Clearwater Power Robbi Falls took her trip of a lifetime to Alaska twice — before and after her husband died—to accomplish what the couple originally set out to do together. Photo by Lori Mai Completing a Heartfelt Journey Robbi Falls completes an Alaskan bear hunt in memory of her husband By Lori Mai They met for a drink between Robbi’s the town I grew up in. We needed a place shows. Six years later, they were married. to get away.” By all measures, Bill and Robbi Falls were For the next decade, with Bill’s knowl- complete opposites. She was a showgirl edge and Robbi’s business savvy, the Hunt of a Lifetime at the Stardust Hotel on the Las Vegas couple turned Bill’s humble shop into Rural Idaho provided exactly the kind of Strip. He was a “country bumpkin” from Collision Authority LLC—the largest retreat the couple had been searching for Florida, who traded summers milking chain of professional collision centers in to further their common interest of hunt- cows and skinning catfish for a job in the Nevada. ing and fishing. auto body business “on the wrong side of As the business grew, so did Robbi’s They planned to retire there. the tracks” in Vegas, says Robbi. desire to escape the clamor of Las Vegas. In the meantime, they dreamed of As luck would have it, the two met by The couple bought and remodeled a going on a bear hunt in Alaska. chance when Robbi came into Bill’s shop ranch in Idaho where Robbi lived full For 12 years, they had been in con- to get an estimate for her car. time. Bill commuted routinely by way of tact with a fellow aviation enthusiast, “It was icky, dirty and greasy,” Robbi his private plane. Tony Lee, who was a master outfitter for recalls of the business, but she says she “I needed to breathe because I felt like Alaska Big Game Hunting/Westwind was smitten with Bill’s cowboy hat and I was being strangled,” Robbi says. “Las Guide Services. easy swagger. Vegas was closing in on me. It was not While the couple was in Vegas for 4 NOVEMBER 2016 Robbi and Bill enjoyed hunting together throughout their relationship, and always planned to go to Alaska for bear hunting. The couple traded in their stressful Las Vegas lifestyle for a slower pace in Culdesac, Idaho. Right, Robbi holds the bullets from her return journey to Alaska. Left photo courtesy of Robbi Falls and right photo by Lori Mai. Christmas, they ran into Tony at a Rocky out on snow machines in search of the get help setting up the beacon. To her Mountain Elk Foundation trade show, bear. surprise, Bill walked in under his own where he had a booth. “It was such a beautiful morning,” power and lay down on Tony’s bunk. The next day, Bill came home and Robbi says. “The sun was out. It seemed The men thought he might withstand slapped a folder on the table. like you could just touch heaven. Just go a flight to town, so they were quickly “There,” he said. “I booked the hunt.” up a few more feet and you’d be there.” making preparations. “We were like two kids in a candy The group rode snow machines 70 Robbi then pronounced, “He’s not store,” Robbi says of the prepara- miles into the Alaskan wilderness when breathing.” tions. “We were going on the hunt of a Andrew became concerned because he Tony immediately called paramedics lifetime.” could not see or hear Bill, who had been in the nearest town of Dillingham with On April 10, 2013, the couple flew taking up the rear. He left to investigate. his satellite phone, while Robbi pulled from Lewiston to Anchorage. From Andrew returned to report that Bill’s Bill to the ground and started CPR. For Merrill Field, they flew on a cub plane snow machine had tipped over. Although the next three-and-a-half hours, she gave to the remote bear camp “in the middle Bill had been able to lift it back up, he him CPR until the paramedics arrived at of nowhere, somewhere between Port was not feeling well. the secluded camp. Alsworth and Nome," says Robbi. They turned around and rode to “I brought Bill back once,” Robbi says. There was no town nearby. The only where Bill had fallen. Robbi thought he “He looked at me with his beautiful blue structures were a rustic main cabin for had eaten something that did not agree eyes and said, ‘Don’t worry,’ and then he Tony and his two guides, Andrew and with him, so they decided to suspend the was gone.” Spencer, and a smaller cabin for Bill