Green Giant Buttress Dreamer ..

Finally, our schedules and weather cooperated to let Steve and I climb together. Since it was early October, and the snow level was around 5000' most of the week, we decided alpine options would be a little cold and snowy (for rock climbing.) We made the decision Thursday night to make an attempt at Dreamer (5.9) on Green Giant Buttress.

Temps were hovering around freezing as we made the drive out to Darrington Saturday morning. The drive in is pretty straight forward. Although with a standard sedan, you may wish to stop earlier than Steve and I. (We bottomed the car on rocks a few times.) A high clearance 4WD could get even further than we did. Our driving progress stopped at a slight pullout on the left of the road just before a ditch.

We started hiking the road and after a 1/4 mile came to the point all vehicles would have to stop. Brush got thicker, but it was never that much of a bushwhack. Beta for the approach was accurate, and after some point in time we were near old mining debris and crossing the "braided stream." This is where is got slightly tricky. We approached the base of the "three tiered waterfall" as described in the approach. There was a very faint trail through serious vegetation right at the base of the falls. It did not look easily passable. So Steve and I hiked up a slippery slab at the first tier of the waterfall and found a more suitable looking path. We did a not so fun bushwhack up this path for about 10 minutes until it became a dead end. We hiked back down and found the correct bushwhack start from the falls. Which was at the base of the slab we climbed. It is currently marked by a log going up from the water into the bushes.

Once we found the correct drainage, things started going more smoothly. A bit of bushwhacking and we were back to homo erectus. Now on semi-wet slabs scrambling up the drainage. Near the top of the drainage we had a choice, go right up something that looked like the side of a moraine (Rock loosely embedded in dirt.) or go up a "path" to the left. We wrongly chose path. If we had looked at the beta, we would have correctly gone right and taken less time and danger to reach the base of the route, but instead this is what followed:

Photo by Steve Machuga.

We scrambled 3rd and 4th class slabs for a bit. (And possibly some 5th class moves.) We even got out the rope at one point. Then the rock eased a bit, and we were finally near the base, where another party had left a pack. We geared up and from what I can tell, scrambled some 4th or 5th class up to the base. (Actually we got the rope out again for the final bit to the base.) At this point it was close to five hours since we left the car.

I led out on the first pitch, and according to Nelson's topo, combined it with the second pitch. From where we started, we were just shy of a full rope length, so there was about 15' of simul-climbing that Steve and I had to do to reach the anchor. Because I am blind, I totally missed the three bolt anchor and slung a bush and brought Steve up.

Steve started out on the next pitch, which looked too run-out for my taste. (Once again, we couldn't see bolts correctly and this pitch was somewhat off-route.) This pitch is supposed to go right and then up, but the bolts we could see were directly up and then far right. It wasn't until it was too late to turn around that we saw the bolt directly right of the belay, and the line of bolts leading up below the bolt we "aimed" for. Steve felt "our" variation was in the 5.10a land. This wouldn't surprise me, as the first bolt he clipped was on the Urban Bypass, which I believe goes at 10a. He made a scary run-out traverse over dirty rock to reach the next bolt. (No pics, as I was watching him closely.) I followed up behind, taking what may have been a slightly easier path.

We got to the next pitch where I led off on somewhat run-out knobby slab. The climbing was enjoyable and got the heart beating a bit. Steve led up the next pitch which had some awkward moves up what was called a 5.7 corner. The pitch was fun and ending in the most comfortable belay stance since the top of the first pitch. Steve led out on the next pitch which is the one Dreamer is known for. It starts in a shallow corner with easier climbing. It then goes to the top of a pillar, where a bolt is clipped. Then traverses right with no protection up to the bottom of a large flake. Then a 5.9 traverse back left and over the flake to enter "The Blue Crack." An awkward, 5.9 flake/crack that brings you up to the next hanging belay. Steve led it in fine style. I got cold at the belay as the sun went behind the ridge. I was getting tired and I think the cold I was getting all week finally was getting the upper hand. I followed behind, but felt really tired. (I also hadn't eaten a lunch yet.) I took a fall midway through the 5.9 traverse. Regained my composure, but had to struggle the rest of the way up the pitch. At the top, I asked Steve what time it was, and he said 4:30pm. I told him we had two hours of daylight, and it was in our best interest to descend.

