JOURNEYS NORTH IS A STORY OF GRIT, COMPASSION, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS PEOPLE FORGE WHEN THEY STRIVE TOWARD A COMMON GOAL. Here’s the next best thing to being on the Pacific Crest Trail yourself! —Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods
Available in book and outdoor stores, or online at www.mountaineersbooks.org More than 700 outdoor recreation, lifestyle, and conservation books in print Mountaineers Books is an independent nonprofit publisher
IN THIS ISSUE Executive Director Report, p. 4 We Need You!, p. 5 Summer Highlights, p. 5 Mazamas as Change Agents for our Community, p. 7 Successful Climbers, p. 8 4 Weekends, 7 Summits, 1 Climb Leader: An Interview with Kerry Loehr, p. 9 Melting Mountains: More Than a Decade Later, p. 12 The Swede Who Showed America How to Hike, p. 13 Bug Wings and Noodles and Masks, Oh My!, p. 20 2020 Voter Pamphlet, p. 22 Book Review: Journeys North, p. 31 Membership Report, p. 32 Mazamas Foundation Town Hall Recap, p. 33 COVID Policies, p. 34 Obituary: Homer Brock, p. 36 Mazama Lodge, p. 37 Mazama Classics, p. 37 Mazama Hikes, p. 38
CONTACT US MAZAMA MOUNTAINEERING CENTER 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97215 Phone: 503-227-2345 | help@mazamas.org Hours: CLOSED to public access
MAZAMA LODGE 30500 West Leg Rd., Government Camp, OR, 97028 Phone: 503-272-9214 Hours: CLOSED to public access.
PUBLICATIONS TEAM Editor: Sarah Bradham, Bulletin Editor, (mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org) Members: Jonathan Barrett, Lindsey Garner, Brian Goldman, Darrin Gunkel, Ali Gray, Katie Polanshek, Claire Tenscher (publications@mazamas.org)
MAZAMA STAFF SARAH BRADHAM, Acting Executive Director sarah@mazamas.org
CLAIRE NELSON Education & Culture Manager clairenelson@mazamas.org
MATHEW BROCK Library & Historical Collections Manager mathew@mazamas.org
KELSEY SHAW Member Services Administrator kelseyshaw@mazamas.org
LAURA BURGER Development Coordinator lauraburger@mazamas.org
RICK CRAYCRAFT Facilities Manager facillities@mazamas.org
For additional contact information, including committees and board email addresses, go to mazamas.org/contactinformation. Cover: Mt. Washington summit. Photo: Ralph Daub Photography. Photo: Ralph Daub. Above: Successful Ingalls Peak climb team or album cover? From left: Stephen Zadrozny, Nick Ostini, Erin Beyer, Kerry Loehr, and Darren Ferris. Photo: Aimee Filimoehala.
MAZAMA (USPS 334-780):
Advertising: mazama.ads@mazamas.org. Subscription: $15 per year. Bulletin material must be emailed to mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org. The Mazama Bulletin is currently published bi-monthly by the Mazamas—527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MAZAMAS, 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. The Executive Council meets at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings are open to members. The Mazamas is a 501(c)(3) Oregon nonprofit corporation organized on the summit of Mt. Hood in 1894. The Mazamas is an equal opportunity provider.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 3
Acting Executive Director’s Report
REDISCOVERING WHAT MAKES US STRONG
I
n January of 2002, I found an application for the Mazama Basic Climbing School (it was yet to be called the Basic Climbing Education Program, and went by “Basic” instead of “BCEP”) on my desk at work. I learned that my co-workers were concerned that I was spending every weekend hiking alone. They thought I could find “my people” at the Mazamas and learn a few climbing skills at the same time.
That action by my co-worker, and my subsequent action to sign up for Basic, changed the course of my life. I spent six weeks hiking and learning from engaged and excited volunteers alongside my fellow students. I still remember the hike list—Hamilton, Table, Ruckel, Larch, Defiance—along with the big blue buses that we rode out to Horsethief Butte and up to Timberline Lodge. When it came time to do my first rappel at Horsethief, despite the fact that I had rappelled several years earlier at the Shawangunks in Upstate New York, I panicked. Fear locked my body in place and I was unable to step off the ledge. I remember looking into the reassuring eyes of my Basic School leader, Harold Crawford, who had me on a backup belay. We locked eyes—mine must have been wide as I was in full panic mode—and he reassuringly looked at me and said, “I’ve got nowhere else I need to be today, you just take your time. You CAN do this.”
With a few deep breaths, his calmness transferred to me, and I weighted the line. I think about that moment often as I look back on my time with the Mazamas. During moments of panic, teachers can make or break the spirits of their students. Harold gave me the gift of convincing me that I was capable. On that bus ride home, before I had even completed Basic, I knew I wanted to become a part of the Mazamas, and to give someone the same gift that I had just been given. And that kicked off my time at the Mazamas—First Aid Committee, BCEP Coordinator, Climb Leader, Education Committee, Bulletin Editor, and more, before moving into a full staff position. I relished my volunteer time at the Mazamas. Nothing could beat the look of a new climber as they reached a summit, or a hiker who tackled a new trail, or a mountaineering first aid student who found their groove with the patient assessment system. It didn’t take me long at the Mazamas to realize my co-workers had been right in directing me to this organization. I had found my people. I lucked into finding my partner of 18 years in Basic School, and some of my closest friends are those that I have shared a trail, tent, or rope with. I recount my beginnings with the Mazamas to you because I know I am not alone. You may come to the Mazamas for the classes, the opportunity to climb a mountain, or to tend a trail. But what we stay for is the community. A community of individuals who are all working in concert to achieve our mission of
“inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains.” We all have our own part to play in achieving this mission. There are those who dedicate themselves to joining committees and running our wellrespected and regularly oversubscribed programs to educate the next generation of climbers. There are those who commit themselves to the time and training of becoming a climb leader to learn how to effectively lead new and experienced climbers to the summit of snow-capped peaks and jagged rock formations. There are intrepid hikers and ramble leaders who get people of all ages and abilities out on trails and neighborhood streets for adventure and camaraderie. And this is just a short list of the ways our members engage with the Mazamas.
WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE SUMMER OF COVID-19 Mazama Wild, our kid’s summer camp program, operated in a modified manner under the summer camp guidelines serving approximately 280 kids over the course of eight weeks, and employed 8 seasonal camp staff.
4 MAZAMAS
Mazama Climb Leaders took 110 people on 16 successful climbs on 11 different peaks since our climbs restarted on July 15. Three days of Trail Tending on Mazama Trail in the Mt. Hood National Forest, with 17 volunteers helping out over the course of three days.
We have hosted 22 events with 27 presenters in our Virtual Series, serving 1,300+ individuals who have tuned in for topics ranging from Mt. Hood: South Side 101 to Navigation to Anchor Basics. Our Conservation Committee even hosted a 4-part Melting Mountains Conference online! Our highest attended event was Mt. Hood Circumnavigation with Yassine Diboun which pulled in 268 viewers.
Through our 126-year history, the Mazamas have experienced a number of highs and lows. In our early years we took on first ascents through our annual outings, we supported far-flung expeditions, and dedicated resources to protecting our wild landscapes. We also survived through the 1918 flu pandemic, the Great Depression, WWI, WWII, the burning of our lodge, and many more global and local challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest in that string of challenges. Starting in March we have had to cancel many of our programs, including BCEP. These cancellations have not only been devastating to the Mazamas in financial losses, but also in the unquantifiable loss of human connection and friendship—the community on which the Mazamas is built. Yet, it is at times of crises where the Mazamas truly shine. Our community, the community on which our organization is built, rises to meet these challenges head-on. I have been so inspired over the last few months to watch our volunteers. They have created online presentations to share their experiences. They are working together, alongside our staff, to create online learning opportunities—figuring out how to offer new educational options during this pandemic. They are reaching out to me and asking “what can we do to help?” At a time of such struggle in the world, it brings me joy to watch a community rally, and try to figure out what they can contribute to help the Mazamas
not only survive, but truly thrive during this time. I have held numerous positions at the Mazamas over the last 18 years, and as I take the reins as your Acting Executive Director for the second time, I am making a direct ask to all of you to help the Mazamas weather this storm. You can do that now by renewing your membership or joining the Mazamas. If it fits into your budget, please consider adding a donation to your membership this year. Our operating funds are tight due to the cancellation of so many programs, and your donation will help us continue to operate through these lean times. I can’t tell you what the next year will bring, as there is much uncertainty before us. But what I do know is that our Mazama community will continue to be there for each other and for our broader community. We will provide ways to connect virtually. We will lead people on trails and to the summits of mountains. We will continue our work protecting our natural spaces through both advocacy and boots on the ground trail tending work. Most importantly, we will look directly into the face of panic, take a deep breath, and calmly weight the rope, ready for our next move. I thank you for your dedication to the Mazamas and look forward to working with you all over the next few months.
Mazama Hike Leaders took 24 people on four hikes since hikes restarted on July 15, with another six on the calendar in the next few months.
We launched a successful Train the Trainers: Experiential Instruction pilot program. Six Mazama volunteers joined their peers in thinking about creating positive and effective learning environments, lesson plans, and giving and receiving feedback. The course used Google Classroom and Zoom for self-paced learning and to minimize in-person contact, and one optional field session to practice in person instruction.
The Mazama Leadership Development Team is teaching an online Outdoor Leadership Program, serving 31 prospective and current Mazama leaders.
Be well, Sarah Bradham Acting Executive Director
YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE! The annual election for the Mazama Executive Council is coming up fast. The election runs from September 5, 2020, 9 a.m. to October 5, at 3 p.m. During these tumultuous times, with so much change affecting all aspects of our lives, a strong Executive Council is quite possibly more important now than ever before. Our path forward is challenging: we are again in a leadership transition, and COVID-19 is continuing to have a tremendous impact on the organization and our budget.
YOUR VOTE MATTERS
Please take some time to review EC candidate biographies and statements. You can find links to candidate statements here. When you vote and make your voice heard you are sending a message about your passion for the Mazamas and helping to ensure another 125 years of climbing, hiking, and inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE CANDIDATES
You will also be selecting your Nominating Committee members. These are the folks who carefully seek and vet candidates who can offer the unique blend of experience and skills to meet the current needs of the organization. Even though there are only three candidates listed and all three will automatically move to positions on the Nominating Committee, please do take the time to show your support for their candidacy and appreciation of their efforts by selecting one or all three.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 5
WE NEED YOU ... TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY!
2
EDUCATION
020 has been a tumultuous ADVOCACY year. We started the year well-positioned to offer great COMMUNITY educational programs and a robust hiking and climbing season. BUILDING We eagerly awaited the arrival of our Mountain Educator courses, with curricula that have been years in the making. We offered the first of what were to be several AIARE courses. During the few short months of normal operations, youth from 10 different organizations learned how to climb and built their confidence on the walls of the Mazama Mountaineering Center!
This was to be a year of partnerships—locally, regionally, and nationally. Then COVID-19 began its insidious spread and our plans fell like dominos, one at a time, each piece being postponed until it toppled into the next and the fallen pieces spelled CANCELED. But, through the determination of volunteers and staff, we found new ways to connect with our community. We began offering ways to be involved digitally, from the comfort and safety of our homes. Our Virtual Series has taught us new skills, taken us around the world, and introduced new faces to our mountain-loving family. In a way, this pandemic has forced our hand. Where there had once been hesitation to move online, now there is optimism and innovation, and we are keen to see where these new platforms and tech skills will take us. Who said a 126-year-old goat couldn’t learn some new tricks? Your support makes our vision of a strong and nimble Mazamas possible. Renew your membership today and join us on this adventure into the future of outdoor recreation and education! Ready for a new thing? Renew your membership by September 15 to be entered to win gear and other prizes! For more information, and to renew, visit our website: mazamas.org/renew.
6 MAZAMAS
MAZAMA ANNUAL MEETING OCTOBER 5 6–7 P.M. ON ZOOM (ONLINE) The Mazama Annual Meeting will look a little different this year, but it’ll still take place. We will move to the virtual world as we hold our first ever Annual Meeting on Zoom. While we won’t get to see each other in person, the upside is that you won’t need to get in your car and fight traffic to attend. Slip into some comfy clothes, grab your beverage of choice, and login via your computer—it couldn’t be easier than that! The meeting will include reports from the Executive Council President, the Acting Executive Director, committees, a few program updates, and the announcement of the election results. To sign up, go to tinyurl.com/ MazAnnualMeeting2020 Reminder: If you are a Mazama Executive Council Candidate, please plan to attend the meeting as the October Executive Council meeting will begin at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.
MAZAMAS AS CHANGE AGENTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY by Chris Ledoux, Climbing Committee Curriculum Development Manager co-facilitator of the Leadership Development Outdoor Leadership Program, and member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
T
his will be a regular column in the newsletter over the next year. During this time, Jesse Applegate, Mazama Executive Council member and Mazama climb leader, and I will be participating as representatives from the Mazamas in the Change Agent Cohort of Intertwine Alliance. This cohort, which was planned last winter, kicked off last month virtually and is facilitated by DRC Learning Solutions, led by Dr. Derron Coles, Lauren Gottfredson, and Alexis Millett.
We hope to bring from this cohort new language, skill sets, and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) toolkits. These will help us build and share the understanding needed to push through personal, organizational, and systemic barriers and achieve a more equitable and inclusive organization and teams. These skills are integral to our experience with this cohort as well as envisioning what we can do as Mazamas to further our mission of inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains. Therefore, I’d like to share part of the Intertwine Alliance Equity and Inclusion Strategy: “The Intertwine Alliance’s vision for equity is that people of all identities and ages are connected to nature and work together to create and sustain communities in which they can fulfill their promise to be prosperous, healthy and safe. For many communities, specifically communities of color, this is not a current reality, which highlights the need to increase access to and availability of basic resources, including nature. The Alliance honors the diverse ways communities already connect with nature while recognizing the historical and current barriers that have been put in place to create disproportionate access to new and existing resources: that there are structural barriers that marginalized communities face that are often reinforced by cultural barriers. We work to dismantle these barriers and both ends in order to create more equitable access.” You can learn more at www.theintertwine.org/equity-andinclusion-strategy and www.theintertwine.org/projects. When we started with this cohort last winter, the Intertwine Alliance was committed to focusing on racial justice in their programming. Several ICS students shared perspectives on why equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging matter. We can encourage this by focusing on racial justice, too. I look forward to using this space to share what we learn and ways for you to engage. Together, we can help the Mazamas become a more inclusive organization.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 7
SUCCESSFUL CLIMBERS The Summer 2020 Climb Season finally got underway on July 15, and it started off strong. Over the past 30 days seven Mazama climb leaders led 16 successful climbs up 11 different peaks, with a total of 110 climbers. Mazama climbs are operating under our COVID-19 policies* which are designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 on Mazama activities.
July 17: Three Fingered Jack, South Ridge. Gary Bishop, Leader. Pam Bishop, Assistant. Defne Cakin, Jen Travers.
Thank you to our climb leaders for taking on the challenge of leading climbs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and getting folks out into the mountains for some much needed fun!
July 18: South Sister, Green Lakes. Kerry Loehr, Leader. Darren Ferris, Assistant. Michael Capacelatro, Emily Carpenter, Caroline Czajkowski, Sergey Kiselev, Brendan Scanlan, Adriana Vintila.
A note to everyone who applied for a climb this summer and was not accepted. Due to the unique qualities of this year’s climb season, the opportunities were dramatically limited. In a typical year, there are more climbs on our schedule and a higher likelihood of being accepted onto a climb. We hope you won’t be discouraged if you were not accepted this year, and we hope to see you on a climb in 2021.
*You can find the current Mazama COVID-19 policies in this issue, and they can also be found at mazamas.org/ covid-19 8 MAZAMAS
July 17: Pinnacle Peak, East Ridge. Guy Wettstein, Leader. Toby Contreras, Assistant. Jack Kuo, Lauren Schroff. July 17: Broken Top, NW Ridge. Kerry Loehr, Leader. Darren Ferris, Assistant. Michael Capacelatro, Emily Carpenter, Caroline Czajkowski, Sergey Kiselev, Brendan Scanlan, Adriana Vintila.
July 18: Mt. Shuksan, Fisher Chimneys. Long Ong, Leader. Mark Stave, Assistant. Scott Auble, Anthony Carr, Matthew Gantz, Chris Reigeluth. July 18: Eldorado Peak, Eldorado Glacier/East Ridge. Bob Breivogel, Leader. Stephen Zadrozny, Assistant. Chris Brox, Drew Dykstra, Lacey Jones, John Maroney, Ian McCluskey, Stephen Wagoner. July 24: Mt. Shuksan, Fisher Chimneys. Larry Beck, Leader. Darren Ferris, Assistant. Defne Cakin, Ralph Daub, Mike Leonard-Maguire, Rebecca Lewis, Ian McCluskey, jOaN WaLLace. July 25: Middle Sister, North Ridge (via Hayden Glacier). Kerry Loehr, Leader. Adonay Solleiro, Assistant. Amber HIbberd, Caroline Foster, Heather Johnston, Vlad Lobanov, Kyle Mangione, Katie Polanshek.
July 26: Mt. Adams, South Side. Ryan Johnson, Leader. Guy Wettstein, Assistant. Amber Beyer, Nicholas Beyer, Elaheh Davari, Juan Rodriguez, Kristofel Simbajon. July 31: Mt. Shuksan, Sulphide Glacier. Gary Bishop, Leader. Kristi Riedel, Assistant. Yukti Aggarwal, Clinton Carpenter, Lacey Jones, John McElravy, Jessica Minifie, James William Pennington. Aug. 1: Mt. Adams, South Side. Long Ong, Leader. Aimee Filimoehala, Assistant. Lindsey Addison, Thomas Clarke, Eerin Courtney, Tiffany McClean, Ian McCluskey. Aug. 1: Three Fingered Jack, South Ridge. Leader: Kerry Loehr, Assistant, Carmel Adrian. Amit Abraham, Pam Bishop, John Creager, Laura Supalla, Prajwal Mohan, Ralph Daub, Sara Jensen. Aug. 2: Mt. Washington, North Ridge. Leader: Kerry Loehr, Assistant, Pam Bishop. Amit Abraham, Carmel Adrian, John Creager, Laura Supalla, Prajwal Mohan, Ralph Daub, Sara Jensen. Aug. 7: Mt. Washington, North Ridge. Guy Wettstein, Leader. Courtney Rust, Assistant. Jennifer Bergstrom, Mike Borden, Forest Brook Menke-Thielman, Forest Fogarty, Matt Fogarty, Erica Lee. Aug. 9: Ingalls Peak, South Face. Kerry Loehr, Leader. Aimee Filimoehala, Assistant. Erin Beyer, Darren Ferris, Nick Ostini, Stephen Zadrozny. Aug. 10: Mt. Stuart, West Ridge. Kerry Loehr, Leader. Stephen Zadrozny, Assistant. Erin Beyer, Darren Ferris, Aimee Filimoehala, Nick Ostini.
4 WEEKENDS 7 SUMMITS 1 CLIMB LEADER
Happy climbers on the summit of South Sister. Photo: Kerry Loehr.
by Sarah Bradham
K
erry Loehr didn’t take the most traditional pathway through Mazama programs. He started his Mazama journey with Ski Mountaineering in 2006, then took the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) in 2008 with prolific climber and climb leader, Ken Searl. He put the skills garnered in these classes to use by climbing for a number of years, before coming back to the Mazamas to take the Advanced Rock program. At that point, he was ready to give back and decided he wanted to become a climb leader. To round out his training he signed up for the Intermediate Climbing School (ICS) in 2018–19, while concurrently enrolling in the Leadership Development program. He became a Mazama Climb Leader in October 2019.
Early in 2020, before the majority of us had heard of COVID-19, Kerry was already busy planning his climbing season. He led one of the last Mazama activities before we had to shutter our operations due to the pandemic, a February climb of Mt. Hood. Kerry continued planning and had a number of climbs already listed on the schedule before we had to make the decision to push out the start date of
climb season to July 15. Undeterred, Kerry decided he was still going to lead the same number of climbs, he would just do it in a shorter period of time. Starting on July 16, one day after climb season opened, Kerry’s schedule was a go with four weeks filled to the brim with mountains. He kicked things off with a Broken Top/South Sister combo, then a Middle Sister weekend, followed by a Three
Fingered Jack/Mt. Washington weekend, and culminating in two big alpine rock climbing jewels of the Pacific Northwest— Ingalls Peak and the West Ridge of Stuart (in a single weekend). Looking at the schedule and seeing what Kerry had put together for the summer, I knew I wanted to check in with
continued on next page AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 9
4 Weekends, continued from previous page him after the West Ridge of Stuart and see how things had gone.
Above: Kerry Loehr, Darren Ferris, and Aimee Filimoehala on the West Ridge of Stuart (c’mon folks, let’s do one quick one where we show our faces). Photos: Kerry Loehr. Middle: Climb team after summiting Mt. Washington. Photo: Kerry Loehr. Right: Ingalls climb team descending back down to Ingalls Lake. Photo: Aimee Filimoehala.
10 MAZAMAS
What made you want to lead climbs this summer, with all of the challenges in place? First and foremost, I love to climb. I’m a new climb leader so I’m super gung-ho and I feel a strong responsibility to get people out. I get such satisfaction getting people out in the mountains, and being able to teach them while they are out. During the early stages of COVID-19, I didn’t do well isolating at home, so I wanted to put my energy into putting climbs on the climb schedule and looking forward to getting people outside. So it helped me mentally and physically to prepare for the climb season. How did you decide on these peaks and in such rapid succession? A lot of the climbs I chose to lead this year are going to have permits in 2021. I wanted to have the opportunity to lead these peaks without the added challenge of securing permits, so it seemed like a good time to get them on the schedule. That said, I fell into the trap of sitting in my house, quarantining due to COVID, and dreaming of a summer in the mountains. It is really easy when you are sitting in front of youy computer to put a bunch of climbs on the schedule and not quite realize how it is actually going to come
together in practice. Then once you are about to embark on it, it can feel a bit overwhelming. In the end I was thankful that I was up to the task, but the back to back climbs took a lot of energy. I’m not sure I would do four weekends with seven peaks again. I feel fortunate that my body held up, but I’m not sure I feel the need to do it in the future. Why did you decide to do three of your four climbs as multi-peak climbs? I strongly supported the price increase of the Mazama climbs this summer, and I really wanted to make sure there were a number of climbs available to different levels of climbers. I also wanted folks to feel like they were getting added value on their climbs, and leading climbs as multipeak experiences allowed me to provide that value to the climbers. I really liked doing the multi-peak climbs and feel like that is something I will continue as I lead climbs for the Mazamas. How did you feel about leading climbs during a pandemic? To be honest, I feel a lot more comfortable about being outdoors as opposed to indoors. So the fact that there was a pandemic going on, didn’t stop me from wanting to get outside. I felt really comfortable that as long as we were following Mazama policies*, we would be mitigating our risk to an acceptable
level for all participants. Everyone had their own tent, people had masks—I felt like it went well. Since many of my climbs were multi-day adventures, as people got more comfortable with each other and the situation, they would occasionally get a little bit lax with the 6-foot rule. But I found a fun way to get people back on track, and would joke with folks as they started getting too close “6-feet people!” The climbers appreciated the reminders, and I really didn’t have any trouble with anyone pushing back on the policies. In fact, I had a few people who wanted to be stricter than the Mazama policies and wear a mask the entire time we were out, which was absolutely fine. My approach was that it was my job as a climb leader to make sure all my climbers were adhering to the Mazama policies, and if they wanted to exceed them to feel comfortable, I would be encouraging of their actions. The feedback I have received from my climbers thus far is that they are so happy to be out in the mountains, and that really provides me with a profound feeling of gratitude.
So how did you decide on the order of your climbs? My first three climbs (Broken Top, South Sister, Middle Sister) was to get people out in the mountains who had done BCEP but didn’t have a lengthy climb resume. These are all great beginner climbs where climbers get to utilize basic skills and develop confidence in their abilities. On the next multi-peak climb—Three Fingered Jack and Mt. Washington–the goal was to have more experienced people, so the climbs consisted of mostly ICS grads. The final pairing, the South Face of Ingalls Peak and the West Ridge of Mt. Stuart were in retrospect, a pretty ambitious pairing. I picked a very experienced team, as the West Ridge of Stuart in particular is a long day, with a lot of exposure and route-finding challenges. Both climbs went off well. But even with a small, efficient team, the West Ridge of Stuart was a 15-hour climb day, so it’s possible I might take a break before trying to repeat that effort.
What was the highlight of the climbs this summer? Standing on the top of the West Ridge of Stuart was pretty phenomenal. Stuart is a big mountain, and there was definitely a sense of accomplishment making it to the top. However, I might take a step back and say the very first climb of Broken Top and South Sister was the bigger highlight. I had a lot of new climbers, and I saw in real time the improvement in their comfort level and skills set. I got to teach people how to kick steps and plunge step. Some folks were experiencing exposure for the first time. It was really gratifying to get people through those uncomfortable moments. It’s the reason why I became a leader. People did that for me years ago, and it’s finally time for me to be a mentor and that feels good. Did you have any low points? Coming down the Cascadian Couloir on Mt. Stuart is TERRIBLE! Everyone was running out of water. We were hot and tired. Luckily, I had packed an extra liter of water and was able to share that with the
continued on next page AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 11
Left: Summit team on Middle Sister. Photo: Kerry Loehr. Right: Carmel Adrian near the summit of Three Fingered Jack. Photo: Ralph Daub Photography.
Melting Mountains: More than a Decade Later by John Rettig
4 Weekends, continued
from previous page
team a few miles before camp as folks’ energy was flagging pretty low after an almost 16 hour day. Were there any climbs that were on your list that you didn’t get to do this year? Thankfully I got to do Mt. Hood as a Mazama climb right before COVID hit. I might still add a few climbs this fall. I’m going to take a little break and do some fun personal stuff, and then I might add a few more climbs this fall—Adams or something like that, with the goal being to get BCEPers out. What’s next? As a new leader, I’m really trying to take the time to reflect and learn, and practice selfimprovement with everything I do. I’m taking in feedback, and trying to figure out how to learn and grow so I can be a better leader.
In any climbing season, putting four weekends of climbs on the schedule and having all of them be successful would be seen as a huge win, and in the age of COVID-19 it somehow seems even more impactful. A huge thanks to Kerry and to the rest of our climb leaders who led the charge to get folks out in the mountains this summer.
