MAY 2016 • VOL. 98 | NO. 5
A Year on Mt. Hood Exploring Mt. Jefferson: 6 Stunning Hikes Deep Canyons and High Skies: Hiking Criterion Ranch Loowit and the Coyote Trap
Features Paths of Discovery, p. 8 Exploring Mt. Jefferson, p. 10 Beacon Rock's Future Climbing Access, p. 13 Deep Canyons and High Skies, p. 14 Loowit and the Coyote Trap, p. 15 Dog Trap Removal, p. 17 Hiking into the Heart (and Hearts) of Norway, p. 20 Coastal Hikes, p. 22 Peak Bagging, p. 24 Successful Hiking with Toddlers, p. 28 A Year on Mt. Hood, p. 30 1st Anniversary Wedding Climb, p. 40
Monthly Columns Volunteer Opportunities, p. 5 Upcoming Opportunities, p. 6 Membership Report, p. 23 Adventurous Young Mazamas (AYM), p. 27 Mazama Families, p. 29 Classic Mazamas, p. 34 Mazama Lodge, p. 35 Trail Trips, p. 36 Executive Council, p. 38 Outings, p. 39 Mazamas on Instagram, p. 41
Publications Committee Committee Chair: Kristie Perry, publications@mazamas.org Committee Members: Ken DuBois, Joe Fox, Sue Griffith, Darrin Gunkel, Kevin Machtelinckx, Lacy Turner
Mazama Staff Lee Davis • Executive Director • lee@mazamas.org Jamie Anderson •Member Services Manager jamie@mazamas.org Adam Baylor • Stewardship & Advocacy Manager • adam@mazamas.org Sarah Bradham • Marketing & Publications Manager • sarah@mazamas.org Mathew Brock • Library & Historical Collections Manager • mathew@mazamas.org Laura Burger • Membership & Development Assistant • laura@mazamas.org Kati Mayfield • Volunteer Manager • kati@mazamas.org Charles Barker • Mazama Lodge Manager • mazama.lodge@mazamas.org
Cover: Dyanne Foster hiking Munra Point in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo: Mark Fowler This page: A classic northwest canyoneering trip. Check out our new canyoneering class on page 6. Photo: Kevin Clark.
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Editor: Sarah Bradham (mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org). Advertising: mazama.ads@mazamas.org. Subscription: $15 per year. Bulletin material must be emailed to the editor. All material is due by noon on the 14th of the preceding month. If the 14th falls on a weekend, the deadline is the preceding Friday. The Mazama Bulletin is published monthly by the Mazamas—527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. 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 Mazamas is an equal opportunity provider.
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Active Adventures, p. 41 Base Camp Brewing Company, p. 25 CAMP. p. 12 Centered in Motion, p. 5 Classifieds, p. 23 Climb Max Mountaineering, p. 4 Embark Adventures, p. 18 & 26 Green Trails Maps, p. 9 Montbell, p. 19 Mountain Hardwear, p. 23 Mountain Shop, p. 16 Next Adventure, p. 38 Oregon Mountain Community, p. 27 ShuttleBak.com, p. 25 Sunny Freeman Real Estate, p. 29 Tracey Andrews Acupuncture, 29 Yatvin Computer Consultants, p. 26
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Threats to Our Trails Nearly all of you reading this article, and certainly all of our members, already enjoy hiking. And with spring in the air and the snow melting at lower elevations, I’m guessing most of you have been out on a hike as recently as last week. A part of why we enjoy hiking is because of the incredible infrastructure of developed trail networks on public and sometimes private lands. These trails were built through combinations of public/ private partnerships going back nearly a hundred years. The Northwest is home to some of the most storied, historic, and scenic trails in the world, including the Pacific Crest Trail, the Wonderland Trail, and the relatively new, 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest Trail. Hiking is also incredibly popular because of its unique accessibility. Unlike many other forms of outdoor recreation, hiking doesn’t require a large investment in equipment or training to get started. And if you’re lucky enough to live in the Northwest, there are countless trails you can get to using public transit or in just a short drive from home. At the Mazamas we’re proud to offer the largest organized hiking program in Oregon and Southwest Washington, getting thousands of people out on the trails each year. Our Trail Trips, Street Rambles, Adventurous Young Mazamas, Classics, and Families volunteers all work together to lead hikes and share the joys of hiking with everyone. Additionally, we offer stewardship and trail-tending opportunities so that our community can give back and help mitigate the impact we have on our favorite trails.
THREATS TO HIKING AND OUTDOOR RECREATION 1. Federal Agencies Under Funded: Today there are a number of national and regional issues that threaten the health and sustainability of our trails’ infrastructure and the public’s access to these trails. By far the biggest and most challenging problem is the lack of funding for our federal, and some state, land management agencies.
2. Wildfires Destroying Recreation Budgets: Budgets have been cut repeatedly for federal agencies, and just last year core funding sources like the Land and Water Conservation Fund have come under attack in Congress. Wildfire funding has also taken a huge toll in recent decades on the ability of federal agencies to manage recreational resources like trails, campgrounds, and trailheads. 3. Complex permitting systems: Recreation permitting systems and fee structures on public lands have proliferated in recent decades, mostly in response to these funding issues. Not all permits and fees are bad, and some serve valuable functions that limit overuse and crowding of sensitive sites. However, while some permits may be necessary, we believe that the permitting systems are way too complicated and need to be streamlined and modernized. 4. Ever Growing PNW Population: Urbanization, population growth, and technology are rapidly changing use patterns for popular trails and even how people are using our trails. Our cities are growing and people’s daily lives are busier than ever, so interest in close-to-town trails and in fast immersion sports like trail running and mountain biking are on the rise. More and more people are moving to our cities and are flooding known and popular trails that are close to town. One of our volunteer led hiking groups reported that they started a meetup group to attract urban hikers, and within just a year the list grew to over 2,600 members! Parking, crowding, user conflicts, and environmental impacts are becoming real issues for local land managers. Solutions: A few of our members are actively helping to relieve these crowding issues by sharing information about remote and seldom-used trails. Mazama member Matt Reeder published a fantastic book of unknown hikes on Mt. Hood called Off the Beaten Trail. Reeder's books along with Paul Gerald’s and the classic William
Sullivan guides are great resources for finding uncrowded and remote trails in our region. So, what are the Mazamas doing about all of this? Adam Baylor, Mazama Stewardship and Advocacy Manager, is working actively in coordination with the Conservation Committee, me, and our partners to address these issues through our Recreation Policy Agenda (website link). Our policy agenda for 2016 includes the following priority items: ▶▶ To strongly oppose various efforts to privatize public lands and transfer federal lands to the states. ▶▶ To support and promote Senator Wyden’s Recreation Not Red Tape Act which aims to streamline and modernize permitting systems. ▶▶ To advocate for Wildfire Disaster Funding which would relieve land management agencies from the incredible costs of managing forest fires nationally. ▶▶ To advocate for stewardship credits within the reauthorization of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement and Modernization Act ▶▶ And locally, we have doubled the number of stewardship opportunities for Mazama members and are working with partners to re-connect the Timberline Trail and accelerate the replacement of the bridge on the Eagle Creek Trail. If you’d like to get involved or help the Mazamas with these efforts feel free to contact Adam Baylor (adam@mazamas. org) or me at lee@mazamas.org. Thank you and see you on the trails,
Lee Davis Executive Director MAY 2016 3
MAZAMA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
DID YOU KNOW?
Whether you are a lifelong Mazama member, currently enrolled in the Basic Climbing Education Program, reading this Bulletin at your local climbing shop, or somewhere in between, you should make sure you know all of the benefits of Mazama membership. JOIN THE MAZAMAS TODAY! Get all the details on how to become a member of one of the oldest mountaineering organizations in the country: mazamas.org/join • DISCOUNTED rates on all Mazama activities—climbs, hikes, classes, and outings. • This MAGAZINE, filled with articles, photos, activites, and events delivered to your door monthly. • DISCOUNTS at local retailers and gyms. Icebreaker, Mountain Hardwear, The Mountain Shop, Mountaineers Books, Next Adventure, Oregon Mountain Community, Portland Rock Gym, Patagonia, Prana Portland, Redpoint Climber’s Supply, Rock & Ice Magazine, Sharp End Books, Trail Butter, US Outdoor Store
• Access to Mazama Lodge at the base of Mt. Hood, along with great member rates. • Access to SPECIAL MEMBER PAGES on the Mazama website with climbing route information and much more. • Free RESCUE INSURANCE anywhere in the world below 6,000 meters. • Full access to the world-class MOUNTAINEERING LIBRARY.
▶▶ Stay connected with Mazamas on Facebook. Like our page today: facebook. com/mazamas.pdx ▶▶ Read the Mazama Bulletin online at issuu.com/mazamas. The publication is in full color and is easily readable on tablets and laptops. ▶▶ You can download a PDF of the Bulletin if you login to the Member pages of the Mazama website. Login, click on the Members tab and click on Mazama Bulletin & Annual. ▶▶ You can advertise your business in the Mazama Bulletin. Go to tinyurl.com/ MazamasAds for details. ▶▶ Read interesting Mazama stories, and relevant information from around the web on the Mazama blog. Mazamas.blogspot. com
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES OUTDOOR SCHOOL FOR ALL ONGOING—URGENT! Want to volunteer for the campaign to Save Outdoor School for All Oregon Kids? The Mazamas has joined the effort to recruit volunteers to collect SIGNATURES by the July deadline to get the campaign onto the November ballot and win outdoor school back for all Oregon kids. The campaign will provide materials and training to interested volunteers, click this link to sign up or learn more: http:// www.outdoorschoolforall.org/mazamasvolunteer
RESEARCH COMMITTEE ONGOING
The Mazama Research Committee solicits and recommends for funding research proposals in the areas of Mountain Environments and Climbing Safety. We are looking to recruit several Mazama members with a scientific background. Please contact Research Committee Chair: Tom Bennett, nordlystom@gmail.com for more information.
OUTREACH/TABLING VOLUNTEERS MAY–JUNE Now that the spring/summer season is here there are lots of great ways to get involved spreading the word about Mazamas activities. Discovery Night is a great way to learn more about volunteering—come join us on Monday, May 9 from 6:30–9 p.m. at the MMC. From the Rams Head Randonee on May 1 to the Mothers Day climb on Mount St. Helens May 8, from the local fitness fair with R&H Construction on May 22, to National Get Outdoors Day on June 11, you can help us be a voice for outdoor recreation and education. To find out more, please contact Gary Ballou, Outreach Committee Chair at outreach@mazamas.org.
MAZAMA LODGE SPRING WORK PARTY MAY 21 Join us for the annual spring work party at the Mazama Lodge. Projects will include: bucking and splitting fire wood, removing snow shutters, putting up the Teepee, removing trail rope, general lodge clean up, wash mattresses, windows, dusting. This is a fun chance to wake the lodge up for a busy and beautiful summer season. Please wear comfortable working clothes and sturdy
boots. Please note that there may still be snow, in which case we may reschedule – so please contact Bob Stayton, Lodge Committee Chair, rstayton@comcast.net to rsvp and so that he can provide you with further details.
RTM HIKE LEADERS LABOR DAY WEEKEND, SEPT 2–5
Mazama Hike Leaders – if you have always wanted to experience our annual Round the Mountain event, this is your chance! Hike leaders work in teams (do it with a friend!) to lead groups of hikers on the three-day event. Leaders are treated to free room and board, beautiful views, and wonderful camaraderie. Contact RTM Hike Coordinator Shane Harlson, smharlson@ gmail.com to sign up or learn more.
PROGRAMS COMMITTEE ONGOING OCTOBER–MAY
Our wonderful Programs Committee is looking for additional volunteers to help plan for and execute our weekly speaker series. Volunteers will prepare the auditorium for each show, interview the guest speaker, set up the projector, microphone and sound system, make announcements and introduce the speaker (voluntary), control the lighting system, and after the show, collect and record donations, store equipment and chairs. Contact John Leary, Programs Chair, to learn more: learyj@comcast.
KIDS CLIMB INSTRUCTORS NEEDED! ONGOING Are you a kid and rock climbing expert? Do you have experience teaching climbing to kids? We’d love to hear from you! Both the Mazama Youth Outreach and Families programs have an ongoing need for enthusiastic rock instructors. Contact Kati Mayfield to learn more, kati@mazamas.org.
SEEKING BOTANISTS WHO ARE ALSO MAZAMAS: MAY, JUNE & JULY
Be a part of a special project to identify rare plants on a cliff near Portland. If you have a keen eye for wildflowers and find yourself stopping along the trail to observe them, join in on this volunteer project this spring. This is a short-term time commitment. You should be comfortable on high exposed rock areas, and have a high
KATI MAYFIELD VOLUNTEER MANAGER KATI@MAZAMAS.ORG
Curious about volunteering but don’t see an opportunity that interests you? Fill out the Mazama Volunteer Survey, tinyurl. com/MazVolSurvey, to let us know more about your skills and interests, and we’ll be in touch to brainstorm with you.
tolerance for poison oak. Volunteer events will be one day each in May, June and July. Contacts: Adam Baylor, adam@mazamas. org; Laura Guderyahn, 503-823-6736; Mary Bushman, 503-823-2073.
CLASSIC MAZAMAS: APRIL 24 The Classics Committee plans events and activities for long-time Mazama members and those who prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace. We are recruiting folks to serve on our planning team, which meets at 11 a.m. on the last Monday of every-other month. The team recruits leaders to put on monthly events, organizes quarterly luncheons and other social activities. Enjoy time and camaraderie with good folks while planning these events. Contact Kate Evans, EC liaison, kateevans97@gmail.com, to learn more.
PARTNER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY MOUNT HOOD SKI PATROL: MAY 21–22
The Mount Hood Ski Patrol is a volunteer organization that has been doing first-aid and transport for alpine and Nordic skiers as well as climbers, cyclists, and runners for over 75 years. Based in Government Camp, the patrol serves all of the ski areas on Mt. Hood year-round. They are recruiting volunteers with extensive outdoor experience and enthusiasm, and will be holding try-outs and interviews the weekend of May 21–22. Interested in learning more? Contact Dave Winterling, winterlingdavid@ gmail.com for more information.
MAY 2016 5
Upcoming Opportunities CANYONEERING MINI-COURSE (NEW!)
