| Chicago Mountaineering Club |
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April 2026 Newsletter
Wayne Martin, EDITOR
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| FUTURE MEETING PRESENTATIONS |
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CMC Meetings
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Chicago Mountaineering Club (CMC) meetings are held on the second Monday of the month, September through May.This month's meeting will be held at First Ascent Avondaleat 3516 N Spaulding Ave, Chicago, IL. Theboard meeting will be at 6:30pm and the general meeting at 8:00pm.
Board meetings are open to CMC members only. But the general meeting is open to the public and visitors are welcome. This month will feature two presentations. One on the Western Outing to theRocky Mountain National Park and the "Gorby Cabin" that CMC members have access to. The second is on proposed Weekend Summit Expeditions by Nathan Pelletier. These expeditions areopen to all who want to bag some 14'ers and other peaks and gain some fitness endurance and mountaineering experience.
Pizza and drinks will be available.
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Outing Safety Rules
For those attending CMC outings, the following practices are now required:
- Helmets are required to be worn inside the active climbing area, and any location where a helmet is necessary for personal protection;
- Anyone working at the cliff edge should use an anchored tether approved by a rope leader;
- All top-rope anchors must be approved by a rope leader before use;
- All rappels must be approved by a rope leader;
- All members and guests must follow safe practices and Club rules.
- Use your best judgment when applying these rules, and speak up if something feels unsafe.
If you forget your safety gear, don't fret! Anyone that needs a helmet or other climbing gear can rent or purchase them from our friends at Wildside Action Sport in Baraboo, WI. They're open everyday, including Sundays: https://wildbaraboo.com/rental-shop/
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Rock Climbing Weekends - Devils Lake, WI
The proposed schedule for Devil's Lake outings for 2026 has been updated since the previous newsletter. The April date was removed and dates in August-October have been added and moved. Here are the currently proposed dates. These will be discussed at the board meeting and once approved, the schedule will be posted on the CMC website calendar.
- May 9-10
- May 30-31
- June 20-21
- July 11-12
- August 1-2
- August 15-16
- August 29-30
- September 12-13
- September 26-27
- October 10-11
- October 24-25
Also, there will be othervolunteeroutings for maintenancework as the CMC collaborates with the Wisconsin Climbing Association.
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Other Rock Climbing Outings
We are looking for volunteer leaders to organize outings to the following destinations. If you are willing and interested, please contact Chris Schaecher, CMC Outings Chair.
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Red River Gorge
- Horseshoe Canyon Ranch
- Mississippi Palisades
- Jackson Falls, Ferncliff, Giant City
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Western Outing - Rocky Mountain National Park
The RMNP Western Outing will be on July 18 - 26.Some people may arrive earlier or later than that week. The trip itinerary is in development. This trip will be presented at the meeting on Monday. If interested contact Jim Considine.
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Western Outing - Borah Peak / Lost River
A second Western Outing to Borah Peak and other peaks in Lost River Range in Idaho is scheduled forJuly 19 - 24. The original plan was to do Mt. Whitney but getting permits has been a problem (but still might happen). Details for the trip are being worked on. If interested in this, please contact Expedition Chair, Jacek Witkos.
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| Death of Jack Curtin |
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With sadness we report the death of Jack Curtin. He was a former president of the CMC for many years. He passed away last November in Vienna, Austria where he had lived for around 30 years. He was an active member in the climbing club there.
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| John Speck Memorial Library |
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The CMC John Speck Memorial Library sign was installed this past weekend at First Ascent in Arlington Heights, IL. In addition, the Photo, Trip Report and Yearbook archive was also installed. Club photos, yearbooks and trip reports dating back to 1958 to 2017 are now cataloged and available for viewing. The Library is open the last Sunday of each month from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and periodically each Saturday morning during the weekly climbing Meet Up (generally 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM) at First Ascent.
What’s the Meet Up? The Library’s hours were expanded and integrated with a CMC Saturday Morning Climbing Meet Up at First Ascent in Arlington Heights, beginning Saturday, February 28th (exception being weekends when there is a Club outing). Come join fellow CMC Club members, enjoy each other’s company and browse through the John Speck Memorial Library.
CMC Members are allowed to checkout books from the library. A required patron account will be created at the Library and takes only minutes. The CMC Library Catalog is online and can be browsed at: https://librarycat.org/lib/CMCLibrary.
Resource. Archive. Legacy.
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| CMC Colorado Cabin |
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A great advantage of CMC membership is the ability to use the Gorby Cabin in the Wild Basin of RMNP. The Cabin is only a block walk from the Wild Basin entrance. Information about the Cabin can be found at the link below. Cabin registration is made through the CMC website. Go to the Members Only portal and then to the Member Information tab. There is a charge for using the Cabin, the fee is not included in the Devil’s Lake camping fee. If you have questions about the Cabin contact Nico Orduz.
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Newsletter and Trip Reports
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If you have questions or comments about the newsletter, or want to submit content such as trip reports, or upcoming trips you'd like to plan, send it to me and we'll consider putting it here.
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