The Blog of the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum

Museum features artwork by plein air artist Joe Arnold

2011-06-03T14:01:00.006-06:00

Through July 15th, the American Mountaineering Museum will exhibit five breathtaking mountaintop paintings by Wyoming artist Joe Arnold.

Spanning over 6 feet wide, these large-scale pastel and oil panoramas portray the grandeur of each scene, several of which were inspired by Wyoming’s Teton Range. Arnold’s “Upper Saddle View, the Grand Teton” (pictured below) and “Above Middle Teton Glacier” paintings, both measuring 4.5 feet by 6 feet, will frame the Museum’s mezzanine entrance.

As an avid rock and mountain climber, Arnold has used his passion for heights to capture some of the most unique and dramatic landscapes. His many high altitude paintings have earned him a reputation as the "plein air artist of thin air." Arnold uses pastel studies and photographs from his trips as a reference for the larger oils, which are completed in his studio.

The artwork will be on display six days a week during regular Museum hours. Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for children under 12 and $3 for all American Alpine Club and Colorado Mountain Club members.

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is located at 710 10th Street in downtown Golden.

If you would like to be considered for an upcoming art, photography or informational exhibit, send an email to info@mountaineeringmuseum.org.

2011 Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Gala

2011-04-13T10:34:00.003-06:00

The 2011 Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Gala on April 9, 2011 was a sold out success! We raised over $15,000 for the Museum's programs, exhibits and educational outreach.

Visit our online album to see pictures from the event:
2011 Gala Photo Album

Five American mountaineers were inducted and more than $15,000 was raised at the the 2011 Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Gala on April 9, 2011. This annual event, hosted by the American Mountaineering Museum, honors individuals who have excelled both on and off the mountain.

This year's Gala celebrated the lives and achievements of Tom Hornbein & Willi Unsoeld of the legendary West Ridge ascent of Everest in 1963; rock climbing pioneer and prolific author, Royal Robbins; leader of "manless climbing," Miriam Underhill; and the unofficial world-record holder for first ascents, Fred Beckey. These five mountaineers joined the 2010 inductees -- Yvon Chouinard, Robert Craig, Robert Bates and Dr. Charles Houston -- in the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence.

Thank you to our title sponsor, Eddie Bauer's First Ascent, and the following organizations who lent their support: Silver Oak Cellars, MillerCoors, Gourmet Fine Catering, Colorado Party Rentals, Alphagraphics, The Golden Hotel, Applejack, the Josh Filley Trio, and Haertlingawards.com.

The 2012 Gala date will be announced late summer. To add your name to our Early Invite list, please send an email to info@mountaineeringmuseum.com with your name and mailing address.

Jesse Crock & Thirsty 3rd Thursday

2011-02-08T22:25:00.024-07:00

We are thrilled to announce a new art exhibit at the American Mountaineering Museum, featuring artist Jesse Crock.

Jesse is a Colorado based artist with a love for climbing and the outdoors. His acrylic paintings encompass the lifestyles of the outdoor community with the use of strong, vibrant colors and bold lines. Jesse is an art teacher and finds that he often connects his work with the playfulness of his students and is inspired by the energy they bring to the classroom.

As an outdoor enthusiast, he loves to bring the viewer's eye to places that are not often painted. He attempts to abstract the subject and background so that they become interwoven together and reflect the bond the subject and environment share.

His work has been commissioned for the Ouray Ice Climbing Festival and for the Moonlight Classic Bike Festival in Denver. You can also find his art featured in Rock and Ice Magazine for the Festival, Mountain Flyer Magazine, and Climbing Magazine for their 2009 Gear Guide. (www.jessecrockart.com)

Check out Jesse's art at this month's Thirsty 3rd Thursday, February 17th at 5:30pm. Enjoy $2 brews, live music and giveaways, along with free admission to the museum. This Thirsty 3rd Thursday will also celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of the American Mountaineering Museum, which opened on February 16th, 2008.

We are thrilled to have Jesse's eye-catching work on display. Drop by and check it out for yourself. And if you fall in love with a piece (which you probably will), all pieces are for sale and a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the Museum.

Visit www.mountaineeringmuseum.org for up-to-date information on hours, events, and exhibits.

The Categorical Ten

2010-11-11T18:52:00.002-07:00

Another peak experience by Martha Perantoni

I read with dismay another rescue of another ill-prepared hiker on another 14er last week. A party of hikers headed up Quandary, beginning at 11 AM, and while the majority of the party decided not to continue beyond a certain point, one young man went on ahead to the summit. Descending into nighttime, his headlamp ran out of battery power. When he didn’t make a timely trailhead return to meet his friends, they dialed 911 and a rescue was called out.

Okay, what glaring mistake did this fellow make that would have prevented the need for a night rescue?

a) Forgot the marshmallows to roast over the campfire
b) Didn’t chill the PBR long enough
c) Neglected to bring spare batteries
d) Left his campfire songbook back at the truck

Anyone answer anything other than C? D’oh! Do you think this fellow was carrying his Ten Essentials? Not likely.

The Ten Essentials are part of the hiker’s bible. They provide safety gear suggestions from the experienced to the inexperienced and are meant to be taken seriously, particularly here in our Colorado extremes. There are as many compilations of the Ten Essentials as there are compilers. In my experience as a year-round solo backcountry enthusiast, I’ve come up with the following categories to flesh out the list’s intentions and I call them the Categorical Ten in order to expand the list. Trust me: it’ll take the worry out of human-powered travel.

1. Map & compass
Bring a GPS if you want but never leave home without a quad and Suunto.
2. Sunglasses, sunscreen, and hat
Avoid snow blindness, a Rudolph red nose, and keep all the heat from escaping out of the top of your head. Hats also keep you cooler in the blazing alpine sun.
3. Extra food and water and a water purification system
Focus on lightweight carbs and those packable gooey maltodextrin squeeze jobs. Ask Mark Twight – one of those an hour will keep your energy level going. Dehydration is a huge factor in alpine hiking and a little filter, SteriPEN, or Potable Aqua iodine tablets could keep you fleshed out.
4. Extra clothes and a bivy sack
We’re not talking Texas Gore-Tex, here – at least one extra wicking base layer, a waterproof shell if you’re not already wearing one, extra dry socks, gloves, and hat. Toss in a space blanket or pick up one of Adventure Medical Kit’s drawstring bivy’s. Extremities are the first to succumb to frostbite – keep your feet warm and at least you’re able to walk yourself out.
5. Headlamp and EXTRA BATTERIES!
Get a lamp with strobe capabilities and it’ll help rescuers locate you more easily. Toss in an extra bulb or two as well. Leave the handheld flashlight at home. If you’re in a position where you need both hands and one of them is engaged hanging on to a flashlight, that’s not stacking the odds in your favor.
6. First aid kit
You decide how elaborate it needs to be. Mine is pared down to assorted bandages and gauze pads, alcohol swabs, an ace bandage, surgical tape, NSAIDs, a multi-tool, insect repellant, blister packs and a tube of Body Rub. I can use one of my trekking poles if I need a splint. If an injury needs more than this or I can’t crawl my way of a situation I’m probably going to need a rescue anyway.
7. Fire starter
Make it a stove. I carry an Esbit solid fuel stove – lightweight, compact, and it’ll melt water as effortlessly as any of the small canister stoves. Once that’s lit it will also help light a wood fire. Might not roast the rabbit as well…
8. Matches and lighter
Bring both. In fact, bring two lighters and a bunch of matches in a waterproof container. Lighters don’t always work at altitude and in sub-zero conditions.
9. Signaling device
No, your cell phone isn’t always going to get a signal – besides, that’s cheating. Bring several options – a whistle, a mirror, and a flare.
10. Toilet paper and trowel and Ziploc bag
This has been left off the Ten Essentials for too long and backcountry waste management has become a huge problem. Dig your poo deep, don’t do anything within 100 feet of a water source, and if you need the TP to start a fire, you’ve got it handy in your Ziploc. That nauseates you? Try building a campsite on someone else’s toilet. Ladies, you know those signs in public bathrooms about not flushing your personals? Why would you leave them in the backcountry?

And I have a personal #11 that’s a must – that thing between your ears?

Don’t leave home without it.

Love Your Mother

2010-11-04T14:29:00.005-06:00

Another peak experience by Martha Perantoni

Painting "The Earth is My Mother" by Bev Doolittle

Right before the mid-term election, the Denver Post ran a straw poll on their online daily front page. The question posed was “how important to you feel environmental issues are in the upcoming election?”

The majority of respondents said “not important at all.”

I was shocked at the response. We live in one of the most beautiful states in North America, yet apparently residents either take it for granted, or don’t take it at all.

I know the economy, unemployment, foreclosures, health care issues run at the forefront of everyone’s mind. I understand – it affects me the same as every other working stiff out there. But without clean air, clean water, proper toxic waste disposal, reduce/reuse/recycle sustainability, and just a beautiful place to clear our brains and souls, all those other issues will be moot. We won’t be around to complain.

The Colorado Environmental Film Festival, running today, November 4th, through November 6th, is a great source of inspiration for viewers and environmentalists. Featuring Play Again, a film about the consequences of a childhood removed from nature, and joined by more than 40 other green-driven films, the Festival brings to our doorstep the saddening truths of the current environmental malaise and issues at hand.

In addition enjoy celebrations, networking, openings, après-film, workshops, and the juried photography show at the American Mountaineering Center and environs. And on Saturday, clean out all those old electronics to enjoy mostly free recycling Saturday from 11 AM – 2 PM in the parking lot behind the AMC.

It all starts tonight with an opening party at the American Mountaineering Museum from 5-6 PM and the first films showing in the Foss beginning at 7 PM. Friday screenings run from 11AM – 11 PM and Saturday from 11 AM – 9 PM.

Love your mother – live and play wisely. It all starts right here, right now, with you.

Christmas is Come Early This Year

2010-09-30T15:54:00.004-06:00

Another peak experience by Martha Perantoni

I’d heard the fall color in Grand County had exploded last weekend, so I grabbed a friend and her son and his fiancé and we headed up to Tabernash and on to Junco Lake Trailhead, intent on reaching Columbine Lake.

True, the aspen trees were luminous yellow and some were even tipped with an unusual bittersweet orange. True, there were significant colorful groves that warranted making the journey from the Front Range.

True, also, the pine beetle has ravaged the remainder of the forests, each tree a sad addition to the brown citadel. At least that which remains – clear-cutting has left the rolling hills looking like a bald man’s hair on a bad day.

We grew silent as we turned onto Meadow Creek Road and found ourselves in an alleyway of devastation. We couldn’t hit the trail soon enough and began to wind our way closer and closer to timberline.

Something looked strange along the trail, though. In spite of the towering dead trees, there were countless young pine, some only a foot or two high, some over six feet, that were green, healthy, and pushing their way up through the quietus. Closer in by the waterfall and before heading up the moraine, the branch tips on the trees revealed the bluish-green of new growth. Every tree had it, looking as if to explode with enthusiasm.

Instead, I felt to explode with arbor ardor. Here I’ve been bemoaning the death of Colorado’s forests when all this time, underneath the canopy, they’ve been silently restoring and repairing themselves. I had no idea.

I paused in front of one particularly beautiful young pine. My friend saw my face and stopped. “Christmas Tree?” she asked. I smiled and shook my head “yes. Not to cut, but to celebrate.”

It’s comforting to know that the forests will abide – they’ll repair, regrow, have their literal rebirth. I’m hopeful that this turnabout will be permanent, that the new trees will be a strain resistant to the pine beetle, and that our forests will rejuvenate to the lush, wind-in-the-pines life they had less than a decade ago.

So, before the snow flies, revel in our new growth. Go celebrate Christmas.

Il Neige!

2010-09-24T10:40:00.006-06:00

Another peak experience by Martha Perantoni

A couple of nights ago I was driving west on 72 as it approaches 93. The clouds were louring and it rained sporadically from Westminster on down. Then something changed – the sounds on the windshield turned to a patter and, as I looked more closely, it was clear I was watching snow fall. Not much, no accumulation, but it was definitely snow.

The precipitation was confirmed next morning when I awoke to see a fairy dusting of the stuff on the Continental Divide. Further spelunking through Dick Gilbert’s webcams proved it.

It snowed in them thar hills.

For people like me who prefer their water frozen, this is the news we wait for all season long. Time to start getting ready – wax the skis and skins, sharpen the crampons and axes, put fresh Lithium batteries in the beacon.

And time to share the love. The annual Bent Gate Ski Season Kickoff Party 2010 is prepared to do just that on Thursday, September 30th starting at 6 PM at the American Mountaineering Museum. Silent auction, raffle, backcountry clinics, vendor booths, fashion show, and world premier of The Freeheel Life 2 are all included in admission price.

Okay, so the movie is a production of Telemark Skier Magazine and features the tele timeline but Randonée enthusiasts, like me, are invited, too. Hey, it’s still freeheelin’.

Proceeds from the event benefit the American Mountaineering Museum, Friends of Berthoud Pass, and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Rack up your backcountry karma points before heading out, eh?

Bien alors, faire le neige!

Fall...Forward

2010-09-17T10:47:00.008-06:00

Another peak experience by Martha Perantoni

By now you’re aware there’s a crispness in the evening air, the sun sets earlier and earlier, and the aspen are beginning to change color in the high country. The elk are bugling wildly and bear fattening up for a long winter sleep. This is one of my favorite times of year because it’s a chance to introspect, hibernate, and dream...forward.

As a kid growing up in Vermont, the autumn season was glorious. We viewed every hue of maple from yellow to bittersweet to Mars red and when the leaves began to fall, we diligently raked them into huge piles on the front lawn just so we could jump in them.

It may seem the impending winter is a time to shut down when, in fact, it’s always been a superb opportunity for learning. There’s little better than snuggling down in the rocking chair with a good book, a fuzzy lap throw and cat, and glass of chewy Shiraz, or listening to the crisp creak of snow underfoot heading for an inspiring presentation.

In preparation for this seasonal glory, the American Mountaineering Museum and AAC Library are setting a wonderful tone. September 21st, Jean Mollicone, first woman to summit Mt. Vinson, Antarctica, will recount her historic summit with Mugs Stump, one of the most beloved of American mountaineers. September 30th, get ready for ski season with Bent Gate’s Ski Season Kick-Off Party through a silent auction, fashion show, raffle, The Freeheel Life film in the Foss, avy and beacon clinics and camaraderie all to benefit CAIC, Friends of Berthoud Pass, and the AMM. October 6th Gyatso will help us understand Tibetan lifestyle, culture and environment and the Westernization changes it faces. And on October 28th, continue to challenge the theory that the Yeti don’t exist with Yeti night at the Museum – prizes for best costume and Yeti crafts for the kids.

