WWW.MOUNTAINEERS.ORG MAY/JUNE 2014 • VOLUME 108 • NO. 3 MountaineerEXPLORE • LEARN • CONSERVE Our Secret Rainier Four Lookout Towers PAGE 14 A Big Day for Elwha River Restoration PAGE 20 A Climbing Evolution 40 Years with The Mountaineers PAGE 23 tableofcontents May/Jun 2014 » Volume 108 » Number 3 The Mountaineers enriches lives and communities by helping people explore, conserve, learn about and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Features 18 The Truth about Altitude Illness How to Recognize and Prevent it 20 A Big Day 14 for Elwha River Restoration 23 A Climbing Evolution 40 Years with The Mountaineers Columns 6 Impact GIVING John Olson's story 7 OUtdOOR EducatION The Mountaineers' history with Camp Long 18 8 ConservatION currentS Stewardship at work 10 MEMbER hIGhLIGht Ross Vixie and his 10 essential answers 11 Trail Talk Introducing a new column by Craig Romano 14 OUR Secret RAINIER Four Lookout Towers 23 28 RETRO rewinD The Mountaineers Players and how they came to be Discover THE MOUNtaiNEERS Mountaineer magazine would like to thank The Mountaineers If you are thinking of joining — or have joined and aren’t sure where Foundation for its financial assistance. The Foundation operates to start — why not set a date to Meet The Mountainers? Check the as a separate organization from The Mountaineers, which has received about one-third of the Foundation’s gifts to various Branching Out section of the magazine (page 44) for times and nonprofit organizations. locations of informational meetings at each of our seven branches. Mountaineer uses: CLEAR on the cover: Cebe Wallace on one of his many climbs. Story on page 23. photographer: Mike Warren, mountaingroovephotography.smugmug.com AREA 2 the mountaineer » may/jun 2014 tyingin From Student to Leader to President The Mountaineers is a non- profit organization, founded I’m very excited about the opportunity, in 1906 and dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and and awed by the responsibility, to be protection of natural areas. your President for the next two years. My experience with The Mountaineers has Board OF directORS been incredibly positive, has opened up the OFFICERS President Dan Lauren, 2014-16 outdoors for me, and allowed me to make President-Elect Kara Stone, 2014-16 lifelong friends. I joined The Mountaineers Immed Past President Gavin Woody, 2014-16 in 1998 as a member of the Tacoma branch VP Outdoor Centers Geoff Lawrence, 2014-16 to take the Basic Climbing class. I had never VP Publishing Eric Linxweiler, 2014-16 Treasurer Steve McClure, 2014-16 heard of The Mountaineers before, but after Secretary Evy Dudey, 2014-16 a hazardous trip up Mt. Hood with a bunch directors at large of inexperienced people that nearly turned Lorna Corrigan, 2011-14 into a disaster, a friend referred me to The Rich Draves, 2011-14 Mountaineers because of a reputation for Lee Fromson, 2013-16 Chloe Harford, 2012-15 Mox Peak SE Spire safety and solid climbing instruction. That John Ohlson, 2013-16 Basic class introduced me to the incredible Leah Schulz, 2012-15 rich experiences one enjoys as a Mountaineer. I was taught skills that allowed Matt Sullivan, 2013-16 me to feel safe and comfortable climbing and made me a competent leader and Tom Varga, 2012-15 Gene Yore, 2011-14 eventually a mentor and administrator. BraNCH directors In 2005, I was greatly affected by the Sharkfin Tower accident where three of our Ken Small, Bellingham climbing members were killed, including a close friend and mentor of mine. An Harlan Brown, Everett Cheryl Talbert, Foothills accident like that is very hard to digest and make sense of. We were determined to Vern Brown, Kitsap honor our fallen members by trying to prevent the same accident from happening Henry Romer, Olympia again, and the BOD approved formation of the Organization Wide Safety Bill Deters, Seattle Committee. For the first time we could collect incident reports, write up factual Jim Feltus, Tacoma summaries, and share findings with all members. EXecUTIVE Director Martinique Grigg The Safety Committee has become integral to our culture and is responsible EXecUTIVE PUBLISHER for instituting best practices and instructional changes within our courses. My Helen Cherullo experience with this organization-wide committee — the formation, getting director OF developmeNT involvement, getting leader participation, getting the messages out — has shown AND commUNicatioNS Mary Hsue me what a powerful organization we are, that our diversity with all the various PUblicatioNS MANager branches, committees, and communities is a strength and that The Mountaineers Suzanne Gerber are more than the sum of our parts. The diversity is what makes us unique and a proofreaders force in the community. Kristina Ciari, Polly Freeman photographers My goal