'I miss Adam so much it’s painful': Young mother who lost husband in avalanche installs warning signs in his memory

'I miss Adam so much it’s painful': Young mother who lost husband in avalanche installs warning signs in his memory

(Photo courtesy of Summer Andersen)


5 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

ISLAND PARK, Idaho — “Nine months ago my husband rode up this trail and would not come back alive.”

Those are the words Summer Andersen wrote on her Facebook page late Friday night. She had spent the day in Island Park installing avalanche warning signs in the very place her husband died earlier this year.

“Today I stood there and couldn’t help but ask, ‘Why?’ I miss my best friend and partner. I miss the father of my beautiful children. I miss Adam so much it is painful,” Andersen told EastIdahoNews.com.

Adam, 36, was snowmobiling with friends on Jan. 10 when he became caught in an avalanche in the Mt. Jefferson area of Island Park. His body was recovered the next morning and his untimely death left 6-year-old Dash, 3-year-old Atlas and 3-month-old Lake without a father.

He was one of three people killed in avalanches in Idaho during the 2017-2018 winter season. During the same time period, 25 avalanche related fatalities were reported nationwide.

Several days after Adam’s death, Andersen felt compelled to do something to help other families from dealing with the raw pain she was experiencing. She created the nonprofit Adam Andersen Avalanche Project and raised money to install avalanche warning signs in Island Park.

“With my grief, focusing on this has been a good outlet for me,” Andersen told EastIdahoNews.com. “It’s almost therapeutic for me to get lost in this. I think about what happened, and it seems so senseless.”

Several days after her husband Adam’s avalanche death, Summer Andersen felt compelled to do something to help other families. She created the nonprofit Adam Andersen Avalanche Project and raised money to install avalanche warning signs in Island Park, Idaho, near where her husband died. (Photo: Summer Andersen)
Several days after her husband Adam’s avalanche death, Summer Andersen felt compelled to do something to help other families. She created the nonprofit Adam Andersen Avalanche Project and raised money to install avalanche warning signs in Island Park, Idaho, near where her husband died. (Photo: Summer Andersen)

With the help of a fundraiser at Action Motor Sports and other donations, Andersen raised enough money to cover five warning signs. She and workers with the U.S. Forest Service installed the signs at five different trailheads.

Andersen is using other money she’s raised to pay for five avalanche bags consisting of safety equipment that snowmobilers, skiers and others can use for free while exploring Island Park. Free awareness courses are also planned to educate people on the dangers of avalanches.

The Andersens were living in Ammon when Adam died, but Summer has since moved to Boise to be closer to family. Each year, she plans to put signs in areas of across the state, like the Palisades, where avalanche dangers could be high.

“All I can do is hope and pray that another person will pause at these signs and see ‘In memory of Adam Andersen’ and take extra caution that day,” she said.

Photos

Most recent Idaho stories

Related topics

IdahoOutdoors
Nate Eaton

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast