Memorial to Slain Hikers

In July of 2006, I was in Bolivia. My wife came along on the trip that I was guiding and we had just returned from a series of high altitude ascents in the Condoriri region of the Cordillera Real. We were back in La Paz and Krista was assisting me as I prepped for the next stage of the trip, a short expedition to Illimani (21,122').

A normal part of returning to civilization is the obligatory email check. Usually, when I come out of the field my email is full of the normal stuff, junk-mail and correspondence with friends. Bad news seldom comes in emails. Instead, it tends to come over the phone. But we were nearly unreachable, so the bad news came in an email...

Our friends, Mary Cooper, 54, and her daughter, Susanna Stodden, 27, had been brutally murdered on July 11th, 2006 while hiking on the Pinnacle Lake trail in the Mount Pilchuck area of the Mountain Loop Highway.

Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden
Family Photo

Three years later, there are still no solid suspects and no known leads. Most murders are relatively easy to solve. It's usually a relative or the victims have well-known enemies. Mary was a librarian with the Seattle School District and Susanna had taken the summer off before starting a new job at the University Child Development School in Seattle. All of their relatives were cleared of the crime and these women simply didn't have enemies. It didn't take long for the Snohomish County Sheriff's office to site the case as a random killing.

I grew up just a few houses away from the pair and in 2006, this news hit my wife and I like a freight train. But it hit more than just those who knew the victims. This senseless crime impacted the entire outdoor community of the Pacific Northwest. Suddenly, the wilderness that we all value so much had something far more dangerous lurking in it than the normal objective dangers that we face every time we're in the field. Somebody was out there who randomly killed two women for no known reason...and this person is still out there...

On the surface, the outdoor community has recovered. It doesn't appear that anybody is staying out of the woods anymore because of this. But this incident is still buried in the community's psyche. There are deep scars there, and occasionally they can be seen on the surface. The Pinnacle Lake murders are commonly referenced by hikers, climbers and backcountry skiers on websites like nwhikers.net, cascadeclimbers.com and turns-all-year.com. Every time a body is found in the wilderness, or an article gets posted about somebody doing something stupid with a gun (like mistaking a woman for a bear and shooting her), or an argument about guns in National Parks comes up, it seems like this incident is brought back into the light.

The scar of an incident like this will always exist in our community. Think about how deeply the Peter Absolon rock trundling incident impacted both Lander and the climbing community as a whole. Granted this was only two years ago and it is a completely different thing, but the scars of that particular incident run so deeply that it was referenced as recently as this week on summitpost.com. There was closure to the Absolon incident when the rock trundler pleaded guilty, but it still haunts the community. There has been no closure to the Pinnacle Lake murders and as such there is the possibility that these scars will be there for a very long time.

Tomorrow evening, on July 11th, -- the third anniversary of their murders -- a group of Mary and Susanna's friends and family will have a memorial ceremony at Green Lake in Seattle. They will meet at the Green Lake Community Center at 7:50 and begin walking clockwise around the lake at 8:00. The family would be honored by any members of the outdoor community that would like join them on their memorial walk around the lake.

--Jason D. Martin

Climbing News from Here and Abroad -- July 9, 2009

Northwest:

--A Duvall climber slipped while on a snow field just below Monte Cristo Peak on Sunday and fell about 700 feet to her death. The death of Lindsey White, 39, is the first climbing-related fatality in Snohomish County this year, Snohomish County sheriff's Sgt. Danny Wikstrom said. To read more, click here.

Monte Cristo Peak may be seen in the center of this photo.
Photo from Wikipedia

--In addition to the fatality in the Cascades this weekend, there were a number of rescues. Be careful out there! Here is a rescue round-up from the holiday weekend:

• It appears that there was a helicopter extraction near Green Giant Buttress on Friday. Source.
  
• Two climbers were extracted from the 3800 foot level on Mount Index on July 3rd. One had a lacerated knee. Source.
  