Not your style? Consider a good book. The American Alpine Club Library is full of them. Historic, factual, inspirational, or just durned good reading. Check ‘em out, grab the cat, pour the wine, and revel in the possibility next summer will offer you.

PS Like this photo? Fred Hanselmann has the best eye for Colorado color and composition of anyone I’ve ever known. His photos are available for purchase in Base Camp Adventure Store. What better way to preserve the memories!

Kechu

2010-08-27T12:47:00.003-06:00

When Thomas Montgomerie triangulated two new peaks in the Karakoram, he had no idea he’d discovered not only the second highest peak on earth, but also the second most dangerous. And while Karakorum 1 was known locally as Masherbrum, no one seemed to know of a local name for K2. As Fosco Maraini quipped “...just the bare bones of a name, all rock and ice and storm and abyss…it makes no attempt to sound human… it is atoms and stars…has the nakedness of the world before the first man - or of the cindered planet after the last…” so calling the mountain K2 seemed more than appropriate and it stuck.

Superseded only by Annapurna as the most dangerous 8000m peak to climb, 25% of those who attempt the savage mountain perish. Not only is it technically one of the most challenging and committing, its extreme weather patterns can cause deadly delays. Only 302 have successfully summited and at least 77 others have died trying.

The challenges of the mountain make for great story-telling as well. Fatal attempts in 1939 and 1953, a troublesome first summit by the Italians in 1954, and finally the 13 deaths in 1986 and 11 more within hours of each other in 2008 give real-time chronicles of the epics these mountaineers face.

Enter Freddie Wilkinson whose alpinist wisdom and media savvy combined with knowledge of Sherpa culture brings to light what happened during the most recent multiple-fatality day. None of the surviving Western climbers could explain what happened, their memories fogged by hypoxia, exhaustion, and hallucinations. The truth of what transpired lies with four Sherpa guides who were largely ignored by the mainstream media in the aftermath of the tragedy and whose heroic efforts saved the lives of at least four climbers.

Wilkinson’s narrative voice is biting and witty and, while trying not to be too critical of the media’s push for speed over accuracy, he manages to pull the truth of what really occured when a collapsing serac over the Bottleneck severed fixed lines and dragged more than a dozen alpinists down the mountainside.

We’re excited to have the author present these findings in person on Monday, September 13th, beginning at 6 PM in the Foss Auditorium at the AMC in Golden. Reviews are non-stop positive and there’s much buzz not just about Freddie, but about his ability to weave a compelling tale. As one reviewer stated, a lot of climbers write (and not very well) but not a lot of writers climb.

Leave No Trace has Entered the Building

2010-08-24T14:31:00.003-06:00

The Exit Strategies has come and gone but the message is beginning to rebound and the subsequent concentric ripples are rolling through a larger and larger realm.

This blogger won’t go through the details and reports from the conference. There are plenty of those on the AAC website.

This blogger also acknowledges that the problem isn’t restricted to alpine environments. And it’s not limited to simply hikers. It is a much bigger global problem than one conference of 140 conservationists and scientists can address.

I hiked out to Chicago Lakes from Echo Lake a few days ago. While I’ve snowshoed in during winter months, I’d not had the simple luxury of a summer hike and made it my choice for a perfect Rocky Mountain day. To those unfamiliar with the hike, the first mile drops from Echo Lake into Chicago Creek canyon. Four more miles up past the Idaho Springs Reservoir and you’re atop the moraine enjoying a spectacular Mt Evans cirque view.

On a summer Sunday, Echo Lake becomes a water park for Front Range folk escaping the heat and the trail to the Chicago Creek crossing busy as a fish peddler during Lent. It’s a favorite spot for families with small children and pets and, as we know, neither can control their personal functions very well.

As I hiked back across the Creek, a family with four small children was preparing to leave the area. I heard the father ask if anyone needed to go to the bathroom. On reflex I shouted to them “not in the creek you don’t!” I stepped back and quickly explained to my startled company the ramifications of urinating in a stream that flowed into a city water supply and the 100-foot rule of backcountry waterways.

Hiking back around the north side of the Lake, I sidled up to a woman whose dog had “assumed the position” and was leaving its trace in the lake. She was as stunned as the previous party when I pointed out the children dangling their feet in the water alongside the parties fishing for trout to toss in the fry pan.

These were seven people out of the hundreds at Echo Lake Park on one Sunday. It’s a miniscule start but I’ve added to my wish list that concentric ripples of wisdom, ownership and Leave No Trace turn tsunami.

All it takes is a little nudge from each of us.

Exit, Stage One

2010-07-27T13:49:00.006-06:00

There’s a fair bit of buzz about what this blogger refers to as The Poop Group. Not to be irreverent, but it’s a little more to the point than calling this weekend’s international conference at the American Alpine Club Exit Strategies.

I’ve lifted the following description from the AAC website: included are top land managers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and wilderness participants from around the globe to discuss and formulate strategies for managing human waste in remote areas. The Exit Strategies conference will include general/plenary sessions, poster presentations, field-proven techniques and opportunities for focused problem solving.

There’s nothing new in this conversation. Those of us who regularly hike global trails continue to see the effects of poop, wandering off-trail, erosion, selfishness, you name it. It’s disconcerting at best, given how finite this natural resource is in the face of an exploding population and interest level.

Let me be direct and maybe a little preachy. How do YOU manage your waste? Do you urinate on wildflowers thinking it’ll hydrate them? Do you leave toilet paper on the ground convinced it will biodegrade? And what about the dog? Just this weekend I was hiking on South Boulder Creek trail to find that someone had dutifully scooped the pooch’s poop in a red plastic bag – then left it tied to a tree branch overhanging the trail. BLECH!

It’s not so tough to clean up after ourselves. Pee on a rock instead of wildflowers and the mountain goats will lick the urine off the rock instead of destroying the plant. Bring a plastic container with a tablespoon of baking soda, a shovel and scoop your poop and TP into it for the trip out. Notice I didn’t say Ziploc bag – they’re not biodegradable and the chance you’ll empty the bag and clean it is a big goose egg. A container works just as well and d’oh! it’s reusable, just like a pee bottle! No need to buy those fancy expensive kits – K.I.S.S.! Leave no trace is not a big deal, either – pack it in, pack it out, done deal. It ain’t feces science and it’ll still be lighter out than on the inbound trip.

Before climbing down off my soap box, I admonish you to take a stand or, rather, a squat with Your Mother in mind. Do some research and some reading and do your part. And keep an ear to the ground for the results of the Poop Group convention. Just think how icky it would be if the ground was covered in something…oh, never mind.

Der Letzte Mensch oder Übermensch?

2010-07-15T17:08:00.002-06:00

The Last Man. In his philosophical novel, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche saw that nothing great was possible for the Last Man. It was Nietzsche's contention that Western civilization would continue to move in the direction of The Last Man, an apathetic creature, who had no great passion or commitment, who was unable to dream, who merely earned his living and kept warm.

Not so the last man on the mountain. In 1939, Boston aristocrat Dudley Wolfe set out to become the first person to summit K2. Inexperienced at high altitude, overweight, middle-aged, and unfulfilled in a life of leisure, Wolfe traveled thousands of miles to try and impress his ex-wife, only to be abandoned by his German-American expedition mates at 7000 meters. After almost two weeks languishing in his tent in the Death Zone he perished from acute AMS. A huge international scandal subsequently developed: it was Wolfe’s friend and expedition leader, alpinist Fritz Wiessner, and his deputy Jack Durrance who came under close scrutiny for inviting him solely on the strength of his bank account. His body remained in the clutches of the savage summit for 63 years.

Until Wolfe reappeared after K2’s unusually high snowmelt in 2002 exposed the remains to author and film-maker Jennifer Jordan. Walking along a remote stretch of the Godwin-Austin glacier near Base Camp, pieces of human bone, canvas tent, cook pots, and finally an old mitten with “Wolfe” written near the cuff appeared strewn about the glacier as if waiting for Jordan’s keen eye to discover them. And so the story began.

The Last Man or Superman? You decide after hearing Jennifer Jordan’s presentation at the American Mountaineering Museum on August 11th. Her novel, The Last Man on the Mountain, is fresh off the press and she’s touring the country helping unravel the mystery that’s prevailed around this controversial expedition. Whether Wolfe had aspirations driven by spiritual apathy or rampant ego, Jennifer will offer well-researched and compelling facts with photos and discussion beginning at 7 PM.

K2 is Übermensch territory, more foreboding than almost any other 8000 meter peak. It bears the second highest fatality rate among the eight-thousanders. Italian climber Fosco Maraini concluded that K2 was “all rock and ice and storm and abyss. It makes no attempt to sound human. It is atoms and stars. It has the nakedness of the world before the first man - or of the cindered planet after the last."

I’m sure Dudley Wolfe would agree.

The Vigorous Volunteer

2010-06-16T11:36:00.004-06:00

Volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving.

Now there’s a mouthful. And a mindful.

Let's get right to the pitch - the best part about volunteering for the American Mountaineering Museum or the Colorado Mountain Club or the American Alpine Club Library is that ALL of the elements above are inclusive. On top of accumulating extra good Karma points (maybe even scrubbing your Karma if it needs it), it’s fun, educational, social, and a superb way to network. Note: that’s how this blogger got The Job, so it DOES work.

This is still a scratch-each-other’s-back economy and for non-profits it’s the way of the future. You help me, I help you. Donate some time and skill to the 501(c)3s you most cherish (hint, hint) to keep them viable and I’ll get you in to programs and events, maybe get you a little shwag, some discounts, heck perhaps even a membership here or there.

It’s a win-win dealio. And incredibly easy to join in the fun. Contact Martha Perantoni, CMC Volunteer Manager and all-around kewl gal, at marthaperantoni@mountaineeringmuseum.org or at 303-996-2755 and you’ll end up having more fun than you can shake a hickory hiking stick at.

Or something like that.

Johnny Appleseed and the Real Hidden Gems

2010-06-04T10:59:00.006-06:00

Last night nearing the home turf, this blogger was treated to one of those rare glimpses of the natural order many only read about – crossing the road in front of me were two elk and their three spotted calves. I sat and soaked in the image thankful I’d been in the right place at the right time.

It’s a moment similar to those Johnny Chapman might have seen time and time again on his wanderings throughout the Ohio Valley.

Johnny Appleseed was less legendary and more authentic in his deeds of generosity and conservation. He planted nurseries, built fences around them, arranged for their care and returned them to the locals for profit-sharing. Conservationist to the core, he paid to rescue animals meant for slaughter, wore no shoes (to save leather), ate no meat, and would accept a floor and meal at a stranger’s home in exchange for the chance to share stories about his meanderings. And a humanitarian to the core he never missed an opportunity to help someone in need.

By today’s standards, Chapman would be profiled a vagabond, a hobo, homeless. By today’s standards, we romanticize his life rather than recognizing that something as simple as walking in nature is not only possible but necessary for ourselves and for the greater good.

So we come to the Hidden Gems Wilderness Campaign. Appleseed would likely be one of its biggest proponents. John Muir, too – walking quietly along paths untrammeled by wheels, hooves, motorized sounds. No voices shouting “to your left” (if you’re lucky), no side-stepping things moving faster than you to avoid being run over, no vroom of two-stroke engines to scare wildlife and bury the sounds of birds, the wind, the cold crackle of boots on snow.

The difference now is that we needn’t romanticize it – the Hidden Gems Campaign sits at our fingertips ready to preserve more of the last-remaining pristine wilderness in Colorado. It’s not a lot of land but sensible in how it manages and connects other already protected areas. Surely there are ample opportunities for mountain bikers (and this blogger is one), dirt-bikers, equestrians, and snowmobilers to enjoy their sport that supporting these gems isn’t going to break the Trail Bank.

Who knows – this might be the year to rediscover your own two-footed human-powered adventure. With or without apple trees. And a couple of elk calves for the photo album.

Kongeriket Norge (The Kingdom of Norway)

2010-05-27T12:21:00.002-06:00

Many years ago this blogger, on one of her various Europe trips, found herself in the middle of a Norwegian fjord crossing from a large ferry to a small boat via a shaky gangplank. Our group was intent on reaching a remote town at the back of a fjord to celebrate Sankthansaften, or Midsummer’s Eve, as only the locals were able. We reached our diminutive destination, threw wood on the big bonfire invoking Baldr to remain, drank local brew and polka’d through the long twilit night. I chuckle even now as I recount the memories – and I never told anyone I couldn’t swim.

Norway is one of those countries that often goes unnoticed in European trip planning. It’s most recent claim to fame was the 1994 Winter Olympics held in Lillehammer. Yet it’s one of the most strikingly beautiful countries in northern Europe from mountainous fjordlands down to the genetic makeup of a very handsome race of Scandinavians. We can thank Norway for Edward Grieg, Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Munch’s The Scream, Leif Ericson, stave churches, lutefisk, Telemark skiing, and thousands of untouched waterfall ice climbs.

We may not be able to invoke Baldr yet, but we are invoking you to join the Mountaineering Museum for the next sPEAKer series event, Hiking in Norway. On Wednesday, June 2nd, Lori Russell plans to offer a visual feast of slides designed to tempt hikers of all ages and abilities. Granitic mountains rise sometimes almost a mile from North Atlantic shores, and Noregr hospitality and traditions are as strong as ever.

As usual, the program begins at 7 PM in the Foss Auditorium. Admission to the Museum is included in the ticket price and will be open from 5:30. CMC/AAC members pay $3, non-members $5, and it’s all free to members of the Museum or the AAC Library.

Glad Stier!

The Flattery of Imitation

2010-05-21T10:29:00.001-06:00

In the weeks since Bradford the Cat made his way into the Museum family, we’ve been constantly delighted by his antics. He’s doing everything kittens are supposed to do, including chewing hands and fingers, puffing up and prancing like the tuff guy he is, and chowing down as toddlers in growth mode do. Every day brings out a new development in his personality and skills. He now leaps onto chairs and tables, hurls himself at his toys with great alacrity, and purrs with a volume more consistent with an animal much larger than he.

At home, Bradford has two older half-siblings. Diablo, the female, doesn’t like anyone so there’s no expectation she’ll ever do anything but growl at the tyke. Mr. Bill, though, is increasingly curious and is modifying his hisses down to nose touches and random reaches from behind the scratching post. Billy Boy is a big brown polydactyl tabby, all 16 lean pounds of him, and a friend refers to him as The Throw Rug.

