Our country suffered great calamity in 2001, and many around the globe were just as glad to have the year be over. Close to home, the Bushwhacker community mourns the passing of, and celebrates the life of, our pal Roy Monier.

In October we had another successful Milkshake Madness! Thanks again to Etta and Steve Short for hosting. Attendees were treated to a slideshow on Nepal by AC Sherpa. We also saw slides by Doug Hagen and Phil Smith. Milkshakes and lots of mountain talk - what could be better?

A group of Bushwhackers has returned from their Icy Peak climb, September 8 and 9. The outing, originally created by Doxey, was basically led by the indefatigable Phil Smith. Carla, Steve, David P., and Roy rounded out the team. Great friends, clear skies, big views, and Summit Rolos!

Dylan has put some miles under his boots this year. In the last few weeks he has visited Rainier (twice), Baker, and - now get this - Glacier Peak in a day. Whew!

David May has also covered some steep ground - NE buttress of Chair Peak, South Face of the South Ridge of North Ingalls Peak, Serpentine Ridge on Dragontail Peak, South Arete of South Early Winters Spire, and the lower part of the NW face of Liberty Bell. However, sounds like he's looking forward to the ski season, "Hard to believe that ski season is almost here. Last year one of my best ski days was actually in October!"

Jon Brieling continues to explore Mt Rainier. This summer he got his sixteenth Mt R summit! Wow, that boy likes the Big Kahuna, eh?

Speaking of Mt Rainier, Mary and Fred are both working on a rehab project at Camp Muir. Mary says "the work at camp Muir is really great, in that it involves rehabilitating three historic structures, looking at alternatives for the sanitary/waste issues, and making suggestions on new structures that are more historic in flavor. We're thinking of using more solar power, possibly wind generated power, and maybe even geo-thermal collection for the new systems- a very sustainable approach." Says Fred, "It is kind of a dream-come-true project for me and I think for Mary. There are certainly some very complex issues to address. Hopefully it will involve lots of trips to the mountain to check on construction!"

The Bushwhacker Arctic Refuge Expedition has returned safely. The Refuge is a spectacular place. We saw caribou (a group of perhaps 400), a mama griz with two cubs, musk oxen, and dall sheep. We caught (and consumed) four Arctic Char. Mud next to the river were imprinted with caribou tracks and, right alongside, wolf tracks. We saw sharp, rugged glaciated peaks. We hiked verdant, gently rolling meadows and flat, wide-open tundra stretching as far as the eye can see.Floating the Refuge's Hulahula River was a memorable experience. Mario and I plan to write up a feature article about our visit - watch for that to come out soon!

In the news, the intrepid threesome Julie Phil and Jim are visiting summits! Of their July Mt Hood ascent, Jim says "We might have been the only people in the state of Oregon to be in the sunshine; cloud level hung around 9000 ft and we didn't see another party all day." Very cool. Send in some pic's, Jim, and I'll post them here.

Dylan Howerter and his friend Randy Kile successfully summitted Forbidden during the last weekend of June - wow! Dylan says, "That climb has everything man! It's a steep forested approach. Then a small snow field followed by a small glacial traverse. Then the couloir. We found conditions to be great everywhere. The rock climb was dry and warm from the sun. Man, this was just one of those rare climbs where everything went perfect."

Chris Hagedorn completed a scramble climb of Snowking via Cyclone Lake during Fourth of July weekend. Chris says "the route is a beautiful ridgeline traverse that takes you above the Snowking Glacier" and that the area "is certainly very remote and pristine." Congratulations on your summit!

Rick Cox and Carl Wagner hiked nearly to the summit of Daniel on June 29. Their 13-hour climb got them quite high on the mountain. Rick says "We both had a great time. That's a really beautiful area, and we were the only people in there on a Friday! 13 hours from start to finish from/to the trailhead..." See more at http://home1.gte.net/res0g0rz/mtdaniel/mtdaniel.htm

It was quite exciting to receive a phone call FROM THE SUMMIT OF DOME PEAK! Now thats a good use for a cell-phone in the wilderness! On June 25, Seth and his team, Sandy, Steve and Doug, arrived at the summit after storms clobbered them at the south col. After fourteen hours in a tent the weather cleared and they made the short step to the summit. They reported the vista was spectacular! Please see Doug Hagen's feature story about this outing.

Congratulations to Shawn and Sheryl Chriest on their near-summit of Denali! They arrived back home safe and sound. The Family Summits Team was denied the summit when Sheryl contracted a severe headache at 19,000 feet. The turn-around decision must have been difficult - Sheryl reported the conditions were perfect. However, the Chriests displayed sound judgement and a safety-first attitude. Both sounded excited and happy - Shawn reports it as a life changing experience! Congratulations to the Chriests!

Perry, Mike and Stephanie visited The Brothers in June. Regarding the approach hike, Perry said "Classic Olympic peninsula--huge trees, ferns, streams, and endless carpet of green moss. Delightful camp right on the creek at about 3000 ft", and of the summit, "Spectacular view of the clouds and mist." Right! It happens. Congrats on your summit despite the whiteout.

The weather also dampened the hopes of Dylan and his friends attempt on Mt Rainier. They reached 11,000 feet on the DC route before turning back.

Chris Hagedorn is getting out there. He and friends summitted Sloan Peak. He has his sights set on remote peaks of Dome or Snowfield next.

Bushwhacker Ken Finch reached the summit of Mt Hood with his friends. Said Ken, "Start at 2:00 am and back in the lodge for a fancy breakfast by 11:00 am! It was a nice climb and a good intro back to the alpine world after a couple years absence."

Doxey's team of seven intrepid Bushwhackers visited Glacier Peak during June 14-17. That climb stopped just short of the summit. A rocky gully thing at 10,100 feet discouraged some of the team, and an impending whiteout discouraged the rest. The team navigated the whiteout back to camp, sometimes actually using map & compass - wow! that really works! Everyone had a blast and returned safe.

A group of Bushwhackers returned safely from their June7-10 Cloudy Peak / Chiwawa Mountain outing. Camped at the spectacular Upper Lyman Lakes, the team made the trek to the summit of Cloudy Peak. Phil scrambled the rocks to the very summit while Dox, Chris and Dylan were content with the views thirty feet below. The weather refused to clear to the satisfaction of some of the team, so the steep slopes of Chiwawa were left for another time.

Jim, Julie, Phil and Randy visited Mt Shuksan in early June. Jim said the area is very beautiful, though the weather was less than optimal. Snow conditions kept the team from acheiving the top of the summit pinnacle, but they did climb to the top of the Sulphide Glacier. Way to go!

Perry Weinberg's Garibaldi team visited that beautiful area May 19 20 21. The group accomplished a couple of scramble climbs - The Gargoyles and Diamond Peak. They look forward to going again to climb Garibaldi itself.

A group Bushwhackers have returned from their mid-April excursion to the Alaska Range. Wow, some of the most incredible mountain scenery in the world! Snow conditions prevented the group from summiting their stated objectives, however they had a great time touring the area. The group of seven enjoyed their stay at the Sheldon MountainHouse, a hut built on a rock outcrop at 5700 feet in the spectacular Ruth Amphitheater.

In March, a motley crew of Bushwhackers climbed the south ridge of Ruby Mountain in the North Cascades. The group hiked in on the Thunder Creek trail and camped at Fourth of July Pass. They successfully visited the summit of Ruby, then exited via Panther Creek trail. The end of March proved to be a challenging season for this outing.