TetonTy

Nix and Tyler were inseparable. Whether they were working, adventuring or recovering from hangovers, they were doing it together. Like sisters, they bickered and teased each other constantly, but always with smiles on their faces. When I remember them, my happiest and funniest memories are of them together. Here are a few stories and videos for everyone to enjoy…

Eggs in the Pantry – as relayed by Rob McCary (Nixy’s roommate)
In typical Saturday fashion, Nix showed up to cook brunch at the yellow house on Hansen (Tyler and Blair’s humble abode). This time, however, she had forgotten to bring the eggs. Immobilized by her hangover, Nix commissioned Tyler to go to her house to retrieve the forgotten goods. Tyler spent 30 minutes with her car running in the driveway looking for the elusive eggs. All the while, Nix reassured her via text that she did, in fact, have eggs at her house. When Rob walked in the door, he thought the scene was very odd. Tyler was in their kitchen rummaging through every shelf. He retreated to his room for 5 minutes, but when the commotion continued, he went to see what was up. “Where do y’all keep your eggs?!” a frustrated Tyler inquired. Shocked by the question, Rob replied that they were obviously in the fridge…Tyler had been looking in the pantry the entire time. It was a mistake on par with her pronunciation of Yosemite as “Yo-sa-might” at brunch a few weeks earlier.

A weekly occurrence, brunch was an opportunity for us to recount our mis-adventures from Friday night. Usually, it looked something like this…

The Group Text 

For everyone who does not know, Tyler and Nix not only worked at the same residential school, but they also worked in the same cottage. Their stories were often the highlights of my week. Blair Loughrie, Tyler, Nix and I had a group text that we’d lovingly titled My Bitches, and it received some great footage over the years. (Disclaimer: the group name is completely sarcastic.) This includes, but is not limited to, a Who-Wore-It-Best contestant photo, crazed selfies, dubsmash videos, spa day with the boys and the time a kid got ahold of Tyler’s phone and texted the seamstress…

After leaving work, they were usually exhausted, which might explain why Tyler was having so much trouble working her seatbelt on this day…

We also got some truly priceless post-work texts from the two of them. Tyler was a huge fan of sending us daily ugly selfies. 

Just as frequently, Nix and I came to a crossroads with our Southern brethren over middle school arguments like whether Tennis Whites and PEMDAS were actual things (they are…).

Tyler often forgot the definition of common things, like a fever, and luckily had Nix to keep tabs on her during these moments.

And we’ll never really know if Tyler was doing the dumpster dive solely because Jackson Hole Teenie recruit, Nix, couldn’t reach…

Peaking Out (as relayed by Sarah Hirsch)

The story behind this photo is one of Sarah’s favorite memories. The morning had begun with Tyler forgetting everything but her water bottle. She was always a gaper (someone who acts like a uninformed tourist), and it constantly embarrassed Nix. Yet, once on the trail, Tyler’s athletic ability made up for it. So after an early morning U-turn, Nix had properly outfitted Tyler, and they were on top of the Middle Teton in no time.  Sarah took this picture of the two of them, and they argued over who would get instagramming rights to it. Tyler was always quickest to the draw, sneakily instagramming a picture often before the adventure was even over. It drove us all crazy! But after checking out the pic, Nix decided that Tyler had ruined the picture with her cheerleader-like sprawl, so both forfeited the gramming rights. (This photo makes its media debut today!)

The dynamic duo adventured together often. This was partly because they had the same exact schedule, and partly because they were the perfect fit for each other. Both incredibly athletic and goal oriented, they strove for the same lofty peaks and achievements. I have too many memories of adventures with them to share just one, but what I remember most is the laughter. They cracked each other up. So to end, here’s a perfect example of their dynamic, although this particular endeavor took place somewhere between the bar and their houses…

