MAY/JUNE 2022 1
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2 MAZAMAS
MAZAMA BULLETIN
CONTENTS
FEATURES
Volume 104 Number 3 May/June 2022
IN THIS ISSUE
Henry Pittock & the Mazamas, p. 16 BCEP 2022 Team 2, p. 20 Family Mountaineering (FM101): One Family’s Journey, p. 22 My time in FM101, p. 23 Llegando a la cumbre del Middle, p. 24 Reaching the top of Middle Sister, p. 25 On-Call with the Oregon Humane Society Technical Animal Rescue Team, p. 28 American Birkebeiner, p. 31
COLUMNS
Interim Executive Director’s Message, p. 4 Mazama Membership, p. 7 What’s happening around the Mazamas?, p. 8 Upcoming Courses, Activities, & Events, p. 9 Mazama Classics, p. 12 Mazama First Aid Committee, p. 13 Volunteer Opportunities, p. 13 Successful Climbers, p. 33 Book Review, p. 34 Mazama Library, p. 35 A Call for Creatives, p. 36 Request for Bulletin Submissions, p. 36 Executive Board Minutes, p. 37 Colophon, p. 39
Well documented in nonprofit literature is the following truth, changing a formal membership structure into a self-sustaining board structure tends to be a challenging task," p. 4 On August 6, 1857, Pittock, along with four others made what is considered the first documented climb of Mt. Hood,” p. 16 We’re hard pressed to prioritize meaningful time together—those special moments of bonding that nurture our individual, social, and spiritual growth,” p. 22 Founded in 1973, the Birkie is the largest cross-country ski race in North America, with around 11,000 skiers each year," p.31
Cover: Tessa Rough during a BCEP 2022 Cook Hill conditioning hike, photo by Teresa Dalsager. Above: New member Jackson Ruys on the summit of Mount St. Helens, January 27, 2022.
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INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE PART 1: THE ROAD AHEAD by Kaleen Deatherage, Interim Executive Director
I
’d like to begin by thanking all of you who attended or watched via YouTube our listening session in March, as well as those of you who have taken your time to email or stop by for a conversation as we work together to define the road ahead for the Mazamas. This is YOUR organization, and it’s heartening to see the level of engagement and care that members, staff, and the board have for our mission and our future. Your questions and feedback from the listening session, along with the on going work of the staff and board, have helped us to clarify our next steps. We are going to focus on the following priorities in the coming months: 1. Financial oversight and budget planning—to overcome the deficit and rebuild the Mazamas financial assets and stability. 2. Identify revenue sources and build a fundraising plan—initiate new approaches to program/activity pricing and new sources of revenue generation to improve the bottom line. 3. Role clarity and responsibility for decision making—clearly define the respective roles, reporting, and decisionmaking authorities of volunteer leaders, staff, and the board. 4. Propose bylaws amendments—a wellplanned process to identify needed changes, share rationale with members, hold discussions, and move to a vote within a timeline that resolves issues before hiring a new permanent ED and launching a strategic planning process. 5. Improve communication organizationwide—develop and lead a well-planned, pro-active approach to communications to help support and maintain a positive and cohesive community dynamic and engaged membership. We’ll be actively using all the Mazama communication channels to share the work happening on these priorities, and we’ll be reaching out to many of you to help contribute to these efforts, so please answer your door when we come knocking!
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One of the takeaways I had from the listening session was a recognition that it could be helpful to clarify the most common nonprofit operational and governance structures, to explain what structure Mazamas currently operates with, and to suggest some structural adjustments that could better fit your present needs and set the Mazamas up for success on the road ahead. With that in mind, let's dive into a conversation to better understand and compare nonprofit structures.
What is a Nonprofit Organization? A nonprofit is an entity that is driven by a dedication to a social cause in areas such as religion, science, environment, public health, social service, or education. Unlike corporations, all revenues earned by a nonprofit organization are used in furthering its mission-focused objectives instead of being distributed to shareholders or employees of the organization. Nonprofits in most jurisdictions are tax-exempt, meaning that they do not pay income tax on the income that they receive. Non-profit organizations in the United States are monitored by the IRS using Code Section 501(c). The code determines an organization’s eligibility for the nonprofit organization status. The revenues earned by a nonprofit organization are mainly from donations from individuals and corporate organizations, as well as from fundraising activities. The donations are tax-deductible for the individuals or corporations that contribute, and the organization is not
required to pay taxes on the monies. Nonprofits are accountable to their donors, volunteers, and the community. The projects nonprofits undertake help build public confidence in the organization. Although nonprofit organizations are not driven by a profit motive, they must collect revenues that help them further their specific social cause. Nonprofits may also receive sponsorship for specific projects and events from corporations, government funding via grants or contracts, merchandise sales, and even private investments. Due to the important role that nonprofit organizations play in shaping the community, over the years they’ve been forced to adopt new methods of raising revenue to be financially stable. Over-reliance on donations and events may create cash flow problems for organizations when the donors fail to make contributions, or the amounts donated fall below the funding levels needed to remain sustainable.
Membership With a nonprofit definition and their basic purpose established, let's now talk about the term "membership." What’s important to understand is that in the nonprofit sector, membership often has many meanings. Let’s begin with the membership structure and definition that the Mazamas currently operate under, which is a formal membership structure. A formal membership organization is a nonprofit that grants its members specific rights to
participate in its internal affairs. These rights are established in the articles of incorporation and defined in more detail in the bylaws. Usually in a formal membership organization, members elect the board and/or the officers; approve changes in the bylaws; and authorize major transactions such as mergers and dissolution of the organization. In short, members have a strong interest and voice in the future of the organization and not just in the tangible benefits that they receive as members. For example, trade associations, chambers of commerce, and churches are typically membership organizations in which the members rely on the organization to advocate for better business opportunities or the religious beliefs and practices of a particular line of business or faith community. To a high degree this structure is a leftover of a bygone era of fraternal orders—Elks and Lions lubs, Freemasons, Rotary, Kiwanis—that quite honestly no longer play a significant role in today’s society. Formal membership structures, when setup in decades past, were not designed to welcome the general public. In fact, they were often designed to define the criteria that would allow certain people to join and intentionally keep other people out. This reality doesn’t mean that there is no place today for a nonprofit with a formal membership structure, but it does reveal a truth that you can no longer avoid. And that truth is it’s time for organizations like Mazamas, that still operate under an outdated nonprofit model, to take a hard look at adjusting your membership and governance structure to re-establish your relevance in the alpine and mountaineering community and to determine how, going forward, the Mazamas can make a meaningful impact on the general public. The structure we’ve just discussed is a formal membership structure, so what is an informal membership organization? Informal membership is a practical way to integrate supporters or donors into an organization. This type of nonprofit doesn’t have formal members, it has a membership program. In contrast to a formal membership nonprofit that grants its members specific rights to participate in its internal affairs, nonprofits with membership programs are creating a means of incentivizing donations and
continued on next page
FORMAL VS. INFORMAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS A membership organization is structurally more complicated than a non-member organization, so it is important to understand the burdens and challenges that this choice brings with it. FORMAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATONS (MAZAMAS)
INFORMAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS
(OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING)
In formal membership organizations the bylaws perscribe who can join, what rights and privileges members have, and prescribes a structural decision making process. Membership grants a governance role.
In an informal membership organization, a membership program is one of a range of revenue raising options where donations provide privileges and support the mission. Membership does not equate to governance rights.
Membership ■ Bylaws set qualifications and rights of members; voting members have a governance role in organization. ■ Members have significent input into organization governance.
■ Organization can have as many levels of memberships as needed for fundraising. ■ Member perks and recognition match level of giving. ■ Members have no input into governance, governance lies with board.
Board of Director Makeup ■ Board members come from active membership, only active members can serve on the board. ■ Board members have to be voted in by the membership at Annual Meeting. ■ Board committees and terms of service are defined by bylaws. ■ Board members serve a set term limit.
■ Board members are sourced from the community at large. ■ The board recruits and votes for new board members. ■ Board can edit bylaws and set terms of service, committees, etc. ■ Board members are not tied to term limits, unless stipulated in bylaws or practice.
Annual Meetings ■ Bylaws prescribe when meetings are held. ■ Members must meet (in person or by proxy) to vote on changes (bylaws, board, etc.).
■ Board determines when and where meetings are held. ■ Meetings are informative rather than adminastrative.
Other Considerations ■ Managing voting members makes governing more complex. ■ Formal orgs. are less stable overall; managing opinions and the reality of a shared goverance structure lengthens the decision making process. ■ Dependent on member monetary contributions and volunteer time.
■ Lack of formal membership structure makes goverance more efficent, nimble, and responsive to changing environments. ■ Rely more on donations and grants from public and government institutuions. ■ Fudicary responsibility and governance rests with the board. MAY/JUNE 2022 5
Interim Executive Director's Message, continued from previous page involvement within their organization. The nonprofit extends additional engagement opportunities to members in exchange for donations in the form of membership fees. The benefit of a membership program is that nonprofits can not only reap the benefits of extra donations through membership fees, but they also provide specialized perks and engagement opportunities for invested supporters—without the added complexity and burden of managing a membershipbased governance model. Implementing a membership program is a nonprofit fundraising and stewardship strategy. It is not connected to how the nonprofit is governed. For instance, you may have heard an Oregon Public Broadcasting pledge drive asking for members to join and donate to the station. They are using "membership" as a way to raise money, allowing people or businesses to participate in their membership program by making monthly or annual donations in exchange for services like an insider newsletter or invitations to member-only events. These “donor members” are interested in OPB’s mission and find the benefits package useful. And giving a donor the right to proudly claim and display "membership status" (on a tote bag, for example) can be a powerful donation motivator. Well documented in nonprofit literature is the following truth, changing a formal membership structure into a self-sustaining board structure tends to be a challenging task. It asks members to give up some of their power to help an organization become more flexible by giving the board more latitude to take action, allowing them to respond much quicker to changes in the external environment like the economy; the shifting nonprofit fundraising landscape; the prevailing social issues of the day; and many other factors that nonprofit senior staff members and board members must adapt to on a daily basis. That ask is never easy, especially for those who are long-tenured members accustomed to the formal membership structure. Because our future nonprofit structure is what the Mazamas membership needs to consider, let’s dive a little deeper into member-driven vs. board-driven structures. A nonprofit corporation can choose to be governed by formal voting members or 6 MAZAMAS
by a self-sustaining board. The governing body of your nonprofit organization is empowered and responsible for setting direction, strategic decision-making, compliance, operating-policy setting, fiscal oversight, and overall accountability for the organization in fulfilling its vision. Recognizing that selecting the best governing structure is vital to ensuring the success, growth, and development of a nonprofit organization, the savviest nonprofits revisit their structure from time to time with open-mindedness about making necessary changes to increase their relevance and competitiveness in the nonprofit sector. To do this, it’s critical to understand the difference between a governing structure that is board of directors-driven, or one that also incorporates a governing membership. Membership governance typically involves individuals—members— who are allowed to vote on some or all of the following: matters of governance, direction, approval of budgets, activities, staffing, and/or substantial financial obligations that the organization might undertake, or the approval of long-term contracts. This structure may include members voting to appoint a board of directors or an executive committee to manage the day-to-day operations of the organization and then the membership only votes on specific actions as necessary for the success of the organization. The board may bring those types of issues before the members as necessary. Membership may require membership dues to be a voting member of the organization, or not. Membership may also include benefits, such as discounts to participate in activities of the organization where participants are required to pay fees, or perhaps have access to special activities for members only. Eligibility criteria for membership is clearly defined, as well as what the benefits to members and their responsibilities will be. This structure works well for organizations who want a democratic structure where each member has a say in what happens. The following types of nonprofits are typically member-driven since their primary goal is to serve their members: ■ Chambers of commerce ■ Churches
■ Social clubs ■ Trade associations With a board-governed organization, there are either no official members or members with only limited rights. If a nonprofit corporation does not have a membership structure, its board will be self-sustaining instead of being elected by members. In this setup, board members elect their replacements themselves, usually via a board nominating committee, and the board of directors is the highest authority in the nonprofit corporation. This means that board members must accept responsibility for setting direction, making decisions, and managing the activities of the organization, whether they hire others—an executive director, staff, or independent contractors—to carry it out or use volunteers. In this governing framework, the board is not accountable to another body. Most charities choose a board-driven structure. It may be possible for Mazamas to retain voting members and still be governed by a self-sustaining board, this is something I believe should be considered carefully. Would the membership be willing to change the bylaws, granting the board greater ability to make decisions, set board terms of service, choose board members based on criteria that helps the Mazamas to be viable in 2022 and beyond, and conduct the daily affairs of the organization with an enhanced ability to make real-time decisions to adapt to the environment without waiting for an annual vote of the membership? To help you sort through these important decisions, my next article will be an exploration of nonprofit bylaws and some specific recommendations around how the Mazamas could elect to update its bylaws to overcome some of the obstacles the organization is facing today and to set yourselves up to raise more money and make a greater impact in the alpine community, as well as throughout the reigon. If you would like to learn more about the efforts to stabilize and prepare the Mazamas for the future, please join us for our next virtual town hall event on Monday, May 9. Look for the link to register in the eNews and on the Mazamas social media channels.
