Trail & Timberline #1029

TRAIL &

WORLD SUMMIT SERIES 14 • RMNP CENTENNIAL 22 • THE FOURTEENERS AND BEYOND 36

TIMBERLINE The Colorado Mountain Club • Winter 2015 • Issue 1029 • www.cmc.org

YEAR OF THE

MOUNTAINEER

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Letter from the Executive Director Year of the Mountaineer

T

his issue of Trail & Timberline celebrates the Colorado Mountain Club’s Year of the Mountaineer, showcasing our World Summit Series climbing expeditions and the Rocky Mountain National Park Centennial celebrations.

These celebrations, programs, and trips, held over the course of 2015, highlighted our Club’s tie to big mountains around the world and to Colorado’s first national park, which CMC’s early members were instrumental in establishing. The Year of the Mountaineer efforts also included CMC-led trips to the biggest mountains on the planet, including Mt. Everest Base Camp, Denali, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Elbrus, Aconcagua, Kosciuszko, and the high Mexican volcanoes.

During the year, enrollment in our technical schools grew, with classes filled by Coloradans of all ages looking to build the skills needed to safely travel to high alpine regions. And, our special events showcased—through both films and speakers— what it looks and feels like to climb and ski in the most beautiful places on earth.

Our RMNP Centennial celebrations included CMC-led trips, which ranged from climbs of almost 100 peaks within the park, to wildflower hikes, to lectures about the history and diverse ecology of the Park. The Club was also honored to be directly involved in a number of National Park Service–led events celebrating the centennial. This year our annual In-State Outing for members was also held within the boundaries of the park, for the first time in many years, which gave our members yet another excuse to visit this amazing place.

Even though these two celebrations wrapped up this year, the CMC will continue to offer opportunities for our members to explore the big mountains of the world along with those in our own backyard. In 2016 we’ll continue to work to protect threatened public lands, as we did this year, from the Flat Tops Wilderness to the San Luis Valley. We’ll reach more than 10,000 kids and adults, providing science and technical education, helping Coloradans to safely explore and better understand mountain environments. We’ll also expand the titles we publish from CMC Press from 50 to 56 titles, confirming our place as a leader in the field of guidebooks and mountain literature.

Thinking about all we do, it’s clear the Colorado Mountain Club is significantly more diverse in its offerings than it was 103 years ago, but one thing remains the same: our passion for the mountains. It’s been rewarding to see the organization and our members reflect that passion throughout 2015, and I look forward with the rest of you to an amazing 2016—during which I hope you’ll be active with us.

See you on the trails,

Scott Robson Executive Director Trail & Timberline

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14

22

14 Year of the Mountaineer: World Summit Series

24 Rocky Mountain National Park’s Unnamed Peaks

16 Success on Denali

30 Four Teams, Four Routes

18 Climbing Mount Kosciuszko

34 The First Longs Peak Summit Register

22 Year of the Mountaineer: RMNP Turns 100!

36 The Fourteeners and Beyond

CMC leads expeditions to high peaks across the globe in 2015

By Jeff Golden What lies beyond the summit

By Jason Kolaczkowski

What to do when you’ve climbed all of the Park’s named peaks?

By G. Kent Keller

HAMS teams achieve four Rainier summits via four different routes

By John Martersteck

On top of down under

By Bob and Sharon Dawson

CMC celebrates Rocky Mountain National Park’s centennial

By Robin Lindsay

Who was climbing Longs Peak in 1915?

By Woody Smith

Who made the lists in 2015?

By Teresa Gergen, Dave Goldwater, and Chris Ruppert

Winter 2015 Trail & Timberline • Issue 1029 • www.cmc.org

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Trail & Timberline

Departments 01 Letter from the Executive Director 06 On the Outside 08 Mission Accomplishments

Learn the latest from the membership, conservation, and youth education departments, as well as news from the Mountaineering Museum and CMC Press.

12 Around Colorado

Find a local CMC chapter and get involved!

30

20 Safety First

How to signal for help in the backcountry.

By Michelle Holdener

28 Pathfinder On the Cover

Hit the trail on snowshoes or skis.

By Alan Apt

40 CMC Adventure Travel

Want to get away? Wander the world with your friends at the CMC on these classic trips.

44 End of the Trail

Remembering those who have passed.

36

Haute Route. Fred Larke

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Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 710 10th St., Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 710 10th St., Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Colorado Mountain Club, 710 10th St., Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401; Editor: Sarah Gorecki, 710 10th St., Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401; Managing Editor: Sarah Gorecki, 710 10th St., Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401 10. Owner: Colorado Mountain Club, 710 10th St., Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status: Has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13. Publication Title: Trail and Timberline 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Fall 2015 (September) 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: a. Total number of copies (Net press run): Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 4,173 No. Copies of Single Issue Published

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PS Form 3541 Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: N/A No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: N/A (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: N/A No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: N/A (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 250 No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 250 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 250 No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 250 f. Total Distribution Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 4,123 No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 3,718 g. Copies Not Distributed Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 50 No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 50 h. Total Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 4,173 No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 3,768 i. Percent Paid Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 94% No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 93% 17. The Publication of Statement of Ownership will be printed in this, the Winter 2015 issue of publication. 17. I certify that all information state above is true and complete. Sarah Gorecki, Editor, September 24, 2015.

Trail & Timberline

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COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB

PRESS

GUIDEBOOKS

& PACK GUIDES

TRAIL & TIMBERLINE

The official publication of the Colorado Mountain Club since 1918.

Editor Sarah Gorecki editor@cmc.org

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COLORADO TRAIL

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The Colorado Mountain Club is organized to ▶ unite the energy, interest, and knowledge of the students, explorers, and lovers of the mountains of Colorado;

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Classic Front Range Trad Climbs

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Members save 20% on CMC Press books Many titles are now available in ebook!

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▶ collect and disseminate information regarding the Rocky Mountains on behalf of science, literature, art, and recreation; ▶ stimulate public interest in our mountain areas; ▶ encourage the preservation of forests, flowers, fauna, and natural scenery; and ▶ render readily accessible the alpine attractions of this region. © 2015 Colorado Mountain Club

All Rights Reserved

Trail & Timberline (ISSN 0041-0756) is published biannually by the Colorado Mountain Club located at 710 10th Street, Suite 200, Golden, Colorado 80401.

Subscriptions are $10 per year; single copies are $5. Advertisements in Trail & Timberline do not constitute an endorsement by the Colorado Mountain Club.

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guide to membership CMC Membership

We summit 14ers, enjoy fly-fishing excursions, climb rock faces, backpack through wilderness areas, explore the culture of Europe, and so much more. Being connected to thousands of other adventure-loving mountaineers makes your membership matter.

CMC has regional groups all over Colorado... find the group nearest you and get outside! The Club comprises regional Groups across Colorado to serve the local needs of its members and partners. Plus, activities of any CMC Group are open to members regardless of home group affiliation. Your membership dues are tax deductible and allow you to meet new people interested in similar activities! Build your trail family by meeting people through the skill clinics and great trips that we offer.

Trips and Hikes

Find a hike. Sign up! Members get FREE access to over 3,000 mountain adventures annually, ranging from easy day hikes and snowshoe trips, to peak climbs, cross-country, and downhill ski trips, to long day walks. Search through the calendar and off you go! cmc.org/calendar

Schools and Courses

Club members enjoy specialty member pricing on schools and courses for adults and access to backcountry classes and seminars offered by CMC groups around the state. The Club teaches you the skills you need to safely maximize living in such an awesome outdoor playground and connects you to other adventure-loving mountaineers. cmc.org/schools

International and Domestic Travel

Enjoy active vacations & small group itineraries to inspiring mountain destinations in the United States and around the world through CMC's Adventure Travel trips. Enjoy hiking Scotland's West Highland Way, trekking through the Italian Dolomites, or exploring Yellowstone National Park. CMC-sponsored worldwide trips are priced far below those offered by commercial, for-profit outfitters. cmc.org/adventuretravel

MySummits and the14er Files

Crushing through your peak list? MySummits is a virtual summit register available to anyone who climbs the mountains of Colorado. Signing a summit registry is an important part of mountaineering history. Start your list today: cmc.org/mysummits. Or if you've finished the CO 14ers, 13ers, or any of the CO Hundred Milestones (Highest 100, 200, etc.), you can submit your name to the Club at editor@cmc.org for the record books.

Member Deals

Members receive outstanding discounts from retailers nationwide. Check out how to get all the latest deals at cmc.org/memberdeals • ProMotive memberships for all CMC members: Recognizing CMC members’ expertise, ProMotive.com is granting exclusive access to top brands eager to reward you with up to 70% off of retail.

• Special member pricing for CMC's youth adventure courses with YEP • Member pricing on active vacations & small group itineraries to mountain destinations around the world with CMC Adventure Travel • Save 20% on guidebook purchases from CMC Press at cmc.org/store and Mountaineers Books at mountaineersbooks.org • Access to CMC-maintained backcountry huts - Brainard Cabin and Arestua Cabin • Discounts at outdoor retailers and Colorado gear shops including: Mountainsmith, Neptune Mountaineering, Wilderness Exchange, Mountain Chalet, The Trailhead, Bent Gate Mountaineering, Golden Bike Shop, and Ajax Bike and Sport • Exclusive member pricing to special events such as Banff Mountain Film Festival, Radical Reels, Backcountry Filmfest, Backcountry Bash, the American Mountaineering Museum, and more.

Volunteer

Interested in volunteering and giving back at the CMC? The Club is great because of our amazing volunteers! There are so many opportunities, from trip leaders and trail maintenance crews to adult and youth education mentors. Visit cmc.org/volunteer for a complete listing.

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Trail & Timberline

5

On the Outside Climbing Dragon’s Tail Couloir above Dream and Emerald Lakes, Rocky Mountain National Park.

Photo by Douglas DeVoto

Mission Accomplishments New Statewide Membership Rates

By Jeff Golden, Communications and Digital Marketing Specialist

THE COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB implemented a new statewide membership rate effective October 1 that will reduce dues for 86 percent of members and lower the price for new membership in every CMC group throughout the state.

The new dues are $70 for individual adults, $95 for families, and $30 for young adults under 30 years of age. It’s the first time the CMC has altered its membership dues in nearly a decade, in an effort to help drive new memberships and simplify our complex dues structure, which previously included a different set of dues for each of the groups in the state.

This pricing, which was one of many options examined by a State Board-initiated

restructuring task force comprising CMC members from across Colorado, will allow the Club to remain affordable for families and individuals in a competitive market, reduce or keep dues flat for 86 percent of members, and present a more attractive price point for young adults.

The Club’s structure of being organized into regional groups will remain unchanged. With the new membership rates, most Groups will see an increase in funding from the state office to organize local programs, events, and courses. These changes should have many positive effects on the Club as it continues to meet the needs of 21st-century members.

Starting with this issue, the CMC will

publish Trail & Timberline twice a year, in December and June.

Recognizing the expertise and influence carried by CMC members, we’re proud to announce that all members are now eligible for a ProMotive.com account. This pro-deal website offers significant savings of up to 70% on many of the biggest outdoor brands. Now CMC members will receive huge discounts on skis, outerwear, boots, electronics, bikes, dog equipment, and much more. Plus, longtime instructors and volunteers have access to even more deals.

Did you know that CMC membership is also 100 percent tax deductible? Consult your tax advisor for more information. ▲

CMC Introduces Two New Prestigious Awards

By Jeff Golden, Communications and Digital Marketing Specialist

THE COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB is excited to offer two new awards beginning next year, in addition to the prestigious Blaurock and Ellingwood awards and 14er Completer certificates.

The CMC will now be honoring an outstanding young adult with the Young Mountaineer of the Year Award and the year’s most accomplished male and female Colorado-based climbers with the Mountaineer of the Year Award. The Club also has the Carl Blaurock Silver Piton Award for the top volunteer and the Albert Elling-

wood Mountaineering Achievement Award for championing CMC climbing ethics, demonstrating strong teaching skills, and pushing the boundaries of accomplishment.

Past winners of the Ellingwood award include such local legends as Ken Nolan, Gerry Roach, Gary Neptune, and Jean Aschenbrenner.

The Young Mountaineer of the Year Award will go to a CMC member under the age of 30 who has demonstrated exceptional skill and character in the field of climbing and has outstanding promise for future accomplishment.

The Mountaineer of the Year Award will hon-

or one female and one male climber who reside in Colorado and have demonstrated the highest level of skill in the field of alpinism through the application of courage and perseverance.

The Blaurock and Ellingwood awards are typically announced in the fall at group annual dinners. In an effort to celebrate all of the CMC awards more broadly, the Club is looking to present all awards in late 2016 at one cohesive event. More information about the nomination and award process for the Young Mountaineer and Mountaineer of the Year awards will become available in early 2016. ▲

CMC Board President Climbs Colorado’s 100 Highest Peaks

By Jeff Golden, Communications and Digital Marketing Specialist

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER FOR Colorado Mountain Club Board President Kevin Duncan, who in September completed his 31-year quest to climb the 100 highest peaks in the state.

Duncan finished his goal on Phoenix Peak in the San Juan Mountains on Saturday, Sept. 12 with his wife and daughter. His first mountain of the highest 100, which are called the Centennials, was Mt. Eolus in 1984. The Centennials list also includes Colorado’s 54 mountains over 14,000 feet, known as 14ers.

Duncan became the first CMC Board President 8

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to accomplish this feat, joining only about 230 other people throughout history, according to official CMC summit records. It was a busy summer for Duncan, who also climbed Mt. Rainier in August.

While most of the 14ers can be hiked without ropes or other gear, several of the Centennials require technical rock climbing skills. Jagged Mountain, which Duncan climbed second-to-last, is widely regarded as one of Colorado’s toughest summits and is Class 5 by its easiest route. Dallas Peak and Teakettle Mountain also generally require ropes for an ascent. ▲

Kevin Duncan’s centennial finish, with his wife and daughter, on the summit of Phoenix Peak, September 12, 2015.

Photo courtesy Kevin Duncan

Forecasting Weather for a Successful Summit

By Meteorologist Chris Tomer, Tomer Weather Solutions

DENALI FEATURES THE worst weather on Earth. The formula for a successful summit includes hours of diligent training of the body and mind, but equally as important is an accurate weather forecast. That’s where teams that hire a private meteorologist like myself have an advantage. In my opinion, they make the summit more often and ultimately spend less time on the mountain.

This season I had the opportunity to work for Team Sourdough, representing the Colorado Mountain Club on Denali as part of the Year of the Mountaineer. I was hired by team leader Jason Kolaczkowski to provide daily weather forecasts, and most importantly, forecast when the best summit weather windows would occur. We talked almost every day via either satellite phone or text message.

This was not my first rodeo. I’ve been

doing expedition weather for ten years, and I’ve worked for over fifty teams around the

Chris Tomer climbing in the Andes. Photo courtesy of Chris Tomer

world from Denali to Everest and everything in between. I have a summit success

rate of 98 percent. But, I make no guarantees—mountain weather is fickle.

My philosophy is simple because I’m also a mountaineer: I pick the weather window that I would want for my own summit attempt. In 2015, I worked for five different teams on Denali. They all made the summit except for one team that quit at the 17,000’ camp because of total exhaustion. Some clients want to do speed ascents, and this option is becoming more popular. For example, one team I worked for on Denali this season did a complete round trip from Talkeetna to the summit and back in ten days.

Team Sourdough made the 20,320’ summit of Denali in good weather after climbing the Upper West Rib. I remember their summit day vividly and I couldn’t be happier for them.

See you on the summit! ▲

YEP to Provide Progressive Mountain Education for Underserved Youth

By Holly Barrass, Youth Education Program Director

COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB’S Youth Education Program (YEP) has been working since 1999 to build partnerships in the community to bring outdoor education to as many kids as possible. The most meaningful programming YEP can provide is progressive curriculum, with multiple classes, to create lasting impacts for students. This year YEP decided to overhaul our existing partnership system to better serve groups, allocate scholarship funding, and improve programming. The response from schools and groups has been overwhelmingly positive and we have signed on six existing partners with additional programming.

