We are the mountain people. Everything we make is designed by Everything we make is designed by climbers, for climbers. Each piece is climbers, for climbers. Each piece is crafted by peak and crag to give you crafted by peak and crag to give you absolute protection, comfort and mobility absolute protection, comfort and mobility when you really need it. when you really need it.
NEXT ADVENTURE | PORTLAND W W W.RAB.EQUIPMENT
IN THIS ISSUE
"Climb" Mount St. Helens on May 10, 2020. See page 31 for details.
Executive Director's Report, p. 4 Mazama Virtual Series, p. 6 Coronavirus Timeline, p. 8 Mazamas Helping During COVID-19, p. 10 Coping Through COVID-19, p. 12 Mount St. Helen Eruoption: Before, During, and After, p. 14 Mazama Library, p. 16 Miss Dish and the Volcano, p. 18 Getting to Know Christine L. Mackert, MD, p. 23 What Can a Mazama Do, p. 24 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, p. 26 Membership Report, p. 27 Successful Climbers, p. 27
CONTACT US MAZAMA MOUNTAINEERING CENTER 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97215 Phone: 503-227-2345 | help@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, OR, 97028 Phone: 503-272-9214 Hours: Thu. Noon–Sun. Noon
PUBLICATIONS TEAM Editor: Sarah Bradham, Bulletin Editor, (mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org) Members: Jonathan Barrett, Lindsey Garner, Brian Goldman, Darrin Gunkel, Ali Gray, Katie Polanshek, Claire Tenscher (publications@mazamas.org)
Remembering May 18: 1980 & 2010, p. 28 Let's "Climb" Mount St. Helens, p. 31 While You're At Home, p. 32 Notes from the Trail: Hiking During a Pandemic, p. 34 10 Ways to Stay Active During Quarantine, p. 36 Book Review: Code 1244, p. 37 Mazama Lodge, p. 38 Mazama Classics, p. 38 ADVERTISER INDEX Davis Financial, p. 40 Mountain Shop, p. 40 Next Adventure, p. 7 Rab, p. 2
Advertise now! tinyurl.com/ MazamaAdvertising
MAZAMA STAFF MITSU IWASAKI Executive Director mitsuiwasaki@mazamas.org SARAH BRADHAM Operations Director sarah@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 MOLLY MOSENTHAL Youth Program Coordinator mollymosenthal@mazamas.org CLAIRE NELSON Youth & Outreach Manager clairenelson@mazamas.org
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.
KELSEY SHAW Member Services Administrator kelseyshaw@mazamas.org RICK CRAYCRAFT Facilities Manager facillities@mazamas.org
Cover: Ali Gray on the summit of Mount St. Helens in 2019. Check out her article in this issue on how to "climb" Mount St. Helens while in quarantine.
For additional contact information, including committees and board email addresses, go to mazamas.org/contactinformation. APRIL/MAY 2020 3
From the Executive Director
MANAGING THROUGH A PANDEMIC Hello Mazamas.
I MITSU IWASAKI MAZAMAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
t has been almost a month since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Portland. Most of the country is under a Stay in Place order and we are doing our part to minimize transmission. The Mazamas made changes early to reduce personto-person contact. First, by informing our members through e-news and putting a decision-making matrix into place to ensure we made objective go-no-go decisions. As the scale and seriousness of COVID-19 became clearer, and the entire country moved towards Stay in Place, we canceled, rescheduled, and/or postponed all of our programs, activities, and operations. Recognizing that many of our members and the greater public would face financial challenges due to social distancing, we made a decision to prioritize health and safety of people above financial repercussions to the Mazamas. As of today, April 13, 2020, I understand that 1 in 8 Oregonians have lost their jobs. I want to take a moment to thank the Executive Council, the Mazamas Foundation, and the staff for stepping-up quickly to ensure that we remain whole and ready for what may come. I also want to express my thanks and gratitude to all of you, the members who make up the Mazamas, for your understanding, flexibility, and support as we chart our way through this challenge.
There are a few things different about this issue of the Bulletin. With programs and activities suspended, the summer climbing schedule is not being published. Likewise, there are no hikes scheduled for April or May. Without scheduled activities that take up significant print space and the need to temporarily reduce expenses wherever possible, you will see this is a combined April/ May Bulletin. We will evaluate our Bulletin cadence as we learn the full effects of social distancing. I believe there is opportunity in all things. While we will miss an entire spring (and likely majority of early summer) to inspire a love for the mountains through education, advocacy, and
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INSPIRE EVERYONE TO LOVE & PROTECT THE MOUNTAINS
community, our forced shutdown is a rare opportunity for us to look at the organization holistically. Over our 125 years, we have added new activities and opportunities to our core identity of mountaineering. And over the past 125 years, the world around us has become more complex. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified some of our fundamental challenges; that we have been operating the organization with a financial deficit, that we operate with bylaws written 100 years ago, that we do not have a north star, etc… In some ways, COVID-19 pandemic is compelling us towards digital content, and it is helping us become more comfortable with video conferencing. I think these may in the long-term, be positive unintended consequences. As staff, we see this moment as a brief opportunity to transition our work from day-to-day operations to aligning the organization's systems and processes. Our hope is to emerge from this stay-at-home order with a more efficient and easier to navigate Mazama experience for everyone. An assumption I had back in February when we in the United States just started feeling the effects of the pandemic was that we will be back to normal after a few months. As I watch friends, family, and Portlanders file for unemployment, and as I find myself (and observe others) walking through the world distancing from others physically and emotionally, I believe that in the post-COVID-19 world, some things will be different. Will we be more socially distant from months of an existential fear? Will we (parents, friends, family) tolerate bunk beds in a lodge? Will we be willing to share tents or carpool with new climbing partners? Or share a belay with another party? These questions bring me back to our role in Portland, the outdoor community, and our members. The Mazamas is a place to inspire a love for the mountains through education, advocacy, and community. When the Stay in Place orders lift, we will need to be ready to welcome everyone back into community and heal.
The Mazamas is an important part of the community and the heart of mountain culture in Oregon. We strive to provide the education and activities, and promote the access and protection, that will inspire current and future generations to love and protect the mountains. We’ve all benefitted from 125 years of Mazama experiences and the remarkable generosity of people giving their time and talent. Perhaps like me and so many others, you’ve been inspired to volunteer to pay some of that forward. Please consider using your experience to help the Mazamas inspire others—serve on the Executive Council! The Executive Council is the Board of Directors of the Mazamas. Our job is the big picture stuff—helping the organization be strong, planning, supporting a healthy culture, and providing leadership to make sure that the Mazamas are there for everyone. As a public nonprofit it is the responsibility of the Executive Council to represent the public by listening to what our community needs and what is happening in the world around us. We bring those conversations back to the Mazamas for consideration in our decision-making to ensure the Mazamas remains a relevant organization for all Oregonians and among our peer mountain organizations throughout the country. Executive Council members get to learn about all different parts of the organization, and meet some fantastic people. To make a contribution to the Mazamas Executive Council you don’t have to be a climb leader or a lawyer, a hike leader or an accountant, or a policy expert (though all those skills are great too!). You do need to be excited about spreading the love of the mountains and representing the Mazamas. If you’re thinking about volunteering to run for Executive Council, reach out to the Nominating Committee at nominating@mazamas.org. And, any current or past member is also happy to answer any questions you may have. You can reach me at tracimanning@mazamas.org or any of the current Executive Council through mazamas.org/board. For the Love of Mountains Traci Manning, Executive Council President
APRIL/MAY 2020 5
MAZAMA VIRTUAL SERIES: LEARN, GATHER, EXPERIENCE
With the city shutdown due to the coronavirus, the Mazamas have started online programming to reach our community until we can safely reopen our doors. You can join us in real-time via Zoom or Facebook Live, or tune in post-event and watch a recording. Mathew Brock, Mazama Library & Historical Collections Manager, has hosted two online presentations. Kerry Leohr and Lynny Brown hosted our first online training, Anchor Basics, with Emily Carpenter taking the role of moderator. More virtual opportunities are in the works. Go to mazamas.org/virtualmazamas to find a calendar with upcoming events and links to past events. If you are interested in presenting/teaching a topic, fill out the interest form at the link above. We look forward to "seeing" you soon!
USED EQUIPMENT SALE: THANK YOU!
CANYONEERING COURSE
by Sara Bindl
Class Dates: late summer/fall Badges Earned: Course: Canyoneering
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this year’s Mazama Used Equipment Sale another success! It was a unique time to have the sale, just a few weeks before Oregon, and most of the world, went into quarantine. Given the circumstances, things were done a little differently to follow the CDC’s guidelines for safe gatherings at the time. Every customer who came in was greeted with hand sanitizer by the security team and again on their way out the door. The volunteers, sellers and buyers took all the changes in stride and came together to put on a successful sale. During drop off Thursday evening, we had a great turnout of sellers, which led to a Friday where we were able to watch so many people find the perfect gear for their next adventure. We love watching gear get a second life and are fortunate to put on a sale that does so while raising money for the Mazamas.
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Do you like waterfalls? Are you curious what it would be like to rappel through a curtain of water? Then maybe canyoneering is for you! The Mazama canyoneering class teaches the special skills needed to safely rappel through appropriate waterfalls in the Pacific NW. The class runs for two months and is geared for people who already have some experience rappelling, setting up an anchor, tying basic knots, know how to belay, and can swim. The class outings require difficult off-trail travel and creek hiking. Pre-registration is currently open at mazamas.org/ canyoneering. When dates are determined, pre-registrants will be contacted.
MAZAMA RUNNING CAMPS MOUNTAIN RUNNING CAMP: INTRO Dates: July 31 at 1 p.m.–August 2 at appx. 4 p.m. Max # of Participants: 10 (5 spots remaining) This camp is geared towards road and trail runners interested in taking their running to the mountain environment as well as honing their mountain running skills. During this camp, students will spend 2 1/2 days and 2 nights at Mazama Lodge, and participate in group runs, a bootcamp, a hill running clinic, a mountain safety clinic, discussions of training plans and philosophies, and gear demos. The camp is provided by top-level runners.
MOUNTAIN RUNNING CAMP: INTERMEDIATE Dates: July 31 at 8 a.m.–August 2 at appx. 4 p.m. Max # of Participants: 9 (FULL! Accepting wait list applicants) This camp is geared towards intermediate-level trail runners who are looking for an experiential running camp. Over the course of three days you will circumnavigate Mt. Hood in sections, while utilizing Mazama Lodge as your base camp. The camp will include tips and instruction from your instructors, as well as a mountain safety clinic.
ULTRA RUNNING CAMP Dates: July 31 at 8 a.m.–August 2 at appx. 4 p.m. Max # of Participants: 8 (3 spots remaining) This camp is geared towards ultra runners. The Mazama Ultra Running Camp is the adult version of summer camp that you have been dreaming about! You'll leave the worries of the real world behind, as you get to focus solely on exploring trails, learning from master ultra runners, and meeting new running buddies. APRIL/MAY 2020 7
Coronavirus Timeline mazamas Feb. 25 (tue) Bottles with bleach solution along with hand sanitizer are purchased and distributed throughout the MMC. Signs are posted detailing new cleaning methods and encouraging proper hygiene are posted.
