Denali Park Visitor Death

AAI just received the following email from Denali National Park:

Gerald Focha, 76, of Danville, California died from what appear to be natural causes at the Alaska Railroad Denali Deport on Wednesday, May 27, in spite of the lifesaving efforts by personnel on scene, park rangers, and the local fire department.

The National Park Service received a report of a person suffering a possible heart attack at 4:2 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and rangers and an ambulance were immediately dispatched. While enroute the park’s communications center received a second call that the person was not breathing and that CPR was in progress. Upon arrival rangers found Focha was in full cardiac arrest. Ranger-EMTs and personnel from the Tri-Valley Fire Department performed advanced cardiac life support measures in an attempt to restore a pulse, but were not successful. After 40 minutes of emergency lifesaving effort, and after consultation with the park’s medical director physican, CPR and other efforts were terminated.

Focha’s wife was accompanying him. His remains were released to the Office of the State Medical Examiner.

Alaska Range Ice Climbing

Private Alaska Range Alpine Mountaineering Course (May 17 - 31, 2009) Finishes with some Technical Ice


Team Roster:
Guide: Kurt Hicks
Climbers: Mike and Ryan Guffy
Dispatch: May 29, 2009


Friday, May 29th, 2009: 6:39 pm

"Hey everybody This is Kurt calling from overcast Talkeetna. Mike, Ryan, and I have returned to our base after a couple of days of ice climbing on the Matanuska Glacier and some rock climbing today on a nearby crag. It was all good climbing and a great way to finish off this trip. The steep ice climbing and the rock thoroughly rounded out the trip.

We had a phenomenal time. Of course it was a great experience for the three of us to succeed on the Japanese Couloir of Mt. Barille. Now we’re going to hang up our boots and go into town and get some food. We're looking forward to enjoying some great climbing adventures in the future."
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Storm Still Dominating Denali

Denali remains enveloped by a low pressure system, and everyone on the mountain appears to be waiting it out. The following satellite telephone dispatch was received from AAI Guide Angela Seidling on AAI’s third Denali expedition of the season. We have not heard from the other teams and assume they are doing the same as Angela and the other climbers on Team 3.

Denali Expedition dispatches are normally posted on the "Daily Dispatches and Recent News" page of the AAI website http://aai.cc/currentnews/ . On weekends, they are first published here.

Here's the latest news from the mountain:

"Greetings everybody, this is Angela from 14,000 feet on Denali. We’re still at Camp 3, and we’re still waiting out this storm. It sounds like Sunday or Monday could be the next day for us possibly to be moving. We’re looking forward to that!

But In the mean time, we are trying to keep ourselves entertained and as busy as a person can be in a storm at 14,000 feet on Denali. There’s lots of book reading going on and exchanging of books because we've gotten a lot read in the last couple of days. There are lots of good conversations and people strolling around camp in the fresh snow, plus lots of digging out tents and rebuilding snow walls and all that good stuff.

I have a couple of messages to convey:

Anouk hopes that the Black Beast AKA Cookie Monster, had a good presentation and wants him to know coming to the his presentation last year was one of the best things she ever did in her life.

Ranjeet would like to say, 'thoughts of family and friends back home are making the temperatures warmer for all of us up here.' We all agree with that one.

OK. That’s the news and thoughts from here. We’ll talk to you all soon. By for now."
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Weekend Warrior -- Videos to Get You Stoked!

Believe it or not, there is another kind of climber out there. This is the climber that sees a tower of cement and steel as an objective, not as a place of work. And while this type of climbing isn't terribly legal, it's really cool to watch.

Alain Robert is known as Spiderman because he has practiced the art of climbing in the city as much as he has in the mountains. Following are a couple of videos about this urban adventurer.

Check out Alain Robert in the first video as he climbs a 46 story skyscraper in Brazil and in the second, watch as he scales the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper in Paris.

Granite Frontiers: A Century of Yosemite Climbing

Photo from www.commons.wikimedia.org

Rock climbing has evolved with advancements in equipment and an ever increasing climber skill level. Those who were once considered senseless vagabonds are now exalted athletes. The 3,300-foot vertical wall of El Capitan took five weeks to climb in 1958 and now boasts a record time of 2 hours and 37 minutes, set in October 2008 by daring competitors Hirayama and Florine. The tools and techniques developed in Yosemite have since been applied to more remote mountain ranges throughout the globe.

The Autry National Center invites the public to meet the people who pioneered modern rock climbing and those who are taking it in incredible new directions in its new exhibition Granite Frontiers: A Century of Yosemite Climbing. These determined free spirits and visionaries of one of the West's last truly wild experiences guide visitors to the edge of infinity to experience the exhilarating rush and harrowing perils of this most extreme of Western adventures. The exhibit runs from June 12 to October 3, 2009.

"Climbers are among the last true Western adventurers," says Jonathan Spaulding, the Autry's Vice President for Exhibitions, "and Yosemite's big walls are one of the last wild places."

After United States forces entered the valley in the mid-19th century, naturalists, photographers, and surveyors—including Yosemite's most famous visionary, John Muir—scrambled up the cliffs and peaks to document the scene. The Sierra Club brought Yosemite mountaineering into the 20th century by introducing new techniques in the early 1930s. Climbing pioneers such as Royal Robbins, Warren Harding, and Yvon Chouinard led the way for contemporary icons like Lynn Hill, Tommy Caldwell, Yuji Hirayama, and Hans Florine.

"The Granite Frontiers exhibit is exciting," says Ken Yager, President and Executive Director of the Yosemite Climbing Association, "because it allows the public to view the 100-year history of Yosemite climbing for the first time. A visitor has the opportunity to see the evolution of Yosemite climbing, learn about some of the extraordinary exploits of these pioneers, and understand Yosemite's significant role in the development of the international climbing arena." To read more, Click here.

Climbing News from Here and Abroad -- May 28, 2009

Northwest:

--The Access Fund announced this week that an option agreement to purchase the 20-acre private inholding at the Lower Index Town Walls of Snohomish County, Washington has been secured. This popular rock climbing area boasts several hundred quality granite climbing routes and is only an hour drive from Seattle. Its proximity to a major metropolitan area and its short 5-minute approach from the trailhead make this cliff line a popular after work or after school climbing destination for the Seattle-Everett area. To read more, click here.

--A small group of advocates are currently trying to expand the North Cascade National Park. Dubbed the American Alps Legacy Project, the effort to grow the park's boundaries is still in development. Maps of proposed areas for protection have been prepared, and now the conservation council and other advocates will begin reaching out to the public to see how the proposal should take final shape before it goes to Congress. To read more, click here.

Mount Hood
Photo from Wikepedia

--A climber suffered severe injuries to his face, arm and leg in a 500-foot fall last week on Mount Hood, sheriff's deputies said.The fall knocked the climber unconscious, but when reached by rescue teams, 54-year-old John Creager was in good spirits, according to Detective Jim Strovink, of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. To read more, click here.

--The mountain lakes in the backcounty of Washington state's North Cascades National Park are still covered in ice. The thaw usually doesn't come until early July. This year, however, a deadline comes along with the thaw. Unless Congress acts, the lakes won't be stocked by volunteers racing the clock through the wilderness with 5-gallon plastic containers of rainbow, cutthroat and golden trout strapped on their backs. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--The Extreme Resolution project is a project wherein a photography company called xRex is creating high resolution photos of peaks and cities. The front of their website features a photo of Half Dome in Yosemite. The photos have such high resolution that you can zoom in to see the smallest detail. They are currently putting together a project to document the entire face of El Cap. To read about their new project, click here. To see their website, click here.

--A magnitude 4.7 earthquake rattled the area of the southern Owens Valley Saturday. Multiple significant aftershocks have followed since. To read more, click here.


--The decision on which roads on the Inyo National Forest to keep or which could face closure is expected this summer. The public comment period on the Inyo Forest route designation process ended March 31. Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch is now expected to decide which of six alternatives for a road system to choose, possibly by the end of July. To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--It's been a hard and windy season on Denali this year, but despite that, the American Alpine Institute Denali Team 2 put three climbers on the summit this week. To read more, click here.

Denali from the Southwest

--A solo climber went missing on Denali this last week. Dr. Gerald Myers began his summit bid from the 14,200-foot camp the morning of Tuesday, May 19. He was sighted at various elevations along the West Buttress route that day, the highest of which was somewhere between 18,000 and 19,000 feet. Dr. Myers did not return to high camp on Tuesday night. An individual climber was observed on the summit ridge the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20, although it cannot be confirmed that it was Dr. Myers. To read more, click here.

--A strong pair of Brits climbed a hard pair of new routes in Alaska's Ruth Gorge. On May 10th, they climbed a line of ice runnels through steep granite slabs on the north face of Mt. Grosvenor. Then on May 14th, they climbed a new route on the north face of Mt. Church. To read more, click here.

Mount Redoubt from Ninilchik, AK, on May 9, 2009
Photograph courtesy of Brenda Cruickshank.

--The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports the following on the Redoubt Volcano:

The 2009 Redoubt eruption continues. Seismic activity remains above background levels and consists of small, discrete earthquakes in the summit region. The lava dome at the summit appears unstable and could fail with little or no warning. Dome failure would likely cause ash emissions to over 30,000 feet above sea level and possible lahars in the Drift River valley.

Web camera images today reveal cloudy conditions at the summit. No ash emissions have been observed in radar or satellite data.

AVO is monitoring Redoubt volcano closely and the observatory is staffed 24/7. AVO will provide frequent updates of the volcano's status and the earliest possible warning of significant explosive activity and other hazardous phenomena.

Himalaya:

--Three men have appeared before magistrates charged with the manslaughter of the youngest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Jonathon Tinker, Henry Todd and Michael Smith are accused of unlawfully killing Londoner Michael Matthews, 22, on the mountain in May, 1999. To read more, click here.

--A Sherpa from Nepal who holds the world's record for scaling Mount Everest 19 times said Monday that the planet's highest peak was littered with trash and warned that its glaciers were melting because of global warming. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Firefighters on Monday gained ground on a wildfire in the western reaches of Joshua Tree National Park that forced the airlift rescue of a group of hikers, according to the federal Bureau of Land Management. To read more, click here.

--For a short period of time we thought that the gun ban in National Parks would hold up. That wasn't the case. On May 20th, the House and Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of lifting the ban on concealed weapons in National Parks. To read more, click here. To read what the community is saying about this, click here.

CCH Aliens

--Over the last couple of years, there have been a lot of problems with the Colorado Custom Hardware Aliens. A forum poster at Rockclimbing.com took it upon himself to perform a number of tests on his Aliens. They did not perform well. And while the forum poster did not test a batch of these devices, the results of his tests were disturbing. To read about his test, please click here.

Aerial Search on Mt. McKinley Suspended

AAI just received the following email from Denali National Park:

The active search effort for solo climber Dr. Gerald Myers was scaled back on Tuesday afternoon after search managers determined that further air operations were unlikely to locate him. There has been no sighting of the solo climber or his gear during six days of aerial and ground searching. Although no more aerial flights are anticipated, ranger staff will continue to search through the thousands of high resolution images taken during the aerial flights in search of clues to Dr. Myers whereabouts.

Dr. Myers began his summit bid from the 14,200-foot camp the morning of Tuesday, May 19. He was sighted at various elevations along the West Buttress route that day, the highest of which was somewhere between 18,000 and 19,000 feet. Dr. Myers did not return to high camp on Tuesday night. An individual climber was observed on the summit ridge the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20, although it cannot be confirmed that it was Dr. Myers.

Dr. Myers was observed carrying only a small daypack with minimal survival gear at the time of his disappearance. He did not take a stove for melting snow, and it is unknown how much food he had in his pack. Throughout his climb, Dr. Myers carried an FRS radio and a SPOT locator device; the last GPS location reported by the SPOT device was at the 17,200-foot camp on May 19. Throughout his trip, Myers had been making at least one position recording each day.

In light of his limited supplies and the subzero temperatures, search managers consider that survival is outside the window of possibility. Observers have thoroughly searched the route and surrounding areas to the degree that if the climbers were visible on the surface, there is a high probability they would have been discovered.

Conditions Report -- May 27, 2009

NORTHWEST:

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

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

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

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

--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.

--The Sage Hill hiking and biking trails near Wenatchee have been closed due to neighbor complains. To read more about the closure click here.

SIERRA:

--For updates on the status of Highway 120 over Tioga Pass click here.

--The Glacier Point road in Yosemite opened for the season on May 5. More details about the status of nearby areas can be found here. Other current wilderness conditions for Yosemite can be found here.

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

--We found a recent 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:

--Forecast for Denali.

--Webcam for Denali National Park.

--The Alaska season has begun and we are still accepting applications for our 2009 Denali Expeditions and our 2009 Alaska Range Mountaineering Programs. Please call our office (360-671-1505) for current availability.

ALPS:

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

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

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 loop is back to opening its gates at 6 AM instead of 7 AM.