When the two boys are in proximity Little B becomes still, almost reverential, as he watches Big B. It’s as if he’s studying the elder cat’s movements and style and unconsciously letting Alpha male mentor him. When he does become too rambunctious, Mr. Bill delivers a quick hiss and a swat to remind his little ward his manners. It is Feline Flattery at its best.

In April we inducted four giants of mountaineering into the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence. We are surrounded in this mountaineering family by such modern greats and are constantly reminded of the skills, motivation, and philosophies that make people like Edurne Pasaban, Arlene Blum, Oh Eun-Sun, Conrad Anker, Ed Viesturs, and Reinhold Messner great. And while we may feel our accomplishments miniscule by comparison, we maintain the vision of possibility in our own minds by imitating the best qualities of those we admire.

It’s good to have someone good to look up to, in this the Year of Making Dreams Come True, someone who inspires us not only with their mountaineering accomplishments but their sensibility. If we do something careless we imagine an appropriate smack-down. On the contrary, if we make a smart choice or exceed our personal best, we can revel in the mentoring we are humble enough to accept and the behaviors we wisely copy.

It is apparently so, that imitation is the sincerest form of cattery.

Golden Bike Shop Rocks!

2010-05-14T08:58:00.005-06:00

Huge thank you to the Golden Bike Shop for their fundraiser last night benefiting the Co Mountain Bike Association, Co Trail Foundation and the Mountaineering Museum. They packed the house with great gear, bikes, frames and an awesome crowd! UpSlope Beer provided some great brew along with New Belgium! After the expo in the museum we all went up to Foss Auditorium for giveaways and to watch Ant Hill Film's FOLLOW ME. An action packed film showing great mountain biking and terrain. Here are some pictures from last night!

20th Anniversary of 1990 Everest-Lhotse Expedition

2010-05-10T10:50:00.002-06:00

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of the American Everest-Lhotse expedition led by Glenn Porzak. This was Glenn’s 3rd attempt at summiting having been shut down by weather in 1981 and 1989. Glenn and members from the team assembled at the American Mountaineering Museum last night to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this expedition. Team members include Glenn Porzak, Dana Coffield, Brent Manning, Wally Berg, Scott Fischer, Michael Browning, Peter Athens, Andrew Lapkass, Ron Crotzer, Dr. Charles Jones, Ang Jangbu Sherpa, Nima Tashi Sherpa and Dawa Nuru Sherpa. Berg and Fischer successfully summited Lhotse on May 13th being the first Americans to summit and securing the team as the first to climb two 8,000 peaks in the same expedition. Below is an interview with Glenn Porzak recounting his summit day on Everest.

Sistuhs, Gal Pals, and the Whole Gender Thing

2010-05-01T10:34:00.008-06:00

The mountains are an equal opportunity environment. They don’t care if you’re chocolate or vanilla, travel on foot or with wheels, have an innie or an outie.

Sometimes, though, the mountaineering community needs a little nudge of a reminder. Not so long ago women were refused a place on expeditions and even denied endorsements simply because they were women. Then there were those who thought a woman’s place was in the sleeping bag of every male expeditioner…

There were and are heroic women out there who blazed through all the challenges and defined a prominent place and equal opportunity for the gentler sex. Wanda Rutkiewicz, Ines Papert, Anna Dickinson, Junko Tabei, Arlene Blum…the list is growing every day.

Given the American Mountaineering Museum is also an equal opportunity environment, we’ve declared May Women’s Month at the Museum and Base Camp Store. So, sistuhs, grab a gal-pal and head to 710 10th St to enjoy two-fer prices on Museum admission and events. The entire month of May is a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of female mountaineers, past, present, and future.

One of this blogger’s personal heroines is Arlene Blum. In 1978 Arlene gathered the first all-woman’s expedition not only to successfully summit Annapurna, but also the first American expedition to do so. To cover expedition costs, her designer came up with the t-shirt that rocked the establishment. A Woman’s Place is on Top sold 15,000 tops and raised $80,000. Arlene, being the gracious woman she is, has allowed Base Camp store the unique opportunity to sell her t-shirt. In turn, we are donating a portion of the proceeds back to Arlene’s Green Science Policy Institute in Berkeley, CA. When you’re done in the Museum, help Arlene continue her research to protect our kids and our health.

And while we’re on the subject of accomplishments, Mother’s Day is just around the bend. Moms of the World, the Museum admission is free to you on May 9th. We celebrate your summits of a different kind and certainly no less significant.

Finally, we want to thank Outdoor Divas for their support and encouragement of our thematic month. They’re about the finest bunch of gals to promote women’s outdoor activities: Teal Tini May 4th in support of ovarian cancer awareness, B-Fit Vitality workout May 12th, Women’s Road Ride clinic May 26th, Women’s Rock-out events…it’s all there.

Boys, you’re still welcome at the Museum and events throughout May. But please, no cussin’ or spittin’. Remember, you’ll be outnumbered.

Travels with Bradford

2010-04-14T11:20:00.000-06:00

Life has a funny way of shaking up agendas. There’s nothing like something fuzzy and warm to set priorities straight.

Sarah Wood, my boss and Museum Operations Guru Manager, found a little feline fuzzball stumbling around the front of the American Mountain Center yesterday morning. Knowing I’m the Mother Teresa of the animal kingdom, she brought him in to Base Camp and said…”I hate to do this to you….”

Requests like this should be so imposing! This little brown tabby, weighing just a pound, is the little adventurer. He hand feeds formula voraciously, pees a lot, sleeps in a sling close to his new mama, and plays with leonine courage.

But mostly he sleeps. Kittens do that. At three weeks old he’s entitled.

All-day searches yielded no evidence of a litter or family or owner. And so we introduce a new character into this museum family – Bradford.

We’ll keep you posted of Bradford’s development alongside the Museum’s. There’s something wonderful about watching things grow from infancy to maturity. And I have a feeling Bradford’s development is going to be inspirational.

The Best Things in Life ARE Free!

2010-04-11T12:41:00.002-06:00

The party’s over. It’s time to call it a day. The First Annual Hall of Mountaineering Excellence is run, cleaned up, and put to bed. (And this blogger now remembers why she doesn’t wear heels.)

It was an amazing success. All the months of planning, researching, negotiating, promoting, structuring, and evaluating paid off. Bates, Chouinard, Craig and Houston now have their names etched permanently in our mountaineering history. They will always be our heroes.

My personal heroes, though, are the folks who volunteered their time to do the grunt work last night. You know, pouring drinks, serving food, providing information and (my favorite thing) cleaning up. As the production schedule and needs were mounted, we drew in more and more bodies to help in advance of the event. Not having met many of them, either, lent a bit of worry prior to the start of the night.

Employers should have such a diligent, responsible, hard-working crew as we had for the Gala. Each one assumed assigned tasks like a pro, assisting one another, communicating needs to the coordinator, keeping a close eye on guest needs, staying upbeat as the evening wore on, going above and beyond what someone earning wages for the same work would even do.

So, helmets off to you, Dan, Bob, Larke, Sparky, Steve, Camille, Ian, Micah, Aaron, Dave, George, and Lee. My apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone, but I’m still trying to figure out what possessed me to wear heels.

Oh, and I still owe you all pizza.

The Family of Mountaineering Excellence

2010-04-01T11:21:00.002-06:00

A call came through to the Museum yesterday from a woman whom I’ll call Lana (to protect her privacy) asking if so-and-so would be presenting at the April 10th Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Gala and accepting the award for one of the inductees already in Valhalla. As it turns out, yes.

As it really turns out, Lana had been on an expedition to Mt. Robson in August of 1951 with five fellows and our presenter was one of them. She was invited to proceed to the top of the glacier then was politely asked to descend while the boys continued on to the summit. Interestingly enough, Mother Nature had her usual way and the summit team was stuck mountainside through several days of winter storms, so no one topped out that trip.

Lana went on to marry one of her expedition mates. Almost 50 years later and her husband now deceased she called to see if she might reconnect with so-and-so since they are the only two surviving members of that August, 1951 expedition.

Come on. How cool is that?!

It is such a privilege to be at the hub of stories, reunions, and history. The mountains are our common ground and they draw us together. And even though the Gala on April 10th is devoted to the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence, we’re really celebrating a unique and wonderful family bonded by the excellence we find in our mountain experiences. Maybe we can call it Six Peaks of Separation since we’re all so obviously connected.

It’ll be interesting to see what transpires with Lana and if she has the chance to reunite with her mountaineering partner. In the meantime, we’ll keep on keepin’ on with the Gala (ticket sales will be cut off on Monday) and with the family that gets closer, bigger and more interesting with each passing day. All because of the Little Museum that Could.

The Not-So-Shameless Plug

2010-03-16T11:20:00.003-06:00

You’re probably aware that some big changes have been avalanching down the couloir at both the Museum and the Base Camp Museum Store. Nothing like change to freshen things up. And if you’re not aware of the huge leaps made these past few months then time to jump on the yak cart and come in from Outer Mongolia.

Base Camp Museum Store has been carefully chronicling feedback from guests and customers. It’s clear we’ve been offering some great merchandise, but our little space is just that – a little space – and it’s been challenging to display it all effectively. Kinda reminds us of having 85 liters of stuff and only a 40 liter pack. We’ve all been there….

As much as we’d like to hang on to some of this great merchandise, it’s essential to offer what the space can hold and display it attractively. So we’re trimming down the inventory and having a huge sale. A “we’re on FIRE!” sale as it’s been quipped. Books, CMC and AMM logo clothing, great gift items for birthdays and Mother’s Days, global crafts and local crafts to boot, lots of items up to 60% off.

Even better than just offering a sale, it starts this Thursday, March 18th, at 4 PM right before Thirsty 3rd Thursday so you can shop, see the museum, and join in the happy hour beginning at 5:30. Nothing like a ‘brew-and-do’ to make the shopping more fun and we’ll keep it going ‘til the Yeti come home. Not to be outdone, the sale continues Saturday, March 20th, beginning at 10 AM and through the entire Mountainfest celebration at the Mountaineering Center. Shoot, if you happen to wander in on Friday, we’re not going to say “no” to a sale.

And since we’re all conservationists we’ve made it easy on everyone by combining events to save time, cut down on mileage and carbon footprints and save everyone a good chunk of change. We won’t quote the “Shop! Shop! Till you Drop!” parody of the Def Leppard song but hold that thought.

The Goose Poop Two-Step

2010-03-10T15:17:00.003-07:00

We’re conservationists at the American Mountaineering Center – All Creatures Great and Small types. If we don’t own pets, we support animal rescue leagues and endangered species protection. We’re also very fond of the flock of Canadian geese that call Parfet Park across the way their home.

Now Canada may have us in Men’s Ice Hockey, but I’ll dare say the little hamlet of Golden, British Columbia has nothing on Golden, Colorado regarding number of Canadian Geese per square foot. They can take away our Gold, but not our geese.

These Branta canadensis waddle and squawk and eat. A lot. They’re docile and occasionally need a crossing guard as they travel from the Park across 10th Street to the front lawn of the AMC. Then they waddle and squawk and eat (a lot) on our grassy slopes. And we know the end result of gooses and ganders that eat. A lot.

Then we, being All Creatures Great and Small types, take the humane road to, uh, cleaning up after them. Our facilities staff dutifully hoses down the entryway then sprays it with a non-toxic liquid that, between rain and snow storms, works to keep these fine feathered friends off the cement and their organic by-product from underfoot.

So now that it’s almost Spring and the goslings will be appearing in the next few weeks, we invite you to stop by and Zen out with our Own Private Gaggle. Come by before Thirsty 3rd Thursday on the 18th or during Mountainfest on Saturday the 20th. Or anytime you’d like to pop in and see the Museum or even renew your CMC membership. But, as the blog title suggests, you might have to dodge a poo or two. It’s worth every two-step.

It's All in Your Head

2010-03-02T11:57:00.003-07:00

I’ll bet you didn’t know this, but March 15 – 21 is Brain Awareness Week. It’s a global campaign to increase public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. This is the 15th anniversary of the campaign that involves universities, hospitals, schools, research centers, and museum exhibits. That’s where we come in.

I’m reminded of Defending Your Life, the 1991 Albert Brooks film, in which Rip Torn portrays Bob Diamond, the Purgatorial Prosecutor. Touting he’s able to use 48% of his brain, he reminds Brooks that the “little brains” (as we humans are called behind our backs) use only 3%. While that’s a little low by current standards of research, it’s now suggested that humans use 10% of their cranial potential.

There’s obviously a lot we don’t know about the brain and its complexities, particularly when it comes to hypoxia and its long-term effects on the old gray matter. Dr. Robert Roach, Senior Scientist at the Altitude Research Center in Denver, has made this study his life. His list of publications includes an impressive array of subject matter. And that’s why the American Mountaineering Museum is hosting the next sPEAKer series event on this very subject and led by Dr. Roach. Beginning at 7 PM in the Foss Auditorium, Roach will share his studies combining slide presentations, lecture, and discussion.

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine met at the Mountaineering Center last weekend. It led to some interesting conversations, one with a physician who, through personal experience, doesn’t doubt the correlation between sustained high altitude hypoxia and reduced brain function. His instruction? “Take good care of your brain.” Wherever you are, whatever you do, that’s sound advice.

Stop by, then, tomorrow night after work to hear Roach’s timely take on the subject. Remember, the Museum will be open and free to attendees after 5:30 PM. It’ll be a great chance to see the current “Thin Air – an exhibit on altitude and oxygen” before it closes in a few weeks.

Now, what was it I was supposed to remember? ;->

Leading with Your Heart

2010-02-25T11:15:00.004-07:00

Now, don’t grip. I’m not going to quote lyrics from Barbara Streisand’s song.

There’s something about the quality of leadership that, when the leader moves the journey from head to heart, we respond in a deeper, more soulful way. The legacy of a culture is remembered with more significance when compassion and altruism are motivating forces rather than sheer accomplishment. The way the world behaves sometimes you’d think it a hard thing to do when, in fact, we live with examples in and around our lives that prove its existence.

No surprise, then, that the first and upcoming Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Awards inductees took everything they did to heart. It may seem a little odd to be bringing matters of the ole pumper into the well-organized and sometimes ego-driven world of mountaineering but those unfamiliar with the philosophies, accomplishments, and sacrifices of these honorees will do well to sit up and take notice.

