mazama
bulletin The Mazamas promotes mountaineering through education, climbing, hiking, fellowship, safety and the protection of mountain environments.
nesika klatawa sahale—we climb high
August 2013 • Vol. 95 • No. 8
. b m i l c ke. e. hi plor ex Special Rock Issue Photo: Matt Sundling climbs through the 5.6 gendarme crux near the summit of Bugaboo Spire. Photo: Andrew Holman
Upcoming Events & Classes ICS Application Available Starting Aug. 1.
Chris Sharma @ PRG
Aug. 8, 7–10 p.m. The king of sport climbing will give a 30-minute slideshow of his ascent of La Dura Dura.
ICS Info Night
Aug. 6 at the MMC.
Trail Tending— Mazama Trail
August 8–11. Four days of trail tending on our namesake trail. Stay for one day or all four! Find out more on page 29.
Intermediate Snow Mini-Course
Lectures Aug. 5 & 8; Field Session Aug. 10 & 11.
MFA Recert
Get a jump on your recertification needs for the 13/14 climb season! Aug. 19 & 21.
Smith Rock Open House
Join us on Aug. 28 to learn more about the proposed Smith Rock Climber’s Ranch! Make sure your voice is heard.
Reel Rock
Sep. 19 & 20 at the Bagdad Theater
Lodge Work Party Sep. 20–22.
Annual Meeting Oct. 7 at the MMC.
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In this Issue
This month our focus is on rock, and we’ve built an issue that features exciting rock climbing adventures, gear reviews, and tips on how to improve your own climbing skills. Features 4 Five Steps to Becoming a Better Climber 4 Climb Strong and Injury Free 5 Fire & Ice on Mt. Hood, Part II: ICE 6 Gear Test: Edelrid Mega-Jul 8 Namibia Southern Crossing 11 Book Review: Northwest Oregon Rock 14 Hiking with Kids 16 Idaho is a Granite Hound’s Dream 18 Youth Climb Camp: “It Is Fun and Awesome” 19 Plaidman Monthly Columns p. 3 Volunteer Opportunities p. 12 AYM Activities p. 13 Lodge News & Notes p. 13 Membership Report p. 15 Mazama Family Activities p. 20 Outings p. 21 Classic Old-Timers p. 22 Successful Climbers p. 23 Upcoming Climbs
Save the Date! Bagdad Theater September 19 & 20
Chris Sharma @ PRG Chris Sharma will be at Portland Rock Gym on August 8 from 7–10 p.m.! The king of sport climbing will give a 30 minute slideshow of his ascent of La Dura Dura. He will stick around after the show to sign posters and hang with the amazing Portland climbing community! Beer will be flowing from Base Camp Brewing Company so come thirsty and early to get a good seat. This event is a fundraiser and all proceeds from day passes sold that evening will go to support local climbing crags!
Contact Us
Volunteer Opportunities by Kati Mayfield • Volunteer Manager • kati@mazamas.org
August 4—Friends of Timberline Workday around Timberline Lodge: Work will include restaining amphitheater seats, spiffing up the old badminton court and probably some trail work. If interested, please RSVP to Michael Gentry, Friends of Timberline President, michaelgentry04@ comcast.net. August 8–11—Trail Tending on the Mazama Trail: Check out full listing on page 29. As a bonus for you help, two days of work earns a NW Forest Pass for a year of parking at trailheads requiring a valid pass. Contact event organizer Ray Sheldon, rbshldn@pacifier.com. Ongoing—Financial Affairs Committee: Help Mazama classes and committees understand their money! If you have managed a budget before, join this committee to help prepare our annual budget and quarterly Thank you to our 2013 reforecasts and advise Executive Council Candidates for Executive on financial and accounting procedures or Council decisions. Contact Chris Simmons, Chair, at • Larry Beck casimmons1@gmail.com. • Heather Campbell Ongoing—Outreach Volunteer: Tell the • Kate Evans world what you love about the Mazamas! • Walter Keutel The Outreach Team is seeking outreach • Amy Mendenhall volunteers to represent the Mazamas at various community events. This is a low time• John Rettig commitment volunteer opportunity—you’ll The Mazamas Annual receive a 1-hour training on our outreach Election will be held on Monday, strategy and material, then you get to choose Oct. 7, 2013 the events you want to go to. Contact Elizabeth Cole, Outreach Chair, outreach@ mazamas.org. Ongoing—AYM Hike Leader or Committee Member: Are you an adventurous young Mazama? Do you like to hike, camp, and be merry? The Adventurous Young Mazamas (AYM) are looking for new members to join their ranks! Come on a hike to learn what they’re all about, check out the hike schedule at: tinyurl.com/mazamaaym; or contact Chair Paul Kallmann, paul.kallmann@gmail.com, for more information about the committee. Ongoing—Volunteer Photographers: Help parks in Washington monitor glacier activity! PCC Professor Frank Granshaw is training climbers to do panoramic photography and data gathering to begin modeling the activity of Washington’s Blue, Nisqually and Emmons glaciers. Contact Frank at fgransha@pcc.edu. Ongoing—Bulletin Couriers: We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to take our monthly Bulletin to a list of local shops. The time commitment would be for ½ a day, once a month, between the first and fourth of the month. Help us get our Bulletin into the hands of prospective Mazama members! Email mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org.
Announcing the Mazama Volunteerism Survey
Hey Mazamas! Enter for your chance to win great prizes from Climb Max and Columbia Sportswear! We want to learn more about the way you interact with our organization as a volunteer. What volunteer activities are you involved with or have you done in the past? How would you like to be involved? What great skills do you have that we should know about? Take this 10-question survey and you’ll be entered to win. Good luck! Survey Link: tinyurl.com/ mazamavolunteersurvey
Mazama Mountaineering Center 527 SE 43rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97215 Phone: 503-227-2345 Email: adventure@mazamas.org Hours: Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m–7 p.m. Friday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Mazama Lodge 30500 West Leg Road, Government Camp, OR 97028 Phone: 503-272-9214 Email: mazama.lodge@mazamas.org Hours: Thu. noon—Mon. noon Mazama Staff Lee Davis—Executive Director (lee@mazamas.org) Kati Mayfield—Volunteer Manager (kati@mazamas.org) Adam Baylor—Member Services and Operations Manager (adam@mazamas.org) Sarah Bradham—Marketing & Publications Manager (sarah@mazamas.org) Jamie Anderson—Membership Secretary (jamie@mazamas.org) Rick Craycraft—MMC Facility Manager (rick@mazamas.org) Charles Barker—Mazama Lodge Manager (mazama.lodge@mazamas.org) Max Rupert—Mazama Lodge Caretaker (caretaker@mazamas.org)
MAZAMA (USPS 334-780)
Editor: Sarah Bradham (mazama. bulletin@mazamas.org). Advertising (mazama.ads@mazamas.org). Subscription price $15 per year. Bulletin material may be emailed to the editor. Paper submissions will be accepted only by prior arrangement with the Bulletin’s editor. All material for printing is due by noon on the 14th of the preceding month. If the 14th falls on a weekend, the deadline is the preceding Friday. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MAZAMAS, 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. The Executive Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are open to members. The Mazamas is a 501(c)(3) Oregon nonprofit corporation organized on the summit of Mt. Hood in 1894. The Mazama Bulletin is printed on recycled paper with 70 percent post-consumer content. The Mazamas is an equal opportunity provider.
August 2013—3
Five Steps to Becoming a Better Climber: A Beginner's Guide by Paul Collins
When you start bouldering or rock climbing, your mind is ready to try the route again and again, but your forearms may have something else planned. This is one of my favorite aspects of the sport: the mental “zone” it sometimes creates and often requires. It’s a perfect excuse to block everything else out of your mind and just climb. For the beginners this zone can be hard to find as there are many distractions running through your head (where is my next hand hold, and please let it be huge!). Developing the ability to relax and breathe on the rock can be challenging, but the more exposure and time you spend climbing the easier it becomes. Which leads us to the first tip to becoming a better climber: climb! Now, as obvious as that is, there is more to it. You also need to track your progress. 1. Climb and track your progress with a V-SUM. A V-SUM is a tool you can use to calculate your climbing ability. Boulder for 50 minutes, completing a minimum of 8 problems. At the end of your 50 minutes, add or sum the 8 hardest problems. You can’t count the same problem more than once. It will look something like this: 1+1+1+1+2+2+1+1 = 10. Test your V-SUM every other week to see your improvements. 2. Think with your feet first. Due to the nature of sport climbing, there will always be a large explosive upper body component. However, if from the beginning you can learn to load your feet and legs, your arms will be spared. Most beginners want to reach with their hands and pull themselves up the wall. Instead look for well-placed foot holds and keep your center of mass over your feet. By simply doing this you’ll be able to spend more time on the rock and further progress on tip #1. 3. Spend time on Tissue Quality (SMR). As a strength and conditioning coach I am constantly evaluating how an athlete moves and where that movement is coming from. Watching an inflexible climber climb is quite interesting because despite their limited range of motion (“ROM”) most climbers are able to adapt to the
route. It has been demonstrated that pure flexibility is not a great indicator for climbing ability. A problem with static stretching is that while it adds ROM it also decreases strength, which leads to instability. The best time to utilize static stretching is after a workout or on a non-climbing day. Beyond just stretching the muscles, I recommend that climbers focus on tissue quality through self myofacial release (SMR): this technique involves the foam rollers you might see people using at the gym. Proper tissue quality helps promote better strength, reduces the rate of injury and increase ROM without decreasing strength. SMR guidelines: slow rolling movements and stopping when you find a tender spots. Hold until the tender spot is relieved by 50-70 percent. 4. Fingerboard Pyramid. There are plenty of complex systems that can be used for finger and hand conditioning. For those new to the sport I’ve found this one to be simple and highly effective. Using the same pair of large holds (4 fingers, 5 if needed) you’ll complete straight arm hangs for the following duration in seconds with 5 seconds of rest between each: 4, 6, 8, 10, 8, 6, 4. For an example: 4s hold, 5s rest, 6s hold, 5s rest, 8s hold, 5s rest ...This is a great introduction to finger training without putting too much stress on the finger ligaments and tendons. Use this training tool 1–2x week on short climbing days. 5. Seek out friends to climb with. Creating a safe and fun environment is key for athletic success in any sport. The Mazamas is full of amazing climbers who climb regularly indoors and out, and would be happy to help you. Any Mazama can tell you that a great component of climbing is the incredibly supportive group of people who participate. Take advantage of this and find some new friends to climb with! Mazama Paul Collins is an avid boulderer and personal trainer in Portland. He is the owner of Peak Condition PDX.
The “Slow Lower” pull-up exercise is also useful for people who can do pullups with ease, as it provides neuromuscular and functional strength benefits.
Climb Strong and Injury Free with “Eccentric” Strength Training By Natalie Wessel, CSCS
The term “eccentric” may make you think of some of the people you meet on the trail, but the use of the term for the purposes of this article has to do with a type of muscle contraction. When performed, eccentric movements may help increase power and reduce injury by training your muscles to control the motion. Eccentric muscle contractions happen when muscle fibers lengthen while under strain. In the example of a bicep curl, the eccentric phase happens as you lower the weight to straighten your arm (the ‘concentric’ phase is when you bend the elbow to raise the weight). Many athletes focus their training on the eccentric phase to gain strength and control, especially following recovery from an injury. Here are some great basic exercises that can benefit climbers looking for a gained advantage. This can be integrated into a well-balanced strength training program
continued on next page 4 —Mazama Bulletin
Fire & Ice on Mt. Hood Part II: Ice
by Sonia Buist, Photo: Darla Askew
A huge washout below Eliot Glacier opened up a 150 foot deep Eliot Creek chasm in 2006, creating a gap in the Timberline Trail between Elk Cove and Cloud Cap. This section of the Timberline Trail is officially closed as it is too dangerous to cross until a workable solution has been found. The ban on venturing into this area has been lifted for this summer although hikers are strongly advised against finding ways around the chasm. The disruption of the Timberline Trail is very sad and should be unacceptable to Oregonians who love Mt. Hood and the rich history of the building of the Timberline Trail by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1934 and 1938. It’s not an option to allow such a treasure to be lost. To maintain this treasure, a solution and funding must be found. This will require political will and a loud voice from all of us who see the importance of saving our environment from the inevitable degradation of time.
The Eliot Glacier washout is also a wake-up call to remind us that the glaciers on Mt. Hood are melting and retreating. The seven largest glaciers on the mountain have already shrunk an average of 34 percent since the beginning of the last century, according to Keith Jackson, a graduate of Portland State University, who has been part of a glacier research team funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA. Most of the climate scientists agree that the dramatic melting of the glaciers is a direct result of global warming. The consequences of the disappearance of the glaciers are sobering to contemplate. The warming climate has resulted in torrential runoffs from rapid snow melt combined with rain that have created the Eliot Creek chasm, destroyed bridges, roads and houses, deepened canyons, silted rivers and clogged irrigation systems. It’s hard to extrapolate from the past decades what the future holds for the glaciers on our beloved Mt. Hood. We can only hope that they remain and continue to enrich our environment.
Sonia Buist has been a Mazama member for over 25 years. She is a physician, researcher and teacher at Oregon Health & Sciences University. Details about Mt. Hood, the Timberline Trail and the author’s latest 2013 book titled: Around & About Mt. Hood: Exploring the Timberline Trail, Access Trails, and Day Hikes and her other hiking guide of the Mt. Hood area, Hikes & Walks on Mt. Hood, can be found at: www.mthoodhiking.com and at the MMC.
Strength, continued from previous page and performed up to three times a week. Backward Hill Climbing: I like to do this on a treadmill with no shoes on. Walking backwards uphill trains your calves and feet to control twisting forces that cause injuries like knee pain, Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis. Pick a manageable speed, hold onto the railings, and up you go! The “Slow Lower” Pull-up: Pull-ups performed eccentrically are a great way to strengthen upper body climbing muscles. For people who cannot do a pull-up, bring a stool over to the bar, hop up to the ‘up’ position with your chin over the bar, and then slowly lower yourself. Repeat as many as you can, lowering as slowly and steadily as you can. Do this a couple times a week and you’ll soon be pulling yourself up over the bar from a hanging position on your own. Down-climb for the Ultimate Eccentric Workout: Put it all to the test by practicing down-climbing on top rope at the gym. Once at the top of your route, instead of getting lowered down, carefully climb back down. This will strengthen your upper and lower body and help control force. Just don’t forget to tell your belayer before you climb up. Plyometrics for Power: Jumping movements require your muscles to absorb downward forces at a higher speed. Try jumping rope for three minutes as a warm-up to your workout. You can do it barefoot for added benefits. Similarly, add a little kick to your push-ups by slowly lowering yourself down and forcefully pushing yourself back up. Throw in some flare and annoy everyone around you by clapping at the top. Who cares, you’re eccentric!
