Mar 2009 SCREE

General Meeting

Date: March 10, 2009

Time: 7:30 – 9:30 pm – Normal time!

Where: PCC

3921 E. Bayshore Rd.

Palo Alto, CA

Program: Two Wonderful Ski Films

Presenter: Marcus Libkind

Marcus Libkind, author of backcountry ski guidebooks and Chairman of Snowlands Network, will inspire you through images and commentary to explore new places on skis and snowshoes. He will also describe the advocacy work of Snowlands Network to protect opportunities for quiet winter recreation.

Ski Memories and The Original Mugelhupf Movie

This home movie begins in Switzerland in 1930 when Wolfgang Lert learned to ski on wooden skis with toe-irons and hazelnut poles. He and his friends would go on to explore the western US for places to ski including Yosemite. The second half of the movie is a ski chase that took place on the flanks of Mt. San Antonio near the Sierra Club’s San Antonio Ski Hut. It'll make you smile and laugh!

The Lost People of Mountain Village

Anthropologist Wade Davis calls it "no less than the most spectacular archaeological and anthropological discovery of our lifetimes." Dr. Jerrold Sapphire, author of "VANISHED: Why Bad Things Happen to Bad Civilizations," calls it… well, you’ll find out what he calls it. But when a lost backcountry skier high in the Rocky Mountains stumbles on a monumental complex of structures – apparently completely uninhabited – the only thing that experts agree on is that we may never know what really happened to "The Lost People of Mountain Village." This film is very serious! It’s also hilarious!

Directions:

From 101: Exit south at Lawrence Expressway. Right on Kern Ave. If coming north on Lawrence make a U turn at Oakmead Pkwy, then go right on Kern Ave. Google map is at http://tinyurl.com/9snt7g.

Editor’s Notes

Help! We need a Scree Editor! It is actually fun to throw together articles from various people and toss in a few tidbits you have noticed here and there. You also become a member of the PCS executive committee and get to have dinner meetings several times during the year. If you would like to edit this newsletter for the coming year, please contact Louise at PCSchair@gmail.com or call her at 408-867-6658.

Chair Column

Trips

By Louise Wholey

The trip schedule for the summer is done! Wow! We have about 60 trips with 14 different leaders! There is something for everyone.

We had a great planning party, well-attended, productive and fun, at Jeff’s house. He served us all pasta and veggies, supplemented with numerous dishes and beverages brought by the attendees. Many thanks to all those who came! Super many thanks go to Jeff for hosting the meeting and making sure everyone had something to eat and drink!

This is the Scree issue in which we publish this list. All trips are preliminary as permits and other advanced planning aspects are still needed, but this is what people are thinking about for the upcoming climbing season.

To join trips get contact information from Scree or the PCS website, http://peakclimbing.org. For Scree we usually put out the trips details up to 2 ½ months in advance. For example, this issue comes out at the beginning of March with trips for March, April, and the first part of May.

The trip leader will decide what qualifications participants must have. Sometimes trip descriptions will tell potential trip participants enough to know whether the trip will be fun or way over their head. In the past we have classified trips only by technical rating, class 1,2,3,4,5. See the last page of Scree for their meanings.

This year we are instituting an additional rating system to help identify the exertion level for trips. These are easy, moderate, strenuous and extreme. An easy trip will be at a slow pace and cover a distance and elevation change that any person in reasonable condition can handle. A moderate trip will begin to challenge someone in good shape. A strenuous trip requires excellent physical condition. Anyone not very fit will have a very hard time and suffer lots.

An extreme trip sometimes dubbed a Lisa trip will challenge most fit people. Such trips will either cover many miles, or much elevation change, maybe including multiple peaks in a day. First-time participants should avoid these trips.

As time goes by we will publish some specific distances and elevation changes for the new rating system. For now, it will be at the leader’s discretion to decide. As you become familiar with various leaders you will know what kind of trips they do.

There is another type of trip that is designed for new people. These are labeled beginners trips. Come join us!

See you out there!

