Mountaineer
December, 2009
Volume 103, No. 12
The monthly publication of The Mountaineers
M4 Mountaineers’
work on Legacy
Roads applauded
M5 Election results
M6 Service Award
presented
posthumously
to Jo Backus
M2 View from the Top
M4 Conservation Currents
M4 Summit Savvy
M5 In Support
M6 Off the Shelf
M6 Passages
Offices to close for holidays
Mountaineers are reminded that all
offices and services will be closed on
Thu., Dec. 24, and Fri., Dec. 25, to
observe the Christmas holiday. Club
headquarters will also be closed on
Fri., Jan. 1, to observe New Year’s
Day. Happy holidays to all!
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.
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
Oyvind Henningsen photo
Lodges and courses: open for business!
Winter travel courses and lodges open their doors to Mountaineers and guests this month. Check out registration dates for
classes and reservations for any of our properties at www.mountaineers.org or in this month’s Go Guide. Above, backcountry
ski course students and their instructor pause during an overnight field trip, with Mt. Shuksan beaming in the background.
New director
takes helm
Upcoming
Book sale & Banff! The Mountain- Winter Trails Fest: As you step
Skills mesh with eers will prsent its one-two punch knee-deep into winter by the end
pivotal direction as soon as the new month begins.
See the ad on M5 to find out about
of this month, step into a sam-
pling of showshoes at our annual
charted by club Banff Film Tour shows in Seattle, Winter Trails Day in January. See
Olympia and Tacoma, and the the ad on M3 for details about this
F
By Brad Stracener
Annual Holiday Book Sale at The fun demo day at our Snoqualmie
ollowing a five-month
Mountaineers Bookstore. Campus.
nationwide search, The
Mountaineers has hired
an executive director to steer the
club through “a pivotal period in
its evolution,” as Mountaineers
President Eric Linxweiler puts it.
A strategic plan in 2006 helped
pivot the club toward its course
of evolution,
advanced
with the
headquarters
move to
Magnuson
Park a year
ago, and
Martinique Grigg
highlighted by
the hiring of an executive director
Eileen Kutscha photo
who Linxweiler calls “the right
International Day of Climate Action—Mountaineers and others
person at the right time to lead us.” joined a worldwide effort on Oct. 24 to raise awareness and a sense of
Martinique Grigg, who officially urgency about the need to reduce CO2 levels in our atmosphere. A reduction
to 350 ppm is what scientists have identified as the safe upper limit. Atop Mt.
begins her directorship in mid- Si are (clockwise from bottom) Andrea Foegler, Scott Heinz, Daniel Shoe,
December, brings a combination Jeremy Cottle, Ansel Wald, Nicole Bahr, Joanne Frank, Leonard Russell, Colt
of private and public non-profit DeWolf and Jim Clinton. Not shown: Sonya Remington and Eileen Kutscha—
the event leaders.
Continued on M3
December 2009 The Mountaineer
The

Mountaineer
Also see us on the web at www.mountaineers.org
Purposes and mission
The club’s mission:
The Mountaineers is a nonprofit Managing Editor To enrich the community by helping people explore, conserve, learn
organization, founded in 1906 Brad Stracener
and dedicated to the responsible about and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Contributors, proofreaders:
enjoyment and protection of natural Barb Butler, Brian Futch, James Hamp- The club’s charter lists its purposes as follows:
areas. ton, Jim Harvey, Suzan Reiley, Darla
—To explore and study the mountains, forests and other water
Board of Trustees Tishman
Officers Photographers & Illustrators: courses of the Northwest and beyond.
President Eric Linxweiler, 08-10 Oyvind Henningsen, Eileen Kutscha —To gather into permanent form the history and traditions of these
President Elect Tab Wilkins, 08-10 THE MOUNTAINEER is published
Past President Bill Deters, 08-09 regions and explorations.
monthly by:
VP Properties Dave Claar, 08-10 The Mountaineers —To preserve by example, teaching and the encouragement of
VP Publishing Don Heck, 08-10 7700 Sand Point Way N.E.
Treasurer Mike Dean, 08-10 protective legislation or otherwise the natural beauty of the natural
Seattle, WA 98115
Secretary Steve Sears, 08-10 environment.
206-521-6000; 206-523-6763 fax
Trustees at large Volume 103, No. 12 —To make expeditions and provide educational opportunities in
Kirk Alm, 07-10 The Mountaineer (ISSN 0027-2620) fulfillment of the above purposes.
Rich Draves, 08-11 is published monthly by The Moun-
Dale Flynn, 07-10 taineers, 7700 Sand Point Way N.E., —To encourage a spirit of good fellowship among all lovers of
Ed Henderson, 08-11 Seattle, WA 98115. outdoor life.
Lynn Hyde, 08-11 Members receive a subscription as part
Mark Scheffer, 09-12 of their annual dues. Approximately ­—To hold real estate and personal property and to receive, hire,
John Ohlson, 09-12 $12.42 of each member’s annual purchase, occupy, and maintain and manage suitable buildings
Dave Shema, 07-10 membership dues is spent to print and
Mona West, 09-12 and quarters for the furtherance of the purposes of the association,
mail this publication. Non-member
Branch Trustees subscriptions to The Mountaineer are and to hold in trust or otherwise funds, received by bequest or gift
Bellingham, Steven Glenn $32. Periodicals postage paid at Seat- or otherwise, to be devoted to the purposes of said association.
Everett, Rob Simonsen tle WA.
Foothills, Gerry Haugen Postmaster: send address changes
Kitsap, Jimmy James to The Mountaineer, 7700 Sand Point
Olympia, John Flanagan Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. How far will you go this year?
Seattle, Mike Maude Opinions expressed in articles are
Tacoma, Tom Shimko those of the authors and do not nec-
Executive Director essarily represent the views of The
Martinique Grigg Mountaineers. The

