he had grown up in the mountain country of montana , and he had vowed never to leave , primarily earning his living from walking tours for the well-healed - nice enough people who wanted mostly just to breathe fresh air and hear tales of exciting deeds - but then one day a client was so impressed by his skills and entranced by his stories that he offered him work as rigger in new york ; the offer was only accepted when it came with the assurance he would only be working on new yorks tallest buildings .