Vern Stiefel

I just read over at Supertopo.com that Vernon Stiefel was found dead at Smith Rock. I only met him once, but by all accounts he was a great person, a great mentor, and an outstanding climber.

Vern's Profile

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Here's the ST link: supertopo.com/climbing/thre…

What can I say about a man who truly loved this sport. Vern was a great friend and mentor to me. He inspired me with his passion for climbing and the outdoors. His presence will be missed. My condolences to Tara, Quinlin, and the rest.

"Re: My Friend, Vern Stiefel Dec 11, 2006, 10:43am PST
Author: pFranzen
... He struck me as a quiet but very thoughtful person; he didn't say much that night but it was great having him there."

The Vern I got to know was pretty outspoken, if not outright gregarious. I have not been recently in touch with Vern, but we did climb together on the occasions when he visited town here in Boulder, and apparently we had more mutual friends than I knew.

I know that Vern had some personal problems starting for him a few years ago. Some of these by circumstance and others less by chance, but these never seemed to bring him down to a level of depression. The last time we climbed, he seemed upbeat about his new employment and its opportunities and he seemed generally happy. Of late though, I have not spoken to him. Perhaps this disconnection mentioned above was part of the quiet, contemplative, and apparently troubled side of Vern that I did not know so well.

May he rest in peace and may those left behind move on in peace with his memory.

I have never posted on mountainproject before and I am saddened that my inaugural email would be under these circumstances. I was perhaps Vern's closest friend.

My wife and I have been in regular contact with Tara, and I post this because I know that she has gotten scores of telephone calls today from climbers all around the country. While this is a meaningful testament to Vern's impact on others, this has been rather overwhelming for her. So, I figured I would try to offer some information:

Vern's body remains in Oregon. His family is deciding what to do with his remains and should reach a decision Tuesday or Wednesday. One option that is being considered is having a memorial service in Joshua Tree. For those of us here who knew him well, this seems to be a given regardless, but his family may also wish to participate- they, too, knew how much he loved JT.

When arrangements are made, I will certainly post this information.

My wife and I posted this at Rockreation, and I repeat it here to communicate my feelings:

It is with heavy hearts we mourn the loss of our friend, Vern Stiefel. Vern’s contagious enthusiasm and positive energy permeated everyone he climbed with. In this way, he elevated us who climbed with him to be better than we thought we ever could be.

Vern’s penchant for technical, bold climbs earned him much respect from the climbing community in Southern California, Oregon, and Colorado. He was a zealous contributor to Mountainproject.com, assisted in research for Vogel’s new JT guidebook, and established a handful of first ascents in JT.

Vern exhibited an unrivaled endurance and strength that enabled him to cling to desperate holds while deciphering the sequence to crux problems and then to fight successfully through the difficult moves. It is a sincere tragedy that he was unable to surmount his personal problems with the same endless stamina. Vern killed himself sometime on or around December 9, 2006.

Vern is survived by his parents, Maria and RF, and his children: Jenna, Clara, and Quinlan. Service arrangements are pending.

A memorial service for Vern has been set for Sunday, December 17, 2006, at 2:00pm sharp, in Joshua Tree National Park. We will meet at the Oyster Bar parking area (on the south side of Park Blvd. between Ryan Campground and the Ryan Mountain Trailhead parking area) and then walk a short distance from the road to conduct the gathering at Target Rock.

Afterward, food and drink will follow at the Joshua Tree Community Center located at 6171 Sunburst Avenue, Joshua Tree (Six blocks east of Park Blvd along Hwy 62, then turn north on Sunburst).

All are encouraged to attend. Come ready to share a goodbye statement, fond memory, or your best Vern climbing epic.

Vern’s body, per his final wishes, has been donated to science and accepted by a local university in Oregon. His parents and sisters will eventually conduct a closed ceremony for immediate family. Both immediate family and Tara have encouraged this memorial gathering to occur in Joshua Tree, as they all feel that this is where Vern’s heart really rests.

Several people have asked about the financial status of Tara and the three children. They wish it to be known that they are doing all right so far and that Vern attended to these issues before he passed. For those wishing to make contributions or send cards, Tara’s address (for Quinlan) is 1550 NW Maple Ave., Corvallis, OR 97330. Elisa’s address (for Jenna and Clara) is Elisa Shackelton, 539 Barclay Street, Craig CO 81625.

I was fortunate enough to meet Vern while I studied in Oregon during the summer of 2006. We spent several days climbing together at Smith and Beacon Rock. He was a bold climber and a thoughtful man. For most, this thread is a memory, for me it is news. I lost touch with Vern after I went back to Iowa to finish school, and as an Iowa climber was not well connected in the climbing community. I had not learned of this tragic news until now.

So many climbers we meet along the way, it's so sad to lose one of them.