The Mountain Ear - July 2026
One thing I quite enjoy about outings with other Rocky Mountaineers is that when I ask their favorite tree, they often have an immediate answer. If they don't, it usually doesn't take long to come up with a response, as well as a compelling reason why.
For many years, my answer has been the whitebark and limber pines that typically mark the tree line in the mountain ranges they call home. Their scrubby, krummholz form is the embodiment I find most endearing, especially when I spot one whose trunk has sprouted from some impossible-looking spot of earth, such as a small crack in an otherwise monolithic slab of granite. I admire their tenacity in growing where they are planted, even when it's a wind-swept mountain ridge with soil nearly devoid of nutrients and that is covered with snow for more of the year than not.
During our 16 days in the Grand Canyon, my good friend, Mike, and I came to admire the desert barrel cactus for similar reasons. One of the most fascinating things about the Grand Canyon is descending deeper into geologic time as one descends deeper into the canyon. The river cuts through the limestone and sandstone that dominate views from the rim and exposes the vishnu schist and Zoroaster granite. On these steep, sun-scorched slopes of rock from the basement of time, the desert barrel cactus finds a way to thrive.
There is no choosing where the seed happens to germinate, there is simply to thrive or not to thrive right from that spot, even when it means enduring the harshest possible conditions. As I considered this, I realized that humans are really no different, our ability to change our location notwithstanding. None of us chose our parents or the circumstances into which we were born. Some of us were born the equivalent of a whitebark pine on a windy and exposed subalpine ridge, while others were born the equivalent of a painstakingly nurtured cherry tree in the most serene organic orchard.
The impact these circumstances have on our lives is well illustrated in Ann Patchett's beautiful novel, Whistler. At one point, the protagonist is asked the details of a formative event from her childhood, to which she responds, "nobody wants to listen to me talk about something that happened when I was nine years old." Her sister, a psychologist, counters, "actually, that seems to be all anyone ever wants to talk about." Unlike the whitebark pine or the barrel cactus, we have no external indicator of the harshness of someone else's circumstances. Perhaps remembering this will help us to give a little more grace when someone disappoints us. Perhaps remembering what we have been through will help us give ourselves a little more grace when we do the disappointing.
We can't change who we are or the circumstances in which we are growing, but we can make peace with wherever and however we happen to find ourselves. When we push back against our circumstances, we create internal conflict because we are in effect pushing against ourselves. When we embrace impermanence and accept that everything we have ever experienced--by its very nature of having been experienced--can never be repeated, we cease yearning. We stop longing for a cherished moment, we no longer spill energy wishing to undo that which has been done. We recognize that the only thing any of us truly ever has is the moment right before us. If our actions in this moment align with our values, we harmonize with our circumstances and find peace within. We become like the barrel cactus: content with who we are and what we are doing, even in the harshest circumstances.
Which is not to say that every step along the way will be easy. The Colorado River through the Grand Canyon flows in the opposite direction of the prevailing winds that tend to pick up as the day heats up. During the last several days of our trip, the wind was starting to blow in earnest shortly after we launched each morning. The Colorado River basin drought is so severe and entrenched that flows have been reduced to where there is very little current to push a boat through the flat stretches. Our profound and remarkable experience in the canyon therefore also included many hours spent rowing heavy rafts into a headwind. To get himself through those hours when his back ached and his hands felt like they were going to de-glove from pulling on the oars so hard, Mike found motivation in the barrel cactus. "I knew I couldn't do anything to change what was happening. Instead of complaining, I looked at the hillside and told myself to be like the barrel cactus. Then I just kept rowing."
Go outside and be kind.
-Mark
22nd Annual Kercher Glacier Classic - August 27-30
We are a little less than a month away from the 22nd Annual Kercher Glacier Classic! If you want to attend but haven’t registered or booked a campsite, please do so as soon as possible. There are a small number of sites still available. See below for booking procedure.
If you have registered and are planning to attend, be on the lookout for an email from the event organizer (Forest) a week or so prior to the event. We’ll provide some last-minute news, notes, and details at that time. If you have booked a campsite but haven’t let Forest know you are coming, please do. That way we can loop you in to said email. A couple of the fun events we have planned: group taco night and a music night!
New to the club or the area and asking yourself, “what is the Kercher Glacier Classic?" We began this event in 2005. Our idea was to have one weekend every August where we would basecamp around Glacier and have several hikes and climbs each day. Evenings are spent back in camp, telling stories of the days’ adventures and making plans for the next day. It's an opportunity to make new friends and reacquaint yourself with old ones. What began as a small gathering of eight attendees has since grown to usually 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? Our basecamp this year will once again be the Divide Creek Campground in St. Mary. Please RSVP to Forest Dean, event organizer, so we know you are coming. For camping, you need to book directly by emailing Veronica at Divide Creek Campground. We have a group site reserved, so if you would like to share this site--and spend less--just let her know when you book. This event is exclusively for Rocky Mountaineers club members, so if you haven't yet joined, please do!
Check out our online calendar for trips during the event. Don’t see anything that is of interest? Fear not and attend anyway! Many of our trips during this event happen spontaneously. Each evening we will meet at a communal spot (fire pit if conditions allow) and discuss options for the next day. So please join us!
Achievement Awards
Each September, at the first of our fall-through-spring monthly meetings, we recognize any club members who have completed any of the groupings of mountain summits noted on our website. If you have (or will have) completed one or more of these by September 8, please let us know so that you can be recognized.
We would also like to recognize Rocky Mountaineers whose service to the club or to our outdoor community at large has been noteworthy. If you would like to nominate someone for special recognition, please send a message or contact one of the officers directly.
Rattlesnake Summit Series
Among the planned outings on the club calendar is a Rattlesnake Summit series, planned by Tony Lebaron. If you're interested in exploring one of our backyard ranges over the coming months, Tony has created a great opportunity to do so. Visit the event calendar for details.
New Merchandise
If you are interested in Rocky Mountaineers logo sun hoodies or running hats, please let us know so that we ensure appropriate quantities. We are planning to purchase Outdoor Research sun hoodies and expect the finished cost to be around $90. Running hats finished cost should be around $30. If you would like one or both of these items, please send a message to the club, subject Merch, and indicate your interest as well as preferred sizing for the shirts. We will order a few extras but your assistance in assessing demand will help us ensure quantities are sufficient but not excessive and will assure you of getting your preferred size.
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 with subject Gear Closet.
A complete listing of all the gear we currently have available can be found on our website.
Upcoming Trips and Activities
Rattlesnake Summit Series - various dates, see calendar - Rattlesnake Range
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 and other outings!
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 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
Member discussion