Historic Hood River
Mt. Hood Climbing Party
6-3-2014
Notes
Here’s a Jack Baldwin image of a climbing party on Mt. Hood. Their equipment seems to be a bit more modern than what we’ve seen on the Legion climbs. Climbers, please fill us in on the era and the climbing technology.
charlott
Yes, this would have been later than the Legion Climbs. Knowing Jack Baldwin I think it is possibly in the 50’s. Jack Baldwin was a main stay in the Alpine’s, the other climbing group. I can’t tell you when the Alpine’s disbanded, but their old Alpine Hut is located just north of where Orchard Road takes off from Tucker Road.
A very good view back to the valley, isn’t it?
I wish I could get a closer look, as might be able to identify some of the others. Looks like there might be a Crag Rat involved in this climb. They did work back and forth…..
l.e.
Where is the slide view?
Kate
"Alpinees"
longshot
They seem to have their ropes attached to flaked bundles on their backs. Maybe this was to give the climber above them time to get into an arrest pose before the rope became taut?
charlott
A little Alpinee history…..
Organized in 1947, when Myron Weygandt, son of Hood mountain guide, Mark Weygandt, Don Kresse, Robert Duckwall came home from serving in the mountain troops during WWII, along with Jack Baldwin and some others. They worked in conjunction with the Civil Air Patrol. They built the Alpinee Hut in 1960. By 2002 there were only three paying members and was decided time to disband the organization.
Arlen Sheldrake
flying in from Atlanta yesterday evening we were given a beautiful view of this Mountain Hood…what a welcome home!
Buzz
Wish I had climbed also from other than the Timberline Lodge side. Where did they start climbing from on the North side? They must have been somewhat around on the East side as I remember the North face as being nearly straight up and down. Didn’t live in Hood River long enough to get everything done I would have liked to do. But guess that is true everywhere that I lived.
Judy
The" Alpinee Hut" as it was called had many venues there. Wedding receptions, group parties, etc. It finally fell into much dis-repair that they were having trouble selling the property.
tom
These climbers are ascending the Cooper Spur route, above the Eliot Glacier viewed in the background. If you look carefully, you can see the Cloud Cap Inn on the knoll at photo center level, about 1/4th the way from the right edge. This area (including Tilly Jane and Saddle Campground) was and still is the most popular staging area for a north side Mt Hood climb. It was/is common to ascend the east moraine of Eliot (right most ridge) on this route. Today’s view of the lower Eliot is dramatically different thanks to the shrinking glacier and the heavy rains of November 2006, which deposited much of the glacier’s terminus at the confluence of the Hood River with the Columbia, creating a new sandbar from which kite boarders enjoy an expanded launching facility.
Bill Pattison
Jack Baldwin (an avid photographer) took this "string" of Alpinees climbing to place the pins and hand lines prior to one of the last of the Legion Climbs. His good friend George "Abe" Howell is in the lead. You always knew George by his white visor which he always wore. In a close up Arthur I can probably ID the rest of the climbers. The pants are old army 10th Mountain Division surplus. Notice Eliot Glacier’s terminal morain. Mighty big a time ago.
Susan Baldwin
Your eyes are better than mine Bill – I would have sworn that Jack was in the lead. George and Jack were such good pals they must have dressed alike! Jack also wore either a white visor or the jaunty little sports car type hat as long as I knew him…which was all too short.
Steve r
WR Buster Gibson – # 2 person on the rope team- early 50’s –
Robert Lee
Bottom climber looks like Bob Lee. Co- owned Cooper Spur with Jack Baldwin and served in 10th Mountain.
Greg Donaldson
Hello all – does anyone have a picture of the fireplace at the old Alpinees clubhouse? It was rigged with a belay system so that one could climb the face of the fireplace. I did my first rock climbing there – ca 63-64 or so…I’d love to find a picture….
Thanks in advance – Greg
ArthurB
Greg, we don’t have a photo of the Alpinees fireplace at the museum.