Seuk Doo (Sam) Kim Memorial Thread

Ellen · Post by **Ellen** » Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:21 pm

Baldy friends,

Sam is missing. He usually hikes up and down the Ski Hut trail. He has been missing since Friday

Marilyn and I saw him on Tuesday as we were descending through the bottom of the bowl -- he was going up.

http://www.dailybulletin.com/general-ne ... aldy-hiker

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

I have always seen him on the Ski Hut trail. In the FB pic below, he's on the left.

Thanks for any leads.

Ellen

Post by **Sean** » Mon Apr 10, 2017 11:49 pm

I have seen him go off-trail below the Ski Hut, at that spot where a use path splits off from the main trail at a rock outcropping.

Ellen · Post by **Ellen** » Tue Apr 11, 2017 5:52 pm

Baldy friends,

Just received news that Sam was found deceased by SAR on the north side of Baldy.

I have no further information.

The Los Angeles Times interviewed him and other hikers.

Video: https://www.facebook.com/latimes/videos ... nref=story

Article: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

He loved Baldy.

Post by **Sean** » Tue Apr 11, 2017 7:11 pm

Ellen wrote: ↑Baldy friends,

Just received news that Sam was found deceased by SAR on the north side of Baldy.

KTLA is reporting a body found.

I have converted this thread into a memorial for Sam. I'm sure several of us have met him and taken pictures with him. Feel free to post them here. Or share some memories.

Over the last five years I met him many times on Baldy and once on Rattlesnake. He and his wife gave me some delicious Korean fruit on the summit of Baldy. I met his other family once on Shoemaker Road. They were all very nice and eager to chat about the mountains. Sam always wanted to know about my love life--each and every time we crossed paths. Then in 2016 he got to meet Cecelia.

Sam will definitely be missed on the trail for a long time to come. I wish his family some peace of mind in their sorrowful time.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Tue Apr 11, 2017 7:33 pm

Ellen,

Thank you for the update...it is a shock to many people that it comes to a conclusion today, myself included. He put a lot of energy into visiting that mountain that will wont soon be forgotten. Perhaps maybe there could be a '1001' hike from interested general public to the ski hut in a show of solidarity for the family...or whatever someone has ideas for.

chubby · Post by **chubby** » Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:21 pm

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

I am saddened by the loss of the nicest guy you'd ever meet on a trail. I'll never forget his love for life and the mountains.

Rest In Peace Sam. You are an inspiration.

scottawr · Post by **scottawr** » Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:47 pm

Always a pleasure to see Sam on the trail, such an awesome guy.

mcphersonm80 · Post by **mcphersonm80** » Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:12 pm

This one hurts. Rest in peace, Sam.

AW wrote: ↑Perhaps maybe there could be a '1001' hike from interested general public to the ski hut in a show of solidarity for the family...or whatever someone has ideas for.

This would be awesome, i think there'd be a ton of interest and could mean a lot to his family.

Girl Hiker · Post by **Girl Hiker** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:49 am

I have been thinking of Sam alot as I'm sure many of you have. He has touched many of our lives and has been such an Inspiration to all of us!
I have an awesome idea to pursue his dream.

Let's continue the climb to Mt. Baldy and carry on the dream! I don't think anyone knows the exact number of summits. I've heard 800. Maybe Sean can obtain that information, if not we should continue from summit #800. Each time anyone of us summits Baldy take a picture and post it here on the forum.

We can keep track of the numbers. For the Grand Finale lets plan a 1000th Baldy summit in honor of Sam!

I am confident that many of us who would like to participate will reach Sam's goal of 1000 summits by the end of this year. Feel free to summit Baldy as many times as you would like. I personally will contribute many times and once the 999th summit is made we can plan a group hike to celebrate & honor Sam.

I am very excited and would like to be a part of the dream & legacy of Seuk Doo (Sam) Kim

Any comments or suggestions are welcome!

February 2016, the last time I had the privilege of chatting with Sam on the Ski Hut Trail

First time I met Sam a couple of years ago!

RIP! SAM YOU ARE THE MAN!

Post by **Sean** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:55 am

Cecelia, AW also proposed a 1001 Summits idea. We'll figure something out. Perhaps those who knew him better will arrange a memorial hike. I don't know if he had a regular hiking partner, but I'll ask around.

Post by **Sean** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 11:17 am

Andy Duncan of the California Peaks Facebook group is going up to Baldy this Saturday to honor Sam. I'm gonna head up there too and see if I can get to the summit via the Ski Hut Trail. I'll have some pictures of Sam to hand out.

Post by **HikeUp** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:34 am

Update.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Seuk Doo Kim, a 78-year-old South Korean hiker from Culver City who climbed Mt. Baldy more than 700 times, died from injuries sustained in a fall on the north side of the 10,064-foot mountain, authorities said Thursday.

An autopsy found that Kim suffered “multiple blunt trauma” after he “fell down a mountain trail,” according to Lt. David Smith with the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

Kim’s body was discovered by a flight crew just northwest of the Mt. Baldy summit about 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, slumped over at an elevation of 8,800 feet, said Lt. Elisabeth Sachs of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in San Dimas.

