The long haul

For those out of the FB and virtual loop, local climber extraordinaire and all-around good guy Thad Ferrell took a bad tumble last Saturday while climbing a route north of Lemon Reservoir, in the Florida River Canyon. Ferrell had just sent Holy Grail (a 5.11d) when a miscommunication led him to fall 100 feet. Miraculously, the spry 40-year-old survived and was med-evaced to Mercy and then to Denver’s St. Anthony’s with two broken heels, a broken pelvis and a broken jaw. Since then, he has undergone a barrage of surgeries, including pelvis and two facial operations thus far, with more to come. Ferrell, a fixture on local trails whose gigs over the years have included Durango Cyclery, Backcountry Experience and the Rock Lounge, faces a long climb to recovery – mentally, physically and financially. As a result, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help out him and his family. “Knowing Thad, I’m sure you can all imagine how much he loves being told to stay still,” his partner, Stacy, wrote in an update on Tuesday. “He still has several surgeries to go. ... He doesn’t remember what happened and is having a hard time trying to grasp what’s going on now, especially since his communication is limited to hand signals and messy writing, but he’s holding strong and we’re all taking it day by day.”

To donate, go to gofundme.com and do a search for “Thad Ferrell.”

We hope to see Thad back on the trails soon.