From: Matt Dorison
Date: 24 May 2006
I wasn't lucky enough to do a lot of trips with Larry. I'd only met him a few months ago, at a random snowshoe outing (my first, along for the ride with my wife Sarah, who was writing a snowshoeing story for the newspaper) near Stevens Pass. In just the first hour of snowshoeing, he'd already taught me how to put on snowshoes, how to use a clinometer, how to read slopes for avalanche danger, and how to kick steps, so by the time we got to the base of some small nameless peak, and Larry said "Hey Matt, wanna go bag that peak with us?" I was pretty much ready to follow him anywhere. I'd never really "bagged" a peak that didn't have a trail leading to the top of it, let alone one covered in snow and rock. And I certainly didn't want to admit that I'm "uneasy" at best with exposure and steepness and heights. But Larry made me feel like I could do it. And even better, he made me feel like he'd be keeping an eye on me. And so we gave it a shot, but halfway up my nerves started to get the better of me. We'd ditched our snowshoes, and were climbing in just boots, and I didn't know much about what I was doing, so I hung a little ways back. I'll never know, of course, if Larry really decided to turn back because he thought it seemed too dangerous (which is what he said, although I kind of doubt it now, knowing his experience level) or if it was because he saw that I was stuck, unable to climb any higher, and too proud to admit that I was afraid. We just went back down, rejoined the group and Larry said "Well... it was a little hairy." I know what I believe though, and what I saw over and over again in every interaction with Larry after that, and heard echoed to me by everyone I've talked to about him: Larry was an incredibly rare combination of immense talent and gentle attention, kind, intelligent, knowledgeable, friendly and always easygoing. I've never known anyone like him, and no one will ever take his place. Thanks, Larry - you'll be sorely missed. I'm grateful for the time I had to get to know you, and all that you taught me.