Canyoneering is the recreational sport of exploring canyons using a variety of techniques including scrambling, climbing, rappelling, wading, and swimming. Also known as “canyoning” in other parts of the world, canyoneering generally refers to technical descents requiring ropes. Canyons range widely in level of difficulty: from the easy hike-through variety to the extremely technical. Canyons may be dry or may contain flowing water. This pilot class will consist of three lectures/practice sessions and two field sessions. The lectures will introduce participants to the planning of a canyon trip: discussing gear, water protection, ethics, hazards, and good practices. We will revisit rappelling as seen through the canyon lens and discuss a number of rappel tips and tricks—as well as introducing several canyon-specific techniques and anchors. Instructors: Keith Campbell, Kevin Clark, Wim Aarts, Karl Helser, Vaqas Malik. ▶▶ When: Lectures June 13, 17, 20 with field sessions TBD. ▶▶ Where: Mazama Mountaineering Center & TBD ▶▶ Cost: $195 members/$245 nonmembers ▶▶ More Information: tinyurl.com/MazCanyoneering
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID
Mental toughness is an essential component to function well in outdoor activities. Some people naturally come by mental toughness; the rest of us can learn mental toughness. All of us can learn resistance and resilience to stress, and emotional intelligence skills that will help us prepare ourselves and be a better team member in hard times in outdoor activities and in life. Much like learning first aid, how to effectively use crampons or belaying, mental toughness can be taught, learned, and used. Toward that goal, the Critical Incident Stress Management Committee is offering a one evening introduction course on psychological first aid. Instructor: Tim Dietz. Tim is a retired Fire Services Captain and Behavioral Health Specialist for a metropolitan fire district in Oregon. He is a licensed Professional Counselor, an internationallyrecognized speaker on crisis, grief, and staying happy and healthy in the emergency service professions. Tim was essential to the development of the CISM team in 1992. ▶▶ When: Thursday, May 5 ▶▶ Where: Mazama Mountaineering Center ▶▶ Time: 6–9 p.m. ▶▶ Requirement: This course is appropriate to any skill level and open to all. ▶▶ Cost: $25 (register: tinyurl.com/MAZCISMPFA)
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DISCOVERY NIGHT This is a bright and bold celebration of what it means to be a Mazama and a great opportunity for new and potential members to come and learn about the Mazamas. Discovery Night is also a great time for current members to come and connect with friends, share experiences and enjoy the camaraderie. Feel free to bring a friend or two! May 9, 6–9 p.m. at the Mazama Mountaineering Center; FREE Event—door prizes, raffles, food and beer.
BASIC ROCK SKILLS Do you need to brush up on your basic rock climbing skills such as knots, tying in, climbing commands, belaying, rappelling, prusiking, passing protection on a fixed line, and cleaning a top rope anchor? Join us on the instructional climbing walls at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. You do not need to be a Mazama member to register for these climbing clinics. Next sessions: April 15 & May 26 Go to: tinyurl.com/mazamasBasicRoc
BIG WALL TIPS & TRICKS WITH MARK HUDON A visit to a place like Yosemite National Park will have most big wall climbers in awe. The huge sweeping walls of granite just call out to be ascended and to do so many climbers utilize a mix of free and aid climbing techniques for their big wall adventure. Many of these routes can take days to ascend and the efficiency with which climbers move themselves and their related gear, clothing, food and water up the wall can more often than not define a successful ascent. If you have already embarked on your path to big wall climbing, have a few or many ascents or are just about to open that door but have a good idea of the logistics involved then you might want to join big wall master Mark Hudon for an evening of big wall tribal knowledge. Tentative topics to be discussed and/or demonstrated include: Advanced hauling and docking techniques, Solo bag movement, Packing a haul bag, Nice to have extras and specialized tools, Unique/ uncommon gear placements, Cheaters, Efficient leading and following, Fast belay setups, Communication or lack of, Preferred aiders and ascender setup, Big wall racking, Fast ascending/following, Portaledge setup, Faster transitions. ▶▶ When: June 3 ▶▶ Where: Mazama Mountaineering Center ▶▶ Register: tinyurl.com/MazHudon
RUNNING CAMPS You have not one, but TWO running camps to choose from this summer. Both camps are based out of Mazama Lodge, and are led by top level runners. ▶▶ When: July 29–31 ▶▶ Where: Mt. Hood, Mazama Lodge ▶▶ More Information: tinyurl.com/MazRunCamps ULTRA RUNNING CAMP (NEW!) This camp is for ultra runners to experience trail running at its finest! During this camp, students will spend 3 days and 2 nights exploring the beautiful trails in the Mt. Hood National Forest, including circumnavigating Mt. Hood. Led by Krissy Moehl and Jeff Browning.
MOUNTAIN RUNNING CAMP This camp is geared towards road and trail runners interested in taking their running to the mountain environment as well as honing their mountain running skills. This 2 1/2-day, 2-night camp includes clinics, group runs, discussion of training philosphies and mountain safety, excellent camaraderie, instruction by top level athletes, an Icebreaker t-shirt, great food, and more! Led by Yassine Diboun, Amy Sproston, Joelle Vaught, and Jason Leman.
ROUND THE MOUNTAIN
Hike most of the Timberline Trail with only a day pack as you are shuttled to various launch points each day from the Mazama Lodge serving as your base camp. At Mazama Lodge, near Government Camp, you’ll enjoy great food, hot showers, a comfortable place to sleep, and stories from the day, before turning in for the evening. ▶▶ When: Sep. 3–5 ▶▶ Where: Mt. Hood, Mazama Lodge ▶▶ Cost: $390 members/$450 nonmembers ▶▶ More Information: tinyurl.com/MazamaRTM
MAY 2016 7
Paths of Discovery: A Trio of Hikes by Mark Fowler
I
was recently asked about my favorite Columbia Gorge hikes, but I find it difficult to choose favorites, as I enjoy all hikes in the Gorge, and in our local area for that matter. But how about a short quiz to get you thinking about your possible favorites? ▶▶ Name a hike that starts near Bridge of the Gods ▶▶ Name a hike that starts at Eagle Creek ▶▶ Name a hike that starts at John B. Yeon trailhead If you answered Rudolph Spur, Ruckel Ridge, and Munra Point then you think a lot like I do, and enjoy hiking ridges. A ridge is described by Webster’s as “a long area of land that is on top of a mountain or hill.” But how about “a route of adventure” or “a path of discovery”? There is something special about ridge hikes, a feeling of adventure or mystery. You can’t help but wonder, what’s beyond the next turn or over the next horizon or obstacle? Rather than give a detailed description of these trails, which you can find in hiking books and on websites, I’ll just give you a flavor for each of them. Note: This trio of hikes should only be attempted by experienced hikers. They are challenging and have exposed sections where one must tread carefully
Rudolph Spur from the overlook. Photo: Mark Fowler.
RUDOLPH SPUR Starting point: Cascade Locks. Originally developed by sheep herders, this steep and user-maintained trail follows the Pacific Crest Trail before heading up a faint path through the woods. You will cross a scree slope, ascend a notched log, and gingerly traverse a steep slope before gaining the ridge. Once on the ridge your legs will get a workout as it ascends 1,500 feet in three-quarters of a mile to an overlook at 2,700 feet. From here you follow the trail to the Benson Plateau another 1,000 feet above you, and the Ruckel Creek Trail, which is your descent route. When you hit the Historic Columbia River Highway follow it east to Cascade Locks and your car.
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Mark Fowler on the Munra Point scramble. Photo: Dyanne Foster.
MUNRA POINT Named after Katherine Sterrett Munra, Munra Point is an adventure—part hike, part scramble. Leaving Yeon trailhead you head towards Elowah Falls and cross the bridge over McCord Creek. Further on you will find an unnamed trail heading up, and come to a “Trail Unmaintained” Sign. You’re on the right track. Now make your way up the loose trail to an overlook and, if you’re lucky, a patch of Chocolate Lilies will be blooming here. Continue following the rocky trail up and over many interesting formations until reaching a 3rd class notch, which you scramble up. Past the notch you will see the bare open ridges of Munra and the summit. Three ridges come together here and make an amazing sight. A short scramble gets you on top. Enjoy the 360-degree view. Head down and retrace your route back to the Yeon Trailhead and your car. If you hike this trio, please move a few branches off the trail to help maintain them.
Jean Hillbrand on Ruckel Ridge. Photo: Mark Fowler
RUCKEL RIDGE This is one of several classic hikes in the Columbia Gorge often used by Mazamas BCEP (Basic Climbing Education Program) classes for fitness training. Starting from the Eagle Creek parking lot you pass through the Eagle Creek campground and find the Buck Point trailhead. Follow this across a power line clearing and come to a scree section which leads you around and up to the ridge proper. Once on the ridge you will enjoy many rocky sections to climb over and around (including the Catwalk) as you follow the spine of the ridge. Eventually you will come to a great viewpoint and lunch spot, and then the final push through the forest. Cross Ruckel Creek (named after J.S. Ruckel) to your descent route, the Ruckel Creek trail. Follow this trail down to the Historic Columbia River Highway and turn left (west) to head back to Eagle Creek and your car.
Exploring Mt. Jefferson Six Stunning Hikes article & photos by Matt Reeder
I
n 2013 I published my first hiking guide, Off the Beaten Trail. When the process of writing, publishing and promoting that book drew to a close, I began to ponder my next project. After some deliberation, I decided to write my second book about a place that was near and dear to my heart: the central Oregon Cascades, or more specifically, Opal Creek and Mount Jefferson. After three years of long days, long hikes and long weekends, I published 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region, the first ever comprehensive guidebook to the Opal Creek and Mount Jefferson regions. It was a project that was very personal, as I grew up in Salem. It became a very meaningful experience, and I am proud to share it with the world. Writing 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region took three years. Over these three years I hiked over 1,000 miles, drove approximately 15,000 miles, took tens of thousands of photos, and went through four pairs of boots, at least three raincoats, several pairs of hiking pants, and an unfathomable amount of coffee. Writing a book of 101 hikes took closer to 140 individual trips. All of them were in some way memorable, and some of them were life-altering. A chronicle of these experiences would be far too extensive to fit here, so instead I have chosen to list six hikes in this region, some easy and some longer backpacking trips, that are perhaps not as well-known to Portland-area hikers.
ELK LAKE CREEK Similar to nearby Opal Creek, Elk Lake Creek features some of the same old-growth forest and deep green pools. You can access Elk Lake Creek from a remote trailhead in the Collawash River canyon, or from Elk Lake’s rocky road. A 9.6-mile trail follows the creek, sometimes closely and sometimes at a distance. Prepare for three major bridgeless creek crossings. The best destinations from either direction are Emerald Pool (3.3 miles from the northern trailhead and 6.3 miles from Elk Lake) and Battle Creek flats (5.2 miles from the northern trailhead and 4.4 miles from Elk Lake). At Battle Creek you will find many excellent campsites tucked under ancient Douglas firs near the confluence of Battle Creek and Elk Lake Creek.
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HEART OF THE JEFF LOOP This 34-mile loop links together Marion Lake, Carl Lake, Table Lake, and Hunts Cove, passing through the interior of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Along the way you’ll pass countless wildflower meadows and spectacular viewpoints, hike around lava flows and visit three of the most beautiful lakes in the wilderness (as well as pass a half-dozen others) and see the absolute best the wilderness has to offer. Mandatory side trips visit a stunning ridgetop viewpoint of Mount Jefferson above seldom-visited Hole-in-the-Wall Park, and massive Marion Falls, the largest and best waterfall in the wilderness reachable by trail. While this loop can be done in three days, plan on five instead– this way you’ll have time to explore this corner of the wilderness, where the possibilities are almost endless.
PHANTOM BRIDGE Hidden at the crest of Opal Creek’s canyon deep in the rugged ridgetops north of Detroit, this natural arch is a fascinating place. There are two ways to get there: via the French Creek Ridge trailhead, located at a pass about 8 miles northwest of Detroit; and via the rough and seldom-maintained Elkhorn Ridge Trail, which follows the crest of Elkhorn Creek’s hidden canyon almost 5 miles to Phantom Bridge. It is easier to find the French Creek Ridge trailhead. From there, hike this rough and tumble trail up and down along the ridge 2.3 miles to the arch. Located not far away is gorgeous Opal Lake, the source of Opal Creek. The lake is accessed via a nearby trailhead.
BEAR POINT Located only four miles from the great snowy volcano, Bear Point offers perhaps the best view of Mount Jefferson’s rugged and glaciated northwest face. Begin at the South Breitenbush Trailhead and hike uphill 2.1 miles to the Bear Point junction at a cairn. Turn left and hike 1.8 miles of strenuous but well-graded trail to the summit, where you’ll find remnants of a lookout tower that was burned in 1968. The view is stunning and truly panoramic, stretching from Mount Hood to the Three Sisters–but the star, of course, is the view of Mount Jefferson. You won’t find a better hike than this in the northwest side of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness.
MIDDLE SANTIAM RIVER The Middle Santiam Wilderness is among the most rugged and least-visited places in the Oregon Cascades. There are no easy ways to access this area, and most force you to choose between a long hike on rugged trail and a long drive on endless gravel logging roads. The approach featured in my book begins at the Three Pyramids Trailhead and descends for almost 7 miles through increasingly magnificent ancient forest to a crossing of the Middle Santiam River above a waterfall. Across the river is a shelter with a shake roof, set amongst several huge Douglas firs. Stout backpackers can continue further into the wilderness towards Pyramid Creek and eventually Donaca Lake.
RUDDY HILL There are several ways to reach Ruddy Hill, a spectacular viewpoint in the Olallie Scenic Area. Perhaps the best is a 10.3mile loop that starts at Olallie Lake (above). Follow the PCT for 4.3 easy miles, passing viewpoints and several lakes along the way, to a junction with Ruddy Hill’s spur trail. The view of Mount Jefferson at the summit is stunning. Back on the PCT, a trail leads down to Horseshoe Lake. From here, walk the rough and rocky Skyline Road downhill for just over a mile to Monon Lake. Turn right and follow trails around Monon and Olallie Lakes back to the trailhead. This hike is especially great in September and October, when the area’s huckleberry bushes turn a million shades of yellow, orange, and red. Highly recommended! MAY 2016 11
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BEACON ROCK’S FUTURE CLIMBING ACCESS Research Study: The Genetic Basis of Acute Mountain Sickness
Researchers at Pacific University in Forest Grove are running a research study trying to understand the genetic basis of acute mountain sickness (AMS). AMS is a condition that affects people who travel above 8,000 feet and includes symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea, and sleeplessness. Even though AMS is generally mild, it can negatively affect the mountaineering experience. Studies show that even though more commonly due to quick ascension to high altitudes, AMS can occur even in individuals who acclimatize properly and slowly. In this study they searching for a genetic link between certain genes and susceptibility to AMS. ▶▶ Eligibility: Mountaineers climbing the Disappointment Cleaver route on Mt. Rainier in Summer 2016 who are ages 18–65 and generally in good health. ▶▶ What You’ll Need to Do Fill out several questionnaires, self report on AMS symptoms after your summit attempt, have your blood pressure and heart rate taken at Camp Muir and submit a cheek swab for a DNA sample*. (*your identity and genetic information will be protected). ▶▶ Compensation: An REI gift card ▶▶ Interested? Contact Dr. Paige Baugher at 503-9712461 or paige.baugher@ pacificu.edu
by Adam Baylor, Mazama Stewardship & Advocacy Manager
M
embers of the Beacon Rock Technical Rock Climbing Advisory Committee met with Washington State Parks officials on April 12 to discuss the future of climbing access at the park. The meeting was part of ongoing efforts between climbers and land managers to improve annual access at Beacon Rock by updating the 1996 Climbing Management Plan. During the meeting, the group hiked to the West Side of Beacon Rock to examine potential trail work and route maintenance projects but also to give advice on the demarcation of climbing boundaries to protect nesting raptors. The final decision to make adjustments to the 20-year practice of a seasonal blanket closure will be made by Park officials in consultation with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This public process of updating the climbing management plan and utilizing volunteers comes at a time when State Parks officials are also dealing with extreme damage to Beacon Rock from the November 2015 storm. More than 20 large trees and boulders were ripped from the rock by hurricane-force winds forcing the Rangers to close access to hikers and climbers. Currently, only one route on the Northwest face is open; Stone Soup, 5.9 A2 (or 5.13?). Part of the advisory committee’s proposal is to keep the West Face open year-round which would mean an adjustment to the current practice of a blanket closure for the
protection of peregrine falcons. For climbers, this approach would be an increase in access; probably 20 routes but the main South Face climbing area would still be closed on Feb. 1 generally lasting until July 15. The East Face would also remain closed year-round for the protection of plant species. In terms of a visitor increase, climbers with the skill set of climbing 5.10 crack would have access to a beautiful place in the Gorge during warm winter months and could do some big wall training during Spring months. For now, climbers can expect to visit Beacon Rock once the Park officials have safely repaired the main hiker trail, removed downed trees that are precariously perched over the Spike Route, Genesis and Burning Calves routes on the Northwest Face or whenever the peregrines are finished nesting on the South Face (approximately July 15).
