Cascade Elders

[Dru]

the oldest

[catbirdseat]

Wouldn't it be awesome to have a reunion of these guys somewhere central and meet some of them? We could call it the Cascade Elders Pub Club.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Dru said:

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 completely. My ski research includes the latest developments. That's what this thread was all about:

 

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=freshies&Number=207653&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

 

It's fun trying to keep up with the Young Dudes while continuing to pursue scrappy 80-year-olds and dusty old journals.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Crackbolter said:

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.

 

I've visited Charles Hessey's widow Marion several times at her house, gone through their slide collection, viewed their movies, and looked up Charles' articles. So yeah, I'm pursuing it. The Hesseys are important to the story of Cascade skiing, mostly post-war.

 

[Lowell_Skoog]

terrible_ted said:

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.

 

Look up the article referenced in these notes:

 

http://alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/period/mtneer-a/mtneer-a-1950-59.html#mtneer-a-1958-p48

 

I believe that I posted a summary of the original traverse in this forum last year some time. I'm too lazy to search for it, but you could probably find it.

[Lowell_Skoog]

ski_photomatt said:

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...

 

Range of Glaciers has a lot of this information. For what it's worth, here are my review notes for this book, focusing on how access to the mountains developed (a pre-requisite for recreational skiing):

 

http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/book/beckey-2003.html

 

My book will integrate the history of sport, land management, and community--with respect to skiing--as best I can. I hope to make it a lively story rather than a dry history.

[cj001f]

Off_White said:

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.

Jules unfortunately passed away

http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/lp0005_Jules.html

What a life!

 

[terrible_ted]

Lowell_Skoog said:

terrible_ted said:

written account of the original Ptarmigan traverse out there?

 

I believe that I posted a summary of the original traverse in this forum last year some time. I'm too lazy to search for it, but you could probably find it.

 

Yes, you did, and a belated thanks for doing so.

 

Original Ptarmigan Itinerary

[paulahartzell]

Bill Prater, who currently lives in Cle Elum, invented the Sherpa snowshoe (although he sold the patent through naivete, and recieved virtually nothing for it), in addition to numerous first ascents of peaks in that area.

[Doug]

Would Ome Daiber fit on this list? He may have been post WWII. One of his buddies, Dr. Otto Trott was probably more of a skiier than climber, but I think he came to the country arund 1938 or so.

[DougGeller]

The account of the original Ptarmigan Traverse is probably recorded somewhere, check the Mountaineers library for an old copy of the American Alpine Journal, Mazama, or Mountaineer. The Beckey Guide may reference such a written account, I don't recall.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Doug said:

Would Ome Daiber fit on this list? He may have been post WWII. One of his buddies, Dr. Otto Trott was probably more of a skiier than climber, but I think he came to the country arund 1938 or so.

 

Ome Daiber and Otto Trott would certainly make this list, if they were still living. My intention with this pre-war list was to raise awareness of the few elders who are still around.

 

I agree that Otto Trott is best known for his skiing (Mt Baker ski patrol since 1930s) and mountain rescue work. But I consider his climb of the Hanging Glacier on Mt Shuksan with Andy Hennig in 1939 to be the most technically impressive climb made in the Cascades before the war.