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We invite you to take a trip with Oregon Peak
Adventures. You may sign-up by
email, call us at (877) 965-5100,
or use our secure form
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Welcome to July in Oregon
July is normally the driest month in the Portland
area with an average rainfall of 0.63 inches of the
average yearly total of 36.3 inches (1.7%). For
detailed weather related statistics about Portland
area weather, check out the
National Weather Service website.
 It
has been hot so far this month, although we had to
cancel the end of June Mt. Adams climb because it
was snowing! But July and August promise fair
weather to go out and play and we hope you can join
us.
Avalanche Lillies on Mt. St. Helens. They only last
a couple of weeks after the snow melts.
Joe's Pants Summit Denali!
 Jesse
Easterling took the Glacier Travel and Crevasse
Rescue Course and mentioned that he was due to climb
Denali in a few weeks. I loaned him some gear I had
taken to Denali in the past. Jesse summitted and
here he is on the summit, wearing my North Face
Mountain Bibs. The sign says "Thanks Joe Oregon Peak
Adventures." Our congratulations to Jesse.
Immediate up coming events are two
St. Helens Climbs on July
20 and August 3. We are doing the Monitor Ridge
Route now and though the snow is disappearing
rapidly, there is still some glissading to be done.
Both of these climbs have orientation sessions at
PCC Central.
We will climb Mt. Adams South
Spur climb on 24-26 July and there is still
ample snow for climbing and glissading. Additionally
we have an Adams Mazama Glacier
climb scheduled for July 27-29.
The classroom session of the
Intro to Traditional Rock Climbing is on July 18
at
PCC Central with the field sessions occurring on
July 21 & 22.
We still have a few spots open on our extraordinary
Nepal Adventure in
September - October 2007 . This is the trip to take
if you have ever wanted to go to Nepal.
Read on for descriptions of our upcoming trips. We
hope you can join us for your next adventure.
Past newsletters are available at the
OPA Website
As
always, our intent is to send this newsletter only
to people who wish to receive it. If you don't want
it, please click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom
of this email. There you will also find a link which
allows you to send this eNews to a friend or
colleague. We invite you to take a trip with Oregon
Peak Adventures. You may sign-up by e-mailing us at
info@oregonpeakadventures.com, calling us at
(877) 965-5100, or using our
secure form.
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MT. ST. HELENS
View from the summit rim on July 9, 2007,
with Spirit Lake and Mt. Rainier in the
background. Photo by Guide Matt Bedrin.
Pretty much the same conditions at the Mt.
St. Helens Crater. Recent
observations indicate that the rate of
flow of the magma has significantly slowed
down.
The flow doesn't appear to be obstructed, a
good thing, since a build-up of pressure
could possibly result in an explosive
episode. Even so, we do provide "eruption
kits" of helmets, goggles, and dust masks
for everyone in the climb party to carry.
TRAIL DAMAGE
Significant damage occurred over the past
winter to many of the roads and trails in
the Mt. St. Helens National Monument.
(Remember that 15" of rain in one day at
June Lake on November 7, 2006?) As a
consequence, some of our St. Helens trips
are cancelled or on hold. We will not do a
round-the-mountain backpacking trip this
year as parts of the Loowit trail are
impassable. Additionally, the road to the
Lava and Ape Canyon Trailheads is damaged as
are the trails themselves. The Monument does
not have funding to repair the trails, and
what work that is happening is primarily
done by volunteers. The climbing routes are
OK and we have good access to the Mt.
Margaret Backcountry.
Daily USGS updates are available at
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/CurrentActivity/.
We have purchased permits for most of our
scheduled climbs for the 2007 summer season.
If you are planning to climb St. Helens with
us this year, you need to reserve your spot
right away, as we are in the 100 person per
day quota period and the permits are selling
out rapidly. You can check for availability
for OPA climbs at the
Monitor Ridge webpage. If you want to
climb on other dates, please check for
availability of permits at the
Active.com website. If there are permits
available, please let us know and we'll
arrange a climb for you (weekdays only April
1 - October 31).