Louise

Events

Banff Film Festival

March 13-14, 2009 7:00 PM

Los Altos High School Eagle Theatre

201 Almond Ave. Los Altos, CA

Tickets $15, REI Mountain View Customer Service $18 nonmembers, will-call, or at the door

http://tinyurl.com/bruujd

Come experience adventure filmmaking at its best!

Film List – Friday, March 13

The Red Helmet

Multi Sport, USA, 2008, 6 minutes

Directed by Tyler Young, Produced by Dave Barlia

Overcome with fear, a young boy runs into the forest. He finds a magic red helmet and goes on the adventure of a lifetime. Slowly building courage, he is transformed and returns to confront his boyhood fears.

The Sharp End

Lisa Rands Climbing/Bouldering,USA, 2008, 6 minutes

Directed and produced by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen

Lisa Rands shows us the drive, talent, and courage needed to climb challenging and scary "highball" boulder problems.

Red Gold

Environmental, USA, 2008, 54 minutes

Award: People's Choice

Directed by Ben Knight and Travis Rummel, Produced by Travis Rummel

At the headwaters of the two largest remaining sockeye salmon runs on the planet, a proposed mine may require the largest dam ever constructed to contain the toxic runoff. Native, commercial and sport fishermen oppose the proposed Pebble Mine, while mine officials argue the case for development. At stake is a unique way of life that would not exist if the salmon didn't return with Bristol Bay's tide.

If You're Not Falling

Rock Climbing, UK, 2008, 8 minutes

Award: Best Short Mountain Film

Directed by Paul Diffley, Produced by Dave Brown

Canadian rock legend Sonnie Trotter heads to Scotland to do battle on another "hardest rock climb in the world". As each day passes, he collects more and more air time: fifty-foot falls from the steep rock buttress that plunges down beneath a historic castle. "Well, if you're not falling, you're not trying," observes Trotter.

Danzak

Culture, USA, 2008, 19 minutes

Directed and produced by Gabriela Yepes

Nina is a 10 year old Peruvian girl whose life dramatically changes when her dying father and Scissor Dance master asks her to fulfill his last wish.

Papiroflexia

Environmental, USA, 2007, 3 minutes

Directed and produced by Joaquin Baldwin

An origami tale of a skillful paper folder who shapes the world with his hands.

The Fine Line

Skiing/Snowboarding, Canada, 2008, 25 minutes

Directed by Dave Mossop, Produced by Malcolm Sangster

A cinematic journey that combines unites the cutting edge of winter action sports with education about responsible backcountry usage, The Fine Line features epic riding, amazing visuals, and stunning true stories of avalanche survivors.

Film List – Saturday, March 14

Crux

Cycling, Canada, 2007, 12 minutes

Award: People’s Choice Radical Reels NightDirected by Alexander Lavigne, Produced by Ryan Leech

Combining sheer difficulty with creative style, three athletes execute mind-bending feats of bike mastery and redefine technical riding standards.

The Cable Car

Animation, Switzerland, 2008, 7 minutes

While traveling by cable car to a place somewhere in the mountains, an old man treats himself to some snuff. With every sneeze, the cable car cabin falls apart more and more, but the man is far from accepting his fate.

Patagonian Winter

Alpine Climbing, UK, 2007, 31 minutes

Award: Special Jury Selection

Directed and Produced by Alastair Lee

Andy Kirkpatrick is a pioneer of winter climbing in Patagonia, with many hair-raising ascents to his name. His latest Patagonian horror show is an attempt at the first winter ascent of Torre Egger with fellow alpinist Ian Parnell.

The Sharp End: Eastern Europe

Climbing,USA, 2008, 17 minutes

Directed and produced by Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen

A talented group of climbers explores the unique history, culture, and danger of one of the world’s most remarkable climbing destinations.

Silent Snow

Environment, The Netherlands, 2007, 13 minutes

Produced by Ann Andreasen, Sabine Groenewegen, Jacob Gelt Dekker, Henk Sannes

Dangerous pesticides from all over the planet are being carried to the poles by northbound wind and waves. Against a background of melting ice, two girls in northern Greenland discuss the pollution that is dramatically changing their lives.