MAY 2016 13
Deep Canyons and High Skies: Hiking Criterion Ranch By Darrin Gunkel
T
hink spring east of the Cascades. High, clear skies filled with the puffy leftovers of west side rain clouds. Balsam root and lupine carpeting hillsides; waterleaf and prairie star hiding at their feet. Long afternoon sunbeams slanting down basalt chasms. Views that begin as soon as you set foot on the trail. Cross county wandering to poke around unexplored draws, cliffs, and canyons. Now think Criterion Ranch. The former settlement of Criterion once bustled enough to warrant a post office. Now it’s a few collapsing buildings littering the summit between Maupin and Madras, and a network of fading roads down to the Deschutes. The BLM acquired the huge parcel of steppe and canyon lands in 1995 and has left them pretty much alone since. This is explorer country, and chances are good you’ll see few, if any, other explorers all day. A lot of visitors hike from the North Criterion trailhead on Route 197. This involves little elevation gain, but a lot of slogging over recovering grazing land. Hike up from the Deschutes, and you get that merit badge feeling of accomplishment, plus a much more diverse look at the tract. The goal is the lip of the canyon, at a spot we’ll call Point 2615 (keeping in the spirit of Locked Gate. See below). The route described here is a 10.2 mile round trip with 2,000 feet elevation gain. Note: most of the way follows an abandoned two track, but the last few miles are cross country. If you’re short on
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route-finding skills, calling it a day at the first cliff-edge viewpoint might be a good call. To reach the trailhead, follow the BLM Access road eight miles south of Maupin along the river. You’ll come to a locked gate that’s named (I assume with a straight face) Locked Gate on the maps. Parking’s free. The BLM has a sketch map of the Criterion Ranch online. http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/ prineville/recreation/files/criterion_tract_ map.pdf It’s detailed enough to keep you pointed in the right direction and off of private land–in case you somehow miss the barbed wire fences. Some of the trails shown still exist. Many have been erased through years of neglect. Most of the route below does exist on this map. The trail begins in a tight, scruffy draw, but quickly pops out onto a bench beneath a spectacular amphitheater of red basalt walls a thousand feet high. The way meanders along an old two track over rolling meadows full of lupine and balsam root for a mile before bumping up against these cliffs. There it ducks behind a ridge at their feet and steepens. At two miles, you’ll find a few junipers clinging to cliffs overlooking the river, a thousand feet below. With views of Mt Hood thrown in, this makes a great destination for a short hike. For the heartier, say goodbye to the cliffs and contour around a draw, passing the loneliest little stock tank you’ll ever see at its head. Here, the route begins a slog up range land behind the cliffs. The flowers, if you show up in April or May, should keep you happy. Better and better views of the Mutton Mountains provide additional distraction. The two track dead ends at a fence 3.5 miles from the trailhead. Don’t
despair: you’ve reached the high point of the walk and now all you have to do is follow this fence due south. You’ll drop down into a draw, climb over a bump with views galore (Adams now added to the mix) and then cross two more draws. A few hundred yards after the third draw, at a gap in the fence, you’ll cross the remains of a two track heading west. You’ll notice twin hills off to the west, one topped with a weirdly tall post. Point 2615 is just next door to these. A little further on, the fence line and the meadow vanish into thin air. Literally. You’re on a cliff 1,600 feet above the Deschutes, 4.6 miles from the road. Stroll the rim to the west a half mile to reach point 2615. It’s not the highest vantage in the area, but it has the best views. Don’t forget to wear gaiters on this walk. The only thing more bewildering than the variety of thorns and stickers is their ability to work their way into seemingly sealed boots. Bug repellent is a good idea, applied below the belt to discourage ticks. Also, consider an umbrella: protection against hail/rain/graupel, not to mention the intense sun–the junipers are big and shady, but few and far between. And choose a bright color so hunters don’t mistake you for a chukar! After Hours at Criterion. The Criterion Ranch happens to host some of the darkest skies you’ll find anywhere this side of space. Astronomers rank sky darkness from 1 to 9 on the Bortle Scale. Skies outside Maupin are a 1. Mt. Hood, on the other hand, is a 3 because of Portland’s spill-over light pollution. The skies in these parts are so dark, the Rose City Astronomers hold their annual members-only star party at nearby Wapinita Airstrip.
Recreating in the Backcountry with Dogs This is the second installment of the Bulletin’s occasional series on recreating in the backcountry with dogs. This month, we hear from Dr. Coby Richter, a veterinarian at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital, and cover what to do if your dog blunders into a hunter’s trap.
Author Coby Richter, DVM, DACVS, DoveLewis Surgeon, with her current four-legged friend, Pax. Photo courtesy of DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital
Loowit and the Coyote Trap by Dr. Coby Richter, DVM, DACVS, DoveLewis Surgeon
I
t was a chilly, bluebird day in late December. My dog, Loowit, and I were sidehilling around a rocky outcrop at about 4,000 feet on BLM property in near Juntura, OR. We were enjoying the solitude and winter wildlife, and generally having a fabulous morning. Loowit disappeared around some boulders. I heard a yip followed by silence; then a snarl and a yowl. There is nothing quite like hearing my best buddy in pain to shift me into high gear. I roared around the boulders to see her on her back in a crease of rocks, screaming and
tethered by a front foot to the boulder pile via a length of chain. Loowit had stepped into a coyote trap. The more she struggled, the tighter the trap squeezed her foot. After a brief, panicked moment of beating on the trap with my bare hands, I managed to engage my reasoning and figured out how to release her foot. Then Loowit and I sat down in the snow and had a little cry. Ok, maybe a big cry—complete with blubbery snot and gasps for breath. But in my defense, I had a major adrenaline rush to pay for. GETTING OFF THE MOUNTAIN After we both had a moment to regain some balance, I looked at her foot to discover some focused swelling and pain, but no open wound. I moved us away from the terrible smelling trap and sat with Loowit on my lap for about 20 minutes, allowing her to relax while I thought about how to get us off the mountainside. I always carry an efficient bundle of bandaging and first aid gear, but nothing that would treat a broken metacarpal bone. Given what I had, I elected to bandage her foot to prevent further injury and keep it protected. Getting Loowit off the mountain was a slow process. It was only a
There is nothing quite like hearing my best buddy in pain to shift me into high gear.
struggling. It made no sense to me, so I tried to lift her up, an act that resulted in more screaming and thrashing. Abruptly, I realized she was
few miles from my truck, but it was a steep few miles. I carried her most of the way, but in some places the slopes were too steep and the footing too treacherous to keep her in my arms. In those spots I set her down and led the way to encourage her to follow. Falling in those conditions while carrying my dog could have resulted in more than a simple toe fracture. Thankfully, we made it back to the truck safely. TRAPPERS DON’T WANT YOUR DOG Six weeks later, Loowit was back to trekking along with no long-term complications. I learned a lot during that time about traps and how to open them. Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about traps before that day. Before that weekend, I’d never seen any type of trap in real life. Traps are not particularly easy to open to release a dog’s foot. Once I got through the initial shock of realizing what had happened, it took me a minute or two to understand what was keeping the trap tight on my dog’s leg and how I could release her. Thankfully it did not require special equipment. I initially felt angry at whoever set the trap, but that evolved into a more understanding perspective. Trapping is legal in Oregon on public land. There is a code of trapping ethics about setting traps away from areas of high public use (such as trails and
continued on next page MAY 2016 15
Loowit, continued from
Malheur River.
previous page
campgrounds). The trap that caught Loowit is termed a “foothold trap” or “live trap.” It is different from a “killing trap” for obvious reasons and I am supremely thankful that she did not blunder into a killing trap. Remember, the trapper does not want to catch your dog (or you). That day, Loowit and I were in an area with only game trails and very few human visitors. Traps set for predators may be baited with materials very interesting to your dog that could lure your dog out of your view (think of that potent “dead animal smell”). Because the trap that caught Loowit stank of dead animal, I treated her for a week with antibiotics. Although she did not have an open laceration, she had severe bruising and abrasions right over the fracture site. If you have to handle a trap be sure to wash your hands well afterwards and to clean any part of your
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pet that came into contact with the trap. If your dog sustains a trap injury, seeking veterinary care as soon as possible is important. Lucky for Loowit, I had antibiotics and pain medications with me at the truck, so her triage happened quickly. I took radiographs of her foot the following day to confirm my suspicion of a fractured metacarpal, and to plan her
rehabilitation. To learn more about the regulations for trapping, check out your state’s fish and wildlife website. For the State of Oregon, you can find the most current information at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2015/ december/121015.asp.
How to Remove Your Dog from a Leg Hold Trap
KEEPING YOUR DOG SAFE DURING TRAPPING SEASON
Information adapted from TrapFree Oregon
This information provided by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife In Oregon, most trapping seasons run from Nov. 15 to March 31. A few seasons are open the entire year, but winter is the most popular time to trap because pelts are in prime condition. Trappers are required to submit an annual report on their efforts, harvest, and wildlife observations, which provides insight on over 16 wildlife species statewide.
Leg hold traps are the most commonly used trap, the least likely to injure your pet (provided you are near at hand), and the easiest to open. If your pet is struggling so much that you can’t get at the trap, put a jacket or shirt over his head both to quiet him and to prevent him from biting you. Once your dog is controllable, kneel down, place a hand on each spring at the side of the trap, and press down. If you can’t depress the springs this way, stand with your feet on the ends of the trap. The jaws will relax and the paw will pull free. Most injuries occur when the animal bites at the trap, at his paw, or struggles so hard that he injures his leg.
TRAPPING ACTIVITIES CAN OCCUR IN AREAS WHERE PEOPLE WALK OR HIKE WITH THEIR DOGS. Furbearer regulations set restrictions on the type and size of traps that can be used and also where trappers may set traps and snares on state and federal lands. Traps may not be set within 50 feet of any designated public trail or within 300 feet of any designated trailhead, public campground, or picnic area. Also, killing traps with a jaw spread between 7.5 and 9 inches set on public land cannot be placed more than 50 feet from a permanent or seasonal water source. TRAPS MAY ALSO BE SET ON PRIVATE LAND BY PERMISSION OF THE LANDOWNER. “Dogs running loose run the risk of being accidentally captured in legally set traps, which could cause serious injury or even death,” says Derek Broman, ODFW furbearer coordinator. “To help keep dogs safe and prevent such tragedies from happening, we want their owners to be aware of the possibility of trapping activity in areas where they spend time outdoors with their dogs.” ODFW’S TIPS FOR KEEPING DOGS SAFE DURING TRAPPING SEASON: ▶▶ Keep your dog on a leash or in sight and under voice
command. ▶▶ Don’t let the dog wander off, especially out of sight.Keep your dog on designated trails and within designated public use areas. ▶▶ Be aware that traps are often found near water as many furbearers (beaver, muskrat, nutria) are targeted under water or the water’s edge. ▶▶ Keep in mind that lures and baits used by trappers can attract dogs, too (another reason to keep the dog under control) ▶▶ Learn how to release a dog from a trap. Idaho Fish and Game and Alaska Fish and Game have brochures and videos with detailed how-tos. ▶▶ Carry the tools necessary (cable cutter and length of rope) to release your dog from a trap or snare. It is illegal to disturb or remove the traps or snares of another person. Individuals that see traps they believe are illegally set should not disturb the trap, but contact Oregon State Police, who can identify the owner of a legally set trap through a unique branding number required on each trap. Oregon has about 1,200 licensed trappers. Before becoming licensed, trappers in Oregon must take an education course and pass an exam that deals with topics like wildlife identification, trapping ethics, and setting traps to catch target animals and avoid non-target animals. Those requirements and the Oregon furbearer regulations both incorporate scientific findings on the best management practices for regulated trapping in the United States for animal welfare, trap efficiency, trap selectivity, trapper and public safety, and the practical application of various trap types. MAY 2016 17
Mazamas and the PCTA Team Up to Clear Trails by Rick Schmidt
O
n March 5, nine Mazama volunteers teamed up with several trained sawyers from the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) to clear logs on the Nick Eaton Ridge Trail and the Gorton Creek Trail. These trails are in the Hatfield Wilderness Area and are accessed via Herman Creek Trail making a popular loop for hikers and trail runners. For trails that are in a designated Wilderness area, no motorized machines are allowed and that includes chainsaws. So one and two-person crosscut saws, many of which are over 100 years old, are taken out of retirement, sharpened, and used to cut logs off the trail. “It seems like you step back in time,” said Robert Caldwell, a Mazama and trained crosscut sawyer with the PCTA, “but a well-sharpened saw can make short work of a log.” The crew worked in two groups and removed about 30 logs from the trail, many of which were forcing hikers off trail into more hazardous terrain. The crew finished the day by removing a log 40 inches in diameter. The Mazamas have a long history of working on trails. The Trail Tenders, under the leadership of Rick Pope and Jeff Welter, have worked on a number of trails in the area. Also the Mazamas continue to take care of our namesake Mazama Trail on the Mt. Hood National Forest. Adam Baylor, Mazamas Stewardship and
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Advocacy Manager, is trying to open up more opportunities for Mazama members to participate in these essential work parties. “We all use hiking trails and all too often take the excellent condition of our favorites for granted. As anyone who has done any conditioning hikes this winter knows, there are a lot of logs down this year and some trails have been completely washed out,” said Baylor. This year the need for trained sawyers and strong backs to help with trail crews is going to be critical if we are going to keep our trails open. With ever shrinking budgets for trail work, the Forest Service has increased its reliance on volunteers to do essential trail maintenance. However, not just anyone can go out into a national forest and start sawing logs or working on the trails. For many reasons including the safety of everyone concerned, the Forest Service requires volunteers to work under an agreement with the USFS and that crew leaders complete extensive training. This includes instruction for using the chainsaw and/or crosscut saw, fixing drainage, and doing trail reconstruction. The training also includes extensive first aid and crew leadership training. “Much like the training Mazama Climb Leaders go through, PCTA Crew Leaders also learn the skills to do the job and bring everyone back to the trailhead safely”, said Mazama member and PCTA Mt. Hood Chapter President Roberta Cobb. If you would like to help keep our hiking trails open, watch for opportunities to volunteer in the Mazama Bulletin or go to the PCTA website at www.pcta.org and click on “volunteer.”
