In Case You Haven't Heard....

... you did it. The CMC summit-ed every publicly-owned 14er in the state last weekend, getting about 400 climbers up and down safely, some of them over some of the gnarliest pitches in the world, some of them climbing their first-ever 14er.

It took some last-minute scrambling and some heroic efforts on the part of bold climbers, but you did it, and as a result you helped us celebrate our 100th birthday with a maraschino cherry on top of a whip-cream covered banana split the size of Mt. Elbert.

The climb headquarters was rocking all day Saturday as we received reports of your summit-ting by SPOT, photos, video and audio. We celebrated in style on Sunday. And come December 8, the CMC auditorium will be rocking as we remember it all with a documentary produced by CU-Denver film students. And then we'll spread the Colorado Fourteener Challenge story around the world by showing the documentary to audiences near and far, and years from now they'll be asking themselves, "What was that group that climbed all those peaks in one day?" It was the Colorado Mountain Club.

Special thanks to Sherry Richardson, 14er Challenge Climb Coordinator, and Beth Dwyer for coordinating all the Centennial Peaks throughout our birthday year. Also, thank you to all leaders (mentioned below) who helped this day, allowing us to make history.

Pretty sweet, people. Pretty ... damn ... sweet. Walk tall.

Ryan Ross
Chair, ad hoc committee on the centennial celebration series 

For more pictures from our Centennial events, check out the CMC Flickr account. Also, check us out in the Denver Post!

LEADER	PEAK	COLEADER
Bill Houghton	Handies	Bobby Overman
Clare Reda	Eolus, Sunlight, Windom
Joe Leahy	Lincoln	Charles Thabault
Steve Bonowski	Kit Carson
Lorna Donovan	Grays
Crestone Needle	Cindy Bero
David Hoot Gibson	Crestone Peak
Craig Patterson and Sherri Durman	Oxford/Belford	Sherri Durman
Steve Sprowles	N. Maroon
Debbie Markham	Maroon
Donna Brockman	Pikes	Dianne Stiller
Nicholas Browne	Sherman	Mark Wolf
Dave Covill	Wetterhorn	Beckie Covill
Dave Miller	Missouri	Emily Anderson
Karen Hurley	Elbert	Janet Farrar Need Bio
Jim Cunningham	Uncompaghre	Lee Moosberger
John Stidman	Capitol	Yes
Rich McAdams	El Diente & Mt. Wilson
Wayne Johnson	El Diente
Ed White	Bierstadt	No
Lon Carpenter	Shavano/Tabeguache
Dan Kunz	Mt. Evans
Kevin Schaal	Sherman
Susan Baker and Clint Banker	Pyramid	Yes
Dave Kraemer	Huron	Yes
Donna Gail Schneider	Quandary	Yes
Angie Parris-Raney	Quandary
Jan Schmidt	Columbia	Yes
Dave Smith	Yale
Bud O’Hara	San Luis	Yes
Beth Hungerford	Handies
Ed Biery	Humboldt	Yes
Marilyn Choske	La Plata	Yes
Bill Blazek	Longs-Cable Rte	Yes
Mark Miller	Longs-Keyhole Rte	Yes
Mike Zyzda	Wilson Peak	Yes
Kurt Wibbenmeyer	Snowmass Mt.	Yes
Roger Leikas	Mt. Massive	Yes
Jim and Beth Davis	Harvard	Yes
Cheryl Ames	Princeton	Yes
Steve Soich	Democrat/Lincoln/Cameron
Ginger Ellis	Sneffels
Tom Creighton	Ellingwood
Uwe Sartori	Antero
Linda Lawson	Torreys
Paul Raab	Mt. Evans
Dave Wasson	Blanca
Tom Hankiewicz	Castle Peak
Carol Adler	Democrat
Vern Bass	Holy Cross
Carol Schmitz	La Plata
Doug Hatfield	Mt. Lindsey
Mark Thompson	Little Bear
Vilas Tulachan	Torreys
Matt Biscan	Torreys-Kelso Ridge

Mr President: Protect our Outdoors and Recreation Economy

 

On September 13, President Barack Obama visited Golden to talk to voters in this swing state about jobs and energy.  The CMC joined with our friends at the American Alpine Club to welcome the president to our hometown and to highlight the need to protect our public lands and grow the outdoor recreation economy that these lands support.  We recruited a contingent of enthusiastic young climbers to hold a banner in front of the American Mountaineering Center and talk to people on their way to the President's speech at Lion's Park.  

A recent study by the Outdoor Industry Association found that the US outdoor recreation economy creates over 6.1 million direct American jobs and generates a staggering $646 billion in direct consumer spending each year.  This is an economic sector that is nearly twice as large as the pharmaceuticals industry ($331 billion).  About 15% of this spending is on gear, vehicles and accessories, the rest is spent on the trips and travel - which supports jobs that can't be exported.

