FORT COLLINS -
COLORADO MOUNTAIN CLUB
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Marv Godsey (right),
Patrick Westfeldt (center) and Joe Grim cross Mills Lake on
the return from Paul Weber’s March 1 trip to Black Lake.
Glacier Gorge, Longs Peak, the Keyboard of the Winds and
Pagoda Peak are seen in the background. (Photo by Paul
Weber)
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MEMBERSHIP
Chairman
Paul Weber welcomes you to the Fort Collins Group of the Colorado
Mountain Club. You will find here our winter schedule of outdoor and
related events. Guests are welcome to sign up for trips to try us
out. To do so, call the leader to see if the trip is still open. You
will need to sign a Release of Liability just as members do when they
join. All our leaders are trained in leadership, safety skills, and
first aid.
A copy of
our recent newsletter is available online. Click on the following
link to get to it. Use your browser's "Back" button to return to this
page. To see the newsletter, click here: Newsletter.
For you
convenience, we also have available online an Informational
Letter explaining the benefits of the club. To go to the
Informational Letter click the link below:
Informational
Letter.
To
download an Application Form and Release of
Liability click the link below:
Application and Release
of Liability
Use your
browser's "Back" button to return to this page.
You can
also contact our membership chairperson, Larry Moskowitz, by sending
an email to mosk5@comcast.net. He will be in touch
with you promptly.
You may
also sign up online at: http://www.cmc.org/join/join.aspx
Calendar. Top.
For a list of Special Events click
HERE.
How to Interpret Trip Descriptions
Day and
Date of Trip
Event
Name. Final elevation. - Difficulty Level & Trip Classification.
Brief description of trip. Map quadrangles. Hiking miles/elevation
gain. Estimation round trip auto miles. Leave time. Coffee stop.
Limit participants. Leader, home telephone number, work telephone
number. Coleader, telephone number(s). On joint trips, the Coleader
is the other group's leader.
Thursday, August 25
Green Lake
11,620'. Off Trail. Difficult B. Visit several enchanting lakes in
the far reaches of Glacier Gorge, tucked beneath Pagoda and Chiefs
Head. Expect a lot of rock hopping. Anyone who takes a "dip" in
Frozen Lakes wins a prize! McHenrys Pk. 13/2400'. 174 mi. 06:00. NCS.
Limit 2. Kay Moreland, (303)790-8801h. (303)354-2774w. Jacki Dodd,
(303) 355-7825h.
Trip Designations
Hiking
and Climbing
The
following standards are used to classify trips. The classification is
made in terms of walking distance, altitude gain, difficulty of
various routes and special problems. Class A: 8 miles maximum round
trip, altitude gain up to 1200 feet. Class B: 12 miles maximum round
trip, altitude gain of 1200 to 2500 feet. Class B trips may include
overnights and easy backpacking to base camp.
Class C:
15 miles maximum round trip, altitude gain up to 3500 feet. Scree and
steep or rough terrain may be encountered.
Class D:
More than 15 miles round trip, altitude gain of over 3500 feet. Trips
in this classification may require additional climbing skills. Basic
Mountaineering School graduation or approval of leader is
required.
E:
Designates peaks of any classification as dangerous. Basic
Mountaineering School graduation is required.
Technical Climbing
Technical
trips are open to all qualified climbers. Trip descriptions give a
general idea of ability required. Registration is usually with the
leader, who determines the qualifications needed for the
trip.
Note: The
levels of difficulty within each hiking and climbing classification
are defined as easy, moderate or difficult by the trip scheduler and
leader according to the pace, terrain and, in the case of rock
climbing trips, the Yosemite decimal system, during the season that
the trip is scheduled.
Backpacking
Novice:
Easy trip for a beginner to learn about equipment and backpacking
techniques. These trips are designed for beginners; however, others
may be accepted to fill the trip to the limit.
Easy:
Trail travel of 5 miles maximum per day, 1500 feet maximum elevation
gain per day.
Moderate:
Mostly trail with travel of 8 miles maximum per day, 2500 feet
maximum elevation gain per day.
Advanced:
Trail; however, part of trip may be without trail, 12 miles maxim
travel per day, up to 3500 feet maximum elevation gain per
day.
Difficult:
Any of the following - no trail, steep slopes, some rock, over 12
miles per day, over 3500 feet elevation gain per day.
Note: If
you are B or C hiker, this does not qualify you for a backpack. A
backpack must be considered a separate trip
classification.
Ski
Touring
Easy I:
For beginners only with 1 to 3 miles on generally flat terrain.
Easy II: 3
to 6 miles and up to 600' elevation gain.
Easy III:
6 to 8 miles or 600' to 800' elevation gain.
Moderate
I: 800' to 1100' elevation gain.
Moderate
II: 1100' to 1500' elevation gain.
Moderate
III: 1500' to 1800' elevation gain.
Advanced
trips are generally over 10 miles on very difficult terrain. Fast
pace. Participants must be able to break trail for three miles and
must have excellent Nordic downhill ability. The ten essentials are
required plus a down jacket with hood, wind pants, shovel, map and
extra food. Blue jeans are not allowed. Avalanche beacons are
strongly recommended.
Advanced
I: 1800' to 2500' elevation gain or 15-20 miles.
Advanced
II: Over 2500' elevation gain.
Denver
Definitions
On Trail:
At least 90% of the trip must be on improved trail in reasonable
condition. Any portion of the trip not on trail must be extremely
easy "like trail" conditions. off Trail: More than 10% of the trip is
not on improved trail. Use of hands in climbing is not required.
Exposure is minimal. No special hiking or climbing skills are
required.
On winter "off trail" trips, ice axes are not required.
Scrambling: Some part of the trip normally requires
the use of hands in climbing or heavy bushwhacking or some other
special Wilderness Trekking School skill. Exposure is still rather
minimal. Ropes are not required. Winter scrambles may require the use
of ice ax for self-arrest. Under the Yosemite decimal system, this is
Class 2 climbing or bushwhacking through heavy willows, downed trees,
etc.
