july 2013 no. 192 july 16th program - colorado mountain club · most of our activities are...
TRANSCRIPT
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Jimmy Dunn presents: Climbing! – From North Cheyenne Canyon to Yosemite
Please join us for Colorado Springs climbing legend Jimmy Dunn at the Pikes Peak Group’s monthly program, 7:30 on July 16
th at the Old IvyWild School, 1604 S. Cascade Ave.
Note that this is a new venue for our monthly programs. We will send out a map and directions in the email reminder about a week before the July 16
th program.
Jimmy was a New Hampshire native, but began climbing in North Cheyenne Canyon and the Garden of the Gods in 1966. Jimmy Dunn will take up though his climbing career which has spanned almost fifty years!
Beginning in 1968, Jimmy took annual trips to Yosemite to climb the big walls. He claims that his best climb was the legendary solo ascent of Cosmos on El Capitan in 1971. Good friend and also a local climber Stewart Green stated, “Dunn's solo ascent of Cosmos was the last great problem of the Golden Age of Yosemite Climbing. A solo ascent of a new route on El Capitan was the last major climbing achievement that remained to close out that Golden Age and marked the dawn of the clean climbing and free climbing age.” Jimmy will relate the iconic story of this climb and many others.
Jimmy’s stories include one of the first free ascents of Anaconda (5.11) on North Gateway Rock, only to discover halfway up the climb that his swami belt (climbing harness of the day) was untied. The same passion and commitment that went into his drive on the big walls of Yosemite also extended to the local Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak area. He will discuss the many climbing opportunities that exist in and around Colorado Springs and Pikes where Jimmy has had too many first ascents to name here.
Reminder! Each monthly program includes a raffle of two $25 gift cards (one from Mountain Chalet and one from REI) to CMC members. Be there!
July 16th Program
July 2013 – No. 192
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By Greg Long
I moved to Colorado in the early 1990s, a cocky 20-something from New England ready to conquer the Colorado mountains, and got introduced to a new and uniquely Coloradan species: 60-somethings who could kick my butt up one side of a fourteener and down the other. Ken Barber was the trip leader on several of my early CMC trips and my introduction to that species.
For Ken, leading CMC trips was a way to give back while pursuing his goal of climbing all the fourteeners. He introduced many climbers to the joys of the Colorado mountains, often by unusual routes. He led several trips up Pikes Peak from the south side after getting permission from the water department. His friendship with a local landowner also allowed him access to Little Bear from the south. Perhaps he was motivated to get permission for that one after taking his stock F-150 up the Lake Como road on a previous trip and limping home with a damaged drivetrain.
Things like restricted access and difficult roads were all part of the fun of achieving a goal for Ken. Once he had his mind set, he would pursue a goal emphatically; the only thing that would ever stand in the way was safety. If a thunderstorm or other hazard prevented his reaching a summit, well, the peak would still be there tomorrow. With a box of maps he kept handy in his office, Ken constantly sought out new places and challenges, and he was always willing to share them.
In addition to leading trips, Ken served as publicity chair on the Pikes Peak Group council for many years in the 1990s, lending his expertise and sense of humor to the group. I recall one discussion about a fundraising project when Ken—with a perfectly straight face and tongue firmly planted in cheek—suggested he could certainly get the money if we’d just help some of his developer friends get access to Section 16.
Ken leaves a legacy of giving back to the CMC with a smile on his face, and leaving smiles on the faces of those who hiked with him—when we could keep up!
