Moving mountains in suicide's wake

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

COEUR d’ALENE — Every step that Aaron Rittenour takes will be for a friend now gone.

"Back in February of 2017, I had a really close friend of mine commit suicide,” Rittenour said Thursday. "It was an extreme shock because he was the last person that anybody expected would be doing that. He had two jobs, he was going to school, he seemed like the happiest person. He had everything going for him, and then he took his own life."

Each step will also be for Rittenour’s uncle, who took his life six months ago.

"It’s like every single month I know somebody that’s committing suicide, and countless others who are attempting to commit suicide,” Rittenour said. “At that point, I was just like, ‘This is just insanity.’”

His steps will also be for the Northern Idaho Crisis Center and for everyone touched by suicide.

He's ready to move mountains if it helps raise awareness and change. As Coeur d'Alene doesn't have Mount Everest, Canfield Mountain will have to do.

"I want people to know about the Northern Idaho Crisis Center," he said. "I want people to know that even the average person can do something to make a difference in this area."

Rittenour, 25, of Rathdrum, will go "Everesting" on Canfield on June 9 to raise awareness and funds for the North Idaho Crisis Center, a state-funded crisis center dedicated to helping people in need of help with behavioral health or substance abuse issues.

"I think what they’re doing is just awesome — the fact that people can go in there with no charge, stay up to 24 hours and they can find these people help,” said Rittenour, who has struggled with depression and attempted suicide himself. "And then I start talking to people in my community and nobody knows about Northern Idaho Crisis Center. It’s like this gem that so many people don’t know about.

"You start thinking, you know, ‘if my friend knew about that, could he have gotten help?’"

"Everesting" is a trend where people choose a hill or a distance and traverse on bike or foot until they’ve reached the equivalent of Mount Everest’s elevation, 29,029 feet.

Athletic and determined, Rittenour has chosen to go Everesting for a cause. He launched the 29,029 Challenge to bring attention to the Northern Idaho Crisis Center. During his challenge, he will ascend to the top of Canfield and hike back down trekking up and down the 4,250-foot mountain as many times as it takes to reach the Everest distance, possibly once an hour.

"He's an ambitious young man, and we appreciate his efforts," said Don Robinson, who manages the crisis center.

Suicide is the eighth-leading cause of death in Idaho, According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It's the second-leading cause of death for those age 15 to 44, the fourth-leading cause of death for those 45 to 54 and the fifth leading cause of death for ages 55 to 64.

Every 22 hours, an Idahoan takes his or her own life.

"We don't know why. That's really the unanswered question," Robinson said. "The western U.S. tends to be higher than the overall national average, but North Idaho is even high within that subset."

Robinson said he hopes Rittenour's challenge not only gets the center's phones ringing, but that it gets people talking.

"We hope people of the community reach out to somebody who they think may be at risk for suicide," Robinson said.

Rittenour expects to complete the challenge in 18 to 20 hours.

“I just want to do it for something bigger,” he said. “It’s not every day that I can do this to help bring awareness to something like Northern Idaho Crisis Center."

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day: 800-273-8255

Rittenour’s quest: https://29029challenge.info

Northern Idaho Crisis Center: 208-625-4884