Semi-Technical: Some part of the trip requires
extensive use of hands for climbing. Some knowledge of climbing
techniques, use of rope, etc. is required. Routes may have extensive
exposure. Winter trips will almost always require knowledge of
self-arrest with an ice ax as well as snow or ice climbing skills.
Basic Mountaineering School skills are usually required. Under the
Yosemite decimal system, this is Class 3-4 climbing.
Calendar. Top.
April
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Saturday, April
5
Stone Mountain (7,655') Moderate B. Off
Trail. Moderate Pace. This trip has been
rescheduled from Saturday, April 19.
Hike up the Round Mountain Trail to a saddle between
Round Mountain and an unnamed summit; then break off trail toward the
summit of Stone Mountain. A short, but steep Class 3 climb to its
rocky summit enables a nice overlook of the lower foothills and
plains, and a nice view of the snow-capped peaks to the west. Drake.
9/2,300'. 40 mi. Suggested rideshare $4. Register with leader, Joe
Grim, jgrim@uiuc.edu, (970)
223-3800. Limit 12. Calendar. Top.
Thursday,
April 10
BMC Lecture
Basic Mountaineering Course Lecture: Introduction,
knots, rope handling, climbing harness and the belay. Home State Bank
Community Room, 303 E. Mountain Ave., 6 p.m. Co-directors: Gordan
Thibedeau, thib@verinet.com, 223-1758;
Steve Martin, falconridge@cowisp.net,
568-9333.
Arthur's Rock (6,780') via Howard
Trail Easy A. Casual Pace
This is a new trail in Lory State Park, which was
described in the November newsletter., perhaps the most beautiful
trail in the park. This will be a loop hike to Arthur's Rock, taking
the Howard Trail up along the ridge south of the rock and coming back
by the traditional trail. Horsetooth Reservoir. 5/1,000'. 20 mi.
Suggested rideshare $2. Register with leader, Art Leissa,
awleissa@mindspring.com, (970)
419-0303. Calendar. Top.
Saturday, April 12, or Sunday,
April 13
BMC Field Day
Basic Mountaineering Course: Rock climbing
instruction at Horsetooth Reservoir. BMC students only. Calendar. Top.
Sunday, April 13
Bobcat Ridge Easy B. Casual
Pace
Explore this new and interesting Fort Collins natural
area. The trails are beautiful and the terrain varies from open
prairie to ponderosa park with lots of great views. We even should
see some early wildflowers. 10/1000'. 30 mi. Suggested rideshare: $3.
Register with leaders, Eileen Edelman, Eileen@theedelmans.net (970)
482-3399; Janet Cook, jmcook@lamar.colostate.edu, (970)
484-1686. Calendar. Top.
Thursday, April 17
BMC Lecture
Basic Mountaineering Course Lecture: Mountaineering
equipment, rock climbing techniques and the rappel. Home State Bank
Community Room, 303 E. Mountain Ave., 6 p.m. Co-directors: Gordan
Thibedeau, thib@verinet.com, 223-1758;
Steve Martin, falconridge@cowisp.net, 568-9333.
Calendar. Top.
Saturday, April 19
Stone Mountain (7,655') Moderate B. Off
Trail. Moderate Pace. This trip has been
rescheduled to Saturday, April 5.
Hike up the Round Mountain Trail to a saddle between
Round Mountain and an unnamed summit; then break off trail toward the
summit of Stone Mountain. A short, but steep Class 3 climb to its
rocky summit enables a nice overlook of the lower foothills and
plains, and a nice view of the snow-capped peaks to the west. Drake.
9/2,300'. 40 mi. Suggested rideshare $4. Register with leader, Joe
Grim, jgrim@uiuc.edu, (970)
223-3800. Limit 12. Calendar. Top.
Saturday, April 19, or Sunday,
April 20
BMC Field Day
Basic Mountaineering Course: Rock climbing
instruction at Horsetooth Reservoir. BMC students only. Calendar. Top.
Sunday, April 20
Bashin' at the Basin Downhill Ski
Trip
Spend the day at Arapaho Basin, skiing/boarding above
treeline in the land of the legend. Bring sunscreen and warm winter
clothes as mother nature is fickle during this time of year. Meet at
the Park-n-Ride at Harmony and I-25 at 6:30 a.m. 180 mi. Suggested
rideshare $18. Register with leader, York, redyork@gmail.com, (970)
221-5929. Calendar. Top.
Wednesday, April 23
Monthly Program - "Through Hiking the
Appalachian and Colorado Trails"
Fort Collins Group members Susan and Bill Friedman
will present a program about their experiences hiking these two long
trails. Come to the Ludlow Room at the Lincoln Center, 417 W.
Magnolia St., at 7 p.m. The program begins at 7:30. Information:
Program Director Art Leissa, awleissa@mindspring.com, (970)
419-0303. Calendar. Top.
Thursday, April 24
BMC Lecture
Basic Mountaineering Course Lecture: Mountain
health/first aid and high peak climbing. Home State Bank Community
Room, 303 E. Mountain Ave., 6 p.m. Co-directors: Gordan Thibedeau,
thib@verinet.com, 223-1758;
Steve Martin, falconridge@cowisp.net, 568-9333.
Calendar. Top.
Thursday, April 24 to Monday, April 28
Mount
Whitney Snow Climb - Difficult D Semi-Technical Mod. Pace
Mount
Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States at
elevation 14,505 feet (4,421 meters). It is located on the eastern
side of Sierras of California. We will climb the Mountaineer's Route
on the northeast side, which is a steep snow and third classscramble
with ice this time of year. We will fly to LasVegas, Nev., on
Thursday and then drive by rental car to Lone Pine, Calif.
(aproximately 250 miles). We will stay overnight in Lone Pine and
then begin hiking/snowshoeing on Friday at Whitney Portal (8,000') up
the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek. We will snow camp near Iceberg
Lake (12,500'). On Saturday we will climb the Mountaineer's Route and
then camp a second night at Iceberg Lake. On Sunday we will hike out
and drive back to Las Vegas to celebrate. On Monday we will fly home
to Colorado. This trip requires physical endurance, technical clmbing
and snowcamping skills. Trip applicants not known by the trip leader
must provide references. Note that the trip leader has NOT summited
this mountain before. 12/6,500'. Please contact trip leader Carl
Benvenga by e-mail at carl_benvenga@comcast.net. Trip is limited to 8
people. Calendar. Top.
