Winter 2005 ■ Volume XIX, No
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Voice of the Glacier Park Foundation ■ Winter 2005 ■ Volume XIX, No. 1 Remembering J. Gordon Edwards Gordon is standing on Thunderbird Peak looking toward Kintla Perak after a storm on August 31, 1956. (Bob Megard Photo) Also in this issue: • Finding Old No. 98 • Running the PBX in the 1950s The Inside Trail ◆ Winter 2005 ◆ 1 Farewell to Gordon Edwards Dr. J. Gordon Edwards, author of A Climber’s Guide to Glacier National Park, died on the trail on August 19,2004. Dr. Edwards was 84 years old. He was a legendary mountaineer and one of the most distinguished and famous figures in Glacier’s history. Dr. Edwards was setting out on a climb of Divide Mountain when he col- lapsed and died. He was with his wife Alice, his inseparable companion on Glacier’s trails and peaks for more than 55 years. Their daughter Jane was leading a climb of Mt. Cannon at the time of her father’s death. Dr. Edwards leaves behind many hundreds of Glacier friends. Despite his fame, he was unassuming and wonderfully personable, always willing to discuss mountaineering with the greenest novice. Dr. Edwards was a Glacier Park Foundation member from its beginning in 1980. He frequently wrote for The Inside Trail. This issue features a special memorial section dedicated to him. Gordon Edwards leading a group on the Ptarmigan Wall, as always the consumate host, freely sharing magical places with those of us who had the incredible good fortune to share time with this gracious host. (Dave Shoup) photo Glacier Park Foundation Officers: P.O. Box 15641 John Hagen, President Minneapolis, MN 55415 Einar Hanson, First Vice President The Inside Trail takes its www.glacierparkfoundation.org Carol Dahle, Vice President - Membership Mac Willemssen, Secretary name from the famous old Board of Directors: Tessie Bundick, Historian trail which connected Gla- Tessie Bundick Jim Lees, Treasurer cier Park Lodge with the Laura Chihara Rolf Larson, Inside Trail Editor vanished chalets at Two Janet Eisner Cornish Medicine, Cut Bank, and St. Carol Repulski Dahle The Glacier Park Foundation was Joyce Daugaard formed by Glacier Park employees Mary. The name thus em- Glen Elvig and visitors who have a deep love for phasizes the publication’s fo- Lee Flath this special place. The Foundation is commited both to the importance cus on the lore and history of David Gilbertson of wilderness preservation and to the Glacier National Park. We John Hagen importance of places like Glacier Einar Hanson as classrooms where people can invite submission of histori- Paul Hoff experience wilderness in intense cal, scientific, or anecdotal Mark Hufstetler meaningful ways, learning not only a love for the land, but also a respect articles, commentary, poetry, Jeff Kuhn that nurtures the skills necessary to or artwork for publication in Linda Young Kuhn preserve that land. The Founda- future issues. Rolf Larson tion has a special interest in Glacier Leroy Lott Park’s history, traditions and visitor Greg Notess facilities. Mac Willemssen 2 � Winter 2005 � The Inside Trail GLACIER BULLETIN BOARD The Inside Trail welcomes not only The Ubiquitous “Reds” A Fateful Coin Flip articles, but also brief letters and anec- My wife and I recently toured New I met my husband when he came dotes. Here are a few which were sent England and stayed a couple of days hitchhiking through Glacier in to us recently. at the Trapp Family Lodge near 1952. He had flipped a coin to Farewell to Mark Tyers Stowe, Vermont. They have a gift determine which route to take back shop (of course), and among other to Vancouver, Canada. We married Mark Tyers’ many friends and fans things we bought a CD of the Von a year later. from Hootenanny days of 1973-75 Trapp children – who are carry- will be saddened to know that this Harriet Stapleton (Glacier Park Lodge ing on the family musical tradition world lost a great musician last June, 1952) – singing Christmas songs. When when he stepped out onto Heaven’s we got home and were sorting Kudos to the Inside Trail Peaks, followin’ the Drinkin’ Gourd, through our purchases, I noticed after a long illness. I’ve lived all over the U.S., relocating something very familiar on the back with my husband’s job, and you have Kathy Tyers (MGH 1973-75) of the Von Trapp CD. Sure enough, always been able to find me with The A Wedding Invitation two pictures of the kids sitting and Inside Trail. For this I am eternally standing in front of – a Glacier Park grateful. My one summer at Glacier Fellow gearjammer Emily Slagle red bus! We’re everywhere! was terrific and I would have come (#87) and I (#101) will be getting back but had already