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UPCOMING EVENT at Portland Store TRAIL PHOTOGRAPHY 101 May 19th, 2016 7pm
Presented by Jason Waicunas of Outdoor Viewfinder
Jason's unique knowledge of landscape photography techniques in tandem with his outdoor experience will enable you to learn how to improve your photography by using natural light with a minimal amount of gear in order to avoid making “the same old photo from the same old vantage point."
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MAY 2016 19
Hiking into the Heart (and Hearts) of Norway photos & article by Sue Griffith
N
orway lures travelers with dramatic landscapes, nonexistent crowds, and a national passion for the outdoors. Travel is my first love, hiking my second. Add the magic that comes with exploring a new place and befriending the people who call it home and I was ready to venture a quarter way around the globe last July to join ten other hikers in Norway’s western fjordland. Led by Eric Hoem and Paul Steger, the twelve-day Mazama Outing included a four-night hut-to-hut trek through the heart of the Romsdal Mountains. Norway shares a latitude with Alaska, Greenland, and Siberia. While
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the rain, fog, and lowhanging clouds proved the local maxim, “blink and you miss summer,” the warmth and kindness of the Norwegian people proved far more enduring. The hut-to-hut portion of the trip began in Vangshaugen. Here we were introduced to the first of our four mountain accommodations, the full service Vanghaugen Mountain Lodge, a former fishing lodge situated on the edge of a crystal clear lake. The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) maintains Norway’s 400-plus huts scattered around the country. The huts operate on a first come, first served basis but because of the unpredictable mountain weather, no one is ever turned away. This might mean a mattress on the floor—as we later discovered— but hikers can count on a warm, dry night. Not all huts are created equal and we experienced the full range of accommodations from staffed lodges with meals and private rooms to self-service huts
Much to my surprise, the huts are unlocked, un-vandalized, cozy, and comfortable. The rules are simple: leave boots at the door; clean up; and pay for what you use. with dormitory style rooms, cooking facilities, and shelfstable foods to unserviced huts with no food at all. Much to my surprise, the huts are unlocked, un-vandalized, cozy, and comfortable. The rules are simple: leave boots at the door; clean up; and pay for what you use. After a peaceful night and hearty breakfast buffet, we bid goodbye to civilization, donned our packs, and embarked on our trek. Our hike to Raubersghytta began with a 1,000-foot climb into a long, glacial valley with a series of lakes. Pink and yellow wildflowers carpeted the landscape. We learned the Norwegian term, “white sky,”
which meant another sunless day. We also learned the DNT rates hikes in terms of hours, rather than distance. We covered the nine miles between huts in a little over eight hours. The Raubersghytta hut on our second night was my favorite. It sits high on a treeless slope overlooking a broad valley. Solidly built, it offers a roomy common area with huge windows to brighten the interior. We encountered three other guests at the hut— young Norwegian men on a fishing trip—and spent the evening visiting with them. They told us where to replenish our water, what to expect on the trails, and entertained us with troll stories.
Our longest hike, at 15-plus miles, came the next day. We spent most of the morning hiking beside icy blue lakes and tried to imagine the beautiful peaks around us, but the low clouds blocked them from view. All we could see were our feet and the spongy, peat-like soil dotted with pink heather. But there was nothing like that endless quiet and pure mountain air. The long summer daylight was a bonus as it was nearly 8 p.m. by the time we made our way along the north shore of Reinsvatnet Lake to the Reinsvassbu hut. Between the rain, the long grass, and the mud, we were soaked, filthy, and cold. A retired Norwegian couple had beat us to the hut and already had a roaring fire started, so at least the hut was toasty warm. We fetched water from the lake, boiled it to rehydrate our meals, and dropped into bed. The final segment of the hike took us to Vike, where we would travel by boat to Hoemsbu for the night. We left Reinsvassbu at 9 a.m. for yet another soggy day. All but the
snow-streaked bases of the mountains were obscured by clouds. The trail descended gradually through thick ground cover and scattered rocks for the first five miles then dropped abruptly for the last mile to Vike. At the bottom, we hiked a short distance to a dock, and crowded into a small motor boat to cross Eikesdal Lake to Hoemsbu and a beautifully preserved 1914 farmhouse that now served as a hiking lodge. We were welcomed by a local hiking club member who served us a traditional Norwegian meal of cured meats and a dense, cream-based porridge. It was a fantastic ending to an incredible trip and later, when saying our goodbyes, our hostess hugged me and said, with a big smile, she had greeted a group of strangers but left behind a room full of friends. This winter I met a Norwegian woman on sabbatical in the U.S. while skiing at Crater Lake. Still touched by the hospitality I enjoyed on my outing, I invited
Kirsti Magelssen to join me for a hike on the Oregon coast. Last week, she and her friend, Inguun Fjæreide, arrived at my home in Manzanita and I led them on one of my favorite
hikes. It rained all day. That evening, while warming up with wine by the fire, Kirsti invited me to visit her cottage on Norway’s southeast coast. She promised sunshine.
(clockwise, from left): Debi Danielson (foreground) peers over the Troll Wall. Photo: Credit: Bruce Bagley. Picking our way up Ræstadhornet. (L to R: Bus driver, bus driver’s wife, Debi Danielson.) Photo: Sue Griffith. Mary Holbert and Carmelita Logerwell make their way toward the Troll Wall with Mt. Bispen in the background. Photo: Sue Griffith. Curious sheep turned out for our final descent to Vike. Photo: Debi Danielson. MAY 2016 21
Mouth of Klamath River from the Hidden Beach Trail.
Coastal Hikes: Six Central Locations article & photos by Richard Getgen
T
he hiking community of Portland is blessed with so many options within a day’s drive, including a wide variety on the Oregon Coast. Since a hike at the beach will require some time in the car, it may be beneficial to make a long weekend of it and take in multiple hikes. For this article, I have opted to share three hiking options near six central locations—Seaside, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Florence, Port Orford, and Brookings— and to describe one hike in each grouping. SEASIDE: ▶▶ Tillamook Head (8.5 miles, car shuttle) ▶▶ Saddle Mountain (7.2 miles) ▶▶ Cape Falcon (5.0-8.0 miles) The Tillamook Head Trail from Seaside to Ecola State Park includes one of the
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most picturesque sections of trail on the north coast. I typically walk this trail from north to south, using a car shuttle. Starting from Seaside, the trail switchbacks quickly to the highest point on the route, and the path then ungulates its way toward Ecola Point. William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition wrote of a spectacular vista north of Indian Beach which is known today as “Clark’s Point of View,” though the location has a limited view of the coastline, making the interpretation of the location rather questionable. Given the often illegible scribbling by Clark in his journals, I would contend that the trail between Indian Beach and Ecola Point is the location actually eluded to by Clark. In addition to the thick Sitka spruce trees along the route, there is a side trip to a World War II battery at the end of the headland where you can view the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse one mile offshore.
Tillamook Bay, where great blue herons, egrets, brown pelicans, and bald eagles frequent, and a four-mile walk along the ocean beach littered with sea shells and sand dollars. The Spit was once an island with a resort (circa 1907) that eroded away after the jetty was constructed.
TILLAMOOK:
▶▶ Kentucky Falls (4.4 miles) ▶▶ Oregon Dunes (4.8 miles) ▶▶ Sutton Creek (4.8 miles) Nestled in the Coast Range between Florence and Reedsport is a trio of waterfalls worthy of exploration. Less than
▶▶ Bayocean Spit (8.1 miles) ▶▶ Cape Lookout (5.0-10.0 miles) ▶▶ Munson Creek Falls (0.6 miles) Bayocean Spit (aka Tillamook Spit) is two hikes in one: a four-mile trek along
LINCOLN CITY: ▶▶ Harts Cove (5.2 miles) ▶▶ Cascade Head (3.4-6.0 miles) ▶▶ Salishan Spit (8.0 miles) On Cascade Head is a pair of wonderful hikes. Harts Cove offers a headland meadow with a unique waterfall where Chitwood Creek falls into the secluded cove. Like many of the hikes on coastal headlands, giant Sitka spruce crowd the trail. The Harts Cove trail is closed from January 1 through July 15 to protect nesting seabirds. The drawback to this walk is the 900 feet of gain in the final mile.
FLORENCE:
WELCOME NEW MAZAMAS!
Indian Beach from the Tillamook Head trail.
a mile into this hike you will pass Upper Kentucky Falls. Just 1.5 miles farther the trail reaches the confluence of Kentucky Creek and the North Fork of Smith River. At this location, a waterfall cascades over rock walls on each stream. With a wide-angle lens, you can capture both 100-foot waterfalls in a single image. This trip can be completed by retracing your steps, or by continuing 6.5 miles downstream on the North Fork Trail.
PORT ORFORD: ▶▶ Blacklock Point (4.1-9.0 miles) ▶▶ Port Orford Heads (1.2 miles) ▶▶ Humbug Mountain (5.5 miles) The Blacklock Point hike begins at the Port Orford Airport. The trail follows abandoned dirt roads which are often flooded by small ponds in the rainy season. There are trails that circumnavigate the deep water. Salal and rhododendron are plentiful. The destination is the reason you will want to continue. The open meadow on the headland provides a generous view Hidden Beach.
south to the Cape Blanco and north. Instead of retracing your steps, a loop to Floras Lake Campground is an option.
BROOKINGS: ▶▶ Boardman State Park: Lone Ranch to Whaleshead Beach (5.1 miles, car shuttle) ▶▶ Hidden Beach (4.1 miles) ▶▶ Stout Grove via Hiouchi Trail (4.1 miles, car shuttle) Redwood National Park includes a section of coastline between the Trees of Mystery and the mouth of the Klamath River. This section of rocky coastline includes a trail that passes through wildflower meadows, rocky vistas, and a secluded beach. This is Hidden Beach. The hike can be done as a car shuttle or as an out-and-back from either direction. The northern trailhead at Lagoon Creek features more open headland views, but the Klamath Overlook Trail offers the best single view from its wildflower meadow 600 feet above sea level.
Sharia Ahmed—Middle Sister 21 New Michael Ard—Mt. St. Helens 11 Reinstated Pierre Blouin—Mt. Adams Mee Choe—Mt. St. Helens 3 Deceased Greg Chokas—Mt. Hood Timothy Crawley—Mt. Shasta Matthew Earley—Mt. Hood David Gabel - Matterhorn Jennifer Grant—Mt. Kilimanjaro Lori Ireland—South Sister Tom Keenan—Mt. Rainier Jeff Morse—Villarica Heather Rymal—Mt. Kilimanjaro Kenneth Safley—Mt. Adams Rachel Seibert—Mt. St. Helens Elena Sias—Mt. St. Helens Jonathon Sieber—Mt. Adams Daniel Solchanyk—Mt. Kilimanjaro Reid Vandewiele—Grand Teton Brooke Winter—Grand Teton Donald Zeck—Mt. Hood Reinstatements: Allan Patrick Clancy (1980), Judy Head (1983), Karen Henell (1975), Clark Hollenberg (2013), Rob Kline (2001), Susan Knable (2009), Patrick Laubacher (2013), Meredith Long (1977), Donald Mather (1960), Ryan O’Connell (2015), John Perkins (2014) Deceased: Norris Ege (1992), Jean Fitzgerald (1981), Tom Stanwood (1984)
March Total Membership
3,422 2016 3,325 2015
SUCCESSFUL CLIMBERS March 19, Swift Creek—Worm Flows. Leader: Michael Hortsch, Asst: Steven Wagoner. John Degenhardt April 9, Rooster Rock, South Face. Leader: Scott Osbron, Asst: Lee Davis. Chad Atwood, Kyle Branderhorst, Kylie Coleman, Arielle Cooke, Sujay Deshmukh,Ryan Johnson, Timothy Niedermeyer, Eric Risner, Malia Tam Sing, Alexander Wiley, Lauren Goins, Sandy Rose April 9, Mt. Hood, Pearly Gates. Leader: Leora Gregory, Asst: Jay Avery. Amad Doratotaj, Dyanne Foster, Mark Fowler, Jean Hillebrand, Jonathan Myers, Lynne Pedersen, Gary Riggs, Moriel Arango, Rita Hansen, Jason Vosburgh
MAY 2016 23
Returning to Polaris Pass. Photo: Joe Whittington
by Terry Richard
P
eak bagging is a passage of summer. Mazamas’ climb outings honorably seek out summits with mountaineering challenges, but hiking up something easier has its own rewards and is great for conditioning.
Alas, Oregon is not so well bestowed with worthy summit climbs, compared to other states in the West. Many Oregon mountains barely soar above treeline, other than the big volcanoes of the Cascades, the ridges of the Wallowas in northeast Oregon, and peaks of the desert. Many Oregon summits have trails to the top. Worth doing certainly, but not as satisfying as finding a route off trail. Barbara Bond, author and Mazama member, addressed climbing Oregon’s non-technical peaks with her 2005 book, 75 Scrambles in Oregon, published by The Mountaineers Books. You can tell she did her best scrambling to fill the quota of 75 to follow a previous template published for Washington, which has no shortage of worthy peaks. Nevertheless, after notching 65 of the 75 ascents in Bond’s book, many of the peaks
24 MAZAMAS
are rewarding, though I haven’t necessarily hiked them by her recommended routes. Here are some of the best that will get you seeing Oregon. Refer to Bond’s book for starting directions, but feel free to ad lib a route by using appropriate maps.
early start from Seven Lakes trailhead on the west side, you can hike the three peaks: Venus (7,315 feet), Jupiter (7,415) and Lucifer (7,474), as described, then continue to bag Devils Peak (7,582) and Lee Peak (7,508).
CENTRAL CASCADES I climbed Mount Yoran by using the Pacific Crest Trail south from near Willamette Pass, then veering west cross country toward the peak. Actually, Mount Yoran, at 7,100 feet, is lower than its 7,138foot unnamed neighbor, so I climbed them both.
EASTERN CASCADES The book has individual routes for Drake Peak (8,407 feet), Twelvemile Peak (8,144) and Crook Peak (7,834). But by starting on the ridge near the fire lookout rental, you can hike those peaks and two others, Light Peak (8,325) and McDowell Peak (7,654) in one long day, in the Warner Mountains northeast of Lakeview.
SOUTHERN CASCADES In the Sky Lakes Wilderness just south of Crater Lake National Park, the book describes one route up three peaks and another route up Devils Peak. With an
CENTRAL BLUES The book describes a rather lengthy loop to reach 4,578-foot Windy Point, the high point just east of the John Day Fossil
Climber’s path to Summit. Photo: Joe Whittington
Pete’s Point Descent. Photo: Joe Whittington.
