I was going to wait on this a few days, but under the circumstances, I decided to post this up now. Wes, AKA Hondo passed away late Saturday night. He was like a brother and this one hits pretty hard.
I had a nice talk with his sister yesterday about everything. He was one tough guy and he hung in there for several months longer than the doctor's claimed was possible.
We shared a lot of shooting, beer's ATV rides, and a love of the Chiefs over the years. He was the kind of guy that if he liked you, he would give you the shirt off his back. (In this case literally, I learned he left me all his Chiefs gear) Hondo was the kind of guy to put everyone else first.
I'll have to double check the area for snow level. I'd like to take one last wheeling trip up Bridger Creek this year, dodge the grizzly's that are out trying to get their last meal and stash a bottle of Pendleton at a place on top of the mountain where we used to stop and just BS. I will hoist a shot to the heavens, say a few words and toast him, every time I head up there.
I'll post more stories along with some pictures in the the thread as it moves along.
RIP my brother, you were one of a kind and you will be deeply missed. [Reply]
Originally Posted by scho63:
This has been a punishing last 6-9 months around here.
So sorry to hear Bwana.
I'm guessing it's not going to get better, unfortunately. CPers were relatively young and healthy when the board was started a couple of decades ago, but now we're not getting any younger.
RIP Hondo, and condolences to all who knew him well. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaFace: I'm guessing it's not going to get better, unfortunately. CPers were relatively young and healthy when the board was started a couple of decades ago, but now we're not getting any younger.
RIP Hondo, and condolences to all who knew him well.
Unfortunately, this is true, but that's just life. That's why it's important to enjoy the time we spend together as a Community, and stop attacking each other so much. Relative to that, I know my perspective has greatly changed in the last couple of years. I love the Chiefs, but this Community has been a special place, and the Members become like Family. I've become a bit of a sentimental old fool, but I'm perfectly good with it :-) [Reply]
So sorry to hear the news. I would head out to my son's place in northern Montana the last few years and always thought I should stop and try to see some of the folks like RandallFlag, Rockymtchief or Bwana who are out that way, but never found the time. Unfortunately we lost two of these great men recently. So sorry for you loss Bwana. Prayers to the family. RIP Wes. [Reply]
This is sad news indeed. I was lucky enough to meet Hondo, such a genuinely nice guy. Hugs to you Bwana, I know you were close. Prayers to peace and comfort to all whose lives he touched. [Reply]
I have a factory OEM cargo front container and big aftermarket rear cargo box on the back of my Polaris sportsman 1000. I bought them so I could pack a bunch of "what if" stuff. I have things like water proof fire starting stuff, an air compressor, tire plugs, saws, heavy duty tow straps, a good first aid kit, a GPS personal location beacon, so in the event something catastrophic were to happen, I can immediately signal for help, ect.
Hondo used to give me a hard time about having so much in my cargo boxes. He would say "Do you think you have enough shit in there?" I think he thought it was taking up valuable space, that could have been utilized for more important items, like cold beer. :-) That went on until one day about 10 miles back from the nearest road on top of a mountain, he got a flat.
He ended up having to use my compressor, some tire plugs and a can of slime to get the tire back up to speed. When he was done I looked at him with a shit eating grin and said, boy that would have been a long walk. He looked back at me and just smiled and I never got a hard time about what I packed in my cargo boxes again. In fact, I noticed he started packing a lot more "what if" items in his cargo box. :-)
One thing I loved about Hondo, was the fact he was only one of two people I trusted in the mountains, in the event we ran head on into a pissed of charging grizzly bear.
I knew that if it came down to it, he would have died for me and I would have done the same for him. He had the heart of a lion. One thing I had no doubt about, we were both either going to get killed off by the bear, or the bear was going to be a rug. I really liked our odds to be honest and it was a great feeling knowing I was with someone who had my back. [Reply]
I only met him at Joe's party the first time in the mid 2000s and at a chiefs tailgate a couple of years ago. He was a great guy. Love the stories, Bwana. Keep 'em coming. Here's me, 007, and Rocky mountain chief at a tailgate right about 2 years ago.
Originally Posted by Lzen:
I only met him at Joe's party the first time in the mid 2000s and at a chiefs tailgate a couple of years ago. He was a great guy. Love the stories, Bwana. Keep 'em coming. Here's me, 007, and Rocky mountain chief at a tailgate right about 2 years ago.
I remember him giving me a call when he was hanging out with you two that day. He had an absolute blast. [Reply]
