Test Your Mountain IQ at Granite Chief

Herb & Treas Manning, the owners of the Granite Chief stores in Truckee & Squaw Valley, California, have been running a great "Mountain IQ" test on the Granite Chief blog for several months now. The quiz is great, with a wide range of questions to challenge your mountain knowledge from geological, historical, biological, and other perspectives.

A couple of my favorites:

  • What event triggered the permanent closure of the Westside Road at Mt Rainier National Park?
    A. Lahars
    B. Glacier calving
    C. Record high temperatures and rapid snow and ice melt
    D. Jokulhlaup
    (click here for the answer)
  • What famous mountaineer coined the phrase, “Because it’s there”?
    A. George Mallory
    B. Jim Whittaker
    C. Ted Roosevelt
    D. Sir Edmund Hillary

    Bonus Question: Double or nothing. If you choose to answer the bonus question and answer both correctly you name goes into the hopper four times. If you answer one correctly and one wrong you lose it all.

    BONUS QUESTION: In 1999 the body of an Everest climber was found on the northeast ridge. What was the significance of this find and what mystery was hoped to be resolved?
    A. Evidence that Andrew Irvine, an inexperienced climber, successfully summit-ed Everest after his partner perished in a ice-fall.
    B. Jim Whittaker’s camera was hoped to be on his person showing him on the summit proving him the first American to stand on the roof of the world.
    C. Tenzing Norgay did not know how to operate a camera so he took notes describing Hillary on the summit. His notebook was hoped to be discovered on his body as there were no pictures showing Hillary’s success.
    D. The discovery of George Mallory’s body, was hoped to produce definitive evidence of his success or failure of his Everest summit attempt.
    E. Theodore Roosevelt’s eyeglasses proving that he was the first President of the United States to summit Everest.
    (click here for the answers)

Anyway, the Mountain IQ test is not only fun…but you can win some pretty cool prizes from Granite Chief as well, like an Osprey Daypack, a pair of Leki Hiking Poles, or some running, hiking, or climbing shoes. And, you'll certainly learn something new.

So, go on over to the Granite Chief blog today and answer this week's question:

  • Which mammals are not native to the Tahoe Basin?
    A. Beaver
    B. Pine Marten
    C. Yellow Bellied Marmot
    D. Golden Retriever
    E. Chickaree

    Bonus Question:Double or
    correctly your name goes into the hopper four times. If you answer one
    correctly and one wrong you lose it all. You must answer the first

    Double or Nothing Bonus Question:
    Who introduced the wild mammal and for what purpose?
    A. Ski mountaineers for avalanche protection
    B. Early Tahoe settlers used the mammal for rodent control
    C. Trappers for fur trapping and trading
    D. The mammal was accidently introduced by a wagon train party after the funny looking creature hitched a ride.


  1. Rod
    RodAugust 26,08

    It’s a great contest from a super-great store. Come the winter, I’ll be skiing on a pair of 2009 Salomon’s I won in Granite Chief’s contest this past spring.

  2. Phil
    PhilAugust 27,08

    Gosh, I’d be lucky if I got any of these right!.

  3. Spinner
    SpinnerSeptember 3,08

    I think you just promoted that site so people would see that you won last week’s prize!

  4. Jake Norton
    Jake NortonSeptember 3,08

    Ha! I wish I had been that smart…Thanks for letting me know I won!

  5. Spinner
    SpinnerSeptember 4,08

    In that case, since you didn’t know you won, we should share the prize. I think it was a t-shirt? You can wear it for the remainder of 2008 then send it my way for 2009.

  6. Jake Norton
    Jake NortonSeptember 4,08

    That sounds like a deal. Do you want me to wash it first?! 🙂

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