The Bark of the Cony
In 1932, just before turning 4, I experienced a traumatic childhood injury that strongly affected my outlook on life. My Family provided emotional support as I adapted to having only partial use of my right arm and hand.
A good friend, Warren Pulis, and I discovered mountain climbing while in college, and for me, it was like I found religion.
This book, The Bark of the Cony, emphasizes a major life philosophy of mine, “Not If, But How.” It tells of life experiences in my formative years and adventures that my four sons and I experienced while climbing mountains together.
— George Nash Smith
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George Nash Smith was born in Denver in 1928 and is a third-generation Coloradoan. Due to an accident George’s right arm and hand were severely injured before he was four years old. This event was life-changing, but because he grew up in an emotionally supportive environment, he learned not to use his injury as an excuse. Instead, he developed his philosophy of “Not if, but how,” and had an attitude of challenging himself.
George joined the Boy Scouts and became an Eagle Scout at age 14. He further developed his life philosophy and love for nature through mountain climbing, which began when he and his good friend, Warren Pulis, first climbed Longs Peak while attending college at Colorado A & M in Fort Collins.
George married Marilou Milano in 1951 and they raised four sons, Flint, Quade, Cody, and Tyle. George became a square dance caller in 1948 while in college, and in 1961 built a dance hall called The Outpost where he continued to teach dancing and hold private parties up until the week before his death on October 24, 2020.
By 1969 the “Climbing Smiths” had climbed all 67 peaks over 14,000 feet in the contiguous 48 states. Their experiences helped the family forge strong bonds, learn important values and set records along the way.
14er Linkup 1974
In 1974 the “Climbing Smiths” set out to climb all 68 of the 14,000 foot peaks in the lower 48 states again. Their ages were George 46, Flint 22, Quade 18, Cody 17 and Tyle 15. Each of the 5 climbed all the peaks. They were self-supported, doing their own cooking, driving, route finding and all other tasks related to the climbs. They didn’t start any climbs after dark and they took rest days. On the 48th day they summited Mt Rainier, completing the adventure. A good summary of the effort was published in the Denver Post’s Empire Magazine on December 8th, 1974. As of August 2025 Tyle has climbed each the 68 14ers at least 4 times, Flint and Cody 3 times, and Quade and George twice each.
Read Empire Magazine Article: The Smiths' Blitz of the Fourteeners.
Read Outside Magazine Article: 51 Years Before Killian Jornet, These brothers Made 14er Speed Records a Thing.
Read Colorado Sun Article: Kilian Jornet, the world’s bestmountain ultra-runner, is racing across Colorado’s highest peaks.