Remembering Doug Walker

Doug Walker was one of those guys I always thought was invincible in the mountains, a view that anyone who saw him scramble up a mountain likely shared--sadly his death is a reminder that none of us are.

I remember when I first met Doug over 15 years ago (I doubt many can forget their first  time meeting Doug) at a fundraiser for a conservation group where he was being honored for his contributions. As the event staff tried to clean up the room and the crescendo of stacking chairs increased (in a vain attempt to give us all the message it was time to go home) Doug was peppering us all with an endless stream of geography trivia.

I'll admit that the geography quiz (or Civil War quiz) was not something I ever engaged in and seeing me roll my eyes when he started in with me at an event at his house one evening he quickly sensed my lack of interest. We instead got into a discussion of art history and discovered we both had an interest in the painters of the Hudson River school. I told him about a lecture I had been working to develop on the subject of the importance of the western landscape painters for educating members of Congress in the effort to designate Yellowstone National Park (beginning with Thomas Moran's participation in the Hayden Expedition) and the evolution of our advocacy for public lands from landscape paintings to Instagram. Doug was intrigued and soon we had left the party he was hosting behind and disappeared for the next 20 minutes talking about art as he showed me some of his personal collection in rooms throughout the house. As the finale on the tour he took me to a room where he casually showed me a painting from one of the more well-known 19th century landscape artists--an individual whose artwork we had been discussing earlier in the evening. The experience was a remarkable example of the breadth of Doug's knowledge and intellectual curiosity: "you don't like my Civil war trivia?; OK, I'll meet you at your interest in art history." Not only had he met the challenge of letting me choose the subject of 19th century art history; he had a painting in his house of one of the very artists I had brought up in the discussion!

Doug and I crossed paths on a regular basis; we served together on the board of Forterra, the Advisory Council of The Mountaineers, and he was a board member of Outdoor Alliance where I serve as one of the policy chiefs. I would get the occasional phone call from him that usually started with, "what do you think about..." He always had his own thoughts on the matter but challenged me to go first. Through all those conversations however he was genuinely interested in my perspective. As the dialogue ensued he would challenge my own thinking and approach. Having a conversation with Doug could be intellectually exhausting but I always benefited from the exchange. Doug had that impact on people: he could make you a better climber or a better critical thinker as he challenged you to reach your full potential and then exceed it.

Doug was not one for the coffee shop meeting; if you had something to discuss you met at the climbing gym or on a trail in the North Cascades. Photo credit: Luke Humphrey, via The Mountaineers.

Doug recognized talent and passion in individuals and while he was mentoring me to become successful in river conservation, and think beyond the nose of my kayak, he was also mentoring countless other individuals--Martinique Grigg as she took the helm of The Mountaineers and worked to make it more relevant to families and a younger generation, Ben Greuel as he sought to bring new leadership to The Wilderness Society's work in the Cascades through initiatives that recognize the importance of both conservation and enjoyment of our public lands, Joe Sambataro as he developed a program with the Access Fund to bring the tactics of a land trust into the toolbox for the climbing community, Eddie Espinosa as he worked to implement the vision of the American Alpine Club to become more relevant to climbers through regional programs and services, Martin LeBlanc and his work to make the the dream of no child left inside a reality, Adam Cramer as he sought to build a new and effective coalition for outdoor recreation known as the Outdoor Alliance, and the list continues.

Many of us Doug mentored are in mid-career; we've been at it for a few years but still have potential to do some great things. Doug was quick to recognize that potential and willing to invest his time, money, and intellect to help us realize it. By any measure Doug was a successful individual--as a businessman, an outdoor athlete, a community civic leader, and an advocate for conservation and recreation--and he had a passion for helping others reach their potential to be successful. Sadly there will be no more of those engaging conversations, but I will remain forever grateful for the time he spent with me as a mentor and a friend. I know there are many of us who feel the same and his impact on our careers will live on.

Doug left us all a lifetime of work (and perhaps a little more). Now it's up to us to go out and execute. I'm sure he would remind us to remember to have fun--even if it's a little type II fun--and enjoy ourselves along the way.

Words from others:

• Seattle Times: Remembering a tech, environmental and philanthropic role model: Doug Walker
• The Mountaineers: Doug Walker 1950-1965
• Outdoor Alliance: Reflecting on Doug Walker's Life
• Forterra: Remembering Doug Walker
• UW College of the Environment: A Reflection on a Life Well Live--Doug Walker
• Rock and Ice: A Tribute: Doug Walker, First AAC President Killed in Office
• REI: Remembering Doug Walker, An Outdoor Industry Leader
• Alpinist: Remembering American Alpine Club President Doug Walker
• Trail Posse: The Doug Walker I Knew
• Outside: Doug Walker's Fierce Love of the Outdoors
• Geekwire: Seattle Software Pioneer Doug Walker Dies in New Year's Eve Hiking Accident on Granite Mountain
• Seattle Times: Doug Walker, Noted Conservationist and Philanthropist, Dies in Hiking Accident
• Washington Trails Association: In Memory of Doug Walker, Longtime Champion for Trails
• The Wilderness Society: Remembering Our Friend Doug Walker and His Great Conservation Legacy

Sizing Ski Gear for Kids

Every year I find myself on a treasure hunt across the city looking for ski gear for the kids. The boys have little patience for standing around as I rummage through gear at the ski swap or second-hand inventory at the local shop--inevitably I find them in a wrestling match in a pile of used boxing gear while I am trying to check sizing on skis.

