By Mark Gunlogson
Each of us possesses unique and special gifts, often their value unseen - until it's lost. Steve's gift of gab was legendary. My first encounter with this was at an outdoor retail store in Seattle. Steve worked at Marmot Mountain Works in the late 1980's. When I saw Steve working behind the climbing gear counter, I knew a six-minute purchase of specialized climbing gear I needed could turn into a half-hour of chit chat, something I didn’t always have time for. Later, in 2014, when I hired Steve to work at Mountain Madness, he seemed an obvious fit given his experience as a climber, having co-owned a guide service, his natural ability for sales, and his wealth of knowledge. The perfect choice!
As he settled into the job, I began to worry as those six-minute sales calls turned into an hour or more for those pulled into the welcoming weave of his conversation. But, upon closer examination, it became obvious that it was not a coincidence that the folks Steve talked to booked trips. What Steve had also done, in a very unintentional way, was to create a community of clients that would come back not only for the adventures we offered, but simply to talk with him; often about some shared common ground, be it a place, an experience, or just about anything you can imagine.
I will miss the six-minute conversations about a trip when calling him at his cabin in Bend for information about something work related; phone calls that often turned into a half-hour or more as he recounted the wonders of his cabin repairs, the deer graciously walking his property, and retirement - his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow found.
Everyone knew Steve's love for the printed page, and he was well read for sure, but his interest went far beyond books and included a love of classic rock. Among his favorites was Jimi Hendrix, whose song "If Six Was Nine" offers a perfect play on words for a tribute to Steve - "If six turned out to be fifty-nine, I don't mind, I don't mind." Those extra fifty-something-minutes are gone forever, but will be remembered in the minds of all of us who had those gentle, friendly, interesting, and yes, sometimes long conversations.
"Steve’s obsession with all things outdoors was always there," his brother, Greg wrote us. "As a family, from the time I can remember, camping and outdoor adventures were the norm. A family sized canvas tent, Coleman Stove and lantern in tow; the folks would load up the VW van or Suburban, and away we would go, rain or shine. With destinations all over the Pacific Northwest, including California and western Canada. Steve’s first ascent was Mt St Helens, followed by Mt Adams. As I recall he was a junior in high school at the time. Reflecting on Steve, he was one of those people who set a course for adventure and travel – and off he went. I believe more than “wanting” to go, Steve “had” to go. While he took from the mountains and forest what he needed, he also gave back through his Search and Rescue service, his teaching and sharing of his adventures."
This passion for all things outdoors led him to co-found Cascade Alpine Guides, work for years at iconic outdoor retailer, Marmot Mountain Works in Seattle, do a stint in Belize running a scuba diving shop, and teach Wilderness First Aid and EMT courses around the country, including an assignment at the military base on Wake Island. His last eight years were spent at Mountain Madness as our International Program Director. Luckily, he was also able to travel to Scotland in 2018 to facilitate our inaugural MM Highlands trek and absorb the culture and traditions of his Scottish ancestry. A fitting last big adventure in a life filled with amazing experiences.