JOSHUA TREE:

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

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

AAI's Second Denali Expedition Summits

This is the dispatch we received from our second Denali expedition minutes after they descended from the summit of North America:

"Hey everyone, this is Dylan Taylor calling from 19,500 ft, on the Football Field just below the summit of Denali.  I just made it to the top with Hannah, Ed, and Patrick!  It was pretty amazing up there.   It was my seventh time on the summit, and I've got to say that it turned out to be one of the best yet.  It was the calmest I have ever seen it on top, especially after such a windy start to the day.  

We had really strong winds, 40-50 mph, around Denali Pass which was almost knocking us over. We measured the windchill at -70 degrees. Folks pulled through though and avoided any cold related injuries and I'm very proud of everyone. Out of the three rope teams we had going for the summit, two had to turn back because some people were getting cold and they needed to  not to risk cold injury.

Currently the rest of the team is waiting for us down at 17,000 ft.  Ed would like to say hi to everyone back home; Patrick says that he sends his love to his girls; and Hannah also says hello.  Alright, We'll talk to you all later"

NOTE:   

You can follow the progress of three 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 follow the team you want. 

Dispatches are posted M-F on the dispatch page.  Aside from special events (e.g., summits, major storms, etc), they are posted on this blog only on the weekends, and on Monday they are moved to the dispatch page.  

Climber Still Missing on Denali

AAI just received the following email from Denali National Park:

Still No Breakthroughs in Search for Missing Climber

After five days of aerial and ground searching on Mt. McKinley, there has still been no sighting of Dr. Gerald Myers, nor any evidence of a fall or disturbance on the snow surface. On Monday, May 25, two teams of NPS ground crews, one out of the 14,200-foot camp and the other from the 17,200-foot camp, searched near the base of the Messner Couloir and along the ridge above Denali Pass, respectively, but neither team found any clues to Dr. Myers whereabouts. The U.S. Army Chinook helicopters flew early Monday morning, but wind instability at higher elevations turned them back to Talkeetna. As the winds calmed late in the day, the park’s A-Star B3 helicopter was able to fly the search zone and collect photographs in evening light conditions. At the Talkeetna Ranger Station, staff continues to comb through thousands of high resolution images in hopes of detecting clues.

Tonight, National Park Service search managers will assess the flight and photo data collected throughout the week and determine whether any additional areas warrant more coverage.

The Dawn Patrol

A number of years ago I read a fascinating article about a group of climbers and skiers in Salt Lake City who did most of their climbing and skiing early in the morning before work. The group -- lead by the now deceased super-climber Alex Lowe -- commonly did more before the world got up than anyone. They skinned up steep snow slopes and got first tracks before anyone else was awake. They swung their ice tools well before the sun came up. And they put other early morning athletes to shame in the amount that they got done before rolling into work at eight or nine o'clock in the morning.

Lowe called his early morning club, the Dawn Patrol. And since that article was published more than a decade ago, many individuals throughout North America have created their own Dawn Patrols.

Approximately a year ago, I moved from guiding over 200 days a year into the American Alpine Institute administrative offices in Bellingham. I have two small children, both of which are under the age of two and I just could no longer be gone as much as I was, guiding full time. The change has been very good for my family. I'm still guiding seven to ten days a month, so I haven't left it completely and probably never will. But my personal adventures have been seriously impacted by these changes.

The Martin Family on a Hike in the Chuckanuts outside Bellingham
Photo by Karen Zulinke

If I go out climbing or skiing on the weekends and it's not for work, there is a definite level of guilt. I feel bad that I'm not spending my time off with the kids, but am instead going out to recreate without them. Eventually they'll be able to join me, but right now they're a bit too young for anything but riding the backpack on easy day hikes. The result is that I've been thinking a lot about the concept of the Dawn Patrol.

This spring, I've been trying to take a page out of Alex Lowe's book and I've been trying to do some dawn patrols of my own. It's not terribly easy...especially with small children who don't necessarily always sleep through the night, but the few times that I have gone have been incredibly rewarding.

This Spring, Dana Hickenbottom -- another program coordinator -- and I, have gone to Mount Erie in Anacortes twice. The first time we pulled down on a couple of 5.10 sport routes well before our fingers could even come close to warming up for them. And the second time, we completed a pleasant three pitch 5.7 on a nice warm morning. On that second trip, Dana was attacked by at least two very nasty ticks, but tick attacks and potential lyme disease aside, we still had a fantastic time. On both occasions we were basking in the glow of an early morning climbing adventure for the rest of the day.

Mount Wilson in Red Rock Canyon at Sunrise.
Though I never Dawn Patrolled in the decade that I lived in Vegas, I certainly had a lot of early morning starts. It would be easy to Dawn Patrol sport climbing and bouldering in Red Rock. Photo by Jason Martin

I've also gone hiking in the Chuckanut Mountains just south of our offices three times this spring before work. It's unbelievably rewarding to be deep in the forest, in a small and low coastal range that is usually swarming with hikers and mountain bikers, completely alone. Indeed, yesterday morning I worked my way up to an incredibly pretty viewpoint called Raptor Ridge. I reached the point at about 6:30 in the morning while tight patches of fog were still draped over the trees below on the valley floor like cotton candy. The morning air is the best air...it was still cool and fresh and clean...

It's hard to get up so early in the morning to find adventure, but most of us do it all the time in the mountains. If we try, we can certainly reach down deep to find the same motivation that gets us psyched at 2:30 in the morning on a summit day to get up at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning on a work day in order to find adventure just outside of the cities that we live in...

--Jason D. Martin

May and June Climbing Events

--May 22-26 -- Kalymnos, Greece -- International Kalymnos Climbing Festival

--May 30 -- Camp Hale, CO -- VAC Teamworks Project

--May 30 -- Fairfled, NJ -- Gravity Bowl

--May 30-31 -- Fayetteville, WV -- Mountain Gear's UClimb

--June 4-7 -- Vail, CO -- Teva Mountain Games

--June 6 -- Nationwide -- American Hiking Society's National Trails Day

--June 6 -- Atlanta, GA -- Boat Rock National Trails Day

--June 11 -- Seattle, WA -- Adventure Film Festival

Climb. Ride. Slide. Fly. Fight for the environment. Inspire. Go higher than you've ever dared to go...

Adventure Film is a film festival based in Boulder, Colorado. Now in its fifth year, Adventure Film was created by a coalition of adventurers, artists, filmmakers and activists to explore the power of storytelling, especially through the narrative of adventure. The organization aims to mobilize people through an awareness of the world. Hence the tagline, "Make Your Own Legends."

Every year the international Adventure Film selection committee chooses over thirty new films from approximately two hundred entries from around the world. Awards Winners in nearly a dozen categories are selected, ranging from "Extreme Sport" to "Activism through Adventure." Adventure Film covers risks, mighty and absurd, the unknown and those experiences that bring viewers to the edge of their seats.

The Mountaineers is pleased to host the first Seattle appearance of Adventure Film on Thursday, June 11, 2009. The doors open at 6:30 pm, the show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased through the Mountaineers Bookstore, or by calling 206-521-6001.

--June 13 -- New York, NY -- Peak Experience IV

--June 15-21 -- Jackson, WY -- Grand Tetons Climbers Week

--June 21 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- Mammut Bouldering Comp Utah

--June 21 -- Golden, CO -- Mountain Fest 2009

--June 24 --Seattle, WA -- Steve Swenson, President of American Alpine Club

Steve Swenson is the current president of the American Alpine Club and a member of the Seattle Vertical World. He will discuss his forthcoming trip to an unclimbed 7,500 meter peak in the eastern Karakoram in India as well as climbing in Pakistan, China, and Patagonia.

Seattle REI, June 24th 2009, 7:00pm

--June 26-27 -- Boulder, CO -- 3rd Annual HERA Climb For Life Celebration

--June 26-28 -- Gunnison, CO --Gunnison Rock & Race Festival

We're always on the lookout for events that bring the climbing community together. If you're aware of an event we don't have posted above, please feel free to email us with all the details. Event posts will be made at AAI's discretion.

Healthy Forest Fires

As the warm and dry weather of summer approaches, we all get excited about going out to play in the splitter weather. However, along with the blue skies comes the increased likelihood of forest fires...and for most of us, the idea of a forest fire in the areas we frequent turns our stomachs.

Forest Fires often ravage the areas we care for, leaving them desolate waste lands in which the native flora and fauna are devastated, rural houses are destroyed and our access to the mountains is blocked. The list of the cons to forest fires seems daunting, especially the list of cons for those fires which are responsible for the loss of property, or even worse the loss of human life...but surprisingly, some wildland fires can actually be beneficial, especially the smaller ground fires which do not ravage the entire forest.

Forest fires can help stimulate the new growth and germination of many different plant species. For brevity, we'll look specifically at one type of plant that is affected positively by wildfires, the sequoia tree.

Sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park need forest fires to help them reproduce. When a fire moves through, the heat dries out the cones up high in the canopy, which causes the seeds to release and fall to the ground. In addition to this, the fires clear out the lower vegetation that would otherwise block the light and compete for nutrients with the sequoia seedlings. Without these fires, the great sequoias and other plants that need fires to aid in germination would not be able to successfully repopulate.

In the same way that wildland fires clear out brush and smaller trees to help the sequoia seeds get the nutrients they need, fires can also “reset” the vegetation for an area. Aggressive plants often choke out slower growing plant-life. When the existing vegetation is burned-up, the competition is limited and this promotes more diversity of plant-life on the forest floor.

In addition to aiding in the life cycle process of some vegetation and vegetation diversity, forest fires are also efficient in pest eradication and pest population control. This has a positive affect on a number of forest trees and plants that are adversely affected by these pests.

Certainly, some fires are bad. Some fires completely devastate everything in their path. And while these large fires have some benefits, it's more common for the smaller ground fires to provide the most benefit. Indeed, part of the reason that some fires are so large, is because there haven't been enough of these smaller fires to clear out the debris on the forest floor; the debris that when stacked-up can create a real tinderbox. This is part of the reason that some National Parks and National Forests have taken to setting controlled burns. By doing this they are helping manage some of that debris on the forest floor while providing the positive benefits of a small ground-fire.

So while none of us want a forest fire in any of the wilderness areas that we visit regularly, it is good to know that when they do affect these areas, they're not all bad.

To keep up with the forest fires in your area, click here.

Following is a public service announcement about forest fires that was produced in the 60s. You'll probably recognize the celebrity who narrates this commercial as Rod Serling, Mr. Twilight Zone himself...



--Erik Budsberg, AAI Staff

Denali Expedition Teams 2 & 3 Move to Higher Camps

Team 2 at 17,200’

Team 2 called to say that they had arrived at high camp at 17,200 feet.  They arrived pretty late after a hard day.  Dylan said, “It was a beautiful day but a really hard one.  If the weather is good tomorrow we’ll go for the summit, but if not, we’ll take a rest day here.  People are still strong and feeling good.  Lauren says, ‘Hi Mom.’  It’s really cold outside and sometimes pretty windy.   And that’s about it on news.  We're all just fine as can be, and we’ll call again when there is more to report.”

Team 3 at 14,000’

Jesse Kao called From Denali Team 3 at 6:50 Alaska time to say they had made it to Camp 3 at 14,000 feet and to report the guide Mike Roberts is now learning French. 

Denali Team 3 Establishes Cache beyond Windy Corner

Denali Expedition dispatches are normally posted on the "Daily Dispatches and Recent News" page of the AAI website.  On weekends, they are first published here.

The following dispatch was received from AAI’s third Denali expedition of the season.  Guide Angela Seidling called via satellite phone:

 

Friday, May 23, 1013pm

"Greetings from Team 3 on Denali.  We are spending one more night at Camp 2.  This morning we started out in good weather and with a dusting of snow from last night.  It was nice and chilly!  The plan for the day was to make a cache of supplies up around Windy Corner.

 

When we were about to leave camp our team member Carol Masheter, AKA the Silver Fox, started off with her traditional fox or wolf howl, and much to our delight and surprise we had enthusiastic and varied howls returned to us from quite a few different teams and camps.

 

Today we had more snow, wind, and clouds, sometimes one at a time and sometimes all at the same time.  After returning to camp, we had a great burrito dinner.

 

Here are a few personal messages:

 

Carol says hello to her sister Linda, and to her work mates, and to all her recreational friends. She says that all of you are in her thoughts.

 

Daniel is wondering if he is an uncle yet.

 

Ranjeet would like to tell Sharon and Andrea that he wishes they were here.”

 

At that point the rest of the message could not be understood because of a weakening satellite connection.  

Mt. Barille's Japanese Courloir: Successful Climb in Alaska Range

The following two dispatches were received by satellite phone from AAI guide Kurt Hicks and climbers Mike and Ryan Guffy on Friday and Saturday evenings:

May 22

“Hello everyone.  It’s 7:34 pm and we’re calling from the Ruth Gorge.  We’re going to get a few hours of sleep and then get up at about midnight and make our attempt on Mt. Barille’s beautiful Japanese Couloir.  We practiced rescuing a few crevasses today, successfully I might add, and now the sun is slowly setting, if you can call it that, and all is peaceful here in the Ruth.  We call when we get back from the climb, so that’s it for now.”

