Larry Kemps Friends

[olyclimber]

Here is a purty picture I just painted of one of Larry Kemp's old friends:

 

 

apologies to reality. i do think these things are little sculptures themselves. I guess they are the 3rd gen. Friends.

 

 

[olyclimber]

Coincidentally, there is a cycling race in memory of Larry this weekend.

 

http://www.jetcityvelo.com/lkemp.aspx

[olyclimber]

Some of Kemp's photos:

 

http://rcnw.net/forums/index.php?autocom=ibwiki&cmd=article&id=10

[kublaicon]

Memorial Ride on Sunday from Leschi at 9.

 

Was an honor to begin racing as a junior and go on many training rides with Larry. He would fight and sprint up every hill we came to.

 

i always knew larry as a cyclist and only after starting climbing, do i realize what kind of role he played in the climbing world as well.

[markwebster]

Awesome collection of photos at that link! Did anyone else ever go to the annual slideshows at Larry's house in Woodenville at the end of the season?

 

I went to a couple, but the last one I remember was in '84. There must have been 40 people there, and the slides were world class. They ranged from Yosemite to new routes on McKinley.

 

My memories of Larry are of a more personal nature. I used to run into him every weekend in the spring when all the west side climbers went to the warmest place, which was usually the Pinnacles or Castle.

 

On many weekends, we'd both be there with our wives, both of whom were named Sue.

 

As we got to know Larry and his wife, we saw past the strangeness and realized they were genuinely nice people. He invited us to stay at their house several times on our way over the pass to Leavenworth or Index.

 

I found that Sue Kemp played the guitar, as did I, and we spent numerous evenings playing songs together late into the evening before a day of climbing.

 

Larry and I started climbing together on harder stuff, while our wives, (the two Sues) would climb on easier stuff. It was the typical "master and belay whore" situation but we did some fun stuff like Devils Fright on Castle.

 

We drifted apart after my wife and I had kids, as I cut back on my climbing a bit to be a better dad. I heard later that they had got divorced, and then much later that they both had died, Larry, run over on his bicycle, and Sue Kemp from cancer.

 

I don't have a single picture of either of them, but I can see them in my mind as clear as day. It's sad to think they are both gone.

 

My wife Sue and I in Yosemite, the year before our son was born:

 

 

I'm not sure why this picture doesn't show. Perhaps I've exceeded the number of words allowed in one post? Anyway, there are 3 pictures of my wife Sue back in the day on this web page:

general photos on my website

Edited May 11, 2009 by markwebster

[markwebster]

oh, Porter, nice painting! I'm still climbing with some first generation friends. I've got them all, first, second, third, as well as same for camalots. When we went to the climbing store in jtree this xmas, they had a little climbing museum on the wall featuring all the old gear. My partners called me over: "Look Mark, that gear looks just like yours!"

 

I guess I'm a walking museum.

[MarkMcJizzy]

 

I have removed the quote by the self described dufus Mark Webster, which contained way too much information about Larry Kemp to interest anybody

 

 

 

 

I was at several of those parties, including 1984. John Tarver and I (mostly me) got really drunk, and Bebie drove us to downtown Woodinville, and dumped us at 7-11

Edited May 12, 2009 by MarkMcJizzy