12 MAZAMAS
T
hroughout July and August, the Mazamas Conservation Committee sponsored this four-part follow-up to our well received 2007 seminar entitled Melting Mountains, where we first raised the alarm and general awareness within the Mazamas of the problems associated with global warming. This time around, we decided to take a more comprehensive approach to addressing the complexities behind this issue, and broadened the scope to include much more than mountains and glaciers, inasmuch as the problem of global warming involves much more than this. We also maintained the science-based approach that we know has been well-received by engaging well-known academics and researchers who are highly regarded within their respective fields. ▶ July 15, Prof. Anne Nolin from University of Nevada, Reno presented Should I Teach My Kids to Ski? The Future of Snow in the Western US. ▶ July 22, Prof. Andrew Fountain, PSU Dept. of Geology and Geography, presented Glaciology on a Global Scale. ▶ July 29, Dr. Jessica Halofsky, Director of the USDA Northwest Climate Hub and the US Forest Service Western Wildlands Environmental Threat Assessment Center, along with Prof. David Peterson, University of Washington, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, co-presented Climate Change and Forest Connections in the Pacific Northwest. ▶ August 5, Dr. Gordon Grant, Research Hydrologist with the USDA Forest Service at the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis, and also Courtesy Professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University, presented Where’s water?: The past, present, and future of streamflow in the Cascade Mountains.
All sessions were well attended by both members and non-members, and had online audiences of 40–50 each session. If you missed any, or just want to review the sessions, you may view the full content of the presentations at mazamas.org/ virtualmazamas.
The Swede Who Showed America How to Hike
Reprinted in its entirety from Backpacker Magazine with the permission of the publication and the author. Includes a special postscript from the author written for the Mazamas.
Pete Parsons in camp, 1928.
by Barney “Scout” Mann
N
early a century ago, an adventurous immigrant made long trail history before there were long trails.
Before applying paint, Peter Parsons traced the letters on the back of his canvas rucksack. He wanted the 3-inch-high text to be perfect—no botched lines made by an excited hand. Parsons painted neatly inside the lines, making block letters that read: HEADING “NORTH”—MEXICO TO CANADA. Parsons intended to hike the Continental Divide. On a one-cent postcard, he’d just written his best friend, “I’m raring to be on the trail again.” Of course, he used the word “trail” loosely. The year was 1924, and there was no
continued on next page AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 13
Parsons, continued from previous page established trail leading from where he was starting to where he was going. Two days into his trek, in southeastern Arizona, Parsons camped on a parched plain 40 miles north of the Mexico border. With smoke tendrils rising from a mesquite and chaparral cookfire, he opened his loose-leaf journal to a blank page and sharpened his pencil with a sheath knife. Preparing for this journey, Parsons had jammed that blade down onto a grinding wheel. In penmanship fine as the pencil tip, his journal noted the result: “Weight of original knife 3.5 oz, as modified 2.5 oz.” He anticipated toothbrush cutting by more than half a century. At age 35, Parsons had a lean, hardmuscled mill worker’s body. Still, at 5 feet 8 inches and barely 135 pounds, he knew that ounce-counting mattered. Even with the knife-grinding, his 1920s gear meant that his canvas rucksack weighed more than 60 pounds. Parsons had experience hauling a heavy load great distances. The previous year, on his first attempt at what we now call a thru-hike, he set about walking 1,300 miles from central Oregon through California’s Mojave Desert, covering half of today’s Pacific Crest Trail by piecing together existing routes and cross-country hiking. In near-ideal conditions, Parsons traversed the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada. But at the Mojave’s edge, he faltered. After a full day of bone-dry creeks and springs, Parsons wrote in his journal, “It’s best to give up.” Hard words for him. Since arriving in Oregon in 1909, the native Swede had explored plenty of peaks and distant horizons, but the premature end to his hike through Oregon and California was his first setback. Did that episode compel him to aim for an even more audacious goal the following year? And not only to plan it, but to paint it on his pack? Modest by habit, Parsons tended to downplay difficulties. But he’d not only just set himself a seemingly impossible task—he’d also made sure every stranger he met would know it. I’ve hiked the Divide, Mexico to Canada, and even when I did it, on the Continental Divide Trail in 2015, many called it the toughest long trail in the Lower 48. Parsons never trumpeted his 14 MAZAMAS
Crossing the border, July 14, 1924
goals, so what made this time different? Here’s my theory, based on my own experience as a hiker, and after getting to know Parsons through countless hours poring over his journals: accountability. A long hike is as much a mental game as a physical challenge—I believe Parsons wrote on his pack for himself, not caring what others would think. The sign would be his constant reminder. In the absence of a family and friends network—and with zero social media providing moral support—Parsons’s pack would cheer him on. Parsons had propped up his A-frame tent with branches and splayed his outfit around him: rifle, pistol, hand ax, field glass, .22 and .44 caliber ammo, frying pan, two pots, quilted wool sleeping bag, folding Kodak camera in a leather-snap case, metal canteen, compass, soap, sheath knife, journal and pencil. His grub bag, as he called it, was stuffed with rice, beans, flour, peanuts, raisins, and bacon. He was so joyful to be on his way to Canada that, earlier in the day, he’d hiked barefoot to better feel the desert terrain beneath his
feet. Now he recorded his progress in his journal, in right-slanting cursive script. Parsons’ school-book-neat words flowed margin to margin, dodging the circle gaps made for the three-ring pocket binder. April 13, 1924. Diary—On my hike from Mexico north along the Rocky Mountains: I left Douglas, Arizona yesterday at 1:00 pm and headed north … Today I made about 23 miles. WAS PARSONS AMERICA’S first border-to-border thru-hiker? His proposed journey upended everything I knew about long trail history. For students of these paths, there are a few accepted facts about the early years. Earl Schaffer walked the Appalachian Trail end to end in 1948, knocking off what is commonly regarded as the world’s first thru-hike. In 1970, Eric Ryback claimed the first Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, and two years later, Ryback completed the Triple Crown, notching the first transit of the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada (even 50 years after Parsons, Rybeck found the CDT more a concept than a trail). I’m a Triple Crowner myself and I’ve written books about the
PCT and CDT. The New York Times dubbed me the “unofficial historian of the trail.” So it took a shocking discovery to make me question this thru-hiker history. Ten years ago, I was doing background research for a PCT article at the Mazama’s Mountaineering Club’s archives in Portland, Oregon, when an archivist I’d befriended brought out a near century-old Mt. Jefferson summit register. I couldn’t believe what I read inside. The text suggested that someone set out to hike the Continental Divide in 1924. I did a triple take. 1924! “That’s absurd,” I whispered in the library silence. The register was signed: Peter L. Parsons. Who was Peter L. Parsons? Was he an empty braggart? Had he made it to Canada? I spent eight years hitting dead-ends. Peter Parsons is a common name, it turns out. I even found a Peter L. Parsons whose headstone had mountains, deer, and trees etched into it; but that Parsons would have been just 15 years old in 1924. The quest felt like looking for El Dorado, the lost city of gold. Was he even real? Had he kept a journal? If so, had it survived? Then two years ago, the North Santiam Historical Society gave me an essential clue: Parsons had a best friend named Otto Witt. Parsons and Witt arrived in America together. In 1909, the two were shipmates, working on a four-masted freighter sailing from Germany to Oregon. Parsons and Witt were both 20 years old and fleeing dismal prospects in Sweden and Germany, respectively. Witt had aroused the ire of the freighter’s violent captain and the pair jumped ship in Portland, Oregon, rather than completing their contracted journey back to Europe. They stole down the gangplank and headed south on foot through the Willamette River Valley. After dodging rain and sleeping in sheds, on the third morning they were arrested for trespassing and landed in the county jail. In court they pleaded in broken English, “Judge, we need work.” They were sent packing with a note to Hammond Lumber. A day later, in Mill City, Oregon, a canyon cleft in the foothills
of the Cascades, Parsons and Witt went to work for $2 a day. The two soon fell into a pattern. Parsons would work in the lumber mill for a few months at a time and give the money to Witt, who served as his personal bank. Then Parsons would take off, exploring the Oregon Cascades and beyond. In 1915, he helped erect the first fire lookout on Mt. Hood. He also made jaunts to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite. On most every journey he kept a journal. He entrusted these records to Witt when he returned, then set out to create more. During two extended leaves, Parsons expanded his résumé with mini careers. He trained and served as a shipboard wireless radio operator. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps for a brief period. For two winters, Parsons ran traplines in the Alaskan wilderness. But he always came back to hiking, and in 1923 he made that Oregon to Mojave trek. Each time Parsons left Mill City, Witt received a regular string of letters and penny postcards. These missives were Parsons’s tether to home, such as it was. The pair wasn’t sentimental, but Parsons often opened with “Dear Friend Otto,” and ended with “Otto, get busy and send me a letter.” Parsons wasn’t one to be tied to anything, but his link to Witt was unshakeable. The pair jumped ship together, worked together, lived together. Witt always kept a room open for Parsons, sent Parsons money on the road, and safeguarded Parsons’s things. Witt faithfully stored Parsons’s journals and negatives for more than half a century. And that was no small thing. Over the years, Parsons created a thousand pages contained in a dozen three-ring binders, two scrapbooks, and more than 700 negatives, each individually stored in a glassine wrapper. Witt kept all this safe until he died at age 96, and then his only child, Ursula, became the caretaker. I found her in Longview, Washington, in December, 2017. She was 90 years old at the time and, like her father, had kept Parsons’s records for decades. This was one physical way she could honor the memory of her father— taking over the preservation of something he found so valuable. The day I entered Ursula’s home, she had laid the journals and negatives neatly on the dining room table. Ursula was
excited, even giddy. All this time she’d kept these things, and now someone was telling her they were important. She’d spent half of Christmas Day pulling everything out of the basement. Did Parsons really undertake a Mexico to Canada hike along the Continental Divide half a century before the trail was even named? Did he finish? The answers were here. IN MID-APRIL, when the sun came out between the rain showers and snow flurries, Parsons tied a white-starred red bandana over his head. Brown hair peeked out over his ears. His prominent cheek bones narrowed quickly to a cleft chin, which together with deep-set blue eyes, made him always look simultaneously intent and curious. His grub bag grew lighter as he plowed through Arizona’s 9,000-foot Chiricahuas and New Mexico’s Big Burro Mountains. When Parsons descended into Silver City, New Mexico, at the end of eight days, he’d covered 175 miles. In the desert, the ever-curious Swede carved up his first prickly pear. He bit the pink flesh and tasted a blissful hint of watermelon. But then he exploded. “Prickers!” He might just as well have bit a pincushion. “Boy, I learned a lesson,” he wrote. “From now on, I’m sticking to shooting game.” Just days out of the desert, his metal canteen was icing over as low valleys yielded to mountains. Despite deep snow drifts on the ridges, he was happy to reach the high country. On his first night in alpine terrain, he journaled: “There may be charms to the plains, but it’s the mountains for me.” If the Continental Divide’s everdeepening snow worried him, Parsons didn’t write about it. He was not one to complain. He simply wrote, “I have a rough stretch of cross-country ahead,” like a dispassionate reporter. And one night camping next to New Mexico’s treacherous Gila River he wrote: “I don’t know where I am at but it doesn’t really matter.” Parsons may have understated challenges himself, but those around him had no such reservations. He was in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, when he first heard someone declare that his journey was impossible. When he passed
continued on next page AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 15
Parsons, continued from previous page
On Fall River Pass.
through the small outpost, folks read the words on his pack, shook their heads, and warned: Can’t be done. Jemez Springs sat at 6,198 feet and the two mountain ranges he faced, the Jemez and the San Pedros, were thousands of feet higher. They were remote, steep, and buried under snow. If he encountered trouble, alone, there was no chance of rescue. It was April 26, two weeks into the trek. He’d covered more than 350 miles. He wrote: “I will try it tomorrow.” What compelled Parsons to forge ahead? What inspired him to undertake a journey that no one else had even imagined? In the same way he downplayed risks, he showed no interest in giving voice to his inner feelings. His journal described wildlife, weather, geology, the pictures he took and the terrain he covered, but he never wrote about what drove him. Still, he left clues. Parsons’s love for Robert Service poems opens a slender window into his soul. In Alaska, Parsons had copied stanzas from Service’s The Spell of the Yukon into his journal. The words embody a spirit any thru-hiker will recognize.