MAZAMA MEMBERSHIP
FEBRUARY Membership Report NEW MEMBERS: 27 Kali Abel, Mt. Adams Greg Allen, Mt. Rainier Holly Dowling, Mt. Baker Jamie Erdman, Mt. Adams Diana Gantt, Mount St. Helens Jacinta Garcia, South Sister Patrick Harrington, Mt. Hood Avy Rachel Harris, Mt. Hood Daniel John Hemmen, Mount St. Helens Chris Hooper, Mount St. Helens Gabriel Iverson, Mt. Hood Samuel Johnson, Jungfrau (Switzerland) Jay McAlonen, Mount St. Helens Ian McMahon, Mount St. Helens
Maggie Mellon, Mount St. Helens Toby Morus, Mt. Hood Michael Oschwald, Mt. Hood Bikash Padhi, Mt St Helens Ellen Pinney, Mt. Adams Becky Salsburg, Mount St. Helens Kyle Shipman, Mt. Shasta Andrew Staus, Mt. Hood John Stewart, Mt. Constance Chris Tessier, Mount St. Helens Claire Vandevoorde, Mount St. Helens Nancy Zamierowski, Mount St. Helens Xin Zhang, South Sister
REINSTATEMENTS: 1 DECEASED: 5 MEMBERSHIP ON FEBRUARY 28: 2,618 (2022); 2,623 (2021)
MARCH Membership Report NEW MEMBERS: 19 Jennifer Black, Mt. Whitney Stephanie Boles, Mt. Kenya (Africa) David Brown, Mt. Olympus Amy Carlow, Mt. Thielsen Susan Cassidy, South Sister Leo Filippini, Mt. Hood Tadao Garrett, Mt. Rainier Kara Gilliland, Mt. Rainier Jan Goral, Mount St. Helens Matt Kilbane, Mt. Rainier Julia Klitzke, Mt. Whitney
Linda Lancaster, South Sister Alexander Moreland, Mount St. Helens Tim Murphy, Mt. Adams Jackson Ruys, Mount St. Helens Nicholas Sanchez, Mount St. Helens Laura Selvey, Mt. Hood Shelley Stearns, Mount St. Helens Thomas Wrona, South Sister
REINSTATEMENTS: 7 DECEASED: 0 MEMBERSHIP ON MARCH 31: 2,659 (2022); 2,657 (2021) Top: New member Jacinta Garcia and friend on the summit of South Sister, August 5, 2020. Middle Right: New member Patrick Harrington on the summit of Mt. Hood, July, 2, 2016. Middle Left: New member Kara Gilliland on the summit of Mt. Rainier, September 26, 2009. Bottom: New member Tim Murphy on the summit of Mt. Adams, July 13, 2019.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE MAZAMAS? ADVANCED ROCK (AR) COMMITTEE: The committee kicked off AR 2022 at the end of February, added new MMC practice sessions, and completed a revamping the high-angle rescue manual.
OUTINGS COMMITTEE: The committee has scheduled four outings for the 2022 calendar year: Death Valley, Hells Canyon, Alaska, and John Muir Trail.
NORDIC: Nordic Ski School is completed, fifty-three students completed a variety of classes with the help of 19 instructors and assistants.
FIRST AID: Recruiting new committee members, scheduled WFM instructor skills workshop, sold out of Pocket First Aid guides.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Working to build a slate of members to run for election to the Mazama Board of Directors in October.
BCEP SUBCOMMITTEE: Actively managing BCEP 2022 and is on the look out for a committee chair for BCEP 2023.
RESEARCH COMMITTEE: The committee has completed review of the submitted research proposals and are ready to recommend funding eight projects.
CLIMBING: The committee is working to re-engage climb leaders as the pandemic eases, transitioning climb approval back to the committee, planning an awards ceremony.
CLASSICS: The committee is recruiting hike leaders to lead hikes for the classics.
TRAIL TRIPS: The committee elected Scott Stevenson chair, scheduled trail maintenance on the Mazama Trail, and is working on developing Round-TheMountain for later this year.
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UPCOMING COURSES, ACTIVITIES, & EVENTS WILDERNESS FIRST AID: SPRING SESSION 1 ■ Dates: June 4 ■ Registration Opens: April 26 ■ More Info: tinyurl.com/MazWFA221
WILDERNESS FIRST AID: SPRING SESSION 2 ■ Date: June 5 ■ Registration Opens: April 26 ■ More Info: tinyurl.com/MazWFA222
MAZAMA TRAIL MAINTENANCE ■ Date: July 9–16 ■ Email: poper123@frontier.com or rbshldn@pacifier.com
MAZAMA INTERMEDIATE CLIMBING (ICS) SCHOOL INFO NIGHT ■ Date: June 28 ■ Time: 6:30–8:00 p.m. ■ More Info: mazamas.org/ICS ICS is an intensive, challenging, fun, and rewarding experience. At no other point in your climbing career are you likely to see your climbing skills advance more dramatically within a single, relatively short span of time. ICS picks up where BCEP left off and teaches the skills necessary to be a strong assistant on advanced Mazama climbs, organize private climbs of your own, and for those who choose, take the next step into Climb Leader Development.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NP OUTING ■ Dates: July 19–26 ■ Application Closes: July 12 1 ■ More Info: mazamas.org/outings
STREET RAMBLES
ALASKA HIKING OUTING
■ Dates: August 17–24 ■ Application Closes: June 1 ■ More Info: mazamas.org/outings
UPCOMING PERMIT DATES MOUNT ST. HELENS ■ April 1–May 14: 300 climbers per day, $15 per person with $6 transaction fee, purchased in advance online at recreation.gov ■ May 15–October 31: 110 climbers per day, $15 per person with $6 transaction fee, purchased in advance online at recreation.gov DOG MOUNTAIN
■ Permits for the Dog Mountain Trail System are required on Saturdays and Sundays between April 23 and June 12, 2022, and Memorial Day (May 30, 2022). There are 200 permits per day available for online reservation. Half of these will be released March 1 and the remainder will be available online three days in advance. Permits will also be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for visitors using the Dog Mountain shuttle (operated by Columbia Area Transit). ENCHANTMENTS
This year’s maintenance outing will be a week-long affair including a dry camp at the trailhead. There is plenty of parking and tent sites for those who wish to stay overnight. There will also be a porta-potty set up during the week. Maintenance will be broken up into two sections: the lower one mile and the upper 2¾ miles. The lower section will concentrate on repairing the trail through the shale slope (we will have a mechanized wheel barrow to haul gravel) and the tread up the 14 switchbacks. The upper trail group will be removing fallen trees, brush out, and any necessary tread work. The upper section will be headed up by Rick Pope and the lower group by Ray Sheldon.
Going on a Street Ramble is one of the best ways to get an introduction to the Mazama hiking program. Meet other hikers and plan a weekend trip, maintain your fitness after work, and see some hidden parts of Portland you might never get to see otherwise. Interested in joining us? All you need to do is show up, check in, pay, and be ready to go at 6 p.m. We'll see you there! We operate Tuesday and Thursday night Street Rambles year-round from REI in the Pearl District (NW Portland). More info at mazamas.org/rambles.
■ Between May 15 and October 31, a permit is required for overnight use in the Enchantments. Permits allow the permit holder and their group to camp overnight in one of the five zones: □ Core Enchantment Zone □ Snow Lake Zone □ Colchuck Lake Zone □ Stuart Lake Zone □ Eightmile/Caroline Zone CENTRAL CASCADES
■ Permits requires after: June 15 ■ Overnight permits available: April 5 ■ Day-use permits available: June 5
MAY/JUNE 2022 9
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REEL ROCK 16 LINEUP BRIDGE BOYS | PETE WHITTAKER, TOM RANDALL
A horizontal big-wall adventure on the longest, hardest and most ridiculous crack climb ever attempted. BAREFOOT CHARLES | CHARLES ALBERT
An opera-singing, cave-dwelling, animal-skinning minimalist tackles futuristic boulder problems in the Fontainebleau forest. BIG THINGS TO COME | ALEX JOHNSON
Elite climber Alex Johnson’s struggle with a boulder problem propels her on a decade-long journey of selfdiscovery. CUDDLE | ALEX HONNOLD, TOMMY CALDWELL, ADAM STACK
A massive, remote link-up of 17 alpine summits pushes the world’s best climbers to the brink—and into each others’ shivering arms.
Scott Auble reaching the summit of Mt. Olympus, Olympic Range on August 15, 2021. Photo by Julie Kentosh-Lau. MAY/JUNE 2022 11
MAZAMA CLASSICS
For members with 25 years of membership, or for those who prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace. We lead a wide variety of year-round activities including hikes, picnics, and cultural excursions. Share years of happy Mazama memories with our group. All ages are welcome to join the fun. ■ Classics are back in action and trying to add more hikes but need hike leaders. ■ We mailed out the anniversary pins in January, so if you think we missed yours, contact us. ■ State the year you joined. We send out 25, 50, 60, and 70 year pins. Our email is classics@mazamas.org CONTACTING THE CLASSICS Contact the Classics Chair, Flora Huber, at 503-658-5710, flobell17@comcast.net, or classics@mazamas.org. SUPPORT THE CLASSICS Classics needs a volunteer to put more content in our column on a quarterly basis. We want to document past Classics events and make sure that our postings to the web are current and complete. More generally, there is always work to be done on the committee. Our meetings are the fourth Monday of every other month at 11 a.m. on Zoom. Email classics@mazamas.org and tell us how you can help.
CLASSICS COMMITTEE MEETING Keep an eye on the Mazama calendar for our next meeting.