August 2013—5
Gear Test: Edelrid Mega-Jul by Rayce Boucher
S
ince the Petzl Grigri transformed climbing in 1991 by re-defining the term “safe belay,” multi-pitch rock climbers and mountaineers have been awaiting the ultimate multi-pitch belay device: one that (A) weighs no more than an ATC, (B) takes up no more space than an ATC, (C) rappels on two rope strands like an ATC, and (D) automatically catches a fall like a Grigri, from the harness or from the anchor. That’s a tall order, and making this vision a reality has preoccupied equipment designers for some time. So far, results have been weak. A couple of years ago Mammut introduced the Alpine Smart, which almost worked as well as everyone hoped it would. But it’s bulky, and not as light as we would like it to be. It is theoretically able to perform all the required tasks, but it doesn’t seem to do them very well. With thicker rope it tends to jam up easily, provoking vicious invectives from short-roped lead climbers. On the wrong rope, rappelling with a Smart can be a nightmare of lurching and jerking, smoking freefalls followed by total lockups. Still smarting from the letdown of Mammut’s device, climbers are trying not to get too excited about the Mega-Jul, even though initial reports make this device look very promising. Lighter than the Black Diamond ATC Guide, the Mega-Jul is Edelrid’s recent shot at the ultimate multi-pitch belay device. If you are much involved with rock climbing, you may have heard of it already. If you’re a belay-device nerd like me, you’ve probably tried to buy one only to discover that they’re still pretty hard to find. (Redpoint Climber’s Supply in Terrebonne has them!) I ordered mine from Canada a month ago, and for three weeks I tested it extensively at Smith Rock State Park, all for your benefit. Here are my findings:
Rope
Edelrid claims that the Mega-Jul can be used with rope diameters from 7.8 to 10.5 millimeters. Unable to test the device on all rope diameters, I split the difference and tested it with three types: a set of 8.1mm PMI Verglas half ropes, a 9.5mm Edelweiss, and a 9.8mm Metolius. Why am I bothering to disclose the makes and models of my ropes? Because rope specs seem to be very important to the Mega-Jul. Not all thicknesses of rope are going to work the same in this device.
Auto-locking belay from the harness—Yep! This is the function that everyone wants in a tubular device. Currently the only way to back up a harness belay is to use a heavy, bulky mechanical device like a Grigri, a Cinch, or an Edelrid Eddy, all of which are deemed unsuitable for fast and light alpine travel. Happily, this is one area in which the new Mega-Jul really shines,
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providing the same belay security as the Petzl Grigri at a fraction of the weight. Belaying on toprope is easy and smooth. As advertised, the device will accommodate thicker rope diameters up to 10.5mm. Be warned, though: the thicker the rope, the more resistance you will experience as you feed rope through the device. Those super-thick ropes you sometimes encounter at the climbing gym (or in the Mazama rope room) will make for quite a battle. For the very thin half or twin ropes, the device will not fully lock up when the climber falls. Instead, you will get what Edelrid calls “assisted braking:” the fall is caught by the device, but your brake hand needs to arrest all motion. Belaying a leader takes a bit of time to master. If you try to use this device as you would an ATC, you’ll get some nasty jamming. Once you get used to feeding rope with your thumb in the brake release loop (that green thing), you’ll find lead belaying with this device to be no more difficult than with a Grigri or Cinch. Lowering a climber from the harness, as commonly practiced in the gym or at the crag, is a bit more difficult with the MegaJul than with an ATC. The Mega-Jul must be levered out of its auto-lock position in order to lower; doing this requires the belayer to press against the climber’s weight. With practice the Mega-Jul can lower very smoothly, but doing so takes energy and can get tiresome. This isn’t a huge problem, but it makes the Mega-Jul less than ideal for gym and crag climbing.
Attached directly to the anchor
The ability to attach one’s belay device directly to the anchor for belaying followers (“guide mode” or “plaquette mode”) has become increasingly important to multi-pitch climbers. So far the best device for belaying in guide mode has been the Black Diamond ATC Guide, which handles one or two thicker ropes with little complaint and rappels very smoothly. Does the MegaJul match up to the BD ATC Guide? Sorta. Anyone who has worked with a belay device in guide mode already knows: this is an advanced belay method. When the device locks up under the climber’s full body weight, you need to know how to “defeat the plaquette” with a load-releasing pulley system in order to lower the climber. The Mega-Jul makes defeating the plaquette easier, by providing a slot in its nose that accepts a locking carabiner. This carabiner increases the leverage of the device; therefore less force needs to be applied to the MegaJul in order to unlock it. Overall, the Mega-Jul works very smoothly in guide mode as long as two requirements are met. 1) you must use a belay biner made with very thick, rounded bar stock. (see photo). Lighter-weight belay carabiners made with hourglass or I-beam bar stock create too much resistance and the device will tend to jam up; and 2) no matter what Edelrid says, you cannot use rope thicker than 10mm in guide mode. Even with no climber attached, I had to fight
a lot of resistance in order to bring up my 9.8mm rope; belaying a climber for a full pitch was tiresome. Ropes thicker than 10mm just won’t work in guide mode. With ropes of 9.5mm or less, the Mega-Jul is fully in its element, allowing the rope to advance smoothly, locking up perfectly in a fall, and unlocking with greater ease than the BD Guide or Petzl Reverso. It’s almost as if the device was designed for ropes of this type ...
Auto-locking rappel: Nope!
Judging from the marketing material, Edelrid expects the Mega-Jul’s auto-locking rappel mode to be a major selling point. The idea is that you don’t need an “autoblock” backup hitch or a fireman’s backup because in this configuration, it’s easy to stop the rappel simply by letting go of the device,
much as you would with a Grigri. Unfortunately, this mode just doesn’t work. With thin ropes such as twins or halfs, the device does not brake the rappel when you let go of it. Movement is slowed somewhat, but if you don’t keep your hand on the brake strands, you will quickly pick up speed. With single ropes of any thickness, the device constantly tries to lock up—in order to travel down the rope at all, you have to endlessly muscle the device out of the lock. This is an exhausting, jerky, and dangerous-seeming way to rappel. Exactly these problems were sufficient to destroy the popularity of the Mammut Smart.
Standard rappel—Yep!
Luckily for Edelrid, the device can also be used in a non-locking rappel mode. Used with an autoblock hitch in its standard rappel mode, the Mega-Jul offers a smooth and safe rappel, with exactly the same feel as an ATC.
Discovery and Challenge Mazamas members receive $100 off any 5-10 day course, $200 off any course longer than 10 days. Call Northwest Outward Bound at 828.239.2359 www.nwobs.org Photo: Joel Reid
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There may never be one ultimate multi-pitch belay device ... even so, I’m going to keep using my Mega-Jul. When I go climbing longer routes in the mountains on my half ropes or on a 9.5mm single line, the Mega-Jul will be my tool of choice.
Conclusion
There may never be just one ultimate multipitch belay device. The variety of rope types and thicknesses may make it impossible for one device to do it all. Even so, I’m going to keep using my MegaJul. I won’t use it on thick rope at the gym, or out climbing at the crags. But when I go climbing longer routes in the mountains on my half ropes or on a 9.5mm single line, the Mega-Jul will be my tool of choice, because it allows me to provide a backed-up belay from below a leader, or above a second. No other device can do both as effectively as this one.
BRIDGETOWN
&
PHYSICAL THERAPY TRAINING STUDIO
Are you ready for the summer climbing and hiking season? Get that nagging injury checked out or start the strengthening program that you’ve been putting off!
bridgetownpt.com b 1500 SW 1st Ave, Ste 150 503-222-1955
August 2013—7
Namibia Southern Crossing by Radek & Shirley Chalupa
T
his trip was the product of the usual drawn out brainstorm session that probably started a year and a half ago. Where to go, where to go? Northern Canada? Large expense, crappy weather, crowds all gunning for the same route even if the climb looked very good. South Africa? Did a bit of internet research, ordered some climbing books but in the end nothing really inspired us—no single, long route that stood out. Also—too first world, too English-speaking. Mozambique looked good until we started reading about the bureaucratic quagmires involved in climbing, not to mention few established lines and those that were there looked like vertical bushwhacks. Mali’s unrest had grown into a multi-way civil war by then. Sometime during that process we found some photos of the Spitzkoppe formation in Namibia. Can’t really say that it was love at first sight but we did buy the climbing guidebook for it. I think what really sealed the Namibia deal for us was stumbling onto Majka Burhardt’s article in the American Alpine Journal on their climb of a wall on Namibia’s highest peak. Southern Crossing (V 5.11+) did indeed look like something worthy of traveling half way around the world to climb. We ordered the Waypoint Namibia DVD and tried to squeeze as much info out of it as we could before contacting Majka who very helpfully filled in some blanks for us and provided the key contact name. Basil Caditz, the owner and proprietor of the Brandberg Rest Camp in the nearby village of Uis, became the person through whom we’d arrange everything from permits to porters, as well as transport from Uis onwards. Everything seemed to be lined Packing up at home. up well ahead of time and we finally set off on our trip in midMay. Portland to JFK followed by a 15-hour Atlantic crossing to Johannesburg (endurance sitting) and quick jump to Windhoek where we picked up our rugged, off-road rental (a Corolla). Our first impressions of the country were that it looked like southern Arizona—minus the border patrol checkpoints but with a heavy German-language influence—that is until a baboon bolted across the road thirty feet ahead of our car. Following the nearly 30-hour trip, we spent our first night in Windhoek where we also did some shopping the following morning: a throw-away cell phone, gasoline, and 70 bottles ... anarchists’ three essentials (to clarify, gasoline for stove and 70 liters of water). By noon we were driving north towards the old mining town of Uis. We’ve read about Namibia’s great infrastructure and indeed the only difficulty getting around was trying to remember to drive on the “wrong” side of the roads. A couple of near misses in those early days quickly built-up the right muscle memory. We reached Uis in the late afternoon. The place became a ghost town in the early 90s when the tin mining operation closed but has since been resurrected as a conglomerate of a Damara village with livestock herding on one side, and a white Namibian and European settlement for tourists on the other. There, Basil greeted us with
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a “bit of bad news.” Apparently some hikers were caught hiking without a permit on the next-door Brandberg within days of our arrival and got busted. A story we’d later learn made national news in Namibia. As a result all permits were suspended. While Basil was trying to sort through things with his contacts on the Heritage Council, we met John a Damara guide who strongly insisted that we call his contact on the same Council and make our case directly. We ended up interrupting Mr. Mentos during a meeting and figured we that we had “fubar-ed” things at that point. That evening we met Guy and Shira who were on a 6-month trip through southern Africa and Papua. We all got an area tour from Basil, enjoyed a fun dinner together and figured that we’ll be going to Spitzkoppe the next day. To our astonishment, Mr. Mentos called us back that evening and asked for our old permit information to be forwarded to him suggesting that “things can be worked out.” The following day—nothing. We bummed around “town” and saw our first Himba people. Finally, in the early afternoon Basil got the email green-lighting our climb on the condition that John would accompany us. John was in and the porters were out as John had agreed to not only help us carry in the water but to also do a water resupply run. By the time Basil dropped us off at the foot of the valley, it was after 2 p.m. and the sun was blazing (even in Namibian winter). A pretty stout three-hour hike and boulder-hop followed as we were all loaded up with gear, food, and water. Initially things were exciting as Shirley and I kept on thinking about all the varieties of venomous snakes that live among the boulders and grasses we were fighting our way through. John assured us that the area had no black mambas, only puff adders and zebra snakes but those were probably less active now (“winter—too cold” ... hard to buy this when it’s 32C). The former were the real danger because their nature was to lie still when approached while the latter were more aggressive and spat venom. A cute name for what is a flavor of a spitting cobra. After two hours we were so destroyed we did not care much anymore. We made camp above some slabs as the sun was going down about one and a half hours shy of the high camp we were hoping for. Southern hemisphere’s winter at that latitude meant daylight hours from just past 6 a.m. til just past 5 p.m. We both liked John right away. He seemed to love the area and really took the leave-no-trace to heart. John was Damara and grew up in the shadow of Brandberg. He’s been guiding hikers and tourists for over a decade and though he’s hiked up to the summit of the Orabeskopf Wall via the backside trail a few times, he’s never been to the valley we were hiking up as that was only of interest to climbers. If our online researchand Basil’s accounting is accurate, we were the fourth climbing party headed for this wall. First climb was in 1974 via the Dogbreath (5.8) route—not sure whether or how many times it’s been repeated. This was followed by Majka Burhardt, Kate Rutherford and Peter Doucette establishing two routes in 2009: Painted Giraffe (5.9) and Southern Crossing (5.11+). The last activity was the establishment of a new route called Hungarob Combination
Left: Shirley in the middle of the “Enduro Corner” (5.11-) on Southern Crossing. This is our pitch 6— amazing climbing. Above: After spending the night on the summit of the Orabeskopf Wall, this brilliant sunrise greeted us on the descent (May 2013).
