September 2009 Mountaineers Newsletter

8/9/2019 September 2009 Mountaineers Newsletter

1/8

MountaineerThe

www.mountaineers.org

September, 2009Volume 103, No. 9

M3 Vote with a strokeof a key

M5 Keeping an eyeand foot on

the glaciers

M2 View from the Top

M3 Branches & Limbs

M4 Summit Savvy

M4 Conservation Currents

M7 Off the Shelf

M7 In Support

DiscoverTheMountaineersIf you are thinking of joining

- or have joined and arent sure

where to start - why not attend

aninformation meeting?

Check theGo Guide branch

sections for times and locations.

Are you ready to jump right

in? Visitwww.mountaineers.

org. No computer?See pg. 18.Need to call?206-521-6000.

PERIODICAL

POSTAGEPAIDAT

SEATTLE,WA

T

heMountaineers

7

700SandPointWayN.E.

S

eattle,WA98115

U p c o m i n gU p c o m i n gContinued on M6

The monthly publication of The Mountaineers

Continued on M5

It is about 2 p.m. on the last legof a Mountaineers scramble.

The plangent shower of lug

soles on moist, much-trampled

terra rma betrays the nine hikers

gravity-induced haste to return to

the trailhead. That is where the

cars await big appetites fomented

by the hikers mental pictures of

what will be on their dinner plate in

as little as an hour-and-a-half. First,

they must get down the ridge that

meets the main trail that leads to

the trailhead.

Before reaching the main trail,

one of the hikers needs to heed

natures call and asks for the eu-

phemistic party separation. The

leader directs the group to hold up

and wait.

No, dont wait for me. I dont want

to slow anyone up. Ill catch up with

you all down the trail.

The leader hems and haws, then

says, Id rather we stick together

and reach the trailhead together.

I know the way down. Im not

ve, says the hiker.Upon the hikers insistence, the

leader and remaining hikers contin-

ue down the ridge and just before

the junction with the trail, the leader

decides to wait behind with one

other party member. She wants

to make sure the separated hiker

catches up. She and the other party

member wait for 10 minutes. Thereis no sign of the separated hiker.

Four hours later, the leader has

not had dinner nor has she even

started home. She took her car to

another trailhead to pick up the

hiker who became separated from

By Brad Stracener

Near-miss reports vital to mountain safety

Roadlessrule

zigzagsbackinto...limbo

Owl and the Woodpecker au-

thor Paul Bannick will apear Sept.

17 at club headquarters to unveil in

photographic splendor the lifeline

of habitat shared by these two

Northwestern forest dwellers. See

the ad on M3.

Choose your continent: Moun-

taineers international outings lead-

er Craig Miller, often keeping one

foot on this continent while pointing

the other to another continent, will

be up to the same dexterity this fall

when he offers a backpack trip to

British Columbia and a 2010 trek

to Nepal. See pgs. 1-2 of this Go

Guidefor more.

Owls & Woodpeckers: Seeadvertisement on M3.

Everett

Branch to

present

Peter Athans

Nov. 14. See

pg. 3 of the

Go Guide for

more.

By Leesa Wright

Issued in January 2001, follow-

ing the most extensive public

rule-making in history, the

Roadless Area Conservation Rule

protects 58.5 million acres of wild

national forest land (2 million in

Washington state) from most com-

mercial logging and road building.

More Americans took part in this

rule-making process than in any

federal rule making in history.

The Forest Service held over 600

public meetings. A record breaking

2.2 million public comments were

received with more that 95 percent

of these comments supporting the

strongest possible protection for

our nations remaining roadless

areas. Despite widespread popu-

larity, the Roadless Area Conserva-

tion Rule remains in limbo. Since

the Bush Administrations revisions

of the rule, it has been subjected to

a series of lawsuits and appeals to

allow development in these pristine

areas.

In Washington state, areas without

roads generate over $8 billion an-

nually in retail sales and services

New explorations nowTrailhead eventsintroducing Mountaineers and non-Mountaineers alike to

activities they may not have ever triedare plentiful in September, whether it

be rock climbing near Vantage (above) or learning new backcountry cuisine

skills. Just look for the under the ags of hiking, climbing and family

activities in this GoGuide for a full account of Trailhead events.

