Since 2010, we’ve opened the KEEN Garage to all our Portland fans. It’s a place to get your hands on, and your feet in, the largest selection of KEEN footwear anywhere. It’s also a great place to meet fellow KEEN fans and to be inspired by how they have fun outside. Need insider tips from KEENmates about the styles that best suit your outside life? Come down to the Garage. Wanna test out how each of our styles fit? The Garage door is open. Slap high fives, share trail tales, or just spin the shoe racks. The Garage is there for you.
We mentioned the Garage is filled with the largest selection of KEEN footwear anywhere, right? There’s nowhere else to test out the fit and finish of so many different styles you may have only seen online. Go ahead, pull on those hikers you’ve always wondered about, feel the comfortable joy of the newest generation of Newport sandals, make sure your fave pair of socks will look good in ‘em. Make yourself right at home.
Plus, the Garage features in-person only savings events throughout the year, hosts the occasional party, and is fun for the kiddos (and the adultos, too). Heck, the Garage even has a near-perfect score on TripAdvisor— it’s that kinda fun. And there’s even free parking for KEEN fans right there at the Garage. We’ll see you there.
KEEN GARAGE
505 NW 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97209 971-200-4040
MON - THRS 10AM – 5PM, FRI - SAT 10AM – 6PM, SUN 11AM – 5PM
MAZAMA BULLETIN
Volume 106 Number 4
July/August 2024
IN THIS ISSUE CONTENTS
FEATURES
The Mazama Trail: A Look Back, p. 10
An Interview with Ray Sheldon, “Mr. Mazama Trail,” p. 16
The Other Mazamas on Mt. Hood? p. 18
Mazamas Hike!, p. 20
The Cabin in the Sky: Mt. Hood's Pioneering Fire Lookout, p. 22
Unveiling Mt. Hood: Exploring Hidden Gems and Favorite Hikes, p. 23
When Mt. Hood was the Highest Peak in North America, p. 28
Echoes of the Past: Mt. Hood’s Forgotten Plane Wrecks, p. 30
Beauty Without The Crowds—or the Permits, p. 32
COLUMNS
Executive Director’s Message, p. 4
President’s Message, p. 5
Letter from the Editors, p. 6
2024 Membership Survey
Preliminary Findings, p. 6
Upcoming Courses, Activities, and Events, p. 7
The Mazamas Welcomes New Members, p. 8
Successful Climbers, p. 8
The Boiler Room Reborn: A Sustainable Renovation at the MMC, p. 9
Book Reviews, p. 26
Looking Back, p. 29
Mazama Library, p. 34
Board of Directors Minutes, p. 37
Saying Goodbye, p. 39
Cover: Mt. Hood as seen from the Mazama Trail trailhead, September, 1994
Photo from the Ray Sheldon Collection, VM2001.005.
Above:
We aspire to all this because, simply put, what we do changes lives.” p. 4
The Mazamas were hardly tenderfeet when it came to trail building...” p. 10
I remain optimistic that the return of fire to our highcountry landscapes will create enough alpine and subalpine habitat for these animals to once again thrive here.” p. 18
For a brief moment in the 1860s, Mt. Hood, on whose summit the Mazamas formed about 30 years later, was North America’s highest peak.” p. 28
First official Trail Trip on the Mazama Trail, led by Rich Couser, September 10, 1994.
Photo from the Ray Sheldon Collection, VM2001.005.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
by Rebekah Phillips, Mazama Executive Director
Despite our 130-year legacy and deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve all heard it dozens of times: “So tell me about the Mazamas . . . what is it they do?”
Each of us has a different response based on our own personal experience, and for many of us (especially if you’re reading this), that response encompasses at minimum a generally positive review of mountaineering-related classes and activities, with a good possibility of spilling into the more animated “I could go on and on!” range.
If you’ve been a member for a while, you’re aware that evolution is afoot at the Mazamas, that we’re intentionally leveling up as a bona fide mission-driven nonprofit. But for our 600+ new members, it may provide important context to know that over the last 18 months the Mazama membership has chosen public access over barriers to entry, and committed to longterm sustainability and careful, managed growth over year-to-year planning and big, flashy steps. This comes alongside a significant shift in our collective perspective from “How does Mazamas serve me personally?” to “What does Mazamas do for the greater good?”
Here’s my “Executive Director” answer to that question, synthesized from hundreds of conversations and observations with members: The Mazamas builds strong communities on the foundation of a shared love for the mountains. Humble before nature, we are lifelong students who endeavor not to do more but rather to do better. In all that we do—from our activities and programs to our operations and governance—we are committed to acting responsibly and
respectfully through values of safety, collaboration, and stewardship. With a renowned reputation across the region, the Mazamas are proud pioneers, explorers, and experts guided by standards of excellence and leading by example. We aspire to all this because, simply put, what we do changes lives.
If that last sentence sounds puffed up, I encourage you to reflect. How many of you have found your closest friends at the Mazamas? Or even your life partner? How many of you have learned what it means to trust another person at the Mazamas? How many of you have discovered a sense of safety and security at the Mazamas? How many of you have developed leadership or organizational skills that you then applied to your professional or personal lives?
Not every member can relate across the board, but so many of us have had at least one of these experiences that I’d be willing to bet that were we to measure the outcomes of the Mazama mission we would demonstrate positive social, environmental, and even economic impacts through increased empathy and awareness, relationships of trust, and personal development.
I recently came across a statistic that more than 60 percent of Americans report feeling lonely. This is a public health crisis, full stop. But the Mazamas fills this need. The “who-what-where-when-how” of what we do relates directly to mountaineering, but the more I consider the “why” behind it all, the more I believe it’s about building community. And in an age where we are more divided than ever, where low trust prevents us from working together to solve serious problems, where we shun neighbors with whom we disagree, this community is not only badly needed, it’s unique.
On September 25, you’ll have an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to the Mazama mission
at our 130th Anniversary Dinner and Benefit Event, Steps Together. As our major fundraising event of the year, Steps Together celebrates the profound impact that the Mazamas has had on lives and communities through our members’ own words. All proceeds, including event and raffle tickets as well as the donations raised through the paddle raise, directly support our shared commitment to a strong, sustainable future in which the greater good is served for and by generations to come. If you’re unable to attend personally, you’re welcome to make a donation in lieu of attendance that will count toward the event’s fundraising goal. You can learn more about Steps Together and purchase tickets and tables at mazamas.org/benefit.
Of course all of this is because of you and what you each bring to this organization to make it what it is today. Whether you’re highly active in the Mazamas and making memories today or those years are behind you as you fondly recall the times you had together, the Mazama promise is the result of your vision put into action. Thank you for your dedication, your talents, and for your continued investment in the Mazamas, our mission, and our community.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
by Greg Scott, Mazama President
“It’s just right over there.” This is the phrase I often utter during a climb when asked, “Are we there yet?” It also describes where we are as an organization. This Bulletin marks the final stretch of my presidency, perhaps the crux of the entire journey.
I was elected in October 2021 with aspirations for the executive council (as the board was known then), though my motivations were broad and undefined. A year into my term, in October 2022, I became board president and it’s hard to believe my term ends in under six months. My tenure began amid existential threats—an interim executive director’s abrupt resignation and dwindling pandemic-impacted investments. Serving on the Mazama Board has been one of life’s most rewarding experiences. These adversities helped me grow as a person and leader, fostering a deeper connection to the Mazama community.
In terms of training, the Mazama Board continues to be a place of learning. With guidance from Kaleen Deatherage, and now Rebekah Phillips, we are gaining ground on becoming a professional nonprofit board. If you’ve never served on a board there is a lot to learn. Once I gained the knowledge offered to me, it gave me a whole new perspective on our organization’s history, the responsibility of a nonprofit to the greater good, and what it takes to remain sustainable. I developed a deeper connection to the way we operate and I have a broader view on just what it takes to make the Mazamas work. I feel better prepared to communicate both internally and externally about the future of our organization.
In terms of leadership, there is no greater responsibility than to be a board member. I learned early on there is a false notion that the board is above everyone else. The board is not something that lies at the top of a hierarchical structure, but the members of a board are given responsibilities that are different than a regular member of the organization. These include responsibility for the fiduciary and cultural health of the organization. Being an officer of the board taught me to be responsible with the positional power that comes with the title. I engaged with leaders from other outdoor organizations, the Forest Service, the media, and donors to talk about the Mazamas. As a representative of the organization I have a personal responsibility to not just what I think, but to telling the whole story of the Mazamas. This experience deepened my understanding of what it means to be a leader.
Being a board member allowed me to expand my role in the Mazama community. I met so many more people than I had known before joining the board. I developed new friendships and
hopefully adventure partners with my fellow board members. I engaged with members from all corners of our organization, whether attending Classics Luncheons or going on hikes and climbs. My best memories will be the individual conversations the role allowed me to have with so many different people. These connections are the fabric of our community. It is a reminder that I did not do this alone—the Mazamas exist because of all of us.
I hope that sharing some of this experience will inspire you to consider joining the board. I won’t sugar coat it and say it’s easy and won’t take a lot of time. But that’s like a lot of what we sign up for. My journey with the Mazamas will continue in other ways when my time on the board is complete. When I’m telling stories in the future I’ll probably say, “yeah I did that—and it wasn’t easy.” But consider this for yourself, this opportunity is “just right up over there.”
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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
by Mathew Brock, Mazama Bulletin Editor, and Jen Travers, Issue Content Editor
Welcome to the July/August
Mazama Bulletin!
We’re excited to present this issue, which features some changes and a new theme celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Mazama Trail and hiking around Mt. Hood.
New Changes
As mentioned in the previous issue, we’ve made a few updates to the Bulletin. Most notably, this issue and future ones will be in full color. Additionally, we’ve returned to themed issues, with this edition focusing on the Mazama Trail’s 30th anniversary and Mt. Hood hiking.
A huge thank you to our content editor for this issue, Jen Travers, for curating the content, coordinating with contributors, and ensuring we adhered to the theme.
Featured Content
In our features, we lead off with two articles by Peter Boag on the Mazama Trail. The first recounts the trail’s history and origins (page 10), while the second is an interview with Mr. Mazama Trail, Ray Sheldon, discussing the trail’s 30th anniversary (page 16).
Rounding out our Mt. Hood coverage, you’ll find:
■ An update to Tom Kloster’s WyEast blog post on mountain goats (page 18)
■ A look back at Mt. Hood’s summit cabin by longtime Mazamas Ned Thanhouser and Jeff Thomas (page 22)
■ Jen Travers’ article on forgotten plane crashes on Mt. Hood (page 30)
On the hiking front, we have:
■ Guidebook author and Mazama member Matt Reeder sharing his three favorite Mt. Hood hikes (page 23)
■ Mazama Trail Trips Committee Chair Scott Stevenson offering excellent backpacking options away from crowds (page 32)
■ A two-page centerfold spread featuring your hiking photos (page 20) Additionally, we’ve included two reviews of classic Mt. Hood books, hiking resources from the Mazama Library, and a look back at Mazama history.
Looking Ahead
Our next issue will focus on rock climbing, with articles and interviews featuring pioneers of Oregon rock climbing. Future themed issues will cover conservation, volunteering, and more. We hope you enjoy this issue and the new changes we’ve implemented. Happy reading!
2024 MEMBERSHIP SURVEY PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
by Mazama Staff
For the first time in more than six years, the Mazamas surveyed both members and nonmembers to better understand engagement, opportunities and barriers, and perceptions within the community. Importantly, the survey was a forum for a broad range of voices to inform the organization’s next strategic plan, to be developed by the Mazama Board of Directors and Executive Director later this year.
Sent electronically to 5,400 members and nonmembers, the response rate among membership was 27 percent—lower than we would have liked, but enough to see trends to guide the organization going forward, even in this preliminary analysis.
One of the primary goals of the survey was to begin to track both immediate and longer-term impacts of the 2023 bylaws change. More than half of new members (53 percent) stated that the elimination of the glaciated peak requirement played a significant role in their decision to join the Mazamas. A next step of the analysis will aim to understand how the priorities and needs of these newer members are similar or different from our more tenured members.
When asked about the top reasons members renew their membership, access to classes and education, access to climbs and hikes, and the desire to be part of a community were highlighted as key factors. In fact, being part of a community emerged as the number one reason that members maintain their membership year after year! Volunteerism has always been strong within the Mazamas, and that remains unchanged with 45 percent of volunteers reporting giving 50+ hours in the last year, and 15 percent giving more than 150 hours. Giving back to the Mazama community
and sharing skills and knowledge ranked highest among the reasons members volunteer for the organization.
Members and non-members were firmly aligned in their assessments of organizational priorities for the next five years, with financial stability, reaching more people in the immediate area, and focusing on outdoor recreation legislation and advocacy as the top three responses among both segments.
In terms of improving the overall member experience, feedback pointed towards enhancing website functionality and content, sending more targeted emails, and providing more opportunities for members to network with Mazama leaders. And finally, survey responses show that the majority of members get their Mazama news from mazamas.org, the Mazama Bulletin, and the weekly eNews.
