The Mountain Ear, April 2026

It's been a tough winter in the mountain west. Ski areas opened later and have closed earlier than normal. When we have had new snow, avalanches have been a concern. It's been easy for me to feel discouraged, not just about this season, but about future implications of a warming planet.

A few weeks ago, when it seemed like we were getting all of our snow allocation for the season all at once, fellow Rocky Mountaineer and ski enthusiast, Meg, reached out about getting together to ski that weekend. Avalanche conditions had us apprehensive about a backcountry tour, so we decided to head to Snowbowl. A cold front moved in the night before. The frigid, dry air sucked the moisture out of the snow, allowing us to enjoy lap after lap of cold smoke and blue skies. The climate crisis didn't go away. But for a handful of joyful hours on a Sunday in March, that burden was replaced by the lightness of being fully present. It just felt good to be alive.

Life is hard. We all have had interactions we wish we had handled differently, relationships we should have given more care, loved ones we have lost, dreams that were never realized. Joy is what balances the balance sheet of life and makes those things feel OK.

Joy isn't something we can plan--part of what makes it so special is that it comes as a surprise. That said, Joyful Anyway author Kate C. Bowler suggests three things we can do to "put ourselves in the way of joy." Joy is incredibly socially contagious, so we should find people to love. The less we focus on ourselves, the more likely something beautiful will happen, so we should find ways to contribute. Lastly, we should find something to hope for. The more we are telling a story that is more beautiful than the one we have, the more we will imagine a world where joy is for us, and it will find us.

Go outside and be kind.

-Mark

How to Show Kindness in Our Shared Backcountry Spaces

Our April club meeting will be a panel discussion on ways to be a good neighbor when recreating outdoors. Our panelists are drawn from a variety of outdoor pursuits and will share insights that should broaden the perspective of everyone present. If you would like to submit a question in advance, please do so via email. The discussion will be Tuesday, 14 April. As usual, we will meet at Freestone Climbing Center, 1200 Shakespeare St, in their upstairs meeting room. We hope to see you there!

Officer Elections - Call for Nominations

Each spring, the Rocky Mountaineers hold elections for our club officers. A new Board will be designated at our annual meeting on May 18. Members will be emailed a ballot in order to vote on the officers prior to that meeting.

Anyone who has been a member in good standing for at least one year as of 30 April 2026 is eligible to be an officer. Members can nominate themselves or other members. We have four positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary. All are one year terms with a maximum of two consecutive terms (except Treasurer- 4 terms).

If you would like to get involved in the direction of the club, please don’t hesitate to nominate yourself! Nominations can be submitted via email. All nominations must be made by April 15th.

22nd Annual Kercher Glacier Classic - August 27-30

We are very excited to once again be putting together plans for the signature event of The Rocky Mountaineers—The Kercher Glacier Classic!  

We began this event in 2005.  Our idea was to have one weekend every summer where we would basecamp around Glacier and have several hikes and climbs each day.  In the evenings, meet back in camp and tell stories of the day's adventures.  Make new friends, reacquaint yourself with old ones.  What began as a small gathering of eight attendees has since grown to usually host between 30-40.  We have held it in various locations around the park but have recently
settled on private campgrounds in the St. Mary area due to the ability to easily reserve for a large group, as well as its proximity to a high concentration of relatively easily accessible adventures. 

In 2021 the Glacier Classic was renamed the Kercher Glacier Classic in honor of our dear friend and club member Bryan Kercher.  Bryan tragically lost his life in a mountaineering accident in the spring of 2021.  He loved Glacier National Park as much or more than anyone we ever knew.  What better way to celebrate his contagious smile, energy and spirit than to share some adventures in this magnificent place!

