Trip Reports - Memorial for my friend, Jimmy Franco
8/12/98 Mount Rainier, Washington

Enlarge photo of Mount Rainier

First Published: August 30th, 1998

July 8th, 2000 - It's hard to believe it's been more than 2 years since my friend and climbing partner, Jimmy Franco, succumbed to a terrible cancer. Jimmy's wife, Elizabeth, asked me to take his ashes to the summit of Mt. Rainier. It was a great honor.

Enlarge photo

I'm revisiting this record of a special purpose of my Mt. Rainier climb in 1998 to add a more seasoned perspective, and announce recent developments. I visited the American Alpine Center in Boulder, Colorado, a couple of weeks ago, and saw the new memorial stone. Many of Jimmy's climbing friends contributed to the construction of the new  A.A.C. facility and a commemorative stone was placed in there to honor him.  

I used Jimmy's ice ax for the climb. When we reached the summit, I planted it in the snow atop the highest point of Columbia Crest and spread his ashes at the base of the shaft where it entered the snow. It was a bright, still morning.

Enlarge photo

Jimmy loved to bring chocolate and oranges when climbing. I remember him sitting amused on a ledge on blustery days, peeling his orange, and tossing the rind into the wind. The good ones would spiral upward like small helicopters, lofted on the breezes. Elizabeth had given me an orange-chocolate bar to take with me on the climb. Now, I placed a small piece on top of the ashes, and ate the remainder.

See larger image of summit log entry

This was a good place to leave him. Jimmy had trained on Mt. Rainier for a future climb of Mt. McKinley (Denali) in Alaska, but a winter storm had kept him in his tent or a snow cave for five days. He never climbed to the summit of Rainier, but I know he wanted to.

Enlarge photo

My business concluded, I took some time for myself to enjoy the view I had climbed so far for. Near the summit, nestled in a protective nook in a pile of boulders, is a metal box containing the summit log. I made my entry into the summit log, noting that Jimmy had finally made it.

Enlarge photo

The American Mountaineering Center in Boulder, Colorado, was seeking funds to move into an historic high school building downtown. Many of Jimmy's friends contributed towards the building effort, to earn him a memorial stone in the outdoor patio. So much was contributed, we were given one of the larger border stones on the edge of the garden. It's located on the far edge of the patio to the right of the front door.

Enlarge photo of stone

Go to the Mount Rainier trip report page

How to send your Trip Report

Top of Page