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jonapprill
Nov 7, 2005, 1:28 AM
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Like so many folks here Shelly was my dear friend and most trusted climbing partner. We climbed many long, multipitch adventure climbs together and formed that special bond that climbing partners form. Of all the places we visited, I think Castle Valley near Moab was our favorite. Here is a picture of Shelly during that trip. I’ll be visiting Castle Valley for the rest of my life and will always associate Shelly with this beautiful place. We’ll miss you Shelly,
Jon Apprill
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=64076
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grippedclimer
Nov 7, 2005, 1:45 AM
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Wow. I am just sitting here reading this and am in shock. I have never climbed with Shelly but met her at her shop just over a year ago when I bought some guide/topo fold outs of local areas. I spent about an hour in the shop just talking climbing and discussing all the areas near by to check out. We were suppose to go out and do the mace back then but never happened.
When I spoke with her, I was moved by how excited she was speaking of all the areas here in AZ. May she rest in peace - prayers/condolences to all of Shelly's family and close friends.
Mike
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grippedclimer
Nov 7, 2005, 1:51 AM
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Wow. I am just sitting here reading this and am in shock. I have never climbed with Shelly but met her at her shop just over a year ago when I bought some guide/topo fold outs of local areas. I spent about an hour in the shop just talking climbing and discussing all the areas near by to check out. We were suppose to go out and do the mace back then but never happened.
When I spoke with her, I was moved by how excited she was speaking of all the areas here in AZ. May she rest in peace - prayers/condolences to all of Shelly's family and close friends.
Mike
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roy_hinkley_jr
Nov 7, 2005, 1:57 AM
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Like all of you, I am saddened by this loss. I never met her and really know nothing about her beyond these posts. But I've lost well over a dozen climbing friends over the years. It never gets easier and tales like this always brings back those memories.
Sincere condolences. She sounds like an awesome spirit who will remain with you always.
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bostonclimbah
Nov 7, 2005, 2:48 AM
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My heartfelt condolences to Shelley's family and friends. May you find the strength to see you through this difficult time.
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camhead
Nov 7, 2005, 2:55 AM
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Shit, don't know what to say.... I climbed with her for a day at Red Rocks last year, went and did Atman, had a great day, discussed mormon history. She struck me as an incredibly intelligent, strong, beautiful person. I'm devastated.
Many condolences to everyone who knew her.
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ae33
Nov 7, 2005, 4:50 AM
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Hey all,
I've known Shelley for almost four years and have always admired and loved her love for life and upbeat attitude. Julie and I were talking earlier and would like to put together a book of memories and pictures for her family. I don't know about you guys, but I have some amazing pictures of Shelley and would like to share them. If you would like to participate please email myself at amyesplin@hotmail.com or julieaingram@yahoo.com. Daniel will also except submissions at his address listed above. If you would like to provide hard copies, please feel free to drop them off to Daniel at OverTheCrux inside the Phoenix Rock Gym. We will be putting everything together into a binder and would like to present it to her family after the funeral.
Thanks,
Amy
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bighigaz
Nov 7, 2005, 5:22 AM
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Oh my gosh... I can't really say how I feel with much clarity right now. I'm shocked. Angry. Sad. Dissapointed. Frustrated... Some mix of all those emotions I suppose. I have few, but now cherished, memories of time spent with Shelley and friends. We also met through our love of climbing.
I met Shelley on a trip to Jacks canyon a few years back, with Aaron C., Amy E., my bro. Mark, and my a girl named Stephanie who later became my wife. That trip was full of so many events, coupled with the amusing memory of Shelley (and some of the others) insistent on harassing me about my "interest" in Stephanie... which I adamantly denied! (Looks like Shelley was right! Steph and I have been married 2 years, and we have an 8 month old daughter, who I wish Shelley could have met.)
We saw a guy deck from 20+ feet one day in the afternoon of that trip, and of course Shelley was right there to assist him however she could.
On that same trip she belayed my little brother up what I believe was his first 5.10 lead! He took a nice long whipper, but he finished the climb, with Shelley's oral support.
Around the corner, on the same day Aaron ran-out a certain 5.12 to the chains (you remember, don't ya buddy...) - barely avoiding a scary ground fall. If my memory serves me, Shelley gave him some well deserved grief about it.
Shelley was a great friend, and I always wished we could have had more climbing adventures together. We managed to chat business once in a while when we both showed up on messenger... She always had good advice for me and my business partners in Tucson, and we even talked about partnership possibilities.
A teacher, a climber, a business owner, a missionary... she really went after things in life, and I respect her so much for that.
I remember bumping in to her making rounds at the PBC the year she won her division... She seemed so mellow and humble, then I watched her send a difficult problem on her 2nd attempt. It was obvious she had come a LONG way since that trip to Jacks. My wife and I were quite impressed... it seems this was probably her manner in everything she did and loved - to do what it takes to be successful at whatever it was.
My condolences to her family. She was and is a wonderful person, and she will be missed by many.