Saturday, April 26
Arthur's Rock (6,780') Moderate B. Casual
Pace
Hike up Well's Gulch to the Timber Trail. Follow
along ridge to Arthur's Rock. Return via Overlook Trail. Park fee.
Horsetooth Reservoir. 7/2,200'. 20 mi. Suggested rideshare $2.
Register with leader, Paul Weber, pweber.cmc@comcast.net, (970)
225-1026. Calendar. Top.
Saturday, April 26, or Sunday, April
27
BMC Field Day
Basic Mountaineering Course: Rock climbing
instruction at Horsetooth Reservoir. BMC students only. Calendar. Top.
Wednesday, April 30
BMC Lecture
Basic Mountaineering Course Lecture: Basci snow and
glacier travel and techniques. Home State Bank Community Room, 303 E.
Mountain Ave., 6 p.m. Co-directors: Gordan Thibedeau, thib@verinet.com, 223-1758;
Steve Martin, falconridge@cowisp.net, 568-9333.
Calendar. Top.
REI Events
For
a schedule of REI events Click Here.
Silas
Rappe
srappe@rei.com
Outreach Specialist
REI
4025 S. College Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-223-0123
Calendar. Top.
May
Saturday, May 3, or Sunday, May 4
BMC Field Day
Basic Mountaineering Course: Multipitch climb. BMC
students only. Top.
Tuesday, May 6
Hall Ranch/Nighthawk Trail - Easy B On Trail
Casual Pace
Hall Ranch is a Boulder County open space. The
Nighthawk Trail is one not open to bicycles. We will hike about 3.5
miles mainly across meadows up to its high point, with glimpses of
Mt. Meeker to the north, while looking for wildflowers. 7/1300’. 80
mi. Suggested rideshare: $8. Register with leader, Art Leissa,
awleissa@mindspring.com, (970)
419-0303. Top.
Thursday, May 8
BMC Lecture
Basic Mountaineering Course Lecture: Final knot and
BMC exams. Home State Bank Community Room, 303 E. Mountain Ave., 6
p.m. Co-directors: Gordan Thibedeau, thib@verinet.com, 223-1758;
Steve Martin, falconridge@cowisp.net, 568-9333.
Top.
Saturday, May 10, or Sunday, May 11
BMC Field Day
Basic Mountaineering Course: Snow climbing and
glacier travel. BMC students only. Top.
Thursday, May 15
Dragon’s Tail Couloir - Moderate C-E
Semi-technical
From the Bear Lake Trailhead, hike the Emerald Lake
trail. Climb this snow couloir on the south side of Flattop Mountain.
If the couloir is not in shape, we’ll choose another snow climb,
possibly on the north side of Flattop. Descend on Flattop trail.
Bring ice axe, crampons, helmet, harness. BMC or equivalent
experience required. McHenrys Peak. 6/2500’. 100 mi. Register with
leader , John Raich,jraich@lamar.colostate.edu, (970)
482-8977. E-mail registration preferred.
New & Prospective Members Orientation
- Special
New members, and those interested in joining, are
welcome to this information and orientation meeting. See what CMC and
the Fort Collins group has to offer. Get to meet other new members.
Learn about the hiking, climbing and schools schedules as our summer
season gets under way. Learn how to use the CMC Web site, and how to
evaluate and register for activities. Bring your friends with an
interest in the CMC, enjoy refreshments and have all your questions
answered. The meeting will be held in the community room at Home
State Bank, 303 E. Mountain Ave. (southeast corner of Mountain and
Mathews Street, two blocks east of College Avenue). Come at 6:30 p.m.
to socialize, and the meeting will start at 7 p.m. For more
information or to RSVP, contact Member ship Chairman Larry Moskowitz,
mosk5@comcast.net.
Top.
Saturday, May 24 to Monday, May 26
Independence Pass Ski Tours - Twining Peak (13,711’)
- Geissler Mountain (13,380’)
Adv II Ski Tour Ski Mountaineering
On Day 1, drive to campground near the pass.
Objectives for Days 2 and 3 include Twining Peak and the three
summits of Geissler Mountain. Return on Day 3. You need AT, tele or
splitboard, climbing skins, avalanche gear, car camping gear. CMC Ski
Mountaineering School or equivalent experience required. Independence
Pass. 15/5000’. 310 mi. Register with leader, John Raich,
jraich@lamar.colostate.edu, (970)
482-8977. E-mail registration preferred. Top.
Sunday, May 25
Exploring the unfamiliar side of Crosier Mountain
(9,214’) Easy D Off Trail Moderate Pace
Many people hike the official trails to Crosier
Mountain, but there are many peaks, parks and other places on this
mountain that most never get to see. We will start by hiking up the
little-known and unmaintained Sullivan Gulch Trail from U.S. Highway
34, topping out on a grassy meadow. From there, we will hike off
trail to a nearby unnamed peak that allows beautiful views of the
lumpy mountainside leading up to Crosier Mountain, as well as down
into Big Thompson Canyon far below. Next, we will make our way over
to the Garden Gate Trail and take it all the way to the amazing
summit of Crosier Mountain itself. However, instead of heading back
the way we came, we will work our way off trail past several
interesting rock formations over to another unnamed summit, sometimes
referred to as "West Crosier." After climbing this, our third ranked
peak of the day, we will make our way over to the Glen Haven Trail
and follow it down to the village of the same name. Hopefully there
we will find the little ice cream shop open for the Memorial Day
weekend. Car shuttle required. Glen Haven. 11/4300’. 70 mi. Suggested
rideshare $7. Register with leader, Joe Grim, grim@earth.uiuc.edu, (970) 223-
3800. Limit 12. Top.
Sunday, May 25
Pawnee Buttes Wildflower Hike - Easy A On
Trail Casual Pace
This trail leads through an unusual area with
wonderful flowers and interesting terrain. We will search for the
elusive wild begonia. There will be lots of stops for photos, flower
and bird sightings. Optional circumnavigation of the East Butte.