Ken on Capitol Peak (Photo courtesy of Nancy Barber)
Your PPG Council Chair – Earl Jones 719-355-0453, [email protected]
Past Chair – Rick Keetch 719-634-1165, [email protected]
BMS Director – Collin Powers 719-685-2470, [email protected]
Conservation – Tom Mowle 719-216-3932, [email protected]
Education & Training – Eric Hunter 719-266-9647, [email protected]
Equipment Manager – Grant Wilson 719-439-7545, [email protected]
Membership – Tony Eichstadt 740-601-3611, [email protected]
Newsletter – Dave Anderson 719-484-9069, [email protected]
Outings – Doug Hatfield 719-200-9488, [email protected]
Programs – Roger Kilcoyne 719-323-3740, [email protected]
Publicity – Neil Butterfield 337-258-2365, [email protected] Christie Lee 719-635-2336, [email protected]
Safety & Leadership – Paul Schoell 719-440-7777, [email protected]
SESI – Rick Blount 719-219-2692, [email protected]
Sergeant at Arms – Frank Chimento 719-540-6043, [email protected]
Treasurer – Paul Schoell 719-440-7777, [email protected]
At Large: Lucy Graff 719-598-1342, [email protected]
Greg Long 719-659-0349, [email protected]
Chris Mattingly 719-268-6774, [email protected]
Mary Mourar 719-633-2614, [email protected]
Tom Mulcahy 719-482-8821, [email protected]
Daedra Pierce
Interested in serving on the Pikes Peak Group Council? Contact the Chair.
End of the Trail: Ken Barber 1925-2013
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By Paul Schoell, Safety & Leadership Chair
On May 15th
the PPG held its semiannual Leaderfest. Twenty-three people attended, which was a good turnout, but we would like to see more leaders attend the fall Leaderfest scheduled for October 23
rd, 2013. (There
will be an announcement in upcoming newsletters.) Two items of concern brought up at the meeting were the somewhat short notice for the May 15
th meeting and asking leaders to stay current in their Wilderness First
Aid (WFA) training but not giving them priority in registering for our WFA classes. Both of these issues were addressed, and for your long-range planning, future Leaderfests will be on the fourth Wednesday in April and October. Trip leaders will also have first shot at signing up for WFA training starting with our October class, which will be announced in the next newsletter.
For those of you who missed the meeting, some of the items covered were keeping trip leaders current in their requirements, and a presentation by Chris Mattingly on the value trip leaders provide in retaining membership. He also illustrated the number and type of trips undertaken in the previous six months and concluded with a request for projected trips for the next six months. Please contact Chris if you plan on leading trips in the next six months and have not given him that information. (Chris’ contact information can be found on page 2 of the newsletter.) The meeting concluded with a demonstration of how to enter a trip and close it out on the new website. Also, free yummy food was enjoyed by all those who attended.
Pictographs near Goblin Valley State Park, Utah
Singles Enjoying Similar Interests
SESI Activities are found in the CMC Activity List . Please look for the SESI label to identify activities specifically geared towards the singles group.
The 20/30 Something group is oriented towards members in that age range. Most of our activities are organized through our list serve.
For further information, contact Roger Kilcoyne at [email protected]
If the weather becomes severe, our monthly program may be cancelled. We will cancel a program when the CSPD goes to Severe Weather Accident Reporting. Listen to the radio or television.
Members:
Text: $2 per line, $10 minimum.
Ads: ¼-page - $25, ½-page - $50
Non-members:
Text: $3 per line, $15 minimum.
Ads: ¼-page - $30, ½-page - $60
Trip Leader Corner
20/30
Something
Program
Cancellation
Policy
Classifieds
SESI
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By Eric Hunter, Education & Training Chair
Well, here we are in the summer of 2013, the wind is blowing, the sun is shining, the snow is melting, the ski resorts have closed, and the CAIC has gone to spring/summer reporting. Now everyone is thinking of hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and other adventures to get out in the warm weather. However, before we completely close out this past winter, I want to take a moment to reflect on the success of this year’s education programs. In case you missed it, or were there, but have forgotten it, we have had another very successful year delivering our ever increasing number of winter skills courses. To start with, we have completed another round of Basic Mountaineering School (BMS) with several students going on to HAMS or other adventures. We still have some good snow climbing in the high country, so get out and enjoy those new skills before it is just a rock climb. In our winter-specific courses, we have successfully delivered Skate Skiing, Snowshoeing, Introduction to Backcountry Skiing, Winter Wilderness Survival, Introduction to Avalanches, and Technical Ice Climbing. These courses have helped many club members gain skills to become more efficient and much safer while traveling in the backcountry during winter conditions.
