Lowell_Skoog

I don't think that's correct. Other parties reported talking to the skiers on the summit and they were definitely intending to ski the headwall. The following TR had a picture of two skiers on the upper part of the headwall: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1072472/TR_Mount_Baker_North_Ridge_6_1#Post1072472 That picture has been removed, but it showed perfect visibility. I don't know whether the picture was taken before or after the accident. Other ski parties reported cold, hard snow conditions near the top of the Coleman-Deming route. My interpretation of the revised press release (assuming that the press didn't mess it up, as they often do) is that the party was probably working their way toward the headwall trying to judge whether the snow would soften. The fall occurred before they felt fully "committed" to the headwall, but not before the terrain was steep enough to result in an uncontrollable fall. This would be consistent with both the press release and the other information I've seen.

See last year's foreword: http://mountaineers.org/NWMJ/10/101_Foreword.html I stepped down as lead editor because I don't have enough free time now to spearhead the NWMJ. Several volunteers have worked on Issue 8, but I think it's accurate to say that the effort is stalled. I don't have a solution at this point. It may be that the NWMJ will be like Ascent, emerging from time to time when the community makes it happen.

Yeah, that's a favorite. Pure Fred and Distinctly Beckey.

Previous thread: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1059179/Mt_Baker_Marathon_The_Mountain#Post1059179

Photo from Friday, May 25: An awful lot of snow on the west ridge last week.

Don't forget Ben Manfredi. I think he was the first in Washington to regularly pursue steep skiing AND publish his trips on his website: http://cascadeclassics.org/ The Hummel brothers and Sky got started with Ben. Martin Volken has also been influential due to his writing, guiding and pioneering. There were a small number of skiers who pursued steep skiing in the 1980s and 1990s, but before the Web, nobody knew what they were doing. The Web really changed things, because it created a tight social feedback loop. Improved gear has also made a difference, but I think the web is a bigger factor. The following article from NWMJ #1 discusses the early days: http://mountaineers.org/NWMJ/04/041_Steeps.html That article is pretty out-of-date though. After publishing it I learned about people like Steve Lyford (in Oregon) and Karl Erickson (in Washington) who made descents that almost nobody knew about. They've been added to my alpenglow.org chronologies.

In 1985, I hiked the Ptarmigan Traverse with my wife Steph and our friend Tom Wiesmann. In seven days we climbed the standard routes on Hurry-up, Spider, Formidable, Le Conte, Sentinel, Old Guard, Spire Point, Dome Pk, Gunsight, and Sinister. At that time the Bachelor-Downey Creek trails were in pretty good shape and you could drive all the way to Downey Creek. Other climbs you might consider include Magic, Mixup and some of the smaller summits in the Dome Peak area. Of these, I would probably avoid Mixup. It has a bad history. Tom Wismann died on that peak two years after our traverse. All these climbs are in the difficulty range that you're looking for. Our trip was done in early July, which probably made some of the peaks easier by covering some of the loose rock. It remains one of my most memorable trips, for a lot of reasons.

The first ascent was made by my brothers Gordy and Carl in August 1978. Gary Brill and I did the second ascent in May 1979 under snowy conditions similar to the ski descent. When Gary and I climbed the face, we were climber's left of the central rib. Our route had a step that I don't think would be skiable. I'm guessing that you guys were skier's left of the rib. Correct? Glad you had a safe trip...

UW Special Collections, Accession 2170-004

No, in later years, Dwight was not fond of guidebooks. In his scrapbook he wrote on a 1966 ad for 100 Hikes, "Much wear and tear began with this book!" and "Don't go to these. Too many people!" I think the 1940s guidebook proposal was not Watson's idea. It was conceived as a combined climbing/skiing guidebook. I think Fred and others approached Dwight to contribute the skiing portion. Ultimately, the Mountaineers decided not to publish it. When the AAC decided to publish Fred's first guidebook a few years later (1949) they dropped the skiing portion. I don't have any record of why they did that. If you haven't seen it, you might enjoy my notes from Watson's 600+ page scrapbook: http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/ms/dw-scrapbook.html

For more about Dwight Watson, including a clip from his movie of the Mt Baker traverse, look here: http://written-in-the-snows.net/ski-climbers5.html I'm planning another chapter in my ski history book that will include more about Dwight Watson's trips in other parts of the Cascades. It will be called "Ski Scouting" after his landmark 1937 article in the Mountaineer Annual: http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/period/mtneer-a/mtneer-a-1930-39.html#mtneer-a-1937-p28 I have papers (that I haven't really digested yet) which reveal that when Fred Beckey made his original proposal for a climbing guidebook to the Mountaineers in the 1940s, he also proposed a skiing guidebook to be written by Dwight Watson. The Mountaineers passed on Beckey's proposal and his guidebook was originally published by the AAC. Watson's book was never written. This proposal confirms for me Watson's position as the most important pioneer of backcountry skiing in Washington.

