Jeff Haymes passed away this morning. Finally being released from his paralyzed mortal vessel from his 2009 mountain biking accident. He was surrounded by his loving wife and their 2 dogs.

Jeff was one of the craziest oarsman that Forks ever got to see in his time working for wdfw and the feds. Coming from a strong background of doing goofy sh!t in drift boats in the northern puget sound as a young man. He was known for literally cabling a alumaweld work boat vertically off many bridges in lieu of a launch. Also one of the very first mountain bikers on the oly Pen, one could find him in football pads RAILING fire and logging roads up in the hills abovr Forks, the advent of suspension and the first full suspension Mountain Cycle went to Jeff while in forks.. and then the awkward 6'5" bean pole of a man reached new speeds and was a front runner in any of the newly formed races of the day... all the way till the end of his racing in 2009. I saw jeff race the expert 40 to 49 crowd with reckless abandon. A wild man who refused to sacrifice speed for a jump and refusing to use brakes most of the time. (Once even disconnecting them!)

As I said he was also a fisherman some of you might know/remember. An amazing plugger and one of the original coho wreckers of our time on the clearwater. He was an amazing fisherman but an even better biologist, helping try to manage stocks with his expertise and his solid history in the field. Even after his debilitating accident jeff didn't stop working, continuing to comment and consulting to wdfw advocating for his coho stocks on the west end.

He was a big hearted nerd behind coke bottle glasses, rarely showing the beautiful blue eyes he hid behind his squint, or uncrossing his arms to discuss topics. The characteristic lifting of his head as if speaking down his nose with a light chuckle. A "Techie" before the word was coined.

He met his wife Kim, in the early 2000's and I remember seeing a sparkle in his eyes and crackle in his voice about her....she brought out the boyish glee in him that no fish, no trail, no bike ever could. He was lucky to find her, sticking right beside him as his soulmate and nurse in these later years until this morning when he was finally released from his shell.

Really gonna miss him.

Yeah, Jeff was crazy and I only knew him in Olympia. Also, a very highly regarded professional; one of the best and smartest that I ever worked with.

Few like him left there.