As the course list is large, and the student list even larger, I will not include the students’ names here. However, I do want to say congratulations to all of those who have managed to complete any of these education programs. I know first-hand the skills you have learned and how much of an impact these skills have on your enjoyment of the winter wilderness. I hope you have had a chance to get out and continue to build on the skills you have learned by practicing. Please watch the trip schedule to see many trips matching the courses you have taken. I’m sorry most of those will now have to wait until next winter. I also want to say a huge Thank You to all of the instructors who volunteered their time to make these courses as successful as they have been. Without the large group of volunteers, these courses would not exist. If you really got something out of any of the classes, be sure to let your instructors know, and be sure to tell others. If you see the large list of courses and excellent skills of the instructors listed above and think you would like to be a part of it, keep an eye on the monthly newsletter. We are into another round of BMS and have several other classes and clinics coming your way this summer and fall. This is the second year we will offer the Introduction to Mountain Biking course. New for this year will be an Introduction to Desert and Canyoneering. Each upcoming course will be announced in the newsletter. We hope we can share our experience, skills, and safety with you.
For many years we have had a lull in Pikes Peak Group classes during the fall. Well, it’s time to change that! Have you wanted to expand your outdoor skills beyond just hiking a mountain trail? Have you looked at gear stores and wondered just what all of those options were about? Well, here is a chance to expand beyond your Colorado mountain trail hiking skills into two more adventurous areas. This fall we will be offering two classes. One was started last year and proved very successful. This year we are adding another thrilling class. The instructors are certified Trip Leaders and have been through related instructor training. Take a look at what’s coming, as this is an unbeatable deal. All field sessions are scheduled CMC trips. Class sign-up is already available online for everything listed below; however with the new system, don’t hesitate to contact the class leader with questions.
Introduction to Mountain Biking Have you learned how mountain biking can increase your endurance for hiking and mountaineering? Have you been looking for an activity to keep your endurance up when it is not possible to cross country ski? Have you wanted to get into mountain biking but don’t understand all of the options? Have you been avoiding mountain biking due to the possibility of a breakdown and don’t know what to do? This may be the class to help you get into this activity by knowing a bit more about all of these items. Learn the gear, maintenance, safety, and entry-level techniques for Basic Mountain Biking. There will be two classroom sessions and three field sessions. The cost is $40. There are rental costs if you don’t own the gear. Classroom dates are 10 and 12 Sept, and the field dates are 14, 21, and 28 Sept. All field sessions are scheduled as CMC trips. For class details, please contact Eric Hunter at [email protected].
Introduction to Desert Trekking and Canyoneering This course is designed to introduce students to the special requirements presented by hiking and driving in desert terrain. The course includes one classroom session followed by a local day field session, then a four-day trip to experience desert canyons. These will not be technical canyons, but some scrambling will be encountered (just for fun!). If you are interested in expanding your skills beyond the Colorado mountains, this course may be for you. The classroom date is 25 Sept. The one-day local field session is 29 Sept. The four-day desert field session is 3-6 Oct. This year’s field session is scheduled for San Rafael Swell. All field sessions are scheduled as CMC trips. The cost for this class is $50. For class details, please contact Eric Hunter at [email protected].
Successful Winter Education Fall PPG Classes
To register for any class or trip,
go to www.cmc.org
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By Tom Mowle, Conservation Chair
Forty enthusiastic and hardworking volunteers made tremendous progress on the new Ice Cave Creek trail at our first workday, June 8. You can sign up for additional workdays (the next one is July 13) at www.cmc.org/stewardship.
On this sunny but fortunately breezy day, we built almost 600 feet of tread – more than one-quarter of the full 2100 feet of new trail. This included completing the steepest switchback and doing some great work in the rocks higher up the ridge. For our next workday we will finish some gaps we left for safety, and get into the shade to finish climbing the ridge.
Section 3 – Another brick in the wall
This was a true community-club partnership. About half the volunteers were CMC members, with the rest mostly residents of the Tri-Lakes area. Several Palmer Lake restaurants made donations to support the project: The Speedtrap provided coffee and hot water, the Depot gave out packages of trail mix for a snack, and the Rock House offered coupons for discount ice cream afterwards. Thank you, Palmer Lake Restaurant Group – and thank you in advance to the MoZaic, who will be offering a discount coupon for July.
