John Simac, Lee Tegner and Camp Schurman

Ed Hrivnak is a pilot and a writer (New Yorker and Operation Homecoming) and last September he took a special trip to Mount Rainier for two friends. Normally, this sort of activity wouldn't be too big of a deal (Ed flew many of the maneuvers behind the photos in my book), but his two friends have a special connection to Rainier and this trip could be their last chance to get up close and personal with "The Mountain." Here is an edited version of that flight and those men.

“I can not begin to express what an honor it was to fly John Simac and Lee Tegner around the mountain in September, 2007. As a climber and rescuer, the stories I heard from them during the flight were truly amazing. John talked about his first Rainier climb in 1932 and the body recovery of Delmar Fadden in 1936; Lee talked about being strapped into the open door of a plane while making cargo drops to the Camp Schurman hut in the early 1960's. Both reminisced about camping on the summit for a week, playing football and eating watermelon while teaching young Explorer Scouts the skills of mountaineering.

John had mentioned a flight to see the mountain six months ago realizing that at age 93, he may never see “the hut” and Mount Rainier up close again. After months of scheduling conflicts, we finally had a day that worked for all three of us.

The weather that day was absolutely perfect. There was a light wind and clear skies which made for stable air on the NE side of the mountain. This would be great for viewing Camp Schurman and the Emmons Glacier. You see, John and Lee both volunteered to build the Camp Schurman hut. Both spent many years on Mount Rainier's slopes. Both volunteered with Mountain Rescue for over 50 years. Both had given so much and I wanted to honor that.

We took four laps around the north and east face of Mount Rainier, Little Tahoma, and in particular Camp Schurman. No one was around that day; it was just us, the mountain, and the hut. After all I'd heard, I decided to pull a maneuver that would give them a clear view. I took the plane to 11 K and then dropped the flaps, pulled the engine to idle, and gently rolled in for closer inspection. We quietly glided over the glacier with the hut to our right. Then John spoke with a tear in his eye, "Seeing that hut again brought back a flood of memories that I can't sort out at once." Lee, with a smile, said, "we had a hell of a time on this mountain."

As the plane descended over the Winthrop Glacier, we watched large open crevasses pass beneath us. I looked over at Lee and John and noted that they were both lost in memories that I could only imagine. I wonder if there is anyone alive today who has volunteered more time on the upper mountain of Rainier as John and Lee. It was a privilege to pilot them for what might be a final view of a place so special. For me, I hope someone will do the same when I am 93." -Ed Hrivnak

Tombstone Tuesday :: George and Minnie Linvill

Minnie Belle Shuder was born August 10, 1878 near Oswego, Kosciusko County, Indiana. She was the daughter of Isaac and Nancy Jane (Lavering) Shuder, my Dad's grandparents and therefore was a sister of my fraternal grandmother, Elsie Shuder Wiseman.

According to their Kosciusko County Marriage Application, Minnie was married in Indianapolis to Richard Harry Larrabee, son of Cornelius and Meliss (Conn) Larabee., on August 10, 1906. She was 28 years old and he was 36. When their only child, Richard J. Larrabee, was born on March 5, 1915 she was 36 years old. However, I'm not positive that they were the birth parents as her obituary states that Richard was her foster son.

Apparently, her husband went missing for a while. In an article in the Northern Indianian dated January 17, 1918 we find that "Mrs. R. H. Laribee [sic], the daughter of N. L. [sic] Schuder of Barbee Lakes, has asked Marshal C. W. Douglass to assist in locating her husband who was missing for more than a month. Inquiry was being made at Indianapolis where he was last heard from December 11th. He was a carpenter and for a number of months was employed by the government and worked at Camp Taylor and other army cantonments. Early in December he accompanied his wife here and returned to Indianapolis, where their goods were stored, intending to move them overland to this county. Mrs. Laribee received a letter from him after he went to Indianapolis which stated that because of the bad weather the draymen wished to postpone the trip for a few days. That was the last heard of him. Mrs. Laribee says her husband was suffering from a severe cold when he went to Indianapolis, and says it is possible that he may have become ill and taken to a hospital. He has a brother in Indianapolis."