(7c or 6c A0) by four German climbers in 2011. In the morning, we packed up and moved camp another 1.5 hours higher up the valley. While we played housewives and set up camp, John hiked back down and carried up some 36 liters of water that we had stashed at the trailhead. That is one hell of a feat under any conditions but particularly so if you consider the terrain and the heat. As John was discouraging pre-dawn hikes, we set out for our climb just before 6 a.m. on the third day. We were at the base an hour and half later. Though we initially thought about warming up on the easier Painted Giraffe route, we realized that the water situation would make it difficult to do more than a single route during the outing. And so we started up the main objective, the beautiful 13-pitch Southern Crossing. After the quick scramble, the first pitch probably had the flakiest rock of the route and the 10rating felt stiff (off-width). Higher up, things improved quickly. The 5.10 pitches had fun crack climbing, mostly solid rock and offered great protection. Four or five pitches up one of the gear loops on my harness decided to come apart and airmail its content into the bush below. This unfortunately included a full water bottle and a #6 C4. After a fighting through a bird shit chimney which also featured bushes, we arrived on the large ledge at the base of the “Enduro Corner.” The 5.11 start featured a bit of hanging on the rope on my part and I ended the pitch early as my finger sized and smaller pieces were mostly depleted. As it turned out, the rest of the Corner mostly required larger pro. We broke up the rest of the Corner (11-) with a hanging belay midway up and somebody took a 15 foot fall on the third and final lead (bloodying up a finger for dramatic effect). The corner was mostly clean of dirt and bird droppings but did have some shrubbery growing. This section put us on a ledge constructed of …yes…bird droppings and featured a few bird carcasses. The short 5.11+ off-
width got mostly French freed and we were finally done with the crack system and the difficulties. A 5.7 pitch put us on the diagonal ramp system (joining Dogbreath route) where three or four rope stretching pitches (5.6) finally deposited us on the summit ridge. With about 45 minutes of daylight remaining and only a vague idea of how to get down, we found a sheltered spot with some deadwood nearby and settled in for a reasonably comfy night under a star filled sky. We are getting way too good with this routine. While Shirley wove the 140 meters of twins into comfy mats (in a record 22 minutes), I gathered enough fire wood to last us the night. We then shared an amazingly tasty apple, took a couple mini-sips of our remaining liter of water and were pleasantly surprised to find a space blanket in our tiny pack. As expected, the night went by slowly if painlessly with bouts of conversation, sleep, star gazing and a touch of shivering. In the morning, we found the hiking trail and followed it off the backside of the mountain into the adjacent valley. Eventually we saw the key notch above us and scrambled up the slabs towards it. The notch would allow access back to the base of the wall where we had a water bottle stashed. As we were scrambling down the gully on the other side, we heard and soon saw John scrambling up to us. John also decided to bring the whole shebang with him: water, food including freeze dried dinners and a stove! Man, we certainly could get used to this. We celebrated the climb by pigging out, chatting, taking in the scenery and eventually hiked down to our camp. It turned out that while we were busy stargazing the previous night, John was busy fending off a curious leopard in our camp. We hiked out early the following morning and saw giraffe tracks at the bottom of the valley—seeing the animal itself would have to wait till Etosha the following day. Basil showed up right on schedule and we were back in Uis well before 11. We both thought that Southern Crossing was a great natural line. It follows an obvious dihedral system right up the center of the face (proud!) with the only fixed pieces being two knifeblades. This was the most remote bit of climbing we’ve ever done and, considering the quality of the climbing along with the setting, probably some of the most unforgettable. That afternoon, we drove the 350 km north to Okaukuejo encampment in Etosha National Park for two and half days of animal sight seeing and overeating.
August 2013—9
Katie Mills topping out on the Fin via Backbone Ridge on Dragontail Peak, 7/15/13. Photo and belay by Todd Eddie.
Mazamas in Mazama! Climb all day in the North Cascades, and relax at night at a peaceful campsite.
Enjoy a perfect jumping off spot for day climbing in the North Cascades! Between
Sep. 5 and Sep. 21 (checkout on Sep. 22 for the last night) camp at the Northwest Outward Bound School Basecamp. Rates are $8/night for members and $15
10 —Mazama Bulletin
for nonmembers and includes access the restrooms and shower facilities. Maximum capacity per night is 25 people. Address:Northwest Outward Bound School Basecamp, 226 Lost River Rd., Mazama WA 98833 Go to our website to sign up!
Book Review: Northwest Oregon Rock by Tim Olson Oregon’s Fifty Shades of Gray by Barry Maletzky
O
regon rock appears in many colors, most a variation of black and white. From the blackest of basalts and obsidian through the dark grays of andesite to the much-loved but unfortunately rare granidiorite, our stones are not often described as colorful. Nor were they thought by most early rock climbers to be easily climbable, certainly not comparable to the friendly speckled granite of California’s big walls. Brushy approaches, friable rock and uncertain publicity combined to leave rock stars saving their change for month-long trips out of state. This is no longer the case as pioneers of Oregon rock began the arduous task of scoping out and ascending routes closer to home in the 1960s through the present century. These early warriors involved many of our own Mazamas, including Gil Staender, Jeff Thomas, Bob McGown and Dave Sauerbrey. Opening up the Gorge first, then the pillars of central and eastern Oregon, such adventurous souls have been duly noted in this most comprehensive of guides to Oregon’s finest rock ascents. Despite its title, Northwest Oregon Rock covers not just the immediate Portland area but roams through southwest and southeast Washington and the extreme southern and eastern Oregon fringes, including the Menagerie, Stein’s Pillar, and even Hell’s Canyon. In this follow-up to his successful 2011 Portland Rock Climbs, Olson has included almost a thousand routes and has wisely incorporated additional beta from experts in several of the farther-flung areas, such as Moolack Rock near Oakridge, (78 routes) and Spring Mountain, between Pendleton and LaGrande (135 routes). As is often the case with such edited work, sections of the book appear pieced together and uneven but this is a small price to pay for accuracy. As acknowledged in the introduction, this is not a “how to” text but rather a “where” guide. There are helpful sections on weather and gear but the author does spend a good deal of time here on geology without directly relating type of rock to type of climbing. Once through the intro the routes start spilling out unencumbered in sections describing the Gorge; the Mt. Hood area; and the Santiam, southern Willamette, and central and eastern
climber is pictured but her or his identity Oregon regions. Again ignoring his own remains a mystery. Moreover, the photos title, Olson even includes a section on ice are rarely on the same page as the route climbing in the Gorge (65 routes—who description, forcing the reader to turn one or knew?). However, he fails to include the most two pages back and forth to correlate the two. common climbing areas close to Portland, Some photos show climbers without helmets including Broughton Bluff and Madrone Wall, on routes where I would consider them puzzling omissions, especially because they essential. As with much scientific illustration, are annotated on his introductory map. Smith drawings are much easier to comprehend. Rock is also missing. Perhaps Olson reasoned Especially helpful are top-down, or bird’sthat these areas have their own guides and view, illustrations pointing the way to access several are already covered in his first book, each route. but if so this should have been mentioned and There is much to admire about this the guidebooks referenced. Olson attempts to limit his routes to those “within a one-day drive” of Portland, approximately There is much to admire about this within an 80-mile radius guide, particularly its inclusive breadth of the metro area. As and meticulous attention to detail. noted above he then admittedly and happily exceeds this limit, bursting with enthusiasm for areas close to the state’s southern and guide, particularly its inclusive breadth and eastern borders. This excess is welcome as it meticulous attention to detail. Olson approves opens up areas about which Portland-bound of bolting, top-roping and red-pointing but climbers may previously have been unaware. wisely discourages chipping holds to improve There is no shortage of information here, them. He is acutely aware of access issues including 51 on Cape Horn, 23 on Wanker’s Column near Coyote Wall, and even 77 routes and loudly promotes the principles of LNT. To my delight, he advises to leave the dogs on Horsethief Butte. at home! Minor caveats include a reference Each description is terse but adequate, to a nonexistent Appendix B and the listing sufficient to get you started with info on of all first ascentionists, when known, in access (road and trail), parking, route beta, the sole appendix rather than with the belay stations, fixed gear and rappel stations. route description itself. The text could have Olson even includes info on best seasons for benefitted from an extensive edit as typo’s climbing, and times of day based on sun and abound along with an aversion to apostrophes shade. The climbs described are generally for possessive nouns and several repeats of in the 5.8 to 5.10 range, with a few 5.4 to route descriptions. The section on Moolack, 5.7 routes thrown in for scramblers such as written by its developer, is a bit preachy myself, and a dozen or so routes rated 5.12 about boltless climbing and stars every route, and 5.13. Gear and rope recommendations sometimes with four or five stars! are presented with each description. Olson Nonetheless, Northwest Oregon Rock, includes a star rating system for routes but even with its deceptive title, deserves space this is not followed consistently by section on every Oregon rock climber’s shelf. It is far authors. A last chapter mentions newer areas more comprehensive than earlier and limited just being developed, such as Larch Boulders texts and certainly more up to date. You may in southwest Washington and Cascade argue that, with electronic access now almost Boulders just above Cascade Locks. A helpful universal, a mere book will become dated as listing of websites devoted to certain areas is soon as it’s published. This is not the case as included as these will contain the most up-tomost of these routes, and even entire sections, date info. of the text now lack a dedicated website In my opinion, the biggest failing of this and probably will for years as many are off guide it the photographs. Dark and muddled, most climbers’ radar. Many have yet to be with tiny dots and names superimposed, developed fully. It is no insult to the web to they are of much less help than the clear purchase this most useful book. illustrations and topo’s which, fortunately, Olson, T. Northwest Oregon Rock. Selfaccompany all routes. The photos, all black, published, 2012. Mazama Library number white and gray, are often tiny and in the main 917.95.OL8n. lack attributions or captions. Sometimes a
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August 2013—11
Membership Benefits Columbia Sportswear (911 SW Broadway) 20% Eddie Bauer (online and all locations) 40% off First Ascent Line with their Pro Discount card (see our website) Climb Max (628 NE Broadway) 10%; climb leaders 15% Icebreaker (1109 W Burnside) 10% non-sale items only Mountain Hardwear (722 SW Taylor) 15% The Mountain Shop (1510 NE 37th) 10%; 15% for climb leaders and students currently enrolled in classes; 30% on rentals Mountaineers Books (www. mountaineersbooks.org use code MZORE) 20% Next Adventure (SE Grand and Stark) 10% Oregon Mountain Community (NE 29th and Sandy) 10% nonsale items only Portland Rock Gym (21 NE 12th) 10% off regularly-priced memberships
AYM Activities
The Adventurous Young Mazamas leads activities year round targeted those in their 20s, 30s, early 40s, and of course anyone who is “Young at Heart.” All of our activities are open to all regardless of age.
by Paul Kallman
Saturday, Aug. 17 through Sunday Aug. 18, we will have a first ever Beginners Backpack Trip to the Bull of the Woods Wilderness. This one night trip is aimed at those who have had limited backpacking experience. Hike leader, Beth Copeland, will assist participants in the basic how-to’s of backpacking and then lead a fun trip to the Bull of the Woods wilderness area. Then on Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 30–Sep. 2), hike leaders Matt Reeder and Karl Langenwalter are leading a car camping trip to the Wallowas/Eagle Cap Wilderness. We have reserved the group camp at Wallowa Lake State Park. We’ll leave Portland on Friday and return on Labor Day Monday. At the Wallowas, Matt and Karl will lead a number of hikes and we’ll have the evenings to relax and enjoy a big fire, dinner, games, and other fun activities. This is the first trip for AYM to the Wallowas in a number of years and we’re excited to return. Both the backpacking weekend and the Wallowas trip are sure to sell out, so sign up soon! Below are the details for both trips. As always, our full and up to date AYM schedule can be found at tinyurl.com/mazamaaym.
Saturday–Sunday, Aug. 17–18, Beginners Backpack: Bull of the Woods Wilderness Area The Bull of the Woods Wilderness includes about a dozen lakes and the headwaters of
the Collawash, Breitenbush, and Little North Santiam Rivers. The extensive network of trails are relatively less traveled and provides access to expansive views, wildflower meadows, huckleberries in season, and old growth forest. We’ll have opportunities to leave our packs and visit lakes for swimming or climb to a fire lookout with panoramic views. Trip size limited to 12 in the Mt. Hood Wilderness. We’ll depart Portland Saturday morning and return late Sunday evening. Exact hiking route to be determined. Hike: less than 10 miles per day and less than 2,000 ft. elevation gain. Drive: 140 miles. Advance sign up required. Please email leader to say hello and to get details on meeting location, packing, carpooling, etc. Leader: Beth Copeland.
Fri-Mon, Aug. 30–Sep. 2, Camping/Hiking: Eagle Cap Wilderness
An AYM tradition returns! We’ll spend Labor Day weekend camping in Wallowa Lake State Park. We’ll hike by day and hang out by night. Plan on a full holiday weekend of hikes, explorations, friendship, pancakes and minigolf. Sign up early to assure your spot! Leaders: Matt Reeder and Karl Langenwalter. AYM offers activities year round targeted to those in their 20s, 30s, early 40s and anyone “Young” at heart. All AYM activities are open anyone, regardless of age.
Prana Portland (635 NW 23rd Ave.) 15% off all regularlypriced items Redpoint Climbers Supply (Terrebonne, OR) 10% U.S. Outdoor Store (219 SW Broadway) 10%
12 —Mazama Bulletin
Mazama team on the summit of Middle Sister, June 2013. Photo: Katarina Mueller
Intermediate Climbing School—2013/2014
by Gary Ballou
What’s so special about ICS this year? We’ve put a lot of effort into rolling out an exceptional year for ICS. Here’s just a taste of the things you can expect. New this year: you will be invited to design the winning logo for the ICS 2013/14 class! More than an emblem for your class, it will inspire you to take your new skills and leadership ability and reach out. Maybe by inspiring a new climber, being a key member of a climb team, becoming a climb leader, or volunteering in the broader community. The lecturers will be some of the most-experienced and engaging. Their instruction will be state of the art; thanks to them you will be among the best trained climbers on any given peak. After several years of hard work, we have a smoothfunctioning carpool signup system, that can comfortably fit 60-plus students and assistants into as few as 17 cars, thus getting the blessing of the parking attendants at Timberline Lodge. You will have the chance to join us after our snow sessions at Skyway Restaurant in Zigzag, where the staff reserves an entire wing of the restaurant for our class,
serving up hot food and hotter wings! For assistants: we’ll have extra incentives if you help both days at a field session: look for details at Info Night. We’ll make it worth your while to help for the weekend-- it’s more than just a potluck! You’ll bond with a tight-knit group of friends, all highly trained. ICS grads often become your closest climbing partners. Please join ICS 2013-14 Coordinator Gary Ballou and Assistant Coordinator Dan Gerbus on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the MMC for ICS Info Night. We’ll provide pizza and beverages, and answer any questions you may have about the program. Important dates: • Thursday, Aug. 1—ICS Application online • Tuesday, Aug. 6—ICS Info Night • Friday, Aug. 16—Application deadline • Thursday, Aug. 15 & Wednesday, Aug. 21—ICS Skills Test • Monday, Aug. 26—Notification of acceptance • Tuesday, Sept. 3—First lecture and payment due To learn more about ICS including the schedule, fees and graduation requirements, please visit the ICS Web site: tinyurl.com/mazamaics.
News & Notes
Membership Report • June 2013
Manager: Charles Barker; Caretaker: Max Rupert, 503-272-9214 mazama.lodge@mazamas.org
August is a great time to enjoy the alpine glow during the evening sunset on Mt. Hood from the comfort of the lodge Adirondack Chairs. A special thanks to Jim Van Lente who recently refinished our Adirondack chairs and George Cummings who repaired some of the broken armrests. Thank you volunteers!
Thursday, Aug. 22–Friday, Aug. 23 Ed Rea wil lead two days of hikes from Mazama Lodge. These will be B level hikes to some of the most beautiful wildflower areas in the Mt. Hood Wilderness area. The hikes will be announced the evening before, and wil leave from the lodge each morning at 8 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 18 Welcome Mazama Families for an early BBQ dinner at 5 p.m. followed by an evening campfire program. This follows a family hike to Mirror Lake earlier in the day (see Mazama Families activities).
Friday, Aug. 23 Sonia Buist, author and Mazama member will show slides and discuss her newly updated book: Mt. Hood, Exploring the Timberline Trail, access trails, and day hikes. The program will begin at 8 p.m. following dinner. Dinner is $12.60 and will be served at 6:30 p.m. This fabulous program is one hour long and is free to all members and guests.
Hike Week
Wednesday, Aug. 21 James and Betty Selby will lead a hike to Mirror Lake. Meet at the Mirror lake Trailhead at 9 a.m.
Applications for Membership: ...11
Friday, Sep. 20 Join us for a Friends of the Lodge Party. This is a free event open to all Mazamas and Friends of Mazamas that have been helping out at the lodge over the years. This will be combined with a work party on Saturday, Sep. 21 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. More detail of this event in next months Bulletin. New at the Lodge. Check out our new Tepee! This is available for summer and fall use. Great for kid (and adult birthdays).
Jared Austin—Mt. Adams Kline M. Bentley—Mt. Shasta Connor C. Chamberlin—Mt. St. Helens Bryan S. Columbo—Mt. St. Helens Zachary M. Cross—Mt. St. Helens Jiayoung M. Fu—Mt. Hood Michael E. Kimberling—Mt. Baker Mark S. Kneeshaw—Mt. Rainier Alison Mitchell—Kilamanjaro Ryan S. Opdahl—Mt. Hood Michael P. Zasadzien—Mt. Adams
Reinstatements:...................... 4 Liza Burney (1992), Cassandra Kelly (1990), Sean Denney (2002), Sarah Segal (2012)
Total Membership Net New Members................ 15 June 30, 2013:................. 3,304 June 30, 2012:................. 3,166
Hiking with Kids photos & article by Joe Fitzpatrick
(with the carrier hidden inside). We headed to the trailhead after lunch, foolishly believing she’d nap in the car, and arrived early afternoon. The hike itself was a study in distraction. She spent most of the time saying she was hungry, tired, or done walking. I responded by changing the subject. We ended up taking a little over 3 hours to do the mile and a half, including one big stop for a snack, plus ‘resting’ on the side of the trail in her sleeping bag. I had picked Dog Creek as our camping site, so that we would have an interesting destination. We had pasta, peas, and ham (one of Persephone’s favorite meals) for dinner. She slept like a log, sharing a full-length sleeping bag with our dog Addy happily curled up in the empy bottom half. The hike out in the morning started the same way as the previous day, tired and hungry, despite finishing breakfast (oatmeal with raisins and hard boiled eggs) only moments before. We made it back in just 3 hours since she didn’t want to ‘rest’ in her sleeping bag on the side of the trail. She was delighted when we got to the car, and says she enjoyed the trip and wants to go again. The Wilson River trail didn’t turn out to be the best choice. I chose it because it was a flat trail I had hiked several times that I knew had some camping spots close to trailheads. A better choice and one of my personal favorites would be the Badger Creek Trail, which has several excellent campsites so you can easily adjust your hike distance.
Kid carriers are great for getting kids outdoors at a young age, but don’t leave much room for overnight gear. Plus I figure the sooner my kids can hike for themselves the less weight I have to carry, and the sooner they’ll be ready to start climbing mountains. Over the past few months, we’ve ramped up our hiking and Persephone on the trail with Persephone completed her first her hiking pole. backpacking trip on her own feet just before her third birthday. The first stage we went through was giving her opportunities to walk whenever the terrain was gentle. Usually she would start the hike in the backpack, then after our first snack, I would offer her the opportunity to walk on her own for as long as she would like. Eventually she was reliably hiking almost a mile at a time before asking to get into the backpack. Sullivan’s ‘100 hikes’ series have listings of ‘accessible’ trails in the back. These made for hikes that were guaranteed to have easy terrain. Another important step has been to have situations where she didn’t have an apparent choice other than walking herself. We took a trip to Elowah falls—1.4 miles round trip—and the backpack was occupied by Persephone’s younger sister, Kalliope, so she had no choice other than to walk. Luckily, she’s a pretty big fan of waterfalls, so two brief snacks and 90 minutes later, we were at a waterfall 0.7 miles from the car. This turned out to be an overestimation on my part, there was no way she was going to walk the whole way back. Of course, I was prepared and had a wrap carrier (packs small, pretty light) so I could carry both kids out if need be. The author with daughter Persephone on the Wilson River Trail. The return trip took all of 20 minutes. Some other short hike destinations with waterfalls include Lancaster falls (1.8 mi. RT) and Wahclella falls (2 mi. RT) Finally, I felt we were read to attempt an overnight excursion. I chose the Kings Mountain trailed and a 1.5 mile hike to the Wilson River trail. I packed my normal backpack for the night
14 —Mazama Bulletin
Some tips: • always be prepared to carry your toddler all the way out • pack meals that they eat regularly and you know they’ll like • pack a couple snacks that are unique treats (we only eat fruit leather while hiking) • kid sleeping bags seem to be 5 ft. long and all seem to be heavy and low quality. Just use an adult sized one and tie a cord a few inches below their feet, it will likely be lighter than a kid sleeping bag too • adjustable trekking poles are just right for little ones when they’re collapsed all the way • find ways to divert the conversation away from being tired or hungry. (Where are we going? What are we going to do when we get to camp/ home? What did you have for breakfast? Who should we bring next time we come? Where did you sleep last night?) • be sure to listen as they might actually be tired or hungry
Upcoming Mazama Families Activities Activities added since the July Bulletin are marked with NEW. To join our email list for up to date information and activity reminders or if you have any questions, would like to get involved organizing our group or an event or to stay in touch, please drop us a line at families@mazamas.org. For more information, go to: tinyurl.com/mazamafamilies. Sun, Aug 18—Day at the Lodge and Mirror Lake Hike: Join us for a cool trip to the mountain during the dogs days of summer. First is a short but sweet hike to Mirror Lake, so-called because it forms a perfect mirror for the South side of Mt. Hood. We will dip our toes in the cool mountain lake and then head back to the Mazama Lodge for games, BBQ hamburger & hotdog style dinner, campfire with s’mores, and an overnight stay if you aren’t ready to head back to town. Come for all or part of the day! Leader: Jim Selby (selbyjb@ comcast.net). 3 miles rt, 782 ft. elevation change. Meet: Mirror Lake Trailhead (Map); NW Forest Pass required, or Mazamas Lodge (map and directions). Time: 1 p.m. for hike, 3 p.m. for games, 5 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. campfire. NEW August 21—Tryon Creek State Park: Park Socials Third Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Join us for a picnic at 6 p.m. at the shelter, then for families with kids 8 years old and older, join the park ranger on a hike beginning at 7 p.m. focusing on the park’s owl. Locate their nests and learn about this unique park animal. Hike ends at 8:30
p.m. so bring a flashlight along! Join the Mazama Families email list for details and updates closer to the date. Sat, Sep 05—Climb: Plummer Peak (#151). Leader: Ray Sheldon (rbshldn@ pacifier.com), Grade:A(C)(F). Sat, Sep 21—Hike to Wahclella Falls: Wahclella Falls is an excellent hike with lots to offer: a modest hike through a sheltered canyon, a booming waterfall, pools to play in, and spawning salmon in season. There are some sections of trail with major drop-offs, so if you have a walking child, be sure to watch them closely. Leader: John Godino. 2 miles rt, 300 ft. elevation change. Meet: Wahclella Falls Trailhead, I-84 east-bound Exit 40 (Map); NW Forest Pass required. Time: 11 a.m. NEW September 18— Pittock Mansion (NW): Park Socials Third Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Pack your family a dinner and a blanket and come on out for an evening of low key fun and friendship in one of our many great city parks. Join the Mazama Families email list for details and updates closer to the date. NEW Sat, Sep 14—Climb: Pinnacle Peak (#331). Leader: Bob Murphy (bob_murphy@ hotmail.com). Grade:A(F). Join us for car camping Saturday night at Cougar Rock to be ready for a Sunday morning departure to the trailhead. We will gently hike the 1½ mile, 700 ft elevation gain to Pinnacle/ Plummer saddle. A fixed line will be set for those who need
it to feel comfortable with the class 2-3 scramble to the summit for majestic views of Mt. Rainier and the Tatoosh and views south! NEW Fri-Sun, Oct 4-6—1st Annual Smith Rock Weekend: Head to the Oregon High Desert in early October for a day or a weekend of family fun! We will car camp at Skull Hollow campground Friday & Saturday evening sharing in a potluck, campfire, s’mores, and ghost stories. Saturday and Sunday we will offer hikes around Skull Hollow, Smith Rock park, set up top ropes off North Point, and get as many rope leaders to offer climbing on single and multi-pitch routes around the park as possible. We will set-up kid swapping so parents can get on some adult climbs while their children are safe and sound with likeminded parents. Also, groups can explore the Corn Maze and activities at the Central Oregon Pumpkin Company. Come for a day, an evening or the whole weekend! Leader: Azure Olson. Contact families@mazamas.org for more information or to register. Oct. 16—Rocky Butte Summit (NE) to catch the sunset (weather dependant): Park Socials Third Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Pack your family a dinner and a blanket and come on out for an evening of low key fun and friendship in one of out many great city parks. Join the Mazama Families email list for details and updates closer to the date.
August 2013—15
Idaho is a Granite Hound's Dream By Terry Campbell
A spring trip to Idaho will get anyone’s climbing season started off on the right foot. With an excellent mix of alpine and cragging, the Gem State’s dryer and warmer climate can be quite inviting as Oregon suffers through a sluggish spring. During a week in June 2012 Ray Belt and I headed out to the Sawtooth range to get our ‘alpine on’ and then meet friends in City of Rocks for some chill cragging. The flight to Boise takes 45 minutes, the walk to rental car 10 minutes, and the drive to Stanley, ID 3 hours. So, if you get an early flight you could be kicking back at lunchtime, drooling at the Sawtooth Mountain Range with a sandwich in hand. You have heard of the peaks: Finger-of-Fate, Elephant’s Perch, Warbonnet, etc. Until I arrived in this beautiful corner of Idaho, under a blue sky that went on forever, I had no idea. As I stood by the side of the highway trying to frame up the right photo I remembered, we are going to get a chance to hike amongst those giants and maybe summit one. The view from up there will be out of this world. Once my feet hit the ground, we were figuring out logistics and making our way to the trailhead. The Book (5.8-five pitches) on Finger-of-Fate was the route we chose. Lots has been written about the approach for this climb as two options exist. Option 1: park short of the end of the road and do some extra hiking or Option 2: rent or bring a high clearance 4 wheel drive and push it all the way to the end of the road. We chose option 1. I thought it was a good idea that we got some insurance when I saw we would be parking the rental next to the Hell Roaring River. YIKES! The approach trail starts around 7,000 feet but it is straightforward and flat with alpine firs scattered around. The smell of the dusty trail filled my nose with that outdoor fragrance that reminds my body of good times ahead. Somewhere around 7,500 feet we came to Hell Roaring Lake. We walked for half and hour, skirting the north side of the lake along a hiker’s/climber’s trail which brought us very close to the lake. We found a nice camp spot at the base of the climbers trail. The weather for the following day was iffy so we were ready to just wait it out if we could not climb. A casual start of 8:30 a.m. had us on the climber’s trail hiking past two alpine lakes, over some snowy slopes and out into the open above treeline. From there we could see in all directions, it was a snow, alpine fir, and rock wonderland. It was obvious which peak was Finger-of-Fate but it took some further investigation to find the base of The Book route. As is the case with many early season climbs the snow covered one-third of the first pitch. Ray took the first pitch and after making some sweet balancing moves to get his rock shoes,
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without standing in snow, he was off. While he was climbing I had the first of my rope management blunders. Somehow an eight knot appeared in the rope while I was belaying. I managed to open the knot and move it down the rope so that I could untie and unthread the little bugger. The first pitch was nice down low and the crack “The Book,’ opened up wide. Holy smokes lying-back this thing with few footholds and a 20 pound pack was hard for a 5.8. The pack was heavy because I convinced Ray that we may need an ice axe and a set of crampons in case our descent down the north gully was steep and icy. Murphy’s Law ensured that for the two pitches on this climb that required “tunneling,” I was wearing the pack, doh! Pitch 2 continued up the same wide crack for 40 more feet and then right over a small roof. The roof sequence was fun and the dihedral above was easier climbing, but a vein of ice ran down the crack. I stemmed my way up a small headwall and found a belay in a notch. We flipped leads and Ray headed up pitch 3 toward the warm-looking sunlight. While he was climbing I was visited by several short snow flurry episodes. Pitch 4 was an awkward crack that opened to the right however the climbing required me to lie-back to the left. At times it was hard to see what piece to place. The second half of the pitch required some mental toughness as it was an unprotected, low 5th class, slab with awesome exposure. From the belay I was able to see lots of alpine terrain, including Mt. Sevy, the Sevy lakes, the Hell Roaring basin, and the Cloud Mountains in the distance. Ray came up and took the lead through a tunnel under the summit block. This was by far the craziest climbing pitch of the route. The summit is a huge detached block that we had to climb under (tunnel) for twenty feet to reach the other side. Once on the other side we had to climb a thin arête to the summit. The rope drag was so bad for Ray that he had to down climb most of the pitch to set-up directionals to decrease rope drag. It’s hard to explain but really cool so go give it a try! Once on the summit we exchanged congratulations, took in the 360 degree view and signed the summit registry. By the looks of that record we were the first party to summit Finger of Fate in 2012. Following three or four rappels we found ourselves in the north gully, which was not icy, and we plunge stepped our way down to our packs. On our descent we meandered around in the alpine basin exploring various lakes and boulder outcrops. Upon returning to our camp we found the mosquito situation unbelievably bad. We packed up and decided to head for the trailhead. On our way out we ran into a group of intercity kids out on a multi-week backpacking trip. Their guides had not shown them how to alpine hacky-sack, so we did. We had a great little hack-sack session right on the
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Idaho, continued from previous page trail along the Hell Roaring Lake. Alpine rock climbing is my favorite climbing activity. No matter the grade or the location I have found these trips to be the right amount of hiking, adventure, camaraderie, scenery, camping, chilling, etc. A few days later we met friends in Twin Falls, ID and all of us drove to City of Rocks for a long weekend of cragging. City of Rocks is a wonderful place to go camping and climbing. The scenery is unmatched, the camping unique, the granite climbing awesome and it topped off a great week of traveling in our neighboring state.
