January 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter

8/9/2019 January 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter

1/8

MountaineerThe

www.mountaineers.org

January, 2010Volume 104, No. 1

M4 Upper Teanawayfuture depends

on county plan

M5 Conservationvolunteer

recognized

M6 Auction raisesfunds for outdoor-

oriented youths

M4 Summit Savvy

M4 Conservation Currents

M6 Branches & Limbs

M7 Off the Shelf

Discover The MountaineersIf you are thinking of joining - or have joined and arent sure where to start - why not attend an information meeting ? Check the Go Guide branch sections for times and locations.Are you ready to jump right in?

Visit www.mountaineers.org.Need to call? 206-521-6000.

P E R I O D I C A L

P O S T A G E P A I D A T

S E A T T L E , W A

T h e M o u n t a i n e e r s

7 7 0 0 S a n

d P o i n t

W a y

N . E .

S e a

t t l e ,

W A 9 8 1 1 5

U p c o m i n gU p c o m i n gContinued on M7

The monthly publication of The Mountaineers

Couple explore their heritage via canal, trail and seaTeam Angus travels the olive rowed

Rowed Trip

Thu., Jan. 28, 7 pmClub HeadquartersPart flm, part drama;

all humor

2009 tough on NorthCascades glaciers

Climate project

Editors note: In our September 2009

Mountaineer we featured a report from the North Cascades Glacier Climate Project team on the attrition of ice at Columbia Glacier on the Monte Cristo peaks. Following is a report on the re- maining eight glaciers of the study from July 30-Aug. 10.

By Tom Hammond

The northern sector of theNorth Cascades receivedabout 75 percent of the his-toric mean average of snowfall lastwinter. This de cit was followed bya hot, dry summer that resulted in

Continued on M3

James Martin , whose lens tells the story of ice across the globe in his book, Planet Ice, will appear at Mountaineersheadquarters on Thu., Jan. 21 , at 7 p.m. (see ad on M5) Above, his lens fnds the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentinas Andes.

Service Award recipientsee M6 Keeping maps out of thehands of Colin and JulieAngus might be one wayto make them stay home, but dontunderrate the determination ofan addict. To wit: In the past veyears, the Canadian couple havespent more than half of that timeeither paddling, biking or walkingacross the spheres of the world.Many of the months in betweenwere spent on the road talkingabout their travels.

Later this month, they will againbe on the road to present a talkto Mountaineers and their guestsabout their last self-propelled tripa 7,400-kilometer pedal, portage

and paddle from northern Scotlandto Syria. Like all addicts, they wereready with an excuse: to trace eachof their heritages, including Juliesroots in ancient olive farming.

Unlike other addicts, though, Colindoes not deny his fetish for travers-ing thousands of miles at a time bynothing but leg or limb, nor is hetoo proud to talk about motorizedtravel.

After touring much of Canada and

the Lower 48 on a book tour, hesaid he was amazed at the variousand distinct geographical zonesof the United States. That doesntsound like the most exotic tour

Winter Trails event cancelledThe Mountaineers regrets to an- nounce that its Winter Trails Day event, usually held at Snoqaul- mie Pass each year, will not be held in 2010.

Aquarius is rising in January atThe Mountaineers when water is

the theme for two Thursdays in arow. Did we say row? That is whatColin and Julie Angus did fromScotland to Syria. They will visitheadquaters to talk about it on Jan.28. But rst James Martin pointshis lens toward the ethereal side ofwater in his Planet Ice presenta-tion on Jan. 21. See the ad on pg.M5.

Do you nd yourself climbingthe walls on Friday nights? Climb

some different ones at Mountain-

eers headquarters and mix with ahearty bunch of fellow wall climb-

ers. See the Seattle Branch climb-ing section on pg. 10 of the Go Guide for more details.

Holly, jolly holidays in the snow!Our lodges are buzzing the entireweek following Christmas. See pg.18 of the Go Guide .

M ar t i n

a

C r o s s p h o t o

By Brad Stracener


2/8

M

January 010 The Mountaineer

Members gifts vital to clubs successes

The

MountaineerAlso see us on the web at www.mountaineers.org

The Mountaineers is a nonpro torganization, founded in 1906and dedicated to the responsibleenjoyment and protection of naturalareas.

