MARIST Archives & Special Collections

LOWELL THOMAS PAPERS

Box 844

File 3

Marist Archives & Special Collections, 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601; 845.575.3199

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December e, l~Z&

! r. Lov.ell Thomas Rockefell r Center e . York, N. Y.

My de~r owell Thomas:

am delighted to release Erling Strom. ·m afraid I have no expl nations whatever to offer you or Mr . Strom in the m~tter, we have done our best and h~ve spent a great deal of time and money on 'rls representation, but, as 1 told him the other d~y, it is probrble that some one ~l[e can do much bv ter for hi~ and he .d, 1 "1 ays have our warmest wishes and every afsi struice we ::!D.D. pr0 ·ide.

CLARK H: GETT , INC.

CHG:e. ~ ~{J • STROMS AT MANSFIELD •

STOWE, VERMONT

Jan 6. 1941. -

'l'ha1lke for your l••~ letter. I will •ever know how you find time to write them. It was nice to get all the news fr~m Placie, ane fine that you and the Marquis got together a little better this time. 'l'ba.nks millio•s for the boost on the air ••• night. I ai•sea it •yselt 8ut eTery oay else hear• it, which is the most iaportant. In that respeet you are no less than a world wonder, ut that is probably what the Softoco people rouni out too. !y all means bring on Hubert, Rolf ani as J11111ny others as you can think of tor January· 18th. Our bookiags tor that particular weekend are noae too good yet. We ha.Te had a great deal of snow the last few day•, and I had beautiful skiing both yesterday and today. There i• enough snow aw to do whateTer exploring we would like, and as for this place we haTe done all the ·things that we can poasibly atfora to do this year, so the sooner you come the better. Naturally we do hope that you can bri g Frances along and S may too. It you should roUlla up a gang tor the 18th I would keep you posted a• to snow-co•ditioas and be very henest about them. I dia the sU1e to some friends this Chriet11as and did loo•• a bit of business on it, but think it will pay in the loag run.Right aow it is wonderful aroUJld here, eo the dietrict can certainly be reco1111ended. The litt woorke every day, and by stri gin~ a few more ropes they are handling the crowd somewhat better ~t the entrance. Uy only objection is that the whole contraption is beastly cold in cold weather. I almost feel like bringing a climbing rope by which I could decend in ease the darned thing s~ops. I will be hoping to see you on the 18th. If that cant be worked, ~ we shall ~Te to ~et to~ether for one of vour later free weekenee. -.:_ /~ ~ Thanke for the invitation to the Explorers Club. I .$_M...vt_ s s ~ should probablv heve taken you up on that had it been in the midd l e or a WAek. Ae i t is I better stick to home and attend to bueinees this firet winter, unt il things run more smoothlv. Some guests are coming in tho door now, so I si~ off with best wishes for the New Year to all or you.

Sincerely

' A Ls 0 : M 0 u N T A s s I N I B 0 I N E L 0 D G E I BA N F F, A L B ERT A I c A N A DA I

' I ' • STROMS AT MANSFIELD •

STOWE, VERMONT April 5. 1943.

"\.. • ·, Dear Tommy:

/ Sigrid and I felt sorry about y6ur last visit here, and we have wondered how long time your one hoof kept bothering you. We hope not too long. Am writing today to tell you that the lift will stop on the evening of Sunday t ue 18th. At least that is the plan at the moment. It gives us just two more weekends and we have a great deal of snow to use up in tnat "ime. The last few days we have had some of the 'rest skiing of this winter, end it is snowing hard here tode.y. It all means to prove ~hat if you are planning one more weekend on Mount ~!ansfiele it oet'ter bt:i "this coming one or the following. 'Ve have really nad a much better winter than expected this year. Our very best "o l'·ran and yourself. No doubt Sonny is still getting along famously.

l:>incerely,

)

0

ALSO: MOUNT ASSINIBOINE LODGE, BAN FF, ALBERTA, CANADA \ \ \ \ \

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Jan 15. 1962. 6tolut, l:i trmont

Dear Tommy: Have just mailed you back Bernt Ealchena book. What a story that is, and what a life he has had. No doubt he is one of the real great pioneers of the air. Now I am looking forward to your own story about Wilkins. For the fUn of it I am enclosing an un- expected letter from the Seppa.las. Having had nothing to do with the whole thing I felt embarrassed about that. However, they certainly appreciated seeing Alaska once more. It must be great fUn to be able to do thing s like that for such people as the little Viking . Had a telephone call from Mc.Laughlin in Stratton, and realize t hat you have stuck my neck out again. I accepted t he invitation, however, and suppose I can think of a few word.s . to say about skiing .It will be fun to see t he place • Once you are tied up in one place you rarely see the others. Let us hope for a l ittle snow so t hey can s et off to a good st art. We have all ice here now. See you soon. Sincerely,

~llso: Jflount ~~stniboine I.obge, Jjanff, ~lhtrta, Canaba

c®lnunt J\zsittihnin~ Ifiohg~ • ~OX 369 ~auff, J\lberta CLASS OF SERVICE SYMBOLS DL =Day Letter This is a fast message unless its deferred char .. WESTERN UNION NL=Night Letter acter is indicated by the 1201 (4-60) proper symbol. TELEGRAM w. P. MARSHALL. PRESIDENT The filing time shown in the date line on domestic telegrams is LOCAL TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is LOCAL TIME at point of

1 -\ SYA162 BD150 B MPA031 PD::SSTOWE vr 6 12 35P EST:: LOWELL THOMAS= . PAWLING NY:: DRINKING YOUR SKALL TODAY MANY HAPPY RETURNS= SIGRtD AND ERLING STROM: '7 {)"DI lfLS f} 7 7 1 L .Aft, ., __ -·- Tl:U.P ... ')!!# #:! aY jail, I r '- c ; C\; lEi"

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a ' \.,.!) :;:;;es ")' ~~/ iv r e,-e 6totutt l:1 mnont (' f) December 2~ /( , 1961'> ...... Dear TommY; , r ...... 0 d ~ hank you for letter with clipping over two months agoo So glad the doctors are beginning to agree with me. From now on I won ' t even have quilty conscience when I let the bading go till Saturday. Seeing that we are already writing December I almost got panicky and phoned you last night, to ask if you are reallt trying to get to Norway for some skiing between now and Christmas. You do realize that the days are very short there now. The time to ~ go would be around Easter, when there is plenty of snow and a little sun to go with it. I just say this because I hate to have you go and be dissappointed. .. Furthermore I wish you would wait until next year when I will be there and could join you somewhere. As for snow before Christmas, I believe they have plenty of it already. Speaking of skiing, what about this do ~~ out in Sun Valley. I have received some dope on it, ~ but dont even know whether or not I am eligible as I have never set foot in Sun Valley so far. Have wanted to see the place for a long time, so this \ ~I might be a fun time to do it. I see they expect you, but are you really going to be there ? We are l{ ' not in business this year so I could take the time ~ and maybe also the money, and I should think I would , J\ ~ run into enough old timers I know to have some fun. , ~'\ J I hate to write them and find I am not eligible. ~ What do you think ? ' I was out in Vancouver a few weeks ago \ and missed Sonny's lecture by one day. Would have ~1 stayed over had I known, but found out too late. J ,4: So you see I dont do everything r!g~~A friend who heard him and was very impressed liit'me the programs ~ ( and things, and that is enough to impress me terrificly. No doubt he is doi~a wonderful job. My summer was fine. Four days of rain between ~ i.._ June 26th and august 26th. The business was not as goo8 as the weather, but that gives us more time to enjoy I it ourselves. . Siri with husbond and child will be here for Christmas.

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I need four copies of this

Feb .5. 1967.

Thank you :for sending me Bradford Washburns letter. I read it with e-rcat interest and was really very surprised . Some day I "hall c0rtainly want to talk to him about it, and T may say, put 1 im straigt. Somehow om:fact has esca.1ed Drad£ord, namely that Stuck's ther11ometer was placed in an absolutely lf'.J~~JQXKXXI§lilfKXXX~ hori:sontal possition. It was placed in the bottom of a crack in a big boulder and weighed do\m with a large slab of rock that was £L90-u- j~ed in place with other rocks . The thcrmomPter was in an I obi"ong box with a hole through the one end where the bulb of the thermometer was locatedc This end of' the box stuck out from under the overlaying slab of' rock and was con- siderably worn by the ,. ind. Before wr tr>uched anythine; l e peeked through the hole, all of us in turn, and could see the littlR oblong stem or indicater tipped over in the bulb . Nothing less tl.an an earthqu"'o/l

Feb 5. 1967 •

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Dear Tommy : Thank you for sending me Bradford Washburns letter. I read it with c,-rcat interest and was really ve~y surprised. Some day I sha.11 certainly want to talk to : im about it, and T may say, put him stra1gt. Somehow om fact has escaped 1Jrad1'ord, namely that ~~ tucl 's thermometer was placed in an absolutely ~J~~J~XXXX~KKKXXX~ horizontal possition. It was placed in t he bottom of a crac1< in a big boulder and 1-reiched down with a laree slab of ro&: that was c~C7'0-£.<-,_ jaJled in place with other rocks. The thermomvter was in an obl'Ong box with a hole through the one end where the bulb of the thermometer was locatedc This end of the box stuck out from under the overlaying slab of rock and was con- si · erably worn by the wind o Before w( tr,uched anythine- \le peeked through the hole, all of us in turn, and cou ld see the little oblong stem or indicater tipped over in the bulb . Not"':dng less than an earthqua:J"ke and a good o:e at that, could have moved that Jittle pin 0 Bradfords theory could possibly be ri311t if the thermometer had been standing up:big 1. t but this was not the c ase . So this time he is dead wrong. I have e;reat respect for Bradford as a scientist, but even greater scientists than he ha ~ been wrong before himc It can well be that a :freakish spell of weather was the cause of that thermometer showing 100 below zero. It may never happen ac·ain, but that does not prove that it didn't hap='ey . on£e •. I also f'eel one should ta..1<:.e into count tha--.t the ~imlWi'-aittifij ~xx.rK changing f'rom time to time . I should like to show Brad-ford how much the glaciers in the Canadian Hockies have gone back in the 40 years I have known them. More than 50 years have !}assed now since that thermo- meter was placed on McKinley.Incidently it was in £ull order We shook the pin bac /~'Up , and it followed our own thermometer on the rest of the trip. .., So much .for the thermometer . I wonder where it is now ~ Was sorry to hear about Leonhard Seppalas death. Would have liked to have written him up a little here in Oslo and would have done so had I only had a picture of him here , but what I have is in Stoweo Am so glad you e-ave hdl.m that last trip to Alaska . This is a wonderf'ul winter in Norway. I was skiing today and you would not believe what goes on here in the wa of cross country skiing. Sig.rid is in bad shape, sorry to say . We are begin- ning to think that an operation is her only hope. Our love to Fran and all the best to yourself.

SincereJy, ~ ------0vre Ullern Terrasse 52 , Oslo.

April 14. 1967 •

..Dear Tommy :

Indeed I was int erested in the Skagerak article as well as in the one about the O'Hare airport . What a plac e o Thank you for sending the magazine and for the lettero Sorry to hav e lost out on what has happened on McKinley . I don't think Oslo papers have had one word about it. Neither have I seen anything in t he Christian Sc ienc e Monitor which is the only American paper I take , and even that is the London Adition . Hav e also apprec iated the Bradford Washburn letters , and will write him again some time , n ot to a rgue but rather to thank him for his lengthy exp lant;ion . Not that I think he is right, but th~t is immat erial. Sigrid was finally operated four weeks ago today . They remov e d her adrenal glands( sitting on the kidneys ) to c u t down the production of hormones . She seems to b~ improving slowly now. How well s he wi ll get in the end is hard to say. A week from now I hope to get her to a sanato- rium in Denmark where she has been before and likes it . While she is there I go to Stowe and back, to do income- tax and st ~aigh t en other affairs . Then by end of June she hopes to be well enough to go along to Banff and Assiniboine . If not she will stay here and we will find someone to live with her while I am away . I was really env ious when you said you were going west for skiing. I shall never forget our Sun Valley- Sal t Lake trip , and want to do that again, even bigger and better, or should I say longer , for it couldn't be better. Have skied very little myself this winter. With Sigrid in the hospital it has not been easy to get away . The poo r girl has spent ov er fiv e months there out of the ten we hav e been in Norway . I notic ed on my little birthday card that another one has slipped by for you. Sorry I did not look at the card in time to do something. You rounded what I think of as .· ... the third corner , if I am not mistaken. Fortunately there is a long home stretc h ahead of you yet . W hen age is mentioned I just think of our friend Herman Johannsen. He is 92 in June , could not come t o Assiniboine this summer .. bec ause he is going through the rnontains of Norway instead with a party his daughter is getting u p . My love to Fran. W ill give Paw lin ~ a ring while in Stowe , just in case you should be home l~ enough t o take the telephone . All the best. ~·

0vre Ullern Terrasse 52. Oslo.

April 22. - 67

Dear Tommy:

No sooner had I mailed you a letter before another came with all your broadcasts about the McKinley exp edition. It all made very interesting reading for me. I will never see why experienced mountain men will travel on glaciers without skis on. After all, they do distribute the wait over a much larger teritory, and will carry a man over snow bridges where he o therwise will go right through 0 We kind of proved that when Lindley and I crossed a crevasse where Pearson went right through because he had changed to snow shoes at that p oint. He lost no time changing back to skis. These men certainly had a tough trip and did well. Also want to thank you for the "Canadian Saga."" Have not taken time for that yet. In fact you p r o vide me with more reading than I can get around to. You asked if I was going to Banff this summer and I am. We still hope that Si g rid c a n c o me along , but if not we will find someone t o live with her here. After all, she p refered t o remain in Stowe many a summer, and she claims to like it better here, so it should be no . h ardshipo F< orgo t t o th a n vn, so I am skiing for the last time tomorrow. The days are l o ng here n ow . Thanks again for everything and all t he best.

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Stowe. Dec 5. 1967.

Dear Tommy : Nothing would be more fun than to go with you and the .:iawyers and others to the Olympi c~ but I have made other and very big plans for this year, and cant disappoint the ones I have made them with. Must have been associating too JJu ch with you, because I want to go around the world myself thsis year, and that with two old girlfriends. Ruth Woodman, the radio script writer is one. The other you know less about, but she came up for your farewell party for Sigrid and myself . Gerry Lester by name. Both friends of ~igrid and myself for over 35 years. They were both at my birthday at ASsiniboine this August and were making these travel plans. all of a sudden they turned to me ani said: 11 But Erling, why dont you go with us." .i:~fter one minutes thinking I said: Yes, why don't I. " That was that. Since I am supposed to be in Sun Valley in January, and leave from San ?ranciscd by air in early Aarch , I better just go up to Banff and save a few pennies, rather than to jump all the way to Grenoble and back. That is the king of thing you would do, but I am not quite that far yet. I might add that if properties in Stowe keep going up , it won't be long now. Thanks anyway for wanting me. I do hope you will snow up in Sun Valley. AID terribly afraid that the whole thing will be a flop without you , so you better come. The trouble with trying to round up Norwegians is that very few of tpem have made enough headway in this world to be able t~afford the trip there and back. Am using a little picture of you and Fran in front of assiniboine in my Wrangler this year, so expect the whole world to come flocking in next summer. I am sure you don' t mind -- ~,,_. · I take it thatl'""package of shoes arrived safely ,in Pawling. Don't tell me if ~l,b did, but tell me if tt~ didn It• r My love to Fran. It was wonderful to see you both at 4SSiniboine.

