HarryMajors

There are two "Mt. Fernow" peaks in the North Cascades, as well as a third mountain "Big Chief Mtn." --- all three of which honor the same person. Mt. Fernow 9249' (Holden quad) is the third highest non-volcanic peak in the Cascades, (after Bonanza 9511' and Mt. Stuart 9415'). Albert H. "Hal" Sylvester, then supervisor of Wenatchee National Forest, named this peak within 1922-1928. Mt. Fernow 6190' (Captain Point quad, west of Stevens Pass) was named by the Skykomish Ranger District within 1925-1927. Big Chief Mtn. 5858' (Stevens Pass quad) was originally named "Mount Fernow" within 1936-1941 by Wenatchee National Forest (after Sylvester's retirement). However, this peak was soon renamed "Big Chief Mountain" within 1941-1947, because there already were two other Mt. Fernow(s) in the North Cascades. The peak nonetheless still honors Fernow, this time in his guise as the "Big Chief" of the Forest Service. The Prussian forester Bernhard Eduard Fernow (1851-1923) served as Chief of the Division of Forestry of the U. S. Department of Forestry during 1886-1898; this Division was the predecessor of the present-day Forest Service. Fernow is regarded as the first professional forester in North America, whose conservation efforts led directly to the establishment of the National Forests. When he left government service in 1898, his place as Chief of Forestry was taken by Gifford Pinchot. Fernow also established the first School of Forestry in North America, in 1898 at Cornell University. In 1908 he moved to Canada, where that same year he established the School of Forestry at the University of Toronto. He is the only individual after whom three mountains have been named in the Cascade Range. (Early explorer Abiel Tinkham has two peaks named after him, immediately south of Snoqualmie Pass.) Correctly pronounced, auf Deutsch, the name Fernow would be rendered in English as "fair-nov" (the "f" as in fine; the "e" is a Latin "e" or long English "a" as in "care, fair"; the "o" is in "not"; and the German "w" is as an English "v" as in "vision"), with the accent on the first syllable. Fernow served as a soldier during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870; he was an accomplished pianist who was particularly fond of the Beethoven piano sonatas; and he came to America because he met and became engaged to a young American lady while he was studying Forestry in Germany. He is the subject of a full-length biography by Andrew Denny Rodgers, "Bernhard Eduard Fernow, A Story of North American Forestry" (1951, Princeton University Press, 623pp.; reprinted 1991, Forest History Society).

Lowell, Brian, and Ursa_Eagle are indeed all correct --- Mt. Goode is pronounced as "good" (the final "e" is silent). Richard Urquhart Goode (1858-1903) was one of the first topographers appointed to the newly created U. S. Geological Survey in July 1879. He served as Chief of the Pacific Division of Topography during 1894-1903, during which time he presided over USGS mapping efforts in the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada. (At the bottom left corner of all those epochal 1:125,000 quads, the words "R. U. Goode, Geographer in charge" appear.) Were it not for his premature passing from pneumonia in 1903, he likely would have become Chief of the Topographic Branch of the USGS that year at Washington, D.C. Although Goode himself did not personally participate in the actual fieldwork, he was the immediate supervisor of the USGS topographers who mapped the original 30-minute quadrangles of the North Cascades during 1895-1902 --- arguably the single greatest geographical and exploratory achievement in the history of the North Cascades. These intrepid topographers made numerous first ascents of peaks in this region (including Glacier Peak), and they were the first to record most of its geographic features. Among other achievements, they are the first known persons to have explored the Snowking area and the Ptarmigan Traverse. Although the details of the introduction of the name "Mt. Goode" in the North Cascades have yet to be clarified, I suspect that Albert H. Sylvester bestowed this toponym sometime during 1918-1922, and that he initially intended that it be applied to the mountain now known as Bonanza Peak. Mt. Goode is the highest peak in the Cascades that honors a person who has personally visited this Range, as well as the highest peak honoring a person who has actually climbed a mountain in this Range. --- On August 7, 1883, Richard U. Goode and topographer Frank Tweedy made the second or third ascent of Mt. Stuart. (Two days earlier, on August 5, 1883, Tweedy (of Lewisia fame) made a solo ascent of Mt. Stuart, this being the first or second ascent of that peak on record.) Both ascents approached via Peshastin and Ingalls creeks. In an article on "Naming Alaska's mountains" (1959 American Alpine Journal, pp. 211-232), mountaineering historian Francis P. Farquhar confirms the correct pronunciation of Mt. Goode (pp. 221-222) --- "Also named for him [besides Mount Goode 10,610' in Alaska, east of Anchorage] is a peak [13,085'] in the Sierra Nevada, California, and one in the Cascades. In the latter case there is a local tendency to call the peak "Mount Goody"; perhaps the following will help to overcome it: "A surveyor named Richard U. Goode Left bench marks wherever he stood. The old English word goode 'Tis true rhymes with Buddha, But in this case Mount Goode rhymes with Hood."

Stefan --- To my knowledge, there have been no recorded Native American stories or legends pertaining to the Mt. Index massif, or the nearby Baring-Gunn group of peaks. This is not to say that none ever existed --- only that apparently none have ever been recorded. Mt. Index is situated within the territory of the Skykomish (Skai-wha-mish, Skihwamish), who were closely related to the Snohomish. One of the best ethnological reports on this latter group of peoples is that which appeared in 1953 by Colin E. Tweddell, "A historical and ethnological study of the Snohomish Indian people" (216pp.; Seattle, 1953). At one time, there was a Skykomish village situated at or near the present town of Index (p. 178), and it "was from here that the hunters went into the Cascades for mountain goat and other game, mountain blueberries, etc." (p. 178). It was said that "The Index people . . . would go way over Three Sisters Peak beyond Baring (Mountain) and back to Index in one day picking berries" (p. 114). The name of the village at the present-day town of Index was xa'xausalt, derived from the native term for the saw-bill or merganser duck (pp. 150, 178). Regrettably, unlike Nels Bruseth who recorded the Stillaguamish/Sauk account about the legend and names of Three Fingers, Whitehorse, and Mt. Higgins (the Ska-dulgwas story), the local legends of the Skykomish peoples are not known to have been written down. There are a couple of Native American stories associated with High Rock, just outside of Monroe (Tweddell, p. 69). If a legend or two was connected with so small a feature as High Rock, it is not unreasonable to conjecture that legends were also associated with such larger and more prominent peaks as Mt. Index, Mt. Baring, and Gunn Peak. Unfortunately, none are known to have been recorded.

Bug --- About the year 1990, when I first came across his name, I did make a brief effort to locate Frank Hill ; but I was unable to track him down. Assuming that, as a Boy Scout, Frank was close to 15 years old in 1927 (born about 1912), this would put his age at about 92 today. It is possible that he may still be alive today, in which case he would have a story of epic proportions to tell us. However, I just did a check of the on-line Social Security Death Index, and find that there is a "Frank Hill" listed for Washington State, who was born on Dec. 29, 1911, and who died in July 1978.

tomtom --- With respect to Lionel's cairn --- There are only two recorded accounts of the cairn that Lionel Chute left at the false summit of North Index on Aug. 7, 1927: In his letter to me of Jan. 12, 1973, Lionel mentioned that --- "We found some scrub trees on top [of the false summit]. We built a two-foot rock cairn, stood a tree in it on which we tied a small flag. We put a waterproof matchbox with names and date in the cairn." In the 10-page narrative which Dr. Otto Trott gave me in 1973, describing his 1940 ascent of North Index (as well as his 1939 Hanging Glacier ascent on Mt. Shuksan), Lionel's cairn is described somewhat differently --- "It was possible to proceed upwards towards the peak by holding to the north side of the western ridge until we came to the [false] summit, where we found an old stick placed into a can. This fact alone proved beyond any doubt that Lionel Chute and G. Tepl[e]y definitely had been there in 1929. . . . We climbed only to the summit of the north face [the false summit] and that's where the stick of Lionel Chute was embedded in the can." There is some discrepancy here in the description of what actually was present at the site of the cairn. However, in speaking with pioneer climbers, who were attempting to recall events that had taken place from 30 to 50 years earlier, I found that such lapses of memory were not that uncommon. The amazing thing is that, after so many years and so many ascents, some of these climbers were able to recall as much as they did. Dr. Trott further states that --- "Later on, I had personal discussions with Mr. Chute, and his description of the climb corroborated ours to such an extent that there is no doubt about it that he has been the one who made the first ascent. . . . This is the extent of my recollections of this climb, which I view as a confirmation of the achievement of Chute and Tepley." This, at present, marks the last recorded reference in recorded history to Lionel Chute's cairn at the false summit of North Index. A review of my files and the published literature on Mt. Index reveals no further mention of the cairn. The third party to successfully climb the North Face of North Index (and the first to make the first complete ascent of the North Peak), that of Fred and Helmy Beckey on July 1, 1945, makes no reference to any cairn --- "we followed a ridge over several false summits to the top" (1946 Mtnr. p. 44); "over several false summits to the top" (1946 AAJ p. 43). Lionel read Fred's account, appearing in the Dec. 1946 Mountaineer annual, and remarked to me --- "Beckey didn't report finding our cairn, so I guess the snows must have destroyed it." The two-foot high cairn, or vestiges thereof, may actually still be there. It may, in fact, already have been seen by some climbers, who were unaware of its significance. At that point during the ascent, most climbers are intent on reaching the true highest summit, and disinclined to linger at or scrutinize the false summit. Unless one was actually conscious of its importance in the first-ascent history of North Index, the presence of a small pile of rubble at the false summit would not likely appear as something worthy of notice. If the tree/stick had survived in place, from 1927 to 1940, it is possible that remnants of the rock cairn may have lasted even longer. The first false summit is not really subject to significant disturbance by avalanche activity from above. Moreover, once the winter snows had begun, whatever snowpack that might have built up at the relatively level false summit would have served to protect the cairn (this may have helped protect the stick/tree during 1927-1940). Although the most likely location for the 1927 cairn would be at the top of the first false summit, a thorough search would include the area from the top of the North Face across both the first and second false summits.