Board of TrusteesOf cers

President Eric Linxweiler, 08-10President Elect Tab Wilkins, 08-10Past President Bill Deters, 08-09VP Properties Dave Claar, 08-10VP Publishing Don Heck, 08-10Treasurer Mike Dean, 08-10Secretary Steve Sears, 08-10

Trustees at large Kirk Alm, 07-10Rich Draves, 08-11Dale Flynn, 07-10Ed Henderson, 08-11Lynn Hyde, 08-11John Ohlson, 09-12

Mark Scheffer, 09-12Dave Shema, 07-10Mona West, 09-12

Branch Trustees Bellingham, Steven GlennEverett, Rob SimonsenFoothills, Gerry HaugenKitsap, Jimmy JamesOlympia, John FlanaganSeattle, Mike MaudeTacoma, Tom Shimko

Executive DirectorMartinique Grigg

Managing EditorBrad StracenerContributors, proofreaders:Barb Butler, John Edwards, BrianFutch, Jim Harvey, Suzan Reiley

Photographers & I llustrators:Martina Cross, Tom Hammond, GregMarsh, Jim Martin, Dane WilliamsTHE MOUNTAINEER is publishedmonthly by:The Mountaineers,7700 Sand Point Way N.E.Seattle, WA 98115206-521-6000; 206-523-6763 faxVolume 104, No. 1The Mountaineer (ISSN 0027-2620)is published monthly by The Moun-taineers, 7700 Sand Point Way N.E.,Seattle, WA 98115.Members receive a subscription as partof their annual dues. Approximately$12.42 of each members annualmembership dues is spent to print andmail this publication. Non-membersubscriptions to The Mountaineer are$32. Periodicals postage paid at Seat-tle WA.Postmaster: send address changesto The Mountaineer, 7700 Sand PointWay N.E., Seattle, WA 98115.Opinions expressed in articles arethose of the authors and do not nec-essarily represent the views of TheMountaineers.

Purposes and missionThe clubs mission:

To enrich the community by helping people explore, conserve, learn about and

enjoy the lands and waters of the Paci c Northwest.

The clubs charter lists its purposes as follows:

To explore and study the mountains, forests and other water courses of

the Northwest and beyond.To gather into permanent form the history and traditions of these regions

and explorations.

To preserve by example, teaching and the encouragement of protective

legislation or otherwise the natural beauty of the natural environment.

To make expeditions and provide educational opportunities in ful llment

of the above purposes.

To encourage a spirit of good fellowship among all lovers of outdoor life.

To hold real estate and personal property and to receive, hire, purchase,

occupy, and maintain and manage suitable buildings and quarters for

the furtherance of the purposes of the association, and to hold in trust or

otherwise funds, received by bequest or gift or otherwise, to be devoted to

the purposes of said association.

Who ya gonna call? Your mentor, of courseAre you a new member wondering about the how-to, where-to and what-to-do with your club? There are a number of resources available to you, not the least our websites. Now there is also a real, live person. If you want to know about expected conditioning for a hike, what not to wear, how to sign up for events or whatever call or e-mail the mentor of the month. Mona West is this months mentor. Feel free to contact her at [email protected] with your questions or comments.

View from the Top

By Eric Linxweiler, president

New years are so exciting!They are lled with hopeabout adventures we areabout to take, as well as plentyof awesome memories from theprevious year. Personally, I cant

be moreexcited aboutthe future ofour Moun-taineers. Weare in greatshape, witha leader like

Martinique and a volunteer boardthat fully supports her and our com-bined vision of a thriving future.

Recently, youve seen a bit of apush from The Mountaineers to de-velop a fundraising culture. Youveseen a few requests to consider

The Mountaineers in your annualgiving and estate planning. As partof your boards commitment, I amproud to have given to The Moun-taineers general fund this year,as well as think about the club inPams and my estate planning.

Like you, I pay dues to be a mem-

ber of our club, but additional givingensures that many of our outreachefforts will continue to thrive (andlower the cost of being a member).I fondly recall the grand openingof our new club headquarters lastspring and seeing nearly 150 kidsunder 12 climb our walls. Nothingcould be more inspiring than to seeour future leaders tie into a rope forthe rst time.

