Missing Tyler on Thansgiving

Hello to Tyler's family and friends out there. My thoughts are with you all today. I have many thanks for the wonderful guy I knew that has moved on. I am reminded of him often, and it is still difficult to believe he is not here.

I want to thank Tyler for the following:
His commitment to the friendship that he and I had
His constant shit-giving and lovely story-telling
His hard work and his intensity
His dedication to his way of life and the truth of his path

I hope Tylers's family is coping well and would like you all to know that my thoughts will be with you and Tyler throughout the holidays.

I will be in Colorado and southern California throughout Christmas and the New Year. No long distance travel plans for me this season. If any of you all find yourselves in these areas, feel free to look me up.

Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you are all well.

John

Walking To Tyler's Memorial Site

Tyler's Memorial in Bend

Hello to all of Tyler’s friends around the world,

The gringos have done it! On August 27^th and 28^th friends and family gathered to give Tyler one last send off and celebrate his life in the only way we could think of, by having a party and going on an adventure. On Friday night people gathered over a keg of beer and some barbequed chicken and ribs. People began arriving around 6 o’clock and as the night progressed more and more of his friends arrived in town to come and honor Tyler one last time. From my prospective, Tyler’s life seemed to come together at various times during the night and not in chronological order. First it was the Liedeckers, whom I greeted (these were his Sun Valley Day ages 14-16 where Tyler was exposed to the great outdoors, exploring the wonders of Southern Utah, climbing in the Sawtooth Mountains, and learning to fly on the snowboard at Bald Mountain). Then I saw Shayon, Claire and Monty. These were friends from his Salt Lake City days where he had access to the Wasatch Mountains and experienced all they had to offer with so many friends. This is also where he become a life long Jazz (NBA basketball team) fan along the way. Mixed in with his past were cousins from Washington and California. These are his cousins who battled him in Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly, (board games) jet skiied with him at Lake Berryessa, traveled up and down the west coast in a motor home, and to whose wedding Tyler showed up dressed as an Indian. Then Bonsai arrived!!! There was Mark, Chad, Sarah, John and Charmaine (Tyler’s girlfriend). These are the people Tyler worked with in the trees of North America building amazing courses for people to experiencing the rush of zipping through canopies, walking over bridges, and perched on platforms taking in the surrounding environment. And then the boys (and Gina) from Santa Rosa arrived. (Richard, Nick, Ryan, Eric, and Mark) These are the people who Tyler grew up with playing with Snoopy, defeating the Germans down in the creek by our house on Kjell Court, saving bees from dying in our neighborhood pool, skateboarding, running from the police, thinking outside the box, and not afraid to do it. There were aunts and uncles, family and friends, Chris Kelley making gin and tonics for as many people as he could, all coming together to share what Tyler had meant to them and it was wonderful.

On Saturday morning people crawled out of their beds and made their way to either a hike or bike along the Deschutes River. The hikers were a civilized group, leaving at 10:00 (much too early for the biking crowd) from Farwell to Bend Park and completed a loop that took them through some great scenery and allowed people to chat and reminisce along the way like civilized people do. The bikers met at 11:00 and headed out to a place called Benham Falls. With two vans and a truck filled with bikes I’m sure we looked pretty funny coming down the road. Somehow everyone was able to find a bike when we arrived and with a few words of encouragement we were off. 45 people on a single track trail along the river ranging in age from 8 to 72 (or close to). We were a mass of humanity, all there to do something Tyler loved, in a place he enjoyed being, and from the rearview it looked amazing. I could almost hear Tyler saying, “Holy Shit!” With laminated pictures of Tyler taped to our helmets, we continued on the trail for about 15 miles stopping along the way to have a beer and snack and finally ending at Meadow Picnic area where we had lunch by the river. It was a great way to start the day.

