Testimonies
The following is from Kevin Sellers written
on 01/19/2008, just a week after the avalanche. Kevin was on the
Climbing for Christ Mission Denali ’07 team with Lygon and had to leave
the team after 7 days on the mountain due to HAPE. He lives in Juneau,
AK
Lygon was a cross-clinger who had a unique role in Denali 2007.
Her presence kept a bunch of clowns in check. Her bravery humbled us
all. Seeing her genuine smile in the kitchen tent was better than hot
beverages and when she served us entrees, each of us felt guilty for not
serving her first.
Lygon brought reverence to a group who could have easily gotten caught
up in mountaineering debauchery. She was in every way the lady of the
mountain. When she spoke, we listened. When she needed privacy, we
immediately built her an imaginary castle, impenetrable by even the
vision of God. We would have done anything to gain her trust and
appreciation. If only she had requested of us to carry her load, pitch
her tent, or serve her breakfast in sleeping bag, we might have done it
if only to brag about it in our mind's journals. Big brother's
presence kept us in tact and in the end we treated her, as best we
could...as just another team member.
Lygon was in good company with her brother and their
relationship thrived on Denali. In the long, quiet evenings of Alaska's
midnight sun, Lygon and Nick gabbed and giggled long into the night. I
envied their bond and their ability to bring family to the highest
location on the continent. They shared the same rope for the entire
trip, if I am not mistaken.
Then there was a song...a bluegrass song called, "Children Go Where
I Send Thee."
Lygon will forever be associated with the only song I associate with
Denali 2007. Before I left the team and descended from Camp 11,200
with high altitude pulmonary edema, we were in sort of a bugger due to
something. It was the only song I could think of singing for I do not
know all the lyrics to too many songs. After belting out the old Negro
spiritual, Lygon announced her appreciation for the bouncy tune and said
she would like to have the lyrics on paper some time.
And later after I turned to head for home, tail between my legs, I took
one last look at the camp my teammates would be moving into. They were
scattered about, all doing something busy except for Lygon. Off to my
side she stood. With nothing else to be but get the heck out of there or
die, I glanced up for some sort of hug or acknowledgement from a team
member, but no one else was there. Looking into Lygon's reflective sun
glasses, I caught a glimpse of a worried mother, the concern of a
tender-hearted nurse saying, "Yes, I will hold your hand when the time
comes." I can imagine the moment of sadness she felt for me. We did not
embrace...that would have been out of bounds. We merely walked in the
same line for a few days. Other than that there was no reason to
consider embrace. But our eyes locked, nothing said, and then goodbye.
May no one ever accuse Lygon of giving up her life not lived, for the
life she did live. No one escapes death...many though, miss out on
living life, but not Miss Stevens.
Not Lygon.
This abbreviated newsletter piece comes from Roger Kovary, founder of
Climb Ecuador, the climbing group Lygon had the privilege of joining
when she climbed in Ecuador. Our hearts are tied to Roger and CE in a
unique way - through CE and Roger’s generous help, the incredible
experience of the South American culture and four Andean summits were
opened to Lygon; likewise, Roger and the team were witnesses to Lygon’s
passion for climbing and the gentleness of the Spirit within her.
CLIMB
ECUADOR NEWSLETTER – ECUADOR AND BOLIVIA 2008
IN MEMORIAM -- LYGON STEVENS (1987 -- 2008)
|
Lygon on the summit of Chimborazo
in Ecuador |
I did not know Lygon
long but news of this…affected
me deeply. She was only 18 when she first contacted me in 2005 to
inquire about our climbing trip to Ecuador later that year. At first I
was a bit hesitant as Lygon was the youngest person who had ever
expressed interest in joining one of our trips. But after talking with
her father, Nick, on the telephone, and getting reassurance from him
that he and Sarah, Lygon’s mother, were giving Lygon full permission to
go, Lygon joined the group. This group consisted of 9 men, most of whom
were in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and 18-year old Lygon. I was a bit
anxious about how this would all play out, but after meeting Lygon at
the airport in Quito on Dec. 28, 2005, and seeing her in action on our
first climb (of 15,700 foot Rucu Pichincha), my concerns went away. When
I first met Lygon at the airport, I saw a tall, thin, attractive,
intelligent, strong young woman, with a broad smile that came from
within. At the time, I had no idea of Lygon’s deep spirituality and love
of God.
