2018 December Mazama Magazine

December 2018 Vol. 100 | No. 12

Bulletin

Inside: Mazama Leadership Transition Trekking in Nepal Daring to be Lydia Mazama Lodge Renovations

CONTACT US MAZAMA MOUNTAINEERING CENTER 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97215 Phone: 503-227-2345 adventure@mazamas.org | Hours: Mon.–Thu. 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

MAZAMA LODGE 30500 West Leg Rd. Government Camp, Oregon, 97028 Phone: 503-272-9214 Hours: Open daily from Dec. 13 to noon on Jan. 2 (closed Dec. 24 at 4 p.m., reopening Dec. 25 at noon) SARAH BRADHAM Acting Executive Director sarah@mazamas.org ERICA STOCK Development Director ericastock@mazamas.org MATHEW BROCK Library & Historical Collections Manager mathew@mazamas.org LAURA BURGER Development Coordinator lauraburger@mazamas.org CHARLES BARKER Mazama Lodge Manager mazama.lodge@mazamas.org JOHN BARKHAUSEN Education & Activities Program Coordinator johnbarkhausen@mazamas.org RENEE FITZPATRICK Finance & Office Coordinator reneefitzpatrick@mazamas.org MOLLY MOSENTHAL Youth Program Coordinator mollymosenthal@mazamas.org CLAIRE NELSON Youth & Outreach Manager clairenelson@mazamas.org JUSTIN ROTHERHAM Education & Activities Program Manager justinrotherham@mazamas.org KELSEY SHAW Member Services Administrator kelseyshaw@mazamas.org

FEATURES Mazama Leadership Transition, p. 6 Daring to be Lydia, p. 8 Celebrating 50 Years of Rivers, p. 13 Letters to Santa, p. 16 Flora Huber, Native Oregonian and Lifelong Mazama, p. 18 PAF18: A Week to Remember, p. 20 From Polluted Air to Thin Air, p. 22 The Gift of Mountains, p. 30 MAZAMA (USPS 334-780): Advertising: mazama. ads@mazamas.org. Subscription: $15 per year. Bulletin material must be emailed to mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org. All material is due by noon on the 14th of the preceding month. If the 14th falls on a weekend, the deadline is the preceding Friday. The Mazama Bulletin is published monthly by the Mazamas—527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MAZAMAS, 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. The Executive Council meets at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings are open to members. The Mazamas is a 501(c)(3) Oregon nonprofit corporation organized on the summit of Mt. Hood in 1894. The Mazamas is an equal opportunity provider.

PUBLICATIONS TEAM

Editor: Sarah Bradham, Director of Marketing & Communications (mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org) Members: Jonathan Barrett, Reymond Drew, Darrin Gunkel, Kevin Machtelinckx, and Katie Polanshek (publications@ mazamas.org)

MONTHLY CONTENT

Upcoming Activities, p. 4 Volunteer Opportunities, p. 14 Saying Goodbye, p. 25 Classics, p. 25 AYM, p. 26 Outings, p. 27 Travel Programs, p. 28 Mazama Library Notes, p. 32 Mazama Lodge, p. 33 Membership Report, p. 34 Successful Climbers, p. 35 Trail Trips, p. 36 Executive Council, p. 38

ADVERTISER INDEX Climb for Clean Air, p. 12 Greentrails Maps, p. 39 Next Adventure, p. 35 Montbell, p. 2 The Mountain Shop, p. 14 OMC, p. 38

Advertise now! tinyurl.com/ MazamaAdvertising Cover: Portland Alpine Fest Photo of the Year category winner, People. Title: Embrace. Photo: Caleb Jacobson. Above: Second of two Mount St. Helens climbs for Veteran’s Day weekend with two veterans. Celebrated with a mix of long-time Mazamas (20+ years), and a few first time climbers. Top row (from left): top left to right: Karl Grenehammar, Kevin Kohberger, Matthew Sundling (leader), Melinda Hugo, Eric Risner, Angela Schaefer, Jamie Boryska.

Front row (from left): Tucker Miles, Vlad Lobanov, Sue Dimin.

DECEMBER 2018 3

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES & EVENTS MAZAMAS NORDIC SKI SCHOOL

MOUNTAINEERING FIRST AID: WINTER 2019

We offer traditional cross-country skiing from beginning (never been on skis) to advanced. Beginning telemark is taught in our Nordic Downhill course. And this year we are offering a Backcountry ski course. Matching students’ skills to the appropriate class helps to ensure a safe and fun learning experience. Please consider your current skills when choosing your class including: endurance, how balanced and stable you feel on skis, number of miles you ski, terrain you are able to ski comfortably.

Instructor orientation is on Dec. 11, and student orientation is on Jan. 14. Students will be sorted into teams based on ability level; sessions will be 3 Saturdays or 3 Sundays in January, starting after Martin Luther King Day. Get more details and register from Nov. 16–Dec. 7 at mazamas.org/ nordic.

NOTE: Instructor availability and weather conditions can sometimes lead to rescheduling or cancellations!

Class Dates: Feb 7–March 3 Full Schedule: mazamas.org/MFA Registration Opens: Dec. 1 at 9 a.m.

Registration Closes: Dec. 15 Badges Earned: Course: MFA Prerequisites: CPR Badge

QUESTIONS ABOUT MAZAMA NORDIC SKI SCHOOL? Check the Nordic webpage for detailed class descriptions, pricing and other useful information! mazamas. org/nordic Email the Mazama Nordic Committee at nordic@mazamas.org or the Mazama Mountaineering Center at adventure@mazamas.org.

ARE OUR CLASSES FULL? More Nordic ski classes and tours are available through the Oregon Nordic Club. Private lessons available through Wy’East Nordic at wyeastnordic.com/ xc-ski-cross-country.htm

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The Mountaineering First Aid course is designed to teach the first-aider how to apply first aid skills in the wilderness, perform advanced patient assessment, improvise equipment and cope with wilderness-specific conditions. It will introduce you to caring for people who become ill or injured far from definitive medical care. Emphasis is placed on long term patient care management and specific injury evaluation. Classroom lectures and demonstrations are combined with realistic scenarios where mock patients will challenge you to integrate your learning. At the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge, skills and ability to make sound decisions in emergency situations. Learning takes place both in the classroom and in outdoor settings regardless of weather conditions. Come prepared for wet, muddy, cold or hot environments.

ADVANCED ROCK (AR) Course Dates: Feb. 26–May 12 Full Schedule: mazamas.org/AR Registration Opens: Dec. 1 at 9 a.m.

Registration Closes: Dec. 30 Badges Earned: Course: AR, Multi-pitch Techniques, Trad Anchors, Sport Anchors, High Angle Rescue Prerequisites: Comfortable mock-leading 5.8 or higher without taking a fall, successfully completed the Mazama ICS sport lead class OR have earned a lead card at a local climbing gym, profiicient in basic skills of belaying, rappelling, knot-typing, clipping pro, and rock climbing techniques.

The mission for the Mazama Advanced Rock Course: “We Teach Trad.” This course provides high quality instruction and training to enable graduates to be proficient at leading traditional climbs on vertical rock. We teach the technical and mental skills that will prepare you for a wide range of climbing, from single-pitch cragging to multi-pitch and alpine rock routes. There is a focus on gear placement, anchor building, lead climbing, rock rescue, mental and physical preparation, and planning and execution. You’ll have the opportunity to meet new and experienced rock climbers, to learn about climbing areas and destinations, and be involved in a supportive group that will enable the learning of new skills, growth, and challenge through climbing.

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION NIGHT

JAN. 18, 2019, 6:30–8:30 P.M. AT THE MMC

Are you a Mazama volunteer? Well, then we want to take time out to appreciate YOU! Our new Volunteer Appreciation Nights are an opportunity to socialize with your fellow volunteers, meet people who volunteer in different areas of the Mazamas, play games, win prizes, offer shout-outs to your fellow volunteers, and get updates on what is happening at the Mazamas. Food and drinks are provided.

If you have pictures or quotes you would like to share with your fellow attendees, please send them to sarah@mazamas.org prior to the events.

Get details and rsvp at beta.mazamas.orf/volunteerappreciation

FRIDAY, DEC. 7 AT THE MMC: CLASSICS HOLIDAY LUNCHEON Seating available at 11:30 a.m. with buffet lunch at noon. We will have our annual luncheon to celebrate the milestone for members achieving 25 or 50 years of membership, hand out pins to those in attendance, and celebrate the season. Lunch will be provided by Charles and we suggest a $5 donation at the door. Sarah Bradham, Mazamas Acting Executive Director, will be our speaker.

She will be talking about the new Mazama website and database. Limit of 80 people. You can sign up online at mazamas.org/Classics, or call the office at 503-227-2345.

COMMUNITY • BEER • GEAR RAFFLE

WINTER FUNDRAISER EVENT

BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL FEB. 1 & 2, 2019, 6–9 P.M. AT THE MMC

From our earliest days leading backcountry excursions to our modern day adventures and activities, Mazamas has been on a mission to inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains. Join us this February as we join forces with Winter Wildlands Alliance to celebrate the wonderland that our backcountry becomes during winter.

This year’s film line-up is epic, so be ready for a snowy, cinematic adventure sure to inspire both the local backcountry and general communities. We will be showing select films from this year’s Festival, which may include Ode to Muir, Ski the Wild West, The Abbey, Abandoned, and more! Tickets: $15 (mazamas.org/calendar) DECEMBER 7 TH , 2018 | 6-10PM

CROSS COUNTRY SKI BUS: JAN. 19 & 26 The Portland Oregon Nordic Club (ONC) is sponsoring a cross country ski bus from Portland to Teacup on Saturday, Jan. 19 and 26, 2019. The bus departs at 7:55 a.m. from Portland at the Gateway MAX and at 8:45 a.m. from Sandy at the parking lot behind Otto’s Ski Shop and will travel to Teacup’s 12 miles of groomed trails. Return to Portland by 5 p.m. Fares $15/ONC member; $20 nonmember, $25 late registration after Jan. 6, 2019.

Diagonal XC ski and skate lessons available for additional charges. $10 donation for grooming at Teacup, payable upon arrival at Teacup.

Registrants need to be 18 years or older. 11-17 year olds can register if accompanied by a responsible adult. Online registration and trip information at: onc-pdx.org/xc-skibus/ Contact Ken at xcskibus@gmail.com if you have questions.

BASE CAMP BREWING | 930 SE OAK ST | PORTLAND, OR

$10 SUGGESTED DONATION

DONATE YOUR WARM CLOTHING Last year, through your generous contributions, Mazamas donated almost 500 lbs worth of warm clothing to Mainspring, a nonprofit in Portland that addresses economic hardship including food insecurity for families and seniors. Help our Portland neighbors again this winter! Mazamas will be accepting donations through March. Drop off items in the box in the MMC lobby.

What is needed?

Usable clean, warm clothing Wearable shoes Clean blankets Sleeping bags Backpacks & bags Tents

Please drop off clean and usable items only.

DECEMBER 2018 5

Mazama Leadership Transition

by Laura Pigion, Mazama President

Lee Davis Heads to OSU Our esteemed Executive Director, Lee Davis, has recently accepted a new position at Oregon State University where he will serve as the Director of OSU’s new Outdoor Economy Workforce Development Initiative. While Lee officially leaves the helm of the Mazamas in mid-December, he plans to assist throughout the transition and continue on thereafter as a long-time member of the Mazama community.

We are grateful for Lee’s contributions throughout the 12+ years he has served initially as our Member Services and Operations Manager, and then as our leader-in-chief, infusing his passion for the mountains, business acumen, and creativity to grow and strengthen the Mazamas. Some of the Mazamas accomplishments we are most proud of during Lee’s tenure include: ▶▶ Modernizing and simplifying the Mazamas mission statement to be rooted in the words of our founders. “To inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains” unites all of our programs and members with a clear focus on inclusion, education, and conservation. ▶▶ Increasing the capacity of Mazama programs and adding new programs, in response to goals identified by members through two separate, three-year strategic plans. ▶▶ Serving more than 2,000 youth in the last two years through our new Mazama youth outdoor education and community outreach programs. ▶▶ Working with partners and elected leaders to pass critical new policies that prioritize sustainable outdoor recreation and outdoor experiences for all—both nationally and right here in Oregon.

In his new role, Lee will lead and direct the vision and work of OSU’s Outdoor Economy Workforce Development initiative.

While his weekly presence at the Mazama Mountaineering Center will be greatly missed, we look forward to working with him in this new capacity to grow our movement and inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains across our state and region.

SO WHAT’S NEXT? Currently, the Mazamas is finishing year one of a comprehensive three year organizational plan. In this plan, our primary focus now and through 2020 is to redesign Mazama education programs to be modern, scalable, aligned with national standards, and relevant to our members and the broader community. We are well staffed to manage and move that work forward in the year ahead. Our Stewardship & Advocacy programs, Youth & Outreach Programs, and History Programs will continue in the year ahead and will focus on increasing program quality and sustainability as we raise funds to grow those programs in the future. Your continued support is instrumental in the success of these programs.

We appreciate Lee’s many years of service and look forward to many adventures that lie ahead.