At 6:00 people gathered at Sheri’s house (Tyler’s Mom). Everyone got a little piece of duct tape to wear in honor of Tyler and by around 6:30 we headed out by foot to Shevlin Park, which is right next to were Sheri lives. The group meandered its way single file along a winding trail. As we slowly approached the memorial site for Tyler, clouds parted and the sun was lightly coming through, bagpipes could be heard playing softly in the background, and Sheri was standing at the site waiting for others to come and say goodbye to Tyler one last time. We formed a semi-circle around a bench that was made for Tyler. Sheri was somehow was able to compose herself and say some wonderful things about her son and I said a few words too. Popcorn was distributed to everyone in attendance as a way to represent Tyler. Then a bell was rung (by Shayon) eight times to symbolize the end of a watch. This is a maritime tradition which has been observed in many Anderson good-byes. Will (Charlie and Michele’s son) then played Amazing Grace on his recorder for his uncle. It was a final send off that started in Huaraz, Peru and ended in Bend, Oregon. Tyler now rests in many places where friends and family can gather to remember and honor a person that touched so many people along the way.

After the service people slowly made there way back to Sheri’s house were we all gathered to try and celebrate the life of Tyler one last time. John Walker and David Murray saved the day with photos and video of Tyler. Chris Kelley was on his best behavior. Even though his favorite whiskey was left back at Charlie’s house the evening was truly “Something Special.”

Thank you to everyone who went to great lengths to be here in Bend. Throughout this whole process I have been overwhelmed with the generosity of so many people coming together for a person that meant so much to them, the one an only “TY.”

Photos

A short note from Jas

Tyler, Tyler,

 

        Yo, what's up man? What is all this stuff I hear? Where are you, what are you doing? They say you took a digger up in Peru.

   I don't know, maybe you did... I think maybe your still up there doing what your always doing, going and being in all the places that the rest of us want to be.

   I heard that you had a family with a real mom and dad...

   Guess I always thought that you came and went out of some mysterious mountaintop somewhere in a snowy place full of rock and sky.

   Some of the guys are going out to Oregon to see your family next week, I'd like to go and meet them and see John and everyone, but I think I'll hang back this time. You know how it is.

   So I just thought I'd write a quick note and say some things to you dude. I know that you don't need to hear them and that you are pretty good at taking things for granted while fully appreciating them at the same time. But I think now is a good time for me to say them.

   Hell man, I gotta start off by saying, dude, we're all in love with you. I mean, especially the girls but us guys too. You know... None of us can get enough dude, your just so freekin cute, and a little cool too! I never met anyone who did get enough of your time come to think of it... everybody always wanted more. Well okay, maybe not Jake. But you know what. He was just pissed because you came up Big H in your tennis shoes and told him there was no reason for spikes on your first day in the trees. He got over it though, he was just a little jealous I think that he didn't realize it first. 

   Tyler man, you will always be one of my best friends,.. For sure my favorite.

   You know, one of the greatest times for me was that Giants vs Patriots Super Bowl when we were in Columbus, Ohio. 2008 I think. When the Giants had that spectacular ending... I knew then that you were just a mortal. I was rooting for the Giants because I knew that I'd be moving to NY and just to be giving you a little challenge, but I never thought that they would win. You kept a close eye on football during the season and I fully thought that you knew how it was going to end. You took it like a man though and was happy for me even though I rubbed it in a little. I really don’t even like football but that was a great game huh?

   But you know it's a funny thing about you man. Something that I’ve always sort of noticed. Whenever we go out to some place in public I always get the feeling that even though the rest of the people there might be milling around doing whatever they're doing, their spirits are kind of leaning in close to yours trying to catch a whisper of the secret that might put that same light in their own eyes. The one that comes in from up at the top of the world, clear blue and white with a hollowness that comes straight through from heaven.

   I want you to know too that your spirit is in me strong dude. It's in my daughter Kaia . She was a bit young last year to really remember you now, but she's got it in her and she'll keep it.

    I like to ask her sometimes... " Kaia, do you remember Tyler?" She says "Uh huh" and I say "What does Tyler do?"... "Climbs" she says. She's only twenty six months now but she's more capable than most of the kids twice her age dude, I swear. We've got a couple of nice boulder projects going on out at the preserve right now.

