Skagit Alpine

Newsletter of the Skagit Alpine Club -- April 2006 Volume 44 Issue 4

“To promote the use and prevent the abuse of outdoor recreation areas."

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Don’t Eat the Snow

7 p.m. Wednesday, April 5

7 p.m. April 5 @ Burlington Senior Center

1011 Greenleaf Ave., Burlington

Find out what happens to pollutants that settle on snowfields and glaciers.  The snowfields and glaciers are continuously exposed to atmospheric debris, including smoke, haze, dust and gases and vapors from both natural and man-made sources. As the debris settle on the snow surface, so undesirable pollutants, such as metals, acids and microorganisms. What happens to these pollutants is one of the major questions facing environmental scientists.  Bill Wilson, a Western Washington University emeritus professor of chemistry, and other scientists are asking if the pollutants get into the water supply? They are trying to determine if the contaminates are absorbed by the bedrock or scree as the glaciers melt? Or is there some mysterious mechanism by which they disappear?  Wilson will answer some of those questions and share some of the surprising results of his research in his presentation to SAC. He taught at Western for more than 36 years before retiring in 2002. His research has included the chemistry of Mount Baker glaciers, as well as projects for NASA.
 

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Highlights

Olympic National Park Beach Cleanup

The Fifth Annual beach clean up is scheduled for Saturday, April 22.   This is a correction from information published last month. The date and contact info has changed.  For more info, call Doug Shepherd at 360-929-1475 or by e-mail at  midnitehiker@comcast.net or the park’s Web site www.nps.gov/olym/.

Climbing online:

If you haven’t checked out www.cascadeclimbers.com,  you should. It is a cross between a blog and an info exchange with trip reports and events in our area. Interesting to say the least. 

Trail Work:

President’s message

 By Wade Bessett

Dear SAC members,
A part of our contract to use the Burlington Senior Center facility as our monthly meeting place is to provide some form of payment in kind to the community of Burlington (people from outside the city can benefit also).

At first I was concerned about what this meant, but then a suggestion from the Parks and Recreation Department director, Loren Cavenaugh, made me feel at ease and even a little excited about the type of payment in kind our club could provide to the community.

Loren suggested that our club sponsor an instructional program (in a building/classroom) and/or an outing for the public.

I think that this is a great opportunity for our club to reach out to our community and encourage them to learn about and enjoy using local outdoor recreation areas, especially since we are not offering the mountaineering course this year.

Please provide some suggestions on a class or outing that you think would be good for our club to sponsor.
The idea I have in mind is to have our May or June meeting advertised as open to the public (in the newspapers, Burlington Parks and Recreation, Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation, Anacortes Parks and Recreation, Skagit County Parks and Rec, and our web site) with the program being:

1.) Local hiking area descriptions and handouts, and
2.) What to bring/wear and how to prepare for a hike.

Following the meeting we could sponsor three hikes on three different days. (Perhaps two easy day hikes to different areas and an all-day or half-day moderate hike.)

Again, this is just one suggestion on a payment in kind and any other suggestions are very welcome. I hope to have a plan for our club’s payment in kind ready to submit to the Burlington Parks by the end of March.

Send any suggestions to me at bessettw@hotmail.com, 1108 16th Street, Anacortes, WA 98221 or call 770-0250.

Secretary’s Report
By Laurie Sherman

March 01.  A Big THANK YOU to the Burlington Senior Center! We really appreciate our new space!   Welcome to many people: Scott, Randy, Todd, Marc Nelson (a returning member to the SAC), Joyce, Rick and Dean Taylor, Josh, Frank, Rick and many more whose names I didn’t get.  Finally, Jon Seehorn (Welcome back from Australia!)  If you weren’t there, you missed Todd. He gave one of the most interesting accounts of walking the PCT, complete with snack planning handouts, slide show, gear demo and good jokes. Thanks to Todd for making the journey and organizing the presentation for us.

