February 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter

8/9/2019 February 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter

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MountaineerThe

www.mountaineers.org

February, 2010Volume 104, No. 2

M3 Service Award

M5 Hike the Hill fortrails

M2 View from the Top

M4 Conservation Currents

M4 Summit Savvy

M7 Passages

M7 Off the Shelf

M8 Branches & Limbs

DiscoverTheMountaineers

If you are thinking of joining -

or have joined and arent sure

where to start - why not attend

aninformation meeting?

Check theGo Guide branch

sections for times and locations.

Are you ready to jump right in?

Visitwww.mountaineers.org.

Need to call?206-521-6000.

PERIODICAL

POSTAGEPAIDAT

SEATTLE,WA

T

heMountaineers

7

700SandPointWayN.E.

S

eattle,WA98115

U p c o m i n gU p c o m i n g

Continued on M3

Himalayan trekking A free

presentation and slide show aboutHimalayan trekking will come to

Mountaineers headquarters on

Thu., Feb. 4. See pg. 2 of the Go

Guide(International Outings) for

details.

Ski holiday Mt. Baker Lodge

welcomes all to shake off their

boots before entering, but other-

wise the doors are open to all ski,

board or snowshoe fanatics on

Presidents Day weekend. See pg.

18 of the Go Guide.

The monthly publication of The Mountaineers

Attendee reects on hopesand nopes of Copenhagen

The urgency has not

trickled down to everyday

people or they would be

putting more pressure on

their governments. Florian Schulz

with Mountaineers Publisher HelenCherullo in photo at left

Florian Schulz photo

Editors note:Mountaineers

Books Publisher Helen Cherullo

attended the International Con-

ference on Climate Change

in Copenhagen for the books

division imprint, Braided River,

whose mission is to engage new

audiences in the pursuit of pro-

tecting the last wild places in the

American West, while creating a

sustainable future. Also attendingwere Braided River and Moun-

taineers authors/photographers

Florian Schulz, Steven Kazlowski

and Subhankar Banerjee. Fol-

lowing are some excerpts from

a blog Helen composed on the

Braided River website. You may

view the blog in its entirety at

www.braidedriver.org.

Perceptions

Back at home people e-mailed

and asked me, What about the

riots? Have you seen the vio-

lence? The media loves to report

on conictbut it was such a

small part of what was going on,

and no, I saw none of it, although

the sirens and police presence

did intensify with each day.

If 100,000 really was the total

number of people demonstrating

Continued on M6

Sometimes a Mountaineers

member just wants to get

out and try something new,

without having to know everything

about carpool rules or cancellation

policies.

Such was the case with Jack Nich-

ols, a Washington native who was

looking for a way to learn a new

outdoor skill without much commit-

ment or the risk of embarrassment,

let alone danger.

I really didnt know what I was

getting into at rst. I thought about

joining The Mountaineers for a

while, but was kind of hesitant,

not wanting to go into a group of

experienced outdoors people and

be seen as someone who doesntknow what they are doing, stated

Nichols, who joined The Mountain-

eers in 2008 and participated in

his rst instruction-oriented activity

By Brad Stracener

Trailhead

whets biggerappetite fornew member

Nichols on a Mountaineers rock climb.

Service Award recipient, pg. M3

Library operations changeDue to operational changes, Moun-

taineers wishing to use The Moun-

taineers Library should contact

member services at 206-521-6001.The library continues to offer an

outstanding collection of books, pe-

riodicals, videos, and club records.

Our archived and current sources

of information focus on outdoor

recreation, including rock, snow,

water and mountaineering sports.

There is also a breadth of conser-

vation, human and natural history

resources available.

The library provides a rich resource

Continued on M7

Mountaineers ofces will be closed

Mon. Feb. 15 in honor of Presidents

Day. The closure includes the book-

store and library.

Get tickets Reel soon! The March

dates are set and tickets usually gofast, so check out the vitals on the

Radical Reels lm tour on M5.

Sharpen the lens Enrollment

continues for the renowned basic

photography course offered by the

Seattle Branch. See the ad on M5

or pg. 12 of the Go Guide.


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February010TheMountaineer

with the newly developed Trailhead

program.

The great thing about Trailhead is

that, for example, you dont have to

know everything about the carpool

system. You meet lots of cool peo-

ple and get to gain an experience

that you wouldnt have otherwise.

One of those cool people, accord-

ing to Nichols, was the Trailhead

coordinator, Ken Hahn, a Moun-

taineers staff member, who found-

ed Trailhead nearly two years ago.