A note in my cousin Caroline's files stated that Richard was never heard from again. However, Minnie and Harry R. Larrabee were found in the 1920 census living in Warsaw, Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana (page 230). Harry was listed as a 50 year old carpenter and Minnie was 41 years old. Listed with them was a son, Richard, age 4 years.

It seems that all did not go well for Minnie and her husband. An index of Whitley County Marriage Records show that Minnie was married to George W. Linville on May 18, 1928. I haven't gotten a copy of the marriage application yet but the index gives her last name as Schuder instead of Larabee. It should also tell us whether her first marriage ended by divorce or death of Richard Harry.

Minnie passed away at age 68 on November 27, 1946 at her home in Millersburg, Indiana. George was 70 years old and still living in Millersburg when he passed away on April 10, 1949 while visiting his stepson, Richard Larabee in Goshen, Indiana. His obituary stated that George was a wood worker and had formerly resided at Churubusco, Warsaw, and New Paris. Survivors were listed as a step son, Richard Larabee, and a step grandson, James Larabee.

George and Minnie are interred at the North Webster Cemetery in North Webster, Kosciusko County, Indiana. They are in the same cemetery as her parents and several siblings, although in a different section.


Thanks to wonderful directions from my cousin Charlene, I found Minnie's gravesite. It is in the southernmost section of the cemetery and the marker is the first one in the row just beyond the big bush. You can see the blue waters of beautiful Lake Webster in the background.

GEORGE W. / 1878-1919
MINNIE B. / 1878-1946
LINVILL
Photograps taken May 21, .. - Copyright © .. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Thursday, September 1st - - With the campsite in shade and temperatures in the low 30s this morning I went and found a nice sunny spot in which to eat breakfast. Then it was off to see the sights!





Sometimes, I guess, Buffalo prefer an easy route to wherever they are going! They were frequently seen alongside and on the road, usually only one or two bison at a time.



My primary destination this morning was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its beautiful Lower Falls and Upper Falls. Located at the northeastern corner of the southern highway loop, the 40 mile drive from the campground took about two hours, with stops along the way at the Mud Volcano Area and Sulphur Caldron.





My first stop in the “Grand Canyon” area was Artist Point on the South Rim.



Artist Point provides stunning views of the 308-foot Lower Falls. It is, quite simply, breathtaking! The morning light along with a hazy sky enhanced the view allowing details in the sides of the canyon to show up, though the colors are somewhat muted.





A closer view of the Lower Falls.



And, even closer.



The colors of the canyon didn't show up clearly in the photos of the Lower Falls, but, oh my, how they “popped” when looking to the northeast! The fantastic colors of the north side of the canyon come from rhyolite and sediments that have been altered by hydrothermal action (i.e. hot water from springs that were active in years past).





The Upper Falls is not quite as impressive (only 109 feet) or photogenic as the Lower Falls but it was still worth the walk down a short trail to see it.





It was also easier to access the Brink of the Upper Falls from another short trail. The Brink of the Lower Falls was a strenuous trail that dropped 600 feet in a very short distance. I passed on that one but did go to the Brink of the Upper Falls, shown above.





The view from Inspiration Point, on the North Rim, looking to the northeast.





As I drove up to the northwest side of the park to the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces, the clouds moved in.





I walked along most of the boardwalk trails in the lower terraces but my legs were getting a little wobbly by the time I made it to the upper terrace area. Whether it was from the lighting conditions or the fact that many of the springs in that area have gone dormant, I was disappointed with my visit there. The photos I took were rather blah.





The view from the front of the upper terraces was rather impressive though. On the drive back to the campground, I took the “shorter” route along the west side of the northern loop then cutting across to Canyon Village and the eastern side of the southern loop. It was still about a 75 mile drive back to the campground.

