While spending three days in Government Camp and Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood’s southern flanks for the 50th anniversary annual meeting of the Mountain Rescue Association (our SAR team is one of about a hundred teams that belong to the MRA and I’m the Intermountain Region chair) I skipped one morning activity and climbed the volcano instead.

I’m glad I did! I took the ski lift up 2 miles and 2,000 feet, then went another 2 miles and 2,500 feet to the top. There were some semi-steep sections where crampons and axe came in handy, and the views from the top of the surprisingly-steep north side and five or six other volcanoes in the distance were stunning.

< A climber walks along Hogsback Ridge with the lush Oregon forest beyond. Continue Reading »

Rim to Rim. 23 miles. 14 down, 9 up. About 7,000′ deep. Temps ranged from 55 with monsoon-like rain to 105, but sometimes with a breeze and it didn’t feel that bad. I was surprised how much water and green is found along the trails. I sure wanted to spend more time in the water!

And the Colorado…incredible! I really wanted to stop there longer, climb down to a beach and stay for hours, but the whole ascent loomed before us and the day wasn’t getting any cooler.

Later on it got cooler, though! When the downpour began. Before the rain, I was dunking my cap in the stream at every crossing and pouring cold water down my back. When it began above Indian Gardens, it felt refreshing. By the time we reached 3 mile House, we were well chilled and the place was packed tight by everyone who hadn’t brought rain gear. We pulled ours out and headed up again. Continue Reading »

A few days ago I was invited to canyoneer Zion NP’s Mystery Canyon. It’s a 5- or 6-mile affair with a lot of slot canyon, 9 rappels adding up to 440′, a few pools and waterfalls, which finishes with a 120′ rappel into the Virgin River in the Narrows not far beyond where the pavement ends. Continue Reading »

Chris Barksdale and I climbed most of the way up North Timpanogos last Saturday. Based on all the recent sunshine and the winds we saw whipping up spindrift the day before, we were hoping for more crust, but ended up sinking into some fairly deep powder (up to our waist in the worst spots) on the steepest parts of the ridge. So when we ran out of time with 1,000′ left to go, we didn’t complain about turning around.

Climbing on skis/skins would have been easier, and the snow on the way down would have been awesome skiing! Ah, well, some other day. Continue Reading »

Nutty Putty is what cavers call a “sacrificial cave.” No animals are ritually killed or anything – it’s the cave itself that’s sacrificed by hordes of novice spelunkers (about 40,000 per year, I think I heard) who don’t know anything (or don’t care) about cave etiquette (like not touching sensitive crystals and other features, not leaving any trash, etc.).

So while the cave takes a beating, at least it draws attention away from other caves. Not only does this protect other caves from abuse, but Nutty Putty is one of the safer caves around, with only one or two spots where a serious accident seems possible.

About three years ago, search and rescue was called to Nutty Putty three times within a few weeks. The cavers didn’t have serious accidents, they just got stuck. And stuck good! One got wedged in a tiny tube near a room called “The Scout Trap.” Only the smallest scouts can even fit in. I squeezed as far down as possible last weekend and barely got my ankles in before my shoulders wouldn’t slide any farther.

JUNE 2011 UPDATE: Nutty Putty Cave was permanently closed less than a year following this trip report due to a stuck caver’s death. Read the details about this failed rescue in the brand-new book 75 Search and Rescue Stories. Continue Reading »

Here’s a nice email from my riding buddy Darin:

My trip to the Andes with dad last week went, overall, very well. I got to the top of a 17,795′ mountain (barely), and dad tore some tendons on the way down.

After the whole climb and exit, I’m still tired of even thinking much about it, so go to http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/472598/cerro-el-plomo.html for photos and details. Click the top/right photo to get into the photo album, then click “Next” over to the right to walk through all the photos with explanation in order.

I’ll add dad’s photos when I get them from him.

I’ve always loved Moab. Such fun things to do there. From camping to climbing Wall Street to jeeping to mountain biking to motorcycling.

Okay, I admit, motorcycling is the only reason I go there anymore. It’s SO fun that it’s hard to justify taking time out for all the other great options.

Flying up steep hills at 30-40 mph, jumping bumps, dropping off ledges, riding wheelies, and feeling the powerful surge forward with just a twist of the wrist is hard to compare to pedaling slowly up endless ridges in first gear, sweating, breathing hard, then taking the downhills carefully and feeling every bump; even though the workout is nice.

I wouldn’t mind camping (since I can’t ride all night anyway) but my riding buddies are mostly wimps who need hotels, soft beds, hot showers, etc. Continue Reading »

I may have said this a time or two already, but I LOVE autumn! This year, I hear it’s one of the warmest on record. I want to enjoy all I can before it’s gone and the cold sets in for months and months.

When my brain can’t take any more grading or programming, I take a short hike up a nearby trail to relax. Today, I stood in the back yard and watched yellow leaves fall 80′ from my tall trees while on the phone. Last Thursday afternoon, I kayaked a mile or so out on Utah Lake.

The weather was perfectly comfortable, the water calm and glassy, and the company good. I went with an old friend with two boats. She’s smart, insightful, kind, speaks several languages, has lived interesting places around the world, my dad and step mom adore her, and my dad even threatened to cut me out of his will if I didn’t go out with her. Which, I must add, was not why I went, but it’s funny and worth mentioning. Continue Reading »

The weather has been perfect again. Warm and sunny. Better use it up while it lasts! This afternoon was a perfect chance to take advantage of living right up against such a beautiful mountain as Timpanogos.

CJ, Curtis and I hopped on our bikes and spent the afternoon riding the Ridge, Tibble Fork, Mill Hollow, Little Deer Creek & Horse Flats Trails from the Alpine Loop summit. Continue Reading »