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Sarah Bradham Steps in as Actting Executive Director One of the most important first steps in ensuring a smooth leadership transition at the Mazamas is the appointment of an Acting Executive Director, who can provide the Mazamas executive and organizational leadership while we move carefully through a search process to fill the role permanently in 2019. I am excited to share that Sarah Bradham will be moving into this role, effective December 1.

Sarah has been with the Mazamas for the past 16 years and brings a wealth of experience and passion for our mission to the organization. She is currently serving as Director of Operations and is well positioned to provide the leadership we need during this time of transition. Some of Sarah’s notable experiences and accomplishments with the Mazamas: ▶▶ Leading the delivery of the new Mazama website and IT system, which has enabled online climb registration (no more climb cards!), tracking Mazama training and activities through an online account, and online course management. ▶▶ Organizing the Portland Alpine Fest, from its inception in 2013 through our most recent event where we hosted 35 events over 7 days at 8 venues, with 8 athletes, 78 volunteers, and ~1500 attendees. ▶▶ Managing our print and online presence—from design to editing—including our website, magazine, and annual journal. ▶▶ Building and growing a corporate sponsorship program to provide event, product, and training support to the Mazamas. ▶▶ Creating a successful Running Camp that has drawn participants from all over the US and as far afield as Taiwan. ▶▶ Engaging as a student and volunteer—from taking BCEP in 2002, to serving on the Climbing Committee and serving as the chair of the First Aid and Education Committees, becoming a Climb Leader, serving as Bulletin Editor since 2005, serving as a BCEP Assistant, Leader, and Coordinator, and winning the Parker Cup in 2009 for her efforts to standardize BCEP curriculum.

Sarah continues to help train our leaders by teaching our MFA recertification class, a class she initially co-created in 2004.

In addition to these many accomplishments, Sarah has been heavily involved in the last two strategic planning processes, and is well versed in the strategic direction of the organization, and our vision for the future of the Mazamas.

Sarah brings more than twenty years of experience in the nonprofit world to her work at the Mazamas. During her downtime, Sarah enjoys trail running, backpacking, and climbing in the mountains.

She has also served on the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run of Portland Metro for three years and currently serves as the Board Chair.

I could not be more thrilled to have Sarah step into this role as Acting Executive Director. I, and all of your Executive Council, have full confidence in her ability to lead us forward as we continue to bring our organizational plan to life, and I am excited to see all that she will bring to this position. Please join me in congratulating Sarah and welcoming her into this new role!

A Parting Message

A

Dear Mazamas,

s you know, I’ve accepted a new position with Oregon State University to lead an exciting new initiative aimed at developing and providing accessible, life-long training and support for the entire outdoor economy including public, private, and nonprofit organizations, like Mazamas.

I, like many of you, was first attracted to the Mazamas, and to mountaineering because I love a challenge, and I think big things are truly possible when people are aligned, focused, and passionate about a mission. Starting in December at OSU, I’ll be embarking on an even bigger challenge, and I’m truly excited to see where the skills and experiences I learned at the Mazamas will take us in this new initiative.

After twelve years, and incredible progress, this decision to leave my “dream job” here at the Mazamas was far from easy, and something I thought deeply about and evaluated for many months. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to leave on a high note, and at a time when the future of the Mazamas is so clear and so bright.

The most valuable thing I’ve gained in all of my time at the Mazamas are strong friendships and relationships, many of which I’m sure will stay with me throughout my life. In thinking about all of this, I’ve realized how incredibly lucky I’ve been here at the Mazamas, and I’m aware that most of that luck is because of all of you.

When I started as your Executive Director, we’d been cycling on strategic plans for several years, but weren’t making much progress.

We’d known for years that the Mazamas needed to reinvest in technology, programs, and in modernizing our organizational structure to create more accountability, transparency, and focus, but we just couldn’t see our way to affording all of that change. And then, just a few months into my new job the Mazamas received a nearly $500,000 estate gift from a member in California.

That gift, and the nearly continuous and ever growing stream of support from many of you as volunteers, donors, and members have enabled us to make enormous change happen in a very short period of time.

We’ve had our share of internal conflict for sure. Rebuilding and re-focusing an organization on a new and altruistic mission isn’t easy, changing nearly all of our systems and processes to be modern, relevant, and scalable isn’t easier, but Mazamas are tenacious— and through it all we have emerged a new version of ourselves, focused on inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains.

Looking back, I’m very proud of the work we did, especially in pulling the Mazamas back up to being a regionally important advocate for the mountains, for adult and youth outdoor education programming, for responsible recreation access, and for conservation. We were founded by dreamers who made National Parks in their spare time, and today, because of all of you, we can dream big again and make great things happen for the mountains.

And this is important—because the mountains are what really matter to us here at the Mazamas. When I visit Mt. Hood, or North Cascades National Park, or the French Alps, I feel something that each of you as Mazama members can relate to. For us, the mountains are the wellspring of adventure, of camaraderie, and solace. We go to the mountains primarily because we love to be in them, and along the way we make memories and friendships that last a lifetime, and the mountains heal our soul.

At the end of November, and with my strong support, our board of directors implemented our succession plan, and Sarah Bradham is stepping up to be Mazamas Acting Executive Director. I have worked with Sarah in some capacity for over 14 years, and have enormous respect for her dedication and loyalty, her leadership skills, and her deep care for the needs of our members and volunteers.

I can also say with confidence that our current board, with Laura Pigion at the helm and Marty Scott as Vice President is the strongest overall board I’ve seen at the Mazamas. They are thoughtful, reflective, reasonable, collaborative, passionate, and deeply understand and believe in our mission.

A big part of why I feel good about starting this new chapter in my life, is that I am so confident in Sarah, in our staff, and our board at the Mazamas. I believe strongly that the Mazamas will continue to grow and someday we will be well known as the only nonprofit in the country that is truly and authentically focused on inspiring people to love and protect the mountains.

Lee Davis

For us, the mountains are the wellspring of adventure, of camaraderie, and solace. We go to the mountains primarily because we love to be in them, and along the way we make memories and friendships that last a lifetime, and the mountains heal our soul.

DECEMBER 2018 7

Daring to be Lydia

by Lisa Kostova

T

hirty years ago this October, something extraordinary happened. A lone 27-yearold girl set off in the middle of the night from Camp 4 to climb the world’s highest peak. It was dark and she had never been there before. Unlike today, there were no fixed ropes to guide the way and since she was climbing without oxygen, the only other party that set off at the same time as her, a group of Catalan climbers, quickly surged ahead, leaving her alone with the darkness and her thoughts.

As she describes in her book Going up is Easy, Lydia Bradey got to the South Summit and had to make a life-and-death decision. She knew she had enough energy to make it back down to camp. She also knew she had enough energy to reach the summit. But what she didn’t know is if she had enough energy to do both. At that moment, she recalls flipping her thinking from “If I climb Everest, I can survive” to “If I survive, I can climb Everest.” She told me that she was in effect reasoning with herself, convincing herself that she was capable of climbing her mountain. Less than 24 hours later, Lydia became the first woman to climb Everest without oxygen.

This would be the first of five Everest ascents so far and according to Lydia, she’s still got at least one more Everest in her.

As I quickly came to find out, most of the world and certainly New Zealand knows Lydia as much for the controversy that surrounded her first Everest ascent as for the achievement that was a major landmark for women and mountaineering.

Which I find incredibly frustrating.

Long story short, the two male Kiwi mountaineers that Lydia was climbing with at the time, Rob Hall (portrayed by Jason Clarke in the movie “Everest”) and Gary Ball accused Lydia of lying about making it to the top. According to them, she hallucinated the whole thing. In short she was “confused.” But more on that later. ________________________________ I’ve come to New Zealand for the winter with my partner Brent and his daughter Inez. Brent somehow learned that Lydia is 8 MAZAMAS

leading a women-only ski touring group in the glaciers of the Southern Alps with Elke Braun-Elwert, the talented guide who taught us mountaineering. The trip is aptly named “She’s on Skis”. In typical fashion, Brent becomes my biggest cheerleader, “You HAVE to do this!” he says emphatically in the spring as me make our way to Alaska to climb Mt Fairweather.

“We have to come back to New Zealand and spend the (Southern Hemisphere) winter climbing and ski touring. And you get to tour with Lydia!!!” His enthusiasm is infectious.

As a Kiwi, Brent tries to impress me with how much of a badass Lydia is, even by New Zealand standards, and I take note.

I’m also excited to try ski touring. I’ve already watched the trailer of Symphony on Skis, a movie about a ski touring journey made by Elke and her sister. I’m entranced by the idea of putting my skis on glaciers, exploring some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery and being in the company of tough women, including of course Lydia, whose story fascinates me.

So here I am, in August of 2018, with my trusty downhill skis hastily configured with touring bindings. I’ve got a few days under my belt of touring experience in the The Two Thumbs range, where I’ve learnt avalanche prevention and avalanche rescue with Pete Ozich of Alpine Recreation. But this is the first time I’m ski touring on glaciers. And for the first time in my climbing and skiing experience, I’m surrounded by women.

The cast of characters includes, Jade, an Aussie with a quiet determination;

Carla, a bubbly Brit who is a hardcore ultra marathoner and is smoking all of us up the hill; Anna, a gentle but strong Kiwi mother of two whose husband, a helicopter pilot, has gifted her this trip as a birthday present. And of course, there’s Lydia herself. Wearing a pink hat with a canary yellow jacket and a purple undershirt, she has mischief in her eyes. Those eyes have seen the glory of untold mountain peaks. They have scanned vistas that few humans have experienced, but have also seen tragedy and loss. Her voice is strong, commanding, and unapologetic in taking up the space around her. Her laughter is infectious. She’s bubbly and chatty and will talk endlessly about beautiful clothes and mountain fashion. And yet she exudes the authority and discipline that only comes from years of breaking trail and pushing herself to the extreme. I quietly marvel at the enigma that is Lydia.

There’s so much I want to know. I somehow score the bunk right next to Lydia in the leaky attic section of the unheated Kelman Hut, the second highest structure in New Zealand, perched above the Tasman and Murchison Glaciers. In the evenings, after the exhaustion of a full day of touring, making dinner and cleaning up, we have a precious few minutes to relax on our bunks. I’m conscious of not bothering Lydia who has the rare moment to read and focus on herself, not the group.

But as I lie there, next to her, reading her biography, reliving her emotions and her achievements from long ago, my mind is swirling with questions. Was she afraid up there? Did she think she was going

to die? How did she feel when her Kiwi teammates abandoned her? How did she feel when they and the media turned around and attacked her viciously, calling her a liar and a “confused” woman who had hallucinated her life’s crowning achievement?

Confused—a word used to describe women who are brave enough to live their dreams, speak their truth, and who dare to break out of the social norms of what a young girl should be able to do.

With the stroke of eight measly letters, a woman’s life is reduced to a hallucination, to something not tangible, not able to be proven, measured, or verified. Confused.

Not loud, and established, and endowed with society’s automatic and blind trust that is conferred to male climbers and Supreme Court nominees who throw around that word easily and freely at anyone who threatens their comfortable perch. Confused. Why would it be that the word of men carries so much weight that not even the preponderance of evidence in her favor could shield a woman from the maelstrom unleashed by this dismissive term?

I read Lydia’s account of how she was practically left to die by her male Kiwi teammates. But she was stronger than that. “As soon as I reframed my thinking, I knew I wasn’t going to die.” She says that while she was very much afraid of dying, her experience helped her “manage her way away from it.” But there’s no way her Kiwi partners could have known that.

Instead, the day she was having her lifeand-death mental moment on the South Summit, Rob Hall and Gary Ball packed up all the expedition’s gear and left Base Camp. They didn’t know if she was dead or alive. They weren’t manning the radios, leaning in and straining to hear her voice, waiting for confirmation that their partner was among the living, up there somewhere near the top of the world, still clinging to life in the “death zone.” They weren’t ready to send help for her if the radio went silent or she sounded sick or hurt. They simply left.

Having read the chapter on her first Everest journey, I sit with Lydia over steaming pasta with veggies, our breath visible in the frozen air of the hut. I share with her that what struck me about her Everest climb is that she spent most of the chapter, multiple pages, describing the relationships that she formed on the mountain and the experiences

she shared with the Slovaks and other climbers. And the actual summit took only a paragraph and was over within two sentences—short and to the point, much like her communication style on the glacier where, she is all about safety and survival. She seems to appreciate that observation and her eyes grow heavy with sadness as she says of the Slovaks: “I lost all of them. None of them made it back.”

There is pain and heartfelt love in Lydia whenever she talks about the Slovaks.

They were a team of young men who climbed without oxygen, attempting a new technical on Everest. None of them came back from their summit climb and nobody knows what happened to them.

I realize suddenly that at the heart of Lydia’s climb was not the “Lydiagate” scandal that surrounded her upon her return, courtesy of the self-assured men she was climbing with. The defining experience for her was her friendship and love of the Slovak climbers and her subsequent loss of that intimate connection with people who saw her for who she was. That’s the part that is raw and powerful and meaningful for Lydia in her Everest journey. Not the noise and resentment of her Kiwi teammates.