• Immediately after picking up the climbers on Index, Mountain Rescue extracted a hiker with a severely dislocated knee from Copper Creek Falls at the eastern foot of Big Bear Mountain. Source.
  
• A climber had some teeth knocked out by rockfall on Mount Rainier on the 4th. He was evacuated by helicopter. Source.
• On July 6th, there was an accident on Mount Terror in North Cascades National Park. A climber was evacuated by helicopter, while a second climber was left with a radio and asked to walk out. Source.
  

--Stefan Lofgren has some big shoes to fill as lead climbing ranger on Mount Rainier. His predecessor, Mike Gauthier, who now works in Washington, D.C., wrote a Rainier climbing guide book, started a climbing blog, took part in numerous high-profile rescues and recoveries and in 2004 was named the fourth toughest guy in America by Men’s Journal. Lofgren, however, is no lightweight. The new lead ranger has summited the mountain over 100 times and has completed the Pacific Crest Trail. To read more, click here.

--A plan is starting to come together that will decimate the backcountry skiing and climbing outside of Squamish. A new 25 lift resort is being proposed on the Brohm Ridge near Mount Garibaldi outside of Squamish. To read more about this development and to learn what can be done to stop it, click here.

--It appears that one of the grizzly bears in Washington's very small grizzly population was spotted on Cascade River Road last week. Check out some grainy pictures here.

Sierra:

--John Bachar, 51, was found dead at the base of the Dike Wall on Sunday, not far from his home, near Mammoth Lakes. Bachar was well-known for his free solo ascents throughout the world. It is assumed that he was free-soloing and fell. To read more, click here. To see a video of him free-soloing in the eighties, click on the following video.



Alaska:

--The American Alpine Institute's Denali Team #8 successfully summited on July 5th. Andries Botha -- from Edmonton, Canada -- deserves a special mention. Denali was the last of his quest to climb the Seven Summits! To read more, click here.

--James Clapham and Gavin Pike recently completed new routes on Peak 11,300' and on Mt. Church in the Ruth Gorge area of the Alaska Range. To read more about these ascents, click here.

--Matt Klick and Samuel Johnson recently completed a new route Hayes Range on Mount Balchen (11,140'). The new line requires steep, mixed climbing for 14 pitches. To read more, click here.

--Two well-known Northwest climbers made a first ascent on the west ridge of the Burkett Needle on July 4th. Dave Burdick and John Frieh put up the fifth route on the feature and called it, "Smash and Grab" 5.8 M4 IV. To read about their ascent, click here.

Himalaya:

--Ed Viesturs was featured on Colbert Nation this week. To watch the video of Ed and Stephen Colbert, check out the following:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Ed Viesturs
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

--The UIAA Medical Commission says better education is urgently required to prevent the deaths of pilgrims going to high altitudes in the Himalayas. High-altitude sickness may have been responsible for the deaths of at least eight Indian pilgrims over the past couple of weeks during the pilgrimage to the Kailash Manasarovar area, located at 4,560 metres above sea level near the Nepal-Tibet border. To read more, click here.

--Young Sherpa conservationists are organising a race on June 18 to draw attention to the devastating effects of Global Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in the Himalayas. The The Beat the GLOF Action Run will be the highlight of the Imja Tsho Action Event 2009, and has been initiated by Nepali mountaineer Dawa Steven Sherpa. The race will demonstrate that even the fastest runner cannot escape from a GLOF, a flood which is caused when lakes formed by melting ice burst their natural dams. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--The UIAA Safety Commission recently adopted a draft of the first-ever safety standard for braking devices at its May meeting in Golden, Colorado. The standard, which will be published and available from September 30, 2009, lays out performance parameters and testing procedures for belaying and abseiling devices. To read more, click here.

--The New York Times recently published an editorial on the an ambitious environmental bill entitled, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act. The bill is currently awaiting action in Congress and has been doing so for a very long time. It has never come up for a vote. To read more about this bill, click here.

