Cascade Elders

[Lowell_Skoog]

Recent trivia discussions made me think about what kind of mountain facts I find interesting. I'm fascinated by people, and my historical research has shown me that "the legends" are more accessible than we think. And more of them are still around than we realize.

 

With that in mind, I started a list of Cascade Elders--legendary mountaineers who are still living. To begin with, I've created a very exclusive list--mountaineers who pioneered significant routes in the Cascades and Olympics before World War II. That's a tiny group. Northwest climbing came of age just before the war, and the dozen or so pioneers who are still with us are regional treasures. We should recognize them.

 

Here's my initial list. If we expand the group beyond World War II, the number of names grows dramatically. So let's start with this for now. Several of these people live outside Washington state, so it's hard for me to keep track of them. But all of them were still around a year or so ago.

 

Name - Pre-WWII pioneering:

 

Wolf Bauer - Mt Goode, Ptarmigan Ridge

Fred Beckey - Lots of Cascade peaks and routes

Ray Clough - Original Ptarmigan Traverse party, Ruth Mtn ski

Paul Crews - Mt Cruiser (Olympics)

Othello Phil Dickert - Mt Challenger

Ralph Eskenazi - North Star Mtn ski

Forest Farr - Big Four Mtn, Chimney Rock

Jack Hossack - Mt Challenger, Mt Goode, Ptarmigan Ridge

Erick Larson - Dome Peak, east summit

Dave Lind - Mt Triumph

Jim Martin - Mt Terror, other southern Pickets

Lex Maxwell - Mt Stuart, Ulrichs Couloir

Hank Reasoner - Mt Shuksan, White Salmon Glacier ski

Will F. Thompson - Mt Fury, Bear Mtn

John Woodward - Army ski patrol traverses, 10th Mtn Division

 

Can you suggest other names?

[Dru]

Pete Schoening?

 

I think Hank Mather is still alive and living in Vancouver somewhere. Not really pre WWII...He did most of his climbing in Canada but knocked off a bunch of US stuff like the FFA of Canary, and the Nooksack Ridge traverse....

[JayB]

Great stuff Lowell. I'd love to read more about these guys and hear their stories.

 

Just about every time I do an alpine route I think about what it would be like to do the same route with 100' of hemp rope, a bowline around the waist, and a few soft pitons. Humbling to say the least.

 

Has anyone ever put together a compilation of their stories? That'd be an incredible read.

 

 

[fern]

I think Mills Winram is still alive ... one of Slesse's FAs

[Dru]

fern said:

I think Mills Winram is still alive ... one of Slesse's FAs

 

i thought he died a year or two ago, i hope i'm wrong...

 

waldemar "fips" broda (FWA slesse) still alive though!

[wayne]

Was Stim Bullit pre-war? What about some of the Mazamas that came up here to poach routes? Ida Darr etc.

[DPS]

Stimmy did not start climbing until relatively recently.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Dru said:

Pete Schoening?

 

Pete is one of the guys (there are a bunch of them) who just barely misses this list. I'm not aware of any pioneering climbs he did before the war, but he did a bunch afterward.

 

If this thread is interesting to people, we might gradually expand it (say a decade at a time). For now, I'm trying to rack my brain to think of pre-war pioneers still with us.

 

[Lowell_Skoog]

JayB said:

Just about every time I do an alpine route I think about what it would be like to do the same route with 100' of hemp rope, a bowline around the waist, and a few soft pitons. Humbling to say the least.

 

Has anyone ever put together a compilation of their stories? That'd be an incredible read.

 

Mac Bates's book "Cascade Voices" is the best effort of that kind so far. It was published about 10 years ago. Mac caught some of these guys and missed a few. He also talked to several pioneers who are no longer with us. We owe Mac a debt of gratitude for his work.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Karl Stingl is another pre-war pioneer. He was born in Czechoslovakia, did new climbs in the Olympics with Paul Crews in the 1930s (I think Mt Lincoln was one), was an instructor in the 10th Mountain Division during WWII, and was a ski coach at U.W. after the war. He was a Class A ski jumper in his younger days.

 

I have mixed feelings about limiting the list to "pioneers" rather any any pre-war climber. But this criteria is useful to force us to think about which climbers shaped the sport. I'm open to thinking about pioneering in a broader sense, as well.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Looking at the list so far, the two names that stick out as deserving more attention are Phil Dickert and Lex Maxwell. Many of the other pioneers have been profiled or interviewed before. Phil and Lex have not, as far as I know.

 

Phil Dickert was a super active climber, inside and outside the Cascades, for years and years. I forgot to note that he was on the first ascent of Mt Goode with Bauer and Hossack. He is also a skilled B&W photographer and was an early skier.

 

Lex Maxwell is the patriarch of Yakima climbers. Talking to him on the phone, I got the sense that he is a pillar of the Yakima community as well (though he would never say so). He always deflects attention away from himself, but he has supported his community in many ways since the 1930s. (I believe he was president of a local bank.) He reminds me of the Jimmy Stewart character in "It's a Wonderful Life."

 

[Winter]

Edited July 24, 2003 by Winter

[Off_White]

Thanks for the research Lowell. A friend of mine's mother is in the same Quaker meeting as Jules Eichorn, who was a Sierra pioneer of similar vintage, and one of those folks I'd assumed long gone.