The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing

Skiing, Canada, 2008, 14 minutes

Directed and Produced by Greg Hill

A season of backcountry skiing, described by a keen and passionate narrator.

The Last Frontier - Papua New Guinea

Kayak, USA, 2008, 18 minutes

Directed and Produced by Trip Jennings

The Epicocity crew travel to Papua New Guinea to document the island of New Britain’s pristine water, habitat and intact indigenous culture through an exploratory caving and kayaking expedition.

Additional Dates/Venues:
7 pm, Saturday & Sunday, March 7 & 8: Wheeler Auditorium,

UC Berkeley
7 pm, Monday, March 9: Spreckels Performing Arts Center,

Rohnert Park
7 pm, Tuesday, March 10: Smith Rafael Film Center,

San Rafael
7 pm, Wed & Thurs, March 11 & 12: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco
7 pm, Sunday, March 15: The World Theater, CSU Monterey Bay, Seaside

Fred Becky at South Lake Tahoe

http://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/poster_pdfs/fbssforsac.png

A High Altitude Evening with

Jordan Romero – hosted by California ARA

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

7 p.m. – 9 p.m

Sports Basement

1177 Kern Ave

Sunnyvale, CA 94085

Drinks and snacks provided - 20% off shopping discount

At age 10 Jordan Romero set out to climb the 7 Summits, the highest peak on each continent. At age 12, Jordan has been to the summit of 5 of these famous peaks. He’s inspiring kids and adults alike to follow their dreams and to challenge their physical fitness.

Join us for an evening with Jordan that will renew your faith in the energy of our youth. Friends and family welcome!

More on the amazing Jordan: http://www.jordanromero.com

Questions: contact Kim Roland kim@california-ara.com

Host: California Adventure Racing http://california-ara.com/

Trip Planning Meeting

2008 Advance Trip List

This is a tentative list of trips planned for Spring and Summer. Please do not contact the leaders until the trips are officially announced in the "Scree" or on the website.

