We Love You Brenda

I'm so sorry for your loss (and all of ours). Brenda was one of a kind. No matter what kind of a day we were having, it was always made better when we ran into you and her.

Hi Michael, we met at Silcox this year and I am so very sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you. RIP Brenda.

We're so sorry to hear this, our condolences Mike. We had a great time skiing with the two of you in Nelson.

Dave and Karen

Mike wanted you all to know you are invited to a celebration of Brenda's life to be held at their home on July 16 from 1-4 PM. The address is:

1312 Dayton Ave NE
Renton, WA 98056

Also, since Michael is now telling stories that Brenda forbade him from telling before, I think she urged me to pass along news that he passed to me... to wit:
"Had a good visit at my folk's, and my father is doing better. I took a couple solo ski tours up to Mt Thielsen where Brenda and I like to go during our Roseburg visits. Tough to find any joy but the exercise seems to help. I'm back in Renton now trying to take care of some things, and trying to get ready for the Louisiana service, and the celebration at our house after that. The grass in the backyard is 2 ft high and definitely needs some attention."

Brenda was my best friend for over 28 years. We were just kids in the beginning. Brenda had no experience in the mountains, coming from a small farm town in the middle of Louisiana, and I had little more. From the start it was just the two of us finding our way in the mountains. We started out as hikers, with a love of wilderness camping. We dabbled with cross country skiing, some sea kayaking, along with several trips out of the country. Nearly always just the two of us.

In 1996, then in our mid 30’s,  I somehow decided to take up telemark skiing. It was to be a way to extend our wilderness trips into the winter. I took a few lessons at the Pass and a year later I persuaded Brenda to take some classes as well. She was not a natural on snow, but she stuck it out and took it on as a personal challenge to learn the turn. We both paid our dues, with countless nights at the Pass, floundering on ice or in wet miserable conditions. I particularly remember a long dry winter stretch in the late 90’s. Night after night for weeks we’d have Hale Bop lighting the sky, as we’d drive back from another icy night, putting in the time and getting religion with the turn. It became an obsession.

In the early 2000’s we spent a lot of time at a lot of different resorts. So many road trips. Soon we found ourselves tiring of the monotony of the lifts, and began racking up a much higher percentage of bc days. The last few years barely saw us touch a ski lift. It was all about the powder, new places and wilderness. The attraction of the bc was just to much to resist.  I don’t know how many times we’d go to a resort, buy a ticket, take a couple runs, then hike and skin most of the day.

Brenda was the best ski partner. Ready every Sat morning for another weekend adventure, no matter how tough the past work week. She made it so easy. Having such a willing ski partner was a gift, and I really did know how lucky I was. But all those days really add up, and I knew in the back of my mind that we were playing the odds. Always fearing an injury could end it all. Like her broken ankle in 2000 that put her out for the entire season.

Well, our run has come to an end, but not in the way I had ever imagined. Somehow I hope to continue this sport we loved together. The sport that consumed so much of our life the last 15 years. But it will be tough for me to find any joy for now. I’ll miss showing off to her on a new run, or discovering a new bc area together, or the pride I always felt while watching her when she was on a good day. But mostly I’ll miss the joy of walking into the room to wake her for another early Sat drive to Paradise.