RIP Hayden Kennedy

https://www.climbing.com/news/remembering-hayden-kennedy-and-inge-perkins/

https://gripped.com/news/american-climber-hayden-kennedy-1990-2017/

Thanks for your words Birdman. I only met them twice but everything you're saying is so true. Hayden inspired me to try hard without taking shit so seriously. One of the afternoons I spent around him, he climbed most of the Arsenal at Rifle while cracking beers between 12+ and 13 sends. 

My favorite HK video. Very inspirational to me .https://vimeo.com/50101783

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhTV6YMPOZc&feature=youtu.be <- this also offers some insight

I saw a blurb on an article that said her beacon was in her pack and turned off. Any word on this?

wankel7 wrote:

I saw a blurb on an article that said her beacon was in her pack and turned off. Any word on this?

I read the same... but does it really matter? They were both infinitely more familiar with the mountains that you, me, or almost anyone on this forum. If I were touring in early October, I might mumble something about terrain anchoring and not turn it on. 

Finding "mistakes" that the dead have made mostly serves as a coping mechanism for the living. So yeah, turn your beacon on at the car and off at the bar... but we are all human and prone to the same errors.

Jimmy Downhillinthesnow wrote:

I read the same... but does it really matter? They were both infinitely more familiar with the mountains that you, me, or almost anyone on this forum. If I were touring in early October, I might mumble something about terrain anchoring and not turn it on. 

Finding "mistakes" that the dead have made mostly serves as a coping mechanism for the living. So yeah, turn your beacon on at the car and off at the bar... but we are all human and prone to the same errors.

I doesn't. I was just curious. 

I disagree with your finding mistakes comment. It is best to learn from mistakes made in the past. I don't read airplane accident reports from the NTSB to cope with the crashes. I read them to learn about the human factors and mechanical factors that can lead to tragedy and hope not to repeat them. 

wankel7 wrote:

I disagree with your finding mistakes comment. It is best to learn from mistakes made in the past. I don't read airplane accident reports from the NTSB to cope with the crashes. I read them to learn about the human factors and mechanical factors that can lead to tragedy and hope not to repeat them. 

You definitely have a point. Mine was that so much of safety in the mountains really comes down to chance. We all make mistakes, regardless of skill or experience. Most of the time, they go un- or lightly punished. Sometimes they don't. Humans have a difficult time processing the fickleness of chance. 

Anyway, let's not drift too much and focus on the good words earlier in the thread.

wankel7 wrote:

I doesn't. I was just curious. 

I disagree with your finding mistakes comment. It is best to learn from mistakes made in the past. I don't read airplane accident reports from the NTSB to cope with the crashes. I read them to learn about the human factors and mechanical factors that can lead to tragedy and hope not to repeat them. 

Nothing wrong with wanting to learn from tragedies, and I used to think the same when reading these types of threads.  However, I am now firmly in the camp that tribute threads are not the appropriate place for that discussion, start a new thread.  I say this because this story hits incredible close to home for me having lost my partner in life to a tragic accident a little more than a year ago, and I have thought and wished countless times that if I had been there I could have saved her, or that I should have been there with her in her last moments on this earth, but reading this story while still in the grips of grief, it is affirming that perhaps things happen for a reason because I think if I had been with her in that moment, my loved ones would be reading a similar article about me.  Not to make this about me, just that Hayden's and Inge's loved ones, who are in the rawest depths of grief at this time, will likely see this thread and there is simply no need to add any layers to that pain. Rather, let them read about how Hayden and Inge touched and added beauty to this world.  My thoughts and prayers go to all of Hayden's and Inge's family and friends. I am truly sorry for your loss.      

J.C.P. wrote:

Nothing wrong with wanting to learn from tragedies, and I used to think the same when reading these types of threads.  However, I am now firmly in the camp that tribute threads are not the appropriate place for that discussion, start a new thread.  I say this because this story hits incredible close to home for me having lost my partner in life to a tragic accident a little more than a year ago, and I have thought and wished countless times that if I had been there I could have saved her, or that I should have been there with her in her last moments on this earth, but reading this story while still in the grips of grief, it is affirming that perhaps things happen for a reason because I think if I had been with her in that moment, my loved ones would be reading a similar article about me.  Not to make this about me, just that Hayden's and Inge's loved ones, who are in the rawest depths of grief at this time, will likely see this thread and there is simply no need to add any layers to that pain. Rather, let them read about how Hayden and Inge touched and added beauty to this world.  My thoughts and prayers go to all of Hayden's and Inge's family and friends. I am truly sorry for your loss.      

I agree. If I was a mod I would move this thread to the Memorial forum and out of the Injuries and Accidents forum. And then split off the posts that discuss what happened. 

I wasn't friends w HK but obviously knew of his accomplishments, athleticism, and stoke for just getting out.  One brush I had with him:

I was doing the Power of Four Aspen skimo race in 2015.  Racers had gathered at a park and ride lot at maybe 0530-0600 to be bused up to the start line at Snowmass.  It was cold, dark, and there was definitely a quiet vibe of "what the hell are we all doing here?" going on.  A lot of fit people with lots of expensive gear, kind of a scene - skinny skis w race bindings, carbon boots, skin suits on some, fancy skimo packs, etc...  The bus was almost full and ready to go.

I was at the back, and I look down the aisle and see HK walking down the aisle with a huge grin on his face.  Most notably though, he's wearing big baggy ski pants, fat powder skis that were probably 105mm underfoot, big 4 buckle heavy boots, and he's got a hawaiian shirt on.  He sits down next to me and looks around and says "whoa! there's a lot of skinny skis on this bus, I wonder if I'll do ok with these skis?"  He commented that he decided to do the race at the last minute just to try it out.

On the first climb up Snowmass, I noticed him off to the side messing w his binding risers, I didn't see him for awhile after that.

About halfway through the race though, I was waiting for my partner and eating something when HK and his partner blew past me on a downhill.  I later learned that they finished w a respectable time, beating many of the skinny ski carbon fiber folks, but also that he reportedly pulled over on the final run into the finish line to strip down to his underwear and came flying across the finish hooting and hollering, arms in the air.  (I didn't see this so can't confirm.)

A remarkable mountain athlete.  My condolences to the Kennedy family.