Beds National Monument’s main Sheep Rock Unit. You can shorten it significantly by hiking the ascent route, then beelining northwest back to where you parked near the road bridge across the John Day River by following an obvious gulch to the river. CENTRAL BLUES The book describes a combined route for Fields Peak and Moon Mountain, but by staying high atop the ridge south of Mount Vernon and the John Day River Valley, you can bag Fields (7,362), its unnamed north extension (7,264), Moore (6,844), Moon (7,043), and McClellan (7,043) peaks in a day’s outing. WALLOWS Two arduous day hikes in the book, to 9,675-foot Petes Point and 9,401-foot Sentinel Peak, can be combined into
a leisurely overnight outing via the Tenderfoot Trail, with options for other peak scrambles along the way. The trailhead is just south of Salt Creek Summit east of Joseph. BASIN AND RANGE Abert Rim (6,370 feet) is the massive fault block on the east side of U.S. 395 north of Lakeview. A wildlife watching sign and pullout along the highway just above the south end of Abert Lake is often a starting point for a hike to the rim. I made it once to the top from there, but more recently got severely thrashed by the aspen thickets and didn’t make the rim. The looping route described in the book starting a mile north may be the better way to go. No matter which route you take, the view is usually best from the top.
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Gifford Pinchot Stewards Translating a powerful love of place into a meaningful acts of stewardship is something that is important to all of us. But, we don’t always know how or where to focus this attention, especially with regard to some of the more remote areas we love to visit. The Gifford Pinchot Stewards (GPS) project of the Gifford Pinchot Task Force brings participants to many different forest areas and mountain ridges of the southern Washington Cascades to collect data that is used for forest management and conservation. Volunteers are able to take part in unique citizen science opportunities, such as road surveys to investigate effects of forest roads at stream crossings; wildlife camera surveys to monitor habitat use of carnivores; post-fire revegetative seeding to help re-establish impaired native grass populations; and old growth ponderosa pine surveys for prioritizing restoration projects. So, if you are looking to head out to the forest on a mission, consider joining the Gifford Pinchot Stewards for a trip to help collect important data about the streams, roads, trees, and trails of Washington’s South Cascades. No prior experience is necessary. This is a partial list of 2016 trips. Go to gptaskforce.org for full details. Email Shiloh Halsey at shiloh@gptaskforce.org to sign up. ▶▶ Fri-Sat, June 10-11—Old growth mapping trip in the foothills of Mt Adams: Help locate old growth ponderosa pines in the mixed conifer forests to collect on-the-ground information for upcoming forest management projects.
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▶▶ Mon, June 27: Invasive plant hike near Mount St. Helens: Locate, report, and pull invasive plants in an effort to map and remove them before they get too big to control. ▶▶ Sat–Sun, July 2–3—Timber sale survey in the foothills of Mt. Adams: Timber sales are a complex issue and on-the-ground information is important for increasing our understanding of the ecological effects. ▶▶ Fri–Sun, July 22–24: Road and stream survey: This threeday survey/camping trip will take place near the Cispus River in the northern Gifford Pinchot. ▶▶ Sat–Sun, Aug 27–28—Meadow enhancement trip: Due to fire suppression and past forest management, meadows in some parts of the GPNF are being encroached on by nearby conifer plantations. Volunteers can make big difference in protecting important meadow habitat. ▶▶ Sat, Sept 17—Wildlife camera survey trip: Wildlife camera surveys improve conservation projects and increase understanding of wildlife distributions in. ▶▶ Fri–Sun, Sept 30–Oct 2—Revegetation seeding in the postfire areas: Hike through some of the post-fire landscapes of Mt. Adams and spread native seeds in the areas that have been most heavily impacted beyond their natural fire regime.
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Southern Patagonia Trek
ADVENTUROUS YOUNG MAZAMAS (AYM) Our Adventurous Young hike leaders have been pretty busy lately with life, BCEP, and publishing, but we have exciting trips coming up just in time for spring. If you’re new to the group, or want to hang out without a long car ride, don’t forget our monthly roving pub nights. Third Monday of the month, 6:30 p.m. until it ends. Check out the webpage or the Meetup page for the location. All are welcome!
crossings, sketchy trails, and lots of great canyon scenery here. Road access is not the greatest; expect to encounter potholes, washboarding, and rocks. The leader will be taking a different route to the trailhead than he did previously, so plan on a caravan. Hike: 9.4 miles, 1,300 feet elevation gain. Drive: 120 miles round-trip. Meet in the southeast corner of Gateway Transit Center, 8 a.m. Leader: Matt Reeder
LOOK OUT FOR Photos from Matt Reeder’s trip to Criterion Ranch. This hike was photographer’s special (tripods were encouraged). Hopefully he’ll snag a good shot for his annual calendar.
SAVE THE DATES FOR: ▶▶ Crater Lake/Rogue River car camping. A little bird has informed us that Anna has campsites in southern Oregon, just in time for the snow to melt and the adventuring to be at its peak. Weekend of July 8. ▶▶ And still further ahead, the annual AYM Labor Day Trip this year will be happening, drum roll, please, in the North Cascades. Keep an eye on the calendar, as this will likely fill up quicker than Karl can bike across Portland. These, of course, are just a sample of the incredible adventures AYM will be leading this summer. We post hikes/ rambles/camping trips on both the AYM webpage and the AYM Meetup page.
MAY 7: LAVA CANYON/APE CAVE Consider this your warmup for the annual Mother’s Day climb up Mount St. Helens. (Don’t forget your dress!) Leader: Anna Revolinsky, arevolinsky1@gmail. com. MAY 11: DOG MOUNTAIN If you’re lucky enough to have a flexible work schedule this is an amazing opportunity to see the famous wildflowers, without the crowds. Poison oak is common, so wear long pants. Leader: Matt Reeder, mareede@ gmail.com. MAY 15: OLYMPICS This will be a longer trip up into the Olympics. Stay tuned! Leader: Anna Revolinsky, arevolinsky1@gmail.com MEMORIAL DAY: BLACK HOLE FALLS Are you ready for an adventure and a half ? Hike a secluded trail with AYM in a little-known canyon south of Mount St. Helens to lovely Black Hole Falls. We will plan on bridgeless creek
LOOKING FOR LEADERS Are you a current Mazama member? Are you young of heart or soul? Do you have ideas for hikes or camping trips that you don’t see on our calendar? WE WANT YOU! Come to one of our committee meetings, held the last Monday of the month, at 6:30 p.m. at the MMC to find out more, or to ask any questions you may have. We discuss upcoming plans and usually ajorn for a cold adult beverage afterwards.
Black Hole Falls. Photo: Matt Reeder.
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MAY 2016 27
MAZAMA FAMILIES
Successful Hiking with Toddlers: ONE SIMPLE RULE by Mary Rotherham
A
ny parent will read the title of this particular article and scoff. Truly, parenting “rules” are really more like guidelines anyway, and by guidelines, I mean desperate attempts to bring order to the chaotic world of raising kids, especially kids in the outdoors. But nonetheless, let me offer up my first rule to successful outdoor parenting. This particular rule came to me in a moment of inspiration while hiking the River Trail at Smith Rock State Park—a hike I highly recommend for the beginning/very young hiker. It’s flat, near water and has amazing bugs and wildlife. When she was little, my daughter and I will often hike the River Trail to the Mesa Verde trail. Then, if she was feeling up to it we’ll take the Mesa Verde up to the base of Monkey Face, where I proudly let all the rock climbers there be impressed with her 6 year old hiking endurance. “Yeah, she’s pretty hard core,” I’d say like it’s no big deal. Then it’s back to the Dihedrals to pick up my husband and her brother from whatever they were climbing. The entire hike using the Mesa Verde Trail (slightly steep but without too many scary drop offs) is about 6 miles car to car. Seems like a lot for a little kid like Julia, but our rule of thumb for planning hikes with the kids is one mile for each year of life (more of a guideline, not an actual outdoor parenting rule). What inspired outdoor parenting rule #1 came to me as we were about 4.5 miles into our 6 miles that day. I’m sure many kids do this, but I know when Julia needs to take a break because she wants to hold hands on the trail. While this 28 MAZAMAS
might be seen a very sweet (and actually is) it’s also terribly hazardous. Walking side by side down a trail clearly meant for single file travel means All the mountain exploring as toddlers planted the seeds for Julia, Kyla and Jamie to be star students in FM101 and climb new heights at Smith Rock as constantly stepping in 8 year olds. front of each other which almost guarantees that MOVING DOWN A TRAIL TOO WIDE IS one or both of us is eventually going to RUDE TO OTHER HIKERS. eat dirt. Then comes the tears (or in my Likely at least one of you is stepping case the cursing and then the tears) which slightly off the trail—a major cause for trail then further causes the desire for more widening and erosion concerns. hand holding on the trail and what we SPEED have created here is a horrible, awkward If your young hiking companion wants tripping cycle. Hence I have instituted to hold hands, it could be because you’re successful outdoor parenting rule #1: NO hiking too fast. This took me a while to HAND HOLDING WHILE HIKING. figure out, but it finally dawned on me to Really, besides the aforementioned let the littlest hiker set the pace. Seems benefit of avoiding skinned knees and obvious, but I cannot tell you how much other tripping related injuries there are a this revelation changed my life. Here’s plethora of other safety and sanity related how it is: hiking with an infant is actually reason to eschew hand holding while pretty easy. You get a nice backpack hiking. and away you go. Heck, you can survive HANDS ARE SWEATY. SWEATY HANDS with no major changes to your favorite ARE GROSS. ENOUGH SAID. hiking destinations and trails for over two years with this technique. You may ABILITY LEVEL even decide you’re ready for a second If your youthful hiker (or yourself for kid—after all you and your partner have that matter) cannot navigate a trail, rock, two backs between you, right? But then, dock, boat, river crossing, creek, etc. inevitably your little backpack bundle is under their own power, I would propose going to have to get down and hike that that they should not be on that particular trail on their own. Probably because of trail under their own power. (Thank their own natural energy and curiosity— God for baby backpacks, though, right? but even if you have one of those kids that Otherwise we might never go anywhere instantly conk out in the back pack and fun.) I also believe there is no age limit some point your kid will just be too plain to this rule. IMHO, there’s no reason why tall or too heavy to be carried. Then your the earliest of walkers can’t put one foot hiking life changes. in front of the other, but as soon as either This will be your opportunity to institute of you think hand-holding is required to successful outdoor parenting rule #1: NO safely navigate then it’s time to put that HAND HOLDING WHILE HIKING. Now, baby back in the backpack. how to get a two year old to actually hike more than thirty feet before stopping for ten minutes to investigate a colony of ants—well, that’s a whole article of its own. Happy Trails!
Families Mountaineering 101 2016–2017 on the Horizon As this year’s Families Mountaineering 101 is preparing to celebrate graduation with a class trip to Smith Rock, it’s already time to start talking about next year’s class. The Families Education subcommittee is poised to bring the class to new heights and continue building on this highly successful program. WHAT IS FAMILIES MOUNTAINEERING 101? Families Mountaineering 101 or FM101 is a program designed to train adult and youth climbers in entry level rock and snow climbing skills. It is also an incredible opportunity to get your entire family involved with alpine activities. Participants of the class will learn the skills required to be a competent member of a Mazama “A” or “B” level climb. In FM101, we offer parents and kids the opportunity to build a solid foundation of mountaineering skills including: rock climbing (belaying, rappelling, movement on rock, communication, and knots), snow climbing (snow travel,
roped travel, self arrest, glissading, footwork, and avalanche awareness), car camping, navigation, outdoor clothing, conditioning, weather, and first aid. Snow camping and backpacking will be held as separate skill builders in 2017. WHEN IS THE CLASS? The 2016-2017 class will begin in September and continues through January. Generally, the schedule includes one evening classroom session and one outdoor weekend activity each month. The official FM101 2016-2017 calendar and a more in-depth look at class structure will be available at www.fm101. org. IS FM101 RIGHT FOR MY FAMILY? Does your family like to hike,camp or backpack? Do you already go to one of the many local climbing gyms together? Are you looking for ways to keep climbing while keeping your kids involved? If so, then FM101 is probably right for you. FM101 activities are ideal for children entering the
third grade and older. If you think your child might be an exception to this, please feel free to contact us at fm101@ mazamas.org. Since this is a Families Mountaineering class, we ask that parents be actively engaged in the class in one of two ways: Parents can enroll as a student along side one of their children or if parents are not enrolled as a student, we ask that they participate as an assistant. WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? The next step is to come to the FM101 Information Night at 6:30 p.m. on June 6th, 2016. This event will take place in the Holman Auditorium at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. On this night, we will provide everyone with a general overview of the class and review the schedule for the 2016-2017 program. The
application process will be open in June, and people who attend this information night will be better positioned to complete a successful application for the class. If you have any specific questions about the 20162017 class, please email us at fm101@mazamas. org. For more detailed course information visit www.fm101. org. We look forward to seeing everyone at information night, and until then, climb high!