Ken Hahn photo

Paul Bannick photo


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September009 TheMountaineer

Clubiscatchingthewindsofchange

The

MountaineerAlso see us on the web atwww.mountaineers.org

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

Board of TrusteesOfcers

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 largeKirk Alm, 07-10Rich Draves, 08-11Dale Flynn, 07-10Ed Henderson, 08-11Lynn Hyde, 08-11Don Schaechtel, 06-09

Eva Schnleitner, 06-09Dave Shema, 07-10Mona West, 06-09

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

Interim Executive DirectorMona West

Managing EditorBrad Stracener

Contributors, proofreaders:Barb Butler, John Edwards, BrianFutch, Susan Pavlansky, Jasmine

Stark, Darla TishmanPhotographers & I llustrators:Ken Hahn, Tom Hammond, Paul Ban-nick, Leesa Wright

THE MOUNTAINEERis publishedmonthly by:The Mountaineers,7700 Sand Point Way N.E.Seattle, WA 98115206-521-6000; 206-523-6763 fax

Volume 103, No. 9The Mountaineer(ISSN 0027-2620) is published monthly by TheMountaineers, 7700 Sand Point WayN.E., Seattle, WA 98115.Members receive a subscription as part

of their annual dues. Approximately$12.42 of each members annualmembership dues is spent to print andmail this publication. Non-membersubscriptions to The Mountaineerare $32. Periodicals postage paid atSeattle 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 notnecessarily represent the views of TheMountaineers.

Purposes and mission

The clubs mission:

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

and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacic 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 fulllment

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.

View from the Top

Whoyagonnacall?Yourmentor,ofcourseAre 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.

The Mountaineers, in partnership with The

Mountaineers Foundation, is proud to announce the

launch ofThe Mountaineers Legacy Society. The

Societywill recognize and honor donors who have

included a gift to The Mountaineers and/or

the Foundation through a bequest or other

To find out more aboutThe Mountaineers Legacy Society,please contact us:[email protected] or callJudy Halls, 206-521-6006

estate gift. If you would like to be

recognized as a Founding Member in

the Legacy Society or would just

The Mountaineers Legacy Society

like to learn more we

would love to hear from

you!

A ship in port is safe, but thats not

what ships are built for.

Grace Murray Hopper

By Eric Linxweiler, president

As I write this months View from

the Top, I realize the winds of

change are pushing us towards to-

morrow. Its quite evident when we

see programs such as Trailhead

thrive and the Junior Mountain-

eers program launch. Our Olympia

Branch has had fantastic success

with its Wilderness Skills Courses,

and were seeing that branch grow

as a resultthe only branch that is

currently growing.

Even with those shining stars,

we are facing many challenges

namely, a club that continues to

experience a membership decline

and has since the late 1990s. We

have fewer people joining our club,

but we still must provide basic

services that are needed to be a

functioning organization. Similarly,

many of our assetsproperties

and casharent effectively utilized

to share our mission with the grow-

ing numbers in the community

around us.

If you consider that the Puget

Sound community has grown dra-

matically over the past 10 years,

you have to wonder why The

Mountaineers hasnt. This question

becomes even more interesting

when you think about other moun-

taineering organizations that are

thriving across the countryfrom

California to Colorado, and New

York to New England. Each of them

are nding ways to grow with, and

for, their members and the com-

munities in which they operate. Yet,

we are seeing the exact opposite.This is our problem, and ours alone

to solve.

The answer is as simple as it

is complexchange. We must

change to be more relevant and to

be more valuable. We must change

to be the organization we need to

be, not the one we used to be.

Many of your clubs leaders have

spent the summer working on two

very important items related to our

future. The rst is closing one of

our largest budget gaps in years.

We all enjoy the many benets

of being a Mountaineer, but we

realize that benets come with a

cost. Led by Mona West (our acting

executive director), we have been

able to point ourselves in a direc-

tion that acknowledges we must do

things differently to achieve growth

and sustainability.

Second, and probably more impor-

tant, is recruiting our next executive

director (ED). Led by me and four

other club leaders, we are con-

dent that we are going to welcome

the right leader for the future of The

Mountaineers. Weve enjoyed a

very busy summer working through

dozens of nationwide candidates

that include former CEOs, former

EDs, and experts at marketing and

operationsclearly the best of the

best. We know that a new leaderwill bring change, which is exactly

what we need.

As these winds of change blow

over us, please take the time to

embrace our direction with con-

dence. As we all have experienced

in the mountains, it can be an

awesome feeling when you are in a

beautiful placeladen with history

and destined for an even brighter

future.

Onward and upward!


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September009TheMountaineer

Mountaineers will be saving a

postage stamp this fall when they

cast votes for board of trustees

candidates. For the rst time ever,

electronic balloting will be used to

elect ofcers of the club.

Members will log in to the clubs

website, www.mountaineers.org,

the same as if registering for a

course or trip. A vote now prompt

will then appear that takes mem-

bers to the ballot.

Members cast their votes and can

then choose an option to have their

ballot printed for reference.

Members of the club who cannot

access the web will be allowed to

cut out a paper ballot to appear in

the October issue of The Mountain-

eer, which will also include proles

of each candidate.

Electronic voting will commence

about Oct. 1 and election day will

be Wed., Oct. 21.

