Our friend, Ned Green, passed away on February 18th in an ice climbing accident on Mt. Washington, in one of his favorite places doing one of his favorite things. He was 26. Ned hiked the long trail twice and worked for the GMC on the Long Trail Patrol during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

Those who met Ned, or Void of Consciousness on the trail, were probably struck first by his big red beard and then by his penchant for saying exactly what he was thinking, whether it was tactful or not. Those of us who had the opportunity to know him in depth found a generous and adventurous spirit behind the, at times, grumpy exterior.

We have only known Ned for a couple of years but time, like emotions and adventures with Ned, is compacted and intensified. Like a drum vibrates through our entire body, so one can feel their insides bouncing, jumping, and raging with excitement, the constant beat goes on: The heart beat. We feel that now--even though it was over a month ago--we can feel his heart beat inside us, in sync with ours. Shared.He feels like a lifelong friend (though in our minds eye we can't shake the image of him at age five with the huge, gritty red beard).

Though ice climbing may be his first passion, he loved trail work, and we know that summers with GMC were full of happiness and pride in good work done and connections made. Ned was hard to work with sometimes because he always wanted to help. Ned helped by doing it himself: Intense. Stand back. But after setting a few rocks together and sharing meals under a rain soaked tarp, we proved worthy of each other's friendship. This is the epitome of trail crew life- letting the outer layers of yourself peal away under the hard work, the constant interaction with the crew, the rain.

Knowing Ned meant constantly challenging oneself to be your truest self. Ned also had a phenomenal calm to balance that energy, to read poetry, to write extensive journals, to observe work well done, and to give back rubs. We were comfortable in silence and appreciative of every aspect of out-door living. Trail crew is where strong bonds form under challenging conditions of daily life, and Ned was a key part of that life for us.Strangely, his death has made his lessons, his passions and his generosity of spirit towards us and our struggles with how to live our lives well, come into focus.

Ned lived his life the way many of us wish we had the courage to. He spent most of his time out doors doing what he loved, be it climbing, trail work, or hiking. He didn't go to the woods to escape a lifestyle that was at odds with nature, but rather, that was his lifestyle.

Ned is still with us in so many ways. The drum, the echoes, the sounds of solidness of him beat constantly inside us. Looking for a way to crack out, a crevice it finds to show us how. He will always be remembered by the enormous 4 step rock on the Clark Brook trail, by our striving to live well against the norms, and through the love that he fostered. Words from his journal express better than we ever will what trail crew is about for the people who work it:

Kat Jones-Lippy, Erin Amadon, Jess Roll
March 2001

GMC Loses Valued Member