A thank you is also in order for the crew leaders: Jerry Helmke, Fred Griest, John Stidman, Mary Mourar, and Gary Michels (all CMC); also Jesse Rochette and especially Bill Benson with Friends of Monument Preserve (FoMP) who worked with me and Paul Mead of Friends of the Peak (FoTP) to design the trail alignment and (with Jerry and Claude Neumann of CMC) clear the corridor in advance. Paul provided the overall technical leadership, while Claude, Emily Orbanek, and Jim Lockhart of Sierra Club and Wild Connections coordinated the logistics. FoMP, FoTP, the Denver and Pikes Peak Groups of the CMC, HQ CMC, and local residents all contributed tools and labor to the effort.
This trail, on land owned by the Town of Palmer Lake, will replace the existing social route closer to the bottom of Ice Cave Creek canyon. When complete, it will provide safer and more sustainable access to the Dome Rock area featured in The Best Colorado Springs Hikes, as well as create a nice hiking and biking loop above the Palmer Reservoirs. The trail also improves access deep into the 30,000 rugged and scenic acres whose conservation is the goal of the CMC’s Rampart Range Wildlands Project. The Wildlands Project, one of the CMC’s top stewardship priorities, is working to protect this part of the Front Range urban backdrop for quiet-use recreation. The central part of the Rampart Range is prime low-elevation wildlife habitat and the largest roadless area in this part of the State. We will be talking with interested communities and groups to learn which parts of this area may be suitable for a wilderness designation, and how to best conserve the rest. Learn more about the Project, and see maps and photos of the area on its Facebook page. The Colorado Mountain Club’s interest in the Rampart Range dates back to its founding in 1912. The second-ever official CMC hike was from Palmer Lake to Woodland Park, the same route our volunteers used to get to the work site. The CMC also was instrumental in the establishment of recreational areas around Devils Head. You can contribute money to the project by annotating your check or on-line donation.
Section 4 – Building tread below the curve
You can view photos of us having a great time on the workday at our Facebook page, Rampart Range Wildlands Project, and at flickr.com. This kind of stewardship is a way of giving back to the wildlands where we enjoy hiking, biking, and climbing. Please sign up for July 13, or another workday (2
nd Saturday of each month through October). Contact Tom
Mowle at [email protected] or 719-216-3932 if you’d like to learn more.
Conservation Opportunity – Ice Cave Creek Trail
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Red Rocks Climbing Thursday, 7/4/2013 Climb Leader: Earl Jones, 719-355-0453, [email protected] Details: This rock climbing trip is for the recent BMS rock climbing graduates. Pancake Rocks Friday, 7/5/2013 Leader: Nancy Altmansberger, 719-471-9549 Details: We will hike in this pretty area that is off of Hwy 67 on this side of Cripple Creek. Part of the hike will be off trail because we will go up and back by way of the ravine behind Horsethief Falls. We will have our snacks or lunches perched on the Pancake Rocks. CMC members only. A limited number of well behaved, friendly dogs are welcome. McCurdy Mountain Saturday, 7/6/2013 Difficult C Leader: Thomas Mourar, 719-633-2614, [email protected] Trail Mileage 14, Elevation Gain 3900. Location: Twin Eagle trailhead in Lost Creek Wilderness near the village of Tarryall. Meeting place: Red Rocks Safeway at eastern side of parking lot. Directions: West on U.S. 24 to just beyond Lake George, turn right, then follow Park County road 77 to Twin Eagle campground. Details: Using the Twin Eagles TH we will hike up the 12165 ft. McCurdy Mountain. This route follows the excellent Brookside McCurdy trail. Interesting rock formations and awesome views of the Tarryall mountains and Buffalo Peaks. Notes: A small user fee may be required at trailhead. Wildflower Hike Saturday, 7/6/2013 Easy B Leader: Rick Blount, 719-238-1429, [email protected] Trail Mileage 9, Elevation Gain 1200. Details: We will go up to the Mount Evans Wilderness and hike up to the Chicago Lakes. Come join us for this good hike, great views, and wildflowers. Start at 10,600 and climb up to 11,800. Red Rocks Climbing Thursday, 7/11/2013 Climb Leader: Earl Jones, 719-355-0453, [email protected] Details: This rock