Lydia summarizes the whole scandal succinctly: “I set myself up to be bullied.” She tells me as we watch over melting pots of snow that the deepening relationship with the Slovak team was the reason for her being ostracized by Rob and Gary (who were climbing with oxygen, and did not manage to gain the summit during that trip). I open the book to a place where a pretty, bright-eyed girl stares back at me from the page. It’s easy to imagine her shifting sympathies causing intense feelings of jealousy in the young males on the mountain. It’s primal and it is ugly. The female chimp gets punished by the alpha males for daring to stray from the tribe. Especially if she dared to outshine them.

Despite all of this, Lydia doesn’t climb with fear. She lets out a rip-roaring laugh as she recalls being described by one of her book reviewers as an “eternal optimist despite her series of failures.”

Lydia knows a thing or two about failure.

There is the time where she survived no fewer than SIX (!!!) subsequent avalanches in the same day and the time when she had to turn around on K2,

continued on next page

Photo: Lydia navigating in a whiteout on the Tasman Glacier

DECEMBER 2018 9

DARING TO BE LYDIA, continued from previous page the “savage mountain” that claims the lives of a third of the people who attempt it. Lydia loves talking about failure as a necessary ingredient for success. In fact, until the rise of guided Himalayan climbing, failure rates of 50-60 percent were common and were considered standard for mountaineers. So while they reached their objectives “only” 40 percent of the time, they spent the rest of their climbing careers getting stronger and more experienced, gaining that survival mechanism, so they could live to climb another mountain.

As an experienced highaltitude mountaineer, Lydia talks a lot about mindset.

During an impromptu prusik self-rescue demonstration, I ask her what type of mind-frame

10 MAZAMAS

she thinks is necessary to climb Everest. I ask her to think about what makes her best clients successful and what makes it difficult for other people to adjust. It all comes back to the personalities of people putting Everest on their bucket lists. Lydia prides herself on creating strong connections with her clients and I can see that. Nowadays, in addition to guiding groups on Everest, most of her time seems to be spent with repeat clients who book her on private climbing adventures around the world.

Having said that, Lydia also describes a type of Everest bucket-list climber. “Insecure overachievers,” Lydia calls them. She knows, she considers her younger self to have been an insecure overachiever too. And she adds that true

preparation matters. The type of preparation that comes from doing non-glamorous climbing trips like the one we’re on. Remembering to dry your inner boots and dry your socks.

Prepare, pack, unpack, rinse, repeat.

She has lost count of how many times she has been expected to take care of people, especially clients who are used to other people running their lives. “They’ve got armies of nannies, housekeepers and personal assistants. They outsource their lives.” Taking care of your needs yourself, including simple things like packing your socks and gloves and paying attention to the essentials is a habit you develop when you climb often, you climb for many years and you climb for the

joy of climbing. There are many valuable resources and support that money can buy on the mountain. But a climber’s common sense cannot be bought, it can only be developed.

On our ski-touring trip, Lydia teaches us what to pack for all kinds of emergencies—from prusiks and slings, to spare parts for our ski poles, skins and skis, including tape, and a tool set with different sets of tool bits. I’m feverishly taking notes—up on the mountain, a climber has to be her own repair shop and rescue resource. Lydia gets everyone to practice crevasse self-rescue on the rope in the hut and drills people through transceiver search - quickly locating a buried avalanche transceiver. She is relentless

From left: Lydia in front of Kelman Hut. The She’s On Ski’s group in the helicopter (author is on the left).

Photo by Lydia Bradey. Lisa Kostova and Lydia at Aylmer Col above the Tasman Glacier.

when it comes to getting the details right - whether it’s the technical turns when you ski down, the efficiency of your skinning technique and how to improve it, your transition times and how to cut them down. She’s also a perfectionist when it comes to housekeeping.

She delegates tasks around the hut that keep the whole place sparkling clean and running smoothly during meal prep and clean-up. I swear we left the public hut in a much better shape than we found it.

Ski touring with Lydia is the ultimate ego-buster.

Watching Lydia plow up the slope in a relentless pace, I get used to the feeling of trying to keep up and failing. My only solace is that everyone else seems to be in the same boat (with the exception of Carla, who’s a true energizer bunny). Nonetheless, I grit my teeth and forge on. My heart pounds and I focus intensely on the sequence of movements anytime we stop for a transition.

Yet, I always seem to be the last one and I’m told

to “transition faster next time, please.” I talk to my fear while perched on a hill, feeling the heft of my backpack. Lydia coaches us on how to ski the stickiest snow cement I’ve ever experienced. Turning would be difficult, “a knee buster,” so “watch out and don’t fall.”

After the mental check of making sure none of my boots are in walk mode, I brace myself for the leg burn of executing the turns as smoothly and in control as is possible, working my willpower and concentration more than my muscles. Lydia seems to have evaluated my technical skiing skills and found them lacking.

The cold matter-of-factness of her assessment is nonpartial—she also extends it to her own skiing, which she deems “competent” but far from great. After years of resort skiing where I’ve skied double blacks, chutes and trees, I find myself a beginner in the art and craft of backcountry skiing. I have to pick myself up over and over again, playing the

mental game of just getting by to the best of my ability.

As soon as I let go of my identification as an “expert skier,” I am free to move about the mountain and enjoy the whole experience. I also notice that on the last day everyone, including Lydia and the more technical skiers—Carla and Jade—are survival skiing. Lydia deems the snow to be “the worst she’s seen on the Tasman” and is proud to have delivered the whole group back to base without any knee injuries.

Once everyone is out of the danger zone, Lydia somehow manages to miraculously turn a difficult time into a funny moment, lightening the situation with her ability to laugh at herself and whatever it is that may have seemed scary. With a glint of mischief in her eyes and wise crack of a joke, she infects everyone with her laughter, releasing all stress and tension like an escape valve.

That smile, that laugh, that ability to surmount any obstacle and find joy and share it with others is the memory of Lydia that will stay with me forever. And as much as my confidence in my skiing has taken a hit after the trip, I know that touring with Lydia has cracked me open and elevated my game as a climber, skier and human being.

Check out Lydia’s book Going up is Easy and keep an eye out for a movie about her life coming out soon. The She’s on Skis trip was organized by Alpine Recreation —a family-owned guiding and climbing company out of Tekapo, New Zealand. ___________________________ About the Author: Lisa Kostova is an entrepreneur. She blogs about her mountaineering, skiing and outdoor adventures at www. dispatchesfromthe45.com.

DECEMBER 2018 11

Basic Climbing Education Program If you are ready to tackle snow-capped peaks or outdoor rock, then the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) is for you!

This 6-week class includes weekly lectures, team breakout sessions, and weekly conditioning hikes, all designed to get you ready to summit glaciated peaks and rock climb outdoors.

BCEP will not only introduce you to a variety of technical skills, but will also help connect you with other individuals in the climbing community.

Course runs from March 5–April 27, 2019. Get full details at mazamas.org/BCEP.

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Jan. 31, 2019 6:30–8 p.m. at the Mazama Mountaineering Center

To learn more, join us at the Mazama Mountaineering Center on Friday, December 14th at 6:30pm!

ClimbforCleanAir.org

Mt. Rainier

info night

Mt. Hood 2019

Mt. Baker Photo credit: Davren Bell

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF RIVERS RUNNING WILD AND FREE

Friday, Dec. 14, 7 P.M. at the MMC

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the 30th Anniversary of the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with two films by Pacific Rivers and director Shane Anderson: Run Wild Run Free and Salmon without Rivers. The first is a history of the origins of the 1968 Act and the passionate and courageous people who demanded protection for free-flowing and wild rivers. The film also highlights the current campaigns for rivers, many in the Northwest, which still need protection. The second film features Washington’s Skokomish River which has been so altered by the exploitation of natural resources that wild salmon have to cross roads to find home. Greg Heller, Executive Director of Pacific Rivers, will be there to discuss the films and answer questions. Admission is $5 (cash only) at the door with all proceeds donated to Pacific Rivers.

PACIFIC RIVERS presents

A film by Shane Anderson

RUN WILD RUN FREE Director Shane Anderson’s official title at Pacific Rivers is Director of Storytelling, and if you’ve seen his Behind the Emerald Curtain or A River’s Last Chance (both available at the Mazama library), you know why.

In Run Wild Run Free he tells the story of the 1968 and 1988 Wild and Scenic Rivers Acts, current issues, and future challenges by interweaving historic footage, interviews, and stunning, brilliant cinematography.

We learn the stories of many river heroes including twin brothers and wildlife biologists John and Frank Craighead, who were studying grizzlies on the Middle www.pacificrivers.org Fork of the Flathead River in Montana in an era when dam building was unstoppable. They fought the dam www.5 0 0 0 m i l e s.or g there and spearheaded the battle for wild and scenic rivers throughout America. Rick George continued the river miles. It also designated seven rivers for study for future fight in Oregon where he co-founded the Oregon Rivers Council, designation. The Act also increased the National Wild and Scenic now known as Pacific Rivers, and created the Omnibus Oregon Rivers system by 50 percent, and made Oregon the Wild and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. (He is still a board member.) Author Scenic Rivers Capital of America. Some of the rivers included Tim Palmer, who wrote Wild and Scenic Rivers An American segments of the Clackamas, Deschutes, Grande Ronde, John Day, Legacy, is another river hero, and so are the Nez Perce elders, one Malheur, Metolius, North Fork of the Crooked River, North Fork of of whom says, Salmon are “a life source not a resource”. We also the Owyhee, Salmon, and Sandy. meet the politicians Mark Hatfield, Stewart Udall, Frank Church Pacific Rivers is still interested in protecting wild and scenic and Brock Evans who achieved amazing bipartisan victories for rivers, but their focus now is also on promoting clean water our rivers. Other river lovers include fisherman and white water and healthy rivers by protecting watersheds and improving rafters and kayakers. Extraordinary visual storyteller Shane forest practices. Our forestry practices on eight million acres of Anderson weaves their stories together in this powerful, inspiring Oregon’s private forest lands are weaker than those of California, documentary.

Washington, and Idaho; we need to support responsible logging and comprehensive forest practices reform. We need bipartisan PACIFIC RIVERS legislative support for adequate stream buffers, and no more clear The Oregon Rivers Council, later Pacific Rivers, created and cutting on steep slopes or aerial spraying of harmful chemicals. worked tirelessly to pass the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Other threats are mining, oil and gas drilling, and oil trains and Rivers Act of 1988. Their strategy was largely based on crafting pipelines. For over 30 years Pacific Rivers has been protecting our a proposal based on the wild and scenic rivers mostly flowing wild and scenic rivers; please support them with your generous on public land. The Omnibus Act is the largest river protection donation. legislation in our nation’s history, adding 40 rivers totaling 1,500 Location: Selway River, ID

Kayaker: Hayley Stuart

Photography: Greg Haller

DECEMBER 2018 13

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES PHOTO PROJECT We have 15 years of digital photos from the Bulletin that need naming, tagging, and filing. Once trained and provided with the files, this is a task that can be done remotely.

SALESFORCE SPECIALIST Do you work with Salesforce in your daily life? Would you consider yourself to be intermediate or advanced with writing reports and adding rollups? Are you interested in volunteering your time with the Mazamas? Then we are interested in talking with you about how you could assist us in maximizing our new database.

LAYOUT & DESIGN SPECIALIST We are looking for someone to take on the work of layout and design of our monthly publication. The appropriate candidate should have: experience with Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop; familiarity with the Mazamas; copy editing skills; ability to work under a tight deadline. Candidate must have their own computer and subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.

If you are interested in any of these roles, email volunteer@ mazamas.org.

14 MAZAMAS

OFFICE VOLUNTEERS Are you looking for a fun and interactive way to get to know the Mazama community and programming better? Do you find yourself with free time during the week?

Apply today to be a Mazama Office Volunteer!

Office Volunteers support staff with everything from answering phones and emails to organizing supplies and helping to manage our database. At the Mazama Mountaineering Center, Office Volunteers are often the first face, and voice, that members and nonmembers interact with, so if you are a friendly person who’s looking to share their inspiration to love and protect the mountains, we want you!

Apply at tinyurl.com/mmcofficevolunteer.

Mazama Lodge Renovations

The Mazama Lodge reopened just days before Thanksgiving after an 8-week closure for some much needed renovations. On your next trip to our home on the mountain you will notice a new ADA ramp on the backside of the building, along with fully renovated bathrooms. We hope that you enjoy these improvements and that they improve the quality of your stay at Mazama Lodge!

As you can imagine, renovations at a mountain lodge are not an inexpensive proposition. In addition to what we have already completed, there is still much to be done.

In order to manage this first phase of the project, along with the upcoming phases, we need your help! Making a contribution to the Mazamas for lodge will go a long way toward keeping our lodge in good shape for years to come.

Make a contribution to Mazama Lodge today! ▶Go ▶ to mazamas.org/donate ▶Enter ▶ your donation amount ▶Select ▶ Special Projects ▶Enter ▶ Mazama Lodge in the Additional Message box ▶Enter ▶ the rest of your contact information and payment information.

