Bad News.

We just got out of a sudden meeting that Tom called for via phone on his way back from the District offices today.

Jim Pence, recently retired Mono Lake Ranger (and frequently a Bodie Ranger as well due to staffing issues), just past away as a result of a heart attack. He was going to celebrate his 50th birthday this coming January.

Photo Credit: Chris Spiller

Ranger Jim was a great guy. I can't quite remember when I first met him, but I know that I instantly liked him. He was funny, he was fairly easy-going, and best of all: he had this amazing smile that lit up his entire face and made him seem like he was standing two inches taller all of a sudden. You couldn't help but smile back. In fact, the funny thing was, he seemed to smile even when he was complaining oftentimes...

Jim was great with people. He learned the story of Bodie, even though he was technically assigned to Mono and was known to complain about the ranger shortage forcing him to come up here when he ought to be down there. Then he shared that story with visitors, sometimes sitting and giving his undivided attention to a visitor (or group of visitors) for a half an hour at least!

It was Jim who drove me back and forth to Lee Vining, who let me crash on his living room floor when I attended the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua, who introduced me to the delights of a well-marinated skirt steak and showed me how to roast almonds in a skillet. Jim was the one who revealed to me that a certain flirt at the Mono Basin Visitor Center was toying with me and that I shouldn't waste my time with him. It was Jim who told me how to go about hitchhiking in California - and Jim who drove me halfway back to Bodie to swap me with the ranger on duty when my attempt at hitchhiking utterly failed.

And it was Jim who took notice of my burgeoning patch collection and offered up a classic of his own: a lifeguard association patch from his years spent monitoring the beaches. Although, as I recall, it was the River Ranger duties he enjoyed the best.

So here's to Jim - a man who's life was certainly lived to the fullest, a dear friend, a career mentor, and a general inspiration for how to face life with a smile.


I leave Saturday morning. This will probably be my last post before I go. Pray for safe travels and good times with friends along the way. Perhaps after I get settled back home I will post some photographs to highlight the trip, but we'll see. We shall see.