DICK & JANE MILLER'S 4TH OF JULY PICNIC
You are invited to Dick and Jane Miller’s home for their annual potluck picnic. Plan to attend and invite another Classic Mazama or significant other to share in potluck fashion: main dish, salad, or dessert. Lemonade and water will be provided, but if you have a favorite beverage please bring it along. Plates and utensils will be provided. Dick and Jane are at 17745 SW Cooper Mtn. Lane, Beaverton. DIRECTIONS Coming from the east, take Hwy. 26 to 217. Go south on 217 to the Scholl's Ferry Rd. exit across from Washington Square. Take a right onto Scholl's Ferry Road and go west to SW 175th Avenue. Turn right and go up the hill 3⁄4 mile to Cooper Mtn. Lane on the left. This is on a curve with limited sight distance, so use caution making the left turn onto Cooper Mtn. Lane. Then follow the Miller signs and orange traffic cones to the Miller driveway. If you have any questions, call Dick or Jane at 503-590-3598. We’ll see you there!
MADRONE WALL PRESERVATION COMMITTEE The all-volunteer Madrone Wall Preservation Committee is seeking a new Board Member/Vice President. There are no specific tasks required of the VP; ‑it is more about sharing the load with all that needs to be accomplished. If you are interested, please fill out this simple Google form so that we can get to know a little bit about those that are interested: tinyurl.com/MadroneWall. This link is also available on our Facebook site ( facebook.com/ madronewall). We have a number of upcoming plans, including new trail building activities and outreach to underserved communities, which you could get in on the ground floor and help lead. Please email madronewall@gmail.com if you are having trouble accessing the link, or if you have questions. Thank you for your consideration!
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MAZAMA FIRST AID COMMITTEE WILDERNESS FIRST AID (WFA) INSTRUCTOR TRAINING Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Instructor Skills Training Workshop: June 18-19 at the MMC. Base Medical principal, Janel Petersen, will lead a two-day workshop to prepare WFA instructor candidates to teach an upcoming Mazamas WFA course. Instructor candidates must hold a current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or higher Wilderness Medicine certification at the time of the workshop. Base Medical is a nationally certified Wilderness Medicine training center. Cost for the workshop TBD. Send an email to firstaid@mazamas.org to be included in a Zoom WFA Instructor Info session in early May.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
mazamas.org/volunteer
CARDIO PULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR) INSTRUCTOR NEEDED! The Mazama First Aid Committee is looking to add instructors to our pool of CPR trainers. If you are a qualified, current CPR instructor and would like to teach American Heart Association (AHA) CPR and Hike Leader First Aid courses to Mazama members, please send an email to firstaid@mazamas.org. If you are not currently qualified as a CPR instructor and are interested in becoming qualified as an AHA instructor, please let us know about your interest. To learn more about Mazama CPR courses, visit mazamas.org/cpr.
FIRST AID COMMITTEE SEEKS NEW MEMBERS The Mazama First Aid Committee is looking for new members. Tell us about yourself, your background (medical, project management, education), and any specific areas where you would like to help. We deliver over 26 course instances of CPR, Hike Leader First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, and Mountain First Aid to over 225 Mazama members annually. Contact firstaid@mazamas. org for more information.
CLIMBING COMMITTEE SEEKS NEW MEMBERS The Climbing Committee manages all aspects of the Mazama climbing program, from approving climbing education program content to setting the standards for climb leadership. The committee is also actively recruiting and training leaders in best practices while promoting and developing a robust schedule of climbing activities. Committee membership is reserved for full climb leaders and, by exception, provisional climb leaders and Leadership Development candidates. Only full climb leaders can hold voting positions. Additionally, we are looking to grow our “Friends of the Committee” ranks to include anyone who has an interest in helping with our climbing program. We are currently looking to fill the following roles: ■ Secretary: This role requires a full climb leader. The secretary is responsible for taking minutes, reviewing a backlog of minutes, and ensuring that minutes are approved and archived. This is a voting position and backs up the chair, among other duties. ■ Climb Leader Continuing Education Coordinator: This role involves scheduling and coordinating opportunities for climb leaders to keep their required certifications up to date. Examples are Avalanche and Crevasse Rescue recertifications. Additionally, this role would help with Climb Leader Update sessions. This position is open to anyone on a leadership track. ■ Awards & Recognition: This role involves processing and handling climbing awards, including coordinating an award ceremony. This position(s) is open to anyone interested. If you’re interested in volunteering in any of these roles, or have interest in other areas of the climbing program, please contact the chair at climbing@mazamas.org. MAY/JUNE 2022 13
14 MAZAMAS
MAZAMA STAFF CHANGES GINA BINOLE OFFICE & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
MAZAMA VALUES RESPECT We believe in the inherent value of our fellow Mazamas, of our volunteers, and of members of the community. An open, trusting, and inclusive environment is essential to promoting our mission and values.
SAFETY We believe safety is our primary responsibility in all education and outdoor activities. Training, risk management, and incident reporting are critical supporting elements.
EDUCATION We believe training, experience, and skills development are fundamental to preparedness, enjoyment, and safety in the mountains. Studying, seeking, and sharing knowledge leads to an increased understanding of mountain environments.
VOLUNTEERISM Gina has made a career in communications, working various gigs as a reporter, editor, copywriter, public relations consultant, and social media strategist. The Pacific Northwest was supposed to be a professional pitstop on her way back to Washington, D.C. But then she discovered there was more to life than work. Having grown up in a family where a hotel without room service was considered “roughing it,” she kickstepped outside her comfort zone after moving to the Pacific Northwest and learned to climb mountains. She also loves to hike, bike, ski, and snowshoe with family and friends, and most recently started to explore Oregon’s waterways via a stand-up paddleboard. She's eager to evangelize and help preserve the natural splendors of the state via the Mazamas.
JOB OPENING MAZAMA FACILITIES MANAGER
We will have a part-time position opening soon for a Building Manager at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. This job is a delicate combination of janitor, maintenance person, and recycling expert (we will train on that one). Full job description available on request. Position opens on June 1st. Current person will hang in there with you until you get a feel for the job. If you are interested, or know someone who is, please contact Kaleen Deatherage (kaleendeatherage@mazamas.org). And watch the weekly eNews and mazamas.org for more info and how to apply.
We believe volunteers are the driving force in everything we do. Teamwork, collaboration, and generosity of spirit are the essence of who we are.
COMMUNITY We believe camaraderie, friendship, and fun are integral to everything we do. We welcome the participation of all people and collaborate with those who share our goals.
COMPETENCE We believe all leaders, committee members, staff, volunteers, and participants should possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgment required of their roles.
CREDIBILITY We believe we are trusted by the community in mountaineering matters. We are relied upon for information based on best practices and experience.
STEWARDSHIP We believe in conserving the mountain environment. We protect our history and archives and sustain a healthy organization.
MAY/JUNE 2022 15
HENRY PITTOCK & THE MAZAMAS by Mathew Brock, Mazama Library and Historical Collections Manager
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n the mid to late 1800s, the mountains of the Cascades, especially St. Helens, Adams, and Hood, pulled early adventurers out of the growing metropolitan areas and into the wilderness. In the summer of 1853, Thomas Dryer and a party of other men stood on the summit of Mount St. Helens. During the early exploration and settlement of the Oregon Territory, few had the time or energy to climb mountains. However, a handful of individuals like Dryer were drawn to the mountains. His climb of Mount St. Helens marked the beginning of the golden age of mountain climbing in the Pacific Northwest. A year later, in 1854, Dryer climbed Mt. Hood. His claim of having reached the summit of Mt. Hood was challenged by his eager, young employee Henry L. Pittock. Early Portland businessmen appear cold and calculating in their dark Victorian-era suits and stern expressions devoid of humor. Henry Pittock looked the part in many of his early photographs, but his public image was at odds with his passion for life and outdoor activities. Pittock was born in London, England on March 1, 1836, before moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his family. As a boy, he learned printing as part of the family business and studied at the Western
University of Pennsylvania’s preparatory school. Pittock arrived in Oregon in 1853 at the age of 17 after crossing the Oregon Trail by covered wagon. Soon after, Thomas Dryer hired him to work at the Weekly Oregonian. Under Dryer, Pittock worked as a printer, handled distribution, and soon rose to be a shop foreman. By 1854, Pittock had risen through the ranks to the role of business manager. Unable to pay him, Dryer made Pittock his business partner.
