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Hank Reasoner - Personal Communication

Phone conversation, 19 December 2001
by Lowell Skoog

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Phone conversation, 24 January 2002
by Lowell Skoog

Hank called to thank me for sending him a videotape of my Snowy Range talk. He said he had watched it several times.

He said that in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Mount Baker area was popular with Canadians because there were no good alternatives across the border. As tow operator for Ski Lifts, Inc., Hank would honor Canadian money 'at par' to attact more customers. On some weekends he would bring in $500, not bad when a ticket cost just a dollar or two.

In our last conversation, Hank mentioned that during the 1941 ski ascent of Mt Shuksan, he and Otto Trott kicked steps straight up Winnie's Slide, rather than climbing on skis, because the snow was too steep and hard. I asked whether they skied down that section. He said yes. They stopped to rest and "restore their blood sugar" at the top of the slide during the descent. Then they skied it. He recalled that the slide was softening in the sun, had a pretty good runout and wasn't too long. He also said that Winnie's Slide and "Angels Staircase" (on the summit rock) were the only places where they took their skis off during the ascent.

Hank noted that conditions were perfect and they didn't try to use skis where they were inappropriate. He and Otto were comfortable with each other on the climb and had a mutually understood attitude about safety. He recalled advice that an old Swiss once gave him: "You climb the mountain in the mood it's in, not in the mood you're in." Otherwise, added Hank, "the mountain will kick your butt."

Hank said he didn't have much money in those days and didn't travel much to ski. Mostly he stayed around Bellingham and skied in the Mt Baker area. He did recall, however, that he was a ski patroller at the 1940 Silver Skis race in which Sigurd Hall died. He was stationed at Anvil Rock.

Phone conversation, 11 March 2002
by Lowell Skoog

Hank and I had another conversation prompted by my upcoming talk at the Mountaineers. Hank said that Hans Ott had a job as a mechanic for Pan Am. Walter Dyke had a job at the U.W. as a physicist. Since jobs were precious in those days, they turned around and headed back to town rather than spend the night on Mount Shuksan.

Hank said that he and Otto Trott had an understanding that they would turn around if conditions weren't right for the ascent. They roped up for the ascent of Hell's Highway. Hank described the final part of the climb as "like the inside of a teacup". It was extremely steep and they gave each other ice axe belays. Hank felt they made the ascent in a safe manner. They took their skis off for a short section on Winnie's Slide and skied all the rest.

During the bivi they got into their blizzard tent and supported it with their heads. They took their boots off and put their feet in their rucksacks. One man was supposed to stay awake to adjust the vent to maintain fresh air in the tent. Hank said that Otto promptly fell asleep and Hank gave him grief about it.

Phone conversation, 11 April 2002
by Lowell Skoog

Hank mentioned that he knew Milana Jank. Miss Jank was from Germany and promoted herself as an adventuress. She set herself up as a guide around the Mount Baker Lodge. Hank remembered finding some cooking gear stashed in the hills with her name on it and a note saying in no uncertain terms to leave it alone. He remembered her as a diminutive woman, very Teutonic, who made sure you knew who she was.

Written communication, 12 April 2002

Hank sent me a marked-up copy of the Margaret Willson article from the Bellingham Herald (1-22-1981). He wrote that the portion of the ascent described as "the Hourglass" was in fact Hell's Highway. "The rest of the account is reasonably accurate," he wrote.

Conversation, 11 February 2003
by Lowell Skoog

I finally met Hank when I did my slide presentation for the Bellingham Mountaineers. He said that the skis he used on the 1941 ascent of Mt Shuksan did not have metal edges. He and Otto Trott used waxed climbers. The climbers were affixed to the skis using a sort of pine-tar klister.

Written communication, 19 February 2003

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