Town turns out for Carlton
Event raises almost $16,000 for beloved local.
There are times that, for all of the suffering, demagoguery and hatred present in this world, the real goodness of human beings takes the stage. Monday night’s benefit for Jon Carlton, 38, who suffered a heart attack on the summit of Esha Peak a month ago, was one of those times.
Living in a small town comes with its challenges—local politics, lack of access to a dermatologist, no In ’n Out—but the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices. If you are good to your community, which Jon Carlton unfailingly is, they will rush en masse to your aid should you stumble.
Jon and his wife, Monica Prelle, have lived in Mammoth for over fifteen years. They met on the gondola on Mammoth Mountain when Monica hopped on at Mid-Chalet one fateful day. They have worked all over town as servers, Jon as a fly fishing guide, Monica as a wine specialist and currently as a writer. They’ve endeared themselves to just about everyone they’ve met along the way. This was apparent on Monday at Mammoth Brewing Company when the line to purchase food (all profits of which were generously donated to the couple’s recovery expenses by The Eatery’s Brandon and Theresa Brocia) didn’t diminish until almost 9 p.m.
The Brewer’s Hall upstairs was flanked by tables of donated items from dozens of local businesses and good samaritans, all up for raffle and silent auction. There were too many contributions to possibly list all of the people who should be thanked. Friends of the couple quaffed pints, and $1 from each drink sold also went into the coffers. To say the place was packed would be a grievous understatement. The crowd listened to the reggae stylings of Eddie Wright and rocked out late-night to a performance by Bird Dog, a band in which Carlton is a member (his sweet guitar solos were sorely missed). Carlton himself even made a cameo, via video feed, to thank his friends. His wife Monica made sure to insist on a toast to ObamaCare (the Affordable Care Act), which has covered most of Carlton’s medical expenses.
The couple’s humility and self-sufficiency were qualities cited again and again by attendees as part of what made them so special and deserving of this outpouring of community support. Carlton embodied that High Sierra grit on the day of his heart attack—he was able, with the help of his wife and the friends they were backcountry skiing with, to snowboard down the main couloir of Esha Peak, straight off of the summit, and reach medical attention. His ordeal is the stuff of mountain town legend.
