In Memoriam - TalusMonkey, you will be missed

[colopilot2002]

USAKeller, First off stay strong and if you need anything you have a very large extended family here to call upon including myself. Lastly the TM page is looking great thus far with the picts and links, and its very fitting to have it linked striaght from the 14ers.com main page. Be strong...

[Speedbird]

I echo many of the posts here when I state my disbelief and grief at this extremely sorrowful event.

Understanding that there are so many posts in regard to this situation, I'm hopeful mine receives at least some reading...let me explain, as brief as I can.

First of all....

Caroline, our sincerest prayers and love to you for performing what I believe to be professionally under rather scary circumstances. May God comfort and be with you, as I know all of us rally around you, David's friends, and family from this point.

Also......

As a beginning climber that wants to learn how to become good on these massive peaks, I was wishing ( and still am ) to have had the chance to climb with someone like David, due to my desire to learn from the finest. From where I stand, David was just that.

.......And if that meant David teaching me to climb better flanked out in purple pimp drag, I'm all for it!!

Also......

As it was mentioned that so many of us don't know each personally, but having an event such as this motivates me to WANT TO get to know more of you, as our community NEEDS this kind of support.

Finally......

Whatever be your personal vantage point on Faith, even in the midst of such tragedy, God is ALWAYS with us.

Blessings to each of you, my Climbing Family.

-KS ( Speedbird )

[El Torrito]

Truly am saddened by the news-- still in shock.

My prayers and thoughts to family and friends.

[BlueMaroo]

I didn't know TM either, but as a newcomer to 14ers and 14ers.com I looked forward to his "Thread Banter". My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

[smudge]

I am a lurker here but active on RMNPForums and SummitPost and just want to say how sorry I am about this tragic accident. The amount of encouragement and support is a testament to the character of the people here.

TM seems like a wonderful guy and an enthusiastic climber and it's truly a shame when something so terrible happens to others in our climbing community. I think I can speak on behalf of rmnpforums and SP when I say our thoughts and prayers are with TM, his family and all of you throughout this time.

Stay safe!

See y'all in the hills.

Michael

[Snowmonster83]

First off, I give my thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of David.

Like many people here I always enjoyed reading David's posts all though I never knew him personally nor do I post much.

Caroline, I couldn’t agree with Speedbird more, you did something all of us hope we never have to do and my deepest prayers go out to you.

[reiwan]

I was going through some trip reports and this one made me smile.



from http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... m=tripmain

[timm19]

Like so many others, I never met David. I saw where he and RenoBob were going to climb Nevada's highest peak-Boundary-this Saturday and I had PM'd both of them on Monnday morning to see if they were still going, hoping I could tag along as I now live in Vegas. When I logged on Monday evening to see if they had replied, I saw the news. I won't be able to make it back to CO for a memorial climb, but will do the next best thing by joining Bob Saturday. TM-your spirit will be with us.

Tim

[zacob]

To David,



As I sit here and wonder at my feelings, I keeping coming back to this question why has your passing hit home hard. The only thing that can come to understand is that this hits home because it was you. But then I ask myself what is about you that makes this seem more like a tragedy than just another climber dying in the mountains? I think I have the answer; you had the freedom to be become what so many of had to give up. You didn’t have a wife or children that needed your time. You had cats…. You found a girl who shared your love of the mountains and if my memory is correct planned much of your summer to accompany her on her quest to climb them all. You had the freedom to be where most of us wanted to be in the mountains. We grew to love that about you albeit grudgingly. We could sit at work and know that Talus was touching the tops for us. But that alone was not what made you special. You took the time to share your freedom with so many even those you never met. It was your time here on 14ers that has made you so missed. I can remember days when was I embroiled in the dog debate wondering where was talus when I needed him…I always knew the answer out climbing. But eventually you would show back up with gun packing take no prisoners wit to bring a smile to my face. You became so much more to the site than you ever knew.



Talus Monkey with your name and antics you became so much more than just a climber you became something of star. One we never thought would fall but alas you have and you will be missed but not forgotten

[jimlup]

To David,



As I sit here and wonder at my feelings, I keeping coming back to this question why has your passing hit home hard. The only thing that can come to understand is that this hits home because it was you. But then I ask myself what is about you that makes this seem more like a tragedy than just another climber dying in the mountains? I think I have the answer; you had the freedom to be become what so many of had to give up. You didn’t have a wife or children that needed your time. You had cats…. You found a girl who shared your love of the mountains and if my memory is correct planned much of your summer to accompany her on her quest to climb them all. You had the freedom to be where most of us wanted to be in the mountains. We grew to love that about you albeit grudgingly. We could sit at work and know that Talus was touching the tops for us. But that alone was not what made you special. You took the time to share your freedom with so many even those you never met. It was your time here on 14ers that has made you so missed. I can remember days when was I embroiled in the dog debate wondering where was talus when I needed him…I always knew the answer out climbing. But eventually you would show back up with gun packing take no prisoners wit to bring a smile to my face. You became so much more to the site than you ever knew.



Talus Monkey with your name and antics you became so much more than just a climber you became something of star. One we never thought would fall but alas you have and you will be missed but not forgotten

Thanks Zacob, Your piece captures a lot of what many of us are feeling.

We are with you Caroline, stay strong.

[James Scott]

I feel like it's all been said, so I write this more for myself than for the good of the group. Still, it's amazing how this community has responded to such an event- it's strange to feel so very close to so many people whom I've never met.

Reading the incredible outpouring of grief for Talus Monkey, I was reminded of a couple things. The first is this poem by ee cummings that goes something like this:

"Buffalo Bill is defunct.
Jesus he was a handsome man!
He used to shoot clay pigeons out of the air
onetwothreefourfive
just like that

and what I want to know now is
how do you like you're blue eyed boy now,
mr death?"

I'm sure I'm butchering the poem, but I learned it when another friend died, and it was quoted at a memorial. The second thing I keep thinking of is this phrase that shows up at the bottom of some 14ers member's posts, a phrase that says something like "Death is not something that you should enter into quietly and humbly. You should be running full blast and slide sideways into it laughing, yelling, 'What a ride!'" The fact that Talus Monkey died on a mountain and that he introduced himself to the rescuers as Talus Monkey- it just feels to me that maybe he's one person who met death on his own terms.


I feel numb when I think of Caroline and what she's feeling. I wish all the members of 14ers could give her one huge simultaneous hug- a huge mass of people with her in the middle, all of us sending her love. But we can't, so I just wish her peace. She, and the family and the whole group- this whole thing will be a large part of me for a very long time.

[USAKeller]

Like so many others, I never met David. I saw where he and RenoBob were going to climb Nevada's highest peak-Boundary-this Saturday and I had PM'd both of them on Monnday morning to see if they were still going, hoping I could tag along as I now live in Vegas.

Tim

Actually, he and I were both headed to Nevada to meet RenoBob and his wife to climb that highpoint. I won't be going this weekend, but I know he and his wife will be going and carrying David in the highest spirit. I hope you have a safe climb!