THANK YOU! DECEMBER 2018 15

Letters to Santa

by Jonathan Barrett

Father Christmas,

I haven’t written you in the last couple of years. Sorry. If this puts me on your naughty list, so be it. However, I figure that I guy like you knows a thing or two about layering (seeing that you live at the North Pole). My problem is that I can’t decide which belay jacket I want, so I figure I would just farm this out to you. I read the reviews on Outsideequipmentlabratory.com so I am waffling between the AlpineRigidWare Super Puff 6000m jacket with 1500 fillpower down or the Flattergonia Grade X with Nano-sphere Dehydraphobic Fair-Trade Feather-Fibers. I guess what I am saying is that I have serious analysis paralysis. I’m leaving this one to you, buddy. Not to be insulting, but I don’t really care about color as long as it is not red with white trim.

Best,

Bob

le!

ou ing that y p o h s a w iled on soon and buddy ba e’s Valley y o J m , o e t e g S with e.

I’m headin catch up with a rid o t p u y a y u w g ka ormally have no could hoo n there. N ute, and I w in o m d t y s d a la lre f used me at the a stack o who are a n w e e v r e c r y o fm over bucket the rest o m turning ew chalk a n I a . r r a o f e y k ot this ntional I might as bonfire. N more inte e e h b t o r t o g f in s pallet af. Try ave more rialistic le uff and h e t t s ts a s m s s le s y a le ke you ge . Bu li s n y u io g s s g e s in os betrott magic, with my p ave that sure a glo h m u I’ o . y s e e c c ty of experien g that sin ld be plen in u r o u w ig e f r e o h ing. als st am bring me. I was ll the toy I a s r d o a f p k h c ss sa ver’s ndo cras bottomle m. Whate Mega Mo a e r e g r a h t t s e In th me on room for cell or DM y m t x e t You can ou. best for y

What up,

Kris Kring

o,

Ho, Ho, H Frank

Dear Santa,

Just saying hi. It’s been a couple of ye ars (or decades) since I last wrote. Me? Things are good. Fi nally grew that be ard I asked you fo in second grade. I’m r not sure that you really had a hand that. But if you di in d, thanks!

All right, all right , enough beating ar ound the bush. Yo probably wondering u’re why a grown man is still writing Santa, so I am going to be straight with you.

I want the Official Petzl Red Ryder Ca rbon-Fiber Action, Two Hundred Gram Greater Range Mod , el Ice Axe. My wife says I am just going to poke my ey e out with it and re fuses to buy me one. But I gotta ha ve it! All my friend s have one.

Anyways, I hope ice season has been go od for you up there at the Nort h Pole.

Cheers, Ralphie P.S. The leg lamp yo

u once sent was hy

16 MAZAMAS

sterical. Loved it!

Dear Santa, Remember that one year when I asked for a puppy for Christmas and I never got one and my parents said that it was because puppies can’t be made in a workshop by elves nor would they survive a trip around the world stuffed inside a velvet sack? Remember that year? Well I do, and frankly, as a child I was deeply traumatized. So you owe me one. I’m calling you out on that and doubling down. Not only do I want a dog this year, I want a crag dog.

Here is what it has to be able to do: be able to be off-leash whenever it is convenient to me; sleep patiently at the base of long multi-pitch routes until I am done climbing; look impassively at any passing person, animal, or dropped sandwich; never poop ever or stand on someone’s rope; be able to withstand the arctic cold of ice climbing in Canada and the direct, mid day sun of Smith in July; and cost me nothing in dog food or vet bills so that I can pour all of my cash into new gear. So yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

When you deliver him, make sure that he is not micro-chipped. That’s super barbaric!

Later my dude, Dear Santa Molly

I have been concerned about your weight and have decided to not leave cookies out for you. Don’t you know that sugar is just poison? Instead I have for you these great vegan sweet potato and oat cookies. With almond milk. They travel well to the crag, so I figure you can bring them with you in your sleigh if you aren’t hungry when you get to my house.

Dear Santa, I need a new rope for Christmas. Since I can’t hyperlink in this letter, here is the URL: https://www. frontcounty.com/ edelpluss-notlightix-climbing-rope-

What this gal wants in her stocking is two backstage, allaccess tickets to Free Solo. The ones where you get to hang with Alex Honnold in his van after the screening. Mostly I just want to check out his van. If that can’t fly, then a vintage, in-thewrapper box set of Masters of Stone 1-5. Or the Adam Ondra Scream Compilation. Really any of that would be cool.

Thanks, big guy! You’re the best.

Much love, Becca

11.2mm?skid=EDL002A-ONECOL-S60M&ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6cm9wZXM6Mjo0OnJvcGVz. I need the 70m for my proj. I know it’s spendy, but I’ve been good all year.

If not that, then this. A new pair of mountain boots in size 44.5: https://www. frontcounty.com/le-splativa-b4-sm-mountaineering-boot-mens?skid=LSP008U-BLA-S4 0&ti=UExQIENhdDpNb3VudGFpbmVlcmluZyBCb290czoxOjQ6YmMtbW91bnRhaW5 lZXJpbmctYm9vdHM= If cash is more your style this year, you could just Venmo me some bucks.

Keeping it real, Kyle

DECEMBER 2018 17

Flora Huber, Native Oregonian and Lifelong Mazama

by Rick Craycraft

T

he family roots of Flora Bertrand Huber in this area go back to before there was an Oregon.

In 1809, just a few years after Lewis and Clark had explored the land, Flora’s great-great uncle, Etienne Lucier, moved north from California to a territory occupied by French and English settlers and the various First Nation tribes of the area.

This same man was present in 1843 at the Champoeg Meetings in the French Prairie area of the Willamette Valley.

There a group of settlers voted to align themselves with the United States (instead of Canada) and formed a provisional government that a few years later would become the state of Oregon.

Two generations later Flora’s father was born in Portland to a family whose business was building sternwheelers to navigate the local waterways. On a trip to Washington state in 1930, he met his future wife and Flora’s mother-to-be on the Quinault reservation on the Olympic peninsula. She describes her father as French, Chinook and Cowlitz and her mother as English, French, Cree, Quinault, and Sioux. The couple returned to Portland and settled on the Willamette River, on the west bank across from what is now Swan Island. Flora was born there in 1935.

She grew up in a Portland far different than we know today. Bordered by the river in front and Forest Park out her back door, the natural world was Flora’s playground from an early age. She hiked the trails of the park, took the family rowboat out on the river to explore, hunted, dug clams, and picked “hundreds” of trilliums.

She entered Lincoln High School (according to her, the only high school on the west side of the Willamette at that time) in 1949 and came under the influence of iconic Mazama member Margaret Obertueffer, who was her English teacher. At that time Lincoln had a ski program and students would go to Mt. Hood en masse to enjoy the slopes. Flora

18 MAZAMAS

was part of that group for the duration of her high school stay. Eventually though, she got to looking up at the upper reaches of Mt. Hood and wondered, “What would it be like to climb up to the top?” Already under the tutelage of “Miss Obie,” and now friends with the Obertueffer family, Flora had that question easily answered.

On July 18, 1954, Flora joined a Mazama Acquaintance Climb (67 people!) led

by Harold Scharback. Later she also attempted Mt. St. Helens (“when it had a top”) but was forced to turn back when her kapok sleeping bag proved to be inadequate for bivying.

Flora enrolled in the Portland State Extension Center (now Portland State) with an interest in chemistry and enjoyed strolling downtown to the Mazama clubrooms, then in the Pacific Building at 5th and Yamhill.

Her future husband was the best man at her sister’s wedding and they married in 1958. Thus began a long hiatus in Flora’s hiking and climbing career with the Mazamas. She and her husband had five sons and Flora introduced all of them to the outdoors and especially to skiing.

She was a Cub Scout leader for 16 years and received an award from the state for her efforts. She drove both the school bus and the ski bus for a living for a while, introducing hundreds of young people to recreation on Mt. Hood.

Flora finally returned to climbing in 1992, making it up Mount Adams on a Ray Sheldon-led climb. From then on it has been gung-ho. Flora estimates that she has participated in at least 40

successful Mazama climbs and received her Guardian Peaks award in 1992. She became a hike leader in 1996 and is on the schedule several times a month to this day. One of the benefits of joining Flora on a hike is that she draws from a lifetime of experience in the woods and has extensive knowledge of the plants and trees of our bio-region.

In the Mazamas Flora has served on the Trail Trips committee, First Aid Committee and currently leads the Classics in their many activities. She is also a proud recipient of a 50-year membership pin.

But Flora does not just rest on her climbing and hiking laurels. She has volunteered at the information center at Multnomah Falls Lodge for twenty years, and knows more about ice hockey than any 83 year old woman you’ll ever meet, having had season tickets to various local teams since the 1960s.

And Flora is very proud of her Native American background. She is considered an Elder (“that just means you’re old” she says) in the Quinault tribe and travels to the reservation with regularity to attend events there.

Climber, hiker, skier, native Oregonian, mother, nurse, naturalist and adventurer, Flora Bertrand Huber has led a rich life in the Northwest.

Clockwise from top left: Flora in Glacier National Park during a Mazama Outing. Skiing in Montana in 2016.

At Bagby Hot Springs.

Enjoying ski bikes at Whistler. Glacier National Park Outing.

DECEMBER 2018 19

Clockwise, from top: PAF18 athlete Libby Sauter leading the Fast & Light clinic at Beacon Rock. Photo: Jacob Raab. Our nonprofit partner, PDX Climbers of Color, tabling at The Summit. Photo: Lacey Breton. Dawn Glanc climbing the pro route at Planet Granite. Photo: Lacey Breton. Ice Comp winners, from left: Laura Pigion, Mazama President (5th), Alicia Brittain (4th), Kylie Cullen (3rd), Emily Mannisto (2nd), Rebecca Madore (1st), Jonathan Barrett (1st), Todd Torres (2nd), Cody Stevenson (3rd), Andrew Lamb (4th), Aaron Madore (5th). Photo: Stephen Zadrozny.

Suvi Chisolm and Polina Polikakhina selling raffle tickets at The Summit. Lacey Breton.

20 MAZAMAS

PAF18: A WEek To REmember Now in its 6th year, the Portland Alpine Fest is a weeklong festival devoted to mountain recreation. PAF18 was held from Nov. 12–18 and consisted of 35 events at 8 different locations during its 7 day run. There were 8 athletes, 80+ volunteers, and ~1,500 participants in our 23 clinics, 5 seminars, and 7 evening events. The clinics were a mix of climbing-focused, hands-on training on ice, steep snow, and rock. This year we had our first ever outdoor clinic and kid’s rock climbing clinic. We also hosted two seminars discussing diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. All of our clinics, three of our seminars, five of the evening events, including the Summit, and the Portland Ice Comp competitor slots were sold out.

The Portland Ice Comp, now in its 13th year and second year at Planet Granite, had an equal number of male and female participants. The men’s Ice Comp competitor slots were all claimed within the first 36 hours of registration, and the women’s competitor slots were filled a week before the event.

Our biggest evening of the week, The Summit, was held at the newly remodeled Melody Center where Quinn Brett, Alan Rousseau, and Libby Sauter spoke to a sold-out crowd. The evening included a vendor and community partner fair, food and drinks, prizes, a huge raffle, and lots of social time.

We have heard great feedback from our participants and are already looking forward to PAF19. Mark your calendars now for Nov. 11–17. We’ll see you there!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! PRESENTING SPONSOR Grivel HOSTED BY The Mazamas LEAD SPONSORS

Adidas Terrex Mountain Shop Planet Granite GOLD SPONSORS

CAMP Beal Ropes OMC Gear Patagonia REI Co-op Union Wine Co. NONPROFIT PARTNERS

Alpenglow American Alpine Club Betties360 Mt. St. Helens Institute Natives Outdoors NWAC PDX Climbers of Color ROMP Wild Diversity

SILVER SPONSORS

Airflare Arc’teryx Base Camp Brewing Company Embark Exploration Co. Kaf Adventures Leatherman Ledlenser Leki Lowa Mountain Hardwear MSR The North Face Petzl Pro Photo Supply Rab Sawyer The Source Climbing Center Viso Energy BRONZE SPONSORS

CiloGear Clearly Kombucha Clif Bar Kind Snacks La Sportiva NW Alpine Thermarest Trail Butter Wy’east Wolfpack

Athletes: Scott Bennett, Quinn Brett, Yassine Diboun, Dawn Glanc, Marcus Garcia, Alan Rousseau, Libby Sauter, Paul Taylor DECEMBER 2018 21

From Polluted Air to Thin Air Thorong La Pass Nepal

by Ananda Vardhana

T

raveling from Portland, we landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on September 24, 2018. Ten of our group headed off to Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), but the remaining three of us had set our sights on Everest Base Camp (EBC) at 17,598 ft. Our team was comprised of Deepa, an ultramarathon runner, Anil, an intermediate hiker, and me, Ananda, a 62-year old veteran hiker and Mazama member.

Stepping off the plane in Kathmandu, we were engulfed in the pollution, dust, and chaos of a typical Nepali traffic jam. Only the promise of thin, clean, Himalayan air kept our spirits high. When our flight out of Lukla was canceled due to bad weather, forcing us to abandon our goal of reaching Everest Base Camp, our consolation was to hike even higher than EBC over Thorong La Pass (17,769 ft. ) along the Annapurna Circuit.