Mountaineers
www.mountaineers.org

View from the Top

New director important step in club’s evolution
T
his month’s Mountaineer at Mountaineers Books, combined another step—albeit a big one—in enjoying the results of this vision
focuses on an important with our new controller, Blair our evolution and transition to an and its execution. It’s refreshing,
event in the history of our Cossey, we have the four most organization that is focused on our and it’s very exciting.
club—the hiring of a new executive capable people to execute on next century. Capping our nationwide search
leader, Martinique Grigg. She joins The Mountaineers’ mission and With our move and the hiring of a new executive
the absolutely best senior team strategy. to Magnuson director, your board of trustees is
that any outdoor organization could We should be mindful to not view Park, the unified, optimistic and confident in
have. the hiring of a new executive modularization our organization’s direction.
In Publisher Helen Cherullo and director as a revolutionary event of many of We know we have the right
publishing strategist Art Freeman for the club. It’s actually just our courses, strategy and definitely the right
the launching of two new kids’ leaders to execute it. Combined
activities (Junior Naturalists and with the passion that each
Who ya gonna call? Your mentor, of course Junior Mountaineers), we are well Mountaineer has, there’s simply no
on the way to achieving much way to have anything other than
Are you a new member wondering about the how-to, where-to and what-to-do
of our strategic vision for The the brightest of days ahead of us.
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 Mountaineers.
Welcome to The Mountaineers,
expected conditioning for a hike, what not to wear, how to sign up for events or Over the course of the past few Martinique! We’re glad you are
whatever call or e-mail the “mentor of the month.” Mona West is this month’s months, you’ve read much about here.
mentor. Feel free to contact her at west_mona@yahoo.com with your questions
our vision and our plans, and
or comments. See all of you on the trail.
how so many of our members are