Here's the current status:
July 20* (4 signed-up/6 spots available)
August 3* (2 signed-up/ 8 spots available)
August 17 (10 spots available)
August 29 (1 signed-up/ 9 spots available)
September 7 (10 spots available)
*These have an orientation session at
Portland Community College prior to the
climb.
You can observe St. Helens at the
VolcanoCam and check the weather
forecast at the
National Weather Service.
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INTRODUCTION TO TRADITIONAL ROCK CLIMBING
The Introduction to Traditional
Rock Climbing course is an overview of how
to climb rock outside. Contrary to the
photos of people hanging by a single digit
over a yawning chasm (usually in some
totally non-related ad) rock climbing, when
done properly, is structured, fun, and
actually has fewer risk elements than alpine
climbing. Of course, the key phrase here is
the "when done properly" part.
Our course includes a classroom session at
PCC Central on Wednesday Jul;y 18 at 6:30,
followed by a field session at Rocky Butte
in NE Portland on July 21, and a full day at
Horsethief Butte on the Washington side of
the Columbia River Gorge just northest of
The Dalles on July 22.
 We
cover the basics of rock climbing gear,
knots, moving on rock, belaying, rappelling,
and rock climbing technique.
Sign-up with
PCC. Price is $200 (plus $25 PCC
tuition) per person which includes
instructors, transportation to Horse Thief
Butte, ropes, helmets, harnesses, and rock
climbing equipment. Three climbers are
enrolled as of now and we can take up to
five more. |
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WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
Our next
Wilderness Survival class is scheduled
for August 2007. There will be two classroom
sessions and an overnight weekend session.
The classroom sessions will be held at PCC
Central and you should
register through them.
The 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM, 21 August class will
be an American Heart Association HeartSaver
First Aid class which will cover Basic First
Aid and CPR. You will receive an AHA CPR/FA
certificate good for two years. This class
is optional if you have a current CPR/First
Aid card.
The 23 August class will cover specific
Wilderness Survival topics. Our focus is
primarily on avoiding being in a survival
situation. However, if bad things do happen,
we learn what we need to have and our
priorities for action if we have to depend
on our own resources for one or two days.
The overnight field session will be held
August 25-26 on Mt. Hood. We go to a
forested area (not too far from the car) and
build a shelter. The remainder of the day,
we role play a variety of scenarios,
including some isolation time. Overnight, we
experiment with clothing and equipment to
determine our personal balance between how
uncomfortable we wish to be versus how much
stuff we are willing to carry on a regular
basis. The process is to start with what you
usually carry on a day hike and keep adding
insulation layers until you're sufficiently
happy.
In the morning we have breakfast, summarize
our experience, and return to town by
midafternoon.
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MT. ADAMS ROUND-THE MOUNTAIN
The Mount Adams Round-the-Mountain
backpacking trip is one of the most
spectacular backpacking adventures in our
area. Especially noteable is the seven mile
trail-less section called "The Gap". The Gap
involves traversing through moraines,
crossing streams, and descending the
Klickitat Glacier.
We have two trips scheduled this year:
August 10-14 (4 signed-up/2 spots
available), and August 28-30 (1 signed-up/5
spots available).
For the August 10-14
trip we take five days to backpack 34
miles. On the
August 28-30 trip , we just do the
three-day portion through "the Gap."
Day one we ascend to spectacular Sunrise
Camp at the confluence of the Klickitat and
Mazama Glaciers on the east side of Mt.
Adams. Day two we cross the Klickitat
Glacier and make our way to Avalanche Valley
where we connect with the Highline Trail.
 At
the end of day three, we camp at a lovely
lake and hook-up with our resupply porter
who will carry in the rest of our food and
carry out our glacier crossing gear. Days
four and five, we cruise around the mountain
with great scenery at every point. For a
more complete description
click here.
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MT. MARGARET BACKCOUNTRY
Join us on a unique adventure to one of the
most special places in the Pacific Northwest
- the Mt. Margaret Backcounty. We have two
four-day, 30 mile Mt. Margaret Backcountry
trips scheduled for 2007: July 27-30 and
September 14-17 (three spots are available
for each). Of course, if you wish to go at a
different time, we can arrange a trip,
assuming a guide is available.