 

May 23

“Hey there.  This is Kurt calling after another beautiful day, and a fantastic climbing day in the Ruth Gorge.  I’m happy to tell you that Mike, Ryan, and I were totally successful in climbing the Japanese Couloir, summiting around 10:10am.  It was a lovely day, though soft snow made the climbing a little challenging.  We got back to camp early this afternoon, and we’re now all settled in at about 7:00pm our time.  We’re drying out our gear and watching the sun slowly dropping a little.  We tried to send you a photo on my new iphone, but I don’t know if it went through.  But we’ll have a full photo report later regardless. 

 

Tomorrow we’ll take it fairly easy, working on some expedition climbing skills and practicing some more crevasse rescue skills, and we’ll work in some rest time.  OK, we’ll keep you posted.  By for now.”

Weekend Warrior -- Videos to get you stoked!

Buenos dias Weekend Warriors!

Well, the Alaska climbing season is in full swing around here these days so I thought it was about time I paid tribute to the incredible climbing that can be found in that beautiful land to the north.  So prepare to be blown away by the grandeur of the Alaska Range with it's impressive glaciers,  sheer rock faces and incredible summits.

The first video documents an ascent of the Moonflower Buttress (AK Grade VI, M7/WI6) on Mt. Hunter.  The entire climb, from camp to camp, took 44 hours!  It is a great mix of photos and short video clips of the remarkable climb.

The second video is a photo essay from Chris McNamara, the founder of SuperTopo.  In it he documents some of classic big wall climbs in the Alaska Range.  If you enjoy looking at incredible lines and breathtaking scenery then watch this video!!!

The final video  showcases the summit of the "High One", Denali.  It is actually shot by our former Alaska Program Coordinator and guide Coley Gentzel, who now happens to be a climbing ranger for Denali National Park.  Quite a view from the top eh?

Alaska Glaciers Melt, But Land Rises

Photo by Michael Penn for The New York Times

In Juneau, Alaska, as the glaciers continue to melt, the land is actually rising. At a rate of 10 feet in the last 200 years, the melting is depositing so much sediment that local streams are drying up and having an effect on the salmon and many local ecosystems.

The geology is complex, but it boils down to this: relieved of billions of tons of glacial weight, the land has risen much like a couch cushion regains its shape after someone gets up from their seat. The land is ascending so fast that the rising seas — a ubiquitous byproduct of global warming — cannot keep pace. As a result, the relative sea level is falling, at a rate "among the highest ever recorded," according to a 2007 report by a panel of experts convened by Bruce Botelho, Juneau's mayor.

In some places along the coast, the change has been so rapid that kayakers whose charts are not up-to-the-minute can find themselves carrying their boats over shoals that are so high and dry they support grass or even small trees.

A few decades ago, large boats could sail regularly along Gastineau Channel between downtown Juneau and Douglas Island, to Auke Bay, a port about 10 miles to the northwest. Today, much of the channel is exposed mud flat at low tide. "There is so much sediment coming in from the Mendenhall Glacier and the rivers — it has basically silted in," said Bruce Molnia, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey who studies Alaskan glaciers. "The land is rising almost three inches a year", Molnia said, making it "the fastest-rising place in North America."

The rise is further fueled by the movement of the tectonic plates that form the Earth's crust. As the Pacific plate pushes under the North American plate, Juneau and its hilly Tongass National Forest environs rise still more. "When you combine tectonics and glacial readjustment, you get rates that are incomprehensible", Molnia said.

Source - New York Times

Search Underway for Missing Climber on Mt. McKinley

AAI just received the following email from Denali National Park. Rest assured, all of the climbers on our expeditions are still accounted for...

An initial aerial search for an overdue climber on Mt. McKinley was flown on the morning of Thursday, May 21 by an Air National Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft. There were no initial sightings of the solo climber, although considerable cloud cover and high winds at upper elevations greatly limited the search.

Gerald Myers, a 41-year-old resident of Centennial, Colorado, began a long solo bid for the summit during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 19. According to a note left for his three climbing partners, Myers departed the 14,200-foot camp around 4:30 a.m. Myers was next seen at the 17,200-foot high camp at approximately 11:00 a.m. that same morning, grabbing his skis and digging into a cache that the team had left there on a previous acclimatization day. Other sightings that afternoon were made on the traverse to Denali Pass at 18,600 feet and then again near 18,900 feet. According to NPS rangers on patrol at high camp, Myers did not return to camp Tuesday night.

During their investigations the following day, rangers learned that Myers was seen by another party at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday May 20 as he climbed the ridge approaching the mountain’s 20,320-foot summit. A subsequent team travelling approximately two hours behind the earlier party did not see any sign of the soloist during their summit bid; Myers did not return to high camp Wednesday night. At the time, weather high on the mountain was deteriorating with winds gusting 40 to 50 mph.

Myers was reportedly carrying skis on his backpack when he was spotted near the summit. Based on equipment left at various caches on the mountain, it is expected that Myers was carrying minimal survival gear at the time of his disappearance. While he departed camp in warm clothing, Myers was travelling light and did not appear to take a sleeping bag, thermal pad, bivy sac, or a stove for melting snow. It is unknown how much food or water he had in his pack.

According to his partners, the climber was likely carrying his FRS ‘family band’ radio as well as a SPOT locator beacon. Myers had programmed his SPOT device with three button settings: “OK, moving up”, “OK, but not moving”, and “911”. According to the GPS data recorded by the SPOT, the last electronically recorded location was the 17,200-foot camp at 10:50 a.m. on May 19, when Myers had recorded his position by pressing the “OK, moving up” button. Throughout his trip, Myers had reportedly been making one position recording each day.

Aerial searching will continue as visibility and winds allow. NPS rangers and volunteers at the 14,200-foot camp and at high camp have been conducting visual searches via spotting scope of possible ski descent routes. Currently, visibility is generally obscured by clouds, with wind gusting to 45 mph near the summit.

Climbing News from Here and Abroad -- May 21, 2009

Northwest:

--There have been a number of conversations over the last year or so about whether or not the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument should be changed into a National Park. To read some of the arguments for and against this concept, please click here. Be sure to read all of the comments below the main article as well.

--Neighbors of Seattle's Discovery Park were startled Sunday to see a black bear wandering the area. Seattle police received the first report of the bear after midnight Sunday, when a resident reported a bear wandering around their yard in the 5600 block of 39th Ave. West. A second call came in around 6:45 a.m. from the 4200 block of 34th Avenue West. That caller said the animal was headed toward a ravine east of the park. And the bear was still at-large as of Sunday night. To read more, click here.


--Access Pan America is the first-ever campaign to keep climbing areas open and protect the climbing environment across the Western Hemisphere. Access Pan America is a fledgling grassroots effort of individual climbers, climbing organizations (including the Access Fund), federations, outdoor clubs, and corporate supporters. The network will meet for the first time during the Squamish Mountain Festival, presented by ARC'TERYX, August 12-16, 2009. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

Yosemite National Park is seeking assistance in locating a missing woman who was last seen below the Vernal Fall footbridge at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009. Katrin Lehmann, 31, 6' 0", 150 lbs. She has light brown hair and brown eyes. Lehmann was last seen wearing a maroon rain jacket, dark blue pants, light green button shirt, lightweight hiking boots, a light blue backpack, and a dragonfly necklace. To read more, click here.

--National Park Officials reported that they opened Tioga Pass to vehicles Tuesday afternoon. With this important and scenic road to the west side of the Sierra open in time for the holiday, Yosemite staff expects a busy weekend. To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--Global warming conjures images of rising seas that threaten coastal areas. But in Juneau, as almost nowhere else in the world, climate change is having the opposite effect: As the glaciers here melt, the land is rising, causing the sea to retreat. To read more, click here.

View of the active lava dome in the summit crater of Redoubt volcano. Photo taken May 19th.
Photo Courtesy of the Alaska Volcano Observatory/USGS

--The status of Mount Redoubt has not changed very much over the last week. Following is a status report from the Alaska Volcano Observatory:

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt continues. The lava dome at the summit continues to grow. Webcam views show low level steam and gas emissions from the summit. Rockfalls of fresh blocky lava continue to occur, often creating minor diffuse ash clouds within the summit region. Seismicity remains relatively low, but above background levels.

Himalaya:

--Italian K2 pioneer Achille Compagnoni died on Wednesday in a northern Italy hospital at the ripe old age of 94. Compagnoni was on the hotly debated first ascent of the mountain in 1954. While the fact that the Italian reached the summit is not in dispute, a number of problems that took place on the expedition still are. To read more, click here.

--It appears that a recent Sherpa death on Mount Everest has been attributed to what the Sherpa thought was a bottle of alcohol. The product, which was labeled, Nepali Royal Stag Delux Whiskey, was actually methanol. It appears that others at the Mount Everest Basecamp are also experiencing symptoms of poisoning from the same product. To read more, click here.

--Denis Urubko of Kazakhstan recently summited Cho Oyu (26,906') by completing an alpine-style ascent of a new route on the steep southeast face. This was the final mountain in the climber's quest to climb all 14 8,000-meter peaks. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--On Saturday, May 9th, rescuers responded to a climbing accident near the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. A 27-year-old man was on "Feast of Snakes," which is located on the Pine Creek Canyon wall directly below the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, when the fall occurred. He built an anchor at the top of the route and was being lowered by his parnter who was using a Gri-Gri belay device at the bottom of the climb. The rope being used by the climbers was too short for the slingshot belay technique and the end of the rope went through the Gri-Gri, dropping the climber 20 feet onto his neck and back on a ledge below the route. To read more, click here.

Old Faithful Geyser
Photo Courtesy of Yellowstone National Park

--Two seasonal Yellowstone National Park concession workers have been fired after a live webcam caught them urinating into the Old Faithful geyser. Park spokesman Al Nash says a 23-year-old man on Tuesday was fined $750 and placed on three years of unsupervised probation for urinating, being off trail in a restricted area and taking items from the area. The man also was banned from Yellowstone for two years. The second employee's case is pending. To read more, click here.

Yvon Chouinard

--The University of Pennsylvannia recently gave Yvon Chouinard an honorary degree. Chouinard is well-known in the outdoor community as the founder of Patagonia and an early innovator of climbing equipment. To read more click here.

--Mikhail Mikhailov and Alexander Ruchkin completed the first ascent of a 20,124 foot mountain the in Sichuan province of China, by sending a steep Yosemite style rock rock pillar. To read more, click here.

Conditions Report -- May 20, 2009

NORTHWEST:

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

Lonely camp on Sourdough Mountain.  Photo by David Baxter

--David Baxter headed up last weekend on a solo hike up Sourdough Mountain.  He snapped some incredible shots and took some diligent notes on the current conditions up there.  Read the full report of his trip here.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

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

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

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

Dan Helmstadter on the summit of Greybeard with Black Peak in the background.  Photo by Eric Wehrly

--Eric Wehrly headed up with his partner, Dan Helmstadter, to attempt a ski descent of the East Face of Greybeard.  They ended up skiing a very impressive line and wrote a great trip report on Cascade Climbers that can be found here.

--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.

--The Sage Hill hiking and biking trails near Wenatchee have been closed due to neighbor complains. To read more about the closure click here.

SIERRA:

--For updates on the status of Highway 120 over Tioga Pass click here.

--The Glacier Point road in Yosemite opened for the season on May 5. More details about the status of nearby areas can be found here. Other current wilderness conditions for Yosemite can be found here.

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

--We found a recent 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:

The Moose's Tooth massif as seen from the summit of Mt. Dickey.  Photo by Billy Finley

--Billy Finley and friends headed into the Ruth Gorge for the first 2 weeks of May.  They stayed busy climbing Mt. Barrill, Mt. Dicky, Freezy Nuts, and scouted out the West Face of Dan Beard.  To read more about their trip you can find the full report on Cascade Climbers here, or (even better) check out Billy's website which documents his many adventures in the mountains at www.peakaweek.com.

--Forecast for Denali.

--Webcam for Denali National Park.

--The Alaska season has begun and we are still accepting applications for our 2009 Denali Expeditions and our 2009 Alaska Range Mountaineering Programs. Please call our office (360-671-1505) for current availability.

ALPS:

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

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

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 loop is back to opening its gates at 6 AM instead of 7 AM.

JOSHUA TREE:

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

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

Denali National Park Announces 2009 Artist-in-Residence

AAI just received the following email from Denali National Park and Preserve:

Four artists, including John Morgan, an award winning Fairbanks author, will be participating in this year’s Artist-in-Residence program at Denali National Park and Preserve. Artists Bill Brody and Karin Franzen, both from Fairbanks, Alaska, and Gail Niebrugge from Palmer, Alaska, were selected from over 50 applicants from throughout the United States and abroad. There was a strong interest in the Artist-in-Residence program this year, which included applications from artists as far away as Azerbaijan, South Africa, and Suriname.


This year’s artists will each have the opportunity to experience and be inspired by the park for a ten day period between June and mid-September. During their residency they stay in the historic East Fork cabin, located south of the Park Road at Mile 43. This site is itself a source of inspiration, as it looks out onto the braided tracts of the East Fork River, the multi-colored rock formations of Polychrome Mountain, the
snow-capped peaks of the Alaska Range, and the lush tundra of the Plains of Murie.