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It is a very sad fact that the never saw less than five bears any At I Grizzlies are getting, fewer and one summer during my first thirty I fot farther between as the years go by, ye ars at Assiniboine. This totals up with both in and around Banff National to one hundred and fifty bears, and black Park. This summer we did not see a not a single one of them ever showed Kasse single one, while we in earlier the slightest sign of unfriendliness. the o years could count on .seeing between Most of them ran away as fast as Stowe five and t n Grizzlies each season. they could, and don't think that is wi 11 f On one occasion, Siri and I saw five not fast. A few would just stop and Grizzlies within an hour. One might look, their curiosity getting the wonder what is happening to this best of them. Then, if you yourself most magnificent of all American stop and stand absolutely still, the wild animals. bear might be standing there for One contributing factor towards ever so long. He has poor eyesight his destruction is unfair publicity. and unless he gets the wind of you, Str If a Grizzly commits a crime which he will stand until he detects mo- does happen once in a long while, he tion. Then he will be off. makes headlines from coast to coast. We had lots of fun with Grizzlies Please to His bad reputation becomes entirely at camp in the early days. They good frie no out of proportion. A drunken driver -usually came around in the fal 1 when interest t rly can mow down pedestrians right and we had Elk meat hanging under the trying to re left and bare! y make the local papers. rafters outside, but they could ap• kind enou for As for punishment, the Grizzly must pear at any time. Once a whole her birtl a::: Lng die, without trial, without even fami 1y of them had wrecked the kit- her long_ w tal proof that he was the one who started chen when we came in to open in the last fall cc ike the trouble, which was seldom the spring. Not that this was such fun to know :::e But case. Not only that, but other for us, but it must have been fun first I w ave Grizzlies in the neighborhood may for the bears. They had gone in and not yet h w u ood be killed also, to be sure one does out of all three windows, broken wishes at ~rs w not miss the criminal. A lot more most of the furniture, stepped through gave Sigr c t a lives would be saved by giving the the stove and filled that with brown time whe1 I drunken drivers the same kind of sugar and oatmeal, ripped open every appreciat as, 1-- treatment, and if capital punish- • tin on our well filled shelves, done they gave z ler, ment is prohibited, then extend that away with two hundred pounds of to read t 0 :ral law to include the Grizzlies as well. fl our and one hundred pounds of times, ar :::e be- Nothing like playing fair. sugar, all licked . into the floor, came the a::: w a y. Just how dangerous is this Ursus forming a three inch cover, hard as Her birtl > out Horibilis, and does he really live concrete and with all the cutlery ov.er a lo JOY up to his latin name? As I said, I each to a (Continued on next page ) In 1 ast ' I wrote hop li ty out again. It was suggested that she Copenhagen, where she had been be- of Sigric os- spend a month in a good sanatorium fore and liked it very much. Two of pi tal anc ' our where she would still be under doc- our very best friends in Norway were new home was tor's care. She chose Skodsborg, near to be there at the same time, so all fulfilled ter seemed well . three me hey During Sigrid's month at Skodsborg, could no· did I was to get over to . Stowe, where have two und we had some furniture to pack and Christma~ and ship home, income tax to do, and the and their ig- place to rent. I was still there rid could ties when I, on the morning of the 17th both at h ugh of May, got word that Sigrid had she was Her suffered a severe stroke. That same illness I sh- day, only hours later, she passed ing' s D of away, quietly and without pain. For hormones) bout Sigrid, who had been an extremely a brain c nd) active person all her life and was but, due of desperately unhappy when inactive, 00 of a lig ...... ar- this was the best "that could happen. lier, th1 t he There had been no hope of total re• chance. 1 0 d be covery, and since I was told that to remov z ilich this last stroke would have left her also have ti on in a wheelchair for the rest of her of hormo ring time, I am deeply grateful, for her •her next tal. own sake, that this was not to be. survi:~v~e~u~~c~nay;- She upe1ac1011 very There is no more to tell. I have well, was on her -feet after a few only to thank everyone for the many days and began to build up a little wonderful letters I have received strength. We walked together in the after Sigrid's death. No one deserves hall day after day and made each trip as many considerate friends as I a little longer than the day before. have, but no one' appreciates friends After two and a half months in the . ; any more than I do, so maybe it ,.is hospital this time she could come -meant that way. bristling out of it. Tlie camp was did not want to kill all particularly well supplied that three. · So there I stood spring, in view of a big party of until she finally turned skiers booked for two weeks in April. her head away . Then I let Had the party not backed out at the the shot go right by her last minute, everything would have ear. She let out a big been used up be fore the bears came "woof" and took off out of hibernation. As it was, the sixty miles an hour, with supplies had to be left until sum- the cubs right on her mer and the bears . came first. A heels. For all I know they whole case, ·containing forty-eight are still running. We tins of corned beef was opened and never saw them again. every tin emptied. The bear bites I could tell bear stories two holes in a tin with his corner ti 11 the cows come home. teeth, puts his claws into the holes None of them very fright- and rips the tin apart as we would ening. I will always be- a paper bag. A case of pork sausage lieve that the Grizzly is had the same two holes in each tin, quite good natured and but nothing more was done. The smell friendly until he has a had obviously not been to their reason to be otherwise. liking. Such as rice, beans, prunes, Under very special cir- cereals of all sorts were strewn cumstances he is danger- everywhere. A cyclone could not have ous. But so is that drunk- done a better job. But then, to show en driver, whom we allow that they are not as · clumsy as we to get away with murder might think, they had accomplished a every day of the year all small miracle. In a box, on a very over this country. A high shelf, they had found the most mother with cubs is nothing breakable object in the whole kit- to fool with. If you ap- chen, an old fashioned lamp chimney. No one but Bruno Engler (climber, skier, pear at a moment when her This they had got ten out of the box photographer par excellence) would have the brought • down and placed on the top nerve to stop on a dark winter night, get cubs are out of sight she gets suspicious of all the mess in the middle of the camera out of rucksack, mount flash attach- and may charge. A bear floor, unbroken. In fact, it was ment, focus and photograph a big grizzly he who has had just made a kill, practically the only thing in the s c ared out of its den. or taken kitchen we could use afterwards. possP.ssion of an animal killed by a On another occasion, a Grizzly who do the trick. Again I rigged up a Cougar, (who is the professional had bothered us a bit that summer, bed on ·a kind of a sofa we . had killer) will regard the carcass as came back and stole a cheese from a st~nding in the corner of the room. his private property, and keep meat cup board outside the kitchen A string from the meat, through a others off. He is then apt to make door. Since the hunting season was half open window and tied to my a quick rush towards the intruder, on and we could very well use a good wrist would wake me when the bear but return to the carcass as soon looking Grizzly hide, we made our pulled at the meat. This worked per- as he has him on the run. I am sure plans accordingly. The kitc hen table fec tly and gave me one of the most that this kind of beha vior has was put up against the window, and exciting experiences I have ever had. caused many a bear to be blamed for made into a bed with mattress, pil- One bright moonlight night the charging. In the Banff Park, a low and blankets. With rifle beside string felt as if a fi s h was nibling frightened tourist would immediately us and the window open, the one of us at the other end. I got up and tip- report to the warden-service. If who slept there would certainly be toed to the window where I had the nothing was done, a letter would go awakened and get a good chance to revolver lying. Outside was a big to Ottawa and word would come back shoot. Jim Bagley, who was with me Grizzly with two beautiful cubs that the bear must be destroyed. at the time, and I were to alter- playing around. Six inches of snow Stupid tourists are getting to be nate. The first few nights nothing on the ground made the most perfect the bear's wors t enemy. The National happened. Then one night, when it background. I don' t think I have Parks which were meant to be bits of was my turn, the bear came back, but ever had five more enjoyable minutes untouched wilderness to be enjoyed I had climbed Assiniboine that day than those that followed. With the by future gene rations, and sanctu- and was too tired to wake up, so he revolver pointing towards the meat aries where wild lire should be for- stole a roast beef from the cup- and the hand that held . it resting ever protected, are rapidly becoming board ,less than six feet from my on the window-sill I stood absolutely the most dangerous places a grizzly head. ·A few nights later, he c ame motionless. One bear at the time can set his foot. Instead of being back when Jim was on the table. This would come and take a bit of meat. protected by the wardens, they are was an exceptionally dark night, so Then once, when the mother was there, killed by them. It would be more to · Jim could not see to shoot and just s he s ee med to realize that all wa s. the point if the Grizzlies were al- scared him away. It c aus ed Jim to not as it should be. She looked right lowed to protect the Banf f and other make a little invention, however. He into the window, came one s t e p for- National Parks from nature's most de- fastened a flashlight under the bar- ward, put both her paws on the win- struc tive mammal, the human being. rel of the gun in such a way that dow-sill, one ·on each side of my Erling Strom the bull et would hit in the middle hand and her nose against the mouth of the light circle. This came close of the revolver, to get a good smell. to being a success. Jim got a shot One ·can hardly get closer to a live Since I am leaving Stowe right a few nights later, and. the bear Grizzly. I shall never forget the after New Year and won't reach gave a terrifying growl, but ran feeling of her warm breath on my Banff until June next ye ar, please away, never to return again. hand. Some how, I had no thought of addr e ss all Assiniboine corre- Another year we had a quarter of pulling the trigger. Firs t of all I spondence to: moose hanging outside the dining would not spoil a wonderful moment. Mrs. Siri Strom Davies room window. The bears found it·. I Se·condly, I knew that her cubs were Box 369 had nothing but a revolver in camp too small to live through the next Banff, Alberta, Canada . at the time, but thought that might winter without her, and I certainly '

;;--- ~~~~--...... ~ ..... ------~----""""""""""""""' ...... !!!!!!!!!!!""'""!!!!!!!!!!"'"" ...... !!!!!!!!!!""""' ...... """"'""""'""""'"""""""""""' ______.._ ...... --:._ I I The Grizzly can~t win

It 1s a very sad fact that the never saw less than five bears any At Grizzlies are getting fewer and one summer during my first thirty I f ,.... s farther between as the years go by, years at Assiniboine. This totals up with "° n both in and around Banff National to one hundred and fifty bears, and ..... Park. This summer we did not see a bl ac °" . not a single one of them ever showed Kas~ f single one, while we in earlier the slightest sign of unfriendliness. the t years could count on seeing between Most of them ran away as fast as StOI I five and ten Grizzlies each season. they could, and don't think that is will y. On one occasion, Siri and I saw five not fast. A few would just stop and Grizzlies within an hour. One might look, their curiosity getting the wonder what is happening to this best of them. Then, if you yourself most magnificent of all American · stop and stand absolutely still, the wild animals. bear might be standing there for One contributing factor towards ever so long. He has poor eyesight his destruction is unfair publicity. and unless he gets the wind of yQu, St t If a Grizzly commits a crime which he will stand until he ., detects mo- does .happen once in a long while, he tion. Then he will be off. makes headlines from coast to coast. We had lots of fun with Grizzlies Pleas< r to His bad reputation becomes entirely at camp in the early days. They good fr e no out of proportion. A drunken driver usually came around in the fall when interes larly can mow down pedestrians right and we had Elk meat hanging under the trying were left and barely make the local papers. rafters outside, but they could ap• kind en a::: d for As for punishment, the Grizzly must pear at any time. Once a whole her bi1 w ring die, without trial, without even family of them had wrecked the kit- her lon aJ 1pi tal proof that he was the one who started chen when we came in to open in the last fa ~ l like the trouble, which was seldom the spring. Not that this was such fun to kno w But case. Not only that, but other for us, but it must have been fun first I J have u Grizzlies in the neighborhood may for the bears. They had gone in and not yet w r good be killed also, to be sure one does out of all three windows, broken wishes c .tters not miss the criminal. A lot more most of the furniture, stepped through gave S at a lives would be saved by giving the the stove and filled that with brown time ~ t- y. J I drunken drivers the same kind of sugar and oatmeal, ripped open eve~y app reci z :h as, 0 treatment, and if capital punish- tin on our well filled shelves, done they gi ~ g her, ment is prohibited, then extend that away with two hundred pounds of to rea1 a::: ever al law to include the Grizzlies as well. flour and one hundred pounds of times, w ~y be- Nothing like playing fair. sugar, all licked into the floor, came t ' > ~ day. Just how dangerous is this Ursus forming a three inch cover, hard as Her bi .. 1d out w Horibilis, and does he really live concrete and with all the cutlery ov.er a ~ enjoy up to his latin name? As I said, I each t< 0 ray. (Continued on next page ) t- In l V') rt" I wrote ibility out again. It was suggested that she Copenhagen, where she had been be- of Si1 ~ hos- spend a month in a good sanatorium fore and liked it very much. Two of pi tal in our where she would still be under doc• our very best friends in Norway were new he pe was tor's care. She chose Skodsborg, near to be there at the same time, so all . fulfil after seemed wel 1. three they During Sigrid's month at Skodsborg, could We did I was to get over to Stowe, where have t around we had some furniture to pack and Christ us band ship home, income tax to do, and the and d . Sig- place to rent. I was still there rid cc arties when I, on the morning of the 17th both E lthough of May, got word that Sigrid had she w 1. Her suffered a severe stroke. That same illne1 Cush- day, only hours later, she passed ing' s ion of away, quietly and without pain. For hormor k about Sigrid, who had been an extremely a bra 00 gland) active person all her life and was but, P-'. use of desperate! y unhappy when inactive, of a O rs ear- this was the best ·that could happen. lier, Z ake the There had been no hope of total re• chanc• Nould be covery, and since I was told that to re ls which this last stroke would have left her also Jduction in a wheelchair for the rest of her o f hornron=:ro - - -.-! during time, I am deeply grateful, for her •her next long visit t o the ~ospital. own sake, that this was not to be. She survived that operation very There is no more to tell. I have well, was on he r .feet after a few only to thank everyone for the many days and began to build up a little wonderful letters I have received strength. We walked together in the after Sigrid's death. No one deserves hall day after day and made each trip as many considerate friends as I a little longer than the day before. have, but no one' appreciates friends After two and a half months in the any more than I do, so maybe it is hospital this time she could come . " meant that way. bristling out of it. The camp was did not want to kill all particularly well supplied that three. So there I stood spring, in view of a big party of until she finally turned skiers booked for two weeks in April. her head away. Then I let Had the party not backed out at the the shot go right by her last minute, everything would have ear. She let out a big been used up before the bears came "woof" - and took off out of hibernation. As it was, the sixty miles an hour, with supplies had to be left until sum- the cubs right on her mer and the bears . came first. A heels. For all I know they whole case, containing forty-eight are sti II running. We tins of corned beef was opened and never saw them again. every tin emptie\i. The bear bites I could tell bear stories two holes in a tin with his corner till the cows come home. teeth, puts his claws into the holes None of them very fright- and rips the tin apart as we would ening. I will al ways be- a paper bag, A case of pork sausage 1 ieve that the Grizzly is had the same two holes in each tin, quite good natured and but nothing more was done. The smell friendly until he has a had obviously not been to their reason to be otherwise. liking. Such as rice, beans, prunes, Under very special cir- cereals of all sorts were strewn cumstances he is danger- everywhere. A cyclone could not have ous. But so is that drunk- done a better job. But then, to show en driver, whom we allow that they are not as ' clumsy as we to get away with murder might think, they had accomplished a every day of the year all small miracle. In a box, on a very over this country. A high shelf, they had found the most mother with cubs is nothing breakable object in the whole kit- to fool with. If you ap- chen, an old fashioned lamp chimney. No one but Bruno Engler (climber, skier, pear at a moment when her This they had gotten out of the box photographer par excellence) would have the cubs are out brought' down and placed on the top nerve to stop on a dark winter night, get of sight she gets suspicious of all the mess in the middle of the camera out of rucksack, mount flash attach- and may charge. A bear floor, unbroken. In fact, it was ment, focus and photograph a big grizzly he who has had just made a kill, practically the only thing in the scared out of its den. or taken kitchen we could use afterwards. possession of an animal killed by a On another occasion, a Grizzly who do the trick. Again I rigged up a Cougar, (who is the professional had bothered us a bit that summer, bed on a kind of a sofa we . had killer) will regard the carcass as came back and stole a cheese from a standing in the corner of the room. his private property, and keep meat cupboard ou"tside the kitchen A string from the ·meat, through a others off. He is then apt to make door. Since the hunting season was half open window and tied to my a quick rush towards the intruder, on and we could very well use a good wrist would wake me when the bear but return to the carcass as soon looking Grizzly hide, we made our pulled at the meat. This worked per- as he has him on the run. I am sure plans accordingly. The kitchen table fectly and gave me one of the most that this kind of behavior has was put up against the window, and exciting experiences I have ever had. caused many a bear to be blamed for made into a bed with mattress, pil- One bright moonlight night the charging. In the Banff Park, a low and blankets. With rifle beside string felt as if a fish was nibling frightened tourist would immediately us and the window open, the one of us at the other end. I got up and tip- report to the warden-service. If who slept there would certainly be toed to the window where I had the nothing was dorie, a letter would go awakened and get a good chance to revolver lying. Outside was a big to Ottawa and word would come back shoot. Jim Bagley, who was with me Grizzly with two beautiful cubs that the bear must be destroyed. at the time, and I were to alter- playing around. Six inches of snow Stupid tourists are getting to be nate. The first few nights nothing on the ground made the most perfect the bear's worst enemy. The National happened. Then one night, when it background. I don't think I have Parks which were meant to be bits of was my turn, the bear came back, but ever had five more enjoyable minutes untouched wilderness to be enjoyed I had climbed Assiniboine that day than those that followed. With the by future generations, and sanctu- and was too tired to wake up, so he revolver pointing towards the meat aries where wild life should be for- stole a roast beef from the cup- and the hand that held it resting ever protected, are rapidly becoming board Jess than six feet from my on the window-sill I stood absolutely the most dangerous places a grizzly head. ·A few nights later, he came motionless. One bear at the time can set his foot. Instead of being back when Jim was on the table. This would come and take a bit of meat. protected by the wardens, they are was an exceptionally dark night, so Then once, when the mother was there, killed by them. It would be more to Jim could not see to shoot and just s he seemed to realize that all was . the point if the Grizzlies were al- scared him away. It caused Jim to not as it should be. She looked right lowed to protect the Banf f and other make a little invention, however. He into the window, came one step for- National Parks from nature's most de- fastened a flashlight under the bar- ward, put both her paws on the win- structive mammal, the human being. rel of the gun in such a way that dow-sill, one ·on each side of my . ~r the bullet would hit in the middle hand and her nose against the mouth 1 ing Strom of the light circle. This came close of the revolver, to get a good smell. to being a success. Jim got a shot One can hardly get closer to a live Since I am leaving Stowe right a few nights 1 ater, and the bear Grizzly. I shall never forget the after New Year and won't reach gave a terrifying growl, but ran feeling of her warm breath on my Banff until June next year, please away , never to retur.n again. hand. Somehow, I had no thought of address al 1 Assiniboine corre- Another year we had a quarter of pulling the trigger. First of all I spondence to: moose hanging outside the dining would not spoil a wonderful moment. Mrs. Siri Strom Davies room window. The bears found it. I Se·condl y, I knew that her cubs were Box 369 had nothing but a revolver in camp too small to live through the next Banff, Alberta, Canada at the time, but thought that might winter without her, and I certainl>y ?he Grizzly can~t win Lost & Found It is a very sad fact that the never saw less than five bears any thirty At the east end of Og P ss Grizzlies are getting fewer and one summer during my first This totals up I found a pair of glasses farther between as the years go by, years at Assiniboine. Banff National fifty bears, and with smoke coloured rims in both in and around to one hundred and see a ever showed black case, reading: Hess, Park. This summer we did not not a single one of them Kassel, Treppens trasse 6. If single one, while we in earlier the slightest sign of unfriendliness. between as the owner would write me at years could count on seeing Most of them ran away as fast season. is Stowe as soon as possible, I five and ten Grizzlies each they could, and don't think that will forward them immediately. On one occasion, Siri and I saw five not fast. A few would just stop and Grizzlies within an hour. One might look, their curiosity getting the wonder what is happening to this best of them. Then, if you yourself most magnificent of all American stop and stand absolutely still, the wild animals. bear might be standing there for One contributing factor towards ever so long. He has poor eyesight his destruction is unfair publicity. and unless he gets the wind of you, If a Grizzly commits a crime which he will stand until he detects mo- Strom Report does happen once in a long while, he tion. Then he will be off. makes headlines from coast to coast. We had lots of fun with Grizzlies Please regard this as a letter to His bad reputation becomes entirely at camp in the early days. They good friends only. It will have no out of proportion. A drunken driver usually came around in the fall when interest to others. I am particularly can mow down pedestrians right and we had Elk meat hanging under the trying to reach al 1 t. hose who were left and bare! y make tlre-lrrcal-irap-e-r-s-:- rafters outside, but they could ap- kind enough to write to Sigrid for As for punishment, the Grizzly must pear at any time. Once a whole her birthday and otherwise during die, without trial, without even family of them had wrecked the kit- her lonK siege in the Oslo hospital proof that he was the one who started chen when we came in to open in the last fall and winter. They will like the trouble, which was seldom the spring. Not that this was such fun to know what happened later. But case. Not only that, but other for us, but it must have been fun first I want to thank those who have Grizzlies in the neighborhood may for the bears. They had gone in and not yet heard from me for their good be killed also, to be sure one does out of all three windows, broken wishes at that time. Those letters not miss the criminal. A lot more most of the furniture, stepped through gave Sigrid a tremendous lift at a lives would be saved by giving the the stove and filled that with brown time when she needed it badly. I drunken drivers the same kind of sugar and oatmeal, ripped open eve.ry appreciated them equally much as, treatment, and if capital punish- tin on our well filled shelves, done they gave me something to bring her, ment is prohibited, then extend that away with two hundred pounds of to read to her, not once but several law to include the Grizzlies as well. flour and one hundred pounds of times, and to talk about. They be- Nothing like playing fair. sugar, all licked into the floor, came the biggest event of each day. Just how dangerous is this Ursus forming a three inch cover, hard as Her birthday letters, I spread out Horibilis, and does he really live concrete and with all the cutlery over a long period. She could enjoy up to his latin name? As I said, I (Continued on next page ) each to a fuller extent that way. In last year's "Strom Report" I wrote hopefully about the possibility out again. It was suggested that she Copenhagen, where she had been be- of Sigrid getting out of the hos- spend a month in a good sanatorium fore and liked it very much. Two of pital and spending Christmas in our where she would still be under doc- our very best friends in Norway were so all new home above Oslo. That hope was tor's care. She chose Skodsborg, near to be there at the same time, fulfilled. She was let out after seemed wel 1. three months mainly because they During Sigrid's month at Skodsborg, could not do much for her. We did I was to get over to Stowe, where have two very pleasant months around we had some furniture to pack and Christmas, with Siri, her husband ship home, income tax to do, and the and their ittle boy visiting. Sig- place to rent. I was still there rid could still enjoy little parties when I, on the morning of the 17th both at home and elsewhere, although of May, got word that Sigrid had same she was really far from well. Her suffered a severe stroke. That passed illness had been diagnosed as Cush- day, only hours later, she ing' s Disease (overproduction of away, quietly and without pain. For hormones). There had been talk about Sigrid, who had been an extremely a brain operation (pituitary gland) active person all her life and was but, due to her age and because of desperate! y unhappy when inactive, of a light stroke three years ear- this was the best that could happen. lier, they did not dare to take the There had been no hope of total re- chance. The next best thing would be covery, and since I was told that to remove the adrenal glands which this last stroke would have left her also have to do with the production in a wheelchair for the rest of her of hormones. This was done during time, I am deeply grateful, for her her next long visit to the hospital. own sake, that this was not to be. She survived that operation very There is no more to tell. I have wel 1, was on her feet after a few only to thank everyone for the many days and began to build up a little wonderful letters I have received strength. We walked together in the after Sigrid's death. No one deserves hal 1 day after day and made each trip as many considerate friends as I a little longer than the day before. have, but no one' appreciates friends After two and a half months in the any more than I do, so maybe it is hospital this time she could come meant that way. ) \ ~ '\ ~ J ( Stowe. Jan 7. - 68. ~\ \ I j '""' The f irst lbti.ng I did was ofcourse to read page 58, and get my best laugh of the year. That bit is too fUnny for words . If you had had one Literary Tea with each book you have given out you would probably have gone broke buying furniture long ago . Thank you for. sending it. What a fantastic lfe. Hitting on six cylinders every minute, and someone forgot to instcill the bralrns • .ti.m looking forwcird d) really reading it . about Terris lv1oore s book, he sent me a copy, and so di~ Belmore Browns daughter, sa I have two already . as for the Doubleday guy coming to ~ssiniboine we shall talk about that at Sun Valley, that is if I get there. at this moment I am in bed with pneumonia. we will take a second set of x-rays toJJorrow and see what the story is. Severcil peo;>le in iJtowe have had the same thing. One is not sick but not qu ite well either. No doubt you had a nice Christmas in ~lcisk, and found ~onny and family in good shape. Happy New Year to Fran and yourself.

