February 24, 2010
Wray Landon dies in avalanche on South Teton
LEFT: Friends celebrate Wray Landon on Tuesday afternoon at the site of his fatal accident on the South Teton. A memorial is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 28 at the Teton Teepee in Alta. COURTESY PHOTOFormer Driggs resident and Teton Regional Land Trust employee Wray Landon, 30, died Sunday from a fall while skiing the South Teton in Grand Teton National Park.
Landon has been remembered this week as a skilled mountain man, conservationist and as a person whose humility proceeded himself. Also known as “Big Wray,” for his stature and what many say was an amazing athletic ability, other’s called him, “Twice a day Wray,” a nickname earned through countless trips to the hills and mountain peaks in the early mornings before work and then again, sometimes on top of the Grand Teton, to watch the day end with a sunset.
“We’re touched by the outpouring of love and friendship from the valley and from his friends,” said Landon’s mother Lani. “We already knew what a loving son and brother he was. He was very loved by everyone in his family, we already knew that. We’ve been overwhelmed by how much he was loved,” she said of the expressions of friendship and sympathy from Landon’s friends. “It’s been a real comfort. Nothing will replace Wray, but I have appreciated everyone’s comments.”
Friends and family will remember and celebrate his life this Sunday, Feb. 28 at a memorial gathering at the Teton Teepee Lodge, in Alta, starting at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The memorial gathering is a potluck and an opportunity to hear stories about Landon’s life and how he touched those around him.
Landon, who recently moved to Jackson this year, worked for more than three years with the nonprofit Teton Regional Land Trust in Driggs first as an intern and then as the Resource Specialist working with private landowners in eastern Idaho. A Facebook page established shorty after Landon’s death details intimate thoughts and laments about the man who was famed for his adventures, but more importantly his friendships carved in the surrounding mountains.
“Wray Landon was the consummate mountain man, ferociously strong, sharply intuitive, and deeply passionate,” said Zahan Billimoria, a close friend of Landon’s. “His daily habit easily earned his nickname “Twice a day Wray,” as the early morning Taylor excursions were often followed by evening Glory runs. In the summer he became quietly known as the fellow whose after work runs ended on the summit of the Grand where he rarely missed the sunset from the summit.”
Lani recalled the last adventure she and her husband Wray had with Landon, hiking Mt. Glory last fall. The wildflowers were spectacular she said, and even though Landon could have done the hike in a half an hour, he patiently kept in step with her and Wray Sr.
“We had a glorious day and he did it with us,” Lani said. “I wanted him to have more. I couldn’t replace Wray, he was my right hand and I just lost a part of my body, a part of me has died also.”
Landon was remembered with the same patience.
“Wray always wanted to share his love for the mountains, in any season, with everyone that he could,” said another close friend of Landon’s, Chris Lundberg. “I took my first Glory lap with Wray who had the patience to wait, smiling in the bitter cold wind and snow, as I struggled both up and down the hill. I know I’m not the only friend of Wray’s that was patiently guided into the backcountry so that we could experience the same joy that Wray felt whenever he was in the mountains.” Co-workers of Landon have lamented a similar love of more than just the thrill of the summit.
“When we talk with many of Wray’s friends, we hear about his numerous impressive athletic feats and mountaineering prowess,” said a posting by Teton Regional Land Trust employees. “At Teton Regional Land Trust, we knew about Wray’s passion for the high mountains and racing. But, to us, he was always the dedicated and talented conservationist who was committed to eastern Idaho.”
Teton Regional Land Trust has started a “Wray Landon Legacy Fund.” Gifts made to this fund will go toward furthering the conservation work Landon did with the non profit for the past three years.
“Wray’s patience, compassion and endless love of the mountains will always stick in my mind,” said Lundberg. “Over the last few months of his life, after he moved to Jackson, we carpooled to work fairly often. In Wray’s world, he had a good day at the office as long as he got outside for part of it. That was the standard. The same held true for the rest of his life. If he was outside, he was happy. It didn’t matter how slow his companions forced him to go, how steep or how mellow the terrain or even the activity. If he was outside, everything was okay. He could sit and listen to the birds with the same smile on his face as he’d have on top of Taylor Mountain.”
To give to the Wray Landon Legacy Fund, send your donation to Teton Regional Land Trust, PO Box 247, Driggs, ID 83422 or visit www.justgive.org. Please make a note in the memo section of your check “Wray Landon Legacy Fund.”
“We have been impressed by the outpouring of friendship, primarily from Teton Valley and his friends from school,” said Landon’s father. “He lived life the way he had to and thoroughly enjoyed it.”
