From a Twitter Page - 07/12/09
I cannot believe Greg is gone, I suppose somehow I took him for granted like I did the river..........no more..............Greg is and always will be forever an icon of the upper Rio Grande and Creede.. His humor, his voice, the twinkle in his eye.......his commitment to all he believed in and all he represented.......to have know Greg was an honor, to have learned from him was a lesson too many never learned...to have known him......was a gift........I am most fortunate to have crossed paths with him.....to have floated with him....to have sparred and joisted with him..........what a unique and incredible man...a true mountain man......Love you Mister Greg........FOREVER........ long may you float
Reply to Chuck's Blog
Such a loving tribute to a close friend.
It was a woman allright. He was in search of a wife, and he found me wandering around Colorado from Texas. We were married for 24 very exciting years...never a dull moment with The Mountain Man. He kept a daily log from jan-dec. run, swim, ski, run, run, church, run, swim, run, swim, ski, snowmobile, ski, church, ice fish, pow's found, hiked up Long Ridge & found elk antlers, rode bmw up Long Ridge, hiked up Turkey Creek, Mt biked up Ghost Lake, took friend to meeting on BMW, swam 3 days, hiked up Seepage, swam 2 days, rode BMW to Monte Vista, planted grass, trained guides, took new owners of Antlers for a thrilling treat through the Box Canyon, put up the teepee,rafting season opened.In Aug. went on 6-day trip thru Desolation Canyon on the Green River. Then, he ran the Rock Gardens twice late in Aug. In Sept. kayaked 2 days,checked out pools below N.Clear Creek Falls,applied for "Survivor". In Nov. skied,got an elk,-15 degrees-skied on "fat boys",x-country skied up Seepage twice -25 degrees. This was just an average year for my husband who looked forward to each day. Our cabin has a view of mountains on all four sides, so it was a happy challenge to decide where to go. He managed our rafting business professionally. He was so funny, and yet, took things so seriously. Greg was put on earth for a purpose which he completed with great enthusiasm.
He was one of those rare individuals who brought out the best in everyone around him and one of the finest people I've ever known. (Tom McKinnon)
He served in the U.S. Navy, was a former pipe company engineer, a professional photographer, published author and owner of Mountain Man Rafting in Creede, Colorado for over 20 years. Rest in peace, Greg.
"What a special man he was...one of the kindest souls I've ever met." (Susan Tidwell)
"Greg may the wind be always at your back and the water beneath your oar--you are a precious part of our hearts! This is Susan Tidwell and my husband Steve and I have known Greg for 18+ years and adore his liveliness, willingness to share his spirit and jest for life--we have shared many summers with Greg teaching our kids to raft, shooting the breeze and enjoying his company. I post this through tears of sadness as he will be missed dearly. I find myself reflecting on his words both written and spoken, more often that you can imagine. We will miss him greatly." The Tidwell's
"Greg was the living epitome of pioneer spirit and American rugged individualism." (Chuck Powers)
"He sought personal challenge and solitude with nature. In Greg’s favorite movie, "Jeremiah Johnson", the song goes, “The way that you wander is the way that you choose; a day that you tarry is a day that you loose.” Greg Coln went the way that he chose, and he did not tarry. Greg died at 52 and packed more into that life than most. He was a Mountain Man, and I am privileged to say he was my friend."
- An excerpt from "Ode to a Mountain Man" by Chuck Powers (see the entire article in Mountain Report)
"Greg gave far more that he ever took from this world. He was in the smile business." (Steve Carter)
Dear Delen,
Thank you so much for contacting me. I had heard about Greg and have been unbelievably stunned. Forgive me for not reaching out to you sooner, though I'd planned to call you later this week after the tribute. Denial? Disbelief? I think that's what I've been going through, though I cannot begin to imagine what you are going through. Every time I sat down to write to you, or to call you I thought, "What can I possibly say when I can't even begin to grasp what has happened?" Please, please accept my condolences and know that I have been praying for you every day since I heard the news.
Please know that you and Greg changed my life. I will say it again: you and Greg changed my life. Traveling to Creede and meeting both of you was the beginning of something for me -- the beginning of a much deeper appreciation of our natural world and a call to action. I now serve on the board of a small nature center and preserve that is just a couple of minutes from my house. I've begun to do small things in my own life that reflect my belief in our stewardship of this planet, and I am trying very hard to listen to nature as Greg did.
