Author: Jeffrey

The recent Titan tragedy appeared in media worldwide and mesmerized the nation, perhaps because the Titan represented a collection of humankind’s greatest fears (drowning, claustrophobia, darkness, cold, a ticking countdown clock, etc.) all wrapped up in a carbon fiber cocoon. By one account, CNN alone had over 100 people interviewed on their network during the week, including Captain McLaren. Coverage spawned…

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of The Explorers Club broke a five-year dinner attendance record when it changed up the format of its typical bi-monthly dinners. Instead of one speaker, the evening featured nine speakers – all members – presenting their most recent projects with no more than a five-year look-back of previous projects. Each speaker…

The Andes crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 happened exactly 50 years ago on October 13, 1972. A rugby team heading to Chile crashed straight into an Andean peak at 14,200 feet. Sixteen of the 45 passengers survived 72 days trapped on a glacier, isolated from civilization and having to resort to eating the bodies…

Congratulations to chapter member Peter W. Van Arsdale on the publication of his book:  Encounters: 50 Fascinating Strangers From My Life on the Road(Amity Bridge, 2022).  While neither memoir nor autobiography per se, this book nonetheless covers half a century of personal encounters – most of them unexpected – across the globe. In these 50…

Frustrated as we all are about Covid restrictions, the Rocky Mountain chapter requested that Club archivist and curator Lacey Flint conduct a live, virtual tour of the Research Collections. As the mid-September event came together, we naturally thought to open it to all 3,600 of us worldwide. The 60-minute event offered insight into some of…

Rocky Mt. chapter members spent the better part of a September Saturday “exploring” a large historic lead and silver mine dating to the late 19th century in the hills above Boulder. The White Raven Mine, owned by Club member Markus Raschke, a physics professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder, has been part of the Captain Jack…

Flower Power – Congratulations to Jim Pisarowicz and Mary Menz on publication of Common Wildflowers of the San Juan Mountains (2019). All the wildflowers in the book are found in the San Juan Mountains and specifically in Ouray, Hinsdale, San Juan and San Miguel counties – from the montane zone of 8,000 – 10,000 feet to the subalpine…

TEC national fellow Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj traveled with Alpine Expeditions (Ricardo Peña) in January 2018 to the crash site of Uruguayan Air Force flight 571. The Fairchild 227 went down in the Andes on Friday, October 13, 1972 due to pilot error. 45 people were onboard the plane and only 16 survived. The survivors lived…

Chapter Chair Jeff Blumenfeld, FN’89, was director of communications for the Dooley Intermed International – Operation Restore Vision Gift of Sight 2017 expedition to Nepal’s Upper Gorkha region, epicenter of the 2015 earthquakes. Read his daily trip reports here: https://dooleyintermed.org/the-adventure-begins-off-to-qatar-then-nepal-for-the-2017-dooley-intermed-gift-of-sight-eye-care-medical-mission-led-by-scott-hamilton-of-dooley-intermed-flying-to-the-other-side-of-the-world-with View the 11-minute trip documentary produced by SkyShip Films here:

Explorer, conservationist and educator, Mikki, a resident of Longmont, Colorado, was honored by the group recognizing women divers who have made outstanding contributions to the exploration, understanding, safety and enjoyment of the underwater world. The WDHOF also promotes opportunities in diving through grants, scholarships, internships and mentoring, as well as a worldwide network of industry…

Chapter members and guests welcomed former Club president Alfred McLaren and his wife Avery (back row, third and fourth from left) back to Boulder for a terrific lunch at the Hotel Boulderado on July 19. Fred, who recently celebrated his 91st birthday, regaled us with his tales of military service as a submarine captain. He…