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Your Mazama Realtor MAY 2016 29
A Year on Mt. Hood
A Mazama Hike Leader Attempts to Hike Every Mt. Hood Ridge in a Single Year by Regis Krug
Part I
A
t four a.m. on a cold New Years’ morning in 2015, I was admiring a starstudded sky, and braving Arctic winds and 14-degree temperatures as I snowshoed to Trillium Lake on Mt. Hood. Little did I know the journey that I’d just begun. In January, February, and March, I hiked to McNeil Point, led snowshoe trips to Twin Lakes and Cloud Cap, and backpacked at Lost Lake. But It wasn’t until April that the seed was planted in my mind about really exploring Mt. Hood. I’m 0-6 on Hood summit attempts, so I needed another way to conquer it. On the maps, I noticed that almost every ridge had at least one trail. I wondered if I could hike all the ridges on Hood before the end of the year. I focused on the Timberline Trail because it includes a few of the ridge trails, crossing nearly all of them. 30 MAZAMAS
In April and May, I revisited McNeil Point, led hikes and backpacks to Twin Lakes and Lookout Mountain on the east side, and Burnt Lake/Zigzag Lookout on the west. In early June, I started my quest in earnest by backpacking up the Mazama trail on Cathedral Ridge. Much of the original Cathedral Ridge trail was destroyed during a storm in the mid-80s and abandoned by the Forest Service. Hard work by the Mazamas restored the trail that now bears its name. The 2011 Dollar Lake fire burned about a mile of the Mazama trail, leaving a wasteland of gray trunks, blackened stumps, and a forest floor reduced to ash. Now, huckleberries, purple Penstemon and Lupine, fluffy white Beargrass, and endless patches of white Avalanche Lilies carpet the sun-drenched forest floor. My head kept turning and my camera kept clicking as I wandered through explosions of color amongst the stark gray sentinels. Every new alpine meadow seemed more beautiful than the previous. To top off the day, I spent a quiet night sleeping under the stars at Cairn Basin. Later in June, I continued ridge hopping by backpacking Vista Ridge and Barrett Spur. Tall Doug Firs, fire ravaged trails, and
rocky ridges led up to Barrett Spur where I witnessed a huge rock and icefall. I headed down to Dollar Lake for stunning sunset views of Mt. St. Helens, Adams, and Rainer before a night under a star-studded sky. After a two-week hiatus in early July, I was on the trail by 6 a.m. on a Saturday for what turned out to be an eleven-hour, 19-mile, 4,000-foot day. On the storm ravaged Bluegrass Ridge, I climbed over, on, or under 496 trees. It was still the most challenging five miles I have ever hiked. I lost a trekking pole crossing Cold Springs Creek and made a replacement from a stick and athletic tape from my first aid kit. On Sunday, I led a Mazama hike up to Lookout Mountain across from my Saturday hike. On the first of August, I was once again on the road to the mountain. The Elk Cove trail begins near Laurance Lake on the north side of Hood. Like many of the trails on the northwest side of the mountain, you pass in and out of lush forests as well as burn areas, masses of wildflowers, and gray, dusty ash. Elk Cove is a deep meadow at the base of the Coe glacier on the north side of Hood. The Coe Branch snakes its way down from the glacier through endless meadows of wildflowers. A side trip up
to Dollar Lake found not much more than a large algae-filled puddle. The next weekend I was on the west side crossing the Sandy headed to Ramona Falls. Another Sandy crossing put me southbound on the Timberline Trail to Paradise Park, which is filled with house-sized boulders littered amongst alpine meadows overflowing with color. Every gully and canyon affords amazing views of the summit. Melting glaciers form the start of Lost Creek; a great place to stop and relax for lunch, cooling my feet in the icy water. On the way down, I explored several new waterfalls on Lost Creek. The middle of August found me camping high on the east side above Gnarl Ridge. Hiking up past Cloud Cap and the Eliot Glacier, I got my first look at the massive canyon that it carved over the millennium. The mountainside is almost snow free, replaced with patches of hardy flowers clinging to the sandy soil amongst the boulders, a few junipers twisted by the wind, and colorful remains of those that didn’t survive. Camp was at the top of Lamberson Butte and the headwaters of Newton Creek. During the night, I listened to the roar of waterfalls and crashing ice as snow caves disintegrated above camp. Massive smoke columns from forest fires dominated the eastern horizon by day and the glow of fires lit up the sky at night. I was awake most of the night photographing and admiring a sky filled with stars and meteors. In the morning, the sunrise cast the most beautiful golden glow across the entire mountain. In late August, I hoped to do the Timberline Trail, but the fires in eastern Oregon and southern Washington filled the air with so much smoke and ash that it was impossible. Over Labor Day, Dan Smith and I led one of the Round the Mountain teams for the Mazamas. Over three days, 12 leaders shepherded fifty-plus hikers most of the way around Mt. Hood (we didn’t do the closed Eliot Glacier section). Each morning after breakfast, we boarded vans to the trailhead and hiked 14 miles of the Timberline Trail, then hopped in another van back to the Mazama Lodge for dinner and bunk. In all, we hiked 40 miles with 9,000 feet of elevation gain, braved dozens of creek crossings, and endured the blistering sun, cold, and drenching rain. The next Saturday, I started at the Ramona Falls trailhead and was already crossing the Sandy River as the sun peeked from behind Mt. Hood. A disadvantage of getting on the trail early in the morning is that you catch all of the spider webs strung across the trail. Crows, hawks, and jays kept me company as I passed through a dense forest of Doug Firs and Vine Maples just changing to their autumn colors. Coming out of the trees at 6,000 feet, I got my first look at the west slopes of Mt. Hood above Yocum Ridge, now nearly barren of snow. The wildflowers had gone to seed, leaving sad looking alpine meadows. Looping around the north side of Yocum Ridge brought me into a huge alpine meadow just below the Sandy Glacier. I didn’t see another soul until I headed back down, where the trail was crowded with hikers hoping to snag prime camping spots for the weekend. At 21 miles, it was one of my longest day hikes for the summer. Clockwise, from upper left: Trillium Lake. Mt. Hood Map. Mt. Hood from Elk Cove. Paadise Park. Photos: Regis Krug
continued on next page MAY 2016 31
Part II
A
s autumn began, I led a Mazama hike from Lolo Pass to Buck Peak through the Bull Run watershed, which is mostly seen only by through-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. In late September, I started my 27th Mt. Hood hike on Pinnacle Ridge, my last on the north side of Hood. Like the Elk Cove trail, it also starts near Laurance Lake and passes through the same burn areas. The Avalanche Lilies were nothing more than seedpods now. The following week I went through my pack, weighing everything and discarding anything I didn’t think I absolutely needed for a three-day attempt of the Timberline Trail. I reduced my pack weight to 28 pounds with the basics plus food, stove, bivy, pad, and sleeping bag. I had a chest cold from the week before, but I was feeling okay on a dark, icy Friday morning as I left Timberline Lodge before sunrise. I made good time towards Ramona Falls for the first leg of the trip to Cairn Basin, about 20 miles. It didn’t take long to lose several thousand feet and I was soon crossing the Sandy River. As soon as I headed uphill from Ramona Falls, I started having coughing fits. A mile above Ramona Falls I was coughing more than I was hiking. To finish the Timberline Trail in three days, I needed to make at least 20 miles today. At 12.5, I had to throw in the towel. Unfortunately, my Jeep was up at Timberline Lodge and I would never make it back up there. For the first time in all the 32 MAZAMAS
years that I have been carrying one, I used my locator beacon to call for help. I contacted my daughter Beth, and she agreed to meet me at the Ramona Falls trailhead. I hiked five miles to the trailhead, which was mostly flat or downhill. Beth hiked in part way, then helped me carry my gear back to her car and drove me up to Timberline to my Jeep. On the positive side, I did get in 17 miles. On a mid-October Saturday, I took ten of us on a fun, damp, Mazama hike from Top Spur to Cairn Basin, including several creek crossings. The next day, for my 30th Hood hike, I led another Mazamas hike to Cloud Cap. We had constant clouds and heavy mist at times, but overall it was a good day, with the sun finally making an appearance in the afternoon. I still hadn’t done the entire Timberline Trail; I had missed a small section on the west side and had never crossed the Eliot on the northeast side. At the end of October, I took a long weekend hoping to snag the Eliot crossing and several other high elevation trails, using Cloud Cap as a base. The Crag Rats were at the Cloud Cap Inn, only the second time I have found it open in the many times I have been there. They were very friendly and let me wander around taking photos. Later, I geared up and headed to the gaping chasm that was the Eliot. Standing on the ridge, Eliot Creek was a tiny, muddy gray thread far below me. Technically, the trail is closed here because of the 2006 washout, but people still brave the
crossing every year. I worked my way towards the creek, keeping an eye out for falling rocks as I scrambled down the steep slope. Boulders as large as trucks perch precariously in the steep, sandy canyon wall. Soon, I was standing on the south side of Eliot Creek. The way to the other side was to hop across the icy boulders mid-creek. Just as my foot touched solid ground on the opposite side, a stream of dirt and boulders started coming down the canyon’s north side. I sprinted upstream to get out of the path of the falling rocks. A hundred yards farther, I found the short trail that led to a wide bench before continuing straight up the rest of the canyon wall for several hundred feet in loose sand and boulders. Another rope anchored to a questionable boulder helps you ascend a steep section on the north side. I was soon standing on the north rim of the canyon. For a few minutes, I watched through the mouth of the Eliot as the warm morning sun climbed past Mt. Adams. With miles still to go, I found the trail and continued around the north side of Hood to Coe Branch and Elk Cove. I crossed half-frozen Compass Creek and explored several large waterfalls, finally completing this section of the Timberline Trail. The down climb on the north side was dicey, sometimes sliding on my butt down the steep, loose slope. Back at Cloud Cap, the sky was bathed in in muted colors as the sun slipped behind
The view from Mt. Hood looking north. (Inset) Self-portrait in the canyon beneath Eliot Glacier. Photos: Regis Krug
Mt. Hood, leaving a star-filled sky. I spent several hours shooting the stars and talking to the Crag Rats around the fire. On Saturday, I hiked to the stone shelter, then to the end of the Cooper Spur trail at 8,600 feet, getting an up-close view of the Eliot’s deep crevasses. I returned via the Mountaineers trail, cut over to the stone shelter again, and down to the Tilly Jane cabin before returning to Cloud Cap. On Sunday, I enjoyed the brilliant autumn colors as I explored Cloud Cap Road all the way back to Hood River. The goal for my 33rd Mt. Hood hike was to knock off the last small section of the Timberline trail that I had not done this year, the McGee Creek trail, and the PCT from Bald Mt. to Lolo Pass. The early morning drive up Lolo Pass road was a bit of an adventure in thick clouds; I could only see about five feet in front of the Jeep. It rained hard most of the day. A fall in some washed-out areas would put an end to my hiking permanently. I was a bit cocky after the first crossing of the Muddy Fork, but not when I had to do another crossing that was three times as wide as the first. My rain gear worked well, keeping me dry all day, but my camera lens was covered in rain or fog all day long. I hiked 19 miles that day in miserable weather, but it didn’t matter. I had finally finished the last section of the Timberline Trail. With rain and heavy cloud cover on the southwest side the following weekend, the trail was barely visible in the dense, dark forest of the Cast Lake trail. No great views today, but there were lots of mushrooms, clouds, and Cast Lake. There was lots of snow on the Zigzag and Horseshoe Ridge
trails, as well as some very fresh bear, cougar, and bobcat tracks heading the same direction as I, causing me to spend a lot of time talking loudly to whatever was on the trail ahead of me. A half mile before the end of the hike, I had a very exciting final crossing of Cast Creek. It was getting dark by then and the creek was running high. I tried to find a safe crossing on boulders, but no dice. I ended up having to go right through the 10-foot wide creek. The water was fast, up to mid-thigh, and cold. I never saw anyone else all day. As November slipped away and December crept up on us, I was running out of time. Polallie Ridge, just south of Tilly Jane had escaped my adventures thus far. Starting at the Tilly Jane trailhead, I cut over to Polallie and began working my way up the ridge. I pushed my way upwards through deep snow and over or around more than 80 downed trees while a fierce snowstorm raged around me. It was impossible to tell where the trail was most of the time, but by staying on top of the ridge, I was able to find my way up to the Tilly Jane cabin and Cloud Cap, and finally return to the trailhead via the Tilly Jane trail. On the southwest side, I tackled the Paradise Park trail from Highway 26 up to the Timberline trail. Within a half mile, my headlamp illuminated patches of snow and soon it was a foot deep. The trail was narrow and bounded by heavy undergrowth, making my snowshoes useless because they kept catching on the brush. The deep snow above 4,000 feet made the trail incredibly difficult to find. I managed to find my way up to the
Timberline Trail junction using my iPhone GPS. This worked so well and with little battery consumption, that it marked the demise of my dedicated Garmin GPS. It took six hours to hike six miles, the last two miles in two to three feet of snow with more coming down. I was worried because it was already 1:30 p.m. and it would be dark by 4 p.m. I managed to make it back to my Jeep in those two and a half hours without a headlamp. This was the only time I seriously thought I might have to spend the night on the trail. Fortunately, I was prepared for it. How do you end a year of so many great adventures on one mountain? Exactly where you started. I scheduled a Trillium Lake Mazama snowshoe trip for the last day of the year. At 5 a.m., six of us strapped on snowshoes in the dark. Our breath hung in the crisp 14-degree air as we turned on headlamps and began the trek through the trees north of the lake. We reached the frozen lake just before sunrise and set up our cameras, hoping that Mother Nature would grace us with a beautiful sunrise. Even though it was cloudy, she did not disappoint, painting the slopes of Mt. Hood in a golden glow during a break in the clouds. We fed the birds and took a leisurely stroll around the lake as the clouds were replaced with blue skies. Hike number 40 is in the books. Just over half of my 2015 hikes were spent exploring Mt. Hood’s many glacierfed streams, forests, waterfalls, canyons, and ridges, but I’ve yet to stand on her lofty summit. I climbed over a hundred thousand feet and 500 miles of her trails, but I’m not done yet. MAY 2016 33
CLASSIC MAZAMAS FOR MEMBERS WITH 25 YEARS OR MORE OF MEMBERSHIP OR FOR THOSE WHO PREFER TO TRAVEL AT A MORE LEISURELY PACE
W
e lead a wide variety of year round activities including hikes, picnics, and cultural excursions. Share years of happy Mazama memories with our group. All ages are welcome to join the fun. (Formerly known as Old Timers.) CONTACTING THE CLASSICS If you wish to contact the Classics, you can call or email Chair Rose Marie Gilbert at 503-762-2357 or gilbertrosemarie@ centurylink.net, or Executive Council liaison Kate Evans at 503-635-6540, kateevans97@gmail.com, or classics@ mazamas.org. LEADING EVENTS IN JUNE If you are interested in leading an event next month, please contact Rose Marie Gilbert by May 12 so it can be included in the upcoming Bulletin.. CLASSICS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Our east side transportation pick up point will be Gateway and on the west side it will be the Sunset Transit Center. If you are interested in providing or receiving rides to Classics events you can sign up on the Classics section of the Mazama website or contact our new transportation
coordinator Flora Huber at flobell17@ comcast.net or 503-658-5710. MAY 17: CRYSTAL SPRINGS RHODODENDRON GARDEN/REED CANYON HIKE We will start our hike (stroll in this case) in the Rhododendron Garden with a walk around the many paths. There are many benches to sit on and enjoy the wildlife and plant life. Hopefully there are lots of plants in bloom. From there we will cross 28th and hike the Reed College/Crystal Springs canyon loop. If you haven’t done this you will be in for a pleasant surprise. Both of these hikes are easy with little elevation gain and a total distance of about 3 miles. After the hike we can enjoy lunch at the Reed College cafeteria. Dress for the weather; bring some snacks and water. The Rhododendron Garden is free on Monday and Tuesday. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Rhododendron Garden parking lot at 5801 SE 28th Ave., Portland. Leader: Buzz Lindahl, 503-7818956, erlindahl@gmail.com. MAY 26: GARDEN HOME WALK We’ll walk the paved Fanno Creek Greenway Trail from the Garden Home Recreation Center (NW corner of the Oleson Rd./ Garden Home Rd. intersection) to Burgerville (SW Allen Blvd./ Scholls Ferry intersection) for an old fashioned
lunch. We’ll explore the fascinating history of the area along the way. The trail follows the 1908 Oregon Electric Railway line and passes the 36-acre Aaron Frank Garden Home Farm of the 1920’s with its original home, swimming pool, and horse track. Meet at the Garden Home Recreation Center parking lot next to the ball field at 11 a.m. for the 3 mile round trip walk. Leader: Anne Jacobs, 503-293-6304. JUNE 10: ANGEL’S REST WALK Enjoy a leisurely, stop-and-smell-the flowers walk to Angels Rest. Mileage 4.2, 1500 feet elevation gain. Meet at the MMC at 9 a.m. Leader: Kate Evans, kateevans97@ gmail.com, 503-635-6540. JUNE 27: CLASSICS MEETING Come help plan our summer events. Interested Classics are always welcome to attend our meetings every other month on the last Monday of the month at 11 a.m. at the MMC. JULY 2: DICK AND JANE MILLER’S “FOURTH” OF JULY PICNIC POTLUCK: Save the DATE! AUG. 27–SEPT. 2: CLASSIC HIKERS’ GETAWAY LONG BEACH PENINSULA For details see p. 23 in the January Bulletin or contact leader Ray Sheldon at rbshldn@pacifier.com.
