It's been a while since Calicokat posted, I know a number of you here knew Jim well. I see Doug even shared his GFM from his accident two years ago.

I don't visit these forums like I used to but I wanted to share the news that Jim passed away on San Gorgonio, per his wife's social media.

Calicokat and I met on the JMT back in 2011. We ran into each other in SoCal in 2013, and again shared a long hike on Cucamonga a few years later.

It's been a while since he posted but I know he summitted Whitney WELL over 20 times...likely more.

IME, he was never shy to share his warmth, love of the mountains, or his time.

He was tough, he survived a bad fall on Mt. Solomons a few years back, but he bounced back. It's truly sad that he left us so soon.

He was a good man and I considered him a good friend. Condolences to his family.

Rest in peace, Jim.

Thank you Yes this is very bad news , I have stayed in touch with Calicokat after his accident and he came to the store several time during his recovery. We talked about accicents and how just a simple slip can be very serious , his wife during and after the accident was a major part of his recovery. She is a very strong person and now must feel deep sadness, as the road to recovery went very well.
Over the last few years I have reflected on accidents and have some serious concerns about at risk things we do , motorcycles, hang gliding, mountain biking, sking and added to the long list is mountaineering. When we start I assume we think nothing will happen to me, luck gets us well into the advanced period of these adventures , Most often we will have several close encounters with accidents but recover,as the skill advances we assume more risk , we don't see this as risk becuase now we have experience.

Most often the rescues on Whitney is for a person " with experience" or the leader of a groupd that failed to turn around as his group did turn around or his group left the person .

Please share a moment of silence and reflect on the positive time you may have had with Calicokat . Thank You

Sad news. Thanks for sharing.

Our paths first crossed on the summit of Mt Lyell (highest peak in Yosemite) in June 2014.

More recently, on a July afternoon this summer we hiked a few miles together on the Mt Whitney Main Trail. Jim was doing an acclimatization hike, and I was headed to Consultation Lake to camp.

Jim's enthusiasm for the mountains and summiting their peaks was impressive and left me energized. Of course, I heard the details of his experience on Mt Solomons. An experienced hiker was on seemingly "easy" terrain, but then the rocks unexpectedly started rolling. Doug's comments can not be overemphasized..

One of the names on my WPSMB t-shirt for the 2023 Mt Baldy Heroes Hike is WPSMB member James Ledbetter, who died hiking not long ago. I could tell from our conversation on Mt Whitney last July, that Jim and James were good friends. Apparently they had first met while hiking Mt San Gorgonio, the mountain on which we now learn that Jim made his final ascent.

Jim's enthusiasm, warmth, and friendliness will be missed.

Condolences to Jim's family and friends.

Jim F

The loss our WPSMB Family has suffered in last few years is truly tragic and depressing. I've only hiked with Calico a few times but my good friend Patrick was always in the mountains with Calico and James. Now they are both gone. They will missed but not forgotten.

Yeti

Sad news...I've shed a tear, or two, remembering friends we've lost...
Condolences to family and friends.

I looked this up:




I'll repeat myself nearly 5 years later...we should do a get-together this year....in the Sierra...