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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2019)
Peak bagging mountain man CHEMISTRY ISN’T THE ONLY THING INSTRUCTOR GEORGE BURGESS REACTS TO BY LAURA CANIDA ’ STAFF WRITER George Burgess is a chemistry teacher here at Clackamas Community College who has a side of himself that belongs on mountains and hills. Burgess sat down with ‘‘The Clackamas Print” to discuss his wild passion for peaks.- The Clackamas Print: How did you get into science? Burgess: There is a lot of stuff remaining in the North Cascades of Washington, which is honestly some of the most challenging and most beautiful mountaineering in the whole country. Alaska is kind; of is its own crazy animal but, yeah,’the North Cascades, I’d say Jack Mountain by Ross Lake, Glacier Peak. Let’s see, what else, Mt. Shuksan is supposed to be a really wonderful climb and yeah, in general I’ m just psyched on the North Cascades. Burgess: You know, you go through K-12 education and take some science and I found that that was kind of what spoke to me the TCP: Do you have a favorite hike? most. I hqd a general sense going into college that that was where my interests lay. Then Burgess,: Ah man, for someynelike me that’s Ttook organic chemistry my sophomore year choose your favorite child territory, but I had and just absolutely fell in,„love with it. It’s a a feeling that you would ask something like gorgeous, very/ symbolic representational, ■ that) and so I came with something prepared. almost artistic picture of the universe and I The coolest hike, coolest climb I ’ve ever was just entranced with it. I really wanted to done, probably Mount Baker. It’ s got a really share that experience and help other people excellent moderate Glacier approach, to a semi-technical summit. I went with a bunch get that same beautifyl picture as I goC of great friends and we took a day and climbed TCP: How did you get into climbing? it and then snow ported down the glacier afterwards, and it was just a hoot? So, Baker Burgess: My dad has sort of taken me into is up there. Mt. Stuart in Central Washington the outdoors since I was 3 or 4? I grew up is a truly outstanding peak. And then locally, hiking in the Wallowa Mountains in Northeast to give a little more.kind of local flavor, my Oregon and the Blues in Southeast Washington. favorite just sort of day hike is Devil’ s Peak George Burgess strikes a victory pose on his Eventually I started realizing I wanted to stand out of Rhododendron. climb of Mt. Vallunaraju in Peru. on top of the tallest thing and see what’ s TCP: What top three hikes would you TCP: Do you have any advice for people who around and^hat turned out to be a real rush. suggest for beginners? m Then.it Uirns out there were these lists o f want to. hike? r - ■ su m m it -that you could dig into and I love, Burgess: Devil’ s Peak is probably a little Burgess: You need the right gear, but you love me some list. J o that was kind of how that snowballed out of comtrol and now I spend dpn’t need as right of gear as you might think. ambitious in that case. That’ s not much, large swaths of my free time climbing obscure You can’ t be going out there in jeans on a but that’ s maybe the third or fourth thing wet day in the cold. Your cotton will steal you would want to do. But if it if you’ re just and not so obscure mountains. the warmth from your body and you will not starting, the Gorge isjpacked with great, fairly have'a pleasant time, but you don’ t need ta accessible hikes, So like Angel’ s Rest is nice TCP: How many peaks have you climbed? bejflrarhatically outfitted. You just wanted; and short it gets just a little rocky but never in Burgess: Within the threshold thaLl set, that make|Sure that you are commonsensically a particularly like you never feelexposed, you is generally set by the peak bagging community prepared. I can’ t underrate the importance never feel like “ Oh I have to keep my balance of 2,000 feet of prominence. I ’ve done 132, of not worrying about whether you’ve got I’ m going to fall off the mountain” and it’ s 65 in Oregon 65 in Washington and two in the absolute best destination ya mind. Like steep, but it ’ s short. Dog Mountain also in California. In the lower 48, which is kind of go drive down, a Forest Service road, park the Gorge is a great one for that. This one’ s a my long-term lifetime goal, there are 1,200. at the side and walk up part of it. You will little bit further afield but down in Corvallis is So, if I do some mental math with actuarial discover lots of hidden gems in the Oregon Chip Ross Park. I spent two years in Corvallis, lifespan and how I’ m doing, I feel like I’ m outdoors that are really easy to access and that and so I know the area pretty well, there’ s a more or less on track to maybe finish that don’ t show up on lists of great trailheads to bunch of great hikes there and Dimple Hill check out. And then make sure that you have which is a nice little summits Forest Park out before 1 die. the ability to communicate in the event that in the West Hills doesn’ t have a lot of named TCP: Your goal is to peak bag all the lower something goes wrong. Make sure you got summits. It’ s not a peak bagging thing, but 48 states. Is there any particular one that your cell phone on you and charged and that yeah, if you’ re looking to get out and hike J you’ re keeping an eye on whether or not you Forest Park is great. you look forward to? have reception, and maybe getting a satellite communicator because they’re getting cheaper This interview has been edited fo r clarity and space. and cheaper. Clackamas Print theclackam asprint.com May 8, 2019