MAZAMAS HELP THE HOMELESS You did it! More than 550 pounds of warm clothing was collected at the MMC and is now in the the hands of the homeless in our neighborhood through the organization Mindspring. For all you who donated their slightly used winter clothing—jackets, boots, coats, mittens, etc.—a big thank you. This went directly to help others. The Mazamas start collecting in November and conclude in March at the end of the Used Equipment Sale. Over the summer, if you are going to “buy-up” think about tagging the item for the collection next year. Again, thanks to all from the Trails Trip Committee of The Mazamas.
34 MAZAMAS
MAZAMA LODGE
YOUR HOME ON THE MOUNTAIN May 1 we kick off our evening programs at the lodge, scheduled for the first Sunday of the month May-September. Our first speaker will be Joe Whittington, who will be sharing with us his trip through Antarctica. It’s only appropriate that the talk of Antarctica also corresponds to our driveway barriers in four foot snow drifts. Please plan on parking at the lower road. Our trail is snow free but our summer lot will not be open until the weekend of May 21.
INTRODUCING SUNDAY EVENING PROGRAMS AT THE LODGE! The first Sunday of every month, May– September, the lodge will host great guest speakers. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and the 1 hour program begins at 6 p.m. Event is free; dinner available for $13.25.
May 1: Antarctica On 1 January 2016, Joe Whittington sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina aboard the Quark Expeditions ship Ocean Endeavor to Antarctica. If you are a fan of spectacular scenery, icebergs, whales, and penguins ( for sure, lots of penguins!) you will enjoy this presentation.
MAY 21: SPRING WORK PARTY We will be busy getting our lodge ready for the summer Lost Lake Chuck-wagon July 23-24. season with our annual Spring 22 Miles from Timberline to Lost Lake. Work Party. The work begins at Reservations available online. 10 a.m. and finishes at 3 p.m. with a break for a free BBQ lunch. All participants will receive a coupon for a free night at the lodge and breakfast. We will be working on splitting logs, stacking wood, minor painting projects, taking down snow shutters, and general spring cleaning.
June 5: The Salmonberry Trail— Linking the Valley to the Coast
JULY 23–24: LOST LAKE CHUCKWAGON WEEKEND As a reminder we have our Lost Lake Chuck- wagon weekend scheduled for Saturday, July, 23 and 24. This has become a great conditioning hike for those wanting to get ready for Round The Mountain Hike over Labor Day weekend. May is a great time to visit the lodge to avoid the crowds. Typical lodge weekends this time of year will see fewer than 10 overnight guests. Throughout the month we will be serving strawberry shortcake for dessert!
July 3: Behind the Emerald Curtain
The Salmonberry Trail is the name for the railsto-trails project between Banks and Tillamook along the old Salmonberry Railroad. Mike Cafferata, District Forester for the Forest Grove District of the Oregon Department of Forestry though which a portion of the railroad passes, will provide photos of the project, a current status report, and plans for the future of this exciting project. “Behind the Emerald Curtain” is the latest documentary produced by Pacific Rivers, and created by Shane Anderson. We will screen the video and then have a conversation with Kalei Augustine and other staff and guests from Pacific Rivers.
August 7: Hiking Norway’s Western Fjordland Join outing leader Eric Hoem and experience the hiking trails, climb route, and trekking path that members of his Mazama outing followed in the fjordlands of western Norway.
September 4: History of the Mount Hood National Forest and its Lookouts
503.684.9698
Local author Cheryl Hill will highlight several interesting stories from the forest’s past and talk about the history of its lookouts. She will also talk about her favorite lookout hikes and give you a few tips for staying in a lookout cabin. MAY 2016 35
TRAIL TRIPS SCHEDULE
JOIN US! MAZAMA TRAIL TRIPS ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE. Contact Trail Trips Committee chair Regis Krug at 503-704-6642 with any questions. To lead a hike next month, go to: mazamas2.org.
WEBSITE UPDATES
Leaders may schedule a hike after the Bulletin is published, or occasionally a hike location will change. Visit mazamas. org/activities-events/hikeschedule/ for updates!
WILDERNESS DESIGNATION
Wilderness—Limit 12. indicates that the hike enters a Forest Servicedesignated Wilderness Area and the group size is limited to 12.
HK C2 May 01 (Sun) Larch Mountain (Multnomah Falls) (W). Regis Krug regis_krug@mentor. com. Wilderness—Limit 12. Great Spring conditioning hike. Waterfalls, wildflowers, and view of five mountains at the top. Be prepared for any kind of weather. 14 mi., 4,100 ft., Drive 50, Gateway 7 a.m. (WF,GH, AR) MU
Wildcat Mountain in the Huckleberry Wilderness. 10.1 mi., 2,900 ft., Drive 70, MMC 8 a.m. (MH)
HK C2 May 02 (Mon) North Lake via Wyeth Trail (W). James Stevenson jstevenson7121@gmail.com. Wilderness—Limit 12. Conditioning time! A trail that’s mostly shady, but relentless. We will take #411 up nearly 4,000 ft. from Wyeth campground to the lake, where we lunch. Nice views of the gorge. Bring lots of fluids! 11.4 mi., 3850 ft., Drive 88, TH, Gateway 7:30 a.m. (GH)
HK A2 May 07 (Sat) Dry Creek Falls. Dan Smith 503-408-8923. This is a short hike but Dry Creek Falls is great place for lunch! You will be back early to enjoy the rest of your day. 5.4 mi., 710 ft., Drive 78, TH, Gateway 8 a.m. (WF)
HK C2 May 04 (Wed) Douglas Trail to Wildcat Mountain. Rex Breunsbach 971-832-2556 or rbreunsbach@gmail.com. We will start at Eagle Creek near Estacada and climb to the top of 4,200-ft. high Class A: Easy to moderate; less than 8 miles and under 1,500 feet elevation gain Class B: Moderate to difficult; less than 15 miles with 1,500–3,000 feet elevation gain OR 8–15 miles with less than 1,500 feet of elevation gain Class C and Cw: Difficult to strenuous: 15+ miles in distance OR 3,000+ feet elevation gain; Class Cw indicates winter conditions Class D and Dw: Very difficult, strenuous trips in challenging conditions. No specific distance or elevation gain. Special equipment, conditioning, and experience may be required. Contact leader for details before the day of the trip is mandatory. Dw indicates winter conditions. Numeral after class indicates pace. All pace information is uphill speed range; e.g. 1.5 = 1.5–2 mph: a slow to moderate pace; 2 36 MAZAMAS
HK A1.5 May 07 (Sat) Lewis River Falls. Kent Meyer 360-574-0784. The three falls on this robust river are worth the long drive. The trail is good and we will be going at a slow pace. 5.5 mi., 500 ft., Drive 160, TH, Gateway 8 a.m. (WF)
HK B2 May 07 (Sat) Silver Falls State Park–Perimeter Loop. Larry Solomon muensterhump@hotmail. com. Nice alternative to the more popular trails. Hike in solitude thru lovely forests on quaint wooden bridges over babbling creeks. $5 fee per vehicle. 10.3 mi., 1750 ft., Drive 135, Gateway 8 a.m. (WF)
= 2.0–2.5 mph: a moderate speed common on weekend hikes; 2.5 = 2.5–3.0 mph: a moderate to fast pace and is a conditioner. “Wilderness—Limit 12” indicates the hike enters a Forest Service-designated Wilderness Area; group size limited to 12. MU: Hike is posted on Meetup. Hike fees: $2 for members, each family participant, and those belonging to clubs in FWOC; $4 for non-members. 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 and R Garage near 99th and Pacific (I-84 Exit 7); L and C–Lewis and Clark State Park (1-84 Exit 18); Oswego TC–Boones Ferry Rd
STREET RAMBLES
ADVENTUROUS YOUNG MAZAMAS HIKING
Multiple teams hike at different paces every Tuesday and Thursday with various leaders. Bring a headlamp. 4–8 miles, 500–1,500 feet. Meet at REI-Pearl, NW 14th and Johnson. Group leaves promptly at 6 p.m.
Everyone is welcome. See the separate list at mazamas.org/activitiesevents/aym/
EAST SIDE RAMBLES! Meg Linza 503-502-8782. Walk at a brisk pace (2.5-3.0 mi/hr.) through the streets, admiring the gardens of SE Portland up to Mt. Tabor Park. We may even catch a glimpse of a Heritage Tree or two. Once in the park we will take alternating trails to the top of the 280 stairs at the NE corner of the park. We will have 30 minutes to walk up and down the stairs then finish with a moderate stroll back to the MMC. Great training for climbing or backpacking this summer. Starts from the MMC promptly at 6 p.m. (arrive a few minutes early to sign-in). Total time 2 hours. $2 (please arrive a little early to sign in). 5 miles 500 ft (every Wednesday until October)
HK C2 May 07 (Sat) Multnomah Falls, Devil’s, Angel’s Rest. Regis Krug regis_krug@mentor.com. Wilderness—Limit 12. Let’s get down with the devil and up with the angels as we climb and traverse the Gorge above Multnomah Falls for this spring workout. We start at Multnomah and climb up to Devil’s Rest, over to Angel’s Rest, down to Wahkeena Falls and back to Multnomah. Bring your camera for all the waterfalls. 11+ mi., 3,000+ ft., Drive 45, Gateway 7:30 a.m. (WF) MU
HK B2 May 08 (Sun) Bald Butte. Regis Krug regis_krug@mentor. com. Above Hood River, with open meadows and wooded forest, this hike unique hike offers near continuous views of Mt. Hood and the Hood River valley. 8.4 mi., 2300 ft., Drive 144, TH, Gateway 7:30 a.m. (MH) MU
at Monroe Parkway; Salmon Creek P and R–Vancouver P and R at 134 St (1-5 Exit 7 or 1-205 Exit 36); Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center–Sandy Blvd. and 98th Ave. (1-205 Exit 23A); Durham–P and R at Boones Ferry and Bridgeport (1-5 Exit 290); MMC– Mazama Mountaineering Center, 527 SE 43rd at Stark; Pendleton–Pendleton Woolen Mills in Washougal; REI–Pearl, NW 14th and 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.
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 and 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. Adverse conditions, weather, and combined circumstances can affect difficulty.
Trail Trips Hike Rules: Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share costs. The maximum suggested total rate each is a donation of ten cents per mile for up to three people per vehicle. Dogs are not allowed except for hikes designated as “dog-walks.” Alcohol
HK B2 May 09 (Mon) Coopey Creek– Angel’s Rest Loop. Rex Breunsbach 971-832-2556 or rbreunsbach@gmail. com. We will climb up the steep Stair Step Trail to the Throne, then past Wine Bottle Junction over to Angel’s
Rest and back to the cars. A unique way to get to a familiar viewpoint. 8 mi., 2,000 ft., Drive 45, MMC 8 a.m. (WF) MU
Moderate but steady pace. Back to Gateway by 5 p.m. 13.8 mi., 4,100 ft., Drive 48, Gateway 8 a.m. (WF,GH, AR)
HK B2 May 11 (Wed) Aldrich Butte/Cedar Falls and Beyond. Larry Solomon muensterhump@ hotmail.com. Views up and down the gorge from atop historical Aldrich Butte. Then down to cascading Cedar Falls for lunch. Down a bit further along Hamilton Creek and back up to complete the loop. One minor creek crossing. 7 mi., 1700 ft., Drive 44, MMC 8:30 a.m. (WF)
HK C2 May 16 (Mon) Boulder Ridge–Bonanza Mine Loop. Rex Breunsbach 971-832-2556 or rbreunsbach@gmail.com. Longer loop hike into the Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness. Mt. Hood views and solitude. 3,100 mi., 10.6 ft., Drive 70, TH, MMC 8 a.m. (AR)
HK C2 May 13 (Fri) Salmon Butte (W). Rex Breunsbach 971-8322556 or rbreunsbach@gmail.com. Wilderness—Limit 12. Salmon River area, rhododendrons, great views of Mt. Hood, and south to Mt. Jefferson on a clear day. 11.2 mi., 3,100 ft., Drive 90, MMC 8 a.m.(MH, WO) HK A1.5 May 14 (Sat) Round Lake. Jim Selby 828-508-5094. With any luck, we will catch the Camas Lilies in bloom, and the three waterfalls should be bustling with water. Resembles a wilderness area for about four of the five miles with great snack break and lunch spots. Did you know that Camas Lilies are part of the asparagus family? 5 mi., 400 ft., Drive 30, Gateway 8:30 a.m. MU HK B2 May 14 (Sat) Dog Mountain Loop. Sheri Alice Smith 503-8079373. Let’s see what wildflowers we may see on Dog. We’ll traverse the upper Augspurger meadows before stopping for lunch on the summit. Then down the scenic route, for big views of the Columbia River and maybe more flowers. 7.2 mi., 2,900 ft., Drive 98, TH, Gateway 7 a.m. (AR) HK A1.5 May 15 (Sun) Catherine Creek (West). Richard Getgen teambears@frontier.com. Loop hike with great Gorge views and bitterroot wildflowers. 7 mi., 600 ft., Drive 126, TH, Gateway 8 a.m. HK B2 May 15 (Sun) Hardy Ridge. Sojo Hendrix sojo42@gmail.com. A nice combo of old logging roads, trail, and rocky outcrops. Beautiful ridge views in nice weather, so we’ll hope we have it! Washington Discover Pass required. 8 mi., 2,100 ft., Drive 88, TH, Gateway 8:30 a.m. (AR) MU HK C2 May 15 (Sun) Larch Mountain (Multnomah Falls) (W). Bob Breivogel 503-292-2940. Wilderness—Limit 12. Start at Multnomah Falls and follow trails to the very top of Larch Mountain. Spring wildflowers, waterfalls, and great views on the summit. Good boots and trekking poles advised.