16 MAZAMAS
The strong life that never knows harness. The wilds where the caribou call, The freshness, the freedom, the farness, O God: how I am stuck on it all. Perhaps with these words echoing in his head, Parsons set forth to traverse the Jemez range. Its sentinel, Chicoma Mountain, reaches an elevation of 11,562 feet. Starting at first light, Parsons ascended, plowing through snow on the high passes. The only tracks he recorded in his journal were deer and wild turkey. Two days later, Parsons tersely wrote: “I made 23 miles today and the same yesterday.” He knew not to gloat. He faced mountains higher still and multiple rivers swollen with spring snowmelt. Five days later in Chama, on May 1, Parsons was once again told his goal was impossible as he prepared to enter Colorado. “Everybody says I cannot get through because of the snow.” A day later he wrote: “I am camping in Colorado tonight among snowbanks six feet thick at about 10,000 feet elevation.” CAN’T BE DONE. Parsons’s journal recorded more such warnings. Once, after seeking information about the
snow-covered trail ahead in Brooks Lake, Wyoming, he wrote, “The oldest guide here says heading north now is impossible.” Parsons of course continued. A few days later, when he asked about fording a tributary of the Snake River near Jackson Hole, another “expert” told him it was impossible to cross. What he wrote in his journal echoed what he’d told Witt 15 years earlier, when considering the dangers of jumping ship: “I’ve a notion to go anyway.” Can’t be done. Whether spoken or implied by dubious looks, the phrase had never scared Parsons. Except once. It was in 1917, when a doctor had delivered the ultimate message of defeat. “Tuberculosis can’t be beat,” Parsons was told. It was the year Parsons became a U.S. citizen. He marched down to enlist in the Army Air Corps. The examining doctor told the 29-year-old Parsons he had tuberculosis. Today’s equivalent would be stage-4 cancer. Parsons crawled home to Witt. “What do I do, Otto?” The two were boarding with Witt’s parents, who had come over from Germany. Witt was the quintessential armchair adventurer, glued to the home front but eager to learn about the
Heading North, May 1, 1924.
world’s wilder edges. In an age before television and the internet, Parsons was Witt’s personal Discovery Channel and BACKPACKER Instagram feed. But both Parsons and Witt devoured books. So when Witt heard Parsons’s pleading question, he gave him a book on health. Parsons read every page. The book said to live outdoors. Parsons bought a tent and put it up in the woods nearby. He followed the book’s strict diet. Slowly Parsons recovered. He went back to work at the lumber mill and within the year he passed the physical exam to enter the Army Air Corps. Forever, he credited Witt with saving his life. BY MID-MAY, Parsons was well into Colorado, traversing its slab-sided mountains, deep in country where Fourteeners were commonplace. Each time he reached a new pass or ridge, the snow depth felt higher than the last. He wrote to Witt from Walden, Colorado: “I just came down from 3 passes on the Continental Divide where the snow was 20ft in places.” On May 18, sinking to his hips in drifts, Parsons must have wondered if he’d have to abort the trek. But with nearly 900 miles covered, he was already so far along. Then
Parsons spotted some abandoned wooden boards. The resilient mill worker knew what to do. After a month on the trail, July 25, 1925. With rope, he fashioned a crude set of snowshoes one hand pursed, fingers looking like they’d that carried him over the deepest drifts. just clutched a pebble. One scratched This was a classic Parsons move. He negative gave his secret away. Parsons was an inventor, a tinkerer, a problem knelt on a rock at the edge of a shallow solver. He held a U.S. patent for an lake. His hand clutched a string leading improved aeroplane radiator (it never back to the camera 15 feet away. He’d made proved lucrative for him). He even cooked a remote shutter release with twine. up his own bug dope: “3oz pine tar, 2oz Of course, some of his inventions had Caster oil and 1oz Pennyroyal oil.” mixed success. In Saratoga, Wyoming, In southern Wyoming, with the Parsons ran into the North Fork Platte mosquitoes swarming, he slathered on the River. It bisected the town, running due black gooey repellent. He couldn’t help but north, and its speeding water gave him an note, “Maybe some folks will object to the idea. The next morning, at sunrise, Parsons pine tar.” was up searching for logs and old fencing One Parsons invention allowed wire. He fashioned a crude raft with his him to take selfies long before cameras ax and rope and rode the rocking vessel came equipped with self-timers. I was toward Canada. In swift water, midday, incredulous when I first saw the negatives. Parsons spotted foaming rapids dead They’d been individually protected in ahead. He knew he’d founder. Abandoning 100-pack folios. One of the first photos ship, Parsons made a frantic leap, carrying showed Parsons, alone, at Fall River Pass in himself and his pack ashore. northern Colorado. He stood at 12,000 feet, boots on ribbed, suncupped snow. How did continued on next page he do it? Every photo of himself showed AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 17
Parsons, continued from previous page ONLY ONCE DID Parsons record any self-doubt. And it was not about his ability to keep moving northward. On a rainy June day in southern Montana, he hiked into Dailey, a village that no longer exists. At a lunch counter, his numb fingers gripped a warm cup of coffee. A woman came in the door wearing a leather cap with goggles pushed up above her eyes. Her kneehigh boots left damp puddles on the floor. “Today a young lady came along driving a motorcycle,” Parsons wrote. “She was wearing boots, slicker coat and sou-wester. The rain had been beating her face till she was all flushed. She stopped to tie down her sidecar as it was bounding too much empty. I chatted with her after finishing my coffee. She had driven all the way from Philadelphia a few days before. She was the most selfsufficient young woman I had seen for a long time. She was one in a thousand, that I liked right away.” Parsons never underlined a phrase, but he did this time as his pencil scratched away that evening. He was a mile outside of Dailey, overnighting in a deserted schoolhouse before a comfortable fire. After he finished writing, it’s easy to imagine him holding the journal and rereading the fresh words. The last line would have cut like his sheath knife: “I have been kicking myself for a silly ass ever since I left her for not getting better acquainted or getting her name and address.” Parsons never learned her name. But 95 years later, I confirmed that Parsons’s instinct was right. Her name was Margaret Lindsey. She was one in a thousand. She did ride a Harley Davidson from Philadelphia. A year after meeting Parsons in Dailey, Lindsey became the first woman ranger at Yellowstone National Park. WHEN PARSONS PASSED through Yellowstone, it was a different park than the one we know today in all respects but one: Old Faithful’s crowds. After going days without seeing a soul, Parsons was stunned by the sightseers and felt hemmed in by fences that said Keep Out. Later, only miles away, with impish delight, Parsons cooked dinner by balancing his pot over a steam vent. The roar of geysers was his lullaby that night. Crossing into Montana, the goal painted on Parsons’ pack no longer seemed so far-fetched. He was in his last state, but 18 MAZAMAS
it was a big one. Ahead lay the 200-mile stretch of what today is the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and after that Glacier National Park, his final hurdle. On July 4, after a string of 30-mile days put him within spitting distance of the park, Parsons celebrated by walking barefoot. He strung his boots together and hung them over a shoulder, just like on his second day so many miles ago. This time, instead of being scraped raw by hardscrabble desert, Parsons felt his bare soles caressed. That night he wrote, “I was on trail soft as velvet from half-decayed needles and moss.” In Glacier National Park, he woke well before dawn to climb Triple Divide Peak. He stood on the summit on the morning of July 8, savoring the geographical anomaly. If water splashed from his canteen it could flow into the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Oceans. Parsons peered north through his field glass. “I’m within a week of finishing,” he wrote. Monday, July 14, the day dawned to animal encounters. A deer startled Parsons, nearly running over his camp. He saw five grouse, a second deer, and then a waddling porcupine. Rounding a bend, he faced down a large black bear. “It made the fastest Immelmann turn I’ve seen,” he wrote. Parsons kept busy recording the menagerie. But his reference to the main event was spare: “I crossed the Boundary Line at 2 p.m.” Peter Parsons had made it. Parsons posed for the Kodak. His pack—with its message now a fact—leaned up against the boundary obelisk. The monument tip was barely higher than his chin. He squinted at the camera, and without bothering to smooth his hair did something not seen in any of his other photos from the hike. He smiled—just a little. ALTHOUGH HE COULD have been home within days, walking into the second-floor room Witt kept waiting for him, Parsons stayed out five more weeks, unwilling or unable to let the adventure end. By foot and train, he worked his way west in Canada before crossing into Washington. He climbed Mt. Rainier for the heck of it. His postcard to Witt indicated he still had his trail legs: “Yesterday I made the climb to the summit in about half the time it takes ordinary climbing parties.”
Parsons had one last peak to summit before reaching home: Oregon’s Mt. Jefferson. On Rainier he’d merely signed his name in the summit register. On Jefferson, for reasons he didn’t explain, he felt compelled to give a nod to his long hike before signing his name. “I started a hiking trip from the Mexican border April 12 and followed the Rocky Mountains north to Canada then across to Mt. Rainier then south along the Cascades to here. Four and a half months along the way.” Ninety years later, this was the summit register entry I read. Finding Parsons’s journals and photos had solved the mystery, but while investigating his life, I learned there was one more riddle. The saga didn’t end with his return to Witt’s house. After 1924, Parsons continued to work falls and winters and spend summers outdoors. And his ambition as an explorer only grew. Mexico to Canada became Mexico to Alaska. A local newspaper recorded his expanded quest. In 1927, The Democrat of Albany, Oregon, reported: “Peter Parsons of Mill City is leaving today for a continuation of his hiking tour from Mexico to Alaska. Mr. Parsons, a picturesque character and a woodsman of the first degree, started his hiking trip several years ago.” The article stated that Parsons was an expert marksman who depended on his rifle for food, that he didn’t expect to see anyone, and that he was covering ground that was a blank space on the map. For four summers he pursued this new goal, but the Canadian Rockies proved a formidable challenge. Late snowmelt and trackless forest slowed his progress. Each year’s trek was cut short. In total, he only covered another 600 miles. Nonetheless, Mexico to Alaska became Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, and he persevered. In 1930, he was emboldened by the opportunity to switch from foot to canoe, which promised to greatly increase his pace. In early June of that year, Witt received a long letter from Peace River Crossing, Alberta. Parsons told his friend that he’d run rapids that everyone said were a terror. Parsons planned to keep going, down the Peace River, past the Rapids of the Drowned, to the Great Slave Lake and then down the McKenzie River to the Arctic
them. His wallet had not been taken, but his rifle, which he’d customized, was briefly seen later for sale in Uncle Ben’s Store in Edmonton. When the friend who saw it went back to ask questions, the rifle had disappeared. Had Parsons’s long string of luck simply run out or had there been foul play? There’s no record of any investigation. Even in death, Parsons delivered one more surprise. Eighteen months after he died at the age of 42, two Rocky Mountain ski pioneers set out to make the first winter ascent of Canada’s Mt. Resplendent. Their last stop before the big push was a deserted log cabin at the base of the 11,237 foot mountain. There, they found this message carved into the cabin’s wall: Be it hereby recorded that on this day, February 28, 1930, I went up along the Robson glacier to the top of the Divide on skis …. from there I continued to the summit of Mt. Resplendent on foot. Peter L. Parsons. Despite all of his record-setting exploits, the legend of Peter Parsons faded in the following decades. He was forgotten everywhere but the Witt household, where Parsons lived on in the stories Otto told his daughter Ursula. Every time Witt’s tales tapered off, he ended the same way. He would grow wistful as he finished and then he’d look far away, and tell Ursula, “Pete Parsons would have hated growing old.”
On the trail in the Blackfeet National Forest, July 1, 1924.
Ocean. Parsons was excited. He’d just covered 550 river miles in two weeks. He had 3,500 more to go. Parsons gave Witt his bank account number, just in case, but closed on a hopeful note, suggesting he just needed to finish this final feat before coming home. Write soon, Parsons finished. “I close for this time with the best regards.”
Two months later, Witt received another letter. It was from the Alberta Provincial Police. Parsons’s body had washed up near the Rapids of the Drowned. He was found 800 miles downstream from Peace River Crossing. Witt’s address was in his wallet. Puzzles surrounded Parsons’s death. His body was found more than a month after he’d died and it was found just above the rapids, not below
Exclusive Postscript (written specifically for the Mazamas by the author): So there Parsons’ story ends. But I like to imagine an alternate universe where Parsons asked for her name. Marguerite gave him her address. Parsons wrote to her as faithfully as he did to Otto Witt. When Parsons and Marguerite married, they had one daughter who became Ursula’s best friend. She called Witt, “Uncle Otto.” Parsons became “Uncle Pete.” Parsons never died early. Instead, he and Marguerite settled in Yellowstone. That’s where Parsons finally dusted off his journals. That’s where he wrote his book. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barney “Scout” Mann is the author of The Continental Divide Trail: Exploring America’s Ridgeline Trail. His next book, JOURNEYS NORTH, about his 2007 PCT thru-hike with five other hikers, is now available.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 19
Mazama Wild Summer Camp:
Bug Wings and Noodles and Masks, Oh My! by Molly Mosenthal, Mazama Wild Camps Manager
E
ach summer, Mazama Wild Day Camp welcomes campers ages 4–10 for weeklong camp sessions, where they engage in hands-on science experiments, art, and play in their urban and wild surroundings. As Portland and the rest of the world continue to grapple with how to protect one another, provide essential services, and maintain our connections to each other, Mazama Wild got creative to find a way to serve our families’ needs and keep kids engaged and connected this summer at camp.
This spring, we worked with Governor Kate Brown’s Office and the Oregon summer camp community to understand how or if we could run camp. We decided to continue operations, though modified, to meet the recommendations of the state and minimize risk to our community. As a small, community-minded camp, we were well set up to manage the risks of COVID-19 exposure, and still be a resource for families who need childcare, and for kids who benefit from a positive outdoor learning experience. This summer brought more field trips on foot, creative park play, and gathering (distantly) with friends at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. We got creative helping kids practice physical distancing (giant bug wings for everyone, pool noodles everywhere!), and played “hide the nose” to remind little ones how to properly don 2020’s most popular garment. While we sure did miss our usual Mazama Wild activities—climbing, field trips, exploration around the Mazama Lodge—we found a deeper appreciation for sharing time with friends and engaging with our natural surroundings right here in Portland. With 280 students served this summer, we look forward to getting more youth outside in 2021 for climbing, outdoor exploration, and connecting with the land and people around them. Wondering how to keep your little one engaged in their down time this school year? Check out Mazama Wild At Home activities page for ideas.
20 MAZAMAS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 21
2020 VOTER PAMPHLET Mazama Annual Meeting and Election: October 5, 2020 This is your voter pamphlet for the 2020 Mazama election cycle. This year you will be voting on three new Executive Council members and three new Nominating Committee members.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CANDIDATES
CHARLES BARKER
TOM BAUGHMAN
CHARLES D. BLANKE, M.D.
BOB BREIVOGEL Terms expiring Oct. 5, 2020 • Traci Manning, President • Keith Campbell • Lori Coyner*
REENA CLEMENTS
LORI COYNER
SCOTT STEVENSON
NOMINATING COMMITTEE CANDIDATES
ARDEL FRICK 22 MAZAMAS
JOHN RETTIG
KAITLIN RUPERT
Terms expiring Oct. 4, 2021 • Joe Eberhardt, Treasurer • Judith Baker • Aimee Filiomehala • Terms expiring Oct. 3, 2022 • Rick Amodeo • Jesse Applegate • Amanda Ryan-Fear *Note: Lori Coyner was appointed to the Executive Council in April 2020 to fill the remaining 6 months of a position vacated by an EC member who resigned. Her 6-month appointed term is expiring, but she is running for a 3-year term on the council.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE CANDIDATES ARDEL FRICK Mazama Since (Join Year): 2004 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ BCEP graduate and BCEP assistant for 8 years ▶ Served on the First Aid Committee for 3 years ▶ Used Equipment Sale volunteer for 10 years ▶ Instructor/Co-leader for the Instructor Training Clinic for 2 years.
