MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF TI-1E ROCKY MOUNTAINEERS OF WESTERN h?ONT4N4

Vol. XV no 4 Janua ry , 1976

NATIONAL PATROL / NOPDIC DIVISION 'VOL XV No* 4 THE MOUNTAIN EAR JANUARY 1976

Page 1

The Rocky Mountaineers of Western Montana, Box 1575, Missoula, Montana 59801 welcomes all persons interested in the out-of-door activities of hiking camping, ski-touring, showshoeing, river floating, bicycl ing, and technical cl imbing - summer, winter, autumn & spring. Subscription to the Mountain Ear is by membership: $4/yr. single, $5/yr family, $2/vol, to out-of-town addresses. Eight issues per volume.

,OFF I CERS

P res. -Carol Butterbaugh 728-9 166 Treas. -Myra Howe 543-4200 V i ce P res . -George Howe 543-&200 Subscription Set.-Raelen Kaag Sec. -Kaye Lyons 54.9- 1507 777-5745

P ,MOUNTAIN EAR ED. STAFF

Virginia Vincent-Editor Mona Frangos-S ketches Florence Ell lott-C lerical Raelen Kaag-Acting Editor

,1-l..l.~1...1..l. ~L-L.t..t&lwl~ LI*..LJH~.~..L \ db 4\ /\ <\ t\ d$ db d\ #b #$ fb 4\ 4\ f$db #\ d\ MEETING - JANUARY 14, 1976 - 7: 30 -Place: W. Fed. Savings & Loan, Hwy, 93 S at the Time & Temp Program: K. Ross Toole, professor of history at the University of Mon- tana, noted Montana author and historian, will present the program for the meeting. LL.L.IXL.L.~. *LLI.L!..LLL.L ,L.L.L.I~l..L f\ d\ db db fb fb db 4) db d\ 4b d\ d\ d\ #\ #b d\ db

TENTAT l VE TRl PS Jan, 17 Day cross country trip to Lubrecht Forest. Leader, Bill Morgan. For information call Bill at 363-5339 or Carol Butterbaugh at 728-9166 Jan* 24-25 Weekend trip to Discovery Basin; Stay overnight at Fairmont Hot Springs. Choice of cross country and/or downhill skiing. For information call winter trip coordinator, Dave Hohl, 549-5396. Jan. 31 or Day cross country skiing trip to Lolo Pass (Possibly Wagon Mt. Feb. 1 rail) For information call leader, Les Ojala, 721-1923.

NEW MEMBERS Jacquel ine Forget Jeanne Mueller Karen Fogg 200 Connell, Apt. C-5 Rt. 6, Wi ldcat Rd. 323 Crosby

Russ Rusunen Char 1 es Stevenson Sara Chapman McClain 1614 S. 9th C/O Trai lhead 824 Jackson

RENEWALS Dave Hohl Harley Schwarz and Family Helen Wi 11 iard Bob Benson Page 2

MOUNTAlNEERS DO HOODOO

On Sunday, December 14th, Raelen and I led a day crosscountry ski trip to the Hoodoo Pass area above Superior on the Idaho-Montana border. Actually, everyone else led and I followed, as I experienced my first si.nce returning from three years in the tropics. Numerous I1Stitz marks" in the snow will bear this out. Some mountaineers arrived at Helen Williard's house in Superior the night prior to the trip and camphd on Helen's floor. Sunday morning at 9:30, after the Missoula contingent arrived, twelve skiers and one snow- shoer embarked for the pass via the Trout Creek Road which is being plowed this year because Diamond Mill is logging there until Christmas. The day was cloudy, but snow conditions were excellent, with cold tem- peratures and a deep snow base covered with powder. Most skiers with wooden used regular green wax, some with a blue kicker, Some skiers with fish scales, etc. found it tough going uphill in the soft snow. We toured up the ridge to the west, starting about 10:30 and climbing upward through deep snow until we stopped for a half hour lunch break in a sheltered spot down from the crest of the ri.dge. The cold and wind soon had us on our way again, and we shortly began our descent down a snow covered road back toward the top of the pass. Good downhi 1 1 run! We reached the cars at 3100 and continued to ski in the surrounding area until 4~00,when we loaded our gear and ourselves into the vehicles and started back down. Some snow mob i lers who had j ust arrived at the pass were pol i te and courteous and even gave .two of our party a ride to the top from further down the road. Unfortunately, three other pickups loaded with snowmobi les and their, riders arrived as we were leaving, parked on both sides of the icy, snow-packed road at the bottom of the f i rst switchback f rom'the pass, and pa rked the i r mach i nes i n the road be tween them. eve ra1' snowmob i 1 es were operating on the road'surface with little regard to triffic. The dis- regard of some snowmobilers for the rights of others wi 11 win snowhobiilk;s little support in their battle to maintain recreational access in disputed a reas. Returning to Superior, the party stopped again at Helen's house to re- pack gear and warm up and then returned to Missoula where they congregated at Little Big Men for welcome portions of pizza and beer. The outing received uniformly favorable and enthusiastic reviews from a1 1 participants.

