Back when I was living with Matt, my ex, I had a little frame on my desk, and Matt used to amuse me by changing the picture in it every month or so. He’d always put the picture of a guy I had a crush on at the time; Saku, a Concordia prof, Mats Sundin, and one of his climbing buddies, Brian.

Today I read in Michel’s blog: “The saddest event, however, is the disappearance of Brian Faughnan. I met Brian a few years ago on a telemark trip…”. Reading this, I think my God, what if it’s him. After all, Michel’s in Montreal and an avid climber.

I follow the link to a blog that chronicles the search for Brian (who disappeared in Whistler a month ago), and the blog ends with an obituary that appeared in the Gazette this weekend. I finally find a picture, and with a great chill, I see it’s indeed that very Brian. The page describing the last times he was seen, his actions and plans at those times reads eerily like a Krakauer story.

In the comments of Michel’s blog, there’s one by Bill (with whom I have just become friends). She, too, knew him, to my surprise. She, too, just found out about this.

How did she know him? Replaced him at Dream Pod 9 after he had a bad climbing fall a few years back. Well, guess what: this last December, I cohosted a New Year’s Eve party with the great folks at DP9. Could this get any stranger?

I think some of you (like Jane, perhaps, as a member of MOC) may also have known Brian. I’m sorry if this is how you’re learning of his disappearance.