JOHN RETTIG Mazama Since (Join Year): 1999 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ BCEP 1999 ▶ ICS 2003-4 ▶ Executive Council 2014-2017 ▶ Conservation Committee ▶ Nominating Committee (currently serving, term expires this year), ▶ Governing Documents Committee
KAITLIN RUPERT Mazama Since (Join Year): 2014 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ Volunteerism: ▷ Canyoneering Class Committee (2016–present), Secretary (2016–2019) ▷ Canyoneering Class Outing Leader / Instructor (2017–present) ▷ Canyoneering Class Assistant (2016) ▷ BCEP Assistant (2016–2019) ▷ BECP Committee Registrar (2015–2018) ▷ ICS Assistant (2018–2019) ▷ Occasional facilities assistant for Rick Craycraft (2015–2016) ▷ Used Gear Sale (2015–2016)
▶ Classes ▷ 2020 AR (canceled) 12/11–12/12/2019 ▷ MFA Recert 2/23/2018 ▷ Aid Climbing Class 9/2016–3/2017 ▷ ICS 05/07/2016 ▷ Wilderness Navigation 04/30/2016 ▷ Crevasse Rescue 11/1/2015 ▷ MFA 8/8/2015–8/9/2015 ▷ Intermediate Snow Climbing 6/5/2015–6/6/2015 ▷ Leadership Cohort 6/14/2015 ▷ Rock Anchors Spring 2015 ▷ BCEP AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 23
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CANDIDATE PROFILES CHARLES BARKER Mazama Since (Join Year): 1980 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ Mazama Explorer Post 1980–1986 ▶ Lodge Volunteer 1986–2009 ▶ Centennial Committee 1994 ▶ Lodge Committee 1996–1999 ▶ Hike Leader 2002 ▶ Participated in many climbs and hikes over the past 40 years with the Mazamas BOARD AND/OR COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ▶ Travel Oregon, board member, 1992– 2000 ▶ Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, volunteer, 1992–1995 ▶ Oregon Food Bank, volunteer, 2001– 2004 ▶ Irvington School Family Gym Night, volunteer, 2006–2016 ▶ Portland Youth Soccer Association, Portland FC, and other youth soccer teams and leagues, volunteer, 2008– 2017 WORK/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ▶ 1990–1991 Restaurant Manager, Hilton Hotel, Portland OR ▶ 1992–2002 Owner of London Catering, a food management company, and, a restaurant, Portland, OR (sold to
▶
▶
▶
▶ ▶
Compass Group, 2001, and stayed on one year as General Manager) 2003–2005, Concessionaire Lewis and Clark Express (Amtrak train from Portland to Astoria 2004–2009 Sales Associate, Bluestone and Hockley Real Estate, Portland, OR 2003–2010 Adjunct Instructor, Commercial Foods, Mt. Hood Community College 2009–present Manager, Mazama Lodge 2014–present Managing Partner, Barker–London Properties, second–generation real estate company that provides affordable and market–rate housing and commercial leasing in Portland, Ore.
RELEVANT LIFE & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE For the past 30 years, I have worked in managerial positions in the food industry, which requires creativity, stamina, patience, calm thinking and leadership under pressure. I have also been a board member and am now managing partner for a family owned real-estate investment company that was started in the early 1990s and continues to operate in the black during these challenging times. PERSONAL STATEMENT I climbed Mount Hood when I was in middle school and couldn’t wait to join the Mazamas. From the time I first arrived at
Mazama Lodge in the late 1970s, I felt I had found my second home. Before the lodge had a dishwasher, I volunteered many hours cleaning pots and plates, but always found time to strap on my skis and head up Mazama Hill using the old rope tow. My family spent every New Year’s Eve at the lodge, where I cooked celebratory pizzas. My love for the lodge led me first to serve on the Lodge Committee, and ultimately the Mazamas asked me to run the lodge in 2009. Although I initially envisioned my work as lodge manager as a short-term commitment, my love of the lodge and the Mazamas led me to stay for more than10 years. I look forward to returning to a volunteer position, in which I can continue to serve the Mazama community during these difficult financial times and help the Mazamas thrive for future generations.
It’s almost time to VOTE in the 2020 Mazama Annual Election. How Do You Vote? •
E–Voting: All CURRENT Mazama members who have an email address on file with the Mazamas AND who did not OptOut of E-voting for the Mazama Annual Election, will receive an email to vote in the election on September 5 (appx). This email will include a link to the voting form and with two codes that you will need to vote—an ID number and a password. Click on the vote link, then type OR copy and paste the ID number and your password into the appropriate boxes. Once you vote, you will receive a confirmation email. Unlike previous years, you may continue to receive voting reminders even if you have already voted. Rest assured that if you voted and have your confirmation email, your vote will be counted.
•
Vote by Mail: All Mazama members who Opt-Out of E-voting, or who do not have an email address on file with the Mazamas will receive a paper ballot by standard USPS mail. This ballot will arrive around September 10, and will include a voter pamphlet, ballot, and return envelope. Make your election choices, put your ballot in the return envelope, place a stamp on the envelope, and drop it in the mail. Paper ballots must be received by Oct. 5 at 1:30 p.m. to be counted. Ballots received after that time cannot be accepted. We recommend mailing your ballot EARLY or dropping it off at the MMC through the mail slot.
24 MAZAMAS
TOM BAUGHMAN Mazama Since (Join Year): 2011 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ 2011—BCEP Graduate ▶ 2013—ICS Graduate ▶ 2012–2015—BCEP and eBCEP Assistant ▶ 2013–2015—Crevasse Rescue Skill Builder demonstration team member and lead ▶ 2014—Mazama Family Group volunteer and Committee member ▶ 2014—Mazama Ice Wall Committee member and Structural Engineer for the project ▶ 2014–2015—ICS Assistant and Committee Member ▶ 2016—Advanced Rock Graduate ▶ 2017–2019—Advanced Rock Assistant and Committee Member ▶ 2019—Provisional Climb Leader ▶ 2019–2020—Advanced Rock Committee Co–Chair BOARD AND/OR COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS I have not been a board or committee member with another organization but look forward to an opportunity with the Mazamas. WORK/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ▶ Former Wilderness Ranger with the Juneau Ranger District in Juneau, Alaska ▶ Currently a Structural Engineer with 24 years of experience ▶ Entrepreneur and founder of two structural engineering firms including my current firm, Madden & Baughman Engineering, founded in 2005
RELEVANT LIFE & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE As a self-employed business owner for 18 years, I have learned to effectively develop work, manage staff, maintain client relationships, deliver exceptional work, and persevere during a global recession and a global pandemic. My experience assisting in Mazama classes and sitting on committees has helped me understand how the Mazamas operates and has provided me with opportunities to meet and work with the Mazama professional staff. My interactions with students have helped me to understand what motivates people to enroll in Mazama classes, continue on to advanced courses, and maintain their Mazama memberships. PERSONAL STATEMENT When I joined the Mazamas in 2011, I knew little about this organization. I was simply looking for a chance to make some friends, learn about climbing, and get outside. My wife Laura and I had spent years running a business and family, but as the economy slowly recovered from the recession, we realized we had time to do more. We signed up for BCEP with the modest goal of climbing a Cascade peak. With no real expectations, my time with the Mazamas has revealed the exceptional nature of this organization and community. From the first class I took to the last committee meeting I attended, I have been inspired by the Mazamas and grateful to be affiliated with them. Mazamas have a wealth of knowledge and experience, a strong volunteer ethos, a passion for climbing, and an emerging mission as stewards and advocates of mountains and wild places. I appreciate and support the Mazama missions, including their
commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. As I have spent time climbing, taking classes, getting to know my fellow members, and volunteering, my life has been enriched by my association with the Mazamas. For this reason, I want to do what I can to further its mission and foster its goals. I understand the challenges we face and hope that my business experience, my Mazama volunteer experience, and my committee leadership experience will help me be an effective member of the Executive Council. Thank you for considering me for this position.
Please note: Executive Council Candidate information has been standardized to fit a certain format, however no editing has been done. Other than formatting, the information is provided exactly as submitted by the candidates/members.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 25
CHARLES BLANKE, M.D. Mazama Since (Join Year): 2012 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ Families Committee 2014–2017 ▷ Founding member 2014 ▷ Communications Director 2013– 2015 ▷ Chair–elect 2016 ▷ Chair 2017 ▷ Liaison to Climbing Committee (Friend) 2015–2016 ▷ Lead, Climb Nights 2019 ▶ Assistant instructor, FM101 2014–16, 2018 ▶ Chief instructor, First Aid FM101 2019 ▶ Mountaineering First Aid Committee Friend 2017–2018 ▶ Assistant Hike Leader: Families Wakheena Falls Hike, 2014; Families Dog Mountain Hike, 2014; Table Mountain Hike, 2016 ▶ Hike Leader: Urban Tram Hike 2014, 2015; Wahclella Falls Hike 2014, 2015 ▶ Speaker: Mazama Welcome Night June 2014 ▶ Panelist: Mazama Discovery Night 2016 ▶ Used equipment sale volunteer 2015, 2016, 2018 ▷ Lead cashier 2016 ▶ Portland AlpineFest volunteer 2016, 2018, 2019 ▶ Mazama Wild volunteer belayer 2017, 2018 ▶ Backcountry Film Festival volunteer 2020 BOARD AND/OR COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS I have served on 10 executive boards (2 as Chair) and 60 other committees (10 as Chair). Below is a summary of activities potentially relevant to the Mazamas: ▶ 1998–2012—SWOG Gastrointestinal Oncology Committee (Chair, 2004– 2012) ▶ 2004–2007—American Society of Clinical Oncology Career Development Committee ▶ 2002–2008—OHSU Leadership Council ▶ 2002–2008—OHSU Cancer Institute Executive Council
26 MAZAMAS
▶ 2005–2008—American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Education Committee (Colon Chair 2007) ▶ 2005–2012 SWOG Scientific Advisory Board ▶ 2006–2009—National Cancer Institute Subcommittee H ▶ 2008—BCCA Radiation Oncology Executive Search Committee ▶ 2011—SWOG Leadership Tenure Task Force ▶ 2011—Chair, American Society of Clinical Oncology Education Committee ▶ 2013–present—Hope Foundation for Cancer Research Finance Committee; Hope Foundation Board of Directors (Chair, 2018–present) ▶ 2014–present—Hope Foundation Development Committee ▶ 2014–2018—American Society of Clinical Oncology Board of Directors ▶ 2017–2018—American Society of Clinical Oncology Executive Committee of the Board of Directors ▶ 2016—Knight Cancer Institute Advisory Board WORK/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ▶ Medical ▷ 1994–1998: Physician and researcher, Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Vanderbilt University and Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center ▷ 1998–2008 Physician and researcher, Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Oregon Health and Science and Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center ▷ 2008–2013: Physician and researcher, Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency ▷ 2013–present: Professor, Hematology/Medical Oncology, Oregon Health & Science University ▶ Administrative (summary) ▷ 2004–2007: Director, Solid Tumors Program, Oregon Cancer Center ▷ 2008–2013: Head, Medical Oncology, Vancouver Cancer
Centre and Vancouver General Hospital ▷ 2008–2013: Leader/Vice–President, Provincial Systemic Therapy Program, British Columbia Cancer Agency ▷ 2008–2013: Chief, Division of Medical Oncology, University of British Columbia ▶ Other ▷ 2013–present: Chair, SWOG Cancer Research Network RELEVANT LIFE & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE I offer the Mazama Executive Council extensive leadership experience. I am a cancer educator with a strong interest in curriculum development, and I frequently speak to and engage with community groups. I co-led the world’s biggest cancer meeting, and as a physician with extensive wilderness medicine experience, I have the expertise to guide development of health- and safety-related Mazama courses. I understand the finances of large organizations, as I chair a cancer research network (annual budget of 40 million dollars), sit on the board of a major charitable organization, and served as a board member for the largest professional cancer society in the world (annual budget >$ 100 million). For each, I help(ed) foster innovation and guided the organizations through major crises. What other skills would I bring? I am good at keeping meetings on track and building consensus, but I can also make difficult decisions.
continued on next page
BOB BREIVOGEL Mazama Since (Join Year): 1982 PERSONAL STATEMENT I love what Mazamas stand for and do. I came to Oregon 22 years ago a mediocre indoor rock climber. You gave me the skills to climb multiple Pacific NW mountains and to do multi-pitch. Consistent with an important Mazama objective, I learned enough to ascend several peaks with friends, outside of official climbs. I participated in a Mazama-sponsored climb of Kilimanjaro (Western Breech technical route) doing so for charity and raising ~$108,000, split between my cancer research organization and us. I know first-hand the group offers valuable training and outdoor opportunities. COVID and BLM notwithstanding, many daunting challenges are ahead. Financial issues loom large, including determining future climbing fees. Also, how do we stay vibrant and maintain our full cadre of well-trained and engaged members? When I joined, we were losing participants who had young children and felt they couldn’t be active in the outdoors. One strategy was to offer more dedicated opportunities for parents while involving their kids- offering fun experiences for the young and additional training as they passed through their teen years, aiming for them to eventually become the next generation of members and climb leaders. Thus, I helped found the Families Committee. I am proud that my daughter was in the first FM101 class, becoming a Mazama at age 7 and volunteering in subsequent years. I have other strategies in mind for approaching the community and demonstrating what we offer, rather than waiting for potential members to come to us. Thank you for considering me!
MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ Climb leader since 1987–2020. Have more than 300 climb leads. ▶ Outing leader 1995–2020. Led 16 outings across the western US, Canada, and Nepal. ▶ Trail trips leader 2000–2020. ▶ Expedition leader, 1987 Denali South Buttress. ▶ Executive council 2007-2010. ▶ Outings committee 2014-2020, Chair 2017–2020 ▶ Strategic planning task force 2009–2017 ▶ Publications committee 2012–2015 ▶ Bylaws/Governing Documents committee. 2012–2019 ▶ Taught classes in BCEP, ICS, and ASI. BOARD AND/OR COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ▶ Committee member of land use planning group (Sensible transportation options for people— STOP) that derailed the Westside bypass freeway proposal, 1989–1995. ▶ Member of Citizens Planning organization CPO10 in Hillsboro 1990– 1999, reviews land use applications. WORK/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ▶ Intel Corporation 1974–1995, Senior staff semiconductor process engineer. ▶ Consulting engineer with Applied Materials and Lam Research on CMP process 1996-2000 . ▶ Co-Founder Microvisio—a custom machine vision inspection systems company, 1988-2008. ▶ Holder of 10 US Patents. RELEVANT LIFE & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE As a climb and outing leader, I have learned to plan and manage outdoor recreation activities. I have been able to maintain a good safety record doing activities that have a fair degree of risk associated with them. I am always open to new ideas and like to manage on a consensus basis.
PERSONAL STATEMENT I have been both a participant and organizer of Mazama activities since 1982. My experience and historical perspective can be an asset to the executive council as we move forward. the Mazamas is in a precarious position at present. The pandemic has caused us to limit activities like schools, hikes, outings, and climbs. We have also seen a drop in membership. This has substantially reduced our income. We have spent a large amount of money over the last few years to increase our capacity (to offer activities), but I feel the results have not met expectations. At his point in time we need to protect our assets and control expenses. Committees and volunteers need to handle some of the work previously done by paid staff. I feel that EC has not given committees the attention that they deserve. The outdoor activities the Mazamas offers are the primary reason people join the organization in the first place and we need to reemphasize these. We need to reinvigorate the climb and trail trip programs if we want new members. In addition, the Mazamas needs to revive the camaraderie that we have historically enjoyed. Many of the more senior members miss the annual banquets and the Mazama Annual publication. The future of the Mazamas depends on the club being recognized as a valuable resource that is worthy of support.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 27
REENA CLEMENTS Mazama Since (Join Year): 2015 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ Trail Trips Committee Chair (2019– present) ▶ Adventurous Young Mazamas (AYM) Committee Chair (2018–present) ▶ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group Member (2019– present) ▶ Hike Leader (2015–present), 50 Mazama leads ▶ Numerous unofficial leads (hiking, backpacking, some peaks) around the world (2013–present) ▶ Committee Chairs Meeting Participant (2019–present) ▶ CPR/Basic First Aid Instructor (2018– present) ▶ AYM Committee Member (2016–2018) ▶ Trail Trips Committee Member (2018) ▶ Hike Leader Training Instructor (2017– 2019) ▶ Education Committee Participant (2019) ▶ Front Deskperson (2019) ▶ Youth Belay Volunteer (2020, plan to resume when this starts again!) ▶ BCEP Student (Anticipated 2021 – due to 2020 cancellation) BOARD AND/OR COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ▶ Scholarship Coordinator, Fundraising Committee, Women in Science Portland (2018–2019) ▶ Events Volunteer Coordinator, Women in Science Portland (2018) WORK/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ▶ Neuroscience Researcher, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) (2013–2018) ▶ Project Manager, Healthcare (2018– present) ▶ Mazama Leader – see Mazama experience (2015–present) ▶ Women in Science Portland – Professional development for female– identifying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) individuals – See experience with other organizations (2018–2019) ▶ Science Education Outreach to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and Underrepresented Minority 28 MAZAMAS
▶
▶
▶
▶
(URM) populations (2009–2019), including: Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Science Communication Fellow—Scientist role model and educator to the community (2015–2019) OnTrack OHSU—College preparation and healthcare career outreach to high school students (2014–2018) Brain-in-a-Box OHSU— Neuroscience outreach to middle school students (2016–2018) Boston University Wizards – Science education and access outreach to elementary school students (2009–2013)
RELEVANT LIFE & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE My professional experience encompasses research science and project management with an emphasis on, and passion for, education. As a scientist, I planned and managed multi-year projects in addition to writing grants and managing their budgets. Currently, I am a healthcare project manager overseeing clinical trial systems and coordinating with global teams of both technical and lay persons. As a female leader in traditionally male-dominated fields, I feel it is critical for me to act as a role model and mentor. I have 10+ years of involvement with outreach organizations specifically working to increase education, access, and inclusion for underrepresented groups. At the Mazamas, I wear a variety of leadership hats: from committee chair to course instructor, and hike leader to general volunteer. Notably, I’ve streamlined Hike Leader Onboarding, merged parallel committees that were running separately, managed the hiking program transition to digital signups, and worked across committees to promote collaboration. PERSONAL STATEMENT On a 2015 backpacking trip, I discovered the Mazamas, the amazing organization where I have devoted my passion, volunteered my energies, and made my closest friends. As the Mazamas confronts an unparalleled time of transition, challenges, and change, I want to be at the forefront of strategizing its growth and emergence as the most accessible, community-driven outdoors organization in the Northwest. To achieve this, I plan to focus on three areas: communication
and transparency, program stabilization, and inclusivity practices. Holistic communication is key to forwardthinking culture, retaining volunteers/ members, and sustainable programming. I will be proactive and transparent with membership regarding initiatives, changes, budgets and progress that will stabilize Mazama activities and education. We’ve adapted through dramatically altered member engagement in 2020, further solidifying my vision to promote collaboration and reframe the future of our programming. My goal is to effectively serve current group needs, retain existing talent, and recruit new members to further enrich and diversify our community. It is vital to increase representation of all underrepresented groups in the Mazamas—racial, socioeconomic, LGBTQ+, body types, female-identifying— and recruit these individuals to leadership positions. Most Mazamas, including myself, would say that joining the organization was life-changing. The Mazamas can and should lead in providing that powerful experience to those who don’t otherwise have access to such an opportunity. I want to bring my broad experiences and visions to the Executive Council and guide the Mazamas to be a relevant community that inspires everyone to love and protect the mountains. Thanks for your consideration!
LORI COYNER Mazama Since (Join Year): 2012 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ BCEP Assistant 2013–2019 ▶ Used Gear Co–Chair 2013, 2014 ▶ ICS Assistant 2015–2017 ▶ AR Assistant 2018 ▶ ICS Committee 2016–2018 ▶ ICS Volunteer Coordinator 2016–2017 ▶ Executive Council 2020 (March–Sept) BOARD AND/OR COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ▶ La Puerta De Los Niños—Non-profit, Board and Board Chair 1995–1998 ▶ BSC Soccer Club—Recreational and Competitive Soccer Club—Coach, Board, Board Chair, Director of Operations 2000–2009 ▶ Oregon Episcopal School—High School Soccer Coach 2006, 2007 ▶ National Association of Medicaid Directors – Non profit, Board 2020 WORK/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ▶ University of New Mexico Researcher, Center for Health Promotion. Worked with SW Indian Tribes to promote school-based health and public health while incorporating traditional cultural practices 1995–1999 ▶ OHSU Instructor and Researcher— taught in MPH program, mentored graduate students, biostatistician 2000–2008 ▶ Oregon Health Care Quality Corp— Non-profit—Director of Measurement, staffed committee with cross–sector members of Oregon’s health system— 2008–2012 ▶ Oregon Health Authority—State of Oregon—Served as Director of Health Analytics, Medicaid Director of Oregon 2012-2017 and 2019-current
▶ Health Management Associates Consultant - Worked in multiple states including NM, HI, IA, ID, OR on aspects of improving their Medicaid (low income health care) programs. ▶ In my current role, I oversee Oregon’s Medicaid program (Oregon Health Plan). I work with Federal and state government and legislators, Oregon’s health providers, OHP members, and agency staff to ensure quality health care is provided to over 1 million Oregonians. RELEVANT LIFE & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE I have been fortunate to grow into a leader of a large multi-billion dollar health care program. This growth has been facilitated by a variety of opportunities in my career and volunteer commitments. I have been able to work with youth, young and older adults and people with many different backgrounds and perspectives. I have served on a number of non-profit boards, worked for a nonprofit in Oregon and led a non-profit sports organization. My formal leadership training includes a 16-month leadership fellowship funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Center for Creative Leadership. I was one of 30 people who work in Oregon’s health care safety net selected for this program, Ladder to Leadership in 2010. Additionally, I just completed a national fellowship through the Medicaid Leadership Institute. I hold multiple national licenses from the US Soccer Federation on leading and training youth and young adults in soccer and sport. PERSONAL STATEMENT I joined the Mazamas in 2012 as a new BCEP student. Since that time, I have taken BCEP, ICS and AR and been consistently involved in volunteering. I would be
honored to serve on the Executive Council to further contribute my skills and background to our organization. I bring a broad perspective and deep experience in budget oversight, strategic and vision development, management, staff development, and engagement and outreach to communities. I try to do this all with a smile, some fun, and bring my best listening skills along with me. Our current environment with COVID and bringing to light the long standing racism in our country has created a time of uncertainty and change for us all. I believe this presents both a challenge and an opportunity to move the Mazamas forward in managing a sound budget, embracing diversity and inclusion, and continuing to be an important avenue for people to engage with the mountains in Oregon and beyond. The Mazamas serves an important role in education, volunteerism and activism for the outdoors and the wild spaces in the Pacific NW. I would like to contribute to the Mazamas to keep this organization strong and moving forward through this uncertainty and beyond.
Please note: Executive Council Candidate information has been standardized to fit a certain format, however no editing has been done. Other than formatting, the information is provided exactly as submitted by the candidates/members. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 29
SCOTT STEVENSON Mazama Since (Join Year): 2010 MAZAMA VOLUNTEER, COMMITTEE, OR RELATED ACTIVITIES ▶ BCEP in 2010 (Donna Vandall instructor) ▶ BCEP assistant 2014–2016 ▶ Participated in approx. 20 climbs, 3 as an assistant leader ▶ Hike leader since 2019 ▶ Volunteer Youth Belayer since 2018 ▶ Miscellaneous trail and lodge maintenance activities ▶ Advanced Rock, 2020, until cancelled BOARD AND/OR COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ▶ Founding Board Member, Corporate Secretary and de facto legal counsel, Cascadia Clusters, a nonprofit with a mission to employ and train homeless persons in the building trades (2016– 19). ▶ Board Member and Corporate Secretary, Moreland Farmers’ Market, a nonprofit seasonal farmers’ market in the Sellwood/Moreland neighborhood (2010–2015). WORK/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ▶ Founder and Principal of Stevenson Law Offices, a small business and estate planning law firm. ▶ Former Clinical Law Professor, Lewis and Clark Law School, where I taught and supervised students in the representation of emerging for–profit businesses and nonprofit organizations. ▶ Former Senior Corporate Counsel with ADP, where I structured and negotiated a variety of transactions, and oversaw risk management and regulatory compliance efforts. ▶ I have counseled many nonprofits on a variety of legal issues, including (1) corporate formation and governance, (2) application for tax–exempt status, (3) officer and director liability, (4) creation of fiscal sponsorship relationships with other nonprofits, and (5) implementation and maintenance of best risk management practices.
30 MAZAMAS
RELEVANT LIFE & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE I have had a variety of experiences in outdoor leadership, experiential education and youth outreach that I hope to share with the Mazamas. These include: • Metro Parks Volunteer Naturalist, leading school groups through day–long field trips to Metro Parks with an emphasis on conservation, Native American ecology and promoting outdoor experiences. • Sierra Club Outings Trip Leader, leading week–long backpacking and sea kayaking trips for Sierra Club members and donors. • Big Brother, Big Brother/Big Sisters, serving as friend and mentor to at–risk youth. • Graduate, NOLS Outdoor Educator Course, learning how to teach and model safe and low–impact wilderness travel skills, including mountaineering and climbing skills. • Wilderness First Responder since 2010. PERSONAL STATEMENT I joined the Mazamas to apply my longtime love of the outdoors to the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, and to make new friends doing so. As my children have grown up and I have found more time to become involved with the Mazamas, my experience has only become more rewarding. I am a firm believer in the Mazamas2020 vision. Mazama education and activity programs have always been a strength and are at the core of what the Mazamas is. Modernizing and expanding these in a financially responsible manner is a challenge, especially as we continue to adapt to the COVID–19 and post– COVID–19 environment. However, the skills and energy of our members and volunteers provides us a tremendous opportunity to better engage with our regional community in an equitable and inclusive manner. As a former teacher, Big Brother and volunteer with Metro Parks I can tell you that the desire of our youth in underserved communities for meaningful outdoor experiences is great. Our youth programs have grown and flourished so well these last few years, and the need is there for further growth if we
can sustain it. If elected to the Executive Council, I will apply my knowledge and experience in experiential education, nonprofit governance and legal issues, and youth mentorship to help us achieve the Mazamas2020 vision in a risk–managed and financially sound manner.
BOOK REVIEW
JOURNEYS NORTH BY BARNEY SCOUT MANN by Jeff Thomas
I
n June I picked up an advance copy of Journeys North thinking, “I’ll get it read in a week.” I couldn’t put it down. Two days later I surfaced at the end and thought, “What a great story.” Here is the bottom line on Barney Scout Mann’s book about the Pacific Crest Trail: If you like a gripping outdoor adventure with real heart, put Journeys North on your list of priorities to read. Journeys North is an ensemble memoir about the author, his wife, and two younger pairs of hikers. For two days those six hikers and the rest of Barneys’ PCT class of 2007 became a part of my life. Here is why I thought it was such a great read.