John Morgan was invited to be Denali’s first Wrier-in-Residence, which expands the Artist-in-Residence program at Denali to include non-visual media. He moved with his family to Fairbanks in 1976, where he teaches in the graduate Creative Writing program at the University of Alaska. He has published three books of poetry, and his work has appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, The American Poetry Review, The Paris Review, The New Republic, and in many other magazines and anthologies.


Bill Brody is an artist and printmaker who obtains inspiration for his work from the wilderness landscapes that he has been able to explore over the years. The sketches, journals, and photographs he makes during his explorations are source materials for paintings, prints, and very large-scale works on forged and carved copper and bronze. He is a professor emeritus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Art Department, and he is known for his innovative work on the Body Language User Interface (BLUI) project at the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center at UAF.


The work of fiber artist Karin Franzen is widely known and she has been in several important international and national exhibitions, including “Quilt Visions 2008: Contemporary Expressions", "“Quilts of the Pacific Rim”, and “Made in Alaska”. Her work revolves around one of her favorite subjects, the birds of Alaska. Franzen uses the skills honed over a lifetime: drawing, mathematics, structural design, sewing, an understanding of biology, and business acumen to create her work.


Long time Alaska painter Gail Niebrugge is known throughout the world for her use of pointillism, small-dot like strokes, in her work. A five time winner in the National Diabetes Association’s Holiday Art Search, Niebrugge’s artwork has appeared on hundreds of thousands of Christmas cards sold nationwide to benefit diabetes research. She has completed seven major public commissions in Alaska, including a ten panel multi-dimensional artwork for the U.S. Customs in Skagway. She was the first artist-in-residence for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and is the author of “Gail Niebrugge’s Alaska Wildflowers”, a book about her thirty-three years of work focused entirely on Alaska.


“We are pleased to be able to offer artists of this caliber with the venue to immerse themselves in Denali,” said Superintendent Paul Anderson. “What they create from their experiences in the park will be a source of inspiration to all who have the opportunity to view or read their completed works.”


All of the artists will offer a public presentation for visitors during their residency. Each will donate a piece of artwork to the park’s art collection that was inspired by their time out in the park. The pieces donated by artists-in-residence from previous years are on display in the Denali Visitor Center and the Eielson Visitor Center, which opens for the season on June 1.


The Artist-in-Residence program is a national program that enables established artists to reside in a park while they create park-related art. Artists have played a significant role in raising public awareness of the natural wonders preserved within the National Park System and the need for their protection since the creation of Yellowstone, the first national park. This is the eighth year of the Artist-in-Residence program at Denali National Park and Preserve. Twenty-three artists, including thirteen from Alaska, have participated in previous summers.


Beginning May 18, 2009, the application process for the artist-in-residence program will be completely online. Applications for the 2010 season must be submitted by October 31, 2009. Visit http://arts.alaskageographic.org for information and to apply.

Snow Seats and Dynamic Belays

Standard snow anchors are comprised of pickets, flukes, bollards and deadmen. As stated in previous blogs, sometimes people overlook items that might be used as deadmen such as packs, crampons, ice axes, skis, trekking poles, and stuff sacks filled with snow.

Quick snow anchors can be devised from just about anything...including your body.

Most of you are probably familiar with Simon Yates and his infamous snow seat in Touching the Void. To say the least, that was an unusual situation.

Photo by John Jacobs

To create a quick snow seat you must simply sit down in the snow, arc your legs, and stomp your heels into the snow. After you've achieved this position, you will be able to put a climber on belay. However, if the climber takes a fall with slack in the rope, it is possible that you may be pulled out of the snow seat. There are two ways to keep this from happening.

The first way to deal with a potential shock-load in a snow seat is to add a snow anchor to back it up. This could be anything, but many climbers will simply use their ice axe. The belayer must then clip the climbing rope (which is tied to the climbers harness) to the snow anchor. Most will just make a clove-hitch with the rope and then slide the shaft of the ice axe down through the hitch. If the belayer has elected to use a hip belay, the tie-in must come off the same side of the climber's body as rope running to the climber, otherwise the load will twist the belayer uncomfortably.

The second way to deal with this is by using a dynamic belay. In other words, when the climber falls, allow the rope to run through the belay device for a short period of time, slowly breaking it and bringing it to a stop. This allows the snow seat -- and you -- a much smaller shock. There are clearly some problems with this technique and it cannot be used in every situation. The dynamic belay is only truly useful on steep snow climbs where there is little danger of a falling climber hitting something.

If we learned one thing from the Simon Yates in Touching the Void, it's that snow seats are an excellent option in terrain where you do not anticipate a need to escape the belay. If there is anything suspect going on, it's important to build a bombproof SERENE/ERNEST anchor.

When used properly, snow seats and dynamic belays can save a great deal of time...and as we all know, speed in the mountains is safety...

--Jason D. Martin

May and June Climbing Events

--May 20 -- Las Vegas, NV -- Land Rover LV Hosts Malcolm Daly of Paradox Sports

--May 22-26 -- Kalymnos, Greece -- International Kalymnos Climbing Festival

--May 30 -- Camp Hale, CO -- VAC Teamworks Project

--May 30 -- Fairfled, NJ -- Gravity Brawl

--May 30 -- Interstate Park, Taylors Falls, MN -- Taylors Falls Clean Up/Adopt-A-Crag Event

--May 30-31 -- Fayetteville, WV -- Mountain Gear's UClimb

--June 4-7 -- Vail, CO -- Teva Mountain Games

--June 6 -- Nationwide -- American Hiking Society's National Trails Day

--June 6 -- Atlanta, GA -- Boat Rock National Trails Day

--June 11 -- Seattle, WA -- Adventure Film Festival

Climb. Ride. Slide. Fly. Fight for the environment. Inspire. Go higher than you've ever dared to go...

Adventure Film is a film festival based in Boulder, Colorado. Now in its fifth year, Adventure Film was created by a coalition of adventurers, artists, filmmakers and activists to explore the power of storytelling, especially through the narrative of adventure. The organization aims to mobilize people through an awareness of the world. Hence the tagline, "Make Your Own Legends."

Every year the international Adventure Film selection committee chooses over thirty new films from approximately two hundred entries from around the world. Awards Winners in nearly a dozen categories are selected, ranging from "Extreme Sport" to "Activism through Adventure." Adventure Film covers risks, mighty and absurd, the unknown and those experiences that bring viewers to the edge of their seats.

The Mountaineers is pleased to host the first Seattle appearance of Adventure Film on Thursday, June 11, 2009. The doors open at 6:30 pm, the show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased through the Mountaineers Bookstore, or by calling 206-521-6001.

--June 13 -- New York, NY -- Peak Experience IV

--June 15-21 -- Jackson, WY -- Grand Tetons Climbers Week

--June 21 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- Mammut Bouldering Comp Utah

--June 21 -- Golden, CO -- Mountain Fest 2009

--June 24 --Seattle, WA -- Steve Swenson, President of American Alpine Club

Steve Swenson is the current president of the American Alpine Club and a member of the Seattle Vertical World. He will discuss his forthcoming trip to an unclimbed 7,500 meter peak in the eastern Karakoram in India as well as climbing in Pakistan, China, and Patagonia.

Seattle REI, June 24th 2009, 7:00pm

--June 26-27 -- Boulder, CO -- 3rd Annual HERA Climb For Life Celebration

--June 26-28 -- Gunnison, CO --Gunnison Rock & Race Festival

We're always on the lookout for events that bring the climbing community together. If you're aware of an event we don't have posted above, please feel free to email us with all the details. Event posts will be made at AAI's discretion.

Denali Expedition Making Summit Attempt

Denali Expedition Team 1 left high camp at 17,200 at 12 noon Alaska time (4pm Eastern time) to make a summit attempt.  In his satellite phone message, guide Paul Ivaska said:

 "We're here in the sun at 17,200 feet ready to make a bid for the summit.  We'll leave in just a few minutes.  We are worried that some poor weather may be coming in over the next few days, so this might be our best shot. Wish us luck!"

NOTE:   

You can follow the progress of three 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 follow the team you want. 

Dispatches are posted M-F on the dispatch page.  Aside from special events, they are posted on this blog only on the weekends, and on Monday they are moved to the dispatch page.  

Angle and Force in an Anchor

You've heard before, and I'll say it again. The lower the angle between the pieces in an anchor, the better equalized the anchor will be.

What does this actually mean?

Well, first it means that the American Death Triangle is really bad...

The American Death Triangle = Death
From the Chockstone Website

And second it means that...

If an anchor is composed of two pieces, and one piece is directly above the other piece, and you are using a pre-equalized knot on a cordellete clipped to the pieces, then you are likely to be close to completely equalized at your master-point. The photo below shows a three piece anchor with low angles between the pieces. The low angles make this a very good anchor. However, due to the fact that the pieces are not completely in line with one another, the anchor cannot be truly equalized.

A Very Good Pre-Equalized Anchor that is Not Truly Equalized
Guides believe that this is an acceptable anchor.
Photo from Splitter Climbing Gear

Some may find minor concerns with the different lengths of cord in the preceding picture. Most guides are not concerned about this.

When the angle on a two-point anchor increases, so too does the load on each piece. The theory is that when there is no or a very low angle -- under 20 degrees -- the pieces are close to equalized. When the angle increases to 40 degrees, then 54% of the load is on each piece. As the angle increases to 80 degrees, then 70% of the load is on each piece. And when the angle increases to 120 degrees, then 100% of the load is on each piece.

The following chart from the Technical Manual for Mountain Guides from the AMGA, demonstrates this with proposed weight of 1000 pounds.


The video savvy Canadian guide, Mike Barter, put together a great video on this subject for youtube.com. He uses a number of visual demonstrations throughout the video to show how weight affects an anchor as the angle increases. Check out the video below:



--Jason D. Martin

Another Update from 11,000 Feet on Denali

AAI Guide Lauren Ditallia called at 11:03 pm Saturday night (May 16) with the following dispatch:

"Hello everyone:  I know we didn't called that long ago but we're letting you know that we're better than ever up here, not only because the weather continues top be because my esteemed colleague and guide Mark Grundon cooked us all a truly delicious dinner!

We're also confirming our plan to move to 14,000' and Camp 3 tomorrow.  We're looking forward to it.  We're going to sleep like very happy campers tonight.  So good night and we'll call you soon." 

NOTE:   

For other dispatches from expeditions on Denali and around the world, see AAI's dispatch page on www.aai.cc   The specific URL is  http://aai.cc/currentnews/  

Dispatches are posted M-F on the dispatch page.  They are posted on this blog only on the weekends, and on Monday they are moved to the dispatch page.  

Latest Dispatches from Two Expeditions on Denali

AAI guide Dylan Taylor, leader of Denali Team 2, called by satellite phone tonight from 11,000 feet with the following dispatch:

“Hello everyone.  This is Dylan calling for members of Team 2 to give you an update.  We had a great day today.  The weather was perfect, and we carried from Camp 2 here at 11,000’ to 13,500 where we made a cache.  We’re back here for the night, and we hope to move up to Camp 3 at 14,000 feet tomorrow.

Everyone is on good health.  There is one case of tendonitis, but aside from that, everyone is feeling healthy, adjusting well to the altitude, and sporting a big appetite at every meal!  So we’re all doing fine and are really pleased about our steady progress.

Tomorrow is going to be really busy, but we'll try to call again.  By for now and a warm hello from each of us here to all our family and friends at home.”

Later in the evening, we received the following DISPATCH FROM TEAM 1 lead guide Paul Ivaska:

“Good evening everyone.  Today we had an excellent climb to 16,200' at the top of the West Buttress to put in a cache.  We’re back at Camp 3 now [14,000’], and tomorrow we plan to establish and occupy Camp 4 at 17,200'. 

We’ll probably take a rest day at Camp 4 on Monday and head for the summit on Tuesday or Wednesday, but we could also climb on Monday if the weather forecast is for deteriorating conditions for the later days.  Right now the weather is perfect.  We'll probably call you tomorrow and let you know what we are thinking.  Everyone is feeling really great.  It’s a great team.

Johnna sends her love.  

We’ll call again tomorrow from high camp if we can.  OK.  Goodnight for now and talk to you soon.”

Weekend Warrior -- Videos to get you stoked!

Hello again all you Weekend Warriors!

One of our program coordinators, Ruth, just got back from a roadtrip down to the granite mecca that is Yosemite.  So, in the spirit of her return I thought I would put together a compilation of videos the highlight the incredible climbing found in the Valley.  If you haven't checked out Yosemite for yourself it is well worth a visit...just be ready to fight the crowds if you go during the busy season.

The first video on the lineup is a great showcase of the classic line on El Capitan, The Nose.  Most parties take multiple days on this route and use ropes...but not Dean Potter.  He decided one day to solo the line and make a video documenting the ascent for the rest of us to enjoy.

The second video also features El Capitan but this time it's being climbed by two uber strong brothers, the Hubers.  The video is actually a trailer for a film I still need to see called "To the Limit", which documents the brothers attempt at a new speed record on the Nose.

The final video is a wonderful little potpourri (thank you spell check!) of flora and fauna mixed with some great looking climbs.  And it is all set to a catchy beat that got my feet tapping and anxious to jam into some cracks!

The Birthday Tour

The Birthday Tour is an extremely popular one-day backcountry ski adventure in Washington State's Washington Pass.