--The International Space Station has been responsible for numerous scientific achievements. But what use is it to climbers? Well, this week that question was answered. The station video taped the eruption of the Sarychev Volcano off the coast of Japan from space. And this video is not only cool, but it really makes you feel that being anywhere near an active volcano is a bad idea. Check it out below:

Conditions Report -- July 8, 2009

NORTHWEST:

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

Matt Clifton tackling the first aid section of the East Buttress. Photo by Martha Stevens

--A couple parties completed the Direct East Buttress of the South Early Winter Spire recently. Both wrote detailed trip reports regarding the current conditions on the route, including a reported loose block right below the 5.9+ roof crux, at a small tree growing out of the crack. To read more about the climbs click here and here.

Valerie Wall leading up to the summit ridge of Mt. Buckner. Photo by Hayley Wall

--A party completed the North Face of Mt. Buckner recently. The climbers, who happen to be sisters as well, documented the trip well with photos and current conditions. To read more about their climb click here.

Looking out at a snow traverse on the Torment-Forbidden Traverse. Photo by John Calder

--John Calder and his partner celebrated the 4th of July by embarking on a one day attempt of the classic Torment-Forbidden Traverse. Read about their fantastic climb and the current route conditions here.

Ty Tyler on the incredible ridge climbing high on Mt. Goode. Photo by Andrew Sullivan

--It was a busy weekend in the Cascades. Everyone seemed to be celebrating Independence Day in the same way...climbing! Andrew Sullivan and his climbing partner Ty Tyler climbed the Northeast Buttress of Mt. Goode. To read an account of this ascent and the conditions in the area click here.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

Brandon Helmstedder leading the crux pitch on the N. Ridge of Mt. Baker. Photo by Tyler Lappetito

--Tyler Lappetito and his two friends, Brandon Helmstedder and Leif Whittaker, headed out on July 2nd to climb the North Ridge of Mt. Baker. Tyler wrote a great summary of their climb and posted some valuable information regarding the current conditions of the route. To read this report and check out some beautiful photos click here.

--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

--Crews will start clearing the road to Artist Point above Mt. Baker Ski Area on Monday, July 6, according to a state Department of Transportation news release. To read more click here.

--Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams conditions and recreation report.

--Webcams for Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Leavenworth, and Highway 2.

--One of our guides, Dawn Glanc, recently returned from Boston Basin. She reported numerous downed trees located in slide paths. These areas are becoming treacherous due to the melting of snow underneath and could collapse if being crossed. Use extreme caution if traveling across these areas on the trail.

--An up-to-date ski and snow report for the Northwest may be found here.

--Up-to-date Pacific Northwest ice conditions may be found here.

--The Tieton River climbing areas have been closed for the season due to nesting raptors. To read more about this closure, click here.

--It appears that a pair of peregrine falcons have nested on the classic line, Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall in Leavenworth. All routes from Outer Space, White Slabs Direct and White Fright, south to the descent gully, including Orbit, are closed to climbing until July 31st.

--We have had guides recently return from the South side of Mt. Baker. They reported that the conditions were good. Most of the crevasses are now open and easy to avoid. They are either so big that you can't miss them or small enough that you can't fall in. We also received a report that above and to the right of Survey Rock there was a major glacial release, leaving bus sized blocks of ice near the trail.

--We have recently received a couple updates regarding current Squamish conditions. Click here to read more.

--More updates from our friendly neighbors to the north with regard to the Bugaboos:

Just had my first trip of the season up to the Bugs and things are looking good. It is definitely still a bit early but there is already lots to do.

Road

The road is in descent shape and ok for a small car with a bit of navigating through ruts around KM 34. I was in a Toyota Matrix and had no problems.

Trail

The trail to the Kain hut is mostly snow free but there are a couple of significant piles of avalanche debris and a few fallen trees to negotiate along the way.

