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Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 25, 2017 - 09:33am PT
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My good friend and next door neighbor of the last seventeen years didn't come back from his last skydiving trip to Lodi. What a loss. I am so shocked and sad. From the time I first met him I was impressed with his energy and enthusiasm for climbing. He was working his way through the tens but just kept getting better. Nose and Half Dome in a day, many technical enduro enchainments in the Valley and High Sierra, and a free ascent of Freerider on El Cap were some of his notable accomplishments. He also loved to fly through the air.
It was a pleasure to me to have good natured and generous Matt for a neighbor. For a number of years his house became Honky Heaven, a Sierra east side base for many of his friends, and I was able to get to know many of them. Mostly thirty years or so younger than me, a friendly enthusiastic group and as interesting as climbers have always been.
Oh Matt, all that energy you had. Where is it now.
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c.c.
Sport climber
mammoth ca
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May 25, 2017 - 10:09am PT
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Hoping Matt just had car trouble or headed to Vegas for the Dead shows, any good information about weather or not he is ok?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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May 25, 2017 - 10:14am PT
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Sorry for your loss.
I believe this was reported in the Bay Area news this morning. No name was released thru the news outlet.
RIP
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frank wyman
Mountain climber
montana
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May 25, 2017 - 10:39am PT
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I'm sorry for your loss of a dear friend and neighbor, That sucks...Every time I see your name I wonder if you had a relative named "Elta Erb" that worked in the valley in the 1970's??..Frank
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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May 25, 2017 - 11:20am PT
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Sorry for the loss of your friend. I think it is doubly hard when they have successfully taken risks for many years and seem to be invincible and then something happens. The longer we know someone, the harder it is to lose them. RIP Matt.
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Bullwinkle
Boulder climber
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May 25, 2017 - 11:44am PT
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R.I.P. Honky. . .df
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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May 25, 2017 - 12:17pm PT
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So sorry for the loss of your friend, and such fine man.
I did a little skydiving years ago. For regular jumps, you have a regular shute, then an emergency one, but you have a limited time to cut away from the one that is malfunctioning, so that the emergency suit will not tangle with the first one. With wing suit jumping, you then have three separate things to deal with.
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karen roseme
Mountain climber
Bishop
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May 25, 2017 - 02:38pm PT
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I was so sad the hear about Matt's passing.
He was such a psyched fun guy.
I met him in 1999 in the Gorge. It was fun watching him get better and better at climbing. He was always really encouraging to us regular climbers. He gave great beta and was always willing to get the rope up there.
I'm glad he got to have such an extraordinary life.
I am also glad I got to know him. He will be missed!
RIP Matt
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Tony Puppo
climber
Bishop
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May 25, 2017 - 02:51pm PT
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It makes me sad to think I won't see Matt's smiling face and abundant enthusiasm for all things.
My condolences to his family and friends.
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c.c.
Sport climber
mammoth ca
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May 25, 2017 - 03:38pm PT
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So Glad that we knew Matt. He was a mellow guy with the sweetest heart. I can still hear is East Coast accent, and his soft laugh. You where so humble about how great you really were. You will be missed.
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Bargainhunter
climber
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May 25, 2017 - 03:56pm PT
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Was this Matt the xray-tech at Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop? This is terrible news. He's a great guy!
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Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 25, 2017 - 03:58pm PT
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Yep he was Xray tech at the Bishop Hospital.
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E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
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May 25, 2017 - 04:20pm PT
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just got the word
gonna leave a big gap in the eastside brotherhood
respects to family and friends and rip brother
EE
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Chad Umbel
Big Wall climber
Las Vegas
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May 25, 2017 - 04:52pm PT
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Matt was the man.....I watched him crush routes at the hulk like he was cragging at the gorge.
The best ones have somewhere else better to be... RIP
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east side underground
climber
paul linaweaver hilton crk ca
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May 25, 2017 - 05:09pm PT
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Matty was a friend friom the moment I met him over twenty years ago .many good times snowboarding and climbing. He will be greatly missed. Fly free my friend. paul linaweaver
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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May 25, 2017 - 05:18pm PT
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My condolence.
Hooblie and I passed by the Lodi field just this morning.
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DanRistow
Trad climber
Los Gatos
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May 25, 2017 - 08:03pm PT
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Miss you Matt... Glad we got to sneak that climb in between two awesome flights in the valley. I'll remember that day for a while....
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Killer K
Boulder climber
Sacramento, CA
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May 25, 2017 - 08:31pm PT
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RIP
When I passed the airfield today the news crew was there. My girlfriend saw an interview with one of his friends that seemed to be very matter of fact about the situation.
Very tragic.
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Todd Townsend
Social climber
Bishop, CA
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May 25, 2017 - 09:39pm PT
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I only knew Matt in passing, but he was always super-psyched about something. The world is a poorer place for having lost him.
RIP, man.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 25, 2017 - 10:00pm PT
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hey there say, oh my, dick, i am so very sad for you the loss...
prayers and condolences, to you, his family, and loved ones, at this sad time...
:(
thank you for sharing about your special dear friend, :(
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