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