Our guide, Mr. Khim Raj (KC), proposed a new trekking plan that started in the town of Besisahar at

22 MAZAMAS

2,493 ft. and slowly wound its way up to the pass. Starting at a lower elevation would allow us to acclimatize as we passed through other villages along the route, including Chame at 8,694 ft., and Manang at 11,545 ft. However, we were familiar with hiking at lower elevations in Oregon, and insisted on starting in Manang.

Once we’d determined our starting point, we took off on the 12-hour, 107mile drive to Besisahar. Kathmandu is famous for its traffic jams, which dwarf those in LA, and these roads were bad! The following day, we had

to take multiple 4-wheelers and drive another 12 hours between Besisahar and Manang along some of the world’s most dangerous highways. Due to frequent landslides, our two porters had to carry our luggage across the debris and hire another jeep on the far side before we could continue. I would not recommend going without a guide—they know these roads and allow for safe passage.

From what I saw, Nepal is very community-oriented. The people are friendly and help each other survive.

Since the three of us know Hindi, we made good friends during our multiple

The route to Ice Lake has no designated switchback trail, so we simply had to climb straight up a crumbling mountainside.

Being the oldest, the altitude and strain from hiking hit me fast. jeep rides. The jokes, bantering, and singing inside the vehicle combined with the astounding views and narrow roads outside helped us forget the dust that enveloped us.

Thus, after multiple landslides we reached the thin and pristine air of Manang. This meant we’d essentially gone from Beaverton at 120 ft. to Manang at 11,500 ft. in one go. We’d been swallowing Diamox (altitude pills) since arriving in Nepal, 125mg twice a day. At Manang we could feel the effect of the thin air, but this was what we wanted. Just walking 10 steps let us know we were at high altitude.

Our appetites shrunk greatly, but we

nonetheless pushed ourselves to have a grand dinner followed by a fitful sleep.

A long time ago, when trekking was not a fad, people lived their lives in all parts of Nepal and the surrounding region. As trekking became popular, the local people realized the potential tourism could have and converted their homes to teahouses.

Now villages, including Manang, have 2-3 star hotels with hot showers and comfortable beds. You order from a menu and can even get pizza at 16,000 feet! And Wi-Fi is available all over Nepal.

The next day, KC advised us to roam round Manang and get acclimatized.

Manang valley is like a dreamland. In

Nepal, many of the mountaintops have a Buddhist shrine. It is amazing what faith can do. People have built massive structures on the tops of mountains where every stone and beam had to be carried up manually or by horse.

Our hotel in the valley looked up at the Annapurna Massif on one side followed

by Gangapurna. In the distance towered Manaslu, Chandragiri, Dhaulgiri, and Chluha. We saw these titanic mountains for the next ten days; they astounded us with their unbelievable massiveness. In Oregon, looking down from Mt. Hood

continued on next page DECEMBER 2018 23

THORONG LA PASS, NEPAL, continued from previous page On any hike, there are always people well ahead of you and others far below. The people ahead represent the goal yet to be achieved, and those below are the challenges conquered. In the end, it all depends on the mind to push the mechanical devices we call legs to move one step up at a time, up and up. or Mt. Defiance, the rolling mountains fascinate us—so just imagine mountains twice the size of Mt. Hood! All of them over 20,000 feet, with live avalanches happening as you watch... such was the grand spellbound beauty that beheld us daily.

Early in the morning with high spirits, we took off from Manang. Our plan was to hike to Ice Lake at 15,256 ft. the first day, followed by a hike to Tilicho Lake at 16,138 ft. the second day, then continuing on to Thorong La Pass. The route to Ice Lake has no designated switchback trail, so we simply had to climb straight up a crumbling mountainside. Being the oldest, the altitude and strain from hiking hit me fast. Deepa and Anil encouraged me, slowing to my pace so we could crawl up together. Deepa and I were going steady, but Anil, who had a slight residual cough when we left Portland, began to slow down. Anil’s occasional cough became persistent and much stronger as his lungs tried to keep up in the thin, high altitude air. We were three-quarters of the way to the lake, at around 14,800 ft., when Anil started getting breathless and feeling slight lung pain. He decided not to push it any further, fearing AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) or worse, HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema). I decided to escort Anil back down to the hotel along with a porter.

Deepa continued to Ice Lake with the guide, and joined us back in Manang a few hours later.

That night, Anil could not sleep well due to breathlessness and coughing. I intently kept an eye on him, hoping the night would be uneventful. We consulted a couple of doctors by phone, spent some

time researching on the Internet, and finally decided that he needed to head back to lower altitudes. That broke our spirits—it was sad to see our partner off, but we would meet him at the end of the trip.

Deepa and I re-strategized, deciding to abandon our hike to Tilicho Lake and instead just do Thorong La Pass. The pass was three days away and should give us ample time to acclimatize. The next day, we trekked from Manang to the village of Thorong Phedi at 14,895 ft. No one measures the distance of a trek in Nepal. If you ask, they will look at you, then make a judgment and give you an estimate in hours. This trail was gradually uphill and took us 5-6 hours. It was quite busy with people from all parts of the world. Germans by large dominated, followed by Australia, China, New Zealand, and the UK. Much to our disappointment, we didn’t encounter a single hiker from the US, our adopted country, or from India, our country of origin.

Hundreds of yaks dotted the mountainsides. Nomad yak herders live at these great heights sleeping out in the open.

They drink yak milk, eat yak meat, and warm themselves with coats made of yak hair. Right in the middle of the trail, we were surprised to see a roadside trinket trader.

The old man claimed all his goods were authentic Tibetan. The yak herders, trinket traders, and brave people who tend the tea houses make it possible for us from the polluted air to survive up in the thin air.

By the time we reached Thorong Phedi, Deepa had lost her appetite, and we both had splitting headaches. However, we had

increased our Diamox dosage to 250mg twice a day. We didn’t want to take any pain medication because our stomachs were empty, so we just applied a strong topical ointment called Tiger Balm onto our foreheads and bore the pain. I am a strong advocate for fewer pills and more will to fight altitude sickness.

The next day, we made the grueling climb from Thorong Phedi to Thorong High Camp at 16,010 ft. Deepa, who had little appetite, started to feel weak and nauseated. At Thorong High Camp, we realized the real scarcity of oxygen. We had hiked in India at 15-16,000 ft. without much trouble, because the forest abounds everywhere. Manang valley is totally arid, a dry high-altitude desert with no trees for generating oxygen.

The moment Deepa entered the dining hall she began to feel nauseated. Two hundred or so lungs and five open-flame kitchen stoves all competed for the oxygen.

So our choice was to stay warm and suffocate, or go outside and freeze! Sitting here in Beaverton, these things cannot even be imagined. Our guide said we had three options; head back to the city, stay where we were at Thorong High Camp, or continue on but take a horse as insurance. We went for the third option without even considering the first two, and hired a horse for $150. At that point, we didn’t know who would need the horse—Deepa or me.

Since the winds pick up by noon and can practically pluck you off the mountain, we had to leave before 5am to cross Thorong La Pass by noon. Thorong High Camp has minimal accommodations—five common toilets for two hundred or more people. So,

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CLASSICS with splitting headaches and anxiety about using the toilets, we hardly slept, got up at 3am, and were ready by 4am. With the horse following dutifully behind, we put our heads down and started the final phase of our climb. Every 100 feet KC would ask “Deepa-ji, would you like to take the horse?” to which she would answer “no.” He was afraid she would fall off and increase his responsibility. At 60+, I go very slowly but steadily, and kept up a steady stream of encouraging accolades.

Deepa’s only job was not to lose the sight of my heels.

Neither the words I’m writing nor the camera on my phone can capture the dry beauty that surrounded us. The trail disappearing into thin air was what we had hoped to conquer. On any hike, there are always people well ahead of you and others far below. The people ahead represent the goal yet to be achieved, and those below are the challenges conquered. In the end, it all depends on the mind to push the mechanical devices we call legs to move one step up at a time, up and up.

Finally, in the distance, we could see the colorful streamers that decorate the pass. With a fresh surge of energy and enthusiasm, we chugged on. Deepa, the ultra-marathon runner, crossed the finish line at a full sprint, as I slowly crawled up to the top of the pass. From there, it was a rollover hike, down and more down, to Muktinath Temple at 12,171 ft.

We stayed in Muktinath that night, and drove the next day to TatoPani (6,010 ft.), which is famous for its hot springs. After an overnight at TatoPani and a refreshing bath in the hot springs, we trekked up to the village of Chitre at 6,988 ft., were we stayed one night before making it up to the village of Ghorepani at 9,429 ft. the next day. The Ghorepani Poon Hill overlook is a famous scenic spot, and is flooded with trekkers. Since we’d been immersed in Annapurna I, II, III, Dhaulgiri, and many other mountains, we skipped Poon Hill. The final day, we trekked to Naipaul, where the ten Annapurna Base Camp folks joined us. We all drove back to Pokhara, met up with Anil, and flew back to Kathmandu—back into the polluted air! We ended our trip by flying back to Portland on October 8.

Saying Goodbye EDWARD SCHULTZ

Sept. 27, 1920–Oct. 2, 2018

Thirty-nine year Mazama member Edward Schultz passed away on October 2, 2018. Edward climbed Mount Hood in July of 1975 and joined the Mazamas the following year. He earned his Guardian Peaks award in 1979. Between 1977 and 1987 Ed was active on a variety of Mazama committees including Banquet, Lodge, Outing, and Trail Trips. Ed’s work on the Trail Trips Committee earned him the William P. Hardesty Leadership Cup. The annual award is presented by the Trail Trips Committee to the Mazama who best exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and service to the hiking community. Ed Schultz was the first recipient of the Hardesty Cup.

For Mazamas with 25 years or more of membership or those who prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace.

CONTACTING THE CLASSICS If you wish to contact the Classics, you can call or email Chair Flora Huber at 503-658-5710 or flobell17@ comcast.net.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We are looking for volunteers to step up and help run the committee. Positions we need to fill are secretary, activities coordinator, and database updater, and help or backup for same. Our meetings are the fourth Monday of every other month at 11 a.m. at the MMC. Email classics@mazamas.org if you are interested.

Monday, Jan. 28, 2019 will be the next meeting.

LEADING EVENTS IN JANUARY Send details to classics@mazamas.org by the twelfth of each month for inclusion in the Bulletin.

CLASSICS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Our east side transportation pick up point is Gateway; our west side location is the Sunset Transit Center. If you are interested in providing or receiving rides to Classics events, you can sign up on the Classics section of the Mazama website or contact our transportation coordinator Flora Huber at flobell17@ comcast.net or 503-658-5710.

FRIDAY, DEC. 7 AT THE MMC: CLASSICS HOLIDAY LUNCHEON Seating available at 11:30 a.m. with buffet lunch at noon. We will have our annual luncheon to celebrate the milestone for members achieving 25 or 50 years of membership, hand out pins to those in attendance, and celebrate the season. Lunch will be provided by Charles and we suggest a $5 donation at the door. Sarah Bradham, Mazamas Acting Executive Director, will be our speaker. She will be talking about the new Mazama website and database. Limit of 80 people. You can sign up online at mazamas.org/Classics, or call the office at 503-227-2345.

CREATING/UPDATING YOUR WEB PROFILE With the Mazama website now fully launched, all are reminded to go to the website (www.mazamas. org) and update your profile. You need to establish a new account if you’ve not used the updated site before.

Click on login then in the upper right hand corner click on sign up. You can get the details on creating your account at mazamas.org/gettingstarted.

DECEMBER 2018 25

ADVENTUROUS YOUNG MAZAMAS (AYM) Activities for those in their 20s & 30s or anyone young at heart.

You can now find and sign up for all AYM activities on our website at mazamas.org/ AYM.

AYM enroute to Yocum Ridge by way of Ramona Falls.

Photo: Lauren Sankovitch

Create your account (get all the details at mazamas.org/ gettingstarted), click on activity, and sign up!

It’s quick and easy, and you’ll be able to track all of your Mazama activities in one place.

Check the website at mazamas. org/AYM and the AYM Meetup page frequently for the most up to date schedule. All trips are $2 for members/$4 for nonmembers unless otherwise noted. Want to be featured on the AYM Instagram account? Tag @aympdx in your photos of Mazama adventures!

MONTHLY EVENTS ▶▶No committee meeting in December ▶▶Pub Night—Peacock Lane Lights & Belmont Station: Dec. 17. Come see the Peacock Lane lights on a car-free night with fellow Mazamas! Meet at the MMC at 6:30 p.m. ▶▶Climb Night at Planet Granite: Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at Planet Granite. Meet Kaitlin and Allie in the entry area.

