CLARK COUNTY, Wash. — Bob Bolton has been walking alongside his dad for a long time.
“We spent a lot of time, as much as possible actually, out in the mountains together when I was a kid. That was when I could sort of dominate his attention. Other times of course at home, that was the phone that dominated his attention,” said Bob.
A doctor, musician and military veteran—Earl Bolton just keeps climbing—in age. The 106-year-old is the oldest known man in Clark County and the second oldest in Washington. Bob says his father’s long life doesn’t appear to be tied to genetics.
“Dad is the one who has lasted the longest by far. There was no apparent genetic reason for him to last this long because his family died at normal ages,” said Bob.
Earl was born in 1914 to American parents on a homestead in Canada. They moved to eastern Washington in the 1920s. In 2016, Earl moved to Salmon Creek from Wenatchee.
“He has no diseases that most people get at old age like this,” said Bob.
The Boltons have taken the pandemic very seriously.
“Pandemic…kind of scary,” said Earl at his church in Southeast Portland. His long-term memory is still sharp, Bob says his short-term is hit or miss.
As you can imagine, Earl has made plenty of memories in over a century. He climbed Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in the 50s. Bob is an accomplished mountaineer himself at 74. He and his dad summited Mount Pilchuck together 70 years ago. 50 years later—in 2001, they did it again.
“Out in the wilderness, to me is really living,” said Earl with a smile.
Adding to his long list of feats, Earl got vaccinated back in March. He said he had no side effects. He credits three things for his long, full life: a vegetarian diet, an active lifestyle, and studying his bible.
“And I have put them into practice for many, many years now,” said Earl.