Monika Johnson missing near alpental....

Seattle Times story:

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews...151086_skier07m.html

Information on funeral arrangements will be posted at www.flintofts.com.

Can anyone please confirm that the woman beside me (I'm wearing the OR sun hat) in this summit photo on Mount Hood (April 30, 1998) is Susan McKnight?

Amar,

That certainly looks like Susan.

It is amazing how tragedies bring a community together and rekindle memories tucked securely within ourselves.

Jill and I have cleared our eyes daily upon reading each additional posting.

Zap & Jill

Amar, yes, that's Susan

RIP Susan, Georgia, Larry, Paul and Monika

When we raise our glass to toast absent friends, the pause to remember gets longer and longer.
-Anon

Still having waves of grief. What a huge tragedy.
Here are some pictures from earlier days:

www.flickr.com/photos/51133835@N08/5425393355/

*edited URL - Marcus*

My condolences to all who knew her, and those here, affected by her. She sounds like a lovely human being.

I don't believe I've met her, but feel like I do reading this thread.

My thoughts are with her loved ones.

Rest in peace.

Monika was a beautiful person, and without a doubt one of my biggest inspirations. I can only imagine the pain and emptiness those closest to her must be feeling. My heart goes out to you all. It was an honor to have a brush with this angel during her time with us.

While I didn't know her as well as some, I felt we did have a connection.  Never one to criticise my ideas, always encouraging. and fond of my optimism and sense of adventure. She cared enough to call me on more then one occasion to make sure I made it home safely.

here is a recent voice mail(she was worried I got caught in a white out on shuksan) with some pictures from lichtenberg. some one from a  recent return to say goodbye to someone I will never forget.

(click on picture)

my reaction to Monika’s plight affected me more profoundly than I ever expected it to

While I haven't spent a lot of time with Monika, I taught alongside her for years in the Crevasse Rescue class. She was an inspiration as a person and a skier. My memories of her will be a part of me forever.

My condolences to Monika's family and friends.

Thank you for posting the voicemail. The recording evokes how kind and sweet Monika's voice was. She had such a cute, little voice too, you'd never guess that same voice was produced from a person of massive strength and stamina.

She was truly up for anything, including a dip in a glacial lake or a freezing river on the drives home from spring tours. She'd wrap up in a XXL down puffie to help thaw out.

As you can see from all the pics, she was always smiling. All of my pics with Monika show me sitting on my ass exhausted, and Monika on her feet (skis on) ready for more skiing!

I appreciate all who posted and all who shared photos. I felt a duty to do the same. We will miss you Monika.

I didn’t get to know Monika nearly as well as I would have liked.  We did a handful of trips together, including a trip last summer when Pete and I met up with her and Gregg C. on the Oregon Coast for a bit of surfing.  The conditions were pretty crappy so after a brief spell of flailing in the water doing a whole lot of nothing, Monika and I decided our time would be better spent making tea and eating the pie that she and Gregg had purchased at a farmers market in Manzanita the day before. There were no objectives to be met, no trail to be broken. It was just a peaceful and relaxing morning getting to know her better and I looked forward to spending more time like that with her.

My mother and grandmother happened to visit this weekend from San Diego.  My days were spent trying to reconcile my utter sadness over the loss of Monika with my joy at being able to spend time with family I only get to see a couple times a year.  The only sense I could make of it is that I need to really appreciate and cherish every moment I get to spend with the people I care about and to let them know how I feel because in an instant, that opportunity could be gone.  When I dropped them off at the airport this morning I hugged them both a little longer and told them a couple extra times how much I loved them.  I wish I would have told Monika what a special person I thought she was and how much she inspired me both as a female athlete and as a generally super cool person.

Peace.

Wow. What a tremendous loss.

I met Monika and her climbing partner on top of Adams last climbing season.