March 1 (sun) Signs posted at the MMC encouraging anyone feeling sick to stay home and detailing proper hand-washing techniques.
Feb. 26 (wed) We send our first mass email to members regarding COVID-19 detailing our cleaning measures and proper hygiene method, and asking anyone who is feeling sick to stay home.
March 9 (MON) A decision matrix, detailing acceptable group size by activity type, is implemented. Immediate effects are modifiying BCEP and AR to fit within acceptable risk.
March 10 (tue) This week's Evening Travel Program cancelled.
March 13 (FRI) Basic Climbing Education Program cancelled ( for the first time in BCEP's 77 year history).
March 15 (SUN) Mazama Mountaineering Center is closed, effective for two weeks. March 16 (moN) Mazama Hikes & Street Rambles cancelled through the end of the month. Mazama Lodge is closed until May 1. Mazama Spring Break Camp is cancelled.
Oregon Feb 28 (fri) Oregon reports its first case of coronavirus, a Lake Oswego elementary school employee, causing the closure of a 430-student school. Governor Kate Brown creates a coronavirus response team.
world jan 11 (sat) First case of suspected local transmission in the US.
jan 21 (tue) First confirmed case in the US, a man in Washington State who traveled to Wuhan.
jan 30 (thu) The World Health Organization(WHO) declares a public health emergency of international concern. 8 MAZAMAS
march 14 (sat) Oregon has its first death from coronavirus.
march 12 (thu) Oregon schools closed for two weeks. Closure is slated to end on March 31.
Feb 26 (wed) China reports first novel coronavirus death. feb 29 (sat) First reported death in the United States (Washington).
march 11 (wed) Governor Brown bans gatherings of more than 250 people, cancels all school sporting events, and advises as many people as possible to avoid in-person work meetings. The ban is in effect for 4 weeks.
march 11 (wed) The WHO declares the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
march 13 (fri) National emergency declared in the United States.
march 15 (sun) The CDC recommend no gatherings of 50 or more people in the US.
On December 31, 2019 there were reports that doctors in China were treating dozens of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause. Days later, researchers in China identified a new virus. As of April 21, 2020, more than 2.5 million cases of what has become known as COVID-19 have been confirmed, with 172,465 having died from the disease. The United States has the highest number of cases, at 795,602 with 43,177 deaths. A third of the global population is on some version of lockdown, in effort to slow the spread of the disease.
March 17 (tue) The Advanced Rock program, spring AIARE I course, and Sport Leader course are cancelled.
April 1 (wed) We host our first online presentation,"To the Top of the Continent: the 1910 Mazama Alaskan Expedition," testing out the Zoom platform.
March 23 (mon) The Mazama Mountaineering Center and Mazama programs and activities are closed/cancelled indefinitely.
March 23 (mon) Oregon Governor Kate Brown issues a stay at home order for Oregonians.
April 15 (tue)
April 7 (tue) Our second online presentation "Mazamas, Mountaineering, & the Curtis Brothers 1894–1914 is streamed on Zoom and Facebook Live.
The Mazama spring/ summer/fall climb season opening is delayed. Likely opening date for 2020 climbs is June 15 (subject to change). Mazama Lodge is closed until June 8 (earliest reopening).
april 6 (mon)
April 9 (thu)
The Mazama Canyoneering program is postponed. Preregistration is available for interested individuals.
Our first online webinar, Anchor Basics, is streamed simultaneously on Zoom and on Facebook Live.
april 4 (sat) New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirms that Oregon is sending 140 ventilators to New York City, the epicenter for COVID-19 cases.
novel coronavirus cases by day in the United States
april 8 (wed) Oregon schools are cancelled for the remainder of the year. april 13 (sun) Oregon, Washington, and California announce a "West Coast Pact" to coordinate reopening the economies of all three states based on input from public health exerts.
MAZAMAS HELPING DURING COVID-19 With the Red Cross putting out an urgent call for blood, some Mazamas sprang into action! Mazama climb leader Rico Micallef started a challenge on Facebook and climb leader Karen Graves, and BCEP committee member Teresa Dalsager heeded the call. This is just one example of how Mazamas are lending a hand to help in their community during this time of gloabl crisis.
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APRIL/MAY 2020 11
COPING THROUGH COVID-19 "The sadness that climbing season is going to be cancelled*, is totally muted by the suffering of lost lives, the exhausted first responders who put their lives on the line everyday, and how many are struggling financially. It makes the longing for a climb seem small. But still, it's real. So we find ways to occupy ourselves in the hope that voluntarily isolating will flatten the curve and this too shall pass. I'm sharing a few photos showing how we're finding joy in the small moments and learning to adjust to this new world. The Mazamas will survive this experience and I can't wait for the day the cloud lifts and we once again labor over the question, "Which Mountain House meal should I put in my pack?" Note: Stroganoff wins every time." –Teresa Dalsager *editor's note: Mazamas climb season has been delayed, and we are hopeful it will get underway on June 15.
Right: Teresa's dog Diesel, enjoying some quality time at home with his people. Far right: Teresa's pantry after being reorganized. Photos: Teresa Dalsager
"I've been shredding income tax records from 1962 on, sorting and discarding hundreds of photos, building a wall in my backyard, climbing up and down the Alameda stairs, planting a vegetable garden, shopping infrequently while breathing with difficulty through an N95 respirator, attending virtual committee meetings, keeping up with the viral news, enjoying spring sunshine, letting my hair grow and, for the first time in 40 years, I've made two pots. Life has been good." –George Cummings
Unfired, hand-built pots with cherry and dogwood blossoms. Photo: George Cummings
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"I have been walking on local trails. Walking is medicinal. I’ve also been talking/texting with family and friends." –Kathleen Cochran Below: A snowy hike with views of the Sisters. Right: Forest hike. Note: Hike photos taken prior to trailhead closures. Photos: Kathleen Cochran.
"When the weather breaks, I'm planning on setting up a tent in my field, and sleeping in it. I've done this before. Once I set the tent up in my living room and slept in it for a week, as a transition from a couple of months in the wild. Turn out the lights and use a headlamp. Stick a lumpy rock under the sleeping pad. Play some background noise of streams, wind, frogs or birds. Turn off the heat." –Cloudy Sears
From left: Mask making in progress. Completed masks ready to go to sewtosave.org. Sarah and Quiggs staying protected while out on a walk during the pandemic. Photos: Sarah Bradham.
"One of my biggest challenges was finding a way to feel useful during this time. When the call came out for people to make face masks for healthcare workers, I pulled out my sewing machine and went to work. It was helpful mentally to have a task that felt like I was contributing to the virus response." –Sarah Bradham APRIL/MAY 2020 13
Mount St. Helens Eruption:
BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER
article & photos by Joe Whittington
G
rowing up in Portland, Mount St. Helens was a constant presence on the skyline. Almost perfectly symmetrical, it resembled a smaller version of Japan’s Fuji-san. I attended Boy Scout outings at the BSA Camp on Spirit Lake during the summers of 1957 and 1958. In 1977, my family and I returned to Portland at the end of Navy active duty, and in 1978 I completed the Mazama Basic Climbing School. I quickly climbed Mt. Hood, Mount St. Helens, and Middle and South Sisters. On May 18, 1980, a brilliant sunny day, I climbed Mt. Hood for the second time with the Mazamas. Around 400+ of my best friends and I were astonished to see the 60,000-foot ash column to the north as Mount St. Helens erupted. In follow-up conversations, it seems none of us had any conception of the destruction, lives lost, or other long-term consequences of the eruption. We didn’t hear any sound from the blast, and just stood in awe of the event before continuing to the summit. One of our party members, Tim, had brought his golf club and hit a few balls off the top. Mount St. Helens reopened for climbing in May 1987, and three of my
friends and I climbed it that summer. We reached the rim in a whiteout and had no views of the crater. I climbed to the rim several times over the next few years, sometimes to views and sometimes not. In 1998, after retiring from my marketing career at Tektronix, I started Oregon Peak Adventures (OPA). The first permit we obtained was to climb Mount St. Helens, and we quickly expanded our permitted activities to trails throughout the national monument. We also received the only permit to guide in the Mt. Margaret Backcountry. By 1987, the dome-building activity in the crater, which began after the eruptions
stopped, was pretty much over. The view from the rim through the breech on a clear day was spectacular, with the 900-foot dome in the crater, Spirit Lake (shallower but larger), the Pumice Plain to the west, Mt. Margaret Backcountry, and finally Mt. Rainier, 85 miles to the northeast. In the fall of 2004, magma started pushing up into the crater at a rate of 7 to 10 cubic meters per second. A feature on the dome called the “slab” began growing as much as six feet per day. On September 24, the Forest Service again closed Mount St. Helens to climbing. The OPA climb on that day was the last “legal” climb until July 21, 2006—luckily I had applied for a permit to climb on that day! Our party included a newspaper reporter from the June 19, 1978: Ascending Mount St. Helens
May 1980: 60,000-foot ash column from Mt. Hood.
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1978: Descent, with Spirit Lake and Mt. Rainier in the distance.
September 2006: Crater dome.
Portland Tribune, my nephew and his 12-year-old son, a couple of clients, and several OPA guides who really wanted to climb the mountain again. We were able to summit on a perfect, sunny day. Dome growth stopped by the end of January 2008, but it’s still steaming to this day. Climbing Mount St. Helens continues to be exceptionally popular, and the 100-per-day climbing permits for the summer season tend to sell out. Over the years, the vegetation has started to return. The initial lupines have given way to mountain hemlock, mountain ash, and alder. Plants and trees are getting thicker and taller. Animals are also returning, including elk, bears, and cougars. I saw a mama bear and three cubs (one of them albino) on the road to Lava Canyon Falls some years back. A major change is that
Tim hitting a golf ball off the summit of Mt. Hood with the Mount St. Helens ash cloud in the background.
many of the trees killed during the eruption are now rotting out and falling over. Nature has a way of coming back even after catastrophe, and we’ll continue to watch—and climb. About the Author: Joe Whittington joined the Mazamas in 1978 after climbing Mt. Hood for the first time, and has been a climb leader since 1991. He is a retired Navy intelligence officer, high tech marketing executive, college professor, and climbing and trekking guide. He currently does photography, which you can view online at www.whittingtonphotography.art. He has climbed 49 of the U.S. state highpoints and the highpoint of each Oregon county, and has completed the Oregon Coast Trail and the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail. His current project is climbing the 100 highest peaks in Oregon with 47 to go. APRIL/MAY 2020 15
Mazama
LIBRARY
Learn more about the Library & Historical Collection at mazamas. org/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.