I have not seen anything quite

like Trailhead. There are other

programs out there but it gets a bit

scary because there is usually lots

of technical stuff involved, Nichols

noted.

According to Hahn, one of the pur-

poses of Trailhead is to offer taste

tests of our bigger programs.

He added, There is no huge

monetary, time or gear-purchase

commitment. Most of what we of-

fer is done in a day, and done in a

super-casual, welcoming and safe

atmosphere.

From there, Hahn noted, partici-

pants are left to decide whether

or not to progress to a broader

curriculum with The Mountaineers,

as Nichols eventually did. Now

a graduate of The Mountaineers

climbing course and a Trailheadleader, Nichols said his rst Trail-

head trip as a participant was an

Alpine Scrambling For Beginners

outing in June of 2008 that Hahn

led.

Nichols said he likes Trailheads

structureor lack thereofcom-

pared to a lot of other outdoor

programs he has experienced.

Before joining The Mountaineers,

he whetted his appetite for climbing

by taking a brief course at Vertical

World. He soon found that it wasdifcult to nd others interested

enough to join him on rock climbing

trips.

The great thing about Trailhead

is that everyone is just having so

much fun that it rubs off. said the

Microsoft employee who lives in

Ballard. He noted that this dynamic

makes it easier to nd companions

for outdoor adventures.

Hahn says Trailhead has essen-

tially spawned its own community,

within The Mountaineers greater

community. In the past, its often

been at the larger course level

where community and bonding

has formed, said Hahn, and this

is where long-lasting value (and

retention) is grown in the organiza-

tion. But, he noted, the virtue of

Trailheadand its uniquenessis

the complement of entry-level

experiences it offers Mountaineers

such as Nichols.Indeed, the 28-year-old has

become a bit of an ambassador

and recruiter of new Mountaineers

members. I have actually brought

a couple of people into our rock-

day events. He told of another oc-

casion when he was speaking with

a restaurant server about climbing

and the person became interested

in joining The Mountaineers.

He is not bashful about propound-

ing the virtues of Trailhead and

The Mountaineers. When I joinedThe Mountaineers, there were no

programs for someone new to the

club. Then Ken (Hahn) sent an

e-mail out about the intro to alpine

scrambling event.

Nichols said the Trailhead pro-

gram is a great introduction to the

outdoors and The Mountaineers

because everyone is there to have

a good time.

Currently there are about 10-

12 Trailhead events offered per

month, according to Hahn. Expan-

sion of the program is planned for

2010, and he hopes that maybe as

many as 25-30 events are offeredper month club-wide by next year.

It is a running joke, Nichols said,

that every Trailhead trip includes

at least one participant who works

for either his employer or Ama-

zon. However, he said the groups

in Trailhead are otherwise quite

diverse and fun.

I get to meet tons of cool people

from all different walks of life who

I would not have met otherwise.

You see rich, poor, young, women,

menall with different reasons

as to why they are there and what

they want to gain from the experi-

ence.

Utlimately, he said, The common

vein is fun. It is the start of some-

thing for everyone and that is why

they are there.

Brad Stracener is managing editor

ofThe Mountaineer.

Trailhead at a glance: New or prospective members can now sample an activity before

committing to a large investment of time and effort.

If a member misses the enrollment deadline for a course, he or she

can get a taste of it through Trailhead and experience the culture of

The Mountaineers.

Serves as a refresher for members whose skills in a particular en-

deavor may have become rusty.

Trailhead events are offered year-round.

Note: Ken Hahn is currently presenting the virtues of Trailhead on a club-wide

tour of all Mountaineers branches. He is also gathering and sharing the details

of activity programs at the branch level in order to leverage Mountaineers pro-

gram strengths and to help solve the organizations challenges. For questions

regarding Trailhead or program development in general, Hahn can be reached

at 206-595-7237 or [email protected]. To check out Trailhead trips, just

visit www.mountaineers.org.

Everyone is having so much fun that it rubs off

Trailhead participants stage for an introductory rock climb near Vantage.

Continued from M1

Ken

Hah

np

hot o

By Brad Stracener

Editors note:At The

Mountaineers Annual Meeting last

September, six volunteers were

presented with a Service Award,

which recognizes members for

their outstanding service to the

club. This month, we spotlight Bill

Deters.

Bill Deters was born into an out-

doors family, but it took a tumble

down a snow slope while hunting

one day to prompt him to join The

Mountaineers, and the organization

is much the better for his mishap.