Charles Houston, Bob Bates, and Bob Craig came to terms with the Brotherhood of the Rope back in 1953 when, during an unsuccessful summit attempt on K2, they found themselves with a critically ill expedition member in need of a rescue descent. They might well simply have left him behind but the challenges of the ascent to that point heightened the team’s cohesiveness. During the down climb a misstep caused an almost catastrophic series of falls and entanglements – and on instinct led most certainly by the need to protect the lives of his friends, Pete Schoening jammed his ice axe behind a boulder and hung on for the dear life. All but one survived and the attention each paid to the others during the remaining descent confirms the depth of their friendship.

Houston went on to become the leading authority in altitude sickness, hypoxia, and acclimatization, and Craig founded both the Aspen Institute, a non-profit dedicated to fostering values-based leadership and open-minded dialogue, and the Keystone Group, another non-profit aimed at settling environmental issues among quarreling groups before landing in court.

Bob Bates, member of the Harvard 5 mountaineering group along with Houston and Bradford Washburn, found himself alongside Washburn after they’d been forcibly abandoned in the Yukon. A successful first ascent of Mount Lucania notched on their ice axes but thereafter they survived 32 days and 156 miles in an epic struggle for survival. I doubt there was ever any question that they’d work together to complete their journey to safety.

Bates followed up that expedition by working with the Army to develop improved clothing and equipment for US mountain divisions, and in turn benefitted our daily backcountry lives and well-being. His autobiography, The Love of Mountains is Best, says it all.

And then there’s Yosemite. What’s the first name that comes to mind? Well, besides John Muir.

I’ll give you a hint. It begins with Yvon and ends with Chouinard. In addition to reinventing climbing gear from aid to ice, he rattled the cage of the piton-hammerers, ostensibly destroying the very product that started his business, and advocated a new style – what he called clean climbing – to avoid scarring the rock. From that philosophy was born not only passive pro but a business model in both Patagonia and Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. that fosters ethics, environmentalism, and the opportunity to care for each other as well as the earth. Not a bad legacy to leave, eh?

Come walk with these giants, then, when they are honored April 10th at the American Mountaineering Museum. It’s a heartfelt chance to thank them with the same graciousness and altruism they so freely shared with us.

The Checklist Manifesto

2010-02-17T14:36:00.008-07:00

In addition to being an exquisite book by Atul Gawande, it’s the to-do list for the next few events with the Museum and Library:

Thursday, February 18: Jake Norton: On Three Great Expeditions
Held at Vital Outdoors, 1224 Washington, Golden
5:30PM – 7:30PM.
Beer.
Giveaways.
Beer.

Check.

Friday, February 19: American Mountaineering Museum 2nd Anniversary
Held at the Museum, 710 10th, Golden
5:30ish till 8:00ish
Beer and a little nosh.
Unveiling of the Donors Plaque.
Mingle with the Stars: George Mallory, Albert Ellingwood, Arlene Blum, and a Son of a Gun.

Check.

Saturday, February 20: AAC Library Book Sale
Held at the Inverness Hotel, 200 Inverness Drive West, Englewood (Tech Center)
Open to the public 2PM – 4PM
No beer.
Attendee events for the AAC's 3rd Annual Benefit and Awards dinner: (hint: Royal Robbins will be signing his book, To Be Brave, after 4PM)

Check.

Wednesday, March 3: sPEAKer series, Dr. Robert Roach, Senior Scientist at the Altitude Research Center in Denver
Held at the Museum, 710 10th, Golden
5:30ish refreshments, 7ish Program
No beer.

Check.

Thursday, March 4th, and Friday, March 5th: Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
Held at the Paramount Theater, 1621 Glenarm, Denver
Screenings begin at 7ish PM
Beer if you mortgage your soul to pay for it.

Check.

Saturday, April 10: Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Gala
Held at the Museum, 710 10th, Golden
Time TBA
Fine dining (yes, and beer), entertainment, program honoring four outstanding mountaineers
Tickets on sale now.

Check, Mate!

A Woman's Place is on Top...

2010-02-11T11:13:00.003-07:00

...or so quipped Arlene Blum in preparation for her all-women’s Annapurna expedition in 1978. And so they proved it true in spite of adversity and loss. That’s not all Arlene is known for, though, and a life as rich and fulfilling as that needs to be shared. So be it, at the 2nd Anniversary celebration of the American Mountaineering Museum. Would the real Arlene please stand up? Wellllll, how about a proxy, along with three other mountaineering history buffs portraying George Mallory, Albert Ellingwood, and one of our 10th Mountain Division soldiers. These are folks who continue to bring our museum alive through their dreams and dedication as do our myriad volunteers.

The celebration begins at 5:30 PM on Friday, February 19th. We’ll also celebrate the behind-the-scenes benefactors who helped bring the museum to life two years ago. The grand unveiling of a donor plaque will cap the evening of food, $2 fer brewski, music, and all-around ribaldry. Where else can you get this kind of entertainment nearly free?

Since the usual Thirsty 3rd Thursday date is open on February 18th, instead stop by Vital Outdoors in downtown Golden to hear our favorite mountaineer, Jake Norton, present photos and stories about his three favorite expeditions. Tickets are $3, all proceeds go to the Museum, and you’ll just have to be there to hear which of Jake’s myriad adventures he can whittle down to his favorites.

While we’re on the subject of expeditions, if you haven’t checked out the Wenger Patagonia Expedition Race, tighten up your kayak skirts before you do. Fourteen four-person teams from around the world, including team Eddie Bauer (that’s my team!) have 8 days to complete a 600 km South American race that includes ocean kayaking, mountain biking, trekking, climbing, and backcountry navigation. They started the ocean kayaking off Tierra del Fuego in seas so rough supply ship drops were cancelled...I think in Spanish that’s referred to as cojones.

You Forgot to do What?

2010-02-04T12:01:00.006-07:00

A little gentle elbow in the ribs, here…to those who missed a great presentation at last night’s sPEAKer series. Jeff Blumenfeld gave an enthusiastic and well-organized talk on how to get the trip you want sponsored and funded.

Not so fast, there, cowpoke. There are a few questions to ask and thoughts to ponder once the supreme question “You Want To Go Where?” has an answer.

So what? Seriously. What’s so great about That Dream Trip? Has it been done before? Are you adding a unique twist to it? Will anyone sit up and take notice? Who is it going to benefit?

The dream part is easy. Choose the destination. Make the process unique, a record-setter, a first-time crack at it. Be certain someone/something larger than you benefits, be it education opportunities in China, health and human rights for a native culture, or an environmental cause.

And then….well, you need to read the book for the rest of it. A few copies remain at the Base Camp Gift Shop. Give us a shout at 303-996-2755 and we'll get a copy in the mail. C’mon, you didn’t think we’d give away ALL the secrets?

March 3rd’s sPEAKer will be Dr. Robert Roach, senior scientist at the Altitude Research Center in Denver. We’d say “hold your breath in anticipation of a knock-out presentation,” but that’d just make you hypoxic. :-)

The Adventurous Life

2010-01-30T12:24:00.002-07:00

First thanks to the many movie buffs who enjoyed the screening of North Face: the Movie at the American Mountaineering Center last night. I think we’d all agree that, while the trailer was very exciting, it didn’t come close to revealing the scope of the film. As mountaineers we understand the drive and the dangers of undertaking the Nordwand, and the film’s absolute accuracy of everything from the hardware to the rock to the brotherhood of the rope brought the tragedy that much closer to our own experiences. The tension in the auditorium was palpable, and everyone from this blogger to the last viewer exiting the auditorium left with a somber and respectful demeanor. This is a film not to be missed by anyone, particularly those who seek a film about alpinism that finally does it justice. Enough with Sylvester Stallone’s poor climbing technique and space age bolt gun.

That being said, if you have your own dream to fulfill, join the Museum staff Wednesday, February 3rd, at 7 PM for a presentation by Jeff Blumenfeld based on his book You Want to Go Where? Jeff is the Go-to Guy for adventure marketing ideas and will offer success stories of previous adrenaline junkies on top of proven means by which to find sponsorship and grant monies for your own Nordwand. Stop by after 5:30 and enjoy the museum as part of the admission price ($3 for members, $5 for non-members, free to Friends of the Museum and AAC Library). Books will be available for purchase at the event.

It’s time also to get that book read for the next AAC Library Book Club Fight Club salon, Tuesday, February 9, at 6 PM. James Tabor’s Forever on the Mountain chronicles the doomed 1967 attempt to summit Denali. Only 5 of the 12 man team survived and, as with many expeditions, tempers and winter conditions flared leading to disastrous consequences. As host for PBS’s Great Outdoors, Tabor’s ability to blend investigative journalism with out-and-out good storytelling makes this book hard to put down. Copies of his book are still available in the Base Camp Adventure Store.

People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering. St. Augustine 354-430 AD.

The adventurous life is an endless one. The beauty of it lies, for many, not in the attainment of it but the process of discovering ourselves through adversity and challenge and who we are when we return home. We seek wisdom through others’ narratives and thus better understand the magic of our own waking hours.

And every one of them is an adventure.

You Want to Go WHERE?

2010-01-27T13:15:00.002-07:00

Ever wonder how some folks just seem to have all the luck? They get to go anywhere in the world, do incredibly inspiring and daredevil things, don’t pay a cent for it, then get speaking engagements around the world?

Repeat after me. Adventure Marketing. And the guru of said PR style, Jeff Blumenfeld, will reveal the simple secrets of success. YOUR success. Right here at the American Mountaineering Museum.

Considering extreme ironing while strapped to the wing of a 747 at 35,000 feet? Maybe not so much. But is there a first-of-something out there that you’ve been trying to make work? A feat that, if successful, sets an example to other dreamers, armchair and active alike? Tests your skills, stretches your limits and proves that It Can Be Done?

Then Jeff B. is your man. Based on his book of the above title, you’ll get a line-item description of how to plan, fund, and execute your own trip and do it with grants and scholarships.

Sound sweet? Remember, 2010 is the Year to Do It All. Get the scoop with Jeff and followers at the American Mountaineering Museum Wednesday, February 3rd. Noms at 5:30 in the lobby of the AMM, presentation begins at 7 PM in the Foss Auditorium. It’s $5 for non-members, $3 for members, and free to friends of both the Museum and the AAC Library. And if you haven’t seen the Museum yet, admission is included with the ticket price from 5:30 PM on.

Come on. What’s holding you back?

(Not So) Terrible Twos

2010-01-21T10:50:00.005-07:00

We’ve started the year with a bang, that’s for certain. And it’s exciting to note that the museum’s second anniversary is coming up in less than a month! Like a child all of a sudden growing up, we’re wondering where the time went but doubly excited at the growth we’re going to see in 2010.

And there’s no time like the present to celebrate. Thirsty 3rd Thursday will become Thirsty 3rd FRIDAY on February 19th and we’re pulling out all the stops. Beginning at 5:30 PM we’ll offer the usual Thursday fare: $2 brews, snacks, acoustic music and lots of giveaways. Museum admission, as always, is free and at this event come and meet some of the distinguished mountaineers highlighted in our exhibits. We’ve a group of dedicated volunteers busily studying folks like Albert Ellingwood, George Mallory, Jim Whitaker, and Pete Schoening in order to become knowledgeable interactive performers, and I know who’s playing Arlene Blum….

We’ll also be honoring all those very generous supporters who helped make the museum possible from it’s conception. Join us for this very special evening of celebrating the (Not So) Terrible Twos at the American Mountaineering Museum.

While we’re mentioning Thirsty 3rd Thursday if you haven’t already made plans tonight join us for the usual Thursday fare starting at 5:30 PM. NOAA says the weather is holding off until tomorrow so it’s a good night to be out and about!

Next week is another big one for the Museum. The Avalanche Awareness clinic cancelled January 6th due to inclement conditions is rescheduled for Wednesday, January 27th, at 7 PM. The Museum will open after 5:30 PM and admission is included with the event price.

Hang on to your gris-gris for the free screening of North face: the Movie Friday, January 29th at 6 PM. It’s opening night across the US and there’s already Eigerwand-sized excitement about it. Recommend arriving early to claim a seat in the Foss as we think this is going to be a big one.

Wait, there’s more. Wednesday, February 3rd, Jeff Blumenfeld will be here as part of the sPEAKer series presenting his favorite topic You Want to go WHERE? If you have a dream project with a purpose and need to heed the calling, Jeff will help explain how to garner funding and support. Remember, in 2010 anything’s possible! Slide show and discussion begins at 7 PM preceded by a Museum reception at 5:30 PM.

We hope you’re as breathless about the next few weeks at the AMM as we are with planning and preparations. The little Mountaineering Museum in Golden is growing up and fast.

North Face Comes to Golden!

2010-01-14T12:36:00.008-07:00

Film Trailers by Filmtrailer.com

The buzz is out about a film that’s premiered in Europe and is finally landing in the US. North Face: the Movie is receiving rave reviews for its realism in story-telling and action. For a mountaineering film to get those accolades from real mountaineers, not actors playing it up, is something to sit up and take notice.

The Eiger is no stranger to either filmmakers or alpinists. In July of 1936 Nazi Germany, as propaganda for the Summer Olympics, organized a European competition for any mountaineer to be the first to climb the Eiger North Face. Known as the Murder Wall, top German climbers Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser set out with the Austrian team of Willy Angerer and Edi Rainier hot on their heels.

Based on a true story, director Philipp Stölzl propels the viewer out of the Hollywood comfort zone and onto the cliff face. From setting the first piton to the now named Hinterstoisser Traverse to the encroaching weather and its dangers, the story is told with an unflinching eye tuned to the realities of the vertical world and its challenges.

Not to be missed. Premiering across the US on January 29th, the American Mountaineering Museum cohosts with the American Alpine Club to offer a FREE screening of the film at the American Mountaineering Center Friday, January 29th. The film begins at 6 PM in the Foss Auditorium with a Museum reception at 5 PM.

Again, not to be missed! While it’s in German with English subtitles once the climbing begins you won’t be too concerned with reading.

More information on the film is found at North Face: the Movie

The First Rule of Fight Club...

2010-01-12T11:25:00.003-07:00

…is you don’t talk about Fight Club.

Really? Then how will we let you know that tonight, January 12, at 6 PM is the monthly meeting of the AAC Book Club Fight Club? Guess we shouldn’t tell you that it’s a verbal joust with author Mark Obmascik in attendance. Or that it’s squaring off on his book, Halfway to Heaven – my White-Knuckled – and Knuckle-Headed – Quest for the Rocky Mountain High. It is, after all, about a middle-aged guy who takes on the challenge of summiting all of CO’s 14ers and discovers a lot about himself and his man-dates along the way.