But the exact date of the Lionel Chute ascent still eluded me. To confuse matters further, Ome Daiber had told me that, from what he had learned at the time (through the Scout grapevine), Chute's companion on the successful ascent of North Index had been Gordon Knott, not George Tepley or Victor Kaartinen. It was not until about 1990, while going through past issues of The Everett Daily Herald, searching for material on the history of the Monte Cristo area, that I came across it --- "First peak on Mt. Index is conquered," appearing on page 11 of the issue for August 9, 1927. The article was based upon a letter that Lionel Chute himself had written immediately after the climb. So Lionel Chute had been off by two years. And his companion was not George Tepley (who did climb with him on The Brothers), nor Victor Kaartinen, nor Gordon Knott --- instead, it was "Frank Hill, Eagle scout of troop 263." The two, along with Scout Dan Boone, camped at Lake Serene the previous evening. At 6 a.m. the next morning (August 7, 1927), Chute and Hill set out on their climb of North Index, leaving Boone at camp to keep an eye out for their safe return. The climb was done in "twelve hours," thus theirs was the first climb of North Index without a bivouac. Chute and Hill "arrived on top at 2 o'clock in the afternoon" and then "arrived back at the lake at 6 o'clock." Chute mentions in the article that "It is an exceedingly dangerous climb often only a thin root to prevent a 1,000 foot fall . . . . Pictures were taken along the way and from the top." Lionel Chute had been mistaken, not only about the date of the North Index ascent, but even as to the name of his companion. But then, this was an event that had occurred 46 years previously, and which had involved four different attempts; so a lapse in memory is understandable. The first Grade III climb in the North Cascades --- indeed, one of the most difficult rock climbs anywhere in North America at the time. At the time, Lionel Chute was 24 years old, and with no formal mountaineering training. It speaks highly for his courage, his climbing expertise, and his dedication (and that of his companions) that he persevered through four attempts on North Index, over a period of two years, and finally succeeded in conquering the difficult north face --- with no specialized climbing boots, no pitons for protection, a companion with minimal climbing experience, and only a 40-foot length of nearly severed rope. Interestingly enough, it was Chute's early climbing experience in the eastern Olympic Mountains that likely enabled him to climb the North Peak of Mount Index. There exists no granitic bedrock in the Olympics. The rugged mountains of the eastern Olympics are eroded from the Crescent Formation, largely a series of submarine volcanic basalts. These form the bedrock of such peaks as Mount Constance and The Brothers, on which Lionel Chute first learned to climb. As such, Lionel was well prepared for the climbing problems he might encounter on the volcanic rock of North Index. Had Lionel's prior climbing experience been exclusively on granitic rock, the problems he faced on North Index would likely have been significantly more formidable. So, for the North Peak of Mount Index, the early successful climbing history is: Aug. 7, 1927 --- First successful ascent of the north face, to the first false summit of North Index, by Lionel H. Chute and Frank Hill. 1940 --- Second successful ascent of the north face, to the first false summit of North Index, by Dr. Otto T. Trott and Erick Larson. July 1, 1945 --- Third successful ascent of the north face, and the first complete ascent of North Index, by Fred and Helmy Beckey. Fred and Helmy Beckey thus have another first ascent of a major peak in the North Cascades to their credit. Until now, the 1945 party have been unaware as to the incomplete nature of the 1927 and 1940 ascents. The revision of first ascents by pre-dating is not that uncommon in the North Cascades, particularly in areas where the USGS and Lage Wernstedt mapped, or where early miners and prospectors explored. Silver Star and Mt. Pilchuck are examples where a first ascent has had to be pre-dated. However, at present there are only two instances where a first ascent has been revised by post-dating, both of which involve situations where a previous incomplete ascent has had to yield precedence to a later complete first ascent: Mount Rainier, where Emmons and Wilson in October 1870 made the first complete ascent to Columbia Crest (Stevens and Van Trump in August 1870 did not reach the summit of Columbia Crest, but that is another story); and the North Peak of Mount Index. But there still remained one question --- why did Dr. Trott and Erick Larson not continue on, to climb the principal and highest summit of North Index? They had the time, as they had already bivouaced at a point about two-thirds up the north face. Moreover, compared to the difficulties encountered on the north face (getting into and out of the mid-face bowl/basin), climbing the true summit is relatively easy. It lay well within the skill of Dr. Trott, who had "a notable climbing career throughout the Dolomites and other parts of the Tyrolian Alps, the Oetztaler, St. Gotthard, and Kaiser groups; altogether over 100 ascents in difficulties from 'difficult' to 'extremely difficult--lower limit' (European Classification)" (1952 Mtnr. p. 23). When I was preparing the account of Lionel Chute's first ascent for publication in "Exploring Washington," I sent advance copies of the climb description to both Lionel and Dr. Trott for review. Both approved of the account. I spoke with Lionel Chute on the phone; but since Dr. Trott's office was within walking distance of my home, I decided to visit with him in person. After Dr. Trott read the copy, he replied: "That is correct. Lionel and I climbed to the top of the north face, but not to the highest summit." I then asked (discreetly, and with circumspection) if, in 1940, the highest summit appeared as if it might have offered any technical difficulties. The good doctor then replied, "No. We could have climbed it, but we decided not to. That was not our purpose. Our purpose was to confirm Lionel's ascent, not take it away from him." Dr. Trott was an honest and honorable man. In all the annals of Northwest mountaineering history, rarely has there been a statement as noble-minded as this. (Appreciation: John Roper, Lowell Skoog, and Paul Klenke were kind enough to review this essay in advance. Matt Perkins graciously came to my assistance when, at one point, I found myself unable to proceed any further in this matter. Paul, in particular, offered suggestions that significantly enhanced the readability of the text. Their kind assistance is gratefully acknowledged. However, I myself am solely and entirely responsible for any errors of fact, interpretation, or omission. I think John will agree with me that the younger generation of North Cascades climbers has several highly promising and worthy scholars in their midst. It is reassuring to us older scholars to know that the future of North Cascades climbing history is in very capable hands.) (A more detailed account of North Index, including an analysis of the early routes, along with further information on the 1937 accident/rescue and subsequent ascents, will appear in a forthcoming history of climbing in the North Cascades. Because it will still be many years before this history is actually completed and published, I feel it to be in the interest of the Northwest mountaineering community to release some of this information in advance, as has been done here.)

In December 1972, I met with Dr. Trott, and mentioned to him that I was interested in contacting Lionel Chute concerning his ascent of North Index. I had determined Chute's current address --- but because this was so important an individual in North Cascades climbing history, I thought it best to approach Chute through a mutually known intermediary. Lionel was a bit sensitive about his North Index ascent, largely because his climb had for many years been met with disbelief. He had also been censured by Scout leaders for involving the Boy Scouts in so hazardous an enterprise. Instead of being greeted with acclaim for achieving what had been the most difficult climb yet performed in the Northwest, Lionel Chute met with disbelief and censure. Northwest mountaineers, who were in a position to appreciate the magnitude of Chute's achievement, did not believe that the climb had taken place. Boy Scout administrators, on the other hand, did believe that the climb had taken place --- but instead of properly appreciating Chute's achievement, they reprimanded him for what they felt had been a reckless deed. Dr. Trott had known Lionel Chute for over thirty years. In fact, Dr. Trott had spoken with Lionel immediately after the 1940 ascent, and the two had compared accounts of their respective climbs. It was Dr. Trott who had verified the authenticity of Lionel Chute's first ascent; and because of this, Lionel thought very highly of Dr. Trott. The good doctor told me that he would give Lionel a call and recommend that he speak with me; after that, I could then send Lionel a letter of inquiry. As a direct result of this, in January 1973 I received a detailed 2-page letter from Lionel Chute, describing the North Index climb. Some time thereafter, I again contacted Lionel Chute to see if he would consent to a tape-recorded interview. He agreed to meet with me at his West Seattle home, but on a private basis, as he preferred that the meeting not be tape-recorded. I agreed to this, and then arranged for an afternoon on which to visit with him. I met with Lionel, and he described to me the details of his North Index ascent, as have been presented above. At first, Lionel was a bit shy, but when I mentioned to him that my own father had been a Scoutmaster during the 1930s, Lionel immediately warmed up. His years with the Boy Scouts had been the happiest and most important of his life. On the walls of his living room were several photographs depicting various Scout gatherings and activities in the Olympic Mountains. To some extent, Lionel was still living in the past. The Boy Scouts had been the most significant influence on his life; and his ascent of North Index with the Scouts had been his one moment of glory. I was surprised to learn that Lionel had taken photographs during the North Index ascent. He had, in fact, on a shelf in his living room about twelve photo albums taken during various trips and climbs in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. He showed me several photographs that he had taken during the North Index ascent. Although I myself have never climbed North Index, I knew several individuals that had, and I previously had seen photographs that were taken high on that peak. A couple of the photographs Lionel showed me I recognized as having been taken from a great height, looking down toward the lake outlet and the forested lower north ridge of the North Peak. Narrow ledges, great exposure, brush, the central basin or bowl, the wooded ridge far below --- there was no doubt in my mind that Lionel had taken these photographs high on the north face of North Index. (I suggested to Lionel that he might consider eventually donating his photo albums to the University of Washington Library. He replied that he would think about it and let me know. I followed up with a letter several months later; but at that point he had decided to keep the albums for the time being. I kept in touch with Lionel for over a decade, occasionally reminding him about the University Library, but then lost contact with him during the mid-1980s. I recently learned that he passed away in 1992. The present disposition of his photo albums is unknown. As with the Ptarmigan Club scrapbook and Lage Wernstedt's records, Lionel Chute's photograph albums constitute one of the most important historical records of Northwest mountaineering. I suspect that they hold a number of surprises in them, such as a winter ascent of Mount Rainier, a climb up the northeast glacier on Whitehorse, and a number of hitherto unknown first ascents in the Olympics. Hopefully, one of these days Lionel's albums will come to light, and find a safe and permanent home in a library.) One of Lionel Chute's photographs caught my eye: this one particularly intrigued me. It had been taken on top of the North Peak of Mount Index, but not at the true highest summit. The photograph was shot looking toward the main summit ridge of Mount Index --- but at the right edge of the picture there was a portion of a nearby peak, higher than the point from which the photograph was taken. My initial guess was that the photograph had been taken at the first "false summit," and that the nearby higher promontory was the principal summit of the North Peak. (Although the Middle Peak of Index rises to a slightly greater elevation than the North Peak, the nearby higher peak present in the photograph was too close to the viewer (and lacking a deep separating gap) to have been the Middle Peak. There were no photographs that looked like they may have been taken from the true highest summit of North Index.) I inquired, to the effect of "Did you climb any farther than here?" or "Did you go beyond here?" (indicating the point from where the photograph had been taken). His reply was "No. We didn't go beyond here. It kept getting higher and higher. We had to get back down before dark" My tentative conclusion was that Lionel Chute did not reach the highest and principal summit of North Index. He turned back at the first false summit, situated at the top of the north face. Beyond here, the summit ridge levels off a bit, with a dip or two, followed by a second false summit of nearly the same height, beyond which a steep climb up a rocky prominence leads to the principal summit of the North Peak. I did not pursue this topic with Lionel, nor did I mention to him my tentative conclusion. I knew that, prior to Dr. Trott's confirmatory climb of 1940, the Lionel Chute ascent had been met with over a decade of disbelief, and that he was still a bit sensitive about this. I did not feel this would have been the proper time to bring to his attention that his climb of North Index appeared to have been an incomplete one. Lionel had been kind enough to invite me to his home to discuss his ascent of North Index. I was not about to infringe upon his hospitality by openly questioning the completeness of his ascent. This is something I first needed to discuss with Dr. Trott. I again met with Dr. Trott, and he confirmed my conclusion: Lionel Chute did not climb to the highest true summit of North Index. He only reached the first false summit. I then discussed with Dr. Trott the details of his own 1940 ascent of North Index --- and, in particular, as to exactly where he had found the evidence of Chute's previous ascent. Dr. Trott then related to me his account of the 1940 climb, and described where he had found the "tin can" and "stick" left by Lionel Chute. Dr. Trott emphasized very clearly that: (a) the can and stick were found at the first false summit; (b) Lionel Chute had told him that they had not gone any father than the first false summit; and © Dr. Trott and Erick Larson themselves, in 1940, had not climbed any farther than the first false summit. They had found the evidence which confirmed that Lionel Chute had indeed climbed the north face of North Index --- at which point Dr. Trott and Erick Larson turned around and began their return descent. Dr. Trott then graciously offered to write down and send me a detailed description of both his Mount Shuksan (Hanging Glacier) and his North Index climbs. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Trott stopped by my home late one afternoon after office hours, and presented me with a typescript describing his 1939 ascent of the Hanging Glacier on Mount Shuksan, along with his 1940 ascent of North Index. We talked for awhile about the early days of climbing in the Northwest (I learned that Sigurd Hall had been with Dr. Trott during his first attempt on North Index), and then the good doctor took his leave. That evening, I went through the typescript, wherein Dr. Trott describes in marvelous detail his Hanging Glacier and North Index climbs. In his final paragraph on the North Index ascent, Dr. Trott mentions: "the false summit. I believe we reached the northern face summit. Whether the easy stretch to the next summit would be called the actual summit of the north face I do not remember, but if it should be, the difficult stuff is all before you reach that part. We climbed only to the summit of the north face and that's where the stick of Lionel Chute was embedded in the can." This is why, when "Exploring Washington" was published in 1975, I wrote that "the two [Chute and his companion] soon reached the top of the north face. Here they piled up a two-foot cairn of rocks." I did not specify that they reached the summit of the North Peak of Mount Index. I only stated that they "reached the top of the north face." During the past 28 years, only one person --- Dr. Trott himself --- has picked up on this distinction. (Conclusion to follow.)

