Lost A Couple Good Ones

 

  I did not know John Yates well.  That didn't stop me from being in awe of what he did and created.  He helped good friends build their log cabin before I met any of them, and then he was living in their stone cabin and fixing it up when our paths crossed.  He would go on to help Connie and Andy build their house, after doing a tree-salvage project in their woods so they'd have plenty of material to work with.  That's when I got to see him in action and was blown away by the knowledge and skill.  He also led many barn salvage projects, built all the early kitchens for Collegetown Bagels at GrassRoots, as well as their counters and tables in some of their locations around town.  Throughout all of those endeavors, he was educating, mentoring, entertaining.  He'll be missed, but carry on through so many others he touched along the way.

   Photos from the Cope's album.  While building the cabin on top.  Chenda is on Caroline's lap.  Their office in the middle, and Chenda on the disassembled roof of the sauna last spring.  He built that too.

  

 

  I've often said I think Connie and Andy's house is one of my all-time favorites, they worked with John to include some amazing features while sticking with lots of conventional aspects.  After he moved on from that project, he helped Mimi build hers, and he had free-reign on the features there. The stories behind some of these details are precious.  As was John, in his way. 

  I only spoke with Brenden Jackson a couple times, but he was one of the most prolific, detailed and accurate writers on the Adirondacks and other places online.  He went by the name DSettahr on a couple discussion boards I read related to mountains, camping, paddling, and and and...He was an assistant forest ranger in the Pharaoh Lakes Wilderness where I ran into him.  His accomplishment to visit every named feature in the wilderness is great reading with stunning photos, check it out if you have an hour.  He was also most of the way to having visited (stayed in) every public lean-to in NY.  Check it out if you have a couple hours.  High Peaks anyone?  I often wondered if he dictated while out-and-about and had it transferred to writing because there just isn't enough time for doing it separately.

 

  I saw this avatar thousands of times, and as I do research for future tips, I'm going to see it thousands more.