Want to join in on the fun?  Here is what you need to do:
Our basecamp this year will once again be the Divide Creek Campground in St. Mary.   First, RSVP to Forest (email below) so we know you are coming.  For camping, you then need to book directly with Veronica at Divide Creek Campground.  She has reserved a number of sites (and a group site) for our group. Make your reservation ASAP as this is a busy time for them and after a while, she will need to sell to the general public. Nothing due at reservation time but PLEASE, be sure to cancel your reservation if something changes and you aren’t going to make it (the Club will be on the hook for your uncancelled no-show reservation!)
Divide Creek Campground- Veronica Kempfert- vkempfert1@gmail.com or 406-239-4454
More trips and details will be added as the event gets closer.  Stay tuned and check out our online calendar for updates.
Organizer: Forest Dean- mtnear1@gmail.com

Great Burn Trail Work Weekend

Thursday-Sunday, September 10-13

In an effort for our club to help out and give back to the areas we love to recreate in, we decided to partner with the Great Burn Conservation Alliance to help them clear some trail in the Great Burn. Over the last four years a bunch of us have spent some significant time cutting logs and brush on a very overgrown Trail 510 and then opening up the Schley Mountain Trail last year. In this day and age of brutal budget cuts, volunteers like us are needed more than ever. Please
consider lending a hand and joining us for part or all of a weekend helping this great organization get this trail opened up!

From the Great Burn Conservation Alliance:
Cache Creek Trail Improvement with TRM
Join us for our fifth year of partnering with The Rocky Mountaineers on a trail improvement project. You do NOT have to be a member of the group to sign up, however, we can bet that you’ll want to be after a trip with these awesome folks! We are lucky to have such a hardworking group so passionate about maintaining trails. This year, we will be car camping from the Cache Creek trailhead. Each day, we will be working up the drainage working to brush and repair drainages along the way. 
Trailhead: Cache Creek #317, Ninemile RD, Lolo NF 
Closest Town: Lolo, MT 
**All volunteer trips are subject to change due to ever-changing fire activity. 
DIFFICULTY 
Hiking: Easy. Our work begins right at the trailhead as we brush and maintain the Cache Creek trail. A majority of the trail is at creek gradient and there are no steep climbs. 
Work: Strenuous. This trip involves heavy trail work including brushing, cleaning drainages, and realigning tread. Hand tools may include: shovels, picks, mattocks, McLeods, Pulaskis, loppers, hand saws, and more. 

Great Burn Conservation Alliance trips are free. Each volunteer will be required to make a 100% refundable deposit to secure a trip spot. The cost of the deposit is $50, which will be returned if you cancel at least 3 weeks before your scheduled trip or once you attend the trip. A lot of planning goes into these trips and we need to make sure you’re committed! If you are unable to make a deposit, please reach out to volunteer@greatburn.org. 

Capacity: 8
Questions: Forest Dean- mtnear1@gmail.com

TRM Gear Closet

Our exclusive for members Gear Closet continues to grow. This gear is for you to use at no charge. If you’d like to check something out, send an email to Mark.

A complete listing of all the gear we currently have available can be found on our website.

Upcoming Trips and Activities

Monthly Presentation - Tuesday, 14 April - "Backcountry Trail Etiquette" Panel Discussion
Monthly Presentations begin at 7:0o p.m. at Freestone Climbing Center.

Spring Fling and Picnic - Saturday, 9 May - Fort Missoula
• Several trips to choose from during the day (see calendar)
• 6:00pm- BBQ in Missoula @ Ft. Missoula's Meadowlark Shelter. Food, Beer and Drinks!
• Raffle Prizes!  (Climbing Gear and TRM Swag)
• Lawn Games!

Kercher Glacier Classic - 27-30 August - Divide Creek Campground

Trail Work Weekend - 10-13 September - Great Burn Wilderness

Please visit our event calendar for details on these events!

TRM Merchandise

We have merchandise available for purchase at our presentations, quarterly business meetings, and special events.  Please contact Elizabeth at heyartemisoutside@gmail.com if you’d like to purchase something for local pickup.

Beanie $25	Pint Glass $10	Keychain $5
T-Shirt $20	Trucker Hat $20	Buff $5

Ongoing Call for Photos, Videos, and Presenters

If you have some photos or videos you'd like to share that we can use for social media, event promotion, sponsor videos and our newsletter please email Elizabeth at heyartemisoutside@gmail.com or upload to this google photo/video link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/173AgLc4wrkYofvWA

If you are interested in presenting at a future Rocky Mountaineers monthly meeting or know of someone who would be, please contact Mark. We will begin filling our calendar for Fall 2026 soon.

Club Officers

President- Mark Albrecht
Vice President – Francis Horton
Secretary- Carson Ramsden
Treasurer- Tom Statz
Website- Kyle O'Connor
Archivist- Julie Kahl
Social Media and Video Production – Elizabeth Smith