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sundevil
Nov 7, 2005, 6:24 AM
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Shelley was also a friend of mine and hearing of her passing is a little hard to digest. For Shelley to die in a climbing accident really hits home for me. I have never met a more diligent, meticulous or knowledgeable climber. Shelley took me out on my first outdoor climb and is ultimately the person responsible for my interest in the sport. Shelley was a good friend and the most graceful and beautiful climber I have ever seen. Shelley made the sickest moves with the same grace and elegance that she lived her life with. When I was needing to brush up on my math skills, Shelley was there to tutor me so I didn't embarrass myself on the GMAT. Shelley, in life, was a kind and giving soul that lived life to the fullest. It doesn't surprise me at all to hear that she fought so hard to stay alive after the accident. Anyone having the misfortune of telling Shelley she couldn't do something would then have to stand by and watch her accomplish whatever it was she was told she couldn't. She was as determined a person as I have ever met. Those that knew and climbed with her all know what a loss her passing is to her family and friends. My wife's and my prayers are with her family, her friends and with her students that will all sorely miss her. She was a great friend. We will all miss you Shelley.
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sonso45
Nov 7, 2005, 6:45 AM
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I will keep the image I have of her describing her summer climbing journey in the front of my mind. If I can keep her smile and enthusiastic demeanor foremost, I can forget for a moment that she is gone. I will pray for her and her family and our friends. Goodbye Shelley, I love you. Manny
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curt
Nov 7, 2005, 6:59 AM
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Registered: Aug 27, 2002
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As disturbing as hearing of Shelley's passing is, I am additionally distressed that we may never know precisely what went wrong--and ultimately led to Shelley's death. If any good can come out of a tragedy like this, it is to learn something--so that this particular piece of history never repeats itself.
It has been reported that her single line rappel was effected by connecting the rappel rope to a locking carabiner with a figure 8 knot on a bight. The locking carabiner was then (presumably) connected to the two 10 foot pieces of one-inch tubular webbing that were (presumably) tied around the rappel tree. However, both pieces of the one-inch tubular webbing were found on the ground, next to where Shelley landed, with no knots tied in them, whatsoever.
I am completely at a loss to imagine what rappel construction scenario could lead to that result. If the two one-inch pieces of webbing were tied around the rappel tree individually, that would mean that neither of them were joined together properly, for both of them to fail. If (as I first thought) the two pieces of webbing were tied together and doubled around the tree, then only one knot would have to fail--but then the slings found on the ground should have still been tied together. I just don't get it--and it's bugging me.
Curt
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lpollock
Nov 7, 2005, 7:32 AM
Post #37 of 280
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I am not a rock climber, but I met Shelley when she lived in Utah (where I'm from) and have known her for a number of years. I would like to echo all of the sentiments that I have read thus far in this forum. Shelley was absolutely brilliant and was by far the toughest girl I have ever met. We started peak bagging here in Utah back in 2000 and together made the goal of hitting all 50 state highpoints...so you can imagine my shock and utter disbelief when I received the phone call. I think it will truly hit home later when I realize that I will not be going on any more adventurous trips with her.
It just doesn't make any sense. I've read the account and other info on this forum and I just don't get it. She always talked about rock climbing being completely safe if you take the proper precautions, and I can say first hand from some technical canyoneering trips that we went on that she was very careful and very thorough (as well as knowledgeable).
I will miss you very much Shelley. You were always so easy going and willing and excited to go places. This is truly a great loss for everyone that knew you.
-- Lane Pollock
P.S.
Amy, I have tons and tons of photos of Shelley from various trips that I can donate to your project. I will go through them tomorrow and pick out some of the best ones. I will post one here now, however. This is Shelley on the last trip we did together. This is a picture of our run at bagging Mount Borah in Idaho...just two months ago in September.
http://lanep.org/...gallery/P1010049.JPG
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climbingsponge
Nov 7, 2005, 7:33 AM
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I am deeply saddened by this news. My best thoughts and prayers go out to all of Shelley's friends and family.
I remember when she first opened Over the Crux, she was so excited. Her enthusiasm for climbing was almost overwhelming. She is one in a million.
Matt Hoffman
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epic_ed
Nov 7, 2005, 3:14 PM
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I'm sure more details will come out over the next few days -- at this point it's unclear to me who she was climbing with at the Forks. I can certainly understand that those people have had other issues to cope with and posting publically about the incident may not be high on their priority list. That said, like many of us, I want desperately to understand what happened.
Like Curt said, it just makes no sense and we may never fully figure it out, but we owe it to Shelly to learn as much from the accident as possible -- not only to hopefully avoid a similar mistake but also to help bring closure to those who are closest to her. It's hard, as a climber, to piece together the circumstances. I can only imagine how others in her family and friends of hers feel who don't have a climbing background to use as a point of reference for making sense of this tragic accident. For their sake, I hope we can get eventually get a clear picture of what went wrong.
My thoughts and prayers have been with those of you involved in the incident, and with her many close friends and family. There's a bunch of us sharing in your grief.
Ed
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emartinblue
Nov 7, 2005, 3:55 PM
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I’m only providing this information because I too need to understand what happened before I came on the scene.
I hope that my previous post was not misunderstood or unclear in any way; I like the rest of you have been deeply effected by this loss and the entire experience. The more I learn about Shelley the more I wish I could have known her. I also feel that it is important for us to understand the scenario that occurred before the accident took place.