Pawnee Buttes. 5/550’. 140 mi. Suggested rideshare $14. Register with
leaders Janet Marti Cook, jmcook@lamar.colostate.edu, (970)
484-1686; Eileen Edelman, Eileen@theedelmans.net, (970)
482-3399. Top.
Wednesday, May 28
Monthly
Program - Hiking the Zirkel & Rawah Wilderness
Areas
Raymond
Ave, author of backcountry guides to the Mount Zirkel and Rawah
wilderness areas in northwest Colorado, will do a presentation on
hiking and backpacking in those areas. Come to the Ludlow Room at the
Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., at 7 p.m. The program begins at
7:30. Information: Program Director Art Leissa, awleissa@mindspring.com, (970) 419-0303.
Top.
Thursday, May 29
Bridal
Veil Falls Wildflower Hike - Moderate A On Trail Casual
Pace
Walk along
a flower filled meadow to a beautiful waterfall. We will stop for
photo ops, flower viewing and bird sightings. We just might find
shooting stars. Estes Park. 6.4/1000. 80 mi. Suggested rideshare $8.
Register with leaders Eileen Edelman, Eileen@theedelmans.net, (970) 482-3399;
Sandy Jordan, spottedstorm@yahoo.com,(973) 262-1350.
Top.
June
Thursday, June 5
Citadel
Peak (13,294’) Northeast Couloir - Difficult C-E
Semi-technical
Take the
Herman Gulch trail into the basin on the east side of Citadel Peak.
Climb the Northeast Couloir to the saddle between the two summits.
Climb either or both summits. Descend the broader Northeast Gully
into Herman Gulch. The climb is described in “Colorado Snow Climbsby
Dave Cooper. Bring crampons, ice axe, helmet. BMC or equivalent
experience required. Loveland Pass, Grays Peak. 8/3000’. 190 mi.
Register with leader, John Raich, jraich@lamar.colostate.edu, (970) 482-8977.
E-mail registration preferred. Top.
Saturday, June 7
Greyrock Mountain Trail Maintenance - National Trails Day
Work Party
Hike the
Greyrock Trail and help maintain it at the same time. Service
opportunities for all levels of fitness. The Fort Collins Group has
adopted the Greyrock Trail. Register with leader, Ed Seely,
esfcg06@frii.com, (970) 493-7371.
Top.
Sunday, June 8
City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Bicycle
Tour Easy Bike Tour. On Trail
We'll meet at Cottonwood Glen Park at 8 a.m. to
roughly follow the Spring Creek and Poudre River bike trails visiting
at least 25 city of Fort Collins Art In Public Places installations
throughout the city. Hopefully we can check out an installation in
progress, as well. Must have a working bicycle, helmet, bike gloves
and sunglasses. 30-mile ride. Register with leader, York,
redyork@gmail.com, (970)
221-5929. Top.
Tuesday, June 10
North
Fork Big Thompson - Moderate A On Trail Casual Pace
From the
trailhead in Dunraven Glade, we will cross over to the North Fork of
the Big Thompson River, which is a small stream there, and hike along
it northwest in the direction of RMNP. This relatively little-used
trail goes first in a canyon and then in meadows. It first enters
RMNP at 4.5 miles (and goes much farther), but we may stop before
then. We will look for wildflowers. Glen Haven, Estes Park. 8/600’.
70 mi. Suggested rideshare: $7. Register with leader, Art Leissa,
awleissa@mindspring.com, (970)
419-0303. Top.
Annual Picnic set June 11
The annual
Fort Collins Group potluck picnic for membersand their guests is
planned for the evening of Wednesday, June 11. This year it will take
place at the Lake Pavilion at Fossil Creek Park in south Fort Collins
(use west entrance off Fossil Creek Parkway) starting at 6 p.m. Bring
your favorite potluck dish of appetizers, salad or dessert. We will
provide grilled hamburgers and an assortment of cold drinks. Plates,
cups and tableware also will be provided. This is always a delightful
social event, so mark your calendar now. For more information,
contact Program Director Art Leissa, awleissa@mindspring.com,
419-0303. Top.
REI Events
For
a schedule of REI events Click Here.
Silas
Rappe
srappe@rei.com
Outreach Specialist
REI
4025 S. College Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-223-0123
Top.
LIST OF PROGRAMS AND
OTHER EVENTS
Awaiting
notification.
Top.
BULLETIN
BOARD
INDEX TO BULLETIN
BOARD:
Joe Grim's Weather
Presentation and Favorite Links
Hi!
For those of you who came to my Weather in the
Colorado Rockies presentation (as well as those who didn't come, but
are still interested), I have posted a copy of the presentation
online at:http://www.atmos.uiuc.edu/~jgrim/Mountain_Weather.ppt
I have also posted a bunch of my favorite weather
bookmarks online at:
http://www.atmos.uiuc.edu/~jgrim/wx_bookmarks.htm
If anyone has any questions concerning the
presentation and/or internet links, feel free to e-mail me at
grim@atmos.uiuc.edu I'll try my
best to respond if time allows.
Joe Grim
Denali Dispatch - Steve
Martin
This
dispatch is written by Steve Martin after the RibCo '04 Team's return
to Colorado from Alaska; it should provide additional perspective on
the marvelous experience the six of us shared as we ascended the West
Rib Route of Mt. McKinley. For those of you who tracked the
experience with us by clicking daily on our website dispatches, can
you believe that you've "tuned in" for more than 14,000 hits on the
site as we worked our way up one of the world's most magnificent
mountains? Thanks for your interest and your strong support! Your
involvement and continuing interest has been really important to us,
and we'll always be grateful to you.
Further, we anticipate that our website will be of
serious interest to those who hope to climb the West Rib (or for that
matter, any route on Denali) in the future-we have lots of solid
information for you in our dispatches and in our general website
descriptions, augmented by what is provided below. Our website will
be active through December 2005.