Two of CMC’s longstanding partners in programming for urban and underserved youth are Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver (BGCMD) and cityWILD. This upcoming school year YEP will provide scholarship-funded mountain education programs to 250 BGCMD students and 60 cityWILD students. These students live in low-income parts of Denver and are often underserved in recreation and physical education outside of school. YEP will provide progressive curriculum centered on indoor and outdoor climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, and snow science. These students will

[LEFT] Map and compass workshop with Crestone Charter School at Bear Creek Lake Park. Photo by Holly Barrass [Middle] Schmitt Elementary students in the Bouldering bus. Photo by Rachel Vermeal [Right] Learning about snow crystals on an outdoor avalanche field day. Photo by Carmen Stagg

receive an opportunity for pro-social activities and physical education that would not otherwise be provided for them during after-school hours.

YEP also partners with underserved Denver Public Schools Schmitt Elementary and College View Elementary to provide progressive curriculum focused on mountain recreation, teambuilding, and hands-on science. College View Elementary students will participate in monthly early release day activities centered around recreation, team building, and handson science education with a culminating field trip at the end of the school year. In an effort to turn a struggling school around, Schmitt

Elementary administration is using YEP to provide team building and recreation curriculum for their students. This school year YEP will provide three programs of climbing, team building, and hiking to reinforce their school character traits of respect, integrity, scholarship, and empathy.

YEP is able to provide this impactful programming and bring the mountains to kids with help from the Can’d Aid Foundation, New Belgium Brewing, the Anschutz Family Foundation, and SCFD. Partnerships with funders and schools allow YEP to continue strengthening our programs and ensure our vital role in the community. ▲ Trail & Timberline

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CMC Stewardship Team Works on Trails Around Colorado

By Julie Mach, Conservation Director

FIVE MONTHS, TWELVE PROJECTS, 111 volunteers, 3,158 feet of new trail constructed, 63,851 square feet of habitat restored, 51 erosion control structures installed and maintained, 3,116 feet of fencing installed, and 89 signs installed. This is just a snapshot of the work completed by the CMC Conservation Stewardship Team in 2015.

Stewardship Team members Michelle Holdener and Morgan Anderson truly delivered on the main goals of this pilot program. First, they completed an intensive professional development program to become conservation leaders in Colorado with certifications as Wilderness First Responders, Leave No Trace Master Trainers, and Crosscut Sawyers. Next, they provided volunteer opportunities and stewardship training for CMC members and the general public, who contributed a total of 1,655 service hours (an in-kind value of $42,500!)

They completed a variety of high-priority projects on public lands throughout the state to help land managers balance recreational use with natural resource conservation: non-motorized trail construction on the BLM’s Midland Hills area near Buena Vista; Boreal Toad habitat improvement on the San Isabel National Forest; erosion control in the Rio Grande Natural Area south

[LEFT] Trail construction volunteer project near Meeker, CO. Photo by Steve Bonowski. [RIGHT] Volunteers work to install a kiosk at Badger Flats with travel info and maps. Photo by Morgan Anderson

of Alamosa; closure and rehabilitation of user-created routes in the Badger Flats area of the Pike National Forest; and use monitoring and visitor surveys on Monarch Pass and at Guffey Gorge.

The Stewardship Team worked closely with CMC leaders on trail projects in Meeker and on the South Platte Ranger District. They partnered with local and statewide groups including Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado,

Bold Earth Adventures, Ark Valley Velo, and Conservation Colorado to bolster volunteer engagement. With the success of this firstyear program, CMC is looking ahead to 2016 projects and funding to expand the scope of the Stewardship Team and continue to address critical conservation work. To learn more about the Stewardship Team program, read a full season recap, and get involved in volunteer projects, visit cmc.org/stewardship. ▲

Conservation Update: BSI to Host Recreation Mapping Workshops

By Julie Mach, Conservation Director

CMC’S BACKCOUNTRY Snowsports Initiative has teamed up with Outdoor Alliance Colorado to build GIS resources for outdoor recreation advocacy. We’re hosting a series of recreation mapping workshops around the state to collect geospatial data from users to help protect hiking, climbing, biking, skiing, and paddling resources. The data helps demonstrate where users are going, where resource or use conflicts are occurring, and how to proactively manage lands for increasing recreational demands. So far, workshops have taken place in Leadville, Aspen, and Gunnison and we’re looking to host more throughout the winter. Additionally, online webinars and videos are available for folks who want to get mapping immediately at cmc.org/bsi.

On September 30, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) expired after Congress failed to take the needed action 10

Trail & Timberline

to renew it. LWCF has been one of America’s premier conservation programs for 50 years, protecting more than 5 million acres of land across the country. Over $163 million has gone to Colorado projects and land acquisition in Great Sand Dunes National Park, the Ophir Valley, the Arapaho National Forest, and other locations. Despite the efforts of conservation groups, recreation organizations, and Colorado politicians (including Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner), the fund expired and will remain inactive until Congress makes another effort to renew.

This year, Congressman Jared Polis introduced the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act (H.R. 2554) to protect over 58,000 acres in central Colorado. The current proposal includes special recreation management areas and wilderness designa-

tions to conserve incredible natural resources, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities in Summit and Eagle Counties. CMC is pleased to support this collaborative effort and encourages members to learn more and show their support at www.continentaldivide.org.

CMC Conservation continues to track ongoing public land planning processes occurring across the state including the Eastern Colorado BLM Resource Management Plan, the Rio Grande National Forest Plan revision, and new trail development projects, but WE NEED YOUR HELP! There are countless opportunities to participate in public meetings and provide input to land managers. As outdoor recreationists, CMC members are valuable stakeholders in public land planning and it’s important to make your voice heard. Visit cmc.org/Conservation for more info on how to get involved! ▲

10th Mountain Division Exhibit at the American Mountaineering Museum

By Devyn Studer, Museum Manager

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum www.mountaineeringmuseum.org CMC Member Admission: $3

Artifacts, clothing, and history of the 10th Mountain Division are on display at the American Mountaineering Museum. Photos by Devyn Studer

IN 1939, THE PRESIDENT OF THE National Ski Patrol, Charles Dole, heard reports of Finnish troops on skis defeating Russian forces, even though they were outnumbered, because of their preparedness for the winter conditions.

Dole began lobbying for a similar “mountain” brigade in the United States, and in 1940 the National Ski Patrol became the only civilian army recruiter, helping to enlist experienced skiers for the division.

The 10th Mountain Division was created during World War II in 1943 as a light infantry unit specially trained for fighting in mountainous and arctic conditions. The troops trained in harsh conditions on Mt.

Rainier and set their base camp at Camp Hale, near Leadville, Colorado.

During the war, the 10th Mountain Division soldiers fought in the mountains of Italy and Austria, travelling mainly by skis and fighting in some of the roughest winter conditions, using the terrain to their advantage.

Near the end of the war the troops gained fame with their daring nighttime attacks on German forces in the high Apennine Mountains of Italy.

Equipment was specifically designed for these troops including winter clothing and skis. Much of the research for these designs helped lead outdoor gear to what we use today. The 10th Mountain Division left a leg-

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Open 10am–5pm Wednesday: Open 10am–7pm Saturday: Open 12pm–5pm

acy of 29 backcountry huts and 350 miles of connecting trails in the mountains of Colorado. Many veterans of the troop brought their experience and love of the mountains back with them after the war and went on to turn it into a career, such as Peter Seibert, who founded Vail Ski Resort, Paul Petzoldt, who founded the National Outdoor Leadership School, and Bill Bowerman, who created Nike shoes.

Find artifacts, equipment, and stories from the 10th Mountain Division at the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, the only museum in the nation dedicated to the heroism and history of mountaineering. ▲

New from CMC Press: The Colorado Trail Databook, 6th Edition

By Sarah Gorecki, Director of Publishing

IN DECEMBER, THE CMC PRESS WILL publish the sixth edition of The Colorado Trail Databook, the essential lightweight pack guide for hiking The Colorado Trail.

The pack guide features up to date information on the new trail alignment of the Collegiate West portion of the trail, including updated maps, elevation profiles, and data.

The Colorado Trail is considered by many to be the most beautiful “long trail” in the world. Spanning 486 miles from the Denver suburbs to Durango, Colorado—with 81 additional miles of the new Collegiate West addition—the trail passes through six national forests and six wilderness areas, traverses five major river systems, and crosses

eight mountain ranges.

Written for the thru-hiker, weekend backpacker, day hiker, mountain bicyclist, and horse rider, this lightweight 4” x 7” pack guide can easily be carried in your pocket or backpack. Detailed information is included for all 28 segments of The Colorado Trail, plus the 5 segments of the new Collegiate West trail addition.

Icons for each segment mark access points, campsites, availability of water, and points of interest. Additional icons note services at supply points, such as post offices, lodging, meals, groceries, telephones, banks, showers, outdoor stores, laundry, and medical help.

The Colorado Trail Databook, 6th Edition 88 pages, 4 x 7, 39 maps, paperbound, rounded corners, $14.95, ISBN 978-1937052-25-6. Also available in ebook.

GUIDEBOOK/ COLORADO AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER

Plan your Colorado Trail thru-hike, day hike, or mountain bike adventure this winter, and be ready to hit the trail this spring! ▲ Trail & Timberline

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Around Colorado Our groups across the State WE ARE THE CMC! The Colorado Mountain Club is the state’s leading organization dedicated to adventure, recreation, conservation, and education.

Founded in 1912, the CMC has helped Coloradoans enjoy the mountains for more than a century. The Club acts as a gateway to the outdoors for novices and experts alike, offering an array of year-round activities and events.

The CMC’s local chapters host a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing, and many other outdoor activities. See cmc.org/Calendar for a current listing. Our chapters also include a group for people living outside the state (Friends of Colorado).

Aspen

Contact: Carol Kurt kurtskarma@aol.com Website: cmc.org/Aspen Aspen Group members mainly live in the Roaring Fork Valley; however, some members live across the country and have special connections to Aspen. In addition to mountain recreation activities, Aspen hosts picnics, an annual banquet, and slide shows on winter evenings.

Boulder

Chair: Rick Casey caseyrick@gmail.com Website: CMC.org/Boulder The Boulder Group has a clubroom at 633 South Broadway, Unit K, in Boulder, where they host new member meetings and programs. The Boulder Group operates the Brainard Cabin and Arestua Hut in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest. The Boulder Group also publishes a free online trail map of the Brainard Lake Recreation Area.

Colorado Wilderness Families

Chair: Jennifer Teece jteece@yahoo.com Website: cmc.org/CoWildernessFamilies This group is for families who gather together to enjoy the outdoors safely. Activities are generally designed for the participation of the whole family—including babies to early teens—and include overnight camping or “cabining” hikes, wall climbs, and map and compass practices.

Denver

Chair: David Hutchison dwhutchison3@gmail.com Website: cmc.org/Denver Newsletter: The Mile High Mountaineer The Denver Group is the largest CMC Group and holds most of its programs and school lectures at

the American Mountaineering Center in Golden.

Activities are scheduled almost every day of the week, including weekends and holidays. New member meetings—for new and prospective members—feature informative and interesting videos and briefings on hiking skills and trip policies, and are strongly recommended for all new members. For schedules and more information, visit cmc.org/Calendar.

Denver also has groups of people who meet and recreate together around specific interests. Additional fees may apply for these special interest “sections.”

• Rocky Mountain Over the Hill Gang: for 50+ year-olds • Trailblazers: for members in their 20s and 30s • Photo Section: for photography lovers • Fly Fishing: everything fly fishing

El Pueblo

Chair: Jill Mattoon jill.mattoon@judicial.state.co.us Website: cmc.org/ElPueblo The El Pueblo Group provides outdoor experiences for people in the “un-crowded” southern and southeastern parts of Colorado. El Pueblo holds several social and educational functions each year, including a potluck dinner and monthly meetings with entertaining guest speakers.

The monthly meetings are held the first Friday of most months at 7:00 PM in the parish hall at Ascension Episcopal Church, located at 18th St. and Grand Ave. in Pueblo.

Friends of Colorado

Contact: Scott Otteman scotteman@aol.com Website: cmc.org/FriendsofColorado The Friends of Colorado Group was created in 1987 to support the many CMC members who live out of state but still want to take part in CMC activities when visiting Colorado. Friends of Colorado members receive all the benefits of being a CMC member; visit cmc.org/Join/MemberBenefits for a complete list of member benefits.

A CMC snowshoe trip on the Second Creek Trail from Berthoud Pass. Photo by Ron Hileman

Friends of Routt Backcountry

Chair: Leslie Lovejoy leslie@lovejoygraphics.com Website: cmc.org/FriendsRB Located in Steamboat Springs, this group was created by the CMC during our adoption of the Backcountry Snowsports Alliance. The Backcountry Snowsports Initiative supports non-motorized winter recreation through advocacy and on-the-ground efforts.

Fort Collins

Chair: Ward Whicker Ward.Whicker@ColoState.EDU Website: cmc.org/FtCollins Newsletter: http://fortcmc.org/newsletters.html The Fort Collins Group has members of all ages from Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and the surrounding communities. The Fort Collins Group is the fourth largest CMC group. The group holds monthly programs on the third Wednesday of the month, featuring guest speakers on outdoor topics. For more information on upcoming activities visit cmc.org/Calendar/Trips and search on the Fort Collins Group.

A CMC snowshoe trip on the Resthouse Trail on Mt Evans. Photo by Ron Hileman

2016 In-State Outing July 31–August 5, 2016 Trip Leaders: David Hite and Sherry Richardson The tradition lives on! The 2016 In-State Outing will be at Sweetwater River Ranch on the Arkansas River near Texas Creek, with the Sangre de Cristos nearby. Tent camp or upgrade to a cabin. Check the Adventure Travel website for details.

Gore Range

Shining Mountains

Chair: Colleen Widlak cwidlak@aol.com Website: cmc.org/GoreRange

Chair: Maureen Denig mpdenig@hotmail.com Website: cmc.org/ShiningMountains

Many Gore Range Group members live in the shadow of the magnificent Gore Range in Summit and Eagle Counties. Members from as far south as Salida and north to Kremmling and from out of state are also part of the group. A Gore Range Group newsletter is sent out twice a year, as well as periodic emails.

The Shining Mountains Group serves CMC members in Estes Park, Loveland, Lyons, and the surrounding area. Rocky Mountain National Park benefits from the many volunteer stewardship projects sponsored by the group. “The Friendly Bunch,” organized to help singles of all ages get acquainted with each other, hosts a variety of activities; while most participants are single, all CMC members are welcome.

Longs Peak

Chair: Mike Pippis mike.coloradoguy@gmail.com Website: cmc.org/LongsPeak The Longs Peak Group has members in Longmont, Lyons, Erie, Louisville, Mead, Niwot, and the surrounding area. Formed in 1963, and named for the majestic peak which dominates the western horizon, Longs Peak offers a range of outdoor activities throughout the state.

Pikes Peak

Chair: Collin Powers powerscollin@yahoo.com Website: cmc.org/PikesPeak The Pikes Peak Group, located in Colorado Springs, offers a variety of outdoor activities, educational opportunities, and social events. Pikes Peak has two special “sections”: “SESI” is the section for singles and stands for “Singles Enjoying Similar Interests,” and “20/30-Something” is the Pikes Peak section for members in their 20s and 30s. Monthly meetings feature speaker presentations on regional activities, local history, and trips to exotic places. A potluck dinner is held in May; the Annual Dinner is held in November.

Western Slope

Chair: Stanley Nunnally stanleynunnally@yahoo.com Website: cmc.org/WesternSlope The Western Slope Group has members throughout the Grand Junction area. Monthly meetings include educational speakers and environmental issue updates, as well as stories and tales from CMC trips. Meetings are held at 7:00 pm on the first Wednesday of each month (with no meeting in June, July, or August) at the Masonic Lodge, 2400 Consistory Court, in Grand Junction. The Canyon Call newsletter and periodic emails keep members informed of upcoming meetings, educational activities, adventures, Club trips, and local activities of interest.

