Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
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CMC |
Although the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) has its own web page I'm proud to feature them here as well. Unfortunately I didn't think to join the CMC until '96 when I was almost 41. Nevertheless, it's been a great experience with lots of learning in addition to contact with interesting and knowledgeable people. Below is a list of some of my CMC experiences along with trip photos as they become available:
A few of the CMC Outings I've been on:
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Click Here for my main climbing page... |
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Click Here for a look at the CMC's Beginner Rock Climbing Seminar... |
(Click on any of this page's "thumbnail" images for a larger view)
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Mt. Rainier (Tahoma)
14,411 feet / 4,392 metres
HAMS Graduation Climb
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Click Here for my YouTube video of Rainer from my plane window eight years later... |
HAMS is the High Altitude Mountaineering Section of the Colorado Mountain Club and is an excellent course of training for anyone interested in serious mountaineering. Back when I was in class, Tom Urban was my immediate instructor and Ken Yarcho was the school's director. Below: Over the 2000 Independence Day holiday nine members of our HAMS group made the summit of Washington State's Mt. Rainier for our graduation climb. We were in three rope teams so it's somewhat difficult to display complete group photos here. At the time, summit conditions were clear, 15°F, and extremely windy with continuous cloud cover at around the 10,000 foot level over the entire state...
From parking lot to summit!
Mt. Rainier Summit: July 02, 2000Part of our summit party;
left to right:
Ray Meng, Denise Bingham, John Streeter, Kurt Wibbenmeyer and leader John Mill
Our team at White River Ranger Stationleft to right:
Me, John Streeter, Dave Ditchkus, Denise Bingham,
John Shunk, Linda Johnson, assistant leader Steve Cleary,
Ray Meng, leader John Mill, and Kurt Wibbenmeyer
| A decade later, in the Spring of 2010, my friend Linda Jagger found the original trip report that I had long since forgotten about. I posted it here exactly as it appeared on some CMC listservers figuring after ten years most of the email addresses have expired: |
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From: Roger J Wendell To: rockies@climber.org; high-altitude@climber.org Cc: ken.yarcho@juno.com; JMILL@sah.com; dbingham@sysinn.com; istvon@hotmail.com; ditty_dinkus@msn.com; johnson.lindas@epa.gov; rmeng@itsden.com; jshunk@mprlaw.com; jstreeter@spike.dor.state.co.us; kawibbenmeyer@yahoo.com; peakbagr@earthlink.net Sent: Wed, July 5, 2000 8:13:44 PM Subject: Rainier Trip Report |
Pix from our Rainier climb:
Me on top the windy summit
Me going up in shorts...
Passing a crevasse
Crevasse swarm
One ugly crevasse
View from Glacier Camp
View from above the clouds
Looking down from the top
Glacier Camp toilets
Mt. Rainier (14,410 feet), Washington State: On Sunday morning, July 2nd, CMC leader John Mill, and his assistant Steve Cleary, led 9 of our 11 member HAMS graduation team to the summit of Rainier. From camp Schurman (9,430+ feet) we departed around 03:00 am after waking to clear, starry skies at 01:30 am. Our route of travel was both the Inter and Emmons Glaciers, having started around 4,300 feet at the White River Ranger Station. (My GPS indicates that there are 1.79 line-of-sight miles between Schurman and the summit - we were delayed about an hour, mid route, due to a change in rope teams).
Summit conditions were clear, extremely windy and cold with Kurt measuring the temperature at about 15 degrees F. Visibility was good in all directions except for the continuous cloud layer covering the state at around the 10,000 foot level. The down climb was relatively quick until we reached the clouds and had to look around for wands until reaching Schurman.
The next day, Monday, required more careful down climbing as a steady snow fell, at times reducing visibility to a rope length. Earlier that morning, between about midnight and 02:00 am, we listened to many teams abandon their plans for a summit attempt because of the weather. We reached the White River Ranger Station in the early afternoon - walking through snow or continuous drizzle the entire way.
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In SUMMARY I found the trip to be extremely enjoyable, educational, and
inspirational. In some areas the glaciers were so bluish or green that
it seemed "otherworldly." Also, our team, for a beginner like me, seemed
efficient and cohesive under the expert guidance of both John Mill and
Steve Cleary. And finally, no matter how difficult the hike it sure
beats a day at the office... |
Members:
John Mill - Leader
Roger J. Wendell |
Tom Urban's HAMS ice climbing class
above Vail, Colorado in February 2000
(photos by me):
In this one (above) Scott Nykerk is coming over the top...
My CMC Training:
- March 4, 2012 - Wilderness First Aid
- March 3, 2012 - Advanced Leadership Training Seminar
- January 22, 2012 - Completed AIARE Level 1 avalanche course [conducted by David, Michelle, and David]
- November 15, 2011 - Completed Trip Leader School [conducted by Martha Mustard, Marty Billings, and Thom Curtis]
- January 21, 2001 - Completed Cross Country Ski School [Instructors: Joan Rossiter, Rod VanderWall and Waide Biggs]
- July 2000 - Completed HAMS Mt Rainier graduation climb (photos above) [John Mill, Leader - Steve Cleary, Assistant]
- March 2000 - Completed High Altitude Mountaineering Section (HAMS) [Tom Urbran, Instructor]
- Summer 1999 - Completed Intermediate Rock Climbing School (IRCS) [Larry DeSaules, Instructor - Rich Pearce, Assistant]
- October 1998 - Earned D hiker Classification
- October 1998 - Completed Mountain Oriented First Aid (MOFA) [Dr. Doug Hill, Instructor]
- September 1998 - Completed Basic Mountaineering School (BMS) [Instructors: Rhonda Lew and Ginni Greer]
- April 1998 - Completed American Red Cross First Aid & CPR training
- March 1998 - Earned Moderate Ski Classification
- February 1998 - Completed Telemark Ski School [Instructors: Marilyn Choske, Rolph Asplund and Mike Gilespi]
- September 1997 - Earned C hiker Classification
- July 1997 - Earned B hiker Classification
- June 1997 - Completed Wilderness Survival School [John Lindner, Instructor]
- May 1997 - Completed Wilderness Trekking School (WTS) [Carol Neslund, Instructor]
- January 1997 - Earned Easy Ski Classification
- January 1997 - Completed Basic Avalanche Course [Instructors: Knox Williams and Craig Patterson]
- November 1996 - Completed Joint Leadership Seminar (Boulder/Denver)
- 05 November 1996 - Attended new member orientation
Giving Back:
- Assisted with Champ Camp for the entire week - July, 2011
- Assisted with IRCS classroom instruction - March, 2003
- Assisted with BRCS at Maxwell Falls - June 8 and 9, 2002
- Wrote 'em this Sweet Syringe climbing piece for their January 2002 "Tech Section News"
Links:
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| Warning! Climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing are dangerous and can seriously injure or kill you. By further exploring this web site you acknowledge that the information presented here may be out of date or incorrect, and you agree not to hold the author responsible for any damages, injuries, or death arising from any use of this resource. Please thoroughly investigate any mountain before attempting to climb it, and do not substitute this web site for experience, training, and recognizing your limitations! |
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