One, this author knows what he is writing about. Not only did he hike the PCT in 2007, but he’s completed the Triple Crown, hiking the Continental Divide Trail in 2015 and the Appalachian Trail in 2017. Barney is also the most knowledgeable historian I know, of both the PCT and the CDT. Two, the author knows how to write. From the start he reels the potential story lover into a trail mystery about a hiker in trouble as winter approaches on the Washington section of the PCT— Who is Nadine? I had to find out what would happen and did not put the book down until the puzzle was solved. I was constantly entertained by passages such as Chapter 13 “John Donovan’s Final Service,” a service John performed after he died—his remains led to the rescue of two people in dire straits. “John Donovan had helped countless men and women during his time as a social worker. On the PCT it turned out he had one final service to perform: John Donovan had two lives to save.” Another engaging passage was an observation about our own state: “‘Wow,’ exclaimed an eighty-year-old Oklahoman gazing south from the porch of Timberline Lodge. ‘If this state was pounded flat it would be bigger than Texas.’” I also loved his observations about each character in the book. In a chapter titled “The Knife’s Edge,” a fiftyish woman with the trail name “Sandals” reflects on her life and why she’s hiking the PCT: “‘I’ve completed life’s requirements—home, career, and children—and now I’ve moved to electives.’”
Third, you might think as a climber that this is “only” a hiking tale, but a long hike has challenges and fascinating personalities just as you would find on a long rock climb or a big mountaineering expedition. The potential for death may not be ratcheted up to the same level, but in starting out on the first leg from the Mexican/California border, there is just as much risk of injury or failure as on the Salathe Wall on El Capitan or the South Buttress of Mt. McKinley. Fourth, the heart of this book is the real characters populating almost every page. In 2007 Barney estimates that about 275 to 300 people started the PCT from the southern border. For his primary six, Barney’s account includes in-depth and sometimes very private details. Many others, some fifty, feature in short intimate tales. As I became engaged in the six’s struggles, I also wondered how Barney could reveal such confidential information. In a telephone interview I asked that question. Barney said it was something he wrestled with. He even considered writing it as fiction, not a memoir. But the answer became clear when his wife and trail companion Sandy told him, “Ask them.” The first hiker he asked was Blazer, a central character of Journeys North six. “Blazer, you wouldn’t want me to write about you, would you?” Her answer was direct, “Barney, it would be okay.” The other four characters gave Barney similar positive answers. To this day Barney says that Blazer’s answer stunned him. “You could have knocked me over with a feather.”
Barney’s relationship with the Mazamas goes back more than a decade. Some of you have seen him hunched over old photos, books and files in our basement library. Many of you have seen Oregonian articles featuring the result of his searches. One in particular stands out to me. In 2010, I shared with him an entry by a Peter Parsons in the 1923 Mazama Mt. Jefferson summit register. That entry implied that Parsons had traversed the Continental Divide on foot, Mexico to Canada, in 1923. Barney spent eight years tracking down Parsons’ story. He found Parsons’ original journal from that trip and hundreds of undeveloped negatives. Parsons actually lived in Oregon in our own Mill City and Barney wrote a Backpacker magazine feature article on him. A reprint of that article is in this issue of the Bulletin. The entire Peter Parsons archive was recently donated to the Mazamas. In our interview, Barney captured his book in a single phrase. “Journeys North is Wild meets The Breakfast Club. Journeys North embodies the best elements of both—personal struggle in the outdoors together with a group the reader truly comes to care about.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 31
MAZAMA MEMBERSHIP June Membership Report NEW MEMBERS: 4 Michael Berman—Mt. Hood David Posada—Mt. Shasta Lauren Saxton—Mt. St. Helens Lauren Schroff—South Sister
REINSTATEMENTS: 4
Stephanie Brown (2017), Alicia Chapman (2013), Belinda Judelman (2017), & Mike Leonard-Maguire (2007)
DECEASED: 3
Warren Campbell Gilfillan (1953), Donna Kurilo (1967), & Richard “Dick” Pugh (1972),
MEMBERSHIP ON JUNE 30: 3,106 (2020); 3,479 (2019)
July Membership Report NEW MEMBERS: 17 Eric Anderson—Mt. Rainier Dave Andersson—Eldorado Parker Baldwin—Mt. Hood Mike Borden—Mt. Adams John Burley—Mt. St Helens Austin Paul Horjus—Mt. St Helens Roger Ley— Mt. Baker Jeremy Luedtke—South Sister David J McDonald—Mt. Adams Kyla Ogle— South Sister Autumn Roberts—South Sister Brendan Scanlan—South Sister Amber Elaine Schumacher—Mt. St Helens Crystal Shum—Mt. St Helens Kira Thorien—Mt. Rainier Peter Andreas Udbye—Mt. Hood Mackenzie Zapp—South Sister
REINSTATEMENTS: 7
Jim Edelblute (2002), Leesa M. Gallia (2016), Nick P Hershman (2011), Heidi Medema (2014), Justin L. Moulton (2015), Jeff Shirley (1992), & Gordy Winterrowd (2015)
DECEASED: 0 Nathalie Healey (1985)* not a current member
MEMBERSHIP ON JULY 31: 3,093 (2020); 3,459 (2019)
32 MAZAMAS
Above: New member Jeff Ortman on the summit of South Sister in June 2020. Left: New member Mathew Rose on the summit of Mt. Adams.
MAZAMAS FOUNDATION DISSOLUTION TOWN HALL RECAP
O
n Tuesday, July 28 at 7 p.m., the Mazama Foundation conducted a Town Hall meeting (via Zoom) for Mazama members, led by Mazamas Foundation (Foundation) members and Mazama Executive Council (EC) members as a follow-up to the Foundation Dissolution discussion and FAQ listed in last month’s Mazama Bulletin. Approximately 8 Mazama members tuned in to the call. The following is a summary of that Town Hall discussion.
Jon Jurevic (Foundation member) provided a comprehensive introduction concerning how we got here. He explained the history of the Foundation, the purpose of its creation, the change in its assets over time, and why we consider it prudent to dissolve it at this point. Marty Hansen (Mazama member) asked about the structure of the Financial Affairs Committee and the Investment Subcommittee, along with how the assets will be managed post dissolution. Traci Manning (Mazama EC President) explained that in the past the Financial Affairs Committees have focused on budget and financial oversight. The Financial Affairs Committee has not been active for quite some time. Last fall, the EC created a Finance Committee that is a subcommittee of the EC, and is chaired by the current Treasurer. The EC also just created a separate Investment Subcommitee that will meet quarterly and focus on investment oversight along with roles and responsibilities. Ardel Frick (Mazama member) wondered if the sole reason for the establishment of the Foundation was for the protection of assets, and why it is no longer considered a necessity to have a foundation. Jon Jerevic explained that the original main reason was protection of our assets. Mike Levis (Mazama member) asked what was the advantage of dissolving the Mazama Foundation. Multiple Foundation members discussed this and stated that dissolution would eliminate confusion among Mazama members as to why the Foundation exists and eliminate the duplicative costs of administering the Foundation. Also discussed was the complexity of raising and then transferring money from the Foundation to the Mazamas. In addition, the current assets of the Foundation are much lower than in prior years. Jerry Eline (Foundation
member) made a point of clarification: the Mazamas and the Mazama Foundation are both nonprofit organizations. The Mazamas are a 501(c)(3) organization, while the Mazama Foundation is a 509(a) (3), a supporting organization. Finally, both Jon and Jerry discussed that in their substantial experience with litigation and liability insurance, the Mazamas can adequately protect their assets by increasing their insurance coverage, which they can do affordably. Ardel Frick asked if the controversy last year between the Mountaineers and the Mountaineers Foundation, and the ensuing lawsuit, had any impact? Jerry said that we were aware of the lawsuit, but it had no influence on our decision. Ardel also asked if donors who identify the Mazamas Foundation as a beneficiary in their will or trust need to update their paperwork to name the Mazamas instead of the Mazamas Foundation? Jerry Eline (Foundation member) commented that most wills include standard language specifying that if a named organization no longer exists the executor has discretion to identify a similar organization as the beneficiary. It was suggested by Keith Thomajan (Foundation member) that a potential solution could be a DBA. This solution would need some research. Sarah Bradham (Mazamas Acting Executive Director) mentioned that donor-restricted funds at the Foundation will remain donor-restricted funds at the Mazamas. In addition at this time the Mazamas Foundation has a process in place to receive stock donation but the Mazamas do not. The Mazamas plan to set up a similar process so the organization will be in a position to receive stock gifts. Lastly, Ardel said that for some individuals, the Foundation may be viewed as an endowment where donations can be used for specific purposes but not for ongoing operations. She questioned if people would
be less likely to make donation without this perceived firewall* to prevent their donations from being used for ongoing operations. Sarah Bradham (Acting Executive Director) said that most endowments are designed to keep the principal (corpus) intact while using the investment income for charitable efforts. Donors can specify this structure when they make their donation. The ability to establish endowments including the minimum amount will be addressed as part of the fundraising strategy for the Mazamas. Because endowments may only produce usable interest (depending on the way they are setup), a minimum endowment amount at the Mazamas, according to our newly adopted Finance Policies, would be $25,000 or greater. Currently, the Mazamas and the Mazamas Foundation do not have any funds that were identified as endowments. In summary, it appeared that the members were satisfied with the explanations, and no one in the meeting displayed or voiced concern about this dissolution decision. Note that upon dissolution, all assets would go to the Mazamas. Next Steps: The next meeting of the Mazamas Foundation is on August 17. The agenda for that meeting will include a vote on whether to begin the process to dissolve the Mazamas Foundation. If the decision to dissolve is made, then the following day at the monthly EC meeting, the EC will conduct a vote to approve acceptance of the assets. Afterwards, the legal steps to finalize the dissolution will be followed, with the intent to finalize the process by the end of our respective fiscal years, September 30. *The Mazamas Foundation does not operate as an endowment.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 33
COVID POLICIES
Updated July 20, 2020
With the health and safety of our members and community in mind, the Mazamas are operating with a set of policies & practices to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. We recognize and acknowledge these policies and practices will not eliminate risk, but rather allow us to engage in activity with reduced risk. We will ask each of our members and participants to make their own choices regarding acceptable risk. UPDATES (LIST OF CHANGES TO THIS DOCUMENT SINCE IT WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON JUNE 1, 2020):
▶ Face coverings/masks are required whenever participants are within 6 ft. of each and must be ready to be pulled into position when it is likely activity participants will come within 6 ft. of each other. ▷ Note: If a photo is taken of a Mazama activity with participants over the age of 4, it should indicate that this policy is being adhered to. ▶ For indoor usage face coverings/masks must be a minimum of a double layer of fabric, or a multi-layer disposable mask. For outdoor usage a single layer of fabric, such as a Buff/neck gaiter pulled up over the mouth and nose, is acceptable, however, double-layer is preferred in any environment in which the participants will be stationary for a period of time, such as in camp. ▶ Anyone over the age of 4 will be required to adhere to the face covering policy. ▶ An online form will be emailed to you 7 days after participating in a Mazama event asking about any new COVID-19-like symptoms or exposure. ▶ Mazama Lodge is closed until further notice ▶ Street Rambles are on hiatus until further notice ▶ Intermediate Climbing School 2020 has been cancelled.
MAZAMAS WIDE POLICIES (THESE POLICIES APPLY TO ALL MAZAMAS ACTIVITIES)
34 MAZAMAS
▶ Face coverings/masks are required to be worn when a person is within 6 ft. of another person. For indoor usage face coverings/ masks must be a minimum of a double layer of fabric, or multilayer disposable mask. For outdoor usage a single layer of fabric, such as a Buff/neck gaiter pulled up over the mouth and nose, is accessible. ▶ All participants and volunteer leadership will maintain a minimum of 6-feet in between each other when possible on a Mazama activity. If the 6-foot distance is not possible, face coverings must be worn. ▶ All Mazamas programs and activities must have up-to-date knowledge of state, county, city and land manager regulations. The Mazamas will adhere to the most conservative guidelines that are in effect for a particular activity. ▶ All participants must sign a COVID-19 acknowledgement of risk in addition to the regular Mazamas risk waiver. ▶ All staff, participants, and volunteer leaders are required to report any COVID-19 symptoms. All individuals will monitor for symptoms, including taking temperature, 24 hours prior to the start of their program. Any symptomatic or feverish participants will be required to cancel themselves from the trip. Full refunds will be provided for cancellations due to COVID-19 symptoms. ▶ Mazamas gatherings will be restricted to 10 or fewer people as long as we are in Phase I in Multnomah County. When we move into Phase 2 gatherings can be up to 25 people. Specific activities may have a lower number of participants. These figures will change as local and national guidance changes. ▶ Carpooling is highly discouraged for all Mazamas programs. Avoid stopping for gas, food, snacks, and other supplies in communities outside of your own. Do not stop in gateway communities. ▶ All participants over the age of 4 are required to bring a face covering and hand sanitizer on all activities and practice strict hygiene standards. ▶ There will be no shared food or drink at any Mazama activities or events. Any participant who has had exposure or is exhibiting COVID19 symptoms within two weeks after a Mazama program or being at the Mazama Mountaineering Center or Mazama Lodge will report to the Mazamas. All participants will be sent a form 7 days post-activity to report symptoms and exposure. In these cases, the Mazamas will inform all participants on that program that they may have come in contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. The name of the symptomatic person will not be shared.