Glad that you made the trip, Jason. The first time I did it with my brother Carl, we went east to west (and camped) just like you did. It's a great way to savor the solitude of the east side. I'm happy that the name "Watson's Traverse" has stuck. Dwight himself would probably be embarrassed by it, but he deserves to be remembered, and what better way to do it.

A satisfying ending to this project... The NEH grant is a wonderful confirmation of the importance of these films. It's a tribute to the people who helped care for the films over the years. Here's an article from the Moving Image Archive News on the NEH grant: http://www.movingimagearchivenews.org/money-for-mountain-films/ My thanks go especially to the Mountaineers History Committee, the Mountaineers Players, the Mountaineers Foundation (Brunhilde Wislicenus Fund), the Ira Spring and Charles Perryman families, friends of Charles and Marion Hessey, and the estate of the Dwight Watson. Congratulations to Nicolette Bromberg and Hannah Palin of UW for their work on the NEH grant request. This is a big shot in the arm for the University's film program, and I'm proud that The Mountaineers were able to help. I look forward to seeing the UW's online finding aids take shape in the months ahead. In the meantime, you can find more information about these films on the Mountaineers History Committee website here: http://mountaineers.org/history/cat/movies-film.html Lowell Skoog History Committee Chairman The Mountaineers

My preference has been to tie a bulky knot like a rewoven figure-8 then pass the lead rope through a sling or cord with a bight tied in it that is smaller than the knot. Then I pull the lightweight rope. The theory being that the knot will jam in the sling bight if the thin line is cut. As long as the sling bight isn't actually tight around the lead rope, I don't think it adds much friction to the pull. My experience is that smaller ropes have a much higher likelihood of getting jammed because they are so "spaghetti like" so I would rather have the lead rope come down last. I think you're more likely to have an epic due to a snagged tag line than due to a failure of the system I described. A metal quicklink like Darin suggests might be safer, but it's one more thing to carry. I figure that alpine climbing is about managing but not eliminating risk, and I have felt okay using the technique I described. But I could be convinced that it's a bad idea. Edited to add: The other thing I do is to pack the tag line in a lightweight stuff sack. The stuff sack has a loop sewn on it that I can clip to my harness. When pulling down the rappel one guy pulls the tag line and the other guy stuffs the tag line into the stuff sack. When stuffed this way, the tag line always pays out cleanly--no untangling required. When you begin the next rappel you don't throw down the tag line. Instead the lead rappeller keeps it clipped to his harness and the thin rope pays out of the bag into your brake hand. Never a tangle, and no futzing around.

I've been wondering when somebody would ski this line. I found the following picture in my brother Carl's collection. I think he and his friends may have had their eyes on it a few years ago. I don't know if they ever made an attempt. Congrats, that's a nice looking line.

Andre Roch, Hjalmar Hvam, and Arne Stene during the first ski ascent of Mount Hood in 1931 (from Written in the Snows) ----- The International Skiing History Association (ISHA) and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame are holding their annual Skiing Heritage Week in the Pacific Northwest during the week of April 8-15, 2012. The week is an opportunity for skiers to enjoy Northwest ski areas in the company of local experts and to celebrate the history of skiing. The week culminates with the 2012 US Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle on Saturday, April 14. Here is a description from the US Hall of Fame website: The full information packet, including the schedule of events, cost details, and a registration form can be viewed here: https://www.skihall.com/Skiing_Heritage_Week_NW%20Packet_Final.pdf There are two options for participating: 1. Sign up for the whole week of activities starting Sunday April 8th in Oregon. Package includes lodging, transportation, most meals and all lift passes, for $1,585 or $1,795 (depending on which Seattle hotel you choose). 2. Or join other participants in Seattle, starting the evening of April 11th, and purchase what you need – hotel, functions, skiing, etc. on an ala-carte basis. Participation in the road trip thru the Northwest is limited (capacity two busloads) available on a first come first serve basis. Registration must be completed by March 23rd. Of particular interest to me is the Ishpeming International Film Festival, which starts at 7pm on Wednesday, April 11 at Seattle's Bell Harbor Conference Center, Bay Auditorium. The festival is free and will continue on the evenings of April 12 and 13. Rick Moulton, a renowned New England filmmaker, writes: A website about the intriguing film "Ski Heil" can be seen here: http://www.skiheil-derfilm.com/?view=inhalt&lang=en (summary) http://www.skiheil-derfilm.com/?view=trailer&lang=en (trailer)

Right. I had a pretty extensive email correspondence with John Wells about it a few months ago. He and his partner skied the lookers' right line (I guess we should now refer to it as the central line) a year before Oyvind and Monika.