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February 17, 1968

Mr. Charles A. Pearce Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Madison Avenue at 45th St. New York, New York 1001 7

Dear Mr. Pearce:

Before leaving Stowe at the end of January I received your letter. Since then I have been on the move, mainly on skis, and have not found time to answer until now.

Lowell Thomas has obviously been at it again. He is the world's nicest person, and has been trying to help me through the thirty-five years I have known him. However, he may be a bit overenthused about the various stories I have to tell from a long life on skis. He is quite right, that there are enough of them to fill a book, and that we today might have enough skiers to create a market. If they were to be told, however, in book form, I would want to do it myself. I feel the same way about ghost written books as I do about homes done by interior decorators. They do not reflect the people writing them or living in them, and therefore they have little value. Some day, within the not too distant future, I may get around to make an honest effort, although Lowell does not think so. I must admit that I am continually told that I must start writing. The question in my mind is whether or not ten thousandFrer:chman can be wrong.

Meanwhile I am going around the world, and after that, run my summer lodge in the Canadian Rockies, . so nothing will happen until fall. If I then can collect the few stories already written, and my thoughts for some more, I may take the liberty of coming to you for help to find a publisher.

At this time I can only thank you for being willing to hell:' me, and express the hope that I shall have the pleasure o~ meeting you some day.

Sincerely,

Erling Strom •

. . .. MADISON AVENUE AT 4Sth STREET, NEW YORK , N. Y. 10017 21 2 ·682. 3600

February 23, 1968

Mr. Lowell Thomas Hammersley Hill Pawling, New York 12564

Dear Low ell:

Here's a copy of the fine letter just received from your friend Erling Strom. He s tates his position clearly and well. I hope to hear more from him in the fall. ·

Sometime before then, needless to say, I hope to be seeing you.

Cheers, Co..p

Charles A. P earce CAP:msi

I Ill< I\\,() 1'/\N I B i\NCISC:O ro1 nrtl\ 0 l?l'R IN<'.S ~!it' ll I' llll I~

11;4! . 1 -: and Associate ski instructors teaching at Ski Pro Erling Strom, American resorts representing many Though 70 nationalities.) Years Old, Strom taught skiing at the Adirondack Is Very Active Skier resort for 12 years, including the winter of 1932 when the Olympics were held by BOB CLARK at Lake Placid. He thinks it was this BOYNE FALLS, MICHIGAN--Erling event which awoke Americans to the Strom, 70, one of the first three ski fact that skiing is an enjoyable and instructors in America, paid a call at invigorating winter pastime. Boyne Mountain recently and found the However, the Nordic crosscountry ski- skiing very much to his liking. ing Strom taught 40 years ago doesn't "This suits me just fine," said Strom, bear much resemblance to the downhill looking up at Boyne Mountain's 500-foot ~ skiing common in America today. vertical drop. "By the time I reach "W~ didn't have lifts and we didn't the bottom I'm ready to take a breather need them,'' he recalled. "Climbing while I ride the chair back to the top." hills on skis and crossing level terrain This is quite an admission from one was as much a part of skiing as the of the world's foremost proponents of downhill. I taught it all." cross-country where chair lifts are Strom said downhill skiing still hasn't pretty much reserved for foreigners. come into its own in Norway, since Strom, who still speaks with a slight most Norwegians have trouble turning Norwegian accent, was raised near Oslo on their narrow skis. and has been skiing for 60 of his 70 years. "In fact that's the worst part of their And he expects to continue skiing for a day, when they have to leave the top good many years to come! of the mountain and start downhill," The slim, greying athlete emigrated to he laughed. He said when a Norwegian the United States when he was "flunking must ski downhill, he usually does it horribly" in school. in long, slow traverses, punctuated by His fir st job was in a New York impGrt- kick turns. export office, followed by five years in Strom said his classes at Lake Placid Arizona and Colorado working on ranches consisted of no more than ten students and in the oil fields. each. Lessons were on hour long and While in Colorado, he heard of a ski cost $3.00. jump competition at a place called Gen- ERLING STROM "I had no idea how skiing should be esee Hill. Although he hadn't strapped about teaching. He also was afraid a taught so I had to de vi s e my own on a pair of skis since leaving Norway, speech impediment would pose a prob- methods," Strom recalled. "I would the lure of the slopes was still strong. lem. demonstrate once or twice what I wanted Strom entered the meet and won first The management of the Lake Placid the students to learn and would ask prize--his first day on skis in more winter resort insisted and Strom finally them if they understood. Then I would than five years. agreed. His decision to turn pro brought tell them to spread out on the hill In 1926 Strom ·.von the U. S. Western the number of professional ski instruc- and practice individually." Ski Cnampionship and his fame spread tors in America at that time up to Strom said this system allows a skier as far as Lake Placid, N. Y., w:1ere three ••• and all Norwegians! (Today, to progress at his own pace, eliminating he was offered a job as ski instructor· according to the United States Ski Asso- wasted time and needless embarrass- Strom refused, claiming he knew nothing . ciation, there are some 3,500 Certified_ Turn to ERLING STROM, Back Page

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13 NORTHERN WIS.-MICH. CLIFFS RIDGE Marquette, MONT RIPLEY SKI HILL DIRECTORY Michigan Houghton, Michigan Open daily, vert. drop 425 ft., longest run 5,200 ft., 4 runs, New Hall T-bar, new two-story chalet, • CHANTICLEER 4 trails, 2 T-bars, 3 rope deck, snack bar, ski shop, tows, snow-making equip., renltals, instruc- lounge are. Eagle River, Wis. tions, Open daily, weekdays, 1-5:30 p.m.; week· lunch. Sat., Sun., and holidays, 9-5; ends and holidays, Longest run, 600 ft., 2 open slopes, weekdays, 10:30-5. Rates: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily 2 runs, weekends and rates: adults, $3; high school, $2; 2 rope tows, jumping scaffold, toboggan holidays, adults $4.50, weekdays, $3.50, chil- under 12, .run and skating dren $1. Saturdays, Sundays, holidays: adults, rink. Tows, adults $1.25, under 12, any day $2.50. Ph. 225-C>486. $4; high school, 75c juniors. Rental equip., instru.otions. $3; under 12, $1. Two-day Open 7 days and weekends: adults, $7; high school, $5; illuminated for 7 nights. RIB under 12, $2. Five Lunch, dinner, lodging at Chanticleer Inn. MOUNTAIN week days: adults, ,12; Snowmobiling Wausau, Wisconsin high oohool, $9; and under 12, $5. Vertical every day. Eagle River, drop 410 feet, longest Wis., Ph. Eagle River 479-4486. Vert. drop 680 ft., longest run 3,880 ft., run 3,000 feet. Amer- 5 open slopes, ican toohnique and racing instructions l>y 5 tows (1 T-bar, 4 ropes). Fred Lonsdorf, Tow: adults $3.50 day and $1 nights, chil- M.T.U. ski coach. dren $1. HoUlrS: weekdays 9:30-4:30, week- BIG POWDERHORN MT. ends 9-4:30. 6-10 Bessemer, Tues., Wed., Thurs. nights. Mich. Wed. is Buck Night. Night lighting. In- SHELTERED VALLEY 2 double chairlifts, T-bar. 2 rope tows, struction weekends, lunch, snow-making Three Lakes, Wis. rWlS to 5,200 ft., choice of 11 slopes.. learn equip., man-made snow on every slope. Vert. drop 200 ft., longest run 2,000 ft, to ski week $85, professional ski school, Rib Mt. Ski Corp., Ph. 84.5-2846, Box 387, 9 runs or trails, 4 rope tows, one 700 ft. ski shop, ski rental, dining Wausau, Pomallft. Tow-$3.50. children under 12, room, Raths- Wis. $2. keller, cafeteria. Ph. Ironwood (9116) 932. Hours: 9-4:30 days. Rental equip., 4838 or 932-4839. instructors, lunch. Carl Marty, jr., North- PORCUPINE MOUNTAINS ernaire resort, Three Lakes. Silver City, White Pine, Michigan GATEWAY SKI HILL Vert. drop 600 ft., longest run 4,200 ft.; Land o' Lakes, Wisconsin 6 runs, 2 Twbar tows, 4 rope tows. New CAMP 10 double chairlift Rhinelander-Tomahawk, Wis. Open daily from 9 a.m., lighted slopes for . Tow: $3.50 adults, $1.50 night siding. juniors. Open 9-4:30 daily. Rentals, in- Vert. drop 225 ft., longest run \2 mile. Rentals. instructions, food structors, T-bar lift, 2 rope tows. Rates: service, vert. drop 200 ft., longest run lunch. Write Ontonagon County $3 T-bar, 1.422 Tourist Assoc. Ph. Ontonagon $1.75 high schOOI students, free on be- ft., 11 runs, 4 tows. Adults $4.00, children 884-4387. ginners' tow. $1.50, students Hours: 9-4:30 Wed. Fri., $2.00. Ph. 547-3321. rweekends. Open for 15 or more skiers INDIANHEAD MOUNTAIN anytime. Rentals, instructors, lunch. Lo- Bessemer, Michigan cated 10 miles south of Rhinelander, BRULE MT. County Trunk A, just off Hwy. 17. Camp Iron River, Michigan Vert. drop 638 ft., 12 runs. Lifts: 2 T-t>ars, 10, Rhinelander. Wis. triple chairlift, 3,200 ft. double chairlift, Vertical drop 400 ft .. longest run 4,000 ft., 3 rope tows, snow making 7 runs altogether, 4 tows. equip. Longest chaiir lift, T-bar, run 5,000 ft. Rentals. Instructors. Open new double chair lift, snow making equip- daily. Tow rates PINE MOUNTAIN ment; rates: adults : $6.00, weekends-holidays; $5, $9 for 2-day ticket; two-day weekend rates, $11.00; weekdays, Iron Mountain, Mich. children $3. Open 9 to 5 daily. Rentals, $5.50; daily $4.00 Vert. drop, ski instruction, cafeteria juniors. Heated pool new 375 ft.: longest run, 3,SOO ft. facilities. Phone Sauna, three new chalets. Ph. Wakefield 5 runs, 3 open slopes, 2 doube chairlifts, Congress (906) 265-2219. 7 rope 906-224-8501. tows. Chairlift: single day '51 2 days '9, 7 days $t0. Rope tows, aduli single day $3. Rental equip., instructors, lunch, snow-making equip. Pine Mountain Lodge, Iron Mountain, Ph. (906) '1'1t-S'lf.'I.

All skiers shall ski under control Lake-Superior Control shall mean in such a manner that a-skier can avoid- other skien

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Wedlen - Very tricky. For e~rts only. Gradually work feet inward until together centered over roller. Develops spilt - second timing ankle action required for wedlen. BONGO BUILDS BETTER SKIERS Condition yourself for skiing with a BONGO BOARD. Recommended by world-famed coaches and Olympic champions. FREE chart illustrating all six exercises with ------every order. BIG BONG0-34" platform (adults) ... $21.95 BASIC BONG0- 32" platform -§·~ (children age 5 to teens) • ... $17.95 ·~ .~ Plus postage from Louisville. Ky. fi ... At Sport and Ski Shops f'4 or Write Dept. C " N IN ....,, BONGO CORP • 1,s s .·-- 527 Madison, NYC 10022 14 ERLING STROM From Page 13 ment when a class lines up on a hill and performs one-by-one for the instruc- tor. "After each lesson I would tell a skier to practice what he had learned for two or three days and when he had mastered it to come back for the next lesson. I seldom gave any one skier more than six lessons, because !figured if I hadn't taught him to ski in that length of time, either I was doing some- thing wrong or he was," Strom said. The trim Norwegian admits that he has been waging a 40 year war· with the proponents of the Arlberg system of skiing. In 1931, he wrote an article for Coronet Magazine entitled, "I am No Arlberger" and he hasn't changed his opinion much since. He objects to teaching the snow-plow as a technique basic to all skiing. "The snow-plow is good as a brake and I taught it as such," Strom said. "But for turning I prefer the Christie, done at increasingly faster speeds as the student progresses." He also thinks Arlbergers tend to Miss ULLR 1968, Nancy Haeg, has her new crowa adjusted by the St. Paul carry themselves too low on their skis. Winter Carnival Queen of the Snows, at the recent Valentine party of the ULLR "I prefer a halfway position, where Ski club of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. Special guests for the annual party I can go either up or down as the at the Hopkins House, Hopkins, Minn., were the St. Paul Winter Carnival terrain demands." royalty, including the king, queen, prime minister and guards as escorts for Among the famous persons Strom the 12 ULLR girls who were candidates for the title. Jim Rupert, Minnesota has taught to ski are commentator Lowell state vice president for the US Ski Association, Central Di vision, was master Thomas, who remains a fast friend, andr--_o_f_c_e_r_e_m_o_n_ie_s_.______~-~------singer Kate Smith. L k• structional skis. After becoming accus- The friendship with Lowell Thomas earn to s I Method tomed to the skis, the beginner tackles is easily understood when Strom starts B d sk· L th the Killington 3/4-mile teaching slope. talking about his mountaineering ex- ase On I eng The 39-inch skis are used for tw0 periences. In 1932 he headed the first KILLINGTON, VT.--A revolutionary days. The third day, the novice is expedition to climb 20,300-foot Mt. Mc- method of learning to ski, based on equipped with five foot meta' skis which Kinley in Alaska on skis. The ascent length of ski, has been developed here are used for two days. Thefinalprogram marked the second time in history the to help the beginner enjoy the advanced day beginners use normal length skis highest mo:.mtain in North America had slopes as quickly as possible. fitted according to weight, height and been conquered. Karl Pfeiffer, director, Killington ski ability. Special attention to poles ;i.nd Although he owns Assiniboine Moun- 1school, calls the method GLM ·:Graduated boots is also given in an attempt to tain Lodge in British Columbia, a ski Length Method). Killington tested. th_e Im '.lke the beginner. a pro _on the slopes lodge at Stowe, Vt., and an apartment in method for two years and is now usmg it from the start, Pfeiffer said. Oslo, Norway, Strom said he has no lfor the fourth year. The program calls I He added that the GLM method is in place to call home at present, since for a five-day training period, starting u~e. at other areas, but originated ;i.; all his property is rented. with putting the navice on 39-inch in- Killmgton. Central U.S. "SKILAND" Vol. XII, No. 1

Second Feb., 1968 Jssue Eagle River, Wis. 5-1521

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47

STOWE HOLLOW STOWE, VERMONT 05672

IN THE HEART OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES cJ._/ EAL~ t!Cbe ~~~tntbotne Wrangler NO 19 BANFF ALBERTA DECEMBER 1968 me ...... Chnst111i1s