By Don Kaag

DO YOU KNOW...What the initial warnings of hypothermia are?... What kind of terrain is more likely to have increased avalanche danger? ...What the safest routes are when ascend i ng and descend i ng s lopes?. . .What you should do i f someone in your party is caught in an avalanche? These questions and many more are answered by the "Winter Recreation/ Safety Guide" packet of information which 'is distributed by the Forest Ser- vice. The four pamphlets-"Four Lines of Defense Against Hypotherniail, "Gen. Bib. of Ski Touring Literature1', "Winter Travel in the National Forestr1, and I1Snow Avalanchet1-p rov ide goodbas ic informat ion which is we1 1 worth the short amount of time it takes to read it. It is valuable for both the novice and the experienced outdoorsman and would be especially valuable for a review of safety information for a family or a group before a winter trip. TRY IT! BE A NORDIC SKI PATROLLER!

The Nordic Division of the National Ski Patrol conducted two seminars at Essex recently. The seminars were primarily aimed at training the newly formed Essex ski patrol , but the material covered and the pract ice rescues would have been extremely valuable for even an occasional day skier. The first seminar dealt with winter first aid and search and rescue, Bandaging, splinting, using and assembling toboggans and improvising splints and tobaggans from available naterials such as skis, ski poles, and nylon cord were discussed, as were frostbite and hypothermia. We were sent out on several mock search and rescue missions including one at night, which, if you stop to think about it, is probably the time most ihj ured day trippers wi 11 be reached. One of the night victims, Karen Hall (notice who gets to do the dirty work) gutted it out through two hours of below zero temperatures before her rather disorganized rescue party stumbled on her. If she was still playing a role then, the ensuing tobaggan trip allowed her to stop pretending. After she had been fully rescued she took a seat, moved it up to the fireplace and did not move for the rest of the evening, while Gary was spotted several times running up the stairs from the bar with shots of brandy. The one point that each of the practice rescues demonstrated was that if even a healthy llvictimll could go through a pretty chilling and bone-jarring experience while being rescued, what would happen to someone who was really hurt?' Compared to downhill, is very safe, but while the chance of injury is much lower, the time lapse and problems of rescue are greatly in- creased. .The second seminar covered basic mountaineering skills. A training session in Nordic technique featured the ranger from St. Mary's who demonstrated a - . variety of ways to turn and gracefully control a downhill run on Nordic skiis.. He made the telemark turn, the step, turn, and the jump turn a1 1 look easy. The only turns left out were the sit, the slide, and the splat. Some people just .can't bear the thought of getting any snow on their knickers. Well, we amply made up for his omissions.

We had some practice in belaying occupied tobaggans down steep hillsides, , which was a good way to shatter anyone's confidence in his snowplow. We were also scheduled to have practice building snow caves. There were only a few inches of snow on the ground, but Gary was undaunted and decided that we could build them in the ten foot mounds which had been piled up by the snow- plows that had cleared the railroad yard. Even one bent snowshovel couldn't stop him, but he finally had to settle for a eight-inch hole when his pick ! bounced back at him, ringing like a tuning fork. There was a long involved class in avalanches. The best way to avoid avalanches is to go shopping every Saturday and watch ~i\dWorldof Sports on Sunday, or else ski timbered areas or broad val leys. Otherwise, there is no way to summarize the basic information on avalanche hazards. It has to be read and understood. Classes also covered equipment repair in the field, waxing, and win- ter survival. Rather than going into all the details, I think it would be best to state their most important theme which simply involves a change in attitude. Before going out on a (cont. on page 111 - .nage 4

BE A NORDIC SKI PATROLLER! (cont. from page 3)

even a day tour, instead of thinking "it's highly unlikely that anything will happen,I1 just go on to the next step and ask I'but what will we do if it does?" if it's at all possible to have. equipment problems, do you have the to+s necessary to make a temporary repai r? I f there is any chance that someone might get hurt, wi 11 you be able to keep them warm and comfortable until help comes? (Fires are not always so easy to build in the winter, and dead wood is often hard to find.) Is it possible that you could get lost; what wi 11 you do then? Are you prepared for a sudden change in the weather or even for the same weather if you have to stop for awhi le? Being prepared for every eventual i ty would requi re a twenty or thi rty pound pack for a day trip, however with five to ten pound's spread among a group, it's possible to cover the most likely possibilities. Gary could give a much more complete list, but I'll just list a few . things that are pretty handy to have along.

spare ski tip waterproof tape 3" vice grip pliers small screw driver 50'-100' nylon cord 3$-' piece of $' ensol ite spare cables (a MUST if you have cable bindings) 5 minute epoxy (might need to build a fire to get it to work) 2' piece of aluminum fdil (as a base for a fire) . fire starter (cardboard or toilet paper soaked in melted paraffin)

Most of this stuff could be put into a small plastic container along with a first aid kit*and if its ready to go ahead of time, you can just throw i t into your day pack anyt ime you decide to go ski i ng. Nordic Ski patrol lers can be recognized on the trai 1 by the blue and gold National Ski Patrol patch shown on the cover of the Mauntain Ear which will probably be worn'on an arm band or with a name tag. + Several of us from the Missoula area who were at the seminars are interested in forming a Nordic ski patrol here. Anyone who is interested in joining or just in attending the seminars should get in touch with Gary Hall.

