(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
A climber who fell to his death Tuesday at Smith Rock State Park was from Coeur d’Alene.
20-year-old Alexander J. Reed fell roughly 200 feet, according to the Bend Bulletin. Reed was preparing to rappel.
Reed was found on Misery Ridge trail around 8 a.m.
According to the Spokesman-Review, there have been five deaths at Smith Rock in the last two years, according to the Bend Bulletin. Between 2002 and 2014 there were three deaths.
Reed graduated from Lake City High School and was a beloved climber in Coeur d’Alene before moving to Bend.
Other climbers remembered Reed in comments posted to the Bend Rock Gym’s Facebook. Reed was actively developing new routes at Smith Rock, one of the nation’s premier sport climbing areas.
“Alex Reed made me smile about the future of climbing at Smith,” wrote one commenter. “His passion for new development was matched by his passion to get it right. Anyone can bolt a route but not anyone can bolt a route that future parties will enjoy and be safe on. Alex was that special individual that was into quality.”