Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project

Home

Wolf Bauer - Crags, Eddies & Riprap

This book is a collaboration, with Wolf Bauer providing many personal recollections and Lynn Hyde providing context, supplementary information, and commentary to tie the story together.

Frontispiece: Fine photo of Wolf Bauer sitting with a rope and ice axe in 1930s climbing clothes.

p. 3: Wolf Bauer was born in Bavaria in 1912 [February 24], the eldest of five children of Hubert and Elsbeth Bauer. His father sailed for a German shipping company and later commanded of a group of minesweepers during WWI. In 1933, Hubert published the first world map of ocean tides in the Geographical Review of the American Geographical Society (p. 231). Wolf's mother was born in Seattle to the pioneer Epler family (p.4). Chapter 1 describes Wolf's early life in Bavaria.

p. 4: Wolf says: "Unlike most Germans, my father had a good sense of humor. You know, the word 'kidding' doesn't exist in the German language."

p. 14: Photo of Wolf Bauer and his childhood friend Richard May on skis in 1920. This is the earliest image of Wolf on skis.

p. 27: Due to hard economic times, the Bauer family left Germany in 1925. Wolf's father initially wanted to settle in New Zealand, but their visit to Epler family relatives in Seattle turned into a permanent stay.

p. 40: Wolf was introduced to the Northwest outdoors around 1927 by Harry Higman, scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 145 in Seattle. Wolf became long-time friends with Higman's son Chet and nephew Bob. Harry Higman also introduced Wolf to his future wife, Harriet Woodward (p. 42).

p. 55: Wolf attended the University of Washington from 1931 through 1936. He attained a degree in ceramic engineering. After working for various employers in this field he established his own world-wide consulting business.

p. 65: Chapter 3 includes a brief history of skiing and describes Wolf's adventures in the Silver Skis race, the Patrol Race, and other competitions during the 1930s. There are several fine photos:

• Wolf playing the accordion at the Mountaineers Snoqualmie Lodge in 1930 (p. 69).
• Wolf ice skating on Lodge Lake in the fall of 1929 with a Victrola playing music in the background (p. 70).
• Wolf jumping a cornice to win the 1933 Mountaineers' downhill race at Meany Lodge (p. 72).
• Wolf coasting across the finish line of the 1934 Silver Skis race after breaking a ski and losing both poles in a high-speed crash. (p. 75).
• Maps of the Silver Skis course (p. 73) and Mountaineers Patrol Race course (p. 76).
• Newspaper photo of Wolf Bauer, Bill Miller, and Chet Higman during their 1936 record-setting run in the Mountaineers Patrol Race (p. 78).
• Wolf (blurred) skiing powder in Commonwealth Basin near Snoquamlie Pass in 1930 (p. 78).
• Mountaineers ski team standing in front of Mt Shuksan in 1936 (p. 79).
• Wolf racing in the slalom event in the 1935 Olympic tryouts on Mt Rainier (p. 80).
• Newspaper clipping for a planned "Fox Chase" at Stampede Pass with Wolf as the fox and the Mountaineers as hounds. The chase was never run due to poor weather and snow conditions (p. 81).
• Wolf (blurred) ski jumping at the four-way competition at Mt Baker in 1936 (p. 82).
• Wolf at the Mountaineers "new" Snoqualmie Lodge in 2006 on the eve of a club-sponsored retracing of the old Patrol Race route (p. 85, photo by Lowell Skoog).

p. 87: Chapter 4 describes Wolf's pioneering climbs in the Cascades and creation of the Mountaineers climbing course in 1935-36.

p. 146: Chapter 6 contains a brief discussion of the treatment of German-Americans during WWI and WWII.

p. 168: Chapter 7 discusses Wolf's role in creation of the Mountain Rescue Council in the late 1940s.

p. 183: Chapter 8 explains Wolf's contributions to the sport of kayaking in the Northwest from the 1940s through 1960s.

p. 213: Chapter 9 describes Wolf's early conservation work, including preservation of the Green River Gorge in the 1960s and contributing to Washington's Shoreline Management Act, which passed into law in 1971.

p. 229: Chapter 10 discusses Wolf's second career, as the Northwest's leading shore resource consultant.

Return to the Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project home page