'Dean Potter and Graham Hunt Accident'

Those of us that didn't have the balls to do what he did lived thru him.

Thanks Dean for all that and thanks for all the videos so we could also "see"

Rarely will I physically yell out in shock and pain news of such, but I did yesterday.

Sean Jones met Graham Hunt in a Sacramento climbing gym about a decade ago. He quickly felt a strong rapport with Hunt, then only in his early 20s, and encouraged him to stay with him in El Portal, Calif., and climb in nearby Yosemite..

“We did everything together and I showed him every possible thing I could, which connected him to Yosemite and to the people,” said Jones, 45. “Graham just took off in climbing. At the end of the year, I couldn’t keep up with him, which was awesome. His climbing got better and better.”

Even after Jones moved from El Portal to Kansas, the two stayed in touch. Hunt, he said, became like his brother.

Jones said Hunt remained devoted to climbing, but in the last few years got into flying in wingsuits, along with others like Sean Leary, who died BASE jumping last year, and Dean Potter.


“Those guys were like the gurus, definitely the best of the best,” Jones said of Leary. “That was the one comforting thing for me. That at least Graham was in there learning from the best and that had Graham becoming the best."

Hunt died with Dean Potter on Saturday in a BASE-jumping accident at Yosemite National Park when the pair, clad in a wingsuit that allowed them to zip through the air at great speeds, failed to clear a “notch” in the mountain and slammed into rock instead. Potter and Hunt jumped around nightfall from Taft Point, an overlook about 3,000 feet above Yosemite Valley, said park spokesman Scott Gediman.

Though Jones said he had confidence in Hunt, he said he would on occasion slip him warnings during conversations, telling him to learn from those who died before.
“This sport takes even the best of them down, because those guys are pushing the limits. They’re on the edge of exploration of this sport,” Jones said. “They’re pushing it to the limit the most, seeing what they can get away with the most and that was the worry.”

Despite his words of caution, Jones said he didn’t want to discourage Hunt.

“There’s still the fine line where you never want to stop people that are so passionate,” he said. “Maybe 30 years in the life of Graham was better than 60 in the boring life of someone else.”

Hunt’s father, Cliff, said his son was “very well-liked. He was a hard worker and just a pleasure to be around.”

Hunt grew up in Shingle Springs, Calif., where he was an outdoorsman and a sports fanatic, his father said. The two would go hunting, camping and fishing together.


When Graham Hunt graduated from high school, he went to Butte College for the fire academy. Afterward, he joined a hotshot crew up in Northern California, fighting fires with them. Cliff Hunt said his son spent most of his time in Moab, Utah and Yosemite, doing rock climbing.

Although he said he never went out rock climbing with his son, he watched him scaling El Capitan through binoculars from a meadow below.

“It’s surreal in the sense that he’s accomplishing something a lot of people can’t or don’t,” Hunt said. “At the same time, being a parent, you’re always hoping nothing goes wrong there.”

Graham Hunt lived in El Portal for the last three or four years, where he was neighbors with Potter, said his father. Potter and Hunt went to Switzerland together, jumping while wearing wingsuits in the Alps a couple of years ago.

“Dean was his mentor,” Hunt’s father said, adding that he saw flying as “graduating from one step to another.”

“It’s just more extreme and more extreme,” he said. “But it’s what he enjoyed and I supported him.”

Jones said he initially couldn’t believe that his friend was dead. After Potter’s death was confirmed, he still clung to the slim hope that Hunt was alive. Then reality began to sink in.

“I’ve just been devastated,” Jones said. “The lesson you take from this and the message you give out is don’t waste time … make it count.”

Jones said he last saw Hunt about three weeks ago in Utah with Shawn Reeder, a longtime rock climber who had been friends of Hunt for nearly a dozen years. While in Utah, Reeder said he had talked to Hunt about his plans to jump with Potter.

