14ers.com

This sucks. Condolences to his family and friends.

I never had the opportunity to meet Ben. He sounds like a great mountaineer and recent CMC trip leader who loved to help others. This is so very sad to see this loss.
My condolences and prayers are with his family and friends.

RIP. Prayers for the family.

So sorry to hear this.
Condolences to family and friends.

I had the pleasure of running into Ben on US grant a few month back. He wasn’t arrogant. Had more to say about wanting to experience life with others than talk about himself. He had done most of the peaks on the area that day. We jumped in island lake after.

Condolences to friends and family.

I'm sorry to hear of this. My condolences to his family and friends.

He will truly be missed. As he coached my high school cross country team I got to know him and all his awesome adventures, my only regret is not getting to know him better. I wish I could've helped in the search effort, even though it seems like it wouldn't have changed anything. I could go on forever about what I wish I had done, but in the end all that really matters is that he was a great guy, that he wanted to share his knowledge and experience with the world, and that he will be remembered. My condolences to Ben's family, we have you in our thoughts and prayers.

Ben was a true friend who I knew since high school. We went on many runs and hikes through the years. I wish I had gotten to see him more since moving to Denver.. I figured he would always be there since he was such a beast hiker and loved living here. I will miss him dearly. Our community has lost a great person.

I am so very sorry to hear about this most unfortunate loss.
RIP Ben

I was taken aback when I first heard the news that coach Ben was missing. I began searching the Internet for any information I could find, hoping he was okay. When I found the report declaring him dead, I struggled to accept it. Ben Brownlee was an amazing and competent coach who always pushed our team and lifted our spirits. I remember just two weeks ago as I had a conversation with him about his favorite book during high school, The Power of One. As I listened to him sharing his life with me and the rest of my team, I had no idea this would be the last time I would talk to him. Despite having a busy schedule and only being able to come to one in every few practices, coach Ben always felt present through his overwhelmingly positive spirit. When he was able to see the team, everyone felt like they had a friend and a mentor who they could talk to about an awful race, a new pr, or just have a lively conversation. Sadly, I never got to know him very well. As a testament to this, I didn’t know his last name was Brownlee or that he was an avid mountaineer. His death seems too unexpected, too sudden, and too painful. I can’t even imagine how his family feels. My prayers go out to anyone who knew him and especially to our beloved coach Ben Brownlee. The team will never be truly complete without you.

This is truly tragic. I went to high school with Ben and I had the privilege of hiking with him a few times once we both moved to Denver. When we hiked Longs Peak together, he had this amazing ability to make me actually enjoy being awake at 2:30 in the morning. I also was with him when he summited Holy Cross for the first time (it was his number 54 and he would complete the Chicago Basin the next week to finish the 14ers) and even though I was way slower than he was, he was just very glad that I was with him and never complained or even commented on how slow I was. Then we (mostly he) jammed out to Red Hot Chili Peppers all the way back to Denver.
Ben's giftedness and passion for mountaineering was unmatched by anybody I know. I aspire to be the mountaineer that he was, but even more, I aspire to be the kind of man that he was: totally selfless and full of joy. I wish I could have hiked with him more. He left this world way too soon.
If this can happen to Ben, it can happen to anybody. Stay safe out there everybody.

Ben and I had just climbed Hagerman Peak together, along with Heath; another friend of his just 13 days before he died. He was talking about the idea of heading to the Point 13,832 group one of the following weekends as he was getting close to finishing the Centennials. We agreed it would be super fun to finish together on Pigeon and Turret next spring; now it will be painful to be on that hike alone without him to celebrate with.

I took the photo below of Ben at about 13,000 feet elevation on our way up the SW ridge of Hagerman. He was waiting for me there...just excited to be up there.


I'm still in shock