This past spring, on March 30th, the world lost one its best to Mt. St. Helens in a truly tragic and unexpected accident. Almost 8 months later, my good friend
@justinreedolsen and I agreed to meet in southern Washington to visit the monumental, awe inspiringly powerful landscape where our dear friend had lost his life, but more importantly, so we could say the farewells we never had the chance to say before he was gone.
I reference Rocky as a dear friend, as I suspect anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him, much less adventuring with him would. His untamable spirit, mixed with kindness only matched by his appetite made him an unforgettable character in only the best ways possible. He was an inspiration just by the way he carried himself, everywhere he went, stoke followed. To the top of Mt St Helens 28 times, to 14,000 ft where heād share his love for skydiving with anyone who would join (he even took me for my first time skydiving), and to the tops of countless other summits, his presence here on earth brought nothing but positivity and happiness. The kind of person who never left a moment to be forgotten. To be fair, it would be hard to when he really made so much of each and every one.
He truly was one of the most inspiring people Iāve ever met, not in a way that made me want to climb another mountain (although his stoke and ambition for life motivates me to this day) but in a way that simply makes me want to be better in any way I can off or on a mountain.
A lot of emotions were felt on this summit, and I couldnāt be more thankful to be joined there by
@justinreedolsen . Standing in the same place where Rocky once did was surreal and terrifying, but at the same time, it brought a sense of peace I had been missing from our friendās passing. If he was still here, he would have been there on that summit with us. Without better words, he wasnāt, but his presence was and will be forever displayed within the active might of that great mountainās majestic cathedral.
Simply said, he was a legend in character, the mountains, the sky, and everyoneās mind that he met.
You have been, and will continue to be missed. Save a spot at the summit brotheršļø