[Cpt.Caveman]

That's cool info-

 

I always wished somebody would actually write a more historical writing of detailed climbers and their moments of significant exploration before the 1965 era. To include tales first hand or second hand and such.

 

Even if they are not with us anymore as I am sure all would agree that the recognition is deserved. Like Pete Schoening for instance is still alive and interesting to most folks...

 

Waddup? You seem like a historical type of person pursuing facts!? An idea...

 

 

What about Tom Miller? is he still around??

 

[Lowell_Skoog]

Cpt.Caveman said:

Waddup? You seem like a historical type of person pursuing facts!? An idea...

 

What about Tom Miller? is he still around??

 

I'm already working on a historical book. It's on ski mountaineering in Washington. My website is my research database: http://alpenglow.org/ski-history

 

I'd enjoy writing about some of these other folks, but the skiing history comes first. If anybody was interested in pursuing Northwest climbing history more, I could give lots of advice and assistance. Seriously.

 

Yes, Tom Miller is still around. He's a member of the Mountaineers history committee. I see him at most of their meetings, every other month.

[Dru]

Just make sure you do a better job than eg. Chic Scott did with Pushing the Limits

 

And remember history continues to the present day. I consider those dudes like Kit Lewis and Pete Doorish just as historical as Beckey and Schoening.

[Crackbolter]

Nice Lowell.

 

How about Charles Hessey? I know he is known for skiing rather that mountaineering but didn't he pioneer ski touring in Washington state pre-war?

 

My grandmother's maiden name was Hessey and was cousins with Charles.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I'd enjoy writing about some of these other folks, but the skiing history comes first.

 

Bummer- I am no writer. Cheers to your plans- I'd expect skiing and climbing can go hand in hand sometimes.....

 

Good to hear Tom Miller is still out there doing good things. Tough man....

 

I dont research any skiing I just flop on the snow and hope to have fun. I do think some of the ski things being done are pretty damn F***king scary for me to think about these days. I have fun kicking steps up them with no shame..

 

I guess like a climber would flop over a bulge in hopes of good pro or also a good time. I understand you cross both thresholds and was mostly hoping someone with that sort of contacts and information would be able to open some reality to the rest of us as far as climbing is concerned. Not like it's a better sport but it is sometimes the same and totally different... You can't exactly ski liberty crack as we all know.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Dru said:

Just make sure you do a better job than eg. Chic Scott did with Pushing the Limits

 

And remember history continues to the present day. I consider those dudes like Kit Lewis and Pete Doorish just as historical as Beckey and Schoening.

 

I agree- KL is a cool mofo. I cannot outdrink him so I must hail to the king.

 

As far as Doorish is in climbing for cascades- well- look at the difficult routes over a continuouse time. Sometimes solo.... But that's another era too.

 

Chic Scott does have a good book.!

[terrible_ted]

Hi Lowell:

 

Not to get too far off your topic here, but I'm wondering if there is any written account of the original Ptarmigan traverse out there? I've always been curious as to exactly which peaks the original party climbed, and how much time they spent doing them.

 

I agree that an account of pre-WWII climbing in the PNW would be a very worthy topic! You'll just have to hurry up and plow through the ski mountaineering book so you can start on the next one!

 

-t

 

 

[terrible_ted]

Oh yeah... when did Austin Post start accumulating all of those excellent photographs for the USGS? He's still out there, although I suspect that work didn't start until the 50's...

[Cpt.Caveman]

You'll just have to hurry up and plow through the ski mountaineering book so you can start on the next one!

 

ditto

 

I'll buy the beer or the coca cola. Whatever it takes...

 

I bleive the caveman and lowell have met. hehe. I am pretty sure you didnt think I was obnoxious as I am on the internet. haha. But I think terrible ted is right.

[ski_photomatt]

It's a wonderful thing that people like Lowell and Fred Beckey with deep connections to the land and people are taking the time to document Cascade history and publish it before it is lost.

 

I'm hoping Fred Beckey is planning a second volume to compliment his Range of Glaciers and document Cascade history of the last 100 years or so. He'd be the person to do it. I'd personally like to see the mountaineering history combined with other Cascade history, such as the history of places like Stehekin, Holden, the creation of the parks, Wilderness designation, ect. Anything like this exist? It might be in Range of Glaciers, but I've just started reading it and only have managed to get through the first 1/4 or so. Quite interesting reading and obviously comprehensive, way to go Fred.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I'm hoping Fred Beckey is planning a second volume to compliment his Range of Glaciers and document Cascade history of the last 100 years or so. He'd be the person to do it.

 

I agree - but with the effort he obviously put into ROG I doubt there will ever be a second volume.

 

I would presume he is working on something like the 100 best climbs of NA according to FB but that's just bs rumors hehe.

 

I await the next book release by FB since he is always a good writer and source of information.

 

I hear he is working on *something already* but we'll see! Let the surprise make us all happy.... I think with his knowledge he can outdo 50 Classic Climbs of NA if he tries. No te that some of that book was info from him hehe.

[JGowans]

terrible_ted said:

Oh yeah... when did Austin Post start accumulating all of those excellent photographs for the USGS? He's still out there, although I suspect that work didn't start until the 50's...

 

I saw Austin Post last Saturday on the trail up to Ingalls Lake. Still going strong at 82!