On August 6, 1857, Pittock, along with four others (L.J. Powell, William Buckley, Lyman Chittenden, and James Deardorff) made what is considered the first documented climb of Mt. Hood. Like Dryer three years earlier, Pittock and his party left Philip Foster's farm in Clackamas County and made their way to the summit over five and a half hours, reaching the top at 12:30 pm. After eating lunch, they planted an alpenstock in the snow with a handkerchief which they left blowing in the
Above: Henry Pittock (far right, holding alpenstock) and members of the Mazama 1912 Annual Outing to Mt. Hood in front of Cloud Cap Inn. Mazama Library and Historical Collections, VM2011.007 1912 Hood Outing. 16 MAZAMAS
north wind. Pittock, who was twenty-three Pittock returned to climb Hood again were almost bare of snow and the party was years old at the time, and the other ‘boys’ in 1858 with a larger group that included forced to pick their way over loose stones then amused themselves for an hour by two members of the 1857 climbing party. and gravel. Every few steps, someone rolling rocks off the summit and watching Pittock’s own recounting of that year’s would kick lose a stone that went rolling them crash onto the outcroppings below. climb notes that the climb up from Crater past everyone below. On the way up they Pittock also recalled descending into one of Rock was much more difficult than it had noticed the tracks of a wolf, which they the fumaroles on about 30 feet of rope and been the previous year. The party was followed all the way to the summit. The being unable to see the bottom. The snow forced to cut steps into the hard snow with tracks passed over and descended the on Hood that day was perfect for glissading the iron tips of their alpenstocks. Using a other side. Upon reaching the summit they and the party was off the mountain in just telescope, from the summit, they could see found it was covered with butterflies, some over two hours. smoke from an Oregon City foundry, the of which they captured and brought back After making their way back as specimens. Also on the summit, to Portland, James Deardorff, they found a bottle containing a member of Pittock’s party, the names of another party from published an account of their a week prior and the remains of climb in the Democratic their firecrackers from the year Standard, a rival publication to before, however no sign of the flag Dryer’s Weekly Oregonian. In or its pole. his article, Deardorff gave his In what might be an opinion, and it can be assumed indication of the relationship one shared by Pittock and the between Pittock and Dryer, it’s other two climbers, that Dryer’s interesting to note that Pittock’s party had stopped some 300 longtime friend George T. Meyer feet shy of the summit back in climbed Hood that year twice. 1854. What they found there The two men must have been on differed in appearance from at least good enough terms to Dryer’s published account. Dryer share a friend. Meyer climbed Mt. reported finding a summit ridge Hood once with Dryer in July of running from southwest to north 1859 and then again with Pittock that was pockmarked with vents a month later. As a result, Meyer emitting sulfurous gas. Pittock’s became the first person known to party found a summit ridge that have climbed Mt. Hood twice in ran west to east and no evidence the same season. of smoking fumaroles, although After scaling Mount Hood they could see a scene that each year for three consecutive matched Dryer’s description some years, Henry took a decadesthree hundred feet lower on the long break from climbing. In mountain’s slope. 1860, he married Georgiana Needless to say, Dryer was less Burton and assumed ownership than pleased with Deardorff ’s of The Oregonian newspaper, assertions and published a and was likely focused on his lengthy response in the next growing family and building edition of his own paper. Over the the newspaper into a successful Henry Pittock on the summit of Mt. Hood, undated. Image next several weeks arguments business. Henry returned to courtesy of Pittock Mansion. volleyed back and forth in mountaineering in the 1880s, this Portland’s newspapers. In his time bringing along his daughters, detailed assessment of the early years of windows of a Portland church reflected in Kate and Lucy Pittock. As adults, Kate and the Mazamas, Erik Weiselberg notes that the sun, the prairies of Central Oregon, and Lucy embraced their father’s love of hiking “Dryer sought to shift the terms of the the peaks of St. Helens, Adams, and Rainier. and climbing. The sisters both joined the argument, and to argue on the basis of Planted on the summit was a six-foot Mazamas in 1895 after climbing Mount respect, age, and gentlemanly behavior, American flag, left from a previous party Hood that same year. Lucy also climbed rather than credibility and accuracy of who summited on July 4th. Pittock and Mount McLoughlin (then known as Mount reporting.” As K.F. Stewart notes in their his party gathered around the flag, gave Pitt) along with her father in 1896 and biography of Henry Pittock, I Kept at three cheers, and fired off pistols and lit summited Pinnacle Peak on the 1897 Work, “what Dryer and Pittock said to firecrackers. The party was slowed on the Mazamas Outing to Mount Rainier. each other while working together over descent due to everyone's snowblindness. As the number of Portland-area the Oregonian’s presses went unrecorded, Pittock’s third climb of Mt. Hood, in climbing enthusiasts grew, so did the but they did continue their joint labor for 1859, turned out to be the most dangerous another three years.” yet. The top 300 feet below the summit continued on next page MAY/JUNE 2022 17
Pittock, continued from previous page
storms swirled around the mountain that day, forcing many climbers to turn back. In a story well known to most Mazamas, on Thursday, July 19, 1894, 155 men and 38 women reached the summit to inaugurate the Mazamas. Pittock and his two daughters were among those that were turned back by the weather. Pittock was a risk-taker, he wouldn’t have reached the summit of Hood or the Portland business establishment without being one, but he was not rash. The safety of his daughters and others came first. While the Pittocks were not listed as those on the summit, Henry was granted charter member status in the Mazamas in
movement to create a group for likeminded individuals to join. In September of 1887, William Steel was one of a group of Portland climbers who lead the effort to establish the Oregon Alpine Club (OAC), the first mountaineering group west of the Mississippi. While we don’t know with certainty when Pittock and Steel first met, it’s likely they came in contact with each other through their involvement with the OAC. Pittock, his son-in-law Fredrick Leadbetter, and friend George Meyer were all members. The OAC reached the pinnacle of its glory in May of 1888 when it hosted a talk by the noted author Charles Dickens. The OAC struggled for seven years while it tried to find a focus and by 1891 it had collapsed. After the OAC went bankrupt, Steel and a handful of other mountaineers began meeting to form a new organization. In early 1894, they drafted a constitution, selected a name, and picked a slate of officers for the new organization. In March of 1894, they launched their new endeavor with ads in newspapers around the West. Pittock played a large part in the build-up to the establishment of the Mazamas. For the previous thirty years, the Oregonian printed little on Mt. Hood, as any further climbs were no longer “firsts.” As Stewart notes in their book, “One notable exception occurred in 1874 when a party came back from the summit with Pittock’s alpenstock, made from a sapling he had cut at timberline on his first climb in 1857, and which you Henry Pittock, Mazama 1897 Mount Rainier will recall he left on the summit, planted Outing Prospectus like a flag. The alpenstock was inscribed with his name and the date. Pittock kept recognition of his 1857 first ascent. it proudly in his office until the flood of In 1895, the year following the 1894 when it was lost, presumably floated inauguration of the Mazamas, Pittock’s downriver and out to sea.” For eleven days daughters Kate and Lucy, along with their prior to and nine days after the selected brother-in-law Frederick Leadbetter, and date for the inauguration of the Mazamas, Pittock’s nephew H. D. Stratton, made The Oregonian ran nine separate articles their own climb of Mt. Hood and became about the ascent. members of the Mazamas. On the appointed day over 350 people Lucy accompanied her father on the from all walks of life assembled in the small 1986 Mazama Outing to Crater Lake that hamlet of Government Camp, some of year. On August 16th, they were among the them having traveled three or more days thirty-two people who ascended Mt. Pitt. by horseback or buggy, over rudimentary In 1897 the members of the Mazamas roads, where they set up an army of tents elected Henry Pittock president of the at the foot of Mt. Hood. The climb up organization. The minutes from Pittock’s was not without its dangers. At least two year as president show that he appointed 18 MAZAMAS
a committee to search for additional space to store publications, books, and curios. He and the executive council urged the US Geographic Survey to map the State of Oregon and Mt. Hood specifically. He signed on to a petition to create the Olympic Mountains Forest Reserve and urged for the creation of Crater Lake National Park. In the early years of the Mazamas, the Annual Outing was the big social event of the season. And under Pittock’s tenure, the location chosen for the 1897 outing was Mt. Rainier. Given the difficulty and time required, to say nothing of the logistics of reaching the mountains in the late 1800s, these outings were no small affairs. These often involved upwards of a hundred people or more, traveling by boat, train, wagon, and on horseback, over several days just to reach the site of their basecamp. In addition to the climbers, there were cooks and camp porters, and wagon loads of supplies that were needed to support the huge party sometime for weeks in the wilderness. The outing to Mt. Rainier generated nationwide interest in the Pacific Northwest and its mountains, and contributed substantially to the creation of the Mt. Rainier National Park a year and a half later in 1899. In addition to over 40 Mazamas, a contingent of climbers from California’s Sierra Club, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and many eminent scientists were represented. In addition to Steel and Pittock, other notable members of the outing include Miss Fay Fuller; Dr. E. W. Young, and Edward Curtis, of Seattle. Edward Curtis would go on and become renowned around the world for his ethnographic work on, and portraits of, the Native Americans of the western United States. Even though there were other experienced Rainier climbers on the trip, Steel, Pittock, and Fuller among them, Curtis was selected as the climb leader due to his having spent considerable time on the mountain climbing and photographing its many changing seasons. Prior to the climb Curtis is said to have remarked to a friend, “It will be a grand trip, but there are too many inexperienced people in the party. I fear that before we return some accident will happen which will bathe the trip in gloom.”
Henry Pittock (in center in vest and white hat) and other members of the 1897 climbing party members. Mazama Library and Historical Collections, VM1993.008 William Steel Collection. Pittock was one of the climb leaders who led the two-day climb to Rainier’s 14,410 foot summit. They reached the summit at 3:30 in the afternoon, although some of the party, including daughter Lucy, turned back due to altitude sickness. Pittock was sixty-three years old at the time of his Rainier climb. Of the 75 climbers who started out, 59 made the summit, a remarkable record for what we in modern times would consider amateurs. As Curtis had feared before the outing began, the death of Professor Edgar McClure, of the University of Oregon, who fell on the descent, put a terrible damper on what was an otherwise successful climb and gathering. At the annual meeting in October of 1897, Pittock lost his bid for reelection to the presidency of the Mazamas, on a vote of 17-2. His defeat didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for the Mazamas, thankfully. On July 21, 1898, Henry and Lucy celebrated with the Mazamas atop Mount St. Helens during that year’s Annual Outing. The following year, 1899, the Pittocks and the Mazamas traveled north to Lake Chelan in Washington state for that year’s Annual Outing. In the reporting of the outing, it’s noted that Henry and Georgiana Pittock arrived “just a little too late for the climb of Mt. Sahala.” The presence of Georgiana was more than likely an indication that Henry had no intention of climbing that year. In 1901 Pittock traveled south with a Mazama contingent that included Rodney Glisan and others, to join the Sierra Club’s outing to the High Sierra. In his photo album from the trip, Glisan included an image of the sixty-seven-year-old Pittock sitting in the shade with John Muir. It’s unknown the level of activity Pittock engaged in during the Sierra Club outing.
Pittock makes one last appearance at the basecamp for the 1912 Mazama climb of Mt. Hood. He can be seen, in both photographs and in rare film footage, milling around with the other climbers in front of Cloud Cap Inn. This likely marks the end of Henry Pittock’s mountaineering career. He would have been 76 years old—at a time when age weighted more heavily on an individual than it does now. Henry Pittock’s death in 1919 corresponds with the end of the golden age of mountaineering in the region. He led by example, and had a profound impact on the development of mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest. Along with William Steel and the other founders of the Mazamas, he worked to promote mountaineering through word and deed. To paraphrase Erik Weislberg, they were part of a modernizing of American culture which emerged after the Civil War and whose scientific, nationalistic, reformist, and professional proclivities praised exploring, record-keeping, recordsetting, publishing, and promoting. Their efforts acted as part of a process that made good citizens out of pioneers. With nationalism and public service in mind, they promoted themselves and their environment as they climbed mountains around the Northwest. The Thrill of the Climb: The Pittocks and early mountaineering in Oregon in on display at the Pittock Mansion through July 3, 2022. The exhibit, featuring over 40 artifacts from the Mazama Library and Historical Collections, explores the Pittock family’s love of the sport and the early history of mountaineering in Oregon. Go see it today!
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BCEP 2022 TEAM 2
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2
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BCEP 2022 Team 2 Leaders: Larry Beck, Lisa Brady; Assistants: Teresa Dalsager, Bridget Martin, Olivia Girod, Travis Feracota, Ashley Smithers, Laura Guderyahn, Ryan Gwillim, Derek Jahelka, Jules Williams, Jamie McGilvray, Gary Ballou, Walter Keutel, Rebecca Lewis, Amy Graham, Amy Brose, Tessa Rough, Joan Wallace; Students: Varma Penumetcha, Thomas Torkelson, David Kreisman, Austin Wong, Derek Markee, Laura Lazorski, Cat Smith-Vaughan, and Sydney Bowman.
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FAMILY MOUNTAINEERING (FM101): ONE FAMILY’S JOURNEY
IS FM 101 WORTH THE TIME? YES! HERE ARE 10 REASONS WHY. By Colleen Hathaway, Mazama Member
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ime is precious. Ask any family, probably the top reason cited for not doing more activities, and being together is time. Between school, work, extra curricular activities and errands, we’re hard pressed to prioritize meaningful time together—those special moments of bonding that nurture our individual, social, and spiritual growth. You might have read the time commitment for the FM101 program and thought, “Holy cow! That includes some weeknights and weekends–for An FM 101 volunteer guides a student in rappelling. six months!” But if what we are seeking through learning skills that are pretty darn cool. What did I do last is to reap the rewards of having spent weekend? Oh, I just rapelled off a cliff. quality time with our families, we must prioritize meaningful time Fun! Did I mention this was fun? The Lodge! Hot chocolate, together. bunk beds, delicious meals, roaring fire and good company. In keeping with the theme of the “10 Essentials,” here are my Horsethief Butte! Climbing, rappelling, belaying. Kids running “10 Reasons” why I am glad my family and I participated in the around the campground playing games. Mt. Hood! Snow climbing, FM101 class and why you should, too: self-arrest, glissading. Smith Rock! Okay, it’s not May, and we Safety. As in all things Mazamas, safety comes first. It’s one of haven’t gone to Smith Rock yet, but I’m excited! the Mazamas’ core values. Honestly, anyone thinking of doing the Competence. Adding FM101 skills to your arsenal of outdoor activities included in the FM101 curriculum should be trained by and recreational know-how will not only keep you safe and experts. increase your overall confidence, but also provide a foundation for Volunteers. These are your experts. You will not meet a nicer, you to explore even more activities that you may have previously more dedicated or knowledgeable group than the volunteer thought were out of reach. coordinator, leaders, and assistants. They literally “show you Discipline. There may be obstacles, like a downpour on Mt. the ropes.” How to coil and knot them, how to treat them with Tabor when you need to practice your navigational skills, that respect and not step on them, how they can save your life. They require you to dig in and persevere. If you do, you’ll be rewarded will explain how all of your gear works, how clear communication with the skills you’ve learned and the role modeling you have done is vital when rock climbing, how to assess for hypothermia, and for your kids. This discipline is transferable. The next time you aim much more. FM101 runs on the kindness and hard work of the to get your steps in or whatever the particular challenge is, you’ll volunteers! be able to draw from this discipline. Camaraderie. This is another of the Mazamas’ values. I live in Different. Get the kids off their screens and into their rock Portland, and as the paradox goes, it can be isolating living in the climbing harnesses. This is the experience of a lifetime. city. Spending time with like-minded families all working toward Do-able. It’s not as time consuming as you think. If you add up the same goal reassures us that we belong and that we have a all the time you mindlessly scroll through your phone during the purpose. week, this is totally do-able. Confidence. Do any of us, children or adults, have the Building memories. This is a memory I will cherish of perfect body? The perfect mind? No. We are humans with flaws. spending quality time with my family. We all get to look back on Sometimes our experiences at work and school, and in particular it with a sense of accomplishment and supporting one another on social media, can be demoralizing. FM101 builds confidence during a pretty cool journey.
