One of the first, if not the first,
friend we made in Nelson passed away yesterday – too young and with
too much still to achieve in life. Kim was a tireless mountaineer
and environmentalist. He had climbed more mountains in the Kootenays
than anyone else I know (or can think of), had been up more valleys
and explored more ridge-lines. No mountain was too big, too small,
too inconsequential or too far.
Along with his love of mountains came a
love of wild places. For almost 20 years Kim was at the forefront of
the Save Jumbo fight. Many other people would have been worn down by
the two decades fighting big business in a struggle reminiscent of
David and Goliath, but not Kim. After 20 years, he still spoke
passionately for keeping Jumbo Wild and was involved in the Jumbo
Wild movement right until the end.
Kim and Janice on Keystone Mountain
One of the most extraordinary things
about Kim was his prolific and complete notes on all the mountain
trips he had done including road access details, route details,
weather, times, companions and more. His recall of his trips, which
must have numbered in the thousands as Kim was out most days, was
incredible. He could literally recite mountain heights and route
details from memory and only occasionally had to check his extensive
route notes. We used to joke that Kim could remember every detail
about every mountain he had climbed but not where he put the car
keys.
His passing leaves a huge hole in the
hearts of his family, his many friends, and the community as a whole.
When you remember Kim, as surely everyone who was privileged to know
him must, remember him in his beloved West Kootenays, wandering along
an alpine ridge with the world spread at his feet on his way to yet
another glorious summit.
Climb on, dear friend.
Kim taking a break in meadows near Ben Hur Lake
after climbing Caribou Ridge
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