WWW.MOUNTAINEERS.ORG JULY/AUGUST 2014 • VOLUME 108 • NO. 4 MountaineerEXPLORE • LEARN • CONSERVE Mountain Workshops to New Heights PAGE 12 Expedition Denali Bridging the Gap PAGE 22 Faces Behind the Rescue Oso Mudslide Heroes PAGE 28 tableofcontents Jul/Aug 2014 » Volume 108 » Number 4 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 12 Mountain Workshops To New Heights 22 Expedition Denali Bridging the Gap 28 Faces Behind the Rescue 12 The Mountaineers who helped with the Oso mudslide Columns 7 MEMBER HIGHLIGHT Leah Schulz and her 10 essential answers 8 Impact GIVING Jim Lea, the inventor of Therm-a-Rest, gives back 22 11 OUTdOOR Education Tacoma Mountaineers Youth Programs 16 TraiL TALK Mount Si - a Love and Hate relationship 20 OUR Secret RAINIER Huckleberry Creek Trail 30 Conservation Currents Putting Darrington back on the map after disaster 28 32 RETRO rewinD The First African-American to climb Denali 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 for times and locations of nonprofit organizations. informational meetings at each of our seven branches. Mountaineer uses: CLEAR on the cover: Ruman Ahmed Jama belays her friends at a Mountain Work- shop in Camp Long this spring. Story on page 12. photographer: Kym Ahrens, www.facebook.com/KymAhrensPhotography AREA 2 the mountaineer » jul/aug 2014 tyingin The Mountaineers is a non- Diversity in the Outdoors profit organization, founded in 1906 and dedicated to the Last month I had the pleasure of volunteering responsible enjoyment and for an enthusiastic group from Hope Place protection of natural areas. Shelter who had arrived to participate in our Board Of directors Mountain Workshops Program. As I belayed OFFICERS one young girl on her first trip up the climbing President Dan Lauren, 2014-16 wall her anxiety turned to confidence and President-Elect Kara Stone, 2014-16 exhilaration as she conquered her fear and Immed Past President Gavin Woody, 2014-16 VP Outdoor Centers Geoff Lawrence, 2014-16 reached the top. Her mother watched with her VP Publishing Eric Linxweiler, 2014-16 hands covering her mouth and then cheered Treasurer Steve McClure, 2014-16 with her daughter. She turned to me and asked Secretary Evy Dudey, 2014-16 for her turn on the wall saying “I’m not going to DIrectors at large ask my daughter to do anything I wouldn’t do Lorna Corrigan, 2011-14 Rich Draves, 2011-14 myself.” Mother and daughter switched places, Lee Fromson, 2013-16 and this time her daughter cheered when her Chloe Harford, 2012-15 mother made it to the top. John Ohlson, 2013-16 Leah Schulz, 2012-15 Hope Place is a shelter for formerly homeless mothers and their children. Groups Matt Sullivan, 2013-16 that come from Hope Place are often 100% minority and include Hispanic, African- Tom Varga, 2012-15 American and those of Asian descent. This statistic is startling considering that Gene Yore, 2011-14 78% of participants in outdoor activities are Caucasian. The shelter is one of 30 Branch DIrectors Ken Small, Bellingham groups The Mountaineers works with to target diverse and disadvantaged youth Harlan Brown, Everett and their parents to introduce them to the outdoors and make outdoor activities Cheryl Talbert, Foothills approachable, accessible and fun. Vern Brown, Kitsap Henry Romer, Olympia The barriers to participating in the outdoors are significant and include everything Bill Deters, Seattle from cultural to transportation to the cost of participating. Mountain Workshops is Jim Feltus, Tacoma designed to introduce participants to close-to-home opportunities that exist within EXecUTIVE DIrector Seattle and often within blocks of where they live, including Magnuson Park, Camp Martinique Grigg Long in West Seattle, Discovery Park or Seward Park. Since our youth programs EXecUTIVE PUBLISHER Helen Cherullo began three years ago, we’ve offered over $50,000 in scholarships to get minority DIrector OF DEVelopment and underserved youth into our programs to learn outdoor, leadership and self- AND commUNIcatIONS awareness skills. This isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also part of a long-term Mary Hsue strategy to maintain our relevance with a rapidly changing population. In the PUBLIcatIONS Manager next three decades, demographics experts estimate, people of color will make up Suzanne Gerber the majority of the U.S. population. If we want to continue to thrive and produce proofreaders people who value the outdoors, we need to attract participants, members and staff Kristina Ciari, Evy Dudly, Polly Freeman that reflect the diversity of our nation. And while