and hunt for the day. Everyone rode the 70 Bill died of complications from a Robbi. miles back to camp. ruptured spleen that occurred when his For a week, Bill and Robbi spent time Back at camp, Bill slumped over his snow machine overturned. When he ptarmigan hunting, snowshoeing and bunk and told Robbi to gather his wal- lifted the heavy machine upright, his rib having fun exploring the snow-filled area let and personal things and to set off the pierced his spleen, causing him to bleed while the guides went in search of a bear. airplane beacon, which is a small location out internally. Finally, they brought back news that a device kept by airplane pilots in case of The paramedics readied Bill’s body to bear had been spotted. emergency. fly to a funeral home in Anchorage, but The next morning, April 17—Robbi’s “When he told me to get the beacon, I there was not room in their helicopter birthday and the couple’s 30th wedding knew it wasn’t a good sign,” Robbi says. Continues on page 8 anniversary—Bill, Robbi and Andrew set Robbi went to the main cabin to NOVEMBER 2016 5 Clearwater Power “I heard a voice telling me to just relax, breathe and squeeze,” Robbi says. “It wasn’t Spencer’s voice. It was Bill’s.” She aimed for the right shoulder and squeezed the trigger of Bill’s gun, firing two shots into the bear. “It’s as if Bill was shooting the bear, and not me,” she says. “The bear never m ov e d .” Robbi says she thought the bear was sleeping while guarding the moose and did not realize they were there. “I had so much adrenaline running through me afterwards, I just bent over and started crying,” she says. Robbi and Tony headed back to camp while Spencer and Matthew stayed Robbi has found a new passion as a horse trainer, and works with a renowned horseman in Texas. behind to clean the bear. They skinned Photo courtesy of Robbi Falls the bear so the hide could be transported to Cody, Wyoming, to be mounted. Once Continues from page 5 that I’ve got to get back to Alaska and they were all together again at camp, for Robbi. Tony planned to fly her to finish what Bill and I started,” Robbi says. Robbi pulled out Bill’s favorite whiskey, Anchorage himself after she packed her On April 10, 2014, one year to the and they toasted their success. belongings. But Robbi was in shock, and day after Bill and Robbi first departed The next day, Robbi spread Bill’s ashes the job proved daunting and took longer together for their long-awaited bear in the shape of a heart in a beautiful spot than expected. hunt, Robbi retraced their steps. She near the bear camp. Spencer made a During that delay, a vicious snowstorm boarded the same flight from Lewiston cross with sticks and string. moved into the area. Unable to get out to Anchorage, flew on a cub plane from “It marked a wonderful memorial for safely, Robbi and the three men found Merrill Field to the same bear camp, and Bill,” Robbi says. “He now has a per- themselves stranded in the small camp met up with Tony, Spencer and a new fect view of the most beautiful place in for three days. guide, Matthew. Alaska.” Finally, the weather cleared enough for “I’ve got the best news,” Tony told her. Robbi returned to Idaho with a sense Robbi to be flown to Anchorage. Before “We’ve already spotted a bear for you. of accomplishment and a 9-foot-5-inch, boarding the plane, she looked at Tony, Get a good night’s sleep. We’ll wake up 1,050 pound trophy that graces the home Spencer and Andrew and said, “I will be in the morning, and we’re all going to do she shared with Bill. back.” this journey together.” “I think Bill would be proud of me,” “We know you will,” they replied. This time, Robbi carried Bill’s gun and she says. “If I hadn’t seen this through, I wore his cap. would have had regrets forever.” Hunt of a Lifetime Complete “I did everything like he was right With the hunt of a lifetime complete, For the next year, Robbi found her- there,” Robbi says. Robbi is pursuing a new career train- self deep in probate issues surrounding The group rode snow machines for 50 ing performance horses and compet- Collision Authority. As the new CEO, she miles, then snowshoed another 15 miles. ing in reining events with the help of became embroiled in a hostile takeover They reached a stream, and Spencer sig- renowned horseman Clinton Anderson by Bill’s business partners.