Can you tell me why?

Why aren't we skiing?




Over the years I've spread my kind of love over a few climbing forums. Enough so that I've been booted off at least one. Not that I give a chit because I don't It is simply entertainmentfor me.



Threeof the funniest exchanges I've had (to me anyway) have been with in retrospect, obviously very young climbers. No matter how good technically they might be or thought they were during the exchanges I was laughing at them and poking fun at their expense. Yes, I know I can be aprick. No need to restate the obvious in a comment.



In no particular order:



"Me Mum bought this fine jacket for me..best insulated jacket ever made"...of course he'd never used or owned any other jacket at the time. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPP! Last I checked he is still a little pissy about the exchange. They simply don't know what they don't know



"Climb can't safely be done without several screws and half a dozen pickets" BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEP! My answer? "Most anyone could solo that one in decent conditions. And I have never ever placed a picket. Mind you it doesn't mean I haven't wanted to just never had one :)"Original climber sacked up and soloed the same moderate climb a few seasons later. Same thing most of us had been doing for decades now with minimal gear.



"I've skied for years" a most recently famous alpinist tells us in a focus group on new gear. BBBBBBBEEEEEEPPPP! Mind you the "kid" is just 21, no formal education past high school and his experience skiing in the last 15 years (he started at 5) is hard to relate to an uncaring audience of 50+ year old engineers who have been skiing them selves since they were 5 or younger and designing or working in the ski industry since they were 18 years old. Hard not to roll your eyes when I hear I've been skiing my whole life....when the speaker is 17 years old and the topic technical in nature.



"youth is wasted on the young" J.B. Shaw had it right.. :)



Not that I am a rocket scientist myself or know much about anything in particular. My BS meter has gotten better over the years how ever. "Nice ski, but ya the mount point is FUBARED dude."

"Someone might ought to look at that more closely." That stainless and plastic interface? Take body weight? Maybe. Hammer on it? Not likely. Trim the weight by making it smaller? OK. But make it so small it now breaks in the same application? Makes no sense to me.









So, why aren't we skiing?



I've done Rainer by a dozen routes in all seasons, many, many timesand until recently only taken skis on the mountain a couple of times.



Now I have to ask why are you NOT taking skis? You can guess at my age. But in any race I am not going to be in the front of the pack. On the right day if you break down the age groups into 5 year splits I can generally hold my own with what ever amateur shows up. As serious athlete will generally, and easilybury me. I'm lazy and WEAK...there I admit it :)



So if I am doing moderate climbs and skis like Rainier and I am able to catch you and eventually passing you on my light weight gear you might want to rethink your own gear choices. When I can bury you on the up and then drop you on the down in light weight gear it is either time to bury your head in shame or pull out the check book, 'cuz you obviously SUCK!



If you climb and read a winter climbing blog and don't ski? YOU really, really SUCK!



All the spare excuses have been used and you have been found sadly, wanting. If it is a fitness issue, change your diet and get a dog to run with. They are likely the only one that will have you anyway.



I have one myself :) His name is Marley and helikes torun, really likes to go on bike rides and anything related toskiing, plus the occasional cinnamon roll or pistachio.









Marley


No one is really as good as they might think they are or as smart. We generally judge each other much harder than we judge ourselves. Never hurts to brush a little sand off your you friends ass instead of grinding it in. You never know when you might need the same favor.



But I am still going to chuckle under my breath when I skin past you or ski by. Simply because I know I'm the one having more fun...and I'm just the oldprick willing to admit it ;) PS...Marley would be laughing as well he's just a much nicier guy when he sees a human...sucking @ the fun!

A Custom Rivendell Roadbike

Some time ago I got the chance to try a custom Rivendell, built for local cyclist and bicycle mechanic Jim A. I had been eying this beautiful bicycle in Jim's corner at Harris Cyclery for a couple of years now and did not have the nerve to ride it. But as my curiosity grew and my bike handling skills improved, the stars finally aligned and it all culminated in a test ride.





As far as Rivendells go, this one is both iconic and unique. The lugwork and color scheme look quintessentially Rivendellian, but the frame was built by Roland Della Santa in 2000, whereas today theircustom frames are usually built by Mark Nobilette. Of course being custom it was also built according to Jim's proportions and specifications, in particular to accommodate his long legs and a short torso.





As far as lugwork, there are some special touches such as the double-plated fork crown,





the elegant seat cluster,





and the filigreed lugs framing the contrasting head tube panel. Of course I love the sage green and cream color scheme. If I were to get a custom Rivendellthis is pretty much what it would look like.





Jim has this bicycle set up with Nitto Noodle handlebars, bar-end shifters, a compact drivetrain,PanaracerPasela28mm tires, and a green BrooksB17 saddle. The frame was built for short reach brakes, and will fit a 28mm tire with fender.





The frame size is 54cm x 53.5cm. With its standard diameter tubing, level top tube, and road geometry, this bicycle resembles a classic roadbike more so than Rivendell's currently produced models - which was one reason I was interested in trying it.






I rode the bicycle for a 5-8 mile loop through the suburbs with some hills. While I did not put the bike "through the paces" (I was still pretty nervous about marring its pristine condition), I did get a basic sense for its handling and speed. And... my main impression was that it handled similarly to my Mercian - to a freewheel, geared version of it, that is. The acceleration, the turning, and just the general feel of the Rivendell felt so similar that it was as if I was riding a different version of my own bike. With the handlebars set up for Jim but the saddle lowered for me, I was more upright than I wanted to be, and also there was some toe overlap with the front wheel, so on my own bike the specs would be a little different. But otherwise it felt comfortable, while also being lighter and more responsive than the stockRivendellSam Hillborne I own.






It is hard to believe that 2000 was 12 years ago, but time does fly. Since they opened shop in 1994, Rivendell's philosophy has been shifting consistently in the direction of wider tires, hardier tubing, upright handlebars, greater off-road capacity, and reinforced frames (double top tubes, diagonal tubes, etc.). But in the past they did offer more roadish models that were essentially classic lugged steel road-to-trail bikes with decent tire clearances - nothing fancier or more eccentric than that. Trying a custom bicycle from this period was a treat, and has helped me understand the company's history. Many thanks to Jim A. for allowing me to ride his bike and to share these pictures.

Wordless Wednesday :: Yum

Fresh. Purchased at the field. Scrumptious.

With a penny, just so you can compare the size!

Spring Weather

Small pockets of sunshine followed by waves of snowy/rainy weather have been passing over the park the last couple of weeks. Winter conditions still persist on the mountain: climbers are still choosing to climb the Ingraham Direct instead of the Disappointment Cleaver, eighteen feet of snow still remains at Paradise, and the snow plows are still hard at work clearing the roads.

Please continue to check back to the Access and Roads thread for the most up to date information regarding White River and Stevens Canyon opening dates.

With Memorial Day Weekend just around the corner, the climbing season is getting into full swing. The Climbing Information Center will be open daily from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm starting Friday, May 27th. Come on up and enjoy the start of the season!

Driving As a Cyclist

Until last week I had not been behind the wheel of a car since 2007. ButI knew this day would come - the day I would want to drive again.




Over my years as a driver, the cars I've owned have always had automatic transmission - I never learned how to drive manual. When I mention this to an Irish friend, he shakes his head and roars with laughter. "Automatic!"He says it as if the word itself, used in relation to cars, is amusing in its absurdity."Automatic?! Okay, so you never learned to drive properly in the first place. Well come on - I'll learn ya!"




And just like that, I am in the driver's seat. I feel ready for this, looking forward not only to being behind the wheel after such a long time, but specifically to trying the manual gear-shifting. And the funny thing is - this enthusiasm comesfrombeing a cyclist, not in spite of it.





