- Colin standing above the Arroyo Seco, en route to Panorama Peak.
Colin and I shared a passion for music and the mountains. We focused on different styles of music when it came to playing guitar, but we couldn't be more in tune when it came to exploring the mountains. The secret treasures, the abandoned trails, the forgotten peaks, the old camps and cabins, these lost and historical things sang to us, and we listened carefully.
Colin died following the music of the Great Hiking Era (1880s to 1930s). He concentrated on the Arroyo Seco and Switzer's camp area. With Paul Ayers and others, we have worked to restore several abandoned trails, we've located old cabin sites, and recently we re-discovered and visited Rose Peak, which lies west of Mt. Deception. While I was content simply hiking to another historical peak, Colin was multi-tasking. In the middle of our hike, he took a side trip to search for signs of yet another lost trail between Switzer's and Mt. Disappointment.
Some of us treat the mountains like a precious song. We must learn and memorize every sound and rhythm and lyric within. Colin died following a particular song, one that came from a place beyond his regular amphitheater in the Arroyo Seco. He ventured a little eastward, toward the melody of the Big Santa Anita. He hoped to immerse himself in its history, and discover its forgotten things, of which there are undoubtedly many.
In an unsent email, sent to me later by his brother, Colin drafted an invitation to me. One of his last thoughts was of sharing his knowledge and discoveries. He hoped to guide me to the remains of the East Fork Trail in Big Santa Anita Canyon, and together we might bring that dead path back to life. I wish instead that I could resurrect Colin, fully restored to his original and curious self.
You get to know a man when it's just you and him, hanging together from some branches on a steep ridge. I felt that kinship of two souls willing to risk life and limb for the music of the mountains and its history. Many of us in this small but tight community lost a piece of our souls, and it really hurts. May his family, his co-workers, his bandmates and his hiking friends all find some peace of mind knowing that Colin will always be fondly remembered and painfully missed.