Get Involved in Your CMC

•There are many volunteer opportunities throughout the Club. All group activities are led by dedicated and skilled volunteers. Visit cmc.org/Volunteer for more information or contact your local group.

•To ensure the continued enjoyment of Colo-

rado’s pristine places, the CMC leads efforts to protect wild and public lands with its conservation and stewardship programs. cmc.org/Conservation •The CMC’s Youth Education Program inspires confidence and academic achievement in youth through school programs, summer camps, after-school programs, and young adult programs. cmc.org/Youth •The Club has published its magazine, Trail & Timberline, since 1918, and operates the CMC Press with more than 50 titles in print. cmc.org/Store •The American Mountaineering Museum celebrates the rich history of the mountains and mountaineering. mountaineeringmuseum.org

Mountain Education

The CMC offers many educational opportunities through our regional groups. CMC courses appeal to people new to the outdoors as well as people looking for new ways to enjoy the mountains and expand their personal horizons.

These affordable schools encourage individuals to improve their outdoor skill sets.

CMC instructors are volunteers and members of the Club. They are experienced users of the outdoors who have polished their skills on Club trips and demonstrated their leadership abilities. Safety and personal responsibility, respect for the natural environment, and leadership skills are stressed in all courses. Students of all ages gain the skills and knowledge to comfortably participate in mountain trips.

The larger CMC groups offer more than 61 schools and seminars. Smaller groups sometimes host instructors from other group schools for weekend seminars. Volunteer committees in the groups develop the curricula, so there are some variations between the group educational offerings. See cmc.org/schools for a calendar of upcoming schools.

WORLD SUMMIT SERIES: CMC LEADS EXPEDITIONS TO HIGH PEAKS ACROSS THE GLOBE IN 2015

By Jeff Golden, Communications and Digital Marketing Specialist

T

he Year of the Mountaineer may have officially wrapped up September 4, but one more trip remains to add to an overwhelmingly successful World Summit Series campaign.

The World Summit Series, part of the 2015 Year of the Mountaineer, aimed to put Colorado Mountain Club climbers on top of five of the world’s seven highest peaks. It also included a trek to Everest Base Camp, with only one of the Seven Summits—the highest peak on each continent—excluded. That was Vinson Massif, in Antarctica.

The highest-profile World Summit Series trip was to Denali, led by Jason Kolaczkowski. The team climbed the “West Riblet” route, which is more difficult than the standard West Buttress and requires some ice climbing. Kolaczkowski sent 15 dispatches from the mountain, which were chronicled on the CMC blog. He also penned several thought-provoking posts on training and philosophy before departure.

The team summitted on June 19 during an extended period of good weather. The climbers were Aaron Sallade, Chris Kimmit, Chris Schuhmann, Patrick Hutchinson, Sally Wier, and Kolaczkowski. The group functioned well together and became a well-oiled machine during training, which paid off during the climb.

“So it is that in the wild places, where we struggle towards a goal while also sharing in the basic struggles of human survival, where I find true connection—not with the multitudes, but with a few souls with whom I find profound connection,” wrote Kolaczkowski in a blog post.

David Anderson from the Pikes Peak Group led the trip to Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. It also included a four-day safari to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti National Parks, and the Ngorongoro Center.

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Denver Group leaders Sharon and Bob Dawson organized the attempt of 7,310-foot Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia. Like Kilimanjaro, this expedition also built in some leisure time.

It included four days of guided walking through Tasmania’s alpine and coastal regions.

The excursion to the high point of Europe, Mt. Elbrus in Russia, was one of the most successful of the World Summit Series. The team, which was organized by prolific Adventure Travel leader Steve Bonowski, accomplished several high-altitude objectives before topping out on 18,510-foot Mt. Elbrus. The trip concluded with a sightseeing tour of Moscow.

While the intent wasn’t to climb the world’s highest peak, the CMC also sent a special team to Everest Base Camp with the goal of attempting nearby Island Peak. Heavy snows prevented a summit of the 20,305-foot mountain, but the trip was successful all the same. It was led by Pemba Sherpa, who grew up in the Khumbu region and has guided throughout Nepal since 1986. Visiting the area and providing much-needed tourism in the wake of the deadly earthquakes earlier this year was an added bonus.

One more World Summit Series expedition remains, to mighty Aconcagua in Argentina. This Bill Blazek-led trip will attempt the standard route on the 22,841-foot mountain between November 22 and December 13, 2015. It will also include some time in Mendoza, a city world-renowned for its friendly people, food, and Malbec wines.

It would be hard to call the World Summit Series anything but successful. Most of the climbing goals were accomplished, and the Colorado Mountain Club once again proved that its members can perform at a high level both in their home state and abroad.

Though these trips were branded as the unified World Summit Series as part of the 2015 Year of the Mountaineer, the CMC offers expeditions to high peaks across the globe every single year. If these trips sound inspiring, consider joining a CMC excursion to reach one of your dream summits in 2016. ▲

DENALI

ACONCAGUA

KILIMANJARO

AUSTRALIA

EVEREST BASE CAMP

ELBRUS

[Top Left] Aaron Sallade at approximately 18,000’ on the West Rib of Denali with Mount Foraker in the background. Photo by Jason Kolaczkowski [Top Right] Plaza de Mulas base camp on Aconcagua. Photo by Steve Bonowski [Middle Left] CMC climbers scramble up the Machame Route on Kilimanjaro in 2014. Photo by Scott Cull [Middle Right] Robert LeClair at Everest Base Camp, October 21, 2015. Photo courtesy of Robert LeClair [Bottom Left] The Tarn Shelf in Mt. Field National Park. Photo by Bob Dawson [Bottom Right] The Mt. Elbrus team takes a break for a photo opportunity on a picturesque alpine trail during an acclimatization hike in the Caucasus Mountains. Photo by Paul Wefald

Trail & Timberline

15

DENALI: BEYOND THE SUMMIT

T

his past June I led an expedition to the highest mountain in North America: Denali (20,310’). It was part of the Colorado Mountain Club’s Year of the Mountaineer, World Summit Series, and to date it was the biggest climbing adventure of my life. We climbed via the non-standard Upper West Rib Cutoff, and we had the chance to experience some pretty spectacular, frightening, and life-affirming things.

Now that I’ve completed my climb of Denali, I’m pretty sure that for every big climb, you acclimatize twice. I’ll explain. But to understand, you need to know some of the background as well as get a taste of the events of the climb itself.

When Chris Schuhmann first approached me about climbing the West Rib Cutoff on Denali, it was late January or early February of 2013. So, the dream of making my first truly big climb was two and a half years in the making. The confounding factor was my physical health. That summer I tore my right ACL for a third time and would have my knee reconstructed for a third time. That set in motion two full years of waking up to physical rehabilitation.

Preparing for Denali also meant two full years of climbing to prepare for a specific kind of masochism. But for the relatively rare exceptions, I would spend my time not on the fun rock scrambles and technical mixed climbing that Colorado offers in abundance, but rather on long slogs hauling heavy sleds behind me in endless attempts to get my legs, and particularly my right leg, back in shape for what would be the longest and heaviest climb of my career.

After the years of planning and preparation, the climb itself proved to be relatively straightforward, that is until our actual summit attempt.

After spending three days stuck in a storm at Camp One (7,500’), we were then gifted with eleven straight days of beautiful weather that allowed us to move. We did take one rest day at Camp Four (14,200’), but we were moving or setting a cache all other days. That normally just doesn’t happen, but it did for us.

However, as we attempted the summit on June 17 from our high camp at 16,300’ on the West Rib, we had less than ideal snow conditions. An inch or so of soft snow was lying on top of snow so hard you could not drive your ax pick into it. On slopes of 40–60 degrees (or more in places), arresting a fall wasn’t going to happen. Further, as we were roped together, a fall by one climber would likely yank the whole team off and down the several thousand feet into Genet Basin and the 14,200’ Camp below.

So, we had a choice to either climb free and each person be responsible for his or her own safety, or to establish a running belay over much of the route. We chose the latter. However, stopping every six pickets to bring the snow protection back from the last person to our lead climber took time. We ended up moving only 250’ vertical feet per hour. That’s simply too slow to gain 4,000’ and then get back down to safety. Here is where serendipity stepped in.

Our original plan was to leave our high ascent camp set at 16,300’ on the West Rib, descend the West Buttress (where we had left supplies at the 17,200’ Camp), and then return to the West Rib to retrieve our 16,300’ Camp supplies on a later day. To spare ourselves the “extra day” retrieving gear, the team was feeling strong enough to take our camp supplies up and over with us.

As our progress waned to a near crawl, we were left with a number of options: 1) retreat back down our ascent route on the West Rib; 16

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By Jason Kolaczkowski

2) cross under Archdeacon’s Tower (19,650’) and immediately head down the Buttress route to our descent camp at 17,200’; or 3) find a flat spot to camp. Having our camp gear with us, we chose the latter.

Of course, the risk in this was that it isn’t exactly the ideal acclimatization plan to sleep 2,000’ higher than the highest you’ve climbed on any day prior. But we had had little to no altitude issues up to this point. This was the riskiest decision of our climb.

Having the ability to set this unplanned camp probably saved our summit bid. As it turned out, our beautiful weather held, and the next day we did the comparatively easy remaining 1,200 feet to the summit.

The descent was still fraught with enough danger to ensure we stayed focused and in the moment. But it also held some spectacular views.

Looking down the ridge of the West Buttress, with 17,400-foot Mount Foraker peering through the clouds, is really a sight to behold.

But then, after all of it—after the two and a half years of preparation, after the countless hours of training, after the planning and packing, after the climbing, after the unplanned bivy, after the spectacular views—it was time to come home. And it was at that time that I confronted a problem that I didn’t expect...

How do I process all of this? How do I take the time to properly reflect upon the balance that was struck between good planning and good fortune? What did it mean to have completed this climb?

This, to me, is the second acclimatization.

The rest of the world didn’t stop while we spent two weeks climbing a mountain. People went to work; families shared meals and conversations. Heck, people were born, and others passed on. I simply happened to spend that same period of time doing something for which the rest of my life has no frame of reference. The rest of the world really didn’t care.

Off the mountain, and no longer cradled in the luxury of being present only in the moment, I have tried to re-acclimate. To me, the biggest difference between my time in the mountains and my time in my “real life” is that the mountains do not only allow, they require that I push aside thoughts of the past as well as those of the future.

My safety depends upon it. However, the rest of my life considers the past, present, and future—if not in equal measure—at least in significant doses of each.

Following my return, the world seems to have taken on more of the present. The timing of my internal clock has been re-engineered.

The moments I spend with my wife, my moments with my kids, even the moments of a good meal or a good book have a bit of added significance. My time on the summit was so fleeting. I wasn’t euphoric. I felt accomplished. I felt relieved. I felt camaraderie. But it was just a moment. And funny, looking back, that moment on the summit wasn’t any more or less rewarding than all of the individual moments that summed up to get me there.

I guess it took me two and a half years to learn when and how to “switch on” and live in the present. I’m not sure I’ll ever again earn such a reward. ▲ In addition to being a CMC Senior Instructor for the High Altitude Mountaineering School, Jason Kolaczkowski is also the Director of the Advanced Crevasse Rescue Seminar, is an Adventure Travel trip leader, and is a State Board member. When not climbing the big peaks, Jason can usually be found in Colorado’s backcountry with his wife, Kristina, and twin boys Connor and Kade.

[Top Left] June 17, 2015. At about 18,000’, the team making our way up the Upper West Rib on Denali (20,310’). West (12,835’) and East (13,440’) Kahiltna Peaks are in the background. Photo by Jason Kolaczkowski [Top Right] June 16, 2015. Camp Five (16,300’). Photo by Sally Wier [Middle Left] June 17, 2015.

Chris Kimmett, another team member, and Aaron Sallade at our bivy camp (19,150’). Photo by Jason Kolaczkowski [Middle Right] June 18, 2015. Rope One: Jason Kolaczkowski, Chris Schuhmann, and Sally Wier on the summit of Denali (20,310’). Photo by Chris Kimmett [Bottom Left] June 19, 2015. An unknown group ascending the West Buttress route as we descend. Photo by Sally Wier [Bottom Right] June 21, 2015. The view of Denali from the flight off of the Kahiltna Glacier. Photo by Jason Kolaczkowski

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MOUNT KOSCUISZKO: ON TOP OF DOWN UNDER

I

f one aspires to climb the traditional seven continental summits, they will eventually be visiting the land down under. Mount Kosciuszko is situated in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales and is the highest peak in Australia at 7,310 feet. Eight CMC members signed up for this first hike of the World Summit Series during the CMC’s Year of the Mountaineer. This brief report attempts to summarize our fantastic experience in Australia.

The trip participants were Craig Patterson, Sherri Durham, Kathleen Brennan, Lin Murphy, Darrell Gubbels, Kim Rus, and Nela Lewis (Tasmanian portion only). The trip leaders were the authors, Bob and Sharon Dawson.

After the long flight, we spent the first night at the Sydney Railway hostel, which we found, as with the other YHA hostels in Australia, to be friendly, clean, and affordable. After some brief sightseeing in Sydney and a reasonable still-jetlagged night’s sleep, we rented a van and headed for Thredbo, about a seven-hour drive south and west of Sydney. It was quite intimidating at first: shifting the standard transmission left-handed and driving on the opposite side of the road, but we made it without incident to our destination, Thredbo, which is a quaint, Switzerland-like ski resort in the Snowy Mountains. Along the drive we saw our first Wallabies, basically small kangaroos. We checked into a fantastic little resort condo complex and ventured out right at a fine sunset for a light dinner at a nearby outdoor café.

The next day was forecast to be near-perfect weather. So without further ado, we went right at the Kosciuszko climb. One way to climb Kosciuszko is to take the chairlift in Thredbo up 1,500 vertical feet and follow the path to the summit. Instead of taking the chairlift, we hiked a steep, winding route up below the chairlift, then made the easier walk to the summit, about 8 trail miles total from Thredbo. The initial climb included these same 1,500 vertical feet, then leveled off somewhat for the remaining 900 feet of vertical gain to the summit. Most of the rest of the walk was on a wide, slightly elevated metal walkway built to protect the fragile tundra areas.

A few hours later we enjoyed a beautiful late summer sunny day on top of Australia as we all proudly smiled for our summit picture with our CMC sign. On the way down many of us took a diversion and climbed North Rams Head, which is the seventh tallest peak in Australia with a nice scramble to its summit.

That evening, we decided to celebrate by preparing our own group dinner in the larger of our two condos. We all retired for the evening with smiles all around. Our primary purpose for the trip was complete and fully successful!

The next day our peak-bagging instincts were in full gear. So we

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By Bob and Sharon Dawson

drove around to Charlotte Pass and embarked on the Main Range Walk, a 20-km loop. Most of the group made the full loop with several diversions to claim three other peaks in the list of Australia’s top ten highest peaks, including Mt. Townsend, Australia’s second highest peak. This concluded another fantastic and successful day.

Having completed our main objectives in the Snowy Mountains, we headed to the beautiful Blue Mountains just west of Sydney for a day of hiking along the rim overlooking the Jamison valley. The group needing some “alone time,” we went our separate ways exploring this beautiful area. Sharon and I did a fantastic rim-trail walk plus some side trails into the valley where we saw numerous waterfalls, exotic flowers and trees, and the uniquely beautiful lyrebird.

Tired from another long day of hiking, but immensely satisfied, we headed back into Sydney. We returned the rental van, checking back into the Railway hostel for the night. What a relief not having any more driving to do!

Our next destination was Tasmania for some guided walking tours of this unique island off the southern coast of mainland Australia. We took a flight to Hobart, and worked with a local hiking company, “Tasmanian Wilderness Experience,” to see some of the highlights in this beautiful land. We did two coastal hikes to Freycinet Peninsula and Tasman National Park, along with two alpine hikes to Mt. Field National Park and a climb of Hartz Peak. Finally, we spent a day in Hobart exploring the museums and learning about the history of Tasmania before the flight back to Sydney. For some of us, these six days in Tasmania were the highlight of the trip.