1)
TEAM DYNAMICS
Our
success in ascending our primary objective, Denali's difficult West
Rib, was principally a study in the continuous, positive interactions
that occurred between all members of the team. Consider that we were
together in close quarters for 18 days on the mountain, plus for
several nights in a small bunkhouse in Talkeetna while we waited for
favorable weather to permit our flight onto McKinley (as well as
during numerous training/conditioning activities in Colorado in the 8
months before we traveled to Anchorage and Talkeetna). Further,
consider that for many days on the mountain we were all contending
with the continual stress of high exposure mountaineering, where each
of us was constantly dependant on the solid skills of every teammate
for our own personal safety and for the entire team's safety and
success. Because we were all roped together, a slip by any one of us
during the traverse though the ice fall or of the ascent of some of
the steeper ice pitches could have had dire consequences for all, and
we lived with this stress and dependency for many days. Those types
of circumstances sometimes lead to development of irrational,
dysfunctional behaviors that take a toll on an entire team and lessen
chances for achieving the team and individual objectives.
Such
behaviors did not surface in any of the individuals on the RibCo '04
team-all maintained positive, supportive perspectives toward one
another, making the entire adventure a very special one for each of
us. We came off the climb and back to Colorado having forged stronger
friendships than we had already established during the months of
training for the Alaskan climb. So we were indeed fortunate in our
team makeup and the complementary personalities we got to know and
depend on so very well.
We
were also fortunate as a team to have the technology of the satellite
phone/PDA unit that allowed us to communicate with the outside world
on a regular basis--to send our dispatches and photos, but just as
importantly, to receive the e-mail messages we got daily from family
members and friends; some came to us from folks we didn't even know
who were following our website dispatches and who sent messages of
encouragement and congratulations to the address at the bottom of the
home page. Todd packaged all the messages each day and compressed
them for a burst delivery to us each time that we transmitted the
dispatches. Each day, when we received your e-mails, we had one
person read them all out loud to the entire team-even the "mushy"
ones from spouses! This daily activity bound us together even more as
a group-we began appreciating and understanding (albeit somewhat
superficially) certain personal facets of one another's lives. This
practice was an important team-building one for us! We encourage
future expeditions to try to arrange similar equipment for
communicating with family and friends. It makes for an even more
special experience than would the climb alone. And we thank our
sponsors for having made this technology available to us.
2)
THE ROUTE, OR THE SUMMIT?
We
began planning activities for the Denali expedition in April, 2003
when a group of individuals who were considering a 2004 climb of the
mountain began meeting to evaluate the feasibility of launching one
or two teams during the May/June 2004 time frame. Fairly early into
the process the larger group decided to focus on two routes: the
standard West Buttress Route, and the less frequently climbed West
Rib Route. We gathered information on both routes, and asked people
who had previously climbed either of these routes to meet with us,
show us photos, and discuss their experiences.
From
these early sessions, several of us decided to climb the West Rib,
while another group fixed on the West Buttress. Those of us who
established the core group for the Rib were influenced in our
decision by the remoteness of the route, the interesting
route-finding and climbing challenges it posed compared to the
standard route, and the expectation that we'd encounter hardly any
other climbers on the West Rib. That is, the route held a strong
attraction to us because it appeared to meet our individual goals for
challenge and remoteness. From the earliest planning, the successful
climb of the route, particularly the route-finding through the
icefall at the upper end of the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna
Glacier, the ascent of the steep upper portions of the Access
Couloir, the ice climbing on the two ice domes, and the fairly
dangerous traverse above the upper bergshrund captured our attention
and interest. We realized from the moment we made this decision to
focus on the West Rib that climbing the Rib was our primary
objective. McKinley's summit, if weather and other conditions
allowed, was of secondary importance. All of us, of course, hoped
that a summit attempt might be possible, but the route was our
principal focus.
We
achieved our West Rib Route objective, and obviously feel somewhat
disappointed that we did not reach the top of Denali. Nonetheless,
because the route was our real objective, every one of us felt really
satisfied and fulfilled by our expedition and accomplishments. 2004
was a difficult period for climbers on McKinley due to unusual
weather conditions (some claimed they were the worst for summiting in
12 or 15 years), and most climbers on even the standard route were
unsuccessful until after we had left the mountain. During our time on
the mountain, we did not appreciate how unusual the weather we
encountered was; the October 2004 issue of Climbing magazine provides
perspective, by stating "Poor weather dominated Denali this season,
with perhaps only one ascent by any route other than the standard
West Buttress." When we reached the 14,200-foot West Buttress Route
camp during our descent off the Rib we were interviewed by the
climbing rangers. The lead climbing ranger indicated that he
considered our successful climb of the West Rib during that period "a
significant mountaineering achievement on Denali for this spring." We
certainly felt similarly! One reason for his comments and for his
statement "I take my hat off to you guys," was the fact that we
needed to do all the route-finding up the NE Fork, the ice fall, and
along the entire Rib, since no tracks existed from prior parties, and
none of us had been on the mountain previously; another reason was
the adverse weather that dominated the mountain while we were
climbing.
Will
we go back again to reach the summit? For some of us (perhaps all),
most certainly. We are already discussing a period in 2006 to return
to McKinley and take the standard West Buttress Route to the
summit-we've done the Rib; our future focus will be on the
summit!
3)
WOULD WE MODIFY OUR APPROACH IF WE WERE TO CLIMB THE RIB
AGAIN?
Probably. Here are some ideas. The climbing rangers
suggest that teams planning to climb the West Rib work their way up
the West Buttress Route to the 14,200-foot camp and acclimatize there
for several days-and then descend the standard route to 7,800 feet
and start up the Rib route. Because we were coming from fairly high
elevation (we all live at about 5,200 feet or higher), and we had
engaged in about 8 months of training at elevations ranging from
11,000 to more than 14,000 feet, there is little doubt that we were
really "fit" going into the McKinley climb. Hence, we opted to go
directly onto the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna and begin our climb
on the Rib without higher elevation acclimatization on
Denali.