You know you want to go Are you daring enough to rappel 42 stories down the side of the U.S. Bancorp Tower in downtown Portland? Visit cpcbsa.org/edge or call 503-225-5721 for details on this once in a lifetime opportunity to rappel down a skyscraper and support the youth of our community!
ed mit . i L ! fast lable Act ts avai spo
See the event up close on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXC5859o70M Thanks to our sponsors:
Let author, hiker and a 25-year Mazama member, Sonia Buist, guide you on a breathtaking journey along Mt. Hood's Timberline Trail. The trail is one of the most spectacular hiking trails in the world and it's just an hour from Portland. Stunning Vistas Dramatic Waterfalls Beautiful Streams Alpine Meadows Wildowers Peace, Joy, Inspiration New 2013 Edition For details and to purchase: www.mthoodhiking.com
Top two photos: climbers on route; bottom photo: the route.
August 2013—17
Youth Climb Camp: “It is fun and awesome” by Kati Mayfield & Rebecca Schob
Learning to tie in.
O
r so said many of our participants this year! The Youth Climbing Skill-builder which ran in June had 10 participants ages 9-15 years successfully learn to tie-in, check harnesses, climb and belay each other in 4 short sessions. Many of the new climbers (those who were over 12 years of age) also passed their belay test at The Source climbing gym in Vancouver, Wash. and spent a Saturday morning accompanied by Mazama volunteers climbing to their hearts’ content! The young climbers themselves had great feedback. Their favorite things about the class were the volunteers,
their fellow classmates, the knots they learned, and of course the CLIMBING! They also said that “this camp is very fun but we still learn a lot in the different sessions”. Not only did they learn basic knots and technique and how to safely belay one another, they also received information telling them about what else they can look forward to in climbing: trad and lead climbing, snow and ice climbing, and the associated equipment. Participants also heard about upcoming events and opportunities to learn more and carry over the new skills they gained during camp. Much appreciation and admiration goes to the hard work of Dan Leone, who initiated this effort and saw it through to the end with the help of Kati Mayfield, Leanne Weiss and Isabel Suhr. Gary Ballou stepped up as lead instructor and was supported
by Larry Beck, Rebecca Schob, Tim Welch, Brad Unruh, Tom and Laura Baughman, Brandon Barclay, Ruby Brunk, Shayna Rehberg, Francesca Cargnin, Andrew Rios, Michael Leone, Wendy Leone, Hui En Gilpin and George Cummings. A number of parents also helped out. Special thanks to Dan and George for first setting and then patiently re-setting routes on the MMC climbing walls to keep up with the talents of the young climbers. Thanks to our partners: The Source, who hosted our final session; Mountain Shop which lent helmets and gave us a great price on harnesses; and Stone Free Climbing, which let us borrow a pile of climbing shoes for the youth to try out. Finally, thanks must also go to the student themselves who made this camp so fun to run.
Camp Coordinator Dan Leone discussing technique as volunteers and students look on. Photo: Rebecca Schob.
Mountain Shop Bike Studio Between your climbs, schedule a free fit assessment with our experts
1510 NE 37th AVE Portland 18 —Mazama Bulletin
(503) 288-6768
www.mountainshop.net
Volunteer Spotlight
Plaidman by Kati Mayfield
I
t is fitting that a life-altering climbing career would begin in a place called “Garden of the Gods.” This National Natural Landmark in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was where Mazama member and volunteer Scott “Plaidman” Peterson began climbing. About climbing, he says, “Climbing is not a sport, it is pure adventure. That is what I thrive on. I was trained in the old school method of apprenticeship under a climber that taught me the ropes. We climbed every weekend together for two years. I’ve climbed all over Colorado, Utah, California, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, British Columbia and of course Oregon.” Plaidman joined the Mazamas in 2010 in order to have access to the Mazama library. As his climbing career progressed he avidly consumed as much climbing literature as he could, always researching, planning and training for the next big adventure. One of his recent adventures was a 2011–12 “100x100x100” expedition: 100 climbs in a 100 mile section of the Columbia Gorge (Troutdale-John Day) in 100 days. Plaidman climbed and climbed and climbed—solo and with partners, on ice and on rock—and actually completed 102 climbs during those 100 days. His next big thing began in the spring of this year. He set out to lose 40 pounds and climb El Capitan in Yosemite. As of this writing, he has lost 35 of those pounds. “No more round shape for me,”
he says. Thanks to P90X training and a strict eating regimen he is on track for his climb in October. In June he had a dry run and solo-aided 2 pitches on the Lurking Fear route. Plaidman fears not and says “I will Plaidman on stand on top of El Capitan.” How does he stay so committed to these goals? According to him, it’s simple: “I set goals that I believe I can accomplish. Once I set a goal I do whatever it takes to obtain it. If I need training I get it. If I need help I ask for it ... I am patient and will to work hard to get where I want to be.” Plaidman is very reflective about his goals. He is a great storyteller and chronicles not only the substance of his journeys, but the thoughts and emotions that go with them. His writings have been picked up by The Oregonian and you can follow his blog at blog.oregonlive.com/ climbing. Whether in writing or in person, Plaidman loves to invite others on the journey with him. Perhaps this is why he is such a dedicated Mazama, because he has found so many kindred spirits here. He stays active with the organization through all sorts of volunteering, helping out with everything from sorting books in the library, to planning the Annual Celebration, to serving on the Access
Reppin’ the Mazamas on St. Peter’s Dome.
Committee, to dishing out pancakes at the Craggin’ Classic on behalf of the Mazamas. His volunteer philosophy is “to give to the Mazamas is one of my ways to give back to the climbing community. I don’t have a lot of money but I do have time and volunteering is a good return on investment for me. Whenever someone asks and I have the time I say yes, no matter what it is.” When Plaidman is not hanging from a cliff or volunteering at the Mazamas, he is collecting agates on the beach and tumbling them into jewelry. Who knows, maybe his next adventure will be designing a line of harness bling for climbers.
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August 2013—19
Corsica.
Adventure Travel local • national • International 2013
outings
Want to go on an outing? Contact the leader for more information and the forms you will need: an application, a liability release and a medical information form. Send those forms to the leader and then, upon acceptance for the trip, send payments directly to the Mazama office with the name of the outing written on the check. As a service to our members, we are providing links to the following organizations that may also offer trips of interest: Seattle Mountaineers—www.seattlemountaineers.org, Colorado Mountain Club—www.cmc.org, Appalachian Mountain Club—www.outdoors.org, and the American Alpine Club— www.americanalpineclub.org.
Redwoods Hiking Experience Aug. 25–31, 2013 Join Bob Smith and Marty Hanson for five days of hiking in the magnificent Redwood Forest of the northern California coast. Daily A-and B-level hikes will take place in Redwood National Park and three adjoining California state parks. Emphasis will be placed on the history of the area, as well as the biological, geological, and cultural diversity that abounds. See the Mazama website for more detailed information: tinyurl.com/mazamaoutings. Contact Bob at rzs.vyg@frontier.com for an application and to reserve your place. The outing is limited to 28 participants. Payment is due with the completed application.
Yosemite National Park/High Sierra Camping, Hiking and Backpacking Aug. 26–Sep. 8, 2013 This outing is mainly a car-camping and day-hiking (from the campground base) trip, with a four-day backpack into Yosemite National Park high country mixed in. While on the backpack, we will hike to the top of Clouds Rest and Half Dome (via the cable route). For those who have never been to one of our country’s most beautiful national parks, this is a great opportunity. See the Mazama website for more detailed information: tinyurl.com/mazamaoutings. Outing Leader: Bill Dewsnap, Assist: Rex Breunsbach. Contact leader for more information: billdewsnap@yahoo.com / 503260-6712
Backpack and Climb in the Trinity Alps Sept. 15–21, 2013 Come spend six days in the spectacular alpine wilderness of the Trinity Alps in northern California, and hopefully we’ll bag a few peaks, as well. The Trinity’s are like the Wallowas on
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steroids, with far fewer people. Typically in September the weather is perfect and the bugs are all gone. This area is oddly little-known to Portlanders, but it’s amazing. See the Mazama website for more detailed information: tinyurl.com/mazamaoutings. Contact leader Paul Gerald (paul@ paulgerald.com or 971-227-2059) or assistant Gary Beck (glbeck01@comcast.net) for details.
China–Tibet Sept. 29–Oct. 19, 2013 Join us on an amazing spiritual, cultural and scenic journey to the most sacred mountain in Asia. The full trip begins in the ancient capital city of Xian, China. In Xian we view the Terra Cotta Warriors and hike up spectacular Hua Shan (Mountain). Then we board the coolest train ever for our trip to Lhasa, Tibet. In Lhasa, we tour the Potala and other famous monasteries, the Jokhang Temple, the Barkhor and associated sites. From Lhasa we proceed by land cruiser west to Gyantse, Shigatse, Lhatse, and on to western Tibet’s Lake Manasarovar and then to Mt. Kailash where we will do a three-day kora or trek around the sacred mountain. From Mt. Kailash we’ll return to Lhasa by the scenic southern route through the Himalayas, including a visit to the North Ridge Everest Base Camp and a tour of the Sakya Monastery. There are two trip options: The entire 21-day China-Tibet trip (Sept. 29–Oct. 19) costs approx. $4,200–$4,500, or the 16-day Tibet-only trip (Oct. 4–19, begins and ends in Lhasa) costs approx. $3,700–$4,000. Airfare is not included. Group size will be 10–15. The deposit is $500. For more info, an itinerary or an application, contact trip leader Joe Whittington (joewhittington@gmail.com, 503297-6344). Our assistant leader is Eugene Lewins (eugene.lewins@gmail.com, 503-9399657).
Trekking in Patagonia Feb. 8–22, 2014 At the southern end of the Earth lies a wide, windswept, wonderful land called Patagonia. Though it’s technically in both Argentina and Chile, Patagonia is a place of its own, a land of calving glaciers, vast lakes, awesome steppes and peaks so jagged and immense they pause the mind and stir the heart. Patagonia calls to the adventure traveler and mainly to the hiker. Once in Patagonia, we will spend two weeks doing both day hikes and multi-day hikes both in Chile and Argentina. We’ll day-hike into the mighty range of peaks dominated by Monte Fitz Roy, an 11,020ft. tower whose sheer face of more than 6,000 ft. makes it one of the world’s most challenging climbs. We’ll also catch views of the Continental Ice Field and even walk on the surface of the sprawling Perito Moreno Glacier. In Chile we visit the Torres del Paine National Park. Here lie the famous Towers of Paine. In the park, we’ll hike hut-to-hut for five days along the “W” Circuit (named for its shape), winding in and out of spectacular mountain valleys, past Grey Glacier and up the spectacular French Valley, surrounded by hanging glaciers and an amphitheater of granite walls and spires. Contact donovan@embarkadventures.com for more details. $3995 per person excluding air fare. Need a minimum of eight people to go.
Corsica Long-Distance Hiking June 14–30, 2014 Seeking a long-distance hike with spectacular scenery, culture and typically great summer weather? The GR20, “One of the top trails in the world” according to outdoor writer Paddy Dillon, winds 125 miles along the crest of the island of Corsica.
