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Stay in Touch. Check In. Say Thanks.

“On a run back into Brighton, Kenton [Davis] told me he knew a fun hit, I took out my camera thinking maybe he’d get a couple feet. But Kenton never went small,” says Greta Close. Greta Close

On a drizzly October afternoon, my phone buzzed with a text from my close friend, Brook, in Salt Lake City. We’d lived together, childhood friends turned ski bums, in 2023. He was reaching out to let me know a friend of ours from that Utah winter had passed.

I met Kenton Davis on the Wildcat double chair at Alta. He had brightly colored ON3P skis, a mischevious grin and a lot of jokes. The rest of the day, he skied with Brook and me.

Kenton and I skied together just a handful more times that winter, a few at Alta and a couple more in the Brighton sidecountry. When the snow melted, he showed me around SLC’s mountain bike trails, and then, he tagged along to check off my “Drive on the Salt Flats” bucket list item.

The sum of our friendship was five or so days adventuring outdoors.

The following winter, I moved to Nelson, B.C. Kenton and I lost touch, save for a few random Instagram message exchanges—shared stoke over new adventures, and his recommendation that I connect with a female photographer friend of his sometime. I figured we’d cross paths at some point again.

In Nelson, I met Judson Wright, the founder and lead guide at Kootenay Backcountry Guides during my Avalanche Safety Training Level 2 course. His anecdotes interwoven with lessons, great sense of humor and genuine joy at any day in the mountains instantly made him one of my favorite teachers. And his example as an integral member of State of the Snowpack inspired me to consider what it means to give back to your community.

I wrote an article about his work with State of the Snowpack last winter, and I was eager to return to Nelson this winter; to get back out on the skintrack and continue learning from him.

Late this September, Kenton died in a speed flying accident in Switzerland. A couple months later, in mid-November, Judson passed.

I hadn’t spoken to either in months, if not longer. Neither was a particularly close nor longtime friend. They were just great people who I was lucky enough to venture into the mountains with for a few days one winter. And yet, that’s far more than enough for both to have left an impact on me; for my heart to feel so heavy at their loss.

It’s been a reminder to cherish each day; to check in on friends; to stay in touch with people; and to never hesitate to tell someone, even if you’ve just spent one day on the skintrack together, you’re glad to have crossed paths.

Happy Thanksgiving 💛

greta

P.S. There’s a Gofundme set up for Judson’s family. If you would like to contribute, donations can be made here.

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