 The
backcountry is just north of Mt. St. Helens
and was in the direct path of the blast when
St. Helens erupted May 18, 1980. The effects
are still evident in blown down trees and
still standing ghost forests killed by the
intense heat. But also present is lush green
regrowth, pristine lakes, elk herds,
startling scenery, huge huckleberries, fish,
and - no people.
After being closed to camping for 19 years,
access is strictly controlled with a maximum
group size of four. We stay at reserved
campsites, each of which has a solar toilet!
Oregon Peak Adventures is the only guide
service permitted to operate in the
Backcountry. For complete information
click here.
The price is $450 each for three
backpackers. Don't miss this unique
opportunity - it's a very cool trip and one
of my very favorite places. Not many people
go on this trip, but those who have consider
it one of their unforgettable life
experiences.
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MT. ADAMS CLIMBING
At 12,276 feet,Mt. Adams is the
second highest mountain in the Pacific
Northwest and a very fun place to climb and
hike.
We climb three routes: the
South Spur, the
Mazama Glacier, and
the North Ridge.
South Spur
We have two climbs
 scheduled
for the South Spur: July 24-26 (5 spots
available), and August 13-14 (3 spots
available). This is a non-technical
three-day climb with two nights at the Lunch
Counter (9,000'). This is suitable for the
novice climber.
The 2,500' glissade back to the Lunch
Counter is outrageous!
Mazama Glacier
We have a Mazama Glacier climb scheduled for
July 27-29 (five spots available). Since
Mazama Glacier is on Tract D of the Yakima
Indian Reservation, we can do this three-day
climb over the weekend.
This is a steeper, exceptionally scenic,
roped climb suitable for the intermediate
climber who has had the equivalent of our
Alpine
Mountaineering Training Class.
North Ridge
The North route is a rocky scramble followed
by a traverse over the summit snow cap. It
is an exceptionally scenic and interesting,
if strenuous, climb suitable for the
intermediate climber. |
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TRIP SCHEDULE
Most of our scheduled trips
are posted on our website.
You can view the schedule by date or by trip. The
Schedule of climbs,
backpacking trips, and training activities is
updated through September 2007 on the Website.
Training, climbs, backpacks, snow activities, and
exotic international trips, it's all there - start
making your plans for the coming year now!
Please contact us if you are interested in a private
trip or would like for us to post a trip for another
date that works better for you. |
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS
NEPAL ADVENTURE
Join us for an extraordinary trip to Nepal in
September - October 2007.
 We
plan our international trips in two parts: The
initial adventurous, more physically challenging
part and the more laid back touring section. This
allows us to combine activities that would be
enjoyed by all participants.
This year's Nepal trip starts with a trek to the
Western Manang area of the Annapurna region.
Climbers will do a three day climb of Pisang Peak,
 while
the trekkers will enjoy additional cultural and
scenic highlights of the Manang area. We'll return
to Kathmandu where we will be joined by our party
members who are focused on experiencing the
Kathmandu area and traveling to Royal Chitwan
National Park in southern Nepal for a safari
experience.
 Here's
the Basic Itinerary:
September 21 - Arrive in Kathmandu
September 23 - Travel to Besisahar and begin trek to
Phu and Nar
October 4 - Cross Kangla Pass (4,940M/16,207')
Trekkers continue to Upper Manang area. Climbers go
to climb Pisang Peak (6,092m/19,987')
October 9 - Reunited group flies back to Kathmandu
October 9-11 - Tour Kathmandu area
October 12 - Mini Bus to
Temple Tiger Jungle Resort in Royal Chitwan
National Park for Safari
October 15 - Fly back to Kathmandu
October 17 - Departure
October 18-20-Tour Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
October 21 - Departure to home
There are four segments - Trekking (with or without
Pisang Peak climb), Tour Kathmandu, Safari at Royal
Chitwan, and Angkor Wat tour. You can do the entire
trip or sequential portions. The prices are as
follows :
Trekker Option (9/21-10/10) - $2,500 (Nar, Phu, and
upper Manang Valley)
Trek/Climb Option (9/21-10/10) - $3,400 (Nar, Phu
and Pisang Peak)
Tour Kathmandu 10/9-10/11) Add $200 (Village and
Hindu/Buddhist sites)
Royal Chitwan Safari (10/12-10/15) Add $500
(Wildlife, including -we hope- tigers)
Tour Kathmandu + Royal Chitwan Safari (10/9 - 10/17)
- $1,600
Angkor Wat (10/17-10/21) Add $1,000 (includes
round-trip airfare Siem Reap/Bangkok)
The prices include lodging, all internal transport,
most of the meals (dinners and lunches in teahouses
and in Kathmandu may be extra), all fees, guides,
porters, and most everything else. Price does not
include international air fare to Kathmandu.