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MY TIME IN FM101 by Kai Johnson
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enjoyed rock climbing the most out of all the adventures we had during my time in FM101(Mazama Family Mountaineering). There were lots of instructors, who patiently helped me. I was challenged by the harder outdoor climbs at Horsethief Butte. There, I learned some helpful climbing commands to keep me safe. Because we stayed the night at a campsite nearby, all the kids played games together. Truly it felt best when I finally reached the top of a hard climb with the encouragement of my friends. We all supported each other and cheered one another on. Climbing can be tricky, exciting, and fun, but is best when done with your friends (even new ones). Rappelling was scary but became fun. At first I was terrified, but I refused to look down, and lowered myself slowly. The instructors helped me get over my fears. There is a helpful rappelling checklist to keep us safe, which is BARK: buckle, anchors, rappelling device, knots. Eventually I got comfortable with rappelling and I couldn’t stop. It is an unbelievable feeling after you finish a rappel. Rappelling is scary if you haven’t done it before, but once you do, it becomes fun. Glissading is like being on a thrilling water slide in the snow. Surprisingly, we got to hold ice axes. Because the ice axes were sharp, we had to be very careful so nobody got hurt. When I was
Kai enjoying FM101 rock climbing and snow sessions. Photos by Aaron Johnson
learning how to glissade, I was taught to look around and see if there were any obstacles, which could be rocks, trees, pathways, and ice. Before you can glissade, you need to know how to selfarrest using the ice axe. We practiced multiple ways of glissading and self-arrest, such as head first on your back, head first on your belly, feet first on your bottom, and feet first on your belly. The final rule is only glissade down what you have climbed up. Glissading, like a water slide, has rules that if you don’t follow, you could get hurt. I can’t wait to be an assistant next year with all my new friends! MAY/JUNE 2022 23
LLEGANDO A LA CUMBRE DEL MIDDLE
by Anibal Rocheta
M descansados.
iddle Sister es el quinto punto más alto en Oregon, que ofrece una variedad de rutas y vistas impresionantes de la Cordillera central de Oregon, cerca de Bend. Si bien el North Ridge a través del glaciar Hayden no es una ruta técnicamente difícil, puede ser un día largo y todos los miembros del grupo deben estar en forma y
Lo Bueno
■ Conectar con gente maravillosa en el entorno de Montaña. ■ Poner a prueba tus capacidades físicas y mentales. ■ La aproximación a la montaña es relativamente accesible.
Lo Malo ■ Cualquier persona que vaya a subir debe estar en buenas condiciones físicas. ■ No se permiten mascotas. ■ No hay agua en el comienzo del sendero.
La Ruta Nuestra ruta empezó a 5300 pies tomando el sendero de Pole Creek a las 11:30 a.m. del viernes 14 de julio. Esta era una escalada 24 MAZAMAS
oficial de Mazamas, así que quedamos en encontrarnos con el líder y parte del equipo en ese punto. Iniciamos la caminata dentro de una ruta de rocas y árboles casi sin hojas, el sol era un poco sofocante. En la primera hora de caminata decidimos parar en un pequeño riachuelo a tomar un break, y continuar hasta la base del campamento en el Hayden Glacier. Al día siguiendo nos levantamos alrededor de las 5 a.m. y iniciamos el ascenso del glaciar, nos dividimos en equipos de 4 personas con equipo de escalada e una inclinación aproximada del terreno de 30 grados. Altamente recomendado que si decide tomar esta ruta aunque no es técnica debes estar en buenas condiciones físicas. Recuerda siempre ser sincero contigo mismo si no haz entrenado lo
continúa en la siguiente página
REACHING THE TOP OF MIDDLE SISTER
by Anibal Rocheta
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iddle Sister is the fifth highest point in Oregon, offering a variety of trails and stunning views of the central Oregon Cascades, near Bend. While the North Ridge across Hayden Glacier is not a technically difficult route, it can be a long day, and everyone in the group should be fit and rested.
The Good
■ Connect with wonderful people in the mountain environment. ■ Test your physical and mental abilities. ■ The approach to the mountain is relatively accessible.
The Bad ■ Anyone who is going to climb must be in good physical condition. ■ No pets allowed. ■ There is no water at the trailhead.
The Route Our route started at 5,300 feet, from the Pole Creek trail begining at 11:30 a.m. on Friday July 14. This was an official
Mazama climb, so we agreed to meet the leader and part of the team at that point. As we started the walk along a path of rocks and almost bare trees, the sun was a bit suffocating. In the first hour of walking we decided to stop at a small stream to take a break, and continue to the base camp at Hayden Glacier. The following day we got up around 5 a.m. to start the ascent of the glacier. We divided ourselves into teams of four people, with climbing equipment. The terrain sloped at about 30 degrees. It is highly recommended that if you decide to take this route, although it is not technical, you must be in good physical condition. Always remember to be honest with yourself, if you haven't trained enough, it's better to leave it for a later opportunity, since you would put the rest of the team at risk.
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del Middle, continuación de la página anterior suficiente es mejor dejarlo para una próxima oportunidad, ya que pondrías en riesgo al resto del equipo. Luego seguimos avanzando hasta una silla llamada (Prouty point) que separa North y Middle Sister, tomando la ruta North Ridge que nos llevaría hasta la cumbre. UNA GRAN CUMBRE!. En particular esta cumbre fue muy significativa, ya que ademas llevaba conmigo una bandera enorme de mi país (Venezuela), que según mis investigaciones no se había izada una bandera tan grande como esta: (2 x 3 metros) (10 x 6 pies). Después de las fotografías correspondiente y comer algo iniciamos el descenso al campamento, y luego tenia planeado quedarnos una noche extra para disfrutar de la montaña y del sabor de la cumbre.
Mis recomendaciones ■ Llevar suficiente hidratación y comida extra para el ascenso. ■ Recomiendo usar la aplicación AllTrails para los mapas digitales (incluso los puedes usar sin señal en tu teléfono) .
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■ Linterna: super importante si planeas caminar al amanecer, o simplemente tienes que ir al baño en medio de la noche. ■ Bolso ultraligero que sea cómodo con suspensión ventilada AirSpeed super amigables para este tipo de salidas de fin de semana. Peso aproximado 2.27 lbs (1.03kg). ■ Estufa de Camping MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove con apenas 10 g / 0.3 oz, punto de ebullición super rápido, encendido por empuje, este modelo de lujo ofrece una de las mejores experiencias si necesitas reducir peso a tu mochila. ■ Bolsa de Hidratación que sea ligera y práctica para este tipo de viajes. ■ Filtro de agua Platypus Gravityworks 4.0: el agua se filtró muy rápido y es muy fácil de usar, ¡fue increíble! ■ Y una cámara de acción que sea capaz de resistir altas temperaturas, caídas y te permita inmortalizar esa gran experiencia de montañismo Pasamos un increíble fin de semana con amigos en la montaña, totalmente recomendable esta experiencia. Para conocer más sobre nuestras aventuras, puedes seguirnos por Instagram @locoporlaaventura.
Middle Sister, continued from previous page We continued to advance to Prouty Point that separates North and Middle Sister, taking the North Ridge route that would lead us to the summit. A BIG SUMMIT! In particular, this summit was very significant, since I also carried with me a huge flag of my country (Venezuela), which according to my research had not raised a flag as large as this: (2 x 3 meters) (6 x 10 feet). After the usual photographs and eating something, we began the descent to the camp, and then stayed an extra night to enjoy the mountain and the taste of the summit.
My Recommendations ■ Bring enough hydration and extra food for the ascent. ■ I recommend using the AllTrails app for digital maps (you can even use them without a signal on your phone). ■ Headlight/flashlight: super important if you plan to walk at dawn, or simply have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
■ Ultralight bag that is comfortable with super friendly AirSpeed ventilated suspension for this type of weekend outings. Approximate weight 2.27 pounds. ■ MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Camping Stove. At just 10 g / 0.3 oz, super fast boiling point, push ignition, this deluxe model offers one of the best experiences if you need to reduce weight to your backpack. ■ Hydration bag that is light and practical for this type of trip. ■ Platypus Gravityworks 4.0 Water Filter: The water filtered so fast and it's so easy to use, it was amazing! ■ And an action camera that is capable of withstanding high temperatures falls, and allows you to immortalize that great mountaineering experience. ■ We spent an incredible weekend with friends in the mountains I totally recommend this experience. To learn more about our adventures, you can follow us on Instagram @locoporlaaventura.
Anibal is a professional adventure guide, videographer, and photographer from Venezuela. He has been Mazama since 2014 (joining as soon as he moved to Oregon) and has led mountain expeditions in Venezuela, Peru, and the USA for many years. He also led tourism initiatives in Venezuela through TV programs, training, and advised companies in ecotourism and adventure. Anibal is an assistant in the first Mazama Latino BCEP group, and is producing the first adventure TV show for the Latino community in Oregon called “Loco por la Aventura.” Learn more about his adventures and recommendations at www. locoporlaaventura.com MAY/JUNE 2022 27
ON-CALL WITH THE OREGON HUMANE SOCIETY TECHNICAL ANIMAL RESCUE TEAM
Oregon Humane Society Technical Animal Rescue group. Photo by OHSTAR.
By Melissa Holmes and the OHSTAR team
H
iking, backpacking, boating, and adventuring with our pets is a way of life in the PNW. As outdoor enthusiasts we are all well versed in the 10 essentials for ourselves, but what about our loyal companions? What do you do and who do you call if your pet is injured or falls while you are out hiking?
Formed in 2000 by Oregon Humane Society Lead Investigator Randy Covey, the Oregon Humane Society Technical Animal Rescue (OHSTAR) team seeks to bridge the gap between law enforcement, emergency services, and animal control in assisting pets and animals that have fallen, become trapped, stranded, or otherwise found themselves in precarious situations. Our rescue calls range from injured dogs on the tops of mountains, cats stranded in treetops, injured beavers or tangled waterfowl, horses trapped in snow, and dogs that have slipped or fallen down cliff
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sides. There are few challenges that our team will not meet if we can safely assist in saving the life of an animal in need. Our all-volunteer team of almost 30 members is the largest we have had and is made up of a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and skills. Having a large group of volunteers has ensured that we almost always have someone who can respond promptly to calls for help. Our commitment to the community and the ability to make a difference for even one pet and family is why we do what we do.