This turned out to be a wise decision, as we had minor difficulties rapping with daylight. (One rap left Steve 15' shy of the anchor, and I had to lower him.) I had to make an intermediate stop to make sure I would reach the next anchor. On the last two raps, the other party reached us, and we shared their ropes for the final raps. I was a little slow packing up, and we lost them going into the bushwhack. We turned on our headlamps and headed downhill. Steve and I then proceeded to march around (through?) vine maples for what seemed an eternity before we regained the gully where we should have left it in the morning. The rest of the scramble/swhack/hike out was uneventful, but all by headlamp.

Overall, the climbing on Dreamer is a step up from what I am used to doing. I think my difficulties with the 5.9 pitch were more due to fatigue than my climbing ability, but I will most likely have to wait until next year to tackle that climb again.

Pics are located here.
(I included Steve's pics as well.)

Jacob and Louisa (Fisher) Phend

Jacob Phend was born June 27, 1829 in Aarmuhle, prefecture of Interlaken, Canton Bern, Switzerland. Not quite three years later, on June 11th 1832 Jacob left the city of LeHavre, France on his way to a new country. He was onboard a ship with his parents, Johannes and Susanna Kübla B'hend, his two half-sisters, Barbara and Margaret, and his half-brother, John, "bound for Baltimore, with the intention of settling in Ohio" according to his father's passport. Family tradition has it that as the ship was nearing the American shore they encountered a severe storm that drove them off their course and the ship was driven onto rocks. It is not known where they came ashore, or where they went immediately afterwards, only that by October of 1832 his father had purchased land in Stark County, Ohio. The family settled in that area of Stark County that by the end of 1832 became part of newly-formed Carroll County.

It was there that Jacob grew up, presumably performing the same tasks as any other youngster raised on a farm during that time period. In December, 1840, the Michael Fisher family moved into the neighborhood. Their oldest child was 11 year old Louisa. Seven years later, on August 27, 1847 according to family records, Jacob Phend and Louisa Fisher became husband and wife. It is thought that Jacob and Louisa may have moved to Holmes county, Ohio where his half-sister Margaret Phend Weiss lived with her family. According to family records, it was in Holmes county that John, the first child of Jacob and Louisa, was born on July 29th 1848.



The following year, Jacob moved his young family to Taylor township in Greene County, Indiana. His half-sister, Barbara, had moved there about 1840 with her husband, Christian Feutz. On May 12th 1851, the second child was born to Jacob and Louisa and he was named Christian.

In March of 1852, Jacob sold his land in Greene County and headed north to Marshall County near the Kosciusko County line, not far from where "his wife's people" lived. Louisa's father had died in 1845 and at about the same time that she and Jacob went to southern Indiana, her mother had moved with the other children to northern Indiana. It is not known why she went north and they went south; perhaps she had relatives living there. At any rate, in the spring of 1852, Jacob and Louisa moved their family to northern Indiana and settled in German township, Marshall county.

The Phend-Fisher Family History written by Clarence Phend (oldest son of Christian) in 1928 provides the following account of the family's journey to northern Indiana: "In the year of 1852, Jacob Phend took his family and a few meager possessions which included one horse, a yoke of oxen, a wagon, and a dog onto a canal boat and journeyed to Lafayette, Indiana. While they were loading the oxen and the horse onto the canal boat, the horse became frightened and jumped overboard into the canal. Immediately the dog jumped off the boat, seized the rope to the horse's halter with his teeth and swam to shore with the horse in tow. A passenger on the canal boat, upon seeing this unusual fete performed by the dog, offered to pay twenty dollars for the animal, but the offer was refused. Upon arriving in Lafayette the dog was missing. A thorough search failed to reveal the whereabouts of the animal. From Lafayette they journeyed to their claim in Marshall county by ox cart. There was no house on this land so it was necessary for them to stay with some German people who lived nearby. They immediately set about to build a log house in which to live, and it was here that their children Samuel, William, Jacob and Sophia were born."

The family moved once again, in 1865, but only about one mile east to Scott township in Kosciusko county. They lived near the small town of Hepton, about two miles south of where the town of Nappanee would be built in 1875. That part of the county, as it would have been at the time the Phend's lived there, was described in A Standard History of Kosciusko County, Indiana (1919): "Scott Township was the last of the three northwestern townships to be settled, and it compares favorably, as to soil and drainage, with other portions of the county. The first post office was established in the southern portion of the township during the year 1853. Scott Township settled very slowly, although a small hamlet commenced to form in the neighborhood of the Hepler and Yockey farms. The original name of the village was Hepton. A general store, a mill, a creamery, a good school and other evidences of an intelligent and settled community gradually appeared in that neighborhood."