All said, this really isnt a departurefrom our pastits actually a return

to it.

Our rst century saw so many giveso much so that we could thrivetoday. They gave time, money,lands and more. We wouldnt haveMeany Lodge, for example, if itwasnt for a philanthropic culturethat led to a beautiful giftand thecountless gifts given to that prop-erty for its growth. Our TacomaClubhouse, the Kitsap campus,program development, BraidedRiver and countless other exam-ples can be cited as bene ciariesof our members philanthropy andlove for their club.

We grew from the generosity ofthose giving what they could anddeveloped a Mountaineers culturerich with assets and opportuni-ties that could inspire and supportfuture generations (that means youand I). Its as humbling as it is in-spiring. This history, and our returnto it, is permanent.

So, as this year gets started, con-sider not only the presentthinkabout the future and what in uenceyou want to have on it.

See you on the slopes.

How far will you go this year?

The

Mountaineersw w w . m o u n t a i n e e r s . o r g


3/8

M

January 010The Mountaineer

big losses for the usually snowy Mt.Baker area. Indeed, between May19 and Aug. 10 in Seattle, therewas nary a measurable amount ofprecipitation.

Consequently, Mt. Bakers EastonGlacier recorded a mass-balanceof minus .9 meters. Mass-balanceis the difference between accumu-lation and ablation (melting andsublimationessentially the gainduring winter compared to the lossduring summer).

Sholes Glacier on Mt. Bakerconsisted entirely of exposed blueicehardly any snow covering theglacier, which recorded a mass-balance of minus 1.75 meters. Onthe wildlife front, the team countedthree groups of 119 mountain goatsaround the glacier. The Sholes andsurrounding terrain is the favoritesummer-time habitat and locationfor mountain goats, but these num-bers were by far the largest seenby the team in the past decade or

more. We counted 50 only a fewyears ago. However, overgrazingdoes not appear to be occurring,despite the larger number of goats.

O n a disturbing note, the proj-ect team witnessed multipleincursions of aircraft (two xedwing, one helicopter) into the wil-derness area, apparently to countthe goats. The aircraft caused thegoat herds to scatter and run indistress. At least one goat was vis-ibly injured (hind leg), but the team

cannot say if the injury was a directresult of the y-overs.

Ben Pelto reported the inability ofhis team to reach the terminus ofBakers Rainbow Glacier due to itsbreakup. He cited a Grand Can-yon feature, carved by super-gla-cial streams, that has turned into aGrand Depression. The RainbowGlacier is visibly moving off rockcliffs and revealing more rock. Itrecorded a mass-balance of minus1.15 meters.

The Lower Curtis Glacier on Shuk-

san has experienced a huge loss ofmass, recording a mass-balance ofminus 1.23 meters.

The Big Four Glacier experienceda huge avalanche in the springof 2008 that snapped trees up to20 feet above the ground and justa half-mile from the base of BigFour Mountain. There were alsosubstantial avalanches in early2009, which made for wonderful icecaves. The largest featured sev-eral openings to a common gallery

where we walked in one side andout another. Other hikers gatheredaround to ask us what it was like.

other vegetation, we set out forthe Ice Worm (aka Hyas Creek)Glacier on Mt. Daniel. This gla-cier was virtually gonethe newlakes at the terminus were coveredwith snow, but the entire top ofthe glacier consisted of snow-freeblue ice that featured many smallrunning streams. Project directorMauri Pelto noted that the glacier ismelting at the top as fast or fasterthan at the bottom, mainly becauseavalanche ows scrub off snow atthe top and deposit it at the bottom.

An interesting note: while ava-lanche fans on the west side of therange are lumpy and contain hugeblocks and chunks, the avalanchefans on the east side of the Cas-cades are much more uniform andsmoothso much so that I specu-lated the snowpack on the IceWorm was a result of wind deposi-tion. Mauri pointed out that easternsnow is a dry, continental snow thatgives avalanches a different qualitythan west-side snow.

It took us less than three hoursto complete the entire Ice Wormsurvey, even with some signi cantsnow coverage, so small is the gla-cier. I estimate that this glacier willcompletely disappear by mid-cen-tury under the current conditions.

