MAZAMA LODGE
Volunteers at Mazama Lodge
by Julia Williams, Mazama Lodge Vice Chair, and Brook Harris, Mazama Lodge Chair.
M
y, oh my, have we rolled our sleeves up virtually and in-person to get ready to welcome you back! Over the past year, a whole host of volunteers has worked tirelessly to help reopen Mazama Lodge—and we would like to say a huge THANK YOU!
The Mazama Lodge lives in one of the most extreme environments on the planet. This year our home on the mountain resisted record snowfall, intense wildfires and dense smoke, and several significant wind events. All of that in addition to floods, extended power outages, and so much more. Regardless, a host of vigilant volunteers helped keep it safe, and maintained the building during our long closure. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to William Emerson, Joe Fox, Seeger Fisher, and Julia Williams, who marshalled the lodge through one of its most challenging years—and from one major weather emergency to the next. This winter, a call went out for volunteers to join a Lodge Task Force, specifically to work on standards and best practices 6 MAZAMAS
for re-opening the lodge in a way that would be both safe and accommodating to our visitors. They also came together in person to rearrange the lodge according to state safety protocols, which was no small task. Jessica Zahnow, Rebecca Demorest, Tom Miller, Brian Heh, Joe Fox, Bruce Foulke, Julia Williams, Shannon Wages, Harry Frost, Eric Einspruch, and Susan Koch are a big reason why we can all enter the Lodge feeling safe this summer. For their time, patience, and commitment to the lodge, we cannot possibly thank them enough. Our faithful Lodge Committee has also been an outstanding support as we journey toward reopening. The committee has met monthly to set the course of the Lodge, both short- and long-term. Bob Stayton was extremely generous in donating two cords of wood so we can enjoy our beloved fireplace, and Richard Sandefur has given so much of his time to adding new heaters, and fixing all of our electrical areas of opportunity, that it is odd when he is not around. Thanks to our committee, we are able to look forward to a bright future filled with familiar traditions and new adventures. Beyond these groups, we have also hosted several work days. During our basement reorganization day, Rex Breunsbach and Alice Brocoum cleaned and organized the tool room and scrubbed, rearranged, sorted, and mapped out our kitchen storage. Jessica and