I have found that a better approach is to get the kids to stand up in the kitchen, mark their height, and record the measurement in my smart phone. I record their weight and shoe size too. Then I figure out what size gear they need and record all that in my phone too. With sizing information in hand, I can figure out what gear they will need and put together my shopping list. The tables below have been assembled from multiple different sources and some of my own experience (I could not find any source that had everything all in one place). This information should be considered a starting point. As kids get older, individual body types develop, and skills mature, you will develop more experience in shopping for gear.

Nordic Ski Sizing

First convert the height of your child in inches to cm (conversion utility)

For classic skis target 115% of height with a range of 110-120% of height.

For skate skis target 108% of height with a range of 106-110% of height. Be sure not to go too long with kids who are just learning to skate--they need to be able to pick the ski up for each forward stride. But go too short and you compromise on glide.

You can adjust this range based on age and experience:

• 3-5 years old: Go with shorter classic skis that are closer to 100% of height. Waxless skis are the best choice.
• 5-8 years old: Select classic skis between head height and the height of an outstretched wrist (shorter end of this range for beginners and longer end of the range for those who have been skiing for a couple years). Waxless skis are recommended.
• 8+ years old: Select a ski length that is roughly equal to the height of an outstretched wrist for classic skis and about 10cm shorter for skate skis. Kids can begin to take part in the waxing process at this age but waxless skis are still a simple choice for classic skis since they require understanding the more complicated principles of both glide wax and kick wax.

Most newer skis have the length printed in the graphic on the ski but some, particularly older skis, have it printed on the side and it tends to rub off. Carry a metric tape measure with you to the ski swap or local used sporting goods store.

Ski camber (the upward arch of the ski in the middle) or its resistance to flattening when weighted is also important to consider particularly as children grow older and their body type develops. A softer flex is best for those who are light relative to their height while a harder flex is necessary for those who are heavier relative to their height.

• Classic skis have more pronounced camber to keep the grip wax pocket (or in the case of waxless skis the fish scales) off the snow during glide but engage it during the kick.
• Skate skis tend have less camber and tend to be stiffer. If the flex is too soft you will "bottom out" and not glide as smoothly. If you do not have enough flex, too much of your weight will be on the tips and tails of the skis.

Alpine Ski Sizing

Ski length should generally be between the chest and the nose. Choose a ski at the shorter end of the range for a novice or a skier who is slightly lighter than average for his height. Choose a ski at the longer end of the range for a faster and more aggressive skier or one who weighs more than average for his height. Carry a metric tape measure with you to the ski swap or local used sporting goods store in case the size is not printed on the ski.

Skier Height (in)	Skier Weight (lbs)	Ski Length (cm)
37	34	70-80
40	37	80-90
43	42	90-100
45	46	95-105
47	50	100-110
50	57	110-120
53	63	115-125
55	70	120-130
57	79	130-140
59	89	135-145
61	100	140-150
65	112	150-160

Ski Boot Sizing

I find you need to get the kids to actually try the boots on as fit really does differ between brands, and in many cases with used gear the size label has rubbed off.

Alpine boots are typically sized using Mondopoint which is the length of the foot in cm (sometimes expressed in mm so 22.5cm is the same as 225mm).

Nordic boots typically use European shoe sizing where each unit is a Paris Point equivalent to 2/3 of a cm. I always go with NNN boots and bindings as it seems you can find more inventory when looking through used gear. Nothing wrong with SNS if you come across boots that fit well and the right length of skis with SNS bindings. Note that boots for classic and skating are different as you want more flexibility for classic and more stability for skating. The skate boots have more ankle support and stiffer soles. Combi boots offer a compromise between the two, but I generally don't recommend trying to skate with a low cut classic boot or trying to ski classic with a skate boot. Skiing with the wrong style of boot makes it harder to control the ski resulting in a less enjoyable experience.

US Kids	US Men's	US Women's	Alpine Mondopoint	Nordic Euro
8	.	.	15	25
9	.	.	16	27
10	.	.	17	28
11	.	.	17.5	29
12	.	.	18.5	30
13	.	.	19.5	31
1	.	.	20.5	32
2	.	.	21	33
2.5	.	.	21-21.5	33-34
3	.	.	21.5	34
3.5	.	.	21.5-22	34-35
4	.	.	22	35
4.5	.	.	22.5	36
5	5	6.5	23	37
.	5.5	7	23.5	37-38
.	6	7.5	24	38
.	6.5	8	24.5	38-39
.	7	8.5	25	39
.	7.5	9	25.5	40
.	8	9.5	26	41
.	8.5	10	26.5	42
.	9	10.5	27	43
.	9.5	11	27.5	44
.	10	11.5	28	44-45

Ski pole sizing: 

For alpine poles, turn the pole upside down and grab it under the basket (the side opposite the tip). Your lower arm should be parallel to the ground. A novice can go a little longer and an advanced skier can go a little shorter.

For nordic poles, extend your arm parallel to the ground. The pole should come up to the underside of your arm pit. Novices can go a little shorter and advanced skiers who raise their arms higher can go a little longer.

Carry a metric tape measure with you to the ski swap or local used sporting goods store as the size is not always printed on used gear.

Skier Height (in)	Alpine Pole (cm)	Nordic Pole (cm)	Nordic Skate Pole (cm)
38	NA	80	90
39-40	80	80	90
41-43	85	85	95
44-45	85-90	85-90	95-100
46-47	90	90	100
48-49	90-95	95	105
50-51	95	100	110
52-53	95-100	100-105	110-115
54-56	100	105-110	115-120
56-57	100	115	125
58-59	100-105	120	130
60	105-110	125	135
61	110	125	135
62	110	130	140
63	110-115	130	140
64	115	135	145
65	115	135	145
66	115-120	140	150