We finished our adventure with three days in Sydney exploring the city and one last fantastic coastal sea hike in Royal National Park. The three nights were spent in the Sydney Harbor Hostel, right in the heart of the Sydney Harbor wharf area. The roof of this hostel includes a well-furnished patio area with perfect views of the harbor itself, the iconic Sydney Opera House, and the harbor bridge. We all spent countless hours up on the patio roof enjoying conversation and the sights. One evening included the weekly barbeque put on by the hostel; it was seven bucks for a complete meal, including some uniquely Australian fare (Kangaroo sausage).

For our final full day “down under,” we decided to visit Royal National Park south of Sydney. This involved a short train ride and a ferry ride to the park’s peninsula. We went on a nice, scenic, long walk down the rugged coastline.

With the lack of significant language and cultural differences, travel in Australia was easy and relaxed, and this trip turned out to be a fantastic and completely satisfying experience. It was a great way to start the 2015 Colorado Mountain Club Year of the Mountaineer. ▲

[Top Left] Our full group in Tasmania, along with our guides and some new Aussie pals. Photo by Bob Dawson [Top Right] The Summit of Hartz Peak; very Colorado-like terrain. Photo by Bob Dawson [Middle Left] On top of Australia! Photo by Bob Dawson [Middle Right] The Kosciuszko summit walk.

Photo by Bob Dawson [Bottom Left] A rainy trek in Mt. Field National Park. Photo by Bob Dawson [Bottom Right] Sharon overlooking the pounding surf in Royal National Park. Photo by Bob Dawson

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Safety First

SIGNALING FOR HELP IN THE BACKCOUNTRY: HIGH-TECH AND TRADITIONAL METHODS

BY MICHELLE HOLDENER, STEWARDSHIP TEAM

I

magine this. . . you are in the backcountry with your normal gear enjoying the gorgeous scenery when out of nowhere the unexpected happens: you take a tumble, become severely injured, and can no longer make the trek back to your car. Someone needs to find you. Since you did follow the protocol of at least letting a friend or loved one know where you are going and how long you will be gone, you can expect that a search will begin for you in a day or two.

There are a few options for signaling for help at this point, the more you are capable of the better. The following techniques can help you in any situation where your original plan fails you, such as getting lost, your car breaking down in a remote location, becoming injured, or poor planning.

There are some preventative measures instead of using extreme distress signaling. First is one we almost all possess, a cell phone.

While it is not the most reliable option, you may be surprised to find even in remote settings you can sometimes still send a short text message. One method I have experienced other folks using is a number system. By setting up a code of numbers with a spouse or a friend (i.e., “1” for “On schedule,” “2” for “Will be a few hours behind,” and “3” for “SOS”) you increase your chances of getting a text message out by only having to send one character. The recipient 20

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of the message can get you help. On that note, there are a variety of apps available for smart phones that will track your phone. If you inform your loved ones of where you will be going and for how long, they can potentially locate you through this type of app.

If you are like me, you probably use your cell phone for taking pictures to document your epic adventures and you may fear running out of battery in a situation like this. One way to conserve the battery is to keep your phone set on Airplane Mode. While this makes the battery life last a little longer, it will not last forever. Purchasing an external battery to carry with you can be a helpful tool if your communication device dies. These batteries vary in how much power they will provide; remember that when you are getting picture happy. There are solar charging options available as well.

An alternative to crossing your fingers and hoping you can get a

text message out is investing in a satellite communication device. There are many to chose from: SPOT, Delorme, Garmin, Iridium, etc. The very basic, no-frills devices come equipped with an SOS button that will locate your coordinates and notify search and rescue. The features go up from there. Some of these devices will allow you to program email addresses and phone numbers so you can send a quick “check in,” a customized text message, or even post to Facebook! The battery life on the satellite communication devices is usually much longer than that of a cell phone, but if necessary you are also capable of charging these devices on an external battery or solar panel.

If technology fails you, the first thing you need to do is find an open space as close to the route you intended to follow as possible. When a search begins for you, it will start along the route you stated that you would be taking. After choosing an ideal signaling site that is open and clear of undergrowth, set up your camp. Who knows how long you will be there, so you should get as comfortable as your circumstances allow.

Once you are moved in, the signaling process begins.

Whistling and Audible Signals: A whistle is a very light and practical device to carry when you are on your adventure. It is known by many as a sign of distress to blow your whistle three times in a row, followed by a pause, and continuing the pattern. If you do not have a whistle, any noise you make three times in a row will work (such as yelling, clapping rocks together, banging on your cook pot).

SOS (“Save Our Souls”): Similar to the audible approach, SOS is a universal distress signal typically used with a light. If you have a bright headlamp, your best luck is at night flashing it in the pattern: three fast, three slow, three fast. This may be tedious, but all you need is for one person to spot you.

Mirror Signals: If you happen to have brought something that you can use to reflect the sun off of, like your camp pot, the bottom of your canister fuel can, a mirror, or even the inside of some granola bar wrappers, these can be great tools to use for signaling help as well. When you detect an airplane or someone who can see your signal, use the SOS code (three short, three long, three short) to attract their attention by reflecting the sun in their direction.

Signal Fires: Signaling for help with fires is one of the most well known ways to be rescued. While any fire can get someone’s attention, building three fires in a triangle shape with about 100 feet between the fires is an international signal for distress. When doing this, be fire safe and keep a close watch because starting a wildfire will put you in an even worse predicament. If you start a fire during daylight hours, the smokier you can make these fires the better. Burning wet wood will provide more smoke than burning dry wood.

Other things to consider: Use bright colored gear to make yourself more visible, always carry extra batteries for your headlamp, always carry a lighter or fire starting device, always carry water purification and an extra liter of water if you are unsure of the next available water source, learn about bivouacking techniques, and learn basic wilderness first aid techniques.

Signaling for help can be frustrating, so be sure to come prepared.

Technology can be a valuable source that is worth the weight, but it may not always be reliable. So if you are signaling without technology, remember that it is always worth the wait. Remain calm, take care of your basic human needs, and signal consistently. ▲ [Opposing Page] Wearing bright colors in open spaces increases your visibility. Photo by Felicia Moran [Top] Signing in at the trailhead can confirm your last known location for a search and rescue team. Photo by Michelle Holdener [Top Middle] Hiking down the beautiful Kelly Lake Trail in State Forest State Park. Photo by Clayton Meyer [Bottom Middle] Setting up camp, Clear Lake, State Forest State Park. Photo by Clayton Meyer [Bottom] A bright colored camp in an open location can increase your visibility and chances of being found. Photo by Felicia Moran

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YEAR OF THE MOUNTAINEER: CMC CELEBRATES ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK’S CENTENNIAL

By Robin Lindsay, CMC Marketing Intern

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n years to come when I am asleep beneath the pines, thousands of families will find rest and hope in this park.” This was the hope of naturalist and nature guide Enos Mills, the founder of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Since its formation in 1912, the Colorado Mountain Club has been a supporter of the park, with the Club’s original president, James Grafton Rogers, being the first person to lobby Congress for the creation of a national preserve in the Estes Valley beginning in 1907.

Alongside Enos Mills, the CMC played an integral role in advocating for the preservation of the forests, rivers, lakes, wildlife, and high peaks in the area. After several years of efforts to protect it, the nation’s tenth national park was created and a dedication ceremony was held on September 4, 1915. Rocky Mountain National Park has seen nearly 200 million visitors since its inception.

To celebrate Rocky Mountain National Park’s 100th anniversary and the essential role the Club held in the park’s creation, the Colorado Mountain Club designated September 2014 through September 2015 as the Year of the Mountaineer. During the year, CMC teams climbed many of the world’s high peaks, including Denali, Aconcagua, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Rainier, Orizaba, Mt. Kosciusko, and Mt. Kilimanjaro under the banner of the World Summit Series.

This past year, the CMC stayed busy in its home state, as well. CMC members Nancy Endly, Carol Bennett, and Leslie Koshigoe each hiked more than 100 miles in Rocky Mountain National Park. Trip leader John Walters led or co-led hikes that totaled more than 350 miles. Dave Covill and Tom Chapel both climbed six peaks in the park in a single day, with the latter completing the coveted “Mummy Mania” route traversing Mt. Chapin, Mt. Chiquita, Mt. Ypsilon, Mt. Fairchild, Hagues Mountain, and Mummy Mountain in 13 hours. In the summer months, CMC members had the opportunity to join scenic wildflower hikes in the park, enjoying the more than 125 varieties of wildflowers that abound in the area.

Between Sept. 4, 2014 and Sept. 4, 2015, Club members participated in more than

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200 trips in Rocky Mountain National Park, including climbs of 50 of the park’s 125 named peaks.

The Year of the Mountaineer came to a close on Friday, September 4, 2015, with a rededication celebrating Rocky Mountain National Park’s 100th birthday. The ceremony was held in the meadow at the Glacier Basin Campground and featured keynote speaker Jon Jarvis, the Director of the National Park Service, as well as appearances by RMNP Superintendant Vaughn Baker, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Senator Cory Gardner, and honorary chair of the park’s centennial Mark Udall.

“In this park, you have the freedom to get lost. You have the freedom to climb,” Udall said. “One hundred years is a big deal.”

Over a thousand people attended the celebration, enjoying music, historical attire, family activities, and of course, a birthday cake served by the Estes Park Woman’s Club, which also provided the hostesses for the original dedication in 1915. Estes Park musician “Cowboy” Brad Fitch brought some audience members to tears with his rendition of John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High,” and also played a few songs he has written about Rocky Mountain National Park. The ceremony was centered on rededicating the park for the next hundred years, and emphasizing that today’s youth are tomorrow’s stewards.

Rocky Mountain National Park saw over 3.4 million visitors last year, making it the fifth most-visited national park in the United States. Each year, these visitors drive on the scenic Trail Ridge Road, enjoy day hikes, climb the majestic high peaks, or just take in the breathtaking views available almost anywhere in the park. It is evident that Enos Mills’ vision for Rocky Mountain National Park has more than come true, and the Colorado Mountain Club is proud to have been there from the beginning as well as to celebrate this momentous anniversary.

Here’s looking forward to the next hundred years! ▲

[Opposing Page, Top] A Denver attorney and man of many talents, James Grafton Rogers led the Colorado Mountain Club in its first years and was a major force in the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park Courtesy of CMC Archives (reprinted from 100 Years Up High: Colorado Mountains and Mountaineers, CMC Press) [Opposing Page, Bottom] Sunrise on Longs Peak.

Courtesy of CMC Archives [This Page, Top] A view across frozen Mills Lake in Wild Basin of Rocky Mountain National Park, with several of the Park’s highest peaks visible in the background. Photo by Jeff Golden [This Page, Middle Left] Early Colorado Mountain Club members take a break on an exposed precipice while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Courtesy of CMC

Archives [This Page, Middle Right] James Grafton Rogers, the first president of the Colorado Mountain Club, sought help from outdoor clubs such as the Seattle-based Mountaineers in his long campaign to create Rocky Mountain National Park. Courtesy of CMC Archives (reprinted from 100 Years Up High: Colorado Mountains and Mountaineers, CMC Press) [This Page, Bottom Left] A 2015 Year of the Mountaineer flag on display during Rocky Mountain National Park’s centennial celebration on Sept. 4, 2015. Photo by Linda Lawson [This Page, Bottom Right] A group of Colorado Mountain Club members celebrates in the parking lot after a hike in honor of Rocky Mountain National Park’s 100th anniversary. Photo by Carol Bennett

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Paradise Park and Ten Lakes Park from the summit of “Fleur de Lis Peak.” Photo by Kent Keller

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK’S

UNNAMED PEAKS

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Jim Disney (left) and Kent Keller after a day of exploration in the Never Summer Range. Photo by Howard Pomranka

Symmetrical cones (left to right) of Mt. Dunraven, “Raven Peak,” and Mt. Dickinson.

Photo by Kent Keller 24

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By G. Kent Keller

hat does a lover of Rocky Mountain National Park do when she or he has climbed all the 128 named peaks? visited all the 126 named lakes? reached the 10 officially and unofficially named glaciers? or hiked all the 400+ miles of trails? Jim Disney might respond, “Climb the unnamed peaks, of course.” Some years ago mountaineer and artist James Disney pored over the maps and identified about twenty summits within the Park boundaries which met the “300-foot rule” but which had no official names.

But let’s digress here for a bit of history. In the 1950s many of us who were climbing in the Park were using the old 1915 United States Geological Survey (USGS) map and David Cargo and Richard Chisholm’s Rocky Mountain National Park: An Outdoorsman’s Guide (1956), which listed 63 named summits (above 10,000 feet). Assisted by the new 1957–62 series of USGS topographic quadrangles, the two authors revised their guide in 1964 and updated their list to include 107 peaks above 10,000 feet. A few years later I wrote an article for this publication titled “Seven Spires,” about some of the newly-named peaks (Trail & Timberline, March 1973). Prompted by this article and my description of the first ascent of the Cleaver on August 22, 1971, Glenn Porzak phoned me later in 1973 or early 1974.

In that phone conversation he and I learned that each other had designs on visiting all of the Park’s named summits. Glenn became the first person to reach that goal.

In 1982 Jim Disney began climbing all of the Park’s named summits using Cargo and Chisholm’s list. A few months later six more named summits were incorporated into the Park when its boundaries were expanded, thanks in part to the efforts of Glenn Porzak. In 1988 Disney ran into Dick Dietz on a solo climb of the Cleaver. Jim had seen Dick’s name on many summit registers atop RMNP peaks. That short visit on the side of the Cleaver started a discussion between the two men about which peaks should be included on a list of named summits in the Park. Dietz also was conferring with others, such as Porzak, Gerry Roach, Bill Napier, and Rich Riefenberg. The list grew to 125 and recognized three “9ers” and three “8ers.” The list has now increased to 128 named summits.

But what of the unnamed summits that met the “300-foot rule”? The conversation led to efforts to identify—and climb!—significant peaks with no names. Howard Pomranka, Napier, and I, among others, became involved in this discussion. Jim Disney especially wanted the lists of bona fide peaks, as well as points and prominent features, to be as long as possible, “thereby suggesting the most opportunities to explore and enjoy the Park.”

The officially named peaks were so designated on the 1957–62 series of USGS topographical quadrangle maps and would have been approved by the United States Board of Geographic Names. Gerry Roach’s 1988 Rocky Mountain National Park: Classic Hikes and

Unofficial Names of the Unnamed Peaks

Elevation

“Cloudview Peak” aka “Jiffy Pop Peak” (F, 336) “Trail Ridge Peak” aka “Lava Cliffs Peak” “North Star Peak” aka “Flint Peak” “North Specimen Mtn.” (F, 351) aka “Three Rivers Peak” (Disney) “Raven Peak” “Fleur de Lis Peak” (R, 200; F, 282) aka “Paradise Peak” (Disney) “Ptarmigans Beak” (R, 198; F, 281) aka “Spirit Peak” (Disney) “The Electrode” (F, 328) “Worthwhile Peak” “Roaring Peak” (F, 316) “South Sister” (F, 261) “Confluence Peak” “Pennock Peak” “Gray Jay Peak” “Nutcracker Peak” “Lightning Peak” (F, 256) “Bushwhack Peak” “Thunder Peak” (F, 256) “Cascade Falls Peak” “West Gemstone”

12,438’ 12,355’ 12,308’ 12,307’ 12,305’ 12,250’ 12,241’ 12,018’ 11,860’ 11,721’ 11,376’ 11,220’ 11,058’ 10,965’ 10,855’ 10,567’ 10,192’ 10,134’ 9,723’ 9,120+’

Location East of Lead Mountain Northwest of Lava Cliffs and Iceberg Lake NW of Mirror Lake N of Specimen Mtn. Between Dunraven and Dickinson SSE of Lake Verna SE of Andrews Peak E of Static Peak S of Long Draw Reservoir SW of Mt. Adams S of Twin Sisters Peaks Between Willow Creek and Poudre River; SW of Hague Creek mouth SW of South Signal Mtn. N of Onahu Creek S of Confluence Peak, 5 miles N of Milner Pass N of Estes Cone S of Onahu Creek, N of Green Mtn. Trail N of “Lightning Peak” NW of Cascade Falls NW of Gem Lake

Climbs (page references indicated with “R” above) describes two of these peaks, and Lisa Foster’s 2005 Rocky Mountain National Park: The Complete Hiking Guide (page references indicated with “F” above) mentions nine of them. A few of the unofficial names had been attached to the peaks by local people. For example, hikers at the YMCA of the Rockies had for years called two nearby peaks “Thunder” and “Lightning.”

