Chris gay death yosemite

James “Christopher” Gay, 39, of Yosemite National Park passed away unexpectedly October 15, He was born on January 7, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. On October 15, , Yosemite Search and Rescue Team member Chris Gay died in an accident on Mariuolumne Dome.

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This is a profound loss for the YOSAR family and for all of us here in Yosemite National Park. Chris was a true Yosemite Search and Rescue hero and valued member of our SAR team. James "Christopher" Gay, 39, of Yosemite National Park passed away unexpectedly October 15, He was born on January 7, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Chris graduated from Hylton High.

On the afternoon of October 15, Chris told his friends at the Tuolumne Meadows Search and Rescue site that he was going out to free solo Hobbit Book, a that he had soloed many times before. The following morning Chris’s body was found at the base of the slabs below the route. James Christopher Gay, 39, of Yosemite National Park passed away unexpectedly October 15, He was born on January 7, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Chris graduated from Hylton High School in Virginia and began a life of adventure. He embraced opportunities and passions which included music,. All reactions: 56 comments 14 shares. Each January we post a farewell tribute to those members of our community lost in the year just past. Some of the people you may have heard of, some not. All are part of our community. You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in here.

We spent half of our time on call, carrying pagers in exchange for a white canvas tent in Camp 4 and had everything we needed to live a simple life in the dirt. We lived without running water, without electricity, without being tied to a nine-to-five job, and we loved it. Every year, like the waterfalls that ebb and flow, returning in full force with the melting snow, we eagerly returned to the Valley—often arriving as early as March and staying as late as December.

We shared a deep love for Yosemite and wanted to spend as much time as we could there while we had the privilege of living in paradise. His easily recognized white and yellow van was a comforting sight, providing reassurance that he was around. On the afternoon of October 15, Chris told his friends at the Tuolumne Meadows Search and Rescue site that he was going out to free solo Hobbit Book , a 5.

He could be serious, stoic, hard on himself at times, and at other times he could be the funniest, most playful, goofiest friend you could ever want to frolic in the mountains with. He grew up playing all forms of hockey. The shared love of the sport amongst Chris and his teammates was the beginning of life long friendships. He always made time for his friends.

We have often talked about books that we have read and the issues that face us … he is an outstanding young man that will go far, and be successful in all that he does. Chris did go far and found success during his adventurous life. He lived intentionally, choosing a path in life that aligned with his values, his aspirations, and his strong desire for love and community. After obtaining a degree in Political Science from Radford University, Chris moved to California, where he dove into many interests including yoga, acro-yoga, massage, surfing and climbing.

He went so deeply into practices such as acro-yoga and Thai massage that he was soon teaching others. He traveled the world to festivals and trainings, always looking to meet new people and improve his skills.

He spent his free time surfing in the ocean and climbing indoors at Pacific Edge. By the early s, he was making weekend trips to Yosemite to climb. In , he purchased his white and yellow van and courageously left the life he had built for himself in Santa Cruz to pursue his passion for rock climbing. During the and summer seasons, Chris worked as a Climber Steward in Yosemite, putting in well over 2, volunteer hours restoring access trails, cleaning up left-behind ropes and gear, monitoring the peregrine falcons that nest on the walls, and educating fellow climbers and park visitors about ecology, climbing routes, and Leave No Trace ethics.

During this time, Chris—the Tolkien nerd that he was—began a quest to climb all the routes in the park with names that refer to J. As he ticked off the established Tolkien routes, he added more by helping to establish Valinor 5. He spent six summers on the team, five in Yosemite Valley and one this past summer in Tuolumne Meadows. His deep familiarity with Yosemite was an asset to the team—as was his intentional character.

When responding to incidents, Chris often reminded the team to slow down before engaging. On scene, he focused on calming patients, coaching them to focus on their breathing and reassuring them that they were safe. Over six years, Chris went on incidents and worked 1, hours, helping to rescue and recover numerous visitors, including many climbers. He made a point of climbing with every team member and found ways to support them in achieving their goals.

He took the necessary steps and gradually pushed bigger objectives.