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M
The Mountaineer
New executive director sees ‘amazing opportunities’ for the club
Continued from M1
experience to The Mountaineers
as it seeks to steady its finances
and embolden its mission to enrich
the community through exploration,
education and preservation.
Saying she “is not afraid to be
very hands-on,” Grigg’s business
and non-profit resumes reflect her
acumen for becoming involved in
several facets of a project on its
way to fruition. Her work at L.L.
Bean, for example, involved a
complete overhaul of a product
line—from its design to its market
strategy and sales. “I learned more
about sweaters than I ever wanted
to know,” she said with a laugh.
H
ired as a project manager for
the Appalachian Mountain
Club, where she was a member
for 10 years, Grigg is called a
“superstar” by AMC Executive
Director Andy Falender for her work
on the AMC’s Highland Center, a
recreational and learning center
nestled inside the White Mountain
National Forest at Crawford Notch,
NH.
“The AMC looked at the
Highland Center as a pivotal
point in its community role. It
was representative of meeting
an underserved portion of
our members—those wanting
somewhere to go with their families
for outdoor activities and to spend
an evening at a lodge to learn
something about the environment,”
said Grigg.
The lodge itself provides a learning
tool, she indicated. Named one
of the “Top 50 Eco-Lodges in
2009” by the editors of National
Geographic ADVENTURE
magazine, the center conducts
‘green tours’ to educate its
guests about the environmentally
conscious construction and
i n t er
W
i ay
l sD
T r a
January 9, 2010
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
How about spending a day with us
in the snow? On Saturday, January
10, 2009, we’re hosting Winter
Trails Day, a FREE snowshoe event
at Snoqualmie Pass. We bring the
snowshoes and hike leaders, you
just bring yourself and your family for a whole bunch of fun.
Winter Trails Day is open to everyone from 10 am to 4 pm - bring the
family and discover a new way to enjoy the snow - on a pair of snowshoes!
For more details, visit www.mountaineers.org.
operation of the lodge. Similar
to portions of The Mountaineers’
new headquarters, the Highland
Center was made from reclaimed
materials from the local region.
“It took a lot of outreach,” she said
in regard to making the Highland
Center a reality. One of her
challenges was communicating
with the AMC’s 12 chapters and
galvanizing their support, not to
mention coordination with local
chambers of commerce. “I worked
with an excellent fundraising
department of 6-8 people in
executing the vision of our $30
million capital campaign,” she
noted, but more importantly she
said she was able to see the
“My highest priority is to execute on the club’s
vision . . . I also want to see our branches grow
and attract new members while re-engaging
our existing members through our programs,
conservation efforts and facilities.”
results. “I had a chance to go back
and see how it was being used
by the members and chapters.
They can see how it embodies the
purposes of the AMC,” she stated.
AMC’s Falendar said he “can’t
imagine a better candidate than
Martinique” for leading The
Mountaineers, given what he
knows about the challenges facing
the club at this point. “I know she
has a passion for non-profit in her
blood and a love for the full range
of activities that (The Mountaineers
is) involved in,” he stated.
He added, “She definitely is a
dynamic individual who will want
to head toward a new and exciting
vision.”
Components of that vision for
The Mountaineers, according
to the strategic plan, is to gain
financial stability through growth
in membership and improving the
club’s fundraising competency.
Grigg’s hands-on acuity poses a
natural fit to the task. Her creation
of a capital and operating budget
for the Highland Center and
her profit-loss responsibilities at
Amazon.com and at L.L. Bean
should prove advantageous to the
club’s current strategy.
“I’d love to see the (club’s)
membership double or triple
and I would also love to see
our volunteer (commitment)
increase, and our work on trails
increase,” Grigg said. “I’d like
to see us remain a strong force
in conservation and in being
able to balance recreation with
conservation.”
G
rigg’s passion for the
non-profit industry, to
which Falender alluded, is what
interested her in The Mountaineers’
directorship. “I know we are facing
a lot of challenges, but I also
see the amazing opportunities
here.” She cited the club’s strong
volunteer base, a strategic plan
“pointing us toward the right
direction,” a rich heritage of
education through the club’s
outdoor courses and “a ton of
energy and enthusiasm.”
She said the volunteer energy here
and the will to move forward is
inspiring.
“My highest priority is to execute
on the club’s vision,” she sated.
“I also want to see our branches
grow and attract new members
while re-engaging our existing
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.
December 2009
members through our programs,
conservation efforts and facilities.”
She added, “With so many
demands on our free time, and so
much time spent on computers
and video games, how can we
help people to remember what is
great about being in the outdoors?
More importantly, how do we make
it more fun? Making (the club) a
fun place is important because it is
where people will spend their free
time.”
She said the club’s current
properties pose a “great
opportunity to connect with
members.” She added, “What
would we need to do to make our
facilities more active year-round
and increase visitation?”
G
rigg’s volunteerism and non-
profit passion began at a
young age. She was a volunteer
mentor for teenage girls and a
parolee tutor during her attendance
at Dartmouth College. She began
her volunteer effort with the AMC
while attending Harvard Business
School. She has also worked as
an Outdoor Leadership instructor
with the YMCA and is a three-
time graduate of Outward Bound
courses. She currently volunteers
on an advisory board for the AMC.
An enthusiastic paddler whose
kayak is still back East where she
grew up, Grigg said she hopes
both she and her husband, who is
from the San Francisco area, can
enjoy some time in the Cascades
on skis this winter. “Like me, he is
a huge outdoors enthusiast,” she
noted, but he has found it difficult to
find time to enjoy the Northwest’s
splendor since taking on a medical
residency as an anesthesiologist in
Seattle.
F
or now, Grigg knows she
will be hard-pressed for
time outdoors as well, given her
first-six-month agenda with the
The Mountaineers. But, she has
no worries, knowing that the
contagion for outdoors fun among
Mountaineers is as catching as
their energy to enrich the outdoors
community.
Brad Stracener is managing editor
of The Mountaineer.
M
December 2009
Can you identify the summit in
the foreground here? Send your answer
(by Dec. 10) via e-mail—brads@
mountaineers.org—or mail to: Summit
Savvy, The Mountaineer, 7700 Sand
Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. If
you guess correctly, you’ll receive $10
of Mountaineers Money, good for Moun-
taineers 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
Group’s work in public awareness
leads to greater forest protections
Collaborative
work on Legacy
Roads and Trails
earns initiative
members, including
The Mountaineers,
national award
from U.S. Forest
Service
By Leesa Wright
Mountaineers Public Policy Associate
“It’s hard to walk when you’re
carrying $90 million!” joked a
member of the Washington
Watershed Restoration Initiative
upon entering the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS) Region 6
headquarters in Portland.
Days earlier, the USFS had
published names of the winners
of its national 2009 Rise to the
Future and National Watershed
Awards. The Award for Public
Awareness was given to the
Washington Watershed Restoration
Initiative (WWRI) of which The
Mountaineers is a charter member.
That same day, President Obama
signed the Department of Interior,
Environment and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2010. The act
included $90 million in funding for
the Forest Service Legacy Roads
and Trails Remediation Initiative
for fiscal year 2010—a marked
increase from past allocations. The
$90 million appropriation equals
the total amount allocated to
Legacy Roads and Trails in the two
previous years combined.
M
■ Send your photographs for pos-
sible 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.
■ Seven correctly guessed last
month’s mystery summit, South Sister
(in Oregon), as photographed by Curt
Baxstrom. The name drawn from the
hat was that of Mike Arth. Congrats!
Here’s what the USFS had to say
about the award:
“The (WWRI) is a coalition of state
and private non-profit groups
focused on improvement of water
quality and watershed conditions
(in) national forests. Since 2007,
members have worked tirelessly
to address road and trail impacts
on watersheds and fish habitat.
By utilizing media, networking
and testifying to Congress,
awareness has been heightened.
(WWRI) efforts have resulted in
the allocation of over $90 million
dollars to repair degrading roads
and trails within national forest
system lands.”
I
n 2007, the U.S. Congress
approved a $39.4 million
expenditure to establish the Forest
Service Legacy Roads and Trails
Remediation Act. This 2008 fiscal-
year funding was designated to
protect community water sources
and threatened, endangered
and sensitive species. In March
2009, an additional $50 million
was approved for repair and
maintenance of roads and trails.
The WWRI (www.
washingtonwatersheds.org)
members are: Washington
State Department of Ecology,
Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife, Alpine Lakes
Protection Society, American
Whitewater, Cascade Chapter-
Sierra Club, Conservation
Northwest, Gifford Pinchot
Task Force, North Cascades
Conservation Council, Olympic
Forest Coalition, Pacific Rivers
Council, Pilchuck Audubon
Society, The Mountaineers, The
Summit Savvy
Wilderness Society, Washington
Trails Association, Washington
Wilderness Coalition and Wildlands
CPR.
The goals of the WWRI are to:
• Restore the health of
Washington’s national forest
watersheds.
• Ensure the Forest Service
has adequate funding for
road decommissioning and
maintenance to restore
watershed integrity.
• Provide targeted, educational
and outreach efforts to
organizations, community
groups, local governments,
tribes, and the media, in order
to build support for watershed
restoration.
• Promote and conduct credible,
long-term research on the
ecological and economic benefits
and impacts of road remediation
as a vehicle for watershed
restoration.
• Maintain and restore recreational
access that is both locally
appropriate and ecologically
sound.
• Serve as a model for other forest
watershed restoration programs.
M ost of the 380,000 miles of
roads on the 193 million
acres of our national forests
were built to provide access for
logging and mining. Over time,
the emphasis has changed from
logging to recreation, as Forest
Service roads are increasingly
used to provide access for
recreational opportunities.
Unfortunately, the rise in demand
for recreational access has
occurred as timber-related revenue
What can $73 a year get you?
Sometimes a wilderness area
When you join The Mountaineers you join
a partner in the lobby for wilderness pres-
ervation, including our most recent col-
laboration: the Wild Sky Wilderness Area.
The Mountaineer
to the Forest Service is declining.
The loss in revenue has left a large
hole in funding for road repair and
upgrading.
A ging forest roads threaten
access to recreational public
lands, clean drinking water
and native fish populations.
Unmaintained Forest Service road
culverts block fish passage and
may play a part in the destructive
landslides which are occurring with
increasing frequency in our area.
What we have been left with is a
road system that is economically
and environmentally unsustainable.
Because many of our members
are out every weekend recreating
somewhere, often on USFS land,
The Mountaineers is poised to offer
the Forest Service a unique and
informed perspective on roads.
Rep. Norm Dicks has been a
champion for Legacy Roads
and Trails Remediation, and
shepherded the latest $90 million
appropriation through Congress.
Dicks put it succinctly when he
said, “If we do not fix our roads, we
will have to drink our roads—after
they slide into our streams.”
T
he $90 million in Legacy Roads
and Trails Remediation funding
will be spread across all the
national forests. There is no way
of knowing at this point how much
of the $90 million Washington’s
national forests will receive, but it is
a positive step in the right direction.
The next step will be to monitor
the progress and efficacy of road
decommissioning, aquatic species
passage improvements and trail
maintenance. Stay tuned here for
a list of Legacy Roads and Trails
Remediation projects near you.
The Mountaineer December 2009
Two new trustees join board; one trustee reelected
Two new trustees were elected and one trustee was reelected in the Oct.
21 club-wide election.
Joining The Mountaineers Board of Trustees as new members are John
Ohlson and Mark Scheffer. Mona West, who has served on the board since
2006, was reelected to her post.
There were 730 ballots cast. Following are the tallies for the four candi-
dates on the ballot: Mona West, 612; John Ohlson, 510; Mark Scheffer,
506; Matt Sullivan, 370.
Of the 730 ballots received, 695 were cast electronically in the first election
in Mountaineers history to feature electronic voting.

UN Copenhagen exhibit hosts Mountaineers author

Brad Stracener photo
Happy 70th to a fighter for the cause
Norm and Karyl Winn begin doling the cake to the 140 well-wishers who
gathered on Oct. 25 to fete his 70th birthday. Over his four decades as a
Mountaineers volunteer and leader, Norm has proved instrumental in historic
lobbies for preservation of wilderness in the Pacific Northwest.
An exhibit to be featured at the United Nations Climate Change Confer-
ence in Copenhagen will include the works of Steven Kazlowski, author of
“The Last Polar Bear,” a title from Mountaineers Books,
The exhibit is part of a World Wildlife Fund Arctic program being held
outside of the conference center where 12,000 international delegates will
gather to discuss the future of the planet relative to the consequences of
climate change.
Kazlowski, who appeared at a Mountaineers production last month, will de-
liver a multimedia slide show, sponsored by Braided River, an imprint from

HOLIDAY! BOOK! SALE!

Mountaineers Books. Also, several of his images will be on display.

MEMBERS ONLY NIGHT - TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1 - 6-9

5-9 pm

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
10 am - 7 pm each day Sale! This year, it pays to be a member
- we’re opening the sale one night early
All books and maps 25% off just for you! Be sure to check out our

In support
All TOPO! software 25% off Members Only Night to get the best
deals before everyone else. Mountain-
Book sets 30% off
eers Books will also be bringing in a
Books “Seconds” 50% off
mountain of overstock and ‘seconds’
Clearance Titles up to 85% off
titles - a bargain if there ever was one.
Logo Merchandise 10% off See you at the sale! Mountaineers Foundation Donors 
The Mountaineers Foundation desires to acknowledge and thank all its donors.
Unless individuals request their names not be published, all donors will be
acknowledged in The Mountaineer on a quarterly basis (usually December, March,
June, September). If you have donated during the period of August through
October 2009 and your name is not on this list, notify Paul Robisch, Mountaineers
Foundation, 206-363-1989, parobisch@earthlink.net, and your name will be added
to the next published list of acknowledgments. Donations received after Oct. 31 will
be acknowledged in the March 2010 issue of The Mountaineer.

Barrett Amos Jocelyn Horder

Anonymous Betty Jensen
Robert Barnoski J.R. Jesson
Dan Brady Don W. Kenyon
The Barco Trust C/O Ruth Barclay Karen L. King
Kathleen P. Carey Mark Ray Koski
Daniel M. Castoriano Matching Gifts Microsoft- Vol Hours
Jim R. Cavin Microsoft MS Giving Campaign-Emp Funds

BANFF RETURNS TO WASHINGTON!

Ilene Chapman Daniel Robert Newell
Lawrence K. Dean Randy Oakley
Shay E. Dickson Matthew G. Pearson
Big thrills. Exotic locales. Wanderlust. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World
Tour promises an experience like no other. Fresh from the October festival Sascha N. Elsing Barbara M. Retzlaff
in Banff, Canada, the best mountain-themed films from around the world Tom R. Fisher Michael J. Riley
make their way to Seattle, Olympia and Tacoma. Tickets always go fast for this Matt Fleming Maryann Ruffing
popular event. Get your tickets today!
Kraft Foods Foundation MG Rich Sobieski

SEATTLE Juanita E. Gomez Helen B. St. John

Ed Greutert Cynthia L. Taylor
December 2, 3, 4 @ 7 pm.
Tickets: $10 Mountaineers, $15 General. Tickets are available through the James M. Gross Ann R. Uhrich
Mountaineers office, or by calling 206-521-6001. Jeffrey P. Harker Dorothy W. Walker
Robert W. Hickey Kenneth G. Wells
OLYMPIA
December 5 @ 7 pm, December 6 @ 6 pm
Tickets: $12 Saturday, $10 Sunday; $20 for both. $2 discount Sunday for
Mountaineers, Olympia Film Society members and students w/ID Get to any trailhead any day,
Tickets are available in advance through The Alpine Experience and Olympic
Outfitters, both in downtown Olympia, or at the theater each night.
still for only 15 cents a mile
When you join The Mountaineers you join
TACOMA a cadre of outdoor enthusiasts who like to
December 8 @ 7 pm
Tickets: $10 Mountaineers/UPS staff, faculty and students. $13 General hike, climb, paddle—and carpool. Hop in
Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound and head to the hills on the cheap.
Tickets: 253-879-3419

M
December 2009
Passages
Clyde Lince, an accomplished climber and climb leader, died Sept. 26,
2009, at his home in Sparta, Tennessee. He was 90 years old.
Lince, who joined The Mountaineers in 1962, enjoyed climbing and hik-
ing in the Pacific Northwest into his 70s. He is remembered by those who
climbed with him as an excellent team leader who was especially adroit on
rock, and always knew when to turn back on a climb.
In 1980 he joined a team on the first winter ascent of Stillaguamish Peak.
As a Mountaineer, he earned the Six Peaks Pin, the Snoqualmie Second
10 and graduated from both the climbing and ski programs. He served the
club as a climbing course instructor and snowshoe leader.
He climbed extensively in the North and Central Cascades as well as the
Idaho Sawtooths. In later years, he scaled his destinations down to nearby
mountains such as Si and Tiger.
A survivor of the Bataan Death March and the Battle of Corregidor during
World War II, he spent more than three years in a Japanese prison camp.
Lince maintained contact after the war with his fellow veterans, including
Gen. Matthew Wainwright, also a prisoner of war and under the command
of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Lince, born in Yakima, lived in Eastern Washington until enlisting with the
Army at the start of the war.
He was living in Sparta with his daughter, Peggy Main.
How far will you go this year?
The
Mountaineers
www.mountaineers.org
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The Mountaineer
Off the shelf
The latest from your Mountaineers Library
By Kathleen McCluskey, librarian
A s our early-winter weather brings its status quo of rain and chill, you might
equate it to ice climbing in Colorado. If so, then the library has the book for
you. Perhaps you would rather walk the mountains of Scandinavia or plan that trek
of the Grand Canyon. Be it Squamish, Wasatch, Oregon or Nepal, the library has
the guidebook to make your adventure planning that much easier.
Check out our new items:
Guidebook collection—Colorado Ice, Vol.1; Day Hiking Central Cascades; Day
Hiking North Cascades; Deschutes Paddle Trail River Guide; Dolomites of Italy;
Ecrins Park: Dauphine Alps: Mountain Walking, Scrambling & Trail Guide; Eiskalt:
Wasserfallklettern in der Schweiz; German and Belgian Rock Climbs; Grand
Canyon and the American Southwest: Trekking in the Grand Canyon, Zion and
Bryce Canyon National Parks; Great Atlas Traverse: Morocco, Vol.1-2: Moussa
Gorges to Midelt.
High Country Stone: Rock Climbing in the Gunnison and Crested Butte Area;
Hiking Colorado, Vol. 1-2; Julian Alps; Kangchenjunga Himal & Kumbhakarna
Himal; Mazama Rock: A Vertical Paradise; Mount Whitney: The Complete Trailhead
to Summit Guide; Nepal: Trekking & Climbing; 100 Best Cross-Country Ski Trails
in Washington (2002); Rock Climbing Western Oregon, Vol. 2: The Umpqua;
Paradise Forks: Rock Climbing; Rock Climber’s Guide to Montana; Rock Climber’s
Guide to Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon; Rock Climbing Yosemite Free Climbs;
Rock Climbs of Southwest Montana: A Guide to the Boulder, Paradise, Gallatin,
and Madison Valleys; San Juan Ice Climbs; San Luis Valley Rock Climbing and
Bouldering Guide; Scandinavian Mountains; Silvretta Alps: Mountain Walking,
Touring and Climbing Guide.
Sinks Canyon Rock Climbs; Snowshoeing Colorado; Squamish Chief Guide; Via
Ferrata: Scrambles in the Dolomites; Wasatch Rock Climbs; Whitewater of the
Southern Rockies; Whole Enchilada: A Climber’s Guide to Potrero Chico, Mexico.
Pictorial collection—Appalachian Wilderness: The Great Smoky Mountains; High
and Wild: A Mountaineer’s World; National Geographic: The Photographs.
Special collection—Armchair Mountaineer; Climber’s Guide to the Rocky
Mountains of Canada; Compass Points: Finding a Mid-Life Bearing on Mount
Rainier; Dolomites: Lac de Garde, Merano; Fred Beckey Stories: A Tribute to a
Climbing Legend; Himalayan Traders; Journey to Mustang; Last Great Wilderness:
The Campaign to Establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; Natural Object,
Social Subject: The Mountaineers of Puget Sound; Nouveaux Voyages En Zigzag a
la Grande Chartreuse; Stanford Alpine Club.
DVDs—American Bicentennial Denali Expedition; Rock Climbing Skills: The Basics
and Beyond.
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.
The Mountaineer
Award presented posthumously to Tacoma volunteer
Editor’s note: At The Mountaineers Annual Meeting in September, six
volunteers were presented with the Service Award, recognizing members
for their outstanding service to the club. The award had not been presented
since 2003. The six represent successive years thereafter. Last month, The
Mountaineer featured the recipients named for 2004, Dave Claar and Patti
Polinsky. The 2005 Service Award recognizes the late Jo Backus for her
nearly 20 years of selfless devotion to the club and its mission.
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By James Hampton
very once in awhile a person comes along who works so tirelessly
that she or he makes contributions in ways that a team of people
would struggle to accomplish. Luckily, The Mountaineers
had such a person in their midst for nearly 20 years.
To the many who knew Jo, she was a special person
who touched innumerable lives in her many roles
with the club, at her church, and in the medical
community as a nurse. Tom Shimko, a club
officer from the Tacoma Branch who joined The
Mountaineers the same year as Jo, also took the
club’s climbing course the same year she did,
1991. “She had an incredible amount of energy—
always getting people to do things.”
She joined The Mountaineers in 1986 after
reveling in the dominance of Mt. Rainier on her
commutes from Seattle to her home in Tacoma—
aspiring to climb the Northwest’s most prominent
peak.
Her eventual debut on the top of Rainier
Jo Backus in her element.
mushroomed into some 200 more climbs,
including multiple routes up Rainier, before she died four years ago. She
“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with
the intention of arriving safely in an attractive
and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries
in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally
worn out and screaming WOO-HOO—what a
ride!”
— A quotation attached prominently on Jo’s refrigerator door.
received a Five Peak Pin, Tacoma Irish Cabin First 12, Snoqualmie First
and Second Ten Pin, Tahoma First Peak Award and a Teanaway Ten
Pin—not too shabby for someone who took up the sport when she was in
her 40s.
During her time with the club, she served in a variety of roles and instituted
many important innovations. Her husband, Jim Backus, stated, “Jo was
December 2009
very proactive, and she would find a way to be involved. If she saw a need
or an opportunity that she thought would be fun, she would pursue it.” Jim
and Tacoma Branch Trustee Tom Shimko received the Service Award on
Jo’s behalf at the club’s Annual Meeting.
Jo was elected Tacoma Branch chair in 1993—the first woman serving in
the post since the 1920s—and served as Tacoma’s representative to The
Mountaineers Board of Trustees. Many members remember her regular
involvement with the new-member meetings and orientation on Friday
nights. She was always tapping new members and reaching out to them.
She was particularly active in introducing other
women to the sport of mountaineering.
Jo made an impact through her innovations.
When she noticed some club members wanted an
opportunity to take short snowshoe trips, rather
than long backcountry treks, she initiated the still
popular Snowshoe Lite Course. The condensed
course offers an introduction to safe and enjoyable
winter travel for the beginner who just wants to get
a taste of snowshoeing, and pick up a few good
skills, without the commitment of a full course.
In 2000, Jo founded HARK (Hikes for At-Risk Kids
originally and now Hiking and Active Recreation
for Kids), a program that takes inner-city kids
hiking or snowshoeing to instill an appreciation
for the beauty of the outdoors and recognize
the opportunities that nature offers. For many of
the kids, it was their first time venturing outside
the city. Though the activity became defunct in
Tacoma for lack of volunteers, it later caught on in the Olympia and Kitsap
branches.
According to Shimko, “You never said, no, Jo.” She was a motivator and
rallied people to go along with her, perhaps because of her can-do attitude
or her calm, positive demeanor. “(Jo) kept everyone honest, she wouldn’t
let things slide. (She) was always pushing to make the branch better.”
If her contributions to the club were not impressive enough, Jo exerted at
least as much influence on the health of mothers and children during the
work day as a nurse. A scholarship established in her name by the Pierce
County Breastfeeding Alliance had this to say:
“Jo was a charter member of the PCBA having actively participated since
the inception of the Alliance in 1986. Jo worked as an International Board
Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for Tacoma General Hospital, and
as a nurse for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Jo loved life and loved
people. She aspired to make people feel welcome, accepted, and involved.
She was selfless in her commitment to the community, and was a profound
humanitarian at heart.”
Jo died in a tragic climbing accident, along with two other Mountaineers, in
July of 2005 on Sharkfin Tower, when they were hit by rocks from a slide.
She originally wanted to climb Johannsburg Peak (because it was her
namesake mountain), which sits across the valley from Sharkfin. In the
end, she died within view of the mountain sharing her name. The incident
was the first triple-casualty accident in the history of The Mountaineers,
prompting changes that strengthened the club’s culture of safety.
Jim Backus said Jo would be humbled and honored by receiving the
Service Award. Jo would say that there were others who deserved the
award more, but she was clearly a person who left a long history of
leadership with the club and whose effect will continue to resonate within
the club for a long time.
“It’s going to take a lot of people to fill her shoes,” stated Shimko.
James Hampton is a Mountaineers member/volunteer and freelance writer.
What can $73 a year get you?
Sometimes a wilderness area
When you join The Mountaineers you join
a partner in the lobby for wilderness pres-
ervation, including our most recent col-
laboration: the Wild Sky Wilderness Area.
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December 2009 The Mountaineer
Set your course:
Enrollment is open for Mountaineers
courses, winter and spring. See the
Go Guide or visit
www.mountaineers.org