OLD BIZ:
The lowdown on the senior center for future reference is as follows: Please do not bring your dog to the meeting, no liquor is allowed and there is no kitchen. So, for those of you on the grub and beverage detail, be forewarned.  Grub and Beverages Detail: Wade and Jill are signed up for the next meeting. Sylvia set out a spread that’s a hard act to follow! Thanks so much on behalf of all the hungry people that come to the meeting straight from work!

DUES:
Have you paid yours yet? Technically you would not be receiving this newsletter if you had not. However should you be in arrears, a mere $25 will set you straight for the remaining year.

WEBSITE:
www.skagitalpineclub.com
We need some trip reports and photos from outings. Come on, you know you have a tale or two to spin, or have been holding out on some revealing photos, or is that photos that reflect revelry?   Also the Gear Swap site is available. This is a chance to get rid of that stuff you never use and maybe upgrade it too.

Steve Trent has been called to active duty and will be leaving June 1. Please get your info to him in a timely manner so we can at least update our site before it goes into sleep mode until Steve’s SAFE return!

NEW BIZ:
Federation of Outdoor Clubs
It’s time to renew our membership. The cost is $25. We have belonged to this club for a number of years. One of these days we hope to make it to the annual meeting and shmooz. Maybe you would be interested in representing us in Portland this Sept? Wade motioned that we renew and Laurie seconded. All were in favor.

Possible presentation:
Conservation Northwest (used to be NW Ecosystem Alliance), asked if we would be interested in contributing again this year. A suggestion was put forth that we invite them to present at our monthly meeting to familiarize us with some of the projects in the works for this year. Jon S. perhaps you can contact them?

Northwest Avalanche Center:
Ferrell Blanc says they are having funding crisis and asked if we might consider contributing as a club to this organization. Paul Sherman offered to investigate and report on the subject. (See his and Feryll Blanc’s related stories following this report. We will be discussing the funding proposal at the next meeting.

Northwest Avalanche Center Funding in Jeopardy
By Feryll Blanc

The Northwest Avalanche Center's is facing financial jeopardy, which threatens its survival. I read a letter at the March SAC meeting, from Friends of the NWAC, which alerted the public as to the emergency financial help needed to keep the NWAC going this season.  I suggested the SAC make a donation and was overwhelmingly supported. A few members suggested $500, but we voted to send $250 immediately. At the April meeting, we will consider sending $250 more. This will give the entire membership a chance to get educated about the NWAC's important and worthwhile functions, as well as its current critical financial situation. We’ll take a vote at the April meeting.  So here's the info:  Alarmingly, the future operation of the Northwest Avalanche Center is in jeopardy. The NWAC is funded by several government agencies, as well as Friends of the Northwest Avalanche Center and individuals. Staffing of the NWAC consists of full-time forecasters from approximately October-June yearly.   The annual cost of the program is currently about $265,000; however, the value of the program (including in-kind support and contributed services) to all cooperators is estimated at nearly $450,000.  In recent years, government funds have either remained flat or declined. Combined with increasing salary and equipment costs, this has placed the center in a $35,000 budget hole this year. If this hole is not filled, NWAC will cease operating a month early.   The center also has projected it will be short $70,000 next year, if the funding gap is not plugged. As a result, the center would cease operating next season.
The Center just celebrated its 30th year of operation -- that’s 30 years of tireless work by three or four weather and avalanche forecasters who provided consistent and on-time reports for backcountry adventurers' safety.   The amazing credentials of these men can be viewed on the NWAC's Web site. They all have extensive experiences personally and professionally. A few have worked more than 30 years in mountain weather forecasting and avalanche predicting. They have co-authored books and lead classes, directed the National Avalanche School, and enjoy the winter backcountry themselves.   The center relies on its comprehensive mountain data network comprised of over 40 remote weather stations and sub-stations that automatically give the forecasters a variety of hourly weather data via phone, VHF, spread spectrum radio, satellite and meteor backscatter telemetry.
The NWAC is one of very few federal programs that do so much with so little funding. Considering that Washington's annual avalanche fatalities are greater than those due to any other natural disaster-related cause (except flooding), and fatalities nationwide average almost 30 a year, reduction or closure of the NWAC could result in significant negative impacts on public safety.  Besides the donation SAC made (and hopefully will make), we each can make a tax-deductible personal donation sent to Friends of the NWAC, PMB 711, l5600 N.E. 8th St, Suite B1, Bellevue, WA. 98008. This is a nonprofit organization, working tirelessly to raise money and lobby the state Legislature on behalf of the center.