The wind really came up while on

discomfort nor did they impede ourdata collection.

As we descended the glacier, wecould make out the rim of Pea SoupLake, but the clouds were prettytenacious. During lunch, we were

fortunate enough to have the cloudslift just enough to see around us,and gaze at the amazing lake.

In the mid-1970s, the glaciercovered this lake, and as recentlyas the mid-1980s, Mauri walkedacross the lake on glacier ice andthen hopped to ice chunks coveredby snow.

The climb out of the bottom of theLynch and up to the true summitwas a laborious process, but theclouds and cool temps helped make

it a rather pleasant experience whilewe took precise mass-balance read-ings all along the way in a series ofmapped transects (basically zig-zagging up the glacier).

At the summit, there is a tremen-dous bergschrund, a feature oflarge mountains and glacierswhere wind deposition and theacceleration of the ice off the steepsummit section pull the glacierapart, creating an often impassablebarrier.

We spent just a few minutes atthe summit before descending theDaniels Glacier, taking the nalmeasurements and data gather-ing of the 2009 season. Mauri isstill cranking the numbers, but Ifully expect all three glaciers onMt. Daniel to be in the minus .5 tominus 1.25 meters range for mass-balance.

Iwould be remiss if I didnt notehow extreme the experienceswere for the whole team, keepingin mind this is through my eyes.The core team (Maurie Pelto, hisson, Ben Pelto, daughter Jill Pelto,and Shannon Skinner) coveredmore than 98 miles and 33,000vertical feet in 16 days. I did abouthalf of that while participating abouthalf of the season.

The nal hours of the eld sea -son ended in fun fashion. As wedescended the Daniels Glacier, wehad some amazing boot skiing. Not

the best Ive ever had, but prettydoggone good. Within an hour ofthe fun, I was screaming (literally)in pain and frustration at my failingfoot on that horrible slag-rubble-gully traverse. I recognized that mydays of doing that were numbered,at least with current medical tech-nology.

Tom Hammond is a technology manager at the University of Wash- ington and a volunteer eld scien - tist for the North Cascades Glacier

Climate Project.

Continued from M1

The Lower Curtis Glacieron Shuksan has experienced

a huge loss of massI am scheduled to go back in Oc-tober to measure recession of the

snow. There is no mass-balance togather at Big Four, where I usuallyonly visit in winter while cross-country skiing in the same areawhere the avalanche stretched.

Aug. 7-10: Mt. Daniels areaThe Mt. Daniel area received 100percent of its average snowfall, sowe hoped this might translate intobetter mass-balance numbers thanglaciers in the northern sector ofthe North Cascades.

The hike in to Peggys Pond wasone of the best Ive ever done onthe east side. We were on the trailby 7:30 a.m. to beat the heat, butthe temps were perfect for hiking.Shaded, cool, old-growth foresthelped matters, and we arrived athigh camp in good shape. Heck,there werent many bugs until thelast day, and even then they werebearable.

After a visit with a U.S. ForestService ranger who reminded us

about not camping on heather and

the Ice Worm, with gusts to 30mph. The summits of Daniel were

engulfed in cloud--a harbinger ofweather to come. Still, the forecastcalled for a fair day on Sunday, sowe prepped for the Daniels andLynch glacier surveys.

Ishould note that the Daniels andLynch made for one of longest,hardest days of the entire eld sea -son. We worked for 10.5 hours oneSunday. The Daniels is very steep,up to 37 degrees, and the Lynch isreached by crossing the Daniels.To reach the Daniels requires along traverse around the northeastarm of Mt. Daniela very unpleas-ant combination of steep gullies,loose unstable rock and gravel,and snow elds.

Just as we arrived at the crest todescend to the Lynch, the cloudsrolled in to obscure all views. Afterexpending many miles and manyhours of hard work, it appeared ouropportunities for awesome photoshad all but disappeared. Certainly,however, the clouds caused us no

Glaciers show various signs of incursion by warm summers

In the mid-1970s, Lynch Glacier completely covered Pea Soup Lake.

T o m H a m m o n d p h o t o


4/8


5/8

M


ROWED TRIPThursday, January 28Show at 7 pm

From Scotland to Syria by Oar

Tickets: $5 Mountaineers, $10 General.Available through the Mountaineers Book-store or by calling 206-521-6001.