HK C2 May 18 (Wed) Windy Dog. Larry Solomon muensterhump@ hotmail.com. First, we’ll climb the Dog via the more scenic route. Then on to Wind Mountain and the historic Indian archaeological and cultural sites. 9.9 mi., 4,000 ft., Drive 98, TH, MMC 7:30 a.m. (AR) HK A1.5 May 21 (Sat) Dog River Trail. Kelly Marlin mazamamama@ frontier.com or 503-665-6778. Located south of Hood River, this pleasant out-and-back hike moves through an ever-changing forest to great views of Mt. Hood’s (hopefully, drier) east side. Vehicles will need to display a NW Forest Pass. 6.5 mi., 1,430 ft., Drive 140, TH, Lewis & Clark -near toilets 9 a.m. HK A1.5 May 21 (Sat) Mitchell Point. Flora Huber 503-658-5710. This short hike to Mitchell Point covers a lot of scenery in just 2.4 miles. The trail is rugged and steep with over 1,000 feet of elevation gain, so you will feel like you have made a longer trek. The rewards make the trip well worth the effort -lots of views, wildflowers and interesting terrain throughout the hike. 2.4 mi., 1,200 ft., Drive 110, Gateway 8:30 a.m. MU HK B1.5 May 21 (Sat) Riverside Trail of the Clackamas (W). Richard Getgen teambears@frontier. com. Wilderness—Limit 12. Forested trail upstream from Ripplebrook RS. Hike from Rainbow to Riverside, and return. 9.2 mi., 500 ft., Drive 104, TH, Gateway 8 a.m. HK C2 May 21 (Sat) Hunchback Mountain to Great Pyramid. David Nelson dkbmnelson@gmail. com. Wilderness—Limit 12. Will start hiking from the Zigzag Ranger Station. Steady elevation gain at first to a great viewpoint. We’ll keep hiking up and down along a ridge that has several more view options and ends at the Great Pyramid, which juts out above the Salmon River Valley. Remember to bring food, snacks, water, including the 10 essentials. Trekking poles will be helpful. Contact leader to sign up. 9 mi., 4,100 ft., Drive 80, TH, Gateway 8 a.m. (MH, WO)
HK A2 May 22 (Sun) Heritage Tree #2, Reed College Area. Tom Guyot 503-761-9519. Enjoy an urban hike through the Reed College campus and the surrounding area while learning about some of Portland’s spectacular and legally protected trees. We’ll hike at a moderate pace, stopping at trees including 14 Heritage Trees representing 12 species. This is a dog friendly hike. Meet at the main entrance to Reed College at SE Woodstock and Reed College Parkway. Park on nearby streets south of S.E. Woodstock. 3.5 mi. mi., 300 ft. ft., Drive nope, none 8:30 a.m. MU (dog code?) HK B2 May 22 (Sun) Falls Creek Falls + Whistle Punk Trail + Refreshments. Sojo Hendrix sojo42@ gmail.com. Our adventure in the Carson, Wash. area begins with an 8.4-mile loop hike to the upper tier of Falls Creek Falls, originating on the Red Mountain plateau. Then return to our cars and drive a few miles back towards Carson to the Whistle Punk Trailhead. This will be about a 1.5mile interpretive hike where we will learn what a whistle punk is and other logging lore tidbits. Finally, we will make a stop at a nearby brewery for refreshments. 10 mi., 1,350 ft., Drive 120, TH, Gateway 8:30 a.m. (WF) MU HK A1.5 May 25 (Wed) Upper & Lower Falls Ck. Kent Meyer 360574-0784. We will visit the lower falls, continue on to upper falls and beyond a short distance to a good lunch spot. The water at the falls should be near its peak. 7 mi., 1200 ft., Drive 100, TH, Lewis & Clark near toilets 8 a.m. (WF) HK C2 May 25 (Wed) Dublin Lake (W). James Stevenson jstevenson7121@gmail.com. Wilderness—Limit 12. Another lungblower from Wahclella out of the gorge to Tanner Ridge and then more steady uphill to Dublin Lake. We will probably do the loop down to Tanner Creek or, the shorter (11+-mile) out-n-back if group prefers. 13.8 mi., 3,760 ft., Drive 70, TH, Gateway 7:30 a.m. (GH, WO) HK B2 May 27 (Fri) Cripple Creek– Cache Meadows. Rex Breunsbach 971832-2556 or rbreunsbach@gmail.com. Most of this hike is in or along the edge of the Roaring River Wilderness, and includes large old growth trees, high meadows, and small lakes. 11.6 mi., 2,900 ft., Drive 100, MMC 8 a.m. HK A1.5 May 28 (Sat) Falls Creek Falls (Upper). Flora Huber 503-6585710. Though possessing a name which may suggest a less interesting (albeit fitting) subject, Falls Creek Falls is among the largest and most powerful waterfalls in southern Washington. Originating on the Red Mountain plateau, Falls Creek sends a
considerable volume of water hurtling 335 feet over its valley’s headwall in three distinct steps. 6.3 mi., 1,150 ft., Drive 120, Gateway 8:30 a.m. (WF) MU HK B2 May 28 (Sat) Saddle Mountain. Bob Breivogel 503-2922940. Pleasant hike through coast range forest to a summit where we will have lunch. From the top views extending from the Cascades to the ocean. This time of year there should be a good display of many kinds of wildflowers. Bring trekking poles. 7.2 mi., 1900 ft., Drive 96, TH, Target/185th 9 a.m. (AR) HK C2 May 28 (Sat) Table Mountain, up and back Heart Break Ridge. Sheri Alice Smith 503-807-9373. Let’s take in some nice views and check out what’s happening on top of the Table. We’ll take the back door way in through Shelly Dr. and up Heart Break Ridge. Great views along the way and from the top. We’ll take the shortest way down. Down the talus slope and return the way we came. Possible short side trip on way back to view Cedar Falls. 9 mi., 3,450 ft., Drive 84, Gateway 8 a.m. (AR, GH) HK B2.5 May 29 (Sun) Dog Mountain Loop. Bill Stein billstein.rpcv@gmail. com. Miss the earlier opportunities to hike Dog Mountain during the peak wildflower month? This one will be at a fast pace, and we’re meeting early to beat the new parking restrictions. E-mail RSVP requested by Friday, May 27. 7.2 mi., 2,900 ft., Drive 98, TH, Gateway 6:30 a.m. (AR) HK C2 May 29 (Sun) Devil’s Peak Lookout via Cool Creek. David Nelson dkbmnelson@gmail.com. Wilderness—Limit 12. This hike offers a great workout. We will hike up the Cool Creek trail to the old fire lookout. Have lunch, explore the lookout and enjoy the views before hiking back down. Great views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Jefferson, if weather permits. Bring food, snacks, water, and 10 essentials. Trekking poles a plus. Contact leader for meeting location and to reserve your spot. 8.2 mi., 3,900 ft., Drive 84, TH, Contact leader for details 8 a.m. (MH, AR) HK A1.5 May 30 (Mon) Ridgefield NWR. Jim Selby 828-508-5094 We will hike in the Carty unit first to see songbirds, eagles, and birds that like swampy areas. The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is also there. Then we’ll drive to the River S unit, take our time driving around it and include the Kiwa walking trail to see thousands of birds and other wildlife. Rick Balazs will bring his big scope for up-close bird viewing. Plan to be back at Gateway at 4 p.m. 5 mi., 150 ft., Drive 50, TH Gateway 8 a.m. MU MAY 2016 37
THIS MONTH IN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL The Executive Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are open to members. by Mathew Brock, Library & Historical Collections Manager The April meeting focused on operations, committee reports, policy issues, and the fiscal audit. No members were present or spoke during the member open comment period. John Rettig’s membership report noted that the organization currently has 3,422 members, a record high for this time of year. The Treasurer’s Report concluded with a recommendation to change the expense authorization requirements to improve internal controls and which will be added to the financial policies and procedures. The Executive Council (EC) endorsed the revision. In his Executive Director’s Report, Lee Davis confirmed the OMBU IT vendor contract is ready to be signed by EC President Steve Hooker and Secretary John Rettig. Lee also addressed the revision to Strategic Development Goal #7 based on the outcomes of the January and February culture conservations with members. He reported on the discussions surrounding the proposed volunteer recognition event and award ceremony currently planned for sometime in December. Lee concluded by informing EC of his upcoming travel to the OIA Capital Summit in Washington D.C. later in the month. He will meet with the otherdirectors of the Alpine 5, Forest Service staff, and the Oregon Congressional Delegation. Committee reports show that February and March have been busy. Highlights include the approval of Marina Wynton as chairperson for the CISM Committee, increased use of the Mazama Lodge due to average snow levels, and planning for this year’s Portland Alpine Fest (PAF) is 38 MAZAMAS
on track. The Research Committee announced three standard and four student grants totaling $18,010, while the Expedition Committee funded six trips totaling $11,150. Kati Mayfield reported on the reorganization of the Climbing Committee based on the model used to reorganize PAF and noted that the changes were well-received by the existing committee members. Finally, the Governing Documents Committee reported on the revision of the Service Animal, Assistance Animal, and Pet policy, noting that the new language brings the plan into compliance with Oregon State Statues. [It was observed with some fanfare that the new policy would allow miniature horses on hikes.] The public part of the meeting ended with the Independent Auditor’s Report for the 2014/2015 fiscal year given by a representative of Kern & Thompson CPAs. The representative commended staff on a smooth audit with no irregularities or managerial issues. In brief, expenses were up across personal, insurance, outings, facilities, and professional fees for the fiscal year. Seventy-five percent of expenditures cover programs and activities while 21 percent cover management and administrative expenses, and 4 percent goes towards development. This distribution of costs is better than average for nonprofits of similar size to the Mazamas. The next scheduled Executive Council meeting is May 10 and will focus on Strategic Projects. Mazama members all have access to full Executive Council minutes. Go to: mazamas.org, login, go to the Members section and click on Executive Council Reports.
OUTINGS
ADVENTURE TRAVEL—FOREIGN & DOMESTIC
OREGON COAST HIKING AUGUST 8–14 Based out of William M. Tugman State Park, we will hike approximately 60 miles of the Oregon Coast Trail south from Florence to Bandon, using car shuttles to connect segments of the trail. Most of the hiking will be on the beach with traverses through the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This is an interesting area with spectacular scenery. Participants are responsible for their own transportation, lodging/camping arrangements, and meals (you may attend for less than 7 days if desired). Outing cost will range from $95–$190 depending on the number of participants. A $150 deposit is required, with sign-up by July 15. Participants should make reservations ASAP if they are planning to stay at William M. Tugman SP. Outing leader is Joe Whittington, joewhittington@ gmail.com, 503-297-6344.
CRATER LAKE OUTING DATES: AUGUST 13–20, 2016 Full—Alternates Only Outing Leader: Richard Getgen
CLIMBING 14ER’S IN THE COLORADO SAN JUANS AUGUST 20–28, 2016 Travel to the San Juan range
of southern Colorado to attempt five 14,000+ foot peaks (Handies, Redcloud/Sunshine, Uncompahgre, Wetterhorn), climbing level class 1 to class 3. Participants responsible for making their own transportation and car rental arrangements. Lodging is not included (we will tent camp at campgrounds/RV parks). Outing cost $290–210 for 6–10 participants. A $100 deposit is required, with sign-up by June 15. Contact outing leader Bob Breivogel (breivog@teleport.com) or assistant leader Tom Davidson (tedclimbs@gmail.com) for more information or to apply.
LOST COAST TRAIL TREK SEP. 15–22 Hike 60 miles along a wild and scenic portion of the northern California coast between Eureka and Ft. Bragg, utilizing a shuttle service to make this a one-way journey. Travel light and fast, around 10 miles per day with elevation gain varying from near level to 2,000 ft. Cost is $347–$432 ( for six–eight participants), covering all fees, shuttle, and lodging costs. Signup deadline June 30. $100 deposit is required upon acceptance. Contact leader Gary Bishop, gbish90@ hotmail.com, or assistant Darin Richardson, darin@delineate. net, for more information.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS—HIKES & CULTURE SEP. 25–OCT. 1 Explore spectacular Appalachian scenery and experience culture in western North Carolina. There will be B-level hikes, 7–8 miles with elevation gain up to 2,000 ft., with options for harder ones. Typical pace will be leisurely. Cost is $495–$565, depending on number of participants, includes lodging, one meal, and all fees. Participants are responsible for their meals, airline cost (estimated $550), and car rental. Maximum 26 participants. $200 deposit due June 30. For information and approval to participate, contact leader Bill Dewsnap, billdewsnap@ gmail.com, 503-260-6712. For information only, contact assistant leader: Tony Spiering aespiering@gmail.com, 503-6808112.
CHAMONIX—MT. BLANC ALPINE CLIMBING JULY 9–24, 2017 Intermediate Climbing School graduates, Advanced School graduates, or equivalent experience required. Most climbs involve following pitches of 5th class terrain and/or WI2+. Outing cost will be $2,250 per person, airfare to Geneva not included. Costs include round trip transportation from Geneva to/from Chamonix and all lodging and transportation within the Chamonix-Mt. Blanc area for 15 days (nearly all lifts, gondolas, trains, and cable cars are included). Food cost, hut fees and the Midi-Hellbronner gondola not included. For full details go to the website. Contact leader Lee Davis, lee@mazamas. org for more information.
Want to go on an outing? Contact the leader for more information. Forms you will need: application, 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—seattlemountaineers.org, Colorado Mountain Club—cmc. org, Appalachian Mountain Club—outdoors.org, and the American Alpine Club—americanalpineclub.org. “As an incentive for leaders to put in the time and effort to arrange and lead outings, the leader and assistant leader costs may be paid by the participants.”
MAY 2016 39
Photo (left to right): Mark Fowler, Dyanne Foster, Jean Hillebrand, Gary Riggs, Lynne Pedersen, Rita Hansen, Moriel Arango, Leora Gregory, Jason Vosburgh, Jay Avery, David Carrier, Jonathan Myers, Karen Vernier, and Amad Doratotaj. Photo: Aaron Mendelson. Inset: The happy couple on the summit with Gary Riggs looking on. Photo: Jason Vosburgh.
1ST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CLIMB OF MT. HOOD by Leora Gregory
What better way to follow up a wedding on the summit of Mt. Hood, but by a wedding anniversary on the summit of Mt. Hood? Mazama members Leora Gregory and Jay Avery did jut that, by leading a Mazama climb to the top of Mt. Hood to celebrate their 1st Wedding Anniversary. (See article on their Mt. Hood Mazama Marriage climb in the May 2015 Bulletin.) The idea was born right after their wedding, when so many (and especially, Rita!) couldn’t make what was then a midweek climb. This year, the anniversary fell, conveniently, on Saturday, and the fairly regular stream of storms Mt. Hood had been getting subsided long enough for a spectacular climb. This year, the climb had to be done at night, as the freezing level was forecast to be above the mountain the entire night with clear and sunny skies predicted for the summit day. The team climbed the western chute of the Pearly Gates (last year, they went up the eastern chute) with
pretty much stair steps through the crux, and enjoyed long distance views bathed in sunshine on the summit.
SOME NOTABLE ASPECTS OF THE CLIMB: ▶▶ As was the wedding climb, this anniversary climb was led by Mazama climb leader Leora Gregory, and assisted by (now husband) Mazama Classic member Jay Avery. ▶▶ This was Mazama climb leader Lynne Pedersen’s first *successful* Mazama climb of Mt. Hood! ▶▶ The couple’s officiant, Mazama member Karen Vernier, freshly recovered from the flu wanted so much to join in the celebration that she did a simultaneous solo climb. ▶▶ Mazama member David Carrier started his solo climb several hours later than the team, but skinned up in time to meet the team going though the Pearly Gates! ▶▶ Four of the wedding climb participants
(all Mazamas) were able to join the climb: Dyanne Foster, Mark Fowler, Jean Hillebrand, and Gary Riggs. ▶▶ This was Jay Avery’s 95th successful climb of Mt. Hood, and Leora Gregory’s 57th, which also happens to match her age! ▶▶ Explaining the reason for the large group (12!) to other climbers caused them to help celebrate, and removed the annoyance some climbers experienced when the team (and many other climbers) happened to clog up the chute on the way down. Providing a handline, and allowing everyone to use it, helped to speed up the descent. It would have been even smarter to have had the team descend the eastern chute of the Pearly Gates ... (Take-aways for the next climb!) ▶▶ The entire team worked together to make the climb a fun, rewarding, and celebratory event for all! Many have already mentioned making this an annual event!
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