OHSTAR team training at Rocky Butte. Photo by OHSTAR As with any rescue scenario, safety is the number one priority, and the best way to be safe is to be prepared. The diverse number of rescue scenarios required OHSTAR to create a unique training program with a combination of resources such as mountain and rock climbing experts, tree climbing experts, veterinarians, animal care experts, FEMA, and first responders. Monthly trainings are held one weekend a month with additional supplemental trainings to practice skills. Members learn, practice, and certify each skill before being able to perform them in a rescue call-out. We have members who have joined with no climbing experience, and some that have had no previous animal handling. All training is done within the team in a supportive, collaborative, fun, and challenging environment. Often our trainings are mock rescue scenarios based on previous rescues or common rescue scenarios we see, like dogs that have fallen off cliffs or down embankments, or who have become injured or overheated while hiking. Just a few weeks after a mock rescue training for a highangle rescue, the OHSTAR team was called to assist Roman, who was out on a trail with his family when he slid 70 feet down an embankment. Weighing over 200 pounds, the mastiff was stressed, exhausted, and unable to get himself back up the muddy embankment. OHSTAR received the call from Roman’s owners and volunteers arrived at the scene shortly after. Using a high-angle, double-rope system, two rescuers were lowered to Roman, and our team quickly determined he was uninjured but exhausted. A stokes
basket (a type of rescue stretcher) was sent down to the rescuers and Roman was carefully loaded and secured before being lifted up and back to his loving owner’s arms. This past summer we received a call from an owner whose dog had injured her front paw while hiking Silver Star Mountain. After attempting to carry Aspen for 2.5 miles, her owner knew that he could not carry her the rest of the way with their dwindling water supply on this particularly hot day. Thankfully, he knew to reach out to OHSTAR for assistance since he had adopted Aspen from the Oregon Humane Society. The team communicated a plan, and it was decided that someone would leave immediately to bring water and first aid supplies to them while a group coordinated gathering gear and supplies from the office at OHS. The team hiked up Silver Star Mountain and was able to give water and electrolytes to the owner and Aspen. They wrapped Aspen’s paw before securing her on the stokes basket, loaded her on the trail cart, and brought her down the trail safely. Aspen and her owner were very grateful and immediately went to the emergency vet. Unfortunately, not every call to OHSTAR has a happy ending like Roman or Aspen’s rescues. One of the most challenging parts of our job is letting pet owners know that their pet did not survive. Not long after the popular Eagle Creek Trail in the Gorge re-opened, we had to deliver tragic news to an owner whose pet
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OHSTAR, continued from previous page had fallen down a steep ravine and perished. The narrow section where the dog fell did not have any anchor points and was steep and unsafe to lower anyone down. A team of OHSTAR volunteers hiked in through the ravine and upstream to the point of the trail but still could not find the dog. We deployed our drone to better explore the area and were able to locate the dog and confirm that he was, unfortunately, deceased. While heartbroken at the loss of her beloved pet, the owner appreciated the closure we were able to provide in confirming he had passed and was not suffering. As outdoor enthusiasts you know accidents can happen anywhere, anytime. However, we can plan and be prepared. We can take safety measures for our pets in the outdoors to prevent many of these scenarios. When checking the weather, trail reports, and other details, consider how the terrain, temperature, and conditions may affect your pet. If there is snow, rocky, or hot terrain, consider boots for your dog’s feet to avoid injuries. Bring extra food and water for them just as you do for yourself. The number one thing that will keep your dog safe in the outdoors is keeping them on leash, at all times. Even the most welltrained dogs have run off with no warning, slipped, or just really needed to show that squirrel who was faster. We hope that you never need us—but if you do, know that we are here for you and your pet!
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Above, members of the OHSTAR team particapiting in rescue and training operations. Photos by OHSTAR.
INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING OHSTAR? ■ Volunteer: We are almost always looking for volunteers to join the team. You don’t have to be a climbing expert or an animal expert, just have a willingness to learn, attend trainings, and respond. Find out more at oregonhumane.org/services/ emergency-animal-rescue. ■ Wishlist: OHSTAR has its own Amazon Wishlist, which you can find at tinyurl.com/OHSTARWish. ■ Tell a friend (or 10): Most importantly, please help us get the word out! We need outdoor enthusiasts like you to help spread the word about our team’s ability to respond. We have seen people injuring themselves, or putting themselves in dangerous situations, trying to rescue their pets, and we want to help keep you and your pet safe. Please call us at 503-849-5655 if you need assistance.
AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER by Lindsey Addison
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ross-country skiing is my favorite way to get outside in the winter. Quietly gliding through a beautiful snowy forest can’t be beat. I grew up in Wisconsin and learned how to ski in elementary school. No formal lessons, no ski team–I just tried to keep up with my dad on winter outings to state and county parks. I’m grateful I learned at a young age, and today I love introducing newcomers to the sport. Teaching beginning Nordic skiing for the Mazamas with my co-instructor Larry Welsh is something I look forward to each year. Since the late '90s, my dad has capped off his ski season with the American Birkebeiner. Founded in 1973, the Birkie is the largest cross-country ski race in North America, with around 11,000 skiers each year. It’s named after the Norwegian Birkebeiner Rennet, and both races honor the soldiers who skied infant Prince Haakon to safety in the 1206 Norwegian civil war. They were called “birkebeiners” because of the birch-bark leggings they wore. Each year three skiers reenact the event on traditional wooden skis, dressed in full costume, carrying a baby. Okay, it’s actually a doll – they swap it for a real baby just before the finish line. There are two disciplines in cross-country skiing—the Birkie’s skate ( freestyle) course is the standard 50 km, and the classic (diagonal) course is 55 km. Both go from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin. Over the years, my dad has asked me if I’d ever consider doing the Birkie with him, and I’d say sure, maybe someday. This year, I decided I was ready for a new challenge and said, “Yes, let’s do it!” Up until this past winter I’ve strictly been a recreational skier. I didn’t even know much about proper technique until I started teaching in 2019. The furthest I’d ever skied in a day was 13 miles, and now I’d signed myself up for 33! Oh, and just because there’s no mountains, you think Wisconsin is flat? The course’s total elevation gain is over 4,500 feet! I knew this was going to push my limits. I enjoy going uphill as much as the next mountaineer, and I consider myself to be in fairly good shape, but I’m not a runner, and definitely not a marathoner. The closest experience I’d had were some bicycle centuries, but that was a few years ago. Over the winter, my strategy was to spend as many days at Teacup as I could. I trained to put in more and more distance, focused on improving my technique, and upgraded my gear. Plenty of snow in December got my season off to a strong start. Unfortunately, a health issue sidelined me for two full weeks around the holidays, but I got right back out there. By late January I felt pretty dialed in. I’d teach class in the morning, go back out and ski 10–12 miles in the afternoon, head to Mazama Lodge for a hot shower and Kiki’s delicious food, and then I’d go out again the next day for as long as daylight allowed. As the big day approached, I did the math. My average pace would put me at the finish line between 7½–8 hours, so it was going to be close—the course closed 8 hours and 15 minutes after my wave’s start time! Was I as ready or as fit as I wanted to be? No. But it would have to do. I wrapped my skis
The author skiing through northwoods Wisconsin, about 30 km from the start of the 2022 Birkebeiner. and poles in multiple layers of cardboard and foam, prayed to the baggage handling gods, and boarded my plane. Happily my gear arrived unscathed. My dad and stepmom picked me up in Madison, and we drove north. Birkie morning dawned clear and cold with a beautiful pastel pink sunrise. Dad and I put on our gear and hopped in the car to catch a shuttle bus to the starting line. The local Ojibwe nation radio station was broadcasting live from the starting line, interviewing skiers, volunteers, and spectators, and playing Birkie songs with silly lyrics about the history of the race, ski waxing, and the course’s famous hills and landmarks.
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BIRKEBEINER, continued from previous page At first, there were so many skiers around me, it was hard to maneuver. I fell twice early on, just trying to avoid others. But soon, we spread out and I found my usual steady pace. I passed my first bright red kilometer-marker sign that cheerily announced, (only) 54 km to go! Knowing I had a long day ahead of me, I focused on enjoying the experience. The cold, dry snow squeaked like styrofoam when I planted my poles. Dry leaves skittered across the trail in the breeze. I coasted downhill and shuffled uphill through the quiet, rolling forest. The scenery was different here—no towering firs and cedars, instead there were birch, aspen, slender pines, and the occasional oak. At just 13.5 km in, I passed the course’s high point, and my mountaineer’s brain celebrated and said, “It’ll all be downhill from here, right?” Representing my home turf in a Teacup Nordic racing kit, I met a handful of other Oregonians. The skiers around me are like myself—not fast, but bound and determined to finish. Every 5–10 km there’s an aid station with friendly volunteers to cheer me on and press water, electrolytes, and food into my gloved hands. I try to stuff in as much fuel as I can, as quickly as I can. I can only stop for a few minutes before I grow cold and stiff. The numbers on the red signs click steadily downwards. At 25 km to go, the skate and classic trails join, and skaters from various waves add some variety to the bib colors around me. I’m getting tired, but I know I’m on pace to finish. My skis have a frustrating tendency slip backwards when I try to stride uphill (more technique to work on next year), and the hills are relentless. When the red signs hit 20 km to go, I cheer myself on with the thought that “Today I’m going to ski farther than I’ve ever skied before—that’s something to The author and her father, Steve Addison, at the 2022 Birkebeiner starting be proud of !” At 15 km to go, I’m telling myself, “That is area. Photo by Steve Addison. a totally reasonable distance, I can ski that.” And when it gets down to single digits, “I can definitely do that, and there’s no way I’m stopping now.” The sun is starting to set, the The starting area was a boisterous mass of hundreds of skiers temperature’s dropping, and the final part of the course crosses filled with pre-race nervous energy, wearing color-coded bibs a frozen lake. I reach the lake edge and the headwind picks up, over spandex and skiwear in every color of the rainbow, along kicking up snow in the fading light. I can see the Hayward water with a few old-timers in jeans. Conditions were perfect—sunny, tower on the other side. My subconscious supplies the perfect a 5–10 mph headwind, just 10 degrees Fahrenheit at the start soundtrack—the ice-fishing polka from Grumpy Old Men—and but expecting a high of 30 degrees Fahrenheit. New snow earlier I stride out onto snow-covered ice. The last hardy spectators are in the week meant the course would be well-groomed, but not cheering and clanking deer antlers together along with the usual particularly fast. As a rookie without a qualifying time, I was cowbells, telling me I look good enough to do another 55 km. assigned to the last wave for classic skiers, lime green wave 6. By Thanks for the vote of confidence! I don’t mind the wind chill the time my wave began, the wave of elite skiers (including 2018 because it’s finally flat, and I know I’m almost there. As I round Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall!) would already be halfway the final corner onto Main Street, I smile because the speakers are to the finish line. blasting my favorite karaoke song—Don’t Stop Believing. After one last selfie, a hug, and a “good luck and have fun,” At 7 hours, 46 minutes, and 45 seconds after I started, I cross my dad headed into the start gate with his gray skate wave 5 bib. the finish line and Dad is there to crush me in a big hug. We take I dropped our gear bags in the trucks that would meet us at the off my skis, collect my first-timers medal, and pose for a finish finish line, and then joined my lime green cohort. I put my skis line photo before heading back to the hotel. He finished his 19th down into the groomed tracks and clipped in—after months of Birkie over 3 hours ago and is doing just fine, but I am absolutely preparation, this was it! After a few more moments of anticipation, spent. I’m very dehydrated, a bit light-headed and nauseous, and as the starting ribbon dropped and we were off ! 32 MAZAMAS
SAYING GOODBYE (FLORENCE) MARLENE YATES JUNE 20, 1938– FEBRUARY 19, 2022
Longtime Mazama Marlene Yates died February at the age of 83. Marlene joined the Mazamas in 1975 after climbing Mount St. Helens. She went on to climb most of the high Cascade peaks in Oregon and Washington, including Mt. Rainier, Mount St. Helens (prior to the eruption), and multiple ascents of Mt. Hood. She was an assistant climb leader and an active hike leader between 1978–1984.