NEW RELEASES & ADDITIONS ▶ Frenchman Coulee: a rock climber’s guide, 4th edition, by Sullivan & Yoder. The 4th edition of Frenchman Coulee: A Rock Climber’s Guide is out! This completely reorganized, colorful, and visually stunning 300-page guide features up-to-date beta. The book features topos, hi-res photos, aerial maps, and location maps for each crag. Mazama Library call# 917.97 S5. ▶ Alaska Rock Climbing Guide, by Kelsey Gray. The Alaska Rock Climbing Guide is the premier guide to rock climbing in Alaska. It includes over 1,200 routes around the state and over 50 climbing areas. The third edition of the climbing guide was released in the spring of 2017 and is the largest climbing guide to ever come out of Alaska. New maps, photographs, and area overviews will make sure that you find your way to the crag. Mazama Library call# 917.98 G7
Books on
HIKING IN MEXICO
□ Mexico’s Copper Canyon Country, Fayhee, 917.2.F29 □ No frills guide to hiking in Mexico, Conrad, 917.2.C76h □ Mexico: a hiker’s guide to Mexico’s natural history, Conrad, 917.2.C76 □ Backpacking in Mexico, Burford, 917.2B39 16 MAZAMAS
Treasures from the SPECIAL COLLECTION First ascents throughout the world, 1901–1950, by Francis P. Farquhar, 1953. Francis P. Farquhar (1887–1974) was a prolific nature writer, a mountaineer, and environmentalist. This rare publication of 200 copies is a limited selection of 60 ascents and bibliography of books relating to first ascents. It lists the books by year and mountain. It was produced as a souvenir for the visit of Maurice Herzog (1950 first ascent of Annapurna) to San Francisco and Berkeley in 1953. It is notable that it does not list Frederick Cook's claim to the first ascent of McKinley. This copy is signed by Herzog and Gaston Rebuffat. Mazama Special Collection, #796.52.F23
DID YOU KNOW? □ There are four ways mountains are built: by folding of the earth’s crust, by geologic faulting, by volcanic eruption, and underground volcanic intrusion. □ Bergstiegeressen is an inexpensive dish hosts of German and Austrian alpine huts are required to provide to climbers without much money. □ The world’s first recorded rock climb occurred in 1492 on Mont Aiguille in France. □ A double sheet bend is used to join two ropes of different thicknesses.
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.
APRIL/MAY 2020 17
Miss Dish and the Volcano by Ian McCluskey
S
even years after the historic eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the mountain was finally opened again to climbers.
A team from the Seattle Times went to report. On the summit of the new crater rim, they saw something they weren't expecting: a vivacious woman on skis, wearing a red chiffon dress and white pillbox hat. Accompanying the woman in the red dress were five female friends who danced a can-can. “After climbing the rugged mountain for four and a half hours,” wrote the reporter, “no one expected a party.” Fast forward three decades: the annual Mother’s Day Climb of Mount St. Helens has become one of the Northwest’s most beloved outdoor recreation traditions— perhaps the most colorful, irreverent, and playful day in the entire Cascade Range. Climb permits are always sold out each year, and since the tradition started an estimated 15,000-20,000 people have climbed Mt. St. Helens in flashy dresses. Yet few have heard of the original woman in the red chiffon dress and pillbox hat. Her name was Kathy Phibbs. And she had a mission: get more women in the mountains—and do so in a colorful, creative, and inspiring way. With wit, charisma, and dogged determination, Kathy set a new example of mountaineering. She created opportunities for women to have fun, challenge themselves, and become mentors to each other in the mountains. As a gay woman, she also created an inclusive community in an era of widespread discrimination. She led women to the summits of some of the world’s highest peaks, in the Andes,
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the Himalaya, and Denali. But it was her grassroots leadership in her own backyard of the North Cascades where she made her greatest contribution. Tragically, her story was cut short, and has gone untold too long.
HER FIRST REAL MOUNTAIN When Kathy was a high school senior, she had a chance to climb Mount St. Helens—her first real mountain. Before the 1980 eruption, St. Helens had been one of the most beloved Cascade peaks to climb. It rose 9,677’ in a perfect symmetrical cone, so elegant that it was often compared to Mt. Fuji. Northwesterners pointed to photos of the snow-capped St. Helens reflected in the glassy water of Spirit Lake, framed by towering old-growth trees, and proudly thought it was even prettier than Fuji. Even the earliest legend of St. Helens spoke of the mountain’s beauty. Known as Loowit, she had once been a woman so lovely that she caused two brothers to fight over her. All three were turned into mountains. Kathy must have been both excited and anxious before her first attempt to climb a glaciated peak. But about a week before the climb, a group of students from the University of Puget Sound were caught in an avalanche while climbing St. Helens. Five were killed. This news hit close to home. The family had moved from the East Coast for her dad, Phillip Phibbs, to take the role of
Clockwise, from top: Kathy and friends on Mt. St. Helens in 198. From left to right: Liz Alberti, Mary McCallum, Jane Culliton, Paula Ehlers, Deb Petersen, Kathy Phibbs (in red dress). Photo: Unknown. Kathy Phibbs gives a hand-up to Nacy Czech (Mt Stuart, Washington). Photo: Ruth Nielson. Kathy enjoying the snow. Photo: Unknown.
president of the University of Puget Sound. Now he had the sad duty of addressing the student body and calling the parents. Adding to this grief: he knew exactly what
it felt like to lose a child. He and his wife Gwen had lost their young son. Upset by the tragedy and concerned for his daughter’s safety, he told Kathy he didn’t want her to go up St. Helens. When it came time for the climb, Kathy snuck out of the house and climbed St. Helens.
MAKING HER OWN PATH In the fall of 1975, Kathy arrived as a freshman at Pomona College. There she met Ross Macfarlane, also a new student. When Kathy learned that Ross had some experience rock climbing, she asked: “Do you have a rope?” Ross nodded. “Do you have a car?” she asked. He shook his head no. Then she disappeared and returned shortly with another student in tow. “This guy has a car.” “She had a bulldog personality,” recalls Ross. With her witty humor and sharp zingers, she won people over. “A force of nature,” was a phrase several of her friends used to describe her. One time Ross and Kathy agreed to take a group of classmates to practice rock climbing at a local crag. Kathy, as usual, was in the lead. But somehow she lost the trail. After bushwacking, the group was grumbling and ready to turn back.
“Wait here and I’ll go scout,” Kathy told the group, and bounded into the brush. Then, Kathy’s voice came back, “This way! I found a cairn!” The group shouldered their packs and hiked toward the direction of Kathy’s voice. They soon reached a cairn, a small pile of rocks to mark a route. Kathy had already bounced ahead. “Up here!” she shouted enthusiastically. “Another cairn!” The group’s optimism picked up. They arrived at a second pile of rocks. “Hey, up here!” Kathy yelled. “Another cairn! This is it, we’re almost there!” The group’s doubts evaporated. They pressed through the brush following Kathy’s voice. Kathy raced ahead, stopping only long enough to grab rocks and create her own cairn.
NO, WE’RE WITH EACH OTHER On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. Kathy had graduated from college the day before. She had no idea what her future would hold, but she was certain of one thing: it would involve mountains. The next year, she made a climbing expedition to Peru and Bolivia. But after three years of trying to
build her alpine resume to become a professional guide, she despaired that she hadn’t become a world-famous alpinist. To make ends meet, she used her fearlessness of heights and rope and rappelling skills to sweep chimneys and wash windows. “Success as a climber wouldn’t have been so important if my career in window washing was, well, more fulfilling,” she wrote. She and her college pal Ross had shared many summits, but something was starting to shift for Kathy. “She did a lot of climbing in mixed groups, and she saw the need to get more women out doing it for themselves,” said Ross. “We all had experiences of being with men who would just take charge, go on ahead or sort of try to take over for us,” said Kristen Laine, another climbing friend. “There was this assumption that we weren't strong enough, we weren't good enough, we couldn't do it as well as they could.” When a group of guys would see Kathy and her friends in the backcountry, they’d ask: “Are you ladies alone?” “No,” they’d reply. “We’re with each other!” “I had started climbing with women for all the normal reasons,” Kathy wrote,
continued on next page APRIL/MAY 2020 19
In the expansiveness of the mountains, Kathy found a freedom to be herself. Kathy Phibbs (left) with Nancy Czech. Photo: Unknown.
Miss Dish, continued from previous page “purity of style, greater challenge, and of course, the relentless fun of it. It was a different game. We were on our own learning from each other and from what we could glean from books and overheard conversations at climber hangouts.” In 1983, Kathy and her close friends decided to see if there were more women who wanted to climb with women. They posted flyers near the University of Washington and started word-of-mouth. To their surprise, dozens of women showed up, and packed into a small Seattle apartment. A new grassroots group was launched: Women Climbers Northwest.
MEETING MISS DISH “Various male companions had taught me so much in the early years of my climbing career,” Kathy wrote. “Now I yearned for a woman to continue the process.” She looked for a female mentor. Not finding one, she invented one. With a love of history, Kathy looked to the past for inspiration. She knew about the women of the Victorian era who climbed mountains in full-length wool dresses, petticoats, lace-up patent leather boots, and wide-brimmed bonnets. Her version was something like that. Kathy described her as “the most 20 MAZAMAS
astonishing little old lady” dressed in a white pillbox hat with fishnet veil, a red chiffon shift and cape with gold lame’, rhinestone butterfly-wing glacier goggles, a mink stole, spotless white tennis shoes, and a combination ice ax/umbrella. A cross, perhaps, between a Victorian climber and Mary Poppins.
HER NAME WAS MISS DISH “Miss Dish was a very proper women alpinist who was trying to teach life lessons to ‘That Kathy Girl,’ as well as all of those other young whipper snappers who needed molding to learn to take their proper place in the alpine community,” explained Ross. Miss Dish became Kathy’s way of criticizing climbing culture. In her writing to the Women Climbers Northwest community, she used Miss Dish to proclaim: “If you don’t have time to do it right (with good manners) don’t do it.” Manners weren’t just etiquette, but rather a reverence for the mountains themselves. Through Miss Dish, Kathy would call for a celebration of sisterhood in the mountains, and start to define a style of mountaineering in stark contrast to the “self-Importance on the part of climbers, grunting through the mountains with no
thought or sight of anything other than the summit.” She wrote: “Though it is important that we reach the top (because that’s where lunch will be), this expedition’s goals are not assault and conquest.” Kathy organized all-women climbs in the nearby North Cascades, a cluster of sharp peaks she called her “beloveds.” The climbs began to take on a unique style. They became celebrations, expressions of joy for being in the mountains. Good food was mandatory. And the outfits colorful. Kathy loved to pack plastic flamingos to use in summit shots. Within the frivolity was a strong feminist message. "We wanted to say: ‘Yes, we're women and we're going to make fun of what you think we should be,’” explained Kristen, “And we're going to be strong in pearls. We're going to be strong in a dress."
MOTHERS DAY AND DIRTBAGS When Kathy’s friends saw her on the front page of the Seattle Times on the summit of St. Helens in a red chiffon dress dress and white pillbox hat, it was hardly a surprise to them. “That Kathy Girl,” Annette Frahm laughed. “We figured she’d do something like that.” But the wearing of dresses on St. Helens hadn’t originally been a celebration of Mother’s Day. “It had nothing to do with moms,” Annette explained. “It was the last weekend you could climb without a permit. It just happened that was the day.” “We were dirtbag climbers,” said Kristen. “And we didn’t want to have to pay for a permit!” The members of Women Climbers Northwest invited their friends, and friends invited friends. They allowed boyfriends and husbands along—if they wore dresses. “Every time we went,” said Kristen, “people were like, ‘Oh, that's great. I love seeing you all dressed up.’ We would invariably say ‘you can do it, too. Come join the party!’" And eventually, they’d see other climbers in dresses that they didn’t know. It’d caught on.