The 8 mile stretch of Benone Beach is like an unpaved extension of the road. Cautiously I maneuver the rickety Saab along the sand, my left hand on the gear shift knob, my senses heightened, trying to listen to the engine's sounds and feel the give in the clutch.



Things do not go as badly as I thought they might. I am not stalling out. I press the correct pedals. My hand is getting used to the positions of the gears, so that I can shift without looking. Operating the gear box makes sense, having gotten used to the concept and feel of gears on the bike. When the gear is too high, the car makes a straining noise - not unlike a cyclist grinding along at a painfully low cadence. When the gear is too low, the car feels as if it is spinning out, unable to pick up speed efficiently. It is not a perfect analogy by any means, but it is just enough to make sense. And I can feel that with some practice this will become intuitive.



I think of driving now differently than I did 5 years ago. Cycling is a very physical activity, and it has made me more viscerally aware of the mechanics involved in operating a vehicle. I think of driving as a serious skill, rather than a perfunctory action. When in the passenger's seatI now find myself more aware of the driver's technique and degree of control under different road surface conditions and speeds.Having worked so hard to learn how to handle my bike on winding mountain roads, I appreciate the handling skills involved in operating all vehicles - be they motorcycles, tractors or cars.Some of the people I know here are extremely skilled drivers, and I must admit that riding with them is exciting. I am impressed with the smoothness and precision with which they operate their complicated, heavy 4-wheel motorised vehicles. And if I do drive myself, I aspire to aim for the same degree of proficiency.

Saturday Night Fun - Wordles!

Randy's Saturday Night Fun for this week is Wordles, which was inspired by John Newmark! What's a Wordle? It is a graphic representation of text that can be created at wordle.net but be forewarned - you can spend a lot of time playing with the various font and directional settings.

These surname Wordles were created back in July of last year for my maternal and fraternal lines, Phend and Wiseman, respectively. (As always, click on the images for a larger version.)


This facebook wordle was also created in July '08

And this one for the Genea-Blogger Group Games was created in August '08

Middle Falls of the Pigeon River

Today I hiked to Middle Falls of the Pigeon River in Grand Portage State Park. The state park is also where I work for my 'day job'. The Middle Falls Trail is a rugged, almost 5 mile round-trip hike. It covers a variety of terrain, since the trail goes up and over a tall ridge. There are fantastic overlooks of Lake Superior and the Pigeon River valley from the top of the ridge, which is roughly halfway along the trail to the falls. When you arrive at Middle Falls there are several views downstream, upstream and right at the falls. This photo was taken while standing right at the top edge of the falls looking upstream. It is not a very big waterfall, but the river is quite wide here and combined with the rapids that precede the falls it is a very beautiful stretch of river. The Pigeon River is the border between the U.S. and Canada in this area, so the opposite bank of the river seen in this photo is actually in Canada :-)

Baby Elephant

Rozie the elephant that I saw as a baby 16 years ago now has had a baby on last Wed. 09-02-09. I hope to be able to go see this baby girl when she can be seen by the public. This photo came out really small when I posted it. It is someone elses photo and can be seen at this sitehttp://www.cabq.gov/biopark/elephantcalf.htmlt It is always wonderful to hear about the birth of animals and especially those near extention. The Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque is known for the gariffe births that occur frequently. I think there may have been a baby gariffe born earlier this spring and there were snow leopard cubs born in May this spring. Snow leopards are extreamly endangered. The Rio Grande zoo is doing really well at raising endangered animals.

Peacock Flowers

There flowers are called Acidanthera or peacock orchids, or peacock iris so I just call them peacock flowers because they are as beautiful as a white peacock in full feather. They do come from bulbs that bloom in mid summer. I grew mine on my sunroom and they have done great. They are an inexpensive bulb that can be found on sale in the early spring. They do have long, strappy type leaves that are almost like a thick leafed grass and needed to be staked so they wouldn't fall over. The center of the flower has a arrow shaped deep shade of purple or burgundy red shape on each petal. The flowersdon't seem to last very long and I don't think they would make good cut flowers but have made a bright splash of color in my indoor garden. I took some photos of the flowers at night with a flash against a dark window and I am very pleased with the outcome. Need to try some other flowers this way.

