Born in Germany in 1912, Wolf Bauer immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1925. Over his 103-year lifetime, mostly in Washington State, Bauer was a pioneer in skiing, climbing, mountain rescue, kayaking, and shoreline conservation.

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This collection contains a few artifacts from Bauer’s life. Another collection (MTR.2025.5) contains documents.

See also:

MTR.2025.5 Wolf Bauer Collection

Inventory

• Jefferson Award to Wolf Bauer from the American Institute for Public Service (medal “for outstanding public service benefiting local communities,” awarded in 1985).

• Alfred B. Lagasse Award to Wolf Bauer (medal “recognizing notable contributions by individuals to the management and conservancy of natural resources and/or public landscapes,” 1998).

• Your All Purpose Storm Kit (“For Emergency Overnight,” 3.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inch container, never opened) containing matches, candle sugar salt, tea, bullion, wire, whistle, signal mirror, plastic tube tarp. Kit assembled and distributed by the Mountain Rescue Council, Tacoma unit.

• Steel carabiners (3 ovals, one locking oval, 3 pear shaped) weighing 1/4 pound each.

• Four pitons (2 steel knife blades, 1 steel lost arrow, 1 aluminum knife blade)

• Two climbing skins (for skis), 5 feet long, with 1-foot tail strap, tip loop, and front and rear cross straps. Synthetic skin material is canvas-backed and heavily worn. Circa 1960s?

• One aluminum ski repair tip (stamped “GB”). Tip is missing clamping hardware that keeps the tip attached to a broken ski.

• Six Swix cross-country ski wax tubes, various wax colors (circa 1970s)

• Victor Sohm’s gold klister wax tube (circa 1950s?)

• Mezzy Barber’s soft red speed wax tube (circa 1950s?)

• One 3”x3” bar of A&T “Silver Streak” downhill wax in original box

• One 3”x3” bar of dark colored Toko wax

• One lump of partially melted silver wax

• One cork (an actual bottle cork) for rubbing in ski wax

• Three small pocket knives