This outdoor economy translates to jobs in Colorado.  Underlying this steadily growing sector is our public lands where most of the recreation occurs.  To nurture and protect these lands is to, by extension, to ensure the health of our economy.  That's why we took to the street to remind President Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that they have the power to grow our economy in Colorado by protecting more public land.  They have the authority to designate national monuments at places like Browns Canyon and Chimney Rock, champion the full funding of important programs like the Land & Water Conservation Fund, and provide leadership on other important land management decisions in Colorado that directly impact our landscape.

We are hoping to amplify the message that in Colorado, protecting our public lands equates to more jobs and growth of our outdoor recreation economy.  Coloradans believe this - a Colorado College State of the Rockies study recently found that 78% say we can protect land and water and have a strong economy at the same time.  So when Mr. Obama comes to Colorado looking to sway voters, he would do well to remember to promote our outdoor recreation economy and the public lands that support them!

2012 High Altitude Mountaineering School (HAMS) Seminars

High Altitude Mountaineering Section of the CMC (HAMS) is hosting a series of seminars this Fall and Winter. World class climbers and other experts in their fields will present lectures on such topics as organizing expeditions, equipment, fitness, nutrition, group dynamics and high altitude medicine.

2012 HAMS Seminars

Ever wonder what it takes to climb high glaciated peaks? What would be a good peak to start with? Where do you begin in planning expeditions? For the answers to these questions, and more, come to the HAMS Seminars this fall.

This exciting program is designed for individuals who would like to do some armchair exploration of climbing big peaks, to the mountaineer who would like to increase their knowledge to challenge themselves on peaks 15,000 ft or higher.

You can attend one lecture or the entire series.  All of our lectures are presented by experienced mountaineers. There are no per-requisites and all are welcome.

As a reminder, attendance at the entire series is a prerequisite for the HAMS School.

Cost is $30 for the series or $7 for individual sessions at the door.

SIGN UP HERE- ONLY $30 FOR THE SERIES

($7/individual class)

All sessions are from 6:30pm-9:00pm.  Below are the dates and topics that to be covered:

OCTOBER 1ST (Conference Rooms A & B)

-Introduction to the HAMS program.

-Packing for Mt. Rainier.

-Slide show.

OCTOBER 8TH (Conference Rooms A & B)

-Full evening focusing on health concerns at altitude (altitude sickness, hypothermia, frostbite).  Presented by Dr. Skee Glatterer.

OCTOBER 15TH (Conference Rooms A & B)

-Climbing Performance:  training, nutrition and recovery.  Presented by Iñigo San Millán, PhD, the Excercise Physiology Lab Director at CU.

OCTOBER 22ND (Conference Rooms A & B)

-Planning an expedition.

-Guided vs. self-supported expeditions.

-Denali slide show.

OCTOBER 29TH (Conference Rooms A & B)

-Expert panel discussion on team dynamics.

-Slide show on 8,000 meter peaks.

NOVEMBER 6TH (Conference Rooms A & B)

-What to expect from and preparation for the HAMS School.

-Introduction to Peaks slide show.

ACTION ALERT: Protecting Wild Places

Upper San Juan River near Wolf Creek Pass - photo Scott Braden

We have a few areas that really could use your voice speaking out for recreation and conservation.  Please take a few moments to respond to these important action steps for places we love.

Wolf Creek Pass

We are passing along this alert from Friends of Wolf Creek, since this is an area of interest for many Colorado Mountain Club members:

The future of the Wolf Creek Pass area hinges on a decision the US Forest Service will soon make on a proposed land exchange. Your opportunity to declare, "No thanks to the Village at Wolf Creek - I support the No Action Alternative" is open until September 30. Save the views, wildlife, wetlands and support local business interests - ACT in defense of this cherished natural treasure. Read more and Take Action.  http://friendsofwolfcreek.org/take-action/

Central Rocky Mountains Wilderness

If you haven't already, Senator Mark Udall still needs to hear from you on the possible designation of wilderness for up to 32 areas in Pitkin, Summit and Eagle counties. It is important that the Senator receive a clear signal for public support for protection of these important mid-elevation lands that are critical wildlife habitat and popular for human-powered recreation. Please comment and view proposal maps by clicking here.

Browns Canyon National Monument and Wilderness

Sen. Udall is also listening to public input for protecting Browns Canyon of the Arkansas River. This proposal would be a great boon to the outdoor recreation economy of the Arkansas Valley. The proposal includes designation of a National Monument for about 32,000 acres with an additional wilderness designation within that boundary. Maps of the proposal and the public comment form can be found here.

Bierstadt-Staff Climb for Colorado 14er Challenge

Bierstadt, a set by greenriverscott on Flickr.

CMCers made history by climbing the 52 public 14ers in one day on September 8th. You can read more from the Denver Post here: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21500126/colorado-mountain-club-celebrates-100th-birthday-by-climbing

Check back for many more 14er pictures from our Centennial Celebration Climbs-climbs of the highest 100 peaks in the state-going on year-round as well as the 14er Challenge photos from September 8th.