Further analysis, including a comparative demographic analysis over past surveys, is set to be conducted to gain deeper insights among subsets of the Mazama community.
UPCOMING COURSES, ACTIVITIES, AND EVENTS
INTRODUCTION TO MULTIPITCH CLIMBING
SHE/THEY/US: INTRODUCTION TO MULTIPITCH CLIMBING
Registration closes: July 31, 2024
Dates: August 14–18, 2024
Cost: $210 members / $240 nonmembers
INTRODUCTION TO MULTIPITCH CLIMBING (ACKER ROCK / AUGUST 2024)
Registration closes: August 7, 2024
Dates: August 21–25, 2024
Cost: $210 members / $240 nonmembers
INTRODUCTION TO MULTIPITCH CLIMBING (ACKER ROCK / SEPTEMBER 2024)
Registration closes: August 21, 2024
Dates: September 4–8, 2024
Cost: $210 members / $240 nonmembers
This is a short course where participants will receive some education and training for multipitch rock climbing by participating in (A) an in-person three hour training session at the MMC, (B) followed up by climbing the 10-pitch alpine rock route Acker Rock, Peregrine Traverse. The intended audience for this course is someone who has basic rock skills, some minimal outdoor rock climbing experience, perhaps some skills with lead belaying, who has no background with multipitch climbing.
Participants will climb on top-rope only— you will not lead climb. The group of climbers will be divided into small teams of three, including two participant climbers and an assistant instructor/lead climber. Each team will independently climb the route, however the teams will be in close proximity to each other.
Application questionnaire: (You will automatically be asked to complete this when you apply for this course)
More info and signup links at www.mazamas.org/IAC/
FAMILIES MOUNTAINEERING 101
Registration closes: July 21, 2024
Dates: August 1, 2024–May 31, 2025
Cost: $550 members / $650 nonmembers / $495 children under 13
Families Mountaineering 101 (FM101) trains adult and youth climbers for entry-level mountaineering activities, including rock and snow climbing skills. This class is an opportunity to get your entire family involved with alpine activities and mountaineering objectives. FM101 is designed to support parents and their children in building a solid foundation of mountaineering skills. Participants of the class will learn the skills required to be a competent member of Mazama “A” or “B” level climbs.
AYM NORTH CASCADES CAR CAMPINGPALOOZA
Registration closes: August 16, 2024
Dates: August 30–September 2, 2024
Cost: $30 members / $50 nonmembers
Join us for an unforgettable car camping adventure amidst the breathtaking landscapes of North Cascades National Park! Immerse yourself in the pristine wilderness of the Pacific Northwest as we embark on a journey filled with outdoor exploration, camaraderie, and endless fun. Our itinerary is packed with exciting activities tailored to delight nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike.
From scenic hikes to indulging in the simple joys of s’mores by the campfire, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Lace up your hiking boots and embark on unforgettable trails through lush forests, alongside crystal clear lakes, and up to breathtaking vistas. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a beginner, there are trails suited to all skill levels.
This is a fantastic opportunity to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with the great outdoors. So, pack your sense of adventure and join us for an unforgettable car camping trip to North Cascades National Park!
More info at www.mazamas.org/aym
MAZAMA TRAIL 30TH ANNIVERSARY HIKES
Dates: September 7–8, 2024
Cost: Free
The 30th anniversary of the Mazama Trail will be held at the trailhead on September 7 and 8. There will be three hikes of various lengths each day. On Saturday there will be a hike to McNeil Point and Sunday a hike to Cairn Basin. On both days there will be hikes to the Timberline Trail and a 1 mile show and tell of the history and construction of the trail. For those interested in staying overnight there will be dry camping available with a port-a-potty on site.
SOUTH OLYMPICS TREK
Dates: September 8–14, 2024
Cost: $350 members/$500 nonmembers
Join us as we hike the beautiful and scenic southern Olympics Coast Wilderness completing a loop along the Skyline Ridge, Elwha River, Hayden Pass, Dosewallips River, West Fork Dosewallips River, LaCrosse Pass, Duckabush River, O'Neil Pass, and East Fork Quinault River trails. The 6–8 participants will need to be in good physical condition for this approximately 101-mile adventure and should have experience in at least one 50+ mile trek. We will be hiking at a moderate to fast pace, traveling around 10–21 miles per day over easy to difficult terrain, including stream fords. Elevation gains will range from 3,600–5,800 feet per day. Expect varying weather, wildlife, and miles and miles of scenery. We will use a short car shuttle to complete this loop hike.The outing dates are tentative until a permit is obtained.
More info: bit.ly/SOlympicsMazamas
THE MAZAMAS WELCOMES
NEW MEMBERS
Between April 1, 2024, and May 31, 2024, the Mazamas welcomed 130 new members. Please join us in welcoming them to our community!
Nancy Abbott
Paul Abbott
Andres Alba
Elisa Alvarez
Jane Ancel
Isabel Arnold
Emilie Beath
Erik Benedetti
Saurabh Bhavsar
Alexei Bibik
Erik Bird
Dan Birkholz
Mairi Blieden
Allison Boyd
Heather Brech
Leslie Brown
Tiffiny Burkey
Justine Calcagno
Kat Canada
Alex Cant
Theo Cantalupo
Maureen Canterberry
Wendy Childs
Geoffrey Christian
Allen Clements
Clint Clow
Christa Copeland
Lauren Corder
Helen Crandell
Zack Crandell
Taylor DeVilbiss
Aaron Druck
Aaron Duda
Dan Durst
Brooke Eberle
Florian Eizaguirre
Ann Esteve
Alek Fredericksen
Patty Freeman
Madi Gallagher
Deborah Gant
Bryan Garcia
Katharine Gentry
Dominic GonzalezYoxtheimer
Matthew Gordon
Elias Graham
Andy Graham
Eleni Grant
Kyle Grisham
Karen Gronowski
David Gronowski
Deborah Harner
Gabriel Hawkins
Lila Hawkinson
Hamp Haynes
Terria Heng
Lydia Hernandez
Tk Higuchi
Romy Houston
Melissa Jones
Dane Karlsen
Ryan Keane
Alex Keegan
Erin Kirby
Caitlin Kirby
Dale Knapp
Tejal Kolwankar
Arjun Kramadhati Gopi
Jackson Lang
Jason Lathrop
Kerry Lawless
Owen Lazur
Mike Lennon
Annabel Lofts
Tom Lovett
Linda Lovett
Daniel Lyman
Joseph MacDonald
Luke MacNutt
Jenny Maxwell
Andrew McMillin
John Meihoff
MaryBeth Morris
Sara Morton
Myalee Muller
Lisa Marie Nelson
Dorothy Nichter
Ashwin Nomi
Patty O’Linger
Maddy Otto
Nickola Ovchinnikov
Ravi Panchumarthy
Kody Phillis
Ian Phipps
Miranda Pickner
Travis Prescott
Emily Pulliam
Andrew Queen
Mikal Rahman
Finn Ramos
Lila Rice
Anna Ringelman
Natalie Robbins
Julia Ronlov
Aaron Rosenberg
Elizabeth Rupp
Quinn Schwartz
Thomas Schwenger
Karen Shay
Kayleen Shiiba
Darrick Skou
Brooke Smart
Lisa Smith
Alexa Smith-Rommel
SUCCESSFUL CLIMBERS
April 13, 2024-Mount St. Helens, Swift Creek-Worm Flows, Ski
May 3, 2024-Mt. Hubris (The Ogre), Cosmic Wall. Pushkar Dixit, Leader. Archana Mandava, Dominic Gonzalez-Yoxtheimer, Saraja Samant, Hector Gomez-Barrios.
May 10, 2024-Mt. Hood (Wy'east), South Side. Pushkar Dixit, Leader; Rob Sinnott, Assistant Leader. Luke Horvath, Alexa Smith-Rommel, Anthony Pucci, Byung Gi Han, Ryan Keane, Owen Lazur, Matthew Gordon, Zack Crandell.
May 14, 2024-Mt. Hood (Wy'east), West Crater Rim. Darren Ferris, Leader; Andres Malavasi, Assistant Leader. Gordon Wilde, James Taylor, Jonathan Doman, Aaron Reed.
May 14, 2024-Mt. Hood (Wy'east), South Side. Tim Scott, Leader; Brad Dewey, Assistant Leader. Peter Boag, Edward Decker, Jacob Wolfgang Haag, Jesus Alberto Varela Lopez, Victor Colominas Ruiz, Aimee Frazier, Kamilla Aslami, Colleen Rawson, Christie Choma.
May 16, 2024-Mt. Hood (Wy'east), South Side. Gary Bishop, Leader; Kim Osgood, Assistant Leader. Chloe Loveall, John Powers, Neil Connolly, Katherine Peters, Daniel Miller.
May 17, 2024-Mt. Hubris (The Ogre), Cosmic Wall. Gary Ballou, Leader. Max Ciotti, Bridget Martin.
May 18, 2024-Mt. Shasta, West Face Gully. Joe Preston, Leader; Erin Courtney, Assistant Leader. Midori Watanabe, Patricia Akers.
May 18, 2024-Mt. Hood (Wy'east), South Side, Ski Climb. Forest Brook Menke-Thielman, Leader. Michele Scherer Barnett, Mia Stevanovic, Johnny Stoehr, Malcolm Reilly, Kenneth Umenthum, Tuller Schricker.
May 19, 2024-Mt. Ellinor, SE Chute. Lynne Pedersen, Leader; Dawn Van Seggen, Assistant Leader. Caroline Foster, Kate Strube, Donica Polce, Alex Kunsevich, William Kazanis, Justin Cochran, Kelly Johnson.
May 25, 2024-Mt. Shasta, West Face Gully. Guy Wettstein, Leader; Matthew Gantz, Assistant Leader. Emily Carpenter, Tyler Sievers, Leah Brown, Winnie Dong, Amanda Lovelady.
Christopher Spencer
Kate Strube
Kusuma Swarna
Steve Tervooren
Bryan Thieme
Jeff Thompson
Jodi Thompson
Lena Toney
Matt Van Eerden
Sarah Vintze
Kevin Visscher
Paulus von den Hoff
Robert Wilson
Sabrina Wolfe
Erik Wollen
Jemima Zacharia
May 25, 2024-Mt. Ellinor, SE Chute. Trey Schutrumpf, Leader; Casey Ferguson, Assistant Leader. Becky Sievers, Caitlin O'Brien-Carelli, Cliffe Kim, Karthik Periagaram, Jordan Reaksecker, Aimee Frazier, Rachael Nelson, Jacob Lippincott, Byung Gi Han, Trixie Honeywell.
May 27, 2024-Mt. Hood (Wy'east), South Side. Nimesh Patel, Leader; Astrid Zervas, Assistant Leader. Christina Cook, Byung Gi Han.
May 28, 2024-Mt. Hood (Wy'east), South Side. Tim Scott, Leader; Michael Schoenheit, Assistant Leader. Patricia Akers, Evan McDowell, Seth Dietz, Frank Liao, Jane Hammaker, Matthew Barbisan, Elizabeth Rupp, Allison Boyd.
May 31, 2024-Unicorn Peak, Snow Lake. Gary Bishop, Leader; Brad Dewey, Assistant Leader. Finn Ramos, Elizabeth Rupp, Andy Nyce, Kris Holmes, Arthur Davis.
May 31, 2024-Mt. Hood South Side. Janelle M Klaser, Leader. Alex Kunsevich, John Rowland, Kristie Mitchell
May 31, 2024-Mt. Ellinor, SE Chute. Duncan A Hart, Leader; Sharon Selvaggio, Assistant Leader. Chloe Shelby, Reigh Robitaille, Mark Creevey, Mike Quigley, Alastair Cox, Trixie Honeywell.
THE BOILER ROOM REBORN: A SUSTAINABLE RENOVATION AT THE MMC
Last September, the Mazamas installed new heat pumps for the auditorium, library, archives, and other areas of the ground-floor level. As we reported in the November/December 2023 Bulletin, this work—which would not have been possible without the support of a few invested donors—helped bring the Mazama Mountaineering Center to 100 percent carbon neutrality. But it hasn’t ended there. Community buildings like the MMC are works in progress, adapting to the needs of its members as resources allow us to turn new visions into reality. This year we’ve seen a flurry of activity, to great results.
After the heat pumps were installed, we were left with a decommissioned boiler
that rendered an entire room more or less useless in its current state. We were eager to reimagine how we could make good use of this space, and ultimately envisioned a room that could support facility-related projects and the people who make them happen. We needed a clean slate, so from late October into early November, we tore out the old boiler, piping, and radiators, and repaired and repainted the walls. The remodel that has since transpired, mostly during the month of May, is now complete—it was a big lift by a large crew of talented people and a heck of a good time working together.
