I helped say goodbye to a friend today.

When I met Don, he was 66 (50 years my senior). Every summer, Don made it his mission to share his outdoor knowledge with as many people as he could. I’m convinced he knew everything, yet he never had an ego. When you faced a challenge and asked for help, he wouldn’t just tell you the answer. Instead, he’d guided you thru the process of finding the answer yourself. And when that lesson was over, Don was preparing you for the next. Because of Don, I believe we can never stop learning and should always be teaching.

Don and his lifelong buddies Ranger Bob and Howard, showed me what real friendship looks like. They joked liked teenagers, pranked like college kids, and worked like they were in their prime. They pushed each other’s buttons but they always had each other’s back.

In a way, the three of them were like The Beatles. Talented, legendary, and once in a lifetime. I guess I’m lucky to have had a front row seat at some of their best shows.