On Saturday morning at 10AM, the dedication for the Elizabeth Tyler Strandberg (and faithful companion Milly) memorial took place at the fabulous Rocky Mount Dog Park. Needless to say in early April you never know what the weather may do and we had a little bit of everything: light spotty rain, wind gusts upwards of 25-30MPH, cloudy skies and cool temperatures in the low 50’s which felt quite a bit lower.   I have to believe Tyler was at work giving us a taste of life in Jackson WY in April.  But wouldn’t you know just as our Mayor, the honorable David Combs, got things underway, the clouds cleared, the sun popped out and the temperature rose along with the appreciation of so many friends and family who came out to share and celebrate this wonderful event.  Beth took the stage with other dignitaries and shared some special, truly heartfelt words with the crowd.   A good time for all and a memorial that will live on and bless others in this great dog park well beyond all of our years.  For those unable to attend, here are some photos and Beth’s comments.  God Bless all those who worked so hard to make this happen, and God Bless Tyler.

BETH: “7 ½ months ago on this very day, a tragic mountain climbing accident in Jackson, Wyoming took the lives of two vibrant and beautiful young women. One of those beautiful women was Tyler Strandberg, our beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and friend and faithful companion to her sweet and precious Milly.  My family and I will forever be grateful for the outpouring of love, support and prayers we have received during this most difficult time.

I want to thank the city of Rocky Mount for all their hard work to make this dedication possible but most importantly, I want to thank my incredible parents, Jim and Marie Gardner who really made this happen. They had an amazing bond with their first grandchild and I can’t think a better way to honor Tyler and Milly but right here in Tyler’s hometown in this wonderful dog park.

I hope that everytime you and your pet come here and sit on this bench, you will remember the way Tyler lived her life. She had this uncanny zest for life and adventure and she lived each day to the fullest as if it were her last.  Tyler defined perservance, courage and compassion and she felt passionately that this is the only life that we have so go out and make a difference.

In closing, I would like to share with you a quote that was the very last entry Tyler had made in her journal. [Go now and live.  Experience, dream and risk.  Close your eyes and jump.  Enjoy the freefall.  Chose exhilaration over comfort.  Choose magic over predictability.  Choose potential over safety.  Wake up to the magic of everyday life.  Make friends with your intuition.  Trust your gut.   Discover the beauty of uncertainly.  Know yourself fully before you make promises to another.  Make millions of mistakes so that you will know how to choose what you really need.  Know when to hold on and when to let go.  Love hard and often and without reservation.  Seek knowledge.  Open yourself to possibility.  Keep your heart open, your head high and your spirit free.  Embrace your darkness along with your light.  Be wrong everyday once in a while and don’t be afraid to admit it.  Awaken to the brilliance in ordinary moments.  Tell the truth about yourself no matter what the cost.  Own your reality without apology.  See goodness in the world.  Be bold. Be fierce. Be grateful.  Be wild, crazy and gloriously free.  Be you. GO NOW AND LIVE]”

I think about my sister Tyler every single day. She is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep at night. I think about her smile, her laugh, and all of the amazing memories that we had together. My last memory that I have with Tyler was her jumping on my bed at 7 in the morning in Nags Head to tell me goodbye before she hopped on her flight back to Jackson Hole. She hugged me tight, kissed me on the check, and said “I love you so much Jo”. I miss her more and more everyday. Even though she is not physically with me, I feel her with me every single day.

I always knew how special Tyler was but I never truly realized how many peoples lives Tyler touched. After visiting Jackson Hole this past October, seeing C Bar V Ranch for the first time, and spending time with all of Tyler’s closest friends, I actually was able to see first hand how many people were so connected with Tyler and the affect the she had on their lives. It not only made me feel happy but made me feel so proud to be able to call her my sister.

Every day my Mom, Dad, Blair and I talk about the different signs that we get from our Tyler and how we know she is always with us. Last night is just another example of Tyler reaching out to us to tell us that she is right here. As my mom and I were sitting around last night, we were starting to discuss our families plans to travel back out to Jackson Hole for Labor Day Weekend. We were talking about flights, travel dates, and where we would stay in town. Just as I pulled out my phone to look up flight possibilities and options for where we could stay, my phone lit up with an unfamiliar message.