As we went from one mountain to the next, it became obvious that not
only was she a strong and capable climber, but that she was THE
STRONGEST climber in our group – a group of grown, mature men with many
more years of climbing experiences than she had. The group came to be
deeply fond and respectful of Lygon, and we all were amazed at her
climbing prowess. She was always in front, and never showed any signs of
fatigue or unhappiness. Even our Ecuadorean guides, who have worked with
hundreds of climbers from all over the world, were amazed. Our head
guide, Efrain, suggested that I assign one of the guides just for Lygon,
due to the innate strength and speed she possessed. He said that she was
like a “maquina nueva” (“new machine”) in comparison to the rest of us .
. . .well. . . . “not so new” machines. She climbed with a purpose which
at the time no one in the group, other than she, knew what that was. I
guess, if I had to describe this “purpose,” knowing what I know now, it
would be that she sought out the heights of the mountains to be closer
to God, and to feel the freedom and love of life that fills us when we
ascend the heights of the mountains of the world.
Another recollection about
Lygon was that for the most part, she was quiet when the group was
together, particularly during the long bus rides, and at the dinner
table. As the wine began to flow (of course, Lygon never touched a
drop), and some of the saltier members of our group began to leak out an
off-color joke or two in Lygon’s presence, first I would fire a quick,
reprimanding glance at the offending group member as if to say “remember
that Lygon is sitting right here.” Then I would look at Lygon, feeling
somewhat fatherly and concerned (I have an 8-year-old daughter) to see
her reaction. She took it all in stride and seem totally unaffected by
this “locker room” digression. Her bright, thoughtful, glowing demeanor,
and the smile that I first saw at the airport in Quito always shone
through and seem to transcend whatever was happening around her.
Lygon had incredible
strength, stamina, speed and ability in the mountains. The summits
“fell” before her relentless pursuit: Rucu Pichincha (15,700 feet),
Iliniza Norte (16,818 feet), Cotopaxi (19,348 feet) (Lygon summitted
Cotopaxi roped with Pavel Dolgonos, the youngest and oldest (66) members
of the group, respectively) and finally Chimborazo (20,703 feet). When
the time came for our final climb of Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest peak
at 20,703 feet, everyone in our group knew, without a doubt, who would
reach the top of this difficult mountain. That’s how much we had to
grown to respect Lygon as a person and as a climber. Lygon reached the
Whymper summit of Chimborazo with one other climber – Charles Fournier,
a climber from Canada. No
one else in our group was able to reach this highest point on
Chimborazo. In general, many climbers are able to reach the first summit
of Chimborazo, called the “Veintimilla” summit, 20,550 feet, but not
many have the strength and stamina to cross the deep snows that separate
Chimborazo’s two summits to reach the higher Whymper summit at 20,703
feet. Lygon and Charles became the only members of this group to have
reached the summit of all four mountains on our 16-day itinerary. Plus,
Lygon and Charles are still, as of the writing of this newsletter, the
only CE clients EVER (in our 10-year history) to reach the Whymper
summit of Chimborazo. For a detailed account of Lygon’s trip to Ecuador,
please visit
www.climbecuador.com, click on “NEWSLETTERS” then “ECUADOR
2006.”
I’ve done what I could
here to express some thoughts and recollections about Lygon and hope
they will lead to others sharing in young Lygon’s remarkable life. In
retrospect, I feel it was a privilege that I got to meet and climb with
Lygon.
Gary Fallesen of Climbing for Christ
received the following letter from a Climbing For Christ member in South
Africa.
To: gfallesen@ClimbingForChrist.org
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
6:04 AM
Subject: Today
Good day
I know that this letter is not for you but I also feel I
must get it off my heart "Kenosis"
Thank you for being the one who
receives it.