The new Boiler Room provides muchneeded organized storage for facility supplies and tools, as well as a recycling center. As many of you know, Facilities Manager Rick Craycraft is a master recycler, possessing extensive knowledge of what materials can be recycled beyond the City’s curbside pick-up program. Rick knows just where (and to whom) materials that aren’t traditionally accepted can be taken, but these are often accompanied by volume minimums that necessitate storing up materials over time. Rick’s work is a
key part of our sustainability program, and we’re lucky to have him. We’re excited that he now has a dedicated space to sort and process recyclables.
While everyone on the project made big contributions, I want to give a special shout-out to two people, John Meckel and Richard Sandefur. John’s mark is in nearly every room in the MMC—cabinets and workbench in the rope room; structure in the attic for the solar electric equipment; the desk in Lena’s office; and cabinets in the upstairs bathrooms, copier room, and now boiler room; and I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch. Richard has converted nearly every light fixture in the building from fluorescent to LED, upgraded emergency exit lighting, installed motion detector switches and electrical outlets in many locations, and has now just completed a list of upgrades in the Boiler Room. Many thanks to you both.
The two photos above showcase the amazing transformation of this forgotten room. Once a Boiler Room, always a Boiler Room?
THE MAZAMA TRAIL A LOOK BACK
Above: Mt. Hood, as seen from the Mazama Trail, August, 1994. Inset: Mazama Trail plaque created by
by Peter Boag
At the Mazama Council meeting in November 1992, Ray Sheldon, a member since 1960 and outgoing president of the Mazamas, received the official blessing to pursue possibilities for finally getting something of larger relevance at Mt. Hood named in honor of the organization. The 100th anniversary was fast approaching and since our founding on Mt. Hood’s summit
back on July 19, 1894, the Mazamas has considered that mountain to be our home away from home— far more than anywhere else, our climbs and other outdoor activities, research, and attention had and have focused on Mt. Hood. And our lodge had and has been nestled on the lower slopes of that grand peak since 1923.
And yet, strangely, nothing at Mt. Hood officially carried our name (the intraorganizationally named Mazama Rock had slipped from the summit years before), though several of the mountain’s features
had been named for prominent members. It is not as though we had been either shy or modest about plopping down the Mazama brand elsewhere in the region. The most notable occasion occurred early in our history, in 1896. Many Mazamas and other Crater Lake enthusiasts had gathered at that natural wonder during our Annual Outing, a summertime affair that moved from place to place each year and was a popular fixture of the organization for decades. On August 21, led by our founder William G. Steel, a group of the assembled enthusiastically watched charter member Fay Fuller smash a bottle of lake water on a rock, christening the enormous volcano in which Crater Lake sits as “Mount
Joe Piudell. Photos from the Ray Sheldon Collection, VM2001.005.
Mazama.” It has been known as such since. The ceremony was just one of the many attention-grabbing activities Steel used in his quest to have the U.S. government elevate Crater Lake to national park status, something that finally happened in 1902.
Ninety years later, and with the organization’s hopes of bringing the Mazama name permanently to Mt. Hood riding on his shoulders, Ray Sheldon approached the United States Forest Service (USFS) with a bold proposal: Would it consider renaming the wondrous Timberline Trail, which entirely encircles Mt. Hood, in honor of the Mazamas? The Forest Service balked at the request, as one might imagine. Mainly this was due
to that trail’s truly historic nature. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federally sponsored program specifically designed to employ young men who suffered destitution during the Great Depression, constructed major portions and features of the new trail, including several stone shelters, three of which still remain at McNeil Point, Cairn Basin, and Cooper Spur. When the CCC youths connected varied existing traces to the path that they had newly carved from the mountain, they completed a 40-mile circular trail around Oregon’s most majestic mountain. Some people at the time, including the CCC, unofficially called the loop “Round the Mountain
Trail,” a designation that many Mazamas will readily recognize today—it is the name we use for one of our cherished summer activities that takes place on the Timberline Trail. When the CCC completed it in the 1930s, “Round the Mountain” extended the legendary Oregon Skyline Trail around Mt. Hood; some 30 years later in 1968, it became part of the nowcelebrated Pacific Crest Trail. By 1992, the Timberline Trail was a treasured Oregon landmark. Changing its name would not only change history, but no doubt rile many of its fans.
All was not lost, however. Federal budget cuts in the 1970s and 1980s had
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severely limited the ability of the Forest Service to maintain many of its trails. One pathway that had fallen through the everwidening fiscal cracks of these years was the Cathedral Ridge Trail perched on the northwestern flank of Mt. Hood. A major blowdown event during the winter of 1985–86 blocked the pathway with innumerable tree trunks, limbs, and other debris. In the ensuing years, more tree falls, erosion, and the inevitable succession of plants, shrubs, and new trees led to the trail’s further deterioration. To Sheldon, the Mt. Hood District recreation manager Kevin Slagle made an ambitious counter-proposal: Should the organization take on all the costs and labor of rebuilding the four-mile Cathedral Ridge Trail, from where it begins at the end of Forest Road 1811 (at an elevation of 3,400 feet) to its junction with the Timberline and McNeil Point Trails (at 5,700 feet), then the Mazamas would get its namesake trail on their beloved Mt. Hood.
to mean that they had to be accessible for such things as fire control, scientific discovery, and leisure. In 1920, the very first trail we built was a one-mile path along Tanner Creek in the Columbia River Gorge. From that moment forward, the Mazamas had been building and tending to trails, and doing so with the cooperation and
This would be a major undertaking for the organization, somewhat more complicated than a mere stroke of the pen that would rename an extant trail. The proposed work included attending to the aforementioned obstructions as well as rerouting and regrading parts of the trail. A new trailhead and approach path were also required. Surveys, engineering, and close consultation with the USFS would also be required, not to mention hours and hours of time and labor, especially given that only hand tools could be used on the vast majority of the faded trail that was disappearing within the bounds of the Mt. Hood Wilderness Area. The costs and time commitment seemed enormous.
And yet, the Mazamas were hardly tenderfeet when it came to trail building, something the Forest Service likely took into consideration when putting forth its proposition. Back in 1920, our organization began to undertake that very activity. With the authority that our bylaws granted, the Mazamas interpreted our self-charge to preserve and to disseminate knowledge about the forests and the mountains
assistance of District Forest Rangers.
The long relationship that the Mazamas had cultivated with the Forest Service through trail tending and construction provided the seed for what would shortly, though with considerable effort, blossom into the Mazama Trail. In April 1993, Sheldon presented Slagle’s proposal to the Executive Council. The next month, after gathering additional information and some pledges of funding from the Conservation Committee and commitments for work from the Trail Trips Committee, the Council pledged more money and approved the project. Within the year, the Forest Service assumed some of the costs that were originally to be borne by us, namely for the surveys and contracts and some other planning requirements. This freed up a good portion of our pledge that amounted to a total of $14,150 (a sum equivalent to about $30,000 today).
Stan Egbert (Mazama member from 1992 to 1997) took a special interest in the venture and joined Sheldon as a trusted assistant over the course of construction. During the summer of 1993, the actual
work on the ground began in earnest. James K. Angell, Mazama president in 1968 (member from 1961 to 2004) and a professional trail designer, was brought in for on-site expertise. The major accomplishment that season was the removal of more than 250 logs, stumps, and limbs from the several years’ worth of accumulated deadfall up to the trail’s junction with the Timberline Trail. One of the greatest concentrations of such annoyances occurred at what volunteers came to call “Whip Saw Alley,” where 30 trees up to 30 inches in diameter had tumbled over the trail in close proximity. Planning geared up over the course of the following winter, since the summer of 1994 would coincide with our 100th anniversary and the Mazamas hoped to have enough of the pathway in condition to meet with USFS approval and lead to its official redesignation as the Mazama Trail. From late spring through September that year, several multi-day work parties labored on the slopes of Mt. Hood with the weather, naturally, not always cooperating. The Forest Service occasionally lent workers and also undertook the building of a new parking lot at the trailhead. An ingenious plan was implemented to offer several trailbuilding seminars to interested parties over the summer so that they might learn the tricks of the trade and at the same time provide support for our efforts. The major accomplishments that season included carving a 500-foot pathway through a talus slope that required moving boulders, repositioning stones, and transporting pails full of smaller rocks to new locations; constructing an elaborate French drain to continued on next page
Above: Ribbon cutting at the Mazama Trail dedication, September, 10, 1994. Next page, clockwise from top left: 1. Mazama Trail sign near the junction with the Timberline Trail.
2. Trail work volunteers take a break during work party.
3–5: Trail work volunteers removing deadfalls, moving rocks, and clearing the debris from the Mazama Trail.
6. Volunteers carring gravel for trail bed. Photos from the Ray Sheldon Collection, VM2001.005.
guard against a seeping slope; the removal of layers of duff from portions of the trail so as to limit the swiftness with which plants might take hold and soon grow up in the pathway; the reconstruction of a multitude of switchbacks; and the finalizing of a trail brochure. Although far from “completed,” by the end of the summer, the USFS approved the new Mazama Trail in time for an anniversary-year dedication ceremony in September.
The official event occurred on September 10 with USFS and Mazama officials, including Ray Sheldon and Kevin Slagle, speaking on the occasion. Several attendees, including Stan Egbert, held the pink ribbon which they fittingly cut with a Pulaski, a trusted old trail-tending and firefighting tool whose storied origins lay in the ashes of the enormous western fires of 1910. On the same day, Rich Conser and Winnifred Becker, and on the next day, Nancy King, led the first three official
Mazama hikes on its newly christened namesake.
Ray Sheldon wrote the following in our 1994 Annual of those who gave of themselves the previous two years and who had made the 1994 occasion come to pass: “There were 145 volunteers who put in 3,400 hours…to build Mazama Trail. Seventy-seven of those worked at least eight hours to earn a Mazama Trail patch. Twenty-four volunteers put in 25 hours or more and received a benchmark emblem. Three gave over 50 hours and earned two emblems. Three gave over 75 hours for three emblems. Five volunteers gave 100 hours or more on the project.”
Official designation notwithstanding, the Mazama Trail was not truly completed by the end of the 1994 construction season. Work carried on over the next several years and more. In 1995, 75 volunteers toiled 1,435 hours to complete a one-mile project. This was a test assignment in the sense that the Forest Service would
judge the resulting product for evidence that our organization might be allowed to continue the Mazama Trail reconstruction without further oversight. The mile stretch was a success, and the Mazamas would mostly work on its own moving forward. Following an especially snowy winter in 1995–1996, a good deal of repair work and removal of newly fallen trees faced the volunteers during the summer of 1996. The weather continued to be especially uncooperative, but several additional volunteer groups joined the cause to bring about the successful conclusion of repairs and to undertake new improvements: the Mazama Explorer Post of the Cascade Pacific Council, Hands on Portland, and the Pacific Crest Community School. In all, 79 volunteers labored on the Mazama Trail over 1,167 hours in 1996.
When the 1997 work season began, Sheldon and Egbert were confident that the anticipated end of the labor to build the Mazama Trail was in sight. But snow
Above: Ray Sheldon and Stan Egbert, ca. 1995. Photo from the Ray Sheldon Collection, VM2001.005.
lingering longer than normal, a couple of early disappointing reconnoiters by the two, and an initial work party that made good but slower than hoped-for progress, soon made clear that such hopes were perhaps too ambitious. In mid-July, Sheldon even sent word to the Forest Service that the organization’s efforts would sadly have to carry over into 1998. With all this hovering like a cloud, the stalwart visionaries nonetheless moved forward, even employing for the first time, and on different occasions, teams of mules and (not-always-compliant) llamas to pack gear and tools higher up the trail to where major projects yet awaited—perennial cleanup from the winter months, the rerouting of a one-half mile section of trail that had sloughed off the ridge, the repairing of a portion of trail that had devolved into ruts, and the toilsome effort to move large boulders onto a steep section to act as secure steps.
But as Sheldon described in the Annual later that year, “One of the phenomena of trail building that has always been baffling is how painstakingly slow the movement is as you hack away at your individual job; but, at day’s end, how unbelievably far you had come as a group.” In this specific instance, he might have changed “at day’s end” to “at season’s end,” for as it turned out, on Wednesday, September 3, 1997, the last of the Mazama trail builders could not believe their eyes, even looking around to see if surely they had forgotten a misplaced stone here, a lingering stump needing winching over there, or a water diversion left incomplete. They had not! The Mazama Trail was finished and the Mazama name—along with the blood, sweat, and tears of the many volunteers who form our organization and carry its spirit forward— is indelibly etched onto the official maps and records covering the northwestern flank of our cherished Mt. Hood.
Above: Dedication of the Mazama Trail, September, 10, 1994. Photo from the Ray Sheldon Collection, VM2001.005.
AN INTERVIEW WITH RAY SHELDON, “MR. MAZAMA TRAIL.”