Recently presented the organiza-

tions Service Award, Deters joined

in 1980, when The Mountaineers

was completely run by volunteers,

even its administration. We only

had a bunch of folding chairs (for

clubhouse events and meetings),

and REI was still downstairs on

719 Pike (Street), he recalled. I

dont think we had any professional

staff at all.

He was born a third generation

Seattle nativethe Ballard neigh-

borhood specically. His parents

and their parents hunted, shed

and foraged for a lot of their food.

Deters was bow hunting for moun-

tain goats on White Chuck Moun-

tain when he lost footing and slid

down a steep grade on pretty hard

Dedication, perseverence mark Deters contributions

As president, Deters (left) steered the club through the selling of its old

headquarters to John Goodman (right), thus enabling the move to Magnuson Park. Continued on M5


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February010 TheMountaineer

Can you identifythe summit in

the foreground here? Send your answer

(by Feb. 10) to: Summit Savvy, The

Mountaineer, 7700 Sand Point Way

N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. If you guess

correctly, youll receive $10 of Moun-

taineers Money, good for Mountaineers

Bookstore merchandise, and well

publish your name in next months

column. (In case of a tie, one winner will

be chosen at random.) Club employees

or persons shown in the photograph are

not eligible. Each month well publish a

new mystery summit and identication

of the previous one.

Send your photographs (or slides)

for possible publication as a mystery

summit (include identication for our

benet). If we use your photo, you

will get $10 of Mountaineers Money

as well.

At the end of each year, all correct

respondents names are placed in a

hat and the winner of that drawing will

receive $50 of Mountaineers Money

good for purchases at The Moun-

taineers Bookstore. GRAND PRIZE

WINNER: Ed Palushocks name was

drawn from all those with correct an-

swers in 2009. Congratulations, Ed!

No one correctly guessed last

months mystery summit, Hoodoo

Peak, as photographed by Greg

Marsh.

SummitSavvy

conservation

CURRENTS

The Mountaineers boasts a

long history of winter recre-

ation in the Stevens Pass

area. Generations of Mountaineers

have enjoyed human-powered

recreation at Stevensprimarily

snowshoeing, cross-country skiing,

snowboarding and lift-assisted

downhill skiing.

Opened in 1948 as the Stevens

Ski Cabin, an upgrade in 1954

gave birth to The Mountaineers

Stevens Lodge, offering the only

overnight accommodations avail-

able at the pass and welcoming

Mountaineers members as well

as the general public from early

December through mid-April. In

keeping with The Mountaineers

conservation values, recent up-

grades at Stevens Lodge include

installation of waterless urinals and

low water-use toilets.

It is through this lens of historical

use and commitment to minimizing

the environmental impact of our ac-

tivities that a development proposal

from Stevens Pass Ski Area must

be viewed.

The Mountaineers is often called

upon to provide input to landmanagers on issues that require

us to balance the interests of our

activities and properties against

those of our mission and the ideal

of good stewardship we hold dear.

Providing input on this proposal is

a clear example of the challenge

we face as a multifaceted, dynamic

organization in which we mustas

one wise member recently com-

mentedthread the needle to

provide comprehensive, well-in-

formed input that represents The

Mountaineers as more than the

sum of its parts.

In August 2007, Stevens Pass Ski

Area submitted, as required by

their special use permit, a Master

Development Plan (MDP) with Mt.

Baker Snoqualmie (MBS) NationalForest. The plan as submitted

includes several projects which

would be conducted in phases.

Phase I includes an upgrade to

the water treatment system and a

lift-assisted mountain bike park to

provide summer recreation oppor-

tunities at Stevens Pass.

In June 2008, the MBS requested

public input on the proposed MDP

in what is known as the scoping

process under the National Envi-

ronmental Policy Act (NEPA). The

goals of the scoping process are to

inform the public about a proposal

for which NEPA regulations apply,

to seek input from various public

and governmental stakeholders to

identify issues and illuminate any

signicant impacts that may result

from the proposal and to form pos-

sible alternatives to the proposed

actions in the proposal.

We enhance our standing asan organization in the viewof the general public and with pub-

lic land managers by recognizing

that while we may support propos-

als that enhance recreation, we

hold serious concern for impacts

that detract value from our natural

landscapes. Raising these con-

cerns is especially important during

in the scoping process.

NEPA requires that impacts to the

environment from proposed actions

be assessed before projects begin.

Public input is not merely request-

Qualied support for Stevens Pass

plan issued by MountaineersBy Leesa WrightMountaineers Public Policy Associate

ed but required by NEPA, ensuring

that citizens are able to help inform

decision-making on issues affecting

our public lands. What NEPA doesnot do is mandate that a federal

agency opt for the most environ-

mentally sound decision. Instead,

it requires that the environment be

considered along with other factors

such as economic interests, public

safety requirements, national secu-

rity concerns and so on.