Sounds like a meet? Tonight, 6 PM. Check in with the Alpine Club Library folks for location. The Base Camp Museum Store has a couple copies of the book available, in case you want your own autographed copy.

Remember - after the AAC Book Club Fight Club, everything else in your life has the volume turned down. You could deal with anything.

If you don't like the weather in Colorado...

2010-01-07T10:39:00.003-07:00

…just wait half an hour! Unfortunately because it took a little longer to clear things out last night the sPEAKer series event on avalanche awareness was cancelled. We sure do appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm for the event and, as the weather and conditions last night and today prove, it’s still a very necessary topic. The event WILL be rescheduled so stay tuned and the date and time will be posted.

Be that as it may, next Tuesday, January 12th, the ongoing American Alpine Club Book Club Fight Club will meet for its monthly salon. This month’s book is Halfway to Heaven, by Denver resident and author Mark Obmascik. Subtitled My White-knuckled – and Knuckle-headed – Quest for the Rocky Mountain High, well, that should tell you it’s going to be a lively read with more than a few chuckles. The Book Club meets starting at 6 PM – check in with the library for this month’s location.

If you need a copy and can’t find one, there are copies available for purchase in the Base Camp Museum Store. Give us a shout at 303-996-2755 or come by the store and we’ll take care of you.

There’s nothing quite like bluebird skies and sun glinting off fresh-fallen snow. Take a picture, make a snow-angel, enjoy the crunch of snow underfoot. It’s a great day to be in Colorado.

Are You Allergic to Vanilla?

2010-01-05T16:04:00.003-07:00

No doubt if you’re reading this, you are. Plain vanilla is good for ice cream. But adventure?

Maybe not so much.

That’s why the next sPEAKer series event scheduled for Wednesday, January 6th (that’s tomorrow) at 7 PM is focused on avalanche awareness and aimed at the adventurer in all of you. No doubt you’ve heard about today’s avalanche fatalities in Canada and Switzerland after these latest storms. You may be traveling there, you may be staying home, but a little knowledge is a powerful thing for these unstable conditions.

The CMC members leading this information session are all American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) approved and trained. They know their stuff from their 300+ days in the field. Your time will be well spent learning about types of avalanches, terrain, snowpack and weather on top of trip planning and travel techniques. It’s not a Level I certification class and there’ll be no training in beacon use or search and rescue/recovery. But it’ll open your eyes to the risks and, more importantly, the basic safety measures that enable good backcountry decision-making.

So the snow may look plain vanilla while it’s anything but. Save the ice cream for your bowl at home and your wits and wisdom for the bowls above treeline.

$3 CMC/AAC Members, $5 Non-Members - FREE to Friends of the Museum and Friends of the AAC Library. Museum admission is included in the ticket price and will be open from 5:30 – 6:30; light noms provided. Base Camp Adventure store will also be open for purchases.

Once in a Blue Moon

2009-12-30T11:01:00.002-07:00

This New Year’s Eve is filled with more stuff than dreams can possibly be made of.

It’s a Blue Moon and it happens to fall smack-dab on New Year’s Eve. The lunar phenomenon occurs once every 19 years: that’s pretty powerful however you look at it.

2009 was an auspicious and sad year. We lost some of the greats of climbing – John Bachar, Craig Luebben, Bruce Bindner, and the mountaineering world said good-bye to Dr. Charles Houston, Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, Guy Lacelle, Tomas Humar, Johnny Copp, Micah Dash, and Wade Bruce Johnson.

What this blogger remembers these, and so many more here unnamed, climbers/hikers/mountaineers for is their “get ‘er done” attitude. Perspicacity. Their willingness to fully commit, mind, body, and soul to their goals without hesitation. And if they didn’t make it the first time, like Walter Bonatti they accepted their fear and got to it until they did. It’s a legacy that’s simultaneously humbling and inspiring and a fantastic reminder that the Museum offers me on a daily basis.

2010: a Space Odyssey, thanks to Arthur C. Clarke. All of a sudden it’s 2010 and we’re still wondering how the decade disappeared so quickly. Weren’t there some important things we meant to do before another grey hair appeared, before another year disappeared, before another friend was lost?

2010: a Personal Odyssey, thanks to that person staring back at us from the mirror. Perhaps, because we’re getting a rare glimpse at a rare astrological event, we can take an extra step back to ponder that Blue Moon. It’s that extra stride that’ll give us the added momentum to jump straight into our dreams and get ‘em done.

Whatever your odyssey may be, however you fulfill it, we at the American Mountaineering Museum and Mountaineering Center wish for you and dream with you. May the best of all opportunities present themselves and inspire you throughout 2010.

2009-12-26T12:11:00.009-07:00

We’ve made it through the holidays, almost, and the weather is finally offering some cold and snow for all the powderhounds out there. It’s been a long wait but well worth it!

Well, almost. According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, this past week alone observers reported 19 human-triggered avalanches occurring from Cameron Pass all the way down to Loveland Pass. The Front Range is in particularly rough shape right now because of the early snow/early warm-up/more snow cycle. Yesterday’s 50+ mph winds above treeline loaded that slab on top of very unstable layers creating conditions prime for avalanche.

Of course you’re not at any risk, right? It couldn’t possibly happen….not so fast there, powderhound. It’s a real danger to everyone, even the most experienced among us.

The next sPEAKer series event at the Museum is incredibly timely. On Wednesday, January 6th, at 7 PM the Colorado Mountain Club will speak on the topic of Avalanche Awareness. It’s not an AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) avalanche class but an overview of the training, equipment, and cranial activation you’ll need to make good choices in the backcountry. Join us at 5:30 for some refreshment prior to the event and a chance for participants to see the museum inclusive in the price of admission. All sPEAKers series events are $3 for AAC/CMC members & students, $5 for non-members, free to Friends of the Museum and AAC library and open to the public.

Remember, it’s not what you know; it’s what you don’t know that can injure, even kill you. Have an adventurous and SAFE New Year and we’ll see you on the 6th at the American Mountaineering Center!

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful!

2009-12-23T13:26:00.001-07:00

But inside Base Camp it’s so delightful!

Consider this – Base Camp adventure store is a great place to finish up your holiday shopping. We have unique gifts for everyone in the family including kids, peak-baggers, Moms, jewelry lovers, CMC devotees, spiritualists, readers, and historians. Our book shelves are rivaled only by the AAC library (JK!), the prayer flags are ready to waft in the zephyr breezes, and the Peruvian necklaces and compassion bracelets will fill out the stocking better than any lump of coal.

We also have a great promotion – our 14ers t-shirt with graphics of all the 14ers front and back goes with a free 14ers poster. Use both as your peak register so when they’re done the information can be documented with the CMC archives!

Too many choices? Purchase gift admissions to the American Mountaineering Museum, or a gift certificate to Base Camp store.

Don’t feel like driving? Denver RTD bus #16 will get you almost to our doorstep. Check out schedules at www.rtd-denver.com/.

Visit our website at www.cmc.org/store/storecategories.aspx where we have a few of our many items visible online. Or call at 303-996-2755. Or shoot me an email at marthaperantoni@mountaineeringmuseum.org. We’re open today until 5 PM and Lord willin’ and the crick don’t rise, Christmas Eve day from 10AM – 4PM also. Closed the 25th, though, and back open on the 26th from 10AM – 6PM.

Happy holidays to all, be ye celebrating with Christmas tree, Menorah, or kinara.

2009-12-19T11:12:00.002-07:00

We interrupt this blogspot for an important announcement…

Hi! My name’s Martha and I’m the new manager at the Base Camp Adventure Store here in the American Mountaineering Center in beautiful downtown Golden, Colorado. I’m really excited to work here and promote such a great collaboration of mountaineering organizations. We have some great holiday gift ideas here that you probably won’t find anywhere else: singing bowls; climbing- and nature-inspired jewelry like miniature ice axe pendants and snowflake earrings; and Colorado 14ers calendars, software, and t-shirts for starters. We also have fun stocking stuffers like prayer flags; Bonnie’s Balms salves; and pewter mountain summit benchmarks in paperweight and pendant sizes.

But there’s more! We have more climbing and mountaineering books than you can shake a gris-gris at, great quality CMC logo denim shirts and actionwear, and ornaments made from the shavings of oxygen bottles retrieved from Mt. Everest. Really.

For the kids? Cooperative board games like Search and Rescue, Explorers, and Berries, Bugs and Bullfrogs. Fuzzy stuffed animals like llamas, black bear, buffalo, and moose. Kid-sized CMC and AMC t-shirts. And ocarina flutes hand-crafted in Peru. How many of you can say you’ve heard Happy Birthday played on an ocarina?

For you art collectors, some of our proudest offerings are the photographs from the Jake Norton Collection. We’re fortunate to have Jake as our Museum Director and the images he’s brought back from his multiple summits of Everest and time spent in Nepal are spectacular. Alongside his work is that of Jessica Sarkisian whose photographs of the Colorado 14ers and the Himalayas are as inspiring as they are beautiful. When she’s not piloting an Airbus 320 out of Denver she’s logging miles on her camera from some of the 35 countries she’s visited and photographed.

Please visit me at the American Mountaineering Center at 710 10th Street in Golden. If you have any more questions, I’m here to answer them either at 303-996-2755 or at marthaperantoni@mountaineeringmuseum.org. We’re open today from 10 AM to 6 PM, Sunday from 11 AM – 4 PM, and Tuesday –Thursday from 10 AM – 5 PM for that last minute shopping. We'll be closed Christmas Day and most likely making some turns in the backcountry.

We now return to our regular blogspot programming. And Happy Holidays to all!

2009-12-11T14:23:00.001-07:00

Lots going on at BWAMM in the next few weeks. As always, Thirsty 3rd Thursday is coming up December 17. Take a break from the holiday brouhaha and stop by for $1 beer, snacks, live music, and NO ANGRY CROWDS! The Museum Store has some great gift ideas that you’ll likely not find anywhere else. And I repeat – NO ANGRY CROWDS! Holiday hours for the museum and store include closure December 24th and 25th as well as January 1st – New Year’s Eve will be a shortened day with both closing at 2 PM.

The sPEAKer series continues Wednesday, January 6th with a presentation by the Colorado Mountain Club regarding avalanche safety. ‘Tis the season to be wary! Reception begins at 5:30, lecture at 7 PM, and the museum will be open and free to those attending the event.

You’ll begin to hear a lot about the First Annual Hall of Mountaineering Excellence Gala. Set aside April 10th for the festivities and awards – more details up and coming.

And today in Mountaineering History? December 11th is International Mountain Day. The United Nations set aside today as an occasion to help raise awareness of the people who live in mountainous regions and the role that these regions play in providing food, water, and recreation.

‘Til next time, have a great weekend. Be safe out there.

sPEAKer Series Moved to the 3rd.

2009-11-24T15:30:00.004-07:00

Unfortunately Gary Guller will not be able to make it in on December 2nd. So we would like to invite you to come and hear Jake Norton present on his Mallory expedition on December 3rd. We are having our official opening of the new exhibit that night at 6:00 and Jake's presentation at 7:00. Please join us and RSVP to: info@mountaineeringmuseum.org

Hope to see you there!

sPEAKers, Exhibits and Parties!

2009-11-12T13:53:00.003-07:00

Brot Coburn came to our sPEAKer Series to present on his recent discoveries in the Mustang Valley. You can check out the PBS special here airing November 18th! Brot gave an amazing presentation and we had a great turn out! Pictured left to right, Rob Raker, Brot Coburn and Jake Norton.

MUSEUM DOUBLE HEADER

December 2nd we will have Gary Guller in for a presentation on his incredible trek to Base Camp leading the largest cross-disability group to 17,500 ft, before setting another record, becoming the first person with one arm to summit Mt. Everest!

December 3rd we will have a special opening reception for our newest exhibit THIN AIR: An Exhibit on Altitude and Oxygen! Stay for a special presentation at 7:00 by Jake Norton on Mallory and Irvine too! RSVP to info@mountaineeringmuseum.org, admission is $5 per person. Friends of the Museum and AAC Library get in free.

THIN AIR: An Exhibit on Altitude and Oxygen

2009-10-30T10:20:00.007-06:00

The museum has been closed due to weather the past two days, but we are still preparing for our new exhibit coming in next week. THIN AIR: An Exhibit on Altitude and Oxygen starts next week, with the official opening reception to be scheduled soon!

MOUNTAINEERING takes grit. It takes tenacity. It takes energy. And, it also takes another fuel - OXYGEN. For centuries, mountaineers have been climbing higher. Beyond the physical endurance that it takes to reach these heights, there is the constant battle against ALTITUDE.
Whenever you go higher, you lose more and more of that crucial fuel: OXYGEN. The relationship between altitude, oxygen, energy, endurance and the climber can mean the difference between success and failure...or life and death!
What is THIN AIR? What happens to our bodies as we go up in elevation? What are scientists learning about the effects of altitude on our bodies and minds, and on those who call the high peaks their home?
When did mountaineers first use OXYGEN to climb mountains? How have they progressed? Is the use of oxygen considered a climbing aid, a performance-enhancing drug?
The answers are at the American Mountaineering Museum in THIN AIR: An exhibit on Altitude and Oxygen.

YETi Night

2009-10-21T19:05:00.005-06:00

We had a great Thirsty 3RD Thursday this month with YETI Night! Huge thank you to UPSlOPE BREWING for providing the brew, Atomic Prado for providing the music, Sherpa's for giving away a free dinner and discounts, Lhakpa for telling us about Yeti's in Nepal, CMC Youth Education Program for helping out with the little YETI's, American Alpine Club Library for helping with the mask making, and YETI COOLERS for providing some great prizes!

Thank you to all of our patrons for bringing books for the Magic Yeti Library in Nepal, and supporting the Museum!

New Exhibit Items

2009-10-19T18:52:00.004-06:00

Recently the American Mountaineering Museum acquired some exciting new items. Jim Whittaker's Everest summit boots made their way here and are now on display in the Whittaker case on the museum floor! These huge rugged LOWA boots are pretty amazing weighing in at about 3 lbs each! Whittaker will be at the museum this Friday October 23rd for an Eddie Bauer presentation and Mountainfilm tour! Don't miss it! Click here for details!

We also received a film cassette from Bradford Washburn's huge Fairchild camera. This 10 lb beauty will be on display in the hallway case just outside of the museum in the coming month. As I hold the 10lb cassette, I can only imagine what wonderful photos were taken from it and how heavy the main Fairchild camera was as he hung out of that plane! 50 lbs!

Come on by and check out these great new items on display!!

In the news!

