VOLUME 70 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 NUMBER 10 Inside This Issue Annual Meeting Annual Meeting 1 By Joanne Ledet Photos by John Jacobsen Winter Trips 1 HE FUN AND FACTUAL 2010 ANNUAL In Memorium 2 T MEETING was attended by almost 30 Welcome 2 interested members on October 8th. The SciEd/Conservation 4 evening started with coffee and cookies and We‘re Up 5 an opportunity for members to socialize. The Dallas Cole Visit 5 visiting could have gone on for some time Annual Meeting Notes 6-8 but it was time for business so President Jim Board Notes 9-10 Pierce gaveled the meeting to order promptly Trip Reports & Activities 11-16 at 7 pm. Sierra Nevada High 17 After the introduction of board members Upcoming 18 Jim gave his President‘s report. Jim was Railroad Over Santiam 19 pleased to report the club is in fine shape. At the Lodge 20 The building itself is in good repair and the grounds are looking better all the time. The Calendar 21 outside has been enhanced by the completion Membership Reminder 21 of the ceramic mural designed by Dallas Cole Picture of the Month 22 and installed by Scott Wylie. Financially the club is on solid ground – quite remarkable when the general economic climate is noth- Dates to Remember ing but gloom and doom. While membership Ray Jensen becomes Honorary Member Nov 19 Potluck—EMR is down slightly, enthusiasm is up. The Get Dec 1 Board Meeting Acquainted hikes, inspired and led by Janet Jacobsen, have been a huge success and Dec 17 Potluck—Grace have started to generate new members. Participation in winter trips and in extended (Continued on page 3) Complete current schedules at: www.obsidians.org or Register-Guard – Outdoors – Tuesday Don’t Forget! Winter Trips Time by Tom Musselwhite There will be no December Bulletin. Have a wonderful ITH THE TIME FOR WINTER TRIPS SOON APPROACHING, my mind started holiday season and we will be W scurrying around thinking about a winter trips kickoff of some kind. Work- back in January. shops, of course, I think as I thumb through my vertical file of maps, those most re- cently used near the top. I know where the compass is . what about first aid and accident reports? Then I skim through the list of leaders . I‘ll send them all an email. Hmmm, I think, as I realize I‘m probably the most inexperienced leader on the list. Add in lots of other activities through the holidays and busy lives, and we can Dues Are Overdue simplify by not having a winter kickoff. Good enough for that. Membership dues were due A strong assortment of challenging trips is already being offered by experienced November 1. If you haven‘t trip leaders across this winter trips season. With a total of 37 trips listed at this time, paid them yet, you‘re late. the schedule has 14 cross country ski trips, 11 snowshoe trips, 7 mountain or coast See Page 21 hikes, and 5 urban hikes led by a total of 24 leaders. The new online signup system is due to go live most any time now, maybe by the (Continued on page 4) IN MEMORIUM OBSIDIANS, INC P.O. Box 322, Eugene, OR 97440 ICHARD ENTSEN Website: www.obsidians.org R B 1925-2010 Board of Directors ICHARD BENTSEN passed away peacefully at his home recently. Richard and Jim Pierce, President Lana Lindstrom, Vice President R his late wife Mary, both joined the club in 1988 and they attended five sum- Kathy Hoeg, Secretary mer camps. Richard was especially active with the Byways By Bus group, and he Stewart Hoeg, Treasurer participated in 40 bus trips. He also led four trips, and his most recent activity with Wayne Deeter, Lyn Gilman-Garrick, Larry Huff, Verna Kocken, & Elle Weaver the club was a trip to NW Trek Wolf Haven in 2007. Board meetings are held at 6 pm the first REMEMBERING DICK Wednesday of each month, except October By John Jacobsen when it is the Wednesday after the Annual DICK BENTSEN WAS ONE OF THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (Dick, Bob Dark, John Meeting, and no meeting in August. McManigal and I) that tended the Lodge grounds in the early 90s. The usual work Committee Chairpersons party involved a couple hours at the Lodge keeping the place spruced up and then it Byways-By-Bus ...................... Liz Reanier th Climbs ...................................... Larry Huff was off to McMenamins 19 Street to cool off – a great routine. Dick was an avid Concessions ............... Lyn Gilman-Garrick distance runner, but at the Lodge one of his pet projects was getting all the rain to Conservation/SciEd... Pat Bitner/Joella Ewing run off our grounds in an orderly fashion. Back then the drives and parking areas of Entertainment................ Laurie Funkhouser the Lodge had quite a collection of bumps and potholes. Over the years he managed Extended Trips ........................ Jim Duncan Finance .................................Stewart Hoeg to turn the drives of the Lodge grounds into what you still see today: well-drained, Librarian/Historian ....... Lenore McManigal pothole-less and smooth-riding. The drains he dug and maintained with only hand Lodge Building .................... Doug Nelson tools, remain intact today. I am reminded of Dick every time I turn into the Lodge Lodge Grounds ................... John Jacobsen Membership ........................... Barb Revere and enjoy a bounce-free, pothole-less drive. Online..................................Wayne Deeter Editors Note: See the October 3, 2010 issue of the Register Guard for a more ex- Publications .......................... Joanne Ledet tensive obituary. Publicity ................................ Elle Weaver Safety ....................................... Jim Pierce Summer Camp ................. Lana Lindstrom Summer Trips . Brian Hamilton/Scott Hovis Trail Maintenance ....................... Matt Bell BEN KIRK Winter Trips .................. Tom Musselwhite 1913-2010 The EN KIRK was an Obsidian member from 1998-2005 and participated in nu- OBSIDIA N Bulletin merous bus trips. Ben was still involved with the club even as a nonmember B © 2010 as his last bus trip was in 2008. Published monthly, except August and De- Editors Note: A more complete obituary may be read in the October 18, 2010 issue cember. Articles, story ideas, letters to the editor and other editorial submissions should of the Register Guard. be emailed to: [email protected] For reprint rights, contact: The Obsidian Bulletin P.O. Box 51424, Eugene, OR 97405 Welcome! Deadline ATIN, BARBARA (Active) JONES, BECKIE (Active) for January 2011 Bulletin 1530 Washington St, Eugene 97401 1901 Bennett Cr Rd Saturday, January 1, 2011 683-1160 [email protected] Cottage Grove, OR 97424 Assembly/Mailing Team CHEMOTTI, FRANK (Active) 517-2463 [email protected] 1380 Lawrence St. #2, Eugene 97401 For October Bulletin PARRISH, KATE (Associate) Assembly & Mail Manager - Lou Maenz 852-5566 [email protected] 3095 University St, Eugene 97405 Assembly Team - Tom Adamcyk, Dennis CROSS, DON (Active) 541-5085 [email protected] and Barbara Flanders, Yuan Hopkins, 3395 Bentley, Eugene, 97405 TYLER, DEBBIE (Active) Don ad Barbara Payne, Margaret Pren- 683-2912 [email protected] tice, and Barb Revere 1281 Clinton Dr, Eugene 97401 JONES, LIZ (Active) 684-8551 [email protected] 408 S 2nd St, Harrisburg, OR 97446 Editorial Team WILLETT, KATHLEEN (Active) Writing & Editorial Staff - Bea Fontana, 995-9323 [email protected] PO Box 11403, Eugene 97440 Ken Frazer, John Jacobsen, Joanne Le- KLINGHAMMER, DONALD (Active) 683-3575 [email protected] det, Beth Roy and Ethel Weltman 1473 E 22nd Ave., Eugene 97403 Copy Editors - Beth Roy & Ethel Weltman 343-2455 [email protected] Graphics, Design & Desktop Publishing - Stewart Hoeg & John Jacobsen Page 2 www.obsidians.org The Obsidian Bulletin Annual Meeting & Awards (Continued from page 1) trips has increased. Jim thanked all the committee chairs for their dedicated service during the year. That was the cue for each committee chair to give their summary of the year‘s activities. There were 19 different re- ports and after listening to their activities during the year, one cannot help but get an appreciation for the dedication and commitment of each chairperson and their members. It is through their hard work that the club Awards functions so smoothly 2010 Leader Awards: and provides so much 100 Wayne Deeter for all interests and 50 Sandra Larsen abilities. 50 Jim Pierce On the nuts and 50 Marshall Kandell bolts side of the even- 50 Liz Reanier ing the following 25 Margaret Prentice members were elect- 25 Bob Huntley Wayne gets 100 Leader Award from President Pierce ed to serve on the 25 John Mowat board from 2011- 25 Jim Duncan many informative and well organized trips. Many of his trips 2013. They are: Nan- 25 Dallas Cole have been within Oregon but quite a few have extended be- cy Whitfield, John 2010 Trip Awards: yond our borders. Ray has been awarded a 200 trip patch not Jacobsen and Matt only for his bus trips but also for participating in hikes and Bell. Congratulations 200 Rick Ahrens 100 Julie Dorland summer camps. A well-deserved honorarium. The other to all three! A consti- highlight of the evening was the awarding of patches. See tutional amendment 100 Pat Esch 100 Sue Wolling insert list for a complete list of those who have reached a was approved unani- milestone. Those present received their patches from Presi- mously which allows dent Jim. committee heads to approve legal contracts for normal com- mittee operations. Following some general announcements the meeting con- cluded around 8:30 with an invitation by Jim Pierce to all One of the highlights of the evening was the naming of Ray members to attend the 2011 Annual Meeting. Jensen as an honorary member. Ray has been a stalwart of the bus committee for years and is known for leading Margaret gets 25 Leader Award from President Pierce Pat gets 100 Trips Award November/DecemberJanuary 2010 2010 Printed on recycled paper Page 3 Conservation, Science & Education: Underfunding National Treasures By Pat Bitner Photo by John Jacobsen RATER LAKE IS OREGON’S ONLY NATIONAL PARK.