Vote via stroke of a key

Branches& limbs

AccessuptoCongressThe fate of the Stehekin Road is

again in the hands of Congress.

Since the 1970s the road that

allows vehicles into the upper

portions of Stephen Mather Wilder-

ness Area and the North Cascades

National Park has been the subject

of debate after destructive blows

by Mother Naturethe most recent

being a 2003 ood that took out

sections that parallel the Stehekin

River.

A house bill, sponsored by Rep.

Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, would

allow the National Park Service to

relocate a 2.5-mile section of the

road. However, it would cross into

the wilderness area and thus re-

quires an act of Congress to move

the wilderness boundary.

The National Park Service has

expressed its opposition to setting

a precedent for moving wilderness

boundaries.

The park service has spent nearly

$1.5 million each time the road has

been repaired. The Mountaineers

Conservation and Recreation Ac-

cess Divisions intensely debated

whether to endorse reconstruction

of the road for vehicular access in

the mid-1990s. Climbers use the

road to access several North Cas-

cades peaks that can require up

to an extra day of travel when the

road is closed.

For more about the bill to recon-

struct the road, visit the Wenatchee

Worldwebsite:

http://wenatcheeworld.

com/article/20090807/

NEWS04/708079968.

Climber-authordiesWell-known Colorado mountain

climber and Mountaineers Books

author Craig Luebben was killed

and his partner was injured on Aug.

9 while climbing Mt. Torrent in the

North Cascades.

The two were hit by falling ice while

training for an American Mountain

Guide exam at the time of the ac-

cident. Willie Benegas was briey

hospitalized and then released,

but Luebbens fall into an ice moat

resulted in his death.

Luebben wrote Rock Climbing

and Rock Climbing Anchors for

The Mountaineers Books. He had

climbed across the globe and

achieved rst ascents on rocks in

ve states, Canada, Mexico, Cubaand Puerto Rico, among other

locations. Luebben, also a photog-

rapher, had written a total of seven

books on climbing.

AuthorgetsairtimeMountaineers author Paul Bannick

recently received air time on Na-

tional Public Radio via an interview

with PBS host Rick Steves.

The interview precedes Bannicksappearance at The Mountaineers

headquarters on Sept. 17 (see ad

below).

According to Mountaineers Books

Publisher Helen Cherullo, Ban-

nicks appearances to promote his

book, Owls and Woodpeckers,

have been wildly successful.

Many of his events have received

standing-room-only receptions from

audiences wishing to learn about

the importance of healthy habitats

to both the owl and woodpecker inthe Pacic Northwest.

Bannicks presentation at club

headquarters in Magnuson Park

will feature several recently taken

photographs not printed in the book

or shown at other events, accord-

ing to Cherullo.

Proceeds from the Sept. 17 event,

to be held at 7 p.m., will help fund

programs and education toward the

pursuit of preserving natural habi-

tats for birds. Please refer to the ad

below for ticket information.


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Can you identifythe summit in

the foreground here? Send your answer

(by Sept. 10) to: Summit Savvy, The

Mountaineer, 7700 Sand Point Way

N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. If you guess

correctly, youll receive $10 of Moun-

taineers Money, good for Mountaineers

Bookstore merchandise, and well

publish your name in next months

column. (In case of a tie, one winner will

be chosen at random.) Club employees

or persons shown in the photograph are

not eligible. Each month well publish a

new mystery summit and identication

of the previous one.

Send your photographs (or slides)

for possible publication as a mystery

summit (include identication for our

benet). If we use your photo, you

will get $10 of Mountaineers Money

as well.

At the end of each year, all correct

respondents names are placed in a

hat and the winner of that drawing will

receive $50 of Mountaineers Money

good for purchases at The Moun-

taineers Bookstore.

Two correctly guessed last months

mystery summit, Mt. Baker, as

photographed by Curt Baxstrom. The

coin ip went to Steve Glenn of the

Bellingham Branch.

SummitSavvy

conservation

CURRENTS

IRA holders 70 or older

have another way to

support the great outdoors!

Throughout2009,donorsage70and

oldercanusetheirIRAfundstosupport

TheMountaineersFoundationwithoutthe

withdrawalbeingsubjecttoincometaxor

withholding.

Thisgivingopportunitywasextendedin

theEmergencyEconomicStabilization

Actof2008.Beforethisgiftprovision,

youhadtowithdrawmoneyfromyour

IRAandthencontributeit.Theamount

youwithdrewwastaxableandyou

receivedacharitabledeductionforthe

amountofthecontribution.

Insomeinstances,makingagiftdirectly

fromyourIRAunderthisspecial

provisionwillallowmoremoneytogotothefoundationandlesstotheIRS.In

otherinstances,thereareadvantagesto

notincreasingtheamountofyourtaxable

incomeevenifyoucanusetheoffsetting

charitablededuction.