After the scoping deadline, the

agency rules out any concerns

that do not apply to the proposed

action(s) for a project while incor-

porating the main themes of the

allows the agency to proceed with

a project after only the few months

of study it took to conduct the EA,

as opposed to conducting a full-blown EIS which can take years to

complete.

Members of The MountaineersConservation and Recre-ational Access Divisions have

digested the 250-plus pages of the

Stevens Pass Master Development

Plan Phase I EA. Comments were

provided to the MBS that gener-

ally support Phase I of the Stevens

Pass MDP, with some signicant

caveats that the cumulative ef-

fects of all proposed development

Our national forests provide many important

ecosystem services and any further develop-

ment must carefully consider the continuing

incremental degradation of habitat . . .

Mountaineers letter to Mt. Baker-SnoqualmieNational Forest

public comments it received into

an environmental assessment

(EA). Along with the proposed ac-

tion, one or more other actions or

alternatives may be outlined in

the EA. A no action alternative is

also included as a kind of baseline

control by which impacts from the

proposed action(s) can be com-

pared.

An EA is often used to determine

if a more in-depth Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) should be

conducted for the project.

Upon completion of the initial

environmental assessment,

the agency again solicits public

comment in what is known, aptly

enough, as the comment period.

The agency collects and weighs

the input from the public in its

decision on how to proceed. At this

point, it can go one of two ways:

the agency can nd that impacts

from the proposed project warrant

the more thorough EIS process

or it can issue a Finding Of No

Signicant Impact. This nding

phases must be considered in

future EAs.

Following is an excerpt of The

Mountaineers letter to MBS. Please

contact [email protected]

for a full copy of the letter if you are

interested.

We support the specic projects

identied in Phase I that will result

in a direct benet to our organiza-

tion and members of the public

who enjoy recreational opportuni-

ties that developed facilities pro-

vide. Our national forests provide

settings for the majority of alpine

recreation facilities in the United

States, providing recreational op-

portunities that help to improve the

quality of life and healthy interac-

tion with the natural environment.

This being said, our national forests

provide many important ecosystem

services and any further develop-

ment must carefully consider the

continuing incremental degrada-

tion of habitat in the project area

in light of past and potential future

impacts.


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snow. He said, I very narrowly missed breaking my neck. Thats when

he decided he needed to learn how to self-arrest and joined The Mountain-

eers.

Back then, I thought that running into a group of Mountaineers was like

running into two Scout Troops camped together at your intended destina-

tiontoo many people in one place, Deters said. But once he started tak-ing the basic alpine courses with The Mountaineers, he couldnt stop taking

courses. I completed just about every Seattle course offered, scrambling,

basic and intermediate climbing,

winter travel, Nordic skiing and ski

mountaineering. The more I did,

the more I wanted to do.

He eventually instructed for each

course he had taken. He admits

to getting a bit burned out after

volunteering for 10 years with the

climbing committee, but in that time

he had learned a lot about leader-

ship and had gotten the opportunityto climb all over North America.

He said he also learned a lot

about the power of volunteerism.

He noted, When I look around the

world and see what is going on, it

always impresses me how much

time, energy and effortquality effortis given to The Mountaineers by

its volunteers, instructors and trip leaders. He added, There is a huge

amount of power gained from the volunteer experience and a lot of per-

sonal satisfaction.

After stepping back for a few years, his wife, Cindy, became volunteer

treasurer for what was then a newly-formed Seattle Branch. That is when

Bill became reenergized and again stepped up for the club during a pivotaland tumultuous time. When he became president of the organization in

2006, the former president had just resigned only after a two-month tenure.

There was much heated debate about whether the club should move from

its lower Queen Anne location to the new building at Magnuson Park.

He noted, (Cindy) really got me going. I became keenly aware how much

more the club needed to change, and came to believe its very survival was

at risk. We were so down in the weeds that we didnt have a clear, big pic-

ture view of where we were going, what our goals were, or what success

looked like.

The personal costs were high for lots of good people, and the attrition

was painful, he said of the controversy over the move. I dont think were

entirely out of the woods yet, but we are so much healthier today.

He added, I see The Mountaineers as revitalized. We have a dynamic

plan. Weve done a lot to change our direction, to dene who we are now,

and where we want to go in the future. I think our new headquarters and

executive director are just the beginning.