Maxey circular - via Peakirk, Glinton, Etton

Led by me. With Barry and Eddie. Lunch at the Ruddy Duck. Very flat, dry underfoot. Good weather with a fair amount of sun. Around 10.5 miles [ I had a few hundred yards when garmin was switched off - hence my maximum walking speed of - 146 miles per hour!]


Tuckers Nook - an irresistible street name, quiet, somewhere to park unobtrusively, before booting up and crossing the High Street to Quarry Lane. We turn right to follow the public footpath, then take the clear track around the west and south sides of the quarry area.



Maxey Quarry lies to the South of the village and now consists of lakes attractive to wildfowl, guarded byplenty of signs warning of quicksand, and the dangers of deep cold water.

It doesn't look too inviting

We join the track which comes from Woodgate Road, just before the bridge over Maxey Cut. This track soon heads east past some sand and gravel workings.






On the lakes we see grebe, coots, ducks and a vast number of swans, among half submerged willows.









The track crosses the minor road to Etton and arrives at the A15, where there is a choice of culvert-style tunnels below the road.

Just big enough to walk through upright.

The track continues to the east of the A15, and meets Lincoln Road, between Glinton and Northborough at the Nine Bridges Viaduct - road over water. We counted sixteen arches.



There's a man in a car labelled Traffic Survey - the job doesn't look too arduous, and he's not even counting pedestrians. We turn right and immediately left, and pick up a permissive footpath which takes us to the side of the Cut.



We turn right and walk as far as a bridge carrying a footpath. There's a heron fishing.

















It really isn't bothered by our presence. We turn right along the footpath, reach the Mile Drove Road, then turn along North Fen Road. We walk as far as the bridge with a display board about John Clare. For a gentle introduction to his work have a look at this blog.



A few hundred yards later, our footpath goes off to the left just before the first houses in Glinton.



We walk along until the path turns right than left, and now we have a possible alternative route. It's that sort of day - we'll try the other path via the course of the Car Dyke. We overshoot, then return. We come out in Peakirk just by the magnificent, nay splendid, Old Rectory. A left turn along a narrow footpath brings us to St Pega's church, with its open bell-tower and medieval wall paintings. This is very much a hidden gem, nestled among the trees, and with no tower or spire advertising its presence from a distance.














We've walked about 5 miles by now. Next stop the Ruddy Duck for a bite to eat. Then by street and pavement to Glinton, with a brief nod to Mary Joyce's grave. She was John Clare's first sweetheart. Their romance was thwarted because her family would not accept him socially. Alas, she died single at the age of 41, in a house fire. Here's a poemClare wrote about her - before her death.



I can take John Clare's poems in small doses, but he had strong ideas about the changing countryside and its people, and was very much against the enclosure of common land. His tragic life and depression caused him to be locked in an asylum for some time.

Glinton church

Relaxed goat

On we stride along a street which leads directly to a footbridge over the A15. This must be the highest we've been above sea-level all day. We continue at the side of a field of yellow rape flowers, to the turn to Etton, a very small village, with a pub, a fair few horses, and the claim to have won the "Best Kept Village" competition at least three times.

Etton church

We've spied a route that looks better than tramping the hard road back to Maxey, and turn left along another dyke, near a road bridge.





With the help of our map, we wend our way back towards Maxey, meeting several dog-walkers - I think they are vital in keeping some of these paths open to the public!

We return to Maxey along Woodgate Road, and return to the car.


A day of wide skies, long views and plenty of water.



Wildlife:

Grebes doing a bit of a courtship dance, a heron staying obligingly still, terns, swallows and a very loud robin in Maxey.



A recent Countryfile programme includes a section on John Clare. It's about 12 minutes into the programme.