26 MAZAMAS

Get to know one of our newest hike leaders, Fabian Becerra: ▶▶ Hometown? Joliet, Illinois ▶▶ Years with the Mazamas? Two ▶▶ Favorite trips that you’ve led with AYM? I just led my first provisional hike up Kings Mountain a couple weeks ago and it was a blast! ▶▶ What is one thing that you always bring on a hike that is not one of the 10 essentials? A camera. I like to capture photos and videos to remind me of the good times. ▶▶ Favorite Leader Treat? I love potato chips on the trail. ▶▶ When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up and why? I wanted to be a fireman, mostly because I liked to play with fire. ▶▶ What is one surprising thing about yourself that people don’t usually know about you? I play the cello. ▶▶ People should sign up for a trip with you if.... they like hikes with lots of elevation gain. ▶▶ What’s rocking your world right now? I’m training for my first marathon.

Save the Date Winter Weekend at

Mazama Lodge: Our flagship event. Save the date, Feb. 8–10, 2019.

Registration open late December.

Hike Leader First AidC ▶▶ Thursday, Nov. 8, 6 p.m. ▶▶ Monday, Nov. 19, 6 p.m. ▶▶ Monday, Dec. 3, 6 p.m.

Class open to current leaders who need to renew their certification or prospective leaders who have taken hike leader training. Sign up online, contact aym@mazamas.org with questions.

MAZAMA OUTINGS You can now apply for Mazama Outings on our new website. When you apply, you will be prompted to complete your profile, and you’ll enter credit card information. If accepted, your credit card will be charged for the trip deposit, and you will then be sent an invoice for the remainder of the outing cost. This invoice can be paid by credit card or check.

BOZEMAN ICE FEST: DEC. 6–9, 2018 Want to try ice-climbing for the first time or have a chance to apply skills from your recent Mazama class or PAF clinic?

This outing will coincide with the Bozeman Ice Fest and feature climbing in Hyalite Canyon, Bozeman, MT. Spend 4 days climbing by day and attending Ice-centric events at night! Leaders will facilitate volunteer positions at BIF clinics, otherwise participants must be independent leading WI2-5, or have a partner in the outing that does. You may hire a reputable guide if desired.

Total cost is $550 (or less depending on the number of participants) for lodging, transportation, and outing fees. Food and transportation to/from Bozeman not included. Payment due at time application is accepted.

Leaders: Rebecca Madore & Valerie Uskoski. Get full details and apply online at: mazamas.org/activity/instance/3566/

HIKING IN VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, HAWAII: FEB. 19–27, 2019 Now that VNP has reopened, come join us for a repeat of last year’s very successful outing to the Big Island of Hawaii where we’ll spend a week exploring Volcanoes National Park, one of the world’s most fascinating biological landscapes in the most geographically isolated group of islands on earth. We’ll be staying eight nights at the Kilauea Military Camp in two, three-bedroom cabins featuring all the comforts of home, located right in the National Park.

Our itinerary will include “B” level day hikes, an overnight backpack to the coast, an evening of star gazing at 9,200 feet on Maunakea volcano, and a day off to visit a Botanical Garden, explore Hilo town, tour Akaka Falls, or just rest.

Outing costs of $1,220 to $768, for a group of 8 minimum–12 maximum participants. Each participant is responsible for meals, travel to and from the Big Island, and shared vehicle rental on the Big Island. A trip overview meeting will be held in early February.

Deposit of $250 will be charged upon acceptance. You will be sent an invoice for the remainder of the Outing cost. Full payment will be due by Jan 31, 2019.

Leaders: Jay Feldman & Leigh Schwarz. Get full details and apply online at: mazamas.org/activity/instance/3469/

HIKING OAHU: MARCH 1–9, 2019 Hike for a week on Oahu’s fabulous Ko’olau Summit Trail (KST), its side ridges and valleys. The high point of the ruggedly beautiful 37 mile KST is 3,100 ft. Expect “B” level hikes with some scrambling, steep drop-offs, and sections of wet and muddy trails bringing hikers to flora-rich summits and amazing ocean vistas.

We’ll stay in a two story, six bedroom, five bath home high above Hawaii Kai, close to restaurants and grocery stores. Nearby are Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Koko Crater, and Makapu’u Lighthouse and Trail. We’ll meet local hiking clubs to “talk story” and gain insights to local island hiking. We will take a midweek break to relax or enjoy some of Honolulu’s many offerings, including famous historic sites such as Bishop Museum, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, or the Arizona Memorial.

Outing costs of $1,704 to $1,230 for a group of 8 minimum –12 maximum participants. Each participant is responsible for meals, travel to and from Oahu and shared vehicle rental on Oahu.

(Parking at our Oahu home is limited to 3 vehicles, so sharing will be necessary). A trip overview meeting will be held in early February. Deposit of $250 will be charged upon acceptance. You will be sent an invoice for the remainder of the Outing cost. Full payment will be due by Jan 31, 2019.

Leaders: Jay Feldman & Leigh Schwarz. Get full details and apply online at: mazamas.org/activity/instance/3470/

SPANISH PYRENEES GR11: JULY 24–AUG. 7, 2019 Full; Alternates Only DECEMBER 2018 27

EVENING TRAVEL PROGRAMS The Mazamas offers a robust Evening Travel Program from mid-October through April every year at the Mazamas Mountaineering Center. You’ll virtually travel to every corner of the globe as our dynamic speakers immerse you in their experience through photos, video, and great storytelling.

Programs are free and open to the general public. We appreciate voluntary contributions at the discretion of each attendee. Carpooling, public transportation, biking, and walking to the MMC are encouraged.

View the entire season’s schedule at mazamas.org/eveningtravelprograms

Mazama Mountaineering Center 527 SE 43rd Ave, Portland, Ore. Programs Start at 7 p.m.

Ice Climbing in Rjukan, Norway: Dec. 5

Hiking Oregon’s High Desert: Dec. 12

Amy Krull and friends will share stories and photos from our February 2018 trip where we spent 5 days in the Rjukan and another four days in the Setesdal valley. With beginner friendly ice crags, easy access multi-pitches and off-season prices we’ll convince you why Norway should be on your list right up with Bozeman, Ouray and the Canadian Rockies

Eastern Oregon is home to dark night skies, deep river canyons, abundant wildlife, hot springs, and spectacular geology. Join us to learn where to hike in Oregon’s high desert, from the rugged Owyhee Canyonlands to the stunning John Day River Basin.

Oregon Natural Desert Association’s Corinne Handelman will give hiking suggestions and tips to find adventure in Oregon’s desert lands for each month of the year.

Cycling the Great Divide: Dec. 19 The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route follows 2800 miles of mostly gravel roads through remote areas of the Rocky Mountains from Banff to the Antelope Wells NM. It’s an adventure of a lifetime. Jeff Hawkins will share bits on route history, bike selection, training, stories and photos of the constantly changing vistas from Canada to Mexico.

No Program—Holiday: Dec. 26 & Jan. 2

28 MAZAMAS

An Exploratory Adventure to the Cordillera Real in Bolivia: Jan. 9 Stable weather. Easy access. Rich Culture. Big adventure. Join Ethan Berman and Brian Houle, Mazamas Alpine Adventure Grant recipients, as they share tales from a month spent exploring Bolivia’s Cordillera Real during summer 2018. In addition to stories of first ascents, they will give you the down low on why Bolivia is the most overlooked place for big mountain climbing on the planet.

The Kings Canyon High Basin Route: Jan. 16 Enjoy off-trail adventure? David Burdick takes you on one of his favorite backpacking trips; a California Off trail adventure: the Kings Canyon High Basin Route. David and hiking partner, Brian Larson, travel along California’s Kings National Park in the High Sierras for over 130 miles, 82 of which is off-trail travel with 40,000 ft. elevation gain and loss, averaging 725 vertical feet of change per mile. View a teaser trailer at https://youtu.be/-p2oPyK7jSE.

The Vast Earthen Sculpture of Southern Utah: Jan. 23

Across Spain with a Toddler: A Family Trek of the Camino: Jan. 30

John Leary and friends experienced a desert paradise of bizarre landscapes, fiery colors, soaring sandstone arches, balanced rocks, crimson colored hoodoos, steep red cliffs, towering spires, deep chasms and narrow, squeezy slot canyons as they hiked and backpacked in Bryce Canyon NP, Zion NP, Arches NP, Coyote Gulch, Spooky, Peek-a-Boo and Brimstone slots, The Wave and Buckskin Gulch.

The Camino is the European, Medieval version of a thru-hike.

Part spiritual pilgrimage, part walk through history, pure chooseyour-own adventure, this month-long trek has the power to satiate anyone’s inner wanderlust. Join Dorothy Brown-Kwaiser as she shares tips and tricks for planning a Camino excursion as well as tales ( fails) and reflections from embarking on the venture with a toddler.

DECEMBER 2018 29

t f i g e h t Give them

30 MAZAMAS

! s n i a t n u of mo Make a year-end donation to the Mazama Scholarship Fund & DOUBLE your impact* The Mazama Scholarship Fund seeks to ensure everyone has access to enriching outdoor education opportunities and experiences—igniting a lifelong passion for the mountains.

From our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) to Adventure WILD! Youth Summer Camps—the Mazama Scholarship Fund reduces the cost of Mazama education programing for kids and adults with financial needs.

Will you help us raise $10,000 by year’s end? $50 =$100 in scholarship funding for a limited time.* Give online at mazamas.org/donate or mail your contribution to Mazamas: 527 SE 47th Ave, Portland, OR 97215 *Contributions made by December 31st, 2018 will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous Mazama.

DECEMBER 2018 31

MAZAMA LIBRARY

Established in 1915, the Mazama Library is nationally recognized as holding one of the top mountaineering collections in the country.

Located on the ground floor of the Mazama Mountaineering Center, the library is a fantastic resource for members and the general public to find information on hiking, climbing, camping, and exploring the rich history of regional and global mountaineering culture.

Learn more about the Library & Historical Collection at mazamas.org/library NEW RELEASES AND ADDITIONS ▶▶ Exceptional Mountains: A cultural history of the Pacific Northwest Volcanoes, by O. Alan Weltzien, 2016. Over the past 150 years, people have flocked to the Pacific Northwest in increasing numbers, in part due to the region’s beauty and one of its most exceptional features: volcanoes. This segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire has shaped not only the physical landscape of the region but also the psychological landscape, and with it the narratives we compose about ourselves. Exceptional Mountains is a cultural history of the Northwest volcanoes and the environmental impact of outdoor recreation in this region. It probes the relationship between these volcanoes and regional identity, particularly in the era of mass mountaineering and population growth in the Northwest. Call # 979 W46 ▶▶ Alone on the wall, by Alex Honnold & David Roberts, Expanded Edition 2018. Including two new chapters on Honnold’s free solo ascent of the iconic 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. On June 3rd, 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo Yosemite’s El Capitan— to scale the wall without rope, a partner, or any protective gear—completing what was described as “the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport” (National Geographic) and “one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever” (New York Times). Already one of the most famous adventure athletes in the world, Honnold has now been hailed as “the greatest climber of all time” (Vertical magazine). Call # 920 H75 ▶▶ Ramble On: A history of hiking, by Jeffrey J. Doran, 2018.

How did hiking evolve from the upper-class European sport of alpinism and the publication of an English travel guide into an activity that now has millions of participants all over the world? Who built the thousands of miles of trails that now crisscross America? What did early hikers wear, and what were some of the key innovations that led to our modern array of hiking gear and apparel? And what were some of the reasons why people hiked, and how have those changed over time? Call # 972.9 D72

CLASSICS OF MOUNTAINEERING Conquistadors of the Useless: From the Alps to Annapurna and beyond, by Lionel Terry, 1961. One of the key players of post-war climbing in France, Lionel Terray made first ascents in the Andes and the Himalaya, and notable repeats of Alpine north faces. He was a controversial and opinionated figure, and Conquistadors of the Useless, his autobiography, gives full leash to his personality and dedicated love of the mountains. Call # 920 T27c 32 MAZAMAS

DID YOU KNOW? ▶▶ That a solution made from gunpowder was once used as a cure for snow blindness. ▶▶ That sunburns occur more rapidly at high altitudes because ultraviolet light penetrates the thinner atmosphere more easily and snow reflects 75 percent of that light back. ▶▶ That it only takes one minute for exposed skin to freeze during a blizzard when wind speeds top 37 mph and the temp is lower than 21 degrees Fahrenheit. ▶▶ The Alpine Club first proposed the International Distress Signal of six blasts on a whistle at 10-second intervals, repeated at 1-minute intervals in 1894.

BOOKS ON SNOWSHOEING: ▶▶ Books on snowshoeing: Snowshoeing: from novice to master, Gene Prater, call # 796.9 P89 ▶▶ Basic Illustrated Snowshoeing, Eli Burakian, call #796.93 B89 ▶▶ AMC Guide to Winter Hiking & Camping, Yemaya Maurer, call # 796.54 M44 ▶▶ The Snowshoe Experience, Claire Walter, 796.9 W16 ▶▶ Backcountry Ski & Snowboarding Routes: Oregon, Christopher Van Tilburg, call # 796.93 T45

THE MAZAMA LIBRARY NEEDS SUPPORT— FROM YOU! Do you or someone you know have vintage mountaineering gear that is looking for a home? Don’t give it to Goodwill, donate it to the Mazama Library and Historical Collections! We are always on the lookout for wood handle ice axes, early climbing gear, vintage catalogs, turn of the century photographs, early mountaineering books, and more. Please contact library manager Mathew Brock at mathew@mazamas.org to discuss potential donations. We apologize, but we cannot accept any Mazama Annuals published after 1925 or National Geographic magazines.