I was really looking forward to seeing her again on top of some other random peak. I had told my wife about her and she was also hoping to meet her some day. Looks like that won't happen now. I really feel for those of you who were closest to her.

RIP Monika.

Having never really known Monika except through TR's and random pics,            I just felt compelled to say that although she never new it, she inspired me as a skier and mountaineer. Her accomplishments are testament to her spirit and determination. She was a tough chick.
Her infectious smile gave way to her larger than life attitude and judging by all these photos she inspired others as well and by many she was loved.
Rest peacefully Monika

I met Monika a few years ago through TAY…I think she had PM’ed Becky and I wanting to go out skiing sometime…she liked that our regular cast of characters included a lot of women skiers (Becky, Kirsten, Anastasia, and Mica).  The first time Becky and I skied with her, we climbed the north side of McClellan Butte with Monika busting trail the whole way…the pace she set breaking trail bootpacking up the waist deep powder in the north couloir left us out of breath even just following. We were done before noon and she still wanted to ski some more, so again she broke trail the whole way up Snoqualmie Mtn where we yo-yoed the Phantom and Thunder Creek basin, with  Monika easily racking up twice the number of laps as Becky and me.  I met up with her a couple more times that season for random tours, it seemed like Monika had about a hundred skiing buddies cause every time I went out, I met new folks.
Last summer she started going surfing with me..our first trip was a weekend out on the Olympic Peninsula…I think she had tried surfing maybe once or twice before...and I got a kick out of seeing her take to a new sport with such determination…by the end of the first weekend, she had had enough of paddling around in the whitewater and was punching through the waves out into the lineup asking for instructions on how to catch the ‘real waves’. 
Becky and I had a few more tours with her last season…Monika always hooting and hollering as she skied, powder or corn...it didn’t matter she just loved to slide.
This summer she became one of my regular surfing buddies…it seemed like every time I sent out an invite to my usual surf partners, she was eager to hop in the car and head for Westport.  After a particularly cold and dreary Oregon trip she finally picked up a nice thick hooded wetsuit and I was keeping an eye out on craigslist for a good board that she could get.
My father died last month after years of poor health and in some ways that was easier for me to come to grips with… when someone has lived a full life, they are still missed when they pass away, but when someone dies in the prime of their life…there’s nothing fair or expected about that, it just plain feels terrible, like something precious was stolen. 
I’ve never done a rando rally before and I’m certainly not in shape for it, but I look forward to wearing a kitty this weekend on my backpack and grinding up Alpental.

A group of 10 of Monika's friends went up Red Mountain today in a snowstorm, to retrieve her gear from the summit. We found everything (skis, poles, helmet, pack, and especially Kitty, safe inside her pack), even though it was now buried under 1-2 feet of new snow, and brought it back with us.

We held a brief remembrance of Monika at the summit, in the howling wind and blowing snow, and many tears were shed. We skied down the SW face of Red Mountain in fresh powder, and we all agreed that it was really nice skiing powder after so many snowless weeks. I think that Monika would have been happy for us.



Link to trip report: February 7, 2011, Red Mountain, Remembering Monika

Thanks, Amar, needed to be done.

Thank you so much for doing that, Amar and friends. You guys must have created a rain crust on top of all that powder.

We held a brief remembrance of Monika at the summit...

Very Cool.
I was just wondering about her gear today.
Thank you all for doing that.

To all of Monika’s adventuring friends: you are so much of what brought her joy. Thank you for sharing these stories and pictures. Each one is a treasure. As you know, she shined her light outward so much that her own accomplishments and experiences were downplayed. Countless times I would find her resting after a trip, bundled in a comforter and covered in cats, blissfully tired. She’d say it was wonderful, maybe make a comment about the weather…. Then she’d go back to the business of work, puttering about the house, laundry, etc. until that gleam came back into her eye and she’d be off again on an adventure. So thank you for all of these postings. Each story gives me another chance to picture her beaming and free.

