Mountaineer
November, 2009
Volume 103, No. 11
The monthly publication of The Mountaineers
M4 Shoring up
revenues
for recreation
M7 Mulching team
completes Phase 1
M2 View from the Top
M4 Conservation Currents
M4 Summit Savvy
M5 Passages
M7 Off the Shelf
Trustee election results are
in! See website for results
Volunteers honored. See M7.
Discover The Mountaineers
If you are thinking of joining
- or have joined and aren’t sure
where to start - why not attend
an information meeting?
Check the Go Guide branch
sections for times and locations.
Are you ready to jump right
in? Visit www.mountaineers.
org. No computer? See pg. 18.
Need to call? 206-521-6000.
POSTAGE PAID AT
SEATTLE, WA
PERIODICAL
7700 Sand Point Way N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115
The Mountaineers
The
w w w. m o u n t a i n e e r s . o r g
Charles Houston
A life devoted to
science, humanity
“In true moun-
taineering, the
summit is not
everything; it is
only part.”
– Charles Houston
R
By James Hampton
enowned doctor and
mountaineer, Charles S.
Houston, never stopped
trying to make a difference in the
world.
A pioneer of high-altitude medicine
and an expedition leader on sev-
eral notable ascents of the world’s
highest mountains, Houston lived
a life of continuous adventure and
achievement—in “mythic, heroic”
proportions, according to another
climber of note and friend of
Houston’s, Tom Hornbein.
Pushing the limits of human endur-
ance and the understanding of
Jennifer Anderson photo
physiology, Houston’s record of
adventure and discovery are nearly A cut in the coulee—Olympia Mountaineer Adrienne Doman finds a
Continued on M6 route in the Northrup Canyon basalt at Banks Lake in north-central Washington.
Words of wilderness advocate find roost in film
M
ore than 40 years ago, a Manning’s words and message
Film: “The Irate Birdwatcher’
dedicated band of hikers and have found roost in a film from
climbers, turned conservationists, A free event: Crest Pictures that will be shown
spearheaded a grassroots at Mountaineers headquarters on
Wed., Nov. 4,
movement to establish the North Wed., Nov. 4. “The Irate Birdwatch-
7 pm at The
Cascades National Park. Among er” is one in a line of video pro-
this cadre of park advocates— Mountaineers ductions where filmmaker Robert
indeed its voice—was the late Chrestensen attempts to connect
headquarters
Harvey Manning, a Mountaineers with the viewer’s “wilderness
member and author. within,” as he puts it.
sives and newsletters advocating
Using the pen name, ‘Irate Bird- Chrestensen says he and Crest
national park status for the region,
watcher,’ Manning wrote of the Manning served as a lightning rod Pictures try to promote wilderness
splendor in the North Cascades for action to grant national park preservation through films that
and other mountain ranges of status to a region that hosts such foster respect and appreciation
Washington. From the famed marvels as the Pickett Range. Continued on M3
Upcoming
guidebooks published by The
Mountaineers to hundreds of mis-
Sno-Park fees rise
The Washington State Parks Co-
Books galore! At discounts! workshop indoors followed by an
mission approved a fee increase
Could you ask for more over the outdoor exercise. See pg. 9 of the
for Sno-Park and Groomed Trail
holidays? The Mountaineers Book- Go Guide for more details.
permits last month. The commis-
store will hold its annual holiday ✔
sion indicated it is hiking the fees
sale Dec. 2-4 with a special twist: a Climbing speedster to visit—
so that more people are encour-
Mountaineers members-only pre- Timmy O’Neill, rock climbing speed
aged to purchase the season pass.
sale on Tuesday night, Dec. 1. See demon and humorist, will host a
One-day Sno-Park permits will rise
the ad on M3 for more details. fundraiser for the Index Lower
from $10 to $20 and season per-
✔ Town Wall at a BOEALPS (Boeing
mits will rise from $30 to $40.
Jumpstart your GPS skills— Employees Alpine Society) event to
The Special Groomed Trails permit A one-evening workshop for people be held at Mountaineers headquar-
will also increase, from $30 to $40. who are new to GPS will be held ters on Fri., Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
When purchased at retail vendors, Fri., Nov. 13, at club headquarters. See M8, “Branches & Limbs,” for
$1 is added to both fees. The seminar includes a hands-on more details.
November 2009
The
Mountaineer
Also see us on the web at www.mountaineers.org
The Mountaineers is a nonprofit
organization, founded in 1906
and dedicated to the responsible
enjoyment and protection of natural
areas.
Board of Trustees
Officers
President Eric Linxweiler, 08-10
President Elect Tab Wilkins, 08-10
Past President Bill Deters, 08-09
VP Properties Dave Claar, 08-10
VP Publishing Don Heck, 08-10
Treasurer Mike Dean, 08-10
Secretary Steve Sears, 08-10
Trustees at large
Kirk Alm, 07-10
Rich Draves, 08-11
Dale Flynn, 07-10
Ed Henderson, 08-11
Lynn Hyde, 08-11
Don Schaechtel, 06-09
Eva Schönleitner, 06-09
Dave Shema, 07-10
Mona West, 06-09
Branch Trustees
Bellingham, Steven Glenn
Everett, Rob Simonsen
Foothills, Gerry Haugen
Kitsap, Jimmy James
Olympia, John Flanagan
Seattle, Mike Maude
Tacoma, Tom Shimko
Interim Executive Director
Mona West
View from the Top
Our most precious resource is you
W
By Eric Linxweiler, president
e often think about
natural resources in
terms of acres, trees
and rivers. These are the tangible
items that exist before us, and—
with our stewardship—will exist in
better shape when we hand them
off to another generation of Moun-
taineers. The undeniable reality of
these types of resources is that you
can’t make more. Conservation is
critical to their preservation.
But there is
another form
of natural
resource that
we have which
seems to
have unlimited
potential. Whenever it is exhaust-
ed, it seems that more is found.
Whenever a need for it has been
eliminated, a new need presents
itself—and more resources for
that new need are found. It never
seems to run out, and there always
seems to be a new way to tap our
resource pool.
This natural resource is you—
Mountaineers members serving
the mission of the club through
M
Managing Editor
Brad Stracener
Contributors, proofreaders:
Barb Butler, Brian Futch, James Hamp-
ton, Jim Harvey, Suzan Reiley, Darla
Tishman
Photographers & Illustrators:
Jennifer Anderson, Mickey Eisenberg,
Larry Hanson, Oyvind Henningsen,
Dane Williams
THE MOUNTAINEER (ISSN 0027-
2620) is published
monthly by:
The Mountaineers
7700 Sand Point Way N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-521-6000; 206-523-6763 fax
Volume 103, No. 11
Members receive a subscription as part
of their annual dues. Approximately
$12.42 of each member’s annual
membership dues is spent to print and
mail this publication. Non-member
subscriptions to The Mountaineer are
$32. Periodicals postage paid at Seat-
tle, WA.
Postmaster: send address changes
to The Mountaineer, 7700 Sand Point
Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115.
Opinions expressed in articles are
those of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the views of The
Mountaineers.
endless hours of sweat, smarts
and leadership that so many of us
can’t even begin to count. In fact, in
writing this month’s “View from the
Top,” I found it almost impossible to
estimate how many hours annually
are poured into The Mountaineers
and our communities by our mem-
bers. However, we did track one
project: volunteer hours devoted to
As every one of us has been touched by a
Mountaineer who gave of themselves, it is critical
to remember that their dedication comes with a
price—that you, too, are obliged to give back
to others in the club.
the remodel of our new headquar-
ters at Magnuson Park. More than
5,000 hours went into its design,
realization and operation. That’s a
drop in the bucket, so to speak, for
what is given every year on trails,
in courses, on climbs and so on.
We recently presented several
years’ worth of Service Awards to
a few very deserving members. In
this Mountaineer, you’ll read about
my good friends, Dave Claar and
Patti Polinsky, who welcome mem-
The Mountaineer
Purposes and mission
The club’s mission:
To enrich the community by helping people explore, conserve, learn about and
enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest.
The club’s charter lists its purposes as follows:
—To explore and study the mountains, forests and other water courses of
the Northwest and beyond.
—To gather into permanent form the history and traditions of these regions
and explorations.
—To preserve by example, teaching and the encouragement of protective
legislation or otherwise the natural beauty of the natural environment.
—To make expeditions and provide educational opportunities in fulfillment
of the above purposes.
—To encourage a spirit of good fellowship among all lovers of outdoor life.
­—To hold real estate and personal property and to receive, hire, purchase,
occupy, and maintain and manage suitable buildings and quarters for
the furtherance of the purposes of the association, and to hold in trust or
otherwise funds, received by bequest or gift or otherwise, to be devoted to
the purposes of said association.
How's 20 percent off your first
piece of hiking gear sound?
That's how much you save on the price
of guidebooks—or any book for that
matter—at our bookstore when you join
The Mountaineers. Watch for our
Holiday Book Sale
December 2-4!
bers and guests alike to all facets cious resource becomes one with-
of The Mountaineers. In the coming out limits. It’s how we create a new
months, you’ll hear about even generation of Mountaineers that
more folks who have earned this knows how to carry on the legacy
prestigious award and the energy of service and stewardship.
they have expended for our collec-
All the best, and many thanks to all
tive benefit.
of you who give so much of your-
As every one of us has been selves to The Mountaineers.
touched by a Mountaineer who
gave of themselves, it is critical
See more
about recent
Service Award
recipients—
Dave Claar and
to remember that their dedication Patti Polinsky—
comes with a price—that you, too,
are obliged to give back to others on M7
in the club. That’s how this pre-
Who ya gonna call? Your mentor, of course
Are you a new member wondering about the how-to, where-to and what-to-do
with your club? There are a number of resources available to you, not the least
our websites. Now there is also a real, live person. If you want to know about
expected conditioning for a hike, what not to wear, how to sign up for events or
whatever call or e-mail the “mentor of the month.” Mona West is this month’s
mentor. Feel free to contact her at west_mona@yahoo.com with your questions
or comments.
The Mountaineer
Film takes ‘walk-in-my-footsteps’ approach to saving wilderness
offering the viewer a peek at the
real person.
The script adapts quotes from
Manning’s dozens of books to cre-
ate a convincing story that follows
the man through decades as he
unveils the beauty of Washington’s
wildest places, and discovers the
November 2009
need to stand up and fight for their
very survival.
Check Crest Pictures’ website,
www.crestpictures.com, for a sneak
preview and news about the film’s
planned release on DVD later this
year. There is a link to “Irate Bird-
watcher.”

Everett banquet to include youth benefit

Mountaineers Books photo — The Mountaineers: A History
Harvey Manning, who edited The Mountaineers’ first edition of “Mountaineering:
The Freedom of the Hills,” takes respite on Mt. Persis in 1951.
Live Love Laugh for Youth (LLLY), a non-profit foundation dedicated to in-
volving youths in outdoor recreation, will hold its second annual silent auc-
tion and banquet on Sat., Nov. 14, at the Medallion Hotel in Smokey Point.
The public and Mountaineers from all branches are welcome to partici-
pate in the Second Annual Everett Branch Awards Banquet and support
increased recreational opportunities for youths. It will be an opportunity to
see what The Mountaineers is all about. For more details, see pg. 3 of this
month’s Go Guide inside.

Continued from M1 “The Irate Birdwatcher” portrays

HOLIDAY! BOOK! SALE!

for the natural world by giving the
audience a “walk-in-my-footsteps”
perspective of being in the natural
world—an up-close-and-personal
level of understanding.
Manning’s wit and charm, his
outspoken and often criticized
views, his intimate experiences and
thoughts, his love of the out-of-
doors (especially the mountains), MEMBERS ONLY NIGHT - TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1 - 5-9 pm

This approach to environmental
filmmaking doesn’t tell us what’s
wrong with the world, Chrestensen
maintains, but “opens our eyes to
its beauty and urges us to save it.”
He adds, “What better way than
through the words and actions of
Harvey Manning, a premier North-
west writer and legendary conser-
vationist?”
and his hopes and dreams for our
beloved wilderness.
December 2, 3, 4 The end of the year is almost upon us,
and that means two things: the Banff
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Film Festival and our Holiday Book
The heartfelt dialogue springing 10 am - 7 pm each day Sale! This year, it pays to be a member
- we’re opening the sale one night early
from Manning’s words are spoken
All books and maps 25% off just for you! Be sure to check out our
by Northwest actor Earl V. Pre- Members Only Night to get the best
All TOPO! software 25% off
bezac. The film, scripted by co-pro- Book sets 30% off
deals before everyone else. Mountain-
ducer and director Kathy Chreste- eers Books will also be bringing in a
Books “Seconds” 50% off
mountain of overstock and ‘seconds’
nsen, is introduced by a short video Clearance Titles up to 85% off
titles - a bargain if there ever was one.
of Manning from archived footage, Logo Merchandise 10% off See you at the sale!

ountaineers Productions
The LasT PoLar Bear
An evening with Steven Kazlowski

Thursday, November 12 at 7 pm
The Mountaineers, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
Tickets: $8 Mountaineers, $10 General. Available
through the Mountaineers Bookstore.

P olar bears are widely considered to be an indicator species with regards to the
effects of climate change. In his book The Last Polar Bear, photographer Steven
Kazlowski brings this critical issue to life with his unparalleled imagery. Join us for a
presentation of this magnificent animal in its natural - and endangered - habitat.

BANFF RETURNS TO WASHINGTON!

Big thrills. Exotic locales. Wanderlust. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World
Tour promises an experience like no other. Fresh from the October festival
in Banff, Canada, the best mountain-themed films from around the world
make their way to Seattle, Olympia and Tacoma. Tickets always go fast for this
popular event. Get your tickets today! Secrets of
SEATTLE SHANGRI-LA
With renowned mountaineer
December 2, 3, 4 @ 7 pm.
Tickets: $10 Mountaineers, $15 General. Tickets are available through the
Peter Athans
Mountaineers office, or by calling 206-521-6001. Friday, November 13
Doors at 6 pm, show at 7 pm
OLYMPIA The Mountaineers
7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
December 5 @ 7 pm, December 6 @ 6 pm
Tickets: $10 Mountaineers, $15 General.
Tickets: $12 Saturday, $10 Sunday; $20 for both. $2 discount Sunday for Available through the Mountaineers
Mountaineers, Olympia Film Society members and students w/ID Bookstore.
Tickets are available in advance through The Alpine Experience and Olympic
Outfitters, both in downtown Olympia, or at the theater each night.
T ravel to the high Himalayan kingdom
of Mustang with Pete Athans as his

TACOMA journey leads him to a surprising find - a

treasure trove of ancient Buddhist texts
December 8 @ 7 pm and images. Learn how he later traveled
Tickets: $10 Mountaineers/UPS staff, faculty and students. $13 General back with a multidisciplinary team to
Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound document, study and begin to preserve
Tickets: 253-879-3419 this amazing find.

M
November 2009
Can you identify the summit in
the foreground here? Send your answer
(by Nov. 10) to: Summit Savvy, The
Mountaineer, 7700 Sand Point Way
N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. If you guess
correctly, you’ll receive $10 of Moun-
taineers Money, good for Mountaineers
Bookstore merchandise, and we’ll
publish your name in next month’s
column. (In case of a tie, one winner will
be chosen at random.) Club employees
or persons shown in the photograph are
not eligible. Each month we’ll publish a
new mystery summit and identification
of the previous one.
conservation
CURRENTS
Help ensure permanent
funding for 45-year-old law
By Leesa Wright
Mountaineers Public Policy Associate
A
congressional bill known as
the CLEAR Act aims to make
it clear that a fund designated to
help pay for outdoor recreation and
conservation may no longer be di-
verted to other areas of the federal
budget.
In the 1950s, growing evidence
suggested a strong correlation
between public health and the
availability of recreational opportu-
nities. To address this, the Outdoor
Recreation Resources Review
Commission (ORRRC) was tasked
by Congress with creating a report
on outdoor recreation.
Released in 1961, the ORRRC
report listed comprehensive recom-
mendations emphasizing that, in
order to be successful in address-
ing the recreational needs of a
growing population, federal, state
and local agencies would all need
to buy in on the idea that funding
outdoor recreation was an impor-
tant priority to the health and well-
being of our nation. It noted that to
assure the “physical, cultural, and
spiritual benefits of outdoor recre-
ation,” the nation “should establish
a national recreation policy to pre-
serve, develop and make acces-
sible to all Americans the resources
needed for individual enjoyment.”
In 1964, Congress enacted the
Land and Water Conservation
Fund (LWCF) with strong bipartisan
support. At the federal level, LWCF
establishes a funding source for
the acquisition of national parks,
national forests, Bureau of Land
Management lands, national wild-
life refuges and other federal lands
for conservation and recreation.
M
■ Send your photographs (or slides)
for possible publication as a mystery
summit (include identification for our
benefit). If we use your photo, you
will get $10 of Mountaineers Money
as well.
■ At the end of each year, all correct
respondents’ names are placed in a
hat and the winner of that drawing will
receive $50 of Mountaineers Money
good for purchases at The Moun-
taineers Bookstore.
■ No one correctly guessed last
month’s mystery summit, Baring
Mountain, as photographed by Greg
Marsh.
At the state and local government
level, it offers matching grants for
recreation planning, acquisition and
development. The state program
seeks not only to fund a national
network of recreation areas and
facilities supported at the state and
local levels of government, but also
to encourage private sector invest-
ment in recreational resources
through contributions and matching
grants.
Fortunately, the LWCF
is solidly unambigu-
ous. Congress clearly
delineated the perma-
nent addition of rec-
reation sites and fa-
cilities to our nation’s
public lands inventory.
Frequently, when poorly articu-
lated laws of the past are revisited,
they are viewed under the lens of
current circumstances. The tenor
and spirit of the law is then called
into question—a regimen of our
democracy. Fortunately, the LWCF
is solidly unambiguous. Congress
clearly delineated the permanent
addition of recreation sites and
facilities to our nation’s public lands
inventory. Section 6(f)(3) of the act
mandates that any recreational
area created with grant funds will
forever be designated for “public
outdoor recreation use,” or be
replaced by lands of equal market
and recreational value.
Congress scripted the LWCF to re-
ceive a minor portion—up to $900
Continued on M5
Summit Savvy
Nature’s value? Perhaps $500,000
per person in Puget Sound Basin
Editor’s note: Our Conservation
Division electrical engineer in resi-
dence—Jim Adcock—has crunched
some numbers regarding the Earth
Economics study reported in last
month’s Mountaineer. Following are his
calculations and deductions based on
the study.
By Jim Adcock
The value of our natural utilities
(e.g., water filtration, sewage treat-
ment, flood prevention, recreation)
in just the 12 ecosystem categories
studied by Earth Economics ranges
somewhere between $243 billion
and $2.1 trillion in the Puget Sound
Basin, populated by about 4.3 mil-
lion people.
By using the study’s numbers on
nature’s value—both high and
low—one can deduce a per-person
dollar figure for nature’s worth as
defined by the study. The high-end
calculation is $488,000 per Puget
Sound Basin resident. The low-end
number is $56,500 per person.
Nature’s depreciation due to global
warming should also be calculated.
With global warming, we are de-
stroying this environment over, say,
the course of 50 years. Given that,
the depreciation or loss of value to
each resident is $9,767 on the high
end and $1,130 on the low end.
Carry the banner for nature via issues course
Nature is the first classroom most
of our greatest scientists and in-
ventors attended—their teachers
being of feather, hoof and fin.
Nature taught us to fly, to combat
some of our most devastating
diseases, to see where our eyes
are otherwise rendered blind,
and showed us what feeds not
only the masses but, just as
importantly, the soul.
There are tangible values we can
ascribe to Mother Nature (see the
article above) and there are the
intangibles (see Muir, Thoreau,
Abbey, Leopold, Whitman, Suzuki
The Mountaineer
The bulk of CO2 emissions—the
major culprit in global warm-
ing—comes from electrical power
production, to the tune of 12,876
kilowatts per year per household in
Washington state. A household av-
erages 2.5 persons, thus an overall
production rate of 5,150 kilowatts
per citizen.
A recently released Sixth Power
Plan estimates the cost to “green”
our electrical power supply at a
penny per kilowatt, or $51.50 per
person per year. This translates to
an environmental damage vs. cost
ratio of $9,767:$51.50 or 190:1. In
essence, this amounts to a 190:1
return on investment for greening
our electrical power system.
However, not all CO2 emissions in
our state come from power plants;
although, the one coal-fired plant
in Centralia emits as much CO2
as nearly all of the automobiles in
the state. It should also be noted
that any melioration of emissions in
our state could be nullified if other
regions or countries do not simulta-
neously make their power systems
greener.
Jim Adcock is a volunteer and
member of The Mountaineers Con-
servation Executive Committee.
and the like).
The Mountaineers is offering the
first classroom to attend if you
wish to affect the preservation of
nature and its eloquent teachers.
In January, the 16th Annual
Northwest Environmental
Issues Course will commence
with its series of speakers and
workshops designed to make
its students effective voices for
preservation of the wild.
Watch The Mountaineers website
and the next Mountaineer for
more about the course.
The Mountaineer
Passages
Peter M. McLellan, a 60-year member of The Mountaineers, died July
18, 2009. McLellan graduated from the basic and intermediate courses in
climbing after joining The Mountaineers in 1948.
A graduate of the University of Washington who retired from the Seattle Po-
lice Department in 1994 as senior management systems analyst, McLellan
valued the friendships he made with The Mountaineers and his time in the
mountains.
Published in professional journals 32 times, he belonged to the Mill Creek
Association and was active in water aerobics.
Act would maximize existing revenue
Continued from M4
million per year—of federal oil and gas leasing revenue from the Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS).Yes, nearly $1 billion does, in fact, constitute only
a minor portion of the total annual revenue collected from leases on the
OCS. It was forward thinking to allot a portion of revenue generated from
an activity detrimental to the environment—like oil and gas drilling—to the
protection of our natural resources.
Unfortunately over the years, appropriations to the LWCF have only aver-
aged around 11 percent, or $100 million, of the available funds per year. In
some years, OCS revenue was diverted to the general fund and the LWCF
received zero dollars. In fact, only twice in its history has the LWCF been
funded at the full funding level.
HR 3534: CLEAR Act of 2009
Nearly 45 years after the LWCF was signed into law, a bill has been pro-
posed that will, in part, address the underfunding of the LWCF. The Consol-
idated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act seeks to ensure
full and permanent funding for recreation under the LWCF.
In the Title IV section of the CLEAR Act, permanent funding of the LWCF
is designated at the full $900 million for each fiscal year. This would occur
automatically without the need to go through the appropriation process
each fiscal year. This means that even in tough times, the priority for recre-
ation would not be weakened. The CLEAR Act also stipulates that the full
$900 million funding be divided evenly between direct federal funding and
matching grants to the states.
The CLEAR bill is currently in the House Committee on Natural Resources.
In Washington State, we are lucky to have a champion for outdoor rec-
reation and the environment—U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee—sitting on this com-
mittee. If you would like to give recreation funding a buffer during tough
economic times by supporting full and permanent funding of the Land and
Water Conservation Fund Act, contact Rep. Inslee and request that he sup-
port the CLEAR Act:
U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee; e-mail: http://www.house.gov/inslee/html/contact_jay.
shtml; Shoreline Office, 206-361-0233 (ph), 206-361-3959 (fax); Poulsbo
Office, 360-598-2342 (ph), 360-598-3650 (fax); D.C. Office, 202-225-6311
(ph); 202-226-1606 (fax).
ountaineers Productions
the irate
birdwatcher
Wednesday, November 4
7 pm
The Mountaineers Building
7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
This is a FREE event. All are welcome!
Harvey Manning, a Northwest writer and legend-
ary conservationist, used his words and actions
to open people’s eyes to nature’s beauty and to
urge them to save it. The Irate Birdwatcher is a film
inspired by the written works of Manning, with a
focus on wilderness preservation. Manning was the
voice of a dedicated band of hikers and climbers
who sought to create North Cascades National
Park and other wilderness areas.
Join us to celebrate the vision and dedication of a
true legend - Harvey Manning.
November 2009
Font of friends, kin scour range
to find Mountaineer who died
Mountaineer T.J. Langley was never unprepared­ or incognizant of sur-
rounding hazards. This is the prevailing consensus from everyone who
knew him.
His friends, relatives and climbing mates also concur that he was an initia-
tor, someone who initiated others to get fired up to do something they may
not have thought they could or would do. His own initiative was in no short
supply when he set out on Oct. 4 to come three peaks nearer his quest
of bagging the state’s 100 highest peaks. Five days later, the 42-year-old
climber’s body was found near Mt. Luahna in the Glacier Peak Wilderness
Area, but only after a throng of friends and relatives dropped everything
they were doing to assist search teams in hopes they would find Langley
alive, in need of their rescue.
His cousin and occasional climbing partner, Willy Spaulding, knew when
he encountered the three-peak traverse that Langley was coursing that “it
wasn't just a sprained ankle or something like that” which led to his failure
to return home that Tuesday as planned.
“It certainly wasn't above T.J.’s level,” Spaulding stated, “but the conditions
were slippier than usual this time of year and you could see how hazardous
one slip could be.” It appeared to those who found Langley’s body that he
had fallen about 1,000 feet from near the summit of Luahna.
Langley had climbed in South America, China and Alaska. He had taken
the Crag Climbing Course with The Mountaineers and become known na-
tionwide for his survival from a grizzly bear mauling in Yellowstone National
Park about 10 years ago. He had celebrated the 10-year anniversary of
that near-death event with friends only days before leaving for his three-
peak climb.
“He was a very cautious climber, never reckless,” said Spaulding, who
learned many of his climbing skills from his cousin. “I remember that he
turned back on (Mt.) Challenger twice because of conditions.”
Spaulding and at least six other friends of Langley’s joined the entourage
of search and rescue volunteers who scoured the three mountains in
search of Langley or his body. When the Chelan County helicopter dropped
off some of the searchers to meet up with an advance team, consisting of
two of Langley's friends, it was discovered that the copter dropped them
off behind the advance team. “The (two friends) were at their destination in
half the time expected by the county,” noted Spaulding, himself a paramed-
ic who wanted to make his skills available should they have been needed.
One of the two friends, Tim Halder, traveled the substantially exposed ter-
rain on his own to retrieve Langley’s backpack, a keepsake for Langley’s
father.
About 200 friends, relatives and acquaintances of Langley attended a me-
morial at The Mountaineers headquarters last month. Some were associ-
ated with Langley through his acting career. A graduate of the University of
Washington drama program, Langley was a member of Seattle’s Repertory
Actors Theatre, a nonprofit stage group that primarily features multiethnic
and nontraditional casts.
Langley structured his life in such a way that he “could live his spiritual
connection with the mountains,” said Spaulding’s wife, Alexandrea. And, it
didn't just end with his connection: “He introduced a lot of his relatives and
their kids to hiking,” she noted. He had a deep respect and regard for na-
ture, according to the Spauldings, who added that working on stage and as
an apartment manager allowed him to live his life in a deliberate manner,
allowing time for not only himself but those around him and those he loved.
After graduating from the UW, Langley set out for an around-the-world trek
that earned him the nickname of “Johnny Quest” (the boy cartoon adven-
turer) by one of his stage associates. His friends recounted that his life was
one always in motion, literally, from his early years and beyond. Running
track and cross-country in high school, he embarked on his first global
adventure as an exchange student in Australia during those years.
When not striding, Langley was pedaling. He was more than an ardent
bicycler, according to his cousin. He raced bicycles and propounded the
environmental ethic of using bicycles whenever possible to commute and
perform errands.
The Langley family expresses its deepest appreciation to everyone for their
heroic efforts in searching for T.J. Langley—including his friends and vol-
unteer search and rescue teams from Chelan, Skagit, King and Snohomish
counties.
M
November 009 The Mountaineer
Artificial heart design, Peace Corps among Houston’s contributions
Continued from M1 pedition from the south side (1950); ing after and concerned about our naries but I’ve yet to meet one who
incomparable. Those who climbed the routes that he mapped were health, making the rounds of (our) had a more balanced view of his
with him valued his leadership later used to summit both peaks. storm-bound tents at 25,000 ft. to place in the world. It was only near
on expeditions and the way he His brotherhood-of-the-rope phi- check for any evidence of frostbite the end of our work together that
fostered cohesive teams working losophy—the idea that the bonds or other problems.” Charlie finally admitted to a feeling

H
together to achieve magnificent that keep climbers together went ouston made groundbreaking of contentment and peace with his
goals. beyond the physical attachment of discoveries in high-altitude life’s work, and with himself.”

Houston, who died at his home in

Burlington, Vermont, on Sept. 27,
was known for boundless curios-
ity, evidenced by the range of his
undertakings. In his basement in
Aspen, Colorado, he constructed
the cord—spoke to the relationship
of mutual support and reliance on
one another for safety as demon-
strated heroically in 1953 during his
second attempt of K2. As journal-
ist Bill Moyer put it, “A philosophy
Mountaineers Books photo
illnesses and published the classic
book on the subject, “Going Higher:
Oxygen, Man and Mountains,” now
in its fifth edition from Mountain-
eers Books. He began his research
in the Navy while studying ways to
help pilots fly higher, and safer. He
proved that the process of acclima-
tization increases the altitude level
that a climber can reach.
Later, his studies in Aspen and the
Canadian Rockies produced impor-
tant discoveries, including land-
mark findings about high altitude
pulmonary edema and high altitude
retinal hemorrhage.
Houston was awarded the King
L osing his sight as he grew
older, Houston never lost sense
of his place in the world or his
sense of humor. Every week at his
home in Burlington he would spend
time mentoring young people, who
deeply valued his relationship. His
diverse group of friends appreciat-
ed their regular conversations with
him for he was a great listener and
had a special view of the world.
He was outspoken on his politi-
cal views, and even late in life he
continued to show political courage
by writing and speaking his con-
cerns about healthcare and greed
in America.
Moleenar witnessed firsthand

Albert Medal of Merit to honor his

Houston engaging in Himalayan culture—circa 1940s.
early designs for artificial hearts
(1956-59), and as a professor at
the University of Vermont (1966-
1978), he created many innovative
programs for medical students. He
was the country director for the
Peace Corps in India (1962-1965)
and organized a Peace Corps doc-
tors’ program.
“singular achievements” in the Houston’s humor and kindness at
mountain world. an American Alpine Club event to
present Houston with an honorary
Houston was enormously generous
degree from the University of Colo-
with his time and access to his per-
rado. “During (an interview) on the
sonal effects, according to biogra-
earned the hard way, on steep stage of the AAC auditorium, he
pher McDonald. She noted that he
slopes and rocky ridges, with death really enjoyed making fun of him-
was initially skeptical of having his
shivering next to you . . . a sense self in his (legally blind) condition.
biography written, but in the end
that we are all in this together and He brought the house down with
they became friends.
need one another.” laughter.”
“I can easily remember the first
The tragic but legendary 1953 Molenaar added that despite the
time I met Charlie in person. I had
incident—nearly costing the lives condition of his eyesight, “His
invited him to be a special guest
of the entire team—exemplified phone calls with (my wife) Colleen
at the Banff Mountain Festival and
his philosophy and became one and me were always cheerful and

B
eyond his many accomplish-
ments in medicine and moun-
taineering, he is remembered by
those whose lives he touched
for his charisma, generosity and
uncompromising morals. At times
described as stubborn and brutally
honest, he exemplified the truest
spirit of what he called the “brother-
hood of the rope,” which became
the title of his biography published
by Mountaineers Books and written
by Bernadette McDonald.
“It is a great loss. He was a classic
mountaineer who embodied the
ethics of what it is to be a moun-
taineer,” stated Helen Cherullo,
publisher of Mountaineers Books.
His love of mountaineering devel-
oped while on trips to the Alps with
his family. In college he joined a
group of like-minded students who
came to be known as the “Harvard
Five.” They achieved many first
ascents in Alaska, highlighted by a
summit of 17,300-ft. Mt. Foraker. In
1934, Houston co-led the Anglo-
American expedition to the summit
of India’s 25,660-ft. Nanda Devi,
the highest mountain climbed at
that time. Later, he led two legend-
ary expeditions to K2 (1938, 1953)
and an Everest reconnaissance ex-
there he was, in the office, charm-
of the most remarkable rescues upbeat, and always ended with,
ing all 18 of the mostly female
in the annals of climbing. While ‘Blessing on you both.’”
team. His charm endeared him
trying to carry an ailing teammate, In the end, Houston has given
without doubt, but it was the depth
Art Gilkey, off the upper part of back, as he wanted, with a life
of his character that inspired us
the mountain, a member of the valued by those who knew him and
all,” said McDonald.
rope team slipped and the entire inspired by those who know his
party nearly plummeted over a cliff. She added, “It was that strength
legend.
Miraculously, five members of the of character, and what I felt was
a shared sense of values, that He is survived by two sons, a
group were saved by a single ice-
gave me the courage to approach daughter, six grandchildren and
ax belay from the late Mountaineer
him about writing his life story. He two great-greatchildren. His wife,
Pete Schoening. Injured, dehy-
surprised me with a ‘yes,’ and then Dorcas Teimeyer, died in 1999.
drated and exhausted, the team
continued to astonish me with his They had been married since 1940.
managed to climb off the mountain,
although Gilkey died during the forthcoming honesty and humility. James Hampton is a freelance
ordeal from what was believed to be “I have met a lot of climbing lumi- writer and Mountaineers member.
an avalanche while dangling in his
litter on the rope. World-renowned
alpinist Reinhold Messner noted,
“They failed in the most beautiful
way you can imagine.”
D ee Moleenar, a Mountaineer
and another of the climbers
on the 1953 expedition, recalled,
“Charlie was a great leader and
very democratic in leaving impor-
tant decisions to a team consen-
sus.” Houston had the team draw
straws to determine who would
push on to K2’s summit.
“He was always in good humor
and very considerate about the
others,” stated Molenaar, “and as
team physician, was always look-

M6
The Mountaineer
Volunteer duo span The Mountaineers globe of activity
Patti and Dave: Refueling on a Norway outing.
W hen asked what Patti Polinsky and Dave Claar contribute to The
Mountaineers, words like “focus” and “tireless” roll from the lips of
others who have worked alongside them on club projects and programs.
They have been devotees to club programs since the 1960s. As one former
property division chair puts it, “They live and breathe The Mountaineers.”
This dedicated duo have helped support and drive club programs over four
decades, with their signature contribution being the Meany Winter Sports
Program. Their free hours have always been Mountaineers hours, whether
it is polishing the floor at Meany Lodge, teaching a ski class, leading a club
outing through the vibrant reds, golds and browns of a Northeastern au-
tumn, or idling their urge to roam just long enough to sit in a chair and mull
agenda items during official club meetings.
Polinsky joined The Mountaineers in 1965. “My parents were not campers
and I wanted to learn how to camp overnight without dying,” she stated.
Off the shelf
The latest from your Mountaineers Library
By Kathleen McCluskey, librarian
W
land?
ould you like to hike Grand Canyon National Park, bike the Himalayas, climb
El Potrero Chico in Mexico or do something more local, like climbing in Port-
If the answer is yes, then check out our list of new books in the circulating col-
lection:
Digital Photography Outdoors; Discovering the Wonders of the Wonderland Trail:
Encircling Mount Rainier; Don’t Get Sunburned; Eiskalt: Wasserfallklettern in der
Schweiz; Emerald City: An Environmental History of Seattle; Exit 32: North Bend
Rock; The Face: Six Great Climbing Adventures; 50 Hikes in Alaska’s Kenai Penin-
sula; First Fifty Years of the British Mountaineers Council; Fixing Your Feet: Preven-
tion and Treatments for Athletes; Forget Me Not: A Memoir; Fred Beckey Stories: A
Tribute to a Climbing Legend.
Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest; Fun Climbs: Red Rocks; German and
Belgian Rock Climbs; Getting Green Done: Hard Truths from the Front Lines of the
Sustainability Revolution; Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue; Grand Canyon and
the American Southwest; Great Atlas Traverse: Morocco (Vols. 1-2); High Country
Stone: Rock Climbing in the Gunnison and Crested Butte Area; High Ambition: A
Biography of Reinhold Messner; High Over Boulder; Hiker’s Guide to Idaho; Hiker’s
Guide to the Superstition Wilderness; Hiking Grand Canyon National Park; Hiking
Idaho; Himalaya by Bike; Island Alpine: A Guide to the Mountains of Strathcona
Park and Vancouver Island; Island Turns & Tours: Backcountry Skiing and Snow-
boarding, Strathcona Park and Vancouver Island.
K2 and Northern Baltoro Mustagh; Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast
(from Northern Oregon to British Columbia’s North Coast); Kilimanjaro & East Af-
rica: A Climbing and Trekking Guide; Klettersteig: Scrambles in the Northern Lime-
stone Alps; Lake Tahoe Bouldering; Last River: The Tragic Race for Shangri-la;
Lighten Up: A Complete Handbook for Light & Ultralight Backpacking; Lightweight
Backpacking and Camping; Live Generously; More Scrambles in the Canadian
Rockies; Mount Whitney: The Complete Trailhead to Summit Guide; Mountaineer-
ing First Aid: A Guide to Accident Response and First Aid Care; Natural Areas of the
San Juan Islands; No Shortcuts to the Top; One Hundred Years of Rock Climbing
in the Lake District; Pacific Northwest Trail Guide: The Official Guidebook for Long
Distance & Day Hikers; Paddling Alaska: A Guide to the State’s Classic Paddling
Trips; Passes of Colorado: An Encyclopedia of Watershed Divides; Pickets and
Dead Men: Seasons on Rainier; Portland Rock Climbs; Potrero Selects: Select
Climbs of El Potrero Chico; Resurrection: Glen Canyon and a New Vision for the
American West.
To view open hours at the library, log on to www.mountaineeers.org and click on
“Library” in the top banner of the front page.
November 2009
She and Claar had crossed trails on a few Mountaineers trips before begin-
ning their closer relationship in 1970 when she tried to leap across a crack
on Mt. Baker. “Going up we could just step over it but it was a really warm
day and the snow was becoming soft fast,” recalled Dave, who was one
of the rope leaders. “She tried to jump across it going down but fell short
and was left dangling,” said Claar, who joined the club in 1968. As the
basic climbing students stood agape, Claar said, “I played Sir Galahad and
rescued her.”
The ski lessons at Meany were, “lock, stock and barrel,” the duo’s pet proj-
ect beginning in the early ’90s, according to Donna Osseward, who, over
the decades, has remained busy herself at the club’s Mt. Baker Lodge and
as past properties division chair.
There are volunteers who devote their hours to an activity or two and there
are volunteers who dedicate their time to the business of the club. Dave
and Patti devote their time to both. In essence they are in the background
of the club’s entire spectrum: the officialdom and the activities. And they
like it that way.
Dave has served as properties division chair twice in his tenure with the
club and, like Patti, has also served on the board of trustees. Similar to
Patti’s endeavors, his activity with the club has ranged from hiking to skiing
to climbing and bicycling. But it is skiing that captures both his and Patti’s
passions. The lessons they run at Meany, located at Stampede Pass just
off of I-90, cover a broad range of curricula: cross-country, Nordic, randon-
ee, backcountry, snowboarding and downhill, to name a handful.
Patti’s imprint on the ski program does not just stop at teaching courses as
a certified ski instructor. She spearheaded the design and construction of
the Swiss-style tow huts at Meany, according to former Meany chair Mike
Lonergan, who has known her “since she had a single-braided pigtail.”
Lonergan, who lives in Othello on the east side of the Cascades but still
shows up for Meany work parties, said Patti’s focus on projects and her
ability to see them through have been instrumental to Meany’s develop-
ment as a recreational center for thousands of Mountaineers.
Outside of Mountaineers activities, Dave has served as non-motorized rep-
resentative to the Washington Snowmobile Commission while Patti, whose
indoor career is medical research, once directed the Children’s Medical
Center summer camp.
Both lead a cadre of Mountaineers on the club’s annual fall outing to the
Northeast in partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club. They have
also led many ski trips to Europe over the past two decades as part of The
Mountaineers International Outings Committee.
Mickey Eisenberg photo
Have rakes, will mulch! A volunteer crew of Mountaineers
poses for the camera after completing the first phase of a landscape restoration
project near club headquarters that began in February. The project included
1,000 hours of chewing—by goats from Rent-a-Ruminant—that eliminated 1.25
acres of blackberries on the slope just south of headquarters. It also included
800 hours of volunteer labor (18 work parties), 2,600 burlap bags from
Starbucks, 2,500 staples courtesy of the Seattle Branch Naturalists Committee,
800 stakes provided by the City of Seattle, and two acres of cardboard donated
by the University of Washington. The planting of native vegetation on the
plot will begin in the fall of 2010. Pictured above are (front row, l to r) Sandy
Bowman, L.B. Miller, Kari Olson, Gini Tripp, Deb and John Wick; (second
row, l to r) Dave Shema, Leonard Russell, Don Schaechtel, Vito Dumo, Jeanne
Eisenberg and Glenn Eades. Those not pictured who also devoted almost
countless hours of their time to the project include John Ohlson, Mary Baily,
Gene Yore and Betty Rollefson.
M
November 2009 The Mountaineer