Thisgivingopportunitywasextended

onlyfortwoyearsandexpiresinafew

months(theendof2009).Thegiftis

easytoarrangejustaskyourIRA

administratortosendacontribution

directlyfromyourIRAaccounttoThe

MountaineersFoundation.

Torequestacopyofaformlettertouse

inmakingyourrequest,ortoaskany

questionsyoumighthave,contactJudy

[email protected]

206-521-6006formoreinformation.We

wouldbehappytoassistyou.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack addresses a crowd at Seward Park in Seattle

about his vision for forest management in the coming years.

Leesa Wright photo

By Leesa Wright

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom

Vilsack held his rst major address on

the state of the United States Forest

Service in Seattles Seward Park on

Fri., August 14.

A moment that seemed to generate

great excitement at the local level oc-

curred even before Secretary Vilsacks

speech began when the new Region

6 Forester Mary Wagner introduced

Congressman Norm Dicks. Wagner

thanked him for his tireless work on the

Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation

Act. Dicks informed the crowd that in

Washington state alone the U.S. Forest

Service (USFS) is facing a $300 million

road maintenance backlog. With this in

mind, Dicks said that he will ask for an

increase from $50 million to $100 mil-

lion in federal appropriations for legacy

roads projects.

In outlining a new direction for the

USFS, Vilsack presented a near 180-

degree turnaround from past Forest

Service policy direction. According

to Vilsack, while timber harvests and

ghting forest res will continue to oc-

cupy large segments of Forest Service

operations, a new emphasis and guid-

ing principle will be placed on conser-

vation and restoration.

In his opening remarks Vilsack ac-

knowledged the many uses of our na-

tional forests while recognizing them as

the national treasures that Americans

increasingly understand them to be:

A healthy and prosperous America

relies on the health of our natural

resources, and particularly our forests.

Americas forests supply communities

with clean and abundant water, shelterwildlife, and help us mitigate and adapt

to climate change. Forests help gener-

ate rural wealth through recreation and

tourism, through the creation of green

jobs, and through the production of

wood products and energy. And they

are a nationalrequiring all of us to

protect and preserve them for future

generations.

Why restoration as a driving principle

in forest policy? There is no doubt that

we are facing a health crisis in our

forests. Climate change places them

under increasing stress that exacer-

bates the threats of re, disease, andinsects. Throughout the West but in

other parts of the country as well a

legacy of re suppression has resulted

in forests that are over-stocked and

much more susceptible to catastrophic

re and disease. Restoring forest

ecosystems, particularly in re-adapted

forests, will make forests more resilient

to climate-induced stresses and will en-

sure that our forests continue to supply

abundant, clean water.

Vilsacks cabinet-level appointment as

head of the Department of Agriculture

was received by the local conservation

community with cautious optimism.

While it will take some time to see

change, within months of his appoint-

ment Vilsack rolled out initiatives to

stop the loss of Americans agricultural

land and reinstated the Clinton era

roadless rule which protects over 50

million acres of our nations roadless

national forest lands from logging, min-

ing and oil and gas drilling.

Of course, the real metric by which to

judge the Forest Services commitment

to this new vision will be how funds

are allocated within the infamously

underfunded agency. It is this fact and

the often competing expectations of the

Forest Service that make Vilsacks job

one of the toughest jobs in the country.

An important and often overlooked

point made by Secretary Vilsack is that

80 percent of Americas forested land is

actually state and privately owned:

The Forest Service must not be

viewed as an agency concerned only

with the fate of our national forests, but

must instead be acknowledged for its

work in protecting and maintaining all

American forests, including state and

private lands. Our shared vision adopts

an all-lands approach, requiring close

collaboration with the NRCS (Natural

Resources Conservation Service) and

its work on Americas private working

lands.

Vilsack also mentioned that new eco-nomic possibilities in emerging energy

technologies were of common interest

to landowners and the Forest Service:

Emerging markets for carbon and

sustainable bioenergy will provide

landowners with expanded economic

incentives to maintain and restore

forests. The Forest Service must play

a signicant role in the development

of new markets and ensuring their

integrity. Carbon and bioenergy arent

the only new opportunity for landown-

ers. Markets for water can also provide

landowners with incentives to restore

watersheds and manage forests forclean and abundant water supplies.

These markets can also create (rural)

jobs.

He further emphasized the common,

shared interests among public and

private forests in ghting wildres and

bark beetle infestations:

The threats facing our forests dont

recognize property boundaries. So,

in developing a shared vision around

forests, we must also be willing to

look across property boundaries. In

other words, we must operate at a

landscape-scale by taking an all-lands

approach.