2009-09-11T09:42:00.003-06:00

The American Mountaineering Museum is in the news!

Check out the articles below!

Denver Post Article - by John Meyer

YourHub Article 1 - by Luke Clarke
YourHub Article 2 - by Luke Clarke

Mile High News Article - by Meredith Knight

Last Chance

2009-09-11T08:20:00.002-06:00

Your time is running out to see the spectacular collection From the Favorites now showing in the American Mountaineering Museum! This show will be up through the end of October. Don't miss your chance to see these prints before they go back into the American Alpine Club archive!

Antarctic Retrospective: An Evening with John Evans and Conrad Anker

2009-03-09T16:14:00.002-06:00

The BWAMM Speakers Series presents:

Antarctic Retrospective: An Evening with John Evans and Conrad Anker

In 1966, the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition set off for the vast, unclimbed peaks of the Sentinel Range in the Ellsworth Mountains of Antarctica. The expedition, led by Nick Clinch from the American Alpine Club and sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society, was wildly successful.

Read more here…

“An Eye at the Top of the World” with Pete Takeda

2009-02-02T17:42:00.003-07:00

Join world-class alpinist, journalist and author, Pete Takeda, on Wednesday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m., in the Museum, as he discusses the terrifying legacy of the Cold War’s most daring CIA operation from his award-winning book, An Eye at the Top of the World. Pete’s book is atrue story involving Cold War intrigue in the remotest part of the Himalayas and a deadly poison that could potentially be unleashed upon millions of people. According to Takeda, the book is “a blend of Cold War history, environmental mystery and outdoor adventure, unfolding with a real-life Eiger Sanction-esque back-story.” Read more in the Daily Camera here: http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/recreation_columnists/article/0,1713,BDC_2484_4959795,00.html

This is an event that will appeal to history buffs, mountain climbers, and James Bond fans alike.

This is yet another Speaker’s Series event not to be missed!

WHEN:
February 4, 2009, 7:00 p.m.

WHERE:
American Mountaineering Museum
710 Tenth Street
Golden, CO 80401

HOW MUCH:
This event is FREE, although donations to the Museum are appreciated!

Opening Reception - On High: Cartography of Topography

2009-01-02T12:43:00.003-07:00

Join us at the museum on January 29, 2009, for a special opening event with prominent map collector Wes Brown, whose maps form the basis for this important and exclusive exhibit.

The historic map is that unique artifact that combines art, culture, history, science, and style, and so attracts people on a multitude of levels. Some will gaze at a map for the sake of possibility: how do I get from here to there, and where will I pass through?

Indeed, it is a passion for exploration—whether in the field or in the mind—that attracts so many people to maps.

Click here to reserve your spot today!

The BWAMM Speakers Series presents: An Evening with Maurice Isserman & Everest pioneer Tom Hornbein

2009-01-02T12:01:00.001-07:00

Isserman’s book, Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering From the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes shares unforgettable stories of the history of the world’s highest peaks and the climbers who challenged their lofty summits. Its in-depth research gives us unique insights into previously unknown controversies, mysteries, and dramas.

Isserman will join Everest pioneer Tom Hornbein for a conversation about the history of Himalayan climbing. Hornbein made the first ascent of the West Ridge of Everest in 1963 with Willi Unsoeld.

Read more…

Jake Norton Accepts Post as Bradford Washburn Museum Director

2008-12-05T15:49:00.002-07:00

JAKE NORTON ACCEPTS POST AS BRADFORD WASHBURN MUSEUM DIRECTOR

Western Hemisphere’s only major mountaineering museum now led by a notable climber

Golden, Colorado, November 20, 2008—
The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum (www.bwamm.org) announced today that climber, photographer and explorer Jake Norton has been named Director. The museum is owned and operated by the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) and the American Alpine Club (AAC).

Norton is a professional climber, guide and photographer who has taken thousands of people up peaks ranging from Mount Rainier (88 ascents) to Mt. McKinley and Himalayan giants like Cho Oyu and Gurla Mandhata in Tibet. He has been on 5 Everest expeditions including the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition, which discovered the 75 year-old remains of British pioneer climber George Leigh Mallory at 27,000 feet on Everest North Face. Artifacts from that expedition are now on display at the museum.

As a photographer Norton has worked for PBS/NOVA, BBC, Outdoor Life Network, and the Discovery Channel. His work has been published in countless books and magazines, including Vanity Fair, Outside, Forbes, and National Geographic Adventure. Jake’s photography is also featured in 2 books on the Mallory & Irvine Research Expeditions, Ghosts of Everest and Detectives on Everest.

Museum board member Tom Hornbein, who made the first ascent of the West Ridge of Everest in 1963, said, “In his energy, passion, charisma, and love of mountains, Jake brings to the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum the same sort of contagious enthusiasm and vision as Brad during his long tenure directing the Boston Museum of Science. We are blessed to have Jake at the helm.”

Jake makes his home in Golden, Colorado with his wife, Wende Valentine, and their daughter, Lila.

About the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum
Opened in 2008 at 710 10th Street in Golden, Colorado, the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is devoted to the stories of mountains and mountaineers. The only museum of its type in the United States, the museum introduces visitors to the world of mountain and rock climbing and honors the achievements of mountaineers from America and around the world. Exhibits on climate change, science, mountain culture and the arts make the visitor experience exciting and interactive. www.bwamm.org

About The American Alpine Club
The American Alpine Club inspires and supports and the climbing community and protects its playgrounds around the world. The AAC is perhaps best know for publishing the world’s most sought after annual climbing publication, the American Alpine Journal, caring for the world’s leading mountaineering library and offering annual climbing, conservation and research grants to budding adventurers. Learn about additional programs and become a member at www.AmericanAlpineClub.org.

About the Colorado Mountain Club
The Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) is the oldest outdoor education, recreation, and conservation organization in Colorado. Founded in 1912, CMC reaches an annual constituency of over 40,000 citizens, including 5,600 youth, providing a comprehensive and diverse range of programs and activities. Programs revolve around education, conservation, science, history, policy, recreation, arts and culture.

CMC offers a wide range of opportunities for the public to explore, observe, and learn about the Southern Rockies, while simultaneously leading efforts to protect the species, habitats, and wildness of our public lands. CMC publishes a quarterly magazine, Trail & Timberline, and operates a book press with more than 20 current titles. No other organization in the Intermountain West has such a strong or broad-based approach connecting people and our Colorado landscape. www.cmc.org

Tragedy on K2

2008-08-08T09:15:00.001-06:00

Eleven people died this week on K2, the world’s second-tallest mountain. An ice fall swept some of the victims away, equipment problems left others stranded. Phil Powers, executive director of the American Alpine Club describes what makes K2 such difficult terrain, and talks about his own experience climbing the mountain here.

Museum Director Takes a Hike

2008-08-05T11:49:00.004-06:00

It is a sad day at the museum. Nina Johnson, the museum's founding director, has taken a position at the University of New Mexico College of Fine Arts.

It was less than a month ago that she was hiking with bears on Lumpy Ridge near Estes Park. It was just last week that she was tubing down Clear Creek in Golden. She took two runs down the river--the first being very unpleasant for her, as this photo would indicate.

With a deft understanding of the established practices of the museum world, yet with the ability to see the margins and their benefits, Nina was able to balance what was standard or expected, with a bit of the unexpected, and a bit of the dynamic and challenging. She took what was a lagging museum project and turned it into a world-class institution. We cannot say enough about the style, class, kindness, and friendship that Nina brought to her role as Museum Director. She is also world-class.

We wish her luck in the dessicated wasteland of New Mexico.

American Legends at the Top of the World

2008-07-02T11:37:00.003-06:00

Jim Whittaker's clothes and gear will be the center of attention at this upcoming celebration in New York City. Of course, the real Jim will probably have something to say as well.

Undressing a Legend

2008-06-27T15:14:00.006-06:00

It took three young men to get one "Big Jim" out of his glass home in the museum.

The headline says it all. On June 26, we undressed Jim Whittaker--right in front of museum visitors. Well, it was really just a mannequin, so we didn't learn much about Jim. But, his clothing and gear are being sent to New York City and The Explorers Club to celebrate the 45th anniversary of his historic first American ascent of Mt. Everest.

The clothes will return soon, and we'll be able to dress the legend once again.

Taking the pants off a legend. Our apologies, Jim.

All New Summer Exhibits

2008-06-17T11:46:00.005-06:00

The summer is upon us, and we have all new exhibits at the museum! As previously mentioned, the Views of the Himalaya photography exhibit is up in the halls of the American Mountaineering Center. Many of the images from famed photographers like Galen Rowell and Beth Wald are for sale, with the proceeds benefiting the dZi Foundation, an organization that aids in the revitilization of small villages in Nepal.

Our Mountains Gifts exhibit has been hung, and the lithographs and engravings look exceptional. We have expanded the show to include such things as a traditional Nepali robe worn during the Mani Rimdu festival. Come check it out.

Finally, through the generosity of Jerry Gallwas, we are able to show artifacts and images from the first ascent of Half Dome in 1957, as well as climbing equipment from famed climber and blacksmith John Salathe. Come see these exhibits just outside the doors of the museum.

Upcoming Events - June

2008-05-16T10:41:00.002-06:00

The summer brings great things to the museum. But first, we have to get through a snowy spring season.

Next week we will host Coleman Outdoors as they promote the 50 States in 50 Days Adventure of their sponsored athlete, Mike Haugen.

50 States in 50 Days Adventure

What: Adventure Launch. Mike Haugen -- in an effort to bring awareness to the problems of childhood obesity, and to encourage kids to get outdoors -- will attempt to reach the highest point in every state, in 50 days. He'll begin with Alaska's Mount McKinley (Denali) in June.

When: Tuesday, May 20, 10 a.m.

Where: At the Museum

We have partnered with The Alpine Rescue Team to present a series on backcountry safety. The first in the series begins next week.

Keep Your Good Days From Going Bad

What: The basics of outdoor survival in the mountains of Colorado

When: May 22, 7 p.m.

Where: At the American Mountaineering Center

Which brings us to June, when two new exhibits will be featured at the museum.

June 2 - August 2
Views of the Himalaya - A photography exhibit brought to us by Mountain to Mountain, and benefiting the dZi Foundation to revitalize villages in Nepal.

June 11 - December 27
Mountain Gifts - On display will be items from the deep and diverse collections of the American Alpine Club and Colorado Mountain Club. They include climbing equipment from the early-1900s, Sherpa cultural garments, and a selection of lithographs, maps, engravings, and wood block prints from Europe and Asia.

As always, see our website for more information.

Touched by Angels

2008-05-02T11:08:00.007-06:00

In conjunction with its annual meeting, volunteer conservators from The American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (known as Angels) spent the day working with the collections at the American Alpine Club Library and American Mountaineering Museum.

The purpose of the project is to preserve rare books and archival documents, such as the Colorado Peak Registers. These collections are used by scholars and enthusiasts to explore and protect mountain environments. The project was organized by Beth Heller, Preservation Librarian for the American Alpine Club.

Says Heller, “This project allows conservators to join conservationists in a mission to protect fragile resources – whether they are in the library or on a mountain top. Conservators from across the United States will be volunteering their highly specialized skills, and the host sites are grateful for this opportunity.”

Jonathan Waterman: Arctic Warming

2008-04-20T18:10:00.001-06:00

April 24, 2008

7 p.m.

Imagine the awe-inspiring Arctic National Wildlife Refuge turning balmy, losing wildlife, and bristling with oil derricks. In 2006, the National Geographic sent Jon Waterman north to investigate, along with several college students and the legendary field biologist, George Schaller (his 1956 study created the original wildlife range). Last summer, while conferring with Alaskan scientists studying climate change and oil development, the expedition discovered melting permafrost, unnatural predation of nesting birds, brushed-over tundra, disappearing glaciers, and dying forests.

Jon is a renowned adventurer and author of nine books: his Where Mountains Are Nameless: Passion and Politics in the Arctic Refuge, won the 2006 Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award.

The hour-long "Arctic Warming" story-presentation explains global warming with objectivity and scientific credibility, as well as sharing Jon's soul-stirring journey: trekking, rafting, and solo kayaking through the Arctic Refuge. He meets bears, Inupiat hunters, and caribou–shown with artful photography and a preview of his film that premiered on national TV in September 2007.

Finally, with great hope for the region's salvation, he illuminates the ongoing political controversy and how interested audience members can take action to neutralize global warming and Arctic oil drilling.

Virtual Tour

2008-04-15T16:09:00.004-06:00

Thanks to our friend Shawn Steigner and his company Photo Surveyor, we are now able to offer a virtual tour of the museum.

See the virtual tour here .

Best of the Best

2008-04-02T09:22:00.004-06:00

Best Mountaineering Without the Bottled Oxygen? That's us, at least according to the Westword's annual "Denver - Best of the Best" issue.

In their words:
It might have taken a while to get it, but the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, which opened in Golden in February, was worth the wait. This is no mere exhibition hall; the cutting-edge, 3,000-square-foot facility, a joint venture of the Colorado Mountain Club, the American Alpine Club and the National Geographic Society, is the Smithsonian of mountaineering and a Disneyland for adrenaline junkies all rolled into one. Massive scale model of Mount Everest? Check. Legendary artifacts like the Schoening ice ax, used on K2 in 1953 to save five climbers from tumbling to their deaths? Check. Uber-realistic prefabricated rock crevasse on which visitors can finesse their technique? Check. Everything's here but the vertigo.

See the other "Best of the Best" entries.

By the Numbers: Some statistics on your Museum

2008-03-26T17:08:00.013-06:00

If you've received your copy of this season's Trail & Timberline, you've probably seen some of the statistics on the museum. And, you're probably waiting anxiously to hear just how many contour steps there are on the Mt. Everest model.

Well, there are so many, and it's making so many people cross-eyed trying to count them that the numbers aren't in yet. In the mean time, try to guess how many there are on our poll, found on the upper right hand side of the blog.

Are you as stumped as this guy? Try to guess the number of contour steps on Mt. Everest in our poll, on the upper right.

Here are some other interesting facts about the museum--by the numbers:

~7500
Number of tons of structures, interactives kiosks, and graphic panels in the museum (not including the rock formations)

~1700
Number of man-hours (over 5 weeks) to complete installation

246
Number of light bulbs, most of which are metal halide lamps, lowering electricity consumption by approximately 65%

2
Number of tractor trailer trucks it took to haul all of the materials and displays from Quatrefoil Associates headquarters in Laurel, Maryland

1.4
Number of dollars, in millions, budgeted for the design and build of the museum

Upcoming Events

2008-03-14T12:22:00.004-06:00

Meet the Sherpas: The True Heroes of Everest:

A former trek leader to the Everest Base Camp and a founder of the first hut system in Nepal, Linda LeBlanc is the first to fictionalize the lives of the Sherpas. The story and characters are based on Sherpas she has known, actual events, and extensive research.