For nearly 80 years, the first ascent of the North Peak of Mount Index has been shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. I would like to share with cc.com readers information concerning the first ascent of this peak, some details of which are being revealed here for the first time in nearly 80 years. For years, the accepted paradigm concerning North Index has been: "The first ascent was made some 16 years ago by L. Chute and two others" (1946 Mtnr. p. 44; 1945 AAJ, p. 43). The 1949 guide clarified this slightly: "First ascent 1929 by L. Chute, G. Tepley, and companion" (1949 guide p. 78). Even so late as 1973, when the first edition of CAG-1 appeared, the standard story was still: "Lionel Chute, G. Tepley and (possibly) a companion reached the top in the summer of 1929. Apparently Chute's verbal account was not widely accepted (no printed report can be found) . . . . In 1939 [sic, 1940] Otto Trott and Erick Larson reached the summit and found proof that Chute and party had, indeed, made the first ascent." (CAG-1, 1973 ed., p. 230). In 1975, for the first time in nearly 50 years, new and substantial information concerning Lionel Chute's ascent appeared in "Exploring Washington" (p. 87, item 79). Because this book is not readily accessible, the North Index account is herewith quoted in its entirely. This first complete account of the Lionel Chute ascent is derived from an interview between Lionel Chute and myself, held in 1973 at Chute's home in West Seattle, as well as from written correspondence: "The impressive north peak (5,357 ft.) of MOUNT INDEX (5,979 ft.) was first climbed about 1929 by scoutmaster Lionel H. Chute and scout Victor Kaartinen of Seattle Boy Scout troop 263. The route followed was identical to the standard route used today on the north face. Chute made four attempts to scale this formidable peak over a period of two years. "On the first attempt, with three or four other scouts, they succeeded in reaching the top of the midface snow/brush basin where sheer cliffs turned them back. They managed to leave a white undershirt tied to a pole, at their highest point, which was visible from the town of Index when viewed through binoculars. "On the second attempt Chute veered eastward across the face, but was again turned back. "On the third try, Chute and scout Dan Boone got part way up the gully to the left of the rib on the left side of the north face, but were forced to retreat. "On the fourth (and successful) try, Lionel Chute was accompanied by scout Victor Kaartinen. The full party of five scouts camped at Lake Serene, while the next day Chute and Kaa[r]tinen proceeded to climb the north peak, while Milton King, Howard S. McGee and Vernon Phillips circled the lake to climb the main south peak via the ordinary route. "Chute and Kaartinen climbed via the now standard route on the north face, their only equipment consisting of a 40-foot length of half-inch manila rope. "All went well until the cliffs above the mid-face bowl were reached. Chute managed to reach a narrow ledge about 30 feet up, from which he followed a crack 6 feet higher to a very exposed position. A rock projection gave way as Chute stood on it, but he succeeded in jumping back to safety. "To reach another ledge about 15 feet higher, he had to toss the rope up and loop it over a small rock spike. Disaster was narrowly averted here, for after Chute had climbed hand-over-hand to reach the higher ledge he discovered that two of the three strands were severed. Chute spliced the rope, brought Kaartinen up, and the two soon reached the top of the north face. "Here they piled up a two-foot cairn of rocks, left their names and the date written on a slip of paper in a waterproof match container, and inserted a small scrub tree trunk into the cairn. By this time the three other scouts had reached the summit of the main peak, and the two groups then yelled and waved at each other. "This same route on the north peak was climbed for a second time, during the late summer of 1940 (not 1939), by Otto T. Trott and Erick Larson. At the top of the north face they found the small pole left by the previous party. Essentially the same route was climbed during January 4-7, 1963, by Dan Davis and Pat Callis of Seattle. This remarkable achievement still remains [as of the year 1975] the greatest winter climb yet done in the Northwest." (This 1963 winter ascent was not surpassed until 14 years later, on January 29-30, 1977, when Don Page, Byron Robertson, Mike Marshall, and Larry Cooper made the first winter traverse from the North Peak, across the Middle Peak, to the Main Peak of Mount Index.) Uncertainty has surrounded the exact date of the Chute climb of North Index. At first, the year given for this ascent was "1929." When I asked Lionel (in 1973) if he could recall the exact date of the climb. He replied: "I made the climb in 1929, I think on July 4th." He mentioned that an account had been written up in a newspaper. However, when I checked all of the issues of the Everett Herald, the Seattle Times, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for the summer of 1929, there was no mention of an ascent of North Index. Further ambiguity was introduced in the June 1983 The Mountaineer annual, in a study on the early climbing history of Mount Constance (pp. 52-62; addenda in Sept.1983 Mtnr. p. 2). The authors interviewed Lionel Chute in January 1983, and learned that in June 1923 Chute and Walter Thomson (both were then junior Boy Scout counselors at Camp Parsons on the Olympic Peninsula) made the third or fourth recorded ascent of Mount Constance (Constance was the first mountain that Chute climbed (1923), as well as the last (1946/1947)). Neither individual had any formal training in mountaineering. Lionel Chute was one of those rare individuals born with a natural aptitude for rock climbing. During the 1983 interview, Chute was asked briefly about the North Index climb. His response was that the ascent took place "on July 5, 1930 with Victor Kaartinen" (1983 Mtnr. p. 58). The only known published photograph of Lionel Chute, taken in 1923 on the Mount Constance climbing venture, appears on page 59 of this annual, as the picture on the left (the correct caption is given in Sept. 1983 Mtnr. p. 2). Thus, as of the year 1983, the dates given for the Chute ascent of North Index were at variance: Lionel Chute himself first specified July 4, 1929, and then ten years later modified this to July 5, 1930. The description of the Lionel Chute ascent as published in 1975 in "Exploring Washington" specified that "the two soon reached the top of the north face. Here they piled up a two-foot cairn of rocks." There was a reason for this. At this point, the story becomes more complex, and we turn to the second ascent of North Index. (There had actually been a second attempt on North Index in 1937 by three Seattle climbers, who placed a number of pitons during the ascent (Lionel Chute did not use pitons during his ascent). One of these climbers was seriously injured during a fall high on the north face. An epic rescue effort was performed by local volunteers (mostly loggers) from the town of Index (none of whom was an experienced climber), this constituting the first major mountain rescue operation conducted in the North Cascades. The second ascent of North Index occurred in 1940 by Dr. Otto Titus Trott of Seattle, and Erick Larson of Everett. For many years, Dr. Trott was my family physician, operating out of a small clinic just one block west of Broadway, on Capitol Hill. The name Dr. Trott may not be familiar to many of today's climbers. He made only two historically significant climbs in the North Cascades: the first ascent of the Hanging Glacier on Mount Shuksan (Sept. 3-4, 1939, with Andy Hennig, correct spelling), and the second ascent of North Index (1940, with Erick Larson). Of the two climbs, he regarded the Hanging Glacier as the more important ascent, and with good reason. This was the most difficult and most significant ice climb achieved in the North Cascades prior to the Second World War. It was Dr. Trott who was largely responsible for introducing European ice climbing techniques into the Northwest. He was one of the principal founders of the Mountain Rescue Council (along with Wolf Bauer and Ome Daiber), and he was the principal medical advisor to the Council. These three persons, through the Mountain Rescue Council and through the establishment of The Mountaineers' Climbing Course, have exerted a profound and enduringly beneficial influence on the subsequent history of Northwest climbing. For an excellent biographical sketch of Dr. Trott, see the entry on Lowell Skoog's authoritative website http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/comm/corff-nicholas.html. (Lowell, in an outstanding achievement of historical scholarship, has discovered yet a third, extremely important first ascent by Dr. Trott in the North Cascades --- the first ski ascent of Mt. Shuksan --- which, until Lowell's discovery, I had been entirely unaware of.) (Continuation to follow.)

Lowell has just succeeded in making what promises to be the single greatest advance in our knowledge of the Ptarmigans during the past half-century! Not only is there the excellent likelihood that he has determined the present location of the Ptarmigan scrapbook, it would appear that he has also discovered a large, significant, and unexpected collection of additional photographs, scrapbooks, and other materials --- all of which promise to shed new and substantial light on the history of Northwest climbing and skiing during the 1930s. I cannot overemphasize the importance of Lowell's discovery. He, and he alone, is deserving of the greatest credit for this discovery. Lowell --- please accept my compliments and commendation on your truly outstanding achievement in locating the Harby collection of photographs and scrapbooks. If this contains what it promises to, it represents by far the single most important source of material pertaining to the Ptarmigans and their achievements. The Ptarmigan Scrapbook of photographs and trip reports, documenting the first Ptarmigan Traverse and their first ascents in the Picket Range --- this is indeed the Holy Grail of Northwest mountaineering! I believe that you have made the right and wise decision to let matters proceed at their own pace, for the time being. We have already waited since the 1930s for the Ptarmigan scrapbook to come to light. A few more months (or years) won't make that much difference. I shall leave it to your discretion as to when and how to proceed further in this matter. Things look very encouraging. It is just a matter of being patient, and letting things run their course. The important thing is that there is the strong likelihood that the Ptarmigan scrapbook has finally been located, along with other important and entirely unexpected additional materials. I am confident that the Ptarmigan scrapbook will eventually find a safe and permanent home in the University of Washington Library, and that its contents will eventually be made available in published form.

Matt, Paul, Lowell, John, Cavey, along with the other posters, as well as the other readers who kindly sent me p.m.'s --- Thank you for your encouraging words. Your support is deeply appreciated. I believe that what I shall do is to continue to post here, with discretion, and without any specified restrictions. There is much information that I feel should be shared with others. It will probably be years before my final studies are published. Lowell, I believe, has offered some illuminating insight, when he observes that by posting information here, prior to actual publication (pre-publishing, so to speak), "You get a chance to test drive your ideas with an outspoken audience and refine your arguments. I think this can be a valuable process for a researcher and writer." This is wise advice, and I think that I shall heed it. What I am being provided with here is a glimpse into the future --- a glimpse as to how future historians and readers may view my writings. This is extremely valuable intelligence because, as Lowell observes, it allows me to to refine my arguments or modify my views. I will not personally be present in the future to produce counter-arguments or modifications. This is the next best thing. Moreover, I believe it would be of interest to many cc.com readers to have access to much of this information. And I believe it would be to my own benefit to receive constructive input from cc.com readers in such matters. Cavey --- You are a good man. You are loyal to your friends. That is an admirable attribute in an individual. You have my high respect for this.

Dru --- You continue to amaze me. I stand corrected. At least two of us, and probably several others, knew J. Mills Winram. No. No great secrets associated with either him or with Slesse. Mills did mention to me that his son also climbed Slesse about 1970, "and he was apparently as scared at times as I had been, on the first ascent. He has been much more respectful towards me ever since then."

Forrest --- I personally am pretty much in agreement with what you say. I myself don't care that much for the "statistics" approach to a sport/recreation/pastime such as climbing, which attracts many different types of people, with diverse outlooks on life and approaches to mountaineering. I would prefer to write an historical or biographical study on a narrative level, with occasional pauses to offer critical commentary or insight or evaluation, both positive and negative. Numbers can get pretty dry and dull in quick fashion. (1) People differ. There are those types who by nature are interested in quantifying things, and examining things from a statistical viewpoint. Most sports lend themselves to being quantified. Listen to any broadcast of a game. Numbers can sometimes provide us with insights into a situation which purely descriptive words cannot. Science cannot exist without quantification. Indeed, climbs themselves are rated --- so climbing itself, to some degree, is subject to quantification. Other types of people prefer a descriptive approach to things. This, too, is an acceptable approach. There are some things, particularly artistic, musical, and literary creations that simply cannot be properly comprehended by taking a numerical approach to them. The arts can be appreciated without quantification. Now --- I can totally ignore a quantifying approach to climbing. But there are other individuals out there, with a mathematical or statistical bent of mind, who will, on their own, take to quantifying mountaineering data. A problem then arises if I were to encounter such individuals. If they have the numerical data at their disposal, and I do not --- then I am placed at a disadvantage in trying to engage in a conversation with them. If they make a statement, and back it up with numerical data, I am thus in no position to dispute the point with them, or evaluate the correctness of that point. If I myself am not familiar with the numerical data --- all I can do is (a) accept their assertions; (b) dispute their assertions, but offer no proof of my own; © tell them that numbers do not mean anything, belittle this approach, and refuse to discuss the matter any further; or (d) remain neutral or uncommitted in the matter. As an historian and a biographer, I feel that both approaches to a matter are important --- the scientific (numerical), and the narrative (literary). I need to put things in a proper perspective. I am not dealing solely with things of the present. I am also looking at things over a long period of time, seeing how they develop, and how they compare with one another. Numbers and statistics do provide some insights that otherwise would not readily be evident. (2) I entirely agree with you as to the lack of "precision" we have at this time, with respect to certain climbing matters. I thought I had made this clear, when I stated that my figures were "a first-order approximation only," and by my use of such qualifying comments as "to the best of my knowledge at present." (3) I have observed that, in this forum, the topic of Fred, and any critical commentary concerning his achievements, appear to be rather sensitive topics among some individuals. It would appear that it is unacceptable (among some individuals, at least) to speak of him and his achievements on this forum, unless it is in a very positive and praiseworthy light. The same appears to be true in pointing out errors or omissions in CAG. I think that what I shall henceforth do is to avoid the topics of Fred and CAG entirely. This means that a lot of interesting information will not appear here that otherwise might have, but this approach (keeping certain information concealed at present) should also serve to keep the most vocal and persistent persons happy and quiet. Yes, they have succeeded in "silencing" this line of discussion. (This may be too strong a term, but I think that many readers who have been following this thread understand what has just happened here on cc.com over the past few days.) The information will, instead, first appear in published form, in historical and biographical studies that eventually will be forthcoming. (4) I knew many of the pioneer climbers of the past. I myself do not climb. But what I do represent is a direct link between the climbers of today and the climbers of the past. Right now, Fred and I are really the only living major direct links with the past. When we both are gone, this link between the present and the past will be entirely severed. I knew Lage Wernstedt's widow. I knew Hal Sylvester's daughter. I knew the members of the Winder-Farr-Grigg-Blair-Strandberg-Martin group. I personally knew Hermann Ulrichs for many years. On two or three occasions, Dick McCollum and I drove down to San Anselmo in California to visit with Hermann for two or three weeks. We helped him out by doing repairs on his home, re-roofed part of his house, and fixed his car up so that he could sell it. On one of those trips, we brought Norval Grigg with us, so that he and Hermann, two of the greatest pioneer climbers of the North Cascades --- who once had been rivals --- could be reconciled. In some instances, I represent the only living link --- I personally knew Harlan Trumbull (The Brothers 1912), Charles Hazlehurst (The Tooth 1916), J. Mills Winram (Slesse 1927), Lionel Chute (North Index), along with a number of others. These, and other pioneer climbers, told me many things; many interesting things. Some things will eventually be published; some things are perhaps best reserved for private communication to friends, in confidence; and some things are perhaps best left in silence.