SISTERHOOD OF SUMMITS Despite the gaudy thrift store dresses and kitsch plastic flamingos, Kathy took her climbing seriously. She led a group of women up North America’s highest mountain, Denali. In 1989, she led an all-women expedition up the 23,000 foot Himalayan peak Pumori near Mt. Everest, known in the Sherpa language as “Mountain Daughter.” On the centennial of the first female ascent of Mt. Rainier, Kathy organized an all-women climb. Fay Fuller, a Tacoma school teacher, had been the first in 1890. Because of the dress code of the era, she was expected to wear a dress. In homage, Kathy wore a dress. She led 33 women to the top of the Northwest’s highest mountain. In the expansiveness of the mountains, Kathy found a freedom to be her true self. In doing so, she created a safe space for women to be themselves. “As lesbians we really valued who she was,” said her friend Rachel da Silva. “She didn't really want to be the actual teacher as much as she wanted to support people to be the best they could. It was more like a gentle encouragement,” said her friend Annette. “Then it felt okay to be who you were because she was being who she was.” “She got me to perform at a higher level and take more risks and to be successful where you feel like you’re capable of doing more than you’ve done in the past,” said her friend Sally Kentch. “It’s not a role model. It’s deeper. It’s more internal than that.”
They skied into the backcountry of the Enchantments to pristine Colchuck lake and set up base camp. The day was cold and clear, good conditions for an ice climb. The route they’d picked pitched up three couloirs. An advanced climbing route, to be sure, but within their many years of experience. Hope was a 2-time Olympic rower, and a competent and respected ice climber, mountaineer, and backcountry skier. The two of them were cautious and conservative climbers by nature. Many times Kathy had turned back when conditions didn’t feel right. She was one of the first to use trekking poles, recalls Annette, so she could save her knees. Kathy had always told her friends she wanted to become an “old goat” of the mountains. Their plan was to bask in the silence and isolation of the snowy backcountry. They’d added an extra day to when they told their partners to expect their return. They were in no hurry, with no objective other than the pure joy of climbing. Then, on the second pitch, ice, or snow, or an avalanche broke loose. It swept them off their holds, and they fell. What happened next is a scene that is pieced together by the rescue report days later and what her friends saw when they arrived. It haunts them, still. Hope was unconscious. Although bleeding of her own
wounds, Kathy tended Hope. She arranged the climbing ropes and pulled Hope onto them to get her off the snow, and make her as comfortable as possible, as long as possible. With broken ribs and broken femur, Kathy crawled for help. “She died trying,” said Kristen. “I know she died trying to save herself and her friend.” She was 33.
RETURN OF THE RED DRESS More than 30 years since Kathy Phibbs stood on the rim of St. Helens in a red chiffon dress and pillbox hat, her friends reunite—in tutus and dresses—to honor the memory of “that Kathy Girl.” Helping organize the group is Colleen Hinton; she never got to meet Kathy, but now carries on her role as director of Women Climbers Northwest. Kathy’s parents, Phil and Gwen, come to support this tribute climb—and join Kathy’s old friends at the trailhead. “It’s a very moving experience to see and recreate the kind of life Kathy led and the spirit that she had,” says Phil. Gwen stands beside him and squeezes his arm. “I think it gives a sense of closure to what happened to Kathy that’s weighed on us all these years.” A colorful line of climbers start at the parking lot and snake through the woods and up the snowfield, sparkling sequins.
continued on next page
DRAGONTAIL In 1991, Kathy and a close friend went ice climbing on a peak in the Stewart Range called Dragontail. Kathy’s friend Hope Barnes had just completed her doctorate dissertation, a perfect excuse for a celebratory trip to the mountains.
Kathy Phibbs in red chiffon dress poses on the summit of Mount St. Helens, 1987—when it reopened to climbers after the eruption. Photo: Benjamin Benschneider/Seattle Times
APRIL/MAY 2020 21
Left: Kathy Phibbs wore a dress to the summit of Mt. Rainier in 1990, while leading 33 women on a centennial celebration of the first female ascent by Fay Fuller, a Tacoma teacher in 1890. Photo: Unknown. Below: Kathy was an inspiring mountaineer and found joy in the mountains. Photo: Ross Macfarlane
Miss Dish, continued from previous page At the top, a few dozen folks rest, snack on lunch. A couple ‘summit sodas’ are cracked and a champagne cork pops, but this ‘party’ is fairly low-key. Everyone there has had to earn their spot, step by step up the 6 miles and 5,500’ feet elevation gain. Even the 20-somethings are content to chill in the sun. Kathy’s friends stick the pink plastic flamingos in the snow. They snack on Ginger Snaps, Kathy’s favorite. They toast. From a backpack emerges the original red dress—chiffon and gold lamé trim. Annette offers to try it on, and poses on the crater rim, the breeze rippling the same fabric as it had on Kathy that spring day in 1987. But it isn’t the same, and everyone can feel it, but don’t want to say it out loud. They gaze into the vast crater, silent, feeling the welling up of grief. Ross casually points out that the elevation we are at was nothing more than a rest break on the original climb. “Over there is the Dogs Head,” he says, pointing his ski pole. I can tell that he is seeing the mountain two ways at the same time: what it is, and what it was. “For me it’s always a bit of a ghost mountain,” Ross said. “When you get to the rim and look into that giant crater it’s beautiful but there’s also this sense of loss, of what’s missing. A double sense of loss because of this great friend who put a stamp on it.” At the summit of St. Helens, dozens of other people celebrate. They take turns posing with a cardboard sign that reads: Happy Mother’s Day. They hand each other their phones and say, “Take one of me.” Few here, if any, know about Kathy. But Kathy’s story, and Mount St. Helens itself, is not simply about what is no longer there, but what remains. And what remains of the day is to do what ‘That Kathy Girl’ would do: tilt head to the sun, grin, feel the flutter of chiffon, and then push off on ski poles, and embrace the letting-go sensation of carving easy turns in slushy snow on a promising spring day.
22 MAZAMAS
Getting to Know
CHRISTINE L. MACKERT, MD by Dick Pugh and Joyce Follingstad
W
ho summited the Matterhorn in 1977, chased off a bear with her ice axe, collected nearly all of the Mazama awards, relocated a student’s dislocated shoulder during a basic school training on Mt. Hood, and who lead the Mazamas as president through five terms? Meet Christine Mackert, MD! Chris Mackert was born in Rexberg, Idaho, and was raised nearby on a ranch close to St. Anthony, Idaho along with an older brother and sister. If asked, she would claim that she was from Squirrel, Idaho, which was a long disappeared ghost town nearby. After high school she attended the University of Idaho. Then, she went to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri for her pre-med education. Finally, she arrived in Portland and attended The University of Oregon Medical School (now OHSU) for her internship and residency to become an anesthesiologist. Having grown up in the shadow of the Tetons, Chris was inspired to climb the Grand Teton. Now in Portland, she added Mt. Hood to that wish list. To prepare for these challenges Chris enrolled in The Mazamas Basic Climbing School in 1970. Her instructor was Jack Grauer with whom she became lifelong friends. Intermediate Climbing School followed, and as she grew in proficiency she was selected to become a Mazama climb leader in 1974. With her medical, as well as her mountaineering skills, Chris was an asset on every climb, frequently helping injured climbers. Over the years, Chris summited mountains 112 times with The Mazamas, led 15 of the climbs and assisted with 42 others. Chris has climbed in the US, Mexico, Africa and Europe! In 1974, she received the Guardian Peaks Award; in 1975 the Seven Oregon Peaks Award; and in 1976 the 16 Peaks and the Five Point Leadership awards. In 1977 she was given the Ten Point Leadership Award; and in 1979 the 15 Point Leadership Award. Then, in 1982 Chris was bestowed the Parker Cup Award for her outstanding service to The Mazamas. See a progression here? Charles H. Sholes, Mazamas’ second president, went on to serve the club for five terms. Over the years several people served for three terms, and a few more served for two. No one besides Charles Sholes had
been president for five terms until Chris served for her fifth term as president. In 2008, Chris became an Honorary Member of the Mazamas for her remarkable service to mountaineering, joining such luminaries as John Muir and Fred Beckey. 1980 was the first year Chris served as Mazama president. Her goal was to attain financial stability for the club because during the previous five years the club had run a deficit. Her second goal was to complete capital improvements at the Mazamas Lodge at Government Camp. The third goal was to increase volunteerism by Mazama members. She worked tirelessly to achieve these goals. Her second term as president began in 1989. She worked with the Executive Council to streamline administration of the club while making operations more professional. A review of the by-laws was initiated, office equipment updated, and a job description written for the office manager position. By her third term in 1998 The Mazamas had outgrown its clubroom space on NW 19th Avenue. A needs assessment determined that a larger office, library, auditorium, and additional parking were needed. Options included renewing the lease for the current space
through 2005 and investing a substantial amount of money for remodeling, or to purchase a more suitable building. The Mazamas Foundation was created in 1999. A new foundation board was organized, investments managed, and a search for a new building began. That year also brought a quagmire of new government regulations and risk management issues. Chris led the club in reviewing and revising policies and procedures, and created an incident management program. Highlights from Chris’s leadership in 2000 included Mazamas partnering with the USDA Forest Service. Members were encouraged to act as voluntary wilderness stewards in the Mt Hood, SalmonHuckleberry and Hatfield Wilderness areas. In the face of an aging membership, Mazamas initiated five and ten year longrange plans that sought to attract younger members. Mazamas joined the electronic age and developed a website. APRIL/MAY 2020 23
WHAT CAN A
MAZAMA DO?
W
hen the Conservation Committee proposed this May article many months ago we envisioned a description of summer stewardship opportunities provided by our conservation partners. Little did we know that these activities would be halted by a pandemic, and we would all be at home. What can Mazamas do for our beloved wilderness when we can't plant trees and native shrubs, monitor wildlife cameras or timber sales, eliminate invasive species, or rebuild trails? We can still help our conservation partners from home; their work continues and so should our assistance. You may not be able to be involved in person, but you can still be involved online. You can educate yourself about conservation campaigns and advocate with letters and petitions. You can register for stewardship projects with the Cascade Forest Conservancy scheduled July through October. Several of our conservation partners have also become very creative with their online offerings.
OREGON WILD Oregon Wild recently added webinars and online presentations, including Ben Goldfarb's Secret Life of Beavers, Eli Boschetto’s hiking on the Oregon PCT, and Trip Jennings’ Wild Fires. Longtime Mazama conservation partner Oregon Wild has a forty-year history of environmental activism in Oregon. They work to provide wilderness protections for Crater Lake, the Devil's Staircase, Wild Rogue, Mt. Hood, and the Ochocos. They are also protecting wild and scenic rivers and wildlife (including wolves and sea otters), and reforming Oregon's forest laws. You can sign up to receive their newsletter about events, news and actions. In addition, they have a Youth Art Contest and an Outdoor Photo Contest. You can also check out their extensive map gallery for ideas about where to go when we can finally get out again.