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year in the States will always put us down a notch. Don't ask me why. It may have to do with our delightful lack of telephones. With an uncertain future people may want to be in contact with their business or stockbroker. Some may think it wise to save their pennies. Summer of 68 We will never know. Already next summer looks better than this one. Let us not talk about the weather th is time we think she was camping with her time. The less said the better, although we father Belmore Browne (painter and moun- did have two beautiful weeks the first half of taineer) . If we are wrong and she stayed with July and some unforgetably colourful, clear, us that first time we apologize for not having and warm days at the end of September. presented her with a Gophertail . Another 11 u t Oft ~ e Mi U ~ But if the weatherman failed us our friends 2nd timer of long standing was Doug Crosby I was made to understand that most every- did not. From Princeton came Emily and who now brought a wife whom. we used to body regarded me Charlie Smyth for their sixth and seventh know as Janet Atkin from Banff. Doug made as a complete nut when I times respectively. That should mean a p:..ck- Assiniboine history as a young man. He once insisted upon turning one of our cabins around rat tail for Emily which she did not pt;t. Our walked from Banff by our Brewster Creek 90 degrees. As if they had not looked nice mistake and we apologize. Will try to have route on a Saturday, climbed Assiniboine in enough where they were. To me they hadn't one ready for her next visit. f'rom Seattle little over nine hours on Sunday, and was All these years it had annoyed me that one's came Ann and Ray Coultar for the sixth back in Banff by two o'clock on Monday. He first view, when approaching the Lodge, was time. Fortunately two packrats showed up had promised h;js father to be in the office at a _row of cabins seen from th_e side with so they could be duly elevated to the Packrat one o' clock but his companion (who did not neither windows nor doors showing, but a lot Chapter o·f our Order. Rutfl.-Brainer"Cl-was-back climb-Assiniboine but-had a day_'.s rest insteadl----~f _!! rewood st~cked up against the walls. The from Sharon Hill, Pa . for her fourth time. could not walk fast enough. Other second side of any cabin is the least attractive anyway. She will keep coming as long as her favorite timers were our own good friends Jean and With John Forli on the job building stone horse Powder (Creampuff to her) can carry Tommy Thomson, Vancouver, Mary Living- foundations under cabins the temptation was her. Gertrude and Lyle Frost became Gopher ston, Banff, Mickey Rittvagen, New York, and too great. I knew he could do it if anybody members this, their third time. Gertrude is Jesse Panchero from Oakland, California. We could, so one day the decision was made. responsible for our beautifully decorated were also happy to see Dorene Hannah, who When I returned from Banff a few days later doors. She did three more this summer. Some worked for us years ago, Bridget Jones who it was done. The front door ·and windows of day we hope to run out of doors so she can has become a semi fixture at Assiniboine and cabin number one are now facing the flagpole take time to enjoy the place. Lyle, who last but not least Jim Bagley, with whom I hill instead of the lake. The change has an helped building the fireplace one year did will deal more seriously elsewhere in the amazing effect. Our whole set up looks ever some very valuable plumbing this year. Need- Wrangler. so much friendlier and more pleasing. The best less to say, they are welcome guests. Catherine Staff repeaters were Al Jhonston for his is that everybody agrees with me and has been Whyte came for the second time after more 17th summer (twice as long as any staff willing to admit it. I was suddenly regarded than thirty years absence. She has been too member in Assiniboine history) , Jim Etzkorn as a genius instead of a nut. Of course we all busy presenting Banff with libraries and things for his third, although not a whole summer know that the two are never far apart. like that, and has been in the doghouse with this time, Bill Young and Kathy Bossart for us. One look at the library, however, and we their second . All these we hope to see back Please Address All let her out. It could not be more beautiful next year. For the remaining jobs we had and is now one of the sights of Banff, worth Louky Gouda, Holland, Kate Forster, Laurie Assiniboine Correspondence .. seeing whether you ever read a book in your Mitchell, Peter Blakney, and Brad Bossart. life or not. Evelyn Browne and Barbara New- Generally speaking it was not a good sum- Siri Strom Davies man Durham, N.H ., came for their second mer. The Canadian mail strike did not help us . summer in a row. Evelyn had .also been to Neither did the weather man, although he is Box 369 Assiniboine over Thirty years ago , but at that less important. Peculiarly enough , election Banff, Alberta, Canada Allenby Pass from Halfway and I found them on Bryant Creek. That added four Efif~~ ~ftr~i I~ hours of walking to the mornings work. mln~· I ~ iJ··1I Jim Bagley Ou"' ' ;?' ~~ i ,~ L~ Another time we packed horses with atn~ Wlfl His name has appeared in the Wrangler lumber from the Brewster barn in Banff from time to time but more often in my ~~u~ stories from Assiniboine in earlier days. to Halfway in a snowstorm. Ruth Vernon WJ~i{ ~ None of you know much about him, and Wood, (who later married Jim) was our IH you may be surprised when I say that helper and there was none better in the That's what I did last winter. Exactly 80 days and a wonderful My trip started in Hawaii where without Jim, Assiniboine Lodge might mountains. The horses had never packed trip it was from beginning to end. Never had I thought I would find I had gone a week ahead to visit have died a natural death thirty years ago. lumber, disliked it intensely and kept myself on a conducted tour, but when two dear old friends, and g irl- friends on the island of Maui. I Along with myself he is responsible for its bucking off their packs all the way up. friends at that, asked me to join, what else could I do. Our tour was boarded the Japan A ir Liner in very existence. This year he came back for We arrived at two-o'clock in the morning beautifully organized by "Travcoa" ( 111 Wabash .Ave., Chicago) and Honolulu. a visit after a thirty one year absence. A with fingers so frozen that they would took 72 dayys from San Francisco to Athens. From there I went by Japan is as impressive as Fujiya- lot of reminiscing went on and I began not let go of the reins. way of Oslo, spent some time and finished up where I had begun, in ma itself. A mixture of new and Calgary, Alberta after 64 flights of various length. to wonder why I had never written about By 1939 the skiing at Assiniboine was old. Two most fabulous roads with ·The advantages of well organized tours are tremendous. All him in the Wrangler. given up. Lifts and tow ropes had spoiled 48 hairpin switchbacks right ab- high spots are included. Different types of entertainment are arrang- In this part of Alberta the name skiers. Meanwhile our summer business ove each other leading to and from ed for your benefit. Excellent guides are provided everywhere. You Bagley spells one thing: horses. Ray had picked up sufficiently in spite of a resort at Lake Chuzenji. Beauti- waste no time trying to find your own way around. What information Bagley, his father has probably as uncanny tough going. Other good men have fol- ful old Temples and Shrines and the guide gives you in a day you could ha·rdly gain in a week by a knowledge of horses as can be 1found horses and I knew that a summer opera- lowed in Jim's job but his was the all im- the world's fastest train, making yourself. Your conductor handles all tickets and passports. A kinder- in this province. He will recognize peoplE tion 34 miles from Banff would depend portant start, and without his western 160 miles an hour and symboliz- garten dropout would get along fine providing he could tell time by by the hor!;eS they ride. Jim's brother on them entirely. Could they live off the Knowhow coupled with Norwegian stub- ing the speed with which Japan his watch and write his own name. We all could. country in the summer and work at the borness there would have been no Assini- will pass us if we don't look out . Bill is regarded as one of the best horse There are disadvantages a lso if one's adventurous spirit is same time? What would we do with them boine Lodge. Formosa h as the spectacular breakers in Western Canada. Jim himself still reasonably alive. One likes to get off the beaten path but finds in the winter? Without the best and most Taroka Gorge plus the beautiful belonged in that class, but the war came little time to do it. I should have liked to sleep on a floor mat in Japan along and made a mechanic out of one reliable helper I could possibly find I Grand Hotel in Taipei of true Chi- and I was·thrilled when a large cockroach scuttled across the floor nese Architecture, and the nicest of the ·most beautiful riders ever to climb would not have taken the chance. Major Ice Caves in Cambodia, creating a little excitement, or when n ice little lizards on a horse. Jennings who at that time was the Super- we stayed in. Walking over the large moraine in the ran up the wall somewhere. Conrad Hilton makes a m istake by not In Manila the Chinese Cemet- Jim was with me for eight years, be- intendent of Banff Park, told me that bowl between Magog, Terrapin and Naiset providing these things. ery, the so-called City of the Dead, ginning in the early thirties. At that time within three years there would be a fire one day, John Forli came upon some tre- Naturally one moves too fast to learn much about each is never to be forQotten. Family it was only a ski camp, and he is the road to the confluence of Fatigue, Brews- mendous holes in what we had thought country, only fast enough to realize how little one who put ski's on at the bridge in ter and Howard Douglas Creeks where was nothing but rockpiles deposited by one knows. Yet, I do think the first impression Banff for the first time in his life and my ten mile cabin now lies. This would glaciers long long ago. The walls of these has great value and is not too wrong. One gets holes were of solid blue ice, and a large ski'd the twenty miles to Halfway that cut the first day in half and be a tremen- a little feeling of the country and its people and day. He was to be the cook. We hauled dous help, so the decision was made. The ice tunnel led from one hole to another, big enough so that two or ·three of our I find that the reading I do now, means more water from the creek beyond the last fact that I had to wait another twelve Assiniboine cabins could be placed in- than the preparatory reading I tried to do be- years for that road is another story. cabin in those days, that is after we had side. Far from being made of rocks the fore the trip. Also I know where I would like to spent hours breaking through the ice. Jim and I agreed that eight horses whole moraine proves to be an enormous go back. Four big tin cans on a sled we had made would do the job to begin with, and Jim glacier with a cover of rocks on top no We had a marvellous group, 22 in all, of an old pair of ski's served the purpose. was to buy them as well as riding and more than two feet thick. The ice has with the usual oversupply of women which suited We cut and split wood also without a pack saddles and other necessary gear. He obviously been melting underneath. Big me fine. There were the incurable shoppers who power saw. Still we found time to ski also had to teach me to pack horses that cavities have formed, and in two places look for bazaars and mail packages home from much of the day and that without lifts first summer. He must have done a fair the roofs have finally caved in. every port. They can't possibly remember where or tow ropes. Extra little jobs could come job of that. I have packed seven thousand We are anxious to see what changes and why they bought the things when they see . along too, such as when half of the roof head since then, am still doing it the same there will be by next summer. One guess them again, if ever. My only package contain- on the main cabin blew off and had to be way, and have had no more trouble is that the roof of the whole tunnel may ing too warm clothes for the tropics was mailed have collapsed by that time. For our relaid. We were having Cougar milk (an than the average western packer. Once I in Singapore and reached me s ix months later. guests a new point of interest has been Assiniboine invention) when it happened. had torn my pants and had to get to my There were also the avid photographers. added. The "Forli Ice Caves" are not hard They see tlie world through a camera lens, and Jim, who suddenly found himself under room in the Banff Springs Hotel with to get at, and will be well worth the effort. open sky, with snow falling into his chaps on. A lone woman on the elevator whip out notebooks after each picture. No doubt glass, never batted an eye, but moved to whom this was a memorable moment they enjoy the trip more in their own s itting rooms than while they ore Mausoleums, some said to cost a slowly over to the other side of the room, looked swooningly into my eyes and on it. Present also were the incessant travellers who had been every- hundred thousand dollars, cont- saying something about his drink getting asked, "Are you a real cowboy?" "Indeed where before and never failed to tell us that it was· nicer th\'! last t ime. aining fully equipped apartments, too thin. He w·as not one .to panic, and I am", said I, "As real as they ever come They made us realize how lucky we were not to have a previous trip where the families can stay when his delightful sense of humour added our of No 0rway". to compare with. Then there was the over enthusiastic extrovert, they visit their dead. much to life at Assiniboine in those days. Both Jim and I handled the trips whose enjoyment came in duplicate, as well as an introvert wh('.) sat Due to bad weather we got a It was the spring of '33 that the future alone those first years. We did the Wrangl- back, said nothing but looked and listened and did not miss a trick. wrong impression of Hong Kong. of Assiniboine Lodge was determined. We ing, packing saddling, dishwashing, guid- Last but not least, the born humorist . De lightful ly funny without M 6st interesting was the fishing having to work at it. All had one thing in common. They were terribly had finished our skiing and had closed ing and cooking not to forget wood village of Aberdeen, crowded with good sports. camp, when Jim one day suggested that chopping. As long as the horses stayed junks and sampans where people Since something has to fil l my last page, and there is nothing we get some horses and make a stab at within reach and did not buck off too are said to live and die on their more to tell from Assiniboine where the summer ran too smoothly for summer business. I myself might have many packs we were alright. But there boats without ever going to shore. stories, we might as well do a quick bit of globetrotting with mention One "must" in Hong Kong is to thought of it but wou Id never have were days and horses we shall never for' of one or two of the things I happen to remember most vividly from have a suit taylormade and deli v- dared to try. I knew nothing about get. On two occasions mine went over each place. ered within 24 h ours. Two f ittings and perfect workmanship. $62 American. literally hundreds of people were sleeping Pakistan where another set of cars are After flying across Viet Nam we land- an the sidewalk with a sack or two for meeting us. From Peshawar we drove up ed in Pnom Penh in Cambodia. Getting bedding, nothing to eat and nowhere to on Kyber Pass which is not very high nor out of the plane was like stepping into go when morning ca.me, if it ever come much to see, but of historic interest as all a baking oven. We are now in the tropics again. the g·reat conquerors seem to have crossed and were not to forget it for several weeks it with their camels, elephants or horses Angkor Wat near Siem Reap is one of one way or the other. the world's greatest archaeological won- . The l ~ttle self-governed Kingdom of ders and I think the highest highspot of Swat which really is a part of Pakistan out trip. After having been overgrnwn was beautifully cultivated and seemed with jungle and lost for several hundred prosperous. Families were moving from years, these aid cities of the Khmer Kings their winter homes in the valley to summer (whoever they are) ore now exposed. With homes in the mountains with a.ii their intricate decorations (chissled in stone) goats, buffalo, donkeys loaded with house- covering every wall and every tower, they hold goods and children riding on top. ore more amazing than the Mayon ruins Kabul in Afghanistan has still a good in Yucatan. many veiled women. The men are strong Bangkok in Thailand has the most and fine looking·. There is not much to beautiful temples of them all. Less see and hotel service is 'the very worst, beautiful are their "Klongs". These but still one likes the country. Great ex- are exceedingly dirty canals con- citement occurred as Iran was about to nected with the river and lined with little close its borders due to cholera• breaking shacks on stilts. They are teeming with out in Peshawar where we had just been. people in sampans, selling everything. We got out but in Teheran we were lined With no sanitation everything is dumped up for another cholera shot before we left in the canals. Everything! Yet people the airport. Here, their Crown Jewels ore ore drinking ti-le water, bathin9 and brush- of most interest. The biggest collection of ing their teeth in it and doing their laun- pearls and precious stones in the world dry, none the worse for wear. including the famous Peacock Throne Bali is a lovely little island south of the stolen from India. Isfahan further south Equator, where people are meant to go Katmandu in Nepal was our next stop. has the most beautiful of all hotels. An naked from the belt up, but don't. The Very different. Probably more like Tibet. old palace which we barely got in to see young good looking girls put on flowered Small' sturdy people, tremendously inter- before Tito arrived for a visit. It also hos blouses while their grandmothers still fol- esting architecture and beautiful scenery. the world's most antiquated linseed oil low the old traditions. A somewhat dis- A rough hour's flight took us to Tiger Tops mill. An enormous mill-stone pulled appointing turn of events. In Bali we saw in the so-called jungle where we rode around by a half blind camel, is said to one of the queerest performances ever e lephants, succeeded in seeing two have operated for two thousand years. It called a Monkey Dance. On a dark night Rhinos, one tiger and a charming Danish looks it. in the li ght of a few candles, two hundred hostess. Bock in Katmondu one of my Beirut is building like no other city. young men were sitting in circles on the friends and I had a very pleasant cocktail Skyscrapers going up everywhere. A whole- ground with feet crossed, moving their visit with the American Ambassador, the sale carpet house with several million dol- brown bodies and arms in unison and ut- Honorable Carol Loise to whom I had a lars tied up in rugs was interesting. In tering the most peculiar screeching noises, letter of introduction. It pleased me no Balbeck one finds the largest Roman meant to simulate monkeys. It resembled end to find that she knew all about temple outside Rome. Black Bedouin tents nothing any of us had ever seen or heard Assiniboine and practically promised to and ski-lifts on the way. Byblos claims 17 and hod an effect I cannot describe. come there some day. cultures on top of each other beginning On our way north again we stopped at Next was Benares (now Varanasi) the with the Phoenicians and ending with the Crusaders. Sing·apore, one of the busiest harbors. W e ho li est of ctll places in India near the found puppet shows in the middle of Ganges River, which is equally holy. The Cairo is now building too close to the streets and a conglomeration of people hundreds of people bathing·, some with Pyramids. A "Light and Sound" perfor- was beaut- such as nowhere else. Malayans, Chinese, clothes and some without, realizing their mance in front of the Sphinx ifully done and well worth a trip to Egypt. Europeans, Indonesians, Japanese and five's biggest wish, is a bit of religious So was Luxor with the Valley of the Kings. Indians. Possibly others. fanaticism, difficult for us to understand. Before crossing the Indian Ocean in a Along with the worst, Indio can also offer Via Cyprus we managed to get into Coravelle with 150 passengers, we the very best. Near Agra stands what is Israel. Jerusalem is very pleasing since it stopped in the world's best looking airport generally considered the world's most is not spoiled by high buildings. Dome at Koala Lumpur and landed some three beautiful building, the Taj Mahal, most of Rocks is inside the most beautiful of hours late r on Ceylon. This is a love ly breathtaking structure ever conceived by all Mosques. One can now see the· whole island full of t ea, rice, .buffalo and ele- man, built by one of the rulers in mem- town which was previously divided, but phants. I was fascinated by the elephants. ory of his favourite wife. This architec- the atmosphere is not pleasant. One Never knew they moved as quietly as tural masterpiece alone is worth a trip to feels that things ore far from settled. kittens in spite of the ir size. I was stand- India. From New Delhi I best remember From Istanbul I shall always remem" ing at the edge of a road watching a Qutab Minar, a minaret 238 feet high ber the most attractive Belly Dancer who monkey in a tree across the ditch, when and built over 800 years ago as a wa.r for some reason ended up in my lap. I lost Also the something touched my bock. It was the memorial. no time giving her a big hug. under- third of three elephants and had it been Srinagar in Kashmir is where one must Roman water cisterns. Tremendous of war. inches farther away, I would not have live in a house-boat, normally floating g·round resrvoirs for use in case Athens presented us with pouring rain, known about any of them going· by. Later around on a lake, but tied ·up to shore at the first since Hong Kong. We· braved a in Kandy it was great fun to have one lift this time of the year. We were in luck as but me by its trunk. The flying foxes intrigued their great patriot Sheik Abdulla who trip to the Parthenon on Akropolis, that was all. With a side trip to Corinth me also. They are not foxes but bats a has been in and out of jail for the last 15 and the Corinth Canal, our world tour foot long and with a wingspread of two years, come to give a speech off the came to an end. feet. nearest hou se-boat. All Srinagar was So does the Wrangler. Indian Airlines took us to Madras. The~ crowding around in their small boots, ap- differ from all others by never being on plauding every word, fully agreeing· with time. All I remembe r from Madras is the the thought of belonging to Pakistan 1st most adorable little girl three or four rather than to India. UNTIL JAN '69 years old, sitting in the gutter with her The flight from here to Amritsar was Please Address Me parents. From Calcutta which is the abso- the most exciting of them all. Good sized cto Mr. Bjorn Foss lute bottom, I prefer to remember a nice mountains below us were terraced to the 409 San Vicente dinner with friends in their nice home and very tops with clusters of houses in the Santa Monica little e lse. The poverty there is beyond most precipitous places. Between Amrit- description. Getting up early for our sar and Lahore we leave India. Suitcases California 90402 flight, we drove through streets whe re have to be carried across the border to

I .. . I November 5, 1968 J' .../

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Hello Again Erling!

When I wrote the other day I believe I failed to answer one remark you made in your letter from Stowe -- or wherever you were. No, I knew nothing about who would be on hand for the Ski Ball. Strange though it may seem I didn't want to be the guest of honor. I knew it would involve four or five hours of shaking hands, talking to people, and the usual bit of speech making. This takes quite a bit of vitality, and I've reached the point where I dodge everything of this sort that I possibly can.

At any rate, they insisted. So I said, "If you don't mind I'll now forget all about it until the night of the Ski Ball. If you need an;y cooperation from me just get in touch with Electra/' I su s pect she made many suggestions. My major disappointment for the evening was that you didn't take advantage of your opportunity to dance with all those attractive gals, Dina Merrill, Patti Gagarin, the members of the Ski Te a m , B r i d g e t Sc 1h w a r z e n b a c h, 'No s e D i v e A n n i e, " a n d so on and so on.~Alas, I have a rather sad story to tell about Fran. I'm afraid she fell into the hands of a hairdresser who gave her bad adv ice , and when she_ saw the results it was too late to do anything about it. She undoubtedly told him she was going out with a lot of young people and wished she could do something to make-herself look younger. Whereupon he sold her a hairpie.ce that, to say the least, did nothing_for her. Both Sonny and I were unhappy about it, and I'm sure she was too. But, we said nothing, until the next day, and not much then -- merely threw it out the window at the Waldorf! --

Although h e r hair is getting thin, it looks a hundred times more impressive · than what Charles of / Lowell Thomas Hammersley Hill Pawling, N. Y. l Lr

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the Ritz, or ,whoever it was, did for her.

Wish we could fly out and spend a few more days with you at the foot of Assiniboine.

\ Whenever you are ready for' a little skiing let's get together. I plan to be at Sun Valley this time, and after. that hope to make the rounds, maybe with the Sawyers, Gretchen and Don, Jack Simplot, Lowell Jr. for a week or two, and we all hope you will .join us. "

,- Give our love to Siri.

So long, /'' ,,.. ~"

/

I . ( I / / \ {; ~~

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' I

,,. / Lowell Thomas Hammersley Hill Pawling, N. Y.

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TO OPEN CUT HERE SE~OER ~·' 32 /L~ /:>-adhJf. ' ...... , ,, , ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,, , , , ~ ,,\ ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ~b~?7;:i.~ Os~,

MERK! DET M..8. IKKE LEGGES NOE INN I ELLER HEFTES NOE VED AEROGRAMMET. I s,8. FALL VIL DET IKKE BLI SENDT FRAM MED FLY, MEN MED JERNBANE ELLER SKIP. 1 1 1 1 1 TO OPEN CUT AT BOTTOM

l~ ~ PAR AVION ~ LUFTPOST ~ I

- · --·· - ·- - . -... --·. - -::- - ---..,..- ~ -=------September 21, 1971

Dear Tommy: Now what are you up to? My career as a skier is no career at all, and not worth mentioning.

Born 26 of August in 1897 above Timberline in Norway, where I lived for 8 years. Winter lasted 7 months a year, so I skied early. In fact I got skis for Christmas in 1899 and might have Jrirtd .• them before the turn of the century. Got my first priZ e on skis (jumping) in 1907. Small boys competition near Oslo, - where we then lived.