The Mountaineers7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle

P lanet ICEThe Photography of James Martin

Thursday, January 21 at 7 pm

Tickets: $8 Mountaineers, $12 General. Availablethrough the Mountaineers Bookstore.

The Mountaineers, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle

What the ice tells us about the past may help usunderstand the future of ice, and us, on Earth. Itcan also help gauge the health of the planet. Inthe book Planet Ice , photographer James Martinexamines the characteristics of polar, mountain, andtropical ice. He explores human concepts of iceand wilderness; the far-reaching effects of climatechange on people and iconic wildlife includingpenguins and polar bears; and our responsibilities asstewards of the natural world. Planet Ice illuminatesthe profound connection between ice - a substancethat is at once mutable and forceful - and the well-being of our global community.

ountaineers Productions

Using two rowboats, Colin and Julie Angusvoyaged 7,200 km from the northern tip of Scotland to Aleppo, Syria via an interconnect-ed route of rivers, canals, ancient transporta-tion corridors, oceans and coastlines. Eachvessel was specially designed for the trip, and

was ftted with a bicycle and trailer that al -lowed it to travel not only on water but alsoon land. Over the course of seven months,the couple rowed through thirteen countriesand explored their ancestral homelands.

lessons learned about placing large developments in remote areas wheresuf cient water and basic public services are lacking.

The Upper Teanaway is served by a single, narrow county road. Most ofthe study area is not even in a re district, so the most basic emergencyservices are not available outside the lower valleys.

Currently a lot of land is designated for urban growth and development inKittitas County. A self-contained city between the West and Middle Forksof the Teanaway River may not be a great idea.

Forest products and farming are two of the mainstays of the Kittitas Countyeconomy. Protecting the Upper Teanaway forest and farmland from a newcity will help maintain the countys economy and environment.

The planning process is currently on hold due to a criminal investigationfollowing the illegal return of document binders to the AFLC by a countyemployee. In the meantime, check out the Kittitas County website for moreinformation on the Upper Teanaway Subarea Plan: www.co.kittitas.wa.us/ cds/teanaway-meetings.asp.

Continued from M4

Recreation value due respect

Mountaineers enjoy the summit of Bean Peak in the Upper Teanaway.

Gr e

g M ar s

h p h o t o

Mountaineers Recreation Resources Division Chair Tom OKeefe

recently testi ed before Congress on the Alpine Lakes Additions and

Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers Protection Act. In recogni-

tion of his work on this legislation, his invitation to testify and other

efforts to develop complementary proposals for wilderness and wild

rivers protection, OKeefe recently received the New Conservation

Voices Award from Washington Wilderness Coalition.

Honored for conservation work

Enroll in a school as big as all the outdoorsand then someWhen you join The Mountaineers you notonly tap into year-round outdoor acitvi-ties. You acquire the skills to introducehundreds of others to natures splendor.

Tom OKeefe doesn't only keep an oar in the legislative stream.

Leonard Back, devoted skipper andsailing instructor,died Sun., Nov. 22,at the age of 90.

A memorial celebra-tion for Back, a 28-year member of The Mountaineers who skippered manyclub-sponsored sails, will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 9 at Emmanuel

Bible Church, 503 N. 50th, Seattle.

Leonard built his boat, a Cascade 29, and sailed it many times to the SanJuans with Mountaineers crews and sailing students. He knew the islandsvery well and shared this knowledge with his crew. The San Juan cruises

are documented in a photographic logbook available in The MountaineersLibrary.

Memorial donations may be made to Nature Conservancy, 1917 1St. Ave.,Seattle 98101.

Passages


6/8

M


B r a n c h e s& limbs

Give us your sleeping bags!Donate your surplus and gen-tly-used sleeping bags, eece,gloves and other outdoor gear tothe homeless this winter throughThe Mountaineers. Were gather-ing as much gear as we can, andwe need your help! We collect theused items, and then work withActs of Kindess to distribute them.The weathers not going to get anywarmer for a while now - pleaseconsider donating to help out thoseless fortunate. Donations may bedropped off at The MountaineersBuilding during business hours. Tomake other arrangements, pleasecontact Member Services at 206-

521-6001.