Deters said there are more big choices ahead, and there probably always

will be to some extent. He added, I am proud to have been a small part

of some of those changes, and I am blessed to have met so many truly

outstanding people and leaders. The people who have stepped up and

continue to step up are phenomenal.

Bill Deters can truly be counted among those ranks.

Brad Stracener is managing editor ofThe Mountaineer.

Continued from M3

Award recipient reveres the power of volunteerism

Calling all trails advocates, hikers!The American Hiking Society invites all trail lovers to join its annual Hike

the Hill: Trails Advocacy Week in Washington, D.C., Feb. 20-25.

Participants will be offered the chance to train in advocacy skills and

strategies, to meet and deliberate with trail advocates from across the

nation, and to educate and urge Congress to protect trails and the hik-

ing experience from coast to coast.

Briengs on trail issues include: FY2011 trails appropriations, Land and

Water Conservation Fund allocations, climate change and energy devel-

opment, transportation funding reauthorization, Treasured Landscapes

and how to engage the next generation of trail stewards.

For more information, check out the Hike the Hill web page at American

Hiking Society: www.americanhiking.org/Our-Work/Policy-Advocacy/

Hike-the-Hill.

What can $73 a year get you?

Sometimes a wilderness areaWhen you join The Mountaineers you join

a partner in the lobby for wilderness pres-ervation, including our most recent col-

laboration: the Wild Sky Wilderness Area.

BANFF

MOUNTAIN

FILM FESTIVAL

rAdIcAL

rEELS

TOUr

presented by

sponsored by

Hang on to yourseats or some o thewildest high-adrenalinemountain sport flms!

www.radicalreels.com

Seattle

Olympia

Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 7 pm

Friday, March 12, 2010 at 7:30 pm

The Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle

The Capitol Theater, 206 E. 5th Ave., Downtown Olympia

Tickets: $15 general, $10 Mountaineers. Tickets are available through The Moun-

taineers ofce, or by calling 206-521-6001. Please purchase in advance - this

show will sell out!

Tickets: $12 general. Available through the Alpine Experience, Olympic Outt-

ters, or at the door.

Mountaineers courses, such as the intermediate climbing course in Seattle, are

about to begin and enrollments are about to end. Check this months GoGuide to

nd out about enrollment deadlines throughout our seven branches for climbing,

sea kayaking and some winter travel courses.

Still time to enroll in some courses!Jessica Todd photo


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on Saturday, and about 900 were

arrestedthis represents a mere 1

percent of the demonstrators. The

consensus on the streets was that

that the rioters had planned ahead

to use Copenhagen as yet anotherworld stage, promoting the usual

anarchistic agendas.

There was some concern over se-

curity one morning when we heard

that demonstrations were going to

be held against Coca-Cola (one of

the sponsors of Hopenhagen, as

well as for the World Wildlife Fund

tent, where free Coke was avail-

able). Coke uses a lot of water in

its processing, and is not exactly a

healthy, sustainable food choice in

a world where people go hungry for

a lot of ugly, preventable reasons.

Extra security was called, but the

demonstrations did not appear tomaterialize. I opted for the mint tea

anyway.

The only solution

An exhibit I looked for but missed

was Safety Gear for Small

Animals, by Canadian artist Bill

Burnsa selection of gear de-

signed for protection of animals

(small birds, mice, frogs. . .)

including safety vests, helmets,

and protective gogglesall evok-

ing the fragility and vulnerability of

these creatures facing a changing

climate.

Perhaps he could envision a gear

solution for polar bears. Ques-tions we elded at the Arctic Tent

were often from people hoping for

an easy solution: Can we move

them to Antarctica? Can they live

on landcant they live on berries,

roots and small animals like other

bears? Cant we save some of

them in zoos and wait for the ice to

return? No, no, and nothe only

solution is to cap CO2 emissions

at 350 parts per million maximum,

and the only way to do that is to

dramatically refocus to green tech-nologies, and to provide signicant

nancial support to developing

nations to do the same. Not impos-

sibleit only takes political will.

Nopenhagen

I dont think that you believe you

are on the winning side. This was

Archbishop Desmond Tutus pro-

asked, Well, what will you have?

Thinking back on the day, I thought,

oh hell, Ill have a Coke.

As I counted out the coins, he

asked me a bit more about what I

did, and we chatted for a while. I

talked with him about using stories

and photography to take people

to places they might never experi-

ence on their own, and to show

them what is beautiful about the

last remaining wild places on the

planet, as well as the incessant,

irrevocable threats.

At our core, all of us want to make

a difference with our lives, and

every individual action weavestogether with others, gaining

strength and volume. This is the

only way anything of great social

consequence ever gets done, and

the only way the ongoing work after

Copenhagen stands a chance.