OREGON NATURAL DESERT ASSOCIATION (ONDA) The Oregon Natural Desert Association is another conservation group with a creative online presence. They just introduced the High Desert Academy for the digital event community, including High Desert Wonders; Steens Mt., Hart Sheldon and the Land Between; the Wild Owyhee; Desert Hiking Tips and Trips; and 24 MAZAMAS
Multi-Sport Adventures on the Oregon Desert Trail. Their mission, since 1987, has been to protect and restore public lands in the Oregon high desert. All their spring and summer stewardship projects are on hold, but you can still be involved with their various campaigns through letters and petitions. You can learn on their site how to be a better desert advocate when commenting on public lands plans or when sending letters to the editor. You can also check out their blog and sign up for their email newsletter.
TRAILKEEPERS OF OREGON (TKO) Trailkeepers of Oregon has been maintaining and creating trails on Oregon's public lands since 2007. Many of you may have worked on trails with TKO, especially after the Eagle Creek fire, and some may have attended TKO's Tread School. You may also have seen their presentations at the Mazamas. You may be frustrated that you can't be out doing trail work (or hiking) now, but there are still things you can do to help TKO. They are postponing all in-person volunteering through May, but they are planning to offer virtual classrooms and digital engagement, such as live Facebook tool chats. They also maintain Oregon Hikers (OregonHikers. org) as a service. Keep checking their website to see their digital offerings, news, and when you can work on trails and hike again.
FRIENDS OF TREES Since 1989 Friends of Trees has planted over 800,000 trees and native shrubs in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem and EugeneSpringfield metro areas. Recently the Conservation Committee has sponsored tree plantings with Friends at the Sandy River Delta, Windswept Waters Natural
Area, and the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, all tree plantings are currently cancelled, but keep checking their and our calendars for future plantings. You can also sign up for Tree Mail, their email newsletter.
HELLS CANYON PRESERVATION COUNCIL Begun in 1967 to stop Hells Canyon and the Snake River from being dammed, the Hells Canyon Preservation Council (hellscanyon.org) focuses on managing public land in the Greater Hells Canyon region, including issues such as species protection and wildlife connectivity. Check out their website for important conservation issues such as protecting from logging the Lostine River Canyon, the most used entrance to the Eagle Cap Wilderness and a prime wildlife and wildlands connector. Also see their entertaining, educational blog posts on the Bumblebee Atlas Project, spring in Hells Canyon, and charismatic microfauna, et al. Post-covid, consider becoming a Wildlife Watcher, installing motiontriggered wildlife cameras between June and October, in partnership with the Forest Service. Of special concern is the American Marten (pine marten), an indicator species used by the Forest Service for management decisions.
CASCADE FOREST CONSERVANCY (CFC) The Cascade Forest Conservancy has been protecting and sustaining forests, streams, wildlife, and communities in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Washington's southern Cascades through conservation, education, and advocacy since 1985. One of their principal advocacy efforts is the No Mine Campaign in the
LOCAL CONSERVATION GROUPS 350PDX (350PDX.org) BARK (bark-out.org)*
Green River Valley on Mount Saint Helens. They also are working on how forest resilience impacts climate change. You can still help with their advocacy efforts, but their very popular and interesting citizen science trips have been cancelled until July. Their July through October offerings, open for registration, include Preparing Old Growth for Fire, Invasive Species Removal on the Lewis River Trail, Huckleberry Monitoring in the Sawtooth Strawberry Fields, Remote Forest Wildlife Camera Surveys, Native Seed Collection near Mt. Adams, an Aquatic Restoration Survey on the Upper Lewis River, a No Place for a Mine hike on Mt. St. Helens, Post-Fire Planting on Mt. Adams, and Riparian Plantings at Trout Creek and in the Cowlitz Valley. Many of these are overnight trips, but a few have a one-day option available. You can also download The Wildlife and Climate Resilience Handbook. Finally, after we are no longer socially distancing, CFC can use computer-savvy Mazama volunteers in their office which is conveniently located near the MMC.
BARK Since 1993 Bark has been a voice for community action to protect the Mt. Hood National Forest and surrounding federal lands. Their Free Mt. Hood campaign addresses the problems of the Mount Hood Forest Management Plans with its focus on commercial logging and the need to update the plan to manage for greater climate resilience for communities around the region. For years the Conservation Committee has been helping to fund Bark's two week Base Camp where volunteers learn how to groundtruth timber sales; other groundtruthing trainings are held throughout the year. They also monitor post-logging sites and beaver restoration projects. Check out Bark's website to learn about email alerts, the events calendar, the Understory book club, Rad*i*cle activist training, and the monthly ecology book
CASCADE FOREST CONSERVANCY, CFC (cascadeforest.org)* COLUMBIA RIVERKEEPERS (columbiariverkeepers.org) CRAG LAW CENTER (crag.org) club. Upcoming book club offerings: May 9, 6–8 p.m.—Lichen night. May 10, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.: A Lichen hike is currently scheduled (confirm online before attending); June 8, 6–8 p.m., information gathering on The Botany of Fire.
FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE Since 1980 the Friends of the Columbia Gorge has been dedicated to ensuring that the beautiful, wild Columbia River Gorge remains an unspoiled treasure for generations to come.They enforce Gorge protection laws, monitor Gorge oil trains, and work to build long-term fire resilience in the Gorge and connect hikers and communities through their Towns to Trails program. In April Oregon’s Poet Laureate Kim Stafford introduced their haiku challenge. All guided outings and stewardship events are currently suspended, but keep checking their website. You can sign up for their monthly news and eventually you can lead or shepherd hikes, help out with office projects, supervise an information table at a community event, participate in a hearing, rally or phonebook, become a trailhead ambassador, or join a stewardship work party to remove invasive species. As you can see there are lots of things we Mazamas can still do to support conservation groups from our homes. All of these groups would greatly appreciate your support. Keep checking their websites for when stewardship projects are again available. Also see future Mazama Bulletins for Conservation Committee articles on forests and climate resilience and reforming Oregon’s Forest Practices Act.
HELLS CANYON PRESERVATION COUNCIL (hellscanyon.org)* FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE (gorgefriends.org)* FRIENDS OF TREES ( friendsoftrees.org)* OREGON PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (oregonpsr.org) OREGON WILD (oregonwild.org)* OREGON NATURAL DESERT ASSOCIATION, ONDA (onda.org)* PACIFIC RIVERS (pacificrivers.org) SANDY RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL (sandyriver.org) TRAILKEEPERS OF OREGON, TKO (trailkeepersoforegon.org)* TRUST FOR PUBLIC LANDS (tpl.org) WILLAMETTE RIVERKEEPERS (willametteriverkeeper.org) WILD SALMON CENTER (wildsalmoncenter.org) *featured in article
APRIL/MAY 2020 25
50th Anniversary of Earth Day by John Rettig
T
he first Earth Day stands out rather uniquely among all of the other articles we’ve written in the Conservation Corner to observe 50th anniversaries of significant conservation and environmental events. It didn’t directly attempt to stop any one bad thing from happening, or empower government to take action to protect wilderness, rivers, mountains, forests, and seashores, or enhance the public participation process for deciding such issues. Rather, it directly empowered and organized individuals to go out for a single day each year and help the earth. In addressing a younger and motivated population with this one individual focus, it helped give a strong voice to the entire emerging public consciousness about the state of our planet.
The times were different in the decades leading up to the first Earth Day. Americans were consuming vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles, industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of the consequences from either the law or bad press, air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity, and pesticides were poisoning our lands and waters. Although Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring - published in 1963 - did issue the wake-up call on the latter, and environmental and conservation organizations were already engaged and calling for change in many other areas, there was yet to be significant, coordinated grass roots effort to start addressing the broad array of issues we faced. Essentially, mainstream America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health. This one event would suddenly change all of that. It was conceived by Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson, but like many other significant events of the era, it involved a bipartisan effort. His cohort and co-chair was Representative Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican. Together they set April 22, 1970 as the date, and established a grass-roots network to organize local events across the nation. This first event drew 20 million Americans - at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States - and they all took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. They also participated in a number of cleanup and restoration events nationwide, which is more the legacy we now know and understand Earth Day for today. 26 MAZAMAS
Groups that had been fighting individually against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife united on Earth Day around these shared common values. Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Senator Nelson recalled, “but it worked”. Like many other like-minded organizations, the Mazamas have participated in recent years in organizing and carrying out many events in the spirit of this original Earth Day, but not just on that day itself – it really occurs year round! Our tree planting events, trail tending, trail construction, trail cleanups, and other service events may be the most noticeable, but it’s not been limited to only these activities. We can also count our re-purposing a 112 year old building in a central location in Portland as our MMC headquarters, adding photovoltaic arrays to generate more than 60% of our electrical power needs, setting up and encouraging carpooling to our events, classes, and activities, pursuing carbon neutrality for the organization, putting in native, low maintenance landscaping, and encouraging bicycle and walking per the city of Portland’s alternative transportation guidelines. We keep on moving forward with the times!
MAZAMA MEMBERSHIP February Membership Report
March Membership Report
NEW MEMBERS: 24
NEW MEMBERS: 12
Aditya Addepalli—Mt. Adams Sean Barnett—Mt. Adams Jennifer Bergstrom—Mt. St Helens Roric Brown—Mt. Hood John Castle—Mt. Hood Cody Evans—South Sister Aaron Fancher—Mt. Adams James Garlant—Mt. Hood Rose Hauer—Mt. Hood Andrea Jacobs—Aconcagua (Argentina) Michelle Japhet—Mt. Eddy (California) Denise Kleim—Mt. Adams
Jesse Maanao—unnamed peak (Alaska) James Miner—Mt. Adams Akhtar Mirfazli—Mt. Rainier Shawn Mullen—Mt. Hood Selena Niles—Mt. St Helens J Michael Perry—Mt. Whitney Susan Schoening Federici—Grand Teton Jon Scully—Mt. St Helens Teresa Skaggs—Mt. Adams Amy Skei—Mt. Adams Lauren Steinhardt—Mt. Adams Paul Woods—Mt. Shasta
REINSTATEMENTS: 6
Derick Black (2010), Lori Coyner (2012), Jae Ellers (1999), Amber Hibberd (2016), William Honjas (1999), Alissa Lesperance (2012)
DECEASED: 0 MEMBERSHIP ON FEB. 29: 3,025 (2020); 3,336 (2019)
Charla Chatman—Glacier Peak Erin Faith Chavet—Longs Peak Marcia Dunham—Mt. Hood Sean Duquemin—Mera Peak (Nepal) Patrick Fitzgerald—Mt. Rainier Spencer Gray—Mt. Hood Travis Higdon— South Sister David Houck—Mt. Rainier Francisco Javier Mercado Stalker—Mt. St Helens Gene Paek—Mt. St Helens Philip Schatz—Mt. Adams Kari Thorkelsson—Mt. St Helens
REINSTATEMENTS: 2
Linner Mishler (1983), Todd Perimon (2012), & Richard Shuler (2013)
DECEASED: 1
Frank Bass (1959)
MEMBERSHIP ON MARCH 31: 3,050 (2020); 3,378 (2019)
JOIN THE MAZAMAS
SUCCESSFUL MAZAMA CLIMBERS
Are you ready to become a Mazama member? If you have summitted a glaciated peak at any time in your life you are ready! Go to mazamas.org/join and sign up.