The recent plowing of highway 20 and sunny spring weather opened up a large area of easy access backcountry skiing this month. The Birthday Tour is an extremely popular one-day backcountry ski adventure in Washington State's Washington Pass.

The Birthday Tour
Click on the Map to See a Larger Image

Four skiers from Bellingham Mountain Rescue and a few friends saw stellar weather in the forecast last week and took the opportunity to ski the Birthday Tour. The hardest part was finding a place to park in the very popular Washington Pass area, as many skiers headed for the backcountry.

Leaving a car west of the pass, we started at the Blue Lake trailhead and skinned up to the col south of Early Winters Spires. The rugged scenery was spectacular with a fresh coat of new snow. The thin clouds allowed a perfect panorama of the distant peaks.

Snow made for great skiing above 6700 feet. It was a little bit mushy below that. It was the first time any of us had done the route but it was definitely unlikely to be the last. We discovered a fantastic new playground!

Glad to be back to the route after a long day of skiing in the sun.

The ascent just south of Liberty Bell is nice and wide, offering many options for grade selection.

AAI guide Jeff Ries pause to rest and admire the scenery after skiing part of the way down form the col.

Nice wide slopes make it easy to find untracked snow near Copper Pass

Time to skin up again for another run

Spectacular scenery and good friends makes for a memorable ski tour

--Jeff Reis, AAI Backpacking Guide

Climbing News from Here and Abroad -- May 14, 2009

Northwest:

--Last week, the Tacoma News Tribune published an article about Karen Edmundson Bean, an award-winning producer and cinematographer. Bean has put together a DVD that chronicles a series of short hikes on the north side of Mount Baker. To read more, click here.

--Hundreds of miles of backcountry roads used by outdoor enthusiasts would be closed under a new federal plan to protect grizzly bears in the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains that stretch from northeastern Washington to northwestern Montana. The draft Forest Service proposal covers portions of the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Recovery Zones, two of the nation's six grizzly-bear recovery areas. The Selkirk area covers parts of northeastern Washington and north Idaho. The Cabinet-Yaak zone covers parts of north Idaho and northwestern Montana. To read more, click here.

Washington's snowpack is being seriously affected by climate change.
Photo by Joyce Jones

--Climate change appears to be cutting the winter snowpack in Washington's Cascade Range by at least 20 percent, according to a researcher at the University of Washington. Rising temperatures mean more of the snow falls with a high water content, and melts and washes away long before it is needed by users in spring and summer months, the research found. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--A significant danger has slowly been developing in the Nation's national parks and national forests. Major marijuana cultivation has been taking place in places like Yosemite National Park and North Cascades National Park. Many of these backcountry cultivation sites are protected by armed men. The backcountry traveler who accidentally comes upon such a site could face serious danger. National Public Radio ran a story on Tuesday about these sites and one in particular in Yosemite Valley. To read more, click here.

Southwest:

--Plans are underway in Joshua Tree for the development of an approximately 14-acre, eco-friendly campground featuring 22 lodgings shaped like tepees, a 16,000-square-foot reception area and a 300-acre desert tortoise preserve. The two-phase project is expected to be fully completed in eight years, but the first phase of the project should be completed in about three years, said Abel Villarreal, president of JAT Associates, the Los Angeles-based developer of the campground. To read more, click here.

Alaska:

Denali's West Buttress (click on photo to enlarge)
Photo Courtesy of Denali National Park

--A climber collapsed and died of apparently natural causes on Thursday, May 7 while ascending the West Buttress of Mt. McKinley. William Hearne, age 61 of Fairport, New York, was on a on a six-member expedition which began their ascent on May 1. Hearne collapsed shortly before 4:00 p.m. after his team had hauled gear from their camp at 11,200 feet to a cache site at 13,500 feet, just above the location known as Windy Corner. Guides and NPS Rangers performed CPR on the climber for thirty minutes before Hearne was pronounced deceased after telephone consultation with the park’s physician sponsor. To read more, click here.

--After a few days of serious wind, AAI teams on Denali are on the move. Team 1 has moved up to Camp 3 at 14,200 feet and Team 2 is prepping to move to Camp 2 at 11,000 feet. The wind storm earlier this week resulted in gusts that reached 70 miles per hour at 11,000 feet and 50 miles per hour at the 7,200 foot Basecamp. To read our dispatches, click here.

--Mount Redoubt continues to have siesmic issues and is still very volitile. The following is the weekly status update from the Alaska Volcano Observatory:

The 2009 eruption of Redoubt continues. Seismicity at the volcano remains elevated, but has been slightly less intense than a few days ago when renewed explosive activity appeared imminent. Vigorous steam emissions around the margin of the lava dome are visible in web camera images today as are occasional small rock avalanches from the flanks of the lava dome. Rock avalanche activity may produce low level diffuse ash clouds that linger in the vicinity of the volcano summit, but otherwise disperse rapidly in the wind. The steam plume may contain minor amounts of ash near the volcano, but no ash has been detected in satellite or radar data.

The present lull in seismic activity may or may not be significant, and it is possible for earthquake activity to increase to higher levels at any moment. The lava dome continues to grow and remains in an unstable condition, and may collapse at any time especially if the effusion of lava into the core of the dome increases.

AVO is monitoring Redoubt volcano closely and the observatory is staffed 24/7. AVO will provide frequent updates of the volcano's status and the earliest possible warning of significant explosive activity and other hazardous phenomena.

Notes from All Over:

--It's a little known fact that a large percentage of all National Forest Land and a large percentage of all BLM land is free to rustic camping. To read more, click here.

--The Hubble space shuttle mission which launched into orbit this week is carrying a piece of mountaineering history. Astronaut John Grunsfeld is carrying one of Bradford Washburn's cameras into space so that it might be able to take a few more pictures. The now deceased Washburn was one of mountaineering's most prolific explorer's, cartographers and photographers. To read more, click here.


--The National Geographic Channels International has signed on to co-produced the new HD series First Ascent with Sender Films, slated for launch on Nat Geo Adventure in the third quarter of this year. The six-part series follows top-level athletes as they perform daring mountaineering stunts. The climbers attempt such feats such as walking tightropes across rock spires and BASE jumping off peaks in the U.S. Western Wilderness. To read more, click here and here.

--This post on rockclimbing.com is a wild piece of news. It appears that a climber was approximately 40 feet off the deck on lead in Ralph Stover State Park in Pennsylvania, when he was attacked by a raptor of some kind. The bird slammed the climber in the head, leaving multiple talon marks on his neck. This is another good reason to stay away from peregrin falcon nests while climbing. To read about this unusual accident, click here.

AAI a Top 5 Northwest Escapes Winner!

Over 75,000 of what KING–TV calls their “insiders” named American Alpine Institute as one of the best in the 2009 Northwest Escapes contest. Cited were AAI’s rock programs which range from beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses to guided ascents of classics in the Northwest (as well as in the French and Swiss Alps, Squamish, BC, the Sierra, CA, and Red Rock Canyon, NV). “Outside Online” previously described AAI’s rock courses and guided trips as “America’s best rock program.”

Conditions Report -- May 13, 2009

NORTHWEST:

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

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

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

The Worm Flow route on Mt. St. Helens at 4am.  Photo by Steve Cole

--Steve Cole headed out on Mother's Day for a ski ascent of Mt. St. Helens.  Worried about the high avalanche danger predicted by NWAC he got an early start and was on the summit by noon.  He was rewarded for his hard work with some excellent corn skiing and no releases on the way down.  He was even nice enough to post some great photos and a good trip report found here.

A busy day on Hood...let's play count the climbers!  Photo by Thomas Hornsby

--Thomas Hornsby got an alpine start  and headed up to ski the Pearly Gates of Mt. Hood last weekend.  He was greeted with the aftermath of our recent storm and quite a few fellow climbers.  Along the way he as  snapped some great photos and was able to check out the condition of the Gates.  Read the full report here.

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

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

The magnificent Mt. Shuksan.  Photo by Dan Helmstadter

--Dan Helmstadter was quite busy on Mt. Shuksan earlier this month.  After 2 days of skiing great lines down the mountain Dan headed up to the North Face, taking advantage of a break in the rainy weather.  On the way down he heard that heart-stopping noise that can only be a slab release..luckily he avoided getting swept over the cliff below.  After a nerve racking descent he thankfully made it back to tell the story and post some great trip reports.

-Skiing the Southwest Face of Shuksan

-The BYS Couloir

-Danger on the North Face

Looking back at a close call on the North Face of Shuksan.  Photo by Dan Helmstadter

--Tony Martin and Nick Clyne headed into the Enchantments last weekend to do a circumnavigation of Dragontail.  After a great tour and climb they skied Pandora's Box Couloir down to Colchuck Lake.  They posted a great report on Turns all Year that can be read here.

Nick Clyne heading down Pandora's Box Couloir on Dragontail.  Photo by Tony Martin

--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.

--The Sage Hill hiking and biking trails near Wenatchee have been closed due to neighbor complains.  To read more about the closure click here.

SIERRA:

--For updates on the status of Highway 120 over Tioga Pass click here.

--The Glacier Point road in Yosemite opened for the season on May 5.  More details about the status of nearby areas can be found here.  Other current wilderness conditions for Yosemite can be found here.

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

--We found a recent 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:

--Our former Alaska Program Coordinator, Coley Gentzel, recently began work as a climbing ranger for Denali National Park. He returned from a scouting mission with some great beta on the current conditions in the Alaska Range that he kindly sent to us. Here is what he had to say:

Current Conditions in the Range
Overall, the snow conditions in the range are pretty good, better for lower angle glacier travel than higher angle more technical climbing right now. The surface of the valley glaciers have great coverage and the lower Kahiltna looks to be in awesome shape. The snowpack is fairly consolidated on lower angled terrain and a number of wind and ice layers have melded the snowpack together and seem to have locked up a really faceted and unstable layer lower in the snow pack. A recent storm cycle (April 25-27) dumped about three feet of new snow on the Kahiltna and Ruth glaciers with a bit less elsewhere in the range. The big concern with regard to snow conditions and the snow pack this year revolve around an ash layer subsequent to the March Redoubt eruptions. There is a fairly widespread layer of ash in the snowpack at varying depths between 3-4 feet down. I had the chance to observe the affect of the ash while it was on the surface of the snow and it was significant. When and if the new snow melts off and the ash layer is exposed, the surface conditions of the lower glacier will deteriorate very quickly. This is likely of greater concern to the later trips and I am sure there will be lots of communication on the subject between now and then. I am not really sure of any steps that could be taken to mitigate the issue, but rather it is just something to be aware of for now. The first Ranger team of the year is moving to 7800 today and should be at 14k setting up the NPS camp there within a week. There are currently about 30 climbers on the mountain and I don’t think any teams have made it up the fixed lines yet.

Approaching the Radio Control Tower
The approach to the Radio Control tower has changed quite a bit from what it looked like last year. I will try to mark up and send a few photos this evening. Currently there are two options for getting through the icefall on the approach to the route. Looking up from below, the far left hand side and the far right hand side. The far right hand side has less crevasse danger but it is very exposed to an active serac that avalanches across the only route through on that side. The left side is not threatened from above, but it requires some tricky navigation through some complex glacial features. Based on current conditions, I would recommend approaching and descending through the left side of the icefall. As the season wears on, things will change and if the left hand side (NW) poses a significant crevasse danger on the ascent, descending via the other side (SE) is certainly an option. Ascent on this side is not recommended as the time spent in the danger zone would be significant. Currently the left route starts on the outer edge of the icefall and follows a rib between a broken section and a deep slot. The rib ends at the top of a small slope and you are forced back to the right hand side of the icefall by a crevasse that splits most of the slope. This is the site of the crevasse fall from last year’s ARAM. The slots have opened up quite a bit wider than they were and are now impassable.

-Coley Gentzel

--Forecast for Denali.

--Webcam for Denali National Park.

--The Alaska season has begun and we are still accepting applications for our 2009 Denali Expeditions and our 2009 Alaska Range Mountaineering Programs. Please call our office (360-671-1505) for current availability.

ALPS:

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

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

RED ROCK CANYON:

--A couple took advantage two free weeks and headed on a climbing trip destined for Red Rock and Joshua Tree.  They climbed, they smiled, they took pictures...and they posted a trip report.  Check out the journey here.

--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 loop is back to opening its gates at 6 AM instead of 7 AM.

JOSHUA TREE:

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

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

The Daisy Chain Conundrum

To daisy or not to daisy, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mountains to suffer
The lightning and the wind tied in with a clove
Or to take arms against a sea of anchors
With a Daisy or a PAS...Alas a broken daisy,
To die, to sleep -- the undiscovered mountain --
From which no climber has ever returned...

Okay, I admit it, I'm not Shakespeare and even the most serious of free soloists is nowhere near as depressed as the Prince of Denmark. But I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about both Hamlet and daisy chains. I know some of you are wondering how they are connected. They're not...except in my very bad Shakespearean verse.

Daisy chains are a very tricky tool. When used correctly than can be tremendously valuable to a climber. When used incorrectly, they can be incredibly dangerous.