Linda will be presenting on her life’s passion, the Sherpa people and the Everest region. Artifacts from the culture will be on display. Linda will also be available after her presentation for a book signing.

Check out the museum website for more details and ticket information.

Keep Climbing - A fundraising event for the CancerClimber Association

Come to the new Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum to help support the CancerClimber Association. Hear speakers Sean Swarner, the first cancer survivor to summit Mt. Everest, an, member of the expedition that discovered the body of legendary Everest-pioneer George Mallory.

The CancerClimber Association is a not-for-profit dedicated to motivating those living with cancer. Funds from this event will be used to produce a “portable camp” that will make visits to children’s hospitals in twenty-four cities across the country. Each stop will offer a three-day camp for children impacted by cancer.

Hors d’oeuvres • Drinks • Silent Auction with some fantastic climbing and sports equipment!

Check out the museum website for more details and ticket information.

Promises Kept

2008-02-26T15:17:00.005-07:00

I was in my first week at the museum, more than a year ago, when I first asked Nina to climb the climbing wall at the AMC.

"HA! Are ya kiddin' me?" she would say. If you haven't met Nina, it is hard to describe the look of disbelief with which she delivered this response. If you have, you know just what I'm talking about. Part incredulity, part absurdity, all humor.

Then again, she is a woman of her word. And her words were, one day -- perhaps in a fit of pre-opening confusion -- that if she made it through the Grand Opening weekend, alive and intact, then she would try climbing the wall.

I needn't say more. Below is the proof.

That nervous fellow belaying the museum director is the one and only Doug Skiba, Development Director for the CMC, and the only soul in whose hands Nina would trust her life.

Amazing!

2008-02-20T14:47:00.009-07:00

As many of you know, we celebrated the Grand Opening of the museum this past weekend with two days of festivities, ceremonies, lecturers, traveling exhibits and art. The response from both the media and the public was almost overwhelming—a great problem to have for a new venue.

We have been covered from NPR to a newspaper in Honolulu. We expected the climbing community to be excited that the national museum for mountaineering and the mountains opened in Golden, but, it seems clear that we underestimated the appeal to children, teachers and others.

The following story and photos will appear in the upcoming issue of the Trail & Timberline, the magazine of the Colorado Mountain Club. We just couldn't wait to let everyone know how well things went this past weekend. Enjoy.

Before and after. Then and now. A result of vision.

When Glenn Porzak and Jerry Caplan walked into an abandoned high school on Dec. 22, 1992, their intention was to inspect the building as a possible home for their dream. They were greeted, however, with broken windows and a space in need of great repair.

“The walls were crumbling and they had graffiti on them. There was a smell of unoccupation and it was bitterly cold,” said Caplan, describing that first visit when flashlights illuminated the state of decline. “As the realtors would say, ‘It didn’t show well.’”

Friends for many years, Porzak and Caplan communicated on a different level.

“Somehow, when we stood outside the building, it was very easy. Not too many words had to be exchanged. We agreed that this….was it.”

Of course, the dream and the building have become what are known as the American Mountaineering Center, and the high school they had entered was the old Golden High School, built in 1924.

With the opening of the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, the dream has run its course. The dream is now reality.

The Center—seen as a focal point for mountain-related educational, cultural, and training events—is a vital resource to those involved in the study and pursuit of the outdoor lifestyle. With the museum, that mission is greatly enhanced, furthering the role that our nation’s leading mountain and climbing organizations play in the education of our youth, the inspiration of our members, and the preservation of our mountains.

“The museum is truly the gem of this building,” says Chuck Baroch, the former mayor of the city of Golden.

From members’ receptions and major donor dinners, to spiritual blessings and the Grand Opening, from the vision that has taken us from a broken building to a landmark center for experience and education, the museum represents success.

Please come and enjoy what you have helped build.

Lhakpa Sherpa ties the final prayer flag to the chorten--the stone rock structure--in preparation for the puja, a Buddhist blessing performed at the Grand Opening. Pujas are often performed before Himalayan expeditions.

Lhoppön Rechungpa, president of the Mipham Shedra, performs the puja.

Kristy Judd, former Executive Director of the CMC, cuts the Grand Opening ribbon with Jim Donini, President of the American Alpine Club.

The Finishing Touches

2008-02-13T13:14:00.004-07:00

The last details are being taken care of at the museum in anticipation of the Grand Opening this Saturday and Sunday. Last week, Jon Waterman's exhibit "Journey Across the Arctic Refuge" was installed, and over the past few days the exhibition of Inuit art has been hung.

The finishing touches are also being put on the exhibits themselves. Dana, our friend from Quatrefoil, climbed inside the vitrine with Jim Whittaker to install Tom Hornbein's oxygen mask from the 1963 American Everest expedition. Good thing she's small.

By now, most of you have probably discovered that our website (www.bwamm.org) is up and running. We've been getting great feedback from around the world on it's layout, design, and content. Of course, we've always enjoyed the same reviews of the blog. That being said, the blog will continue. Keep checking back for stories on the lighter side of the BWAMM world. Be sure to visit the website for information on changing exhibits, lectures, and films.

GRAND OPENING!

2008-01-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's over. The wait. The construction. The dust. The welding. The installation. The anxiety.

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is finally ready to open its doors to the public. And so we would like to extend an invitation for everyone to join us for our weekend-long opening celebration.

What: Grand Opening Weekend
When: February 16, 10am-9pm / February 17, 10am-6pm
Where: At the BWAMM, of course, inside the American Mountaineering Center. 710 10th St., Golden, Colo.

Two temporary exhibits will accompany our grand opening. The first is a selection of Inuit Art entitled "Arctic Survival: Inuit People, Art and Culture," from the collection of Dr. Samuel Wagenfeld. The other exhibit first appeared at Explorer's Hall at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, DC. Now, Jon Waterman is bringing his "Journey Across the Artic Refuge" to the Museum. Both exhibits are free with the price of admission to the museum.

The 16th (10am-9pm)
10am - Ribbon cutting
11am-1pm - Indoor rock climbing for all ages
2pm - Ed Bernbaum--world renowned specialist on mountain culture and sacred mountains--will speak on his subject of expertise
4pm - Jake Norton--photographer, guide, and member of the Mallory and Irvine Research Expeditions--will speak about "Culture and Change in Mountaineering"
7pm - Lynn Hill will speak about "Free Climbing the Nose"
Base Camp, our adventure gift shop, will be open all day.

The 17th (10am-6pm)
11am - Tonya Riggs, member of the Peace Climb 2006, will speak about her expeditions
2pm - Kelly Cordes, strict adherent to light weight alpinism, will speak about "Trying, Falling, and Sometimes Succeeding"

For more information in the coming weeks, visit our new website at www.bwamm.org.

See you soon.

Alpinist 22 - Featuring Washburn's Camera

2007-12-10T17:00:00.001-07:00

Our friends at Alpinist magazine have done a fine job of highlighting one of the exquisite artifacts of our collection. Appropriately, it is one of Bradford Washburn's early cameras. Click on the photo below to read the article, or find Alpinist #22 and flip to page 15. Enjoy.

The Schoening Axe

2007-12-05T09:28:00.001-07:00

The famed Schoening Ice Axe. Courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society

Fred Poyner, of the Washington State Historical Society, inspects the axe after removing it from the shipping crate.

Next, Museum Director Niña Johnson has a look.

The installation team from Quatrefoil positions the axe within its secure case, as the director looks on.

The position is marked and the axe is ready to be installed.

On December 5, 2007, the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum took delivery of one of the most historic artifacts in the world of mountaineering – the Schoening ice axe. The axe was used to save the lives of five men, and has come to represent the pinnacle of mountaineering ethics. The axe will be on loan from the Washington State Historical Society.

The year 1953 was a great one for mountaineering. By its end, the summit of Mt. Everest was achieved after so many previous failures. Austrian Hermann Buhl climbed alone to the summit of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan to become the first person ever to complete a solo first ascent of an 8000 meter peak. On K2, the world’s second highest mountain, however, a saga unfolded that has forever remained etched in the annals of mountaineering. It was not to be a successful expedition—the summit would remain unclimbed until the following year. But the tenacity and strength displayed by the members of the expedition team remain legendary.

A storm on the Abruzzi Ridge—25,000 feet up on the slopes of K2—sent climbers led by Charles Houston, a doctor from Seattle, scrambling to save the life of a fellow mountaineer. Climbing alpine style without the aid of oxygen, team member Art Gilkey’s legs were filling with blood clots. With no other option than to get Gilkey to a lower elevation as fast as possible, the team began to maneuver him down the precariously steep and icy slope in the middle of a vicious storm, in his sleeping bag. That is until George Bell lost his footing and, in the ensuing entanglement of ropes and climbers, five men started plunging towards their deaths off the face of the mountain.

The youngest and strongest man on this expedition team, however, would keep this expedition from being remembered solely for its tragedies. Moments after Gilkey, still in his sleeping bag, and the other five men began sliding to their deaths, a chemist from Seattle, Pete Schoening, instinctually jammed his ice axe behind a boulder— an impromptu rope belay, with the rope wrapped around his hip and the wooden shaft of the axe—and instantaneously arrested five men from hurtling to their deaths.

Unfortunately, Gilkey would later be swept into the void by an avalanche. Still, Schoening’s simple yet life-altering act has since defined the expedition: “The Belay” is now recognized as one of the most heroic acts in all of mountaineering history.

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is now the home of this iconic piece of equipment and the story of Pete Schoening and his exemplary behavior in the thin air of the Karakoram Range.

The five lives that dangled from Schoening’s ice axe so far away in Pakistan have since blossomed into what has been described, by the daughter of a dangling expedition member, as “Children of the Belay.” Karen Molenaar Terrell, daughter of team member Dee Molenaar, was able to bring the children, grandchildren, and other relatives of those dangling souls together for a reunion—the photograph tells you there are more than 30 people alive today because of “The Belay”—because of Pete Schoening.

Schoening was not just a heroic mountaineer, however. He was a pioneering one as well. He led the first ascents of Mount Augusta and the East Ridge of King Peak in the Yukon in 1952. Along with Andy Kaufmann, he summited Gasherbrum I (Hidden Peak) in 1958, thus completing the only American first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak. In 1966, he made the first ascent of Antarctica’s highest summit, Vinson Massif.

But it was that day in August of 1953 that has become the classic mountaineering tale and a symbol for many of alpine ethics at its best: friendship between climbing partners had prevailed above all other considerations. As was later recounted in the book K2: The Savage Mountain, it was upon the cold, precipitous slopes of one of the world's wildest mountains, with hypoxia-challenged minds their only aid for survival, that these mountaineers felt as though they had reached "the core of life itself."

2007-11-28T13:04:00.001-07:00

The new adventure shop of the museum, Base Camp, has officially opened. Our opening weekend was a great success. Read more about the store in this Rocky Mountain News story.

The store hours will be Tuesday-Thursday, 3-7 and Friday & Saturday 12-5, until the museum officially opens to the public on February 16, 2008, when its hours will be revised.

Please stop by and check it out. The store, located within the American Mountaineering Center, features exciting items from the museum and the world of mountaineering that can be found few other places in the country. Featuring official products from the partnering organizations of The Colorado Mountain Club, American Alpine Club, and National Geographic Society, including:

National Geographic Society items, including topographic maps
Photography prints from the museum exhibit
CMC Press books
Gift items such as calenders, note cards, and jewelry
Unique holiday items including stocking stuffers
Mountain art
Books from culture to Colorado, from mountaineering to the world's mountains

To Build a Museum

2007-11-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come. We say that a lot around here. But this time, it means that the museum is really being installed. The pieces have arrived from the East Coast, along with the crew to assemble it. And up it goes. Here are a few photos of the first stages of installation.

To Build a Crevasse: Part 2

2007-11-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

A few more photos of the crevasse for you to enjoy. The process continues...

To Build a Crevasse

2007-11-01T16:19:00.000-06:00

Frank Ayala and the others from Monolithic Sculpture, Inc. have really outdone themselves this time. The crevasse they were hired to make has been a much anticipated part of the construction of the museum, and it is finally under way. Not only that, it is a work of art, and a time consuming one at that. The same construction method was used for the crevasse as was earlier employed for the creation of the faux rock formations. This time, however, it was the shape and space that the styrofoam and concrete structure had to fit into that made it such a compelling piece to watch take form.

Here are some of the more intriguing photos from the process. Soon, we'll be able to show you the final piece. Then comes the installation of exhibits, as Quatrefoil has already begun to pack up the prefabricated pieces in its workshops in Maryland and drive them to Golden. The transformation from construction zone to museum hall will be fast, and amazing.

Two Grand Openings Announced

2007-10-19T16:22:00.000-06:00

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum has announced that it will open its doors to the public for its Grand Opening on February 16, 2008. Before then, however, the museum will open its new gift store, Base Camp, on November 23, 2007. The store, located within the American Mountaineering Center, will feature exciting items from the museum and the world of mountaineering that can be found few other places in the country. Featuring official products from the partnering organizations of The Colorado Mountain Club, American Alpine Club, and National Geographic Society, including:

National Geographic Society items, including topographic maps
Photography prints from the museum exhibit
CMC Press books
Gift items such as calenders, note cards, and jewelry
Unique holiday items including stocking stuffers
Mountain art
Books from culture to Colorado, from mountaineering to the world's mountains

Today, we unveiled a new banner that hangs from the outside of the American Mountaineering Center. Phil Powers, Executive Director of the AAC, and Doug Skiba, Development Director of the CMC, rappelled down the face of the building to help unfurl the banner. Have a look...

We've Got Stairs!

2007-10-02T11:34:00.000-06:00

If there's any indication that the museum is getting closer to opening, it just may be the completion of the grand staircase. When the museum opens, it will take visitors from the mezzanine to the level of the museum. Sweeping down to the center of the exhibit, visitors will then be able to choose what to see and experience first. The ornamentation of the staircase mimics that of the existing staircases throughout the American Mountaineering Center.

The images below take you through the transformation -- from piles of steel to finished staircase.

Before the staircase was pieced together, it had to be worked into the museum space on a boom, guided by hand.