Feb 21—Mt. Hood, South Side. Julie Kentosh, Leader. Bill McLoughlin, Assistant. Asa Christiana, Benjamin Goff, Tiffany McClean, Ian McCluskey. March 1—Mt. St. Helens, Swift Creek-Worm Flows. Melinda Hugo, Leader. Guy Wettstein, Assistant. Yukti Aggarwal, Matt Kirsch, John Lombard. March 10—Mt. Hood, South Side. Long Ong, Leader. Scott Branscum, Assistant. Kevin Kohberger, Jonathan Myers, Thomas Williams.
RENEW TODAY!
2020 SUMMER CLIMB SEASON DELAYED
Has your Mazama membership lapsed? Renewal is quick and easy! Simply log in to our website at mazamas.org, go to your dashboard, and click on Renew Your Membership. Follow the prompts. That's all there is to it! Your membership will be renewed. Membership expiration date is October 1.
In a typical year, the Mazama climb season gets into full swing on May 1. Due to the coronavirus, the start of climb season has been postponed until June 15. This date is subject to change. The intent is to open climb applications on May 15, but we recommend keeping an eye on our weekly e-news and our Facebook page for an announcement as this situation is very dynamic and is changing daily.
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REMBERING MAY 18: 1980 & 2010 by Barbara Marquam
A
t 8:25 a.m. the morning of May 18, 1980, I was driving north along Terwilliger Boulevard to the OHSU Dental School to present a Continuing Education course in a basement lecture room without windows. It was close to noon when we adjourned and first learned that Mount St. Helens had erupted at 8:32 a.m.
Just the day before, folks had been allowed to pick up belongings from cabins near the mountain. A “safe-area” had been designated to minimize the risk that someone would be in the blast zone (red zone) if the mountain were to erupt. Fiftyseven people died anyway. Several small “eruptions” had already occurred, but no one knew when, or if, the BIG one would come. However, scientific experts had observed the growing bulge on the peak’s north side. The actual eruption was more powerful than expected, and water from melting snow mixed with dirt and debris to create lahars—volcanic mudflows—down the mountain. Signs of these are still visible today. The afternoon of May 18, I attended an open house with picture windows facing Mount St. Helens. The 12-mile high mushroom cloud from the eruption was still evident. Thankfully, the mountain blew to the northeast and largely spared Portland, although later small eruptions sent ash into local gutters. Spreading ash made it as dark as midnight in Yakima, Washington by noon, and is said to have circled the globe. Mazama members Marianna and Ty Kearney, ham radio operators who lived in Washington state, were volunteer 28 MAZAMAS
volcano watchers. They were near the mountain when it erupted, and were the last survivors to have spoken via radio to fellow observer and volcanologist David Johnston, who was killed by the blast. The Johnston Ridge Observatory was named in his honor. Early in the morning on May 18, Marianna had just set up her easel to paint when her husband announced they had to leave, fast. Although their escape route took them toward the volcano at first, they managed to avoid the blast and survived. A Mazama couple by the names of Jean and Bill Parker—and 55 others—did not. National Geographic Magazine used one of Ty's photos in their article on the eruption. At the time of the eruption, Mazama Susan Saul was president of the Mount St. Helens Club. She said the day before the mountain erupted, she was able to take out flood insurance on their lodge. The adjuster found that water damage had indeed ruined the
building, and they got compensation for their loss—lucky timing. Before losing its top, Mount St. Helens was a favorite climb, with most routes on the north side of the mountain. After reaching the summit, one could glissade almost to the bottom (near Spirit Lake) of what appeared to be a perfectly-rounded
Barbara (left), Karen (middle), and Hally Van Katwijk (right) in 1983.
snowy cone from my housemate's property in southwest Portland. After the eruption, it looked moth-eaten at the top (see photo #1). The eruption reduced the mountain by about 1,300 feet from 1980’s 9,677 feet to today’s elevation of close to 8,640 feet. Mount St. Helens is considered the most destructive volcanic blast in U.S. history, but was 10 times less explosive than Indonesia’s Mt. Krakatoa, which famously erupted in 1883. If Yellowstone ever erupted, it is supposed to be close to 2,000 times greater in magnitude than Mount St. Helens. I first visited the blast zone about three years after the mountain erupted, and felt guilty I had waited so long. The mountain was open for hiking relatively soon, but it would be about five more years before it was open to climbing. That first trip back, I drove to Windy Ridge with a girlfriend— who introduced me to the Mazamas—and my housemate, Karen. I was amazed at how the trees had been blown over like matchsticks (there were many trunks in Spirit Lake) and how quickly the area was revegetating. Circa 1985 I hiked the Sheep Canyon Trail on the west side of the mountain
with Marianna and Ty Kearney, and heard their story. I was with Mazama Charles "Chuck" Carson and his girlfriend Marci Aplin. Later, I did the 15-mile Plains of Abraham hike with the Trails Club of Oregon. The leader, Wayne Schweinfest, had attended the Boy Scout camp on Spirit Lake's shore many years before Top: Mount St. Helens after 1980. Photo: Duane Ray. with a neighbor's sons. Above right: Spirit Lake, 1983. Photo: Barbara Marquam. Throughout the 1990s the region her son loved, Marianna went and 2000s, I tried to climb on a tour of Patagonia in her 80s with a Mount St. Helens at least once per year neighbor, and told me she had a wonderful to stay in shape for other mountains (see time. Afterwards, she spent most of her photo #4). time with Alan in Spokane. Marianna Kearney became a friend On May 18, 2010, I conducted of mine, and was the oldest Mazama Mazama Klindt Vielbig’s (see photo #5) member to hike (while carrying artifacts) Celebration of Life Service to a full house between the former rented Mazama in the MMC’s Holman Auditorium— headquarters on NW 19th to the new Klindt was a well-known member of the Mazama Mountaineering Center. Alan, climbing community. I was on the Library the Kearney’s son and one-time Mazama, was the first climber to write a guidebook continued on next page to climbing in Patagonia. Wanting to see APRIL/MAY 2020 29
Klindt Vielbig (Mt. Hood in the background), 2009. Photo: John Leary. Below: Barbara Marquam on the Swift Creek Route on Mount St. Helens, 2009.
Remembering 1980, continued from previous page Committee with Klindt, and had met both him and wife Nancy in the early 1980s at the Trail Club of Oregon’s Tyee Lodge. They had just returned from a cross-country ski outing, and I thought Klindt looked like a Nordic God—tall, slender, and sporting beautiful wavy hair (all three maintained until his death). Klindt was agile in mind and body when he died at 80+ in the spring of 2010, and was a cat lover until the end. Nancy had waited until May 18 to have his celebration of life because the date coincided with Mount St. Helens’ 30-year eruption anniversary and Kindt’s birthday. Klindt was also the first person to write a guidebook on skiing and hiking trails in Mount St. Helens National Monument, and 30 MAZAMAS
took all the photos and drew all the maps in the book. Nancy supplied some of his outdoor clothes, equipment, slides, books, and pictures for the memorial’s displays. Keith Daellenbach, another friend of mine who is well known as an advocate for Madrone Climbing Wall conservation, was the first to present at the memorial. Also speaking were Mazamas Dick Miller and Tom Gibbons (whose wife, Lois, had been the first woman president of the Mazamas). The last to speak was a young granddaughter who ended with her lowdown on Klindt’s character. After the ceremony, I gave Nancy and Klindt’s sons what I believed to be a finished copy of Klindt’s oral history, which she later helped
to correct and edit. Today, in 2020, the old 1950s OHSU Dental School building has been razed, and the dental hygiene department in which I went to school (1965-67) and taught (19752003) has long been closed. Mount St. Helens is losing its glaciers, a prerequisite for qualifying as a Mazama membership climb. But still we remember a time and a mountain that remain within us, and look forward to another 40 years of climbing, hiking, and enjoying Mount St. Helens.
Let’s “Climb” Mount St. Helens! article & photos by Ali Gray
W
hen Mount St. Helens erupted the morning of May 18, 1980, it didn’t really take anyone by surprise. Two months of earthquakes and steamventing activity preceded the eruption, and let scientists and the public know something big was coming. The size of the eruption and the destruction it caused, however, were astonishing—as were the seven years it took to reopen the mountain to climbing.
MOTHER'S DAY CLIMB On Sunday, May 10, run, walk, bike, or use your StairMaster to cover the the distance of a Mount St. Helens climb. Full details below.
Today, 40 years after the eruption, we’re seeing stark similarities to the events of 1980. The fact that a virus can spread across the world is unfortunately no cause for surprise. But the sheer magnitude of COVID-19 and the havoc it's wreaked on our daily lives is astonishing. Like the seven years spent looking at Mount St. Helens from afar, fantasizing about climbing it, on this anniversary we’re again obliged to sit at home and dream.
SO … LET’S “CLIMB” The Mazamas couldn’t lead climbs on Mount St. Helens in 1980, but that doesn’t mean we can’t lead virtual climbs in 2020! No, it won’t be the same as trudging up the 4,500 feet or so of elevation gain, taking in the amazing views of the crater, Spirit Lake, and Mt. Rainier from the top, or enjoying the glissade or ski back down. But we can still do something fun and get some exercise as part of the Mazama community from the comfort of our home or neighborhood. On Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day), we challenge you to go the distance—run, walk, bike, or use your StairMaster to cover the 10 miles round trip it takes to climb Mount St. Helens (or 12 miles if you want to do the winter route). If you can get some elevation gain and descent in there, good for you. Bonus points if you wear something fun in the tradition of Mother’s Day climbs. Don’t forget to snap a photo of your “summit” and watch for a message from the Mazamas on social media or in your email for the place to submit your photos and story. Mark your calendars, and go have some fun! Clockwise from top: View from the summit of Mount St. Helens. Practicing my mountaineering skills for my upcoming May 10 "climb."
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While You’re At Home… by Ali Gray
2
020 has been a rough time for everyone. COVID-19 has brought the world as we know it to a standstill, with the schools, stores, and restaurants we frequent on a daily or weekly basis closed or even boarded up. Millions have lost their jobs, and we’ve been forced to limit interactions with friends and family to phone or video chats. Many of us are working from home, and others aren’t supposed to leave home at all.
While city parks and neighborhood sidewalks around Oregon and Washington remain open, state and national parks, ski resorts, boat launches, and trailheads are off-limits. This has been especially tough on Mazama members and the outdoor community at large. Many, if not all, of us rely on nature for our mental and physical well-being. Not being able to go for a hike, ski, trail run, or bike ride in the mountains is taking its toll. Staying active, doing something for ourselves or our communities, making or building things, or learning something new are all things we can do to help us get through our “stay at home” quarantines. Here are some ideas to keep you and your families busy.