climbing trip is for the recent BMS rock climbing graduates. Ice Cave Creek Trail Project #2 Saturday, 7/13/2013 Moderate A Leader: Emily Orbanek, 303-996-2759, [email protected] Organizer: Tom Mowle, 719-216-3932, [email protected] Trail Mileage 3. Location: Palmer Lake. Directions: Palmer Lake Trailhead, Old Carriage Road on the south side of Palmer Lake. Details: This project is sponsored by the Rampart Range Wildlands Project of the Colorado Mountain Club. The project entails a 0.4 mile reroute of trail in the Ice Cave Creek drainage above Palmer Lake. Volunteers will have a short, but steep hike up to the work site. Volunteers must bring work clothes & gloves, water, snacks & lunch, sunscreen & hat. The existing trail up Ice Cave Creek is hazardous and eroding. It cannot be repaired in place, so we will be realigning the lower portion of the trail so it stays higher on the ridge and joins the Palmer Reservoir trail between the reservoirs. This is a rare chance to build new trail, and a rare trail opportunity in northern El Paso County. It is also a BIG project, so we need lots of volunteers and crew leaders. Cheyenne Mountain State Park Saturday, 7/13/2013 Moderate A Leader: Gertrud Nuhn, 719-473-8868, [email protected] Trail Mileage 7, Elevation Gain 700, Driving Distance 4. We will hike to North Talon Trail and perhaps will see some progress on the trail that will eventually go to the top of the mountain. Wildflower Hike Saturday, 7/13/2013 Easy B Leader: Rick Blount, 719-238-1429, [email protected] Trail Mileage 6, Elevation Gain 1700. Details: We will hike Three Mile Creek in the Mount Evans Wilderness. This hike has more than a 100 different wildflowers. Join us for this pretty hike.
July PPG Trips
To register for any class or trip,
go to www.cmc.org
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Elk Park to Barr Camp Sunday, 7/14/2013 Easy C Leader: Paul Kozlowski, 719-684-9408, [email protected] Trail Mileage 13, Elevation Gain 1800. Details: We'll start at Elk Park Knoll off the Pikes Peak Highway and hike down to Oil Creek Tunnel then to Barr Camp for a nice break. Return is up by same route. Pikes Peak Highway fee is $12/person. Pikes Peak via the Crags Thursday, 7/18/2013 Moderate D Leader: Donna Brockman, 719-528-6070, [email protected] Trail Mileage 14 miles, Elevation Gain 4100. Location: We will meet at 5am in the west side Safeway parking lot and car pool from there. If you wish you can meet us at the trailhead about 6:15am. Details: I hope to be hiking by 6:15am up the back side of Pikes Peak. If the weather is looking good we will take time for a break in the summit house for donuts and coffee. We will descend the same way. Should be back at our car about 3-4pm. Red Rocks Climbing Thursday, 7/18/2013 Climb Leader: Earl Jones, 719-355-0453, [email protected] Details: This rock climbing trip is for the recent BMS rock climbing graduates. Horsethief Park Saturday, 7/20/2013 Moderate B Leader: Bill Brown, 719-594-4817, [email protected] Trail Mileage 5, Elevation Gain 1200, Driving Distance 100. Directions: Meet at Red Rock Safeway, 3275 W Colorado, to carpool to the trailhead. Please arrive a few minutes early if you want go into the store for rest room, coffee, snack, etc. We will leave the parking lot immediately after 8:00. Details: We will visit some out-of-the-way features of the Horsethief Park area. Full Moon Hike Saturday, 7/20/2013 Easy B Leader: Rick Blount, 719-238-1429, [email protected] Details: We will hike the Catamount Ranch Trail and hike down to upper Catamount Reservoir. Come join us for this good evening hike. Hiking boots and flashlights required. Red Rocks Climbing Thursday, 7/25/2013 Climb Leader: Earl Jones, 719-355-0453, [email protected] Details: This rock climbing trip is for the recent BMS rock climbing graduates. Wildflower Backpack to Geneva Lake Friday, 7/26/2013 Difficult B Leader: Donna Schneider, 719-201-8548, [email protected] Trail Mileage 4, Driving Distance 501. Location: Lead King Basin, Marble, CO, near Aspen. Directions: Hwy 24 to CO 9 then I-70 from Frisco to Glenwood Springs Friday night. Details: We will meet at 2:45pm Friday at Safeway on W Colorado and 31st and carpool to Glenwood Springs. We will share costs for a 3Q bedroom cabin and one 2Q room at Cedar Lodge (breakfast included), head to Marble Saturday morning and drive into Lead King Basin. Vehicles need to be high clearance 4WD. We will hike