Larry Davis By: Lori Fluge-Brunker

For a Montana boy who grew up in Belgrad on the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park, enjoying the great outdoors comes naturally. And even though he hails from Montana, Sierra Club guide Larry Davis will tell you that, after 18 years here, Oregon has long since become his home. “When I get a chance to travel, I am reminded of things that make the Northwest charming: good coffee, drizzle, big trees, moss, technology and recycling,” he said. “My dad has always been an avid outdoorsman, and outdoor activities were a central focus for our family: hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, sledding, gathering firewood. I remember waiting for a Jansport youth backpack to arrive from the West Yellowstone outdoor store so that my dad and I could go on an overnight pack trip. I have some great memories of hiking and backpacking with my dad.” Although his day job keeps him indoors consulting for computer business

systems, for Larry, it’s all about getting outside and doing something. Guiding for the Marys Peak Group gives him that outlet. Each season has its own opportunities, he says, and Oregon offers some of the best places to explore each of those seasons. “Last year was a good year for cross-country skiing and backpacking. And last spring offered some great opportunities for lake kayaking and river floating,” said Larry. “For me, the outdoors is a very relaxing place, a place where life comes back into focus. It helps me slow down and see the bigger picture.” As a guide, Larry finds group hiking rewarding. He enjoys taking people to places they might not visit on their own, making new friends in the process. “We have some regulars that hike, and each hike allows you to catch up a little or learn something new,” he adds. “In the last couple of years I have made some long-term connections with a number of people.” Larry’s zeal for the outdoors runs in his family. Larry’s wife, Marcy, enjoys hiking and car camping. They take frequent trips to the off-leash dog area at Minto Brown Park in Salem to “run the energy out of our Labrador,” he says. His extended family also has a history of outdoorsmanship. His grandfather was an avid fisherman who built a cabin on a small reservoir in Nebraska where family members still fish today. Larry’s greatest adventure was in the summer of 1988 when he worked as a gas station attendant in Yellowstone National Park. Larry became close friends with four other park employees,

and they traveled all over Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. The summer of 1988 was also a time of large forest fires in Yellowstone. “I remember yellow hazy afternoons, traveling fire teams, fire maps, evacuations, a blood-red moon and ever-changing trail and road closures,” said Larry. “Employees sat out at night and watched fires across the lake…some even roasted marshmallows in the smoldering hot spots!” That was the summer that Larry met his wife, Marcy. She was one of his work companions, and before the end of the summer they were engaged. Two other friends from the group were engaged that summer as well. Wonder if the fires had anything to do with it? Maybe it was the sight of a blood-red moon. . .romantic.