Daisy Chain

A daisy chain is a length of webbing that is easily identified by the sewn loops the run the length of the chain. One end of the daisy is usually girth-hitched through the tie-in point on the climber's harness. The loops on the length of webbing may then be clipped with a carabiner and attached to an anchor, providing a safety attachment for the climber.

The main advantage to the use of a daisy chain is that most people leave them permanently affixed to their harnesses. As such, when they get to an anchor they can quickly and easily clip in. The use of daisy chains is especially valuable when one is trying to set-up a top-rope and needs to clip into something near the lip to remain safe or when one needs a safety attachment for a series of rappels.

It is possible for a daisy chain to fail. If you clip the end of the chain and then clip a loop, the internal loops can come apart as well, causing a catastrophic failure. There are two ways to avoid this. First, you can put a twist in the end of the daisy so that it cannot fail. Or second, it is possible to use two carabiners.

Following is a short video by Black Diamond on daisy chain failures:



There is another alternative to the daisy chain. The PAS (Personal Anchor System) is a series of independent loops that are sewn together in a chain. Climbers who use the PAS will use it in much the same way as a daisy chain, but do not have to worry about catastrophic failure.

Personal Anchor System (PAS)

Some climbers elect to girth-hitch the daisy directly to the belay loop. If you attach it directly to the belay loop, this very important part of the harness may see damage. Once something is girth-hitched to the belay loop, the loop is no longer allowed to shift at the tie-in point. This causes the loop to get rubbed in the same spot repeatedly. In addition to this, the loop is crushed by the girth-hitch, which may also accelerate the damage to the loop.

The preferred attachment to the harness should be via the tie-in point. A girth-hitch through the tie-in will do significantly less damage to the harness and will ultimately be safer.

Most guides do not use daisy chains or the PAS. Instead, they will use their rope to tie directly into the anchor with a clove-hitch. The advantage to a clove-hitch is that it is adjustable once you are off belay. There are styles of daisy chains which allow this, but the amount of adjustment provided is minimal. With a rope, one has the ability to make major adjustments. For example, it's nice to tie into the anchor with a clove, then give yourself enough slack to go back over to the edge of the cliff, so that you can hear and be heard.

Guides often use slings in lieu of a daisy chain. The is because there is little need of a daisy in most multi-pitch environments.

Daisy chains are most useful in either a single pitch or an aid climbing environment. If you're climbing primarily in these environments, then you should definitely consider using a daisy. If you only occasionally play in these types of environments, then a couple of slings are much lighter and can be used in more applications.

--Jason D. Martin

May and June Climbing Events

--May 15-16 -- New River Gorge, WV -- New River Rendezvous

This 3-day climbing festival is a celebration of climbing at the New River Gorge. The weekend is full of climbing, food, friends and fun. NRMG holds instructional clinics taught by pro-climbers like Lynn Hill, Brittany Griffith and many more. Pre-registration is required to attend the event and clinics.

--May 16 -- Portland, OR -- Madrone Wall Clean up & Restoration

--May 16 -- Montreal, QC -- 2009 Canadian Bouldering Championships

--May 16 -- Kings Bluff, Clarksville, TN -- Kings Bluff Trail Day & High School Climbing League Party

--May 16 -- Portland, OR -- Madrone Wall Restoration Event and Clean Up

--May 16 -- Red Rocks, CO -- Red Rocks Canyon Open Space Clean-Up

--May 16 -- Franklin, TN -- The Crag at Cool Springs Trail Day

--May 16 -- Laurel/Snow State Park, Dayton, TN -- Laurel Falls (Dayton) Trail Day

--May 20 -- Las Vegas, NV -- Land Rover LV Hosts Malcolm Daly of Paradox Sports

--May 22-26 -- Kalymnos, Greece -- International Kalymnos Climbing Festival

--May 30 -- Camp Hale, CO -- VAC Teamworks Project

--May 30 -- Fairfled, NJ -- Gravity Bowl

--June 4-7 -- Vail, CO -- Teva Mountain Games

--June 6 -- Nationwide -- American Hiking Society's National Trails Day

--June 6 -- Atlanta, GA -- Boat Rock National Trails Day

--June 11 -- Seattle, WA -- Adventure Film Festival

Climb. Ride. Slide. Fly. Fight for the environment. Inspire. Go higher than you've ever dared to go...

Adventure Film is a film festival based in Boulder, Colorado. Now in its fifth year, Adventure Film was created by a coalition of adventurers, artists, filmmakers and activists to explore the power of storytelling, especially through the narrative of adventure. The organization aims to mobilize people through an awareness of the world. Hence the tagline, "Make Your Own Legends."

Every year the international Adventure Film selection committee chooses over thirty new films from approximately two hundred entries from around the world. Awards Winners in nearly a dozen categories are selected, ranging from "Extreme Sport" to "Activism through Adventure." Adventure Film covers risks, mighty and absurd, the unknown and those experiences that bring viewers to the edge of their seats.

The Mountaineers is pleased to host the first Seattle appearance of Adventure Film on Thursday, June 11, 2009. The doors open at 6:30 pm, the show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased through the Mountaineers Bookstore, or by calling 206-521-6001.

--June 13 -- New York, NY -- Peak Experience IV

--June 15-21 -- Jackson, WY -- Grand Tetons Climbers Week

--June 21 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- Mammut Bouldering Comp Utah

--June 21 -- Golden, CO -- Mountain Fest 2009

--June 24 --Seattle, WA -- Steve Swenson, President of American Alpine Club

Steve Swenson is the current president of the American Alpine Club and a member of the Seattle Vertical World. He will discuss his forthcoming trip to an unclimbed 7,500 meter peak in the eastern Karakoram in India as well as climbing in Pakistan, China, and Patagonia.

Seattle REI, June 24th 2009, 7:00pm

--June 26-27 -- Boulder, CO -- 3rd Annual HERA Climb For Life Celebration

--June 26-28 -- Gunnison, CO --Gunnison Rock & Race Festival

We're always on the lookout for events that bring the climbing community together. If you're aware of an event we don't have posted above, please feel free to email us with all the details. Event posts will be made at AAI's discretion.

Route Profile - Kautz Glacier

With a couple of pitches of steep climbing, an ascent of a broad glacier, and a bivy at the highest camp on Mount Rainier, the Kautz Glacier is thought to be the premier intermediate route on the mountain.

The Kautz Glacier Route
Photo by Mike Riley

In 1857, August Valentine and his party attempted to make the first recorded ascent of Mount Rainier via the Kautz. Unfortunately the party was turned away before they succeeded. The first documented ascent of the mountain would go to Hazard Stevens and Philemon Beecher Van Trump twelve years later in 1870 after they successfully climbed a line to the southeast of the Kautz.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the Kautz was climbed by seven men and three women in 1913, but little more is known. The Kautz eventually received a documented climb in 1920, when Hans Fuhrer, Heinie Fuhrer, Roger Toll, and Harry Myers summited via the route.

In the early years of guided climbing on Mount Rainier, the Kautz became the standard route to the summit. Over time the line fell out of favor as people migrated toward the easier Disapointment Cleaver route, which is now the standard line of ascent. Unfortunately, this so-called "standard route" on the mountain has become a zoo. Thousands and thousands of climbers ascend the "DC" every year and as a result, the Kautz has reclaimed a bit of its wilderness character.

Climbers skirting crevasses on the Kautz Glacier
Photo by Alasdair Turner

The ascent of the Kautz starts in Paradise. From the parking lot, climbers hike up to Glacier Vista above the Nisqually Glacier. From there you drop down onto the the glacier proper. A short traverse across the lower glacier -- often skirting large crevasses -- brings you to "The Fan," a gully that takes you up off the glacier and onto a ridgeline. The ridge eventually leads to a series of moderate snowfields beneath Camp Hazard, known as "The Turtle." Most climbers will bivy as high as they can on The Turtle for a shorter summit day, often camping as high as 11,000 feet.

While there are established camp sites and blue bag receptical bins at Camp Hazard, most climbers avoid this camp. The Kautz ice cliffs above the camp often shed large seracs and the ice-fall danger in the camp is high.

Climbers descend the Kautz Glacier
Photo by Alasdair Turner

On summit day, most climbers will start very early. The short trek up to Camp Hazard must be done quickly to avoid ice-fall. Once at the camp, climbers drop down to the Kautz Glacier proper. There are two steepish pitches of ice climbing below Camp Hazard. Depending on the way that a climber goes, the difficulty can reach up to 60 degrees.

Above the ice pitches, the angle decreases significantly. The remainder of the climb to the summit requires standard mountaineering skills.

Climbers from around the world come to Rainier because of its beauty and granduer. The Kautz Glacier provides an excellent adventure for those looking for an intermediate level route on one of the most spectacular mountains in the world.

--Jason D. Martin

Denali West Buttress Dispatch - Team 1

Unfortunately the satellite phone connection was weak and cut out frequently, however, we were able to get the bulk of the message.

Denali Team 1: May 3 - 23, 2009

May 9, 2009

Lead Guide, Paul Ivaska, from Team 1 reports the following:

"Hi everyone! This is Paul with a West Buttress dispatch for Team 1. Today we went and carried a cache up to 13,500'. It's been quite windy (surprise, surprise), but everyone is doing very well. Tomorrow we'll continue up the mountain and establish camp at 14,000'.

That's it from this end. We'll call you when we get to 14 camp.

Ciao!"

Remember to check our dispatches webpage for trip updates called in during the week!

Weekend Warrior -- Videos to get you stoked!

Good morning Weekend Warriors!

As you do your morning stretches and drink your cup of joe I thought it would be good idea to entertain you with some South American alpine action.  The Andes are an incredible, magnificent range and well worth exploring.  But don't take my word for it...watch the videos!

The first one on our line up is an ascent of the West Face of Tocllaraju in Peru.  This is an amazingly scenic climb and the views from the 19,790 ft summit are breathtaking.

Peru 2 - West Face of Tocllaraju from David E. Anderson on Vimeo.

The second video takes us over the border to Bolivia to showcase Illimani.  Illimani is the highest peak in the Cordillera Real, rising to 21,201 ft.  The video documents the entire climb and even features a soundtrack of the always classic Enya. 

The Spearhead

We had no trouble finding eight backcountry skiers that wanted to try British Columbia's infamous Spearhead Traverse on a Monday in late April, even with marginal weather forecasted. We wanted to spend three days enjoying the area as well as doing the route.

The weather was supposed to be the best on Monday, so we bought our lift tickets in the rain and rode up to the top in the fog. We headed into the backcountry in whiteout conditions, hoping that the clouds would eventually lift. But, unfortunately they didn't go anywhere.

We waited for a few hours hoping that things would change before we realized that we wouldn't be able to complete the route the way that we planned. Six of us decided to descend the Blackcomb Glacier, while two others stayed behind to wait it out.

Patience is a virture and those who wait are often rewarded. The two who stayed behind were rewarded with clear skys and great spring skiing. They ascended Blackcomb peak and then laid fresh tracks all they way down...

AAI Backpacking Guide Jeff Ries in the Fog on the Spearhead Traverse

Heading into Spearhead Backcountry

Camping on the Spearhead

Ralph on top of Blackcomb Peak with the Black Tusk and Whistler Mountain in the background

Ralph Skiing the Blackcomb Glacier

Skiing the Blackcomb Glacier in Great Spring Conditions

--Jeff Ries, AAI Backpacking Guide

Volunteers Needed to Hike Mount Baker Area

AAI just received the following email from the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest:

Mountain Stewards Protect Ecosystem

Who: Adult volunteers 18 years or older with hiking and outdoor recreation skills.

What: Hike trails and teach hikers and climbers about Leave No Trace ethics, safety and Forest Service regulations.

When: Apply by June 25. Complete the Mountain Steward volunteer application here.

Fax to 360-856-1934 or mail to Mt. Baker Ranger District, Mountain Stewards, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284.

Train July 11 & 18, and then volunteer for three shifts on weekend days between July 25–Sept. 13 on trail. Optional training Aug. 8 for Heather Meadow volunteers.

The program runs July 11 – Sept. 13, Friday through Sunday, daytime hours.

Where: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Three of the busiest trail systems in the Mount Baker area: Heliotrope Ridge, Park Butte/Railroad Grade and Heather Meadows.

Contact: Call Mt. Baker Ranger District for more information at 360-856-5700 x225, or email brichey@fs.fed.us.

Climbing News from Here and Abroad -- May 7, 2009

Northwest:

--A climber was injured at Shields Park in the Spokane Valley on Sunday morning. It appears that the climber was practicing his skills as a trad leader when he decided to test a cam by taking an intentional fall. The cam popped and the climber took a 20 foot fall to a ledge. He sustained a head injury, but will make a full recovery. To read more, click here and here.

--It appears that another climber was injured in a fall over the weekend at the Careno Crags in Leavenworth. It's likely that the climber was on Pumpline (5.11a), a traditional line considered to be a testpiece. It's not clear how badly the climber was injured, but he was reportedly released from the hospital shortly after admittance. To read more, click here.

A Climber on the North Ridge of Mount Baker
Archived Photo by Alasdair Turner

--The Northwest summer climbing season has officially started at the American Alpine Institute. On Sunday, our first ice course of the summer season went out as well as our first Alpinism 1. Yesterday, a trip went out to find steep snow and ice in the Stuart Range. And this weekend we have a number of trips headed out into the field!