The farm at Hepton became known as the "Phend Homestead" and it was there, in November 1865, that Henry Phend, the last child of Jacob and Louisa, was born. The "Biographical and Historical Record of Kosciusko County" (1887) states: "Jacob and Louisa Phend purchased 120 acres of partially improved land, and now have about 100 acres in a good state of cultivation. Mr. Phend has built a fine residence and good, substantial farm buildings, and is considered one of the representative farmers of Scott township. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party. He and his wife are members of the Evangelical church."

It wasn't until 1875 that Jacob and Louisa sold their farm in Marshall county to their two oldest children, John and Christian. In the deed there was an added provision whereby a plot of land, to be used for church purposes, was given to the trustees of the Ebenezer Church, Evangelical Association of North America. A small white church stands there today, though I don't know when it was built. Later, Jacob was instrumental in establishing three other churches; one at Hepton, one in Nappanee, and the other at the community of Pleasant Plains near Limon, Colorado.

To be continued. . . see part 2 (link added September 26, ..)

Peppermint Candy!

After all that brushing and play all the horses got peppermint candy which they dearly love. (most horses love peppermint, along with carrots, and horse cookies) followed by an afternoon snack of hay. (Of course their not spoiled!)

Sky Watchers (Auroras and Perseids and Milky Way, Oh My!)

Just got in from watching and shooting the Milky Way, Northern Lights and Perseid meteor shower from the top of Mt. Maude. What an amazing night! The northern lights were very low along the horizon, but they were dancing and putting on a decent show. Yet again, I am amazed by the wonders of the night sky! This photo shows my friends Jake and April enjoying the amazing sky.

Dragontail Peak

Dragontail Peak and Colchuck Lake.











Giant boulders at the South end of the lake.

The Serpentine Arete starts on the left, then goes to the right of the dark area.




Mark on the crux of the climb.
















The Colchuck Glacier.



Colchuck Lake from the summit of Dragontail Peak.

Happy Birthday, Tami...

Happy Birthday! Thank you for everything that you are doing. It is appreciated very much. If it wasn't for you, I very likely wouldn't be on this journey. I love you. Aunt Becky. (Photos were taken in November 1976.)

Cycling Fever?

I had this question when I first began doing strenuous rides and recently someone asked me the same thing: Is it normal to run a fever after cycling?



The short answer is: Yes. It happens to some people. Not to all, but to some. I am one of them, and I now know a few others who experience this with regularity - always have. The evening after a strenuous ride, I will often run a fever and might even develop a sore throat. While it's happening it can feel very much like the flu. But the next morning all symptoms will be gone, so it is not a case of actually getting sick.



My understanding is that this is a normal reaction that some people simply have to certain types of exertion. It may have to do with how our bodies engage in muscle repair. Or it may have to do with circulation issues. No one seems certain, but it does happen.



Regardless of how or why it happens, I have noticed there are things I can do to alleviate it. For instance: takinga hot shower or bath after a ride, takingan NSAID oracetaminophen concoction, eatingwarm "comfort food" such as soup or scrambled eggs, drinking lots of fluids, and tryingto get as much physical rest as possible.Basically treating it like the flu works for me. It dulls the symptoms while they are happening, so that I can still be productive with the rest of my evening. And the next day I feel good as new - only the muscle soreness remains.



If you experience fever or flu-like symptoms after strenuous cycling, how do you deal with it?

Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center II

On Friday, October 10th, the second reincarnation of the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center was opened to the public and dedicated to the highly regarded and revered Washington State Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson. Funding for the original saucer-shaped visitor center (check out the image to the right - a distinct likeness of the old JVC and a flying saucer taking off into space) was guaranteed much to his hard-work and dedication, so it was only fitting that the new visitor center also carry his name. Peter Jackson (the son of Henry Jackson, not the director) spoke at the ceremony, highlighting his father's love of wilderness, his desire to protect our country's most precious spaces, and to create enjoyable ways for people to learn from and enjoy these amazing places throughout our country and this state. The ceremony drew big-wigs from Washington (D.C. that is), including the Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Representative Norm Dicks of Washington's Sixth Congressional District, and the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks. Other distinguished guests included local Nisqually tribal elder Zelma McCloud, National Park Service Pacific West Regional Director Jon Jarvis, the aforementioned Peter Jackson of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga, an elder representative from the Consolidated tribes and bands of the Yakama Nation; yours truly of course and another famed NPS persona, Mike (Gator) Gauthier, dressed to the nine's in his class "A" uniform, and several hundred other attendees at the ceremony.