our youth programs have grown photographers Kym Ahrens, Kristina Ciari, Mickey to serve a diverse population, we still have a ways to go in our adult programs and Eisenburg, Steven Gnam, Hudson Henry, in our volunteer base to reflect this level of diversity. Tom O'Keefe, Patti Polinsky, Craig Romano, Doug Schurman In this issue you’ll also learn more about our Mountain Workshops program and hear about the launch of a new Mountaineers Books title, Adventure Gap, The Mountaineer (ISSN 0027-2620) is featuring Expedition Denali, a NOLS sponsored expedition of the first African- published bimonthly by The Mountaineers, American team to attempt to summit North America’s highest mountain. Their 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. 206-521-6000; 206-523-6763 fax. goals are to draw attention to the persistent lack of diversity in the outdoors and Members receive a subscription as part to give rise to a new generation of wilderness advocates. Connecting with nature is of their annual dues. Non-member essential to building personal investment in protecting our natural world. It’s vital subscriptions to the Mountaineer are $32. that diverse populations foster these connections, see role models like themselves Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, WA and additional mailing offices. in the outdoors and have the opportunity overcome barriers to getting outside. Postmaster: Send address changes to Our future depends on it. the Mountaineer, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Mountaineers. Martinique Grigg, Executive Director www.mountaineers.org 3 editorsnote Comraderie in the Mountains The last two months, more than ever, have coincidence. The Mountaineers creates a shown me how important it is to get outside, culture of leadership, safety and giving back into the mountains, and into nature. I was that makes our members ideal candidates for spending so much time indoors, and in front rescuers — and yes, heroes. of a computer, I was starting to feel a little Those members who are not up to the task of Expedition depressed. Then, at the BeWild, jumping out of helicopters find ways to give Denali presentation, I was inspired by the back as well. Read the story of Jim Lea, the enthusiasm and photos that Rosemary and inventor of Therm-a-Rest and why he chose Tyrhee shared. So inspired, in fact, that I to leave a bequest to The Mountaineers in our found myself going on a hike with them the column, Impact Giving. following Sunday. Darcy Kiefel Being a part of The Mountaineers We chose a local, nearby favorite — Mailbox Suzanne Gerber, is more than just finding teammates for Peak. These two brought the mountain to Publications Manager a climb. It's about mentoring the next life. They gave words of encouragement [email protected] generation and showing them how beautiful to everyone we passed, in both directions it is out there. It's about Leave No Trace (this is one hike where going down can be Mountaineer Magazine principals, stewardship, and finding ways to just as painful as going up). It was no longer 2014 Advisory Board conserve the land itself, so that so that it a mountain but a shared experience. I had will be available for future mountaineers. It's Rena Chinn on my mind the theme of diversity in the about love, appreciation and connection. Monica Gussow outdoors, and it made me realize — it's not Peter Hendrickson so much about diversity as it is about unity. It's no wonder we have so many dedicated Craig Romano About coming together and enjoying the lifetime members. Lowell Skoog transformative power of nature, regardless of Cheryl Talbert background, nationality or color. Emily White You will read about Rosemary and Tyrhee's reflection on diversity in the outdoors in this issue. You will also see some beautiful and inspiring photos from Expedition Suzanne Gerber, Publications Manager Denali — the first all African-American team to attempt to climb the highest mountain in the U.S. Our Retro Rewind column takes you back to 1964, when Dr. Charles Crenchaw climbed Denali as the first African-American to do so. And he did it as a member of The Mountaineers. We also have a feature on Mountain Workshops, a program created to provide access to the outdoors for those who would otherwise not have the resources. In this article, you can experience a day at Camp Long with Seattle’s Interagency High School, where students climb outside of The Mountaineer's Program Center for their first time. It's run by both staff and dedicated volunteers, committed to sharing their love of the outdoors.