Foundation News & EventsMarker on the Mountain

Kendall, Sherry, Tim Foley, Julie and Laura at the marker.

Carefully selected, the words and the location provide a fitting tribute to the spirit Chris brought to life. Appropriately, you have to climb the mountain to view the marker, inscribed with these words:

Chris Mikesell,
February 17, 1983 • January 21, 2007

Son, Brother, Friend …
An inspiration to everyone he met.
His life reflected these words:
“If you don’t climb the mountain
you can’t see the view.”
He taught us to climb our mountain.

The marker offers a chance to pause. A place to reflect. An opportunity to reminisce and a vantage point for an inspiring vista of the East River Valley and the mountains beyond.

The family worked with Crested Butte Mountain Resort to design a tribute that melds with the mountain. A special thanks goes to Tim and Diane Mueller, Chris Corliss, and the rest of the CBMR staff. “We want to especially acknowledge the work of Tim Foley who was the creative and physical force leading to the final form of the marker,” said Kendall Mikesell.

The bronze marker is mounted on a base of boulders and is high enough to peek out above the winter snows on Mt. Crested Butte. It is accessible to hikers in the spring, summer and fall­­ and to skiers and boarders in the winter.

Since dedication in the summer of 2009, many friends have come to honor Chris. They leave behind tributes by way of written memories and items like his whitewater paddle.