This is a unique trip with cultural content and
great fun in a stunningly spectacular country.
We have eight adventurers with a maximum of 15 in
our group. A detailed description is on the
OPA Website.
A $500 deposit is required by July 20, 2007, to
reserve your space, with the balance due by August
13, 2007 |
TIPS
Some Good Deals
I have one pair of the La Sportiva Latok boots which
I have really enjoyed, and despaired of getting
another pair. I also have a pair of the La Sportiva
Zodiac Trail shoes which are what I usually wear in
town. As it turns out, The
Sierra Trading Post people appear to picked up a
boxcar full of La Sportiva boots and shoes and they
are available at a very good price. So now that I
have new replacement boots, I will wear my old ones
on the Nepal trip and leave them with our porters.
Gorge Delights Fruit Bars
We have been including the Gorge Delight Fruit Bars
in our lunches. They are made by a family in the
Hood River Valley in the Columbia River Gorge. They
are 100% locally grown fruit, are quite tasty, and
probably last forever. See the
Gorge Delights website for more information.
REI VISA
I've been tossing the fliers for the REI Visa Card
for years, but finally read it over and decided it's
a good deal. If you buy a lot of stuff at REI, you
might consider it.
Mapping Software
Guide Beate Hoelscher and I are doing a scouting
trip to Goat Lake in the Goat Rocks Wilderness.
Here's what I did to prepare for navigation.
1. Reread the trail description in 100 Hikes in
Washington's South Cascades & Olympics, by Ira
Spring & Harvey Manning.
2. Check the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website
to determine if the road to the trailhead is open
and undamaged and if the trails are passable. Unable
to determine if there is still snow on the route.
Will pack ice axe and crampons and stop by the
Cowlitz Ranger District Office on the way to the
trailhead to see if we can get any additional
current information.
3. Connect the Garmin eTrek Vista GPS via a USB
Cable (I've already updated the driver so the
computer will actually recognize it.)
4. Put in MapSource Western United States CD from
Garmin, select the segments that include the Goat
Rocks area, and export to the GPS.
5. Open the Topo Program from National Geographic.
6. Attempt to follow directions from the program
(It's telling me I need to put in an Oregon CD for
an area in Washington. There is some overlap but not
enough to cover the entire route.) Try several ways
to get the program to work. None of them do.
7. Uninstall the Topo program
8. Reinstall the Topo program from the Washington
State Install disk. It seems to work now.
9. Select area to print. Need to do two pages as
want to print at 1:24,000 scale. Print first page.
Realize haven't set to UTM coordinate system or the
correct grid.
10. Set preferences as actually desired and print
map. Use another sheet of the Adventure Paper from
National geographic. It's expensive ($0.80/sheet),
but it is pretty much waterproof, even using the
inkjet printer, and very durable.
11. Order the upgrade to Topo 4. Even though it's
software; they need to ship it. It will supposedly
allow me to download the Topo maps to to Garim. And,
perhaps, I will not have to uninstall and reinstall
the software everytime I want to print a new map. We
shall see.
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INTERESTED IN SETTING UP AN OUTING?
Please give us a call if you are interested in
setting up an outing for your work group or family.
We handle all the arrangements including
transportation and food at a reasonable price. If
you are coming to Portland for a conference or
convention, we would be delighted to set-up outings
for your attendees. Just let us know when.
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