KATIE FOEHL JUNE 9, 1944–APRIL 1, 2022
The author about to cross the 2022 Birkebeiner finish line, in Hayward WI. soon as I stop moving I am freezing cold and shivering. But it’s nothing that a long hot shower, some ibuprofen, a lot of fluids, and sleep won’t cure. Once I’m warm and horizontal, having survived my first Birkie, I try to answer the question they’d asked me at the finish line— would I do it again? I think about all the things I’d do differently, and process my lessons learned. A lot more water, a lot more cardio, a technique-focused lesson or two, maybe try waxed skis instead of skins? This feeling of achievement and pride, mixed with relief and the desire to do better reminds me of the first time I climbed Mount St. Helens. This was pre-BCEP, basically off the couch, and boy, did I suffer. The experience of doing something I wasn’t sure I was capable of, finding those reserves of mental and physical strength that I wasn’t sure I had, and even enjoying it along the way? Pure type 2 fun. So just like Mount St. Helens—yeah Birkie, I’ll be back.
Lindsey Addison joined the Mazamas in 2018. She enjoys leading sunset hikes, and is a Nordic ski instructor and member of the Nordic committee. She’s grateful to her Mazama mentors and fellow volunteers, and is in awe of the beautiful mountains we all get to enjoy together.
Katherine ‘Katie’ B. Foehl died peacefully at home on April 1, 2022 surrounded by family and friends. Born into an army family, Katie moved often and lived all over the world. Later in life, Katie and her husband moved to Portland, Oregon in 1979. She rose through the development world and became Vice President of Development for Good Samaritan Hospital, a position she held for many years. She loved the outdoors and anything associated with it: skiing, mountain climbing, and hiking were on the top of the list. Katie joined the Mazamas in 1985 and earned her Guardian Peaks award that same year. She went on to earn her 16 Northwest Peaks Award in 1991. Katie’s near death accident on Mt. Shuksan in July of 1992 led to significant changes at the Mazamas, most importantly the establishment of the Incident Response Committee (precursor of today’s Critical Incident Stress Management Committee). In addition to working in development and giving her time to charities she admired, she also gave freely of her time to the Mazamas. Between her first stint on the Bylaws Committee in 1990 to her last committee role as a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Committee in 2014, she served on over 13 Mazama committees. She was deeply involved with accident debriefing and risk management, serving as chair of the Critical Incident Debriefing Team for five of her ten years on the committee. In addition, she served on both the Executive Council (1994–1996) and the Mazamas Foundation (2000–2005). Katie had a lasting impact on the Mazamas and her many friends mourn her passing.
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BOOK REVIEW WRITTEN IN THE SNOWS: ACROSS TIME ON SKIS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LOWELL SKOOG
by Ken DuBois
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t the inaugural Silver Skis Trophy competition on Mt. Rainier in 1935, huge crowds assembled to watch mostly inexperienced skiers barrel down the mountain, crashing, cartwheeling, and leaving a wake of splintered skis. The event was deemed a resounding success, to be repeated every winter for years to come. It was the point at which skiing in the Northwest definitively shifted from the pastime of a few hardy adventurers to a spectacle and diversion for the masses. With a historian’s objectivity, Lowell Skoog places this mayhem at the center of his engaging tome, Written in the Snows, a chronicle of skiing in Washington state from the early 20th century to today. Extensively researched and illustrated with hundreds of photographs, he presents a remarkably comprehensive record created from a wide variety of sources, including Mountaineers club records, newspaper accounts, interviews, and his own attempts to retrace ski routes traveled a century ago. As Skoog explains, early 20th century skiing in the Seattle area was mostly limited to a handful of homesick Norwegians and curious coeds willing to hop an eastbound train from Seattle to spend a day climbing and exploring in the wilderness, and then flag down the westbound train at the end of the day (it would be decades before roads through the Cascades were accessible in winter). Skiing began to catch on in the 1920s, with small clubs and carnivals popping up, and a few ski hills developed, but the focus varied from group to group: The Seattle Ski Club bought land near the railroad line and cleared trees for ski jumping; the Mountaineers, with their lodge near Snoqualmie Pass, traversed ridges and valleys in the style of the European ski patrols; and the Mt. Baker Ski Club organized around alpine skiing, though they had only 8-10 members and two pairs of skis among them. Skiers were mostly self-taught; many simply climbed uphill and bombed back down as best they could. As one skier recalls, “we ‘herringboned’ up and ‘ran it straight.’” The skiing explosion of the 1930s was directly connected to accessibility, Skoog writes, as winter roads were being plowed and opened for the first time. At Paradise, 200 summer “housekeeping” cabins were filled in winter with ski enthusiasts willing to dig down through the snow to get to their front doors, or tunnel over to their neighbors. At the same time, ski mountaineering in remote areas was gaining appeal as well. With sealskin wax or canvas climbers on their skis, many explorers were determined to summit peaks on skis, an often impossible task due to steep inclines and ice near the top (if they had to switch to crampons for the last part of the climb, they deemed it a failure). Eventually many ascents of Mt. Rainer and Mt. Hood were made entirely on skis.
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Skoog has much more to say about the evolution of skiing and ski culture in the Pacific Northwest, including fascinating chapters on military skiing during World War II, the development of large-scale resorts in the 1960s, and the recent resurgence in backcountry skiing similar to the style that excited ski adventurers a century ago. Along the way, there are many points of view, but like any good historian, Skoog remains impartial and lets his subjects fill in the commentary and opinion. Of the ubiquitous chairlifts we now take for granted, for example, Skoog quotes a disgruntled ski pioneer: “People are too lazy now. They’d rather sit on a chair and get hauled up, ski down and then take the next chair up–just like a yo-yo.” Another veteran adds, “Nobody wants to walk anywhere anymore.” Skoog, Lowell. Written in the Snows: Across Time on Skis in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, Washington: Mountaineers Books, 2021. Mazama Library number 796.93 S5.
MAZAMA LIBRARY Established in 1915, the Mazama Library is nationally recognized as holding one of the top mountaineering collections in the country. Located on the ground floor of the Mazama Mountaineering Center, the library is a fantastic resource for members and the general public to find information on hiking, climbing, camping, and exploring the rich history of regional and global mountaineering culture.
Learn more about the Library & Historical Collection at mazamalibrary.org The library is open Tues–Thurs 10:30 a.m.– 5 p.m. Our Library and Historical Collections Manager is present Tuesdays and Thursday 10:30 a.m.– 5 p.m., and Mondays and Fridays by appointment.
Treasures from the SPECIAL COLLECTION Scenes From The Snow-Fields: Being Illustrations Of The Upper Ice-World Of Mont Blanc, From Sketches Made On The Spot In The Years 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858; With Historical And Descriptive Remarks, And A Comparison Of The Chamonix And St. Gervais Routes, 1885, by Edmund Thomas Coleman, 1823–1892. This impressively large book, 22”x15”, is one of the rarest and most valuable of all mountaineering literature. Edward Coleman was an original Alpine Club member and one of the earliest painters of the high Alps. He was a regular contributor to the Alpine Club’s winter art exhibitions. Scenes from the Snow-Fields recounts, in art and word, his two ascents of Mont Blanc via the St. Gervais route and his passage of the Col de Miage. Mazama Library Special Collection, 914.94 C67
DID YOU KNOW? • An alp is a grassy pasture below the snowline where animals are taken to feed in summer. • There are 53 peaks in the Alps over 13,124 feet. • That a successful ascent of Mont Blanc was celebrated by the firing of cannons in the nineteenth century.
• That the years between the first ascent of the Wetterhorn in 1854 and the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, marks the Golden Age of Alpinism, when nearly all the highest peaks in the Alps were climbed for the first time.
The Mazama Library NEEDS SUPPORT—from you! 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.
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A CALL FOR CREATIVES
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o you have a creative side? Do you love to paint, draw, sculpt, write, or pursue another artistic endeavor? Do you get inspiration for your work from the mountains and other natural places? We’re seeking Mazamas who create to share some of their work with the community! For an upcoming issue of the Bulletin, we’re looking to share examples of amazing work produced by fellow Mazama members. We are particularly interested in work that drew inspiration from the natural spaces where the Mazamas love to rest and recreate. Examples of creative work we’re looking for include, but aren’t limited to, photographs or scans of 2D or 3D pieces (drawings, paintings, ceramics, mixed media, sculpture, woodworking), copies of digital artwork, or copies of written pieces (poetry, short stories, essays). Please include a description of your piece and where you got your inspiration. Send submissions to tinyurl. com/MazamaContent. We can’t wait to see what you’ve created!
REQUEST FOR BULLETIN SUBMISSIONS Alex Honnold may be able to do it solo, but we can’t! You are the Mazamas. Your stories, your adventures, and your knowledge define the organization. The Bulletin should represent that. With your help, we can produce a better product for you. The Publications team is a talented group of writers, editors, and you-can-do-it! cheerleaders willing to help you transform your knowledge and narratives into feature content to be shared with your fellow Mazamas. What will we publish? Just about anything of interest to the organization: tips and tricks, stories of trips taken, reporting on Mazama events, profiles of people, poetry, news from the climbing world, and on and on.
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There are two ways that you can get your ideas into print. The first is to tip off our crack team of writers about your idea and let us do all the heavy lifting. The second is to share with us a draft of your contribution, and we can help polish it up. Our staff includes experienced editors capable of working with you to craft topnotch writing. Pitch us your ideas by emailing publications@mazamas.org.
EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTES by Greg Scott, Secretary
JANUARY 26, 2022 ATTENDING: Jesse Applegate (in-person), President, Aimee Filimoehala (remote), Vice President, David Urbaniak (remote), Treasurer, Reena Clements (remote), Amanda Ryan-Fear (remote), Bob Breivogel(remote), Greg Scott (remote), Secretary, Charles Barker (remote); Kaleen Deatherage (in-person), Interim Executive Director, Rick Craycraft, facilities manager (remote); Guests: Kyla Ogle.
