Many thanks to Linda Corder and the Dodds family for organizing a wonderful memorial service and reception for our dear friend Earl Dodds, the last of the Big Creek Rangers, who died at 97 years old!
I feel privileged to have known Earl for some 30 years, I just wish I had met him earlier! Earl and Linda live around the corner from our cabin in McCall, so it’s really neat to have them as neighbors.
Here is his obituary.
Earl Dodds was a member of the Greatest Generation in America. Ever read Tom Brokaw’s book about that? These men were tough, they served in World War II, they came home and set about building our nation. They had purpose in life, and they pursued it with zeal.
Earl spent the summers between college as a McCall Smokejumper. You gotta be one heck of a strong outdoorsman to pull off that duty, plus learning the art of parachuting into a fire in the mountains with primitive equipment in 1949! What an introduction to decades of outdoor adventure for Earl!
A professional forester, Earl had a big hand in taking care of the Big Creek Ranger District, a rugged and beautiful part of the Payette National Forest, for almost three decades. Much of that country later became part of the 2.3-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
Earl cared. He cared about his family. He cared about the stewardship of our forests. He cared about the whole Salmon River watershed. He cared about protecting the environment. He had vision.
He cared about our local trails in McCall, too. Twenty years ago, he came to our first meetings and volunteered for Valley County Pathways. He shared our vision to build a valley-wide non-motorized trail system from Cascade to McCall and New Meadows, with a connection to the Weiser River Trail.
Earl has always been so generous toward our organization. You may have noticed that the family recommended Valley County Pathways as one of the nonprofits you may give to in Earl’s name. We are grateful to be mentioned. If you wish to donate, please go to valleycountypathways.org.
Last week, I skied fresh *pow*at Brundage Mountain three days in a row. I made it a point to head over to “Dobbers Dream” and ski virgin powder lines in the trees. I thought of Earl cruising through the fir trees and enjoying that beautiful feeling of weightless, slow-mo delight you can only experience in fresh *pow*. I think he was showing me the way through the trees, with a grin a mile wide. Farewell, my friend!
– Steve Stuebner, Board President, Valley County Pathways
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