\, By Cheryl Beyer .la.la.L.I..la.l.~I~14.1~.Ia d\ 1.. #\ #\ d\ #\ d\ #\ d\ #\ SWIM, SKI OR JUST RELAX

Do you want to get away from the crowds and spend a few days living simply and enjo.ying the outdoors. Do you cross country ski and/or downhill 5% and/or snow shoe and then do you like to take a relaxing dip in a hot pool? Or would you rather sit in a snug cabin beside a warm wood stove? Do you like to sit in a rustic lodge in the evening and swap stories about pow- -- . der snow and fine ski ing?. Do you 1 i ke t' place that has wi'de open meadows as well as the terrain suited to ? Elk Horn Hot Springs has all of this. Located high in the Pioneer Mts., it is about 170 miles from Missoula and east of the Big Hole Basin. It is about 15 miles off the road to Dil'lon, just north of Polaris.

There is an old "homey1[ lodge there and log cabins equipped with electrim , city, stoves, refrigerators, wood or gas heaters, but no running water or plumbing in the winter-sorry folks. Bob McNeil, the owner is an outfitter and an ex-ski instructor. His versatile staff even includes a cross country instructor for you beginners. He will provide meals for groups at the lodge i arrangements are made in advance. Maverick Mountain, a downhill ski area, is on the same road, as iq the Bed Spread Resort, which has rooms a lounge, and a dining room in a sk~resort atmosphere. For more in.fo. see bon or me. By Raelen Kaag MORE INFO FOR SKI T0URERS.E SNOW SHOERS.,,

Lubrecht Forest is the ideal spot for ski touring and/or snow shoeing (-\ for everyone from beg i nners to advanced slt i ers. Located app rox imate 1 y 35 miles east of Missoula on Rt. 200, Lubrecht Forest contains a series of trails of varying length, terrain, and degree of difficulty. Shorter trails are perfect for beginners and children; more rugged trails present a challenge to the better skiers, Access to a1 1 trai 1s is from the SE corner of the Lubrecht Forest Headquarters parking lot. A1 I trai Is are marlted 'by metal sign in different colors which designate the particular trail in letter sym- bols,

Beginner trails: A,B,C (orange) Trail A: 0.97 mile, novice trail, elevational difference of 40 feet topography generally flat, wooded terrain, trai 1 grades less than 2%, Trail B: 1.12 miles, novice trail; extension of Trail A; topography and terrain similar to Trail A; a few gentle trail grades,

Trail C: 3.13 miles, advanced beginner, elevational difference of 80 feet, timbered and meadow terrain; few trail grades of 7"/,.

Intermediate Trail: D Trail (yellow) 6.4 miles, elevational difference of 180 feet; varied topography and terrain; few short trail grades of 7%.

Advanced Tra i 1 : E (G reen) 8.25 mi 1 es ; very rugged topography , p r i ma r i 1 y timbered terrain; should be used only by those skiers famil iar with cross country braking and turning techniques; long stretches of 5-l0"/, trail grades with occasional partions approach i ng 1%.

LLL ;ei LLLL clr~L rLr?r L~L LLLI- cL-L &!ALL f\ f\ 4 f 4\ 1\ #\ #h # 4\ 4\ 4\ 4\ #\ 4\

TELEMARK-Touring technique for stabi 1 i ty and turning. The position is derived from the normal ski touring stride. As the forward foot reaches its farthest point, the tip of the rear ski is almost opposite the advanced foot. Hold this position to ride through drifted snow or a patch of soft, sticky snow that threatens to stop you short. Brace the knee of your forward leg to act as a ship's bow. To make a telemark turn, brace the tip of the rear ski in the instep of the advanced foot. Point tip of forward ski slightly inward (toward direction of turn) and brace legs in this long-radius turn. This turn is for use with full heel freedom and works in heavy snow conditions The 'telemark' comes from an area of Norway by that name.

! Reprinted from Mountain Ear Decembe r , 1973 I1 I

1 (.

I Kongsberg Ski8 Bonna 20008 "AM OASIS FOR THE f ~akNo-Waw CYGLO-TOURIST" (38 hr. c yclo-tourist service)

SPECIA LIIING IN BICYCLE ASSEMBL Y, WHEEL BUILDING, FRAME BUILDING & REPAIR, SANDBLASTING, PA INTING

+ BEPAIRS PAR TS ACCESSORIES

2100 South Ave. W. Sam, Shirt, Bart eG Balt Braxton Missoule, Montana 5980l Phone f4W) 549-2593

TIME FOR THE SNOW1

I

====s --- .F

I _

THE MOUNTAIN EAR Box E75 Hissoula, MT. $9861