Dear Lygon Stevens
My name is Martin in your
diary you wrote that "I thought it silly to write it down as if it were
an epic adventure like the ones that Ed Viesturs and Charles Messner and
Hillary have been on. I was persuaded, however, by one thought: that one
day, when I am gone there might be someone that should be able to read
it". Today in Africa is a day like any other fighting to survive,
fighting in the name of, fighting because you fought first, fighting
because... browsing my inbox a E-alert caught my eye opening it had an
unexpected response, I was reminded, reminded of something larger not of
a mountain but the reason for a mountain. It has been a while since our
African eyes have been filled with tears of passion. As a young boy I
could feel the African spirit within me as I was growing up that spirit
seemed to have been silenced completely...until today. Today Africa is
not like any other day, today I will go further, today I have a chance
the same chance as every other day. Yes today is different, today my
eyes are open... Thank you
You thought that maybe your words
would fall on someone's ears, today your words have reached nations.
What use is the rain if it does not have a tree to fall on? Lygon
your rain has fallen over entire forests!
I can walk in the
footsteps of elephants
I can soar through the skies with eagles
I
can even charter a voyage with the Dolphins
But if I stand on the
shoulders of giants I can see the world
I did not know you I have
never even met you. But I am proud to have heard your name...
God
our father is certainly dancing with his daughter
Love Martin
_________________________________________________
5/8/08:
The
Larimer County Child Advocacy Center held a tree-planting in honor of
Lygon on May 8. The compassionate hearts of the staff and board (of
which Nick is a member) have reached out to us and blessed us in
tremendous ways. The latest is the planting of this beautiful flowering
pear on the grounds of their facility. Barb Etherton read a statement in
which she quoted
Lygon’s Windy
Corner writing. We shared the story of Lygon’s “Dance with My
Father,” then dedicated the tree as a monument to hope. It is, indeed,
our prayer that all the children whose circumstances bring them to those
grounds be given hope and the realization that their heavenly Father is
faithful and true. In His sight, they are beautiful.
http://www.larimercac.org/
___________________________________________________
04/27/08:
Three climbers from the Denver/Colorado Springs area made the summit of
Little Bear. The testimonies of their trip, the summit, and the emotions
of being on the mountain knowing Lygon
was
there as well, are captured in these sites:
From Kevin Baker:
3 of us made it up Little Bear on Sunday. The snow was in great shape
for a safe ascent with a nice hard freeze the night before. I took
several pics of the debris path and we saw no signs of your daughter or
any gear. It looks like there is still several feet of snow still in the
basin, although patches of scree are beginning to melt out. We could
tell the slide was powerful as it pushed debris/scree clear over to the
other side of the basin. Here is a link to most of the pics I took. Even
though I never met her, it seemed like I knew her as I got pretty choked
up on the summit!
http://picasaweb.google.com/shknbke/LittleBear
Karen and I shot a short video tribute on the summit for Lygon -
http://picasaweb.google.com/shknbke/LittleBearVid02?authkey=yKCvEl89zC8
or
Little Bear vid
God Bless,
Kevin
From Jim Ohls:
Our time on the summit remembering her was special, and as much as she
would
have been amazed by the views from the top, I'm certain they are
worthless compared to God's full embrace that she is experiencing now. I
pray that she will be found soon and that God gives you peace and
comfort.
God bless,
Jim Ohl
For Jim’s pictures and summary of their day on Little Bear, see:
http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/400393/Perseverance-Little-Bear-Peak.html
___________________________________________________
4/14/08:
One of Lygon’s writings that was shared at her Memorial Service was a
letter to her Uncle Dale just days before to his passing to the bosom of
Abraham. Uncle Dale was a native Coloradoan and loved the mountains. She
knew this, and the two of them shared a special place in their heart for
those mountains. Our family took native Colorado trees, blue spruce and
aspen, and planted them on the grounds of the ministry, World Christian
Broadcasting, that Dale gave his life to.
