At the annual summer picnic held July 16 at Mike Maude's place, our current chairperson Steve Firebaugh named Don Schaechtel, chair of the Safety subcommittee, as his successor for 2002-2004 in front of 35 committee members. Schaechtel, in Puerto Rico visiting his wife, wrote in an e-mail message that he is "honored to be selected to lead the Climbing Committee for the next two years. Steve has done so much to advance the program that I am feeling a little unworthy at this point, but I will get over it." Everyone present was delighted with the announcement. Congratulations, and welcome to an elite group, Don!

Also in attendance were several former chairmen, including O. Phillip Dickert (1935), Roy Werner (1954), Glenn Eades, Steve Cox, Ron Eng, and Steve Firebaugh.

Lowell Skoog shared some mountaineering history by showing two restored films, a 1940 movie of an early ascent of the Tooth, and a 1939 film-and-still compilation of a climb of Mt. Shuksan/Fisher Chimneys. The Shuksan film featured Otto Trott and Andy Henning, who later in 1939 completed a first ascent via the Hanging Glacier (NW Face) that was ahead of its time.

For more information on ski mountaineering history as well as beautiful photographs, check out Skoog's website. On it, Skoog shares the following quote from Rene Daumel, Mont Analogue: "You cannot stay on the mountain forever. You have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know."

A hearty thank-you to Mike Maude, who has hosted the picnic at his Mercer Island home for the past few years; a special word of praise to Donna Price for her delicious apple-berry crisp; and thanks to all in attendance who shared stories, tips, and tidbits about summer climbs.