to send off the club when her "Uncle Billy" was named the new member. All four Lindeman members made the climb that year. A few years later, several people remember a comment made in a small child's voice at the trailhead as the group organized to start the climb. Young son Ian could be heard clearly saying "this is dumb........dumb, dumb, dumb."
Favorite Memories from Climbing Fourteeners
While hiking along the trail, I fondly remember Jack Roeser commenting in a Russian peasant accent that "Suffering is no part time job!" Jimmy Bates was famous for pleading "just one more...."(photo) It didn't take much to encourage Arne Magnus to regale the group with his many Norwegian dragon stories.
Memories from Favorite Mountain Climb

Memories of Favorite Gear
My home-made orange back-pack served me well for many Adaman climbs and shows up in many photos along with my orange hat.
Memories of Worst Gear Failure