Quietly, amid little or no fan-fare, the long awaited third edition of Fred Beckey’s Cascade Alpine Journal Volume 3 was released in early December, updating the final book in a three volume set. Downtown REI had four copies on the shelf next to the other two books in the series – not the expected large display touting the release. One would think that local outdoor retailers would herald this book’s release, at least with and “end cap” display and signage, but none were visible – an indication that the work may be taken for granted. The New York Times did an article and video on Mr. Beckey, but nothing in our local paper.
I ordered two copies from the Mountaineers Books so that I would not have to go to look in Woody’s room to find one.
The significance of these guides cannot be understated for they are a virtual catalog of the geology, exploration and climbing history of the Cascade Range, with the first edition being published in 1981. Over his lifetime, Mr. Beckey has amassed multiple first ascents and written a series of guide books unmatched by others on any mountain range in the world. We view the Cascades as the preeminent climbing and skiing playground and a quick perusal of these three volumes verifies our prejudice. Anyone who thinks about planning a climb or has thoughts of a climb being a first ascent or decent “checks Fred” – and his shadow is always cast upon the endeavor. Reading this new edition one quickly realizes that the author has climbed for over 70 years in the Cascades, recording ascents of most of the mountains in the range and is still climbing. Reality tells us that Mr. Beckey won’t last forever in the physical form, so who will step forward and take over as unofficial historian of climbing in the Cascades? Certainly, a difficult role for someone to fulfill and few if any possess the knowledge and experience necessary.
I was anxious to see what if any new summer ascents or winter climbs were reported in the Sawtooth and Pasayten Wilderness, which has a high concentration of the “big boys” that are on the list. This portion of the range also represents some of the larger peaks in very remote locations. A technical route or winter ascent would require very large packs, extreme preparedness and a wide window of stable weather. Winter ascents require additional approach time since most road accesses are not passable except with a snowmobile. Of note was a first winter ascent and decent of Oval Peak in February 2007, less than two years ago. A careful read does not reveal any more recent winter ascents or summer firsts in the range. These are serious mountains to undertake in the winter and will be the arena where “firsts” are recorded in the future.
A large amount of the updating for this volume was in the descriptions of the road accesses and trails, many of them falling into disrepair because the Forest Service fails to maintain them, especially access to the more remote sections of the range. The popular summits are seeing ever more pressure and the Forest and Park Services prefers to concentrate resources “where they are needed most” by maintaining the roads and trails that access them. This heightens the importance of preserving access to the more remote summits because it will allow for a better wilderness experience and provide a pressure relief on the over used popular areas. As the possibility of first ascents fades away, the future and bigger challenge facing the next generation of climbers will not be the complex line on a wall in a remote portion of the Cascade Range, but will be keeping access on roads and trails to that remote valley available for everyone to enjoy.