Did competition skiing for four years, beginning 1916. Had my best season in 1917 with a couple of lsts and several others in big competitions. Represented Norway in Stockholm's "Nordiska Spelen" (the forerunner to the Winter Olympics) that year. But always spoiled my chances in Holmenkollen by taking one fall each year (In 1917 there were 42% falls in Holmenkollen). A tough hill at that time. In 1918 I served my military time in the Kings Guard, and had the pleasure of helping our Crown Prince (Now King 0 la v) with his jumping. Qo'!!:.!_ _f:__s_a_y _ _J_j_!!:_Y:_gfJ:.L_hi_'Y!J:_ LQ.._!L~L He le a r n e d from many others as well. I played only a very small part.

On March 5 in 1919 I left for America with no thought of skiing any more. One year in New York and five years in Arizona kept me off skis, with exception of one feeble attempt in San Francisco Peaks in Western Ariz ona. There we found impossible snow on that day, and gave up within the hour or so. Hay fever and asthma drove me off the irrigated ranch I was on, and I landed in Fort Collins, Colorado where my best friend was an oil engineer. When winter of 1926 came around I discovered that Colorado was the hotbed of ski jumping in U.S.A. at the time. I got myself some skis, entered a meet and much to my surprise, won 1st priz e the first day I had them on, after five winters off. That year I gained the glorious title of Colorado State Champion in jumping, and the following year, the same title in cross country running. That ye a r (I think it was '2 7) I was also U. S. Wes t ern Champion in combined and th e proud winn e r of a sp e cial priz e (gold watch put up by th e Denv e r Post) for the highest point scorer in Colorado five biggest tournaments combined, with both jumping and cross country in all five places. •. 2

Lars Haugen won most of the jumps, but could not run. Johan Sactre won the cross country races, but could not jump. That year a few of us made the first (and maybe only) ski ascent of Longs Peak. When the jumping season was over Lars Haugen and I skied from Estes Park to Steamboat Springs and back. Quite a trip when one has to break trail in deep snow all the way.

In the fall of '27 I was called to Lake Placid where I spent 11 happy winters, followed by spring trips to Assiniboine, where Albizzi and I brought the first Eastern skiers to the Canadian Rockies in March 28. As an instructor I was now a professional so competition skiing was out.

In 1931 a bunch of us (including my friend Alfred Lindley) made the first ski trip and and winter ascent of the Columbia Sci fields . 2 5 5 miles, Jasper and return. Then the following year, 1932 came McKinley.

You asked for it, so there it is. Incidentally, I have written a few chapters for my book "It Happened 0 n Skis " and will try to finish it this winter. Love to Fran and have a good trip to Europe.

Cordially,

ERLING (signed) i11lnunt .Assinibninr 1Jlnhgr ilnuut As.atntbntur 1Jlnhgr ~ tlebe ~~~iniboine Wrangler NO. 23 CALI FORNIA NOVEMBER 1972

men11 rhndmil§

our enthusiasm for the start 15 years ago, called The Exalted and Honor- able Order of the Packrat and Gopher. Last on our repeaters list come. the ones who have been to Assini- boine only once, but liked it welf enough to come back. Phil and Gloria Hill (Scarsdale, N.Y.) Jim and Jeanne Good (Calgary) Jim and Jeanette Hackman (Calgary) Dick and Donna Rosenberg (Winnetka, Il 1.) George and Anne Vaux (Bryn Mawr, Pa.~ who came to the Rockies before any of us, and finally Jens and Pat Gran (Missoula, Montana.) In addition to all these I must mention another set of repeaters who once upon a time have been with us as staff. Summer of '72 Ruth Sattman who cooked for our Weatherwise the summer was nothing every flower on the way . Tommy and ski party roughly 40 years ago. Her to brag about. Spring was a month Jean Tomson (Vancouver) came for name was then Ruth Vernon-Wood and later than last year and snow cover- their sixth time in a row. They she was one of Canada' s crack ed our whole lawn when we arrived were entitled to Packrat tails but skiers, which was necessary as we at the lodge on the 2nd of July. announced that they would just as skied back and forth to Banff in That month stayed cold and wet un- well do without them. We regard those days. Being an equally good til the 24th. Then the weather them as members of the club anyway, horse woman she was with us in the changed and gave us a beautiful whether they like it or not. For summer also. Lary Boyd, now a ranch- month or more with one or two the 5th time came Jesse Banchero er, was one of our cowbovs some showers, hardly enough to keev the (-Oak-I and, Calif.) .d !;O by foot, y~ later. He was also ;."skier,-- dust down. September came around both ways, and arriving hours be- and borrowed the camp and operated with more bad weather. By the 15th fore the horses. Dr. Erika Bruck for skiers for a year or two after it began to snow, and we thought it (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Ann Cameron I had moved.to Stowe. Finally Peter would never stop. Visitors fromNor- (Michigan) were with us for their Du Brul who was ~tangier and general way, my own sister Kirstin, Eva's 4th time. Ann who is now well ac- helper, always managing to get his daughter Nora and her friend Sidsel, quainted in our mountains, became face dirtier than any one else, and arrived on the 20th, stayed with us a self appointed guide to new who now ~as become, of all things, for 8 days and saw Mt. Assiniboine comers, and never lost a single one. a Jesuit Priest. only once. When they were to leave Three timers were Armand and Mary We want to thank you all for com- we decided to leave with them. We Singer (West Virginia), Bill and ing back. And now, when it suddenly had 14 inches of snow by that time, Leila Vennewitz (Vancouver), Josey looks as if the Stroms may be in and since our horses get enough Wiedel (Banff) Jean Caldwell (Los business at Assiniboine for another snow to contend with during a nor- Angeles) Reg Bennett (Toronto) and few years, we shall hope to see you mal winter we did not want this one Dr. Robert MacMillan with wife all again. to start in September .. Camp was (whose name we can' t read in the guestbook) and daughter Margaret closed in a jiffy and out we went Plea se address on September the 28th, the earliest (Toronto). All these became members we have ever left. of the Gopher Club but again some ASSIN IBOI NE CORRESPONDENCE Our guests this summer were nice refused their emblems, the Ii ttle to and numerous. Again we had our bushy gopher tails tied in red rib- Mrs. Siri Strom Davies, bons. Their reason being that they share or repeaters. Ruby Bere Ste. 13, 2602 Wh iteley Court did not like "trophies." We were (Wisconsi.n) came for the 8th time, North Vancouver, B. C. just as active as ever and always sorry to discover these conscien- on foot, so she can stop and admire tious objectors, and must admit it Canada another. Then suddenl y one morning, the trap had mysteriously dis- appeared. In its place was left an t . anonymous letter signed: "A guest" , Some uncommonly stupid ecology nut 'the .Pad Bk.w obj ected to my "senseless butcher- You wil 1 all remember t he bit I told about that before I wi l l never as horses, saddl es, furniture and ing" of gophers and wanted me to had in the Wrangler last y ear under know. The government will choose bedding not to speak of the cabins · mend my ways. Nothing is more t he happy heading "The Lodge i s the next operator and I will have at Halfway, 10 mil e and 3 mile, will coward! y than an anonymous 1 et ter saved." Thanks t o more than 300 nothing to say about it. During my h ave no value to anyone else, so the of any sort. This one threw s u spi- wo nderful letters from Assiniboine many conversations with government chosen buyer can name his own price. cion on everybody in camp, and friends to t he Director of P arks , officials in the past , this has He is the only one i t can possibly created a· most unpleasant atmos- that seemed to be the case. I am never been mentioned . No one has be sold to. Whoever the buyer wi 11 phere. As for rendering the gophers sure that all of you who wrote those ever made a remark that would con- be (unless one of those I have al- a great service, their effort worked letters are interested in knowing tradict a statement made by Dr. ready recomm ended) will know nothing in reverse. I had no material with what has happ ened s ince that time. Orchard, Director of P a rks some about Assin iboine Lodge and what it which to bui l d another trap and had We did save t he Lodge alright, from fifteen years ago. My c amp was just stands for. The good wil 1 we have to go to work with my 22 rifle. being made into a hostel for hikers then exprop riated, the Government built up through the years wi ll be Al though I have hunted most of my but we also thought that I was cl aimed ownership, and I was gi ven given him free of char ge. Normally life, shooting gophers is not a saved financially from having spent a Park Use Permit instead of my old good wi l 1 adds to the price of an establishment like this. As for sport I like to indulge in. Unless 45 years of my life in vain. The lease. When I complained bi tterly shot through the head they will idea was that the Lodge s hould be because I thought I was suddenly carrying on in the same way and the Without Al it would never have same spi rit, that will not happen . u s ually wiggle back int o their al l owed t o continue its present way left with nothing to sell, Dr . lasted this lon g. He has never holes, where they wil l suffer until of operation, wi th the popul a r Orchard answered: " What do you mean So, while we saved the Lodge from Sourdoughs fai l ed to bring his trips to Assini- bleeding to death . Final ly their hor seback trips to and from Banff you have nothing to sell. You have being turned into a youth hostel, boine on time, he has never failed little dead bodies will make the for those who cannot walk the dis- as mu ch to sel l as the C.P.R. had and I am very thankful for that, we That is the name given to those to get the horses to their winter burrow uninhabitable for the rest tance. Furthermore i t wa s under- to sell you . To whom have those may not have saved i t al all, as who have spent twenty years in range, and never failed to get them of the famil y. By whatever method stood that if we could find a buyer, cabins any value but to the person we know it today. Alaska. Why not give it to those back, and these are tough jobs. He used the gophers must be gotten rid accep tabl e to the government , who who uses them. You have the use of That's the way it is and the ques- who have spent twenty years at has done far more than his share of of. If left alive the 25 gophers would con tinue the operation in my them now. When you get ready to quit t ion is, where do we go from here . I Assiniboine? Al though we don't the work at Assiniboine. No doubt killed this year might mean 100 footsteps so to speak, I could sell and f ind a buyer whom we can accept h ave no intention o f giving up the insist upon sourdough in our hot- which one of the two sourdoughs is more next spring. If they were given to him when t he time came. That time and who will pay your price, you last five years on my permit to cakes, Al and I are the only two. the most val uabl e . If I take a another one or two years to mu l tipl y has come right now. Having been sell to him and he continues where someone whom I my self would not Al completed his 23rd summer this sabbatical year, so what. If Al got around our houses, we would have to greatly t roubled wi th asthma these you leave off. " That put me at accept. Consequentl y I am forced to year. I have almost twice that many. the same idea the whole place would move out ou rselves. last years, I find myself un a ble to ease. I knew it would be wo r th my keep goi ng. It is also the only way Without me Assiniboine would not collapse. Please don' t suggest that I do hope that our ecology minded climb, hike or even do my own work while to continue at Assini boine . I I can get something i n return for have been going in the first place. he should. trap snatcher reads these lines and at Assiniboine. Fortunately I can knew t hat by the time I was ready what I might call my l ife work. realizes that misplaced ecology is stil l ride and therefore not be to withdraw I would have created a Meanwhile the British Columbia worse than no ecology at all. entirely useless. In spite o f that nest egg valuable enough to keep me Government has just changed. New I had decided to withdraw and so the rest of my li fe. p eopl e may have new ideas. A f ew Jlte Goplwt JWf 11lf41m.f had Siri, r ealizing that Assiniboine That i s a far cry from what is years from now the s i tuation may be By far the most common animal in if not right under our cabins. We is a man' s job. Already three years happening now. One might say I have entirely differen t . Until then , the our part of the Rockies is the rather enjoy them at first, whi l e ago I had a piece in the Wrangler been wo rking under false p retenses. Stroms will be in business at Assini- Col um bi a Val 1 ey Ground squirrel, the they are smal 1, but as the summer indicating that we were headed that I am not al l owed to sell to on e of boine. Could be that I myse lf take cute little fellow we usually refer goes by they become regul a r pests. way . Other rema rks to the same ef- the good buyers I have found. The a sabbatical if you can call it that to as a gopher. He may well be re- The san ctuary that our lodge pro- fect have been made later. As a government will find a buyer, and twenty years after the l ast one, but 1 ated to the real gopher, but hi s vides gets positively fill ed with result several interested "buyer s" only one . That e l iminates my chance Siri wi ll be there and so will Al behavior is quite different. While them, and the many holes they di g have spoken up. Very few o f them I of getting any kind o f price for Johnston and that is the main thing. the real gopher is hardly ever seen are dan gerous for the horses. If have conside r ed acceptable, knowing my business. Wha tever I have to sel 1 They wil 1 open the Lodge as u s ual above ground, our gophers a re seen the kitchen door i s open we have full well that i t will take a very after the Park Use Permi t has been on July 1st 1973. everywhere and often in gr e at num- them running between our l egs on special t yp e to run Assiniboine handed over to someone e l se, such hers. They will sit straight up on the floor. Time has then come t o do Lodge. My in ten t i on has been to be their haunches and scold us as we the job their n a tural enemies don' t ver y careful. I would rather not go by. One clap of the h ands and dare to do. sell than see the place spoiled in they disappear in their holes, only To avoid being completely overrun any way . Howeve r , among t he many to pop up a gain within seconds. by them in the spring I have had to interested people I have already Curios ity get s the best of them. dispose of from 20 to 40 gophers heard from, there are three out- The young are born under g round each fal 1. For that purpose I built standing ones who, in my esti mation, in the spring, before the s now has a trap many years ago. A wooden box would be very acceptable. They a ll gone. As soon as bare ground is wit h a loose lid that will tip down know Assiniboine well . They r ealize visible they appear, each family with the weight of a gopher. As that r unning the Lodge is not the consisting of from four to six soon as one has slid into the box, easiest, but wil 1 involve a l ot ot members. The young ones often seem the lid tips back up and i s ready hard work . They a r e wil l ing to come remarkably large at that time, which for the n ext one. I shall never out and spend the necessary t i me makes me think that, although they forget the fi r st time I pu t my trap Hotshot. a nice black with a wi th us to learn what i t i s all are hiberna ting animals, they store to work, and caught 13 gophers the white star, came to the end of her about. They are the right types in s ome food for use in the sp ring , t he first hour. They literally lined trail this fall, 26 years o ld. She every respect. before t h ey can come out. up to get in. On ce in the trap I was born at Assiniboine in a s now- Naturally these three con tacted The gophers h ave many e nemies. put one by one in a gunnysack , gi ve storm late Sep tember 1946, and is Mr . Ahrens as soon as they l earned They are preyed upon by eagles, it a good swing in the a ir and t he only horse we have owned a l 1 that I was wi lling to accept them, hawkes , coyotes, foxes, badgers, bang it on a big rock. The gophe r i ts life. The n ame came from a and got from him the most astonish- wo lverines and bea r s . These a re a ll is instantly dead. lie is never hurt habi t she d eveloped when we first ing bit of info rmation i maginable. nee de d to ke ep the gopher population and never knows what h appened to packed her. The minute her pack was When a permi t like mine r uns out in balance with the rest of n ature . him. A more humane method has never on and we unt i ed her from the there has to be given public notice Since few of t hese animal s dare been invented and can be highl y hitching post at 10-mile s he shot in a special publication and an come close to hum an h abitations, r ecomme nded to those who s ti 11 dis- across the coral at 60 miles an advertisement pl aced in a daily s u ch as ou r Lodge and cabin s, the pose of kittens by drowning. hour, and stopped dead by the oppo- paper, so that any one is given a gophers h ave l ong ago discovered As u s ual I h ad my trap set up s ite fence . Later she became a chance to appl y for the next permit. that the safest Jfl ace to rear their from about the beginning of August smooth saddl e horse and was my That to me is the big blow, and why young i s in our immediate vic inity , and began to catch one gopher after favorite fo r many years. in heaven's name I have not been at Mount Mansfield, where it hangs The -Wolverine in the big restaurant at the foot of Spruce Peak. The majority of these On the front page I have a good he can not eat. They will never people will never see a moose in the picture of what is thought to be come out but rather work themselves wilderness . A nicely mounted head the most vicious of North American in and eventually cause death. on a wall is the next best for animals. Contrary to a very common All this figures with what has them. In moving that head from Lake belief, it has nothing to do with happened in our district the last Placid, where it hung for many the wolf, a misunderstanding we re- few years. I have always kept track years, to Stowe, the truckdri ver peatedly run into. It is the big- of the wolverines and bears I have stopped in Westport for a cup of gest of the weasel family, its only seen. During a period of thirty-five coffee. The head 1 ay uncovered on relatives being the marten, the·mink years I saw 150 grizzlies but only the back of his truck. When he came a;d th~ common weasel. They are all 5 wolverines. At that time we had out a crowd of people began to ask terrible fighters. In Norway there porcupines everywhere. This has all questions. One man took a good look is still a big bounty on the wol- changed. Now we see more wolverines and said: "I don' t believe it" verine (Jerv) as they are too hard than bears, and we see no porcu- Then the principal of the school on sheep and have the habit of pines. There must be a connection. happened to come by, begged the killing many more than they can eat. The wolverines can thrive. No more driver to 1 inger a few more min- We had a lecturer in Banff in the fatal temptations . utes, and went back and turned out early days, who devoted his life to Three of them came around our the whole school, teachers and all . the study of every thing alive in kitchen door this fall. We purpose! y I plan to present the head to the the Rockies . He said about the wol- left some scraps in our garbage zoological museum in Oslo, where it verine that: "Its strength and pails and the picture shows the re- will have educational value, and cunning way exceeds its present sult. As no wild animal seems par- serve a purpose for many years to day needs," thereby meaning that ticularly afraid of light we could come. Is the fate of that moose not it i s a hangover from prehistoric have flashlights shining r}ght on better than that of his 200 brothers days when life on earth was tougher them, and watch them through the and sisters who found their miser- than it is today. But if he is window as much as we wanted. To get able death on the Kenai Peninsula right, why are there not more of the picture I had to step outside. many years ago? them? I believe the porcupine is I got within five feet, but with a responsible. No other animal will flashlight shining right on him, he get the best of a wolverine. My can't see what is behind so there

.. ..

OSLO 6/6/75

Dear Tommy, Your letter with the Seppala clipping arrived only three hours after I had dropped a letter to you in the mailbox. I am not too pleased about the publisher bothering you with my literary efforts, and I don't want you to think that I have suggested it. In fact, I think it shows a lot of nerve, but I suppose he knows you from before and feels that he can do it. What you call my biography is not meant to be that. It contains only the part of my life that has been connected with skiing. Namely a collection of stories that I have told and retold through the years, all more or less related to s k ii n g. If my s u mm er s we r e inc l u de d the b o o k would be three tirres as long. rt is really aimed at the skiers, and I think the word "ski" should be in the title. I have suggested "It happened on skis" or "Skiing was my life". I hope they don't dream up something like the title of a book Franklyn Rogers was kind enough to send me "The Hall of the Mountain King." The book was good enough but had I seen it in a bookstore, I would have passed it up right away. Instead of l ea ding m e on, that tit l e w o u l d ha v e th r o wn m e off. Yes, Herman Smith Johannsen is hard to beat. You said he goes on to Spitzbergen. Before that he goes to Berlin where his old University wants to nuke fuzz about him, that is, after spending only two days in Oslo. Thank you for the Seppala clipping. It was fun to read it again. I am mading for Assinniboine again in early July. Without my companion this time. She hates to fly. Chances are I will show up in New York in the fall some time, and if so I shall try to get in touch with you. By then the pu b l is her m i g ht ha v e s om e thing to s ho w m e. I hope I recognize it. OSLO - 6/4/75

Dear Tommy, Fra nklyn Rogers of Scribners writes me that he will contact you in regard to my book. Just what he expects you to do, and why he tackles you at all, I really don't know. It must be because your name is mentioned in various places, so he understands that you know me well. He speaks of major revision and ext ens i v e r e w r i Ling. If s o m eon e e ls e is t o do the rewriting they will use better and more correct English and the many hundred people to whom I have sent my "Wrangler" each year will spot it immediately. I ha v e a l w a y s h ea rd t h em s a y " we kn e w y o u had wr i t ten it". I would like them to say the s ame this time. Some minor changes I would not mind, but extensive re- w r i ting is an o th er th in g. If i t is n e c es s a r y to r e - write my stories, I think I would rather not have them printed at all. Under no circumstances do I want them published if they can't come in my name. The seventeen hu ndred people who have received any "Wrangler" each year, have always thought it good enough and liked what they call my "style". They would do the same now. Please let me know what Rogers wants you to do about it. Hope you are well. Sincerely,

ERLING 2 • •

I hope you are well. I do better now than I have done in years. We can't let Herman Johannsen beat us too much. Hello to Electra. All the best,

ERLING June 1 7, 197 5

Dear Erling,

Sorry I didn't explain about the call from your , publisher. It was natural for you to ass u m e th a t th e y were ask in g me to do a bit of rewriting. Such was not the case. They didn't send me any manuscript. They merely asked if I knew of someone who might help a bit on the editorial side. All publishers do this. It 's seldopi they are 100% satisfied with what an author :'does.