Dates	Peak	Leader
MARCH
3/13-15	Koip Peak !	Louise Wholey
3/20-22	Shasta Sargent Ridge !	Kelly Maas
3/22	Round Top #	Arun Mahajan
3/28-29	Lake Alpine Nordic Ski Patrol	Charles Schafer
APRIL
4/4	Mt. Lassen Day Climb #	George Van Gorden
4/4-5	Pinnacles Climbing	Jeff Fisher
4/10-12	Casaval Ridge Shasta !	Lisa Barboza
4/12	Crevasse Rescue Practice #	Kelly Maas
4/24-26	Red Slate Mtn !	Louise Wholey
MAY
5/1-3	Mineral King Skiing, climb Florence, Vandever !	Louise Wholey
5/2	Mt. Lassen Day Climb #	Arun Mahajan
5/9-10	Ice Axe & Crampon Practice #	Kelly Maas
5/9-10	Olancha #	Tim Hult
5/9-10	Moses and Maggie	Louise Wholey
5/15-18	Angora, Coyote #	Lisa Barboza
5/23-25	Kern Peak	Louise Wholey
5/23-30	Thompson, Powell, Haeckel, Wallace, Goode, Gilbert, Johnson (3-day option) !	Lisa Barboza
5/30-31	Moses and Maggie *	Joe Baker
JUNE
6/3	Tinker Knob Day Climb (Wed)	Lisa Barboza
6/5-6	Shasta #	George Van Gorden
6/12-14	Matterhorn, Whorl !	Lisa Barboza
6/13-14	Silver Peak #	Aaron Schuman
6/13-14	Red Slate Couloir !!!	Bob Suzuki
6/19-21	Cardinal, Striped, Goodale !	Louise Wholey
6/27-28	Baldwin #	Chris Pendergrast
6/27-28	Highland *	Charles Schafer
JULY
7/?-?	University area (one week trip)	Jesper Schou
7/1-5	Eisen, Lippincott, Eagle Scout	Lisa Barboza
7/3-5	Julius Caesar #	Louise Wholey
7/3-5	Humphreys, Emerson	Bob Suzuki
7/3-5	Goddard from west	Tim Hult
7/11-12	Aerheart, Fletcher *	Joe Baker
7/11-12	Gibbs *	Charles Schafer
7/12	Mt.Lola *	Jim Wholey
7/18-19	Izaak Walton #	Bob Suzuki
7/25	Cirque #	Daryn Dodge
7/25-26	Johnson & Gilbert	Joe Baker
7/25-26	Kearsarge *	Charles Schafer
7/26-27	Langley #	Lisa Barboza
AUGUST
8/1-8	North Guard, South Guard, Brewer, Jordan, Thunder	Bob Suzuki
8/1-2	University #	Kelly Maas
8/8-10	Goode, Cloudripper *	Charles Schafer
8/8-14	Goddard, Scylla, etc.	Joe Baker
8/8-16	Goddard Divide	Aaron Schuman
8/15-16	North Palisade	Jeff Fisher
8/20-22	Winchell, Agassiz #	Lisa Barboza
8/21-23	Red, Grey, Merced
SEPTEMBER
9/4-7	Clarence King, Cotter, Gardiner, Fin Dome	Bob Suzuki
9/4-8	Petit, Volunteer, Piute	Aaron Schuman
9/4-8	Temple, Gayley, Sill !	Lisa Barboza
9/4-8	Seven Gables, Sanger, Hooper, Gemini via Bear Cr	Tim Hult
9/10-13	Mt. Kaweah, Red Kaweah	Louise Wholey
9/12	Downclimbing Tenaya Gorge	Tim Hult
9/12-13	Cherry Creek	Kelly Maas
9/18-25	Evolution Valley - Mendel, Fiske, Huxley, The Hermit, McGhee !	Lisa Barboza
9/18-20	White Mtn, Waucoba	Bob Suzuki
9/18-20	Virginia, Twin #	Tim Hult
9/21-24	Piute, Petit, Volunteer	Louise Wholey
9/26-27	Whorl, Matterhorn #	Louise Wholey
OCTOBER
10/2-4	Gould, Rixford, Bago *	Lisa Barboza
10/10-11	Needham	Aaron Schuman

Key to annotations:

* Beginners trip

# Intermediate trip

! Advanced trip

PCS Trip Calendar

Mar 13-15 – Koip Peak is full.

Mar 28-29 – Mt. Reba Ridges – Ski with Alpine Ski Patrol

Leader: Charles Schafer

Apr 4 – Mt. Lassen Day Trip

Leader: George Van Gorden

Apr 24-26 – Red Slate Mtn Ski Mountaineering

Leader: Louise Wholey

May 1-3 – Mineral King Ski Mountaineering

Leader: Louise Wholey

May 9-10 – Olancha

Leader: Tim Hult

May 15-18 – Coyote & Angora

Leader: Lisa Barbosa

Private Trips Summary

Important: Private trips are not insured, sponsored, or supervised by the Sierra Club. They are listed here because they may be of interest to PCS members. Private trips may be submitted directly to the Scree editor. Details on these trips follow the trip reports. In this issue.

March 14-16, 2009 - Mt. Shasta via Sergeants Ridge

March 22, 2009 – Round Top Peak Ski or Snowshoe

April 4-5, 2009 - Pinnacles climbing, biking, hiking

April 11-12, 2009 - Mt. Shasta Casaval Ridge

April 12, 2009 – Crevasse Rescue Practice (South Bay)

May 2, 2009 – Mt. Lassen Day Climb

May 9-10, 2009 – Ice Axe & Crampon Practice

October 2009 – Nepal - Mera Peak 21,300 ft

January 2010 – Kilimanjaro

PCS Trip Details

Mt. Lassen Day Trip

Peaks:     Mt. Lassen (10,462)
Dates:     April 4 2009, Sat
Leader:   George Van Gorden (gvangorden@gmail.com)
Co-lead:

We will meet at the old ski lodge on Sat. morning at 8 AM. We will follow the unplowed road or use a time saving short cut, if safe, and attempt the peak and plan to return to our cars by 5PM. Participants can travel on skis or snowshoes. We will not bring axes and crampons and if we reach a point where because of icy snow we can't go on safely we will turn around. This is a fairly hard day and participants need to be in good condition.

