Thanks Luke

I've have been quite saddened by Luke death. From my short time knowing him it was obvious he was a very generous and encouraging person. I'll always be indebted to him for enabling me to climb Baker; a dream I have had for years.

Thanks Luke. You will be missed.

Casey Harman

Good Times in the Mountains

When I first met Luke, late spring last year, he was only known to me as Belayerslayer, his nickname on CascadeClimbers.com. I was attempting Mount Baker with my son, and was a little nervous about only having two of us on a rope. I found out that he was climbing with a group at the same time, and he said we'd get together on the mountain.

Sure enough....he came and found me a few days later while I was setting up high camp. We agreed to sorta follow each other up to the summit the next morning. We all got to the top at nearly the same time. I thanked him profusely for keeping an eye out for us, as I know he certainly didn't need me to help him.

A few weeks went by, and he wrote me and asked if I'd like to join his group on a summit attempt of Stuart Peak. I agreed and spent the fathers' day weekend with him on that climb. That was when I realized how patient he was. Some of us were slower than others. He climbed up high to where our camp was located, then retreated back down the mountain to help some of the others reach the camp.

A couple of weeks went by, and my son and I joined his group for an attempt to reach Mount Rainier's summit via one of the not standard routes (I'm drawing a blank as I write this about the name). We spent three days together on the mountain, and tho we failed to reach the top, we all had a great time with each other.

His love of the mountains was evident by all the time he spent outdoors. He also wanted to share that passion with all he spent time with.

We were planning some climbs together in 2010. He had mentioned Glacier Peak in late spring, and we had even talked of a possible 2012 Denali climb. Tho it's too late for him to realize those, he accomplished more in his 26 years than many people do in a lifetime.

I'll miss you Luke. I hope heaven has some ultimate climbs for you.

Dave

Things I'll always remember

When Karen died I was in California finishing up my last 6 months of school. I emailed Luke a list of things that I would always remember about his mom. I want to do the same thing for Luke. One of the things that was on my list for Karen is that she gives the best hugs! And that is one of the first things I think of when I think of Luke. We always had this joke where he would just barely hug me and just pat my back just a little, but then I'll scold him and tell him to give me a real hug. He'd then of course give me a big, huge, bear hug! The fact that Luke hugged me everytime I saw him (and I'm sure everyone else) was something that really showed me how much he cared about me. So, on to my list, feel free to add on to it:

*Gave the BEST hugs
*Always had a smile on his face
*Carpooling with him to school in middle school (he'd always be doing his spanish homework in the car...)
*Techno music!
*How he could eat an entire box of cereal in one sitting
*That laugh (so good!)
*Movie nights and casual get-togethers that I was always invited to
*How he would listen to whatever I had to say no matter what
*His genuine love for people - ALL people
*How he got me started eating organic food
*The way Becky looked up to him SO much
*Loved taking pictures as much as I do

I remember the last time I saw him - it was of course a gathering over at his house, we had so much fun just hanging out. We accosted David on his BlogTv site and we were all laughing so incredibly hard. We were all so happy and having the best time just being with each other - not going anything exciting but it didn't matter because we were together with friends. I am so thankful that my last memory with him is a really happy and joyful one.

I miss you, Luke.

Luke Gullberg

Beloved nephew; amazing, kind heart; dependable;
sensitive; strong; fiercely loyal; growing in hope; phenomenal athlete; friend to all; determined; gifted writer, videographer, friend; gentle laugh; encourager;
I can go on and on about Luke! I'm so proud of the man you became and were growing into!! And so thankful for the love and friendship that grew these past years. I will miss you with all my heart! Jerome, too! And so very glad you are with God - seeing all the answers to all the questions you've had! Especially-why????? I so wish I had a glimpse of that answer...

Miss you, bro

Hey All,
Today we've received the painful news of Luke Gullberg's tragic death on Mt. Hood. Perhaps we could make this a place to share some memories....I know there are millions of them.
Luke was an incredible, amazing guy and we have all been SO blessed to know him.
Please post a thought, memory, prayer about him or for his family.
Love,
Amy