My Last Entry

On Thursday, August 27, 2009 we dedicated a park bench at Mt. Peak in Enumclaw in Jon's honor. The bench is in lieu of a headstone, a much more fitting memorial to a man like Jon. He loved to hike Mt. Peak, or I should say loved to run it with a backpack full of weights! We hiked it often together and I also used it to train for our backpacking so I could try to keep up with him when he returned from Alaska.

When I started this project I had a difficult time deciding where to place the bench. Anyone who knew Jon would say that he wanted the bench at the top and insist everyone made it that one mile, straight up to see it. However, I wanted it to be accessible to everyone so that each of us would have a place to be with him. I compromised by placing the bench near the trail head with a plaque that had his name, dates, and "See You at the Top." At the top of the mountain will be another plaque on a post that also has his name and dates with "Life is Not a Spectator Sport"

Most of the Nichols family was in attendance and we had a small dedication ceremony which consisted of the reading of Jon's favorite poem from "The Spell of the Yukon" by Robert Service and a prayer I had found tucked away in his desk. We also sang Amazing Grace then a few of us hiked to the top.

I hope that everyone will stop by to see the bench, hike the mountain and pay tribute to an incredible man.