Funny thing to read about all whom have written about their memories. I was sitting at my desk and was thinking of the ranch and Lou. I am so sad to hear of Lou passing on.
Lou actually saved my life, for real. Summer of '83 the dam broke and wiped out the town of Estes Park. Lou picked me up in town and invited me to his youth hostel. I was originally planning to stay in the campground. Three or four campers were killed there when the water came rushing through.
Again this guy I didn’t know at all picked up a young 15-year old kid with a large backpack off the street and took care of me. Again for the second time he saved my life, rushing me to the hospital in the middle of the night through National Guard road blocks because my kidneys shut down and I could not urinate. An infection from drinking mountain stream water on the Appalachian Trail.
Lou was the most memorable character during my two month hiking journey across the country. I am really sad to hear he is gone; he was so cool and was a lasting memory of a true grit kind of a guy with a kind side and a true soul. I wish I went back to see him, I will truly miss that guy; the place he created was wonderful and magic like.
- Mark Purnell (Margate, NJ)