Friends and colleagues of a young doctor mourned his death Monday after he fell off a cliff while backcountry skiing on Mount Baker over the weekend.

Dr. Keith Hardy had a huge impact on the local sports and adventure scene, both on patients he treated and on people he met for the first time, friends said. He worked at Evergreen Health in Kirkland, in addition to many places where he volunteered. Patients were sent a letter explaining what happened.

“His laugh was just infectious, and, you know, that’s one thing I’m really gonna miss; just his gregarious laugh,” said Mark Holmes, a friend and fellow skier.

Hardy was 34, but some friends said he packed three lifetimes worth of adventure and service to others during that time.

On Friday, Hardy climbed Mount Baker with a group of skiers. Witnesses said he never saw the cliff in front of him while skiing down.

The loss stunned people who knew him.

“Keith was very much a free spirit, and I think that was exactly it – he was a really brilliant person,” Holmes said. “He was just a really kind individual to everyone.”

“He’s just full of life and he had this smile that he brings to a room, and everybody knows – that’s Dr. Hardy,” said R. Yung J. Lee, Hardy’s medical partner at Evergreen for the last five years.

Lee said Hardy was a role model for other doctors.

“He was very intense,” Lee said. “He was excellent at almost everything he did … but at the same time very humble.”

Weather has prevented crews from recovering Hardy’s body.

He leaves behind a wife and a 2-year-old son.