Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Kent Ashcraft

I remember the trip that stood out to me was the one where he took the kids up toward Thor through all the snow. It looked like quite the family adventure.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/253846173OxipEl?start=0

Very sad day. I've been reading his posts for years now and met him on the mountain once. Remember to say a prayer today. Rest In Peace Kent. You will be missed by many.

Peace be with you and the family and friends of the fallen.

I too am shocked and saddened by this huge loss to the Whitney community.It is truly humbling yet inspiring to see the impact that a life can have on others.To all the family and friends of Kent I add my deepest and most sincere condolences.The overwhelming response here on this board speak to a community and is a testament to the impact Kent has had on many lives.I am moved beyond belief. It is amazing the impact on those of us who never met him in person yet have a great connection to him through this board and common passion for the Whitney area.God bless.

Such a Truly Great Man.
He will be missed by all.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family.

I did not have a chance to meet Kent, but I enjoyed his trip reports and images of him climbing with his kids and friends. Very sad. My condolences to his kids, wife, family and friends.
RIP Kent.

Snow Nymph just relayed this terrible news to me, and I am deeply saddened. We did a hike with Kent and his son Matthew up Mt. Carillon back in 2004, and you couldn't help but notice how much they both loved the Whitney region. He will be sorely missed.

Kent doing what he did best:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1201460144025974737wPxHhe

This photo has a whole new meaning to me now:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1201459510025974737jqJpDO

I'm so sorry to hear of this awful news. I too knew him only through trip reports and pictures but it was obvious that he had a great love both of mountaineering and family and I know he will be terribly missed.
My condolences to his family and friends.
Mark

My wife and i would like express our deep sorrow and prayers to Kent's family for their tremendous loss. I believe he is in good hands now.
AD

As another one of the nephews of Kent Ashcraft, I feel grateful for the outpour of support from the family of the Mt Whitney Message board. Many times I accompanied my uncle and cousin on our many adventures up in the Mt Whitney area. We spent countless hours in the mountains. It truely was his home away from home. I remember one experience that we had a while back. I remember one of the last times I got a chance to go hiking with my uncle and cousin up by Whitney. While most people go to prom their senior year in high school, I chose to head up to the mountains knowing that this could posibly one of the last times that we went together. Many people didnt understand that I would rather go to the mountains than go to the prom. That is one experience that most people thought that I should regret. I will never regret. Not only his love for the mountains and fellow hikers, but also his love for his family is what I loved about my uncle the most. Kent truely was a great man. He was a great uncle, husband, father and friend and will be missed by all who ever got the chance to know him.

Very sad to hear this. While I had never met Kent personally, I "knew" him through discussions on this board, and his excellent photo reports of his many trips. He was always friendly and willing to give information to anyone who asked, and seeing how he included his family in his endeavors was really inspiring. My sincere condolences to his family and friends, and at least I hope there's some comfort in knowing that he was doing what he loved.

I have enjoyed reading his posts and trip reports for years also. So much enthusiasm and energy came through in his words. I have never had the pleasure to meet the man to which I would have enjoyed the opportunity. We all feel the loss and are saddened.

Perhaps we will talk to him in the mountains…

Thanks Kent.

Kent gave much more to me during his life, than I gave back, and for that I am truly thankful.

Kent introduced me to the Mount Whitney area, and as a devout Mormon, he enjoyed attending the small Mormon community in Lone Pine. During Sunday services, Kent would often be the main speaker at services and I will always remember his words of inspiration.

He always greeted me with a kind smile, a kind word, pure friendship.

I am a true mountaineer novice, yet Kent was patient in bringing me to Whitney multiple times, and teaching me to love the challenge of Whitney. I remember one night sharing a tent at "the secret spot" near Horseshoe Meadows, and Kent was snoring so loud, I rolled out of the tent, and slept under the stars.

I was amazed as his utter strength on the mountain. I called him the Mountain Ox.