to Geneva Lake through fields of wildflowers and numerous waterfalls, camp at the Lake and hike out Sunday morning. We could also do some side trips on our way home if the group would like to, such as: Driving to Maroon Bells, stopping at Woody Creek Tavern, or hiking to Hanging Lake. We will discuss carpool on the return based on post trip activities; who wants to hang out and who wants to go straight back to Colorado Springs. Geneva Lake trail description to be posted later. Notes: If you took the backpacking course, this trip would be a great introduction into backpacking. Some knowledge of backpacking is required. Open to CMC members only. Although the hike is only 2 miles in, the trail is a fairly steep climb to 11,000 feet. Must be in good physical shape. If you are not used to backpacking/hiking at higher elevations, please do not sign up for this trip. Saturday Night Dinner Saturday, 7/27/2013 Social Leader: Rick Blount, 719-238-1429, [email protected] Details: We will dine at Marigolds Cafe and Bakery, 4605 Centennial Blvd. Join us for some great food and drink.
July PPG Trips (continued)
To register for any class or trip,
go to www.cmc.org
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Yellowstone in Winter 2014
January 29 – February 3, 2014
Overview: Steaming geysers, bison, elk, deer, wolves, and other wildlife are all part of the experience of visiting Yellowstone National Park in the winter. Come enjoy this most beautiful park when there are no crowds and everything is covered in snow. Along the way we will visit the Mountain Man Museum, the Elk Refuge and/or the National Museum of Wildlife Art during our overnight stay in Jackson WY. We travel during the day by bus/coach while enjoying the serenity of the Wyoming landscape without the worries of driving, then transfer to snow coaches for the trip to Old Faithful.
Activity Level: Skiers, snowshoers, and photographers will enjoy the convenient and well-marked trails leading directly from the lodge (or snow coach drop-offs) to geysers, waterfalls, and secluded forests. Any activity level is welcome. There are no “leaders” on the daily excursions.
Accommodations: Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Yellowstone rooms have two queen beds (with king upon request) while the Antler Inn in Jackson has two double beds and a few queens, all with private baths. The Lodge where most will stay contains meeting areas, coffee shop and two restaurants. The smaller and less expensive cabins are a 100-yard walk from the lodge.
Group size: Min of 40 and max of 52
More information: Request trip application packets by email or CMC website. Rick Pratt, [email protected], 303-887-3717.
Price: $995 – $1,290 per person, depending on accommodations. (Plus 3% for non-CMC members.)
(Note: If the trip fills to 50 there will be a $100 discount for everyone.)
Price includes all accommodations, transportation, and four nights happy hour hors d'oeuvre, three buffet dinners, four breakfasts and one lunch.)
CMC Adventure Travel
Pikes Pique July 2013 – No. 192
Pikes Pique is the monthly newsletter of the Pikes Peak Group of the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC). It is a forum for enhancing skills for backcountry travel in the Colorado mountains and communicating information, news, and upcoming events to members and interested parties.
The purpose of the CMC is to unite the energy, interest, and knowledge of the students and lovers of the mountains of Colorado; to collect and disseminate information regarding the Rocky Mountains on behalf of science, literature, art, recreation; to stimulate public interest in our mountain areas; to encourage the preservation of forest, flowers, fauna, and natural scenery; and to render readily accessible the alpine attractions of this region.
PIKES PEAK GROUP CONTACT INFORMATION:
CMC Pikes Peak Group P.O. Box 2435 Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.cmc.org/ppg
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Have a fun story or trip you want to share? Please submit your articles, along with pictures, to be considered for publication in the next Pikes Pique newsletter.
Please send to:
David Anderson, editor [email protected] Subject: Newsletter
Please include your name and a contact phone number with each submission.
The deadline for submissions is the 14th
of each month.
Use the above contact information for corrections and comments as well.