Dru --- Yes, the "peak totals" also include those which Fred has not made a first ascent on. For instance, he has done Mount Si three times that I know of: in 1937, with the Boy Scouts (Challenge, p. 258, it was the third time in his life that he had ever climbed a mountain). He was up Si for a second time in April 1939 with the Basic Climbing Course, with Lloyd Anderson (this is not listed in Challenge, Lloyd told me this.) The third time up Si (and last time I know of) was on March 29, 1942, when he did the Haystack with Walt Varney and Tom Strizek. As for the accuracy of the Totals --- This is a first-order approximation only, just enough to give us an idea of how the figures are beginning to line up. The principal data base is the "Chronology of Climbs 1936-1968," that Fred includes on pages 258-280 of "Challenge of the North Cascades." On the whole, this list is fairly accurate and complete. There are a number of errors and omissions --- the Index North Peak ascent was on July 1, 1945, not in 1941 --- his first ascent of the West face of Mt. Thomson in 1940 is omitted --- the first ascent of the southwest face of The Tooth was on Oct 25, 1942 with Lewis Graham (not in 1941) --- it omits the 1959 first ascent of Classic Crack on Eightmile Boulder, with Don Gordon, which has never been published --- and so on. But, on the whole, the list is fairly complete. I have also taken into account his reported climbs since 1968: such as Jack Mountain (1978) and White Chuck (1988). My tabulations incorporate these corrections and additions, but there are probably others which I am unaware of (such as Sitting Bull Mtn., which John has mentioned -- Thanks, John, I will add it to the records). Nonetheless, until someone has a chance to go through his diaries and prepare a new, revised list of climbs, these are the best data we have available to work with at present, and for some time to come. Yes --- according to what he told me years ago, he did at one time keep diaries . The percentages presented in my last post use the peaks listed in the indices of CAG as the basis for selection. This yields a total of 192 peaks that he has climbed, using CAG as the basis. The 192 figure consists of major/prominent peaks, as well as minor technical crags/towers. These are peaks and crags/towers for which he has a first-hand knowledge of. Again, this is a first-order approximation. It is unlikely that he has climbed 500 or 600 peaks in the North Cascades. The actual number is closer to 200, probably less than 300. With what data we have access to at present, this is about the best that we can come up with. Keep in mind that, although the base list is more than 30 years old, since then many, if not most, of his climbs (as Ray has just mentioned) have been done in ranges other than the North Cascades. Peaks which Fred has not climbed --- There are some surprises here. In order of decreasing elevation, the unclimbed peaks are (to the best of my knowledge at present): Bonanza Peak (Poncho&Lefty is correct), Mt. Buckner, Mt. Logan, Seven Fingered Jack, Black Peak, Copper Peak, North Gardner Mtn., Gardner Mtn., Boston Peak, Mesahchie/Panther, Peak, Oval Peak, Mt. Lago/Lage, Robinson Mtn., Colchuck Peak, Star Peak, Remmel Mtn., Mt. Holyoke/Katsuk Peak, Fortress Mtn., Cannon Mtn., Mt. Custer, Kimtah/Gendarmes Peak, and Ptarmigan Peak. (Several of these are Lage Wernstedt peaks.) This brings the list down to 8600' (400-ft prominence rule). There are also some surprises among the lower-elevation unclimbed peaks --- Tomyhoi, Terror, Degenhardt, North Hozomeen, Formidable, Booker, McGregor, Lemah, Summit Chief, Daniel, Hibox, Cashmere, Argonaut. To my knowledge, he has not done the Ptarmigan Traverse, nor has he visited the Snowking area. This, however, is an open category. He can easily narrow this list down after one summer's season of concentrated climbing. First ascents of major/prominent peaks in the North Cascades --- This is a closed category. Lage Wernstedt holds a commanding lead here, with a total of 77 known first ascents of major/prominent peaks in the North Cascades. Fred comes in second with 52 peaks, followed by Hermann Ulrichs with at least 23 major/prominent peaks. At this point, there is a sharp drop-off, as the next climber has 12 peaks. Again, this is a closed category. There are simply no more unclimbed Silver Stars left in the North Cascades. No person can ever hope to surpass the record of Lage Wernstedt.

John --- My data are incomplete, and in need of updating, but here is what is immediately accessible regarding CAG and the peaks therein which Fred has actually climbed: The most recent editions of CAG-1 (2000), CAG-2 (2003), and CAG-3 (2000) are used here. Tabulation is done using the peaks listed in the indices as a basis. These include Fred's published 1936-1968 climbs, as listed in "Challenge" (pp. 258-280), along with whatever has been subsequently published in CAG, AAJ, and other sources. These data include backcountry and alpine crags, such as on Snagtooth Ridge and in the high Enchantments. They do not include lowland crags such as Midnight Rock. I have added and included Exfoliation Dome as one of the 36 climbed peaks in CAG-2, even though it is not listed in the book or in its index. That is a peak in its own right. In fact, I believe is the most difficult "low" summit in the North Cascades. All three volumes of CAG index a total of 1232 peaks, named and unnamed. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 192 peaks. This is equivalent to 16% If subdivided by each volume, the results are skewed. CAG-1 lists a total of 313 peaks. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 87. This is equivalent to 28%. CAG-2 lists a total of 451 peaks. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 36. This is equivalent to 8%. CAG-3 lists a total of 469 peaks. Of these, Fred has climbed a recorded number of 70. This is equivalent to 15%. The reason why the percentage figure for CAG-1 is so high, is because of the comparatively greater number of pinnacles present in the Enchantments, and relatively fewer number of significant peaks present south of Snoqualmie Pass. The Glacier Peak area does not appear to have attracted much of his attention, probably due to the relatively fewer technical climbs on high quality alpine rock. Once you get farther north, into the Pickets and the igneous plutons north of Lake Chelan, then his interest picks up again. There is an immense amount of information present in those three volumes, not only climbing information, but historical and geological as well. I doubt if there is any other person here today who have put together this version of CAG. I suspect that in the future, revisions of CAG will be handled by a committee; or the North Cascades will have to be broken down into separate sub-regions, each of which is handled by an author who is thoroughly familiar with that particular area. Yes, there are errors and omissions. These are to be expected. When you are dealing with such immense amounts of information, obtained from so many different sources, and so widely differing in quality, you are bound to encounter problems in information management. Many errors are due to the fact that Fred has never climbed the peak in question, and had to rely on source(s) which were conflicting, inaccurate, or which could not be independently confirmed. The astounding thing is that he was able to put together a guidebook, having evidently climbed only 16% of the peaks listed therein. Fred is unquestionably one of the most intelligent persons I have ever met. Don't let the apparently rough exterior fool you --- beneath lies a brilliant intellect. Dru --- again, you have been extraordinarily perceptive. Yes, it would appear that during the past 30 years, Fred and I have been engaged in a low-level historical "competition." It has been an honor and a pleasure to have Fred as a "rival." It has been challenging, enjoyable, productive, and beneficial --- not only to each of us, but to the climbing and historical community as a whole. There are things which likely would not have been discovered or written or published, by both of us, were it not for the cross-influence Fred and I have had on each other. Who was the victor? We both won. Everyone benefited in this case. Cavey --- You are a good man. You speak with the voice of reason.

(1) Several very illuminating and persuasive points are being presented here on this thread. I understand the viewpoints expressed by other persons, I can be moved by convincing evidence and well presented arguments, and I am willing to change my mind as the case may be. Moreover (as demonstrated by Gert Harby's married name), I am more than willing to acknowledge those instances where I have been wrong or have made an error. I am always open to the voice of reason. My own personal opinion with respect to Ragged Ridge has not yet reached a final, definitive stage. It may or may not change in the future. The views of the Northwest climbing community as a whole should also be given serious consideration. This website serves as an important forum of debate for issues such as this. (a) Whether or not one likes the original names; or (b) whether one feels that the Chinook Jargon terms are appropriate and/or offensive; or © whether the names should be removed, and replaced by the original or entirely different names, or the ridge just left a Wilderness blank --- these are three separate issues, each being open to rational debate. An entirely different issue --- and perhaps the most important one here --- is the manner in which the geographic names of the first-ascent parties were treated with disdain. The views of the first-ascent climbers were not treated with particular courtesy and respect, for they were not consulted in advance when the new names were put forth. When these climbers did express their views in the matter, they were then evidently cavalierly dismissed. (2) With respect to errors and omissions in CAG --- One reader here on cc.com appears to be a personal friend of Fred, he may perhaps regard Fred in an ideal manner, and he has on several occasions in the past appeared to be a bit defensive of him. This is very noble of this individual. We all should hope that, when we reach Fred's age, we each have a younger person to champion our cause. Fred is a publicly known figure, indeed a prominently known figure in the Northwest mountaineering world. Fred is an historical figure. Fred is also an author. He has published studies in the mountains of the North Cascades, and their history. Fred is a far superior climber than I am, or I can ever hope to be --- But when it comes to the history of exploration and climbing in the North Cascades, we are more evenly matched. Fred is aware of this. He is also aware that 30 years ago I mentioned to him that one day I would likely be writing a biographical study of him. Once authors and prominent figures enter the public limelight --- their actions, and their achievements, and their writings are open to public comment, criticism, and evaluation. I am an author and an historian. I am open to constructive criticism. I welcome it. I also welcome others calling attention to my errors. I do so myself. In the past, I have issued lists of "Additions and Corrections" to my previously published works. I seek the truth. I post here openly, under my own name. I am thus immediately identifiable and accountable. If other individuals detect errors or omissions in my own published works, I invite those individuals to bring these oversights to my attention. I would be grateful for these corrections and additions. It is great-minded of a person to be open to constructive criticism, to be receptive to having their written errors brought to their attention, and to admit when they are wrong. I do not believe it is reasonable to assume that Fred is infallible, or above criticism, or that errors and omissions in his works should be kept concealed. In fact, Fred himself has explicitly stated, in print, that he wants these errors and omissions brought to light. A three-volume climbing guide, containing such massive amounts of information as it does (much of which does not directly pertain to route descriptions), derived from many different sources of varying quality --- is by its very nature expected to contain errors and oversights. It is in the interest of the climbing and historical community to have these errors and oversights brought to their attention, particularly when matters of climbing safety and the public record are involved. If I offer critical commentary concerning CAG or Fred's achievement, I am presenting a glimpse into the future. Long after we of today are gone, future historians and biographers will be presenting critical evaluations of both CAG and Fred. Though some individuals might wish that I be silent now, it will be more difficult to silence those historians and biographers yet to come. My acquaintance with Fred goes back many years, to 1972. In 1974 I submitted a 54-page list of Corrections and Additions to the original 1973 first edition of CAG-1. Fred was evidently not pleased by this --- despite the fact that on page ix of that guide he had explicitly invited the presentation of such information: "it is sincerely hoped new information, missing history, as well as errors discovered, will be sent to The Mountaineers." Fred has thus stated, in print, that he wants the errors and omissions in CAG brought to light. The information contained in that 54-page list was incorporated in subsequent editions of CAG-1, without crediting its source. I interpret this as a sign of Fred's apparent displeasure. As an historian, I can be expected to offer critical evaluation, both positive and negative. But I also make a sincere effort to be fair. (3) With respect to pre-existing names for the peaks on Ragged Ridge. I know of no earlier names that had been applied to the separate peaks of Ragged Ridge, or to the entire ridge itself, by Native Americans, or by early trappers and explorers, or miners in the region. Red Mountain, at the west end of Ragged Ridge, was first climbed in 1926 by Lage Wernstedt. There is no record of the peaks east of Red Mountain, on Ragged Ridge, having been climbed prior to the first-ascent parties of 1966, 1968, and 1970. In 1927, Lage Wernstedt introduced the names "Red Mountain" and "Ragged Ridge." These are descriptive names, based upon the appearance of these features The first published reference to these two geographic features, and the first printed appearance of these two names, appears on the 1928 edition of the Forest Service map of the former "Chelan National Forest." At the lower left corner of the map, it states that the map was compiled "by Lage Wernstedt, 1927." This, and the 1931 Forest Service map of the "Mt. Baker National Forest" are two of the epochal and most important maps in the entire history of the North Cascades. On all previous maps, most of the Pasayten and Picket Range area remained blank. Here, for the first time in recorded history, appear dozens of new mountains and other newly named geographic features in the Pasayten and Picket Range. Lage Wernstedt (1878-1959) was the person who created the names: Fury, Terror, Despair, Challenger, Inspiration, Triumph. The name "Picket Range" was his creation. These are inspired place-names, among the finest and most appropriate in the entire Cascade Range. I did not personally know Lage, for he died in 1959 before I was aware of his existence. But I did know his widow, Dottie (Dot Lake is named after her), and she informed me that the Picket Range names were his own creation. For many years Dottie lived alone in a small home on Guemes Island. She showed me the camera Lage had used in mapping the North Cascades, and she took me and Dick McCollum to visit Lage's grave in the little cemetery on Guemes Island. Wernstedt was one of the most remarkable individuals ever associated with the North Cascades. He graduated from the Royal Technological School at Stockholm, with a double degree in Naval Architecture and Mechanical Engineering. In 1905, Lage was one of the first persons to receive a Masters degree from the newly created School of Forestry at Yale University. He was one of the world pioneers in the use of stereo-plotting (photogrammetry) from vertical aerial photographs to prepare topographic maps; and he conducted extensive mapping efforts for the Forest Service in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. His methods were later used by the Army Mapping Service, and during the Second World War. Wernstedt was also one of the principal individuals associated with the introduction and development of the Forest Service "smokejumpers" method of fighting forest fires. Few individuals today fully realize the magnitude of Wernstedt's climbing and mapping achievement in the North Cascades. For total number of first ascents of major peaks in the North Cascades --- these are substantial, very prominent mountains, not minor technical crags --- Lage Wernstedt holds first place, with 77 first ascents. These include Mt. Logan, Black Peak, Silver Star, Mt. Lago/Lage, and Tomyhoi Peak. Fred comes next, with 52 first ascents of prominent major peaks; followed by Hermann Ulrichs with at least 23. I knew Hermann quite well, for many years. I have been at work on biographical studies on all three individuals. I may, over the coming years, "pre-publish" some information of interest here on cc.com.