I have provided all of the information that I could in a previous post about the accident. Since my post someone has added that the webbing used around the tree “did not have a knot tied in it”. When I found the webbing I’m quite sure that both pieces did have separate water knots (rewoven overhand) tied in them. If you were searching the contents of the backpack and found the webbing there may have not been knots in the webbing because we later tried to use the webbing to stabilize the backboard. The knots were likely untied at this time.
Also, as I stated in a previous post I desperately need to know the extent of Shelley’s injuries; I need to know that we made the right decision by keeping her stable. Please don’t misunderstand my reasons for needing this information. If someone knows could you please private message this account.
David Adkins
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unabonger
Nov 7, 2005, 3:56 PM
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I'm sorry for your loss. Clearly she was someone who lived live fully. In that respect she was fortunate, as was everyone who knew her. Teachers are heroic and underappreciated.
If there is a scholarship fund or favorite charity of Shelley's, I'll be the first to donate.
Will
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killclimbz
Nov 7, 2005, 7:00 PM
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I am so sorry to hear this.
My condolences to her friends and family.
RIP
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bill
Nov 7, 2005, 7:15 PM
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I am truly sad to hear about this. I didn't know Shelley all that well, but the interactions I did have with her made it obvious that she was a very kind and sweet person. My best wishes to all of her friends and family.
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ebelay
Nov 7, 2005, 7:30 PM
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This is so very sad and shocking. I remember Shelley playing guitar and singing at our campsite at Enchanted Tower just a couple of months ago. I didn't have the pleasure of knowing her very well, but her endearing spirit was remarkable. We will miss you Shelley.
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ktotheidwell
Nov 7, 2005, 7:36 PM
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Shelly was an incredible friend, mentor, role model, and inspiration. I am deeply saddened by her passing. I want to give my condolences to her family, and would like to say, her values and morals were as great as those of anyone i have ever met. NO words can describe her compassion for life and the people she was around. Memories of her will stay with me forever.
Chris Kidwell
Also, to Amy and Daniel - I have pictures of our climbing in Eldorado Canyon when she visited me last month. I will send them out to you as soon as I can.
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curt
Nov 7, 2005, 7:36 PM
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In reply to: I’m only providing this information because I too need to understand what happened before I came on the scene. I hope that my previous post was not misunderstood or unclear in any way; I like the rest of you have been deeply effected by this loss and the entire experience. The more I learn about Shelley the more I wish I could have known her. I also feel that it is important for us to understand the scenario that occurred before the accident took place. I have provided all of the information that I could in a previous post about the accident. Since my post someone has added that the webbing used around the tree “did not have a knot tied in it”...
I made the previous post that you mention. I think any miscommunication about the slings may have been between Leo and myself, when we spoke last night. After speaking this morning to Mark, it is now clear that both pieces of blue webbing were tied into individual loops with water knots--and that both of these loops were still connected to Shelley's locking carabiner when she was initially found at the bottom of the rappel area. To me, this makes far more sense, although I still wonder how Shelley had intended to secure the slings to (or around) the rappel tree.
Curt
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epic_ed
Nov 7, 2005, 7:42 PM
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Pure speculation, but maybe she intended to girth-hitch the slings together in order to fully wrap around the tree. Debris and clearance may have prevented her from seeing the slings were passing through each other rather than hitched. Dunno -- just throwing it out there trying to understand.
Ed
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climbaddic
Nov 7, 2005, 8:23 PM
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I have many pictures and videos of Shelley. You can find them here.
Shelley's Pictures.
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katibird
Nov 7, 2005, 8:49 PM
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This is my first post here, and it's only to say that i didn't know Skelley well, and that we had only hung out a few times, but I still remember going to Four Peaks with her and having a blast. She was bright, and so sweet i got a cavity. :cry: She was just a wonderful person, and i'm so sorry she's gone, but like all the other posts have said she lived life in the way that made her happiest. If you look at the pictures of her floating around you see most are of her doing the things she loved and that for me is a comfort to know she did what she loved and loved what she did. I'm so sorry for her family, and her closest friends, sincere and teary-eyed condolances for you on the loss of such a bright and shining star.
Kat
"Death ends a life, not a relationship."
Jack Lemon
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curt
Nov 7, 2005, 9:21 PM
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In reply to: Pure speculation, but maybe she intended to girth-hitch the slings together in order to fully wrap around the tree. Debris and clearance may have prevented her from seeing the slings were passing through each other rather than hitched. Dunno -- just throwing it out there trying to understand. Ed
I suspect that you're right. Also, I bet that when she intended to girth-hitch one sling to the other, she passed one sling through the second one--but not then back through itself. If one of the water knots was in the back of the tree, where the two slings met, the water knot could provide the illusion that the slings were truly girth-hitched because under a light force this knot may not pull through the other sling, particularly if it is being forced up against the tree. Under a larger load, however, the knot would pull through the loop of the other sling. Obviously, this scenario is mere speculation, but it is consistent with all of the facts, as I currently understand them to be.
Curt
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Re: Shelley Windsor...
[