Back in September, some of Tyler’s closet friends in Jackson sent us photos from the peak of the Teewinot mountain, where someone had left a memorial in Tyler’s and Catherine’s honor. There was a plaque with Tyler and Cath’s names along with photos from the Outer Banks and Raleigh, a container of sand from Nags Head, and a North Carolina flag nailed into the rocks of the peak. They were all stunned, just as we were, as to who left the memorial. We truly had no idea who had left this amazing memorial and had no idea if we would ever find out. As my phone rang last night, I opened up my Instagram to find a personal message with these exact same pictures of the memorial that we got back in September, as well as pictures with maps of Rocky Mount and North Carolina in front of the mountain range.

After my mom and I fought through the tears of reading this post, we were both at a loss of words with the timing of getting this message and the mysterious ways that God works. We didn’t quite know what to say or how to believe that we had just actually come in contact with the person who had made this incredible memorial for Tyler and Cath. We exchanged numbers with Dylan and talked on the phone with him about the memorial and his connections with Nags Head and Rocky Mount. The insane amount of generosity and thoughtfulness for someone that he and his brother had not ever even met was so overwhelmingly powerful to me that it was almost hard for me to process and take in. After talking to Dylan we realized that he has an amazing love for the outdoors and nature just like Tyler did, which is what led him up to the peak of his favorite mountain of Teewinot with his brother a week after Tyler and Cath’s accident. The crazy amount of unexplainable circumstances that led to our connection with Dylan is a direct gift and sign from God and from Tyler that she is still, right here with us every day. Tyler has once again found a way to connect me with so many different people that I may have never had the opportunity of meeting, all because of the way she lived her life and the way she touched other people.

On August 30, 2015 Dylan posted: “I’m climbing Teewinot this week and I can assure her family back home that a memorial with North Carolina flags will be placed on top of Teewinot, I’ll make it happen. #keeptrekkingforward #neverstopexploring”.

These are all pictures that Dylan took from the Summit of Teewinot and the summit of the Grand Teton

Flowers that someone else had already placed at the peak before Dylan and Tyler got to the top

Summit of the Grand Teton

Dylan at the peak of Teewinot

Thank you so much Dylan and Tyler Melander, we cannot thank you enough.

It has been some time now, since I last posted on this blog. It is intimidating at times because I wasn’t nearly as close and didn’t know Tyler the way many of you do. However, that is not to say she didn’t have such a large impact on me as an individual.   During the time I got to know her, we often talked about why we ran so much and what it meant to us. Now Tyler, being as outgoing and adventurous as she was would go on about how sometimes she ran to clear her mind, sometimes to get in better shape, and most of the time just to explore and spend time with Milly (as if she ever left her side anyway). As for me, running is an outlet.  I use it as a tool to take a deep breath and clear my mind from the sometimes unbearable stress that comes with everyday struggles in life, struggles coping with loss of loved ones, or  any other bump in the road. I had a saying which is on the shoes shown above that says “RUN TO ESCAPE” Tyler knew all about this message, as I told her how long I had considered getting a tattoo of it and how important it is to me. She admired what that message stood for to me, and continuously encouraged me to push myself to run farther and faster (but not too fast bc she wouldn’t want me to be able to beat her). My point to explaining all this, is because that message for me carries more meaning than ever. Today is Pete Sowells 26th birthday. For those of you who don’t know Pete, he was a great friend of mine who passed nearly two years ago from Type 1 Diabetes. Tyler listened to me carry on about how hard it was to cope with his death. She was always willing to listen and I think that is yet another quality which most people lack today, but one we cherished about her.  When I run now, I mostly think of Pete and Tyler. They are my greatest inspirations and I have Tyler to thank for pushing my running to the next level.

One thing that I will leave the readers of this post with is a quote I strongly believe in. “The greatest things in life are not seen, they are not heard, but they are felt” Tyler may not be here physically for us to see or hear, but she is everywhere around us in spirit and can be felt everyday. She rests in our hearts and continues to lift us up while watching over. Cheers to you Tyler, and may we live our lives in celebration for the time we had with you here physically and continue to enjoy life knowing you will always be with us spiritually.