Did he ever say that to me directly? I'm not sure. But I know you did, and I know that stopping to listen to nature is the overriding message I brought back with me from Creede. I have carried that, as well as your own words, in my heart since that summer several years ago. You said that the river has a journey much like our own human lives, a road punctuated with obstacles and smoother passages. You also said that the river was able to influence our moods, and in some profound way I believe now that all of nature can do that. It is a reflection of ourselves, and I am deeply grateful for your help in showing me this.
Let me share one moment that I was witness to when I first met you both. Erich and I were at the Mountain Man offices. I think that Greg had not yet arrived, and rafters were waiting for him to get started. When he finally arrived, you were standing outside, he came over to you and both of you smiled at each other and said, "Good Morning!" and it was such a private moment with so much feeling in that one look that passed between you. He kissed you and I remember thinking at that moment that this man really loved the woman he was greeting. It seemed to me so different from the way I've seen husbands and wives interact, and it was inspiring and heartwarming.
I am so glad that Greg took care of you until the end. It sure sounds to me like he was acting on a higher authority when he bought your car and began preparing your new living arrangements! He was a gift until the end, wasn't he?
- Beatriz, Dallas Morning News
Dear Aunt Delen,
I wish I could be there to give you a big hug. There is much love coming to you right now from me.
I Just wanted you to know my thoughts are with you and I have such wonderful and sweet memories of Greg which will live on.
I will always remember him for being a person who gave me the motivation to do what you felt in your heart and soul and not to look back no matter which way it turned out. He was one of those rare individuals who brought out the best in everyone around him and one of the finest people I've ever known. Rest in Peace, Greg
Some emails are hard to send, but yaíll are such dear friends to me that you should know. I am recovering from a successful brain surgery that removed a massive tumor in my head. I couldnít believe it either, but my prognosis is currently good. I somehow found the faith to survive it, although the medical team didnít give me much hope. My mom and dad are taking care of me. Delen is in an assisted living facility near the the hospital. I have another week of brain radiation to get done, then should be back home in Creede on June 5. We got a chance to come home this weekend and it is snowing hard. I have a great crew lined up for the summer. The tumor was operable as it was a very rare case of melanoma which they really don't see in the brain. The sun can kill you up here. I have some other places but they arenít concerned about those. Take care and thank you for being a part of my life.
Greg
Walking into your hospital room and seeing you standing there with that walker. I didn't know what to expect coming in but knowing that someone I care so much about was already up and around was the most wonderful thing I could ever hope for. You're going to make it, my good friend, because the world isn't through with you yet. You've brought so much happiness to so many people for so many years, you've touched more people than you can ever realize. I am certainly proud and honored to have you for a friend.
Your forever friend,Tom
This is Susan and my husband Steve and I have known Greg for 18+ years and adore his liveliness, willingness to share his spirit and jest for life--we have shared many summers with Greg teaching our kids to raft, shooting the breeze and enjoying his company. We will miss him greatly--Greg may the wind be always at your back and the water beneath your oar--you are a precious part of our hearts!
I post this through tears of sadness as he will be missed dearly. What a special man he was...one of the kindest souls I've ever met.
I think it goes without saying that you have played an important role in my life and I think often about you. I find myself reflecting on your words both written and spoken, more often that you can imagine.
He was a remarkable man – so open, generous, kind and deeply in touch with The Lord. I remember his warm smile as he would greet you – something I have come to miss.
(Richard Baxter)
Director of the Creede Repertory Theatre
Such a beautiful soul…. I often remember his stories and his love for The River. I know he is still there.
(Susan Baxter) Playwright
(Anonymous)
I will always remember him for being a person who gave me the motivation to do what you felt in your heart and soul and not to look back no matter which way it turned out. He was one of those rare individuals who brought out the best in everyone around him and one of the finest people I've ever
known. Rest in Peace, Greg
“There was only one Mountain Man, and that was Greg Coln. But there is nothing that makes me more proud than to continue to carry on his legacy.” No one could have taught me better.” (Ryan Daugherty) (see pg. 12-35 in the Summer, 2009 Creede Magazine)
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