As I turned to leave, and reached

the door, he said, Heydont give

up.

No, there is actually no chance of

that.

Continued from M1

Ah yes. You are one of those who like

to talk, talk, talk, but then nothingever comes of it.

I took a breath and paused a bit. I then

said, Yes, I think I am.

phetic challenge to us all. Certainly,

a highlight of the trip for me was

standing 20 feet from the archbish-

op as he encouraged the open-air

crowd of thousands to persist andask for what was reasonable, just

and right.

He emphasized that the will of

the people can change the world,

and mentioned ending apart-

heidsomething that government

and politicians would never have

accomplished on their own steam.

And, he says, so it will be with

climate change.

There was much hope for results

at the conference. And after the

conference, there is anguish and

disappointment that an articulate,

enforceable, meaningful contract

with the countries of the world

particularly the United States and

China was not achieved. We

made a start, but there is so much

work to do, and so little time.

What comes next?

As I walked back to my hotel, the

encouragement from Desmond

Tutu oddly turned to a feeling of

inadequacy. I felt powerless, and

wondered if there was a point to

my presence in Copenhagen.

Blocks later my thoughts turned

darker, into a solid case of self-pity.

I was thirsty. I stopped at a corner

store for some water. I couldnt tellif the clear liquids in the bottles on

the shelves were lled with water

or with alcohol, and then wondered

if it mattered.

The man behind the counter asked

where I was from.

Im from Seattle, how about you?

Im from Santa Barbara, but its

been a long time.

Then, small talk about the weather,

and, Why are you here?

Im here for the climate change

conference.

Ah yes. You are one of those who

like to talk, talk, talk, but then noth-

ing ever comes of it.

I took a breath and paused a bit. I

then said, Yes, I think I am.

He took my measure and then

At times disheartened, publisher stays the path

Subhankar Banerjee, a Mountaineers member who has photo-

graphically documented winter life in the Arctic, among many other

projects, attended the climate conference in Copenhagen as an exhibi-

tor with the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA). A coalition of

various United Nations organizations, the GGCA works to ensure that

climate change policies,

decision-making, and initia-

tives at the global, regional

and national levels are

gender responsive.

Banerjee commented on

how his work, past and

current, was affected by

the conference.

We work in a small and

narrow domain, Banerjee said of artists and writers. We kind of do

our own thing or what is appropriate for us. But being (in Copenhagen)

showed us that we are contributing in our own small ways to make

people aware that global warming is now and not just in the future. It

reassured me that this is necessary work and we are all part of the

crisis.

The body of his work, he stated, looks at man and nature not as two

different things, as has traditionally been the case, but as one in the

same.

His current work with GGCA focuses on how climate change has af-

fected the womans role in the world. You cannot talk about whales

without talking about the Nupiats and their survival, or the caribou

without talking about the Gwichin and their survival. Gwichin elder

Sarah James traveled to Copenhagen along with Banerjee. Bringing

Sarah to Copehagen lent a voice to the conference that otherwise may

not be heard by the politicians.

He said Copenhagen, though a failure in terms of policy-making,

was just a stopping point. A larger tour for the GGCA is in the works

for places such as Shanghai, Johannesburg and Madrid, he said. It

may end up in Mexico City, he added, where the world will revisit the

climate conference and hopefully answer the question of how we take

care of our incredible diversity while developing (societies).

Florian Schulz, author of Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom toRoam, said the conference was a bit disappointing, and added, the

reports from the scientists are really, alarming.

While he was at the conference, he attended a panel discussion on the

acidication of the coral reef ecosystems, which up to now have suf-

fered a 30-percent mortality around the world. I wasn't as aware of this

problem until I attended, he noted, but said it essentially amounts to the

loss of an entire food chain for marine life, because the coral ecosystem

is what provides the exoskeletal carapace for crustaceans.

The urgency has not trickled down to the everyday people, or they

would be putting more pressure on their governments. Thats where

my work, and Braided River, work comes in.

Banerjee (left) with Steven Kazlowski.

HelenCheru

llophoto

Lending the voice of Braided River


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Passages

The latest from your Mountaineers LibraryOff the shelf

Mary Fries, an avid naturalist, conservationist and author who led manyMountaineers trips, died Dec. 18, 2009, at the age of 85.

Fries grew up in Southwest Washington where she enjoyed and studied

the landscapes and ora of the area as a child. In 1947 she became the

childrens librarian at the Tacoma Public

Library, where she remained for 30 years,

highly regarded by her fellow librarians and

the children who enjoyed her stories of Ba-

bar, Pooh and the like.