Event aids purchase of wallBoeAlps (Boeing Employees AlpineSociety) has announced that a re-cent fundraiser brings the purchase

of the Lower Index Town Wall$5,500 closer to fruition.

Francois Godcharles, BoeAlpstreasurer, said BoeAlps raised$4,000 from ticket proceeds at aNovember event held at Moun-taineers headquarters. Hosted byrenowned rock climber and humor-ist Timmy ONeill, the event drewan additional $1,500 in donationsfrom guests.

The money goes toward the effortby the Washington Climbers Coali-

tion (WCC) to raise $300,000 topurchase the wall and land aroundit, thus ensuring continued accessto the wall for local climbers.

The landowner has agreed to sellthe 20 acres to WCC if it can raisethe purchase money by the end ofnext summer. For more about theeffort, visit www.washingtonclimb-ers.org/IndexFund.

Park seeks docentsDiscovery Park in Seattle is look-ing for volunteers who love theoutdoors and want to serve thecommunity.

Park docents receive extensivetraining in Northwest natural his-tory and interpretive techniques inexchange for one year of serviceto the park. Training for the classof 2010 begins in February and thedeadline for applications is Jan.31. Find more information at www.discoverypark.org or contact thedocent coordinator at 206-386-4236.

In a rare double, Ron Raff hasbeen presented a MountaineersService Award for 2006 and2009. One of Olympias most in-spiring leaders, these awards werebased on Rons exemplary recordof activity and motivation overthe past two decades, with manytestimonials by Olympia branch

members.

To clarify the rare double, Ron waspresented a club-wide ServiceAward at The Mountaineers AnnualMeeting in Septemberone of sixdedicated Mountaineers to receive

the honor at the meeting after a six-year hiatus of granting the award.His club-wide award was grantedfor the year 2006. The OlympiaBranch also announced Ron as therecipient of its 2009 branch-wideService Award in November at anOlympia Branch meeting.

Ron joined the Olympia Branch in1991. He graduated from the BasicClimbing Course that same yearand graduated from the TacomaIntermediate Climbing Course in1994. He was Olympia chair-electin 2001 and Olympia chair in 2002.

During his chairmanship Ronlaunched a major upgrade of thebranch policy manual.

Hes been a volunteer instructor, ascramble and climb leader, a mem-ber of and advisor to the Olympia

Climbing Committee continuouslysince the early 1990s. Perhapsmost importanthes been afriend, mentor and great exampleto his students.

Ron has reached the summits ofdozens of major Cascade peaks.Hes earned numerous Mountain-eer Peak Pins and awards, includ-ing the Cascade Classics, 5 Peaks,Tahoma rst and second, theSnoqualmie rst and second, andthe Irish Cabin pins.

Rons climbing habit has taken himfar outside of the Paci c North -west to climb world-class peaksin Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador andAfrica, including Aconcagua andKilimanjaro.

Always popular with his students,Ron has promoted the spirit ofThe Mountaineers. One studentremarked, Ron is an excellentteacher. Hes patient, competent,knowledgeable, and exible toaccommodate circumstances and

individuals.

No one could be more deservingto be recognized twice in the sameyear for his outstanding contribu-tion to the Olympia Branch and theclub as a whole.

Volunteer doubly cherished by club

Ron Raff (left) accep ts the Service Award from President-Elect Tab Wilkins.

Live Love Laugh FOR YOUTH, anon-pro t foundation dedicated toempowering outdoor youth raisedover $2,000 at its second annual

silent auction held in conjunctionwith the Everett Mountaineers Ban-quet last fall.

This year the program featuredrenowned National Geographic speaker Peter Mr. Everest Athans,who presented a preview of theSecrets of Shangri-la, which airedon PBS in November.

Funds raised will provide nancial

support to increase opportunitiesfor youths to participate in outdooractivities. The foundation serves inmemory of the late Larry Ingalls,

who was a mentor, leader andfriend to many, giving them theopportunity to reap the bene ts ofbeing outdoors. An Everett Branchmember, his legacy continuesthrough foundation-funded tuitionsfor outdoor training, funding foryouth group activities, as well ashelping to obtain the necessaryclothing and equipment.