Please consider a financial contribution to support the Mazama Library, a nationally recognized collection and one of the few remaining mountaineering libraries in the United States. Your financial donation will help support our full-time librarian, acquire rare mountaineering books and historic photographs, and maintain our valuable archives and historic objects collections. Thank you for your support.

MAZAMA LODGE Lodge Musings & Happenings

by Charles Barker, Mazama Lodge Manager After an 8-week closure for the renovations, the lodge is now back open for business. The lodge will be open every day for the winter break from Thursday, Dec. 13, closing at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

During that time period, we will close one night, Christmas Eve, and reopen on Christmas day at noon. On Christmas Day we will serve a simple ham dinner, along with a vegetarian option, for $13.25 ($7 for kids 12 and under).

30TH ANNUAL SNOWBALL—DEC. 15 Mazama Lodge is hosting the 30th Annual Snowball event on Saturday, Dec. 15. This is a Scandinavian themed event where we celebrate Saint Lucy’s Day, also call the Feast of Saint Lucy, which includes a special dinner with European style desserts, a live band, and folk dancing with traditional costumes. Reservations for this event can be made my emailing Veronica Newgard at vj_newgard@ yahoo.

96TH NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION This year we celebrate our 96th New Year’s Celebration at Mazama Lodge—tradition that started in 1923 at our Twin Bridges Lodge— and we still have a few bunks available. Events begin at 5 p.m. with appetizers and game registration: pool, ping pong, and foosball. Our epic talent show/story slam begins around 9:30 p.m. and rolls into the new year. Our gourmet dinner includes flaming bananas foster and a midnight snack. (And yes our midnight flare parade down Mazama Hill). Adults, $20; kids 12 and under, $15.

NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH New Year’s Day brunch is served from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. It’s everything you expect a brunch to be except for the price. Adults, $10; kids 12 and under, $9. Reservations are not needed for group sizes under 5 people. If you have a larger group, give us a call to make a reservation.

NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER MENU APPETIZERS Fine cheeses from around the world served with fresh fruit

Are you ready to support the Mazama Library? Go to mazamas.org/donate and select Library & Historical Collections.

DINNER Homemade Bread Ceasar Salad Roasted Red Potatoes Sauteed Carrots Mushroom Polenta Prime Rib with Horseradish Sauce DESSERT Bananas Foster Midnight Snacks DECEMBER 2018 33

e m o c Wel

NEW MAZAMAS

Our new members join a 124-year legacy of mountaineering, exploration, stewardship, advocacy, and a love of the outdoors and outdoor recreation. Please give them a warm welcome if you encounter them in a class, activity, or an evening program. We welcome you to our ranks!

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Whether you are a lifelong Mazama member, a recent BCEP graduate, reading this Bulletin at your local climbing shop, or somewhere in between, you should make sure you know all of the benefits of Mazama membership.

JOIN THE MAZAMAS TODAY! Get all the details on how to become a member of one of the most active mountaineering organizations in the country: mazamas.org/join ▶▶ DISCOUNTED rates on all Mazama activities—climbs, hikes, classes, and outings. ▶▶ This MAGAZINE, filled with articles, photos, activities, and events delivered to your door monthly. ▶▶ DISCOUNTS at local retailers and gyms. ▶▶ Access to MAZAMA LODGE at the base of Mt. Hood. ▶▶ The Mazama Annual, a yearbook of the past year at the Mazamas, including articles, awards, and recognition of our volunteers. ▶▶ Free RESCUE INSURANCE anywhere in the world below 6,000 meters. ▶▶ Full access to the world-class MOUNTAINEERING LIBRARY. 34 MAZAMAS

NEW MEMBERS: 39

Lori Bennis—Mt. Kilimanjaro Jonathan Blatt—Mt. Hood Amy Brown—Mt. Hood Defne Cakin—Broken Top Shannon Crouse—Mt. St Helens Bret Davis—Mt. Hood Jon Duckart—South Sister Sarah Erthal—Villarrica (Chile) Chris Fedorczak—Mt. St Helens Calista Galarneaux—Middle Sister Dylan Hallman—Mt. St Helens Thomas B Izaac—Mt. Hood Jeremy Kennedy—Sahale Mountain Rick Krause—Mt. Hood Cathy Kurtz—Mt. Adams Kathryn Lavery—Middle Sister Alli Lawrence—Mt. Adams Kelly Lawrence—Mt. St Helens Claire Lematta—Middle Sister Pamela Libby—Mt. Hood

Aimee Loomis—Mt. St. Helens Michael Montagne—Mt. St Helens Nader Mortazavi—Mt. St Helens Mary Mullen—South Sister Thomas Mullen—Mt. Rainier Connor Niemi—South Sister Tobias Probst—Mt. Rainier Mike Psaris-Weis—Mt. Adams Karen Schaan—Mt. Kilimanjaro Jodi Schoenen—Mt. St Helens Faith Sedberry—Mt. Baker Hannah C. Snyder—Mt. St Helens Christine Stock—Mt. St Helens Reece Szymanowski—Mt. Rainier Cameron Wiley—South Sister Martin Wiley—South Sister Samuel Wilson—Mt. Hood Bryce Wood—Sahale Peak Roberta Zouain—Mt. St. Helens

REINSTATEMENTS: 20

Carol E Anderson (2010), Susan Choi (2015), Roger Ellero (2007), Caryl Fairbrother (1988), Matthew A. Geer (2015), Melanie G. Geer (2015), Andreana M. Gentile (2016), Tyler Green (2003), Dan Hafley (1995), Elijah M. Hiltebrand (2014), Rob M. Holzman (2014), Stephanie L. Keske (2014), Carol Lane (2004), Julia Marx (1987), Ryan McCoy (2005), Eric Poteet (2004), John L Schmitt (1988), Justin Settlemier (2016), Sam H. Williamson (2016), Lee A Wilson (1999)

DECEASED: 1

Ed Schultz (1976)

Total Membership as of Oct. 31, 2018: 3,600; Oct. 31, 2017: 3,706

Membership Renewal You can renew your membership online now. Simply login to mazamas. org and click the Renew button on the top right side of the page. You’ll be walked through the renewal flow.

If you haven’t yet created your account, head on over to mazamas.org/ gettingstarted to get all the details you will need to finish the process.

Once you have created your account, you’ll be able to go through the renewal process.

The renewal process will work for anyone who has been a member of the Mazamas (not just current members). So if you login and don’t see the renew option, email us at help@mazamas.org so we can help you out.

WINTER CLIMBING OPPORTUNITIES Several of our climb leaders have winter climbs on the calendar for the 2018/2019. This is our first winter climb season operating with our new website and it works a little bit different than in the past. Here’s what you need to know if you are interested in climbing with the Mazamas this winter. ▶▶ Climbs are listed in the month that the leader is planning to lead the climb. ▶▶ The date listed is not a fixed date. The final date will only be set as the leader watches the weather and finds an appropriate weather window. ▶▶ Once the date is set, the leader will contact those who have applied for the climb. ▶▶ If you are able to make the date(s) and there is space available, you will be accepted to the climb and charged at that time. ▶▶ If you cannot make the date(s) you will not be selected and you will not be charged.

HOW TO APPLY ▶▶ Go the Mazama calendar, mazamas.org/calendar ▶▶ Apply the Climb filter ▶▶ The calendar will only show the prospective climbs that are upcoming ▶▶ Find a climb you are interseted in and apply if you have the required skills. ▶▶ Wait to hear from the climb leader about the climb date ▶▶ If you are accepted, go CLIMB!

DECEMBER

Mt. Hood, South Side—Rico Micallef

JANUARY Mt. Shuksan, North Face—Matt Sundling Lane Peak, The Zipper—Rico Micallef Mt. Hood, South Side—Long Ong Mt. Hood, South Side—Rico Micallef

FEBRUARY Mt. Hood, Cooper Spur—Matt Sundling Mt. Hood, Leuthold Couloir—Rico Micallef

SUCCESSFUL CLIMBERS Oct. 20, Broken Top, NW Ridge. Leader: Bruce Yatvin. Asst: Zsuzsanna Vida. Kirsten Jacobson, Abbie Laugtug, Kevin Marold, Sumedh Naik, Rebecca Ross, Roger Sharp.

Oct. 21, Broken Top, NW Ridge. Leader: Terry Brenneman.

Asst: Joe Crook. Kerra Blakely, Scott Campbell, Patrick Cummings, Lisa Lesko, Koko Olszewski, Katherine Rott.

Oct. 21, Glacier Peak, Frostbite Ridge. Leader: Matt Sundling.

Asst: Matthew Bell. Yev Krasnitskiy, Rob Vanneste.

DECEMBER 2018 35

TRAIL TRIPS JOIN US! MAZAMA TRAIL TRIPS ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE Contact Trail Trips trailtrips@mazamas.org with any questions. Hike leaders, to schedule a hike next month, go to: mazamas.org, login, and schedule.

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL HIKES LISTED BELOW ARE AVAILABLE FOR SIGNUP ON OUR WEBSITE! HEAD ON OVER TO MAZAMAS.ORG/HIKING TO GET MORE DETAILS. FIND THE HIKE YOU WANT TO GO ON, CLICK ON THE LINK, AND FOLLOW THE SIGNUP PROMPTS. If you prefer to sign up in person, contact the leader and let them know you plan to attend. They can give you any additional details that you will need about the hike.

HK A1.5 Dec. 1 Dry Creek Falls James E Selby, (828) 508-5094, selbyjb@comcast. net. We will meet at Gateway and go to Cascade Locks, under the Bridge of the Gods by the murals to start, then go to the trailhead from there. 5. 4 mi., 710 ft., Drive: 78, Gateway Park & Ride at 8 a. m.

MeetUp HK B1 Dec. 1 Casual Tom, Dick, and Harry hike David M Rempel, (928) 587-0511, crempel2@yahoo.com. Expect snow conditions.

You should bring some sort of traction devices (microspikes, yac-traks, or if you don’t have any, but have crampons, bring those). 7. 2 mi., 1,715 ft., Drive: 94, Gateway Park & Ride at 9:30 a.m.

HK C2 Dec. 1 Cook Hill Kurt A Hiland, 503-6795053, kurthikes@msn.com. It’s way more of a mountain than a hill, with gorge views and chilly breezes on its broad summit meadow. 9 miles, 3,000 ft. 110 miles round trip driving distance.

Gateway Park & Ride at 8 a. m. MeetUp HK A1.5 Dec. 2 Kenton and Columbia Slough Walk Paul Steger, 503-998-6188, paulsteger612@ gmail.com. Meet on the southeast corner of Kenton Park near the heart of Kenton town center 9 a.m. and walk surrounding neighborhood to the west as well as along part of the Columbia Slough. May want to bring binoculars to obtain closer view of birds. Learn a little history of the area. Dress for the weather most travel on sidewalks and paved paths. Hike/ walk 5 miles with 100 feet elevation gain. 9 a.m.

Class A: Easy to moderate; less than 8 miles and under 1,500 feet elevation gain Class B: Moderate to difficult; less than 15 miles with 1,500–3,000 feet elevation gain OR 8–15 miles with less than 1,500 feet of elevation gain Class C and Cw: Difficult to strenuous: 15+ miles in distance or 3,000+ feet elevation gain.

Class D: Very difficult, strenuous trips in challenging conditions. No specific distance or elevation gain. Special equipment, conditioning, and experience may be required. Contacting leader for details before the day of the trip is mandatory.

“Wilderness—Limit 12” indicates the hike enters a Forest Service-designated Wilderness

36 MAZAMAS

HK B2 Dec. 2 Kings Mountain Hike Bruce Giordano, 503-477-6013, brucegiord32@gmail. com. A good workout in short amount of time as we will gain about 2,500 feet elevation in about 2. 5 miles. Considering time of year, be prepared for adverse weather conditions (cold and rain or snow). Trekking poles recommended. Note that we will be meeting in the Target parking lot off SW 185th. If anyone wants me to pick them up at Sunset Transit Center on my way there, let me know. 5 mi., 2,500 ft., Drive: 66, Target & SW 185th at 8 a.m.

HK B2 Dec. 5 Table Mountain via Backroads (Exploratory) Rex L Breunsbach, 971- 832-2556, breunsba@teleport.com. We will take an easier approach from the backside of Table Mountain on a combination of old logging and power-line access roads. Distance is around 10 miles and elevation gain is about 2,500 feet. Expect some steep and brushy trail segments. Poles and gators highly recommended. The leader has done parts, but not all of this route. Meet at the MMC Parking Lot at 8 a.m.

HK B1.5 Dec. 8 Twin Lakes Loop Snowshoe David L Nelson, 503-627-4810, dkbmnelson@ gmail.com. The plan is to snowshoe from Frog Lake Snow Park, join the Pacific Crest Trail and head towards the lower Twin Lake and then on to the upper lake. Have lunch and depending on conditions and group desires we will either backtrack or continue on for the 8 mile loop around Bird Butte. Elevation gain approx. 1,200

Area; group size limited to 12.