She joined The Mountaineers in 1948 and

for the next 30 years was an enthusiastic

hiker, backpacker, and resource person on

the subject of our native ora. She wrote thetext to Wildowers of Mount Rainier and the

Cascades, with photos by Bob & Ira Spring,

published in 1970 by the Mt. Rainier Natural History Association and The

Mountaineers. If you have that book, treasure it. There are very few collec-

tions of wildower photos and text that equal that wonderful collaboration.

A charter member of Tahoma Audubon Society, she later joined and took a

major role in conservation issues for the Washington Native Plant Society

With Mountaineers 61 years.

(WNPS). Every year she taught the native plants courses for Audubon and

led eld trips through the prairies, foothills and alpine zones of the state.

Included in regular outings with The Mountaineers, WNPS, and Audubon

were trips to seek rare and endangered plants, take native plant invento-

ries, and make special notes on invasive exotics. She was contributing au-

thor of A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washing-

ton & Northwestern Oregon, edited by Sarah Sear Cooke and published

by Seattle Audubon and WNPS.

Her knowledge of invasive plants led to an appointment on the Citizen

Advisory Committee to the Washington State Noxious Weed Control

Board. Her work there led to legislation that provided for the listing of Class

A or B noxious weeds, as well as regulations for the use of herbicides for

the control of invasive species.

She organized seed collecting in the alpine zones at Mt. Rainier to pro-

mote the careful propagation of wildowers to replenish areas denuded by

storms or heavy use.

As conservation chair for South Sound chapter of WNPS, Mary studied

environmental impact statements and agency guidelines for landscape

management. Among her tools were expertly written letters to managers

and legislators explaining the need to protect our native plants in the Garry

oak prairies, various sensitive forest areas and special alpine zones. She

backed up her correspondence with effective photos which she also usedin her many presentations and programs.

Mary also walked her talk, managing family acreage of woodlands near

Winlock. She practiced Timber Stand Improvements, cherished her big

trees, and when approached by loggers to sell, turned them down.

Editors note: WNPSsDouglasia (Winter 2004) published a biographic

sketch of Mary in honor of her 80th birthday. For an e-mail copy of Marys

life and times, contact Catherine Hovanic, [email protected].

In the January Off the Shelf, staff librarian Kathleen McCluskey wrote, TheMountaineers Library is a rich resource that would not have been able to continueoperating in the last several years without the support of The Mountaineers Foun-

dation. That was somewhat of an understatement, because for the past ve years

The Mountaineers Foundation fully funded the operations of the clubs outstanding

library and, in June 2009, provided a grant that would have funded the library in

2010.

Several months ago, the Library Committee was informed by the interim executive

director that the club leadership was considering the elimination of the part-time

staff position for a professional librarian as part of an ongoing effort to reduce club

expenditures. In early December the club leadership made the decision to eliminate

that part-time position, effective Dec. 31, and to return to The Mountaineers Foun-

dation the unused portion of its June 2009 library grant.

Where do we go from here?

As of this writing the Library Committee has begin formulating a course of action

that will allow the library to remain open to serve the membership and the public,

albeit with some restrictions based on the limitations of the non-professional volun-

teers.

The greatest challenge will be how to maintain the online electronic card cata-

log without the skills of a professional librarian. Once the Library Committee has

reached a consensus, it will work with new Executive Director Martinique Grigg to

develop the best plan of action possible within the available resources. We hope to

announce more specic information in the March edition of Off the Shelf.

Special note: In late December the Library Committee held a farewell dinner

party to honor Kathleen McCluskey for her outstanding performance as staff

librarian. When Kathleen started seven years ago, she arrived at a library that

operated on ve separate methods of categorization, with rather sporadic records.

But, due to her professional skills and personal dedication, she leaves a library that

is completely organized under one recognized standardthe Library of Congress

cataloging system.

In addition, Kathleen immersed herself in the librarys outdoor-oriented content

which allowed her to answer the many reference questions received from our

worldwide online users. As a result, many now consider The Mountaineers Library

to be among the top mountaineering/outdoor-oriented libraries available to the

public in the English-speaking world. Thank you, Kathleen, for your seven years

of outstanding service to The Mountaineers Library; service that went way beyond

what was warranted by your part-time staff position. You will be greatly missed, but

denitely not forgotten.

To stay updated on the library, log on to www.mountaineeers.org and click on Li-

brary in the top banner of the front page.

