May 2006

Volume 12, Issue 5

NORTH PEAK

Mike ascending North Peak Wash

Joel near the summit

Mike on the peak with Bridge Mountain in background

LAS VEGAS MOUNTAINEERS CLUB
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Chris Ransel
Vice President/Training Director: Chris Meyer
Secretary: Kristi Meyer
Treasurer: Jim Albamont
Newsletter Editor: Joel Brewster
Outings Director: Josh Owen
Membership Director: Dawna Herndon
Website Director: Amy Brewster
Public Relations Director: Chris Ransel
Club Gear Director: Kim Friedman
Assistant Director: Bruce Lacroix
Assistant Director: Richard Baugh
Assistant Director: Howard Herndon
Assistant Director: Alan Andrunas
Past President: Xavier Wasiak

The Ascender is published monthly by the Las Vegas Mountaineers Club. It can be viewed on the “Members Only” section of our website. Current Club membership is approximately 150.
All Club members are invited to submit trip reports, photos, trip listings, recipes, classified ads and other related information. Please include the name and date of the trip or outing and the author’s name. June 10th is the deadline for the next issue.

SUBMIT ARTICLES TO:
Joel Brewster
E-mail: amyjoel@cox.net
Phone: 456-8520

MEMBERSHIP ISSUES...

To the following members, please note that your membership will expire this month:

Clare Dunn
Doug Foust
Barbara Hanson

Alan Nakashima
Robert Nelson
Paul Thornton

Please make your check payable to the Las Vegas Mountaineers Club and mail to: P.O. Box 36026, Las Vegas, NV 89133-6026.
Single membership is $30 per year, $85 for three years. Family annual membership is $40, $110 for three years. Please mail all renewals prior to the end of the month to ensure uninterrupted notification of your Ascender password.

To All Members:
Please send any address, phone number and e-mail changes to Dawna Herndon.

Dawna Herndon
Membership Director

CLUB GEAR

This club gear is available at no charge to members:

4-season tent
Helmets
Bear Barrels
Alpine Axes*
Snowshoes
Strap-on Crampons*

Quantity
1
5
3
5
3
6

Deposit
$150
$20
$20
$25
$25
$30

*Will require a signed waiver.

Non-members are not eligible to borrow club gear. Deposits taken on gear must be in the form of cash or check and will be returned upon return of equipment. Gear is also available to members for courses with no deposit required. If you have any questions or would like to inquire about club gear, please contact Kim Friedman.

ADVERTISING

Classified Ads
Members: Free
Non-members: $5

Business Ads
1/8 page (business card): $5
1/4 page: $10
1/2 page: $15
Full page: $20
All rates are per issue and will be discontinued automatically unless renewed. Ads must be prepaid and sent by e-mail or submitted on CD. Please make checks payable to Las Vegas Mountaineers Club.

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS

Send in your best photos from LVMC outings for the First Annual LVMC Photo Contest. The contest will be open through November 2006 and prizes will be awarded at the annual Christmas Party! Click HERE for the contest rules. Please submit photos via e-mail to Joel Brewster and happy shooting!
(Remember, photos must be taken during an LVMC outing.)

NORTH PEAK

May 3, 2006
Report and Photos by Joel Brewster

On Wednesday morning, I set out on my bike for Mike Shackleford's house at 6 a.m. Mike and I intended to summit North Peak via North Peak Wash. Although this was a new route for me, Mike said he took this route to climb Bridge Mountain on his very first LVMC trip.

To locate North Peak Wash, just continue up Rocky Gap Road a half a mile past the start of the North Peak trail which runs up the ridgeline. North Peak Wash parallels this trail, but is much more scenic and interesting. The wash begins with some easy bouldering before it becomes much steeper. Fortunately the beauty of this route eases the pain at this point as you climb up colorful sandstone slabs. There are only a few class 3 sections and you climb past several small waterfalls on the way up.

Once out of the wash, it is an easy 15-minute jaunt to the top of North Peak. Even though this route is longer than the trail, it seemed to take less time as we summited from Willow Springs parking lot in just over two hours. We enjoyed the gorgeous day as we ate lunch.

Joel with Bridge Mountain

For variety, we descended the trail instead of the wash. The descent was fairly uninteresting, so we made it more exciting by wagering on whether we would pass a car on Rocky Gap Road, pass a hiker, how many cars would be in the parking lot, and how many different states' license plates would be represented by the cars in the parking lot. I won't bore anyone with the results, but Mike had a profitable day!

I finished my uphill (and hot) bike ride home about 2:30, tired but happy.

WELCOME, NICHOLAS!

The littlest mountaineer has successfully descended the treacherous "Birth Canal" route. Conditions were deteriorating so he descended approximately two months early. He is recuperating from his ordeal at base camp (aka UMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). He anticipates a speedy recovery and looks forward to coming home to meet all of you.

He was pleased to hear he was named Nicholas Neil, dispelling rumors that his father was going to name him Earl Lee.

For those of you that gambled on our child's future:
Born: May 9, 2006 (5.9, and a bit of a sandbag according to mom...)
10:45 am
4lbs. 3oz, 17.5 inches

Congratulations, Josh and Kim!

Kristi enjoys Angels Landing at Zion National Park

Richard and Paul on Mt. Muir

LVMC group on Mt. Whitney in 2005

CLICK HERE FOR LVMC EVENT SCHEDULE

GENERAL MEETINGS

The Las Vegas Mountaineers hold their monthly meetings at the Sahara West Library,
9600 West Sahara. Click HERE for map. Meeting time is 7:00 p.m.

MAY

Tuesday, May 23, 2006
TBA

IT'S GONNA BE GREAT, BUT WE HAVEN'T CONFIRMED, SO WE HAVE TO TELL YOU LATER!

JUNE

Tuesday, June 27, 2006
TBA