Mike David Event

2007-09-25T11:58:00.000-06:00

What: "Spirit of Adventure"
Where: Univ. of Denver's Newman Center for the Performing Arts
When: 7:45, Friday, October 5, 2007

Acclaimed photographer Mike David will host his "Spirit of Adventure" event on Friday, October 5, 2007, as a benefit for the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum. The museum is a joint venture of the Colorado Mountain Club, American Alpine Club, and National Geographic Society.

The event will begin its 11th season on Friday evening at 7:45 pm. The night will also be used to announce the date when the museum will open to the public, as well as the dates of special grand opening events.

During this spectacular large screen presentation you will see 450 of David's award winning images from around the world. The images from each country are accompanied live on stage by the best world musicians who perform the music and song of the cultures.

Ticket prices are $48 for the orchestra section at the Newman Center, and can be purchased at www.cmc.org.

To purchase tickets in other sections of the Newman Center, please contact Mike David Photography at (303)618-0646 or mdavidone@comcast.net.

The Final Review

2007-09-10T10:38:00.000-06:00

Quatrefoil, the designer of our museum, has delivered the final graphic plans to us at the BWAMM, and it's now our turn to review them for approval. They patiently await our comments, and our signatures.

Thanks to Donald Tallman and our friends at the Colorado Railroad Museum we were able to focus for our initial review amongst the rich woodwork of the "96 Car." The rail car was formerly a turn-of-the-century businessman's car, complete with dining room (seen here), kitchen, meeting rooms, and bedrooms.

Museum Director Niña Johnson and Development Coordinator Kathy Dremann are seen here working hard. Note the large bag of chocolate.

The review continues...

Slow, But Faster Than Nature

2007-08-24T16:28:00.000-06:00

The process of turning Styrofoam blocks into faux rocks has been a long one. Still, it is faster than waiting for nature.

Behind giant curtains of plastic, the artists from Monolithic have been spraying concrete, carving, and sand-blasting to create granite formations with great detail. Soon enough, the process will be completed with some paint, faux ice, and other final touches. Then, the curtain will be raised on one of the most exciting attributes of the mountain environment of the museum.

Bradford Washburn: The Legacy Lives On

2007-08-10T07:45:00.000-06:00

Bradford Washburn defined what it was to be a pioneer. From his early years of climbing, to his passion for photography, to his lifelong pursuits of cartography and the advancement of science, he epitomized what it was to humbly lead and educate. We honor his legacy and accomplishments here at the American Mountaineering Museum, and hope to carry on his pioneering spirit.

His travels to Alaska are what defined him. For over 60 years he visited the last frontiers of the state, climbing Denali multiple times, photographing its ramparts from every angle. He and his wife, Barbara, were always by each other's side.

This shortened video clip gives you more detail into the life of this man, his passions, and, perhaps, into the reasons why we chose his name to grace the title of our museum.

More Fab Pics!

2007-07-12T16:59:00.000-06:00

Construction of the museum continues to move along steadily here in Golden. Meanwhile, at the design studios of Quatrefoil in Maryland, pieces of the museum are being fabricated. Here are some more photos of the fabrication process of the reader rails.

Moving Mountains

2007-07-10T16:42:00.000-06:00

As you may know, we will prominently feature a very large model of Mt. Everest in the new museum. Fourteen feet square, the model was crafted using aerial images and maps created by a team under Bradford Washburn.

You may have seen the model in the past, as it was on display at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science some years ago. Since that time, it has been in the care of the American Alpine Club. Today, we handed the model over to Condit, a three-dimensional marketing specialist that will help us to restore the model in preparation for its installation in the museum.

The four sections of the model were in storage and needed to be brought to Condit's studios in Denver. Today, we literally moved mountains.

Faux Rocks!

2007-06-28T11:21:00.001-06:00

The men from Monolithic have arrived bearing rocks. Experts in the field of artificial rock sculpting, we have contracted them to create granite spires within the museum, on which we will have historic and modern climbing mannequins.

Their process is quite interesting (following the photographs): (1) A scale model (12" tall) is created at their studios in Boulder, and then a full scale model is cut to mimic that design. (2) Much like puzzle pieces, the rocks are reassembled on site. No, they are not that heavy, but they serve as a great core material over which to spray concrete, which can then be further sculpted to mimic the rock of choice. (3) Two spires are being built, one of which is much taller and will represent a mixed face of rock and ice. This is where visitors will see the modern climber ascending. (4) The joints are filled with special foam in preparation for the spraying of concrete. That will happen in a month's time.

Meanwhile, we anxiously await the modeling and installation of the crevasse.

International Attention

2007-06-20T12:20:00.001-06:00

As the construction of the museum gears up, so too does our marketing campaign. Many thanks go to Tamotsu Nakamura, Editor of the Japanese Alpine News, for getting us a mention in Volume 8 (May 2007) of that acclaimed journal. Be on the lookout for other articles and essays in your favorite climbing magazines and journals in the coming months.

Construction, Day 52: The Mezzanine

2007-06-18T10:03:00.000-06:00

The real building has begun.

The mezzanine, which will eventually serve as the entrance to the museum, as well as the visitors' first experience of the mountain-like environment, has begun to take shape.

The structure was welded together and the concrete slab was poured last week. Next steps include building the arching staircase that will take visitors over the crevasse feature of the entrance, and down to the level of the museum, into the self-selecting gallery. This format allows visitors to go anywhere they please, at their own pace.

Keep watch for more photos of that phase of construction as they are sure to be exciting.

New Artifacts

2007-06-14T15:51:00.000-06:00

Artifacts keep coming to us here at the museum. Some of the details have yet to be worked out on major acquisitions, but no less important are the treasures that people come across when they're cleaning out their garage.

This 10th Mountain Division tent came to us recently, and so we set it up outside of the AMC to give it some fresh air. The label reads "Dickey Mfg. 1943."

We'll keep you posted with more news on acquisitions as they become final. And keep checking back with us here as images of the construction of the mezzanine are soon to appear.

And if you uncover any treasures in your garage, be sure to let us know. Contact information is available to the right.

Construction, Day 36 : Fireworks

2007-05-25T14:59:00.000-06:00

We've been anxiously awaiting this day for quite a while here at the BWAMM. The beam--the really big beam that seems to be holding up part of the ceiling, and the floor of the auditorium above--has begun to come down, in pieces.

The previous post illustrates the work that went into crafting a new steel structure meant to take the place of this old, riveted beam. But at 150 pounds a linear foot, we knew the removal of this big beam would serve as a distraction for days. And distract it did. From the cascading sparks of the oxyacetylene torches, to the wobbling scaffolding that shivered under the weight of these hefty pieces of metal, the past two days have been entertaining to say the least.

But what a view we will have once it is finally gone and the mezzanine is put into place.

Check out these images and let us know how we're doing. Comments are always welcome. Just click the link below.

Construction, Day 31 : Heavy Metal

2007-05-18T13:06:00.000-06:00

It's getting serious here at the BWAMM; men with dark helmets and bright fire have arrived. They are playing with steel, erecting the supports and installing the new beam which will replace the old brick and steel structure that would otherwise impede the view from the mezzanine. They are cutting, lifting, welding, grunting--doing everything it takes to install these beams. They are, in fact, 33 pounds per foot and no less than 20 feet long.

Here we give you some of our favorite images from their play with fire and light.

Upcoming Event: Brotherhood of the Rope

2007-05-16T09:49:00.000-06:00

The Event: This free event will see the launch of Bernadette McDonald's biography of Charles Houston entitled "Brotherhood of the Rope." Charles Houston was the leader of the heroic K2 expedition of 1953 and a pioneer researcher in the field of high-altitude medicine. The evening will include a reading and presentation by the author, a conversation with Dr. Houston, and a reception and book-signing.
Where: American Mountaineering Center, Foss Auditorium
When: May 24, 2007 7-9 pm
For more information: contact Barbara Lommen at 303.724.1670 or barbara.lommen@uchsc.edu

The BWAMM, along with the American Alpine Club, Colorado Mountain Club, The Mountaineers Books, and Altitude Research Center at the University of Colorado are sponsoring this event at the American Mountaineering Center on May 24th. Please join us for a very entertaining evening--and check out the progress on the new museum in person.

Construction, Day 27: From the Ground Up

2007-05-14T12:47:00.000-06:00

The new concrete floor is now in place, smooth as can be. In less than a day we went from a wire mesh base to an inches-thick slab, courtesy of ABS Concrete. And for those who missed it, I'll now walk you through the process.

(1) Thick concrete was brought in by hose to the floor. I didn't bring my rubber boots so I left the trudging to the experts. Notice the wire mesh that was put down before pouring began. (2) Everything from two-by-fours to shovels were used to smooth out the thick stuff. (3) Then the "super-long smoothing device" (ed.) was used to bring a smoothness to the surface layer. (4) Finally, it came down to working on hands and knees, literally sliding across the surface of the already hardening concrete, to put the finishing touches on the floor.

Too bad it will all get covered up.

Fab Pics!

2007-05-10T10:50:00.001-06:00

We've got fab pics! As in pictures of fabrication, courtesy of the production team at Quatrefoil.

Kristy Judd, executive director of the Colorado Mountain Club, has said "If you love something long enough, it becomes real." Well, the construction is well under way and fabrication has begun. Soon, the two elements will converge and--Voila!--we'll have ourselves a museum. A real, honest-to-goodness museum. See here:

Roof of the Rockies

2007-04-30T16:46:00.000-06:00

Colorado has more land over 10,000 feet than any other state or province in North America. As many of you know, 54 of its mountains rise over 14,000 feet above sea level, and more than 600 peaks top 13,000 feet. These high summits, along with thousands of rock and ice climbs, attract mountaineers from all over the world.

Colorado has had an undeniable influence on the history of mountaineering and an inspirational role for anyone who has seen its peaks--from the early pioneers who called the Rockies their home, to the 10th Mountain Division and its influence on world history; from the climbing skills learned in Colorado that have been utilized the world over, to the song and poetry that have been created as a result of its beauty.

Colorado will feature prominently in the museum. Historic photographs from the collection of the Colorado Mountain Club will be accompanied by stunning images from today's best mountain photographers, some of whom call Colorado home. Fly through the Colorado section of the museum in this virtual video. You'll end up looking onto the entrance crevasse.

Construction, Day 7: Feel the Noise

2007-04-13T12:17:00.000-06:00

Today has been a little distracting for us here at the AMC. The walls were shaking, the earth was quaking. And the demolition of the concrete will continue all week long. Check out the sophisticated machinery (read: toy) they have to demolish the floor.

Museum Fly Through

2007-04-10T09:44:00.000-06:00

Thanks to our friends at Quatrefoil Associates, we are able to bring you very cool computer-generated video of the museum space. Click the play button and you will pan across the museum as if you were standing on the mezzanine. Be sure to look down--you're standing on top of a crevasse.

Less than a year from now, this computer-generated scene will be reality.

The Evolution of Mountain Exploration

2007-04-09T15:48:00.000-06:00

One of the many highlights of the museum will be a series of exhibit panels, with text and photographs, which will take visitors through the evolution of mountaineering and rock climbing. From the time when mountains were feared for harboring dragons, to the ultra-light and fast mountaineering expeditions of today, the museum will focus on the people, places, techniques, and peaks which will forever be remembered in the history of mountain climbing. You can read more about the evolution of mountaineering here, in this article that is currently on YourHub.com. Look for it in the print edition of YourHub in an upcoming Thursday edition of The Denver Post or Rocky Mountain News.

Here are two computer generated images of the museum space devoted to the evolution of mountaineering.

Construction, Day 1: The Wait is Over!

2007-04-05T10:28:00.000-06:00

After much anticipation, construction has begun on the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum. To be more exact, demolition is underway on the space which the new museum will call home. At one point, this old gym hosted basketball games for the Golden Junior High School. Now, the floor is being pulled up and salvaged, the piping is being removed, the walls are being covered, and the space is being readied for renovation.

Join us in the fun. We've already discovered the best place to watch the construction is from the window overlooking what will be the mezzanine, in the lobby of the AMC. There is no doubt it will serve as a source of great distraction in the weeks and months to come. I hereby proclaim that it will be known as the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum Viewing Gallery. If you're in Golden, stop by and have a look yourself.

Here are the views so far (1) from the viewing gallery; (2) board by board, the floor is removed; (3) demolition headquarters, with the plans on the table, and John, the project manager from Sprung Construction, at the helm. No doubt he's arranging for something big.

Be sure to check back with us often as the changes will now be happening on a daily basis.

Fundraising Rolls On

2007-03-30T10:27:00.000-06:00

Fundraising for the new museum continues to bring donors, supporters, and individuals new to the museum together for dinners and slideshows of the design and layout of this amazing project.

Attendees are greeted by beautiful place settings, wine, food, and old friends.

Once everyone has arrived, guests mingle within...the old gymnasium where the museum will be built. Quite the setting for such an event. The contrast of old versus new (that being the new museum) will be delicious.

New Display Case

2007-03-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

We've installed a new display case to tease visitors to the AMC of the coming museum. It contains artifacts from our collection including the boots, camera, and ice axe of Bradford Washburn, as well as a display on Mt. Everest. This includes three models of the world's highest peak--one from 1953 in plaster, a more modern laser-cut piece from Rauda Scale Models in Seattle, and a beautiful alabaster carving--as well as text, maps, and photos of the Himalayan giant. Come check it out.

Sherpa New Year

2007-03-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

The American Mountaineering Center is already a world-class center for mountaineering and conservation. It is home to the Colorado Mountain Club, the American Alpine Club, and Outward Bound. It serves as a conference center for numerous events each year, including some of the nation's biggest and most influential conservation forums. The auditorium hosts lectures and movies, speakers and concerts. It is already an amazing place in which to work for those fortunate enough to do so, and a great place to learn and contribute.

But the final punctuation mark on the Center will be the museum. And it will serve to bring in many prestigious events and even greater speakers and movies, and more often. Which brings us to the title of this entry.

When deciding on a venue to host their New Year's celebration, the Sherpa community of Colorado decided upon the AMC because of the ammenities it provided, and also because of the natural connection between Sherpa people and the mountain environment. This past Saturday they celebrated the year of the Fire Pig, and we would like to share a few images from the event. It was a beautiful event and the organizations of the AMC were very proud to play host.

(1) Lhoppon Rechungpa, founding monk of the Buddhist Mipham Shedra of Boulder, began the festivities with a blessing for the New Year. (2) Traditional clothing meets modern technology. (3)(4)(5) Dancing lasted through the night, from traditional dances which told the tale of the Sherpa culture, to modern dances, and most everything in between. (6) At the end of the night, everyone was sad to go.