SKAGIT ALPINE
April 2003 Newsletter of the Skagit Alpine Club Volume 41, Issue 4

April Presentation
Wednesday, April 2nd
Special Guest: Bob Buckley
"Climbing in the mid-70s"
(and maybe a peek of the 50s).
Mountaineering with hemp ropes! Can we even recognize the valleys around Darrington without clearcuts? Bob, ex-longshoreman, solo-er of Godzilla, the fabled line at Index, is yet another grizzled friend of Chris, who will tanilize us with more climbing info. Expect to see the flavor that has become the norm of the Snohomish crew, off-the-wall humour along with some gritty climbs.

Craig Emery, since Lynn is in South Africa playing tag with lions and zebras (oh my!), will provide refreshments.

The meeting is at the usual spot, the 911 Center, lcoated on College Way east of SVC.

Secretary’s Report
Skagit Alpine Club president Kathy Monrad kicked off the meeting bringing up old items and new items. That part of the club went how many of us like it, short and sweet. No items were discussed or brought to attention.
So things then shifted to Craig Emery, who then presented our guest speakers, Duane and Joan Melcher. Craig and Lynn both met the Pacific Northwest Trail Association while up at Blanchard Hill one day. The friendly smiles of Duane and Joan as well as their sense of stewardship soon brought them to a PNT work party. It’s all history from there. Both Lynn and Craig have done work on parts of the PNT in Skagit County and have been rewarded with a sense of accomplishment to go along with cookies and hugs from the Melchers.
The Melchers burned through a slide tray in methodical fashion, explaining where each shot was taken from on the trail, which stretches from Cape Avala to Glacier National Park in northern Montana. While some in the audience knew where some photos were taken from , there were many voices rising up from time to time with the utterance, “Where’s that from?”
Afterwards many questions were raised about the connectivity of the trail -- more than 70 percent is off roads -- and where it runs through Skagit County and through the Olympic Peninsula. For those that are interested more about the trail, visit the group’s Web site at www.pnt.org. On the homepage are links to fully colored topo maps of the trail from eastern Washington to the Cascade crest.
If you are interested in helping out on a work crew on the trail, look inside in the newletter for dates, times and what to expect.

Word from a long-lost mother
Hi Everyone, 
We’re at the 6 month point on April 1. My how time has flown. All is going well and Aleena is growing fast. She’ll have her 6 month checkup in a few weeks and Gary & I are guessing that she’s near 20 lbs. She doesn’t look overly fat, but it’s much better than several months ago when she was skinny because she wasn’t getting enough to eat. 
I miss being at the SAC meetings but they are right around feeding/bed time. I look forward to getting back in to the groove again and hitting a few trails this summer. We need a backpack for her, but until we get one, I’ll use the Snugglie for short jaunts. And short jaunts may be all I’m able to do since I haven’t quite gotten back in to an exercise routine except for walking. 
I have no excuse this year for not going snowshoeing since my family was so nice to get me a new pair of snowshoes for Christmas. So, those of you who are familiar with my 30-year-old Sherpas, they are officially retired unless somebody is desperate and needs to borrow them. Have to keep them since they are a family hand-me-down when I first started snowshoeing. 
Aleena is babbling up a storm. Ma, ma, ma has got to be at the tip of her tongue, don’t you think? At least my ego gets filled when I’m the only one that she wants when she’s upset. As Gary says, “momma is the ace in the hole.” But for the most part, she is happy and full of laughter. 
She has been on her first vacation to Port Townsend to fish three times. Did great, but is highly distracted at night by mom and dad sleeping in the same room as her. Those fishes are just her size and she’s at the stage where she’d love to check each of them out with her mouth.  
Yes, you got it, she’s teething. It’s been a long process for her and very painful at times. We are going on 2 months worth of teething off and on and hope to SOON see some pearlies poke through. Haven’t started any solids, yet, but I think that she is going to enjoy carrots for her first meal when it’s time. 
She has also discovered the dogs and poor Lilly is losing clumps of hair right and left. When Aleena grabs on, there’s no letting go. But Lilly is good to take it all. She’s been through it before, but it was 8 years ago. Patience is still her virtue. 
We’re working on rolling over. A bit behind in this area, but she’s close to doing it regularly. At least, she enjoys laying on her stomach and back and occasionally sits up with minimal assist. I guess you could say that she is a strong girl. Must take after her mother, of course. 
Well, I better stop so as to not fill the whole newsletter. The photo is of Aleena at about 4 months. I’m not too biased or anything, but she is rather cute. 
Ruth Brunner Wiegand

PNT Work Parties
Come join the fun! Meet the gang at 8:30 AM at the Cook Road Park-n-Ride (Exit 232 off I5). For more information call 424-0407. Tools will be provided. Bring a lunch. Sancho says "It's a good way to spend a Saturday. You get to run down the trails, dig holes in the dirt, and they give you snacks. Woof-Woof. See you there!" The summer schedule for trail work includes: April 5 and 19th, May 3,17, 31 and June 14 and 28.
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May 7th program:
How You're Going to Spend Your Summer Vacation
- An introduction to B.C’s Bugaboo Range, by Eric Sandbo

I once asked a friend what a neighboring group of peaks was like, and he answered, "If the Bugaboos are a 'ten', the Vowells are a 'nine'." Most climbers who have been there agree that the Bugaboos are a ten. The granite is a ten, the glaciers are a ten, the camping is a ten, the trail in is a ten, the drive is even a ten if you do it right, and the Conrad Kain Hut - well, it's off the scale.

There are a few trails to hike in the Bugaboos, lakes to visit, flowers to photograph, climbers and other critters to commune with. But mainly there’s climbing. Bouldering if you feel like it, easy stuff if you want, but especially long, technical ascents on steep, clean granite, high above glaciers.

You'll see a grand introduction to some of the best moderate climbs, compiled from five trips over nine years. You'll see why climbers from all over the world fly to a place you can drive to in a day. And if the guy sitting next to you has climbed in "The Bugs", you'll see him misting up.

Pack before the meeting: a week ‘s worth of food, hardware & slings for long, multipitch climbs on clean granite. Tent & stove optional. You won’t want to just drive home after this one. You can call in sick from Golden.

H.E.P. Advisory: Viewing photos of the Bugaboos has been linked to a high incidence of Hosiery Ejection Phenomenon. Viewers who do not want their socks knocked off are advised to squint. Wearing tight boots and gaiters may also be efficacious.

11134 "O" Ave, Anacortes  WA 98221
www.skagitalpineclub.com