We
probably did not require the normal acclimatization period, so in
that sense our decision made sense. But the decision to go directly
onto the Rib required us to carry sufficient extra food and fuel to
allow occasional "rest days"on the Rib, as well as for weather days
at our highest anticipated camp (where we planned food for 5 days in
the event we were delayed near the top of the Rib by adverse weather
before going for the summit). Hence, our decision to move directly up
to the West Rib had an ancillary requirement-we would need to take
more than 100 pounds of gear, food, and fuel per person onto the Rib;
this necessitated carrying heavy packs and pulling drag bags up the
NE Fork, and thereafter making "double carries" on all sections of
our route almost up to our highest camp. That is, we needed to climb
a day's segment of the route with a heavy pack, cache the stuff we'd
brought up with us, return down to our previous camp, and then
re-climb the same section the next day with a second heavy load.
Essentially, we needed to climb the mountain twice (and for all
practical purposes we did-our cumulative elevation gain exceeded
21,000 feet of vertical!).
On
the easier sections of the route these double carries did not prey on
our physical, emotional, and mental functioning. But they wore away
at these faculties as we continued on the more difficult segments,
where after having made the first ascent, we'd need to make multiple
rappels and down-climbs to our camp, where sleep could be interrupted
as our minds concentrated on needing to redo the difficult pitches
again the next day! This mental fatigue combined with cumulative
physical fatigue to slowly cut into the reserves of the strong
fitness levels we had achieved from our training regimen at high
elevations in Colorado.
If
we were to climb the Rib again, we would probably do it as follows:
we'd ascend the West Buttress Route to the 14,200-foot camp (leaving
a major cache en route at 7,800 feet-our food and fuel needed for the
West Rib climb). We'd hang out for several days at 14,200 feet
(keeping active each day by making exploratory climbs around the
area), improving our high altitude readiness. We'd take a day to
climb the "Cutoff Couloir" to the upper potion of the West Rib, and
make a cache at our intended high camp on the Rib, consisting of
several days' food and fuel, the specialized clothing we'd need for
summit day, etc. We'd then descend the West Buttress Route to our
cache at 7,800 feet. After camping a night there, we'd begin our push
up the West Rib Route, being able to proceed with single carries
along the entire climb-we'd be much less burdened, since we would
have eaten quite a bit of weight and used quite a bit of fuel by this
point, and would have dropped considerable weight in our the area of
our expected high camp on the Rib. Rest days would not be required
under this scenario. We believe this approach would have made our
overall climb much more efficient. We encourage those planning an
ascent of the West Rib to carefully consider this
approach.
Most
guidance we read as we planned our expedition suggested that we each
carry sufficient food to replace 4,000-5,000 calories per day. Some
of us were able to prepare daily packets of food that achieved the
4,000-calorie level in just over 2 pounds per day (see example daily
food packages on the website). We discovered that it was very
difficult to consume that much food, particularly at higher
elevations. We concluded that next time, we'd bring less food. Even
cutting back by 1/4 pound of food per day eliminates more than 5
pounds of total beginning weight. Some expedition members carried
food averaging between 2,500-3,000 calories per day and did well on
this caloric intake. None of us appeared to actually lose weight on
the climb. So we suggest that future parties think very critically
about how much food they carry up the mountain, and not be overly
influenced by the guideline of
4,000 to 5,000 calories per day. Be realistic about how much can
actually be consumed! - Steve Martin
Return to Bulletin Board
Index. Calendar. Top.
Find the $#&%#@<} Mystery Box
See if you can find
the $#&%#@<} Mystery Box. If you can decipher the following
paragraph, you will know what trail it is near. If not, just follow
the directions. Compass bearings are given as Magnetic North. You
need not be compulsive about these bearings. A simple wrist compass
will do just fine. Hiking times are approximate given a steady but
casual pace.
Th& $#&%#@<} T#ail
This
p@pula# t#ail is p&#haps th& m@st t#av&l&d
a#@und F@#t <@llins. Its p@pula#it% is du& t@ it's
#&lativ&l% sh@#t l&n$th and a
sp&<ta<ula# summit. Wat<h @ut f@# p@is@n iv% in
summ&# and sh@#t s&<ti@ns @f i<& in
wint&#.
|
DIRECTIONS TO THE $#&%#@<} MYSTERY BOX:
Travel North on US Highway 287
for 10 miles to Ted's Place (Conoco Station and store). Turn left
onto Colorado 14 and drive 8.2 miles up the Poudre River. Park and
find an easy place to cross the river. Follow the trail for about 20
minutes and you will find a sign and a choice. Take the smaller
number. Climb through the ponderosa for about 45 minutes to one hour
until you come to a level area. Sit on the bench and have a snack. At
10 degrees you will see a huge mountain of granite. At 280 degrees
you will see a pinnacle in the distance. This is the "Aiguille de
$#&%#@<}". After some water and a snack proceed to a T in the
trail. The right fork goes of east at about 80 degrees. Don't go that
way. Go the other way. As the trail begins to descend steeply you
will catch glimpses of a large round boulder with a couple of pines
in a meadow. Continue on for about 15 minutes until the trail reaches
bottom ground. You cannot see the large round boulder now because you
are in an intermittent stream bed coming in from the north. Cross the
stream bed and follow the trail up a short way as enters a small
grove of trees. On the left you will see one of the large trees
growing out of a rock. On the right you will see a National Forest
Boundary sign nailed to another tree. Look just beyond this sign and
spot a rock outcropping with a small, robust pine growing out of it.
Go to this rock outcropping. Spot another larger rock outcropping at
the far end of the meadow at nearly due north. Proceed up the valley
to this rock outcropping. (note: If this meadow is wet, you can
easily skirt it on either side to avoid environmental damage.) As you
near the outcropping you will see a large stone cairn with a fence
post on the east side of the rocks. Go to it. We will call this post
#1. Find another fence post at 90 degrees and about 40 paces. Go to
it and call it post #2. Turn left and follow the fence line, counting
posts as you pass them … #3, #4, #5, etc. until you reach #15. At
that point turn east and follow along another fence line until you
come to a double height post near a large ponderosa. X marks the
spot. (There are vestiges of a couple of old cabins here.) From the
ponderosa find a small draw at 340 degrees. Walk to this and go
through a narrow gap and into a small clearing. There you will find a
cairn with a small stick in it pointing to a rock outcrop at about
280 degrees about 45 paces distance. Go to the rocks and root around
for and ammo box. Inside you will find an object. Congratulations!!!
