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SKAGIT ALPINE
June Presentation
www.skagitalpineclub.com
Wednesday, June 4th Special Guest: Special guest, Doug McKeever will present "LIGHT AND SAFE", a dynamic presentation on how to pack as light as possible for long, multi-day trips in the Cascdes. Doug claims he sometimes carries a 16-pound overnight pack! (That's hard to believe!!!). Doug's presentation will include his backpack as packed for some of his epic runs in the mountains. He'll talk about the safety aspects of traveling light and will bring along some handouts and lots of tips. So bring along your questions, and maybe get rid of that extra weight you haul around. The meeting is at the usual spot: the 911 Building located at 2911 College Way just east of Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon. Beth and Rick Rogers will provide refreshments. Secretary’s Report Old business was brought up of the mystery of the club’s PO Box. Apparently the rent was not paid for. Maggie sorted through the mess and now the new PO Box address for the club is #1054. Jon Seehorn has volunteered to become the new “keymaster”. Lynn Postler reminded the club about the Pacific Northwest Trail Association’s trail maintenance program. She said a few people from the club have been doing some work on it. For more information call 424-0407. Her and Sylvia invited people to join them on a trip up the seldom-traveled Middle Fork Cascade trail. Angie Vandenhaak approached the club about sponsoring an event being held by a new club at Western Washington University called Women in the Woods. The eventis on June 1 and is a series of workshops aimed at women about outdoor recreation and conservation (more info below). The discussion began about the club donating other events and organizations. Eric Sandbo brought up it used to be an annual thing, that the club would donate a few hundred dollars every year to a few other clubs or causes. Treasurer George Reeves was not present to give an update on the club’s funds, but Carl Vander Sar said he talked with George recently about gear for the mountaineering class and that the club is not in worry of going into bankruptcy. Carl motioned to donate $200 to the program, Lynn seconded it and the motion passed by a majority vote. This brought up interesting discussion about memberships. During the vote, students in the mountaineering class did not vote. Carl noticed this and asked if students in the mountaineering class are full members with all of the rights, privileges and duties encompassed by such standing. Students receive a year subscription to the club’s newsletter and are invited to meetings and other events. Allen Grenz told the students at the first class that the class fees cover the first year of membership in the club. Harold Mead purposed making the students full-time members, Craig Emery seconded it, and a policy was made making students members from the first meeting of the class to the end of that year. Maggie brought up about my impending departure and looked for people to step up and take on the positions of newsletter editor and secretary. Maggie said she would graciously help out with the distribution of the newsletter, which she has been doing for the past six months without due recognition or praise. (Thanks Maggie!!) The secretary takes meeting notes, and acts as official correspondence of the club. Brian Heinrich is silently nominated by Angie (good ol’ finger-pointing) and was approved by unanimous vote to become the new club secretary. Welcome aboard Brian. Thad Hink, with experience in graphic design, is intrigued by taking over the newsletter. Thad volunteered to layout the newsletter, although not too keen on taking on a bunch of copy writing, he is strongly soliciting text from club members, upcoming outings, conservation news, trip reports, poetry, the flight speed-weight ratio of an African swallow ladened with a coconut... Brian’s contact information is by phone 756-6950 or by e-mail at mtkulshan@yahoo.com. Thad can be reached by phone at 770-4528 and by e-mail at think@fidalgo.net at thaddeus@bevelar.com. Eric then went on to tantalize us with his slideshow presentation on his trips to the Bugaboos. Apparently Eric did too good of a job because Tasha is now pestering me about going there. Oh darn!! How awful!! I will just have to remember to put chicken wire around the truck before we head out towards the spires (for porcupine, which have developed a liking for rubbing against car tires. Porcupine quills + rubber tires = very upset, tired climber with a car that no go!!). Words from Angie Thanks Eric for a great slideshow on Wednesday night. Also, thanks to the Skagit Alpine Club for your support of Women in the Woods. I've passed along news of the club's support to Women in the Woods and they were elated-they will be sending their own thanks soon too. In case anyone wanted to check out their website or become involved in the festivities on June 1st, visit: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~woods/index.html Thanks again, you all rock! (No pun intended) Mountaineering