ORGANIZE YOUR GEAR CLOSET (OR CORNER, OR ROOM, OR GARAGE) If you’re anything like me, you have every intention of putting your outdoor
clothing and equipment neatly away after every outing, but it’s wet and/or dirty, and you’re tired. Then you go to work for the week, and it remains scattered across the floor or hung from door handles until you have to pack for the next trip. All this time at home is the perfect opportunity to get organized! Wash your outerwear jackets and pants (yes, even the Gore-Tex ones), air out your sleeping bag, wipe down your tent, wax your skis or snowboard, and pick the mud out from between your crampon points (how did that even get there?). This is also a great time to restock your first aid kit, inspect your gear for damage, and make sure everything functions the way it should. Now find some bins, boxes, hooks, and hangers and get to work! Organize things by activity or function, make some labels, and pair up your boots. Your future self will thank you for it, and maybe even keep it neat when you can finally go back out. *Extra credit: You know those cool overhead photos of “what’s in your bag,” or “what’s in your repair kit” with everything spread out so you can see it all? Lay out your gear and snap some photos—you
Working at home with a happy cat.
can use these to help pack in the future, or just to show off your cool stuff to friends.
MAKE A FACE MASK We all know we should be covering our noses and mouths when going to crowded places such as the grocery store or a city park on a sunny afternoon. As outdoor people, we probably all have a bandana or buff laying around somewhere we could use. If you want to go the extra mile, there are lots of free patterns available online that use whatever fabric you have laying around and require minimal sewing skills. If you do have the skills and a sewing machine, consider making masks for your family and even at-risk people on your block, at your workplace, or in your community.
Mazama Anchor Building webinar on Zoom
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DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE One of the wonderful things that emerges from tragedy is the realization of just how good humanity can be. There are stories all over the news and social media of people doing kind things for other people—loved ones and strangers. This is something we all can do. Do you know anyone who may not be able to leave the house or has lost their job? Help them out! Add a few more items to your next grocery visit, walk a grandparent’s dog, donate time or money to a food bank, and tip well on your take-out orders. And please, don’t hoard food or supplies.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW, OR PRACTICE SOMETHING OLD Being at home with nothing to do but look at a screen can be depressing (and Netflix is calling). Turning that screen time into a learning opportunity is something
that’s helped me stay sane. There are countless online articles, videos, Summer activities: organized. Now on to winter… and podcasts covering even when the store down the street is everything you can think of. closed. Maybe use the time you’d normally The Mazamas are hosting a series of spend commuting or hiking (yes, insert free educational webinars through Zoom cry emoji here, many times) to create or Facebook—I did the anchor building something instead. I’ve broken out the class and it was fantastic! Check online watercolors I bought years ago but never for upcoming classes, or sign up to teach used, and plan on sitting down with them one. The Portland Art Museum has later today. created an online space for the Mount Yes, times are rough. But they can also St. Helens 40th anniversary exhibit they be good. People are spending less time at were showing before the lockdown. The work and more time with their families, Smithsonian made thousands of images and pets everywhere are loving life. We can and articles public after their doors closed, speak to and even see our loved ones with and is offering distance learning resources the press of a button. Everything we could for parents and teachers. The Oregon ever dream of learning is a few minutes Zoo (and others around the country) of searching away. Natural environments are hosting educational videos of their are getting a chance to regrow without animals. Many online platforms that offer all the people trampling everywhere, and courses on hundreds of subjects are free or pollution is (at least temporarily) clearing. have reduced pricing. At the end of the day, for the majority of us, there’s a lot to be thankful for.
BE CREATIVE
Have you ever wanted to learn to paint or draw? Cook or bake? Knit or sew? Build a table or chair? It’s hard to find the time to do something creative, since both learning something new and being creative can be mentally taxing. Luckily, we live in a time when a how-to video is just a click away, and the supplies you need can be delivered to your door
Baguettes: Attempt #1 (I’m definitely not a good baker)
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Notes From the Trail:
Hiking During a Pandemic by Darrin Gunkel
A
round the next bend, a couple and their dog appear. There’s no good place to step off the trail, so it’s down into a scramble of sword fern and hidden logs on a soft slope. The couple pass, ignoring me as I wobble on an uncertain foothold, until their dog notices the odd, and apparently to the canine mind, disturbing, sight of a human not on the trail, and lunges, barking. They yank it back and continue, not returning, I note with a sniff, my wave. Social distancing. Awesome. One more norm I can be uptight and judgy about. Not like I have the right to judge. You’re supposed to stay at home unless it’s absolutely necessary. Here I am, on my way around Powell Butte, doing a hike. I ask myself again, is this absolutely necessary? The voice in my head answers, “Considering your mental state, yes.” But is it? These days, we're also supposed to wear masks in public places. We’re supposed to keep six feet from people, unless we’re exercising, and then at least 12, or maybe 20 feet, depending on who you ask. National parks and forests are off limits. So are state parks, climbing gyms, and all Mazamas activities that can’t be done online. BCEP cancelled! There go plans to kick into high gear that training regimen for the summer climb and hike season. Can yoga and yard work keep me in good enough shape? We’re also supposed to keep busy. You know, to counter the psychological consequences of this strange sort of house/ yard arrest we find ourselves collectively under. There are only so many home projects. I spent the morning drilling 200 or so holes of various sizes in the trunk of 34 MAZAMAS
a dead plum tree behind my garage. Mason bee habitat. A lot of neighbors have started gardens (I think of my 85-year-old mom, talking about victory gardens she tended in her WW II childhood.) I’ve had bad luck with growing actual food, so I can at least encourage the neighborhood pollinator population. We really are all in this together, even as we’re warned to stay far apart. No wonder I’m feeling out of sorts. The opportunities for cognitive dissonance around this whole mess are legion. Then there’s the combination of too much news consumption and allergy season going full swing. Two sure paths down a dank rabbit hole of paranoia. I heard somewhere the illness starts out in the throat. My throat’s burning! Why do my eyes feel extra gritty? Do my arms ache from weeding the garden beds four hours yesterday, or from fever onset? Reading that article about respirators, I swear my breath felt short. My lungs are inflamed! Really, the only thing truly inflamed is my hypochondria. I go back and check the CDC website one more time: six feet, wear a mask in a crowded place like a liquor store, stay home unless you have to. I know
a hike will put all my symptoms where they belong, far behind, somewhere between the trailhead and the second long slope up to the meadow atop Powell Butte. Before I reach that point, it’s another story. Hitting the trail in a state of conflict. Not a little guilty for violating the stay at home order, still, defiant, rationalizing my need to clear my head the single best way I know how. Ambivalent, or is it confused? Shouldn’t I have a mask, in case I can’t get out of someone’s way? (Yes. On later reflection, I decide. Absolutely.) The CDC says they’re advised for “crowded places,” but do moderately to lightly trafficked park trails count? A little panicky even, convinced as I’ve always been that any virus within 100 miles will find me and get me. My first encounter does not help. Not 100 yards from the end of Holgate Street, where I begin the Powell Perimeter trail, a runner comes blasting up the slope, breathing-- no exhaling!--hard. I jump on a log and scramble up it what I deem a safe 15 feet. Why isn’t he wearing a mask? Well, I know why. It would be a serious drag to have to breathe like that into a cloth, or
worse, N95 filter. I picked 4 p.m. to start this walk, hoping most people would already be on their ways home ahead of dinner time. This does not bode well. The usual number of people wander the flats below the Butte’s north slope. Am I the only one getting off the trail to ensure the minimum six feet? Pretty much. The whole 5.2 mile trip, only one other person will step off before I do. A mother with a stroller, who returns my hearty thanks, with, “Of course!” I let some teenagers smoking pot pass. They grin while I stand in the brush, photographing ferns. A couple on the trail’s first steep grade glance up at me like I’m a bit loopy, steadying myself against a tree on a bank six feet above the trail. At the top of the first climb, breathing hard, relieved no one else is around, I start the trail through the open woods high on the Butte’s northwest slope. I love this stretch of the perimeter route. It’s always reminded me of the woods in Northern California. Afternoons like this, the sun cuts through the canopy to fill the forest with warm, dry light that can feel a little foreign here in the Pacific Northwest. Also, it’s usually pretty lonesome. Today, no exception. I relax a little. And I notice something amazing. The forest smells like a wildland forest! Of course. Pollution is way down, now that Portland’s infamous traffic has dwindled. This feels like something worth breaking the rules to experience. Back in the normal world, there is never a sunny day the chemical tinge of exhaust isn’t present in the air here. Even a few rainy days, too, when the pollution’s bad enough. But this. It feels like a different world, like I’ve gone much farther than seven minutes from my front door. The hiking tonic is working. Until I hit the Cedar Grove leg. Passing what I call Cedar Gate, where the trail threads three grand Western Reds and begins the long route down through the finest forest in the park, I step off the trail to wait while a cyclist
takes her own sweet time fiddling with her jacket before riding off. I get a few nice pictures of blooming trillium, at least. Further on, I hear loud voices, a family face-timing as they take someone less fortunate on a virtual stroll. Another biker, who approaches so quickly (and without signaling, I’ll add) I literally jump out of his way I’m so startled. The requisite confused Powell newbie asks, “Where’s this trail go?” It’s weird giving directions and advice from 20 feet away. More families. The usual kind of crowd. So much for my plan to hit the trail during a traffic lull. Seems like I’m not the only defiant walker in Southeast Portland Or maybe not. Aside from that couple with the dog, I pass just two other people on the mile-long rise from the bottom of Cedar Grove to the summit meadow. This is where I like to get the heart-rate up, blow the cobwebs out of my mind with endorphins, burn a few calories. Today’s no exception. I keep my pace strong, and by the switchbacks before the meadows, I notice I haven’t felt diseased for a good 20 minutes now. Ruminations about politics and the state of humankind rise and pass, like they should, quickly from my mind as more interesting things distract me. It’s the perspective of the hike. Things seem clearer. I feel myself again. This is starting to feel like a good choice. The world appears a little less crazy, or at least feels a bit more manageably crazy. Saving the best of the Perimeter Trail for last, I pass from the woods into the vast summit meadow, east Portland’s prairie in the sky. It’s a sunny spring afternoon, there’s a pleasant breeze, St Helens, Hood, Adams, and Jefferson are all out, the Oregon grape are in full bloom, Kestrels hover and dive over patches of tall grass, and the pollution-free view up the Gorge is clear like I’ve rarely seen. Still, I’m taken aback. I’ve seen more people up here on a windy, rainy Tuesday afternoon in November. This meadow almost never feels crowded,
even when it’s as crowded as it should be on a day like today. Now, the emptiness is more than a matter of perspective. People really are taking the stay at home order seriously. And while I feel far less neurotic than I did at the outset of this trip, the ambiguity is just as strong. It’s nice to have all this space to myself, but that’s what those November afternoons are for. There should be kids and dogs and couples and young people and old people, runners, dawdlers, tourists, an entire cross section of Portland. Instead, it’s me and the Kestrels until I run into a family with another dog I freak out on the far side of the meadow. This gives me something to chew on as I descend through the woods on Holgate Lane, my cool down leg on Powell Butte. On the one hand, I do feel so much better than I did a few hours ago. On the other, how does that justify at best bending, at worst flaunting, a rule designed to stem a pandemic? I think about the people I passed in the last five miles. Sure, I’m giving them space, but as a member of an outdoor leadership community, shouldn’t I be leading by example? And anyway, how do you lead by example, when your example is to not be there at all? Was the tension I felt meeting others worth, ultimately, this walk? Would having a mask to don make it less stressful, more “right”? Was adding to the collective risk facing our community (however you want to define it: neighborhood, city, state, world) worth it? With this many questions, the choice starts to feel less than good. I’m privileged enough to have options, and maybe that’s what I need to focus on. Maybe it’s time to double down on the yoga.