The only sour notes concerned thinning

and woody biomass:

Our shared vision begins with restora-tion. Restoration means managing for-

est lands rst and foremost to protect

our water resources, while making

our forests more resilient to climate

change. Forest restoration led by the

dedicated people at the Forest Service

opens non-traditional markets for

climate mitigation and biomass energy

while appropriately recognizing the

need for more traditional uses of forest

resources.

Recent research from Oregon State

University reveals that forest-thinning

projects designed to lower fuel levels

in big, crown-class res are counter-productive to the new mission to use

our forests as carbon sinks in an effort

to mitigate climate change. Collection

of woody biomass from snags and

downed logs on our forest oors is also

counter to the protection of clean water

and the alleviation of downstream

ooding, and interrupts the natural

nutrient cycling where decaying organic

material is broken down to elements

essential to the regeneration, overall

health and ecology of forests.

Leesa Wright is Mountaineers public

policy associate.

Agsecretaryconveysvisionforforests


5/8

M5


while supporting 115,000 jobs. Additionally, water and air ltration as well

as ood control are invaluable ecosystem services provided for free by

roadless areas. Support for the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in 2001

managed to cross party lines and garner bipartisan support:

it makes no sense to continue to build new roads at the publics ex-

pense when we cant evenafford to maintain the ones we

already have. Leaving roadless

areas roadless not only saves

tax dollars, it also helps local

economies. Roadless areas

provide scenic vistas, hunting,

camping, shing, hiking and

touring opportunities that can

retain current residents and

businesses, while also attracting non-resource-extracting businesses.

Former Washington State Sen. Bill Finkbeiner

We cherish our roadless areas as sources of clean water, critical habitat

for rare, sensitive and endangered species, and as destinations for rec-

reation and beauty. Many of our states leading businesses, who seek to

attract highly mobile employees, and much of our tourism industry, depend

on the environmental quality and amenities that roadless areas and adja-

cent park and wilderness lands present.

Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire

Roadless areas are unique zones that, once gone, are gone forever. Tom

OKeefe, chair of The Mountaineers Recreation Access Division and avid

whitewater kayaker, puts it this way, Paddling along remote rivers and

waterways (in roadless areas)the original highways used to explore our

great nationoffers a truly unique way to experience our national forests

and some of the last vestiges of wild and unspoiled lands in America. It

would be a shame to lose it all for a short-term gain.

Through the introduction of complex legal processes, the Bush Adminis-

tration seemed intent on eliminating protections for our roadless forests.

Among these was a provision that placed the onus on state governors by

requiring them to petition theU.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) if they wanted road-

less national forests in their

states preserved. This and

other purposeful impediments

to the rule have resulted in 55

percent of the original 58.5

million acres now standing

unprotected.

In September 2006, Judge Elizabeth Laporte, magistrate for the U.S. Dis-

trict Court in Northern California, ruled that the Bush Administration illegally

repealed the Roadless Rule and reinstated the original 2001 version of

the rule. The case was immediately appealed by timber interests and has

been awaiting decision in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for nearly three

years. Last month, the court reafrmed the lower-court decision to reinstate

the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

However, the legal battle is far from over. In a different case, a Federal Dis-

trict judge in Wyoming decided in 2008 that the Clinton-era rule, adopted

in 2001, was invalid because it violated environmental statutes. Conserva-

tionists appealed that decision to the 10th Circuit, which has not yet ruled.

Stay tuned as news develops on the fate of the Roadless Rule.

Leesa Wright is public policy associate for The Mountaineers.

it makes no sense to continue to build new roads at the

publics expense when we cant even afford to maintain the

ones we already have. Leaving roadless areas roadless not

only saves tax dollars, it also helps local economies.

-- former Washington State Sen. Bill Finkbeiner

Continued fron M1

By Tom Hammond

Founded by Dr. Mauri Pelto of Nichols College in Massachusetts, the North

Cascades Glacier Climate Project (NCGCP) was established in 1984 to get

an important perspective on climate that glaciers offer.

The project is not about remote sensing: it is boots on the ice every year

to obtain high delity measurements of mass-balance, longitudinal proles

and stream ow and discharge. The team has measured the same eight

glaciers (formerly nine glaciers, but the Lewis Glacier of Corteo Peak has

disappeared) on an annual basis since the project began. Other option

glaciers are surveyed on an approximate ve-year rotation as time allows.

From south to north, and from wet west to dry east, the glaciers are se-

lected for aspect, location and relative ease of access. The project teamtravels more than 98 miles and 33,000 vertical feet in a typical season, rain

or shine. It is hard, hot and cold work.

