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fatbob

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All the best wishes for a guy who has helped make modern skiing the fun thing it is and whose heart always seemed in the right place.

Political comment deliberately not made.
 

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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Horrible news for someone so talented at only age 48 with. At that young age one has a priority getting transplant donors. My dear mother died from a stroke at age 86 a decade ago after a couple years chemo treatment from MDS anemia. Most don't develop the syndrome until after age 70. Likely the result of being a WAV during WWII performing lots of X-rays before dangers of being near that radiation were properly guarded against.

Best of luck Robb, be strong and think positive, your loved ones are there with you.
 

Tricia

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Continuing to send good thoughts to Robb and his family.
He started heavy chemo today with this note from Scott on his wall


Scott Gaffney
4 hrs ·
This morning Robb Gaffney officially dropped into heavy chemo and is kissing his immune system goodbye.

So let's inject him with some energy and take it back to when he was dropping into what he really loved doing: sending it all over Squaw in Matchstick Productions Ski Movie II: High Society.


 

Tricia

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Robb Gaffney is pleading for blood donations
 

dbostedo

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Robb Gaffney is pleading for blood donations
I made an online appointment a few days ago, and the earliest date I could locally on a Friday or weekend was April 10th. I hope that's a sign that they're busy with donations since people probably have more time now than expected.
 

Tricia

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News from Robb's corner.
 

Tricia

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Robb and his family area still fighting this battle and an auction is open for a signed Squallywood Book(actually 2)
See here.
 

Tricia

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So incredibly sad.
 

Philpug

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This is incredibly sad. Few had more life in them then Robb, and knowing the fight and energy that Robb always had this is very dispointing how strong and devistating cancer can be. I expect a tremendous celebration of life at Palisades and I hope that it includes a trail naming in his honor.
 

Philpug

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A few years back, @Tricia and I hiked Main Line Chute at Palisades and when we were up there a guy and his son started talked to us "Hey Phil, hows it going, great to see you out here, did you have a good season". Typical small talk on the mountain. We chatted abck and forth an he took off" Now, we get this a lot, I am not saying that we are really well known but people do recognize us and we can't remember everyone. As the two skied away, I asked Tricia, "Who was that?" She said "Robb Gaffney". I felt kinda bad but that was the type of person Robb was, being a celebrity at (then) Squaw, he treated everyone nicely and I never saw him "big time" anyone.
 

Alexzn

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Huge loss for the Squaw community. Reading the Squallywood book has fundamentally changed the way I look at the mountain. Where before you see rocks and snow, you see possibilities. Even if I don't pursue a majority of those possibilities, I am a better skier for that. When year ago I wrote the unofficial guide to Squaw for then EpicSki, it was inspired by Squallywood.

I have bumped into Robb on the mountain many times over the years. One year his daughter Kate was in the same group on the ski team with my daughter. A few parents noticed that Kate has been missing quite a few days, and were told that she was "backcountry skiing with her dad", eliciting knowing nods and barely concealed jealousy. I remember seeing some dude straightening Sibo full speed with a large doll strapped to his behind. He tucked, making the doll sit upright. I was intrigued and caught up with the guy at the bottom, where of course I saw that it was Robb Gaffney, complete with a huge sheepish grin on his face. One nice morning another year I bumped into him on top of the Palisades where we exchanged some small talk; I remember him telling me something about a particularly gnarly line that his son Noah did a few days before.

Robb never had quite the fame and name recognition of most of the professional skiers at Squaw, simply because, even though he was as skilled, as fearless, and as daring of a skier as any of them, he made a wiser choice early on to become a doctor and keep skiing as a passion. Because of that, Robb was a special kind of celebrity at Squaw Valley, quiet and very unassuming, but still magnetic. Even though everybody thinks about his goofy side, Squallywood also showed how methodically and cerebrally he approached skiing difficult lines.

I hope the resort will name a feature after Robb (naming a trail would almost feel wrong!). His spirit will always be there and also live in every dog-eared copy of Squallywood that resides in every Truckee ski lease house where it inspires the residents and delights the visitors alike. Thank you Robb!

IMG_7424.jpg
 

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