Ray, Thank you for your recent comments. I welcome sincere, courteous, and well thought out input from other individuals. Even though their viewpoints might differ from those of my own, they may provide insights which I might inadventently have overlooked. If you are suggesting that a first-ascent party does not have a right to name a previously unnamed peak or crag, then I think Fred would likely want to have a long talk with you when he returns, starting with "Crooked Thumb" on July 10, 1940. I do not think that Fred or other first-ascent parties would appreciate being referred to as "arrogant" when it comes to their right to naming peaks in this manner. I see no objection to "Turtlehead or Flattop" as geographic names. There is already a Flattop Mountain 4405' about 15 miles southwest of Mount Adams; and there is a Turtleback Range on Orcas Island in the San Juans. Check out the photo of the latter in: Bates McKee, "Cascadia, The Geologic Evolution of the Pacific Northwest" (1973, New York), p. 129. There is even a geological formation on that Turtleback Range called the Turtleback Complex, which correlates directly with the Yellow Aster Complex present near Tomyhoi Peak and Slesse. The "head" of the Turtleback Range is reminiscent of Mt. Erie. In fact, were you to determine that this little peak is unclimbed and unnamed, climb it, and introduce the name "Turtlehead Mountain" for that cliffy crag to the Washington State Board on Geographic Names --- I would do you the courtesy and respect of honoring that name, by sending the Board a letter of support. In fact, were you or any other climber(s) were to make a first ascent of a previously unclimbed and unnamed peak in the Monte Cristo or Glacier Peak area, and bestow an appropriate name upon that peak, I would do you (and them) the courtesy and respect of honoring those name(s) in the next expanded edition of the "Monte Cristo Area" guidebook. This is a courtesy and respect that was not extended to the first-ascent parties on Ragged Ridge. With respect to "Flattop," you might encounter greater difficulty, as there are already two previously named "Flattops" in the North Cascades. The Cascadians of Ellensburg named a "Flat Top Spire" near Cle Elum in the mid-1950s, which does not appear in CAG-1. Peak 5662, one mile northeast of Twin Peaks (Bedal quadrangle) was named "Flat Top" by Ted Carpenter's party, when they made the first ascent of it prior to 1969 ("Monte Cristo Area" guidebook, 1977, p. 145). CAG-2, pp. 117-118 is entirely unaware of this first ascent, as well as the second ascent (solo, new route) by Prof. Joseph Vance in 1969. What Fred did was to create his own new name, "Chokwich Peak," and apply that instead. Unbelievably, for the past 26 years Fred appears to have been entirely unaware as to the existence of the 212-page "Monte Cristo Area" guidebook. There are, in fact, quite a few errors and omissions in CAG-2 which have been carried over from the first edition (1977-1978) --- such as the erroneous elevation figure for Mount Pugh 7201', along with incorrect data for the first ascent of Big Four, the north face of Big Four, the Kyes first-ascent party on Monte Cristo Peak, the first ascent of the southeast ridge of Whitehorse, confusion of the Swauk Formation with the Chuckanut Formation, and so on. I should probably go through CAG-2 this fall or winter in greater detail, and begin listing the errors and omissions on the "CAG-2 Additions and Corrections" thread. Thank you for bringing these and other matters to my attention. An expanded "CAG-2 Additions and Corrections" thread may appear later this fall or winter. This should be of some utility during the preparation of the next edition of the guidebook.

Outstanding!! This is by far one of the finest approach and climbing descriptions I have ever read. cc.com is indeed fortunate to have a climber with the initiative, experience, expertise, and writing skills of Paul grace its forums. This is a superb report: accurate, detailed, written with critical analysis and evaluation of the problems encountered, and containing responsible notes of caution to ensure the safety of future climbers. If I were in charge of the next edition of the guidebook --- which I am not, and do not care to be, and which will probably be written by a committee --- Paul would be one of my first choices for that committee. And there are others out there, as well. Please do not be offended if I have not yet mentioned you. So far, I have just mentioned Lowell, Dru, Forrest, John, and Paul. Eventually I will get around to mentioning and praising others whose achievements and contributions here make cc.com what it is. In my view as a climbing historian, the creation and maintaining of cc.com by Jon and Timmy constitutes one of the most important developments in Northwest climbing during the past 100 years --- right up there with Wolf Bauer's introduction of the Basic and Intermediate climbing courses. Good work, Jon and Timmy! And a belated Happy Birthday cc.com!

Tod and John (Sept. 17 and 18 posts) --- I agree with John. The names on Ragged Ridge are inappropriate. Two of them can be regarded as offensive. Had I known that they were up before the Board for consideration, I would have voiced strong objection to their introduction. However, as I mentioned to John many years ago, when these names were proposed (1968-1969), I was serving under combat conditions with an Army aviation unit. At that particular moment in my life, the status of geographic names in the Cascade Mountains was among the least of my concerns. In the past, I myself have applied names to peaks and other features, both unofficially in the Monte Cristo guidebook, as well as officially through the Washington State Board on Geographic Names. (And in a couple of instances, semi-officially, as is the case with the Queest-Alb Glacier on Three Fingers, and the So-Bahli-Ahli Glacier on Whitehorse. Both represent the original Sauk Indian names for those two peaks.) As a rule, when introducing a new geographic toponym, I have endeavored to select names which were historically, or descriptively, or ethnographically appropriate to the feature; or have tried to re-establish the original Native American name for the feature --- such as Kaisoots Peak (formerly Bald Mountain, on the North Fork Nooksack), which the WSBGN in 1985 officially changed back to its original Samona Indian name (as recorded in 1859 by Henry Custer). The names on Ragged Ridge are Chinook Jargon terms. Chinook Jargon was a trade language, something like Esperanto, that originated largely during 1778-1824 among the nations of the Northwest Coast. It consists of a melange of words from various sources, such as Chinook and Nootka, as well as from English/American maritime traders, and French Canadien fur trappers/traders. Chinook Jargon words derived from English include: bed, gleese (grease), Boston (American), cly (cry), cole (cold), comb, get up, gley (grey), haul, help, ketling (kettle), klook (crooked), lope (rope), mallie (marry), mama, man, moon, musket, nose, papa, paint, pepah (paper), piah (fire), pish (fish), stocken (stocking), sail, salt, sammon (salmon), ship, shipman (sailor), shugah (sugar), shut (shirt), sick, skin, spoon, spose (suppose), stick, stone, Sunday, tea, tomolla (tomorrow), waum (warm), wash, wind There are also a few recorded English colloquialisms: piupiu (phew, bad smell), pusspuss (cat) French-derived words include: cosho (cochon, pig), lametsin (medicine), lamontay (la montagne, mountain), lapeep (pipe for smoking), lapome (la pomme, apple), lapush (la bouche, mouth), lashandel (candle), lasheminay (chimney), latahb (table), latate (la tete, head), leloo (le loup, wolf), lepee (le pied, foot), lesak (sack), mahsie (merci, thank you) The Chinook Jargon terms applied to peaks and other features on Ragged Ridge in 1969 include: Cosho Peak (French), Katsuk Peak/Glacier (Chinook Nation), Kimtah Peak/Glacier (Chinook Nation), Kitling Peak/Lake/Creek (English), Mesahchie Peak/Glacier/Pass (Chinook Nation). Ragged Ridge lies within the territory of, not the Chinook, but the Miskaiwhu (Upper Skagit) Indian Nation, whose language is Northern Lushootseed (one of the Coast Salish family of languages). As can be seen from above --- none of the names applied to features on Ragged Ridge in 1969 was an original local Miskaiwhu name for the feature. Nor were any of these names taken from the Northern Lushootseed language spoken by the nations of the Skagit River. Three names were derived from the Chinook Nation (whose territory was at the mouth of the Columbia River), one name was English, and the fifth name was French. Using Chinook Jargon for features in the North Cascades would be like using non-Slavic Esperanto terms to name peaks in the Carpathian/Tatra Mountains of southern Poland and the Czech Republic. Clearly, the selection, introduction, and approval of these names was done by individuals who did not fully understand what they were doing. If the intent was to apply Native American names to peaks in the Skagit River drainage, then the practice of Henry Custer should have been followed, who made use of terms which were employed by the local Indian nation of that area. An effort should have been made to determine what the original Upper Skagit names were for these features. If none existed, then sources and authorities should have been consulted to select an appropriate Northern Lushootseed term. I entirely agree with you, John, that, as descriptive terms, the names on Ragged Ridge were not selected with a high degree of finesse: Mesahchie ("wicked"), Katsuk ("center"), Kimtah (last), Cosho (pig), and Kitling ("kettle"). The only correctly situated name is Katsuk Peak ("center"), which is indeed located in the center of Ragged Ridge. This, however, is an uninspired and particularly infelicitous choice, which easily lends itself to a suggestive corruption. Considering the manner in which some names here on cc.com are routinely debased during banter in the Spray forum, I don't think that anyone in their right mind would select "Katsuk" as an avatar. Kimtah Peak (last) is by no means the "last" peak at the west end of Ragged Ridge. Kitling Peak ("kettle") is an English term. But why "kettle," of all things? As for Mesahchie Peak 8795' ("wicked"), CAG-2, p. 353 indicates that "The name is from the Chinook jargon, meaning 'wicked.' " One of the current standard references on Chinook Jargon (Thomas, p. 86) defines the Chinook term mesachie as: "Bad, wicked, evil, vile; sin, vice, iniquity. (Not in the sense of cultus, which is worthless.)" (Edward H. Thomas, "Chinook A History and Dictionary," 1970, Portland, 171pp.). Mesahchie Peak consists entirely of the Black Peak Batholith, a late-Cretaceous pluton that varies from quartz diorite (tonalite) to granodiorite. As a rule, this type of rock generally makes for good climbing. Now, there are indeed sections of unpleasant rock on Mesahchie: in 1966 the Firey/Meulemans party noted "the rotten ridge between the east and west peaks" (1967 M. pp. 128-129, ex p. 128); and in 1978, Lowell and Gordon encountered "rotten" as well as "poor rock" along two sections of the northwest ridge (1980 AAJ, p. 539). But in 1979, Dave Seman rated the upper northeast ridge as "Grade II, with good rock" (1985 AAJ, pp. 185-186, ex p. 185). However, if the intent had been to refer to poor-quality climbing rock, the term used should have been "cultus." The term mesahchie clearly means wicked/evil, in the moral sense. "Mesahchie Peak" is particularly inappropriate and offensive, because it carries with it the specific definition of "wicked." Why this particular term was selected and approved, by individuals who had never visited Ragged Ridge, is unclear. It is unlikely that an overwhelmingly majority of climbers on Mesahchie Peak would ascribe this particular moral attribute to this particular inanimate mountain. Other, curious instances include: Witch Doctor Wall. The east face of Three Fingers is "of evil appearance" (CAG-2, p. 125). North Index has "an appearance of evil" (CAG-1, 1st 1973 ed., p. 230). Early Winter Spires "have a definite appearance of evil" (1969 AAJ, p. 387). Bonanza Peak has "an appearance of evil" (CAG-2, p. 234). When the second-ascent party arrives at the summit of the Nooksack Tower, they find written in the register: "Der Teufel is gefallen! - The devil is vanquished!" (April 1961 Summit, p. 16). These are subjective evaluations. And, as indicated by the removal of the North Index comment from subsequent editions, even the compiler of CAG felt that its use was inappropriate. The first ascent of "Mesahchie" Peak 8795' was made on July 5, 1966 by Prof. Joseph Firey, Joan Firey, along with John and Irene Meulemans (1967 Mountaineer p. 128). They were the first climbing party to visit Ragged Ridge This being the first ascent of a previously unnamed peak, the first-ascent party thereby had the right to name this mountain: the Fireys named it Panther Peak (1970 M. p. 104; 1970 AAJ p. 121). This is a zoologically and traditionally appropriate term, derived from nearby Panther Creek which drains the north side of Ragged Ridge. Both John and I spoke with Joan on several occasions during the early 1970s. She was in no way responsible for the introduction of the term "Mesahchie Peak" or the other Chinook Jargon names on Ragged Ridge; she did not approve of these terms; she was not properly consulted prior to their introduction; and she was not pleased at the manner in which the name Panther Peak had been so cavalierly dismissed. Other first-ascent-party names on Ragged Ridge that had been similarly dismissed include: Mt. Holyoke (Katsuk Peak), Gendarmes Peak (Kimtah Peak), and Ragged End (Cosho Peak). Dr. John Roper and the Fireys were the pioneer climbers on Ragged Ridge. If anyone had a right to name these particular peaks, it was they. "Cosho" is also a particularly inappropriate and offensive name, as this term was derived from the French term "cochon" (E. H. Thomas, "Chinook" 1970 Portland, p. 62), via French Canadien fur trappers with the Northwest Company and Hudson's Bay Company. The current "Oxford Hachette French Dictionary" (3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 161) indicates that this term can be employed in expressions that lie well within the realm of the vernacular. I will not repeat them here. They are comparatively mild. I've read worse in Spray, and heard far worse in the Army. However, in this particular forum I should like to maintain decorum. Although Chinook Jargon dictionaries might decorously give the definition of cosho as "pig," it is likely that the fur trappers were employing the term with greater flexibility. (There are no extant dictionaries of Chinook slang.) Though, under certain circumstances, the aforesaid expressions could prove to be of some utility, clearly the Canadien fur trappers were not conveying to their Indian associates the most exalted utterances of the French language. Nor was this practice confined to the French. During their stay at the mouth of the Columbia River during 1805-1805, Lewis and Clark observed that the local Chinook Indians had already picked up a number of words and expressions from sailors and traders on board the English and American ships which frequented that area of the Northwest Coast. Ornithologist Elliott Coues, in some ways still the best editor of the Lewis and Clark journals, mentions that the journals record "the few words which the Indians have learned from the sailors, such as musket, powder, shot, knife, file, heave the lead, damned rascal, . . . consignments to perdition, aspersions on maternal ancestry, and 'other phrases' which are happily or unhappily too familiar to require citation" ("History of the Expedition under the Command of Lewis and Clark," 1893, vol. 2, p. 789). Here we have the initial contact of two cultures --- European and Northwest Coast --- and the vocabulary of discourse consists largely of profanities, improprieties, imprecations, and instruments of war. These Chinook Jargon terms for features on Ragged Ridge, were formally approved by the U. S. Board on Geographic Names during 1969 (Decisions lists no. 6902, April-June 1969; and no. 6904, Oct-Dec 1969). If these same names were put before the Board today, and their true meanings and connotations brought to light, their official sanction would be attended with significantly greater difficulty. Sufficient cause may, in fact, already exist to petition the Board for removal of these names.

The "strawman" is --- actually, more correctly, the straw woman is Gertrude Harby. Only someone intimately familiar with the Ptarmigans would have known that "Gert," in this instance, is short for Gertrude. I had hoped that word would get around, and that a misidentification as manifest as this would have provoked an outspoken correction from someone who was either a Ptarmigan, or a relative of a Ptarmigan, and/or someone who knew Gert Harby and could tell us what became of her --- and perhaps, hopefully, eventually lead us to the Ptarmigan scrapbook. Nothing has yet come of this stratagem, but it was worth a try. I must credit and compliment both Dru and Lowell, for not only did these two gentlemen correctly surmise the true identity of Gert, they also, very graciously at my request, discreetly refrained from posting further speculation on the matter, so as to allow the stratagem time to proceed. I have remarked on this before, and I will do so again --- cc.com has some remarkably knowledgeable and astute individuals among its members. I can report, however, that during the past two weeks a couple of promising leads have developed. Entirely independent of me, Lowell has discovered Gert's married name --- appearing, of all places, on page 63 of the 1958 Manning article on the Ptarmigans. This represents a substantial oversight on my part, because I have had a copy of the 1958 annual in my collection for over 40 years, and the name therein had entirely escaped my notice!! Let this serve as notice to cc.com readers: my writings or statements on a matter are not always entirely accurate or definitive. This is not the first time that I have been humbled, nor do I expect it to be the last. Also during the past two weeks, during an internet search, by chance I came across an individual who has the same unusual name as Gert's brother. Once Lowell has more free time at his disposal, we will likely discuss how to proceed further in this matter. Lowell already knows the sister of one of the Ptarmigans, and this individual may be the best intermediary through which to locate and contact either Gert or one of her relatives. Moreover, at this point in time, there is at least one other individual conducting an independent search for the Ptarmigan scrapbook. This is encouraging. Hopefully, one of these days, in the not too distant future, we may be able to announce to cc.com readers that, after 60 years in seclusion, the Ptarmigan scrapbook has finally been found. I would also like to compliment Paul, who made the very important suggestion that a search be conducted of the casualty records of the Second World War. My last major search for Ptarmigan materials was performed during pre-internet days; so I followed Paul's inspired advice and examined the National Archives online fatality records of the War for the names of several Ptarmigans, including Gert (in the possibility that she may have joined the W. A. C.). Neither her original nor her married name was present in the records. However, an entirely new and unexpected discovery did turn up --- there were actually, not one, but two Ptarmigan fatalities of the Second World War. I shall refrain from public mention of his name here, at least for the time being, in part because this is not a widely known fact of Northwest mountaineering history, and I am not certain what the wishes of the family might be in this matter. I will, nonetheless, be informing Paul via a private message, for it was his advice that led to this discovery. (To facilitate ease of reading, I will be shortly making another one or two additional separate posts here, addressing a few other issues pertaining to this thread.)

There is one "strawman" in the Ptarmigan essay, which was insinuated in the hope that the person who would be able to immediately recognize and correct that error, would also know what became of the Ptarmigan scrapbook, or at least guide us in the right direction toward its discovery. Under ordinary circumstances, I am reluctant to employ such stratagems. However, in an intractable situation such as this, which has been persistently resistant to resolution, a stratagem is worth a try. In this instance, I am: (a) calling attention to its presence; and (b) if the "strawman" does not yield the sought information within a reasonable length of time, I will then correctly identify it to cc.com readers. Anyone familiar enough with the Ptarmigans to be able to immediately step forth and correctly (and probably very demonstratively) recognize the "strawman," hopefully would also be able to eventually lead us to the Ptarmigan scrapbook. For those readers unfamiliar with the use of a "strawman" for research purposes, Lowell presents a good definition in his website, at alpenglow.org, under "Project Status": "What is a Strawman? When the previous history of a route is uncertain, then a report may be listed as a strawman. It's been said that the best way to get information on the Internet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong information. It is hoped that these strawman listings will prompt earlier reports, if any exist." (http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/project/status-info.html) There is one bit of "wrong information" in the Ptarmigan essay. Via separate e-mail, I have already informed Lowell about the Ptarmigan "strawman." As it turns out, even before I contacted him, Lowell had already very astutely and very correctly arrived at a conclusion as to what the "strawman" is (as has one other individual). In some instances, the use of a "strawman" or similar stratagem may be the only feasible way of gaining information to determine if a first ascent or new route has been made or not. If there is no previous record in the summit register, or in the published literature and climbing journals; and if the mountaineering community seems unaware of any previous climb --- then one might go ahead and publish an account of the climb, claiming it as a first ascent or new route. If, after publication, no one steps forward and challenges the claim as "wrong information," then the greater likelihood exists that this indeed is a first ascent or new route. (If you think you can spot the "strawman," and are thinking of posting your speculation here, please do not feel reluctant to do so, for I do not think that tentative and unsubstantiated guesses posted here at cc.com will interfere with the operation of the stratagem. In a way, I suppose this could be viewed as a Ptarmigan "trivia" puzzle --- but hopefully one that will help lead us to the scrapbook.)

Lowell --- Thank you for your gracious offer to help out in the search for the Ptarmigan scrapbook, once your history of Northwest ski mountaineering is completed. In view of your own eminent climbing achievements in the North Cascades, and your extensive personal experience with the Ptarmigan Traverse, I would be highly honored that the two of us should both pursue this very crucial line of inquiry. As far as "last great historical problems" of the North Cascades go, I can think of none that is of greater importance than locating the Ptarmigan scrapbook. As of the present, the principal source of information we have on their achievement stems from Harvey and Betty Manning's landmark account of the Ptarmigan explorations that appeared in the 1958 Mountaineer annual. We will always owe a deep debt of gratitude to Harvey and Betty, for they were the first to bring public attention to the "Ptarmigans and their Ptrips." They had the foresight and good fortune to have contacted the principal members of the group two decades after the traverse, while most of them were still with us. That was nearly half a century ago. Since then, there has been no published study on the Ptarmigans that has advanced our knowledge of their exploits beyond that which appeared in Harvey and Betty's momentous article. (For those individuals not familiar with this article, it is well worth reading. Harvey writes with flawlessly idyllic prose.) Both you and I have contacted and corresponded with several of the surviving Ptarmigans, but I don't think that either of us (or, at least I, for certain) could at present, significantly increase the level of knowledge beyond that attained by Harvey and Betty in 1958. If we succeed in locating the Ptarmigan scrapbook, it would be appropriate that we both co-author and publish a study on the Ptarmigans. With you joining in on the research for this project, I would no longer regard it as my own study. If we share research efforts, then it is only fitting that we share authorship. Let me know when you are ready to pursue this further. At present, I have pretty much run out of leads. I have been postponing publishing anything on this topic since 1978, and the scrapbook has been missing since 1941, so I don't think that waiting another year or two will make that much difference. In the meantime, so as not to keep the members of cc.com waiting in too much suspense --- and in an effort to generate interest which may eventually lead to the location of the scrapbook --- here are a few entries from the official minutes book of the Ptarmigan Climbing Club. The family of Professor Calder T. Bressler very generously donated this highly significant document to the University of Washington Library in 1973. The first entry occurs on December 1, 1937, at which time a constitution was adopted. The charter members were: Bill Cox "chief guide," Ray McCoy "assistant chief guide," Calder Bressler (secretary), Ray Clough (treasurer), Bernie Pearson "curator," Bob Harding, Chuck Kirschner, Chuck Metzger, Junior Myers, Dick Slater, and Will Thompson. This meeting formally dissociated the members from the Boy Scouts, whose hierarchy did not condone the climbing activities of the "George Vancouver Rover Clan." The minutes for that first meeting record that, "after a hot debate upon several localities," they decided to hold their first outing on the south side of Mount Adams during December 27-30 (as events turned out, the actual destination was to be the Washington Ski Club lodge at Snoqualmie Pass). Their ambitions were lofty at the very onset, for at the January 5, 1938 meeting there was a report on an attempted winter ascent of Mount Baker by Bill Cox, Ray McCoy, and Will Thompson; with Ray Clough and Junior Myers acting as support party. (Keep in mind that, at this point, most these fellows were still 17- and 18-year-old high school seniors.) At the next meeting, on January 18, Ome Daiber was present, lending his support to the newly formed group. On March 5, 1938, five girls were admitted as members of the club. At the March 16 gathering, Bill Cox demonstrated how to properly use an ice axe. On March 30, at the height of the Great Depression, there was a total of $1.95 in the club treasury. This meeting may have held the first spark that eventually led to the Ptarmigan Traverse, for the minutes record that "Also discussed was a program for this summer." Serious climbing projects were in the air, for at this same meeting, Bill Cox (who was the most skilled climber of the group) then "divulged the secrets of pitons use and application." Bill Cox most likely learned piton technique from Wolf Bauer (a previous advisor when the fellows were Boy Scouts), a native of the Bavarian Alps, who was the first to introduce advanced European rock climbing techniques and equipment into the North Cascades. Bauer, a ceramic engineer, was only slightly older than the Ptarmigans, and it was he who founded The Mountaineers Climbing Course in 1935 --- the single most influential event in the history of Cascades Mountaineering. It was Wolf Bauer who, on July 5, 1936, during the first ascent of Mt. Goode, drove the first piton ever placed on a mountain in the North Cascades. That piton, placed for protection, was crucial in allowing Wolf to lead an exposed traverse that constitutes the crux of the southwest chimney route on that peak. Mt. Goode had repulsed all previous attempts, even two by Art Winder's group (1933 and 1934), and one by Hermann Ulrichs (1934) --- the two greatest Northwest technical climbers of their day --- neither of which party had ever used pitons. What was needed here was a change of paradigm in Northwest climbing. The Goode problem required new techniques, new equipment, and a new approach to mountaineering. Without these, technical climbing in the North Cascades had come to a halt, and could advance no further. In 1935 and 1936 Bauer forever changed the course of rock climbing in the Northwest; whereas in 1939 Dr. Otto Trott introduced European ice techniques on Mt. Shuksan which revolutionized Northwest ice climbing. (Bauer had a healthy sense of humor. He was the first of the group to reach the summit of Mt. Goode. Before the other 4 members joined him, he quickly built a small cairn on the summit. When his companions finally did arrive, he pointed to the small cairn, shook his head with disappointment, and broke the disheartening news to them that it looked like The Mazamas had managed to make the first ascent. After letting this sink in for a few seconds, Bauer then grinned widely and told them the real truth.) Incidentally, the Bauer route on Mt. Goode has rarely, if ever, been repeated. If anyone should encounter an old rusty piton on that crux traverse, please let it stay there. That piton is one of the most historic climbing relics in the North Cascades; and that is where it belongs --- in the mountains. July 5, 1936, was an epochal day in the history of the North Cascades, for on that same afternoon, 14 miles to the south, Forrey Farr, Norval Grigg, and Don Blair made the first ascent of the southwest summit of Dome Peak. They were members of Art Winder's group, climbers of the old school. They never used pitons during any their climbs. With only rope, nailed boots, and an ice axe, they had pushed the envelope of their climbing abilities to its limit. Dome Peak was within their grasp, but not Mt. Goode. The following morning, they set out back down the Sulphur Creek Trail, never again to return. Dome Peak was their last first ascent in the North Cascades. On that tranquil July day during the summer of 1936, the Stone Age of Northwest climbing quietly came to a close on Dome Peak; while to the north, on the fierce precipice of Mt. Goode, with the ringing of metal being driven into rock, the Iron Age had begun. The Ptarmigans were among the first Iron Men of that new age. On April 20, 1938, they officially adopted a new name, for the minutes state that "we are now the Ptarmigan Climbing Club." The entry for August 4, 1938 is of supreme importance for the history of the North Cascades: "Bill Cox then gave an illustrated talk on a two weeks trip whose personel included himself, Jr. Myers, Ray Clough and the sec'y [Calder Bressler]. Jr. Myers gave the scientific side of the trip including food equip, etc." Note that the minutes specify an "illustrated talk." During his recent meeting with Ray Clough, Lowell discovered something that, until now, has been entirely unknown to all scholars and historians of the North Cascades: Ray Clough definitely took photographs during that first traverse. Calder Bressler is known to have taken black-and-white photos during Ptarmigan trips. And the phrase "illustrated talk" remotely suggests that Ray Clough might have taken color 35mm transparencies. There may possibly have been as many as three photographers on the 1938 Ptarmigan Traverse. The minutes entry for Sept. 28, 1938 is also of superlative importance in the history of North Cascades climbing: "Will Thompson gave his illustrated talk on his and Cox's trip to Picket Range which was accompanied by two first ascents: Fury and Luna and a 3rd [ascent]: Redoubt." This entry indicates that either Will Thompson or Bill Cox (or possibly even both) also took photographs during Ptarmigan climbs. As it stands, we know for certain that Ray Clough and Calder Bressler were photographers; and we know that Bill Cox and/or Will Thompson were also photographers. In 1939 four Ptarmigans made a second ascent of Mt. Degenhardt in the Southern Pickets. That same summer, Will Thompson and Calder Bressler made the first ascent of Bear Mountain, and confirmed what Thompson had suspected during his earlier visits to Redoubt in 1937 and 1938: the upper 1750 feet of the north face of Bear Mountain are overhanging --- one of the most astounding discoveries ever made in the North Cascades. Bressler was a known Ptarmigan photographer, and the likelihood is high that he had a camera with him during this trip. However, as of the present time, I know of only one existing Ptarmigan Climbing Club photograph: this is a xerox copy, sent to me in 1978 by Charles R. "Mitzi" Metzger, of a photograph taken in 1940 by Calder Bressler of the Southern Pickets from the north. With possibly as many as four Ptarmigan photographers, there must be other pictures out there. At one time, these photographs were preserved in the official scrapbook of the Ptarmigan Climbing Club, which is first mentioned in the minutes entry for December 13, 1939: "There was a brief discussion about keeping up the scrapbook and Bill Cox was appointed to take care of it." One month later, on January 17, 1940, "There was a discussion on pictures and reports for the scrap book. Bill Cox took the names of all who had been on climbing trips from spring 1939 up to the present time." This entry indicates that the scrapbook contained trip reports as well as photographs. It also suggests that, as of January 1940, this scrapbook had been kept current to the spring of 1939. This being the case, the scrapbook would definitely have contained photographs and information concerning the 1938 Ptarmigan Traverse. Later entries indicate that the scrapbook was indeed kept up-to-date, for on February 21, 1940, "Bill Cox made a list of those who are to make reports on climbs -- Glacier Peak Gert Harby, . . . Bear Mt. Will Thompson, . . . Spire Bill Cox . . . " Note the name "Gert Harby." He made an uneventful ascent of Glacier Peak, and later climbed Mt. Constance in 1941. His name appears once more in the Ptarmigan club minutes; and then he disappears forever from Northwest climbing history. He may be the key to this whole enigma. The scrapbook must have contained a comprehensive record of the achievements of the Ptarmigan Climbing Club, for the entry on June 19, 1940 indicates that "Everyone brought pictures from climbs and hikes for Gert Harby to select for the scrap book." Motion picture films had also been made, for this same entry records that Ralph Bromaghin had movies that were taken during previous Ptarmigan climbs of Mt. Baker and Whitehorse. Thus in addition to photographs and the scrapbook itself, there may also exist motion picture film of the Ptarmigans. (Bromaghin was the only Ptarmigan fatality of the Second World War.) One month later, on July 17, 1940, another momentous Ptarmigan adventure was recorded in the minutes: "Will Thompson told about his two-week trip . . . . Will also gave a report on a trip to the Pickett range taken by him, Calder Bressler, and Ray Clough." They climbed Luna, Challenger, and the East peak of Fury. An attempt was also made on the West peak of Mt. Fury, but it was too late in the day to complete the ascent (West Fury would remain unclimbed for three decades, until 1958.) It was on this trip that the one known surviving Ptarmigan photograph was taken by Calder "Tup" Bressler. The last reference to the official scrapbook of the Ptarmigan Climbing Club occurs on October 29, 1941: "Gert [Harby] again sent out a plea for pictures for our book." Thereafter, . . . silence. Both the scrapbook and Gert Harby vanish from history. Five weeks later, the United State entered World War Two. Men of Gert Harby's age entered military service; most served their tour of duty overseas into combat zones. Find out what became of Gert Harby, and we may find what happened the Ptarmigan scrapbook. The final entry in the minutes book of the Ptarmigan Club occurs on April 15, 1942, "Lambuth gave a report of a trip to Tooth." (The only significant climbing record for Alan Lambuth are first ascents of the three western towers of The Chessmen in 1950 -- all middling class 3 or 4 routes, on the west ridge of McClellan Peak.) With the War, both the Great Depression and a generation itself had drawn to a close. The era of the Ptarmigan Club ended with an incomplete sentence, concerning an obscure climber, on a minor peak. The Ironmen had all gone off to war. The Ptarmigan Climbing Club was in existence for scarcely more than 4 years; but their achievement during that brief interval has earned them a place of enduring honor and prestige in the climbing history of the North Cascades. Since the year 1938, no climber has ever set foot on the summit of a peak in the Picket Range, or ventured into the region between Dome Peak and Cascade Pass, without having first trod in the earlier footsteps of one of the Ptarmigans. I have been searching for the Ptarmigan Club scrapbook since 1973, thus far without success. In a few months, Lowell and I will make another try at it. If someone out there finds the book before we do --- go for it. It is the single most valuable document pertaining to the history of climbing in the North Cascades. The important thing is that the scrapbook be located, and then be permanently preserved in a library.

John --- The section covering Custer's descent of the upper Skagit, as well as his reconnaissance east of the Skagit, has not yet been published. That section contains some large, detailed maps of the river between the Boundary and Ruby Creek, that weren't really suited for inclusion in the original 6x9 small-size format of NWD. Custer's maps of the upper Skagit were drawn at a far greater resolution than the outlines currently appearing on the USGS Hozomeen Mtn. and Pumpkin Mtn. 7.5 minute quads. They depict every bend, gravel bar, sand bank, and side channel in the river. Despite the fact that they were drawn in 1859, nearly a century and a half ago, they are still the most detailed river survey maps in existence of the upper Skagit. I had been postponing publication until I arrived at a decision whether to do them as fold-outs, separate folded maps, or go to a larger size format. Then, other events intervened, and matters became further delayed. I will be resuming publication sometime next year, definitely in a larger format (8.5x11), and possibly with fold-out maps as well (11x17). When the next installment on the Custer study appears, I shall see to it that you are the first to receive a copy of it, with my compliments. Thank you again for your continuing interest. I agree with you --- what the younger generation is achieving in the mountains today is truly incredible. Each year, when the new AAJ comes out, I thumb through it, and just shake my head in disbelief at some of the routes and faces that are being climbed.

John -- Thank you for your kind comments regarding the Henry Custer study. It is a pleasure and an honor for me to renew and reaffirm my 30-year old friendship with you. I still have a limited number of copies of the Custer narrative available. If there are some cascadeclimbers.com members out there who are interested in the early climbing history and exploration of the Picket Range, Chilliwack area, and upper Skagit, I would be pleased to send them a copy of the Custer narrative free of charge, with my compliments. This narrative also includes Custer's maps of the area, as well as sketches of the mountains, these including the first drawings of Shuksan, Tomyhoi, the Border Peaks, Slesse, Bear Mtn. (p. 143), and Challenger. Custer was the first European man to discover such major peaks as Shuksan, Challenger, Jack Mtn., and the rugged Picket Range. Custer's achievement during the summer of 1859 entitles him to enduring recognition and acclaim in the history of the North Cascades. Henry Custer also stands as the first mountain climber to visit the North Cascades, for during June-August 1859 he made some twenty first ascents of mountains in the Chilliwack and upper Skagit area, these including Winchester Mtn., Middle Peak, Copper Mtn., Easy Peak, as well as reaching a point high on the south ridge of Tomyhoi. The history of mountain climbing in the North Cascades begins in 1859 with Henry Custer. If cc.com members would like a complimentary copy of Custer's narrative, please let me know via e-mail or a personal message. Dr. John Roper needs no introduction here, for he is of legendary status in the climbing history of the North Cascades. He has climbed more peaks in the North Cascades than any other person, and his first-hand knowledge of these peaks and their various routes is equalled by no other individual. John is quite modest and unassuming about his climbing achievement and his erudition, so let me, as a climbing historian, speak on his behalf --- John knows more about the North Cascades, and has more climbing experience in these mountains, than any other person. (I am ordinarily cautious about employing superlatives, but this is one instance in which their use is fully justified.) I hope that one day Dr. Roper will honor us by publishing his memoirs, for such a narrative would constitute a monumental contribution to the literature on North Cascades mountaineering. John --- I appreciate your bringing to our attention the summit record left by Will Thompson and Calder Bressler on the Ridge of Gendarmes on Sept. 20, 1939. This is a particularly important discovery, for it allows us to precisely date the Thompson-Bressler visit. You are indeed correct that "Thompson and Bressler . . . came up with the "Twin' idea." In December 1972, Will Thompson provided me with details concerning the September 1939 visit: "we had named them Twin Needles. We never published the name . . . The attempt on Twin Spires was in 1939 but the date - sorry. Late in the year, probably September. . . we found a somewhat dirty chimney to climb which put us on the south ridge of the south[east] peak, but unfortunately about a mile from its summit. The connecting ridge has a rather discouraging set of gendarmes, so we came down again." --- Thanks to your 1985 discovery, John, we now have the exact date of this pioneering climbing visit. For many years now I have been at work on a full-length study covering the history, explorations, and climbing achievements of the Ptarmigan Climbing Club. However, for the time being, I am postponing publication of this --- I am still searching for the official Ptarmigan Climbing Club scrapbook, which contains photographs of their journeys, and detailed accounts of the climbs they made on various peaks in the North Cascades. Yes, this is something that, until this present post, has been unknown to scholars and historians of the North Cascades --- the Ptarmigans took photographs during their 1938 Ptarmigan Traverse, as well as during their Picket Range climbs; they wrote trip reports describing their climbing routes; and these were collected and preserved in a scrapbook. In 1939 this scrapbook was initially in the custody of Bill Cox, but the last person known to be in possession of this extraordinarily important document was Ptarmigan member Gert Harby in October 1941 (whom, as yet, I still have been unable to locate). The Ptarmigans held their last meeting on April 15, 1942, and soon thereafter disbanded. In 1978, Charles R. "Mitzi" Metzger kindly provided me with a copy of a Ptarmigan photograph taken by Calder "Tup" Bressler of the Southern Pickets from the north, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. I am reluctant to publish prematurely on the Ptarmigans, because once this scrapbook is finally located, it will profoundly augment our knowledge of their achievements.

Phrases appearing in the two opening paragraphs of the Preface to volume 2 of the Cascade Alpine Guide raise interesting questions as to the provenance of some the information contained therein: "guidebook . . . encyclopedia of natural features . . . depicts . . . To achieve . . . quotations are . . . given from early narratives . . . Culture and technology . . . environment" (CAG-2, Preface, 1st ed. 1977 p. 9, 3rd ed. 2003 p. 7) "encyclopedia of natural features . . . guidebook . . . depict . . . To achieve . . . quotations are given from early . . . narratives . . . culture and technology . . . environment" (Exploring Washington, 1975, Preface, p. 6) What is especially curious, is that nowhere in all of the 400 pages of CAG-2 (or CAG-1 or CAG-3, for that matter) is "Exploring Washington" mentioned. This is not the only instance, as may be seen from the following: "the original railroad grade, completed in 1893 . . . highway over Stevens Pass was completed in 1924-1925, following the original railroad grade" (CAG-2, pp. 154-155) "The original railroad grade, completed in 1893 . . . Stevens Pass Highway, completed during 1924-25, followed this original railroad grade" (Exploring Washington, p. 88, item 123) "names . . . Chinook jargon . . . Forest Service . . . 1910 to 1940 . . . dialect . . . incongruous . . . coastal Indian trade language" (CAG-2, p. 155) "Chinook jargon . . . names . . . Forest Service . . . 1910-40 . . . dialect . . . incongruous . . . trade language . . . coastal Indians" (Exploring Washington, p. 41, item 43) "The name honors the eminent British geologist Sir Charles Lyall [sic, Lyell] (1797-1875)" (CAG-2, p. 232) "named in honor of the celebrated English geologist Charles Lyell (1797-1875)" (Exploring Washington, p. 44, item 220) What is particularly significant about the last entry, is that this is an historical error which was introduced for the first time and which is unique to "Exploring Washington." Mt. Lyall actually takes its name from the alpine larch present in this region, Larix lyallii, which in turn honors the British botanist with the Northwest Boundary Survey, David Lyall (1817-1895). Other parallelisms, particularly in the origins of geographic place names, suggest that has CAG has made significant use of "Exploring Washington" as a source of information, but without indication of provenance. It would appear that Fred has held the literary style of the author of "Exploring Washington" in such high esteem, he chose that author's words with which to open his own magnum opus. Perhaps this could be regarded as an honor. But then, one begins to wonder if a detailed literary analysis of all three volumes of CAG might reveal that other individuals have been similarly honored. At least one other individual: "This superb climb has enough difficulties to satisfy almost anyone, and its mixed character, requiring genuine ice climbing, places it in a rather select group of difficult American climbs requiring skill in both rock and ice technique." (George Lowe, "Grand Teton, North Face of Enclosure," The American Alpine Journal, 1970, pp. 132-133, ex p. 133) "An exceptional climb of purity, with enough variety and difficulty to satisfy almost anyone. Its mixed character, requiring some genuine ice climbing, places it in a rather select group of North Cascade climbs requiring flexible alpine skills." (CAG-2, 1st ed. 1977, p. 289, Forbidden Peak, northwest face) This evident parallelism was first discovered by Lowell, who called attention to it in: "A Curious Beckey-ism," rec.climbing, posted 1993-08-04. He again made note of it more recently in: "Route Reports -- North Cascades -- Beta for NW face ice climb of Forbidden," cascadeclimbers.com, post #52634, dated 09/11/02, 08:13 pm. What makes the situation particularly incongruous is the fact, first noted by Lowell in 1993, that "the NW Face of Forbidden Peak really doesn't have any ice climbing"! This is an astounding piece of mountaineering scholarship on Lowell's part. How many people would have perused the description for Forbidden's northwest face, retained this information in mind, perchanced to read the Grand Teton description at a later time, and then perceived the parallelism between the two accounts? It is one thing to recognize one's own words --- but to remember the writings of two different individuals, and then match the two, this requires an exceptionally keen mind. (The 1993 post was apparently brought to Fred's attention, for in the 1996 revised second printing of the second edition of CAG-2, p. 304, the wording has been altered to read: "An exceptional climb of purity. Its mixed character requires some genuine climbing, and flexible alpine skills.") Off_White has also performed an astonishing feat of literary detective work, for scarcely 6 minutes after Lowell's initial post, he identified George Lowe's phrase "select group" as also occuring in CAG-3, p. 113, Mt. Fury, north buttress (post #52635, 09/11/02, 08:19 pm). How many individuals, given the two words "select group," can then, within 6 minutes, promptly determine precisely where they appear in the three volumes of CAG? Cascadeclimbers.com has some remarkably astute individuals among its forum members.

Dru --- Thank you for the clarification regarding bivouac.com. Your own contributions there have been so numerous and of such high quality, that I have been proceeding under the mistaken assumption that you were also involved in the administration of the site. I sincerely appreciate my error being brought to my attention. You have definitely confirmed the correctness of my asserting to be in "virtually complete ignorance of anything north of the 49th Parallel." I nonetheless stand by my original statement that, in my view, "Your knowledge of the mountains of British Columbia is unsurpassed by that of any other person." And bivouac.com does indeed constitute "an unrivalled source of information pertaining to that region." From what I have seen of your posts during the past 2 years or so here at cc.com, you know your mountains, and you know them well. With respect to your knowing about the achievements in exploration of Canada's greatest explorer, David Thompson --- Verifying that took a bit of time, as the post was not readily available through the cc.com search engine, and I could not immediately recall its location. I had originally planned on devoting the day to trying to find something that might be of some use to Lowell in connection with his research on the history of ski mountaineering in the Northwest, but the Thompson situation piqued my interest and curiosity, so I decided to spend the day selectively going through cc.com, post by post, and reply by reply. My compliment to you on your knowledge of David Thompson was based on the following: "You guys may have forgotten David Thompson but we haven't. What the hell we named a highway and a river after him. If you read Thompson's journals he reports that large hairy creatures, much bigger than men, threw rocks at his canoe as his expedition canoed down the upper Thompson River - near Squilax, . . . " (cascadeclimbers.com, Climber's Board -- Reading List, post #40862, dated Sept. 23, 2002) My compliment to you still stands. I hold David Thompson in particularly high esteem, for I believe him to the single greatest explorer of the North American continent. Yet, his name is still virtually unknown, particularly in this country. Anyone who knows of David Thompson and his achievement stands high in my regard. Lowell --- I may be wrong -- and I would be the first to admit so -- in fact, I would welcome being proven wrong, for it would then allow me to correct my records --- but I believe there were two Leens: Douglas Vernon Leen, and his brother David Leen. Doug graduated from the University of Washington in 1970 (he may have been a Geology major, as I was), and he was working as a Park Ranger at Grand Teton National Park in 1973. Doug did Liberty Bell (Serpentine Crack, first ascent, July 6, 1967), South Early Winter Spire (East Buttress Direct, first ascent, July 29, 1968), and Cathedral Peak (South Face, Sept. 28, 1968). I have Dave Leen down for the second ascent of Southeast Mox/Twin Spire (Sept. 4, 1968), as well as an ascent of Liberty Ridge on July 21, 1968. I do notice one discrepancy here: Dr. Mike Heath provided me with September 4, 1968 as the date of the second ascent of Southeast Mox/Twin Spire, whereas CAG-3 (p. 130) gives "September 5, 1968" as the date. Brad Fowler informed me that he could not recall the exact date, which leaves only "Dave" Leen and the register itself as the only other independent sources to confirm which of the two is the correct date. (The Crescent cinnamon can register-container was still on the summit as of the year 1968.) Brad Fowler did mention to me that: "The whole peak is littered with large pieces of loose, sharp edged rock, like a bunch of axe heads waiting to fall." This does illustrate why the history of climbing in the North Cascades is a particularly difficult topic to work with. Many of the first or otherwise noteworthy ascents during the past 30 or 40 years have been achieved by young individuals, frequently of college age. After graduation, many of them move to other parts of the state or country, or lose interest in climbing, and are difficult to contact. Often, only one member of the party may have written an account of the ascent for publication, and that constitutes the only recorded documentation of the climb. With the advent of the internet, and in particular such extremely valuable sites as cascadeclimbers.com, this has now all changed. Multiple accounts of ascents are being written, they are being widely disseminated, and (hopefully) these records will eventually find permanent homes in libraries and their preservation thus be assured for posterity. I do appreciate the correction. And I would like to thank you for bringing to my attention the instance of pre-1900 use of skis in the North Cascades, which I was entirely unaware of. Your research is of extraordinarily high quality, and I look forward to seeing it in print. One last comment: The 1958 Portland party, during their attempt on the East face, mention the "big bulge" where their climbing efforts terminated. It is possible that the central third of this face may, in part, be overhanging. If this is the case, then a direct route on the East face of the Southeast Twin Spire, because of the overhang and the unstable nature of the rock, would present an extraordinarily severe problem. It is of interest to note that the route of the1958 attempt veered to the right/north and toward the northeast buttress (evidently to avoid the central third of the face); whereas the 1968 attempt was confined to the lower left/south half of the face. Neither party pursued a direct line of ascent, even on the lower one-third of the face. (I am not using a spell-checker, so I do apologize in advance for any inaccuracies that may have slipped in. I should also like to make it clear to readers that I myself no longer climb; moreover, years ago, when I did climb, my expertise was mediocre, and my experience minimal.) Again, climbers should be warned that this particular mountain has the potential for being an extraordinarily deadly peak. There are other, far safer and more enjoyable objectives, with much more classic lines and far superior rock, to climb in the North Cascades.