over the next two years as your President is to improve the Armando Betancourt, Kristina Ciari, working relationship between our branches, program centers, staff, board of Mickey Eisenburg, Steven Gnam, Joe directors, committees, and members. We’ve started this effort by having the first- Grande, Tim Nair, Craig Romano, Doug ever structured reviews with the Executive Director and each branch chair, which Schurman, Jerda Smeltzer, Lani Smith, Jason Thomas, D.E.Todd, Mike Warren, has shown many things to work on, as well as to get excited about. I’m thrilled to Carolyn Wilcox, Gene Yore partner with Martinique to help move The Mountaineers forward, and look forward to hearing from and working with each of you. The Mountaineer (ISSN 0027-2620) is published bimonthly by The Mountaineers, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. 206-521-6000; 206-523-6763 fax. Members receive a subscription as part of their annual dues. Non-member subscriptions to the Mountaineer are $32. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, WA and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Mountaineer, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Dan Lauren, Board President Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Mountaineers. www.mountaineers.org 3 editorsnote What are they building in there? With the office abuzz and humming away with — as so many have learned to climb with him the construction of our new website, it's hard over the past couple decades. He talks about to think of much else. We're all very excited how The Mountaineers has grown and evolved about its launch on May 5th. In the mean time, over the 40 years that he's been a member. the show (and our regular duties) must go on And back by popular demand is Mickey Mountaineer — here is the May/June issue of . Eisenburg and Gene Yore's Secret Rainier — In this issue, we have the very first this time, visiting the four remaining lookout of a new column called TrailTalk, written towers within the national park. by favorite local guidebook author, and Behind the scenes, we're always personal friend, Craig Romano. He's a long- working to improve the ways in which our Darcy Kiefel time member of The Mountaineers with an organization can communicate with volunteers insightful perspective on outdoor recreation. Suzanne Gerber, and members. That is why we have set up a Publications Manager To prepare you for the climbing season, we smugmug site at mountaineers.smugmug. [email protected] have a special feature on altitude illness com to make it easier for members to upload by one of our very own Global Adventures and donate photography. Email me if you are Mountaineer Magazine leaders, Craig Miller. The photographs for interested in adding to our photo database. 2014 Advisory Board this piece were taken by NY professional I hope you enjoy this issue, our new website photographer, D.E.Todd, who happened to join Rena Chinn and our great new film and speaker series, Craig on one of his many trips to Nepal. Monica Gussow BeWild, which launched in April. If you haven't Peter Hendrickson If you've been wondering what's going on yet, you can still buy tickets for the remaining Craig Romano with the Elwha river since the start of the shows! I look forward to seeing you there. Lowell Skoog dam removal, we have an up-to-date account Cheryl Talbert you won't want to miss by Olympic Peninsula Emily White naturalist and guide, Carolyn Wilcox. Perhaps the highlight of this issue, as you may be able to tell from the cover, is a feature on Cebe Wallace. He's a climbing legend in his own right — at least within The Mountaineers Suzanne Gerber, Publications Manager Come paint a rock to The Pacific Ocean is Our Backyard! add to our collection! Kite Flying Clam Digging Bird Watching Beach Walking Sand Castle Building Friendly Dogs Welcome Located in Historic Moclips 25 minutes north of Ocean Shores. 1 & 2 Bdrm Ocean Front Condominiums. Hi-Tide OCEAN BEACH RESORT 1-800 MOCLIPS www.hitideresort.com 4 the mountaineer » may/jun 2014 I’m where? Can you identify the location in the foreground? In case of a tie, one winner will be chosen at random. Each Send your answer to Suzanne Gerber by the first of June: month we’ll publish a new mystery landmark and identification [email protected]. of the previous one. If you guess correctly, you’ll receive a $15 gift certificate* good Adventurer? Please send in your trip photographs for possible for Mountaineers purchases, and we’ll publish your name in publication as a mystery location! (see email address above) next issue’s column. The winner of last issue's I'm Where was John Wimpress. *Not redeemable for cash. Mountaineers employees or persons shown in the He was among 15 other Mountaineers with the correct guess of photograph are not eligible.