Mt. Reba Ridges - Ski with Alpine Ski Patrol

Peaks:     Mt. Reba Ridges
Dates:     Mar 28-29, 2009, Sat-Sun
Leader:   Charles Schafer (c_g_schafer@yahoo.com)
Co-lead:

Spend the weekend skiing around Bear Valley with the Lake Alpine Nordic Ski Patrol. We'll probably climb Mt Reba and ski down, then play around practicing some Tele turns, then do some local touring on the second day. Another possibility is a trip to Bear Trap Hut where we can enjoy a real foodfest then spend the night. There are a lot of great tours and some fun slopes to be had with this alternative. We also may be able to expand this option into a three day trip if participants are willing.

Red Slate Mtn Ski Mountaineering

Peak:      Red Slate Mtn (13,123+)
Date:       April 24-26, Friday - Sunday
Leader:   Louise Wholey (louisewholey@yahoo.com)
Co-Lead: Jim Wholey

Difficulty: Class 2, advanced skiing skills, strenuous trip

Climb Red Slate Mtn via the beautiful colorful Convict Canyon and the west ridge. Ski 6 miles with 3000 feet of climbing to reach camp near Lake Wit-so-nah-pah for Friday and Saturday nights. Summit climb is about 2500 feet in about 2 miles. Requires excellent physical condition, advanced skiing skills, avalanche training, snow camping, Randonee or Telemark skis, climbing skis, ski crampons, boot crampons, ice axe, helmet, avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe. Restricted trip - Sierra Club membership and medical form required.

Mineral King Ski Mountaineering

Peak:      Florence () & Vandever ()
Date:       May 1-3, Friday - Sunday
Leader:   Louise Wholey (louisewholey@yahoo.com)
Co-Lead: Jim Wholey

Difficulty: Class 2, advanced skiing skills, strenuous trip

Climb peaks in Mineral King using skis. Access depends on weather. Requirements are as for Red Slate Mtn trip.

Private Trip Details

Note: Private trips are not insured, sponsored, or supervised by the Sierra Club. They are listed here because they may be of interest to PCS members. Private trips may be submitted directly to the Scree editor.

Mt. Shasta via Sergeants Ridge

Peaks:     Mt. Shasta (14, 179)
Dates:     March 14-16 2009, Fri-Sun
Contact:   Kelly Maas (kamaas444@sbcglobal.net)

This is serious winter mountaineering. Contact Kelly for details.

Roundtop Peak Ski or Snowshoe

Peaks:     Roundtop Peak
Dates:     March 22 2009, Sun
Contact:    Arun Mahajan (650-327-8598, arun.mahajan@att.net)
Alt Contact: George Van Gorden (gvangorden@gmail.com)

Day hike on snow, ice-axe, crampons, skis or snowshoes. Skis with skins or snowshoes needed for the approach then ice-axe and crampons for the summit area.

Meet at 8am at Carson Pass Sno-Park on Highway-88, ready to go. To park there you will need a sno-park permit.

Call/email to sign up. Must have experience with ice-axe and crampons.

Difficulty: Snow/winter conditions but otherwise intermediate level skiing and you have to have some experience with axe/crampons and be able to handle the altitude of over 10k ft, early in the season.

Pinnacles climbing, biking, hiking

Peaks:     Goal of your choice, class 1-5
Dates:      April 4-5, 2009
Contact:  Jeff Fisher (650-207-9632, jeff_fisher_5252@sbcglobal.net)

Come down for a weekend of climbing, or if you prefer, hiking or biking. There will be climbers of varying abilities. We have reserved group campsite #79 at the Pinnacles campground on the east side of the park. Camping cost is usually about $8 per person. Shoes, harness and helmet needed if you are going to be climbing. We will meet at the Bear Gulch visitor center at 9AM on Saturday.

