The Adventurer Karen Norby
June 22 marks an incredibly painful day in our family. Three years ago we lost a member: Karen Norby.
For me, Karen was the first major member of my family to die, and it was no easy death either. First she endured the suffering of appendiceal cancer, a cancer that statistically affects less than 1,500 people in America a year. It was as shocking as it was confounding, and just when I think I can talk about it again, it doesn’t feel any easier.
Karen took me on my first big adventure, which was entirely fitting. To me, she was the embodiment of adventure. She flew out from her yurt in Wyoming to meet me in California, where we would catch another plane to stay with my Uncle Jeff and Aunt Avis in Chicago. I was about 8 years old.
To be honest, my memory of the trip is relatively scratchy, but perhaps one of my favorite things to do was wake up early and swim in lake Michigan with her and Jeff. The water was a clear blue and the air prickly with heat. We’d walk back to Jeff’s apartment where the hallways smelt thickly of lilies, preparing for another day of exploration in the city.
Now I take Karen with me wherever I go. I have a necklace from her, a gold colored rectangle with the word ‘hope’ engraved. The original chain broke long ago, I’ve since replaced it three times. Every adventure, I know I’ve got her, sharing my experiences with her in the only way I think I can.
Up to her very last minute on earth, Karen was adventuring. She wanted to be a part of my college tours, so she packed herself into our minivan for the long drive from Dana Point to San Francisco so I could tour UC Berkeley. We lost her there. Too sick to follow, we carried on with the college tours. I would find out from a pool in Santa Cruz that she was gone. I haven’t gone back since.
There are many things I wish she could have seen. I wish she could have seen my cross country races. I wish she could have watched me graduate and go to London for my first semester of college. I wish she could have seen me become a climber. I wish she could meet my first long term boyfriend and hear about all of our wild adventures. I wish she could have seen me work in the pizza shop since she was a chef at the Teton Science School.
There would have been so many more adventures and so much more laughter and I could have learned so much more. But the time ran out faster than it should have and now she’s gone. I’ve accepted that.
For me, I feel part of my drive for adventure comes from her. I know she would want me to venture out into the world and take risks and try things even when they terrify me. In this article, I reached out to my family and her husband in the yurt to share her stories. Karen has many. As we pass her memorial day, I want to celebrate all that she accomplished as an adventurer, and hope to continue striving to live as she did; To be as in love with the natural world as she was and spread all of the kindness and joy I know she had and act with the same bravery and courage she possessed.
Karen, this is for you.
Chris Norby (brother):
Karen joined Chris (my dad) and their brother Greg with his wife Shannon for a camping trip in Little Lakes Valley. We did a lot of grand hikes through stunning scenery, but the craziest part about this adventure was when a bear decided to join us for our pork shoulder dinner. We were sat at a picnic table at our campsite when my mom spotted a young bear lumbering down the ridge. I was too frozen by fear to move, but my dad and Greg stood up and started shouting, corralling the unexpected guest away.
Mary Norby (sister):
In the summer after work, Karen loved taking her dogs to the river behind the yurt park. Stephan, her husband, spread some of her ashes there.
Stephan Taroli (husband), as stated directly by him:
As Karen’s partner for 15 years, I can tell you that her last adventure, through cancer, was, by far, her biggest. She amazed me the entire time and taught me what it meant to truly love someone. I’ve never felt so privileged. To witness her grace and countenance after her diagnosis was something that will never cease to amaze me. She was the best, strongest person I’ve ever known and she has (and continues to) help me daily.
So, given that, this is my favorite picture of her, running stairs near Mary’s house with her chemo pump on and smiling.
Matt Norby (brother):
Karen, her brother Greg and Matt were exploring in southeast Utah. They backpacked through Grand Gulch and Kane Gulch while viewing some Anasazi ruins. Matt believes they did not encounter any other hikers or backpackers for several nights while exploring the canyons, leaving them alone with the surrounding nature. He says Karen was always up for an adventure in the remote wilderness
Jeffery Norby (Brother):
Jeffry and Karen on a hike in the Teton National Park.
