1975 – 2025 and Still Going
I recently celebrated my 50th mountaineering anniversary. It was April 11, 1975, when I set foot on my first alpine summit—Mt. St. Helens, before it erupted—and immediately got bitten by an incurable mountain bug as a teenager. These events happened because I was extremely fortunate that Wenatchee High School had an active alpine club back then, thus giving me access to many great mountains in the Washington Cascades and to some great mentors.
Achieving the 50-year milestone now puts me in a different club—one whose members include a cast of local legends, such as John Roper, Fay Pullen, and Chet Marler. The only requirements for membership are (1) unwavering dedication to mountain exploration for at least 50 years, and (2) continuously staying alive throughout that time period. Curiously, although club rules do not exclude young people from joining, the present assemblage seems to be quite old. Hmmm…why is that?
My 50 years of mountaineering have largely occurred in the Pacific Northwest, with occasional forays out of the area and out of the country. These myriad explorations have entailed a lot of horizontal miles and vertical feet; a lot of glorious summits and failed summit attempts; a lot of rainstorms, snowstorms, and windstorms; a lot of scorching days on the trail and freezing nights in a tent; a lot of horrible bushwhacking and tedious scrambling; a lot of navigational arguments and campsite camaraderie…. Well, you get the idea.
Anyone in the 50-Year Club will tell you that there is a great deal of luck involved. Mountaineering is inherently risky; close-calls and near-misses are part of the sport. I’ve certainly had my share over the decades but somehow managed to escape with nothing worse than a broken ankle. I’ve also been involved in four helicopter rescues (one being my own), but I can happily say that I’ve never lost a partner.
I need to give thanks to my hundreds of mountain partners for making the past 50 years so memorable and successful and (mostly) fun. Now I’m looking forward to joining the 60-Year Club!
Photo Gallery
Click to enlarge…
…
<<< ————– >>>
Return to Mountain News Articles homepage
Return to Mountain Goodies homepage