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Outings, continued from previous page This is not a plod along with your mind on something else kind of a trail, but a rocky and varying high route with scrambling options and both alpine and ocean views. Using a local company as outfitters we will carry only day packs and sleep in refuges or set tents, enjoying simple local cuisine at group meals. 16 days of hiking, with the longest day being 13 miles and 3,300 ft. ascent, and highest altitude 7,300 ft. We will hike from south to north, leaving the climactic Cirque de la Solitude for the second week, and enjoying the best light for photography. The island of Corsica, administered as part of France but with its own unique culture, makes a destination both accessibly western-European and yet exotically Mediterranean. Trip leader speaks French and both leader and assistant have led European tours and hiked long-distance trails. Group size 8 to 10, outing costs $3,000 plus airfare, $500 deposit. Leader: Eugene Lewins (eugene.lewins@gmail. com), Assistant Leader: Paul Gerald (paul@ paulgerald.com)
Classic Old-Timers
25 years of membership or longer by Billie Goodwin
Sunday Parkways Southeast with the Old Timers Join us Old Timers to experience a newish urban event occurring near our Mazama Mountaineering Center’s front door. The City of Portland sponsors this to encourage walking, biking and enjoying our lovely parks. There’s no traffic here since all streets along a designated route are cordoned off. For our safety these are guarded by police or volunteers. Only pedestrians and bicyclists follow the route. The Southeast route connects four parks—Laurelhurst, Colonel Summers, Ivon and Mount Tabor. In each area are food carts, non-profit booths and others. We’ll walk 2–3 miles at a leisurely pace to see the sights. The date is Sunday, Aug. 25, with the overall event running from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. The leader plans to be there for about three hours. Individuals can stay longer. Meet at 11 a.m. at the MMC, 527 SE 43rd Avenue. (The building will be closed.) Park in the adjacent lot or in the neighborhood. Bring a lunch or purchase food at a food cart. If you have any questions, contact the leader. Leader: Heather Rosenwinkel, 503-244-9016
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August 2013—21
Successful Climbers September 1, Cowhorn, West Ridge. Leader: Matt Carter, Asst: Jay Avery. Ann Barshney, Carole Patrick September 29, Mt Hubris, Cosmic Wall. Leader: Darrell Weston, Asst: Justin Rotherham. Marci Hansen, Chris Valencia October 10, Mt.Thielsen, West Ridge. Leader: Shirley Welch, Asst: Marty Scott. Benjamin Brady, E.R. Buzz Lindahl, John Carvelas, Whitney Lindahl, Amy Mendenhall May 12, Mt. Hood, Old Chute. Leader: Gary Bishop, Asst: Howie Davis. Trent Carlisle, Adam Horak, Andrew Leaf, Karen Ripplinger, Wade Shelton, Graeme Wilson, Andreas Wunderle June 14, Mt St Helens, Worm Flows. Leader: Hugh Brown, Asst: David Zeps. Patrice Cook, Ben Porcher, Eric Swanson, Emily Ward June 15, Lane Peak, The Zipper. Leader: Steven Heikkila, Asst: Laura Guderyahn. Judith Baker, Tyler Bax, Laura Bax, Alex Fox June 15, Mt. Hood, Old Chute. Leader: Daniel Bailey, Asst: Caleb Sattgast. Alex Hult, Brandon Larkin, Hal Paver, Jen Travers, Alexis Yeh June 17, Mt. Hood, Mazama Chute. Leader: Lisa Brady, Asst: Richard Bronder. Cisco Cardenas-Waller, Conner Dowling, Morgan Harvey, Bridget Martin, Slone Pearson, Seng Phou June 17, Mt. Hood, Old Chute. Leader: Amy Mendenhall. Steve Chase, Alex Hult, Brian Martin, Jeff Nastoff, Tommy Norwood, Candy Yiu June 22, Mt. Yoran, East Ridge. Leader: Ryan Christie, Asst: Darrell Weston. Patrick Clark, Dave Cruthers, Paul Foster, Scott Howe, Valerie Lyons, Erika Markel, Scott Morrison, Dana Tofell June 22, Mt. Washington (Olympics), Big Creek. Leader: Tom Elmer, Asst: John Creager. Ann Ames, Angela Bohlke, Mike Gaughen, Clark Hollenberg, Michael Hortsch, Mike Klepfer, Stuart Morrice, Meredith Nickoli, Kevin Vandemore, Maggie Woodward June 22, Mt. Adams, Adams Glacier. Leader: Jeffrey Welter, Asst: Craig Hanneman. Amanda Barbee, Eric Brainich, Tyson Wilder June 22, Unicorn, Snow Lake. Leader: Jay Satak, Asst: John Meckel. George Cummings, Erin Devlin, Sue Dimin, Brandon Larkin, Tommy Norwood, Shane O’Hara, Lynne Pedersen, Lisa Romano June 22, Mt. Thielsen, Standard. Leader: Eileen Kiely, Asst: Erin Witz. Amanda Crochet, Sarah Freel, Barry O’Mahony
22 —Mazama Bulletin
June 28, South Sister, Devils Lake. Leader: Jill Kellogg, Asst: Eugene Lewins. Brian Clark, Tommy Culhane, Derek Gentry, Wayne Herzog, Emily Matson June 28, Middle Sister, Renfrew Galcier. Leader: Paul Steger. Kim Edger, Joe Ferguson, Paul Foster, Dirk Lakeman, Robert Norton, Ed Rea, Kent Ross, Randy Wachter, Guy Wettstein, Maggie Woodward June 29, Mt. Jefferson, Jeff Park Glacier. Leader: Azure Olson, Asst: Darrell Weston. Eric Brainich, Mac McCullough, Tyson Wilder June 29, Castle Pinnacle, Reflection Lake. Leader: Doug Wilson, Asst: Tom Baughman. Laura Baughman, Connor Chamberlin, Conner Dowling, Ben Kester, Sameer Pareek June 29, Middle Sister, Renfrew Glacier. Leader: Rayce Boucher, Asst: Lisa Ripps. Amanda (Wallinger) Montalto, Eric Bruckbauer, Trent Carlisle, Carrie Kyser, Alex Lockard June 29, Unicorn Peak, Snow Lake. Leader: James Jula, Asst: Bianca Pyko. Ruby Brunk, Elizabeth Cole, Justin Colquhoun, Crystal Geyer, Hye Kwon June 29, The Brothers, South Couloir. Leader: Donna Vandall, Asst: Dan Crisp. Sherry Aanerud, Judith Baker, Sue Dimin, Benjamin Grandy, Kathleen Hahn, Andy Karch, Shane O’hara June 30, Castle Pinnacle, Standard Traverse. Leader: James Jula, Asst: Elizabeth Cole. Ruby Brunk, Justin Coquhoun, Crystal Geyer, Nick Hershman, Hye Kwon, Maegan Lobo-Berg, Mara Martinez, Jesus Martinez, Biaca Pyko June 30, Mt. Rainier, Emmons Glacier. Leader: Tim Scott, Asst: Patrick Taylor. Jesse Applegate, Mark Fowler, Brad Noren, Alex Schramm, Garry Stephenson, Sandra Volk June 30, Unicorn, Snow Lake. Leader: Doug Wilson, Asst: Tom Baughman. Laura Baughman, Connor Chamberlin, Conner Dowling, Ben Kester, Sameer Pareek July 5, Colchuck Peak, East Side. Leader: Ryan Christie, Asst: Michael Hortsch. Sue Dimin, John Long, Erika Markel, Darin Richardson, Lisa Romano, Karen Suher July 5, Dragontail, West Ridge. Leader: Ryan Christie, Asst: Michael Hortsch. John Long, Karen Suher July 6, Mt. Jefferson, Jeff Park Glacier. Leader: Jeffrey Welter, Asst: Joe Steigerwald. Matt Bailie, Amanda Barbee, Craig Haneman, Jeff Jackson
Steve Heikkila and his team approach the summit of Lane Peak after ascending the Zipper, Lane Peak (Mazama climb, June 15, 2013). Photo: Judy Lundeen.
July 6, Mt. Adams, South Side. Leader: Daniel Bailey, Asst: Shane Harlson. Amad Doratotaj, Walter Keutel, Chris Killmer, Teresa Redman, Barbara Weiss, Erin Wirtz July 6, Mt. Baker, Easton Glacier. Leader: Gregory Willmarth, Asst: Patrice Cook. Eric Bruckbauer, Stephanie Buer, Brad Hupy, Dave Pyszkowski, Virginia Tarango July 12, Unicorn Peak, Snow Lake. Leader: Doug Couch, Asst: Bill Dewsnap. Faisal Alisdairi, Brett Ferrell, Mike Klepfer, Brad Megee, Maggie Tomberlin, Jill Torberson July 13, Snowking, Kindy Ridge. Leader: Jon Major, Asst: Mark Meyer. Rick Craycraft, Kate Evans July 13, Mt. Jefferson, South Ridge. Leader: Gary Ballou, Asst: Amy Mendenhall. Dave Aerne, Larry Beck, Laura Guderyahn, Paul Johnson, Stephanie Spence, Michelle Van Kleek
Upcoming Climbs
Aug./Sep.
It’s not too late participate in summer climbs. This list includes the climbs with openings and those that are taking alternates for the next 45 days. Please reference the online climb schedule for the most up-to-date information. Don’t miss out! Submit those climb cards today. Departure 8/08–3PM 8/09–AM 8/09–AM 8/10–AM 8/14–AM 8/14–AM 8/14–AM 8/15–PM 8/15–PM 8/15–5PM 8/16–AM 8/16–PM 8/16–PM 8/17–AM 8/17–AM 8/18–AM 8/20–AM 8/21–AM 8/21–AM 8/22–AM 8/22–PM 8/22–PM 8/22–1PM 8/23–AM 8/23–PM 8/23–AM 8/23–AM 8/23–PM 8/23–PM 8/23–AM 8/23–PM 8/24–AM 8/24–4PM 8/28–AM 8/29–AM 8/29–AM 8/30–AM 8/30–9AM 8/30–AM 8/30–AM 8/30–AM 8/31–AM 9/01–AM 9/02–AM 9/05–AM 9/06–AM 9/06–AM 9/06–PM 9/06–AM 9/06–AM 9/09–AM 9/09–AM 9/12–AM 9/12–PM 9/13–AM 9/13–PM 9/13–AM 9/13–PM 9/13–AM 9/13–AM 9/13–AM 9/14–AM 9/19–AM 9/19–PM
Return 8/12–10PM 8/11–PM 8/10–PM 8/16–PM 8/18–PM 8/18–PM 8/18–PM 8/18–PM 8/19–PM 8/20–PM 8/16–PM 8/17–PM 8/18–PM 8/17–PM 8/18–PM 8/24–PM 8/20–PM 8/25–PM 8/25–PM 8/22–PM 8/25–PM 8/25–PM 8/25–10PM 8/25–PM 8/24–PM 8/25–PM 8/24–PM 8/25–PM 8/24–PM 8/25–PM 8/25–PM 8/25–PM 8/25–PM 8/28–PM 9/01–PM 9/01–PM 8/30–PM 9/01–PM 9/02–PM 9/02–PM 9/02–PM 9/04–PM 9/01–PM 9/02–PM 9/05–PM 9/09–PM 9/08–PM 9/07–PM 9/09–PM 9/08–PM 9/12–PM 9/12–PM 9/14–PM 9/15–PM 9/16–PM 9/14–PM 9/15–PM 9/15–PM 9/15–PM 9/15–PM 9/16–PM 9/15–PM 9/19–PM 9/22–PM
Mountain, Route Mt. Stuart, North Ridge Tomyhoi Peak, SE Ridge Mt. Adams, South Side Mt. Olympus, Blue Glacier Dome Peak, Dome Glacier Gunsight Peak, SW Face Sinister Peak, North Face Liberty Bell, Beckey Route Mt. Logan, Fremont Glacier Glacier Peak, Cool Glacier Broken Top, Green Lakes - NW Ridge South Sister, Devil’s Lake Black Peak, South Route Castle-Pinnacle, Standard Traverse Old Snowy, Snowgrass Flats Mt. Olympus, Blue Glacier Abiel Peak and Tinkham Peak, PCT Route Dollar Lake Peak, North Ridge Cusick Mountain, North Ridge Guye Peak, North Route Luna Peak, Luna Col Mt. Buckner, North Face Inspiration Peak, South Face Three Fingers Mountain, South Peak Broken Top, Green Lakes - NW Ridge Church Mountain, Church Mt Trail Old Snowy, Snowgrass Flats Snoqualmie Mountain, South Ridge Mt. Thielsen, West Ridge/Standard Route Red Mountain, SW Slope South Sister, Green Lakes Mt. Larrabee, SW Route Three Fingered Jack, South Ridge Mt. Angeles, Switchback Trail Vesper Peak, North Face Sperry Peak, NW Ridge (Sperry) Mt. Ellinor, Summertime Route Black Peak, South Route Mt. Maude, South Shoulder Tatoosh Traverse, Pinnacle-Eagle Seven Fingered Jack, Southwest Slope Mt. Challenger, Challenger Glacier Pete’s Point, Standard Mt. St. Helens, Monitor Ridge Plummer Peak, Standard Route Elkhorn Peak (Wallowas), NE ridge Mt. Maude, South Shoulder South Sister, Devil’s Lake Glacier Mountain, SE Ridge Seven Fingered Jack, Southwest Slope South Early Winter Spire, South Arete North Early Winter Spire, South Face Mt. Stone, West Ridge Dumbell Mountain, Southwest Route Del Campo Peak, South Gully Old Snowy, Snowgrass Flats Gilbert Peak (Curtis-Gilbert), Klickton Divide Goat Island Mountain, Frying Pan Creek Liberty Bell, Beckey Route South Early Winter Spire, South Arete Gothic Peak, East Side Pinnacle Peak, Reflection Lakes/Standard Mt. St. Helens, Monitor Ridge Yellow Aster Butte, Yellow Aster Meadows
Codes E+(E) (AR) B+(E) (BCEP)(ICS) A (BCEP)(ICS) C+ B+(A)(E) E+(A)(E) C+(A)(E) D(E) (AR) B+(E) C+(E) B (BCEP) A(H) (BCEP) B+(E) B (BCEP) A(N) (BCEP) C+ (ICS)(AR) A(C)(A)(E)(L/A#158) A+(C)(L)(L/A#128) A+(C)(L)(E)(L/A#129) A(C)(L)(E)(L/A#157) C+(E) D+(E) (ASI) E+(E) (AR) B+(E) (BCEP) B+(L)(L/A#270) A(A)(E) A+(H) A(L)(E)(L/A#224) B (BCEP) A(L)(E)(L/A#202) A+(L)(L/A#119) A(A)(E) C (BCEP)(ICS) A(C)(A) E(P)(L) (AR) (L/A#279) A+(P)(L)(E)(L/A#54) A(C)(A) B+ B+(L)(E)(L/A#199) B+(E) (BCEP)(ICS) B+(L)(E)(L/A#198) C+(E) (ICS) A(Y)(A) A(H) A(C)(F) A+(C)(L)(E)(L/A#131) B+(L)(E)(L/A#164) A(C) A(C)(L)(E)(L/A#130) B+(L)(E)(L/A#163) E(L)(L/A#193) E(L)(L/A#194) B(E) B(E) B+(P)(L)(E)(L/A#280) A(H) A+(E) A(E) D(A) (ICS)(AR) E(A) (ICS)(AR) B+(P)(L)(E)(L/A#56) A(F) A(H) A+(L)(E)(L/A#200)
Leader Glenn Widener Jon Major George Shay Bruce Yatvin Preston Corless Preston Corless Preston Corless Chris Kruell Tim Scott Linda Mark Doug Couch Lori Freeman Kevin Clark Lynne Pedersen Lisa Ripps Daniel Bailey Ray Sheldon Joe Whittington Joe Whittington Ray Sheldon Eugene Lewins Jeff Welter Glenn Widener Bruce Yatvin James Jula Bob Breivogel Lori Freeman Doug Wilson Josh Lockerby Doug Wilson James Jula Bob Breivogel Rick Posekany Ray Sheldon Rayce Boucher Rayce Boucher Ray Sheldon Robert Joy Doug Wilson Eileen Kiely Doug Wilson Vaqas Malik Andrew Bodien Bruce Yatvin Ray Sheldon Joe Whittington Donna Vandall Lori Freeman Joe Whittington Donna Vandall Marty Scott Shirley Welch Robert Joy Eugene Lewins Rayce Boucher Lori Freeman Robert Caldwell Kevin Clark Darrell Weston Darrell Weston Rayce Boucher Bob Murphy Amy Mendenhall Doug Wilson
Spots Status 3 Open 1 Open 5 Open 1 Open 4 Open 4 Open 4 Open 2 Open 5 Open 1 Open 2 Open 0 Alternates 2 Open 6 Open 2 Open 0 Alternates 3 Open 9 Open 9 Open 1 Open 4 Open 0 Alternates 1 Open 0 Alternates 0 Alternates 8 Open 1 Open 5 Open 0 Open 5 Open 0 Alternates 7 Open 4 Open 3 Open 0 Alternates 0 Alternates 3 Open 1 Open 0 Alternates 2 Open 0 Alternates 2 Open 4 Open 7 Open 6 Open 4 Open 0 Alternates 0 Alternates 4 Open 0 Alternates 2 Open 2 Open 3 Open 6 Open 0 Alternates 5 Open 2 Open 0 Alternates 5 Open 5 Open 0 Alternates 5 Open 0 Alternates 0 Alternates
Climb# 262 101 210 32 208 218 219 47 259 290 184 167 60 305 278 72 157 129 128 158 225 216 260 42 119 136 168 202 325 224 270 234 315 149 54 279 150 90 198 300 199 330 282 10 151 130 163 169 131 164 194 193 91 233 56 170 242 243 271 272 280 331 20 201
August 2013—23
Nov. 11–15
P o rtl a n d A lp t s i n e Fe 0 1 3 2
Schedule of Events
Nov. 11–Veterans Day Celebration Movie–High Ground Nov. 13–First Ascents & Alpine Achievements John Frieh Presentation Nov. 14–Alex Low Charitable Foundation Fundraiser An Evening with Conrad Anker, Jenni Anker Low, Margot Talbot & Will Gadd Nov. 15 (Day)–Clinics Will Gadd & Margot Talbot Nov. 15 (Evening)–Mazama Annual Celebration Cocktail Party Margot Talbot Presentation Conrad Anker Presentation Nov. 16–PDX Ice Festival Competition Fundraiser for Hyalite Canyon w/ Will Gadd & Margot Talbot
Learn more about the Mazama Portland Alpine Fest on our website at www.mazamas.org
Upper left: Ryan Cupp heading up Finger Rock (5.10) at City of Rocks. Photo: Jason Brabec. Lower left: Climbers heading to the summit of Middle Sister. Photo: Katarina Mueller This page: Brad Farra leading the “chimney” pitch on the Moose’s Tooth. Photo: Todd Eddie
Meet Your Climb Leaders ... Ryan Christie Residence: Aurora, OR Hometown: Sherwood, OR When and how did you become involved with the Mazamas? For quite some time I had been hearing about the Mazamas and wanted to get involved, mostly for the rock climbing. I was going to Toastmasters (a public speaking group) and met Mark Seker. He gave a speech at one of the Toastmaster meetings about a Mazama adventure, so I asked him how to get involved. He suggested I sign up for BCEP. In 2003, my wife and I joined and we have been members ever since. What are your favorite climbs/hikes? Mt. Hubris, The Ogre is one of my favorite local climbs. The coolest climbing adventure I’ve ever had was when I organized an expedition for four of us to climb the Lotus Flower Tower in The Cirque of The Unclimbables. This was featured in the 2011 Annual. What is your favorite rock climb? My favorite rock climb is a difficult question to answer because there have been so many. There are two standouts, one at Smith Rock, the four pitch Zebra/ Zion is my favorite climb there and the spectacular Royal Arches in Yosemite. What is the most difficult pitch you have climbed? The most difficult single pitch I have climbed is called The Humbling. It’s a single pitch 5.12a at Ozone. However, it was raining when I climbed it so I slipped and had a couple of takes. I would like to get back there again sometime to give it another try. What climbs/hikes are you most looking forward to this year? I’m leading a four day backpack trip through The Enchantments over the forth of July weekend. We have three summits on our itinerary but mostly I’m excited to share this amazing area with my wife who will be seeing this area for the first time. Best climbing memory: Reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on a beautiful clear day, one year after shattering my ankle and wondering if I would ever climb again. Future climbing goals: Mt. Stuart via the west and/or north ridge. The East Face Buttress on Mt. Whitney. Finishing the 16 peaks and a climbing outing to The Dolomites.