Yoga Retreats & limbs

Branches
Yoga
Yoga •Hiking
•Yoga • Hiking ••Culture
Culture ••Swimming
Swimming • •Sunshine
Sunshine

O’Neill to host event

Timmy O’Neill, rock climbing speed
demon and humorist, will host a
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala Roy Holman
Roy Holman fundraiser for the Index Lower
Town Wall at a BOEALPS (Boeing
Mexico:
Costa Yelapa
Rica -Cedar- Jan
Nov. 22-30, 7,
28-Dec. 2010
2008 19-21, 2007
Employees Alpine Society) event to
Washington: Springs - October
$1,195
$1,195 – Includes
– Shared
$295 includes 8 nights
room,meals,
all organic hotel,
Includes most meals,
9 nights
classes, classes,
double room
be held at Mountaineers headquar-
ground transport (Or: $1,695 includes RT air from ters on Fri., Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
hotel, most meals, classes, ground transport
Seattle)
Costa Rica - includes
NovemberRT 23air
– Dec 1, 2007 - Roy H & Christine Borys
(Or: $1,995 from Seattle) O’Neill will discuss amazing and in-
$1,195 Shared room, Includes 8 nights hotel, most meals, classes, ground
Guatemala: Lake Atitlan – Feb. 18-28, 2010 spiring climbs throughout the world
transport (Or: $1,895 includes RT air from Seattle)
$1,395 –Yelapa
Mexico: 11 nights hotel,16-24,
- Jan. most meals,
2009classes, ground transport ($2,150 with his wheelchair-athlete brother,
Mexico: Yelapa - January 18-26, UP
includes
$1,195 – RT air
Includesfrom8 Seattle)
nights SIGN
hotel, most
2008BY-meals,
NOV. 15 classes,
Roy H &AND TAKE
Linda $50 OFF!
ground
Lapping Sean.
transport
$1,195
Washington: (Or:
shared: $1,795
Includes
Methow 8includes
nights
Valley RT May
hotel,
Retreat, air
mostfrom Seattle)
meals,
14-16, classes, Mexico ground
2010
transport (Or: $1,695 includes RT air from Seattle) Tickets are $10 at the door. There
$325 – Includes two nights shared lodging, organic meals, classes,
Guatemala: Lake activities
hikes, and Lake
other Atitlan – Feb. 26-March 9, 2009 will be a raffle for outdoor gear and
Guatemala: Atitlan
$1,295 – 11 nights hotel, - Febmost
14-25, 2008classes,
meals, - Roy H ground
& Kara Keating
transport a hosted bar (ID required).
Washington:
$1,295
($1,995
shared: North
11 Cascades
nights
includesRTRTairair Retreat,
Hotel, Most July
Meals,
from Seattle) 23-25,
Classes, 2010
Ground transport
($1,895 includes
($285 room from Seattle)
or $185 camping) All the evening’s proceeds will go
toward the purchase of the Index
RoyRoy
is a is a Mountaineers
Mountaineer member,
member, hike hike leader,
leader, yoga yoga and meditation
and meditation teacher,
teacher, and and
minister,
reflexologist.reflexologist.
Classes & Workshops in the Everett area. Weddings officiated too! wall by the Washington Climb-
Classes & workshops in the Everett area.
ers Coalition. More details may
Contact for more info: Roy Holman 425-303-8150, be found at www.boealps.org and
www.holmanhealthconnections.com Yoga For Every Body www.washingtonclimbers.org.

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