Sierra:

--After a week of pouring over the mountainous terrain in the Mammoth area, searchers have located the remains of a motorized glider that had been reported missing April 24th. The pilot and passenger, a couple from Colorado, did not survive. To read more, click here.

--The Sierra Wave is reporting that the ski season for Mammoth Mountain was only down 2% from the previous year in ski visits. The Mountain as a whole is off from last year by 7%. The areas of lost cash flow include lodging and dining or hospitality which is off 25%, which reflects the national statistics. To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--John Evans, a well-known Denali guide who worked for AMS, died in a fall in the United Kingdom on Tuesday. It's not clear how the veteran guide died, but he was reportedly rock climbing in the Lanberis Pass area in Wales. To read more, click here.

Click on the Photo for a Larger Image

--The American Alpine Institute's first Denali team is working their way up the West Buttress. If all goes well they will be moving to Camp II at 11,000 feet today. To read the dispatches, click here.

--The following report on Mount Redboubt's volcanic activity is from the Alaska Volcano Observatory:

Current activity at Redoubt volcano suggests that a significant explosive event is likely, though not certain, in the coming days. The level of seismicity, rate of dome growth, and gas output indicate that an explosive event could occur at any time with little or no warning. Since about May 2, shallow earthquake activity beneath the actively growing lava dome has been slowly increasing. Recent observations indicate that small, ash-producing rockfalls from the dome's north side are becoming more frequent.

The seismic activity consists primarily of repetitive events occurring several times per minute as well as more continuous volcanic tremor. Similar seismicity was observed prior to several explosions earlier in the 2009 eruptive sequence and many of the explosive events during the 1989-90 eruption. The lava dome that has grown in the summit crater is now roughly equal in size to the largest dome that was emplaced during the 1989-90 eruption. As the dome grows larger it becomes increasingly unstable and is more and more likely to experience a complete or partial dome failure. A dome failure event could produce voluminous block and ash flows down Drift glacier and could generate significant amounts of meltwater.

Ash preserved in the snow northwest of Mount Redoubt
Photo by Janet Schafer - Alaska Volcano Observatory

Should a significant explosion, dome collapse, or both occur, the event will likely produce high altitude (>30,000 ft ASL) ash plumes, trace to minor ash fall in parts of south-central Alaska, lahars and flooding in the Drift River valley, and pyroclastic flows in the immediate vicinity of the volcano. The effects of the next explosive event or events could be similar to what has been observed so far during the 2009 eruption.

AVO is monitoring the situation closely and the observatory is staffed 24/7. AVO will provide frequent updates of the volcano's status and the earliest possible warning of significant explosive activity and other hazardous phenomena. The next AVO visit to the volcano is planned for May 7, weather permitting.

Himalaya:

Should there be bolts on Mount Everest?

--On the May 2nd, after deliberation and coordination among the leading Everest teams, a small group of Western guides assisted by a number of Sherpas spent most of the morning working on the Yellow Band of Everest. The Yellow Band is situated above Camp 3 on the South (Nepalese) side of the mountain at approximately 25,000 feet. The team cleared away loose rock and cut away old rope, making the forthcoming summit pushes this season a safer proposition. In the process a number of bolts were also placed in this area of compact rock. This will no doubt bring a certain amount of criticism on those who were involved. To read more, click here and here and here.

--It appears that the first summits of Mount Everest this season took place on Cinco de Mayo. A group of Sherpas fixing lines from Camp 4, topped out via the South Col route. To read more, click here.

--Joe Puryear and David Gottlieb just completed the first ascent of Jobo Rinjang (22,237') via the direct south face, in the Khumbu Region of Nepal. The pair climbed the line alpine style over 6 days (from April 20 to April 25) and summited on April 22nd. To read about the ascent, click here.

--Guy Cotter, owner of Adventure Consultants, was recently interviewed on a website that focuses on Mount Everest. The American Alpine Institute and Adventure Consultants partner on a number of trips, Mount Everest being one of them. To read Guy's interview, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--Six mountain climbers were killed in an avalanche near the major ski resort of Soelden in the Austrian Alps at the weekend, regional police said Sunday. Witnesses spotted the snowslide in rugged highlands on Saturday and alerted alpine rescuers but they could not reach the scene until Sunday due to poor weather, police in the Tirol provincial capital of Innsbruck said. To read more, click here.--Three teams won the prestigious Piolet d' Or presented in Chamonix, France on April 26th. Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi won their award for the first ascent of the southeast face of Kamet (25,446') in India. Kazuaki Amano, Fumitaka Ichimura and Yusuke Satowon for their first ascent of the complete north face of Kalanka (22,739') in India. And lastly, Simon Anthamatten and Ueli Steck completed the first ascent of Tengkangpoche (21,325') in Nepal. To read more, click here.

--There is a new blog making waves on the internet. Hiker Hell is a blog that dissects accidents and fatalities after they take place in the wilderness. The idea behind the blog is to make people aware of the mistakes of others so that they are not repeated. To view the blog, click here.

Conditions Report -- May 6, 2009

NORTHWEST:

The always impressive Dragontail. Photo by John Calder

--Last Friday John Calder headed up to Colchuck Lake for a little recon mission. He climbed the Colchuck Glacier to the col between Dragontail and Colchuck Peak, affording him a great perspective of the current conditions in the area. To read his report click here.

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

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

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

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

--A party headed up to Rainy Pass last Friday to attempt an ascent of Black Peak. Among them was Will Baker, who posted a great trip report and photos on NWHikers.net. To read more about the great day they had in the mountains click here.

The great view towards Glacier Peak from Black Peak. Photo by Will Baker

--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.

SIERRA:

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

--We found a recent 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:

John Frieh on evening commute home in the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier. Photo by Doug Shepard

--John Frieh and Doug Shepard just returned from the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier. They got in some great climbing and posted a fantastic trip report chock full of awe-inspiring photos (see above!) and good stories. Read more about their trip here.

--Our former Alaska Program Coordinator, Coley Gentzel, recently began work as a climbing ranger for Denali National Park. He returned from a scouting mission with some great beta on the current conditions in the Alaska Range that he kindly sent to us. Here is what he had to say:

Current Conditions in the Range
Overall, the snow conditions in the range are pretty good, better for lower angle glacier travel than higher angle more technical climbing right now. The surface of the valley glaciers have great coverage and the lower Kahiltna looks to be in awesome shape. The snowpack is fairly consolidated on lower angled terrain and a number of wind and ice layers have melded the snowpack together and seem to have locked up a really faceted and unstable layer lower in the snow pack. A recent storm cycle (April 25-27) dumped about three feet of new snow on the Kahiltna and Ruth glaciers with a bit less elsewhere in the range. The big concern with regard to snow conditions and the snow pack this year revolve around an ash layer subsequent to the March Redoubt eruptions. There is a fairly widespread layer of ash in the snowpack at varying depths between 3-4 feet down. I had the chance to observe the affect of the ash while it was on the surface of the snow and it was significant. When and if the new snow melts off and the ash layer is exposed, the surface conditions of the lower glacier will deteriorate very quickly. This is likely of greater concern to the later trips and I am sure there will be lots of communication on the subject between now and then. I am not really sure of any steps that could be taken to mitigate the issue, but rather it is just something to be aware of for now. The first Ranger team of the year is moving to 7800 today and should be at 14k setting up the NPS camp there within a week. There are currently about 30 climbers on the mountain and I don’t think any teams have made it up the fixed lines yet.

Approaching the Radio Control Tower
The approach to the Radio Control tower has changed quite a bit from what it looked like last year. I will try to mark up and send a few photos this evening. Currently there are two options for getting through the icefall on the approach to the route. Looking up from below, the far left hand side and the far right hand side. The far right hand side has less crevasse danger but it is very exposed to an active serac that avalanches across the only route through on that side. The left side is not threatened from above, but it requires some tricky navigation through some complex glacial features. Based on current conditions, I would recommend approaching and descending through the left side of the icefall. As the season wears on, things will change and if the left hand side (NW) poses a significant crevasse danger on the ascent, descending via the other side (SE) is certainly an option. Ascent on this side is not recommended as the time spent in the danger zone would be significant. Currently the left route starts on the outer edge of the icefall and follows a rib between a broken section and a deep slot. The rib ends at the top of a small slope and you are forced back to the right hand side of the icefall by a crevasse that splits most of the slope. This is the site of the crevasse fall from last year’s ARAM. The slots have opened up quite a bit wider than they were and are now impassable.

-Coley Gentzel

--Forecast for Denali.

--Webcam for Denali National Park.

--The Alaska season has begun and we are still accepting applications for our 2009 Denali Expeditions and our 2009 Alaska Range Mountaineering Programs. Please call our office (360-671-1505) for current availability.

ALPS:

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

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

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 loop is back to opening its gates at 6 AM instead of 7 AM.

JOSHUA TREE:

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

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

Top-Managed Belays

Most leaders will do one of two things at the top of a route. They'll either build an anchor and lower off or they'll bring up a second to clean the route. It makes a lot of sense to bring up a second if you're going to continue up a multi-pitch line or if it isn't possible to rappel off.

In essence the leader who is stationed above the climber is working at a top-managed site. He is belaying the climber from above and is not top-roping. Most people only belay from above after they have lead a climb, but there are a number of situations where it is advantageous to actually top-rope from the top of a climb.

A Climber Belays from the Top
Photo by Jason Martin

Acadia and Ouray are both popular places where many routes require top-managment, climbers literally have little to no choice in many parts of these parks. Acadia is a climbing area situated on a series of sea cliffs. One can only access the crags by lowering down or rappelling down. Ouray is an ice park in Colorado. All of the routes are accessed from the top and most people lower in and then climb back out on a top-rope.

Most places don't require a top-managed set-up like the preceding examples. But there are many advantages to managing a crag from the top.

Value of a Top-Managed Site:

1. There is no chance that rocks or other debris will strike a belayer or another climber below. This is particularly nice in ice climbing. In Ouray, it is common for climbers to lower one another into a canyon to climb back out. There are very few people at the base that might be hit by falling ice.
   
2. There is fifty percent less rope in the system. Less rope in the system allows for less elongation in a dynamic rope when a climber falls on a top-rope. This is a great advantage if there are a lot of ledges on a climb that someone might twist their ankle on if they take a short dynamic fall.
   
3. If a climb is over a half of a rope length, it is often easier to manage the route from the top than to deal with two ropes tied together.
4. This provides you with the ability to easily monitor the anchor system.
5. Smaller loads are placed on the anchor than in a traditional top-rope set-up. In a traditional set-up, the physics of the system make it so that both the climber and the belayer's weight are on the anchor whenever a climber falls or is lowered.
   
6. Occasionally, the bottom of the crag is dangerous. Perhaps you are working on sea cliffs or in another medium that makes the base of the climb hazardous. Numerous crags have parking lots above the routes. In many scenarios the bottom of the climbs are steep and vegetated. In some cases, they are simply hard to access via a trail.
7. If you know any quick hauling systems, it's nice to manage from the top because you can assist a person if they get stuck climbing.
   
8. If you want to get a lot of top-rope routes in without leading, it may be fastest to top-manage the climbing area.

A Climber Lowers his Partner from a Top-Managed Site
Photo by Jason Martin

Disadvantages to a Top-Managed Site:

1. It is difficult to see and to coach the climber that has been lowered down. Sometimes it is also difficult to hear.
2. The climber's rope is more likely to go over edges when managed from the top.
3. There may be more impact on a fragile cliff-top ecosystem.
4. If there are many climbers waiting to climb, it may be more dangerous to manage the route from the top. There is more exposure and more opportunities to make a mistake near a cliff-edge.
5. People are unused to it and often don't want to try something new.
   

The most common way to access climbs in a top-managed situation is for the climber to lower down and then climb back up. Occasionally, a climber will rappel to the bottom and then climb back up, but this is not quite as safe as lowering. Lowering is safer because the belayer can check the climber's knot before he leaves.

This blog isn't to say that top-management is better. While it may be better in some situations, this article was actually designed to give you a quick taste of an alternative to regular top-roping. The best way to understand the strengths and weaknesses of such a technique is to experiment. Try top-managing at a crag you are familiar with for a day. It will be a very educational experience and will definately put another tool into your climber's toolbox.

--Jason D. Martin

May and June Climbing Events

--May 7 -- Seattle, WA -- Bree Loewen: Pickets and Dead Men. Book signing and slide show

--May 7-May 10 -- Carbondale, CO -- Five Point Film Festival

The 5Point Film Festival is on a mission to inspire adventure of all kinds, to connect generations through shared experience and respect, to engage passion with a conscience, and to educate through film.

On the edge between desire and fear, between the known and unknown, is a place deep inside us all where the spirit is transformed — pushed beyond its limit by our deliberate commitment to usher in something new and original. In this soulful place we are catalyzed to learn, expand and engender newfound understanding to inspire others on their journeys. It is this spirit, this thirst for adventure that the 5Point Film Festival celebrates and shares with the community and filmmakers that gather for its annual Festival in Carbondale.