By Peter Boag
Ihad the opportunity to sit down with Ray Sheldon, now 91, at his Vancouver home and talk with him about the Mazama Trail, to which he has devoted much of his life. Ray joined the Mazamas in 1960. A few years earlier, in 1953, he had gone to work for the Oregon Fish Commission. His first assignment was at Marion Forks on the North Santiam, near the foot of Mt. Jefferson. That got him “hooked” on the mountains. A few years later he wandered into the old Mazama “clubrooms” where he met Don Onthank, and the rest is history. Ray’s first glaciated peak was Mt. Hood. He served as Mazama president in 1992. He led his last climb for the Mazamas in 2018. And Ray still gets out to work on the Mazama Trail. Although his trusted assistant during the years of trail construction, Stan Egbert, left the organization in 1997, Ray and Stan have remained good friends.
What led to the idea for the Mazama Trail?
Two friends of mine, including Terry Becker, the incoming president for our [100th] anniversary year, put out an article in the Bulletin, recruiting ideas for the anniversary. I thought of renaming Round the Mountain/Timberline Trail for the Mazamas. Terry said that was “a great idea, Ray, why don’t you go for it?” And so that’s how I got started.
Of all the features on Mt. Hood that might be named for the Mazamas, why
or how did you initially come up with the idea of renaming the Timberline Trail?
Oh, well, it encompasses the whole mountain; it would be well-used and wellknown. And I thought this was a cool way to get our name up there.
And so, you approached the United States Forest Service?
Yes, but boy, they spit it right back out. I didn’t accept “no” for an answer like a fool. So, I called up Lewis McArthur [Mazama member, 1964–1987, and dean of Oregon Geographic Names]. Lewis gave me the phone number [of an official] for advice… and she said “That’s a really bad idea. … Think of how people are going to accept that. They are not going to say ‘Oh, thank you.’ They are going to resent you placing your club’s name [there] when all the other clubs and organizations [don’t get to].” That’s when Kevin [Slagle] the ranger said, “But we happen to have a trail over on the northwest side. …We could rename it if you would open it up.” Getting our name on Mt. Hood, if there was ever a way to earn it, it would be to rebuild the trail.
And how did you and the Executive Council take Kevin’s suggestion?
I accepted the fact that we had to earn getting our name on the mountain. …I came back to the Council and explained why we were now looking at rebuilding a trail. They thought that was a good idea. They too realized that there would be a lot of resentment if we just slapped our name on something that had taken years and years and so much history building. So, again, they said, “That’s a great idea. Here’s what you got to do.” And so they had me go to every committee in the [organization] and get a commitment of some kind.
Rebuilding a four-mile trail seems like an immense undertaking, especially for a volunteer organization. What were the biggest challenges you faced?
Maintaining interest and getting enough volunteers to come out day after day or week after weekend. And that was the hardest thing because you’d sit there
in the morning and wouldn’t know whether you’re going to get one person or 20. I mean, there was no sign-up. That was probably the biggest challenge and thank goodness for the Mazama Bulletin. The [editor] back then was John [Salisbury] and he went above and beyond. And I mean, front-page articles, we need help. And boy, it sure paid off.
Did training the volunteers require a lot of work?
No, no, it wasn’t as complex as it is now. A morning safety talk, but they didn’t have to be certified or authorized to use [tools]. They didn’t have to have anything but a shovel. It was just, “Here’s how you work a whipsaw, you know? Don’t push. All you do is pull.” And make sure that they stayed so many feet apart.
Was it difficult to keep up morale and momentum?
No, if they came out, they had enough going for them that they were happy to be there. It was just getting them out.
What is the least pleasant memory of the project?
[Ray laughs] Okay, we had donated by David Zepp this 8x10x12-foot Army peakroof tent along with a little cast iron stove that his children named “Piglet.” Boy, that was our Heidi-ho. Come in on a bad day. Rain or windy or whatever, we get in there and it just was so nice to have that warm feeling, you know? Then we got kind of lazy and instead of taking it down each week, put it up the next week, we just left it up and, sure enough, somebody took it. They didn’t take the stove. But the good news was that we had another tent just exactly the same size and build and everything, donated.
What is your fondest memory?
It had to be when we, you know, whether it was the last rock or the last shovel or whatever up there at the [junction with] the Timberline Trail, when we finally realized that we were all through. And Stan and I went over and stood by the sign up there that was on the trail and there was nothing behind us that we had to do or to worry about! So that had to be the high point.
What lessons did you learn from spearheading this massive effort and what advice might you pass on to others who are contemplating such an ambitious undertaking?
You’ve got to remember that the Mazamas are made up of a lot of different interests—climbing, hiking, research, canyoneering, waterfall climbing. You know, there used to be whitewater rafting. All kinds of crazy stuff. So, if you come up with a volunteer project, you’ve got to realize that there’s only a slice of the Mazamas that are basically going to be interested in this. And is it enough or is it going to be hard to recruit from other groups? And so, I would just tell volunteer leaders that they are just going to have to deal with the fact that everybody isn’t going to fall in love with your project. We had some 250 [volunteers] and that is a pretty good cut back in a time when we probably only had 1,000 members.
As the Mazama Trail marks its 30th anniversary, how do you feel it has impacted the Mazama organization and the local hiking community? Has it lived up to your initial expectations?
Yes, it has. It’s in competition with Top Spur Trail, or any other access hike, for the most used to lead up to McNeil Point. And it is getting more and more popular. We were up there last year. We cut some logs which made a perfect way to sit down and have a drink of water or something. It’s about a mile up and 1,000 feet up. And here come a dozen young women, somewhere between 21 and 30 years old, just a hooping and a hollering and, you know, I couldn’t resist. I went down and asked, “What’s cooking?” They said, “Oh, we decided to do the Mazama Trail.” And I said, ‘well, how did you end up here and with so many? Are you an organization?” And one said, “No, we use Meetup.” The leader just asked if there were any women out there who wanted to do the trail. And off they went. I thought that’s pretty cool. That’s what it’s all about. You said you were up there last year. Do you still work on the Mazama Trail?
Yeah. I don’t go as far as I used to, but I do go. It’s been like almost 30 years of maintaining the trail. And we were never able to hit the goal of what we were told is the “perfect trail”—one that you can walk up and never look where your feet are going and you can enjoy the view and, I mean within reason…. You know, no cobbles and stuff like that—not be on high alert. You know, just kind of make your way up. We were never able to achieve that, but we came close in a lot of ways.
So, what is the future of the Mazama Trail?
Somewhere along the line I just didn’t feel capable of continuing [as the leader of trail tending] and Rick Pope came along. He took over maintenance and he’s been doing it for years now and he’s starting to run out of steam. So, one of the things we’re hoping for in this anniversary year is to discover someone who would be willing to take on the annual maintenance as far as leading the group. I would love to see someone take over.
Opposit page: Ray Sheldon at work on the Mazama Trail, August, 1994. This page: Ray Sheldon holding the decommissioned Cathedral Ridge Trail sign, undated.
Photos from the Ray Sheldon Collection, VM2001.005.
THE OTHER MAZAMAS ON MT. HOOD?
by Tom Kloster, WyEast Blog
Since posting a WyEast Blog article more than a decade ago1 proposing reintroduction of Rocky Mountain Goats on Mt. Hood, I’ve received a steady stream of updates from area hikers with recent goat sightings on Mt. Hood and in the Columbia River Gorge. Are they making a spontaneous comeback?
Possibly. But I couldn’t have predicted the many related events that have unfolded since I wrote that piece, and it doesn’t necessarily help the case for bringing the original Mazamas back to Mt. Hood – nor do they rule the idea out. It’s just much less clear, now.
The first big event was the Dollar Lake Fire on Mt. Hood that roared through just a few months after I posted the article. While there had been fairly recent fires on the east slopes of the mountain (the Bluegrass 1 “Return of the Mountain Goat” wyeastblog. org/2011/03/21/return-of-the-mountain-goat/
Fire and Gnarl Fire), they had mostly burned below timberline and were also partly within the ecological zone known as “fire forests.” These are forests with fire-dependent species like Ponderosa Pine and Western Larch that have evolved with fire as a regular occurrence on the dry east slopes of the mountain.
The Dollar Lake Fire on the north side was different, largely burning subalpine Noble Fir and Mountain Hemlock forests, species that are not evolved to withstand fire. The result was a complete canopy loss along most of the north slope of the mountain. I’ve since been documenting the forest recovery in a series of WyEast blog articles, and it’s a story of remarkable resilience in an ecosystem where fires are both rare and devastating.
If you were a mountain goat living on Mt. Hood when that fire rolled through in the late summer of 2011, you would likely have survived. Though the Dollar Lake Fire touched timberline in places like Elk Cove and Cairn Basin, most of the timberline habitat was untouched. This would have allowed goats living in the rocky areas at
and above the tree line to escape the smoke and flames during the event.
What is unknown is whether the fire created new habitat that would support mountain goats by exposing rocky terrain that had been engulfed in forest cover over the past century—places like The Pinnacle or 99 Ridge (the rocky ridge that forms the west wall of Elk Cove).
Jump forward to September 2017, and we watched the Eagle Creek Fire burn through the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. This was the first major fire in the Gorge in more than a century, and yet we know devastating fires were once common in the Gorge from vintage photographs by Carleton Watkins, the Kiser Brothers and Benjamin A. Gifford. Their images show the rugged cliff walls and high ridges of the Gorge as we see them today, post-fire, covered with recovering understory that we know has been a boon to deer and elk populations. By comparison to the Mt. Hood fires, the 2017 burn area in the Gorge opened much more rocky, steep subalpine terrain that could be favorable to goats.
Above: Sweeney the mountain goat was often seen perched on the cliffs above highway 14 outside of Stevenson, WA in early 2021.
Photo by Jen Travers
When the 2020 wildfires swept through Oregon, one of the impacted areas was Mt. Jefferson, where mountain goats had been transplanted in 2010 in a collaborative effort by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. ODFW wildlife managers expressed concern at the time, given the scale of the fires and the fact that goats have fairly limited mobility in their very specific habitat when such events unfold.
Like the Mt. Hood fires, the 2020 fires around Mt. Jefferson opened rocky terrain that had become heavily forested over the past century through human-fire suppression, though at Mt. Jefferson the amount of burned alpine terrain is much more extensive. We may discover that these fires benefit the reintroduced mountain goats in this area in burned areas like the upper Breitenbush basin and even the Bull of the Woods wilderness.
Another unexpected development since that first blog article was the National Park Service (NPS) decision to relocate hundreds of mountain goats from Olympic National Park to the North Cascades.
This came as a shock to many, given the perceived iconic connection of goats to the Olympics, but the controversial plan was well conceived and deeply grounded in science when it swung into motion in 2018.
Less known to the public at the time was the fact that Rocky Mountain Goats were not native to the Olympics, and instead were introduced by hunters in the 1920s. The combination of environmental impacts and (sometimes fatal) interactions with park visitors led to the plan to eliminate the herds from the park.
By the summer of 2020, the Park Service had removed 381 goats from the park, with 325 of these relocated to the North Cascades. Most of the rest did not survive the capture or transport process, and 16 kids were transferred to area zoos. Some goats were left behind because of the difficulty of capture, and the Park Service scientists believe the number too small to regenerate a population. Only time will tell on that point.
The more jarring news is that most of the 324 relocated goats have not survived. The Park Service reported earlier this year that of the 151 goats among
the transplanted population that were equipped with tracking collars, only four are now known to be alive. According to the scientists, the die-off is not simply a result of the relocation, but likely due to lack of suitable habitat—and especially climate change, which has resulted in summer drought and lack of forage for goats.
So, we are in a period of rapid change for so many species, and our mountain goats can be added to that list. The Park Service estimated that 10,000 goats were living in the Washington Cascades as recently at 60 years ago, a number that has dropped to just 3,000 today.
What does this mean for bringing goats back to the northern Oregon Cascaces? I remain optimistic that the return of fire to our high-country landscapes will create enough alpine and subalpine habitat for these animals to once again thrive here –that we will once again see Rocky Mountain goats where they had always been, on the snowy slopes of Mt. Hood and along the rocky cliffs and ridgelines of the Gorge.
Only time will tell.
MAZAMAS HIKE!
Photocollage of Mazamas hiking, with submissions from: Sydney Bowman, Mathew Brock, Bob Breivogel, Teresa Dalsager, Sergey Kiselev, Krista Lawrence, Colleen Rawson, Scott Stevenson, Jen Travers, and Roberta Zouain.
THE CABIN IN THE SKY: MT. HOOD'S PIONEERING FIRE LOOKOUT
by Ned Thanhouser and Jeff Thomas
For generations, raging wildfires posed an unpredictable threat to the Pacific Northwest’s vast forests. But in 1915, one man had a vision to mitigate this danger—Elijah “Lige” Coalman, an experienced mountaineer with the U.S. Forest Service.