I am devastated at the loss of Kent and the sorrow shared by so many in remembering this great man. If it brings but a small comfort, I am happy that he died in a place he loved.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and the Ashcraft family.

God rest my dear friend Kent.

Matt

Like many people here, i never met kent, but i feel like i have. He has helped me a few times with his extensive knowledge of the area, and i have felt like a did many adventures with him, just from reading his TR's. I once showed my wife his TR of his family hike up the MR, and I told her, "i wanna be like this guy with our kids". He was an inspiration and i never even met him. It is obvious his legacy will continue on with his family, and i wish them all the best of luck!
Jacob Brandon

Coming from a very large family, having a total of 60 grandchildren including my cousins, siblings and myself. I didn't get the chance to know very many of those cousins. Thankfully that wasn't the case with Kent. Growing up, we would go to California often, and we always made it a real trip by spending time with Kent's family, as well as his brother Harold's family. I never had the chance to go hiking with him, but he certainly took my dad on an adventure or two with him. It has been at least a few years since I had the chance to see or speak to Kent, which I very much regret. But, it makes me cherise all the memories I do have of him that much more. He was one of my favorite cousins, and his spunk and stories have always reminded me so much of the way his dad goes about life and tells his stories. I have read through the posts, and have shed more tears while reading them. As well as thanking you for all your thoughts for our family, I would like to add my own thoughts and prayers most importantly for Ilene and the kids. We love you, and we miss Kent tremendously.

Paige - I know we are all grateful to you and your family for sharing with all of us here your thoughts, memories and the special times you all had with Kent. It means a lot. Thank you so much.

David (CaT)

So very very sad to have heard of the passing of Kent...I am so very sorry to all of Kent's family and to all his friends here on this board. I really wish I could have met Kent and maybe even hiked along with him....I only knew him through emails back to me with info on routes I had contacted him about and his very kind and thoughtful comments he gave me on a few of my backpacking trips...because of that I felt a connection with him and the love he had for the Sierra and all wild places.

The most beautiful memory I have of him is his love and commitment he had with his children..how he took them all on his Sierra adventures..I did not have to see it in real..I saw the love he had and how much he enjoyed having his kids along with him in his pictures he shared with all of us here...I always thought how sweet that was, that his children joined him and how proud he was..I could tell from his pictures of him and all of them..what a wonderful father!

My thoughts are with his family and all his friends here
Take care everyone..Anita

KENT ASHCRAFT FUNERAL INFORMATION:

The funeral service for dear
Dr. Kent Ashcraft
on Monday April 27th, 10:00 am at the
The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints
7515 South Sepulveda, Los Angeles CA 90045

Tentively: (Not confirmed yet)
Memorial Service in UTAH
Wednesday, April 29th at 10am

I was stunned today as I read about the loss of my friend Kent Ashcraft. We met only once but shared our hiking experiences through this and other boards along with our Mormon faith. We both raised boys to love the mountains and sent them off to serve missions for our church - Kent has his oldest serving in Africa and my youngest currently in Japan. I missed a chance to hike with Kent last summer and now I'm kicking myself for not doing it.

He was a leader among men, a great father to his sons teaching them everything a young boy wants to learn from his dad. I'm glad I got the chance to meet you Kent. My sincere condolences to the Ashcraft family. Rest in peace.

I am shocked by this news. My thoughts and prayers are with Kent's family. Kent is an amazing man. He took me up to Mount Irvine around 1998 or so in preparation for the Mountaineer Route up Whitney. I had done very little hiking. His love and respect for Mt. Whitney and the mountains was evident. He was so proud of his young boys who were becoming avid and skillful climbers themselves even back then.

Ever since then I could never think of Mount Whitney without thinking of Kent. I will remember his great sense of humor, his humility, and his desire to share his love of nature with countless neophyte hikers like myself. His love for Mount Whitney was only surpassed by his devotion to and love for his family. He died on the mountain he so loved.

May the Lord comfort his wife and family.