You have found the $#&%#@<} Mystery Box. Report your findings
as described below and receive a valuable prize. Spend some time
exploring this fun area. The "Aiguille de $#&%#@<}" now soars
over you to the west. You can climb this if you wish. Or you can
travel northward and conquer the Little $#&%#@<}, which is
actually higher than the Big $#&%#@<}.
When you get home,
report your findings in one of the ways listed below to receive your
valuable prize.
2. Phone Dan or Kay
at 970-225- 3772
To print out these
directions here is a link to a page in black and white that you can
print directly from your browser. Just go File > Print> OK.
Return here by using the back button on your browser or the link
provided on the page. To go to that page now click HERE.
Note: All compass
bearings are relative to magnetic north. This means the needle on
your compass will point to the N directly. If you wish to use True
North with the declination compensation set for this area (your
needle points to 10 degrees), you should add 10 degrees to the
bearings given in the directions. Here is a chart for your
convenience. There is also a little primer below on taking a bearing
if you need a refresher.
|
Magnetic North (Needle pointing to
N)
|
True North (Needle points to 10
degrees)
|
|
10 degrees
|
20 degrees
|
|
280 degrees
|
290 degrees
|
|
80 degrees
|
90 degrees
|
|
90 degrees
|
100 degrees
|
|
340 degrees
|
350 degrees
|
|
280 degrees
|
290 degrees
|
It is not
necessary to be scrupulously exacting with these degrees. They have
leeway built into them. You should do fine if you are somewhere close
to the given bearings.
How to take a
Bearing
The north end of
your compass needle is usually distinguished by being painted red,
white, or some other marking. Hold the compass level and turn it
until the north end of the needle is pointed towards the N on the compass ring. While
holding it steady in that position, read the degrees on the ring and
note a landmark that lies on the compass heading you are seeking.
Move to that point and do it all over again, picking out another
landmark and proceeding to that. Some compasses have a direction of
travel plate with another arrow or line etched in it that will swivel
around beneath the needle and the compass ring. If you have this,
make sure the north end of the needle remains pointing the
N and swivel the direction of
travel plate until the arrow lines up with the degrees of the desired
bearing. With this arrangement, you just keep the needle pointing to
N and travel in the direction of
the bearing arrow. Example: If you are seeking something at 315
degrees, turn the compass ring until the north end of the needle
points the N.
Read the degrees on the compass ring to find 315 degrees. Pick out a
tree or rock on that bearing and head for it. If your compass has a
direction of travel plate, swivel it around, keeping the needle on
N, until the direction of travel
arrow or line lines up with 315 degrees. Now just keep the needle
on N and follow the
arrow.
In the illustration
below the degrees are not shown exactly as they would be on a real
compass, but the direction of travel (bearing) would be northwest at
about 315 degrees. You get the idea!
[ In our
exercise, it might be easier to first set your Direction of Travel
arrow to the desired bearing ( 315 ) and then orient the compass
needle to N. Follow the Direction of Travel arrow. ]
Three
cheers for the following for finding the $#&%#@<} Mystery
Box.
1st - 
(Coyote)
Monica Young
Jim Ippolito
Steve Blecker
Paul Metz & Ron Tuttle
Dave Taylor and friends
Three
more cheers to the following for finding the Devil's
Cache!
1st - Janet
Larsen
Jeff Eisele
(Coyote)
Michael & Ryan
Rick and Debbie
Return to
Bulletin Board Index. Calendar. Top.
Hiking Quiz Answers
1d, 2c, 3d, 4c, 5c,
6d, 7d, 8d, 9c, 10b
FORT COLLINS CMC CLIMBING
SCHOOLS
FORT
COLLINS GROUP CLIMBING PROGRAMS
The Fort Collins
CMC group offers the following climbing courses under the auspices of
the Fort Collins Climbing School.
- Basic
Mountaineering Course, BMC (formerly BMS} beginning March.
The BMC Co-directors for
2007 are Steve Martin (falconrdige@cowisp.net, 970-568-9333) and Gordan Thibedeau
(gthibedeau@comcast.net, 970-223-1758 or
407-7002)
Click HERE 
for details.
- Rock
Leading Course, RLC (formery IMS) beginning September. Director:
Dean Allison 970-229-9466. Click
HERE for details.
Fort Collins Basic
Mountaineering Course - For 2008 Spring details and
schedule click HERE.
The Fort Collins Basic
Mountaineering Course (FC-BMC) teaches participants the skills needed
to safely hike and climb mountains, up to 14,000 feet, under most
weather conditions. These hikes/climbs are usually within Colorado
but may venture to other geographic mountainous regions outside the
state as well. These skills include planning and organizing climbs,
rock climbing skills for following a leader on fourth and fifth class
routes and snow climbing skills up to and including roped climbing
with crampons.
FC-BMC is for any active
CMC member interested in technical mountaineering. It teaches the
knowledge and skills needed to pursue this sport safely and sensibly.
The Course also provides a format which considers an individual's
strengths and limitations in conjunction with offering an
understanding and respect for the mountain environment. These
objectives are achieved through a schedule of lectures and field
trips.
The Course's goal is to
graduate members who can safely and competently participate on club
mountaineering activities. Successful completion of FC-BMC (or its
equivalent) is a requirement for a Denver Group "D" hiking
classification. This classification is used extensively throughout
the CMC and is generally a requirement for such advanced
courses/schools like Denver's Intermediate Rock Climbing School
(IRCS), the Fort Collins Intermediate Rock Leading Course (IRLC),
Denver's High Altitude Mountaineering School (HAMS), Boulder's Rock
Leading School, or Boulder's Advanced Mountaineering School
(AMS).