The 5Point Film Festival is on a mission to inspire adventure of all kinds, to connect generations through shared experience and respect, to engage passion with a conscience, and to educate through film.

The 5Point Film Festival inspires us to explore wild places and to return with a renewed vigor to protect our natural world. Proceeds from the 5Point Film Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit, benefit 1% for the Planet, Carbondale Environmental Board and other non-profits throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond.

--May 9 -- Seattle, WA -- Skip Yowell - Founder of Jansport

--May 9 -- Smith Rock, OR -- Smith Rock Spring Thing

--May 9 -- Las Vegas, NV -- Spring Mountain Clean-up
Join new friends in the cool mountain breezes among the shade of trees to help remove litter from the mountain environment and recreation sites that can be found in the Mt. Charleston area. A special group of outdoor enthusiasts (hikers, mountain bikers, and climbers) is being organized to clean the pullouts along the Deer Creek Highway (the road between Kyle and Lee canyons). This may involve off trail walking over some possibly steeper, more uneven terrain that will require sure footed and fit individuals.

Please volunteer today! This is a great opportunity to help preserve the natural beauty of the Spring Mountains. Just a little bit of work and a whole lot of fun! We depend on the mountain and the mountain depends on you.

Spring Cleaning
Saturday, May 9
9:30am - 10:00am .........Volunteer Check-in
10:00am - 1:00pm..........Volunteer Litter Pickup
1:00pm - 3:00pm...........BBQ with Live Entertainment and Raffle Prizes
Volunteer Today!
Contact: Ron Rudy
kiwanoron@hotmail.com • 702.238.4108

--May 9 -- Ann Arobr, MI -- Bouldering Competition

--May 10 -- Seattle, WA -- Festival of Trees

--May 15-16 -- New River Gorge, WVNew River Rendezvous

This 3-day climbing festival is a celebration of climbing at the New River Gorge. The weekend is full of climbing, food, friends and fun. NRMG holds instructional clinics taught by pro-climbers like Lynn Hill, Brittany Griffith and many more. Pre-registration is required to attend the event and clinics.

--May 16 -- Montreal, QC -- 2009 Canadian Bouldering Championships

--May 16-17 -- Baraboo, WI -- Mountain Gear's UClimb

--May 16 -- Portland, OR -- Madrone Wall Restoration Event and Clean Up

--May 16 -- Red Rocks, CO -- Red Rocks Canyon Open Space Clean-Up

--May 22-26 -- Kalymnos, Greece -- International Kalymnos Climbing Festival

--May 30-31 -- Fayetteville, WV -- Mountain Gear's UClimb

Darrington Ranger District Hosts Open House

The American Alpine Institute just received the following email from the Darrington Ranger District:

Who: US Forest Service Darrington Ranger District

When: May 12, 3:30-8:30 p.m.

What: Open House. Meet district ranger and staff. Review upcoming projects, ask questions about project-related resource issues. Federal Highway Administration present
with updates on flood-related repairs.

Where: 1405 Emens Ave. North, Darrington, Wa. 98241

Contact: 360-436-1155

Sunrise this morning over Three Fingers, one of the western-most small peaks of the 

North Cascades in Washington.

Thanks to friend and professional photographer Keither Gunnar.

Keith took the  photo from his home on Whidbey Island.

A Ski Descent of the Sulphide

With a good forecast, 4 of us (Eric, Chuck, Jeff, and Paul) decided to check out Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier. We found excellent spring skiing conditions from the woods on Shannon Ridge (~4400 ft) to our turn-around point at the base of the summit pyramid (8500 ft). The only place that we encountered wind was at our highpoint. The rest of the glacier was incredibly peaceful and offered spectacular views of the North Cascades National Park to the east.

The only difficulty that we encountered was on the approach. Downed trees and snow patches forced us to park at 1600 ft on the Shannon Ridge road. Alternating snow patches and bare ground made for difficult travel until the clear cut where skinning became an effective means of travel. The clear cut was completely covered in snow, but is melting fast. It was total mush on our return.

We watched a solo skier descend from Shuksan’s summit via the main south facing gully. Nicely done Dan H. After a brief visit, he was off to ski Shuksan’s West Face.

We saw no other people our entire trip, but the grouse were sure abundant and noisily whuumphing their air sacks in the woods below snow line.

AAI Backpacking Guide Jeff Ries Ascends the Sulphide glacier in Beautiful Spring Weather

Chuck Foster Skis Shuksan's Sulphide Glacier

--Jeff Reis, AAI Backpacking Guide

Snow keeps Pilchuck Mountain Road closed

AAI just received the following email from Mount Baker/Snoqulamie National Forest:

Pilchuck Mountain Road is closed at Heather Lake trailhead, Forest Service Road milepost 1.5, blocking access to Mt. Pilchuck Trail. Although clear at the gate, snow blocks the road a mile further up, causing vehicles to get stuck. Snow also covers the trail, putting hikers at risk for getting lost.

Photo by Greg Rasar

An Ascent of Graybeard

We recently completed our staffing for the 2009 season. We hired a new guide named Kevin Hogan. Kevin is eagerly awaiting his guide training which will start later in the month. In the meantime he has been getting out and climbing a lot.

Kevin recently completed a spectacular ascent of Graybeard, a difficult alpine climb on the North Cascades Highway. He climbed the line with a Seattle climber named Doug Seitz. Doug recently posted the following trip report about he and Kevin's ascent of Graybeard on Cascadeclimbers.com:
___________________________________________________

Kevin Hogan and I headed up Friday afternoon for the ceremonial gate opening of the N Cascades HW. After killing sometime in Marblemount chatting with Civil War re-enacters about the intricacies involved in fragging Yanks we drove up and found a building waiting line at the gate. Leading the charge was Tootsie, who for the last 20+ years has been giving out cinnamon rolls and coffee to anxious East-bounders. We picked up our raisin-loaded rolls while she says that I "look like the mean one. You need something sweet"... Tootsie is a sweet lady but luckily all I got was the roll.

...

The gates opened a little before 8pm and we rolled to the Easy Pass Trailhead pull-off to discover just under freezing temps, snow down low that was firm and consolidated... conditions that looked good, a face that looked good, with morale and excitement rising.

We used the remaining daylight to find the bridge over Granite and then headed back to enjoy chilling views of the face before going in for the night.

...

We started off at 3:40am to uneventful snowshoeing up the creek. We got to the base at a little before 5, geared up, stashed gear, probably started up around 5:30.

The first ice pitch was fat and blue WI2, followed by a snow ramp that was firm. There wasn't much there in the next ice band.

We found this left trending rock ramp traverse that Kevin excitedly took and deemed it M3ish... a few moves were pretty spicy. From there we headed up the ice band up the middle which was a little steeper and longer than it seemed from afar - probably AI3... Then we headed straight up toward the crux ice pitch, which we broke into two sections. The first part was longer, steeper and run-out and the second -- which was about 2 body lengths of vertical ice (yes, 90 degrees) -- which tapered off towards the top - AI4. Up to this point we were regularly being showered with surface sluff slides, making it all that much more fun and picturesque climbing.

...

From this point on the face the climbing stopped being as straightforward or fast... and fun? Nah.

We had figured that the previous warm days would've consolidated snow on the mountain. Well, from the last ice pitch on up the snow was mostly loose and unconsolidated, being held onto the slope by a 2" solid top layer. Repeatedly we found areas where we'd ascend only a few feet a minute if that, hopelessly kicking deeper into the face to try to find some snow that would hold. Axe plunges were worthless at that point. Loosing your footing was a scary possibility. The order of the game was axe on one hand, picket on the other for pulling yourself up the loosest of the loose - this worked very well and saved a lot of time on the upper pitches. Protection was sparse, or just too hard to get to during those pitches unless you spent some time chipping at hidden and iced-up rocks, hoping that it would show some weakness, often only to find that it crumbled under your gear and you wasted all that time.

Over the last five pitches we built the best bleay anchors that we could...and then the leader ran out the pitch to the end of the rope with the second eventually simulclimbing until the next good anchor could be found. For some odd reason picture-taking pretty much ceased at that point.

Other than for use as essential climbing tools, pickets were worthless as pro on the snows of the upper mountain unless you dug very deep.

...

With a good early start and efficient movement down low, I figured we'd top out at sometime between 12-2pm. Well, we finally topped out on the ridge at 5pm, having been on the face for almost 12hrs. On the route we picked, we avoided any cornice tunneling, instead finding a steep (up to 80+ degrees) snow ramp. With one last picket plunge, I pulled up and onto the ridge. We had a quick celebration and headed up towards the summit with our minds on the descent.

We decided to go down through Easy Pass, probably because of the inviting name. We found the South gully to indeed be easy. Walking down it was easy, the temporary whiteout was annoying...but easy. The long traverse was long and tedious, but easy. It took some time, but it was pretty easy. We were back at the base at 7 and back at the car at 8pm.

...

The route is just stellar and delivered the full-on alpine experience that we expected to get from it. We were mentally exhausted, but fulfilled. After the climb we told each other that we didn't need to do that route again...maybe I just have a bad memory, but I'd probably do it again if persuaded.

.......

Kitty enjoys a balanced meal of milkshake and screws with ketchup.


Kevin trains crushing mole hills in preparation for mountains.


Tootsie hands out sugar-drenched rolls. Tootsie has been the first person to enter the closed section of highway for 20+ years.


...the waiting is the hardest part
















Bloody faces and Graybeard TRs seem to go together.




--Doug Seitz, Seattle Based Climber

Weekend Warrior -- Videos to get you stoked!

Welcome Weekend Warriors to another edition of Videos to get you Stoked!

We've got a very special collection of videos this week that are guaranteed to satisfy your hunger for the stoke.  Since the weather has been warming up in the Northwest I decided it was time to highlight one of the great climbing areas close to home, Squamish.  These amazing granite cliffs to the north offer some of the best climbing around but don't take my word for it...check out the videos!

The first video on the line-up features an inspirational story of a quadriplegic on a mission to climb the Grand Wall.  With pure dedication, a lot of ingenuity, and a bit of support he is able to make an attempt at the huge granite face.  Does he make it...watch and find out!

The second video showcases the first ascent of the infamous Dreamcatcher on the Cacodemon Boulder.  Watch as the gravity defying Chris Sharma sends this incredible, seemingly impossible line.  I don't know how he does it...maybe it's the loud screaming whenever he gets pumped.  I think I'll give it a shot next time I'm at the crags.

The final video is my personal gift to all of you.  We had to dig into the archives for this little gem of a video, which is probably the greatest music video ever made...seriously, this thing is pure gold!  Watch as David Lee Roth transforms himself from a hip-thrusting, roundhouse kick throwing (eat your heart out Chuck Norris) rock and roll superstar into a pendulum swinging, tyrollean traversing Yosemite rock climber.  Let's not forgot David's exit off-stage at the end of this video..pure genius.

David Lee Roth - Just Like Paradise
by jpdc11

National Parks Receive Over $750 Million in Stimulus Package!

Mount Rainier, receiving $3.3 million, and Joshua Tree, receiving $5.3 million, are just two of the parks which will be receiving funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This extra money will provide the essential tools to maintain and upgrade these beautiful lands.

[photo found at greatoutdoors.com]

Specific projects for Mount Rainier:

• Improve public access to Carbon River that was damaged in the floods.
  
• Replace exhibits at Sunrise Visitor Center and improve view access for disabled people.
  
• Specific work includes major reroutes on the Glacier Basin and Carbon RiverWonderland Trail; a reroute on the Kautz Creek Trail; installation of guard rail on the Silver Falls Trail at Ohanapecosh; Stevens Canyon Wonderland Trail repairs; and repairs to bridges at Deer Creek, Stevens Creek, Martha Falls, Paradise River, Devils Dream, and the Ohanapecosh River.
  
• Stabilize riverbank and repair damaged pavement on Longmire back road.
  
• Replace electric power lines at Narada Falls overlook
  
• Build accessible trailhead at new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center
• Fix structural problems in historic buildings
• Install grid-tied solar systems on park buildings. To read more, click here.

Specific Projects for Joshua Tree:

• Many paved roads and parking areas will receive chip seal and slurry treatments designed to prolong their planned life.
• Park campsites will receive new fire pits and grills.
• Broken picnic tables and benches will be replaced, and some campsite surfaces will be hardened to allow for improved accessibility.
• Water storage tanks at Cottonwood and Black Rock will be cleaned and painted to resist corrosion and help meet state water quality standards.
• About half of the 1.5-mile Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail will be renovated to repair damaged sections of the trail.
• Numerous other park trails will see brush cleared, waterbars built, retaining walls and erosion-control features constructed, and disturbed areas replanted with native desert vegetation.
• In addition, numerous abandoned mines in the park will have wildlife-friendly exclosures built to improve visitor safety while enhancing the value of the sites for bats and other wildlife.

“The Recovery Act gives us a chance to move forward on a number of significant projects that will improve park facilities and visitor safety at Joshua Tree,” according to Superintendent Curt Sauer. “The funds will also create private- and public-sector jobs in an area of the state that has been among the hardest hit by the economic downturn.” To read more, click here.

--Daniel Hartwick, AAI Intern