Mt. Shasta via Casaval Ridge

Peaks:     Mt. Shasta (14,179)
Dates:     April 11-12 2009, Sat-Sun
Contact:   Lisa Barboza (lisa.barboza@gd-ais.com)
Alt Contact: Emilie Cortes (ecortes@axiomainc.com)

Difficulty: Winter, crampons and ice axe.

Two day climb Mount Shasta from the Bunny Flat TH via the spectacular Casaval Ridge. Conditions permitting as there must be sufficient snow on this route. This is a snowshoe trip; crampons and ice axe proficiency required, no exceptions. Trip is restricted to Sierra Club members. Expect winter conditions. Be prepared for winter climbing at altitude and snow camping. Extreme weather cancels. Must be in excellent physical condition for climbing with recent experience at altitude and carrying heavy pack. This climb is strenuous and not a beginner route.

Crevasse Rescue Practice (South Bay)

Goal:      Learn techniques
Dates:     April 12, 2009
Contact:  Kelly Maas (kamaas444@sbcglobal.net)

This trip is to Santa Teresa Park in San Jose where we will rig ropes over creek beds to simulate crevasses of ice and snow. Pretty cool, eh? Parking fee likely.

Mt. Lassen Day Climb

Peaks:     Mt. Lassen (10, 462)
Dates:     May 2, 2009
Contact:  Arun Mahajan (650-327-8598, arun.mahajan@att.net)

Snowshoe or skis for the approach. Ice axe and crampons may be needed near the summit area. Contact Arun for further details.

Ice Axe & Crampon Practice

Goal:      Learn techniques, maybe climb a peak
Dates:     May 9-10, 2009
Contact:  Kelly Maas (kamaas444@sbcglobal.net)

This will be a chance to hone your skills with snow tools. Likely peak climb. Contact Kelly for details.

Mera Peak 21,300 ft, Nepal

Peaks:     Mera Peak (21,300 ft), Nepal
Dates:     October, 2009
Contact:  Warren Storkman (650-493-8959, dstorkman@aol.com)

19 day trip to trek the tallest walkup peak

Rural experience. Approach from the South East

Kilimanjaro 19340 ft / 5895 m, Tanzania, Africa

Peaks:     Kilimanjaro 19340 ft / 5895 m
Dates:     January, 2010
Contact:  Warren Storkman (650-493-8959, dstorkman@aol.com)

Trip will be similar to Warren’s previous trip to Kilimanjaro in January 2002. A couple of detailed reports on Summit Post supply myriad detail:

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/168519/kilimanjaro-warren-storkman-expedition-january-2002.html

http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150202/kilimanjaro.html

Trip Reports

Mt Diablo, January 10, 2009

By Kelly Maas

For my teenage years I lived in Concord, where it was only a few short miles to the north side of Mt Diablo. I try to go back to the Mitchell Canyon entrance once a year, and enjoy introducing others to its charms. The north side of the mountain is steeper and more wooded than the south side – almost enough to make you feel that you’re on a real mountain.

This year we had a beautiful day, which may explain why 19 of us showed up for the hike. This included a number of new folks who had learned of the hike from the chapter newspaper.

The north side has several trails and fire roads, and I try not to repeat the same route too often. This time there hadn’t been much rain for a while, so I decided not to include a side-trip to the falls. I wanted to warm up quickly, so we started by traversing slightly east, then went up the Eagle Peak Trail to – you guessed it – Eagle Peak. It’s the high point on the ridge immediately east of Mitchell Canyon. The Mitchell Rock Trail is an alternative that takes you to the same place, but I think it is not as uniformly well graded. Unfortunately a new fellow and his 11 year-old son could not match our pace, and they dropped out before reaching Eagle Peak.

We followed the spine of the ridge up and over Eagle Peak, eventually intersecting the fire road at Murchio Gap. To continue on to Prospectors Gap – the saddle between the main and North summits of Mt Diablo – we continued on the Bald Ridge Trail rather than turning left on the fire road. Along this section of trail we encountered at least 10 trail workers, associated with the Mt Diablo Interpretive Association. Because a given trail receives maintenance only once every several years, they are instructed to cut the foliage back to a total width of 6 feet. They were eager to know our opinion of the trail. All I could say was that any trail is a luxury when compared with going cross country. They probably didn’t find that very helpful.