By Dennis Sampson, chair of the Library Committee

Changes coming to library

for trip planning, as well as skills development, how-to information and

historical research.

Located in the new club headquarters at Magnuson Park, the library is

temporarily unable to allow book checkout, but keep an eye on our web-

site and The Mountaineerfor future announcements about resumption of

checkouts. In the meantime, materials will be available for reference, but

users should check with member services on the ground oor before using

the library.

To nd the library, look for the stairs leading up to your right after you walk

through the main entrance. See the library link at www.mountaineers.org

for updates and driving directions.

Continued from M1

Library to continue providing a vast resource

Enroll in a school as big as allthe outdoorsand then someWhen you join The Mountaineers you not

only tap into year-round outdoor acitvi-

ties. You acquire the skills to introduce

hundreds of others to natures splendor.


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Branches& limbs

Tom Hodgman,a ormerMountaineers climb leader,

has lived in Europe since 1997

and now ofers guided tripsor the Tour o Mont Blanc.

The Tour of Mont Blanc

Its the dream of a lifetime

www.FranceinaBoot.comENVIROSTARS RATING

Our services include design

and installation of:

Drought tolerant and native plantings

Rockeries and stone patios

Edible landscapes &Backyard wildlife habitat

To schedule a free site visit,

please call

Michael Lockman

206-459-7022

or visit us online at

www.we-design.net

Our beautiful Northwest

gardens provide food,

shade, privacy and

enjoyment for you

and your family.

LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED #WEDESDI938K9

with The Mountaineers

Mt. Baker Lodge

Kitsap Cabin

Meany Lodge

Snoqualmie Campus

Stevens Lodge

only steps from hiking trails

and chairlifts

www.mountaineers.org/lodge/baker

camp, picnic, snowshoe

only an hour from seattle

www.snoqualmiecampus.org

ski in, ski out, relax

www.stevenslodge.org

winter sport lessons, learn, explore

www.meanylodge.org

enchanting old-growth preserve,

forest theater, salmon safaris

www.kitsapcabin.org

Escape

Hikers to protest cutsWashington Trails Association

(WTA) members and a delegation

of Mountaineers plan to travel to

Olympia on Wed., Feb. 3, for Hiker

Lobby Day, in attempt to save doz-

ens of popular Washington trails

from the threat of imminent closure.

The governors supplemental

budget calls for cutting the Depart-

ment of Natural Resources (DNR)

recreation funding by $278,000.

This follows last years 50-percent

recreation funding cut.

DNR responded to the budget

dictate by presenting a plan to

close 53 of its 148 recreation sites,

including the Rattlesnake Ledges,

Mt. Si and Little Si trails. These

three trails alone serve over a half-

million hikers each year, mostly

from the Puget Sound area.

These and many other trails state-

wide will close if the cut goes intoforce. Closures could start as early

as next month, according to DNR.

The Mountaineers and WTA urge

all hikers and others who cherish

their trails to join them at the Capi-

tol during Hiker Lobby Day, to talk

to their elected representatives and

to urge them to restore funding to

DNR. For more about the event,

see the article at www.wta.org.

For more information on visiting

the Legislature or contacting your

representative, see http://www.

leg.wa.gov/legislature, specically,

Find Your Legislator.

Gift aids Rhodie PreserveThe Mountaineers Foundation hasreceived a conservation easement

gift from Ueland Tree Farm, LLC.

The perpetual easement protects

approximately 100 acres of critical

watershed near Chico and Lost

Creeks, adjoining The Mountain-

eers 360-acre Rhododendron

Preserve in central Kitsap County.

The property includes The Moun-

taineers Kitsap Forest Theater, its

historic Kitsap Cabin and one of the

largest remaining vestiges of Puget

Sound lowland old-growth forests.

This gift ensures that riparian

zones along the creeks are pre-

served in perpetuity, thus protecting

spawning habitat critical to salmon.

The agreement includes an option

for the foundation to purchase an

additional 68 acres of Uelands

property to supplement the pre-

serve.

The foundation rst approached

Ueland about purchasing the acre-age in 2004, according to Jamie

Gordon, president of The Moun-

taineers Foundation. After some

purchase discussions, Ueland

generously gave these easements

to The Mountaineers, he added.

The protection afforded these

areas demonstrates Ueland Tree

Farms commitment to environmen-

tally responsible property man-

agement. Weve continually had

a positive relationship with Craig

Ueland and his associates, and we

hope to continue it in the future,

Gordon said.

For more information, see www.

uelandtreefarm.com and www.

moutaineersfoundation.org.

February 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of February 2010 Mountaineers Newsletter