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10 WAYS
TO STAY ACTIVE DURING QUARANTINE FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON’T HAVE AN ELLIPTICAL IN OUR BASEMENT
by Claire Tenscher
I
n light of COVID-19’s impact on our public spaces and the closure of our state forests, we’d like to share some suggestions that don’t involve getting out there. A special note though: there is no shame or failure in deciding to take it easy. Research suggests that 10 minutes outdoors can decrease stress and you don’t have to go hard to get these benefits. Walk around the block, sit in your yard or on your deck, or eat dinner outside. If you do want to be physically active, here are some suggestions you may not have considered: 1.
Finally do that fitness program you clipped out of Runners magazine or Powder. The author of this piece has been meaning to get ready for ski season since October of last year. Perhaps she’ll take this opportunity to finally do the routine from the articles she saved.
2.
Check out a class from a local dance or yoga studio, gym, or martial arts center. Many local studios are posting online dance classes with various free/fee/ donation options. Support these instructors and your community while learning a new skill.
3.
Walk around your neighborhood at midnight—a sure time to avoid the crowds. This is somewhat tongue in cheek but if you do decide to go at night, check out spotthestation.nasa.gov, which lists opportunities to see the International Space Station in the area above your home, with time, angle and direction of travel. There’s something amazing about seeing a tiny white dot, impossibly far away, and knowing 6 humans are living aboard.
4.
Try a video game—there are lots of movement based games. Maybe you want to have dance battles, fight a dragon with squats, or control a marching band by stepping in place. You could consider a Virtual Reality system where you control the game
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with your body or a game that works with your bike on a trainer or spin cycle. For some of us it is as simple as dusting off the system we stopped playing two years ago or buying a new peripheral device for the console we already have. If buying a gaming system is new to you, there are numerous reviews online that can help you find your match. 5.
6.
7.
Do a body weight workout— besides the perennial favorites squats and lunges there are lots of other movements you can do with limited equipment and space. Try a bear crawl, tricep dip, or squat jack. Consider a cross between fitness and a drinking game: choose a show you like, each time a character says their catch phrase or does something predictable do a squat, or ten! Exercises can be supplemented with kids, dogs, or random home objects. Dance like there is no one watching—so what if the peanut gallery giggles occasionally. For added level of difficulty mimic dance steps from a music video or have someone you are quarantined with join you. Check out a video movement routine—this can be HIIT, cardio, yoga, joyful movement, whatever makes your body feel good. Several Portland based companies have free workout apps, videos are also available on Youtube and Vimeo— find an instructor you like and run through their library.
8.
Consider a workout program— there are numerous multi-day fitness programs with different types of movement and necessary accessories. Find someone you know who is willing to be your accountability buddy and start at day 1. Keep in touch with them remotely. Having a set program length makes it easier to stay with it. If you do have an indoor bike or treadmill and are having trouble staying motivated there are several apps you can hook up that will add competition with other real people, games, or new routines for you to follow.
9.
Deep clean your living space— sure you can only do this so often but, have you done it yet? Bonus points if you decide to rearrange your furniture. Alternative for those lucky folks with a yard or garden, get out there and mess around in the dirt!
10. TAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF. This is a tough time.
Book Review
code 1244 by Jonathan Barrett
T
he recent dustup between the Clackamas County Sheriff and Portland Mountain Rescue has pushed their critical relationship back into the public consciousness, and it has served as a reminder that this professional collaboration has been critical and long-standing. Perhaps no single event has better illustrated the complex and dynamic relationship between the organizations tasked with mountain rescue in Oregon than the infamous 1986 Oregon Episcopal School tragedy where nine participants froze to death in a May
blizzard. Roughly a decade after that event I made plans to climb Mt. Hood for the first time. At the urging of someone older, wiser, and with more local knowledge than myself, I went to rent a Mountain Locator Unit, or MLU, so I wandered into REI and took possession of the device. It was an unwieldy, bandolier-style contraption that seemed to weigh more than it should. After checking to make sure that it would transmit properly, the clerk showed me how to pull the cord. “What do I do after I pull the cord?” I asked him. “Hope someone is looking for you,” he said coldly. We are a long way from 1986, and Ric Conrad’s new book Code 1244 reminds of this fact. Climbers have access to cell phone and GPS technology in their pockets in a way that would have been unthinkable 30 years ago, and, as we all know, the relationship between PMR and the Clackamas county sheriff ’s office is coming apart at the seams. As such it is easy to forget just how challenging it was to locate the participants lost on the broad southern slopes of Mt. Hood. His nonfiction narrative lays out the circumstances in an objective fashion that brings this past back into the present, and he highlights the immense collaborative effort that was required to effect a successful rescue. The book is built around 37 interviews with key witnesses who provide the source material for his detailed account. Conrad extensively quotes those people and cites his sources throughout. The effect is to make the book feel intent on convincing the reader of the veracity of all of the facts. He attempts to reconstruct as accurately as possible as much as possible. Not all voices
are included though. Some key survivors like Ralph Summers, the Outward Bound instructor hired to facilitate, chose to not provide Conrad with their testimony. As such, the reader is also left wondering what else might have been included. The book’s structure is chronological. Events are presented and sequenced in “real time”, meaning that Conrad timestamps each section: 10:13 A.M., Palmer Snowfield; 10:50 A.M. Timberline Lodge, and so on. The effect is an inexorable marching forward. Most readers will know what they are moving towards, the ultimate demise of seven students and two staff. At times the progression feels plodding and slow as we are led minute by minute through the events, and the reader is also left to wonder how crucial these exact times are to the storytelling. At other times, these details provide a sense of texture and nuance that is revelatory. No other account has attempted to be so comprehensive. As for the narrative arc itself, there is no single character that the novel follows, no protagonist to root for. The reader feels deep and presiding empathy for the trials and struggles of all of the people who are trying to lead their team or stay warm or believe that their child will come home safely. Conrad has no allegiance to one character over another. They are all equally important in his storyline. As such the book feels simultaneously removed and objective but also even-handed. If one is looking for his account to indict any culpable figures, they will be disappointed because it never happens. No one person is the villain; there are dozens of heroes though.
Most members of the Mazamas will have heard the story before, and it may seem difficult to argue that reading this extensive retelling is worth one’s time and emotional energy. The problem is that the OES tragedy has been reduced to an abstraction in the last thirty years, and, maybe worse, it is an abstraction that we think that we know. I fell into this trap myself before reading it and after lugging the MLU up Mt Hood several times before deciding that I would never need it. To read Code 1244 is to be reminded of the humanity of all of the participants. They all were making choices at the time in ways that are easy to Monday morning quarterback, but in context those choices seem to make sense. This is true for the teenagers post-holing through the storm as well as the rescuers trying to manage an increasingly complex operation on less and less sleep. If I could, I would lay this book in the hands of Craig Roberts, the Clackamas County Sheriff. Conrad has given us a case study in the complexity of multiorganization rescues. It is a reminder of the necessity of effective collaboration. It is also a reminder that the victims of mountain accidents are still people even though the public may want to reduce their actions to the oversimplification that they made “poor choices” that could have been avoided. Sheriff Roberts might be the most appropriate audience for this book in a way that Conrad could have never predicted. APRIL/MAY 2020 37
MAZAMA LODGE by Charles Barker, Mazama Lodge Manager
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azama Lodge will be closed during the entire month of April and May due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a plan to reopen on June 8. This will be the first time Mazama Lodge has closed from an outside influence in its 97 year history (including our first lodge—the 1923 Twin Bridges Lodge). Even during World War II Mazama Lodge stayed open, unlike Timberline Lodge which closed for a few years. We will have a volunteer living at the lodge for the next month to ensure that our lodge is safe while we wait for the pandemic to pass. During this time the phone will not be answered, but messages will occasionally be checked. I will be responding to email and online reservations will be accepted for dates after June 8. For many of us this is not new territory, but for a generation or two before us pandemics were part of our Mazama history.
My grandfather, GE Moore who joined the Mazamas in the 1920s suffered from childhood polio and walked with a cane or alpenstock throughout his life. His love for mountaineering was strong enough to overcome his painful limp throughout his life. His brother-in-law, John London, also a Mazama, survived the 1918 flu pandemic. Both pandemic survivors also survived one of the early Mazama Mountaineering accidents, where Dr. Stryker died on the north side of Mt. Hood in 1927 (details of this early Mazama tragedy are detailed in Jack Grauer’s book, The History of Mt. Hood). This story is a nice reminder that our early Mazamas have been through this before and continued to climb and even build a few lodges along the way. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MAZAMA? EDUCATION ADVOCACY COMMUNITY BUILDING 38 MAZAMAS
MAZAMA CLASSICS For members with 25 years of membership, or for those who prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace.
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e are a community defined by our celebration of the outdoors as a collective of friends and fellow adventurers, over years that span generations. Coronavirus poses obvious challenges to sheltering and sustaining this community. The adage “This too shall pass” is familiar enough to sound like a pronouncement from the Bible. It actually originates with Persian Sufi poets. Perhaps this wisdom can be a focus for us within our community. Be safe. Stay in touch.
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hat does it mean to join the Mazamas? As a member you are part of one of the most respected mountaineering and outdoor organizations in the country. Our members are passionate outdoor individuals who are dedicated to our mission of inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains. The Mazamas and its members work towards our mission through education, advocacy, and community building.
AS A MEMBER YOU WILL: ▶ Meet new friends who share your love of the outdoors. ▶ Contribute towards scholarships to get underserved populations outdoors. ▶ Discounted rates on Mazama activities and discounts at local outdoor retailers and gyms. ▶ Receive our monthly Mazama Bulletin magazine. ▶ Join the American Alpine Club (AAC) at a reduced rate (once you join you will receive a code to use on the AAC website). ▶ Gain full access to the world-class 5,000-volume Mazama Mountaineering Library. ▶ Receive free rescue insurance anywhere in the world below 6,000 meters and up to $10,000 ($5,000 with Mazama membership; $10,000 with joint AAC membership). ▶ Volunteer! You can join our team and lead trips, classes, and other activities.
MazamasÂŽ 527 SE 43rd Ave. Portland OR 97215 www.mazamas.org
Mazama Periodical Postage Paid in Portland, Oregon
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MAZAMAS?
Get membership details on page 38 and join today at mazamas.org/join