The foundation expresses its grati-tude and thanks for the graciousdonations from the following com-

munity businesses and individualsthat made the Nov. 14 auction agreat success: Overland Traveler,Bergs Landscaping, Rick StevesEurope Through the Back Door,Singles Committee, Vertical World,Banquet Committee, Trader Joes,

Andre Pomeroy, Gourmet Latte,Dennys Pet World, Hiking Com-mittee, Jan Steves, Marla Olson,Nelson Chisarik, Nordic Ski Com-

mittee, Neil Bresheare, SharonSternoff, Pam and Geir Dalan,Gary Yonika and Agnus OConnor,Kayak Committee, Ken and TeresaCherf, Lawrence Dolan, CathyReineke and Jansport.

During the banquet, Live LoveLaugh FOR YOUTH also awardedthree scholarships to youths whodemonstrated a great passionand enthusiasm for the outdoorsthrough activity, leadership andcommunity volunteer accomplish-

ments. This years receipients areDan Romenelli of Snohomish, LeahWerkhoven of Monroe and JoshLewis of Lynnwood.

For more information, visit www.livelovelaugh4youth.org, or callSandra Ingalls, 425-418-3587.

Everett auction helps empower youths in the outdoors

How far will you go this year?

The

Mountaineersw w w . m o u n t a i n e e r s . o r g


7/8

M


The latest from your Mountaineers LibraryOff the shelf

By Kathleen McCluskey, librarian

The Mountaineers Library is a rich resource that would not have been able tocontinue operating in the last several years without the support of The Moun-taineers Foundation and the willingness of club members to give of their time onthe Alternative Funding Committee.

The details make for dry reading, not to mention cataloging, and scal details arenot the matter that keeps one awake all night devouring seemingly endless equa-tions. But the results are what brings the story of funding alive.

The ongoing process of indexing the clubs publications has uncovered fascinat-ing bits of club history, such as when the Japanese government requested theclubs help in the development of the Mount Fujiyama National Park and the timewhen a committee was formed to rename The Mountaineers since the name wasconsidered too general. What would they have chosen for our clubs name? Checkback with us later. As the indexing proceeds, history is unearthed and details ofpast Mountaineers contributions to mountaineering are cataloged in the indexaproject enabled by The Mountaineers Foundation and the willingness of donors togive to The Friends of the Mountaineers Library.

Indexing may be one of the dullest words in existence, but it is the most crucial

activity in regard to access. It is not enough to have a resource; it needs to beindexed. The monthly newsletter, which dates back to 1911, hosts thousands ofstories that are lost and inaccessible without indexing. A treasure chest of moun-taineering history lies within the thousands of pages, 96 years and 1,152 monthlyissues of the clubs monthly publication.

It takes a lot of time to complete projects such as this, but it is a project that isalready paying off for patrons researching their relatives climbs, hikes and moun-taineering adventures. When you donate to The Friends of The MountaineersLibrary, you help fund labor-intensive projects such as this, ensuring that our clubsancestors are remembered for all time.

When the project is completed, anyone can sit down and take notes about the pastfrom an index funded by generous donations.

To view open hours at the library, log on to www.mountaineeers.org and click on Library in the top banner of the front page.

for someone who has circumnavigated the world, run some of the longestuntamed rivers and trekked some of the worlds most forbidding terrain, butColin said he enjoyed the view.

Our drive along the West Coast was magni cent, with the nice weathernice and the big swells in the ocean. It was the rst time the global travelerhad seen the Grand Canyon, which equally amazed him, he said.

The book tour will pick up when Colin comes to Mountaineers headquar-ters on Thu., Jan. 28. He will talk about the book, Rowed Trip, and how itis leading to yet another venture for the couple.

Colin said the idea of traveling from northern Scotland to Syria came aboutone day while we were examining a road atlas, in particular the labyrinthof European waterways it revealed. Julie traced a route of interconnectedcanals, rivers and coastlines that led from Colins parents homeland, Ger-many, and on to her fathers, Syria. She suggested the two row their way,given the occasional portages, along the entire route. A reckless sort of

joke to make, Colin, the travel addict, noted.

