The Mountain Ear - November 2026

You never step in the same river twice.

This aphorism, attributed to the Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, seems apparent enough when considering the continuous flow of water from the source, fluctuating currents, and the tendency of rivers to change course. Even so, contemplating this reality and why it is so has kept me transfixed in thought on multiple occasions.

When we apply modern science to the statement, it becomes even more fascinating. A single cubic foot of water contains an incomprehensible 994 septillion (9.94x10^26) water molecules. Over the last ten years, the mean discharge of the Clark Fork River below Missoula has been 5,414 cubic feet per second. Which means that on average, 5,381,424,750,800,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules of water are flowing through our town every second.

Given the absurd enormity of that figure, it's reasonable to infer that some of those molecules have made the same journey down this same channel in the past, but all of them likely have not. Some of them have previously fallen as snow in the Alps, Brooks, Andes, and Himalayas. Some have flowed down the Amazon, Congo, Indus, Nile, and other great rivers of the world. Given the indefinite stability of a water molecule, some were diverted from the Tigris and Euphrates to irrigate crops in ancient Mesopotamia. And at some point, some have certainly been part of the roughly 60% of each of our bodies that is water.

As fascinating as it is to consider this intersection of philosophy, geography, and mathematics, I don't think that's the point Heraclitus was trying to make. The river is simply a metaphor for the constancy of change, and the metaphor can just as easily be applied to a trail, a ski slope, an interpersonal relationship, or the sandwich I pack for lunch every day. Every time we do something, even when it's something we have done many times before, it's never exactly the same.

Even if all the inputs are identical, it's impossible to experience something we have already experienced a second time. I have skied at Lolo Pass dozens of times over the years, but if I went there with the same partners on the same day of the year with the same temperature and snow depth and recent snowfall and snow density and moon phase and whatever else, I couldn't experience a favorite day over again. This is because the past does not exist. That's not to say our memories of things that happened aren't real. But the past as some sort of objective reality that we can return to does not exist.

Our memories, the only thing we carry with us from the past, aren't even constant. How we remember something from the past is colored, little by little, by the things that have happened to us since then. As these layers of perspective are added to my memories of the past, I have found the sharp edges of tragedy and injustice smoothed and rounded like pebbles in a river, such that even the most difficult of circumstances can become a wellspring for gratitude.

If you have ever skied with me, it's likely you've heard one of my favorite and most enduring mantras: "all skiing is fun." I don't remember exactly when I came up with this mantra, but it was sometime during the years when my kids were young and skiing as a family involved a dick dance of gear wrangling, snacks, tears, and potty breaks that could easily suck the joy from the experience if I would have let it. I'm glad I didn't, because I'll never ski with my kids as little kids again. When I think about those days, I don't think about the icy or windy conditions, the lost mittens, or the cold feet. I think about the smiles on their faces, the joy of watching them dial in a new skill, and the incomparable sound of them laughing with each other from the chair in front of me. This perspective helps me appreciate every opportunity I get to buckle a ski boot, lace up my trail runners, or put my hands on an oar that much more.

I was recently asked which of the rivers I've floated is my favorite. I paused for some time to consider before answering, "whichever one I'm doing next." I would respond the same way if I were asked my favorite mountain bike trail or ski line or summit to climb. Whichever one we find ourselves doing is the only one we really have, so we may as well be present. We'll never have a best day if we weren't actually there for it.

Go outside and be kind.

-Mark

November Presentation

Our November presenters will be three of our club officers, Carson, Francis, and Mark. We each had some cool adventures over the summer and thought it would be fun to share those experiences with the club. Carson will be talking about backpacking in the Beartooths and climbing Granite Peak, Francis will share about his experience climbing the Grand Teton, and Mark will do a presentation on the Grand Canyon.

The meeting will be at Freestone Climbing Center in Missoula at 7:00 p.m. on November 10. We hope to see you there!

Rocky Mountaineers Book Club

Our book club selection for November is The Monkeywrench Gang by Edward Abbey. Our "November" meeting will be Wednesday, 2 December at 7:00 p.m. The schedule we have been following would have had us meeting on the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, which didn't seem like a good idea, so we are pushing it out a week. We will meet at Mark's house. Please RSVP if you'd like to participate. 

We ask that participants in the book club have read the book (though nobody will be excluded if you didn't quite finish). To clarify, "reading" in this instance is not narrowly defined as written words on a page or ebook screen. If you're an audiobook enthusiast, that is a perfectly acceptable reading method. 

Wilderness First Responder Course

The Rocky Mountaineers will be hosting a hybrid Wilderness First Responder course, taught by Katie Woods of First Aid Outdoors. We are close to our maximum class size, but a couple of spots still remain open. Self-paced coursework will be sent to you as soon as you sign up and must be completed in advance of the in-person class days December 10-14th.

The cost for the course is $600 for Rocky Mountaineers members and $650 for non-members. 

If you are interested or have questions, please send us a message with subject WFR.

December Presentation

The Cold Call

Wyatt Pritchard

Have you ever thought, “That seems impossible, but I’d love to do it someday?" So did I. Over a decade ago, on a backpacking trip in Denali State Park, I discovered Type II fun and began to seek out bigger and more technical objectives. What started as a passion for backpacking turned into a curiosity for mountaineering which was a slippery slope. As I started alpine climbing, I met my best friends and climbing partners which led to new connections and opportunities. As I learned how to climb in the Missions and Bitterroots, my focus turned North, back to where I’d always dreamed of since I was a kid: Alaska.

As I was pursuing my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Montana, a required internship led me to cold call a guiding company in Alaska to inquire if I could be their intern and learn to guide on Denali’s West Buttress route. Expecting to be told no, I was ecstatic when I heard they needed an intern, and then I had to try to explain to my parents it was, in fact, a real job and not a scam. This internship turned into five different expeditions, many bush plane flights, and lots of new experiences. The culmination of these efforts was a full-circle backpacking trip in Wrangell St. Elias National Park known as “The Goat Trail”, which tested everything I had learned up to that point. I walked away from a career I had always dreamed of feeling satisfied with the mental, physical, and emotional limits I found for myself by walking amongst giants - and I tried to get some good pictures too. Come listen to a presentation of funny stories, lots of pictures, and sharing the excitement of exploring the mountains around Missoula, the Cascades, and Alaska.

December 8, 7:00 p.m., Freestone Climbing Center

TRM Gear Closet

Our exclusive for members Gear Closet continues to grow, most recently with the addition of more ice climbing gear. 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

Monthly Meeting: Summer Adventures -11 November, 7:00 p.m. - Freestone Climbing Center

Rocky Mountaineers Book Club - 2 December, 7:00 p.m. - Mark's House

Monthly Meeting: The Cold Call - 8 December, 7:00 p.m. - Freestone Climbing Center

Skin and Wax Party - 16 December - Tom's House

Avalanche Roundtable + Field Day - 17 December (roundtable), 19 December (field day) - Freestone (roundtable) and Lolo Pass (field day)

Winterfest - 23 January (conditions dependent) - Lolo Pass

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 let us know.

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