This Course is intended
for persons who have experience in CMC hikes or climbs in the
mountains at the "C" level or comparable experience (contact a course
Co-director to discuss). Previous rock climbing and/or snow climbing
experience is not required; however, successful students usually have
experience in Class 2 off-trail hiking on Colorado's loose rocky
slopes.
The tentative schedule
will go from approximately the beginning of April through the middle
of May consisting of five lectures on selected Wednesday evenings
followed by field trips on the weekends. The weekend field trips will
only take one day out of the weekend. Following the end of the
lecture part of the Course, a high peak route finding trip (one day
only) and a high peak overnight trip (two day minimum) will also be
required.
Non-BMC students are
invited to attend all lectures at no cost.
There is a minimum amount
of climbing equipment required for the Course. Each student will be
expected to purchase his/her own climbing equipment as this equipment
is not usually borrowed, basically due to safety considerations.
Ropes will be provided by the Course for use throughout its session.
Crampons are available to those participants who do not have their
own. The list of required equipment will be made available prior to
the course beginning to all those participants who have contacted the
director.
Current First Aid and CPR,
or their equivalents, are prerequisites PRIOR to Course sign up.
Please bring First Aid and CPR certificate(s)/card(s) for proof of
completion to the first classroom lecture.
The Course sign-ups are
accomplished by contacting the Co-director Gordan Thibedeau. Sign up
priority will be based on the date and time of your contact. Payment
of the Course fee should not be made until the director replies to
you. The exact Course fee and syllabus will follow in future
newsletters and/or emails.
The BMC Co-directors for
2007 are Steve Martin (falconrdige@cowisp.net, 970-568-9333) and Gordan Thibedeau
(gthibedeau@comcast.net, 970-223-1758 or 407-7002)
Calendar. Top.
To see our picture Gallery featuring the Basic
Mountaineering Course, click HERE.
Fort Collins Rock Leading
Course
The next session of
the Rock Leading Course will be held Fall 2007. The main purpose of
the RLC is to teach "trad" leading skills for rock climbs. The RLC is
intended as a follow-up to the BMC for some CMC members. If you have
an interest in learning rock leading skills and perhaps becoming a
BMC instructor, you should consider this course. The Qualification
Test is scheduled for September 8, 2007. For additional information
and an application form contact Dean Allison, RLC Director, at
970-229-9466 or dean.allison@unco.edu . Applications should be
submitted by August 15, 2007 to receive full consideration. You can
get a copy of the application directly from Dean or by using the
following link to access an Adobe Acrobat version. Use you browser's
BACK button to return to this page.
Rock Leading
Application
If you do
not have Adobe Acrobat, you can get a web version by clicking
HERE. You can print right
from your browser's File menu. Return to this page by using your
browser's BACK button.
For a copy
in MS Word, RIGHT CLICK
HERE
and choose "Save Target As...", navigate to the place you want to
save the file, and click Save. Open Word and Open the file. Or you
can double click and open directly in Word.
Requirements for
applying to the school are: CMC membership, over age 16, graduation from a CMC
Basic Mountaineering Course or evidence of other formal
mountaineering training or recommendation from two qualified CMC
members, and ability to climb at the 5.6 level. Applicants will be
asked to demonstrate their climbing skills at a qualification test.
The school
consists of the following evening programs and field trips:
- Orientation meeting
- Introduction to RLC
- Outline of the course
- Introduction of instructors and students
- Required and recommended equipment
Lecture 1
- Course
objectives
- Protection system (harness, carabiners, runners,
natural and artificial protection, rope)
- Causes
and prevention of mountaineering accidents
- Safety
practices
- Climbing techniques
Lecture 2
- Anchors (bottom, top, intermediate,
directionality, redundancy)
- Types
of anchors
- Connections to anchors
- Belays
- Forces
in a fall
- Organization of climbs and equipment
Lecture 3
- Multi-pitch techniques
- Rope
management
- Teamwork and communication
- Downclimbing, lowering, and rappel techniques
- Rescuing your climbing partner
- Climbing ethics
Field Trip
1 - One day
practice climb in foothills, protection system, anchors, belays,
rappels.
Field Trip
2 - One day
practice climb in foothills, practice leading and placing protection
while on a toprope belay.
Field Trip
3 - One day
practice climb either rock or alpine, practice leading and placing
protection without a toprope belay.
Field Trip
4 (Graduation
Climb) - Students will demonstrate the ability to safely lead a
multi-pitch climb at a minimum of a 5.5 level of difficulty.
Qualification
test - Using a
rope belay, students are asked to climb 3 short practice pitches,
requiring a variety of techniques. Difficulty will be up to 5.6.
Students must also demonstrate knowledge of basic knots, safe
belaying techniques, a self-belayed rappel.
Fort Collins Alpine Climbing
Course
Fort Collins Alpine
Climbing Course - This course is not currently being offered (as of January 2005).
INSTRUCTION
We are
building a selection of instuctional documents readers may use to get
tips and helps in their activities. If you have anything to
contribute, please contact the web master at fortcmc@comcast.net.
Topics:
LINKS
& E-MAIL
Members' e-mail addresses:
Calendar. Top.
PICTURES
Calendar. Top.
THE
WAVE. Photo by Ron Tuttle.
For Fort Collins CMC General Picture Galleries
click
HERE.
For
Fort Collins CMC Snowshoe Picture Galleries click HERE.
For Fort Collins CMC Climbing Picture Galleries click HERE.
For Basic Mountaineering School Picture Galleries click HERE.
For Steven's snowshoe pictures click HERE.
Members
are encouraged to submit pictures taken on trips. Brightly exposed
pictures will appear best on a web page. Use the old method of having
the subject face into the sun. You can send them over the internet if
you have the capability, or you can contact Dan Gayton by phone,
e-mail, or letter. We can scan a print of the picture for inclusion in
our web site. Pictures may be cropped to save loading time and may
appear for a limited amount of time depending on the number of items
we receive.
CREDITS
Officers:
