Red Cabbage

Today I harvested the first of three Red Cabbage that have been dominating the Southern end of my garden.
Last year my attempt at growing Cabbage was not sucessful. This year I planted four starters and three of them have survived so far. Next year I'll give them a little more space.

Mount Shuksan

It was 11:30 pm at the Alfy's pizza in Sedro Woolley, Washington. I was one of four people standing outside in the parking lot. We had barely made it here in time to order take out, so our discussion of the days events had to take place outdoors. Originally we had planned on spending the night at a higher elevation, but circumstances had changed our plans.

The plan was to hike into base camp at 6100 feet on Friday, cross the Sulphide Glacier and ascend via the Southeast Rib on Saturday, and hike out on Sunday after a night of rest. The venue was Mount Shuksan in the North Cascades National Park. Two years ago I had summited Mt Baker and looked down on this peak. I was so impressed that I resolved to return.

Mount Shuksan as seen from the summit of Mount Baker

The hike in was glorious, despite the bugs and downfallen trees. As we hiked along Shannon Ridge we marveled at the views of Mount Baker. It got even better once we passed through the pass at 5400 feet as more the grandeur of the North Cascades came into view. It was a shame that someone more familiar with the peaks of the area was not amongst us.

Approaching base camp

We pitched our tents on the snow at a elevation of 6100 feet. There was glacier melt trickling down, so we did not have to melt water. The setting was incredible, looking North was the summit pyramid and an impressive set of crevasses. In all other directions the mountain peaks seemed to go on forever. After a pre climb meeting and discussion about crevasse rescue we retired to our tents.

View of the summit pyramid from base camp

The weather seemed mild as we roped up in the morning. Staying on the west side of the glacier, we did not have to cross any major cresvasses. Instead of ascending the summit pyramid via the popular Central gully, we ascended by the Southeast Rib route. I had read that this route had better rock and less chance of party induced rockfall. As I lead up this route I was quite pleased to have the chance to put the skills that I had learned in last years Advanced Rock class to use.

About 300 feet short of the summit I started to feel some light drizzle. While the others ascended by the rope that I had secured I scouted the route out a little. The rock was starting to get wet. At that point I decided that we needed to head down. I felt at peace with my decision. Then the others reported hearing a high resolution buzzing. One lady took off her helmet and her hair was standing straight up! The air was electrically charged, lightning was not far off. We quickly set up a rappel and descended down into the Central Gully. By the time we had roped up for glacier travel the clouds were moving in and we were hit by blowing rain.

Our descent down the glacier had been orderly, but we had been hammered by the wind and rain. Back at base camp we found that one of the tents had been blown away, only to be rescued by another climber. So much for our restful night at base camp. We packed up our wet gear for a long hike back to the trailhead.

As I look back I cannot help to think of all of the blessings of this climb. One from our team really enjoyed learning about the nuts and bolts of glacier navigation. Others got to overcome a challenging portion of the rock climb. The weather had turned on us quickly. It is difficult to say whether there were signs that we could have recognized earlier. However we did heed the warnings and worked together as a team to safely return to the trailhead. This climb was a great learning opportunity for all.

You can find more photos of this climb at this link.

Remembering Renwick 'Ed' Dayton

I got a rare treat as I drove North up Highway 101 on Saturday. It was so clear that I could see Mount Baker, nearly centered on the blue green waters of the Hood Canal. Many times in clear and cloudy have I driven along here, but I could never recall a day where I could see this giant of the North Cascades from here.

I was not here on a lark nor did I have any hiking or climbing scheduled for the weekend. Rather I was going to Camp Parsons to say goodbye to Ed Dayton, who was tragically killed in an automobile /motorcycle accident.

Ed was on the Camp Parsons Staff when I was a Scout, before I joined the staff. He was one of those guys that I looked up to as a Scout. When I was backpacking with the Camp Parsons High Adventure program it was Ed that picked us up at the trail head.

After I had worked on the Parsons Staff I frequently saw Ed at the work parties. One could not help to admire his smile and firm handshake. He always looked happy to see me. And it was always a treat to witness his sense of humor. So it was a shock read that he was gone.

So many of us gathered at Campfire Point to celebrate his life. It seemed fitting and proper that we were sitting on the very benches that Ed helped build. I grieved that I had lost a role model, that camp had lost a great supporter, and that we had lost a friend.

John Moen recording stories about Ed

Unicorn Peak

Driving from Portland to Mount Rainier National Park was an act of faith Friday evening. My windshield wipers were often on full as the rain fell. The weather forecast called for party sunny skies on Saturday. Many times I have been driving to the trailhead in the rain, questioning my sanity, but betting that the weather would improve. I had also gambled that I would be able to find a campsite at Rainier's Cougar Rock campsite on the busy 4th of July weekend. As usual, things fell into place.

The occasion was a Mazamas climb of Unicorn Peak, which is found in Rainier National Park's Tatoosh Range. Unicorn Peak did not suffer the same fate as my Brothers or Hood climbs in that it was only rescheduled. The other two had been canceled outright due to lousy weather and unsafe avalanche conditions. That was last month, today I focused on assembling my team and seeing if Unicorn Peak would allow us safe passage.

Upon arrival at the trailhead there was a lone car with Oregon plates parked, turned out it was two friends from the Mazamas out on their own climb. As the day passed our two teams worked together on several occasions. It was a very satisfying part of the climb for me.
I had scheduled this climb because I thought it would be a great climb for beginners and I would have the chance to practice the skills that I learned last year from Advanced Rock. I also wanted to face the rappel again, as six years ago I took a pendulum swing there that gave me a good scare.

Approach the crux of the climb: the snow moat.

The weather was cooperative, although we were sopped in the clouds for two thirds of the climb. We made good progress past Snow Lake and up the first gully. Upon reaching the Unicorn Saddle we had to negotiate a snow moat as the bridge from the snow to the rock had melted out. Working with the other party we were able to find safe passage across.

Climbing up the summit block.

At the summit block I placed a fixed line that the others tied into to protect them as they ascended. I was the last one to descend off of the summit pinnacle. I found it rewarding to return here and see how my climbing skills have improved over the years.

Rappel off of the summit block. This time I was ready for the pendulum. Photo by Andy Prahl.

As we descended the clouds opened up and we were treated to stellar views of Mount Rainier.

You can find some more photos at this link. For another perspective on this climb, check out another trip report from this climb here.

Star Wars vs. Star Trek Ride

It is Pedalpalooza time here in Portland, which means two weeks of a variety of bikey fun. Saturday evening I got in touch with my inner geek and took part in the Star War vs. Star Trek Ride. Costumes ranged all over the Star Trek/Star Wars universe, from Captain Kirk's green skinned love interest to Darth Vader.

One of the most popular character was Princess Leia, with multiple variations of Carrie Fisher's character present.

We also had several expendable Star Trek redshirts present.


Interestingly enough, Jar-Jar Brinks and Jabba the Hut did not make an appearance for this bike ride.

I kept my costume simple by attaching two Tie Fighter wings to my bicycle helmet. I was a little nervous about the wind blowing my wings off, but even as we encountered light wind crossing the Burnside Bridge my costume stayed intact.


The atmosphere was festive as we assembled and then biked around town. A couple of people had sound systems rigged up that and were playing music from both Star Trek and Star Wars. As we biked through town people cheered. With the warm weather it was a stellar evening, so much excitement and celebration. Stops included Movie Madness and the Hawthorne Food Carts. The ride ended at Portland Rock Gym to watch the showing of Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

In addition to my photos, photos are posted at the Tiny Heros and Just One New Thing blogs. Noteterminal had some good photos on his photostream as well. And be sure to check out the video on YouTube, you might recognize yours truly pushing his bike around.

A Tribute to Monty Smith

It was a late Saturday night in June 2002 when I arrived at the Pole Creek Trailhead near Sisters, Oregon. Our team of Mazamas were going to spend the night at the trailhead and then get an early alpine start to climb Middle Sister. Our car pulled into the trailhead just as another team of Mazamas had returned from their attempt to climb the mountain. They looked exhausted and worn down. I heard that they had a long day, just falling short of the summit when the Climb Leader made the call to turn around. I also learned that their Climb Leader was going to be the Assistant Climb Leader for our climb. We were warned that if he was too tired to climb early tomorrow, then our climb would be canceled.

That Climb Leader was Monty Smith and he was ready to climb with us the next day. Had I not been so new to Mazamas climbs I would known there was little doubt that Monty would have been able to join us. Monty had well earned reputation of being a strong and energetic climber. I did not have much of a chance to climb with Monty that day, because as we approached the Hayden Glacier my knee was bothering me and I needed to return to the trailhead. It was Monty that guided me over the snow back to the trail while the others continued onward. I was feeling lousy about potentially jeopardizing the climb, but there was nothing but positive chatter from Monty. As we covered the distance he competently used his compass to get me back to safe place. Once I was off the snow and on the trail he turned around, backtracked, and eventually caught up with the others.

Monty (far right) teaching ascending at Mazama Lodge, March 2005

Two years later I was accepted into the Mazamas Intermediate Climbing School. I applied in part because Monty was the leader of that class. It was Monty that showed us the ropes, recruited others to teach us, shielded us from the wrath of the Mazama Lodge Managers, and encouraged us along. He eagerly shared his knowledge with us with that same positive demeanor that I got to know on the slopes of Middle Sister.

Monty giving out instructions before Crevasse Rescue practice, May 2005

Monty was not only a climber and teacher, but he was a life saver. The Mazama 2003 Annual described how Monty helped save a team of climbers on the Moench in the the Swiss Alps. In addition Monty was active with Portland Mountain Rescue. Searching online one can find multiple instances where the Monty was involved in rescues on Mount Hood.

So it was a shock to learn that we lost Monty on June 5th. It grieved me learn that he had been suffering. The last time I saw Monty was at a lecture he gave on mountain weather for a Mazama climbing class. As usual it was well done and informative, I walked away better prepared to make decisions about the weather. Not only have I lost one of my teachers, but we all have lost a highly regarded role model. My deepest condolences to his family.

Hunchback Mountain

The parking lot at Gateway Transit Center was mobbed with hikers. After enduring a long spell of rain, it was not surprising to find so many people at this central gathering place of hiking groups. Today was going to be sunny to be followed by rain on Sunday. I could sense the deep frustration with the past weather and the excitement/desire to get out now while the weather was good.

There were two dozen hikers that wanted to go Hunchback Mountain with the Mazamas. Since this hike was in a Wilderness Area, our group had to be limited to 12 people. So I joined an unofficial splinter group that hiked independently from the official group.

The trail starts out steep through the lush green undergrowth dominated by Oxalis and Sword Ferns. After the first two miles the trail levels out and most of it is along a forested ridge with a few openings that afforded viewpoints of the Salmon River Valley. There were a couple of times when I had the trees to myself and could absorb the (near) quietness of the forest. I also enjoyed how the trail varied from hiking along steep hillsides and narrow ridges. At the Great Pyramid, a narrow rock ridge that juts out above the Salmon River Valley, we escaped the red ants and found a sunny viewpoint to enjoy our lunch.