What is the “300-foot rule”? Topographic prominence is the height of a “peak” or “point” above the saddle connecting it with a higher summit. The Colorado Mountain Club has determined that summits must rise at least 300 feet above such saddles in order to qualify as “ranked” or true, bona fide “peak.” Roach notes, “There is nothing magical about 300 feet. It is just a round number that seems to make sense in Colorado.” (Roach, Colorado’s Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs, 2nd edition, Fulcrum Publishing, 1999, p.287.) Of the peaks in RMNP that satisfy this 300-foot requirement, there are twenty that are not named on the USGS maps.

What defines a “peak”? It is helpful to describe a ranked mountain that meets the 300-foot rule as a “Peak, Mount, or Mountain.” High points that do not meet the 300-foot rule might best be designated as “Points.” Hence, the following prominences are more clearly described as points and do not qualify as unnamed peaks: 13,300’ “Gibraltar Mountain;” 12,760+’ “Middle No Name” and 12,530’ “Little No Name” (F, p. 155), all of which do not rise 300’ above the saddles on the long ridge north of Hagues Peak; 12,632’ “Jagor Point” (F, p. 106), lower than and connected with Mt. Ida; 12,360+’ “Eleanor” (F, p. 100), which does not rise 300’ above the lowest saddle between it and Chief Cheley Peak; 12,232’ “Ikoko” (F, p. 162), lower than and connected to “North Star Peak”; 12,005’ “Fall River Pass Mountain” aka “Huffers Hill” (F, p. 123), lower than and connected with “Trail Ridge Peak”; 11,209’ “Squeak Point,” lower than and connected with Specimen Mountain; and 10,809’ “Echo Point,” lower than and connected by a long ridge with Mount Adams. None of these points are ranked. That is, they do not meet the 300-foot rule.

The unnamed ranked peaks are scattered throughout RMNP in almost every area except, surprisingly, Wild Basin. Six are on the Western Slope, five in the Mummy Range, three in the main section of the Front Range, two in the Never Summers. Two are part of the Specimen massif.

One sits atop Trail Ridge and one at the east end of Lumpy Ridge. Many can be accessed on day hikes, although a few would more easily be scaled from backpack trips. Quite amazingly, eight of the twenty peaks exceed 12,000 feet in elevation. Four more also rise above timberline. Nevertheless, the easiest climbing routes on none of them are technical. All are second class climbs. The list above shows the twenty in descending order of elevation with their locations.

Cloudview Peak gets its happily appropriate unofficial name from Jim Disney. Overlooking Lake of the Clouds, this pleasant summit provides views of some of the “cloud peaks,” notably

“Aiguille de Fleur” in front of “Fleur de Lis Peak” above Spirit Lake. Photo by Kent Keller

Lake of the Clouds and Mt. Cirrus from the summit of “Cloudview Peak.” Photo by Kent Keller

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“Cloudview Peak” (right) and Lead Mountain. Photo by Kent Keller

“The Electrode” (left) and Static Peak during an early fall CMC hike. Photo by Kent Keller

“Roaring Peak.” Photo by Kent Keller 26

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Mt. Cirrus. Cloudview is the tallest of the unnamed peaks and guards the east end of the ridge that links it to Lead Mountain. The alternative name, “Jiffy Pop” probably means nothing to those under fifty years of age. This name, in our opinion, is beneath the dignity of the mountain.

Trail Ridge Peak hovers only a short distance above Trail Ridge Road so is the most easily reached of the twenty peaks. Yet it towers above the Lava Cliffs and Iceberg Lake. Only Sundance Mountain is a higher prominence along Trail Ridge.

North Star Peak overshadows spectacular “Ikoko Point” by 76 feet. Approaching “North Star” via the west rim of the cirque embracing Mirror Lake is a real treat: this lake is one of the loveliest places in Rocky. A shorter access route comes from the north. Disney suggested this name because the summit is located almost in the center of the north boundary of the Park from east to west.

North Specimen Mountain is situated in the Specimen Mountain Research Natural Area.

In order to protect the resident bighorn sheep, there is no legal public access to its summit.

Disney’s suggested name, “Three Rivers Peak,” stems from its summit view. One can see the headwaters of three drainages: the Colorado, Cache la Poudre, and Big Thompson Rivers.

Raven Peak is located in the center of the long ridge between Mounts Dunraven and Dickinson. Disney came up with “Raven” because there is not any feature in the Park that bears the name of one of its most common and colorful feathered characters. However, it is interesting that this 12er stands next to Mount Dunraven.

Fleur de Lis Peak sits beyond the dramatic (also officially unnamed) “Aiguille de Fleur,” i.e., “Flower Needle.” Seen from the lakes along the East Inlet, the Aiguille reminds one of Lone Eagle Peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The higher peak occupies a midpoint on the lengthy crest between Isolation Peak and Mt. Craig and offers a grand view to the south of Paradise Park, which suggested this peak’s alternative name, “Paradise Peak.”

Ptarmigan’s Beak rises majestically south of Lake Catherine, the most remote feature in RMNP. Routes to its summit converge from Lake Catherine, Lake Verna, and Andrews Peak.

Disney recommended calling this mountain “Spirit Peak” because of its proximity to Spirit Lake.

The Electrode derives its unofficial, but very fitting, designation from its closeness to Static Peak. When it is covered with snow, surrounded as it is by Static, Richthofen, and Nokhu Crags, the Electrode is an impressive 12er indeed.

Worthwhile Peak is certainly a worthwhile hike, standing sentinel at the north edge of beautiful tundra that stretches off to the Specimen massif. Its summit ridge blesses the hiker with outstanding—worthwhile!—views of Long Draw Reservoir, the northern Never Summer Range, and the Rawahs.

Roaring Peak gets this moniker because it presides over Watanga Creek, which drains into the Roaring Fork. From Watanga Lake and Creek, the saddle between Mount Adams and this fine peak indicates the way up its eastern ridge.

The South Sister presents a problem in nomenclature. Although not named as such on the USGS Longs Peak quadrangle, it is combined with Twin Sisters Peaks and other prominences outside RMNP as part of Twin Sisters Mountain. It can hardly be considered as the (sole) Twin Sisters Mountain, so we count it as an unnamed peak and give it the generally accepted name of “South Sister.”

Nutcracker Peak has the strange distinction of being lower than its trailhead at Chapin

Nearing the rocky summit of “Pennock Peak.” Photo by Kent Keller

Pass, and its neighbor, Confluence Peak, is only slightly higher than the trailhead. Separated from each other by boggy terrain, these two peaks can be visited easily on the same wet-feet day hike.

Pennock Creek to the north gives Pennock Peak its unofficial name, but the North Fork of the Big Thompson affords a better route. The craggy southeast ridge from “Kettle Tarn” and the North Fork ranger cabin twists delightfully to the top.

Gray Jay and Bushwhack Peaks are, in my opinion, the least interesting of the twenty. Temporarily ravaged by pinebark beetle infestation, they do require bushwhacking, although you can climb them together. Hike up the Onahu Creek Trail, and turn left to reach Gray Jay from Long Meadows. Turn right to reach Bushwhack from Big Meadows.

Lightning and Thunder Peaks stairstep down in long sweeps from Estes Cone. YMCA of the Rockies hikers have intimately known these two mountains and have called them by these names for years. Thunder Mountain Lane also acknowledges the unofficial name. However, Thunder Peak should not be confused with Thunder Mountain in the northeastern section of the Never Summer Range. Aspen Brook to the east and Wind River to the west present a variety of routes to these two rocky summits.

Cascade Falls Peak overlooks Cascade Falls—no surprise there! Upon leaving the North Inlet Trail near the falls, we found a pair of women’s gloves on a rock halfway up the mountain. Inscribed on the register in a glass jar on the summit were only a very few names and just one woman’s name. The gloves had to be hers, so we returned them to her in Estes Park. But she said the gloves did not belong to her. So, the mystery remains.

Surrounding Gem Lake, the marvelous heights of the “Gemstones” (East, Middle and West) were labeled as such because of their proximity to Gem Lake. Jim Disney avers that he’s “the one to blame for the name.” The West Gemstone is the apex of the group and the most fun to climb. It is best approached from the Middle Gemstone, west of the Gem Lake Trail. It may also be accessed from the trailless draw that begins at “Paul Bunyan’s Boot” and skirts along the west side of the Gemstones. Up the south face of the West Gemstone rises an improbable rib, which actually furnishes a quite doable scramble to the summit.

Potholes and other fascinating geological formations serve as very satisfactory handholds and footholds. The National Park Service has shown some interest in adopting “Gemstones” as an official name.

Making lists of summits without official names—as well as those with official names— may help motivate more persons to get out and explore the splendors of Rocky. If that is the case, it’s all good as our National Park celebrates its one hundredth anniversary! ▲

“Ptarmigans Beak” (left) and Andrews Peak reflected in “Lake Catherine.” Photo by Kent Keller

Mt. Richthofen with the author on “The Electrode” summit. Photo by Kent Keller

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Pathfinder THE MAGIC OF WINTER: Explore these Front Range Trails on Snowshoes or Skis

By Alan Apt

CMC hikers on Mahler Mountain summit. Photo by Ward Wicker

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inter is a great time to get outdoors and enjoy a different kind of wonderland in the Colorado Rockies. The aspen leaves are gone until late May; they are only around a total of four to five months. But the stately stands of aspen trees grace many trails, and their slender profiles cast longer shadows on the sparkling snow in the midday winter sun. So exhume your cross-country or backcountry skis, dust off your snowshoes, and check the bindings. Fill your daypack with warmer clothing: down jacket or vest, fleece, balaclava, hand warmers, an extra warm hat, and maybe even goggles, if you’re going high above treeline. Replace the cold water in your water bottle with warm tea or hot chocolate in a thermos, and freeze-proof your water bottle. Decide which warm layers are your best options.

You might need a larger daypack. Plan for much shorter days.

Next, decide where in our beautiful state you want to explore. You can commute to trails close to home or you can book lodging near trailheads that are farther away for more adventure. Below are some winter trails near Denver and Boulder to consider. The higher the elevation, the better the snow. Avalanche danger is a consideration, especially when venturing on steep slopes (25+ degrees) or above treeline (around 11,300 feet).

GOLDEN GATE CANYON STATE PARK

This scenic state park is west of Golden, south of Nederland, and north of Central City. It features a variety of terrain, and the trails close to Rollinsville at 9,000+ feet have reliable snow after upslope storms. Try the easy Raccoon Trail; there is no avalanche danger, and the loop only has a couple of short steep sections. It is 2.5 miles long, and you will gain and lose 500 feet. You can easily extend this hike on adjacent trails.

To get to Golden Gate State Park, take Golden Gate Canyon Road from Highway 93, north of Golden. The visitor center is 13 miles from this point. There is a daily entrance fee of $7 per car.

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KENOSHA PASS—COLORADO TRAIL

Another favorite is Kenosha Pass, about 65 miles south of Denver on Highway 285. The Colorado Trail goes west and east from the pass, and either direction offers spectacular views of South Park. A westerly direction will treat you to stunning views of the 14ers in the Mosquito Range.

The parking lot on the west side of the pass is usually the one that is plowed. Kenosha Pass, Colorado Trail West. Photo by Alan Apt The trail is just west of the lot. The east side trail requires a short walk to the summer parking lot; then head south. There is no avalanche danger and you can snowshoe or ski several miles in either direction. The east side trail is the easier of the two; the west side trail requires an immediate, though gradual, climb.

I highly recommend booking a room in the Fairplay area to explore the local trails. There is a good Nordic center near Fairplay, and you can also enjoy the Gold Dust Trails near Como. They are easy, rolling trails with no avalanche danger. One trailhead is just 6.5 miles from Como; to access it, take County Road 33 to County Road 50 to the north side trailhead. You can also opt to snowshoe or ski the Boreas Pass Road, which is closed to cars during winter, on which you can travel five miles west before encountering avalanche danger.

MUELLER STATE PARK—COLORADO SPRINGS

If you live in the Colorado Springs area, Mueller State Park is a must-see. It features many easy to moderate trails and no avalanche danger. A Front Range snowstorm is necessary for reliable snow. The park is 25 miles west of Colorado Springs on Highway 24, and then 4 miles south on Highway 67. Try the easy and rolling School Pond and Preacher’s Hollow Loop Trails, which combined are about 3.5 miles.

The Crags Trail is another great area just CMC group at the Crags. Photo by Eva Light across the road from the park. You can travel approximately four miles round trip at the Crags quite safely, and you will climb about 800 feet.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

The magic of Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter months is not to be missed. There are free ranger-led outings every week. If you want a trail with a warming hut, visit the former Hidden Valley Ski Area, located off Trail Ridge Road (which is closed during winter), just before the road starts to climb. There are gentle hills for tubing or sledding and gradually climbing trails for skiing or snowshoeing. Go as far as you like and turn around; eat lunch in the toasty Hidden Valley warming hut. Photo by Alan Apt warming hut.

If you are ambitious, climb all the way to Trail Ridge Road on the old downhill ski trails. The climb to Trail Ridge Road from the warming hut ascends 1,200 feet and is about 2 miles long.

It is another mile and 1,000 more feet to the top of Tombstone Mummy Range from Trail Ridge Road. Photo Ridge, where the old by Alan Apt rope tow ended. There is no avalanche danger on the lower portions of the trails. Check with the backcountry rangers about avalanche danger on the upper slopes. You can also explore Trail Ridge Road from the road closure to the top of the trails.

Bear Lake and Flattop Mountain are other interesting winter trail options in the park. Rocky Mountain National Park charges a $25 per car entrance fee, which is good for one week.

Winter wonderland, Poudre Canyon. Photo by John Bartholow

CAMERON PASS

If you live in Northern Colorado, Cameron Pass has great trails on the northern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. If you don’t live in the area, drive up beautiful Poudre Canyon on Highway 14 and rent a cabin or yurt nearby. Drive about 65 miles to the top of the pass, park, and go across the highway to the Michigan Ditch Trail, an easy family option. If you are more energetic, take a left at the trail junction at 2.5 miles and continue on to American and Michigan Lakes, or all the way to the top of Thunder Pass. Neither destination has avalanche danger if you stay on the trail. Go 4 miles west of the top of Cameron Pass and almost at the bottom of the hill on the south side of the road look Nokhu Crags from Michigan Ditch Trail. for the Seven Utes and Photo by Alan Apt

CMC group at Michigan-American Lakes. Photo by Ward Wicker

Mahler Mountain Trails near the green gate. Seven Utes is 6.5 miles round trip with 2,000 feet of climbing, and Mahler Mountain is 8 miles round trip with a 3,000-foot elevation gain. Both have avalanche potential and should be approached cautiously. ▲ Alan Apt is the author of Snowshoe Routes: Colorado’s Front Range (CMC Press), and Afoot and Afield: Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Rocky Mountain National Park: 184 Spectacular Outings in the Colorado Rockies (Wilderness Press). Alan will offer a free Introduction to Snowshoeing presentation at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden on December 9. To register, visit cmc.org.