To all those who searched for her, found her, and brought her back: thank you from the bottom of my sad heart for doing this hard, hard thing. Thank you for your care and love and respect of her.

With love and appreciation,
Margaret (friend and housemate)

Thank you so much for doing that, Amar and friends. You guys must have created a rain crust on top of all that powder.

Please direct your thanks to Ryan, not to me -- his determination and courage in the face of this unfathomable loss was the key to our efforts today. He was also the key figure insisting on doggedly continuing the unofficial search efforts on Friday and Saturday (which led to Monika being found and recovered on Saturday), after King County had suspended the official search operation on Thursday, with no plans to resume prior to expected fair weather on Tuesday.

The universe isn't entirely without justice.  Hope REI finally owns up now. 

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews...615_bikesuit08m.html

I made powder bead necklaces for my close friends this winter. Something to wear while out skiing to celebrate the act of being in the mountains. I was going to give Monika her's later this month on our planned five day ski trip. I gave it to her yesterday, on the summit of Red Mountain. If you ski Red this winter, feel free to add to the small shrine we left for her. (Her balaclava, a beaded bracelet and her powder beads). Post the picture here. She would have liked that. Peace to all of her friends and those that left such fine words and pictures here.

Thanks for the photo and trip report from the summit remembrance Amar, Ryan and friends.

On Saturday we considered a side trip to retrieve Monika’s gear as Ryan was keen to retrieve her belongings. I am so glad we did not follow through as you all have created something so much more beautiful.

My most sincere condolences to Monika’s family, Ryan and her close friends.

Jan Kordel

Please direct your thanks to Ryan, not to me -- his determination and courage in the face of this unfathomable loss was the key to our efforts today. He was also the key figure insisting on doggedly continuing the unofficial search efforts on Friday and Saturday (which led to Monika being found and recovered on Saturday), after King County had suspended the official search operation on Thursday, with no plans to resume prior to expected fair weather on Tuesday.

Thanks, Ryan, Amar and the others who helped bring Monika back.

How ironic!

"Less than a week after backcountry enthusiast Monika Johnson died in a fall near Snoqualmie Pass, the state Court of Appeals ruled in a lawsuit she filed two years ago against Recreational Equipment Inc., saying REI must take responsibility for an allegedly defective part that caused Johnson's bicycle to collapse, leaving her with permanent injuries."

Over the years we came to know Monika as a wonderful, caring, and kind person.  Monika had legs of steel, a heart of gold, and a winning smile a mile wide. 

This is such a tragic loss. This site is such a testament to how many lives she touched over the years. I knew her through the Glacier Travel class, and was amazed by her vitality, energy, and enthusiasm. This has affected me more than I could have imagined. She was truly an inspiration, and I hope that I can live my life a little more like she lived hers.

At Kam and Allyson's wedding in Tahoe.

I had the opportunity meet and ski with Monika during the crevasse rescue class in '09.  Having only met her briefly, she struck me not only as a skilled ski mountaineer (and clearly a super-human athlete), but also as just a super cool and humble person, with a great positive energy and an infectious smile.  

My deepest condolences to those closest to her. Thanks Ryan, Amar, and co for sharing your trip in her honor yesterday with us.

FROM TWO OF MONIKA’S PATIENTS:

Our name names are Anne and John and we are wife and husband.  We met Monika in a different sequence than most of you.  We didn’t meet Monika breaking trail in the middle of a blizzard deep in some mountain range.  We had no idea of her incredible athletic ability and legendary back country exploits.  We met Monika at least five years ago in the warm and cozy confines of the Virginia Mason Physical Therapy Department.  Yet, we would have the same love and respect for her if we had never even known that she was a backcountry skier.

John was a patient first.  It took John about the same amount of time (a nanosecond) to be impressed with Monika’s skill as an empathetic and warm physical therapist as it took many of you to be impressed with her backcountry skiing ability and stamina while you were being passed by her breaking trail in deep snow.   