The trail from Prospectors Gap climbs and then contours around the east and south sides, just below the summit, then intersects the paved road. Along the way, it passes below a rock outcropping called Devils Pulpit, where you can look up and see the summit, which seams so close. Here, Landa pointed to a side trail and said it was a good shortcut to the top. I didn’t recall using or seeing this trail before, so I had my doubts, but 2/3 of the group followed her up. I continued on the main trail to catch up with those who hadn’t made the turn-off. At the road, we looked back and saw the shortcut group abandoning their attempt and scrambling back to the main trail. Apparently there’s a reason why the shortcut trail was not heavily worn. Only Kai Wiedman continued up the ridge to the top, scrambling over rocks to get there.

The last bit of trail was short, and we arrived at the crowded top shortly after noon. It was a nice day, but it was much more pleasant when we found places to eat that were out of the wind. After eating lunch, it took some effort to account for everyone and get them headed as a group down the hill. We followed a loop route, descending west down Juniper Trail to Juniper Campground, and then followed the fire road to Deer Flat and down Mitchell Canyon. This was an easy return route, which some people really appreciated.

We followed the Day Hiking Section tradition of post-hike snacks and drinks, and then headed for home with some daylight to spare

We started about 9:20 and finished at 4:00. Appox. distance & elevation gain: 14-15 miles & 3800-4000 ft.

Masters World Cup XC Races,

Jan 27 - Feb 7, 2009

By Louise Wholey

People have asked about my trip to France to ski against the best cross-country racers in the world. It is exciting just being there – people talking in strange tongues; major setup of a start/finish stadium fully adorned with colorful flags from all over the world, a gathering hall with vendor services, food and beverages, plus huge waxing tent; and, not to be outdone, being in a lovely French mountain village.

Race Start Area (Jim in red suit with blue cap)

A Medal for Team USA (four of us on the right)

The USA team was over 60 skiers while the Russians sent over 300! In total nearly 1200 skiers attended. Our team stayed in a cute little hotel near the venue. We had dinners there every night, and they were outstanding. The organizers for the USA team seem to pick places with the greatest food on earth.

The USA team got medals for several of the relays, including my age group, and a few medals for individual races. The Russians dominated with many great skiers who took away medals. The best part of the relays was that only one Russian at a time could race!

Elected Officials

Chair:
Louise Wholey / PCSchair@gmail.com

21020 Canyon View Road, Saratoga, CA 95070

408-867-6658

Vice Chair and Trip Scheduler:
Jeff Fisher / jeff_fisher_5252@sbcglobal.net

650-207-9632

Treasurer and Membership Roster (address changes):
Jesper Schou / schou@sun.stanford.edu

415-606-5760

Publicity Committee Positions

Scree Editor:
Open position / screeeditor@gmail.com

Acting: Louise Wholey / PCSchair@gmail.com

PCS World Wide Web Publisher:
Joe Baker/ pcs@joebaker.us

1524 Hudson St, Redwood City, CA 94061

650-261-1488

Scree is the monthly journal of the Peak Climbing Section of the Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter.
Our official website is http:// lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/pcs/

Email List Info

If you are on the official email list (lomap-pcs-announce@lists.sierraclub.org) or the email list the PCS feeds (pcs-issues@climber.org), you have a free EScree subscription. For email list details, send "info lomap-pcs-announce" to "listserv@lists.sierraclub.org", or send anything to "info@climber.org". EScree subscribers should send a subscription form to the Treasurer to become voting PCS members at no charge. The Scree is on the web as both plain text and fully formatted Adobe Acrobat/PDF.

Climbing Classifications

The following trip classifications are to assist you in choosing trips for which you are qualified. No simple rating system can anticipate all possible conditions.
    Class 1: Walking on a trail.
    Class 2: Walking cross-country, using hands for balance.
    Class 3: Requires use of hands for climbing, rope may be used.
    Class 4: Requires rope belays.
    Class 5: Technical rock climbing.