The Mountain Ear - June 2026

In the summer of 2004, I had plans to climb Mt Rainier with a few of my friends. My son David was due to be born three weeks after the trip. As the trip and David's due date grew closer, David's mom began having contractions, and we grew increasingly concerned that David might arrive early.

I didn't go on the trip. Mt. Rainier remained on my wish list, but with two and then three young kids* at home, it had to go on the back burner for what turned out to be quite a few years.

*I promise I love my two other kiddos just as much as I love David. David's interests just happen to align with the club a little better than those of his siblings.

In 2022, as David was approaching high school graduation, he grew increasingly interested in mountaineering. For his graduation gift, I offered to take him on a climbing trip and let him choose the objective. He chose Mt. Rainier. I booked a trip with International Mountain Guides for June. This trip was important to me not only because it was coming full circle from the summer David was born, but also because David's mom and I had divorced in 2020 and this would be our first one-on-one adventure since that difficult season in our lives.

That May, David and I were doing a training hike near Lolo Pass. As we returned to the trailhead, just a few feet from the vehicle, I stumbled a bit, but caught myself before falling. I joked with David that it would really suck to have a season-ending injury just four weeks before our trip.

When we got home, it was a nice, sunny day, and I thought it was perfect timing to put up the sun shade over my back deck. I was having a hard time stretching it onto the hooks it hangs from, so I grabbed the underside of the eave of my house for some extra leverage to give it one more heave-ho before seeking mechanical advantage. The heave was fine, but on the ho, I felt and heard a pop in my elbow, followed by the sickening sensation of my bicep rapidly balling up near my shoulder. It took the ER doc less than a minute to confirm my suspicion: distal biceps tendon rupture.

I did not want to accept my reality. I considered every option I could think of to save the trip. I was swimming against the current. The dreaded phone call with IMG confirmed the inevitable, however. There was no way they would take me up Rainier that June, and their calendar was fully booked, so there was no way they could get us up Rainier that year. They were, however, gracious enough to allow us to apply what we had paid towards a late season trip in the North Cascades.

We climbed Mount Shuksan via the Fisher Chimneys and had an amazing time. The rock climbing portions pushed my comfort zone and helped boost my confidence in exposed terrain. At the end of the trip, our guide asked us what we were climbing next, and David didn't hesitate. "Mount Rainier."

As soon as the 2023 calendar opened, I reserved a trip for us to climb Rainier via the Kautz route in May. I made the final payment for that trip in January of 2023. Two weeks later, I learned that the company I was working for was doing a significant restructuring, and that my product and role would not be a part of that structure going forward. The hole in my bank account left by that payment suddenly felt much more acute, particularly because I decided that this change was the catalyst to act on my desire to start my own company. Rather than resisting, though, I decided to go with the flow and trust that things would work out.

The weather on Mount Rainier in May of 2022 had been horrendous. IMG had more clients summit Denali than Rainier that month. Apparently that scared some would-be clients away, because when we arrived at IMG headquarters in May of 2023, we learned that we were the only two clients who had booked the trip. In order to help some of their newer guides gain experience on the Kautz route, they would be sending four guides with the two of us as the only clients. Warm weather and wet snow made for some difficult climbing, but other than that, things were as smooth as they could be. We reached the summit with a clear, blue dome overhead.

Following my divorce, my friend Alex showed up in a lot of ways to help soften the landing for me. One of these was planning a mountain bike trip in central Idaho. We enjoyed it so much that we have repeated the trip every summer we've been able to line up our schedules. Last summer, two other mutual friends, T0m and Ashley, were also in the area at that time, so Alex invited them to ride with us. This was the first I had seen Tom since he ran the Zambezi River two years prior, so I was excited to hear about his Africa trip.

"I don't usually repeat trips, but this one was so good that I'm going back this fall. Do you want to come?" When I was in a corporate job, taking three weeks off would have been unfathomable, but being self-employed meant the only person who could say no was me. I said yes.

While in Africa, I made friends with a couple that live in Idaho with whom I have remained in touch. I was invited on an upcoming river trip on the Salmon and thought they might also like to join us. Unfortunately, they couldn't make it work. I was pretty bummed that it didn't line up but then thought of another friend, Mike, who had been with Tom on his first Zambezi trip and was the one who first turned me on to going to Africa. So I texted Mike to see if he wanted to come on the Salmon. As I was going to sleep that night, Mike texted me back. I read the first few lines of the message but didn't open my phone to read its entirety, "Sounds fun, but the timing will be tough for me. I'll just be coming off the Grand Canyon a few days prior." My thoughts as I went to sleep were envious in nature--Mike just did a Grand Canyon trip last year.

I read the rest of the message in the morning. "We had some last minute cancellations and need someone who can row a boat. Any chance you can come?" I had been frustrated with some delays on a new project for work and was going to be chasing odds and ends to stay busy until after the Salmon trip. I said yes.

On the call with the trip leader to discuss adding me to the roster, there was some hesitation about adding a rower who didn't have prior Grand Canyon experience. But since I had rowed the Zambezi, it was agreed to bring me on. We launch tomorrow.

The stoics advocate a concept they call amor fati, or to love your fate, whether it seems good or bad in the moment. In Buddhism, a similar principle is non-attachment to outcome. Our contentment with life should not be based on things turning out the way we want them to. When we live with a spirit of openness and flow with the currents of life, we become aware of the interconnectedness of it all. Difficult circumstances are no less difficult, but we suffer less, and our gratitude for the joyful moments deepens.

Go outside and be kind.

-Mark

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.

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 possible 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

New Merchandise

We have had a number of requests for Rocky Mountaineers logo sun hoodies and running hats. 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. In order to order appropriate quantities, 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 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