Establishing the Summit Lookout
In July of that year, Coalman established a temporary fire lookout on the summit of Mt. Hood, erecting a tent with a wooden floor to enable 24-hour observation during the critical fire season. He brought with him a key piece of equipment—the Osborne fire finder, invented just six years earlier by William Osborne, a Portland Forest Service employee. This innovative tool allowed lookouts to pinpoint wildfires as soon as they spotted smoke, enabling a rapid response to save lives and property—a capability still utilized today.
Four miles of phone lines and equipment were hauled to Coalman’s tent, giving him a direct line to the outside world, including the Oregon Journal newspaper. His humble abode even served as a wedding chapel that August when Blanche Pechette and Frank Pearce chose the summit for their nuptials, illuminated by 200 pounds of red fire.
Coalman’s vision proved invaluable that first year, as he spotted 131 fires in just six weeks. But he had grander aspirations: A permanent cabin on Mt. Hood’s summit would be more than a fire lookout—it would be a destination, a refuge, and a place to record history.
Constructing the Cabin in the Sky
As the 1915 fire season waned, Coalman designed his Mt. Hood Lookout Cabin and the Forest Service funded $633 to build it. Twenty mules were assembled in
Government Camp to carry lumber to 10,000 feet at the base of Crater Rock, where human packers like Pete Parsons finished the job, each hauling upwards of 100 pounds to the 11,240-foot summit.
By September, after a three-day blizzard interrupted construction, the 12x12-foot ground floor was finished, and the lookout cupola was nearly complete. In 1916, with the cupola finished, the fire finder and telephone were moved inside. As Coalman said, being atop the mountain was “like being in God’s country.”
A Destination for Adventurers
Frequent visits from climbing parties prevented Coalman’s isolation. The Mazamas would lead upwards of 280 climbers to the “cabin in the sky” to be rewarded with summit certificates, and Coalman would generously make hot coffee for every group that reached the top.
The cabin encouraged winter ascents, and by the 1930s, a dedicated group climbed Mt. Hood year-round. It even served as a wedding chapel again when lookout Robert McVicar married Elva M. Taylor there in 1928, followed by Harold Patton and Betty Van Arsdale’s 1935 nuptials.
Speed records from Government Camp to the summit became a treasured goal, with Hjalmer Hvam, Andre Roch, and Arnie Stene making the round trip on skis in a record 5 hours and 15 minutes in 1931. In 1936, Gary Leech completed the same feat in an incredible 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 30 seconds.
The lookout also welcomed the physically challenged, with Estis Snedecor climbing in 1917 and 72-year-old Agustus High summiting in 1916. Hijinks abounded, from Paul McBride performing a handstand atop the cabin to a temporary nudist colony taking over in 1935.
A Fading Legacy
Severe weather took its toll on the exposed cabin. Abandoned by the Forest Service after 1934, it became just a
destination for climbers until an effort to rebuild it as a 15x15-foot wood structure in 1940 was abandoned with World War II’s outbreak.
By the summer of 1944, the oncefamous Mt. Hood Lookout Cabin was a collapsed pile of splintered lumber. Over the following decade, all that remained were charred timbers—a fading reminder of Coalman’s pioneering vision for a fire lookout that blossomed into so much more: a destination for lovers, a refuge for adventurers, and a goal for climbers determined to conquer the mountain’s peak.
Coalman, who claimed to have climbed Mt. Hood 586 times before retiring in 1920, but he continued to guide climbers privately to the top of Mount Hood until 1923. Coalman passed away in 1970 at age 88. His legacy lives on as a testament to the human spirit of exploration, preservation, and camaraderie in nature’s grandest cathedral.
Based on extensive archival research, the authors have created a film on Mt. Hood’s lookout; it can be viewed online, for free, at www. vimeo.com/92857835.
UNVEILING MT. HOOD: EXPLORING HIDDEN GEMS AND FAVORITE HIKES
by Matt Reeder
It is very easy to take Mt. Hood for granted. Looking across the city of Portland, it seems like it’s always there, like you can visit it any old time you want. Many of us spend our summers driving far away to mountains that seem more exotic, only to look at Mt. Hood at the end of the summer
and wonder why we don’t spend more time there. To be fair, the Mazamas lead many trips onto our local volcano all summer long, and the annual loop around the Timberline Trail on the mountain’s flanks is one of the organization’s flagship events. But there is much more to see and do on Mt. Hood than meets the eye; presented
here are three of my favorite hikes on the mountain, all beginning from well-known trailheads that should be easy to access at any point during the summer and fall seasons. All the descriptions here can also be found in my book PDX Hiking 365: A year-round guide to hiking in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Above: Mt. Hood from Owl Point. All photos by Matt Reeder.
OWL POINT
Leaves from: Vista Ridge Trailhead
Statistics: 5 miles out and back, 600 feet elevation gain
Pass: No pass needed
Owl Point features what may be the single greatest view of Mt. Hood. Many of the best hikes on the mountain are in some ways too close to truly appreciate how beautiful and impressive the mountain truly is. Not Owl Point. Standing from this vantage point some six miles from the mountain’s summit, every bit of the mountain’s graceful north face comes into focus.
The Owl Point hike leaves from the Vista Ridge Trailhead, where you start the hikes into Cairn Basin and Elk Cove. After just 0.3 miles, you will reach a junction with the trail to Owl Point. The Vista Ridge Trail continues south towards the mountain,
HEATHER CANYON
Leaves from: Elk Meadows Trailhead
Statistics: 10.2-mile loop, 2,000 feet of elevation gain
Pass: NW Forest Pass
The Heather Canyon Loop features everything there is to love about Mt. Hood in one convenient, moderate package. You ascend past beautiful Umbrella Falls and the lifts of Mt. Hood Meadows to the Timberline Trail, where you pass hanging meadows full of July and August wildflowers. The trail leads you into Heather Canyon, better known to ski enthusiasts, before returning you to the Elk Meadows Trail.
To hike to Heather Canyon, cross the road from the Elk Meadows Trailhead and locate the trail heading into the woods on the left side of the road. Follow it uphill 0.2 miles to a road crossing near Sahale Falls, then continue following the East Fork of the Hood River, here just a creek, uphill. You’ll continue uphill to a junction in a beautiful wildflower meadow, then turn left a short distance to tumbling Umbrella Falls. Many hikers make this their goal for an easy day hike, but for the Heather Canyon hike, keep going. You’ll continue uphill a short distance to Mt. Hood Meadows ski
Top: Mt. Hood from Owl Point. Bottom: Mt. Hood from Heather Canyon.
eventually reaching the Timberline Trail between Cairn Basin and Elk Cove. For Owl Point, you will need to turn left at this junction. You are now on the Old Vista Ridge Trail, which volunteers restored over a period of 10 years. Today the trail is wellsigned and in great shape. You can follow it through a peaceful forest, passing side trails to viewpoints, for another 2.2 miles to the spectacular viewpoint at Owl Point.
area. Look for the trail across the road and continue hiking uphill another 1.4 miles until you meet the Timberline Trail at 3.8 miles from the trailhead.
The next several miles are pure summer bliss as the trail passes through hanging wildflower meadows on the east side of Mt. Hood. You’ll pass under Meadows’ numerous ski lifts before entering the Mt. Hood Wilderness. From here the trail descends into Heather Canyon, a gorgeous spot where you’ll want to linger. The trail descends to a crossing of the south fork of Clark Creek in a verdant canyon full of summer wildflowers. Cross the creek and follow the Timberline Trail to views of a cascading waterfall known as Pencil Falls just below the trail. From here you’ll round a corner to the deep canyon holding the north fork of Clark Creek. While the south
I love this spot so much that I put the view here on the cover of my first book Off the Beaten Trail. From here you can continue to the trail’s end at a ridge overlooking Laurence Lake, but you should instead return the way you came.
fork is green and full of life, the north fork is a deep, sandy canyon scoured by centuries of glacial flooding. An impressive waterfall is located at the head of the canyon, while the view of Mt. Hood overhead is magnificent. You’ll need to take your shoes off and ford the creek, which is usually not that difficult. From here follow the trail uphill to a junction with the Newton Creek Trail at 7.2 miles. Turn right here and follow this trail downhill above Newton Creek for 1.9 miles to its end at the Elk Meadows Trail. Turn right and follow this trail 1.1 miles back to the trailhead and the conclusion of the loop. I love this hike and I think you will too!
YOCUM RIDGE
Leaves from: Ramona Falls Trailhead
Statistics: 17.4 miles out and back, 3,700 feet of elevation gain
Pass: NW Forest Pass
Yocum Ridge is the most beautiful place on Mt. Hood. If you don’t believe me, this hike will make you a believer. You’d better get in shape first though. Although this hike is not difficult at any point, the length of the hike makes this a full-day adventure for any hiker, or better yet, a wonderful one-night backpacking trip.
From the Ramona Falls Trailhead, follow the trail approximately 1.5 miles to the crossing of the Sandy River. The crossing depends on the year; the seasonal bridge that was once in place over the river is long gone, and you’ll need to find a log on which to cross the river. This is usually not very difficult. Once across the river, follow the trail another half-mile to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). While
turning left here on the PCT is the more scenic route, you should probably keep straight considering how many miles you need to hike. You’ll trade the PCT for the Timberline Trail, and then reach beautiful Ramona Falls in another 1.5 miles. Most hikers make this their destination, but you aren’t even halfway to Yocum Ridge—don’t linger too long!
For Yocum Ridge, continue uphill past Ramona Falls on the Timberline Trail for 0.7 miles to a junction with the Yocum Ridge Trail at a little over 4 miles from the trailhead. Turn right here. You’ll climb uphill at a gradual pace for the next several miles; the grade is so slight that you probably won’t get winded, but it’s also a long way before you have any sort of view. At nearly 8 miles from the trailhead, you will emerge from the woods at one of Oregon’s most spectacular viewpoints: here the trail passes through a huge meadow full of summer wildflowers, with Mt. Hood towering over the scene. The trail reaches the edge of the Sandy River canyon where the view is truly astounding: the Sandy
River pours out of the Reid Glacier on the west side of the mountain, dropping into a snow-filled canyon in a series of waterfalls. The mountain fills the sky above. A more beautiful place would be hard to imagine.
If you’re looking to continue, the Yocum Ridge Trail continues another 0.8 miles through gorgeous terrain to the crest of Yocum Ridge. If you’re day hiking, it’s wise to stop once you reach this point as you’ve now hiked 8.7 miles from the Ramona Falls Trailhead. If you’re backpacking, there are numerous sites located all over the ridge both further up the trail as well as down in a basin below the trail. Water can be hard to come by later in the season, and you may need to wander along the mountain a bit to locate it. The sunsets up here are incredible as the sun sets over Portland below, and once it gets dark, all the lights of the city come on. It is a magical experience.
From wherever you stopped, return the way you came. You’ll be dreaming about going back before you even reach the trailhead.
Above: Mt. Hood from Yocum Ridge.
BOOK REVIEW
Mount Hood: A Guide by Workers of the Writers’ Program of the Works Projects Administration in the State of Oregon
by Peter Boag
During the 1930s, the U.S. government created many work programs for the vast numbers whom the Great Depression had unemployed. One opportunity offered to jobless educated professionals was the Federal Writers’ Project. Operating across the country, it produced guidebooks to states, to some cities, and to a few especially interesting physical and cultural places. In Oregon, in addition to a state guide, the writers produced Mound Hood: A Guide. It appeared in 1940 and an original copy of it is housed in the Mazama Library & Historical Collection.
Of all Oregon’s marvels, some might ask why Mt. Hood? For one, it was Oregon’s most famous physical landscape, better known at that time than even Crater Lake. One finds in the guide’s pages other possible reasons for this choice. By the 1930s, Mt. Hood was already second only to Japan’s Fujiyama as being the most climbed peak in the world. Also, and despite the Depression, Mt. Hood was then the most heavily used skiing area in the country with several national racing and jumping events hosted there. The grand Timberline Lodge (also the result of a federal work program) had just been completed. And culturally speaking, “while the people of Seattle and Tacoma refer to Mt. Rainier as ‘The Mountain,’” the guide boldly claimed, “Oregonians speak of Mt. Hood as ‘Our Mountain,’ a difference in attitude whose significance is patent.”
Richly illustrated with period photographs and maps, much of the guide concerns the mountain itself, but it also takes in a large swath of the Mt. Hood National Forest. Part I provides information about geology, flora and fauna, history, and the national forest’s resources. It also tells
of Mt. Hood’s Indigenous peoples, including several of their oral traditions about how the physical landscape came to be. Readers will be warned, however, that some older, racialized terms and interpretations are present in the volume.
Part II is devoted to descriptions of scenic motor tours (including the availability of accommodations and fueling stations), hiking and riding trails, climbing routes of Mt. Hood, and winter sports. The knowledgeable will recognize popular trails such as Mirror Lake, Eagle Creek, and Timberline, the latter of which had only recently been completed through yet another federal work program. The climbing routes outlined will also be familiar to Mazamas, though some of the 11 described (none in great detail) are today a bit more obscure.