Great pictures Curt. Regarding the times, I got my information from John Miles' book, "Koma Kulshan: The Story of Mt Baker". Notes found here: http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/book/miles-1984.html#miles-1984-p114 It's interesting to note that one of the pictures you linked to says that Paul Westerlund went to the saddle but not to the summit during the 1913 race. That's the one that had the 9-1/2 hour winning time. I'll have to look at the book again, but I don't think John Miles mentioned that detail.

Ayup. That's why I spoke up. Winchester lookout is sled country, as should be obvious from Jason's first photo in this thread!

Todd Warger, a Northwest historian and filmmaker, has produced a documentary about the original Mount Baker Marathons of 1911-1913. In these amazing races, local men raced by automobile, train or horseback from Bellingham to the foot of Mount Baker, ran through forests and up glaciers to the summit, then retraced their route back to tidewater, completing the round trip in as little as 9-1/2 hours. Information about the film (and a trailer) can be found here: http://www.themountainrunners.com/www.themountainrunners.com/Home.html The film is set to be released at the end of May 2012 during Ski to Sea week in Bellingham. (Historical trivia: The Ski to Sea race was inaugurated in 1972 to revive the spirit of the original marathons.) Warger and his crew hope to get the film shown at the Banff Film Festival, Taos, and other festivals across the country. They have received interest from PBS and European venues. To help launch the film, they have created a fundraising page on "kickstarter.com". This gives them 44-days to reach a goal of $20,000. I'm posting this note to help spread the word. Pledges can be a little as $5. Every little bit helps. Here is the kickstarter.com page. Note that this page has a different trailer than the one linked above: Here is a description of the film from imdb.com: Note: I have no financial interest in this project. I just think it's a worthy effort and a cool idea.

Here you go (Northwest only): http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/book/logan-1996.html http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/web/www-avalanche-org.html

As if there is no middle ground.

Good post by Will Gadd. I have a list. It contains 26 names. These are all people I've known who died in recreational accidents. None of them died in a car crash. My criteria for including somebody on my list was that I had met them in person. Following the death of one of my friends while paragliding, I wrote the following essay about the classic grief process and how it applies to our unwillingness to acknowledge the risks we take: http://alpenglow.org/paragliding/writing/grief.html Those who think that this is an absurd topic are probably in the denial phase. Coming to terms with this topic requires balancing the likelihood of an accident, the reward you get from risky activities, the rewards you get from other parts of your life, and what you stand to lose. Many people find that dialing back the risk is a good balance, especially as your life becomes more full of other rewards, like family. And having lost friends, they begin to understand what it would mean to their own friends and family if they were lost.

A historian who's not familiar with the Mount Baker Club? Oops. As a general rule, I think it's a bad idea to publicize winter use of Cascade fire lookouts. They're not built for it, and the management infrastructure isn't there. The people posting in this thread seem to be responsible, but there are plenty of yahoos out there. I have a lot of sympathy for volunteers like Mr. Inscho. How do you get the word out about proper care of a lookout without making the problem worse by overexposure? I don't have the answer, but I think some behind-the-scenes outreach by both sides--responsible users and the volunteer maintenance organizations--might be a good start. Jason? Pat?

There was an obit for Dan Davis in today's Seattle Times: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=daniel-r-davis&pid=155567833 Daniel R. DAVIS The many friends of Dan Davis were deeply saddened by his passing on January 14, 2012. Born in California and raised in Seattle, Dan earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in mathematics from the University of Washington, and worked as a mathematician at Boeing. During the 1960s, Dan emerged at a young age as one of the most distinguished alpinists of North America by virtue of numerous high level first ascents . His calm wisdom combined with enormous strength and skill made him a favorite climbing partner for many. Most notable were his first winter ascent of the N. Peak of Mt. Index and first ascent of Mt. Robson's N. Face in the Canadian Rockies, both emanating from his intense focus and bold initiative. His record of climbing Mt. Rainier 24 times by 23 different routes, including some new routes, is exceptional. In recent years, he had nearly completed his project of reaching the highest summit in each of the 50 states. Dan was equally passionate about cycling, as evidenced by his 900 mile bicycle trip from Seattle to Berkeley at age 17 to visit his grandmother. An avid racer in his early years, Dan continued serious bicycle riding throughout his life, notably participating in the 200 mile Seattle-to-Portland event 19 times, 13 of which he was in the elite group completing the ride in one day. Survivors include his partner, Suzan Reiley and sisters, Juanita Davis, Christine Powell, and Mary Richards, and brother Harry W. Davis. A celebration of Dan's life will be Saturday, July 28, 2012. For further information contact: dan.davis.climber@gmail.com Published in The Seattle Times on January 22, 2012 ======= I'm puzzled by the posted memorial date, July 28, 2012. Is that correct or is it really January 28, 2012? I've asked for more information and will post the date when I know it for certain.