The glaciers are Columbia Glacier (Monte Cristo Peaks), Easton Glacier,

Sholes Glacier, Rainbow Glacier (Kulshan, aka Mt. Baker), Lower Curtis

Glacier (Mt. Shuksan), Big Four (optional visit to view avalanche cycle,

resulting ice caves, and age of deepest ice), Ice Worm/Hyas Creek Glacier,

Daniels Glacier and Lynch Glacier (Mt. Daniel). The team consists of Director Mauri Pelto (Nichols College, MA), his son

Ben (Alfred University, NY), daughter Jill (high school), and hired eld

assistant Shannon Skinner (Evergreen State College). Researchers from

Montana and the Discovery Channel will make single-glacier appearances

during the season.

Columbia Glacier trip: July 27-30, 2009

As with many trips this year, I had a bit of trepidation going in because the

forecast called for record highs (90+ F), and Id be hiking in the heat of the

day. Still, the thought of being on a glacier during a week of high heat also

had great appeal.

It started off nice enough, with a new sign denoting entrance into the Wild

Sky Wilderness, but thats where all that was nice ended, at least for this

day. It began with quite a climb up the steep hill. I normally go 50 minutes

of hiking between breaks, but here I was looking at my watch after only

17 minutes and wondering about a break. I pushed to 30 minutes, and as

soon as I stopped, I was covered in black ies. I could only stand it for a

couple minutes before I had to get moving. But the trail was so steep and

my pack so heavy that I couldnt out-hike the bugs.

Glacier monitoring team feels climates pulse underfoot

Continued on M6

Legalbattlesoverroadlessrulefarfromover

Tom Hammond photo

The monitoring team spent three days on the glacier and at Blanca Lake, above.


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the group. He had taken a spur

from the ridge that he thought was

the trail on which they had come

up the mountain. He had broken

an ankle and the leader took him

to the hospital before nally turningher steering wheel homeward.

This is an embellished depic-

tion of an actual trip taken earlier

this summer. Despite a couple of

augmentations, it is a representa-

tive example of an issue that has

particularly haunted the club this

summer, according to trip reports

received by The Mountaineers

Safety Committee.

Dan Lauren, chair of the com-mittee, stated, We are seeingmore near misses. These are in-cidents that may not result in injury

or rescues but quite easily could

have. Five were cited in leaders

reports in 2008. According to Lau-

ren, it is likely that more occurred;

they were just unreported. Some

become public knowledge because

a search and rescue is required,

he noted.

In the past couple months, there

were two incidents in which the

whereabouts of a party member

was unknown. One was the subject

of a rescue. In the other, the hikers

location was reported by hikers

outside of The Mountaineers party.

The Safety Committee encour-

ages leaders to report nearmisses when they occur. It helps

fulll the committees objective: to

promote a culture of safety among

The Mountaineers by collecting

and reporting on accidents as well

as near misses. It uses this infor-

mation for educating and training

the many leaders and instructors in

the cluba system similar to that

which won a National Park Service

award for The Mountaineers and

Mt. Rainier National Park over the

summer (see last months Moun-taineer).

Our mission is to write up these

reports in a factual format and

include recommendations or what

needs emphasizing, said Lauren,

a Tacoma Branch member who has

been active with the club for more

than 10 years.

The summaries and suggestions

then end up in the annual safety

report produced by the committee,

which consists of 15 members from

the various club branches.

We want to make sure people

read our annual report and learn

from it, stated Lauren. It is cur-

rently a paper document, but he

said the committee soon would

you cant leave anyone alone. He

said the leader should have a buddy

system in place that keeps at least

two people together at all times.

There are many reasons aleaders party becomes sepa-rated. In fact, it is sometimes theleader who must request separa-

tion because he or she becomes ill.

Especially in those cases, Lauren

maintains, there must be a buddy

system.

The leave-no-one-alone and bud-

dy-system rules must be pervasive

throughout our climbing and hiking

programs, Lauren said.

A leader on many club climbs over

the years, Lauren added, We

have all made mistakes. I have let

people go back by themselves on

occasion. But we also know what

we have been taught.

As long as the club practices what

it teaches, The Mountaineers can

continue to be recognized as an

industry leader in safety for outdoor

activitiesthe Safety Committees

ultimate objective.

Brad Stracener is managing editor

ofThe Mountaineer.

You cant leave

anyone alone. Dan Lauren, Safety

Committee chair

like to create a safety link on the

club website in which resources

on safety can be easily found. We

would like to distribute this club-

wide in a factual and non-judgmen-

tal manner.

Group separation is an espe-cially tough issue to rem-

edy because it hinges largely on

personalities and the ability of one

person to persuade another that

separating for a few minutes is

hardly going to result in a tragedy,

especially on hikes when technical

equipment is not used to ascend or

descend.

