Randy Dreiling
Jeff was a great guy. I always looked forward to
talking with him at the races.
He will be missed!
Below is information on his death.
By CHRISTIAN KNIGHT
News staff writer
May 18, 2005
When you are out riding this weekend, stop somewhere
along the way
and think of this guy, and remember how lucky we are
to still be able
pedal along, having a blast.........I did not know him
personally, but at
least he cashed in his chips while doing what he
loved, riding his bike!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A White Salmon mountain biker died sometime Sunday or
Monday when he fell
approximately 200 feet from the Coyote Wall a few
miles east of Bingen.
Jeffrey Allen Johnson, 49, was apparently descending
the Upper Agony single
track trail on Syncline off old Highway 8.
Authorities believe a sharp turn threw Johnson from
his bike and over the
200-foot cliff which weaves within feet of the trail
in several places.
The Klickitat County Sheriff's Office learned of the
fatality at 11:30
Monday morning when two mountain bikers, who were
riding the same trail
called 911.
They had spotted a mountain bike off the trail with
its rider nowhere in
sight.
The mountain bikers crept to the edge of the cliff to
peer down. They saw
the body lying atop a 400-foot scree slope of basalt.
They called for help.
"I've heard of people hitting deer, hitting trees. But
I've never heard of
anybody going over the edge of the wall," said
Klickitat County Deputy Ken
MacDonald.
Five agencies, including Hood River's Crag Rats,
responded to the call
Monday.
"We waded through chest-high poison oak," said Crag
Rat and emergency doctor
Christopher Van Tilburg. "We scrambled 400 feet up a
scree slope and brought
him down to Locke Road."
Emergency officials cleared the area at 4:30 p.m.
There, the Klickitat County coroner declared Johnson
dead, though Van
Tilburg believes he had been dead for at least a day.
"He might have fallen on Sunday," Van Tilburg said.
"He was by himself so
nobody knows. But based on the condition of the body,
I'd suspect he had
fallen on Sunday."
The Upper Agony trail is part of a trail system on
Syncline that brings
mountain bikers within a few feet of the cliff's edge.
"Everybody thinks about it," Van Tilburg said. "They
think, 'Boy. I'm riding
on the edge of a cliff."
Many mountain bikers dismount and walk along the most
exposed areas of
trail.
***************************
<http://www.discoverbicycles.com/newsletter_track.cfm?tid=392&uid=224>
Greetings Ellen,
Remembering Jeff On monday morning, May 16th Jeff
Johnson's bike was found
at the top of Coyote Wall by two mountain bikers.
Fearing the worst they
looked over the edge and saw Jeff lying at the bottom.
While riding alone on
Sunday evening he apparently missed a turn, crashed
and fell over 200 feet
to the bottom of the cliff. Jeff raced mountain bikes
for our team, Disco
Velo for over three years. He loved racing and
traveled all over the North
West, California and even Europe to enjoy it. Just a
few weeks ago he
invited the entire team to his home for a season
kick-off party. We all
enjoyed his hospitality and could not avoid Jeff's
infectious enthusiasm for
riding. The picture above is from his last race, I
think the smile says it
all. I know we will all miss him very much. Jeff's
family will memorialize
his life at 3pm on Friday May 20th at Gardner Funeral
Home in White Salmon.
There will be a reception afterwards. In lieu of
flowers the family has
asked that gifts be made to: The Jeff Johnson Memorial
Fund Acct #
0404551351 PO Box 1338 White Salmon, WA 98672
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