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WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER ■ The meeting was called to order at 4:01 p.m. by President Jesse Applegate. ■ Jesse noted a quorum was present. Jesse began by noting that the focus of the meeting would be on five agenda items outlined in the packet. GROUNDS PRESENTATION ■ Rick Craycraft and Kyle Ogle gave a presentation about proposed tree removal and replacements on the MMC grounds. They outlined safety issues related to the existing trees, in particular with the ash trees. Most of the removal can be done by current volunteers at little to no cost, including eight trees alongside the building and an alder. Recommend removing one ash a year over four years and removing the other trees outlined in the presentation. Some neighbors have not been happy about tree removals that have happened in the past, but there were good safety reasons to remove those trees. ■ The board discussed the proposal, and no motion was made. The board supports the first phase of the tree removal involving eight trees alongside the building and an alder. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT ■ Kaleen explained her intent will be to provide a written report in the future, however today is verbal. She started by giving an overview of her role in the organization. Kaleen discussed the employee health insurance renewal rate. Kaleen also recommends we talk to our broker mid-year and see if a more affordable option can be found in 2023. This does not appear to be a budget
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impact for 2022. The board discussed this recommendation and supports this recommendation. Kaleen also reported it is time to update the 401K plan. In regard to development, the Mazamas need to get end of year donation thank you letters out. Would be advantageous to have someone added to the team to make sure donor contributions are being added to the database and letters and being timely sent. Kaleen has a couple of leads for this. Will let the board know if someone is added to the team. Kaleen sees the development role as more of a membership relations position. The Mazamas need to focus on how we get out of deficit spending, and developing revenue streams that are more robust. Membership alone isn’t going to get it done. Difficult to do without the relationship of a development director and executive director. Mazama Wild Camp–Extremely well documented program. Anyone with camp background would be able to pick this up and run the program. Kaleen spent a lot of time on the budget side and the revenue appears to be historically modest. The relationships built by the program are impactful. Kaleen spent the last couple of weeks trying to figure out how to make it work, but recommended the Mazamas do not run this program this year. Kaleen is not saying the Mazamas couldn’t run it, but does not think we should run it. Suggests direct messaging this pause in programming to families. The board discussed this decision and supports not running the Mazamas Wild program this year. Finance & Budget–Kaleen spent time investigating Mazamas budget historically. The Mazamas have experienced a larger staff working in a number of new program areas, but not bringing in sustainable revenue. Emergency funding has come from the Foundation in past years, but this is not sustainable. Culturally, committees are siloed and only focus on balancing their individual budget. Need the entire organization to change its spending habits to become healthy again. Need to discuss this at board retreat.
■ Mazamas Business Awareness - Kaleen discussed the concept that nonprofits still need sound business strategies. There is an education opportunity with membership. What’s costing Mazamas money is not just staff, it's a robust organization managing many things that impact the community in many different ways. COVID-19 POLICY ■ Three main aspects to COVID Policy change. Only two being recommended 1. Expand vaccination requirement to current eligibility groups (eg kids 5-12) 2. Lift capacity requirements 3. Expand definition of fully vaccinated to include boosters (Not recommending) ■ Some organizations are voluntarily expanding this definition because the new CDC guidelines no longer require quarantine after close contact for people who have boosters, or are not yet eligible for a booster. ■ If someone is eligible for a booster but has not yet received a booster and has a close contact, they are required to quarantine for 5 days. ■ In practice this could disrupt classes such as BCEP where a whole group could be taken out by that quarantine rule. On the other hand, we have not had many reports of close contact in general and there is a low likelihood this will happen. ■ Because the CDC has not expanded its definition, our public health folks are OK with us not including it in the policy at this time, but making people aware that the best protection is to be boosted, and the implications of not being boosted when eligible could mean a disruption in class activities. ■ We are recommending releasing the new protocol with 1 and 2, but not 3, but rather a strong message about 3. Board will review final draft and approve over email by next week. HERITAGE BANK AUTHORIZATION ■ Jesse asked for a motion to approve to authorize Kalleen to be administrator and signor. Aimee made a motion to approve the minutes, David seconded. Motion carried.
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EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTES IT PLANNING COMMITTEE Jesse proposed pulling together an IT committee made up of volunteers and staff to analyze our IT systems VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION EVENT ■ Doing a lot without the usual community, asking a lot from volunteers in a lean environment. Aimee and Greg volunteered to organize an event. BUSINESS REPORTS ■ Minutes. Jesse asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the December meeting. Bob made a motion to approve the minutes, Aimee seconded. Motion carried. ■ Membership Report. Greg gave the membership report, see the packet for details. ■ Treasurer’s Report. David Urbaniak reported. □ December Close: Revenue is off versus budgeted target. □ Actuals on activity fees, donations, and merchandise are all less than expected for budget. Our spend is less, but does not make up for the shortfall in revenue. □ As a part of evaluating our current financial position, Kaleen uncovered that the Mazamas needs to rectify some spending of restricted gifts that were not utilized as the donors intended. □ Financial Operations: Considering moving from current internal bookkeeping solution to utilizing SMJ with the goal to streamline efforts, and enable a more accurate day to day accounting of our finances. Additionally, we are paying for existing services that we should consider utilizing, such as the ability for SMJ to attend two hours of our internal Mazamas meetings a month. □ Summary: We need more than belt tightening to remain a viable organization at the rate of our deficit spending. This combined with still potential financial unknowns that we need to address, my recommendation is aligned with Kaleen's that we revisit our 2022 financial budget, in light of unrestricted spend findings and lesser than expected revenue for the current year NEW BUSINESS 38 MAZAMAS
■ Rick Craycraft is retiring May 31, 2022. Interested in helping with search for replacement. ■ Jesse adjourned the meeting into executive session at 5:48 p.m., minutes kept separately.
FEBRUARY 23, 2022 ATTENDING: Jesse Applegate (in-person), President, Aimee Filimoehala (remote), Vice President, David Urbaniak (remote), Treasurer; Amanda Ryan-Fear (remote), Bob Breivogel(remote), Greg Scott (remote), Secretary, Charles Barker (remote), Reena Clements (absent); Kaleen Deatherage, Interim Executive Director (remote); Matt Sundling (guest). WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER ■ The meeting was called to order at 4:08 p.m. by President Jesse Applegate. ■ Jesse noted a quorum was present. Jesse began by noting that the focus of the meeting would be on five agenda items outlined in the packet. BUSINESS AGENDA ■ Minutes. Jesse asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the January 22 meeting. Aimee made a motion to approve the minutes, Amanda seconded. Motion carried. ■ Membership Report. Greg reported membership is about the same as this time last year ■ Treasurer’s Report. David Urbaniak reported that revenue is below budget for January close and investments remain relatively flat. □ Three high level budget scenarios have been created for board review to contemplate and address our current budget situation. A preview for comment will be shared in the closed session, with further discussion in our upcoming board retreat. □ David recommends continuing to reassess the 2022 budget, and adjust to align with our current budget. INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT. ■ Kaleen Deatherage gave her acting executive director report. Items noted beyond the written report are as follows:
■ Kaleen is working on covering tasks that remain since the bookkeeper left. ■ Gina Binole accepted position to be hired as office and communications coordinator. ■ Kaleen discussed Planning for the March 4, 2022 Retreat. ■ Kaleen, Jesse, and Greg met with lodge manager and committee to help clarify roles and streamline use of lodge. Board retreat will include a discussion about vision for the lodge going forward. ■ Scheduled two town hall opportunities. Town halls are scheduled for 3/14/22 and 3/22/22. NEW COVID-19 POLICY AND MASKING UPDATES ■ Greg is meeting with risk management to address upcoming changes to the mask mandate. INVESTMENT DRAWDOWN FOR CASH AUTHORIZATION ■ Investment committee recommends a draw down of $100,000 for operating expenses. Jesse asked for a motion. Discussion as to whether this will be adequate withdrawal for the rest of this year? It may not be necessary because of savings from staff departures, however this will not be sustainable as staff levels increase to normal. Aimee made a motion that the EC authorizes drawdown of $100,000 from investment fund to cover the budget for 2022. Amanda seconded. Motion carried. MOUNTAINEERING EDUCATION ALLIANCE ■ Matt Sundling gave a presentation about the work being done by the Mountaineering Education Alliance. Formed in 2016, Mazamas involved since the beginning. Creates a national volunteer standards. We should work together to create them. Started writing standard documents, as to minimum standards. Currently the Mazamas are in the implementation phase, training people to the standard, and then assess how it has worked. The Mazamas are the most advanced and most accomplished of the organizations and have performed the most training and most assessments. Ultimate product is the MEA will be the certifying body. Keep a database of
everyone who has passed the assessment. Will go through the UIAA audit for certification. ■ Application will go to UIAA, then schedule to come to the US and see if training lines up with documentation. ■ The other organizations need help before the audit happens. Proposal is to hire a professional IMGA guide with masters in education to go to the different organizations and do a preassessment. Ask is $4000 per organization. Hoping to have schedule set in the next month. □ The Mazamas have previously promised to pay $5000 a year. The Mazamas have never paid this money. □ The ask for $4000 is a special ask above and beyond that. □ Jesse asked for a motion. Greg made a motion for the Mazamas to contribute $4500 to the MEA for funding of an IMGA guide to act as a consultant. Dave seconded. Motion carried. ■ Jesse adjourned the meeting at 5:38 p.m.
SUCCESSFUL CLIMBERS February 12, 2022–Mount St. Helens, Swift CreekWorm Flows. Julie Kentosh, Leader. Tiffany McClean, Assistant. Amy Carlow, Erin Courtney, Drew Glassroth, Sándor Lau, Kayla Miller, Dolores Rincon, Adonay Solleiro, Jenni Tan. February 25, 2022–Mount St. Helens, Swift CreekWorm Flows. Michael Hortsch, Leader. Mike Valentine, Assistant. Ian Beil, Douglas Filiak, Kristen Frank, Rahul Jain, Dzmitry Lebedzeu, Bill E. Lowder, Mahendra Shewalla March 6, 2022–Mount St. Helens, Swift Creek-Worm Flows. Guy Wettstein, Leader. Nimesh Patel, Assistant. Ted Light, Rachel Nelson, Atalanta Powell, Kristofel Simbajon.
COLOPHON CONTACT US
Mazama Mountaineering Center 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97215 Phone: 503-227-2345 | help@mazamas.org Hours: Tuesday–Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Mazama Lodge 30500 West Leg Rd., Government Camp, OR, 97028 Phone: 503-272-9214 | mazamalodge@mazamas.org Hours: Friday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Monday, 9 a.m.–Noon
PUBLICATIONS TEAM Editor: Mathew Brock, Bulletin Editor (mazama.bulletin@mazamas. org) Members: Brian Goldman, Darrin Gunkel, Ali Gray, Ryan Reed, and Claire Tenscher (publications@mazamas.org)
MAZAMA STAFF GINA BINOLE
KALEEN DEATHERAGE
Office & Communications Coordinator Interim Executive Director
ginabinole@mazamas.org MATHEW BROCK Library & Historical Collections Manager
mathew@mazamas.org
kaleendeatherage@mazamas.org BRENDAN SCANLAN Operations & IT Manager brendanscanlan@mazamas.org
RICK CRAYCRAFT Facilities Manager facilities@mazamas.org For additional contact information, including committees and board email addresses, go to mazamas.org/contactinformation.
MAZAMA (USPS 334-780): Advertising: mazama.ads@mazamas.org. Subscription: $15 per year. Bulletin material must be emailed to mazama. bulletin@mazamas.org. The Mazama Bulletin is currently published bi-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.
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Mazamas® 527 SE 43rd Ave. Portland OR 97215 www.mazamas.org
Mazama Periodical Postage Paid in Portland, Oregon
DONATE NOW TO OUR ANNUAL CAMPAIGN! Donations this year will go to support education scholarships, youth programming, grants, and lodge maintenance.
Mazama nalgene bottle at trailhead. Photo by Teresa Dalsager.
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