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Photo by John Martersteck

HAMS TEAMS ACHIEVE

FOUR RAINIER SUMMITS VIA

FOUR DIFFERENT ROUTES

By John Martersteck

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n past years, the CMC’s High Altitude Mountaineering School (HAMS) has sent two teams of students and instructors to attempt one of Mt. Rainier’s popular standard routes—the Emmons Glacier route—thereby satisfying the HAMS graduation requirement of climbing a high, glaciated peak. Mt. Rainier, the second-highest peak in the Lower 48, at 14,410 feet, is perfect for that objective, as it is easily accessible and offers an amazing variety of technically challenging, crevasse-laden routes on the massive glaciers that carve its flanks. In fact, many climbers frequently train on Mt. Rainier to prepare for higher climbs in Alaska and the Himalayas.

Britt Jones takes a break at dawn, en route to the summit. Photo by Peter Kent

Mountains in the Pacific Northwest are quite unlike Colorado’s 14ers, and Colorado climbers approaching Mt. Rainier quickly realize that they are in for a novel experience as soon as they catch their first glimpse of the massive glaciers on their intended route. That impression solidifies as they step onto the snow and ice and begin to navigate through mazes of deep crevasses; as they catch an occasional sniff of sulfur-laden gas seeping from volcanic vents; and especially as they are suddenly faced with the thousands more feet of strenuous climbing required to reach a typical Cascade Range summit, which starts much closer to sea level, compared with a climb of a Colorado 14er.

This year, HAMS settled on an ambitious goal, with a nod to the CMC’s “Year of the Mountaineer”: send four separate HAMS teams to climb Mount Rainier by four different routes! The first team climbed the classic and technical Liberty Ridge route in midJune, followed immediately by the second team, which tackled the mountain by another technical route on the Kautz Glacier. A third team crossed the crater and reached the summit a few days later via the standard route up the Disappointment Cleaver, and finally our fourth team climbed to the summit via the Emmons Glacier route on the 4th of July. The HAMS teams were astonished to find out 30

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that municipalities across the country celebrated their achievement by setting off elaborate fireworks displays!

The summit by any route was especially hard-earned this year, given the unusually low snowfall and warm temperatures that occurred during the spring climbing season, which resulted in very “bony,” heavily-crevassed conditions that required climbers to cross deep crevasses on dicey snow bridges, and which made the snow conditions even more challenging than usual.

THE DISAPPOINTMENT CLEAVER ROUTE

The main goals of HAMS are to teach students how to safely travel on glaciers and to prepare them for successfully mounting a self-guided expedition to the world’s highest mountains. The program challenges many students to accomplish something harder than they ever thought possible. This year, a HAMS team of aspiring, enthusiastic alpinists, including a few with little experience on steep snow and ice, successfully navigated the Disappointment Cleaver (DC) route, which features a 9,000-foot climb from Paradise to the Columbia Crest summit on the Cowlitz, Ingraham, and Emmons Glaciers.

HAMS instructors Kelly Greaser and Jason Gross led the DC team, which included Britt Jones, Roger Leikas, Peter Kent, Rondi Burgess, Kris Woyna, and Keith “Logs” Rule.

The team established two intermediate camps en-route: the first at Camp Muir at 10,080 feet and a second at Ingraham Flats at 11,000 feet. These camps afford climbers a somewhat shorter summit day due to the higher altitude of the Flats, but climbers must still be able to surmount quickly the steep and technical Disappointment Cleaver buttress in order to minimize the risk of potential rockfall hazard. Because of the relative lack of snow this year, the DC team also faced routefinding difficulties that were more pronounced; in fact, the team even crossed five large crevasses that were spanned by

Rondi enjoys the view while crossing a crevasse on a ladder. Photo by Britt Jones

The Disappointment Cleaver team approaches camp at Ingraham Flats. Photo by Peter Kent

ladders, similar to what climbers experience on Mt. Everest!

Rondi, one of this year’s most enthusiastic HAMS students, was especially delighted to reach the summit with the DC team: “I decided to withdraw just prior to the start of the expedition due to a lingering ankle injury and the desire not to slow the team down and jeopardize anyone’s chances for a successful summit attempt, but everyone on the team responded by encouraging me to go ahead and give it a try.” Rondi proudly reached the summit a few days later, and she especially enjoyed the exhilarating 2,000-foot glissade down the Muir Snowfield, which greatly sped up the descent.

Ali dances her way across a snow bridge on the Emmons Glacier. Photo by Mark Erikson

THE EMMONS GLACIER ROUTE

Instructors Dave Mulder and Greg McVie led climbers Ryan Smith, Andrew Moore, Ali Warren, and Mark Ericson up the Emmons Glacier route, which accesses the summit—after 10,000 feet of elevation gain—via the largest of Mt. Rainier’s twenty-six glaciers (Emmons is, in fact, the largest glacier in the contiguous United States)!

Climbers ascend through the thick forest along Mt. Rainier’s Glacier Basin Trail and onto the Inter Glacier, taking two days to reach the high camp, Camp Schurman, at 9,460 feet, leaving a strenuous summit day that begins shortly after midnight and requires an elevation gain of 5,000 feet. As with the other routes on Rainier this year, crevasse crossings were more of a hazard than usual, and Andrew recounts his first close encounter with one of Emmons’ large crevasses: “On summit morning, I was leading one of our two rope teams, and I was fairly nervous because I had never been on glaciated terrain before, and it was still dark, having left shortly after midnight. Moreover, the weather had been so warm that all the experienced climbers kept

remarking how conditions felt more like August, rather than the beginning of July, given how large and open the crevasses were. I approached one particular crevasse that didn’t seem very wide, but the far lip was higher than the one I was standing on. After a few moments of looking at it and discussing with my instructor, Greg, who was the middle person on our rope team, I decided I could jump it. I placed a picket and then stood on the edge for what felt like a long time. I was nervous, the crevasse seemed narrow, and the bottom was out of sight. Eventually, I marshaled my courage and jumped, landing squarely on the other side, but then I lost my balance. I was closer to the far edge of the crevasse than I thought, and, as if in slow motion, I felt my backpack pull me over, and I fell backwards into the crevasse!

“Greg immediately dropped to the snow in self-arrest to hold my fall. Ryan, who was third on the rope, couldn’t see me, but did see Greg hit the snow, so he followed into self-arrest a split second later.

I wound up landing on an ice shelf three feet or so below the top of the crevasse. The top of my head was only an inch or two below the far lip. I stood up on the ledge, dug my ice axe into the far side, and hauled myself out. When Greg approached the crevasse he was able to locate a spot further up that allowed for an easier crossing, with a simple large step.

We moved the protection, and everyone else crossed without incident.

“In hindsight, I realized that I had a case of tunnel-vision due to my inexperience, thinking I needed to cross the crevasse right there in front of me. The fall, however, if it can be called such, went a long way towards instilling some confidence. Rather than being shaken, I felt as though I had a better understanding of how to navigate, and, especially, high confidence in my team. Even when things went slightly wrong, the team and the safety systems functioned as they should, allowing us to continue a fantastic trip to the summit.”

THE KAUTZ GLACIER ROUTE

HAMS began offering a more technical route option a couple of years ago for more advanced students. The Kautz Glacier route features steeper, icier terrain as it ascends large and imposing glaciers and snowfields away from the more crowded Camp Muir corridor.

The approach crosses the Nisqually and Wilson Glaciers to high camp at the edge of the Turtle Snowfield. The crux of the route, just above high camp, is a series of glacial ice chutes that reach slope angles of 50 degrees (similar to Boulder’s Flatirons) over several hundred feet, which require multiple pitches of belayed (protected), calf-straining, crampon front-pointing.

Brandon Tatum and Dan Feighery led three gung-ho climbers, Brian Brost, Shane Thomas, and Josh Gertzen, up the 9,000-foot route. As a result of training with HAMS instructors on vertical ice at the Ouray Ice Park and on various Colorado couloir training climbs, Brian felt confident enough to lead the team up the ice chute, placing ice screws Trail & Timberline

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The Kautz team is happy to be on the summit! Photo by Josh Gertzen

for protection, which made his climb especially memorable.

Upon reaching the 14,410-foot Columbia Crest summit, this team became the first HAMS team to successfully reach the summit via the Kautz Glacier route (attempts made during the previous two years were thwarted first by an injury to an instructor and then by bad weather)!

THE LIBERTY RIDGE ROUTE

Liberty Ridge is the celebrated classic alpine route on Mt. Rainier and is featured in the famous book, Fifty Classic Climbs of North America,

by Steve Roper and Allen Steck. The 5,500-foot ridge splits two of the mountain’s most impressive faces, the Willis Wall and Liberty Wall, and offers magnificent views of those walls on the way to Liberty Cap summit. Those walls, formed by layers of lava rock, frequently—and loudly—shed ice, snow, and rock, a constant reminder to every Liberty Ridge climber to focus carefully on each step.

Access to the ridge is guarded by the jumbled ice and crevasses on the intimidating, 900-foot-deep Carbon Glacier. The ridge itself is steep, exposed, and committing, with relentless, strenuous climbing on 40–55 degree hard snow and ice slopes. The route requires precarious passage underneath towering seracs and features a final technical ice pitch to surmount the bergschrund wall, which prevents easy access to the Liberty Cap Glacier leading to the summit.

HAMS instructors Dan Feighery, Brandon Tatum, and John Martersteck, along with HAMS grad John Surette, were eager to test their alpine mettle on this classic route, which begins at the White River Campground at 4,400 feet and ascends almost 10,000 vertical feet to the Liberty Camp summit.

Once again, the bony glacial conditions gave rise to challenging routefinding, and the team encountered many crevasses, most of which were small enough to simply step over, though some larger ones could only be crossed on snow bridges or with an exciting running jump.

After two days of climbing, the team reached their high camp at 10,760-foot Thumb Rock, only to find that the camp had been scoured at some point by a large rock and ice fall. The team carved out precarious sleeping platforms above the steep ridge wall, and half the team even slept wearing helmets and harnesses, anchored to the ridge, to prevent a potential midnight sled ride in a sleeping bag a couple thousand feet down to the Carbon Glacier!

Setting out from Thumb Rock camp on summit morning, the team faced another 4,000 feet of sustained technical, strenuous climbing on steep, hard snow and ice, which gave calves and triceps a major workout as the team carefully climbed unroped, using two ice tools to work up 32

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the ice. Finally, Brandon led the team up the vertical bergschrund wall to gain the Liberty Cap icefield, and the team gained the Liberty Cap summit as a Pacific Northwest storm rolled in.

Despite the strenuous ascent, the challenges were not yet over after the team celebrated the summit. Experienced climbers are well aware that the descent is often the most dangerous part of a climb, when climbers are tired and when falls are more likely and more difficult to arrest. Furthermore, the storm’s high winds and blowing snow reduced visibility to near zero. Just a few days prior—in eerily similar conditions—another Liberty Ridge climbing team lost a teammate during their descent from Liberty Cap. After a storm blew in and caused whiteout conditions, the three-person team decided to make camp and wait for the weather to clear. Unfortunately, one member of their party left the camp area unroped to look for a piece of missing equipment (a stove, apparently) and never came back, according to a Mt. Rainier National Park spokesperson.

With that grim story in the back of their minds, and because the team was “worked” after the arduous twelve-hour ascent of Liberty Ridge, and given the whiteout conditions, they decided not to continue on to the true summit but instead turned around about 100 feet below Columbia Crest and began making their way back down the Emmons Glacier route, towards the safe haven of Camp Schurman at 9,460 feet. Although they were expecting to find a well-established path on the standard Emmons route to guide their descent, it turned out that any such track was obliterated by the harsh weather conditions. Thus, their choices were to make camp

Lots of snow on the mountain back in 2003 when HAMS instructor Steve Billig climbed Liberty Ridge. Photo by Steve Billig

and wait for better weather (perhaps the next day?), or to try to make their way down the mountain with the aid of a GPS track that Dan had archived from a trip made last year. The team knew that the location of crevasses changes from year to year, so routefinding would be a challenge nonetheless, especially given the whiteout.

The team decided to push on, and after carefully navigating several crevasse fields, they chanced upon the well-trod boot track that was imprinted on “The Corridor,” and they made their way gratefully back to the haven of Camp Schurman several thousand feet below.

Details about the HAMS 2016 program can be found at www. hikingdenver.net/schools/HAMS. ▲ After first climbing Mt. Rainier with his HAMS class in 2010, John has since climbed high peaks in Alaska, Ecuador, and the Himalayas, accompanied by his wife and fellow HAMS Co-Director, Debbie Markham.

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10/15/15 2:09 PM

One Hundred Years Ago: The First Longs Peak Summit Register

O

By Woody Smith

ne hundred years ago this past summer, a small anniversary passed unnoticed amid Rocky Mountain National Park’s general festivities—placement of the first official Longs Peak summit register by the Colorado Mountain Club.

Of course, previous visitors had left their mark on the summit one way or another. Usually with names printed on a scrap of paper, or a business card, cached in a tin can and weighed down with a rock.

But in the summer of 1915 the CMC began placing blank registers in small brass cylinders on the summits of Colorado’s most A CMC party at the Keyhole, August 18, 1915. Photo courtesy of Colorado Mountain Club Archives noted and traveled peaks.

Longs was officially the third mountain to receive one, after Blanca Peak, placed by Eddah son of New York, who was vice president of the American Natural Hillier, who also designed the Club’s original mountain sheep’s head History Museum’s Linnaean Society, which specializes in all things logo; and Mt. Blaine in the Tarryall Mountains, placed by Roger Bird.

Toll, who designed the registers and cylinders. Why the inauspicious On August 22, Ball’s party of seven included two professors from Mt. Blaine (12,303’) was selected to receive a treasured cylinder be- Rice University, Houston: Radoslav Tsanoff and Julian Huxley. fore Longs is a question only Roger Toll can answer. It may be as Huxley (1887–1975), brother of writer Aldous, (A Brave New simple as Blaine preceded Longs on the trip schedule.

World [1932]), went on to a noted career as an evolutionary bioloThe first registers had eighteen 6”x10” single-sided sheets with 26 gist. Born in London, Huxley was invited to set up Rice’s Biology signature lines—room for 468 names. A cover sheet had room to Department in 1912. He wrote several books including The Science print the name and elevation of the mountain, who deposited the of Life (1929) and Africa View (1931). From 1925–27 he was a proregister, and when it was placed. The sheets were stapled between fessor of Zoology at Kings College, London. He helped found the covers of cheesecloth for durability.

World Wildlife Fund (1961), and was the first director of UNESAccording to notations made on the cover page, the register was CO, a United Nations Organization which promotes peace through placed at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 18, 1915, by CMC mem- education and historic site preservation. bers George Barnard, George Harvey, and Theodore Bushnell, all of Radoslav A. Tsanoff (1887–1976), from Bulgaria, came to the Denver. The altitude was recorded as 14,255 feet.

United States in 1903 as a philosophy student, eventually earning a doctorate at Cornell in 1910. He taught philosophy at Rice UniverWHO CLIMBED LONGS PEAK IN 1915? sity from 1914 to 1956 and from 1961 to 1974 (according to the One climber figures most prominently on Register No. 1: Ray Ball, Texas State Historical Association.) a guide from the Longs Peak Inn, led 17 parties to the summit over Tsanoff authored several publications including The Problem of 39 days, from July 20 to August 27. This includes climbs made on Immortality (1924) and The Nature of Evil (1931). His 1922 pamfour successive days: August 9, 10, 11, and 12, 1915. phlet “Aspects of Modern Pessimism” may have been inspired by Ball’s job as a guide brought him into contact with rarefied heights contemplation of the long hike back to the Longs Peak trailhead. and people. On July 20, Ball’s lone client was Henry S. Bowers, of “60 Little is currently known about guide Ray Ball. He may have been Wall St., NY, NY.” Bowers was a Harvard graduate (1900) and one of a college student, judging by his sudden absence from the mountain six corporate directors for the Jewel Tea Co. Bowers was successful: Jew- in late August. He returned for only two known climbs in 1916— el Tea posted nearly a million and half dollars profit for 1914. on July 30 and 31.

