Yes, Kate was such an inspiration! Her love for Mount Hood and the Hood River Valley ran so deep. We are all very fortunate that for Kate, this love translated into working tirelessly to protect both of these places that are so special. If only more of us would feel such a responsibility to honor our environment in this way. I have wonderful memories of countless days spent on The Mountain with Kate. This usually meant spending the day hiking in Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area (MHM). She was in her late 70s when I met her, yet Kate insisted on climbing up and sliding down the steepest ski runs in order to check each wetland, meadow, water-fall, and stand of huge trees she knew so well. She always came with just her small day pack that held one can of coke, one peanut butter sandwich, and her camera. I soon appreciated what a truly unique area MHM was and understood her message; it was too special to bulldoze for ski lifts and clear-cut for ski runs. As Kate tried to stop these actions and saw the degradation continue, she always managed to have hope and the strength to continue her work. Thanks to her, Stringer Meadows was saved. A fine tribute to Kate would be to do the same with the White River area just outside of the current MHM boundaries. Kate was all about protecting the land. May we all honor Kate by continuing her work.