from Barry C., Leif's friend from the Army

compiled from a series of emails Barry sent to Susan

Leif and I had so many great times together in the army – I think the two of us helped each other make it tolerable. We both hated authority types. I have so many memories over those 2 years. All week long we would plan the weekends outings and escape to Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky or on long weekend escape to the Smokies on crazy long drives.

Many of the outings in winter we would wake up to find our tent buried in snow. We borrowed a tent from someone in the lab on our first outing and it was so awful and huge and we could not figure how to pitch it and I think we ripped it. From that point Leif and I started buying gear from REI by mail order. Not knowing much about mountaineering, we bought a book and learned and then starting rappelling off of arches in the Gorge. Besides hiking, we also did canoeing in Kentucky rivers and I remember him talking about the canoe races he did when at Cornell. He also talked fondly about his experiences at their family cabin on Lake La Homme Dieux [in Minnesota] – he described it as this  far off magical place - now I live here in MN.

Sailing with Leif near Toledo at the family campground was an experience and in a storm on my first sailing outing with Leif the mast broke in half -  that did not phase Leif and somehow we got to shore.

My strongest memory is of the time after we got out of the army and decided to go to the Canadian Rockies to hike over the summer. We got to Banff and always were late to camp because we hiked until dark and so ended up in overflow camping which was basically an awful rock pile. Two women we talked to said that Alaska was right up the road. Without any preparation and without much thought, we picked up and drove to AK in my VW bug on 5,000 miles of dirt road.

more Canadian Rockies/Alaska photos will be posted in 'Photos of Leif' and 'Photos by Leif'

We chased Dall Sheep around a mountain in the Yukon and swam in hot springs.  To protect the windshield from rocks, we strung up mosquito netting in front of the windshield.  I still remember driving on the dirt Alcan Highway at 11pm in daylight with Leif playing his guitar on the passenger seat.  On our return, we went swimming in a contaminated pool in Montana and both ended up with splitting headaches that lasted for the rest of the trip.  We argued back and forth about whose turn it was to drive – we could not move our heads.

There are just so many memories.  In my whole life, I have not had a more wonderful friend.  I have occasional thoughts that we would get together sometime and do some crazy stuff once again.   The thing I liked most about Leif was his care free spirit and sense that everything was possible – and he was so smart.

Susan's reply included: "Leif also occasionally mentioned the nuns who accidentally drove you two off the road in the Red River Gorge one weekend, too!"

Oh yes – that nun thing was something. We drove back with one of the headlights pointing 10’ in front of the car.  One of our first trips but we were undaunted.

I also remember buying a speaker (just one) and a hi-fi system for our lab which was separate from our awful barracks and we listened to Jefferson Airplane over and over!

The whole thing between us started when I got sick of the barracks and went on a hike by myself in the Red River Gorge one weekend. I had no tent and an old boy scout pack and a canteen with water and when it got dark I stopped hiking and slept directly on the trail - a total novice. All night long I thought some animal would trip over me!  Leif heard about this the following week and approached me and asked if he could join me. That started it and for ~2 years we never stopped.