"He was a good man, my heart is broken and my heart is breaking for his family," said Melanie Hawk.
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Hawk says her friend, Kenneth Kidd and his wife split their time between the small town charm of Point Reyes Station and the ski slopes of Lake Tahoe.
He loved skiing - they were up there all the time, I'm pretty sure the trail just opened and he probably wanted to be the first," Hawk added.
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Officials say Kidd was caught in an avalanche as wide as half a football field on the KT-22 run at Palisades Tahoe Wednesday morning. Hawk says Kidd had recently retired and was living his best life.
"He was a good listener. He loved his family, good advice giver but not a man of many words," she said.
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In this town of about 848 people, news of Kidd's death has been the talk and it's now hitting home for many.
Susan Rowsell is Kidd's neighbor - she owns Pt. Reyes Arabian Adventures, horseback trail rides.
VIDEO: Santa Cruz man misses Palisades Tahoe avalanche by minutes, helps skiers navigate
Santa Cruz man misses Palisades Tahoe resort avalanche by minutes
"I'm just so shocked, I saw it on the TV this morning, I didn't realize it was him, I'm so sad, we've been neighbors for 20 years, he's always been a wonderful neighbor, I'm devastated it happened," said Rowsell.
Garrett Mason was reacting to Kidd's passing, he owns Point Reyes Surf Shop, but he's also spent time on the slopes.
"I've been caught in avalanches, I know what it's like to get swallowed up and dug out, very scary," Mason said.
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The Kidd Family is requesting privacy.
"My heart goes out to the family it's sad, sorry for their loss," said Rowsell.