Pu b l is h er s a r e no t a l l a l i k e - - fa r from it. As I look back over the years1 I am s o r r y th ere w er e ti m es w h en I wa s n ' t g i v en more editorial help. Not many of us are as competent as we think we are. Nearly every au th 0 r n e eds th e a s s is tan c. e 0 f a c a pa b l e e d i t 0 r . Yes , . y o u do ha v e y o u r o wn d is tin c ti v e style, a style much appreciated by those who read the Wrangler. I'm sure Mr. Rogers and h is c o l l ea gu es a t Sc r i b n e r 's w i l l do no th in g. to spoil that Erling .Strom ·flavor. When you stop - off on your way home to Norway, they may be ready for you to go o v er the entire ma nu s c r ip t with their editorial people.

I wonder if you know how fortunate you are in having one of the bes t of all publishers? O v.er the y ears I ' v e ha d to p u tt e r a l on g w i th somewhat lesser ones: Century, Houghton Mifflin, Doubleday. and, others who have I folded. Sorry to h ·ea r th e C o u n t es s is re l u c tan t to travel.

Four weeks ago. I was skiing in the High Sierra w i th O t to L an g, Lug gi F o e g er, and W a yn e

Lowell Thomos Hammersley Hill Pawling, N. Y. 12564 2 • •

Poulsen one of the owners of Squaw. We were at a fabulous new place called Northstar, where an · American conglomerate is said to have spent some forty millions. · ( Dave McCoy, at Mammoth, near Bishop, now has a gondola, a large car, plus a dozen double chairlifts. He handles ten or fifteen thousand people each weekend. John Jay tells me they'n be running 'em all right ;through July. He says they have more than twenty feet of snow. W'fSh I was ten years younger. I'd like · to go back to the mountains of British Columbia and run more of those glaciers. We had a marvelous time there two sears ago. The only trouble was that when we 'd la n d~o n top · of a p ea k in so m e ca s es I found I first had to tackle a precipice for the first hundred yards or more. Hope you have your usual great time at you r: o w n mo u n t.a in in B r it is h C o l u m b i a• All the best.

Lowell Thomas Hammersley Hill Pawling, N. Y. 12564 /

Theodor L0v stads vei 9,Bygd0 Oslo , Norway 11/29/ 75

Mr. Thomas Ami don , St a c kpole and Am i don Stowe , Ve r mont . 05672

Dear Tom~ Yest e r day I rec eived a l e tter from Lowe l l Thomas starting as follows : "Le t' s sta rt s cou ting a r ound for anot her publisher. I t oft en t akes many months t u find just t he r i ght one . Your book should b e publishe d , and I am sure we c an do domething about it. How many c opi es of t he manusc r i p t do you have.ti" Si n c e I hav e only one c opy besi des t he one I left w ith you , I hate to let it out of my r eac h . I am t h e refor e wondering i f y ou r publisher f riend who' s name I wrot e down but i mmmedi a t e ly mi s l a yed , h a s g otten ~ o l d of t he manusc r i p t yet, or i f it s till i s w ith you. If t he l a tter i s t he c ase , t hen I woul d r eal ly like your advice . Wou l d it be smart er t o send it down t o Lowel l Tomas ( Hammerslay Hill , Pawl ing , N. Y .) r ight avJaY and by pass Bost on , or is the Dos t on :f i rm as good as any f or that t ype of' a book , so you t .1ink we should try them f'irst. You please make t:1e deci s i on . ' I f the manus cri p t alre;1dy i s wit h t h e \ '- publ ishing c ompany i n Boston , I am deli g .1 ted, as I may hav e wo r d from them withi n t oo long , one u ay or t he other. If' they agree to publish t he book I could not be happi er. If they r eject it, I t1ope t at won 't t ake them h a lf a y e"'lr as i t took Scribners . I t i s \. t hen important that Lowe l l Thomas gets hol d of it, J ·--wfii1e he s til l has in mi nd t o hel p me¥ He has published ~ 52 books so rar and i s put ting out one or two mo r e t his year, so he mus t c ertai nly hav e experi enc e in dealing wit h publi sher s . If anyone c an get some ·- a ction , he can , so I consider myself v ery l u ck y t o know h i m we ll. I enjoyed h i s last not to ~ cri bners written t he clay after I had g otten tho manusc r i p t back . I t r ead : " tlope you a ve solv ed t he ~rling St rom probl em . I t' s a g r eat p e rsonal s t ory and I am looki ng forward to g iving it a coast to coas t s endoff' on t he a ir." He i s still w ill i ng t o do t h a t t i f t he book e v e r get s published. Sor ry t o bot her you with t h i s as I know y ou a r e busy. All t he best. Oslo. 1/12/76

Dear Tommy: Thomaa Amidon in Stowe told me he had received a letter from you in regard to my book. He did not tell me what it contained, so all I can do is to thank you for your interest in my problem. However, the problem seems to be solved by now. Did you ever meet a man by name Julien Cornell ( Central Valley, New York ) He skied a lot with us in Stowe, and he helped us finacially when Sigrid got hold of the restaurant on Main Street. He suddenly phoned me from New York after he had read my Wrangler and before I had opened my mouth he said he would publish my book. He has written a X.l&!KJ>±x few books himself and said he would get mine done for me. This he said even before reading the manuscript. He seems to know how to go about it, and says that he will take a chance on my having enough friends in America to make expences. I h ope he is right and I was delighted to find him willing to take on the job. I was particularly glad because I did not then have to load you with another job on top of the millions you have before. I know you would have done it , but you have done enough for me already through the years so I am glad it works out this way . Julien Cornell is a lawyer. To show me what my book might look like he sent me one oi~ his own, entitled:" The Trial of Ezra Pound " He was that man's lawyer. I told him you had planned to give the book a sendoff on the air, if Scribners had published it and that you might still be willing to do that when the time comes. I hope you ;think I have done right in this whole matter. If not I will have to take the consequences, .· but I know Julien Cornell well and am sure he will do a good job,

Time has come to wish you a Happy 1976. I wonder h "1.vhat travel plans you have for this year. Hallo to Elactra also. From the clip,·ing you sent I understand that Alf Lngen is still goine strong. Wish I could say the same, although I can not kick All the best Oslo 2 / 2 / 76

Dear Tommy : A c opy of your letter to Andy McNally came a few days ago . I see you speak ot my book as an autobiographyo It is not thart sinc e it merely deaJs with winters and revolves around all theskiing I have done through life . J I It is anned at the c ross country skiers we suddenly have in America , and would not have been written , had not cross country skiing become the "in" thing all over the the U . S . and Canada . Then I see that you are afraid I might have gotten into wrong hands o I don't tnink s p. They may not be the best hands , but atleast an honest effort will be made to prn duse a book . Julian Cornell n is a lawyer, and was helping us fina""ce the restaurant Sigrid bought in Stowe . He has sent me a couple of books he has published himself, and I can't see any differece between those anu the book Scribners sent me as a sample of their work o In your last letter which came today you say you would like to have n ch;it with Julien Cornell . I wish that could happen but you will not find him in Stowe . He lives in Central Valley , New York . ( 914-928-2235 ) and may not be skiing in Stowe any more . If I have maue a mistake by taking Cornell up on his offer to publish my book , there is not much I can do about it nowo I am not worried, however , as I am sure he will do a good enough job. Atleast it will be given his un- divided attention. Also much of Norway has been buried in snow this wintwr. Trains stuck between Oslo and Bergen for 24 hours around New Yea r, with 1400 passengers aboard. Roads b locked by slide::; all over the country . Powerlines down and people without light and heat . Norway has not had that kind of .. a winter in 99 years. I suppose you will be going to the Olympics so will be watching T . V. in case you show up s-omewhe re o All the best . law- office CORNELL S CORNELL CENTRAL VALLEY JULIEN CORNELL NEW YORK 10917 J. MAR.TIN COR.N ELL 914-928-2235 August 20, 1976.

J Pioneers Skis by ErlingU Strom

Dear Mr. Thomas:

Referring to our correspondence about Erling Strom's book, it is now in the hands of the printer and I expect galley proofs within a month. I have ordered an extra galle~ which I will send to you immediately and will hope that you will want to write the introduction and that you will be able to do it and get it to me before October 6 when I am leaving on a four week vacation triP, so that the page proofs can be prepared in my absence and the book will be ready for the fall market. Erling is particularly anxious to have it out before Christmas. If this should present any problem to you, I could send you an xerox copy of the typescript which is clean and readable.

Please let me know if you would be able to do this in the latter part of September from a galley proof or whether you would prefer to have the typescript now.

I appreciate very much your interes~ which I am sure will be helpful in selling the book.

The title finally chosen is as above. Erling wants the first word in the plural; he says he is not the only pioneer and I guess he includes you as well as others.

Sincerely yours, ~c~ /;lien Cornell

Mr. Lowell Thomas, Hammersley Hill, Pawling, New York 12564.

C/m P.S. The delay has been caused by a problem as to who should publish it. / / . law- office CORNELL S CORNELL CENTRAL VALLEY JULIEN CCR.NELL NEW YORK 10917 914-928-2235 J. MARTIN CORNE LL October 5 , 1976.

Dear Lowel] homas: Thank you very much for writing the introduction

for Erling Strom's book which I received this morning

and sent off to the printer. I am sure Erling will be

very happy and pleased with it . I am sending him a

copy. Sincerely yours, ~

Mr. Lowell Thomas , Hammersley Hill , Pawling, New York 12564.

CC : Mr. Erling Strom

C/m Oslo. 1 / 21 / 77.

Dear Tommy: Yours is the most fantastic autobiography that will ever appear. Once I had started reading I could not put it down. Exciting from one end to the other, naturally, as your life has beeb just that. You have not wasted much time making it so. No doubt you h ave more to tell t h an any man alive and you can tell it. Bea~ of all is that although you have much to brag about, you are far from braging. I am terribly imp ressed and can not thanki:R~ you enough for sending me the book. After read ing it I understand what you meant when you once s a id that had my McKinley story benn yours, you could have made a million dollars with tt on the lecture pla tform. I will always be greatful to you for trying to help me at that time, a nd later, in mo re ways t h an one. Lack of selfconfidence largely c a used by my impediment of spea ch, has made it impossible for me to take advantage of all your help . I a m sorry about t h at, but even so you have add e d a great dea l to my life. Had I not been too slow with my book, you would have helped me again by mentioning it to the millions you spoke to every day. The fact that I lost out on that, will probably make the difference between profit and loss, which serves me right. Will be waiting for the second half of your auto- biography, and am guessing that the title will be:

II And, SO long." ~/~~. I /

send a copy of this letter to Erling / ,;. Alf ~ nd Sverre / . and one to Phil Camp / .I' > { I _,I I ~ .. " 1.'· I . I ' • I . ~ ... L .l ,. ... . i.. • , . ·~ I 'I • • ,-• i !' -....-=~-c--~c--:--.,.,-,r--...,. -n,. ,...... '-.:l., ,---,.,.,-au-,i11~i-ee -il(1Te-s c on c e r n i rz, g t e n e w , · ·· I ":.' .. ,~ : ~- :·\. :.··. book published about the Engen brothers _;_\:::·;,~.~ .: iI . ., . . ., written by Sverre. Isn't there some way ~:·:~:.- 1 · ·. _. ;·' . . . • . . t o g e t "D o c " De s R oc he s t o pr e v a i l up o n · ·-. : :· ··." ::· .... · ·:.:. .. . · · every ski shop .owner in . ~merica to .. ;:-~'-. : ": .-~> ... ,.·/ :· :: " . feature . these two books? . . I should thlnk · "' ",:. :.:·~; ... -.· .'.,'.:· :a heavy cardboard poster should go out· "-.;:::.. _.... ~." :~:'..'.:·:"-.· : .:··":: · .. ... ·· · · with the . books, to each store. ·.· ... '·.· ··;- : .~ . .: ' .. ,•' . . ··. I r e a l iz e t h i s w i l l i n v o l v e ·,. .·.' : ,:·.. · I I · ; some work. But, having· published fifty- .. . :.··:·· :., . ·" five books, and having autographed as .•~'. .. . . ·· . '·,_·'. many as a thousand in a day, in some of <· ·~ · .. · ·" ,. :~ "~.; '•, ', , , )'• I ,. the largest bookshops, . well, I've . con- · .. :...... s ta n t l y · b e e n i n t o u c h w i t h ·P u b l i sIi 'er s a n d . ... :' '. ~" · bookstores for the past half · century. · ·. . '

... • r •• ,I • ' , · ' ' .' • I '<' . . In th e i r way b o t h b o o k s are ·:· .~ ., .. \ " " \ · classics,. · a nd.. ,de.s erve · to be pr om oted. '·'. !' ,, · I only .wish .·1 .could personally do more ·' :···...... l .. . • .· . .. : . for · them . ~ <· ".... ·: .. .: ·"•: ... " I . . .. •. .. l " .. I I

·, ·11·, f ,'., , .- , !· .··. _. I ' . ' . t ,. .... ' : ..

i t ••• t : •• I

~ ~ .. • ,, I !\ ~--, ·, • ,

..,:~'.· "" " '• 1-l·.. ~.. -.:.: _·!'· . . ~ . . ~ . ~. ;· . ·, ... . ., \ . . '·' .. ,,, . "'1·. ... . ~. 1 ... t l.OWEl.l. ··rTHOMAS ' - .. ·'· . '' 1. •• ' ,.. .. H A M M E It S .L E Y H I LL ...... ···."; .. :.'. ,AWL.ING, NEW YOlllt 12SU • !" • • ' •• " •• ~ ' ~ • ' l • :: • • •• ,;• ' •· .. +_• . :: .C"\·'.!: '· . " . r .. ·:.. : }, ..:;-,;;: ,>:' . : . :. ;· ,. _. ., .~~ -· ··- - -·---· ... -~ "'.·~ .·. ____ March·· 24 ,--- 19 7·7. ·· --

! •' •'. . -.": .. ' ··· l r ,~· · ' " 0' ,.. ~ \.. lI ',..,. :! '. I ; . ·' • ~, - I f' ...... Dear Julien Cor.nell, :·_" .. ._ ~ i:

i ~/·~ ' • I • • ; ;.,. -~~ ~:. ~. '; ·, • r. J ·:.. ··.,'.:::. :;:. ... I'm wondering what promotion ...... ,.7 . . · '· · , _. .. ·:·! I ' • >.• ·· f . " ' :.«:;:·' ..·. ·.:.· .:. has been done in connection with the ... ~- . -::·.. · .. ! . ··.:· .~ '..'·:··.:•. Erling. Str.om book? The other day in ·:} "/ ;;_ .. [' >:"·.- '·;.,,-.. Utah when ·I was · with · Alf Engen., I brought _··~·~·: · ._ · . ! .-.·<: ...: ·." ·.~. up ... this same question concerni~g the new . ·~<> ·. ·.. ;' "-.':.·.-?.::·<, :<·.· boo_k published about . the · Engen brothers ·: \~:~ ;~· ...... ·.I· ..· . · - ... · ·::. · w r it t e n by S v err e • Is n 't t her e s o m e way ' · .:-· · .:.: .:r:.:. ::'. .. ": .. to get "Doc" DesRoches to prevail upon " ·-;· .··· ·" ..;: .... .-·,. :· :. · every ski shop owner in . America to .. ~: :~:.:·:.· .. _., , .·,.;,,.:·... ·.·::·,.,~· ·. ...: :· feature .these tw_o books? . . I should think ,. ···:·;·.· ..:·· ,... ..:, .:.: .. ·:· ':" _::.:a heavy cardboard poster should go out . \· \. "; · ~ , .. ·: · '.._ .. · ·with the . books, to each store. ·. · • '·-..,-;-<,:; . - ~ .... . :·' ' ' .·;- :.r .. I r ea l i z e t h i s w il l i n v o l v e : <'.; ··.,.i some work. But, having· published fifty~ . · .\.. :( five books, and having autographed as ... ·: :'. .• ,,. -~.. -- ' . many as a thousand in a day, in some of ..:< .....

• • • J ', \ the large s t bo o k s hop s , we l l , I 'v e con - · · .·r, :; · : stantly · been J' .. in touch with ·Publisli'ers and .;;\::.·.· " bookstores . for I : I . • · .~ \. .; ·'·"', the past half · century. · · ~ ...... :- . . . In th e i r :,..~· .... ;-! • \. way b o t h b o o k s are ·:\ "".>: .. ·.· . ' classics,·· and.. .de.serve · to be promoted. '.•: ··· · · I only wish ·I: c·ould pers.onally do more. "·.: . . . for them · .. .. ·. · · · · •:; ·: :: ·. ' • • • I • .'. ~ ·'; ; < ,'"' ,' ,· ' , ,

'• '··:· ,:. I ·.. : ·.Best . wishes. .' ' 1 ,1·, f,, ·\ , ' ·., :I',·'' 1.1 .I i· .. ,_,. . ·-· q I ;~,,'.1f·i' !. · ·\ . ·~ ;r~~- . i l "' If ·j . '.· i • ~· .... ~'-. J. . . ' );_:.;_'.:\.:. P. S. Would. you' li_ke -to · send .me a dozen ':"! '' ·• 1· I! h • · · . . ·-. ·;.• ...... • · co,,ies ? ,...... " ' ·. · ~

.. ..>; r ~. :.. ~J..:(:;:::LJ :· ...... '._ ...· ';_ ... -!.. . ..(:~ :·. -~ ...... fj'._~ '... ·._·_ . ::·:~:~:~_: ___ '. __ ... , :·;~~: -~ .. --· ~ ··~ i · .;:.·:_.·::.' ·,::.- . ···Julien Cornell · PubUsher ~· -:'. -<·...... ". "_':.: ·.... : ', _.'i,-:/ 1 -.• , '. _ • ' • ,,' • ' I 1 ' I\' r' f' J .<" "· ·Smith Clove : Pre.ss .,· .. ~ ...... ·· ; "; ... ··<.: .··"· ,;,.... · Bo"" 9 7 " " . · .: .. ,. · · '" ..1 · .. · : . ' ; . 1 · . '.- ·.. • ~ , • . .,., ' • : ' • ' , ; ' , ' , ' t ' _.. ' ' ' .' • I . o ' • :'. .:..... ·. Ce_ntral .. Vall . ey~ :': Ne~ ,~ Yor_k ·.:,, 10917. ::· ':: :.::; w-1 .''._;;_:-: , · ~ ~::< :::·~·;~_:': ;-/;; '.:<::>:>.:. _'.'.''.'.'?~·· /•: · .«;°!·:.~: F ....: ·"· ...... '.·, _..· ...... :.. :. '.: ...... : ...·::::. ·-. ..' ':-.?· .. :i:. ': :-· ;' .: ~ ' t.. '• ,__ _... Jj._ t~- • ~· -L....a-- ~.- -1.J..O .:. 81[·:} ,,. .... ~t-Y.. _. , ..... ·. ._.u:.acu '- - • - f ;. \t.··n-.• .,,....,,_. , ,.___:----..:..._ • .-....:.._... _ ~ ~- -- l' .,,

Smith Clove Press Telephone Box 97, Central Valley, N.Y.10917 914 • 928-2'235

February 15, 1977. Dear Mrs. Nicks:

As a friend of Erling Strom, you undoubtedly know that he is a marvelous storyteller as well as a great pioneer of cross country skiing.

