One of our mountain brothers here in the Aspen area is now gone. After a courageous battle with cancer, skier, homebuilder, craftsman and family man Robin Ferguson passed away at his home yesterday morning with his family present.
I’d know Robin for years, and every time we’d cross paths he’d always have a glint of joy in his eye — even when times were tough. He was such a hard worker. When it was time to build his family’s house, he set up a tent camp on their land where he and his wife lived while they got the house done, nearly all on their own. After that Robin created a thriving business as a skilled wood worker and home builder. And he kept skiing.
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| Robin Ferguson on Mount Hayden, Colorado, 1984. Michael Kennedy photo. |
Robin loved skiing and ski alpinism. As a young man he fell in love with France, where he learned ski touring from the masters. He then brought his skills here to Colorado. All the while he obtained land in France and built a hand crafted chalet near Chamonix that’s become a legend among his friends. Along with that, Robin was no stranger to his Scottish heritage, and was known to show up in a kilt on occasion.
Perhaps the most meaningful legacy Robin leaves to mountaineers is his being a founding board member of the Friends Hut. He spent seemingly infinite volunteer hours on that fine Colorado ski cabin, located in the mountains between Crested Butte and Aspen. When you visit Friends Hut and notice how put together that place is, know much of this was Robin’s influence and hands-on work. If you’re rummaging around the hut and find a hidden stash of Glenlivet, it’s probably a bottle Robin tucked away for a special occasion — meaning any time at the hut. So take a nip and think of Robin, and how much he gave to those around him. And as the sun sets, if you think you see a person up on the ridge high above the hut, and the silhouette on the horizon looks like a guy, but… that’s probably Robin, wearing a kilt and smiling into the breeze. Thanks Robin, we miss you so much.
Condolences to Robin’s wife Martha and children Taylor and Piper.
Comments are on, friends.
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| Another shot of Robin on Mount Hayden. Michael Kennedy photo. |
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