More about the Northwest Avalanche Center
By Paul Sherman

The NWAC was founded by Mark Moore. He and 3 other meteorologists/avalanche specialists make up the staff.   There is a lot of good info on the website about them, an average day in the life of a forecaster, and how they do what they do.  They use data from 42 sites around the state, along with weather information, calls from WSDOT and Ski Area professionals, satellites, etc. to make two daily forecasts for an area roughly the size of Switzerland.  They also make frequent forays into the backcountry to look at snow pack themselves.  They are all extremely experienced and have been working for the NWAC for 12-30 years. It would be a shame to lose them.

 

SAC Outings Schedule

To participate, call the trip leader. Space may be limited or there could be additional skill or gear requirements.

Anytime: Mountain biking and trail running in the Anacortes Forest Lands. Call George Reeves at 360-293-3417.

Saturday, May 6: from 9 a.m.-noon, an easy, round-trip hike in the Anacortes City Forest Lands. 1 to 4 miles flat or a few short hills, either in the Whistle Lake or Heart Lake areas. Call George Reeves at 293-3417 or climbingfool2000@yahoo.com.

Saturday, May 6: from 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ADOPT A CRAG, annual work and climbing party, followed by pizza social. Work half the day and climb the remainder. See front page for details. Call Dallas Kloke at 360-293-2904.

Sunday, May 7: from 9 a.m.-noon, a moderate, round-trip hike on Blanchard Mountain, starting at the hang-glider launch/overlook from 2-6 miles. Moderate hills and steep trails. Call Wade Bessett at 360-770-0250 or bessettw@hotmail.com.

Monday, May 8: from 5:30-8 p.m., an easy to moderate, round-trip hike at the Pilchuck Tree Farm (a few miles southeast of Conway), 3-5 miles with a low-angle hill. Call Jenny Baker at baker_1240@yahoo.com or 360-474-8435.

Memorial Day weekend: Backcountry hike/climb to Buckindy or a through hike to the Cascade River from Green Mountain, possibly to have two parties hiking opposite directions. Call George Reeves at 360-293-3417 or climbingfool2000@yahoo.com.

June 21-23: Backpack trip, location TBA to celebrate the summer solstice and club member Corrina Marote’s 40th birthday. Call Corrina at 360-856-1828 or corrina_marote@yahoo.com.

Late June: Climb Mt Baker, three-day trip. Call Rick Rogers at 360-220-3122 or stillyfish@valleyint.com.

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Interested in being a trip leader? Submit your trip to outings chair Lynn Postler at 360-428-4237 or sancho999@comcast.net. Please include leader’s name, phone number and e-mail, date to trip, total distance to be hiked/biked/skied, elevation gain, travel time to trailhead, days gone, cost, if any, and skill and gear requirements.

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        Skagit Alpine Club Officers Committee Chairpersons

President Wade Bessett, 770-0250, bessettw@hotmail.com                         

Conservation in transition

Vice President Jenny Baker, Baker_1240@yahoo.com                                  

 Lookout John & Marie Erbstoeszer, 336-5896

Secretary Laurie Sherman, 293-2984, shermanpt@verizon.net     

Treasurer Jill Youde, 202-7441, drjillo@yahoo.com                                

Website Steve Trent, smacktrent@hotmail.com