Class The Skagit Alpine Club mountaineering class is just winding down with the student’s optional outing on Saturday, May 31. After a vote the group is going to the Liberty Bell area, since weather robbed them of their orginally scheduled outing there. Instead the group went to Fun Rocks in Mazama. Also the usually finicky spring weather ruined the class’s chances on Mount Baker. Instead a group went out to Black Peak. The summit wasn’t reached up the standard route due to, you guess it, snow conditions. The final class the students got a special treat with Cascades hardman Alan Kearney, and his friends who have just as equally-impressive achievements, Kathy Zaiser and Mark Eaton, talking to the students. The discussion was informative, not only for the students but for everybody. Some things touched were choosing climbing partners, went to push it and went to retreat, favorite climbs, and training. I found Kearney’s comment about carrying three types of shoes (approach shoes, boots and climbing shoes) to be useful, as I have often wondered about carrying the extra weight for foot comfort on the trail. He said the last time he climbed Stuart, he brought his approach shoes, really light crampons. Eric Sandbo also offered some good tips as well as a recommendation on Nike’s approach shoes. Outings Mountain biking in the Four Corners area I am looking for people to go Mt. Biking from June 30th - July 6th, 2004 (7 days, 6 nights) in Colorado and Utah. We would be following the San Juan Hut System. Check out the Web site: http://www.sanjuanhuts.com Please contact Don Jenkins at 360-679-4410 or e-mail at don.jenkins3@gte.net if interested. These trips are already filling up for 2004 so the sooner the better. Sub-alpine hiking trips June 15th. Hike to Goat Lake (Elev 3200) RT 10 Mi. The trail runs along Elliott Creek in old growth timber, then in second growth before entering Henry M Jackson Wilderness. Leave the George Hopper Park n Ride lot at 7am (just off I5 next to Costco). Further questions, contact Glen McMurry at gmcmurry@valleyint.com June 29th. Hike to Squire Creek Pass (Elev 4000) RT 12 Mi. This hike is about 3 Mi longer than it used to be, due to a large slide that took out the access road about 1 1Ú2 miles from the old tail head. The slide and road are an easy route to travel. The trail travels along Squire Creek and offers views of small waterfalls and Whitehorse Mt. The pass itself is an alpine meadow. Leave the George Hopper Park n Ride lot at 7am (just off I5 next to Costco). Further questions, contact Glen McMurry at gmcmurry@valleyint.com Cascade Volcanos I am looking for partners to do Adams (skiing), Glacier and Rainier sometime between now and June 22nd. Anyone available or already planning a trip? Leigh Agler 360-299-9079 4324 Ginnett Rd, Anacortes, WA 98221 lagler@fidalgo.net Trip Reports Silver Star Mountain By Ryan Budnick (w/ George Reeves & Will Pieti) May 27 Plans to climb Eldorado with Michael Rutten had dematerialized due to Michael needing to go on an outing to get done with the class from hell. I had three days off, there was no bloody way I was not going to do anything. After numerous calls, I connected with my savior, George. George also had Tuesday off. I thought of Silver Star, but was willing to climb anything. George thought Silver Star was a good idea, having done it with the class. We decided on the Burgundy Col route, new to both of us. George recruited his neighbor and frequent climbing partner Will and on Monday night we were off on Hwy 20. We camped on the road to Cutthroat Pass trailhead and grabbed a couple of hours of sleep. Awake at 4 a.m. and walking down from Hwy 20 at 5:15 a.m., we found a log to cross Willow Creek. I am not ashamed to admit I crawled across while my companions simply walked. I hate log crossings and have been soaked before. Up we went and shortly found the trail. We hit spotty, punchy snow at 5,400 feet. We hit full snow coverage about 6,200 feet. We stopped at the campsite highlighted in the Beckey Guide and Nelson’s Select Climbs book at 6,600 feet and had a quick meal and break. The next 1,200 feet up to Burgundy Col seemed to me to take forever. The gully was mushy snow topped with a frozen over layer. Much wallowing was endured. It was nice having three pairs of feet to break trail. At the col we enjoyed the view, cached some excess gear and glissaded down. Traversed the Wine Spires and here Will stopped and enjoyed a nap. Up George and I went, avoided a series of snow boulders that collapsed off of the West Peak. We cached more gear at 8,300 feet, including our crampons. Of course Murphy’s Law came into play as the slope up to the peak from Silver Star col was icy. We stuck to the Class 3 rock as much as possible, hit the summit at five to noon. Victory! Downclimbed the ice carefully, glissade, traverse, up to the col, glissade, hike down, log crossing, up to the bloody highway and beer!!! Remember always cool your beer and bring your crampons!!! PO Box 513, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
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