Remembering a true shoe'r - Denis

When I first met Denis Fontaine I must admit I didn't know what to think. We had just started holding weekly, night time snowshoe training runs on Grouse Mountain. I was charged with organizing each nights route and structure for the different fitness groups. The goal was to have fun, get in a great workout with friends and make sure everyone was accounted for at the end of the night. This is where Denis came in...his best buddy Dave Howells had brought him up as I had roped Dave into helping me keep things organized and safe. Denis was loud, full of energy and keen to bag the Peak every night out. The Peak was usually reserved for the faster group and for the nice nights when we weren't socked in. Every night I gave out the route and details of the session to the group which was now beginning to swell in size. Each night that I said we wouldn't be going up to the Peak I would hear a big groan followed by something that sounded vaguely french and derogitory in nature, and it came from Denis. He wanted to make the most of each night out and wasn't going to settle for less. I would later realize that this stemmed from an overwhelming desire to explore, challenge and inevitably to be one with nature, his physical self and his spiritual self. I was drawn in over the years to not only respect his passion for what he was doing but to realize how fortunate I was to be doing similiar things and crossing paths with him while I did them.

I pass on condolences to Cheryl and his family from all of us at Team SnowRunning.com