Winter climb of Mt. Constance Volume , Issue Having grown up in Edmonds, the skyline of Mt. Constance across the Puget Sound is embedded in my brain. I especially love the Washington view of its snow-cloaked ridgeline on a crisp winter day, just beck- Alpine Club oning to be climbed. P O B o x 3 5 2 Seattle, WA 98111 My last climb in the Olympics was a winter solo of the South Brother in 2006 so I was long overdue. My longtime friend and climbing partner Kyle "Engine" Story was in town from Chicago and had 3 days to climb, looking to train for an upcoming AK trip. On his last visit to Washington in 2008, we lucked out with a week of perfect summer weather, climbing Colchuck Balanced Rock, Mt. Stuart's infamous Girth Pillar, and Thin Red Line on Liberty Bell (aid). Inside this issue: Contact Info 2 I recruited fellow WACer Laurel "Machine" Fan, who is always up for an alpine adventure. Maybe it was the forecast, but we had no other takers. I, for one, take my alpine suffering medicine in smaller doses these days, pre- Looking Ahead 2 ferring clean granite lines at Index, Washington Pass, or the Enchantments. President’s Corner 3 I warned Kyle that favorable winter alpine conditions in the Northwest are a complicated concoction of ingredients, requiring the right timing and pro- Classes 4 portions to get it right. (The rest of the epic tale continues on Page 5.) Mt. Constance 5 New Website 6 Winter Hikes 7 New Members 8 We have a new website! www.washingtonalpineclub.org Page 2 WASHINGTON ALPINE CLUB Incorporated 1916 Looking Ahead! MEMBER OF: Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs, WAC Calendar Washington Trails Assn. Washington Environmental Council. Washington Wilderness Coalition. MidFORC Coalition Now > Time to renew your membership The primary objective of this club is to encourage the healthful Now > Telemark/Randonee Class registration is open enjoyment of the great outdoors, to preserve its natural beauty Now > Winter Backcountry Class registration is open and to promote good fellowship among all lovers of nature. PO Box 352 Seattle, WA 98111 www.washingtonalpineclub.org January 31/Feb 01 > Backcountry Class at Cabin Board Of Trustees February 7/8 > Backcountry Class at Cabin President Mike Mahanay 1st VP Pat O’Brien February 08 > Snoqualmie Loppet Nordic Ski 2nd VP Susan Ashlock April 3/5 > Wilderness First Responder Class Treasurer Dave Wilson Secretary Elden Altizer April 11/12 > Wilderness First Responder Class Ex-Officio Pres vacant April 18 > Olympic Beach Cleanup Directors March - June > Basic Climbing Class Eli Holmes Ira Rushwald Jiri Pertold Joanna Hingle Pat Beurskens Alpine Division Climbing Class Pat O’Brien Join the WACLIST on Yahoo! Co-chairs Jennifer Louie, Kyle Zinter Chelsea Sweetin, Tim Dardis If you want to get mail on the WAC email list, join the yahoo Winter Division group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waclist/ Telemark Ski Randy Oakley Post message: [email protected] Back Country Susan Ashlock, Alex Ford Subscribe: [email protected] Property & Membership Cabin Chair Mike Mahanay Important: You must be a current member! We have to approve Work Party Mike Mahanay you before you can join. All we see is your email address unless Membership Dave Wilson you tell us more. Please put your name in the comment sec- tion. As much as we love you all, we haven't memorized your Publicity Kay Ishi email addresses, and if we can't figure out who you are from Cabin Supply Tami Sargent your email address alone, then we'll deny your request. Public Relations If this happens to you just apply to join the group again and in Bulletin Editor Amber Casali the comment section, tell us your name. Conservation Mike Mahanay Does the WAC have your good email address? Circulation Dave Mitchell By Laws Ira Rushwald You can check these things on the WAC website. Please go to www.washingtonalpineclub.org MOVING? If your address changes please let us know! Please update your info on the website: www.washingtonalpineclub.org Page 3 President’s Corner February 2015 Just like last year, and even worse- it is a sad snow year. Two years ago our base was over 70 inches; last year it was a skimpy; and this year in the WAC basin it is only 18 inches. The long-range weather forecast is warm, and a little on the dry side. Hopefully the skiing will hang on into March. People are spending time outdoors but the spring mindset is taking over. The good news is that it should be an early hiking season. We are now a 501(c)(3)! The ballots are