Favorite piece of gear you won’t leave home without: Because of the long, slow and painful recovery from shattering my ankle, I won’t go on a climb without my trekking poles, especially if I have to carry a heavy pack. Guiding principal/philosophy: Climbing with a team is a democracy and everyone has equal say. Everyone’s opinion and feelings are just as important as everyone else on the team. As the leader it’s my job to make sure that we all have fun, don’t get lost and stay safe. Favorite leader treat? Brownies are always a good idea but when dry ice is used to pack ice cream along too, that can’t be beat! Most influential book: Steve Jobs Favorite quote: “Climbing is just like having fun, only different” Favorite music/musician: Train and Fun Favorite movie: Any Fast & Furious movie Favorite restaurant: Dar Es Salaam Indian restaurant in Wilsonville. Favorite website: NOAA and mazamas. org Words that best describe you: Motion Junkie Most treasured possessions: My wife and my health Pet peeves: Time wasters Person(s) most interested in meeting: Climber: Gaston Rebuffat or Layton Kor. Other: Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler/Fiat/Alfa Romeo/ Ferrari or Zora Arkus Duntov, the godfather of the Corvette and GM racing program. Favorite vacation spot: Switzerland or Italy (anywhere in the Alps) When you aren’t on the mountain, where are people likely to find you? On the water, on my road bike or working on or modifying one of our cars Hobbies other than hiking/climbing: Sky-skiing and wake-boarding (behind our boat), road biking and customizing cars Occupation: Car Audio Electronics sales representative for the Pacific NW territory
Publications Committee Asks You to Think Ahead for Next Year’s Annual The Publications Committee is already in the planning stage for the 2013 Annual. We would love to hear about your adventures this winter, spring, summer and fall, especially any climbingrelated stories you would like to share with fellow Mazamas. We will help you edit any submissions you make. Please submit materials to mazama.annual@ mazamas.org We’d also like to encourage you to submit high-resolution photos of climbing, hiking or backpacking, even if they are not attached to an article. We would like to print a number of stand-alone photos from members in upcoming Annuals and we especially need vertically-oriented (portrait mode) pictures. Photos must be 300 dpi. Please give your photographs a descriptive file name and submit with a photo caption and credit. You can submit your photos to the email address above. Deadlines: • All reports are due Oct. 15 (commitee, outings (except fall), administrative) • Feature articles are due Nov. 15 • Photos are due Nov. 15 • Climbs and hikes (spreadsheets) are due by Dec. 15 Many thanks—Mazama Publications Committee.
26 —Mazama Bulletin
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August 2013—27
Go Hiking! Contact Trail Trips Committee chair is Jim Selby at selbyjb@comcast.net with any questions. To lead a hike in September, log on to the Trails Trips website at http://www. mazamas2.org. Note: “Wilderness—Limit 12” indicates the hike enters a Forest Service-designated
Wilderness Area, and the number of participants is limited to 12, including the leader. Check the website for new hikes and updates: Our leaders may schedule a hike for the current month after the bulletin is published, or occasionally a hike location
may change due to conditions, so please visit tinyurl.com/mazamahikeschedule. AYM is also Hiking: Adventurous Young Mazamas (AYM) offers hikes too, and everyone is welcome. See the separate list at http://tinyurl.com/mazamaaym.
HK A1.5 Aug 03 (Sat) Ridgefield NWR. Jim Selby 828-508-5094. We get an early start to walk the River S unit at Ridgefield National Wildlife Reserve. We will do the 4.2-mile car tour except that we get to hike this time of year and also hike the 1.2-mile Kiwa Loop Trail. Fabulous array of summer residents up close. 5.4 miles 50 ft. Dr. 60 TH Gateway 7:30 a.m. HK B1.5 Aug 04 (Sun) Devils Rest (via Wahkeena). Dan Smith 503408-8923. This is a great short hike with views and work out. You will be back to enjoy rest of the day! 7.4 miles 2400 ft. Dr. 45 Gateway 7 a.m. HK B2 Aug 07 (Wed) McNeil Point from Top Spur. Paul Gerald 971227-2059. Wilderness–Limit 12. The usual McNeil hike, plus optional wandering above the cabin. Flowers, meadows, views, casual pace. 9 miles 2900 ft. Dr. 100 TH Gateway 8:30 a.m. TT Aug 08 (Thu) Mazama Trail Tending. Richard Pope 503-8608789. Wilderness–Limit 12. All tools provided, see box section below for details. 4-7 miles 1000-2000 ft. Dr. 116 Gateway 8 a.m. TT Aug 09 (Fri) Mazama Trail Tending. Flora Huber 503-658-5710. Wilderness–Limit 12. All tools provided, see box section below for details. 4-7 miles 1000-2000 ft. Dr. 80 Sandy Safeway (near ATM) 8 a.m. HK B2 Aug 10 (Sat) Mt. Margaret and then some. Sheri Alice Smith 503-807-9373. Wilderness–Limit 12. Gorgeous hike into the rugged Mt. Margaret backcountry on the north side of Mt. St. Helens. This is one of the most beautiful hikes I have done and well worth the long drive. We will do two summits of Mt. Margaret and Mt. Roy. Be prepared for out-of-this-world views, flowers, and possible elk or mountain goats. Expect a 2.5 + hour dr. and bring $ for dinner on the way home. Call leader to sign up. 12 miles 2600 ft. Dr. 120 TH 6:30 a.m. HK C2 Aug 10 (Sat) Paradise Park (from Hwy 26). David Nelson 503657-4058. Wilderness–Limit 12. We will begin at the Paradise Park Trailhead, just off Hwy. 26 and gain 3100’ to reach Paradise Park. We will enjoy the flowers and views at
28 —Mazama Bulletin
On May 28, Tom Guyot led his 600th ramble. Photo: Jane Lawrence-Gunn. the top, have lunch and then continue on the Paradise loop, before heading back to the cars. Plan for a full day. First come, first served up to the Wilderness limit at Gateway. 12.7 miles 3100 ft. Dr. 112 TH Gateway 7:30 a.m. TT Aug 10 (Sat) Mazama Trail Tending. Jim Selby 828-508-5094. All tools provided, see boxed section below for details. 4-7 miles 10002000 ft. Dr. 116 Gateway 8 a.m. HK A2 Aug 11 (Sun) Salmon River Trail (Central). Terry Lawson lawson.terry@gmail.com. Wilderness– Limit 12. We follow the Salmon River and hike through Douglas-fir to a pretty overlook of the canyon created by the river, where we will have lunch before descending. 7.2 miles 950 ft. Dr. 82 TH Gateway 8:30 a.m. HK B1.5 Aug 11 (Sun) Cairn Basin (Top Spur). Richard Getgen teambears@frontier.com. Wilderness– Limit 12. No pre-registration for hike. Follow Timberline Trail from Top Spur past wildflower meadows to stone shelter. 9.0 miles 1900 ft. Dr. 100 TH Gateway 8 a.m. TT Aug 11 (Sun) Mazama Trail Tending. Rex Breunsbach 971-8322556. All tools provided, see boxed section for details. 4-7 miles 10002000 ft. Dr. 116 Gateway 8 a.m. HK C2 Aug 12 (Mon) Yocum Ridge. Sherry Bourdin 503-246-8095. Wilderness–Limit 12. This is a gorgeous
hike with Ramona Waterfalls initially and then an amazing glacial headwall as your final payoff view. It’s long but in the forest for almost entire hike to allow you to stay cool. Since it’s a Monday hike please let me know if you plan to attend. 17.4 miles 3800 ft. Dr. 92 TH Gateway 7:30 a.m. HK B2 Aug 14 (Wed) Fish Creek Mountain - High Lake. Rex Breunsbach 971-832-2556. Wilderness– Limit 12. In the Clackamas Ranger district, Fish Creek Mountain once a lookout site, delivers Great views of Mt. Jefferson and a unique lunch spot on High Lake. 7.2 miles 2500 ft. Dr. 110 MMC 8 a.m. HK A1.5 Aug 16 (Fri) Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Bill Middleton 503-816-0549. We will walk twice around the urban wildlife refuge hopefully seeing various types of animals. 6 miles 0 ft. Dr. 20 Meet at the refuge parking lot. Tri-Met 94 stops 7 a.m. HK C2.5 Aug 16 (Fri) North Lake. Dyanne Foster 503 267-8937. Wilderness–Limit 12. Shady hike with pleasant grade - maybe continue to Rainy lake also. 11.4 miles 3,800’ ft. Dr. 88 TH MMC 8 a.m. HK B2 Aug 17 (Sat) Ape Canyon. Wayne Lincoln 503-245-9193. Hike up through forest and onto open slopes of Mount St. Helens and onto Plains of Abraham. View the healing
destruction. Great views in good weather. Depending on abilities we may return via the Muddy River 11 miles 1500 ft. Dr. 160 TH Gateway 7:30 a.m. HK C2 Aug 17 (Sat) Table Mountain from the North. Rex Breunsbach 971-832-2556. This seldom-featured hike will start on the PCT near 3-Corner Rock and hike south to a short bushwhack and final scramble up Table Mountain’s back side. 14 miles 2700 ft. Dr. 110 Gateway 7:30 a.m. HK A1 Aug 18 (Sun) Mirror Lake. Jim Selby 828-508-5094. This Mirror Lake hike is designed for families, many of whom will be staying at Mazamas Lodge for a family hike experience. But you can leave from Gateway at 11 a.m. as well. This trail is perfect for children of all ages. We will take our time and make sure they have a chance to dip their feet in Mirror Lake as they view Mt. Hood as well as see the flowers along the way. 3.2 miles 700 ft. Dr. 98 Gateway 11 a.m. HK B2 Aug 18 (Sun) Mount Hebo - Exploratory. Rex Breunsbach 971832-2556. Wilderness–Limit 12. Exploratory—Overlooking Tillamook Bay, 3000 ft high Mt. Hebo is part of a 15 million year old basalt flow from eastern Oregon that also formed Saddle Mountain. 8 miles 1500 ft. Dr. 180 Target/185th 7:30 a.m.
continued on next page
Rambles Corner Rambles are held every Tuesday and Thursday evening; descriptions are below. Special rambles that don’t conform to this schedule or meet at a different place are listed in the regular hike schedule. Tuesday and Thursday Rambles from REI-Pearl Various leaders will lead walks every Tuesday and Thursday starting at REI in the Pearl. Rambles start promptly at 6 p.m. Multiple groups will be lead at different paces. Bring a headlamp. These rambles average 4-8 miles, 500-1,500 ft. and meet at REIPearl NW 14th & Johnson 6 p.m. Wednesday Street Rambles from the MMC Meg Linza 503-502-8782. Join us at the MMC and walk at a brisk pace up to the top of Mt. Tabor. We will spend 30 minutes on the 280 stairs, climbing up and down to get fit for climbs/hiking this spring and summer, then return to the MMC. Bring water and layered clothing. We may stop at the Belmont carts at the end of our walk, so bring cash if you are interested in grabbing a quick bite/treat. Total time 2 hours. 5 miles, 500 ft Dr. 0 MMC (SE 43rd & Stark) 6 p.m.
Class A: Easy to moderate; 4-8 miles, under 1,500 feet elevation gain. Class B: Moderate to difficult; 6-12 miles, over 1,500 feet gain. Class C: Difficult to strenuous or rugged; 8 miles or more, typically over 3,000 feet. Class D and Dw: very difficult very strenuous with challenging conditions. Contact with leader for details prior to the day of the trip is mandatory . Numeral after class indicates pace: All pace information is average uphill speed. • • • • • •
1 = 1 mph: slow, easy pace 1.5 = 1.5 mph: moderately easy pace 2 = 2 mph: moderate pace 2.5 = 2.5 mph: moderately fast pace 3 = 3 mph: fast conditioning pace; 3.5 = 3.5 mph: very fast, highly aerobic conditioning pace.