graduated from Paul Reinhard (Gearjammer 1959-61) married on June 25. My thanks to college and my parents thought it Leroy Lott for recruiting me to be a Generations in Glacier would be good to take me off the jammer! Anyone that shows up at Our granddaughter, Lindsey Fifield, dole so I would be motivated to find the wedding in an old red is wel- worked the front desk at Many a real job. Being the parent of a col- come. Glacier in 2003-04. Her mother lege freshman, I now see the wisdom Brad Dieringer (Gearjammer 2000) Martha was at St. Mary in 1974. of their ways. Reunion with Red Bus #105 Betty (her grandmother) worked the I’m pitching long and hard for my dining room at Many in 1946-47. I spent two years of time-consum- kids to work at the park by telling Betty’s uncle, Olie Landkamer, drove ing labor acquiring gearjammer stories of friends, hikes and fresh one of the first buses to the Logan lists and organizing the first-ever mountain air. This would also give Pass Dedication in July 1933. That decades-wide reunion of drivers of me an excuse to come back and is almost four generations in Glacier! the red busses in June 2002. I was visit. Keep up the good work, keep sitting in the lobby of Glacier Park Leo and Betty Schneider. sending info, and I’ll keep reading it while dreaming of the day I retire Lodge listening to the dedication Reunion Plans speeches when my wife, Billie, sent and can take one of the red buses Many Glacier employees of 1967- a messenger to get me to join her into the park and bore the pants off 68-69 are planning a big reunion at outside at the front driveway. To my the new drivers with my tales of yes- Many in 2007. Plan to attend – let’s great surprise, there sat my bus from teryear. All my best from Missouri bring back an alumni Hootenanny! 1950 (number 105), surrounded by (formerly Texas (4 cities), Ohio, a beautiful, large blue ribbon cov- Keith Bearden (Many Glacier ’67-’68) Louisiana and Alabama). ered by a layer of thick white snow. Challenging my Bus Number Trisha (Wiggins) Lee (Many Glacier With no coat, wearing my Ford-is- 1973) sued long sleeve “Once a Gearjam- I’m still around – now 84 years old! mer, Always a Gearjammer” shirt, I I hope to match my bus number commenced the photo celebration. (97) before I leave. I’m from the What a wonderful Christmas in Glacier Park class of 1942 – how June! many are left? Joe Funk Leroy Lott (Gearjammer 1949-50) The Inside Trail � Winter 2005 � 3 Remembering Gordon Edwards . An Anthology Dick Schwab Robert Megard John Hagen Edward Sanman III Dave Shoup Jana Hjelmseth Baker and Jacquie Hjelmseth Fennel (Photo by Larry Burton. 1939-2004. Overlay route map is a drawing by Gordon Edwards Rolf Larson from “A Climber’s Guide to Glacier National Park,” reprinted with permission of the Glacier Natural History Association) 4 � Winter 2005 � The Inside Trail Adventures with Gordon Edwards By Dick Schwab (MGH 1947-52) I think the best eulogy my family The following selection of diary entries give an could make for our great friend, immediate sense of Gordon as someone who had Gordon, is already in my Glacier adventure built into him and who generated diary, which records the happy and exciting days of grand adventure unforgettable memories for all who knew him. we enjoyed with him, Alice, and Jane over the past thirty years. The grasshoppers and Gordon with his Perhaps it was Jane, in conjunction following selection of diary entries net and kill jar. We peered over the with someone else, who knew how give an immediate sense of Gor- cliff to see the milky color of Cracker to pull the skin on the skull together don as someone who had adventure Lake straight down below. so the two sides of the gash matched well, and then secured the cut with built into him and who generated John Mauff’s Fall unforgettable memories for all who a “butterfly” dressing that kept the knew him. Spread over a genera- Wed. 9 July 1978: This was one of wound tightly closed. John, with tion of good times, these notes bear our more memorable expeditions in his amazing tolerance for pain and witness to the kindness, generos- Glacier. Gordon, Jane, John Mauff, almost casual attitude toward acci- ity, and humor of Gordon’s lively Joe Steffen, Randy Kay (the Many dents of this kind, sat quietly talk- spirit, which made all our hours with Glacier dance band leader) and I ing with us for awhile, taking some him so pleasurable and memorable. started out on a beautiful day, climb- nourishment in the form of a candy Whenever I read them over I smile ing to Snow moon first and then bar or so, and then insisted we plod and think how lucky we were to up the ridge to the east overlook- forward to the summit.