Anne soon also became a patient, admirer, and friend of Monika.

Monika modestly confided in us that she had an interest in backcountry skiing. We were 60+ year old patients who wanted to be healthy enough to pursue our passion for downhill skiing (and uphill riding!).  Of course, whenever Monika saw either of us, we would ask if she’d done any skiing lately.  After she said “yes” and described where—our jaws would drop.  We quickly began to appreciate her passion for her sport.

Anne saw Monika last year briefly after Monika returned from her serious bicycle accident.  Since then we had both planned on going back to Monika for help with our aging bodies but never got around to making an appointment.  We’d frequently refer to her whenever we discussed our physical health, backcountry skiing, or wonderful people.

This past November we were at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in North Bend, and Monika recognized Anne and came up to her.  The three of us spent a few precious minutes reconnecting.  At the time we had no idea of how important those minutes would be to us.  We have recently come to the belief that everything happens for a reason and that there are no coincidences.  That we saw Monika then makes us realize how true that is.

When we heard about the “40-year old woman missing in the back country of the Cascades”-- the thought of Monika never crossed our minds-- because Monika couldn’t possibility be 40.

Monday morning Anne came to John and said “I have some very sad news.  I think the missing skier is Monika.”  We grabbed the paper, and our worst fears were confirmed.  As we read the article and went to this website we found a bright light there.  We learned that she was a legend among her fellow backcountry skiers and that they responded to her warmth, empathy, smile, and exuberance to everything in life—the same qualities that had drawn us to her.   It was wonderful to read about how she inspired breast cancer surgery survivors to “get back on the bike” and conquer their health challenges, just as Monika had done after her horrible bicycle accident.

It was almost more inspiring for us to learn about this extraordinary person in a most conventional way, first as a physical therapist, then friend, and then in small pieces about her huge ability as an athlete.  It is overwhelming that it took a tragedy for us to learn about Monika’s incredible impact on the lives of others.  We join all of Monika’s friends, both here on this website and those in the rest of the world, in paying tribute to a truly wonderful person.  Monika, your positive influence will be passed on and outlive all of us.  God bless.

I have mostly been a 'lurker' on this site, gleaning tips and trail beta and reading with admiration trip reports to places my skill and stamina wouldn't handle. I only know of Monika through those reports, so her passing hasn't left a hole in my life as it has for so many. Yet, I am struck, like so many others here, at how deeply I feel the loss of such a bright presence.

I read Amar's trip report for Muir last Tuesday. We were there too, basking in the sun and enjoying the butter turns. My friend reminded me this morning of the couple--tourists in tennis shoes-- that approached us in the lot and asked, "Did you guys come across a stuffed kitty up there? My girlfriend lost her stuffed kitty. We traced our steps but couldn't find it." I made some lame joke like, "Maybe it came to life like Frosty and ran off to join its friends in the wild." A silly, WTF moment that in retrospect has resonance.

Mary Oliver is my favorite poet and one of her poems ends with the line:

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

Clearly, Monika was more than just a visitor. And even not knowing her, I think it's safe to say that when that door opened and she was faced with crossing that line that it was not with hesitation or a whimper, but a strong, track-setting stride and that life-brightening smile. My condolences to family and friends. bill

I hope everyone will forgive me for sort of thinking as I type. I just checked my master peak list that I use for my panoramas (compiled from Jeff Howbert’s great data base) and found 8 listings for ‘Red Mountain’.  Not that the official name of the Red Mountain where this so tragic event happened will ever be changed, but I wondering if it would honor Monika’s memory if a few of us started thinking of it as “Monika’s Peak” or something like that.  Ideas? Or am I not thinking clearly because of all my sadness?

As far as the precedent for people’s names being used in unofficial names, that’s no problem; think of Mary Peak for Mary Sutliff, or the nearby Judy Peak.  And as to rational, the number of people who have read this thread speaks for itself.

Larry