On August 11, Ball led a group of six, including Julius M. JohnOn August 25, 1915, Charles Edwin Hewes, owner of the Hew34

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es-Kirkwood Ranch, signed after guiding a party to the summit: “O-HELLISnow + wonderful views—Copper Cylinder of Colo.

Mountain Club issuing blue flame + hissing with electricity.”

Other notables include: • July 4, 1915. Thomas H. Jones, age 70, of Longmont registered.

• July 7, 1915. Arthur Kennedy, of Denver, claimed his 22nd ascent of Longs.

• July 13, 1915. CMC member Annette Badgley registered. She would become the first editor of Trail & Timberline (1918–1920).

• August 21, 1915. A party of nine from the University of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Climber’s Club registered. At least six of them were women.

• July 31, 1916. Blossom Hilton, age 10, of Lincoln Nebraska registered with her father.

The last registered climb of 1915 occurred on September 20. A party of four climbers with “No Guide” registered. Two were from Reno County, Kansas, one from the town of Mexico, Missouri, and one a local from Longmont.

The register continues into the next year, the first climb occurring on June 19, 1916.

Both George Barnard and George Harvey returned with a CMC party on July 23, 1916, replacing the old register with a new one.

It had lasted a year and five days—though somehow the last page would be filled by parties from July 30 through August 1, 1916. The total number registered was 393. Of these, 203 were from Colorado, with Estes Park listed 62 times and Denver 59. Next were Long-

mont with 23; Greeley, 14; Boulder, 10; Loveland, 8; Fort Collins, 7; Brush, 4; Aurora, 3; Colorado Springs and Stoneham, 2 each; Eckert, Clifton, Cortez, Broomfield, Limon, Flagler, and Golden, 1 each; plus 1 city unknown.

Out of state climbers totaled 174. State totals were: Illinois, 39; Kansas 24; Nebraska, 17; Missouri, 16; Texas, 14; New York, 10; Iowa, 8; Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, 5 each; Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Michigan, 4 each; Ohio, 3; Minnesota and Massachusetts, 2 each; Tennessee, New Mexico, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Indiana, Louisiana, California, and New Hampshire, 1 each.* There was also one climber each from Bavaria, Zurich, and Velardena, Mexico.

Of the 393 total climbers, there were 228 males (including 57 guides), 85 females, and 80 who signed in with initials, or whose sex could not be determined. The known ratio of men to women was 2.5:1.

George Barnard and George Harvey would each serve multi-year terms as CMC president. Theodore Bushnell, who helped place the first register, was killed in World War I. The original brass cylinder was removed ten years later, in July 1925, noted as “unserviceable.” *Totals may not match as some signatures were partially smudged, or information was not included. ▲ Thanks to Katie Sauter and Eric Rueth of the American Alpine Club Library for their assistance.

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the fourteener files “I’ll never forget my first 14er attempt, Longs Peak in July 1975. My family took summer vacation from Kentucky with my girlfriend Sally and her family. Like a lot of tourists, Sally and I ran out of gas at the Keyhole. My two brothers went on, ignoring a park ranger’s warning that crampons were needed. They returned hours later with wild stories of ice on the narrows and homestretch and each having to grab hold of the other to save them from falling on separate occasions. Forty years later I finally finished the 14ers and returned home to celebrate with Sally, my wife of 36 years!

“Thank you CMC for the education and experience that has helped me achieve this goal, and for the fun times in getting there!”

—Gary Johnston “In 2014 we made the trip down to Telluride to attempt the Wilson group. We were worried because the forecast was for several days of rain. We camped our first night partway up Wilson Peak from the Rock of Ages trailhead in a brutal windstorm. We didn’t think at that point we would get any of the peaks, and we knew we would need a perfect day to complete the El Diente–Wilson traverse. The next day we carefully picked our way up Wilson Peak and summitted in complete fog before descending down to Navajo Lakes basin. My Dad and I told each other if we could see the stars when we got up the next morning we’d go for it—but we weren’t hopeful because fog and clouds persisted all that day. One of the top highlights during this 16-year journey climbing the 14ers was anxiously unzipping the tent that next morning, looking up and seeing that beautifully black sky pinpricked with light. ‘Dad…,’ I said. ‘Stars….’ It was a perfect day.”

— Riley Mulhern “Doing all these with my son is a top memory. It took us 16 years and in the process I watched a young boy (8) become a man (24). I do not know how many fathers can call their son their ‘climbing partner.’ I know that all who have climbed any peak understand the importance of a partner.

I trust him more than anyone else on a mountain… which includes any ‘figurative’ mountain of life.”

— Steven Mulhern 36

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“I didn’t get serious about climbing all the 14ers until I turned sixty. Age is a lousy excuse to hike and climb less. I climbed all the difficult 14ers after age sixty. It is a shame there aren’t more hikers and climbers my age. It is my belief older people actually enjoy the scenery, their partners and being alive more than younger people. Savor the day. Some things really are better when you are older.”

—Dave Olmstead

Crestone Needle. Photo courtesy of Steven Mulhern

“My daughter Kaydence and I climbed our first 14er—La Plata, on August 8, 2002. She had always loved camping and hiking and I thought it would be a great thing to do together. She was still in high school, but I knew she would be off to college soon and wanted to be sure we had great memories to share. We backpacked up to treeline and camped overnight, rose the next day and hiked up the trail. Undeterred by clouds on the peak we climbed to the top. We had actually started down when the clouds parted. We rushed back to the top to marvel at the ‘airplane-like’ view. We were hooked.

“Each summer we would knock off a few more, trying to do overnight backpack trips at least once a year. The easy peaks went by quickly. A tradition of celebrating her birthday with a backpack trip to do a 14er became a favorite with her friends. When she was out of state two years in graduate school for the summer I was concerned that we might not finish. But, she moved back to Colorado, got married, and continued to enjoy the challenge as the peaks became more difficult, realizing that now we really wanted to do them all. In 2013, after bagging El Diente, we attempted the Class 4 connecting ridge to Mt. Wilson, but found our skills were not up to the task. That fall we attended a CMC orientation, and cleared our calendars so that we could do BMS. “Our formal training culminated with Coxcomb as our graduation climb—what an amazing place. Over the Labor Day weekend the birthday backpack attracted 10

intrepid hikers into Chicago Basin south of Silverton. Despite some rain and snow, we collected Sunshine, Windom, North Eolus, and finished the 14ers with Mt. Elous on September 7.

“We will continue to do climbs together, but I must say that having accomplished the 14ers with my wonderful daughter will always be the top of my bucket list experiences. Many thanks to the instructors at CMC for helping gain the skills and confidence to reach this goal.”

— Jayson Cowley & Kaydence Doremus “I started my 14er journey in blue jeans, a red flannel shirt and a Sierra Designs 60/40 jacket on Lincoln, Democrat and Bross 25 years ago. I never intended to climb all the 14ers, and in fact in reading about them I was pretty sure I would never climb Little Bear, Capitol, the Maroons, etc. But the views, each unique journey, and the great and interesting people I met kept me coming back. I lived in Kansas the entire 25 years I spent climbing 14ers, and that made it even more of a challenge, especially logistically. I didn’t even live as high as 1,400 feet!

“I met many tremendous people on the 14ers and that was a great motivator that kept me plugging along. You can always count on meeting good and interesting folks on a 14er. The Colorado 14ers are wonderful mountains and I feel privileged to have climbed them. Each of them and their climbs are unique and they are all beautiful.

Carry on and enjoy!”

— Gary Knight

The Fourteeners List

Those who reported completion of Colorado’s Fourteeners in 2015

No.

Name

First Peak

Date

Last Peak

Date

415 1220 1250 1251 1287 1436 1437 1472 1504 1505 1538 1602 1621 1622 1639 1643 1644 1645 1646 1647 1648 1649 1650 1651 1652 1653 1654 1655 1656 1657 1658 1659 1660 1661 1662 1663 1664 1665 1666 1667 1668 1669 1670 1671 1672 1673 1674 1675 1676 1677 1678 1679 1680 1681 1682 1683 1684

Chelsea D. Pritchett Kent Beverly Brad McQueen Brandon Nichalson Ben Conners Charles Liu Monica Lucarelli Nancy Balch Matthew Cobb Robert J. LaGreca Heath Gay Bill Poshard Donna Lynne James B. Simpson Ted Elam Arthur Bezuidenhout Michel A. Etchebarne Austin Porzak Beth Biersdorf Kathleen T. Chandler Jomah Fangonilo Dennis E. Witte Mark K. Witte Matt Grabina Troy Burke Ted Ehrlich K. Scott Kime Todd Payne Beth Ramey Kurt Tagliareni David Waas Scott Callahan Rohit Shrestha Rachel Miedema Dave Olmstead Aaron Ortiz Chris O’Riley Gary Knight Michael Grundy Robert Kay Steven Mulhern Senad Rizvanovic Michael G. Zdero Rick Howell Dave Tebben Gary Johnston Jayson Cowley Kaydence Doremus Aidan McGuire Jordan Copenhafer Alicia Copenhafer Riley Mulhern Robert Johannsen John Degling Jacob Biller David Kinton Jennifer W. Saylor

Grays Peak Mount Sneffels Mount Belford Grays Peak Mount Elbert Pikes Peak Quandary Peak Grays and Torreys Peaks Grays Peak Mount Antero Mount Elbert Mount Sneffels Grays Peak Mount Elbert Quandary Peak Grays Peak Mount Elbert Longs Peak Longs Peak Sunlight Peak Maroon Peak Mount Elbert Quandary Peak Grays Peak Longs Peak Longs Peak Pikes Peak Longs Peak Mt. Princeton Mount Bierstadt Mount Bierstadt Redcloud Peak Longs Peak Mount Democrat Mount Lincoln Grays and Torreys Peaks Longs Peak Mt. Lincoln Longs Peak Mount Evans Mount Evans Mount Elbert Quandary Peak Mt. Evans Mt. Evans Quandary Peak La Plata Peak La Plata Peak Quandary Peak Grays Peak Grays Peak Mount Evans Longs Peak Mount Elbert Quandary Peak Pikes Peak Longs Peak

July 1966 July 1968 July 1998 July 1991 July 2003 May 1998 February 2004 1980 July 2003 August 1973 July 1998 July 1994 June 2007 July 1996 June 2003 July 2002 August 2002 July 1985 September 2005 July 2011 July 2014 July 1989 August 1991 June 2011 July 2005 July 2012 May 2003 July 1999 July 2008 June 2010 July 2011 July 1996 August 2008 October 2003 September 1983 July 2007 August 1994 September 1990 September 2009 September 1979 August 1999 July 2006 April 2011 August 2005 August 2010 July 1986 August 2002 August 2002 July 2003 July 2011 July 2011 August 1999 June 2012 August 1993 July 2010 September 2004 August 2011

Ellingwood Point Longs Peak El Diente Peak Culebra Peak Humboldt Peak Kit Carson Peak Wilson Peak Sunlight Peak Wilson Peak Capitol Peak Mount Wilson Windom Peak Capitol Peak Sunlight Peak Mount of the Holy Cross Culebra Peak Culebra Peak Mount Eolus Kit Carson Peak Pikes Peak Pikes Peak Capitol Peak Capitol Peak Mount Eolus Pyramid Peak Mount Lindsey Wilson Peak Wilson Peak Crestone Needle Crestone Needle Mount Wilson Mount Eolus Crestone Needle Capitol Peak Pikes Peak Little Bear Peak Sunlight Peak Crestone Needle Pikes Peak Mount Sneffels South Maroon Peak Snowmass Mountain Capitol Peak Crestone Needle Crestone Needle Pikes Peak Mount Eolus Mount Eolus Little Bear Peak Crestone Peak Crestone Peak South Maroon Peak Snowmass Mountain El Diente Peak Maroon Peak Uncompahgre Peak Handies Peak

August 1987 July 2006 August 2006 August 2006 August 2007 September 2010 September 2010 September 2011 August 2012 August 2012 September 2012 July 2014 August 2014 August 2014 September 2014 June 2015 June 2015 June 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 August 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 September 2015 October 2015 October 2015

For recognition in next year’s issue, send the registration form by October 15 to the Colorado Mountain Club at 710 10th St., #200, Golden, CO, 80401; or you may send an e-mail to editor@cmc.org. For Beyond the Fourteeners/Thirteeners recognition, please include the date and name of the last peak.

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Beyond the Fourteeners

by Chris Ruppert and Dave Goldwater

100 Highest Peaks No. 217 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235

Name David Goldstein Natalie Moran Brian Dunne Garrett Mitchell Ben Conners Preston Dennis Kevin Duncan Phillip Koneman Nolan Goodnight

Final Peak Jupiter Mountain Grizzly Peak A Jupiter Mountain Jagged Mountain Stewart Peak Mount Oklahoma “Phoenix Peak” 13895 Dallas Peak California Peak

Date 7/2/14 6/28/15 8/29/15 8/29/15 9/7/15 9/12/15 9/12/15 9/16/15 10/10/15

200 Highest Peaks 80 81 82 83

Eddie Mack Kent Beverly David Goldstein Gary Neben

Peak Fifteen Clark Peak Grizzly Peak B Pico Asilado

8/4/15 8/7/15 8/15/15 10/11/15

300 Highest Peaks 43 44 45 45

Mike Hruza Roger Linfield David Goldstein Gary Neben

Milwaukee Peak Mount Ridgeway Peak Eleven Pico Asilado

8/20/15 8/25/15 8/28/15 10/11/15

400 Highest Peaks 32 34 35 36 37 38

Dave Anschicks Roger Linfield Kim Rea David Goldstein Mike Hruza Gary Neben

T7 Mount Ridgeway Mount Daly Eagles Nest “North Gold Dust Peak” 13346 Pico Asilado

7/9/14 8/25/15 9/3/15 9/8/15 9/21/15 10/11/15

500 Highest Peaks 32 33 34 35

Roger Linfield David Goldstein Mike Hruza Gary Neben

Babcock Peak Eagles Nest “North Gold Dust Peak” 13346 Pico Asilado

8/29/15 9/8/15 9/21/15 10/11/15

600 Highest Peaks 32 33 34 35

Roger Linfield David Goldstein Mike Hruza Gary Neben

Kelso Mountain Eagles Nest “North Gold Dust Peak” 13346 Pico Asilado

9/3/15 9/8/15 9/21/15 10/11/15

All Thirteeners 32 33 34 35

Roger Linfield David Goldstein Mike Hruza Gary Neben

Kelso Mountain Eagles Nest “North Gold Dust Peak” 13346 West Elk Peak

9/3/15 9/8/15 9/21/15 10/12/15

Beyond the Thirteeners

by Teresa Gergen

800 Highest Peaks No. 9

Name John Kirk

Final Peak “Hawk Peak”

Date 9/6/15

900 Highest Peaks 8

John Kirk

Banded Peak

9/24/15

1000 Highest Peaks 8

John Kirk

Lone Cone

10/3/15

1: Capitol Peak. Photo courtesy of Austin Porzak 2: Riley Mulhern with his father on top of Wilson Peak after completing the traverse from El Diente. Photo courtesy of Riley Mulhern 3: Eddie Mack finishes the top 200 peaks with an ascent of Peak Fifteen (13,700’) on August 4, 2015. Photo by Randy Mack 4: Senad Rizvanovic finishes the 14ers on Snowmass Mountain. Photo courtesy of Senad Rizvanovic 5: Gary Johnston finishes the 14ers on Pikes Peak, with Bobby Wallace, Megan Berling, and Clare Reda. Photo courtesy of Gary 38

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Johnston 6: El Diente-Wilson traverse. Photo courtesy of Beth Biersdorf 7: James Simpson celebrates his 14er completion with champagne on Sunlight. Photo courtesy of James Simpson 8: Jayson Cowley and daughter Kaydence Doremus on Pyramid Peak, with view of the Maroon Bells. Photo courtesy of Jayson Cowley 9: Jordan Copenhafer (left) and Alicia Copenhafer (right) climbing South Maroon Peak on August 30, 2015. Photo by Jomah Fangonilo 10: K. Scott Kime on the summit ridge of Wilson Peak, his final 14er. Photo by Kim Kime

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ADVENTURE TRAVEL CMC Adventure Travel specializes in active vacations and small group itineraries to inspiring mountain destinations around the world. See cmc.org/AdventureTravel for more details.