For those interested in researching the early human and ecological history of Mt. Hood, this volume offers much. I found noticeable, for example, an expression of early environmental awareness and concern about forest fires, insect damage to trees, “the vandalism of collectors” that had all but eradicated the Mt. Hood lily, and conservation efforts to guard against overgrazing by livestock. There is a brief mention of the wolf, which actually became extirpated from Oregon just a few years after the guide appeared, but has now recently reappeared in the Mt. Hood area. Also now gone are the lynx and the Pacific fisher.
Sprinkled throughout are curious stories from the past. Some have the ring of “Old West” fables, such as the excerpts from Oregon Trail diaries about the difficulties of traveling the Barlow Road, and also the anecdote of Perry Vickers who built the first tavern near Government Camp in 1868 and was killed by a bandit at White River in 1883 during a posse chase. Other tales recount tragedies and near tragedies on the mountain, such as of a seven-year-old boy who became lost in 1926 for four days near Paradise Park and who the Mazamas helped to rescue. Another account involving the Mazamas is of our July 17, 1926, accident when a climbing team slid off the Cooper Spur
route and eventually came to rest on the far side of a crevasse. Although most received bad injuries, Stanton Stryker was killed when his alpenstock pierced through his body. The Mazamas, in fact, appear several times in the guide, mentioned for our trail-building efforts, our lodge, and our climbing exploits. We also compose the longest entry (per word count) in the chronology offered in the appendix. There are also details about the naming of Mt. Hood by Europeans in 1792, the activities of the Crag Rats, early guides such as Lige Coalman, and the development of varied skiing, jumping, and tobogganing accommodations on the mountain. While a good deal of the information the guide offers is relevant today, I found it more of a thought-provoking relic from the past. Some of its social commentary is time-worn, but large portions of it would be inviting to savor in the winter while curled up in front of a fire, perhaps at our lodge. For historians and anyone interested in exploring Mt. Hood and its earlier stories and conditions, the book offers many useful details.
BOOK REVIEW
McNeil’s Mount Hood: Wy’east the Mountain Revisited by
Fred McNeil
by Ryan Reed
In 1937 Fred H. McNeil, a Portland newspaperman, climber, skier, and Mazama member with a lifelong fascination with all things Mt. Hood, published Wy’east: The Mountain. This thoroughly entertaining 150-page chronicle touches on every aspect of the mountain, including many events he witnessed or reported on for the Oregon Journal. So well did he know his topic that he reportedly wrote the book in two weeks while holed up in a cabin.
McNeil’s original 1937 edition is a rare find these days, though there are copies in the Mazama Library. In 1990, thankfully, his newspaper colleagues edited and updated the work, republished as McNeil’s Mount Hood: Wy’east the Mountain Revisited; copies regularly crop up in used bookstores.
The volume aims to be comprehensive, and includes chapters on the area’s Native American lore, geological history, pioneer times, early settlers, the advent of skiing, and the building of modern roads. But a surprising amount is focused on climbers: their landmark achievements, the business of guiding, various disasters and rescues, the paraphernalia and practices. McNeil spins tales of peril and valor that would strain credibility if not for his journalist’s penchant for detail and accuracy.
Writing just before the opening of the Timberline Lodge and significant road improvements, McNeil portrays a mountain that seems oddly unfamiliar to our modern sensibilities. Horses and mules hauled supplies as high as Crater Rock. A summit lookout cabin was a base for many dramatic rescues and a critical shelter for stranded climbers. A “high-class” hotel operated at Cloud Cap. In 1916 a car was “driven” (mostly hauled) almost to Crater Rock as a stunt to promote automobile sales. In the 1920s, an application for an
aerial tram to the summit was approved, and failed only due to unreliable funding.
Climbing itself was a very different endeavor, and not just for the alpenstocks and long skirts on the women. The season was typically July, August, and into September—the Mazamas held an annual climb as close to its founding date of July 19 as possible. Thousand-foot rope lines were strung down Cooper Spur and down the South Side route. To build the summit cabin in 1915, packers worked late into the season carrying 60-pound loads across the gaping bergschrund via an improvised 18foot ladder, which “creaked and swayed and groaned and rolled because its ends barely reached the walls of ice at each end…”
Early climbers took days to reach the mountain. Their lack of cell phones didn’t quench the desire to communicate—early parties often carried heavy tripod-mounted heliographs, which used mirrors to flash sun signals across great distances. In the 1870s and 80s, and even into the 1930s, many parties carried stashes of “red fire” explosive powder to illuminate the mountain for distant Portlanders—or just to signal a successful summit. The 1894 founding Mazama party released carrier pigeons from the top. Years later, a telephone line was strung to the summit cabin.
McNeil takes special pleasure in profiling the mountain’s early guides. Perry Vickers, who may have been a fugitive; Oliver Yocum, a saddle-maker, photographer, surveyor, chemist, and Shakespeare aficionado, who once took three parties round-trip to the summit in a day; Lige Coalman, who guided for 31 years and designed, built, and manned the summit cabin, and who once summitted from Government Camp in 98 minutes just to double-check a cable; the Langille brothers, who pioneered the Wy’east, Cooper Spur, and Sunshine routes, and led groups from Cloud Cap Inn; Mark Weygandt, who finished his guiding career with 588 summits.
The Mazamas are an important thread, with Henry Pittock, William Steel, and Fay Fuller as prominent figures, the annual gatherings as key milestones, and the
huge, 100-plus Mazama climbing parties a recurring theme. But McNeil also profiles the Crag Rats, nationally famous for their rescues, and the Wy’east Climbers club, whom he calls “stunt climbers” because they pioneered intentionally difficult routes, including most of the headwalls.
McNeil writes with a news writer’s economy but with the flourishes of his era (“the sternest battlements of rock…”). It’s hard not to delight in his effusive prose. Take his description of alpenglow: “The strange, lustrous rosy light bathing the high snowpeak at evening…an effulgence of color—not peach not pink not salmon, darker than these yet not somber and less dark than a ruby. One despairs of attempting to describe this ethereal glory… materiality departs; you are captured by a spiritual presence in this staging of one of Nature’s most sublime offerings.”
In 1937 the human history of Mt. Hood was shifting quickly. When climbing resumed in earnest after World War II, the enterprise had changed: better access and better gear, but also a wilderness ethic that spelled the end of huge climbing parties, 1,000-foot ropes, and, of course, explosives.
The short Afterword written for the 1990 edition barely scratches the surface of continued, bottom of next page
WHEN MT. HOOD WAS THE HIGHEST PEAK IN NORTH AMERICA
by Peter Boag
Briefly in the mid-19th century, Oregon’s highest point, Mt. Hood, was considered the highest mountain in North America. The means for measuring altitude back then was comparatively primitive. Professional surveyors and amateur adventurers used a variety of instruments and methods of calculation, such as triangulation, barometers, thermometers, hygrometers, burning matches, and boiling water. They also employed wild guesses and a good deal of hyperbole.
In 1854, Thomas Dryer, founder of The Oregonian, wrote a widely distributed account of his and his fellow climbing companions’ ascent of Mt. Hood that year. For a brief moment, Dryer’s was considered the first successful ascent to Mt. Hood’s summit; the claim was rebutted in 1857 by a small party that included Henry L. Pittock, awkwardly an employee of Dryer’s and years later a charter member of the Mazamas. In his 1854 account, Dryer declared that Mt. Hood stood at 18,361 feet, a figure that comported with some other period sources. He also described that
two in his party had become dizzy in the high altitude and one whose “blood began starting from the surface.” While Dryer declared in his account that Mt. Hood was “even more lofty than Mt. Shasta,” he did not assert that it was the highest in the nation.
Such claims came about a decade later, in 1866, and from at least two sources. The first was from H. K. Hines, an early Oregon historian, who climbed Mt. Hood with three companions in July of that year. Although he did not record an altitude for the mountain, on July 26 he penned an account of his ascent while “on the extreme summit of the highest mountain of the United States. …Because there is but one Mt. Hood there is no higher altitude in the scale.”
The second claim in 1866 for Mt. Hood’s preeminence in America, and a much more consequential declaration for the purposes of science, was the determination of members of an August 20 climbing party. In the party of six that reached the top of Mt. Hood that day were Professor Alphonso Wood, a renowned botanist from the East Coast who was exploring plant life on the Pacific, and W. E. Whitehead, a surgeon for the U.S. Army. The two combined their scientific skills to take altitude measurements on Mt. Hood. Within a month of their successful summit, Wood reported to the California Society of Natural Sciences that by means of taking
McNeil’s Mount Hood, continued from previous page.
these changes. For more thorough updates we can turn to Jack Grauer’s encyclopedic Mt. Hood: A Complete History (2004), also long out of print, or Jon Bell’s more personal, essay-based On Mt. Hood (2011)— both terrific books, but lacking some of McNeil’s storytelling flair.
McNeil died in 1958 and his ashes were scattered at McNeil Point, officially named in his honor. Though dated, his
short volume is an engrossing history and a lasting monument to his devotion to Mt. Hood. Many of us will recognize ourselves in his chapter exploring Portlanders’ unique relationship to the mountain, how we think of it as part of the city itself, and look to it as an emblem and beacon: “For those who gaze often and long at the mountain, and know its every line, there is
the temperature of when water boiled on the top of Mt. Hood, the men calculated its summit to be 17,600 feet. As such, Wood declared it “the highest land in the United States, if not the highest upon the North American continent.”
This finding spread in the press across the country and ignited a debate about the status of Mt. Hood’s place in the pantheon of North American peaks. The discussion elicited commentary and observations from famous geologists and naturalists such as John Strong Newberry and Josiah Whitney, the latter whose claim that Mt. Hood was no more than 12,000 feet angered some Oregonians. The issue was finally resolved a year after it began. Shortly after a variety of local surveyors agreed with Whitney’s assertions, Army engineer R. S. Williamson, in the company of assistants and some other military officials and local dignitaries, reached the summit of Mt. Hood on August 23, 1867. Utilizing a variety of sophisticated thermometers and barometers adjusted at sea level in Astoria and consulted at various known elevations along the way, the result of the experiment calculated Mt. Hood’s summit to be at 11,225 feet, very close to today’s accepted measurement. Nonetheless, for a brief moment in the 1860s, Mt. Hood, on whose summit the Mazamas formed about 30 years later, was North America’s highest peak.
the happy paradox of an unchanging object that never looks the same.”
LOOKING BACK
by Mathew Brock, Mazama Library and Historical Collections Manager
Welcome to “Looking Back,” an occasional column that delves into the rich history of the Mazamas. As your guide through the annals of time, we’ll embark on a journey back 25, 75, and 125 years to revisit the remarkable events, happenings, and adventures that have shaped the organization’s legacy. From awe-inspiring mountaineering triumphs to community milestones, this column serves as a nostalgic look back at the moments that have shaped the Mazamas.
25 years ago (1998)
The July issue of the Mazama Bulletin led with a full-page article on the West Crater Rim avalanche that killed one and injured two, with the then Mazama President Bob Hyslop’s concluding remarks urging caution when speaking to the media about climbing accidents to avoid further trauma, compromising investigations, and rushing to judgment. The issue also covered protests against the U.S. Forest Service’s 1998 ruling banning fixed anchors in Wilderness areas by climbing organizations, changes to the Mazama Intermediate Climbing School’s 1998–99 program, and the “Mountaineering Issues of Tibet” conference highlighting opportunities for climbing unclimbed peaks while addressing China’s occupation, religious significance, and plans for a Mazama Tibet Trek in 2000.
The August issue contained a lengthy article on Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium causing Lyme disease transmitted through bites from the Western black-legged tick in the Pacific Northwest, with information on prevention, symptoms, and the importance of prompt treatment. Additionally, the recently published Canadian Alpine Journal featured a report on the 1997 Mazama Explorer Post expedition to the Canadian Coast Range, where the team made four first ascents of unclimbed peaks and recorded four new routes, proposing to name one peak Mt. Becker (8,820 feet) after the late Mazama President Terry Becker, though official recognition was still pending.
75 years ago (1948)
In articles that could have come from our current weekly eNews, the July 1948 Bulletin led with an article on the upcoming Round the Mountain hike. Then, as now, the Mazamas were organizing the trip from August 18–22, with a $15 fee per person (equivalent to $194 in 2024) to cover pack horses and meals. Participants had to sign up by July 15 as the group size may be limited. Each person was allowed 35 pounds of gear in a dunnage bag labeled with their name. Morning and evening meals were provided, but participants needed to prepare their own lunch. Everyone was expected to help with camp chores, using camp stoves, and disposable plates/cups. The food quality was promised to be high. The leaders were Larry Barker and Lindsay Mercer, whose instructions must be followed. The group met at Mazama Lodge on August 18 and proceeded to Phlox Point at 9 a.m., with the first night’s camp at Ramona Falls.
