The AdAmAn collection at the CSPM includes over 160 artifacts and over 23 cubic feet of archival materials documenting the history of the AdAmAn Club, dating from 1922 to the present day. The AdAmAn Club was founded by the “Frozen Five:” Fred Morath, Ed Morath, Willis Magee, Harry Standley and Fred Barr. These men climbed to the summit of Pikes Peak to celebrate New Year’s, and the tradition continues to this day. Each year, one new member is selected to become an AdAmAn.
CSPM recently received a donation of a Kelty backpack belonging to AdAmAn member Edward J. Kirches. Kirches was inducted as a member of the AdAmAn Club in 1962 and climbed Pikes Peak on New Year’s Eve for a total of 42 years. He looked forward the climb each year and enjoyed the camaraderie of the club. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Kirches first came to Colorado in 1942 as a member of the 10th Mountain Division, training at Camp Hale. After the war, he attended college and later law school. However, his love for the Colorado Mountains brought him to Colorado Springs in 1958. He worked at Shepard’s Citations for over 30 years, becoming its Editor-In-Chief before retiring in 1989.
This photograph was taken at the new member induction in December 1962, the year Edward J. Kirches was selected. Pictured from left to right: Willis Mcgee, Lyman Blackman, Edward Kirches, and Bob Watson.