Mexican Volcanoes High Altitude MountaineeringDecember 26,

Neon/Chop Rock Canyon Llama Trek

2016 In-State Outing

December 26, 2015–January 3, 2016 Trip Leader: Michael Zyzda CMC Members: $1,575 Non-member Guests: $1,622

May 2–6, 2016 Trip Leader: Carol Kurt CMC Members: $1,780 Non-member Guests: $1,834

July 31–August 5, 2016 Trip Leaders: David Hite and Sherry Richardson CMC Members: Check cmc.org for details Non-member Guests: Check cmc.org for details

The High Altitude section is sponsoring a trip to the Mexican volcanoes! Climb four high altitude peaks, including Pico de Orizaba (18,475’) and Izta (17150’). Also visit a historic village and the famous Mexican Pyramids. This trip has high altitude training requirements.

Experience five days of incredible hikes in the Egypt area of the Escalante/Grand Staircase, Utah. Hike in the beautiful desert sands near the Escalante River between Chop Rock and Neon Canyons, make river crossings, and explore breathtaking narrows and side canyons.

The tradition lives on! The 2016 In-State Outing will be at Sweetwater River Ranch on the Arkansas River near Texas Creek, with the Sangre de Cristos nearby. Tent camp or upgrade to a cabin. Check the Adventure Travel website for details.

Yellowstone in Winter 2016

Scotland’s Highland Way and Ben Nevis Climb

Alta Via I in the Italian Dolomites

February 10–15, 2016 Trip Leader: Renée Howbert CMC Members: $1,946 Non-member Guests: $2,004

May 18–31, 2016 Trip Leader: Linda Ditchkus CMC Members: $3,100 Non-member Guests: $3,200

August 27–September 11, 2016 Trip Leader: Denise Snow CMC Members: $2,240 Non-member Guests: $2,307

The Old Faithful Geyser basin serves as the luxurious base camp for this adventure.

There are many trails starting right at the lodge, and snowshoers or skiers can plan a day’s outing of any length or ability. There are three full days for activities, with evening dinners together.

Hike Scotland’s West Highland Way beside lochs, waterfalls, and craggy mountains in the Scottish Highlands. Then, climb to the summit of “the Ben” (4,409 feet). Tour medieval Edinburgh, Stirling, the Eliean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands, and a Scotch distillery.

Trek the Alta Via I route between mountain huts with wonderful panoramic views and an extraordinary variety of hikes through every type of terrain. Explore WWI ruins, stay in beautiful rifugios situated in remote and scenic places along the trails, and conclude your trip sightseeing in Venice.

Grand Canyon Raft & Hike 2016

Machu Picchu Peru Trek

British Columbia Great Bear Rainforest & the Spirit Bear

April 23–May 5, 2016 Trip Leader: Blake Clark and Rosemary Burbank CMC Members: $4,535 Non-member Guests: $4,670

July 17–29, 2016 Trip Leader: Bill Blazek CMC Members: $2,490 Non-member Guests: $2,565

September 9–13, 2016 Trip Leader: Bea Slingsby CMC Members: $4,520 Non-member Guests: $4,656

The trip of a lifetime! Take a motorized raft trip and add five extra days for hiking along the way. This 12-day raft trip ends with a helicopter ride out of the canyon and a plane flight back to the put-in. For B & C hiking levels.

Join us for this extended trek to the historic ancient Inca city Machu Picchu. Tour the Sacred Valley outside of Cusco, then take a 7-day guided trek on the Salkantay Trail over the scenic Inca Chiriasqu Pass, the traditional Inca Trail at Huayllabamba, and arrive in Machu Picchu itself.

Visit the Great Bear Rainforest, the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world and the only place to see the rare Spirit Bear. Take a water taxi through the coastal islands with chances to see orcas, whales, and porpoises. Then, enjoy exclusive access to special bear viewing areas.

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Featured Trip: Machu Picchu Peru Trek After traveling through Lima, Peru, and arriving in Cusco, Peru (3,360 meters / 11,000 feet), we will have one rest and acclimatization day on your own when you can explore the sites of the city at your leisure.

Next we will spend one full day on a guided tour of the Sacred Valley just outside Cusco.

For the main event, we will have an extended 7-day guided and fully supported custom trek: • Starting from Soray Pompa (12,800’) trek three days, around 15 miles, on the Salkantay Trail, over

scenic 16,006-foot Inca Chiriasqu Pass, joining the traditional Inca Trail at Huayllabamba (9,900’).

• Trek three more days, about 20 miles, over two more 13,000-foot passes and one 12,000-foot pass, to arrive Machu Picchu itself (7,708’).

• We will spend the last full day touring this World Heritage Site, high in the Andes Mountains, with optional climbs of either Huayna/ Wayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Peak before returning to Cusco for the last night.

View of Machu Picchu. Photo by Linda Ditchkus

Awesome Adventures Await Trips are added throughout the year. Find the trip of your dreams at cmc.org/AdventureTravel or send inquiries to adventuretravel@cmc.org.

Downtown Cusco. Photo by Linda Ditchkus

Camino de Santiago–Camino Sanabrés Route

Two Great Walks of New Zealand

September 17–October 1, 2016 Trip Leader: Kris Ashton CMC Members: $3,499 Non-member Guests: $3,604

March 24–April 9, 2017 Trip Leader: Denise Snow CMC Members: $3,820 Non-member Guests: $3,935

Experience the Camino de Santiago the traditional way, but with a twist. On this special 200 km pilgrimage, we travel how pilgrims always have—on foot—but we stay in places that kings and queens could never have imagined: beautiful homes, estates, and even an active monastery!

Trek two of New Zealand’s unique Great Walks: the Milford Track and the Abel Tasman Coast Track. Take an overnight cruise on the Milford Sound, a trip to Queenstown on the Backroads Bus, a historic steamship cruise of Lake Wakatipu, and conclude with an overnight stay on Kapiti Island.

Ireland: Best Hikes and Culture

Grand Canyon Raft & Hike 2017

September 22–October 6, 2016 Trip Leader: Cynthia Saer CMC Members: $4,200 Non-member Guests: $4,325

April 22–May 4, 2017 Trip Leaders: Blake Clark and Rosemary Burbank CMC Members: Check cmc.org for details Non-member Guests: Check cmc.org for details

Visit the country of emerald green landscapes, windswept peaks, and craggy seascapes! Trek for 8 days along the Wicklow Way and on the Dingle Peninsula, including an attempt of Ireland’s highpoint Carranutuohill. Tour Dublin, Killarney, and Dingle, including historic highlights.

The trip of a lifetime! Take a motorized raft trip and add five extra days for hiking along the way. This 12-day raft trip ends with a helicopter ride out of the canyon and a plane flight back to the put-in. For B & C hiking levels.

Adventure Travel trip to Camino de Santiago.

Photo by Kris Ashton

Adventure Travel trip to Camino de Santiago.

Photo by Kris Ashton

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THE WORLD’S BEST MOUNTAIN FILMS

banffmountainfestival.ca |

FEBRUARY 25 • 26 • 27 | 7PM | CMC.ORG/BANFF

PARAMOUNT THEATER | DENVER, CO

MySummits PEAK REWARDS

Crushing through your peak list? Track your summits & show your mountain accomplishments with CMC Peak Rewards!

Track your mountain milestones of 10, 25, 75 and 100 summits and be eligible for sweet gear like packs, knives, and soft shellsJ or vests from top outdoor gear companies. Summit all 54 14ers? Score a Eddie Bauer Hangfire Jacket! The more peaks you achieve the more specialized gear you can get. Eddie Bauer, MountainSmith, Spyderco, and Adventure Medical Kits are all there to support your hiking and outdoor needs. Plus, you get to brag a little about your epic mountain adventures!

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cmc.org/mysummits | cmc.org/peakrewards 42

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SUMMER ADVENTURE

Registration opens January 1 • www.cmc.org/summeradventure

Explore the mountains with the CMC Youth Education Program! Specialized multi-day courses offer outdoor skill-building, climbing and adventure for youth ages 9-18.

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End of the Trail

Tara Breed ▶ 1970–2015

By John Collard

CMC member Tara Thomasina Breed passed away July 27, 2015, one day before her 45th birthday. Tara climbed to the 13,088-foot summit of Paiute Peak with a friend and was descending when she slipped and fell. Sadly, she did not survive the fall.

Tara joined the CMC in 2009 and completed the 14ers on Snowmass Mountain in 2011. She was an avid competitive runner, completing the Boston Marathon four times, as well as a variety of triathlons and road races across the world. In addition to her love of running, she traveled much of the world to go hiking, biking, kayaking, and just plain exploring. She eagerly sought every opportunity to be outside in the fresh air on mountains, trails, and glaciers. Tara truly savored every moment of every day.

On her most recent international trip in April, she climbed Island Peak and visited Everest Basecamp after surviving the Nepal earthquakes. In August 2014, she climbed Mount Ararat on the CMC’s Adventure Travel trip to Turkey. She also climbed Musala, the high point of Bulgaria.

Tara grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from the University of New Hampshire. She then pursued her dream of living in Colorado and moved to Telluride, where she spent several years leading a youth services organization. After earning a Master’s Degree in Occupational Health from Tufts University, she returned to Colorado, settling this time in Denver. At the time of her death, she was an occupational therapist at Spalding Rehab in Denver, where she dedicated herself towards helping patients regain physical, cognitive, and mental strength.

With an open heart, Tara was always the first to offer assistance to friends, animals, and strangers, who were simply friends she had not yet met. She volunteered to serve meals to those in need through Project Angel Heart.

Some might say she was giving to a fault, but those who knew her, knew it was a gift.

Friends and family cel- Tara on Ypsilon Mountain. Photo by Tom ebrated Tara’s life at the Masterson Chautauqua Grand Assembly Hall August 29, and a memorial climb of Quandary Peak was held on October 3. Celebrators at Chautauqua ranged from family and friends who traveled from the east coast, to many local friends, coworkers, trail runners, and mountain climbers who shared their personal stories. One CMC member drove overnight from California to attend the Chautauqua memorial, and since she was arriving earlier than expected, she stopped along the way to climb Bierstadt at 5:00 a.m., because that is exactly what Tara would have done. Her smile was limitless and will be missed. ▲

Jim Heywood ▶ 1925–2015

By Tom Quinlan

Our dear hiking friend and bridge buddy, James Edward Heywood, passed away at his home in Sedona on June 16, 2015. His adventurous life was highlighted by several disciplines starting out at the US Coast Guard Academy where he served as Navigator on two Coast Guard Cutters. His love of sailing began as a young cadet and continued to later years, where he often cruised the Caribbean in his 44-foot ketch, “Heyday,” with his family. After receiving a master’s degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley, Jim worked at the Stanford Research Institute and then IBM. Here he helped develop the first computer hard disc drive during the 1950s. He then moved to automotive engineering during the 1960s and worked as chief research engineer for the Ford Motor Co. and Vice President of Philco. Jim later returned to the west coast as general manager with Varian Associates. California was a special place for Jim, as it was there he met his lovely wife, Dorothy, better known as Dotty.

Jim and Dot lived in many parts of the United States, with lengthy stays in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Portola Valley, California; Phila44

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delphia; and Snowmass Village. After ventures in Silicon Valley during the 1980s, Jim taught wind surfing in the San Francisco Bay, and was cited as the third-oldest wind surfing instructor in the country—no surprise to those of us who knew of Jim’s pioneering spirit. He and his family loved the outdoors and often hiked the six-day Sierra Loop in Yosemite National Park as a group. The Heywoods consider those family out-

Jim Heywood. Photo courtesy of Tom Quinlan

ings to be among their fondest memories.

Jim and Dot built a ski house in Snowmass in the ‘70s and became involved in most everything our area has to offer, including an active membership in CMC. Jim and Dot attended many wonderful summer hikes, winter excursions, and potluck dinners. Dot loved climbing her thirty 14ers, and Jim made it to seventeen summits.

Jim was active on hut trips and particularly liked cross-country skiing in his later years. He and Dotty courted on the ski slopes around Lake Tahoe but grew to love the mountains in Colorado as much as the Sierra Nevada. Jim was known among the active CMC gang for

his sharp mind and unique style of humor. He was always grateful to the CMC leadership for organizing so many wonderful activities.

Around 2002, Jim and Dot began to spend more time in Sedona, Arizona, where they joined the Westerners, a like-minded hiking group. Jim finally had the best of all worlds: winters and summers with his Snowmass/CMC buddies, and fall and spring close to family and friends in Sedona. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Dorothy; children Kathryn, Robin, Matthew, and Charles; and grandsons Bryce and Dillon. RIP, dear Jim, we miss you but we will not forget you. ▲

Deanee Twombly ▶ 1934–2015

By Tom Quinlan

Deanee Twombly was certainly one of the most vivacious, fun-loving ladies I have had the pleasure of meeting and we all, in the Aspen Chapter, will miss her a great deal. We will miss the annual Rim Trail Hike in Snowmass, ending in a fantastic picnic at Deanee and Vern’s home, and we will miss her cooking, as Deanee loved to share “goodies.” On a very personal note, Deanee and Vern were the couple who introduced us to CMC, so we are eternally grateful to them for making that connection.

Deanee passed away on June 1, 2015, surrounded by members of her loving family. This was how it should be, as family and friends were what was important to Deanee. For those who knew Deanee, she was not shy with her opinions, and she lived life large, despite her five-foot, 110-pound frame. Deanee had humble beginnings in Boston and a privileged end in the beautiful home she lovingly created 37 years ago in Snowmass. Deanee’s home was filled with treasures she and Vern collected on their trips around the world, visiting more than 70 different countries, including numerous oversea adventures with CMC. Her garden, which she designed and tended to each season herself, reflected her love of beauty and nature.

Deanee was also a sports enthusiast. She loved hiking and skiing, both alpine and cross country, and was an active member of a ladies “A Class” ski group, who challenged the black diamonds on Aspen Mountain every week. This lively group could have anywhere from ten to twenty skiers each week. In later years, Deanee and Vern joined the Aspen/Snowmass group at Home Ranch, a gorgeous

lodge close to Steamboat, for an annual celebration of gourmet food and cross-country skiing.

Deanee and Vern met in 1956. It was a second marriage for both and each had children from prior marriages. Their son, Jaime, was the result of their union and was born in South America, where Deanee and Vern lived for the first ten years of their Deanee Twombly. Photo courtesy of Tom marriage. After returning Quinlan to the States, Deanee and Vern opened their home to all the kids, and had a true blended, close family. Pictures of family adventures fill their living room, and discussions about Deanee’s lasagna are family legends. There will be twenty-five family members, including their four children, spouses, and five grandchildren, returning to New England this fall to spread Deanee’s ashes, tell stories, and pay respects to a woman who adored life and inspired others to be true to themselves.

We are grateful to have known you, Deanee, and will keep your memory alive. ▲

Anitta Young ▶ 1925–2015

By Nancy Dunn

Anitta was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When the Nazis took over in 1938 she fled with her family to England and in 1940 settled in Rochester, New York. Her love of the mountains brought her to Colorado where she joined the Colorado Mountain Club and enjoyed hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing. While on a Club trip, Anitta met Truman Young and they married in 1965. They soon started having hikes for Club members with dogs. They also enjoyed the Wilderness Kids group and flower hikes.

I always loved hiking with Anitta. Her enthusiasm and love for

the mountains was contagious.

She was a member of the Club for more than 60 years. When she could no longer hike we still kept in touch and would sometimes have lunch together. At age 89 she passed away in her home, where she wanted to be. ▲

Truman and Anitta Young.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Dunn

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THANK YOU

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Make a tax-deductible year-end gift today and

KEEP YOUR CLUB STRONG.

Give today at cmc.org/support Questions about giving? Contact us at give@cmc.org or (303) 996-2752.