On March 6, my longtime
friend and backcountry accomplice Kelly Tjaden left the planet on his own terms at age 64,
not from a deadly encounter with an orca or a polar bear as I may have
envisioned, but to a more formidable beast -- depression. A celebration of
Kelly’s life was held June 24 at Alki Beach in Seattle.
Meeting at Lake Wenatchee as USFS wilderness rangers, we became friends for life. An adventurer extraordinaire, Kelly was a crackerjack
mountaineer, skillful skier, prolific paddler and extreme bicyclist. He was known
for his incendiary energy, engaging personality, wild spirit, keen
intelligence, and loving kindness.
His spirit attracted many friends, all unique solar systems
in a veritable galaxy of friendships. We
are all very thankful we even had the opportunity -- nay, privilege -- to bask in
his presence. Because of the abundance of material available, this will be the
first in a series on the life and times of Keldon Jon Tjaden.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading this so much, and am looking forward to reading more. :)
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