Meanwhile, at the Mazama Lodge, the Lodge Committee discussed efforts to revive the lodge on Mt. Hood after a difficult 18-month period with limited operations. The committee sought financial support from members to rebuild the ski tow for around $500, purchase supplies like wood, coal, diesel fuel, and groceries totaling around $1,160, and potentially raise lodging rates if insufficient funds were raised by August 1. The committee was also planning a “shin-dig” huckleberry-picking event on August 28–29 with a pie-eating contest. Members were encouraged to purchase $25 season tickets which provided free lodging for the year, with the funds going towards meals, guest fees, parties, using the ski tow, and potentially a lodge bus. The committee requested members purchase season tickets or assist with the installation work over the next three months to support reviving lodge operations.
125 years ago (1898)
The Mazamas did not publish an Annual in 1898, and the birth of the Mazama Bulletin was still 25 years away. What follows is a direct copy of the minutes from July 1898.
“Summit of Mount St. Helens, Thursday, July 21, 1898.
A special meeting of the Executive Council was held on the summit of Mount St. Helens, at 4 p.m. on the occasion of the ascent thereof by the Mazamas on their fifth annual outing. Prescient President M.C. George, Ella E. McBridge, Dr. W. B. Knapp, Dr. E. Weldon Young of Seattle, C. H. Sholes, and several members not on the council. In the absence of the Secretary, the President requested that Mr. Sholes act in his stead.
On motion, it was voted that all persons making the accent of Mount St. Helens during this outing who shall within 30 days apply for membership in the Society, shall upon payment of dues be considered as having been elected at this meeting of the Council on the summit of the mountain.
An examination of the Record Box and Records therein, placed on the summit by the Oregon Alpine Club on July 22, 1889, disclosed the fact that the box cover was broken off and the records wet and molding. On motion of Prof. Frederick V. Coville, it was voted that said box and contents be taken down and placed in the hands of the Secretary for preservation in the archives of the Society. On motion, the meeting adjourned.”
The August minutes consist of an update from the Treasurer and the election of the individuals on the summit of Mount St. Helens in July.
ECHOES OF THE PAST: MT. HOOD’S FORGOTTEN PLANE WRECKS
by Jen Travers
Do you like to wander around off-trail in the wilderness? I love to stumble across (or purposefully hunt down) relics of the past. There is something nostalgic or romantic about nature reclaiming the abandoned works of humanity’s attempt to tame her. Old mine sites, crumbling cabins, hidden graveyards, scattered relics, cardavers, and forgotten trails. All these things can be found in our local forests. It just takes some sleuthing combined with good navigation skills. One of my more morbid fascinations is old plane crash sites. There are three that I know of on Mt. Hood, and another nearby in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness.
The most well-known plane crash site on Mt. Hood is on Mississippi Head. This prominent rock formation sits like a rocky prow at 7,000 feet, above Zigzag Canyon.
In April 1949, a B-26 bomber en route to Portland from California seemingly disappeared. In the last radio transmission, the pilot requested landing instructions and reported they were at an altitude of 7,000 feet. A wide airsearch proved fruitless and the wreckage was not discovered until August by an employee of Timberline Lodge. The bomber had crashed on the Zigzag Glacier. The Air Force pilot, colonel, and master sergeant aboard the plane perished. Jack Grauer’s book, Mt Hood, A Complete History, gives more details of the discovery and recovery efforts.
The wreckage was strewn across a large area. Some pieces were retrieved in the recovery, but many smaller pieces remain scattered about. Most notable is one of the propellers that sits picturesquely just atop Mississippi Head. Getting to the location requires off-trail scrambling from Timberline Lodge, traveling through several
rocky gullies and snowfields that linger long into the summer.
In December 1975, Thomas Selegy, a lone pilot flying a Mooney aircraft crashed on the north side of the mountain. The locator beacon was transmitting and a search commenced, but was hampered by weather. The crash site was found four days later, but the pilot was deceased. His body was recovered but the wreckage remains.
The NTSB reports the probable causes as flying in adverse conditions and possible icing of the aircraft hindering flight. They also suggest the pilot may have become lost or disoriented due to the low cloud ceiling. Much of the wreckage can be found next to a scenic tarn at approximately 6,700 feet, near Langille Crags.
In January 2019, George Regis of Battleground, WA, was flying solo in his 1975 Rockwell Commander 112-A and crashed above the Eliot Glacier. The NTSB report indicates that Mr. Regis circled the mountain before crashing. The weather was clear and no mechanical difficulties were found. The cause was reported as
Above: Wreckage of flight 956.
Photo by Jen Travers.
“loss of control.” Hood River Crag Rats and the Oregon Air National Guard were deployed to recover his body and some of the debris, but were unable to collect all of it. The Oregonian has photos of this operation with many pieces scattered on the glacier. I was unable to determine how much of this wreckage was removed, but some does remain. In the summer after the crash, a Mazama team spotted some of the landing gear.
Nearby in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness lie the remains of Oregon’s most fatal airline crash with the most fatalities. West Coast Airlines flight 956, a DC-9
aircraft en route from San Francisco to Portland crashed on October 1, 1966. All 18 people aboard died, five crew members and 13 passengers. The cause was determined to be a problem with the autopilot as it was approaching PDX. It lowered the plane down to 4,000 feet, which was not high enough to clear the flank of Salmon Mountain.
The extensive wreckage can be found in a deep wooded ravine near Sheepshead Rock. Less well known is the nearby wreckage of a military helicopter that crashed on the search mission. The pilot and crew from the helicopter all survived.
Above, clockwise from top left: Military helicopter wreckage in the Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness; Landing gear on Eliot Glacier; Mooney plane wreckage near Langille Crags; Propeller from a B-26 bomber on Mississippi Head.
Photos by Jen Travers and Michael Irving.
Stumbling upon the scattered wreckage of a plane crash is a sobering experience, a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the power of nature to reclaim what was once man-made. The plane crash sites on Mt. Hood and the nearby Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness stand as haunting memorials to the lives lost in these tragic accidents.
BEAUTY WITHOUT THE CROWDS— OR THE PERMITS
by Scott Stevenson, Trail Trips Committee Chair
It’s that time of year again, when hikers’ thoughts turn to backpacking. Summer, when we can invest the extra time and effort to reach those iconic places memorialized on magazine covers and Instagram feeds. But what to do when you don’t get an Enchantments permit this year?
Permits for Green Lakes in the Sisters Wilderness are already all gone for the entire summer.
There are still places that fly under the radar. Places that provide as much beauty and a lot more solitude than the “name brand” spots, places that require no advance permits and have no restricted dates or trailheads. Other than
the 12-person group limit in designated wilderness, there are no limits on the numbers of visitors.
So, if hassle-free beauty and solitude are your thing, read on. For each of the three backpacks highlighted below, you simply complete a free, self-issued permit at the trailhead.
Instead of the Enchantments Basin, try the headwaters of the Cle Elum River.
Mt. Daniels, a moderate climb with a small glacier on its northwestern slopes, looms over several deep, beautiful, graniterimmed lakes below its southern slopes, all of which are connected by a well-developed trail network and ideal for a 2–4 night backpack.
All of the lakes are deep and swimmable, from surprisingly warm Waptus lake, to cool and refreshing Deep Lake and Peggy’s Pond, to shockingly cold
Spade, Venus, and Circle Lakes. Campsites are numerous.
This area is often referred to as the “Little Enchantments,” so while it is hardly unpopulated, especially on summer weekends, there is no near- mpossible permit to obtain, and no cost to hike and camp there other than the parking fee.
Instead of the most popular Wallowas trailheads, try alternate entrances
Like so many of our special places, some parts of the Wallowas suffer from being loved too much. The Eagle Cap Wilderness covers much of this beloved range of mountains, and is the largest designated wilderness area in Oregon, comprising well over 500,000 acres. Surely, somewhere among those acres one can find quiet trails, sapphire lakes, and expansive views?
Above: Cooney Lake, one of the three Golden Lakes. Photo by Scott Stevenson.
Yes you can, by avoiding the three most popular trailheads: Two Pan, Hurricane Creek, and Wallowa Lake. These trailheads are popular because they provide relatively gentle ascents upriver valleys to the famous and crowded Lakes Basin area.
Instead of these dusty and crowded trails, enter from one of several lightly used trailheads along the wilderness’ southwestern boundary. The West Eagle, East Eagle, and Cornucopia trailheads all lead to lake basins with a fraction of the crowds.
The price you pay can be steep, literally. The trail to the Tombstone Lake Basin uses over 70 switchbacks to gain 3000 feet before dropping into the basin. Other lake basins one can reach include Traverse & Echo Lake Basin, Pine Lakes Basin, and Norway Basin. With almost 500 miles of trails in the wilderness, you can even reach the Lakes Basin area that overflow the parking lots of those other trailheads.
Instead of Larch March madness, try the Sawtooth Roadless Area
This may be the best fall larch viewing no one’s heard of. When the Lake ChelanSawtooth Wilderness was created in 1984, this section of the Sawtooth Ridge was left out. Too bad, because pioneer Washington guidebook authors Ira Spring and Harvey Manning called this area the “Golden Lakes” reflecting the abundant groves of Alpine Larch that rim the area’s lakes and meadows. Also, bad because motorcycles are allowed on some of the lower portions of these trails, although in this backpacker’s experience, their numbers are low and their courtesy towards those of us on foot has been high.
This hike explores a collection of lakes just south of the wilderness boundary, left in glaciated cirques on both sides of the Sawtooth Ridge. The mileage and elevation gains are moderate, the campsites are scenic and plentiful, and, if you time it right, the larches are glowing.
While the iconic destinations like the Enchantments, Green Lakes, and Wallowa Lakes Basin will always draw crowds of eager hikers, those willing to explore off the beaten path can find equal beauty and solitude in the Pacific Northwest’s lesser-known backpacking gems. From the “Little Enchantments” around Mt. Daniels to the quieter corners of the Eagle Cap Wilderness to the larch-lined lakes of the Sawtooth Roadless Area, incredible backpacking awaits those who venture beyond the hotspots. With a free permit and a sense of adventure, you can craft your own stunning wilderness memories far from the maddening crowds.
Above, clockwise from top left: Boiling Lake; Circle Lake; and Eagle Lake.
Photos by Scott Stevenson.
MAZAMA LIBRARY
Established in 1915, the Mazama Library is nationally recognized as holding one of the top mountaineering collections in the country. Located on the ground floor of the Mazama Mountaineering Center, the library is a fantastic resource for members and the general public to find information on hiking, climbing, camping, and exploring the rich history of regional and global mountaineering culture. Learn more about the Library & Historical Collection at mazamas.org/library.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Mt. Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano, with the last minor eruption occurring in 1907. Scientists believe it could have a significant eruption within the next 75 years
• Mt. Hood has 11 glaciers on its peak
• Mt. Hood is the second most climbed mountain in the world after Japan’s Mt. Fuji.
• The Mt. Hood National Forest has over 1,200 miles of hiking trails.
• The Paradise Park Loop is a 12-mile trail showcasing diverse alpine meadows filled with wildflowers and offering breathtaking views of Mt. Hood’s glaciers and valleys.
Books on HIKING IN OREGON
■ Extraordinary Oregon! 125 fantastic hikes across the state of Oregon, Matt Reeder. Call Number: 917.95 R25
■ 60 hikes within 60 miles Portland, Paul Gerald. Call Number: 917.95 G35 6th
■ Around & About Mount Hood Exploring the Timberline Trail, Access Trails, and Day Hikes, Sonia Buist. Call Number: 917.95 B86aa
■ Creaky knees guide Oregon : the 80 best easy hikes, Seabury Blair, Jr. Call Number: 917.95.B57ck
■ Hiking waterfalls in Oregon : a guide to the state’s best waterfall hikes, Adam Sawyer. Call Number: 917.95.Sa9
■ 100 classic hikes in Oregon, Douglas Lorain. Call Number: 917.95.L88o 2nd
■ Best easy day hikes Portland, Oregon, Lizann Dunegan. Call Number: 917.95.D91p 3rd
■ 100 hikes in northwest Oregon, William L. Sullivan. Call Number 917.95. Su5nw 4th
■ 100 hikes in southern Oregon : Crater lake, Rogue River, State of Jefferson, William L. Sullivan. Call Number 917.95.Su5s 2010
■ 100 hikes in the central Oregon Cascades, William L. Sullivan. Call number 917.95.Su5a 3rd
The Mazama Library NEEDS SUPPORT—from
you!
Do you or someone you know have vintage mountaineering gear that is looking for a home? Don’t give it to the Goodwill, donate it to the Mazama Library and Historical Collections! We are always on the lookout for wood handle ice axes, early climbing gear, vintage catalogs, turn of the century photographs, early mountaineering books, and more. Please contact Library and Historical Collections Manager, Mathew Brock at mathew@mazamas.org to discuss potential donations. We apologize, but we cannot accept any Mazama Annuals published after 1925 or National Geographic magazines. Please consider a financial contribution to support the Mazama Library, a nationally recognized collection and one of the few remaining mountaineering libraries in the United States. Your financial donation will help support our full-time librarian, acquire rare mountaineering books and historic photographs, and maintain our valuable archives and historic objects collections. Thank you for your support.