Travel Conditions

Generally, things seem a little ahead of usual. There is still lots of snow above the hut but the moraines are melting out fast. Travel on the lower elevation snow is good in the morning (with a good freeze) and becomes a bit of a slog in the PM when things warm up. Up high (above ~2800m) you can still expect up to knee deep foot penetration through a breakable crust but

this would only affect the last bit of glacier to the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire. The Bugaboo-Snowpatch col is in good shape right now but there is already lots of loose rock melted out on the sides.

Routes

Most of the regular stuff is climbable with a few snow patches remaining. The low elevation routes in the Crescent area look dry as do many of the routes on the west face of Snowpatch. There will inevitably be some wet sections on most routes but they are shrinking by the day. The higher shady routes like the NE Ridge of Bugaboo and the Becky-Chouinard will likely have snow and ice in them for a little while yet.

Bears

There is a sow grizzly with two, one year old cubs hanging around Bugaboo Creek these days but there was no recent evidence of their presence on the trail.

South Howser Descent

A new descent has been established from the South Howser Tower that avoids the cornice, loose rock and rope eating flakes of the existing descent. It roughly follows the North Face-Ridge route towards the Central Howser. Stop in at the hut to see a detailed topo.

Cheers,

Marc Pich?

ACMG, IFMGA

Mountain Guide

SIERRA:

--For information regarding wall closures due to falcon nesting in Yosemite National Park, click here.

--For an update on road conditions in the Eastern Sierra region. Follow this link to read more.

--For up-to-date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here.

--Webcams for Bishop, June Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass, and Yosemite National Park.

ALASKA RANGE:

--For daily dispatches from expeditions currently climbing Denali, click here.

--Forecast for Denali.

--Webcam for Denali National Park.

--The snow is melting very fast in the Alaska Range this year. This is in part due to the ash on the glaciers from the Redoubt volcano. All of the major landing strips are melting out. Strips on the Kahiltna, the Ruth and on the Pika are all in poor shape. Access to the range will be limited in the very near future.

ALPS:

--Chamonix and Mont Blanc Regional Forecasts may be found here.

--Webcams for Chamonix Valley, Zermatt and the Matterhorn.

--The climbing season in the Alps has begun and we are accepting applications for our 2009 climbs of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and the Eiger and many other peaks in France and Switzerland. Please call our office (360-671-1505) for current availability.

RED ROCK CANYON:

--Forecast and average temperatures for Red Rock Canyon.

--Webcam for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

--The late exit and overnight permit number for Red Rock Canyon is 702-515-5050. If there is any chance that you will be inside the park after closing, be sure to call this number so that you don't get a ticket.

--The scenic drive currently opens its gates at 6 in the morning.

JOSHUA TREE:

--Forecast and average temperatures for Joshua Tree National Park.

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

Following Denali Summit, Bikini Anyone? – Team has the Mountain to Themselves

AAI guide Chantel Astorga called from 14,000 feet on Denali this evening at 6pm Alaska time, 10pm Eastern time with the following dispatch.  Her team summited Denali on July 5th (along with only one other team of four climbers).  It's the end of the season, and the mountain is now largely deserted.  In addition to the AAI guides Justin Wood, Mike Pond, and Chantel, this successful team was composed of 4 Americans, 2 British, and one member each from Canada, Germany, and Norway.  Andries Botha (Edmonton) deserves special mention for now having succeeded on all of the Seven Summits!

 

“Hello everyone.  We’re glad to tell you that we are back at 14,000 feet.  Getting here we felt like we were walking into summer.  It really is summer here, and we’ve been basking in it!   It’s 50 degrees in the shade and a lot warmer than that in the sun.  If I had a bikini, I’d be wearing one, but didn’t think to bring one.  Never thought I would need one on Denali.

We stayed at our 17,200’ high camp yesterday because it was so windy.  It was cold, and there were super high winds last night.  They were consistently running at 35-40mph with 60 gusts frequently.  There was also a lot of new snow, so it was continuously spindrifty, and it would have been extremely unpleasant climbing.  Staying put was definitely the right thing to do.  It’s important to be patient on the way down as well as on the way up!

