Daryn Smith

Sad news here, quoted below:

"hi most of you do not know me..

i am erin,
daryn's ex-wife of 10 years and one of his best friends.
we still spoke several times a week.

i know he visited here hourly and was even on here this morning.
i just wanted to let you know that he passed away in Salt lake City this afternoon.
and no
it was not from doing what he loved so very much.
ice climbing or rock.

he went to the ER thinkin he was having a heart attack.
while doing tests they realized it was much more critical.
they started more tests.. he crashed during the process.
there was then 8-9 people working on him and giving him CPR before he passed.
this apparently is pre existing heart condition, something none of us OR him knew about, something
he was born with that he had never had any problems
with until today.

i know he lived, loved, respected, and breathed climbing.
i know he had a great deal of wonderful friendships, partnerships & romances, from here.
we all loved him!!
and again i know he loved all of you.

i love him and he will always be one of my best, best friends...

please let his memory live on in your climbing.

if any questions please feel free to contact me at
erincunninghamsmith@gmail.com

thank you so much for being a part of his world."

Thanks for posting this, Erin.

Wow, that's a shock. I didn't know Daryn but felt like I did from reading all his posts here and on rc.com. What sad news. Condolences.

JL

After reading many of his posts, especially about ice conditions, I finally got out and climbed with Daryn. His enthusiasm was contagious. He lived well and will be missed.

andrew

Getting back from climbing, my friend Teddy Anderson got a text message that said: "Terrible news about Daryn". Calling the sender, she found out that Daryn had died of a heart attack.

I met Daryn through Teddy two years ago. We went ice climbing together and he took amazing pictures of me that are posted on this website. He believed in all the people he cared about, always speaking kind words of encouragement.

Our thoughts go out to the people who loved him... Caroline

Hi there,
It's Teddy, and I write to say how much I will miss Daryn. He was an important part of my community in Salt Lake, and filled an important place in my life. I'm not a real climber, I just climb with people like Daryn who are great teachers and like to drag people along on adventures, and I always loved what he had to show me, and his great company, then eating a burrito and drinking a beer in the evening. He did a Grand Canyon river trip with me about 3 or 4 years ago and thought it one of the best and most free times of his life, so he said. We cut off all his hair and his beard on that trip- manscaping. I really love Daryn and am sending out so much love to his family, and to Erin and Matt and Darlene, and his other friends who love him. I will miss my Blue Plate breakfast dates with him, too. Peace- Teddy

im shocked...we talked just last week about doing new routes and finishing old ones.....Daryn was a great person and mentor (showed me how to nail iron and cought my first real ripper). I met him on Potash rd. one evening and we had established a new route the next day....RIP Daryn...You will be missed.

Luke

I am shocked and saddened.

Condolences.

So very sorry to hear this.
Good energy going out to all those who were close to him.

A terrible loss and he will be missed deeply.

If you've got pics of STY..post em up!

We met a few times out ice climbing and traded phone numbers for getting together the next ice season.
I liked Daryn the first time I met him.
He was super talented on the ice and would go and repeat any new ice climb that I would establish. Jumping on the internet and telling everyone how great it was.
He was one of the 1st to repeat the new 10 pitch ice climb on Stairway to Heaven that was established as well as putting together a killer photo of the climb.
What a great guy and great climber!
My most sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Maple Canyon Ice Forever, STY!!!!!!!

I am saddened to hear that the climbing community has lost such a great entertainer. I only met Daryn last May in Indian Creek. It was there that I heard more jokes in the course of an evening campfire than I have ever heard in my entire life...and the classic was the next day at Incredible Hand Crack...he hiked up in a sarong with nothing underneath and geared up in a harness and attempted to climb....I still cringe thinking about that site...oh my ;)
God Bless and Keep you Always, Daryn...you are remembered!
Best wishes to all of Daryn's friends and family...I am so sorry!
Blessings,
Andrea

Very sad, although I didn't know him, I loved his enthusiasm, he made you want to go out and get it done. His contributions to Mountain Project & Rock Climbing.com will be sorely missed.

Never got to meet Daryn personally, though I really enjoyed getting to know him through all of his generous posts to this website; he always posted positive, helpful contributions and set a great example for the rest of us.

Man… those were some really great ice climbing pics…

We will miss you Daryn.

I can't believe this is happening... must be a bad dream or something. I hope I wake up ~

erin i sent you an email

Sty how could you leave us so soon...?????????

Redtail Hawk, circling nest 40' up the tower at Anderson Pass

Ugh.

Daryn RIP

Great energy. Fun to climb with.

Heavy sigh...

He was one cool dude on this site & a spirit to be remembered:

Not that we shouldn't yell loudly and often.

in the absence of action on their part, peaceful non-violent resistance (though it's obvious by the state of things in Tibet that this doesn't really work) should be practiced often.

Spark another one... Viva la Resistance!

;)


My condolence at his passing

Daryn was one of the most welcoming climbers in the Salt Lake community. He graciously opened himself up to many beginners and recent transplants to SLC (myself included) as soon as we posted on the forums looking for a partner. He turned me onto LCC granite with an evening jont up the first half of pentapitch my very first week in the Valley.

I see it as a personal challenge to be half as welcoming and supportive of new climbers as he was. Let's everyone make an effort to help others as a tribute to his legacy.

Daryn: another reason why I am proud to be part of the Salt Lake climbing community.
We only corresponded, however, I agree with BSmoot, infectious enthusiasm, and of the earth.
CLIMB ON and ON and ON!!!!!!!!!

I MISS YOU MY BROTHER........i want to say thank you to all of you passing on your thoughts and prayers and so forth to " the family " as i am one of those, His older sister Roni. i missed him before he was gone and envied you who were not scared to d oall those CRAZY things i see picture's of. LOL i wish i could of experianced that with my brother. I would trusted him to take me but it seems to not be. It is just unbelievable, i still shake my head in denial. i hope to figure out who to talk to about getting a " tribute " of his pictures as the family is not sure how to get them. an I am not very computor smart. you all KNOW Daryn had all the brain's. sick of me to joke but i am going threw EVERY emotion there is and not regularly so please bear with me. thank you for all of you input and caring. I LOVE YOU DARYN. damn it. this sucks.

Roni wrote:damn it. this sucks.

today this still sucks... very sorry for your loss roni. Many folks will miss him

Daren was a good photographer too -- aiding up routes to take photos of climbers. This photo of a photographer climbing giving him the birdie was an example of the fun he was always up for

Roni wrote:i hope to figure out who to talk to about getting a " tribute " of his pictures as the family is not sure how to get them.

hey roni, its darlene- we sent your folks home with a copy of his memorial tribute slideshow. His friends Jason and James put it together from everyone's photos of your bro climbing ice and rock.

You'll need a big box of kleenex tho.

roni wrote: you all KNOW Daryn had all the brain's.

yeah, he was super smart, for sure, highly technical.... and freely generous with his wicked humor, to boot.

loved that man :) - darlene

Well, Sadly I never got to know Daryn personally, but he sure inspired me many times when I tuned into to mp.com. So, I got to thinking; anybody got any thoughts about how to remember him or memorialize him this winter when we are out swinging tools? Maybe I will pony up some cash at Cody and make a donation in his name to the SAR folks or something like that. If anyone has an idea to get us all motivated, please share it. Peace be with you.