Mt. Hood by Eloise Bacher. Eloise is a climber, painter, and book purveyor. Their work can be viewed at the instagram handle @wrenascends.
MAZAMA 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
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.
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.
Whether you are new to the Northwest, a seasoned backcountry traveler, a longtime Portland resident who’s ready to start exploring, or somewhere in between, we can connect you to the hiking, climbing, and skiing adventures you seek.
Operations & IT Manager brendanscanlan@mazamas.org
LENA TONEY
Development Director lenatoney@mazamas.org
For additional contact information, including committees and board email addresses, go to mazamas.org/ contactinformation.
MAZAMA (USPS 334-780):
Advertising: mazama.bulletin@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 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.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MINUTES
APRIL 2, 2024
Attending: Greg Scott, President; David Urbaniak, Vice President; Liz Crowe, Treasurer; Matthew Sundling, Secretary; Charles Barker, Chris Jaworski, Claire Tenscher, Debbie Dwelle, Marty Hanson; Staff: Rebekah Phillips, Executive Director.
WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER
■ The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by President Greg Scott.
■ A quorum was present.
MEETING AGENDA
■ Meeting Minutes Approval.
■ Prior meeting minutes approval requires a vote.
■ Vote on public and executive session meeting minutes. Motion to approve Feb 2024 set of meeting minutes: Motion (Liz C.), second (Charles B.), 7 in favor, 0 against, 2 abstained (Claire T., Matt S.).
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT
■ Membership: Our membership is performing well, generating $181,000 in revenue. We welcomed 56 new members in March and five new members in April. Efforts are underway to tailor our messaging to effectively focus on nonmembers.
■ Fundraising Campaign: Our fundraising campaign is progressing admirably, with over $23,000 raised towards our $25,000 goal. We have until April 30 to reach our target.
■ Gala Save the Date: Please mark your calendars for our gala on September 25, 2024. We encourage everyone to save the date for this important event.
□ Support Needed: While there is willingness among our team to contribute ideas and opinions, we require more on-the-ground support. Assistance is needed in researching prices, scouting locations, and brainstorming concepts and ideas. Please reach out to Rebekah if you’re interested in getting involved.
■ Program Activity Updates: Our Round the Mountain program is set to launch this Saturday, with early bird discounts available exclusively to members. Public sales will begin on April 22. To achieve our ambitious goals of filling 60 spots, we have developed a comprehensive
marketing plan that includes paid advertising targeting both members and non-members.
■ Steep Snow and Ice Pricing and Budget: The pricing and budget for our SSI program have been finalized with no changes from last year.
■ First Aid Initiatives: Exciting developments are underway in our first aid program. Duncan is collaborating with Base Medical to negotiate a pilot Wilderness First Responder (WFR) program. While this initiative would typically be brought to the Education Committee, it is currently inactive, so we will explore options with the Risk Management team instead.
TREASURER’S REPORT
■ Due to the busy tax season, there will be no Treasurer’s Report provided at this time. Liz C. noted that by the next monthly meeting, we should have a rough re-forecast available to everyone. Moving forward, we will aim to conduct these re-forecasts quarterly, a practice that has not been implemented in the past.
COMMITTEE REPORT(S)
■ Nothing to report.
GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE:
■ We received notice that the company providing our commercial general liability policy opted not to renew it for reasons unknown to us. Our current coverage extends until mid-May, thanks to an extension granted. We are now in the process of searching for a new carrier to secure this policy, with Cathy D. lending her assistance to expedite the process.
■ Greg S. proposed seeking advice at the MEA meeting, considering their relevant experience in such matters. Additionally, Charles B. expressed curiosity about the actions of the Mountaineers organization, suggesting that their approach might provide valuable insights for us.
LODGE ROOF REPAIR UPDATE
■ The lodge roof repair is progressing smoothly, with the permit in good standing. Currently, efforts are focused on finalizing the contract with a roofing
contractor, with bids being revisited to ensure the best selection. Rebekah P. and Chris J. held a kickoff meeting last week and also met with the Lodge Committee to discuss further details.
MEMBER SURVEY:
■ Rebekah P. is preparing a member survey, emphasizing its role in conducting a thorough demographic study of our membership base. This survey will help identify member needs and preferences, guiding future strategic planning efforts.
IT IMPROVEMENTS:
■ David U. raised a question regarding the progress of our IT initiatives. In response, Rebekah P. informed the board that Jerrid K. and Brendan S. held a coffee meeting last week to address IT-related issues. Currently, they are actively working on resolving a recurring gift issue and are consistently meeting to address various IT matters.
REVIEW MAZAMA BOARD PRIORITIES DOCUMENT:
■ After reviewing the Mazama Priorities Document, we discussed the progress and updates for each objective:
■ Revenue:
□ Objective 1: Progress includes completing the Gala Committee, with the hiring of a development director underway by Rebekah P. The creation of a gala plan is in progress, with the identification of lead donors pushed to June 1. The goal of raising $100$130,000 remains unchanged.
□ Objective 2: Updates include David U.’s efforts to reboot the AIARE program, with plans to reach out to other providers. Liz C. emphasized the need for a logical pricing policy and approach, pushing the due dates to July 1 based on feedback from Rebekah P. and Liz C.
□ Objective 3: No significant changes were noted, with the team waiting for the development director, and the current due dates considered appropriate.
□ Objective 4: Similar to Objective 3, the team is waiting for the development director, and the current due dates remain in place.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MINUTES
□ Objective 5: Discussion revolved around the feasibility of issuing an annual report mid-year. It was agreed that an annual report for 2022 and 2023 should be issued by June 30, with Liz C. suggesting that the annual report be its own objective. Rebekah P. proposed incorporating impact questions into member surveys.
■ Facilities:
□ Objective 1: Progress includes adding Chris J. to the team, with discussions ongoing but due dates adjusted. Rebekah P. shared that a 90-day plan for the Lodge Committee is in progress, with the due date moved to June 30. Plans for capital expenditures in 2025 were discussed, with Rebekah P. and Liz C. to work on this. Deferred maintenance schedules will be addressed as part of the budget process, with a due date of July 1.
□ Objective 2: Plans to set up an organizational risk management advisory committee are underway, with a draft plan expected by September/October. Marty H. suggested setting up the committee by April 30, emphasizing the need to define roles and responsibilities. Liz C. highlighted the importance of establishing the finance committee, prioritizing it over the risk management group. Plans are in place to define committee roles and responsibilities.
□ Objective 3: Chris J. continues to work on partner development on Mt. Hood.
□ Objective 4: Brendan S. and Jerrid K. are working on IT improvements. David U. emphasized the need to define specific goals and target dates for improvements.
■ Culture:
□ Objective 1: Updates include completing the committee portal update and committee chair orientation. Plans for committee leaders to report to the ED are in place. Debbie D. joined Rebekah P. in working on scholarships, with a deadline of June 1.
□ Objective 2: Plans are underway to create forums for understanding the level of burnout, with touchpoints with key leaders to be established. Plans for thank you cards and donor appreciation efforts are in progress.
□ Objective 3: Further discussions are needed.
■ Vision:
□ Objective 1: Progress includes member surveys and developing a strategy to engage the community, with current deadlines to be maintained.
□ Objective 2: The strategic plan is set as an end-of-year objective.
OTHER MATTERS:
■ Chris J. provided updates on ongoing Mt. Hood climbing permit meetings and discussions on driving traffic and permitspecific updates.
■ Greg S. expressed the desire to connect with Claire T. regarding the nominating committee.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
■ No executive session.
ADJOURNMENT
■ The meeting was adjourned at 7:02 p.m. by president Greg Scott.
MAY 7, 2024
Attending: Greg Scott, President; David Urbaniak, Vice President; Liz Crowe, Treasurer; Matthew Sundling, Secretary; Charles Barker, Chris Jaworski, Claire Tenscher, Debbie Dwelle, Marty Hanson; Staff: Rebekah Phillips, Executive Director; Guests: Erin Jaurigue (Research Committee); John Rettig and Barry Buchanan (Conservation Committee)
WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER
■ The meeting was called to order at 6:06 p.m. by President Greg Scott.
■ A quorum was present.
MEETING AGENDA
■ Meeting Minutes Approval
■ Vote on public and executive session meeting minutes. Motion to approve April 2024 set of meeting minutes: Motion (Maty H.), second (Debbie D.), 8 in favor, 0 against, 1 abstained (Chris J.).
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT
Roof RepaiR Update:
■ The ED’s update highlighted the ongoing efforts to address the roofing issues. After receiving three bids, the third bid, totaling $70,000 plus additional costs for potential repairs to the underlying roof structure, was deemed the most favorable. Jeff Hawkins and Rebekah P. met with the contractor and were impressed by their approach. The scheduled start date for the repair work is set for September, with a 15-day window allotted for completion.
130-yeaR Gala Update:
■ Progress is being made in conceptualizing the event and devising a revenue strategy. The date for the Gala is Wednesday, September 25, from 5:30 -9 p.m. The focus of the Gala is to honor the Mazama community members, allowing them to share their stories, and express their support for the organization. It will serve as a social gathering centered on the organization’s mission, featuring elements such as dinner, a reception, a special appeal video, fundraising activities, and a keynote speaker. Board members are encouraged to invite guests and participate in early ticket sales. During the discussion, questions
arose regarding the ticket pricing in comparison to other Galas in the region and the rationale behind the chosen price point.
TREASURER’S REPORT
■ The Finance Committee convened twice, holding both a planning session and its inaugural regular meeting. These gatherings focused on establishing a framework for the committee’s operations, ensuring efficient use of time to meet organizational needs effectively. Moving forward, regular meetings are scheduled to occur on the Thursday preceding the monthly Board meeting.
■ Each finance committee meeting will produce three key deliverables: Financial Statements, a Simple Profit/Loss (PL) statement on a cash basis, and Cash Flow Projections. Additionally, the committee will highlight notable points of interest from the previous month to keep the Board informed and engaged.
COMMITTEE REPORT(S)
■ No committee reports.
RESEARCH COMMITTEE GRANT REVIEW
■ Erin Jaurigue presented on behalf of the Research Committee. The Research Committee was allocated $2,500 funding for this cycle, and issued a request for proposal earlier in 2024 due by April 1, 2024. This was an unusually short time period, but the committee hopes to have a more typical timeline for 2025. Two grant applications/proposals received, both high quality and of relevant interests for the Mazamas.
■ Vote on awarding grants according to Research Committee grant recommendations. Motion (Greg S.), second (Claire T.), 8 in favor, 0 against, 1 abstained (Chris J.).
CONSERVATION COMMITTEE GRANT REVIEW
■ John Rettig presented on behalf of the Conservation Committee. Three grant applications, two recommended for award. John Rettig will work with Rebekah P. to send letters to the applicants.
■ Board members asked how many grants had traditionally been applied for, and what our normal historical grant amount
has been. Number of applications is typically about 2X what is available to give out, and the historical grant amount has been about $20,000.
■ Vote on awarding grants according to Conservation Committee recommendations. Motion (Greg S.), second (Claire T.), 8 in favor, 0 against, 1 abstained (Chris J.).
EXECUTIVE SESSION
■ No executive session.
ADJOURNMENT
■ The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 p.m. by president Greg Scott.
SAYING GOODBYE
COLLEEN MARSHON
APRIL 26, 1931–APRIL 20, 2024
Colleen Mershon, a lifelong Portland resident and avid mountaineer and runner, passed away on April 20, 2024 at the age of 92.
Born in Portland on April 26, 1931, Colleen developed a love for the outdoors from an early age. She joined the Mazamas in 1990 and was an active member for 24 years until 2014.
One of her proudest achievements was completing the Mazama Basic Climbing Education Program and summiting Mt. Hood in 1970 at age 39. Colleen was also an accomplished marathon runner, competing from ages 56 to 70 and setting several age group records along the way.
Colleen was married to two-time Montague Cup awardee Clarence Mershon for 63 years.
BULLETIN
AD RATES
The Mazamas will be implementing a 20 percent increase in advertising rates for the Mazama Bulletin beginning with the September/October 2024 issue. This is the first rate increase since 2018. Despite this increase, our advertising rates remain competitive and below market rates when accounting for inflation over the past several years. Our new rates effective September 2024 are:
■ Centerfold, color $960, w/bleed +$85
■ Full page, color $510, w/bleed +$65
■ 2/3 page, color $340
■ 1/2 page, color $255
■ 1/3 page slim, color $170
■ 1/3 page square, color $170
■ 1/6 page horizontal, color $85
■ 1/6 page vertical, color $85
The Mazama Bulletin remains an excellent way to reach our engaged community of outdoor enthusiasts across the Pacific Northwest. We appreciate your continued support as an advertising partner.