The wind dropped to 15mph at 6am and then went down to 5 to 10 by 8am. So we were happy to pack up and come down this morning.  We made it in about four hours.  Most of the time was spent between the top of the buttress and the camp at 14,000.  Coming down from 17,000 along the top of the buttress was nice – most of the snow had been blown off by the wind, but coming down the fixed ropes the snow was thick and wet.  It really balled up on the crampons and was a pain.

So here are a few messages from this very happy group of climbers:

Kevin will call Jean on Thursday afternoon.

Andreas wants his daughter to change his flight to Edmonton to Friday afternoon.

Phil says "Hi" to his dad!

So the current plan is a dinner of big, juicy cheese sandwiches and then early to bed.  We’ll get up in the night and pack up and descend to Camp 1.  We want the lowest possible temperatures to freeze up the snow pack.  We’ll spend Wednesday day there and then get up in the night again and descend to base camp, arriving there in the early hours Thursday.  We scheduled our ski plane pickup with K2 Aviation at 9:00am Thursday morning.  Hopefully the weather will co-operate!  We’re looking forward to being down and soon seeing friends and loved ones.

We’re still psyched about reaching the summit. We should tell you that just like summit day when we had the mountain to ourselves except four other people, Camp 3 at 14,000 is now deserted except for one other group.  This is normally such a busy place.  It’s funny how quiet and empty it is here now.  The rangers are packing up all their stuff and getting ready to leave for the season.  

It’s been a challenging year for weather, and we feel lucky we had the good conditions when we really needed them.  After all the other AAI teams did so well again this year, we were especially glad that our team could summit too, since it's the last of the season.  

It’s been a great trip and we’ve had some really good times together.  These guys are pretty funny.  We’ll call you again to let you know how we are doing as we make our way down.  Talk to you soon and see you all pretty soon!”

NOTE: 

You can follow the progress of all AAI Denali expeditions on the dispatch page of AAI's website: www.aai.cc The URL for the specific page is:http://aai.cc/currentnews/ Use the drop down to find the team you want to follow.

Dispatches are posted Monday through Friday on the dispatch page. Aside from special events (e.g., summits, major storms, etc), they are posted on this blog only on the weekends. On Mondays they are moved to the dispatch page.

Lack of a current dispatch indicates that the team is really busy, that they have had a problem establishing an adequate satellite transmission, or that they haven't been able to use their solar panel to recharge batteries and are preserving their batteries for safety needs.

The Double-Fisherman's Knot

Arguably, the most difficult knot to teach is the double-fisherman's knot. It is normal for our guides to spend a significant amount of time with students on this particular knot. And even with a lot of time spent focusing on it, some still don't come away with a master's level knowledge of it.

If you have this knot completely wired, then congratulations. If you don't, then this blogpost is just for you...!

The Double-Fisherman's Knot

The double-fisherman's knot is a knot that may be used to join two ropes together. The ropes may be of similar or dissimilar diameters. It is a very secure knot. Indeed, it is so secure, that it is often recommended for cords that will be permanently tied together such as prussik loops.

The biggest problem with the double-fisherman's is that it is very difficult to untie once it has been loaded. As a result, it is not recommended for quick situations where you want to tie two ropes together, such as in rappels.

The Canadian Guide, Mike Barter has put together the following video on how to tie a double-fisherman's knot:



--Jason D. Martin

July and August Climbing Events

--July 3 -- Harrisburg, PA --Climb up the 50

--July 6 -- Telluride, CO --Fire on the Mountain: Film Screening and Auction

--July 7 -- Anchorage, AK --Slideshow with Timmy O'Neill

--July 11 -- Boulder, CO --Memorial Service Set for Fallen Climbers

--July 11 -- La Fayette, GA -- Rock Town Clean Up

--July 8-12 -- Lander, WY --International Climber's Festival

--July 17 -- Bellingham, WA --Aerial Tour of Mt Baker Hikes part II

--July 18 -- Castlewood Canyon, Castle Rock, CO --Summer Sandstone Series: Castlewood Canyon Bouldering Comp and Clean-Up