But the bottom line, Lauren says, is

that all leaders need to understand

Continued from M1

Mistakesaremade,butweallknowwhatwehavebeentaught

I was struggling big time, trying to

stay hydrated, but never able to

really stop. Hell. I made Virgin Lake

in 2.5 hours, having consumed a

half-gallon of Gatorade and still

very dehydrated. My clothes were

literally as wet as if right out of

the washtub. I had another liter

of water from the lake, but could

not quite get enough uids in me.A tough night for sure, but by

morning I had drunk enough to be

functional.

Mauri and the team showed up

at my tent at 6:15 a.m.they had

camped close by, and were on

the path early to beat the extreme

heat, though it was already hot. So

we met at the outlet of Blanca Lake

for breakfast and the icy ford. Last

year the lake was virtually frozen

over; this year there was not a bit

of ice in the water. I was fortunate

to snap the picture you see with

this article of the amazing vista.

From left to right, you see Colum-

bia Peak (two big towers), Wilmans

Peak(s), and the Columbia Glacier

below Monte Cristo Pass, Monte

Cristo Peak, and Kyes Peak (three

towers on right). We would spend

the next three days living on the

glacier and by the lake, surrounded

by glory of the North Cascades.

Neither Shannon nor Jill had ever

experienced the North Cascades

in terms of backcountry travel, so

it was especially fun to introduce

them to snow caves, moulins, and

the local relief that make this area

so impressive. At times the Ever-

green eld technician was speech-

lessand rightly so. There were

many spectacular moments.

The 2008-2009 season was a great

will suffer a signicant negative

mass-balance. Mass-balance is the

difference between accumulation

and ablation (melting and sublima-

tion). The reason it is negative is

because weve had the driest May

through August in recorded history

(including an ofcial record of 30

days without measurable precipita-

tion in May and June).

carving and cutting the glacier with

runnels more than a meter deep.

Small super-glacial streams are

common on the Columbia, but

these were fast-rushing streams

more reminiscent of the water

courses found on big glaciers in

Greenland and Alaska.

We happened upon a rather large

moulin that opened a window into

the glacierthe cutting action of

the water made me ponder the

impact on the mass-balance over

time. Perhaps hot days or even

hot weeks might not show up on

overall mass-balance analysis, but

the heat-related water action must

increase the disintegration of the

terminus (the lower glacier). One

would expect this would manifest

as a more rapid retreat.

The main outlet stream of the

glacier proceeds out of the upper

cirque of high peaks in a series

of spectacular cascadesnorth

cascades one might saywa-

terfalls roaring with an intensity

that shakes the air and quickens

the pulse as the water races to

Blanca Lake. One can appreciate

the extremes of this worldthere

are no fewer than eight species

of wildowers growing next to the

outlet falls. So much power and so

fragile all at the same time. And, all

Continued on M7

Continued from M5

Power and fragility of glaciers revealed in teams time on ice

The avalanche snow could not hide the

obvious: the Columbia is disappearing;

and, this year it will suffer a signicant

negative mass-balance.

year for snow at all elevations, but

especially at lower ones. It was

also a great year for big avalanch-

es, and this was evident throughout

our visit to Columbia. Indeed, the

avalanche cycle provided some

amazing snow-cave action, as well

as a nice covering of snows on the

terminus of the Columbia. The new

lakes are there, but they were eas-

ily walked due to snow. The same

snow cupped a surface pond of

remarkable aquamarine color.

The avalanche snow could not

hide the obvious: the Columbia

is disappearing; and, this year it

The week of our trip would produce

the highest temperatures ever

recorded for the Puget Sound area.

At the same time the lowlands

were being scorched, we were

throwing on jackets at mid-glacier,

as the breeze coming down-glacier

was a bit chilly.

It is simply awesome to tread a

kilometer long, three-quarters of a

kilometer wide sheet of ice under

withering heat. The streams run-

ning on the surface of the glacier

were remarkable. By afternoon

each day we were there, trickles

had turned into full-blown creeks,


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M


ThelatestfromyourMountaineersLibraryOff the shelf

In support

The book, Natural Areas of the San Juan Islands, by Terry Domico,lives up to its description as a must for birders, kayakers, botanists,naturalists, conservationists, and outdoor explorers who want to get to

know these amazingly diverse island environments.

This book gives the user information on sites, facilities and access for the

islands of San Juan, Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, Yellow, Little McConnell, Gos-sip, Cone, Strawberry, Saddlebag, Sinclair, Cypress, Jones, James, Clark,

Matia, Sucia, Patos, Waldron, Stuart, Fidalgo, DArcy, Sidney, Mandarte

and Rum.

There is more than the usual guidebook fare here. The book is lled with

stories that will excite the reader to visit the islands while offering history

and trivia that will enhance the experience. For instance, did you know

that 250,000 to 400,000 European rabbits roamed San Juan Island in the

late 1970s? Did you know you should beware the poisonous secretions of

the rough-skinned newt? Did you know that the pure-white, rocky cliffs of

Mandarte Island get their color from an aerial visitor (i.e. thousands of birds

leave their mark) or that you may see up to 100 harbor seals at Shark Reef

Park?