   Sky bridges?... Dude, enough said.

   And Carhartt bibs?... Who would have guessed.

   Well whatever they say, I don't know. For sure we'll have to catch up during the second round. Maybe we'll meet just before sundown, split an apple and have a couple shots of peppermint tea and watch the eagles teach the kids how to soar.

   It's been great man, we've all been privileged for sure.

 

   I read something recently and it reminded me of you. Thought I'd share it here.

 

   “Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with a passing whisper. They come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.”

 

   Cheers to Tyler's family and all who are going to be at the memorial. Wish I could be there with you guys...

 

See Ya,

Jas

Tyler Memorial Fund

(from Charlie, sent as an email, on 8/24/2010)

Many of you have inquired as to if there was a certain organization where donations can be made in Tyler’s name. Here are my thoughts….

 

On the morning of July 31st, Tyler Anderson was involved in a mountaineering accident in the Cordillera Blanca.  The culmination of a series of events left him at the bottom of a crevasse, needing immediate medical attention.  Because of the lack of common use of satellite phones, his party was unable to communicate the emergency without climbing down the mountain.  By the time authorities were able to be notified it was late in the day and their response was to wait until the next morning.  The response from Tyler's friends in the climbing community was vastly different.  Trained in high mountain rescue, Tyler's friends used their expertise and immediately mobilized a group that set out shortly after receiving the call.  They took with them all the necessary equipment for a high mountain rescue mission, not knowing what they would find, but prepared for anything.  Through close communication with the party of people Tyler had been guiding and their own expertise in the finite details of the mountain, they were able to climb through the night and locate my brother's body the next morning.  As they came down the mountain with Tyler, they came across the high mountain police unit who were only then setting out on their 'rescue' mission, more than 14 hours later and armed with only a camera.  In Tyler's case, this lapse in time probably would not have made a difference.  But each person climbing on that mountain deserves a safety net that will provide help and assistance as safely and quickly as possible.  

Our goal is to work with the Huaraz guide training organization (the Casa de Guias) to provide the necessary communication equipment and rescue training which develops the abilities of the local guides, the Casa de Guias managment team, & the owners of local agencies to effectively run a rescue from start to finish, as well as develop a common emergency response plan for everyone working in tourism in Huaraz.  We would like to offer a Wilderness First Responder course (which is the guiding industry standard everywhere in the world except Peru) that teaches guides how to evaluate, stabilize, and evacuate in the event of a medical emergency in a wilderness setting and then a separate course on the nuts and bolts management of a rescue scenario. As part of this second course, we would like to introduce an Emergency Response Plan which every company has on hand and utilizes if and when an emergency call comes in.

Through these professional development opportunities, we address the general organizational deficiencies of Emergency Responses in the Cordillera Blanca as well as the actual medical care that a person receives if they've been hurt. 

We believe this is a great solution that keeps everyone involved and truly raises the bar here in Huaraz for dealing with the inevitable accidents that occur in the mountains. The WFR course alone will alter the way the every guide who takes it thinks, acts, and cares for their clients.  It makes the Cordillera Blanca an exponentially safer place.

Without financial support, it's nearly impossible to convince the guides here to take these courses because they are living on such a shoestring already they simply cannot pay.  The emergency response course and development of a common response plan will inject organization into chaos; it will help people understand the essential elements to efficient and effective rescue and give them an outline to follow when the unfortunate time comes that they need it.  When Tyler's call came in, the first thing his rescue team did was get out their own plan and begin to follow the steps...

Supporting this cause would be the perfect way to honor the memory of Tyler, who loved his community in Huaraz and the amazing mountains above it.  To make it safer for those who wish to experience their beauty would be a great legacy for this man who loved using his experience, appreciation & dedication to this corner of the world to share it with others.  If you wish to support this mission, donations can be made to the following:

 

Anderson Foundation 

c/o Kacy Murray

537 10th Avenue

Kirkland , WA 98033