PETE ABSOLON, 1960 - 2007
Pete Absolon in the Wind Rivers, courtesy of NOLS.
Lander resident Pete Absolon, 47, died August 11, 2007, while rock climbing a new backcountry route in Leg Lake Cirque in the Southern Wind River Mountains.
Pete was a joyful father and husband to Avery and Molly Absolon. He was a passionate adventurer, and a mentor and role model for colleagues and friends at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), where he worked for 17 years. He was director of NOLS Rocky Mountain.
Pete was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent his childhood in Texas and Maryland, and graduated with a B.A. from George Washington University in 1983. He promptly put his geologic background to work, becoming a climbing guide at Seneca Rocks, West Virginia. There he met his future wife, Molly Armbrecht, while climbing. Pete was known as “the first climbing guide” at Seneca Rocks, and leaves behind a legacy of many daring first ascents, some unrepeated.
Pete and Molly married in 1988 and moved west to Berkeley, California, where Molly attended graduate school and Pete worked as a carpenter. They moved to Lander, Wyoming, in 1990 and began full-time work as NOLS field instructors. The following decade was filled with amazing journeys. Pete climbed and traveled extensively: from Alaska to the Himalayas, the desert southwest to Yosemite, and across the Canadian and U.S. Rocky Mountains. There was hardly a place he didn’t explore with a rope, in a boat, on a bike, or on foot. Accompanying him on many of these trips was Molly, an accomplished writer, skier, climber, and mountaineer.
Pete helped shape wilderness education during his life, both as an educator in the field and as a supervisor. He inspired many with his professionalism, spirit of adventure and respect for each person he encountered. Pete blended his family, his work, and his friendships in a way that brought people together and enriched our community.
In September 2000, Pete and Molly embarked on their greatest adventure yet: parenthood. Avery Absolon, now almost 7 years old, brought awe and joy to Pete’s life every day. She was an enthusiastic and skilled participant in the family outdoor pursuits. She loved skiing, climbing, fishing, hiking, and biking with her dad. She also drew Pete into her own special world, where he happily participated in elementary school activities and put on his dancing shoes for special father-daughter dance recitals and practices. Days at the crags now included entire worlds for the woodland fairies and Avery’s imagination. Having Avery did not slow down or alter the Absolons’ joyful, active lives. They continued to pursue their dreams and interests, and simply expanded their incredible world to include this bright, energetic, and beautiful daughter. They became an ever-closer unit. The name Absolon conjures up not one face but three, like a wonderful team.
The Pete Absolon Memorial Fund has been established to help Avery continue the tradition of adventure and exploration that she shared with her dad. Contributions can be mailed to the Bank of the West, 303 Main St., Lander, WY, 82520.
Aileen Wilmot and Liz Tuohy