Did you know that Canadas DArcy Island was used as an escape-proof

leper colony, or that the Lime Kiln area includes some of the most dramat-ic coastal views in Washington State, as well as one of the best places in

the world to see orcas from shore?

The English Camp National Historic Park commemorates the site of the Pig

War and hosts a British cemetery. At Bell Point you can nd one of San

Juan Islands geological anomalies: a limestone cave, and site of the lm,

Journey to Spirit Island.

This is a book that ensures endless days of fun on family outings and

brings history to life for the kids. It can inspire the next generation not only

to love the outdoors but to act to preserve the habitats that are home to

more than just the obvious, large and lovable creatures. It casts its lens on

other tiny creaturessuch as the rough-skinned newtand plants that are

critical to the ecological survival of the natural wonders of the San Juans.

Dont miss the appendix, Cooperative Conservation Resource Guide, if

you want to not only enjoy the local treasure known as the San Juans, butalso to ensure it is around in all its splendor for the next generation.

LIbrary hours:Please visit www.mountaineers.org to view current library

hours.

By Kathleen McCluskey, librarian

Mountaineers Foundation DonorsThe Mountaineers Foundation desires to acknowledge and thank all its donors.

Unless individuals request their names not be published, all donors will be acknowl-

edged in The Mountaineeron a quarterly basis (usually September, December,

March and June). If you have donated during the period of May through July 2009

and your name is not on this list, please notify Paul Robisch, Mountaineers Foun-

dation, 206-363-1989, [email protected]. Your name will then be added to

the next published list of acknowledgments. Donations received after July 31 will be

acknowledged in the December issue of The Mountaineer.

The Mountaineers Foundation thanks the following donors:

Aagaard, Eric

Amos, Barrett

Anderson, KareenaBaron, Anthony

Berner, Richard

Boeing Corporate Match

Boone, Aaron

Carey, Kathleen

Caster, William

Cordone, Richard

Davis, Tom

Davis, Robert

Dejanikus, Daphne

Dexter, Marilyn

Draves, Richard

Eades, Glenn

Eby, Scott

Finn, Judith

Gilmur, Thelma

Greenaway, Leonard (bequest)Gross, James

Grubb, Suzanne

Hall, David

Haven, Sylvia

Hensley, Russell

Hickey, Robert

Hurlbutt, Cynthia

James, Frank

Johnson, Jean

Jonquiere, Martin

Karlstad, Mari

Kastama, Diane

Klein, Fritz

Kornreich, Louise

Lester, Evelyn

Marshall, Margie

Maughan, DavidMcMahon, Patrick

Microsoft Corporate Match

Moss, Sandra

Navasio, Gretchen

Nelson, Robert

Olson, Donald

Pearson, Matthew

Pelz, Ruth

Price, Scott

Sayers, Linda

Schultz, Betsy

Sevareid, Max

Simpson, Dean

Thomas, M.

Troje, Frances

Tubb, Barbara

Tyers, WilliamVanhaagen, Paula

Walyor, Bruce

Washington Falconers Association

Watrous, Diane

Wick, Debra

Wiseman, Paul

Wittrock, Paul

Zobel, Christian

In Memorial:

Engle, Stanley

Elvin, Ann Miller

Elvin, Frederick Eldwin

so beautiful as to take the breath away.

Water is the profound difference our planet affords uswater as a vapor,

water as a liquid, and water as a solida glacier.

Even with a huge winter snowpack (1.5+ meters at Big Four picnic area)

and a healthy avalanche cycle, the Columbia Glacier is minus 0.6 meters

for the year. This provides a key lesson in glacier science: summer meltingis a more critical component to mass-balance than heavy precipitation in

winter.

Look to future editions of The Mountaineerfor nal data on all of the North

Cascades glaciers measured by NCGCP during the 2009 season.

Tom Hammond works at the University of Washington as a technology

manager. He has been fortunate enough to pursue post-graduate classes

at the UW to better understand the geologic processes in the North Cas-

cades, with a focus on glaciology. He is a volunteer for the North Cascades

Glacier Climate Project for which he has served as a eld scientist for the

past six summers.

Continued from M6

Summermeltoutpaceswintermoisture

What's your @ddress?Help us keep in touch with you! We are

asking all members with email addresses

to make sure we have it in our records. As

the club moves into the future, we rely more

and more on electronic media to communi-

cate.

Log in to your Profle page today and add or

update your email with us. Thanks!


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September 2009 Mountaineers Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of September 2009 Mountaineers Newsletter