Hunt would describe the feeling as “flying” and as a sort of “alternate freedom,” Reeder said.

“They were very well-aware of the risks but they chose to live life fully and completely … looking death straight in the eyes,” Reeder said. “I just can’t help but want to celebrate what these two men did. They lived life to the fullest and that’s inspiring.”

But when he heard about Hunt and Potter’s death, his heart just sank.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my God, no please,’” Reeder, who lives in Nevada City, said Monday. “Losing two people at the same time, it’s hard to even put words to what it feels like.”

Reeder said Hunt was a “little bit of a vagabond” but that El Portal had become his home base. He said Hunt was careful, choosing not to jump if conditions weren’t ideal.

“Graham definitely was very aware of what conditions he needed and if they weren’t right, he wouldn’t jump,” Reeder said. “He loved adventure, but he was a pretty even-keeled person. Very calculated, very methodical. He wasn’t an over-risk-taker.”

Following Hunt’s death, Reeder shared a tribute to his longtime friend on his Facebook page. He included photos of climbing in Colorado and in Yosemite, with a message about wanting to “celebrate Graham’s incredible life.”

“I knew Dean was going to get worldwide attention and there’d be no lack of images celebrating him,” Reeder said. “I also knew not as many people knew Graham and he was really special. Not only to me but to many people his life touched.”

Unlike Potter, who was a superstar in the extreme world that he inhabited, Hunt kept a low profile. He didn’t even have a Facebook account, Reeder said.

“Everything he did in life he was doing because that’s what he loved. He didn’t need any recognition," he said. “He seemed like one of those rare people that was doing a good job of walking the middle road in life. Even though from the outside it might seem like he was super-extreme. His inner psyche was very much in the middle. He was chill and mellow, but when he’d go out there he’d give it his all.”

Beautiful climbing days marred by sad news. Honoring Grambo (Graham Hunt) as Matt asked me to and I would love to. A friend and brother to Matt; one who seems to be a mystery to many and should be remembered as a talented, amazing and humble young man. Only 29. Matt wants it to be known that Graham was a "true silent warrior that will always be respected and missed". Matt frequently would share stories of their adventures together or speak enviously on how Graham was in Europe doing nothing but flying for months on end. Whether cranking on rock or perfecting technical lines, obviously Dean chose a wingman who was skilled and vice versa. Every time I'd see him when he was with Matt or at an eastside crag, he was smiling, positive and always wanted to know how you were and hear about what was going on in your life. People would always talk about when Grambo was cleaned up, he had SoCal "model" looks and the girls were crazy about him.
He used to have this Frenchie bulldog that was often with him, Ted. But poor Ted was not an outdoor dog and would injure himself, whether it was a stick in the eye, a thorn in the paw, diarrhea from eating something he found, etc. Poor Ted was a master at triple outdoor injuries. Graham took loving care of him though and decided he would have to give Ted a new, not-so-outdoorsy lifestyle home. Last I saw him was in the valley with Matt and other friends and still remember this big smile on his face as they took off for another adventure. It's a perfect lasting impression; someone very alive and happy.
I can't necessarily speak for him but I know the rangers and the park rules were a thorn in his side as they restricted his freedom to fly and to live how he wanted. One time after a jump off Half Dome, he landed and instead of immediately taking off like someone would normally do, he had the balls to actually chill out and start packing his parachute right there. Ultimately, the rangers came. He stated that they had no proof of anything but him packing his chute. It's a beautiful setting to pack a chute, right? smile emoticon
And of course, Matt wants to honor Dean; Matt respects and admires him so much and appreciates the few adventures they have had together.
Rest in peace to these fine men...and may we celebrate their lives with great memories and continue to feel their spirit as if they were tangibly with us. My heart hurts as my love feels the pain....

Is anyone familiar with what pilots call "ground effect"? As these squirrel suiters are coming in and out of the vicinity of a ridge or notch, I wonder if GE could be playing a role?