Executive Director Report

Acting Executive Director’s Report A LOOK BACK AT THE PAST YEAR

by Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director

Our Annual Meeting occurs on the first Monday in October and is when we officially usher in our new year, announce our incoming board members, and take a pause and reflect back on the “year” that was.

Despite our inability to gather in person, we still held our Annual Meeting, going virtual for the first time in our 126-year history. While it is a lot of work every year to pull together an Annual Meeting, there are two things I really love about this event. One, it forces us to take the time to reflect on the year that was—we analyze data, we write reports, and we take stock of our accomplishments and challenges over the past 12 months. And two, we have the opportunity to interact with a full spectrum of Mazama members. This year, while we couldn’t share a meal, handshake, or hug, we could see faces and smiles thanks to video conferencing, and share a few jokes before we got into the heart of the meeting.

I can truly say, the last 12 months are one for the record books. We kicked it off with our new Executive Director, and there was a vibe of excitement and change in the air. We were in the process of reframing the work of the Mazamas around our three core areas— Education & Activities, Advocacy, and Community—and we were setting the groundwork for a strong year of programming.

Little did we know that we would soon face a global pandemic, followed closely by the departure of our new Executive Director, a change in staffing at the Mazama Lodge, and unprecedented wildfires that filled our skies with smoke, drove people from their homes, and burned thousands of acres that we know and love. To say this past year has been unprecedented, would be an understatement.

Yet through all of the challenges, there have been new opportunities and shared experiences.

So what did we do in the before-Covid (BC) phase of the year? Well, as it turns out, quite a bit! We operated multiple youth The Mazamas mission is to inspire outreach climbs with our partner organizations and hosted everyone to love and protect the Unclimb Nights with Wild Diversity. We continued our work with Oregon Outdoors and Outdoor Alliance, keeping the Mazamas mountains. Never has our mission connected to advocacy initiatives, both locally and nationally. We collaborated with The Mountaineers, American Alpine Club, been more important than it is and the Colorado Mountain Club on our long-standing project of creating national training standards for volunteer leaders, now. People are discovering, or and piloted several courses. We held our biggest Portland Alpine Fest to date, with climbing legend Lynn Hill capping off a week of rediscovering, their need to spend clinics, seminars, and evening presentations.

We taught core programs, including Nordic, Backcountry time outside and in nature, and are Skiing, Families Mountaineering 101, and Intermediate Climbing looking for ways to explore, gather, School. We held an AIARE Avalanche Level I course, we hosted weekly Evening Travel Programs with record crowds, and we ran and learn—in a safe environment. a successful Used Equipment Sale just one week before the world shutdown due to the coronavirus. Our hike and ramble leaders The Mazamas can meet this need. led members and nonmembers on trails and roads, creating joy and camaraderie while racking up the miles. And our climb leaders had a few successful winter climbs on our local peaks.

And then the world stopped. And along with it, the Mazamas programming came to an abrupt halt. We had to cancel our Basic Climbing Education Program, Advanced Rock, and Canyoneering. Hikes and Rambles came to a standstill. Climbing season was delayed. We closed the Mazama Mountaineering Center and Mazama Lodge.

While it might have felt like everything came to a stop, behind the scenes we continued our work. We created a Virtual Series to connect our members and community online, covering topics such as Mt. Hood South Side 101, Anchor Basics, Navigation, and more. While I’m sure most people were interested in the topics, I think many tuned in just to see friendly faces, and get some connection to the outside world.

At the Mazamas we most frequently get in our cars and drive to trailheads to start our adventures. With many trailheads closed and travel discouraged, we were forced to figure out how to get our nature fix closer to home.

During these months at home, my bike, which previously was mostly a means of transportation, became one of my primary forms of outdoor recreation. Most weekends I would put my pup in his bike seat, and head out for long rides straight from my house. Instead of driving to Forest Park, I walked and ran in my neighborhood— frequently on familiar routes, but occasionally travelling off the beaten path and delighting in “new to me” locations. Or (later in the season after the parks were open) I would take my stand up paddleboard to Sellwood Park and launch on the Willamette, exploring areas that were new to me.

What I relearned during this time is that access to the outdoors is absolutely critical to our physical and mental health. Moving our bodies, breathing fresh air, and exploring the natural world, keeps us grounded and connected. This observation was reinforced when our sky filled with smoke due to the raging forest fires south and east of Portland. The air was unhealthy to breath, and outside wanderings and exercise were halted for the 10 days when our air quality index (AQI) was often times off the charts.The fires taught us that while we thought we had been in quarantine for months, we were truly just learning what quarantine meant.

The Mazamas mission is to inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains. Never has our mission been more important than it is now. People are discovering, or rediscovering, their need to spend time outside and in nature, and are looking for ways to explore, gather, and learn—in a safe environment. The Mazamas can meet this need.

Both our climbing and hiking program began operating in mid-July. We have several programs planned for October and November, including Intermediate Climbing School one day Skill Builders, and a hybrid Wilderness First Aid program hosted by our First Aid team. Our Nordic and Backcountry Skiing programs are holding info nights next month to prep for their 2021 classes. Our Street Rambles are currently on hiatus, but we can’t wait for them to return to get folks out on those closer to home adventures.

The Mazamas is able to continue our work and serve our community because of all of you—our members. We hope you will renew your membership now, and consider adding a donation with your renewal, in effort to help us continue to be a vibrant part of the greater mountain community. We are looking forward to getting to see all of you out on the trails, on Zoom, or at the Mazama Mountaineering Center in the near future.