Odell Butte Ski Trip

January 10, 1976

Merle Traudt, Dorothy Leland, Jack Nitzel, and Velma Shirk decided to join Marriner Orum on this trip. It was a tight squeeze for five of us in the V.W. bug, especially for those in the back seat.

There had been so much new snow during the past week that we considered on an alternate trip rather than break trail for six miles and 2200 feet of climbing. However, we decided to give Odell Butte a try anyway.

To prove that the age of chivalry was not dead I decided that women should go first. At that Velma eagerly started up the trail figuring she’d get her trail breaking done near the bottom where the new snow was not very deep. So I was outsmarted on that deal. However, Velma really did a lot of trail breaking up on top too.

After we had gone about 60% of the way three college age people came up from behind having the advantage of our tracks. They helped us to break the trail to the top, otherwise we would not have gotten there.

It took us from 10:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. to reach the lookout, taking only a short lunch break. The view was a whiteout with 8" of frost on everything. Since the hour was late we started right down after a short break, arriving at the trailhead about dark.

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