Larry Prescott (1960-2016)

Website:
larryprescott.blogspot.com/

My friend and fellow climber, Larry Prescott, died on the shoulder of Peak 10693 in the Lemhi Mountain Range on October 29, 2016. The Lemhi Range was Larry’s favorite, and he summitted numerous peaks throughout the range. He was even nicknamed “Lemhi Larry” by his family members.

Larry was born and raised in Pocatello. After graduating from Idaho State University, he and his wife moved to Okinawa, Japan just to get out of the country for a while. What was going to be a 1-year stay turned into 5 years. Upon the arrival of their first child, they moved back to Idaho to be closer to their family. Later he attended graduate school at the University of Idaho and then took a job with the Madison School District in Rexburg, Idaho. He reported his family for this contributor page as, “My wife, three children, a tabby and a border collie.”

Larry and Ben Prescott on the summit. July 8, 2015

Larry and his frequent climbing partner (his son Ben) on the summit of Roundup Peak (7/8/15).

Larry taught photography at Madison Senior High School and he established the school’s highly-acclaimed photography program. After news of his passing spread, Larry’s Facebook page was swamped with tributes from family, friends and especially his former students whose love of photography he nurtured and motivated.

A memorial climb was made on November 5, 2016 by his friend John Platt and fellow climbers John Fadgen, Michael Pelton and Jeff Huntemann to complete Larry’s targeted peaks. During the climb, the group unofficially named Peak 10693 “Prescott Peak.” Coincidentally, Prescott Peak sits due west of Mount Inspiration which makes for a fitting tribute to a man who not only strived for the very best from himself, but mentored and inspired countless others to pursue the best in themselves as well.

Prescott Peak

The summit of Prescott Peak as viewed from the summit ridge (11/5/16). John Fadgen is in the foreground. John Platt Photo

Larry was an online contributor to Idaho: A Climbing Guide. He provided spectacular photos, informative text and GPS tracks for many Beaverhead, Lemhi and Lost River peaks.

The biggest Lemhi peak, Diamond Peak and its neighbors, from Little Diamond Peak. Larry Prescott Photo

The highest Lemhi peak (Diamond Peak) and its neighbors as viewed from Little Diamond Peak. Larry Prescott Photo

Please visit Larry’s personal blog for his trip reports and also enjoy his stunning Lost River Range photos on this site. Thank you also to John Platt whose trip report from the memorial climb includes photos of the beautiful surroundings and views that Larry had on his last day in the Lemhis.

Note: Larry originally provided the narrative for his/this contributor page. The page was respectfully revised (while preserving most of his original text) after his passing. A more detailed presentation of his life story is at Legacy.com.

This page includes contributions by Margo Mandella