Tanya Rinderknecht “Solos Women and Tad…”

My favorite Tad memory is one that I hope at least a good number of you have already heard about…I did my best to spread the word as much as possible after the trip (especially because Tad blushed just a little redder every time I told the story)… :)

It was our first season, we were out in the Tetons, and toward the end of the summer, the two of us had a singles and solos trip together. We print the backgrounder: 8 women, 1 man. Great. I say to Tad: “Listen. You keep the ladies entertained, I’ll do all the work, and everyone will be happy. It will be perfect.” Tad scoffs, and dismisses my suggestion with a shake of his head and a “well tanya, I guess we should get back to some real work here…”

We start the trip. As expected, the ladies (age range 29-67) are all swooning over Tad…laughing a little too hard at his jokes, showing just a little too much excitement over the lecture on alfalfa…but hey, this was all part of the plan. I do my best to point out how strong Tad is, how lucky we are to have him on the trip…and I may or may not throw in that he’s a physical therapist, so if people are feeling sore, they shouldn’t hesitate to ask for some…um, tips. (I felt a little bad for the lone guy on the trip, but let’s be honest – he never really stood a chance against Tad anyway.)

Fast forward to day 5 of the trip: we’re picnicking, the ladies are milling about, and I ask if they’d like a picture. As I’m snapping some shots for them, I mention that if they smile especially wide, maybe they’ll make the catalog. A discussion ensues about the fact that guest and leader photos are sometimes used for marketing purposes. An older lady, very matter-of-fact and no-nonsense in her ways, looks up, somewhat confused. “I don’t understand,” she says. “If they're trying to sell trips, why wouldn’t they just use Tad in ALL the photos? He is the PERFECT SPECIMEN, after all.”

And thus, comic relief was provided for the rest of the trip, and for me – and all the leaders I could find to tell - for years. Tad took it well; whenever I re-told the story, he’d shake his head and blush, and try to change the subject. But really, he couldn’t deny it, as Jean was just speaking the truth. Those lunges did not go un-appreciated…

Tad, we’ll all miss you terribly. You are a part of our family, and we love you dearly. Whether it’s eating sandwiches (two, of course), feeding our coffee habits in the morning, standing naked at the top of a peak, trailer diving for the miracle whip for that one random guest who actually likes it, or watching two dudes cry their eyes out while insisting that they really ARE enjoying their 5-star spicy pad thai…we will remember you with nothing but love, laughs and respect. Thank you for sharing yourself with us.