Numeral after class indicates pace. All pace information is uphill speed range; e.g. 1.5 = 1.5–2 mph: a slow to moderate pace; 2 = 2.0–2.5 mph: a moderate speed common on weekend hikes; 2.5 = 2.5–3.0 mph: a moderate to fast pace and is a conditioner.

Hike fees/Snowshoe/Nordic Costs: $2 for members, $4 nonmembers; Backpack Costs: Vary depending on trip.

Meeting Places: Gateway–SE corner of P and R Garage near 99th and Pacific (I-84 Exit 7); L and C–Lewis and Clark State Park (1-84 Exit 18); Oswego TC–Boones Ferry Rd at Monroe Parkway; Salmon Creek P and R–Vancouver P and R at 134 St (1-5 Exit 7 or 1-205 Exit 36); Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center–Sandy Blvd. and 98th Ave. (1-205

Exit 23A); Durham–P and R at Boones Ferry and Bridgeport (1-5 Exit 290); MMC– Mazama Mountaineering Center, 527 SE 43rd at Stark; Pendleton–Pendleton Woolen Mills in Washougal; REI–Pearl, NW 14th and Johnson; Target185–Target P/L Sunset Hwy at 185th. Dr.–round-trip driving mileage. ft.–Hike elevation gain. TH Pass–USFS parking pass needed for trailhead; SnoPark–Snow park pass. FLTC–3510 SE 164th Ave. in Vancouver.

99th TC–9700 NE 7th Ave. in Vancouver.

Trail Trips Hike Rules: Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share costs. The maximum suggested total rate each is a donation of ten cents per mile for up to three people per vehicle. Dogs are not allowed except for hikes designated as “dog-walks.” Alcohol and firearms are not allowed. Participants

READY TO SIGNUP ONLINE? Head on over to mazamas. org/hiking to see our new website and a new way of viewing our upcoming hikes.

Go to mazamas.org/ gettingstarted to learn how to create your account. It’s simple, and should take no more than 5 minutes to get up and running.

Please review the information at mazamas. org/gettingstarted carefully before creating your account.

If you still have questions after reading the information, email us at help@mazamas.org.

Once you start signing up for hikes online, you’ll be able to track your hike history directly on our website, along with your history of participation in other Mazama activities.

Security note: Your saved credit card is not hosted on a Mazama server. We use a third party processor to manage all payments. This ensures proper encryption and protection of your payment information.

should wear appropriate hiking shoes, and carry lunch, water, rain gear (umbrella, parka, or poncho), and the 10 essentials (whistle, extra food and clothing, sun protection, map, compass, flashlight, first aid kit, pocket knife, waterproof matches, fire starter).

Participants should be in a physical condition appropriate for the difficulty of the hike.

Leaders may decline anyone not properly equipped or judged incapable of completing the hike in a reasonable time frame. Hikers voluntarily leaving the group are considered nonparticipants. In case of accident, illness, or incapacity, hikers must pay their medical and/or evacuation expenses whether they authorize them or not. Hikes leave the meeting place at the time listed. Adverse conditions, weather, and combined circumstances can affect difficulty.

WEBSITE UPDATES Visit mazamas.org/ hiking for the most up to date hike schedule.

WESTSIDE STREET RAMBLES: TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS

MORE HIKING

Multiple teams hike at different paces with various leaders. Bring a headlamp. 4–8 miles, 500–1,500 feet. Meet at REI–Pearl, NW 14th and Johnson. Group leaves promptly at 6 p.m.

Ramble information available at mazamas.org/ streetrambles

ft. Questions: Contact Leader via email at: dkbmnelson@gmail.com. Gateway Park & Ride at 7:30 a.m.

HK B1.5 Dec. 9 Hardy Ridge Hike Brett Nair, 503-684-3300, brett. nair@gmail.com. We will endeavor to maintain a 1.5mph moving average overall. Breaks will every hour or so and kept short. A lunch stop will occur.

Please consider your physical condition and previous recent hikes before accepting this hike. If you have a Washington Discovery pass please bring it. Drivers who don’t have a pass will have to pay for a $10 day pass.

Please have the 10 essentials and please no cotton close to the skin. 7 mi., 2,100 ft., Drive: 88, Gateway Park & Ride at 7 a.m. MeetUp HK C2 Dec. 9 Elk/Kings Loop (with car shuttle) Rick Craycraft, 503-679-2113, leftfield5@juno.com. Elk Mountain and Kings Mountain are two popular hiking destinations in the Oregon Coast range. The trails are a little more rugged than typical Columbia River Gorge or Mount Hood trails.

They are lower elevation than Mt. Hood hikes so they are possible in the winter when Mt. Hood trails are snowed in. This hike is done with a car shuttle. We’ll drop a car at Kings, and then shuttle over to the Elk Creek Trailhead and start from that location. 8.

5 mi., 2,950 ft., Drive: 60, See website for meeting location. Meet at 7:30 a.m.

HK B1.5 Dec. 11 Cape Horn (Dog Hike) Don E. McCoy, 503-246-7416, donald1020@ aol.com. This will be a Dog Hike. We will meet at the Cape Horn Parking Lot/ Trailhead. Dogs will need to be on a leash at all times. There are several severe drop offs that can be dangerous. You don’t have to have a dog to attend. 7 mi., 1,400 ft., Drive: 55, Cape Horn Parking Lot at 9 a.m.

HK A2 Dec. 19 Bunker Hill, Holiday Celebration Rex Breunsbach, 971- 832-2556, breunsba@teleport.com. Starting on the PCT we will climb the hills 14 switchbacks and celebrate with a little hot cider. Bring a holiday decoration or two along with you.

Meet at the Mazama Center Parking Lot at 8 a.m. 6 mi., 1,500 ft., Drive: 65

HK A Dec. 21 Ridgefield NWR James E Selby, (828) 508-5094, selbyjb@comcast. net.

From Gateway we will go to Ridgefield NWR River S unit and drive it to see the wintering birds. Then we go to the Carty Unit to do the Oaks trail to see wintering birds, native songbirds , and oak trees nearly 500 years old.

Gateway at 8:30 a.m. MeetUp HK B1.5 Dec. 22 White River Canyon Moonlight Snowshoe Bill Stein, 503-8300817, billstein. rpcv@gmail.com. Ascend the White River Canyon on snowshoes by the light of the full moon. Bring your headlamp just in case, but you probably won’t need it.

This is a spectacular thing to do if Mt. Hood is moonlit. Meet at Clackamas Town Center Park & Ride Garage. 7 mi., 1,600 ft. Drive: 110, Clackamas Town Center Max Park & Ride Garage at 5 p.m. MeetUp HK B1.5 Dec. 26 Hamilton Island, Gaia GPS Adventure Rex L Breunsbach, 971832-2556, breunsba@teleport.com. We will hike the trails around North Bonneville and Hamilton Island. We will be using our GPS maps to locate trails, waypoints and track our progress. Bring along your smart phone with the Gaia GPS App installed. You can download it for free from: https://www. gaiagps.com Hiking will cover 5-10 miles with less than 500 feet elevation gain. (Mazama members can get a free full version of Gaia for one year. ) MMC Parking Lot at 8 a.m.

BP B1.5 Dec. 29–30 Backpack: Twin Lakes/Palmateer Point Regis E Krug, 503704-6442, regis_krug@mentor.com. This backpack begins at Frog Lake SnoPark. It will include an overnight camp, and a trip to Upper Twin Lake and Palmateer Point.

This area will offer great views of Mt. Hood, Barlow Butte and the Barlow Creek valley.

Never been backpacking in the winter before? Intimidated by it all? This is your opportunity to give it a try. Beginning at the Frog Lake Sno-Park, we will do an easy 2 mile snowshoe hike up the Pacific Crest Trail to Lower Twin Lakes, where we’ll set up camp.

Once we’re settled in, you can relax in camp or explore the area around the lake. After a lazy breakfast on Sunday morning, we’ll snowshoe to Upper Twin Lake and Palmateer Point. If the weather cooperates, we should

See all of our hikes by going to mazamas.org/ calendar and applying the hike filter.

have clear views of Mt. Hood, Barlow Butte, and the Barlow Creek valley. Then, it’s back to camp, pack up, and head for the trailhead.

We’ll have a pre-trip meeting to discuss gear and winter backcountry issues. Contact Regis Krug (regis_krug@mentor.com) for more information on this trip. 9 mi., 1,500 ft., Drive: 55, Clackamas Town Center Max Park & Ride Garage at 9 a.m.

HK A2 Dec. 29 Laps Around Mt. Tabor Rick Craycraft, 503-679-2113, leftfield5@juno. com. Three miles a lap. Do as many as you want. Drop out or join at the beginning of any lap. We’ll go no matter what the weather.

Reasonably fast pace to keep warm. Dress for the weather. Mt. Tabor Park at 9 a. m.

HK B2 Dec. 31 Forest Park Roller Coaster Rex L Breunsbach, 971- 832-2556, breunsba@ teleport.com. New Year’s Eve morning warm-up in Forest Park. We will hike down from Newton Road off Skyline to Highway 30 and then back up. Start early, done by noon, in plenty of time to ring in the New Year.

About an 8 mile hike and 1,200 feet ascent.

Meet at the Mazama Center parking lot at 8 a.m. if you want to carpool; otherwise meet at the Newton Road Trailhead.

SS 1.5 Jan. 1 Ring in the New Year, Trillium Lake Snowshoe Regis E Krug, 503-704-6442, regis_krug@mentor.com. Start the new year right. Instead of partying in town, let’s ring in the new year as we silently make our way by headlamp and moonlight through snow-covered trees and circumnavigate the frozen Trillium Lake on snowshoes. Drive: 57, Clackamas Town Center Max Park & Ride Garage at midnight.

HK A1.5 Jan. 5 Orenco Woods/Rock Creek Trail Rick Craycraft, 503-679-2113, leftfield5@ juno.com. This hike begins in the Orenco Woods Nature Park and runs along Rock Creek. Except for a few possible alternative trails it is all paved. Quiet woods and swales interspersed with going across busy streets and under the Sunset Highway. There is also an opportunity to stop at a nearby New Seasons afterwards for a warm-up beverage.

6. 4 miles RT with minimal elevation gain.

MMC Parking Lot at 9 a.m.

DECEMBER 2018 37

THIS MONTH IN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (MAZAMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS) The next board meeting date is on Tuesday, Dec. 18. All meetings begin at 4 p.m. and are open to all members. There is a member comment period at 5:30 p.m. This summary has been approved by the Mazama President or Vice President for publication. Members can access full meeting minutes one month after the meeting by sending an email to adventure@mazamas.org and making a request.

by Mathew Brock, Library & Historical Collections Manager President Laura Pigion called the Executive Council (EC) meeting to order at 4:06 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20. Following a revision of the agenda, Laura asked for and received approval of the revised agenda. Acting Secretary, Traci Manning, asked for and received approval for the September and October meeting minutes. The Treasurer’s Report was deferred until the December meeting.

In his Executive Director’s report, Lee Davis noted that the Portland Alpine Fest (PAF) was an overwhelming success with ~1,500 people taking part in 35 events over seven days. PAF wrapped up with a positive budget and exceeded expectation across the board.

The Classics Luncheon is upcoming on December 7, 2018. The Mazama Mountaineering Center will be closed from Dec. 24–Jan. 1. In external reporting, Lee noted that Hugh Morrison is helping out with Mazama advocacy work while the board considers the future of the advocacy and stewardship staff position. Lee asked the board

for assistance on the current fundraising plan and to create a subcommittee to work with the Mazamas Foundation on the future of the Smith Rock property. Lee concluded his report by noting several tasks he will be focusing on before his departure on Nov. 30.

Erica Stock, Mazama Development Director, gave an update on the Mazama funding pipeline for the 2019 fiscal year.

She gave the board a rundown of funding categories and highlighted potentials asks and expected returns for each. Erica expressed high confidence that the Mazamas can reach its $1.2 million fundraising goal for the year.

Vice President Marty Scott gave an update on the Executive Director Transition planning. Marty noted that a working group comprised of President Laura Pigion, Treasurer Traci Manning and board member Joe Eberhart, and herself has begun transition planning.

Marty announced that Sarah Bradham, Director of Operations, was offered and

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has accepted the role of Acting Executive Director. Sarah will take over director duties on December 1, 2018.

Laura Pigion, Mazama President, asked staff and department liaisons to draft department deliverables for upcoming board meetings.

Following discussion, the board decided that Finance, Communication, and Development should have deliverables ready for the December meeting. Education and Activities for the January meeting.

Lee asked the board to create a subcommittee to work with

the Mazamas Foundation concerning a decision on the Smith Rock property.

Board member Robin Wilcox, noting a conflict of interest, recused herself from any all discussions and actions related to the Smith Rock property.

The board passed a motion to create a subcommittee comprised of Traci Manning, Preston Corless, and Joe Eberhart.

No members chose to speak during the member comment period. The next Executive Council meeting is Tuesday, December 18.

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