Holy fuck, Reed

[mall walker]

You are always my brother. You took care of my infant daughter. Your kind and loving and beautiful wife and son and daughter opened their hearts to me, even when I was a mess. When I went to take my life, my wife called you, and you came through. I love you always. I am so sorry. What happened man? We were always so safe, and you know that zone very well. And on a day like that, I am certain that what happened is this. You took the summer trail, which can be done safely in most conditions by a cautious and experienced backcountry traveler who knows the terrain. Only God knows how many times Reed skied that zone, but he skied it enough times just with me to have enough knowledge and experience of it for ten lifetimes. Then you want to the ridge, to sus the conditions. Maybe you went to break a cornice, to keep it safe for someone else, but you made one mistake and God saw fit to bring you home, in blower pow, in maybe your favorite place. I am so sorry that I wasn't there with you that day. I would have dug you out, and we would have gone home to our children. The guilt and grief I feel from that will be with me for the rest of my life. I should have been with you.

I am gutted. Sobbing and wrecked. I'm 8 months clean and sober now, so I can't drink to your memory. But I still smoke mad tree. And I just burned my finest leaf at the nearest beautiful outdoors spot I could find, in your memory. And I left half the bowl green and blew it into the river, and that's for you. I will spend the rest of my life trying to do whatever I can to take care of your family.

I love you Reed. I am so sorry.

Do pictures still work on this shit? Cuz I want to share some DOPE STOKE of Reed. If not, see me on Facebook, the shit is public.

[skaredshtles]

Sorry for your loss, mall.

[stealurface831]

vibes man. let the collective know how we can support you and the family.

[sfotex]

RIP Reed

[teleee]

Sucks so much, while never toured with Reed I have met Hime a few times at various trailheads throughout mutual friends- I would have never guessed it would have been him in that situation. RIP and I am so sorry for his family and friends. Hope you can find some peace mallwalker


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[mall walker]

Please keep me in the loop about the funeral arrangements, I’m flying out and I really want to speak, if his family will allow me.


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[skiJ]

solid tribute.

my Condolences -
With love

tj

[puma]

So sorry to hear.

[mall walker]

Hey, I’m coming for Reed’s funeral. I’m bringing my kit. Let’s do a safe celebration of life tour. Details tbd. All welcome.


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[snowaddict91]

The first time I skied with Reed, January 2019, Mallwalker invited me for one of his infamous dawn patrols and mentioned his buddy may join. The objective- the Y couloir. I'd been shut down twice on the Y and had a growing fascination, staring at it every time I drove up Little Cottonwood. Of course I was in. We had a brief window of high pressure in what had been a banner year thus far of skiing pow.

I meet Reed and Mallwalker in the parking lot at the ass crack of dawn, cross the creek, and we start climbing.

MW and Reed bootin'


After a couple hours of climbing, we dropped not long after sunrise. It was evident that Reed had done this sort of thing a few times.


Mallwalker and I pussyfooted through the choke, I slid on my ass and thought I ripped my leg open.


As we are standing at the bottom of the choke, Reed comes through the choke full speed and airs the whole thing, before either of us could get a picture. While it was just another morning in the mountains for Reed, it was a memorable one for me, accomplishing a line I'd looked at for years.

[Dantheman]

So terrible to learn this was a mag. RIP, Reed

[shroom]

RIP Reed

[beaterdit]

Said in the other thread but Rip In Peace Reed. Shitty deal.

[Danno]

So sorry for your loss, M. And for everyone's loss, Reed sounds like a great human. RIP

[The SnowShow]

So so sorry

[wra]

I skied with him on the 29th.



We looked at the slide in West Monitor and dropped Wills out to Silver Fork lodge. Requires a transition for a snow boarder. No complaints.
Back at the car, I said "don't go steep' knowing he'd be out on his own.
Went to Wills again today, questioning the why? all fucking day.
So sad.

[bennymac]

Vibes to you Mall Walker and to all who knew Reed / get outside.

Seems so incredibly extra unfair and senseless when it’s such a competent person in a zone they know so well.

[claymond]

I hung out with Reed quite a bit at the BBI Utah, he was a super nice person who's love of snowy mountains was obvious. And he ripped. At one point, I think all the skiers went on some long traverse or something, and he led me, the other snowboarder, into a mini banked slalom through some trees. We just rampaged down it in close formation, me mimicking his every move trying to keep up. Vivid memory. RIP

[2FUNKY]

RIP Reed. My deepest condolences to his friends and family.


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[yeahman]

Vibes to all who knew him. RIP Reed.

[BCMtnHound]

Terrible news. Sincere condolences to his friends, family, and fellow mags.

[mall walker]

I’m thinking when I get to SLC, let’s go up Porter Fork, just the road out of respect. And let’s gather at the top of the road, I’m talking with Reed’s family and particularly his oldest son Jackson (who rips way harder than Reed or I lol), let’s gather at the top of the road and burn tree and if you drink beers, drink a beer. Someone bring me a beer to pour out (I am 8 months removed from drugs and alcohol except for weed and shrooms). And we will hug, tell stories, cry, and then ride the road down.

And I’m getting a tattoo of Reed shredding on my entire back. Local artist here in Maine is gonna do it. So Reed is gonna be with me every step of the way, every turn and every burn, the rest of my life.


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[mall walker]

And I’m trying very hard not to talk about Reed in the past tense. God saw fit to bring him home in blower snow in one of his favorite spots. And he’s just there now, he’s not in the past tense.


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[mall walker]

And if Reed’s family will allow me the honor and privilege, I will speak at his celebration of life.


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[Dantheman]

Seems so incredibly extra unfair and senseless when it’s such a competent person in a zone they know so well.

https://www.americanavalancheinstitu...ave-your-life/

F: Familiarity. Something that is more familiar to us feels safer. This looks like a slope we’ve skied dozens of times before, with no bad consequences.