The two then proceeded to make their Vancouver, British Columbia, homeinto a miniature boat factoryone 18-foot boat for each of them that couldbuoy the paddler, a bicycle and collapsible boat trailer over the ocean. Thedesigning and building of the boats fell only two months shy of the seven-month trip itself in duration. We found a person in Vancouver to build theboat trailers for us, Colin added.

We had to design them for a sliding seat and rigging, the rst-time boatbuilder noted. We also had to make sure that the rowing would be asmooth and even mode of propulsion. When the water is freezing cold withbig, icy waves crashing all around, you want to be sure your workmanshipwill hold up.

He said he wasnt exactly sure how much of the trip would be on land ver-sus water, but it ended up about 50/50. He added, Europe is wonderfullysuited to boats because so many bike paths and country roads run along-side the waterways, but admitted to some scary moments when havingto drag the trailers and boats behind the bikes on highways.

Colin said the main motivation behind the trip was to learn more aboutourselves in the way of ancestry. But, the journey to their heritage

spawned yet another adventure for the two: an examination of the historyof olive farming in Syria.

Colin Angus:

When the water is freezing coldwith big, icywaves crashing all around, youwant to be sureyour workman-ship will holdup.

Continued from M1 A publisher wants Julie to write about olives. The research would include atrek through the Syrian desert on an ancient trading route. Sort of a historyof olives tied into expedition, Colin explained. Julies family has grown andsold olives for generations. The book will examine both the historical andbotanical sides of the olive.

The idea started to form when were actually in Syria and visiting her fam-ily, said Colin. One of her familys olive oils was rated best in the world, headded. However, he said the industry boasts a corrupt side with mislabel-ing and misrepresentation. You have to really know what you are lookingat when you buy your olive oil from the shelf, he cautioned.

Between rowing and chronicling olives, it will probably be back to the do-mestic boat-building factory for the Anguses.

Im working with a fellow in Vancouver who wants to make and sell a kit(modeled from) our exact same boat, he said.

Brad Stracener is managing editor of The Mountaineer.

Julie and Colin Angus start their 4,400-mile expedition near Duncansby Head, Scotland.Martina Cross photo

What can $73 a year get you? Sometimes a wilderness areaWhen you join The Mountaineers you joina partner in the lobby for wilderness pres-ervation, including our most recent col-laboration: the Wild Sky Wilderness Area.


8/8

M


Photo: R. Shuping

Dialing up the sunThe Mountaineers Midweek Hikers

found their Timely Treks not sotimely when they set out to hike tothe citys sundials. Someone forgot to dial up the sun and tell it to shineon their way to Burke Gilman Park.

Hike leader Kathy Biever hopesTimely Treks II (see pg. 12 of theGo Guide ) will not be so untimely.

Kathy Biever photo

ENVIROSTARS RATING

Our services include designand installation of:

Drought tolerant and native plantingsRockeries and stone patios

Edible landscapes &Backyard wildlife habitat

To schedule a free site visit,please call

Michael Lockman206-459-7022

or visit us online atwww.we-design.net

Our beautiful Northwestgardens provide food,

shade, privacy and

enjoyment for youand your family.

LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED #WEDESDI938K9

Calling on Eagle ScoutsA new web group, 600 EagleScouts strong so far, has beenformed to socially and profession-ally link fellow Eagles.

The LinkedIn site, www.linkedin.com, gives Eagle Scouts an op-portunity to share their outdoor ex-pertise, conservation ethics or giveback to the Scouting community.

To connect with the Eagle Scoutcommunity, search Eagle Scoutsof Western Washington at Linke-dIn or contact your fellow Moun-taineer, Gavin Woody, [email protected]. Pass alongthis information to any other Eaglesyou may know.

with The Mountaineers

Mt. Baker Lodge

Kitsap Cabin

Meany Lodge

Snoqualmie Campus

Stevens Lodge

only steps from hiking trails and chairlifts

www.mountaineers.org/lodge/baker

camp, picnic, snowshoeonly an hour from seattle www.snoqualmiecampus.org

ski in, ski out, relax www.stevenslodge.org

winter sport lessons, learn, explore www.meanylodge.org

enchanting old-growth preserve,forest theater, salmon safaris www.kitsapcabin.org

Escape

January 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of January 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter