Lowell_Skoog

Here's a link to a 2005 thread about a "Cascade Trifecta", for future reference: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/467265/page/0/fpart/1/vc/1 Sorry, my history geek tendencies got the better of me.

As a history buff, I think if you want to establish a Cascade Trifecta, the best model would be the 1926 trip by Truitt, Starcher and Blackburn. If you care about record times, then you should eliminate the automobile, because it adds a lot of uncertainty and variability. The 1926 party drove from Hood to St Helens, then walked from there. So, I think THE Cascade Trifecta should be St Helens, Adams and Rainier on foot. This is an achievement that honors Cascade history. The 1980 Cascadian Annual article about the "Marathon of the Mountains" was excerpted from the 1927 Cascadian Annual. Unfortunately, no copies of the 1927 Annual still exist, to my knowledge. But here's a little more information about what Truitt, Starcher and Blackburn did, for anyone who cares to follow in their footsteps. July 4 - From Spirit Lake to top of St Helens, 6 hours; from top of St Helens to Spirit Lake, 2 pm, 20 miles toward Adams, 10 pm. July 5 - Hiked for 18 hours to base of Adams. Elevation lost and made this day approximately 11,000 ft. July 6 - To top of Adams, 6 hours. Leave top of Adams at noon, back down the north side, past Chain of Lakes country to Spring Creek, 10 pm. July 7 - 5 am Start hiking on trail until 10 pm at Berry Patch Ranger Station, west side of Goat Rocks. Wrong trail this day; six hours lost. July 8 - Leave Berry Patch Ranger Station 6 am; arrive town of Lewis (Packwood) on Cowlitz River 1 pm; left Lewis 3 pm, arrived Longmire Springs at 9 pm. July 9 - Left Longmire Springs 6 am; climbed Rainier via new route [sic] over Kautz Glacier, to top at 5 pm. Elapsed time from top of Adams to top of Rainier 77 hours. Descend to Paradise Inn via Gibraltar Rock and Camp Muir, 4 hours. It seems to me that the trifecta should start at the St Helens parking lot (unfortuately you can't start at Spirit Lake anymore and the summit is a bit lower today) and end at the Paradise parking lot. ==== Edited to add: My intention is not to detract from the UTS accomplishment, which I think is fine. I'm just suggesting a higher standard if you want to establish THE Cascade Trifecta, one that would both honor history and stand the test of time.

Congratulations to Buzz Burrell and Peter Bakwin. That's an impressive bag of peaks. Here's an old posting about a "quad-fecta" of Hood, St Helens, Adams and Rainier, way back in 1926, linked mostly by hiking: "Marathon of the Mountains"

I flipped through a copy of Peggy Goldman's "Washington's Highest Mountains" (Wilderness Press, 2004), which I assume is a direct competitor to Scott's and Brian's book. Goldman's book may be the least impressive guidebook I've ever seen. I didn't read any of it, but just flipping around I found at least a half dozen photographs that were flopped (printed backward). Ed Cooper's pictures were flopped so consistently that you'd think that was part of the usage agreement. If the author and publisher can't even get a photo of Mt Shuksan from Heather Meadows printed straight, I wouldn't trust them to guide me up the peak.

Yes, Harvey Manning's article about the Ptarmigans mentions a cache promised to the group which turned out to be mostly jello. But that was up the Agnes, not at Cache Col. Your question about the origin of the name Cache Col made me curious so I looked through a few articles from the Mountaineer Annual. It appears that this col remained unnamed as late as 1953, when Tom Miller's party did the second Ptarmigan Traverse. The name was applied sometime after that. I'm not going to pursue it any more, but it would be a fun trivia question to answer. Maybe somebody out there already knows the answer. I don't.

That's roughly the line of Beckey's NE face route. It climbs the ice sheet to its upper-left corner then wanders up the rock above. When I climbed that route in 1978, we climbed a little to the left of the rib, as I remember.

How about this:

An acquaintance of mine skied the Ptarmigan a few years ago and found it strenuous and a little intimidating. I remember him commenting on how steep some of the traverses seemed on skis. This fellow had previously skied the Haute Route in the Alps and has a lot of backcountry experience. He felt that the Ptarmigan was a ski MOUNTAINEERING trip, with the emphasis on mountaineering. I don't want to put you off (it is a great trip) but just caution that doing it on skis with a full week's provisions may be tough if you're not a strong skier. Also, given the light snowpack this year, you should expect to carry your skis for a considerable distance at either end of the traverse.

Dee Molenaar will present "The Brotherhood of the Rope," a film by Charles Houston about the 1939 and 1953 K2 expeditions. This program is a benefit for the Friends of The Mountaineers Library. Details: The Mountaineers 300 Third Ave. West, Seattle Thursday, April 28, 2005, 7 pm $7 non-members $5 members 206-284-6310

Value-mines, wasn't it? As proof that I'm a genuine geezer, I have a picture of my wife sitting in my old car right next to the old mine building. You could still drive to them in the early 1980s.

Over a year ago in this thread, I wrote: Yesterday I visited Wolf Bauer to copy some photographs for a profile of him I'm working on. As I was flipping through his mountaineering papers and photos, I came across a hardcopy of this post. It was clear that Wolf had carefully read it, since several portions were underlined. He later said one of his children (grandchildren?) found this and other information about him after a few minutes on the internet. I've always tried to remember that you should always write on bulletin boards as if anybody you can possibily imagine might some day read your words. It's never been more effectively demonstrated to me than this.

Pete Schoening, Tom Hornbein, and a number of their friends have been doing regular weekday hikes together along I-90 (and elsewhere) for years. They are especially good at sniffing out obscure trails just for the heck of it. I recall hearing that Pete was also into bagging peaks that you could drive high on. The road routefinding was all part of the fun. I suspect the register was genuine.

And Leni Reifenstahl lived to be 101. She died in Sept. 2003. Here's an obit, courtesy of google: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2479/is_3_31/ai_113655071

You got me thinking... A profile of Tony Reece would make an interesting article for the NW Mountaineering Journal. Another interesting profile would be Bill Fairchild, Washington's first (and only?) fixed-wing glacier pilot in the 1950s and 1960s. Both of them have had long and interesting associations with Northwest mountaineering. Or maybe a broader story, something like "Legendary bush pilots of the Northwest". Here are some links with information about Bill Fairchild: http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/ms/mhc-bios.html#mhc-bios-bill-fairchild http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/ms/papl-bios.html#papl-bios-bill-fairchild Any aspiring writers lurking out there? (I'll add this to the NWMJ idea list.)

I'm thinking this may have been the first winter ascent of that route. Does anybody know otherwise?

This is a reminder that the deadline for submissions to the 2005 Northwest Mountaineering Journal is March 1, 2005. Feature articles and short reports for the 2004 calendar year should be submitted to the editorial team at "submissions@nwmj.org". LATE BREAKING NEWS: Since the winter season ends around March 21, we will accept short reports of new 2005 winter climbs until March 31, 2005.

Here, here. The article mentions that Tony has never had an accident during a rescue operation. I expect that's true. But he did have a little mishap once on Mt Baker, before it was designated wilderness, flying some heli-skiers on the mountain. A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) and some of his ski buddies used to hire Tony to fly them to powder stashes in the Mt Baker area. This was around 1980, before helicopter skiing got "officially" started by Liberty Bell Alpine Tours in the Mazama area. On one trip they were landing at the saddle next to Colfax Peak and a downdraft sort of pancaked the helicopter into the saddle. Fortunately nobody was hurt. The way I heard the story, Tony radioed for help and the call was picked up by a news helicopter returning from another story. So Tony's little incident ended up on the evening news. Kind of embarrassing for a great pilot like him. I believe he quit flying heli-skiers after that. In 1984, much of the country they used to heli-ski was designated as wilderness. But I digress. Tony is a great pilot. Thanks for posting the great article by Brian Miller. I know his recovery has been long and difficult and I hope it will be complete. p.s. Here's some information about the book the Brian mentions in his story, the one photographed by his dad, Tom Miller. Like Kelly Bush, I was inspired by this book when I was just getting introduced to the Cascades: http://www.alpenglow.org/climbing/ptarmigan-1953/index.html

In the 1930s, the Mountaineers organized a ski race between their club lodges at Snoqualmie and Stampede Passes. The race was the first of its kind in North America, with three-person teams racing over an 18-mile course. Each racer had to carry basic survival gear and team members had to finish within a minute of each other. The race ran from 1930 through 1941. Last winter I skied the Patrol Race route with a friend and wrote about the trip here: http://www.alpenglow.org/skiing/patrol-race-2004 On March 5, 2005, the Mountaineers will conduct a group outing along this historic route. I will lead the tour. The tour is open to skiers who are not Mountaineer members, subject to signing a waiver. Requirements: * 18 miles and 4,000 vertical feet of climbing. * Meet at Mountaineers Snoqualmie Lodge at 5:30 am, Saturday, March 5. * Headlamps, shovels, avalanche beacons and probes required. * Be prepared for a long day (8-12 hours) of nearly continuous travel. * Route description and equipment notes: http://www.alpenglow.org/skiing/patrol-race-2004/patrol-route.html * Signup opens January 10 and closes February 24. * Limit 16 skiers. * Waiver is available online. * To sign up, contact Mountaineers Member Services at 206-284-8484. * Or sign up online (see "Activity Signup") at: http://www.mountaineers.org Logistics: Overnight lodging is available at the Mountaineers Snoqualmie Lodge Friday night, March 4, and at Meany Lodge (near Stampede Pass) Saturday night, March 5. Dinner and breakfast will be provided for skiers staying overnight. The cost for each night is $25 per person. Persons completing the tour may choose not to stay overnight, to stay one night only, or both nights. Sign up with Mountaineers Member Services for lodge reservations at 206-284-8484. Non-members participating in the tour are welcome to stay in the lodges for this event. Skiers staying overnight at Meany Lodge will receive a snow-cat ride (about 3 miles) to Crystal Springs Sno-Park on Sunday morning. Skiers electing not to stay overnight will need to ski out Saturday evening after the tour. Depending on demand, an extra snow-cat shuttle may be organized Saturday evening (to be determined). For trip coordination, contact Art Iodice, 206-399-3634 (email: api5260@cablespeed.com). Special Program: On Friday night, March 4, legendary Northwest skier, mountaineer and kayaker Wolf Bauer will provide a dinner-time talk at the Mountaineers Snoqualmie Lodge about his experiences in the Patrol Race during its heyday. Wolf, now 92, was a member of the 1936 team that set the course record of 4 hours, 37 minutes, 23 seconds--a record that remains unbroken to this day. This program is open to all, not just skiers staying overnight at the lodge. A $5 donation is requested for guests who attend Wolf's talk only. Please sign up with Mountaineers Member Services at 206-284-8484 so the lodge volunteers can make sure there is enough room. Ski Leader: Lowell Skoog

Use an iron and a paper grocery bag to remove the old glue. Cut a strip off the bag, lay it on the skin, and iron it until the glue starts to soak through. Then remove and throw away the strip. Repeat as needed. Do this outside. After removing most of the old glue, apply new glue. I've been using Black Diamond glue lately and it seems pretty good. A piece of disposable plastic used as a squeegee speeds up the application process if you're using the kind of glue that comes in a can. I've also gone back to storing the skins with those plastic sheet separators that they come with. (I don't bother with them during tours.) I think this may extend the life of the glue and prevent it from globbing.

Here's an earlier obit for Phil's ex-wife Agnes. What a couple! http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/123276_dickertobit23.html?searchpagefrom=1&searchdiff=593 There will be a memorial celebration for O. Phil Dickert at The Mountaineers, 300 Third Ave. W., Feb. 6 at 2 p.m.

I agree with most of what Jay says. Backcountry skiing standards have gone way up thanks to skills and equipment from lift skiing. The skills that jibbers bring to the party will just push things higher. When I started backcountry skiing in 1979, few alpine tourers could link turns rhythmically in natural snow (think powder eights). It's hard to believe today, but that was the standard I remember. Better gear and more lift-trained skiers are the reasons for today's improvement. I think some of the negative feelings about jibbing are because those tricks aren't necessary (or even wise) for backcountry skiers. Watching guys in the movies throw flips off cliffs and land backwards is amazing, but that's a dumb thing to do in "real" backcountry, without a helicopter crew to scrape up the pieces if something goes wrong. But those guys and gals are great skiers, and if they choose to throw tricks in the backcountry, more power to them. As an old-time freestyle skier, I've been guilty of it myself. A friend took this picture of me in 1982 at White Rock Lakes while skiing the Ptarmigan Traverse. I'm throwing a helicopter in leather mountaineering boots and Ramer bindings, after dropping my pack and gloves next to a perfect little wind scoop.

Bill Lester, right? What's the story with the bear? Some kind of no-pass zone?

I happened upon a list of Lloyd Anderson's first ascents in the North Cascades. For the record, here they are: 1938: Thornton, Triumph 1939: Sinister, Gunsight, Blizzard, Despair 1940: Forbidden, Klawatti, Dorado Needle, Ten Peak A nice bag of peaks!

In 1994, two friends and I did the Ellinor-Washington traverse this way: We made several out-and-back flights from Ellinor to Washington, looping around them like pylons. Here is a story: http://www.alpenglow.org/paragliding/writing/indian-summer.html I haven't been back since then. My wife and I did the traverse on foot one October and enjoyed it very much.

Call for Submissions - Northwest Mountaineering Journal, 2005 In summer 2004, The Mountaineers, in collaboration with volunteers from the Northwest mountaineering community, launched the Northwest Mountaineering Journal (NWMJ). The mission of this journal is to be an edited, permanent, annual record of mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest. The journal documents the events, people, history and spirit of climbing and other mountain sports in this region. The NWMJ is published free on the World-Wide Web. Issue 1 can be found at: http://www.mountaineers.org/nwmj/issue1.html The NWMJ editorial team is now accepting submissions for Issue 2, to be published on Memorial Day, 2005. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2005. Submission guidelines can be found on-line at: http://www.mountaineers.org/nwmj/submissions.html The NWMJ covers all aspects of mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest, from high alpine climbing to lowland rock and ice climbing to ski mountaineering. New route reports, historical or research articles, profiles of interesting people, and land use and access issues are all appropriate topics for the journal. Also welcome are pieces that capture a timely or timeless aspect of Northwest mountaineering, regardless of whether they describe a pioneering climb or historic event. If you are uncertain of whether your article is appropriate for the journal, please send a query describing your idea to the editorial team. Send queries and submissions by e-mail to "submissions@nwmj.org". --The Editorial Team Northwest Mountaineering Journal Ralph Bodenner Dave Burdick Steve Firebaugh Paul Klenke Alex Krawarik Matt Perkins Lowell Skoog Gary Yngve