ountaineers Productions
Planet ICE
The Photography of James Martin

Thursday, January 21 at 7 pm

Escape
The Mountaineers, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
Tickets: $8 Mountaineers, $12 General. Available
through the Mountaineers Bookstore.

What the ice tells us about the past may help us with The Mountaineers
understand the future of ice, and us, on Earth. It
can also help gauge the health of the planet. In
the book Planet Ice, photographer James Martin
examines the characteristics of polar, mountain, and Mt Baker Lodge
tropical ice. He explores human concepts of ice
and wilderness; the far-reaching effects of climate
only steps from hiking trails
change on people and iconic wildlife including and chairlifts
penguins and polar bears; and our responsibilities as www.mountaineers.org/lodge/baker
stewards of the natural world. Planet Ice illuminates
the profound connection between ice - a substance
that is at once mutable and forceful - and the well-
being of our global community. Kitsap Cabin
enchanting old-growth preserve,
ROWED TRIP
From Scotland to Syria by Oar
Using two rowboats, Colin and Julie Angus
voyaged 7,200 km from the northern tip of
Scotland to Aleppo, Syria via an interconnect-
forest theater, salmon safaris
www.kitsapcabin.org
ed route of rivers, canals, ancient transporta-
Thursday, January 28
Meany Lodge
tion corridors, oceans and coastlines. Each
Show at 7 pm vessel was specially designed for the trip, and
The Mountaineers was fitted with a bicycle and trailer that al-
7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle lowed it to travel not only on water but also
winter sport lessons, learn, explore
on land. Over the course of seven months, www.meanylodge.org
Tickets: $5 Mountaineers, $10 General.
Available through the Mountaineers Book- the couple rowed through thirteen countries
store or by calling 206-521-6001. and explored their ancestral homelands.

Snoqualmie Campus
four-season camping only
an hour from seattle
www.snoqualmiecampus.org

Stevens Lodge
ski in, ski out, relax
www.stevenslodge.org

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