About Ranger Shannon

It was summer 1979 while son Shannon was climbing the highest peak in Europe, towering 15,781-foot Mont Blanc, when he gripped a climbing rope and couldn’t let go. His hands weren’t working properly. An Army pal plus high school buddy Dan Downey were with him, and the trio had already realized weather had stopped them just above 13,000 feet.

Shannon’s letter home gave Iris and me the first word there was something wrong with his muscle/nerve system. Only years later did he reveal he had noticed spasms during 1977 infantry training and then later in Italy where he was on an Army ski team, participated in NATO maneuvers far above the Arctic Circle in Norway and toured much of Europe and Northwest Africa.

Shan was discharged in early summer of 1980 and worked for Glacier Park Boat Company as a captain at Many Glacier. That fall, he enrolled at Montana State University. His muscle control was slowly ebbing and was diagnosed at a Muscular Dystrophy Center.

The doctors had bad, along with some hopeful, news. He had myotonic dystrophy, which usually hits patients in their late teens or shortly afterward. The genetic affliction is progressive, has no cure, and he would become increasingly handicapped; however, they felt it would be slow and he could carry on a near normal life.

There was no bitter complaining from Shannon. He made a promise to himself to give all he could to a productive life and remain cheerful and positive. He has done that in an amazing manner. Early in his third year at Bozeman, his morale took a temporary slump, and I asked him to come home so we could work through it together.

Next fall he enrolled at U of M, closer to home. Though he had the G.I. Bill, he got a job delivering bundles of university newspapers. It wasn’t easy but still no complaints. During summers, he hiked hundreds of miles with the Over The Hill Gang and climbed rough peaks.

By 1989, Shannon knew his years of being so active were limited, and at a family roundtable he decided to apply for work with the National Park Service. Glacier was first choice on his application, but he became a seasonal ranger in Yellowstone.

He was able to sign in earlier than most seasonals and stay late into falls. Shan began, doing everything from breaking up bear jams to patrolling campgrounds, but as physical ability became more restrictive, he was blessedly given less strenuous duties at the East Entrance.

After five years, with handicaps increasing, our family became more concerned about his being so far from home, and with the help of a thoughtful superintendent, Shan was assigned to Glacier’s West Gate. He was there five happy seasons before deciding he couldn’t be as effective as he desired, even though the administration urged him to stay.

They had made a special walk so he could drive his motorized wheel chair to the bathroom, etc. Ever since he was a small boy, Shan enjoyed many camera adventures with his dad, so to help his career transition, we did the “Wondrous Wildlife” photo book, through World Geographic Publishing.

Leaving Park Service in late 2000, Shannon was able to find some jobs in Kalispell, including night announcer at KOFI. While still able to walk, he had taken a photo trip to Alaska, and later shared an unforgettable exploration of the rain forest and jungles of Costa Rica with kid brother Clark and me. We had wheelchairs at all airports, and guides helped Shan into the jungle riverboats.

These last few years with greatly limited mobility, Shan has been blessed by the kindness of lifetime buddies who took him on successful fishing and hunting trips. He now has limited use of his hands and can only stand for a few seconds. Last month, he underwent kidney surgery, which further reduced strength, and his mother and I could no longer get him into his power lift van for transporting. It was a tough decision, but Shannon realized he needed more, safer care than his family could provide at home.

On June 14, Shannon moved into the Montana Veteran’s Home in Columbia Falls. He is adapting well to a new chapter in his courageous, productive and adventuresome life. Knowing Shannon, he will make many new friends, browse the Internet on his computer and continue adding richness to the wonders he has collected in his first 53 years.

G. George Ostrom is a national award-winning Hungry Horse News columnist. He lives in Kalispell.