in and counted. We had 61% of our members submit ballots and 100% voted for the changes to the Constitution. Very little will change in the way our Club oper- ates. The biggest benefit is for our members who can now take a tax deduction of our annual dues and any other donation to the Club. Cabin and class fees are not deductible. Thanks and gratitude to Cynthia Hickey and Dave Mitchell for their work early on, and to Dave Wilson and Ira Rushwald for helping me bring it to the end zone! This will help ensure that the WAC can remain a vibrant or- ganization for another 100 years! Have you renewed your membership for 2015? If not, please do so today. You have received numerous emails and reminders. Please help us out and renew online via the WAC website or send your check in today. (It is tax deductible!) Our awesome Treasurer Dave Wilson says there are over 100 people who have not renewed as of Feb. 1st! Are you one? The renewal period is really October thru December. Membership is based on the calen- dar year. Not sure if you are paid up? Just go to the website and look your name up. The WAC is a wonderful organization that provides opportunities for people of all ages to experience and enjoy the outdoors. To do this we need your help each year. Both the Backcountry Class and the Climbing Class are getting ready to start. Susan Ashlock, Alex Ford, and Denny Trimble’s Backcountry Class will be at the Cabin the first two weekends in February. If you are planning on a Cabin trip please wait a couple of weeks if you can. The Climbing Class instructors will be up February 28. Our classes are a great way to make some new friends and learn new skills and experience. The WAC has some of the smartest, most experienced and helpful instructors in all the outdoors! Helping instruct a class each year is a wonderful way to give a little back to our Club! This is a quiet year at Guye Cabin. We have an ever-growing awesome group of wonderful people keeping the Cabin in good order. The Cabin is organized and extra clean. Please be sure to help us out by keeping the kitch- en & dining room clean, doing some chores, hauling the trash and recycles home, and shoveling snow. It very important this year to keep the path to the Cabin open and the snow off both the front and back steps. Everyone should allow 30 minutes to help out. Don’t know, or unsure what to do? Ask someone! The Cabin is open from Friday evening until about 3:00 pm Sunday afternoon. Guye Cabin is a true mountain lodge, and it is evident that the WAC has a very strong winter division. Always watch the kids and be careful outdoors. (There is ice, as well as tree wells and cornices.) Be sure to be respect- ful of the other folks, and follow the Cabin rules to ensure everyone has a good time. Be responsible and educate your guests and they will have an even better time. Yes, all guests and kids need to do a chore too! All of this is what makes the Washington Alpine Club special! Our little club started in 1893 advocating for the creation of a National Park at Mount Rainier and is getting even better now. There are many folks who know al- most everyone in the Club. It is made up of a lot of different little parts that come together as a exceptional out- door club. Our mission is to encourage the healthful enjoyment of the great outdoors, preserve its natural beauty, and to promote good fellowship among all lovers of nature. We do this through our communities, classes, activi- ties, and fellowship. Page 4 Wilderness First Responder Class This class has proven to be very valuable and enjoyable to many WACers over the last few years. DLP WFR – Snoqualmie Pass, WA – 4/3-5 & 11-12, 2015 More information about the class at Cascade Outdoor Education Winter Backcountry Class Schedule More info at https://sites.google.com/site/wacbcclass/ Tues, Feb 3 6-8 p.m. Lecture: Trip Plan- Outdoor Research Avalanche Book, pages 61-69. Volken, ning and Decision- "Tour planning" and "Human Fac- Making (Pro Guiding) tors and Group Dynamics", pp 106- 120 Sat & Sun, 8 a.m. - 5 Day trips: Meet at the WAC For skiers: Backcountry skiing (see Feb 7 & 8 p.m. Teamwork, terrain Cabin, Snoqualmie below). Packing List choice, trip planning, Pass navigation, observa- tions. Tues, Feb 6-8 p.m. Lectures: winter Outdoor Research Backcountry skiing, Chapter 8. 17 camping, trip plan- "Taking care of yourself and the ning and navigation, mountains." and post-graduation ideas Sat-Sun, 8 a.m. Sat - Snow camping and Smith Brook Road Packing List Feb 21-22 5 p.m.