A sheriff’s helicopter airlifted Kim’s body off the mountain, she said.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:56 am

Sean wrote: ↑Cecelia, AW also proposed a 1001 Summits idea. We'll figure something out. Perhaps those who knew him better will arrange a memorial hike. I don't know if he had a regular hiking partner, but I'll ask around.

How about a register at the top to fill in the last 200+ slots?
Think the wilderness vigilantes would destroy it?
I wouldnt think it would need to be there too long with people interested signing it.

Im planning on going the 22nd. But I should say Im not a leader of this idea...Im NHPS...might need to be dragged up to the summit lol.

Post by **Sean** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 6:18 pm

Cobbling the suggestions together, I came up with a social media campaign called Summit4Sam. We can hashtag #Summit4Sam. I also created a Facebook page for the idea. But I don't do Twitter or wherever else people put hashtags. I'm printing up some pictures and a collage to leave around the Ski Hut Trail tomorrow.

esung89 · Post by **esung89** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 6:59 pm

i have a friend that knows him personally so i'm getting details so i can relay the memorial and other information to their family

Post by **Sean** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:07 pm

esung89 wrote: ↑i have a friend that knows him personally so i'm getting details so i can relay the memorial and other information to their family

Thank you. Please convey our condolences to your friend.

Ellen · Post by **Ellen** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 1:33 pm

Sean -- awesome -- thanks for doing this.

Hiking up Baldy tomorrow and will carry Sam's picture to the peak and get a photo.

Post by **Sean** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 5:06 pm

Ellen wrote: ↑Hiking up Baldy tomorrow and will carry Sam's picture to the peak and get a photo.

Awesome, Ellen. Check the register stand. Cecelia and I placed a logbook in there for Sam, which many people signed today, as well as the collage and some 4x6 prints of him. I also left pictures at the Hut and summit. But not very many. I plan to pick up the book on Monday and get it to his family somehow.

Post by **Sean** » Sun Apr 16, 2017 7:40 am

I learned from Shin that 3H is doing a memorial hike for Sam on May 20th. They are trying to get at least 200 people, the amount Sam needed to reach 1000 summits of Baldy.

Ellen · Post by **Ellen** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:47 am

Sally and I hiked up Bear to Baldy on Easter. When I saw the beautiful tribute to Sam at the plaque, I started crying.

Thank you to everyone who has and will continue to Summit4Sam.

From the heart,
Ellen

Post by **Sean** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:58 pm

Someone, I don't know who, took the logbook. Fortunately, I have photos of the entries from Saturday which I will get to Sam's son, David. I hope that whoever took the book intends to deliver it to the family.

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Apr 17, 2017 5:04 pm

Sean wrote: ↑Someone, I don't know who, took the logbook. Fortunately, I have photos of the entries from Saturday which I will get to Sam's son, David. I hope that whoever took the book intends to deliver it to the family.

Thanks for the register

...and the photos prove the signatures would have been there if they werent swiped!

Post by **JeffH** » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:47 pm

I went up Baldy yesterday - Monday 17th. No register at the top but some photos and food and flowers. Also this sign at the gate on San Antonio Falls road, services will be this Saturday.
This was my 31st summit but I'll be happy to stay at 30 and donate this one to the group.

jen123456789 · Post by **jen123456789** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:34 pm

I noticed the LA times posted this information:

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on April 22 at St. Gregory Nazianzen Church, located at 911 S. Norton Ave. in Koreatown. A reception will follow and the family has invited hikers who knew Kim to attend and share stories and photos.

Ellen · Post by **Ellen** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 5:42 pm

Sally and I hiked up Bear to Baldy on Easter to honor Sam. I was fine until I saw the beautiful tribute to Sam on the summit plaque (flowers, photos, hat) -- then I started crying.

Once I collected myself, I saw Chris Simpson and Sonja Koebnick quietly honoring Sam. I congratulated Chris on his Snow Creek climb and thanked him for rescuing the dog and working with Climb for Heroes. He gave me a hug, which I really needed at that point.

We met other people on the summit who specifically hiked up to honor Sam.

On Tuesday, Marilyn and I hiked up Register to Baldy. Most of Sam's memorial tribute (flowers, pictures) was still there.

Hike in Peace Sam,

Ellen

AW~ · Post by **AW~** » Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:23 am

Pretty much all the memorial part of it is gone, but ongoing summiters were coming up for the hashtag. A wind had taken what was there and dispered it. I collected up the dead flowers from here or there, but anything else is probably in Fish Fork. The only item left was a note to Sam, which I put a nice sized rock on to hold it down.

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Thu May 02, 2019 7:07 am

The May/June edition of Backpacker Magazine has a nice feature article about Sam titled "A Man and His Mountain." I'd link to it, but I don't see it available (yet) online.

headsizeburrito · Post by **headsizeburrito** » Fri May 03, 2019 8:37 pm

It would be great to read it once it's online.

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Sun May 05, 2019 6:15 am

I found this link:

https://www.scribd.com/article/40806321 ... s-Mountain

Post by **JeffH** » Sun May 05, 2019 7:57 am

I read it last night in the print edition of the magazine. The article seemed fairly upbeat, although time has probably contributed to that. It's also a reminder that no matter how well we think we know a route/trail/mountain bad things can still happen.