Tommy Tomlinson

As Blair said in her eulogy at Tyler’s funeral:

“If you knew Tyler, you knew she was fearless. Who goes snorkeling with a torn ACL? Tyler. Who goes hiking on crutches? Tyler. Who dives off a moving boat because she saw dolphins and wanted to swim with them? Tyler. Who spends an hour hiking up a mountain with her dog Milly, just for the thrill of a 30 second ski ride down? Tyler. I swear sometimes I wonder if one of us was adopted.”

“She lived her life like a wild adventure, often reminding me of the book and movie “Wild.” But she would be so mad if she heard me compare her to that “gaper movie” because I watched it with her and she was muttering under her breath the whole time about how Reese Witherspoon didn’t have her pack on right or wasn’t pitching the tent the right way. But the fact that Tyler spent 3 days in the Moab desert of Utah camping and hiking with only her dog Milly, is put quite simply, Wild.”

It was this time in March of last year that Tyler and her faithful companion ventured to Moab.   I am thankful we have the pictures, videos and comments to share in her memory.   This was a very happy time in her life.

Ty: Here we go.

Ty: We crossed Mormon state line.

Ty: Old roomies reunited and walkers already driving Milly crazy.

Ty:  5 hour drive but Jeep is holding up well considering I just got it serviced and bought 4 new tires it is chugging along. I do want to trade it for a Subaru tho.

Mom: Tyler you camping tonight?

Ty: Yep and I think I just found my spot.

Dad: Watch out for mountain lions!

Ty: I know.

Dad: Ty where exactly are you?

Ty: Hour outside moab. San Rafael swell “little Grand Canyon”. Tom night will spend in moab and won’t have service. There’s no people. We’re all alone so crazy.

Dad: Glad you have Milly the protector.

Ty: Long way down Milly.

Ty: Looks like I do have some cell service. Storm is rolling in unfortunately.

Ty: You don’t even want to see what I look like.

Dad: Thinking about you Ty and just hoping you are okay.

Ty: We just went exploring and stumbled upon this amazing unmarked trail run that had pretty high elevation gain with the best views!!

Mom: Are u still there? You would be proud of me. Just finished yoga.

Ty: Go mom go! We just got back, Suns gonna go down in bout 30. Bout to cook some brats and asparagus thanks to Betsy and carters nice camping stove.

Ty: Millys already in the tent sleeping hahahah.

Mom: My positive thought for tonight’s class was courage…in your honor. Hope to have as much as you one day.Ty: Now she’s gonna watch the sunset with me. The one thing I need right now is a freakin beer!

Mom: Day is done! Sweet dreams!Ty: Starting to miss people.

Ty: Phone died. We are on the way to a pretty crazy hike/slot canyons 11 miler and there will be no service. Not sure where we’re camping yet.

Ty: Still alive and ready for the next adventure!!!Ty: Just hate it here, haha.

Mom: Tyler, haven’t heard from you all day?

Ty: I am back and freaking exhausted. Crazy stories to share if interested. Heading straight to only brewery in moab right now.

Mom: Are you gonna be showered?

Ty: Um no. 4 days since. Very Tempted to check into a hotel.

Ty: Kinda cool.

Mom: Who died?

Ty: I guess a little girl, sad she was only 7. But the grave is so old is why I thought it was cool. And it was way high up in the middle of nowhere.

Ty: You can kinda barely see the town of moab in the last pic. That’s how far up we hiked.Ty: “Mom I can’t get up there” hahah she was crying.

Ty: Watched 2 guys climb the highest tower. Fisher tower next time I come back I will have rope.

Ty: We found a great trail run with a creek beside it! Prob the only one in Moab.Ty: Her age is starting to show this isn’t like her. Choosing not to hang out in the tent, but in my spare tire instead.

Ty: After this 10 mile trail run this am sadly it is time to part from this amazing place (gotta get back for bball) so I’ll be heading to spend the night with Betsy in salt lake tonight.

Ty: I need shower