HK=Hike; SR=Street Ramble; R=Run; BP=Backpack; TT=Trail Tending; RP=Restoration Project; W=Wilderness area–limited to a maximum of 12 persons; SS=Snowshoes; NS=Cross Country Ski. Hike fees: $2 for members, each family participant and those belonging to clubs in FWOC; $4 for nonmembers. No person will be turned away if they are unable to pay. Street Ramble fees: $2 per person; $1 per person if over 55 or 14 and under. Both members and nonmembers are welcome at all trail trips. Trail Tending events are free. Meeting Places: Gateway–SE corner of P&R Garage near 99th & Pacific (I-84 Exit 7); L&C–Lewis and Clark State Park (1-84 Exit 18); Oswego TC–Boones Ferry Rd at Monroe Parkway; SalmonCreek P&R–Vancouver P&R at 134 St (1-5 Exit
Mazama Trail Tending weekend Aug 8–11 Once again we will be tending our namesake adopted trail on Mt. Hood over a 4 day period in August. The Dollar Lake fire two Don’t miss out! years ago will continue to present Help maintain challenges for years to come in our namesake maintaining this trail. trail and receive Participants can opt to work one of the new any or all of the days as the trail tending Trail Tending committee will be bandannas (navy camping at the parking lot all 4 days and will be there to greet and with white print). train all eager volunteers. We will have carpooling leaders available to lead convoys on each morning leaving from Portland and Sandy locations (see listings in schedule). Those wishing to drive themselves for a day or to stay over can follow directions at the end of this announcement. Note that the campsite is dry (BYO water) but we will have a porta potty available. Long pants, long sleeved shirt, gloves and sturdy boots are USFS requirements for work parties so be sure to arrive properly equipped (eye protection, ie sunglasses, is also encouraged). People will be assigned to work tasks suitable for their strengths and preferences and led to the work site. Maximum hike in will be 3.5 miles, but most work sites will be much closer to the trailhead, as little as ¼ mile. During the mid-day lunch break we will try to pick spots with great views! After lunch a short work session will continue and we plan to have everyone back in the parking lot by 3 p.m. for cold drinks before carpooling back to Portland. As always, trail tending events are free of charge. Driving directions: Highway 26 eastbound to ZigZag, turn left on Lolo Pass Road, proceed to the top of the pass. Take the second right turn at the pass onto road 18 (gravel) and drive about 6 miles to where it turns back to pavement and take an immediate right onto road 1810. The trailhead is 2.5 miles up road 1810 at a large, gravel parking lot. Driving time from Portland is around an hour and forty-five minutes.
New bandannas!
7 or 1-205 Exit 36); Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center–Sandy Blvd. & 98th Ave. (1-205 Exit 23A); Durham–P&R at Boones Ferry & Bridgeport (1-5 Exit 290); MMC–Mazama Mountaineering Center, 527 SE 43rd at Stark; Pendleton–Pendleton Woolen Mills in Washougal; REI–Pearl, NW 14th & Johnson; Target185 –Target P/L Sunset Hwy at 185th. Dr.–round-trip driving mileage. ft–Hike elevation gain. TH Pass–USFS parking pass needed for trailhead; SnoPass–Snow park pass. Trail Trips Hike Rules: Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share costs. The maximum suggested total rate each is a donation of fifteen cents per mile for up to three people per vehicle. Dogs are not allowed except for hikes designated as “dog-walks.” Alcohol and firearms are not allowed. Participants should wear appropriate hiking shoes; carry lunch, water, rain gear (umbrella, parka, or poncho) and the 10 essentials (whistle, extra food & clothing, sun protection, map, compass, flashlight, first aid kit, pocket knife, waterproof matches, fire starter). Participants should be in a physical condition appropriate for the difficulty of the hike. Leaders may decline anyone not properly equipped or judged incapable of completing the hike in a reasonable time frame. Hikers voluntarily leaving the group are considered nonparticipants. In case of accident, illness or incapacity, hikers must pay their medical and/or evacuation expenses whether they authorize them or not. Hikes leave the meeting place at the time listed. See hike write-ups for particulars of pace, trail conditions, mileage and elevation gain. Adverse conditions, weather and combined circumstances can affect difficulty. Hikes are classified into general categories; contact leader for further details.
Backpacks
Note: August backpacks to Jefferson Park and Enchanted Valley are now full; make sure to apply early for September backpacks!
Goat Rocks Wilderness, Sep. 4–6,
This moderate backpack explores the wonderful Goat Rocks area with stunning views of Mout St. Helen’s, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams. The first day we’ll hike up the Snowgrass Flats Trail to Lily Basin or the actual flats adjacent to the PCT. We’ll set-up camp and, enjoy the beauty. The next day, we’ll ascend the PCT up to Old Snowy and, of course, head to the summit. Then head down, off-trail through lush, flowering lupine to Goat Lake for our afternoon frolic and finally back to our campsite. The final day, we’ll break camp, head down for lunch in Morton and back to Portland by 6 p.m. To get more information and/or to apply, contact Tom Davidson (tedclimbs@gmail.com).
NEW: Wallowas Backpack & Peak Summits, Sep. 16–19 Join us for a four-day exploration of the Wallowas in eastern Oregon. We’ll have time to enjoy this beautiful area, but this is a strenuous trip. Hike up to Ice Lake the first day and summit the Matterhorn (9,845 ft.) the next day. Then, we’ll relocate and hike up the East Lostine trail to Mirror Lake. From there, we’ll summit Eagle Cap and then head back to Portland. Expect great weather, cool evenings and wide vistas. Leave Portland on Sunday, Sep. 15and return late on Thursday, Sep. 19. It’s a great way to experience these high peaks. To apply, send an email to Tom Davidson (tedclimbs@gmail.com).
August 2013—29
Trail Trips, continued frompage 28 HK C2 Aug 18 (Sun) Mt. Hood Meadows to Gnarl Ridge. Kurt Hiland kurthikes@msn.com. Wilderness–Limit 12. This section of the Timberline Trail features flower-filled hillsides, steep rugged canyons and an up-close view of the mountain at Lamberson Butte. Car Shuttle. 12 miles 3000 ft. Dr. 130 TH Gateway 8 a.m. HK B2 Aug 21 (Wed) Tom-Dick Mountain. Jim Selby 828-508-5094. Wilderness–Limit 12. Nice trail as we stop at Mirror Lake on the way up and down, great views in all directions from the end of the trail including Hood, Mount St. Helens, and part of Rainier. Stop for donuts on the way to the trailhead. 7.2 miles 1715 ft. Dr. 94 TH MMC 7:30 a.m. HK A1.5 Aug 24 (Sat) Tillamook Burn. Flora Huber 503-658-5710. We will start at the Tillamook Burn Visitor Center and hike along the Wilson River. There is a lovely waterfall and an interesting high bridge along the way. We will have lunch at the bridge. 6.4 miles 500 ft. Dr. 66 Sunset Transit Center (NE Corner), Hwy26/217 8 a.m. HK B2 Aug 24 (Sat) Paradise Park (loop from Timberline Lodge). Sheri Alice Smith 503-807-9373. Wilderness–Limit 12. A classic Mt. Hood hike at it’s finest. Timberline Trail to Paradise Park, then loop back on the PCT for more fun. Side trip out to a beautiful, little-known waterfall. Poles recommended for stream crossings. 10.1 miles 2100 ft. Dr. 112 Gateway 8 a.m. HK C2 Aug 24 (Sat) Lookout Mountain from Hwy 35. Sojo Hendrix sojo42@gmail.com. Wilderness–Limit 12. Looking for conditioning and great views? Maybe preparing for Round the Mountain? We’ll hike up to the site of an old lookout and take in the multi-peak views on the eastern side of Mt. Hood. 10.4 miles 2975 ft. Dr. 136 MMC 8 a.m.
HK B2 Aug 25 (Sun) McNeil Point from Top Spur. Sojo Hendrix sojo42@gmail.com. Wilderness–Limit 12. We’ll visit the old stone shelter at 5900 feet and take in the views from the western side of Mt. Hood. The western pasqueflowers, or “Hippies-on-a-Stick” among other names, should be in their final whimsical stage. We will take the scramble path up the rocky buttress to the shelter then loop back around to the Timberline Trail. 9 miles 2900 ft. Dr. 100 TH MMC 8 a.m. HK C2.5 Aug 25 (Sun) Table Mountain Loop. Kate Evans 503-635-6540. We’ll ascend Heartbreak Ridge and descend the West Ridge on this great conditioning hike. Terrific views! 10 miles 3650 ft. Dr. 84 Gateway 8 a.m. HK D1.5 Aug 25 (Sun) Hayrick Butte. David Zeps 503-638 5430. Exploratory steep hike off trail and circumnavigation of the top of Hayrick Butte. A “tuya” at Santiam Pass, you’ve seen this interesting flat-topped formation from the highway, let’s explore it. Call leader for sign-up and details. David Zeps 503-638-5430 5 miles 1000 ft. Dr. 250 TH to be announced 7:30 a.m. HK B2 Aug 28 (Wed) Cooper Spur (Cloud Cap to Tie-In). Paul Gerald 971-227-2059. Wilderness–Limit 12. Long day but worth it for awesome views of glacier and Hood. Casual pace. 8.8 miles 3100 ft. Dr. 166 TH Gateway 8 a.m. HK B2 Aug 31 (Sat) Henline Mountain & Henline Falls. Regis Krug 503-704-6442/regis_krug@mentor. com. Exploratory hike in the Opal Creek Wilderness along the North Fork of the Santiam River to Henline Falls. We’ll also check out a few other waterfalls further up Henline Creek & hike to the summit of Henline Mt. 6-10 miles 2200 ft. Dr. 165 Gateway 7 a.m.
P O T E H TO T M ENT
QUIP ING E
CLIMB
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30 —Mazama Bulletin
LOCATED 910 E BURNSIDE ST PORTLAND, OR 97214 PHONE 503.449.4015 EMAIL ALEX@ TOTHETOPCLIMBING.COM
Executive Council Minutes Submitted by: Meg Goldberg, EC Secretary In Attendance: Executive Council Members: Doug Couch–President Terry Donahe– Treasurer; Meg Goldberg– Secretary, Judith Baker, Dyanne Foster, Sojo Hendrix, Bill McLoughlin, Joan Zuber. Doug Couch called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. The minutes of the June 11, 2013 meeting minutes were approved as corrected that Sojo Hendrix was absent and attempted call in but was unable to do so. Membership Report: Oral Report by Meg Goldberg. There were 11 applications for membership and four reinstatements. Total Membership as of June 30, 2013 is 3304. This is an increase of 138 members since last year this time. Treasurer’s Report: Written report submitted by Terry Donahe. Report Filed For Audit. Executive Director’s Report: No report this month since Lee Davis is on vacation. Written Committee Reports Pre-Submitted: • AYM • Climbing • Expedition • Financial Affairs • Outings • Outreach • Old Timers • Strategic Plan The reports were unanimously approved and received on the consent agenda.
Committees with no reports submitted: • Risk Management Unfinished Business Conservation Committee: Grant Requested for Crag Law Center. The Committee requests approval of a $5500 grant request from Crag Law Center to continue to monitor and provide information to the Mazamas and other conservation groups of the mitigation of damages caused by installation of the Jeff Park Lift. Sojo Hendrix moves to approve the Grant as written and the amount of the Grant to be $5,000 with funds coming from the estate of Bob Lothian. Motion seconded. Motion approved. Action: Passed. New Business Sierra Club Letter: Conservation Committee: John Rettig on behalf of the Committee requests that the Mazamas sign onto a letter submitted by the Sierra Club to Governor John Kitzhaber opposing LNG export. Joan Zuber moves that EC approves Conservation Committee signing onto to the Sierra Club letter. Motion fails to bring a second. IT and Website Update: Sarah Bradham Mazama Marketing & Publications Manager. Sarah reported to EC that the Mazama server is 8+ years old and will need to be replaced soon. There have been several failures in the past week. Backups are run regularly to prevent loss of data incase of a failure. Sarah is beginning to look at options as to servers and cost and whether to purchase
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hardware/software and pay for installation as well as purchase new work stations or to rent/ lease on a hosted server. This would still entail purchasing and maintaining the software licenses and purchasing new workstations. Council requests that Sarah develop a project plan including costs and bring back to Council. • Website. Sarah reports that the new site design is done and Kurt is in the process of coding the new site which should take 2-3 weeks. The data then needs to be transferred over and this will take about 4 weeks and then the testing phase is about two weeks with a launch time frame of late September or October. • Database. Sarah has inquiries out to 3 consulting companies regarding whether they would be a good fit for to help source a software solution for our database issue. SVPP Encore Fellows Program: Kati Mayfield Volunteer Manager presented on a program called Social Venture Partners Portland Fellow Program (SVPP) that pairs retired private sector employees that are sponsored by their respective companies to provide a variety of expertise for non profits. The fellowship volunteer can provide up to 1000 hours of time and the sponsoring organization could pay up to the entire cost, or Mazamas could pay part of the cost between $10,000 and $25,000. If the sponsoring organization Once a proposal is accepted then SVPP works to match a fellowship volunteer with the project. Kati submitted an application to SVPP proposing the leadership position with the Mazamas Strategic Planning Committee to help the committee transition the
strategic plan to implementation. At this time this is only in exploration phase and Kati will apprise the EC of further information. Trail Trips—Wallowa Backpack Appeal: James Selby. Also in attendance were David Zeps and Bob Breivogel from Trail Trips Committee (TT) and Tom Elmer on behalf of the Climbing Committee (CC). Tom Davidson submitted exception forms for two trips, Old Snowy and Sacajawea/Matterhorn/ Eagle. CC rejected the requests because there was no governing policy in the CC policy manual. TT responded that there was a policy created in 2008 and provided the documentation to CC. CC, based on this information approved Old Snowy request as a “one time” exception. CC denied the exception for the Sacajawea/ Matterhorn request. TT based on the 2008 policy appealed the decision to EC. Sojo moves that there be an exception granted for the two trips (Eagle Cap and Matterhorn) and the two committees work out a joint policy. Motion seconded. Motion approved. Action: Passed. Unfinished Business Planning for Lee Davis’ Review Meeting adjourned at 8:28 p.m. Executive Council went into Executive Session Next Executive Council Meeting: Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the MMC.
August 2013—31
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Rebecca Schob high up on Forbidden’s East Ridge. Photo: Nate Mullen.