With Lygon’s departure to those mountains with Uncle Dale, Lygon’s Aunt
Pat has sent the following tribute: “Just wanted you to all know that I
am having a white dogwood planted in the little grove of trees at World
Christian Broadcasting on Wednesday to mark Lygon's 21st birthday and to
share that ground with the Colorado trees. I will have a
marker
placed later, but wanted it to be planted this week. The marker will
say:
Lygon Elizabeth Stevens
April 16, 1987 - January 10, 2008
"Dear Uncle Dale,
See you in the mountains......
Love, Lygon"
The following tribute was made by Lygon’s Aunt Pat Ward in Nashville,
Tennessee at World Christian Broadcasting headquarters as they planted a
dogwood in honor of Lygon:
"Thank you for being here. Today is Lygon’s 21st birthday and her family
is
at the base of the mountain that took her life – sharing memories,
scripture and conversation with God. And in that I find a very sure
connection of love. They will be planting a honey maple tree next to the
gravesite selected for her burial near the mountains she loved and also
next to an Aspen grove in Estes Park Co. Her father, Nick, said this “We
believe the color and gentle contrast of the honey maple in that setting
will provide an apt symbol of the ‘flower’ that Lygon was in the
hard-core mountaineering community in which she was so at home.” This
dogwood was chosen also because of the gentle beauty of its flower, -
the white of its blossoms reminding me of the snow she loved, - and its
lovely legend connecting it to the cross of our Lord.
In an interview at the time of the avalanche, Nick said there were two
passions in Lygon’s life: one was mountaineering where she felt mighty
in the mountains, and alive and at home. The other passion was her love
for the Lord as her writings have reflected over and over.
I have asked Konstantin to read a scripture from Psalm 91 that Dale had
recorded earlier and was played at Lygon’s memorial service in January.
Psalm 91:1-2, 14-16
“She who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide
under the shadow of the Almighty.
She will say of the Lord ‘He is my
refuge and my
fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.’
“Because she has set her love upon Me,
Therefore I will deliver her;
I will set her on high, because she has known My name.
She will call
upon Me, and I will answer her;
I will be with her in trouble;
I
will deliver her and honor her,
And show her my salvation.”
Over
a year ago, Lygon visited Dale when these Colorado trees were planted in
his honor. After a visit with him in the hospital, she was moved to
write this letter to him. “Dear Uncle Dale, I’m sorry I didn’t get to
share these things with you in person. Sometimes I want to curse my
silence. I didn’t realize this before, but by spending only a few
moments with you today it became so obvious. There are two types of
people who climb mountains. Those whose hearts sing when they are in the
mountains and those who don’t. The first being true mountaineers - being
you. Those types of people are always climbing – no matter where they
are because they’ve been there – in the hills. Up till now though,
you’ve always had to come back down.
The mountain you climb now is a
popular one but a hard one. It’s popular because when you get there you
never have to leave and they take away your shoes and give you wings –
they take away the pain and give you freedom. So – Soar among the
summits and far into the sky --- Look for me still trudging – ‘cause
I’ll be thinking of you.
I’ll see you in the mountains. Love, Lygon”
Her brother and climbing partner, Nicklis, said this about his
sister,
“Lygon never would have sought a long life – she would have
sought a
full one. She had a full life – she really did. I don’t
think she would have
changed the course of her life even knowing the
outcome.”
_____________________________________________________________
"Come Now and See"
A woman of convictions, tenacity and grace,
all wrapped up in a
slender form, topped with a smiling face.
With a heart as pure as
the driven snow, void of any guile,
climbing past each challenge
with her quiet, easy style.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for
God they’ll surely see,
with such eyes she viewed creation and saw
God’s Majesty.
Drawn to higher places where God’s creation shines
pristine,
God’s presence was made evident, in the things that she
had seen.
She conversed with her Creator in His mountains where
they trod,
in the stillness of his handiwork, she could hear the
voice of God.
She asked, "When you are not up here, where is that
you go?"
"In hearts like yours, is where I dwell when I am here
below."
Then, "What is your favorite mountain, What view brings
you ecstasy?"
God’s smile met hers, she laughed, He said, "My bride
come now and see."
Written by artist and close family friend J. Christopher White
January 14, 2008
__________________________________________________________