--July 18 -- Raleigh, NC --American Alpine Club Wilderness First Aid Course

--July 18 -- Sunnyvale, CA --ASCA Climb-a-thon at Planet Granite

--July 18 -- Strasburg, VA --Environmental Stewardship Adventure Day

--July 20 -- Reel Rock Film Competition Submission Deadline

--July 25 -- Obed/Clear Creek, GA -- Help Clean Up the Obed

--July 25 -- Hinckley, OH -- Whipp's Ledges Cleanup

Funny Climbing Quotes

Climbing is a sport rife with literary characters who have said some very funny things. With the help of this website, I was able to come up with a nice list of quotes. Here are some great one liners:

"A climber's day always starts at the crux: getting out of bed." -- Unknown

"I don't want to write about climbing; I don't want talk about it; I don't want to photograph it; I don't want to think about it; all I want to do is do it." -- Chuck Pratt

"One method of getting loved ones to look more fondly on your climbing is to tell them that since you've started climbing you hardly do drugs anymore." -- David Harris

"There is no difference between religion and politics. Both involve lies and fanatical beliefs that generaly defy logic... Just like rock climbing." -- David Schuller

"To qualify for mountain rescue work, you have to pass our test. The doctor holds a flashlight to your ear. If he can see light coming out the other one, you qualify." -- Willi Pfisterer

--It's pretty common for people on the internet to talk about how they're great climbers. We often refer to this as spray. Dawn Alguard had a great response to such an individual on the rec.climbing google website:

"Here's the thing. You'd like to talk about yourself and what swell stuff you've climbed lately. Well, who wouldn't ? As it turns out, we have a format in which that sort of spray is acceptable. It's called a TR. In a TR, every other word can be 'I' and the words in between can be numbers representing how rad you are, though it's a time-honored tradition to throw in a few sentences about how afraid you were that you *weren't* going to [insert heroic deed here] before getting to the part about how you do.

Your trouble is that you're trying to disguise your spray as RFIs or attempts at actual human conversation and no one is fooled. It is quite possible to say 'Now that I climb outside so often I find that I absolutely suck at gym climbing and since I'm having a miserable time there, what with everyone snickering at me and falling off of things I think I should be able to do, I'm asking myself why I spend the money on a gym membership when I can go to rec.climbing and get snickered at for free' without mentioning a single number."

--A student working on a research paper once asked Mike Garrison how glaciers move. The student asked, "can you please tell me what you know about the movement of glaciers?" Mike's response follows:

Glaciers feel best when they have one movement per day. Some glaciers do just fine with fewer movements, but when they don't have movements for a long time the result can be quite bad. Glaciers which move much more frequently tend to have loose and soft terminal moraines (also called rock piles).

Glacial movement is almost always associated with the release of water. But sometimes glaciers release water without experiencing a movement.

--One time Greg Hamilton was asked what he suggested as a high altitude training regimen. He responded with the following comment:

I suggest going out to the nearest pub and getting completely, and utterly, wasted. Make sure you smoke at least 1 pack of unfiltered Camel's. Get the full ashtray, pour a drink in it and then pour the mixture into a water bottle.

When you get home (ideally around 3:30am) stick the vile mixture into your freezer. Put on your best goretex and thermal layer. Climb in. At 5:30am, get out, drink (chew?) the mixture and go run the biggest flight of stairs you can find. Run until your heart threatens to explode.

The dehydration caused by the alcohol should adequately simulate what you may experience at higher altitudes. Your lung capacity should be sufficiently impaired by the smokes to simulate a oxygen poor environment. The freezer episode should adequately replicate a bivy. Drinking the booze/butt mixture should simulate your lack of appetite.....

Oh — once your finished your workout, go to work (to replicate the long walk out).

These are all great and the website that I found these on has a great deal more. What climbing quotes have you heard? We would love it if you would post them on our comments page!

--Jason D. Martin