My Mazama Experience by Christine Rontal
I
’ve always been an athlete and loved the outdoors. Growing up in New Jersey, it was more about traditional sports like gymnastics, basketball, and lacrosse and less technical outdoor experiences like camping, skiing, and hiking with my parents. Looking back, it always seemed like I was just skimming the surface of a life more involved in technically-skilled outdoor adventures. I majored in Parks and Recreation in college, but went down the Therapeutic Recreation path and spent more time in hospitals than on trails. I biked all over the Netherlands ... on a $15 bike I bought off a guy who probably stole it in Amsterdam. It wasn’t exactly “high performance.” As a Peace Corps volunteer, I took a bush taxi, motorcycle, canoe, and hiked three miles to get to and from my village— adventurous, yes, technical, not so much. In Alaska, I had lots of opportunities, but spent my time supporting Alaska Native Tribal Councils with the kind of technical skills more involved in economic development. And then it was off to Manhattan for grad school. Central Park was as good as it got.
Finally, I moved to Portland in 2008 and thought this is my moment to really get some technical expertise in outdoor adventure activities. And then I got pregnant with my first child, Graham. And then I got pregnant with my second child, Sylvia. Happy barriers, but barriers nonetheless to achieving this ever-present vision. Luckily for me, a friend introduced me to the Mazama Family Mountaineering 101 course last summer. Here was an opportunity to bond with Graham while learning technical skills like rock climbing, fixed line traversing, rappelling, wilderness first aid, orienteering, and snow climbing. And I briefly got to have that “badass mountain girl” vibe I’ve always wanted! Perfection. We had the best time. It seemed like an overwhelming commitment at times,
given everything else we had in our lives, but once we were on the road to another Mazama adventure that feeling faded and we had a great time, every single time. The course wasn’t without its challenges, afterall, Graham is only 8 years old and I had zero experience. However, it was facing those challenges and learning together that gave us the biggest opportunity to bond. Now that Families Mountaineering 101 is over, we’ve settled back into our “skimming the surface” routine again filled with all of the school, sports, and family commitments that always seem to take precedence in our lives. What has really stuck with us is the more profound relationship Graham and I share. And, not for nothing, every once and a while I get to glimpse a shade of my badass-mom-self in the mirror, too!
My Favorite Weekend by Graham Rontal
I
thought the drive to the Mazamas Lodge was fun. Just having crampons on for the first time made me feel like I was a real mountaineer. Then came the walk in then snow. It was even more fun to use a ice ax. My favorite was glissading. We would make a snow slide and we would slide down with an ice ax and when you would go to fast you would turn over and use your ax and feet to self-arrest. We got to spend the night at the Mazamas lodge that weekend. We had trivia and there was a ping pong table, pool table, and foosball table in the game room. There were big bunk rooms that had triple bunks. The dinner was really good and at the end we even got ice cream. At the end of the weekend there was a surprise in the woods. I got so much snow in my boots! We trudged our way to a really fun experience that I want to keep secret. After that we had a really fun snowball fight. We said our goodbyes and went home.
12 MAZAMAS