Tribute to Dale Chitwood at Wind Wolves Preserve

  • Skies were turbulent over snow-dusted mountains February 26 as friends and family gathered in Wind Wolves Preserve for Dale Chitwood’s memorial. Family and friends spread ashes among 1,000 saplings he planted in over 4,000 hours of volunteer work. He was also president of the Ridge Route Communities Museum Board, an ace homemade ice cream maker and hiking chairman for the Condor Group of the Sierra Club. [Hedlund photo for The Mountain Enterprise]

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    Skies were turbulent over snow-dusted mountains February 26 as friends and family gathered in Wind Wolves Preserve for Dale Chitwood’s memorial. Family and friends spread ashes among 1,000 saplings he planted in over 4,000 hours of volunteer work. He was also president of the Ridge Route Communities Museum Board, an ace homemade ice cream maker and hiking chairman for the Condor Group of the Sierra Club. [Hedlund photo for The Mountain Enterprise]

  • Skies were turbulent over snow-dusted mountains February 26 as friends and family gathered in Wind Wolves Preserve for Dale Chitwood’s memorial. Family and friends spread ashes among 1,000 saplings he planted in over 4,000 hours of volunteer work. He was also president of the Ridge Route Communities Museum Board, an ace homemade ice cream maker and hiking chairman for the Condor Group of the Sierra Club. [Harry Nelson photo / Special to The Mountain Enterprise]

    Image 2 of 4
    Skies were turbulent over snow-dusted mountains February 26 as friends and family gathered in Wind Wolves Preserve for Dale Chitwood’s memorial. Family and friends spread ashes among 1,000 saplings he planted in over 4,000 hours of volunteer work. He was also president of the Ridge Route Communities Museum Board, an ace homemade ice cream maker and hiking chairman for the Condor Group of the Sierra Club. [Harry Nelson photo / Special to The Mountain Enterprise]

  • Friends and family gathered around a campfire in a Wind Wolves Preserve pavilion to share stories and memories at the memorial for Dale Chitwood February 26. [Harry Nelson photo / Special to The Mountain Enterprise]

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    Friends and family gathered around a campfire in a Wind Wolves Preserve pavilion to share stories and memories at the memorial for Dale Chitwood February 26. [Harry Nelson photo / Special to The Mountain Enterprise]

  • Family and friends spread his ashes among 1,000 saplings Dale Chitwood planted in over 4,000 hours of volunteer work. He was also president of the Ridge Route Communities Museum Board, an ace homemade ice cream maker and hiking chairman for the Condor Group of the Sierra Club. [Harry Nelson photo / Special to The Mountain Enterprise]

    Image 4 of 4
    Family and friends spread his ashes among 1,000 saplings Dale Chitwood planted in over 4,000 hours of volunteer work. He was also president of the Ridge Route Communities Museum Board, an ace homemade ice cream maker and hiking chairman for the Condor Group of the Sierra Club. [Harry Nelson photo / Special to The Mountain Enterprise]

Tribute to Dale
(see photos from Wind Wolves Preserve memorial, at right)
February 16, 2011
Dear Editor:
Dale Chitwood passed away yesterday. Others will share how he was the steward of oak trees at Wind Wolves Preserve, a volunteer at the ridge route museum, leader of hikes for the Condor Group of the Sierra Club and a most knowledgeable hiker of these mountains. I knew him best as a fellow hiker and lover of these mountains. We honor his memory.
Chuck Wright
Pine Mountain and Irvine
Tribute to Dale Chitwood 2-15-11
at age 58
i found myself
at REI
a serious store
for serious hikers
i told the clerk
i need a walking stick
so i can try to keep up
with the hike leader
14 years my senior the clerk said buy two
use them like cross-country ski poles
i bought two

i never caught up to dale
but then i wasn’t as far behind either

dale was strong
independent
strongly independent independently strong

dale was happiest
hiking a trail
hiking was his gift
his aptitude
his passion
he enjoyed sharing that passion
he helped create
fond memories
he will be fondly
remembered

dale was the leader
i was the sweep

 

This is part of the March 04, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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