He has now written a book which we have just published entitled "Pioneers on Skis" in which he tells stories of his life on skis beginning with his childhood in the snowiest part of Norway, where children skied to school and horses wore snowshoes. There are stories of his life at Lake Placid, where he was the only ski instructor in ~merica, of incredibly long ski trips in the Rockies, of the first ascent on skis of Mt. McKinley, and early days at his camp at Mt. Assiniboine and his lodge at Stowe, Vermont.

"Pioneers on Skis" is more than an autobiography. It tells not only about the life of Erling Strom but also recounts adventures of his pioneer friends on skis, including Lars Haugen, the Marquis Albizzi, Leonhard Seppala, Herman Johannsen, and Alfred Lindley. There is an introduction to the book by Lowell Thomas, a close friend of Strom. This book is filled with anecdotes which are in turn exciting, humorous, tender and revealing. If you would like to order a copy, please detach the coupon at the foot of this letter and return it with a check.

Sincerely yours, ~ Julien Cornell, Publisher

Smith Clove Press, Box 97, Central Valley, N. Y. 10917.

Please send me copies of "Pioneers on Skis" by Erling Strom at $9.50 each, plus 509 postage and handling, a total of $10. (Residents of New York State should add 4% sales tax). Check or money order is enclosed.

Name

Street

City State Zip code /

law office CORNELL S CORNELL CENTRAL VALLEY JULIEN CORNELL NEW YORK 10917 J. MARTIN CORNELL 914-928-2235

March 31, 1977.

Dear Lowell Thomas:

Thank you for your letter of March 24. I am sending you a dozen books in four packages because we are short of boxes which will hold a larger amount. I assume you are going to give these to friends and am glad to let you have them without cost. If you can place them with people who would promote the book, I should be grateful.

You have asked what has been done about promotion. I sent a letter personally addressed and personally signed by me to about 1,000 people on Erling's mailing list. About ten per cent of the letters came back from the post off ice because he has not kept the list up to date. From the rest we have received orders for about four hundred books. I also sent out about thirty review copies but I have not yet seen any reviews. In addition, I sent flyers to a number of other review sources asking if they would like to have the book but none responded.

I asked the president of the United States Ski Association if he would publicize the book in whatever material they send to their members but I got no response and I am under the impression that they do not publish a yearbook or other newsletter. I have not done much with book stores. I did go into Scribners in New York City where I maintain an account and talked to their buyer who ordered a dozen books and has sold a few of them. I also got an order for fift~ books from a book store in Banf f and a dozen or so from a book store in Stowe.

I do not feel that I can afford advertising as I am still uncertain whether I will be able to recoup my investment although I am hopeful of that. I would, however, be interested in writing to ski shops sending them a poster which I could do quite cheaply on my xerox machine and they could mount it on cardboard and I would consider going to the expense of having a cardboard poster printed. I am reluctant to send books on consignment to ski shops because I think they might be gobbled up by the owner and not paid for but I would certainly fill orders which came through that source .

Who is "Doc" DesRoches? Do you know how I could go about getting a list of ski shops? I should be very happy to have whatever advice you could give me about promoting the book in this manner or any other way. /

-2-

It occurs to me that a letter to ski shop owners might get better attention from you than from me. Would you be willing to sign such a letter if I prepare it. Please let me know if you have any other ideas and thank you very much for your interest in the book.

With best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Mr. Lowell Thomas, Hammersley Hill, Pawling, New York 12564.

CC: Mr. Erling Strom

C/m Theodor L0vstads vei 9 Bygd0, Oslo, Norway. s I s I 78

Dear Tommy: Yes I was interested in what you sent me about Anders Haugen. I have never met Anders but as you know, I came to know his brother Lars very well. I like the two cards you have sent me of your"free style"skiing. Tremend¢ous improvement since I skied with y ou. It is nice of you to keep me posted on such doings as the one in Vail not long ago with all the skiers I knew •• Wish I had been there. Siri and l had a wondeful week there with Gracie many years ago .

Would you believe it. Eva came in from the mailbox this minute with a letter from the Lieutenant Governer of Alaska- Whoops.- Sonny is coming to Oslo with a celegation of 20 on May 28. After traveling a r ound they return to Oslo on June J, and has invited me for a farewell dinner he is giving for his hosts. I am thrilled and hope I can make it , heal th wise. I have snap,...,ed out o f' a bad virus, but d o not ~K± feel 100 % quite yet. At any rate I shall manage to see him, and shall be looking forward to that .

To be sure I have thanked you for the second half of your autobiography, I am doing it once more. That one is almost more unbelievable than the f first. You were moving so fast in it that I could not follow you, so I will read it once more .

Best wishes ..

\ n / v.fi 0 i_O/V'~/ I .. I / '-,',. l-;;..,, t"'.;.-2""~'.::. / / -

/

J

• .?;{< :;.~~~:.i -:-;-nc :-v.) cq,.f ...,, q/( ~:::· J ;-·~.~ /,.· ·~] t,,e:[,' /79 ... - 1 C·"-·-&/td " J? ~"' _y .- ~" ; l-z ... 1.£. ,µ-zri\ , ,' t.v,._~ , /<. I ,f i , cc~ ': ~c J ·;:;.-.,~. v-. )4<:~?·1-t-•1;4<-_ ~ . --;{_c· l"· .?> J J i.-h

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ERLING STR0M Theodor L0vstads vei 9 Bygd0 Oslo - Norway

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TELEPHONE : C.P. R. STATION AND P . O. ST. JOVITE LAC MERCIER, P.Q. I { ODGE

~.llON'll" TlRE~IBLANT

Feb 2nd.

Dear Tommy:

I have no idea where Joe Ryan might be at this time. He is expected here on ·,vednesde~r trie 8th with 20 guests. His general meneger 1.1r. Stevensen ( e banker in Nontreel ) i.s arri.vi_ng here today. :r will tel him what you suq:o-est e.bout your bro"ldci;ist in Montrel"l, and our 1--eing there. I can' t imagine that lfr. Ryan would prefer to have me here on the job to play with his guests, rather than to go to :rontreal, nor that he v'!Ould prefer to do the same himself, but I can't very well answer for any of us until I see him. }!.r. Stevensen might have some idea on it. A double sendoff on the air must certainly be worth a lot. Ve are getting some snow little by little, and Mr. H. Smith-Johanssen, the grand old man in Eastern Canadian Skiing sAys that we can't expect much better conditions th!'tn we heve now, so I suppose we should go ahead with the plans for the 10th, unless a terrible thaw should hit us between now and then. If you are planning some such roundup as you had on the air that night at Lake Placid, when everybody ansvrnred that they v1ere present, I would suggest that you ring in Herman Smith- Johanssen. He is 64 years old now and as good a cross country skier as they have in this part of the world, and hes done more for skiing in the Laurentions than any one else. A grand olcl fellow amd the father of Peggy, whom you remember from Placid. '7hile I am on this subject I might as well mention two more , who are living here near St Jovite and might add color to a " roundup". They a.re ~:r. and Mrs Kaare Nansen. He a son of Frithjof Nansen, Nor.mys explorer and statesman. Zbt& TELEPHONE : C. P.R. STATION AND P . O. ST. JOVITE LAC MERCIER, P . Q.

MOU~ .,.TAIN ODGE

~llON'lI' TREMJEllLANT

2.

She the former Peg ~icker ( Urs. Ted Ricker ) i:ind at that time the only woman dogdriver in the country. Of course this mey neither be here nor there. I know that Ka.ere Nansen is trying to get a .iob 1;rith this company, so should personally like to find some way for him to get

Sincerely, ~EPHONE : C.P.R. STATION AND P . O. ST:JrlvtTE LAC MERCIER, P.Q.

UN G MONTTRE lEELANT

February 23.

Dear Tommy ·

I received a small avAlanche of letters from you yesterday, anu will add to tre end oft .is the aad ~ss~b vou went. Feanwhile I v,..,.nt to make a few co~ents on your various letters to -Toe Ryan. Luch to my own surprise I did not laugh as much as I should have at your suggesting myself as a Manager for a month or two. The place is going haywire so fest now that even I Might re an improvement. Joe Ryan left here the day after you left, without much of a ~- ord to anybodv. Sigrid ha.ppened to see him jump the buss so for something t 1 sey as a parting remark, he called to her:"Anything you v·ent ,.'rs. Strom, ask Gallager" That more or less leaves Gallager in charge, No sooner in possition to do as he darn pleases , this gentleman tooters off to St Jovite and remains there for the follov:ing twenty four hours. 1'eanwhile we h~ve five inches of new snow or more, with a little wind. The 'tuss gets stuck in one place. The truck in emother. The plow Rtarts out at nine oclock ( instead of seven) Xl\'~ tries to push the buss loose, gives it a dint in the rear, and t:·as to give it up as a bad job, Nobody around with a straight order to do anything about anything. That se,me day tvro contractors arriving from Hontreal tel ling us that Pr. Ryan has sent for t~em and much surprised to find hi'!! gone. This jus+ to give you txmN~lll s. rough idea, and to eYplain why i dia not lAugh as much as I ne.turally would hrve under e.11 other circum- stances. Spe"king of t ~ ese t 1 in~s r. R an ~1reedy askec me R week or more ego if I would not consider teking the place over for the time being. Be was t r en in the midst of his l"'st tire;~~ s ~ c fireing jagg . At +, Pt ± iP1 ~ "' t i 11 -:;(! ·r. ai rnn "' .o :·as a erfectly g o oc~ .,ot?l man, end hac a t···J ye"'r cont~act. hether or not I wa~ go;ng to run hir. too I never found out. Not v·anting to get to t"'e top and t h en out on TYJY ear t h ree deys later which seems to re tre regular course of events, I suggested ttat l' r. l'aison l: e given a. chance where he nH' put. That 'r. Elsen ( a very capable yount; ;an) l:'e left in charo-e of e ll the mechinery such e.s lift, buss, plow end trucks, and t : iat i:: le left in charge of anything tt 0 t has to dli> •"ith skiing, such as Ski sLop. Ski Sc!1ool, the mainte "· e-ice of Ski trails ( ,,,i--.icr calls for a p;ang of eiv.ht or ten snow- shoers continuall: working ) etc. He seemed to -think this e sound sug- gestion so we lef't it at t.,et, rut fllreedy the next dey he kicked out r. "aison, Since tten nothing has 'teen seid to me one ""'?.Y )r the other. However. I am atlea st still on t e job and glad of t ~ et. . t\ex a11d : 1aryt--ell nould t:>e grend Lere, l::·xt unless t h ey get en in-d; sputPble ( if that is an eglish \':Ord) contract signed b efore they leave Santa ryee, T sr,ould not advi.Ee the'"'l to move a :nile, ChArley 4olt could co ~ "'l~rvelous jo" here, a Yl d I should give anything to see him g et a chence. "'E: C. P . R . STATION AND P . O . llTE LAC MERCIER, P .Q.

O UN 0 GE

M O N T 'Jl."R. E~:ll.IBLANT

Tre problem of handling unv·ellco'Tle vi~itors is certe.inly one that should be given nore thought tri?n Ry?n rrave it hefore he left. I wonder if even your suggestion is good enough . The c~feteria is meant to hancle huge crowds. ,,,he staff t":ere "'Rs never 'been ver:r 'busy so f'-"r. "By opening onother place where light refresrmeYJts Cf'm he 1'sd you 'llig"t take away too much tusi.ness. I should fill --ny first feedingplece tefore t build a second one. Also it is going to be very d:fficult to hend club- CPr§s to all t 1e '!'elco::ne ones without having the ot'ners notice t'1e per- formance . Just ho·~· imuortPt'lt tliis is T dont knmw . _ ~ ny solution to the problem is cuite Pnother one.<...I.o/sirnply \ build a well from the front desk 8nd straight across the C<> feteria. :'o reserve the part around the fireplac e for fouseguests only. To have one or two long diningti=ibles in this part where t 1~e houseguests ere y·aited on by a regular wei tress. 8.nd vrhere for inste c e Sigrid ard I "'Jf'Y act ::..s a sort of Ski host and hostess. Heturally also Rex, :·arytell, 6.arley or rroever else suited for tt e job. 0•1ly with so..,,e such arm ge11ent ·,'.·i.11 we te able to keep guests through the we ek. Very few Americans will put up wit. our present arrangement in the long run. They m<'y tolerate the cafeteria idea, but v·ill never tolerate that there is no pla.ce to sit do\m for a smoke or a chat <>fter me8ls, 'ilhat little spac e there is set off for such nurpose is invariably ts.ken up by "outsiders" who he.s dropped in for a cup of coffe, or for nothirn( at ell end is cluttering up the plece the rest of' the CrJy. Tlie Cafeteria proper should have another entrence. It already has, but in a 'lTOng place. 1'hrough t'riat ~yfil:yl:'ody c ould re admitted . Tre rest of the house , c onsisting of ~ig room ..:·ith firenlac< and a few diningtables, Bar r oom and Ped rOOJ'lS u'?steirs is recerved for overnight or permanent~ 9"Uests only. These could re m?cle verv heppy and migrt remein ~eeks • (Incidently such P-uests usually pin dov·n to ski- instruction, which very few v·eekenders ir•ill co where t'1ere is a lift E-,t rand. )You might object to MY reserving the Par for the house g:uests. So far practically only the houseguest"' liave uPed it. others have drop".led in i'or-no -imrre -than a rta ss of ~ee r-;- but tnet P-eer may be servea=them d their cr:tfeteria table inst ead. For eer drinkinP- Sunde.y crov:rds the ber will te too small anyway, so an additional roori may be Atuck on somewhere to take care of that need. Ove rnight guests usually make reservation bPfore hand, or atleast have to register at a front desk. Those not wellcome can easily be kept out, by answering full house. Your club idea may be used here. The paragraph above is so badly written tl-iat you will probably not understand what I mean. I am trying to make a small resort hotel or club of the one and bigger half of the building while the rest rema i'1s a cafeteria open to the public. Minor alterations around the front desk are necessary so that one man can handle both sides. Give all tl-i.is a thought and pass it on if i-: is worth passing on to the powers that be. You are quite right that ski classes at the foot of the big hill will alWF!ys be in tVie \'7AY of the ere.ck s kiers cooing down . I a.m working a geng right now clearing out a 11 teacLing slope " some\7here between trails nu~ber two end three, ,ONE: C. P . R . STATION AND P . O . JVITE LAC MERCIER, P.Q.

JI 0 GE

MONT TlRE~.IBLANT

3.

right at the bottom. The place is cheltered and ,, ell adapted for the purpose. I a'TI looking forv;erd to a jumping till in this immediate ne·.;~bourtood. It is tre only thing about LB.ke Flecid t''et I rriss 1-.ere. Picking a good location for it is a ticklish problem, in a country v.here the wind is E:.}t to blovr the snow a.\-;ay from any open cutting in the woods. Nothi-ng-is more of a headee-~ .than P snowleRs jurnp.inghil~ but between Herman Joha.nssen and myself we atleast ought to be able to find tl· e best place on the property. I have forwarded the Fortune letter to i'.r Peverly. His address is: Mr. F. R. Feverly, 617 Clark Ave, 7estmount, ~ue. Then c omes: Mr . &Mri:; . c. R. Hogen, 38 Purch}fu.se St, .fuite Plains , N. Y.

Ifr. ~Jicrolri.s Morant, c. P. R. Press Bureau, ·,vindsor Station_, Lfontrer,l.

It is snowing heavily here agPin today, so our skiing is still oerfect. 'Ve hope they ;i'ill remain so through the Kandahar ieek end. Our very 'test to !"rs. Thomas and Sonny. It was certainly nice to see you all here. Come again soon.

Sincerely, ~ MAILING LIST FOR

TRAVCOA KIPLING WORLD TOUR 0 586

Length of Stay Place Hotel

Mar. 9 - 12 Tokyo, Japan IMPERIAL HOTEL

Mar. 12 - 14 Hiyanoshita, Japan FUJIYA HOTEL

Mar. 14 - 16 Kyoto, Japan KYOTO HOTEL

Mar. 17 - 19 Taipei, Taiwan GRAND HOTEL

Nar. 20 - 25 Kowloon, Hong Kong PENINSULA HOTEL

Mar. 25 - 27 Siem Reap, Cambodia GRAND HOTEL D'ANGKOR

Mar. 27 - 30 Bangkok, Thailand RAMA HILTON HOTEL

Mar. 30 - Apr. 1 Denpasar, Bali BALI BEACH HOTEL (Indonesia) Apr. 1 - 3 Singapore, Nalaysia RAFFLES HOTEL

Apr. 4 - 6 Colombo, Ceylon GALLE FACE HOTEL

Apr. 8 - 11 Kathmandu, Nepal HOTEL DE L'ANNAPURNA

Apr. 13 - 16 New Delhi, India OBEROI INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL

Apr. 19 - 22 Peshawar, Pakistan DEAN'S HOTEL

Apr. 23 - 25 Kabul, Afghanistan KABUL HOTEL

Apr. 25 - 28 Teheran, Iran ROYAL TEHERAN HILTON

Apr. 28 - May 1 Beirut, Lebanon PHOENICIA INTERCONTINENTAL

May 1 - 4 Cairo, Egypt, U.A.R. NILE HILTON HOTEL

May 4 - 6 Nicosia, Cyprus CYPRUS HILTON HOTEL

May 6 - 9 Jerusalem, Israel JERUSALEM INTERCONTINENTAL

May 10 12 Haifa, Israel ZION HOTEL

May 12 - 13 Tel Aviv, Israel SHERATON TEL AVIV HOTEL

May 13 - 15 Istanbul, Turkey ISTANBUL HILTON HOTEL May 15 - 17 Athens, Greece ADDRESS ALL MAIL AS SHOWN BELOW:

Member's Name % Hotel City . Country MAILING LIST FOR

TRAVCOA KIPLING WORLD TOUR II 586

Length of Stay Place Hotel

Mar. 9 - 12 Tokyo, Japan IMPERIAL HOTEL

Mar. 12 - 14 Niyanoshita, Japan FUJIYA HOTEL

Mar. 14 - 16 Kyoto, Japan KYOTO HOTEL

Mar. 17 - 19 Taipei, Taiwan GRAND HOTEL

Mar. 20 - 25 Kowl oon, Hohg K • g iNSULA HOTEL

Mar. 25 - 27 Si.em Reap, C a11 0od ia .AND HOTEL D' ANGKOR Mar. 27 - 30

Mar. 30 - Apr. 1 Denpasar , Bal i :3. -- .BEACH HOTEL ( l .:-.. :onesia) Apr. 1 - 3 Singapore, Na l ays:::.a RA ,.;'F:..E'J goTEL

Apr. 4 - 6 Colombo, Ceylon '.;AL~ £. FACE HOTEL

Apr. 8 - 11 Kathmandu, Nepal HOTEL DE L'ANNAPURNA

Apr. 13 - 16 New Delhi, India OBEROI INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL

Apr. 19 - 22 Peshawar, Pakistan DEAN'S HOTEL

Apr. 23 - 25 Kabul, Afghanistan KABUL HOTEL

Apr. 25 - 28 Teheran, Iran ROYAL TEHERAN HILTON

Apr. 28 - May 1 Beirut, Lebanon PHOENICI. INTERCONTINENTAL

May 1 - 4 Cairo, Egypt, U.A.R. NI L£ hIITON HOTEL

May 4 - 6 Nicosia, Cyprus CYPRU~ HILTON HOTEL

May 6 - 9 Jerusalem, Israel JERUSALEM INTERCONTINENTAL

May 10 - 12 Haifa, Israel ZION HOTEL

May 12 - 13 Tel Aviv, Israel SHERATON TEL AVIV HOTEL

May 13 - 15 Istanbul, Turkey ISTANBUL HILTON HOTEL

May 15 - 17 Athens, Greece ATHENS HILTON HOTEL

ADDRESS ALL MAIL AS SHOWN BELOW: '-·'/ta? 'l . ;2~ ~L-<&"b/ ~Ht:~'_ ;J J- Member's Na ••• ,.. //)~. /d--?H .z_~. at'{_. . % H.. tel City. Country • ~ox 3fi9 ~ ~hmff, J\H1crta \

/ 0vre Ullern Terrasse 52. Oslo.