The new 'green', energy efficient JVC II is architecturally designed to match its surroundings and the historical park style, referred to as 'Park Service Rustic'. The feeling of the building when you first enter is dictated mostly by the space, due to the height of the ceiling and massive windows that line the entirety of the wall, naturally lighting the surroundings. However, it could also have something to do with the weird climber want-to-be mannequin placed high atop the climbing display. A feeling of comfort is there too. Above you are post and beam rafters, held together with cast iron fixtures and signs made from a menagerie of dark metal and wood. Overall, I was impressed and I think the sentiment was shared by most.
If you missed the grand opening, fret not, as you will have ample opportunity to view the building on weekends and most holidays, including the winter/holiday break from December 20th through January 4th. And as has been the tradition up at Paradise for many years, Ranger-led snowshoe walks will begin at the new JVC (snow permitting) on December 20th. The two public walks (12:30, 2:30) are approximately 1.5 miles in duration and last less than two hours and are moderate to strenuous. The walks are an amazing opportunity to experience the Park and Mountain in the wintertime. The adjacent photo was taken this past winter as I was returning from one of my group snowshoe walks - a beautiful view of the old JVC at sunset.
The opening of the JVC II means one more VERY important thing....re-opening our beloved Climbing Information Center (CIC) up at Paradise next summer. The CIC will function as it did before; climbing rangers staffing the desk will issue climbing permits and sell climbing passes, provide up-to-date route and snow conditions, weather forecasts, advice and as can only be expected from climbers (and NO ONE else) when they are awake and moving at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday - perhaps some witty banter as well. See you all on the Mountain!

Jonas Joslin Sr. :: 1822 Land Sale to James and Jonas Jr.

On January 10, 1822 Jonas Joslin Sr. and his wife Ruth sold 100 acres of land for $800.50 to James Joslin and Jonas Joslin Jr. with an important clause that gave them (Jonas Sr. and Ruth) use of the land during their lives. This would seem to indicate some degree of relationship between Jonas Sr. and Ruth with James and Jonas Jr. This was the same land that Jonas and Ruth had purchased for $1,050 on October 20, 1818. The record can be found in Delaware County, Ohio Deed Book 5, pages 526-528.



[page 526]
Jonas Joslin
To } Deed
James Joslin & Jonas Joslin Jr

This Indenture made and concluded this 10th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty two by and between Jonas Joslin & Ruth his wife of Delaware County in the State of Ohio of the first part and James Joslin & Jonas Joslin Junior Witnesseth that the said Jonas Joslin & Ruth his wife for and in consideration of eight hundred Dollars fifty cents to them in had paid or secured to be paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged

[top half of page 527]
527 } given granted bargained sold released conveyed confirmed and by these presents give grant bargain sell release convey and confirm unto the said James and Jons Joslin Junior and unto their heirs and assigns forever a lot of land viz; lot number sixteen in the west tier of lots in the fourth section of the third township in the nineteenth range of the United States Military lands and within the said county of Delaware and supposed to contain one hundred acres more or less To have and to hold the above described premises with all the privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining unto him the said Jonas Joslin Jr and James Joslin and unto their heirs and assigns forever and the said Jonas Joslin & Ruth his wife for their heirs executors and administrators covenant and promise to and with the said James and Jonas Joslin Jr their heirs and assigns that they are lawfully seized of the Premises aforesaid that they have good right and full authority to sell and convey the same in manner aforesaid and that the said Premises are free and clear from

[bottom half of page 527]
all encumbrances. And Further that they the said Jonas Joslin and Ruth his wife their heirs executors and administrators will well warrant and truly defend the premises aforesaid unto the said James and Jonas Joslin Jr. and unto their heirs and assigns forever against the lawful claims of any persons or person whomsoever except a reservation of the use of the above described premises during our lives. In testimony whereof the part - to the first part here hereunto set our hands and seals the day and year above written.
Jonas Joslin {Seal}
Ruth Joslin {Seal}
Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of}
Nathan Carpenter}
Sophia Weaver}

The State of Ohio Delaware County}
Personally appeared before me Nathan Carpenter one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County the within names Jonas Joslin and Ruth his wife Who she being first examined separate and apart from her husband both acknowledged

[page 528]
the foregoing instrument to be their free act and deed for purposes therein mentioned Given under my hand and seal this
Nathan Carpenter JP {seal}
Reced & recorded this deed Feby 14th 1822
J A Hughs Recorder Del Cty