Dear Tommy:

Again there are lots of t h ings to thank you for. 'The Edge of Nowhere " will be my kind of reading I am sure and I am looking forward to it. Your kind thoughts in regard to Sigrids death are appreciated. Death is always a shock, and very hard to take, no matter how prepared one might be. For Sigrid this was the best that could happen. She could never get well enough again to enjoy life and she knew that, better than the rest of us. I can only be very grateful th~t it happened quickly and without pain. I would have liked to be with h er at the end, but I did get back in time to see her, and would not have missed that for anything. She looked 20 years younger. The swelling of her face had gone down completely. She was really pretty as I remembered her from long ago, and as I like to remember her. Carl Gray with new wife has been in town and will be here again later. He asked me for dinner, which was very pleasant. The idea of getti ng the King to Sun Valley I would say is out. The american concept of Royalty I d on't t h ink is quite wh at it should be. Somehow I feel he will get nowhere. But I am sure Norwegians who have contributed to skiing can be honored without him. There must be a few of the early ones alive who could be dug up, and add flavor, if that is what is wanted. As for myself I had hoped to get back to Sun Valley anyhow. After Assiniboine this summer I may linger in Banff with Siri for a while. She and I should then get to Stowe to straighten out things after Sigrid. I can well imagine s p ending Christmas there with my sister Mrs. Abbott. By that time you will come up with a suggestion or two if I know you right, and for the first time I shall probably be able to take you up on something. Without Sigrid wai ting for me somewhere, my plans can be very flexible from now on. My love to Fran and greetings also to Elactra and Jean. Don't you work too h ard yourself.

Sincerely,~

/ I / I ;/ HE TAUGHT AMERICA TO SKI ---- By Lowell Thomas

The annual winter carnival in the Canadian

Rockies had ended over a month b"-efore and the inhabitants

of Ban// were surprised when a party of six "dudes"

ste-pped off the train on the afternoon of March 4, 1928.

They were even more surprised when they learned the

visitors intended to ski to the high country around

Mount Assiniboine, some thirty-five miles to the South. A grizzled old-time trapper and prospector

named Tom 'Wd tl::s

he said to the party's chief g uide, a lean, tanned

s ix - f o o t e r w i t h d a r k ha i r a nil, e ye§ .• ., 'Ta in 't so bad

that you'll kill yourself - no great loss -that! -- but

you 'El kill all the rest of these j

on to de sc rib e t· he hazards that fa c ea the party : t wen t

foot drifts, avalanches, forty-fi~e-below-zero cold,

a 6, 000 foot pass to cross. "Why, I know that country 2 . .

as well as any man alive," he concluded "and I wouldn't m a k e th a t tr i p o n s n o w s h o e s , mu c h l e s s s l< i s ! ''

Thirty-one-year-old Erling Strom listened to the tirade with a smile. "You 're summer people up here," he said. "Comes w ir., ter, you pull in y our horns and wait for the thaw. Jn my country, Norway, we feel that winter opens things up. We thinh nothing of making a two-or three hundred· mile trip cross country. And it gets pretty da m n cold there, too."

But Wilson was no longer l i stening. He had turned his back and stomped off angrily down the street.

"Dang fools!" Strom heard him mutter. "Sure to kill themselves! 11

The party loaded up with a couple of hundred pounds of pemmican, flour, bacon, tea, sugar and other staples, and set off early the n e xt morning. As they skied silently along the main street toward the mountains looming in the distance, people came out to watch them leave. From the expressions on their faces, it was clear they anticipated disaster.

"But none of us got so much as a blister or a scratch," Strom told me years later as w e sat in the living room of his lodge in Stowe, Vermont.

"We had seventeen perfect days - seventeen cl ays of sun and powder snow. "I fell in love with the regi on and 3 .. made up my 1nind that some day, somehow, I would have a place of my own there."

That dream was realized. Today, lylount

Assiniboine Camp - nine log cabins nestled on the shore of Lake Magog in the heart of the Canadian Rocl?ies - is the most remote and one of the most beautiful guest lodges in North America.

Strom doesn't remember exactly when he learned to sl?i . . It was sometime during the winter of

1899, when he was two years old. But by the tirne he entered the Norwegian Army, in 1918, he was an expert.

In the King 1 s Guard his military career ended in temporary disaster. This was due to stammer. On e morning ~fJrTJ,im.g he was told to put his outfit through close-order drill for an audience of high-ran!?ing brass and the King.

Strom began well, snapping out the commands.

But then, without warning, he found himself unable t o utter a word. And, could only watch helplessly as the m en, z n obedience to his last com 1.vz and , marched b r is!? l y into the side of a barracks.

Whereupon Erling Strom, f_Q_!_!!_1_e_!'_!_l of the

Norwegian Army, sailed to the United States to seek his for tun e . · 1i

He spent five years in Arizona where he 4.

graduated from tenderfoot to experienced cow hand. He a l m o s t c u r e d h i nz s e l f of h i s s t a m m e r , wlz i c lz w a s a p p a r en ll y caused by Zach of self-confidence. He did tlzis by learning ho w to p i ch u jJ r a tl l es n a h es in h is b a r e h an d s . ; w i t Jz o 7( t getting bitten, which earned hinz the awed respect of his co-worhers.

F o r tu n a t e l y f o r th e f u tur e of A m e r i c a n s '' i i n g he developed hay fever and was forced to quit. He worhed briefly as a roughneck in the oil fidds around

Fort Collins, Colorado, helped lay a pipe-line to

Laramie, Wyoming, and then, in the winter of 1925, he heard of a ski-jumping contest at Est q s Park,

Colorado where he proceeded to win first prize! He now realized how much he had missed skiing and he either won or placed high in every contest he entered, including the U.S. combined jumping and cross-country championship.

In 1926, teamed up with another outstanding skier, Lars Haugen, he made a 110-mile cross-country trip between Estes Park and Steamboat Springs, over the three highest ranges in the Rocky Mountains. It was such a difficult and dangerous trip that no one in

Steamboat springs believed they had done it, so, to prove it, the indignant pair turned right around and

= 5.

shied bacli to Estes Park! That year he also met the Marquis Nicholas degli Albizzi, a half-Russian, half-Italian nobleman, when a war hero who I too had known in World War I he commanded a regiment of Italian alpine troops.

A - superb natural athlete he and Strom hit it off and immediately. They climbed Lon g ' s Peali toge th er became fast friends. The following winter, Albizzi the invited Strom to join him as a ski instructor in !Zad--

At Lake Placid he performed with practically skiing no help. Then after the winter olympics of 1932

suddenly caught the public's fancy. l""At- Lake Placid he was -busy only during the A th r e e - winter. In the spring he and A lb i z z i fo rm e d a

way partnership with t he Canadian Pacific Railroad at and built a number of cabins around Lake Magog, th e Mou n t A s s in i b o in e w h i c h w e r e l ea s e d to S t ro m and

Marquis d'Albizzi.

p er ha p s th e gr ea t es t ad v en tu r e in Er l in g

Strom's adventurous life began in the spring of 1931 cross- when he led a party of seven men on a 255-mile

country trek between Jasper, Alberta, and the Columbia party ice fields on the Continental Divide. One of t h e ti. was a young lawyer from 1Ylinneapolis named Al Linley. A/ /\/ D L EI 6.

During the grueling sixteen-day round trip, he and

Strom made plans to climb Mount McKinley, the highest p ea!? in N o r t h A nz e r i c a , d o i t th e f o l l o w in g s p r in g , a n

expedition that put Strom's name in the record boolzs.

Mount McKinley had first been climbed by

A las lz a 's A r ch deacon Hudson Stu c lz in 1 91 3 . - ever climbed both the north and s·outh peaks &-n-tlz-e

Lindley set out to do.

To he Z p defray expenses, the expedition

toolz on Harry Leelz, Superintendent of McKinley National

Park, who agreed to supply dog teams free of charge. The determined fourth in the party was Grant Pearson, a toua-lzb '

forest ranger.

By coincidence, another expedition was preparing

to tackle the mountain at the same time. This was the

/ ill-fated "Cosmic Ray Expedition" led by Allen Carpe

and Theodore Koven. Shortly before Stro rn 's group left

Fairbanlzs, Alaska, for Mount McKinley, he received

a telegram from Carpi saying he and Koven were coming

ahead of the others in their party and would set u f 1 a

base camp on Muldrow Glacier, several thousand fee !

up the mountain. He asked Strom, as a favor, to depos~t

a cache of supplies for him about halfway up the glacier. 7. ' i 1 I I "I should never have agreed to do it," says I ' Erling. 11 By doing so I helped kill them. 11

The Strom-Lindley group set out zn nzid-

A p r i l and r ea c h e d Mu l d r o w G la c i e r a c o u p :l e of w e e !? s later. The glacier was broken up by hundreds of c r e v a s s e s , m a n y of th e m m a s k e d b y s n o w b r i d g e s w Iii c h loo/zed solid, but which gave way "beneath a nzan 1 s weight. Strom and the others, wearing crampons and linked by ropes, toiled up and down the blue-white 111as s many times, shifting both their own supplies and tlzose

/ for Carpe 1 s party. At one time or another, eaclz of them tumbled into a crevasse and was ha u led o u t by the others. But they learned the location of th e s e dangerous fissures so well that they could, as Strom says, "practically make the trip on a moonless niglzt."

Carpe and Ko v en, however, only had to maize one trip up

the glacier - to the cache of supplies wlzich Stron1 left for them - and so they never did learn the location of all the crevasses. It w a:s th is la c !? of k no w l edge th a t

proved their undoing. After setting up base bamp , Strom. and the

others cli'rnbed to Karsten 1 s Ridge, where Stro1rl had

to hack out over 7, 000 steps with his ice axe. W h e n

they reached the top of the ridge they looked down 8 ...

at the awesome glacier, almost two miles below, and ' saw two blach dots - Carpe and Kov e n - cliJJ1b slowly to the cache of sujJplies. He assumed they would wait there for the others in their party.

On May 4, 1932, Stronz 's group reached the

top of the south peah. Strom found the nzaximum-

minimum thernzometer that Hudson Stuch had left behind

in 1913 in order to record the lowest temperature in tlze

region. At some time during the intervening years, Lile

temperature had fallen to 100 degrees below zero, for

the mercury had plunged down into the bulb and, as it

was designed to do, had s ta ye d there.

A week later, after having successfully climbed

th e no r th p ea lz , th e weary gr o u p re a c h e d C a r' p i's a 1i d

K o v en ' s b a s e c a m p on Mu l d r o w G la c i e r . S t r o m 11 ad l o o r~ e d

forward eagerly to a day or two of rest, conversation

and hot meals. But he found the camp deserted, a liglzL

film of snow covering everything, and with food still

on the prirnus. Something was obviously very wrong.

Still wearing their fifty-five pound pac!?s, he and tlze

others set out to look for the missing men. They neuer

f 0 u n d c a r p e: h i s b 0 d y ' s t i l l in ta c t ' l i e s s 0 111 e w h e r e in the heart of the glacier. But they found Theodore

Koven's frozen corpse at the bottom of a crevasse. Wlzat . had probably happened was this: one of the men had 9 . .. gone off sornewltere by himself, fallen into lite crevasse a n d c a l l e d o u t f o r h e l p . T h e o th e r h ad g on e t o l o o Ii f o r him and had fallen into another crevasse.

The tragic climax to the expedition gave Strom a momentary, and unsought for, fame. Then lze returned to Lalle Placid and more mundane pursuits.

In 1938, after Len years at La/le Placid, and at Mount Tremblant in the Laurentians , he invested lzis savings in a lodge in Stowe, Vermont, at tlze foot of

Mount Mans fie l d . This , h e f e l t c er ta in w o u l d b e L lz e

eastern sl~i center of the United States. Time prol'ed

h i m r i g h t . B u t h e s t i l l s lz i s , h e s ti l l gu id e s jJ a c I<

horses loaded with supplies from Banff to Mount

A s s i n i b o i n e ( 11 I r e c l~ o n I ' v e p a c h e d n i n e t h o u s a n d lz o r s e s

since I've had the camjJ, 11 he says) and he still goes

regularly to Norway. As for Mount Assiniboine, his

love-affair with the region still goes on - "and it

won't end until I do," he says. Theodor L0vstads vei 9 Bygd0, Oslo , Norway .

Dear Tommy: You may have wondered why I have not thanke::l you for " So Long Until Tomorrow" long ago. This time I really have an excuse. Believe it or not , I have been s ick. Spent three weeks in t h e h osp ital here as soon as I got home . It started in Stowe on my wa y from the West. I had mea nt to see you and many others before I left as it was probably my las t cha nce , but instead I made a bee line to Oslo . More doctors than I knew we h.ad, looken me over and took blood tests and x-rays by the dozen but nothi~wrong was f ound, a nd yet i was very sick. We finally settled for a virus. I could hardly get out of bed, a nd getting up from a deep chair was plain torture. Although nothing was done to me I am well now except for an infection of one eye . Am not allowed to read but big head lines in the papers.Hence, a dead stop between Gyangtse and Lhasa. Ho wever, I did get beyong all the nice thing; you s a y about Erling Strom so musy thank you for all of that. In no other book could I find myself in better company, a nd so much of ito One might say that you have been around. However, I do wish you h a d left out King Haakon.I must have told you more than once that he wa s nowhere near.

Neither wa s the palace . I just hop e ~ King Olav never gets hold of the book . Did you ever ski with Henrik Bull t l1e architect who won the Alaskan Capital competition. His parents were our best friends . They moved to ~ tow e beca use we lived there . Y ou mi g ht remember the murtals in our dining room ' ... painted by his f a ther. -.. I know I must not take more of your time as you are probably off for Timbukto in five minutes . Will no doubt t h ank you onc e more when I have finished the b ook. All the best to y 0u and ma y I inclu d e your wife in good wishes o You will of course bring her to Norw8 y,Y-q some time . I would so like to meet the woman wh o hac:J{,t \ nerve to marry the worlds trottenest globetrotter. {f RE ERLING STROM

Here is · the information you asked me to get:' Erling Strom, born August 26, 1897, in the mountains of Norway. First eight years of his life were spent a.bove timberline in Norway, where winter "'- lasted for seven or eight months. His father was an engineer, who put in big installations - tunnels and so on.

He was given his first pair of skis when\he was two years old. Began winning prizes as a jumper in 1907 -- when he was ten, in small boy competition in the hills above Oslo.

In 1916, when he was 19, he became involved in major competition and continued this for four years, with a nurnfur of firsts in top comp e ti ti on. Represented Norway in the Stockholm "Nordiskaspelen" which was the forerunner of what is now called "The Winter Olympics." During these years he took part in the ~ Holmenkollen, "a much more difficult jumping hil'l than it is today.

In 1918 served in the King's Guard, and

.\ ·. coached {he Crown Prince who is now King Olav. r. ~ .

.-/"" '-' •" ·... 2 • •• But he doesn't want it said that he taught the Crown ~ --- Prince to ski, since the latter f.had instruction frotrt others.~

Erling came to America in March 1919 and during his early years rode the range and herded ~attle as a cowboy in Arizona. Hay fever finally caused hir!' to give up range life and go to Colorado to visit a friend who was an engineer. Here he discovered th~t

C o lo rad o in tho s e day s was the .s'k i jump er s m e cc a • Borrowing skis he entered a me et, won first prize the first day he put them on, and soon after became Colorado State Champion, in jumping. The following year he also won the title in cross country. In 1927 . . he was U S Western Champion, in the Combined, winnin~rize given by the Denver Post for running up the highest point-score in Colorado's five major ski meets in both. jumping and cross country. His friend Lars Haugen outscored him in jumping by a point or two but La.rs was not proficient in cross country. Johan Satre beat him in cross country but was not a jumper. So Earling won the Combined. That same year, on'f dare, with several other Vikings he made the first, and . so far a s we know, the only ski ascent of Long fs Peak. A lso when the jumping season was over, he and Lars Haugen, when 3 • • told it was impossible, crossed the range on skis making the trip from Estes Park to Steamboat Springs and back. "Quite a trip," says Erling Strom "when, you have to break trail in deep snow all the way." In the autumn. of 1927 he was asked to cor.ne. to the Adirondacks to the Lake Placid Club and spent eleven winters there instructing people in recreational skiing.Among those who took their first ski lessons from

Erling was none other than C. Minot "Minnie" Dole, father of The American Ski Patrol system, and some- times referred to as father of The Tenth Mountain Division.

While Erling Strom may not have been the ~ first to give instruction in what was thenA simple form of "downhill" he was one of the first, (perhap·s the first). So he helped give skiing its early impetus in this country. The Marquis d'Albizzi, a Russian-Italian-

Engl is h s o l die r - of-fortune and for 7m e·-:r officer in the Czar's cavalry as well as an officer in the Italian Mountain Troops in World War One, was associated with Erling at Lake Placid. "The Markee" also went with him to The Canadian Rockies where they started spring ski trips to Mt. Assiniboine. Ever since then Erling 4 • • a.,.n...e.a..L has had his own ski~ including ski schools~n the Canadian Rockies and at Stowe, Vermont.

One of his most notable achievements was in 1931 when accompanied by Alfred Lindley of Minneapolis (later head of The Sun Valley Ski Club and prominent in the American ski world,) he . led a two hundred and fifty mile exped~tion across the Canadian Rockies for a w i n t e r a s c en t of t h e C o l um b i a i c e f i e l d s •

The following year, 1932 he carried out an even more notable feat, this time accompanied by h#s friend Al Lindley and two Alaskans, Grant Pearson, later first superintendent of Mt. Mc·Kinley National Park and Harry Leek. On this one he led the way, This was the third conquest of Mt. McKinley.

Erling Strom has always been highly regarded as a raconteur and non-professional entertainer. In fact, his ability in this line was almost equal to his mastery of skiing, and over the years he appeared b e fore s core s of au die n c es from co as t to co as t lecturing and urging Americans to get out in the . winter and enjoy the thrills of skiing.