Mazama Activity/Event participants are required to sign a Liability Waiver along with a COVID-19 Acknowledgement of Risk. When you sign up for an activity on our website, you must sign this document prior to completion of your registration. If online registration is not required, you will need to sign a paper form when you attend the activity/event. MMC POLICIES The MMC will remain closed for normal operations until further notice. Once the MMC is reopened, the following policies will be in effect: ▶ Everyone entering the MMC will be required to sign-in. ▶ Everyone entering the MMC will be required to wash their hands.
CLIMBING ▶ Climbs are limited to a maximum group size of 10. ▶ Masks will be worn whenever climbers are within 6 ft. of each other. ▶ Climbers will maintain at least 6 ft. distance from each other whenever possible and come closer only when necessary. ▶ Contact at belays and corrals will be minimized.
▶ No one with a temperature above 100.3 will be allowed into the building.
▶ All trips will be on familiar and comfortable terrain to the leader.
▶ Cloth face covering will be required for everyone over the age of 4.
▶ All personal and group climbing gear must be quarantined for 48 hours before use.
MAZAMA OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES POLICIES (APPLIES TO ALL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING HIKE, CLIMB, RAMBLES, ETC.) ▶ All outdoor activities (climb, hike, run, etc.) are limited to a maximum group size of 10 while we are in Phase I of reopening, and 25 while we are in Phase 2.
▶ Individual gear will not be shared whenever possible and climbers will minimize touching other climbers individual gear.
HIKING/RAMBLES ▶ Hikes are limited to a maximum group size of 10.
▶ Individuals may participate in a maximum of 1 activity per week, or 2 with the same roster.
▶ Masks will be worn whenever hikers are within 6 ft. of each other.
▶ Groups will not have access to the MMC to use bathrooms or get gear. The parking lot will not be open.
▶ Hikers will maintain at least 6 ft. of distance from each other whenever possible and come closer only when necessary.
▶ Carpooling is highly discouraged by anyone who is not currently sharing a household.
▶ Hikers will pass other groups/hikers with a minimum of 6 ft. distance. If closer, hikers will wear their mask.
▶ Sharing tents or personal gear is prohibited with nonhousehold members.
▶ All trips will be on familiar and comfortable terrain to the leader.
▶ Sharing food, cooking equipment, utensils, containers, or drinking receptacles is prohibited.
▶ All personal and group climbing gear must be quarantined for 48 hours before use.
▶ All individuals must bring and carry their own alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
▶ Individual gear will not be shared.
▶ Cloth face coverings are required for outdoor activities. ▶ Face covering/masks must be ready to be pulled into position when it is likely activity participants will come within 6 ft. of each other. ▶ Outdoor activities must be structured to maintain 6 ft. of distance between participants whenever possible (brief periods closer than 6 ft. are acceptable). ▶ All group gear must be quarantined for a minimum of 48 hours between use. All group gear must be quarantined for a minimum of 48 hours between use.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 35
SAYING GOODBYE
HOMER BROCK
January 1, 1924–August 5, 2020
H
omer Mascall Brock was born in Kentucky but spent the balance of his youth in tiny Dayville, Oregon. After high school, Homer attended Oregon State University and was called into the Navy, where he earned a BSEE at the University of Colorado. Following his service, he returned to Oregon State for a BS in Business Administration and later earned an MBA at the University of Portland. He and Margaret Dyer married in 1954. Their family included four sons and a daughter. They were married for 66 years.
Wilderness hiking and camping, skiing, and mountain climbing were family activities. After the kids grew older, Homer joined the Mazamas, at the age of 48 in 1972. His prior outdoor experience served him well as he quickly earned his Guardian Peaks Award in 1973, his Oregon Peaks Award in 1976, and his Sixteen Northwest Peaks Award in 1977. By then he was assisting on Mazama climbs, and would do that through 1990. He became a full-fledged climb leader in 1978, leading a total of 35 climbs over the next eleven years. Homer shared a fondness for those weekends of Mt. Washington and Three-Finger Jack back to back, and led many such climbs. However, Homer’s contributions to the Mazamas were not just with his boots on. He brought his expertise to the Nordic/Alpine Committee from 1978–1980 and the Lodge Committee in 1982. In 1983 he was elected to Executive Council. During his three years of service he was both vice president and president. But Homer just keep on going. He was on the Outings Committee at the end of the 80s and returned to an old love by joining the Ski Mountaineering Committee in 1993—at the age of 69! Another of Homer’s perennial interests was ham radio (W7JLC and K7AP) and he taught classes in that skill to other Mazamas in 1992. His was a life well-lived and with a panorama of contributions to the Mazamas.
36 MAZAMAS
MAZAMA LODGE by Charles Barker, Mazama Lodge Manager
T
hank you, Mazamas, for trusting me these past 11 years as the Manager of Mazama Lodge. I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing co-workers and serving some fantastic guests. Sharing our mutual love of the mountains and the lodge, has been a great adventure. The pandemic that we are all facing has forced the closure of the lodge. We will reopen when it’s safe to do so. We will be using volunteers to keep the lodge safe and secure during this interim time. I plan to continue to volunteer with the Mazamas and the lodge but will let someone else have the pleasure managing the daily operations. I’m as excited as any member to get back to the lodge sometime in 2021 when we reopen. In the past 97 years the Mazamas has owned a lodge, we have faced many challenges from too much snow, not enough snow, The Great Depression, a fired in 1958, too many recessions to count, and now the pandemic. Each time the Mazamas has faced these challenges members have risen to the challenge. I’m sure once again we will work together to get through this and yes…once again the lodge will reopen.
Mazama CLASSICS For members with 25 years of membership, or for those who prefer to travel at a more leisurely pace. We lead a wide variety of year-round activities including hikes, picnics, and cultural excursions. Share years of happy Mazama memories with our group. All ages are welcome to join the fun.
CONTACTING THE CLASSICS Contact the Classics Chair Flora Huber at 503-658-5710, flobell17@comcast.net, or classics@mazamas.org.
SUPPORT THE CLASSICS Classics needs a volunteer to put more content in our column on a quarterly basis. We want to document past Classics events and make sure that our postings to the web are current and complete. More generally, there is always work to be done on the committee. Our meetings are the fourth Monday of every other month at 11 a.m. at the MMC. Email classics@mazamas.org and tell us how you can help.
CLASSICS HIKES There are two upcoming Classics hikes on the calendar. See the full hike schedule on the next page for more details. You can signup online. Wednesday, August 20. Mitchell Point. Flora Huber, flobell17@comcast.net. The hike is 2.2 miles round trip, with 1,040 ft. elevation gain. Please meet at Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area (exit 18 off of I-84). We will leave at 9 a.m. Tuesday, August 25. Sleeping Beauty. Flora Huber, flobell17@comcast.net. Short and sweet hike with breathtaking views of Mt. Adams! 3.2 miles with 1,410 ft. elevation gain. Meet at Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area (exit 18 off of I-84). We’ll leave at 9 a.m. Tuesday, September 8. Ft. Vancouver & Vancouver Waterfront. Jim Selby. This is a hike for the Classics members of Mazamas. We will go at a leisurely pace. After meeting in front of Peason Air Museum, 1115 East. 5th, Vancouver at 9:30 a.m. we will follow the hike as outlined in the description except we will spend more time on the new Vancouver Waterfront. We can easily maintain social distancing and wear masks for this hike. Call Jim at 828-508-5094 or email him at selbyjb@comcast.net to sign up. 5 miles.100 ft.
CLASSICS COMMITTEE MEETING Keep an eye on the Mazama Calendar for our next meeting. It will be in September and held on Zoom. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 37
TRAIL TRIPS
JOIN US! MAZAMA TRAIL TRIPS ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE
We are operating our hikes under strict COVID-19 policies in order to mitigate the potential for transmission of the coronavirus. Please review the policies in this publication or find them online at mazamas.org/ coronaviruspolicies. The Mazamas offers our Trail Trips (hiking) program to serve just about every ability level. We have leaders who like to take their time meandering along flat trails for a short duration, while others want to hike at a fast clip up the side of a mountain. You get to choose what is best for you! All Mazamas hikes are open to members and non-members. We welcome non-members or those with limited experience on our hikes. Our leaders are some of the most experienced hikers in the Northwest, and they can show you some spots that you might never get to on your own! Hikes are $2 for members/$4 for non-members. Sign up online.
COVID-19 POLICY HIGHLIGHTS Carpooling is STRONGLY DISCOURAGED by anyone who doesn’t share a household. Masks are required for all participants when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained. Do not stop in gateway communities.
ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR HIKES IS REQUIRED Sunday, August 16. C2 Yocum Ridge. Thomas Dodson, dodsontw@msn.com. This is a scenic hike, viewing Ramona Falls, and then up Yocum Ridge to a large meadow on the West Flank of Mount Hood. It is a long day so bring lots of food, water, and enthusiasm. 17.4 miles. 3,800 ft. Meet at Gateway Park & Ride at 8 a.m. Wednesday, August 20. A1.5 Classics: Mitchell Point. Flora Huber, flobell17@ comcast.net. The hike is 2.2 miles round trip, with 1,040 ft. elevation gain. Please meet at Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area (exit 18 off of I-84). We will leave at 9 a.m. Tuesday, August 25. A1.5 Classics: Sleeeping Beauty. Flora Huber, flobell17@ comcast.net. Short and sweet hike with breathtaking views of Mt. Adams! 3.2 miles with 1,410 ft. elevation gain. Meet at Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area (exit 18 off of I-84). We’ll leave at 9 a.m.
Class A: Easy to moderate; less than 8 miles and under 1,500 ft. elevation gain Class B: Moderate to difficult; less than 15 miles with 1,500–3,000 ft. elevation gain OR 8–15 miles with less than 1,500 feet of elevation gain Class C and Cw: Difficult to strenuous: 15+ miles in distance or 3,000+ ft. elevation gain. Class D: Very difficult, strenuous trips in challenging conditions. No specific distance or elevation gain. Special equipment, conditioning, and experience may be required. Contacting leader for details before the day of the trip is mandatory. “Wilderness—Limit 12” indicates the hike enters a Forest Service-designated Wilderness Area; group size limited to 12. Numeral after class indicates pace. All pace
38 MAZAMAS
Saturday, August 30. A1 Ft. Vancouver & Vancouver Waterfront. Jim Selby. selbyjb@ comcast, 828-508-5094. The 11 a.m. start time is not a mistake. We will meet in front of Pearson Air Museum, 1115 East 5th, Vancouver. Should be complete by 4 p.m. at the very latest even after spending extra time on the new Vancouver Waterfront. 5 miles. 100 ft. Tuesday, September 8. A1 Ft. Vancouver & Vancouver Waterfront. Jim Selby. selbyjb@comcast, 828-508-5094. This is a hike for the Classics members of Mazamas. We will go at a leisurely pace. After meeting in front of Pearson Air Museum, 1115 East 5th, Vancouver at 9:30 a.m. we will follow the hike as outlined in the description except we will spend more time on the new Vancouver Waterfront. We can easily maintain social distancing and wear masks for this hike. 5 miles. 100 ft. Thursday, October 1. B2.5 East ZigZag Mountain (Burnt Lake). Bill Stein, billstein.rpcv@gmail.com, 503-830-0817.
information is uphill speed range; e.g... 1.5 = 1.5–2 mph: a slow to moderate pace; 2 = 2.0–2.5 mph: a moderate speed common on weekend hikes; 2.5 = 2.5–3.0 mph: a moderate to fast pace and is a conditioner. Hike fees/Snowshoe/Nordic Costs: $2 for members, $4 nonmembers; Backpack Costs: Vary depending on trip. Meeting Places: Clackamas Towne Center Park & Ride (9225 SE Sunnyside Road, Clackamas): Gateway–SE corner of P and R Garage near 99th and Pacific (I-84 Exit 7); L and C–Lewis and Clark State Park (1-84 Exit 18); Oswego TC–Boones Ferry Rd at Monroe Parkway; Salmon Creek P and R–Vancouver P and R at 134 St (1-5 Exit 7 or 1-205 Exit 36); Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center–Sandy Blvd. and 98th Ave. (1-205 Exit 23A); Durham–P
Early fall hike to view of Mt. Hood’s west side during the time of Covid-19. Each hiker will need to drive separately and display a NW Forest Pass (or other federal pass). Once we’re together we will remain physically distant throughout the hike. Masks and hand sanitizer are necessary in case we encounter other parties on a Thursday hike. 8.4 miles, 2,271 ft. Burnt Lake Trail #772 Trailhead at 8 a.m. Meetup. Saturday, October 3. B2.5 Clarno’s Geologic Wonders. Bill Stein, billstein. rpcv@gmail.com, 503-830-0817. Hike to some of the most geologically-significant sites at the Clarno Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. View fossil trees and nut beds. This hike REQUIRES one bouldering move: crawling up and down a rock face. In the time of Covid-19, each hiker will need to drive solo three hours each way, and we will maintain physical distance throughout the hike. Parking is free. 8 miles, 1,550 ft. Meet at Clarno Palisades Picnic Area at 9 a.m. Meetup.
and R at Boones Ferry and Bridgeport (1-5 Exit 290); MMC–Mazama Mountaineering Center, 527 SE 43rd at Stark; Pendleton– Pendleton Woolen Mills in Washougal; REI–Pearl, NW 14th and Johnson; Target185– Target P/L Sunset Hwy at 185th. Dr.–round-trip driving mileage.–Hike elevation gain. TH Pass–USFS parking pass needed for trailhead; SnoPark–Snow park pass. FLTC–3510 SE 164th Ave. in Vancouver. 99th TC–9700 NE 7th Ave. in Vancouver. Trail Trips Hike Rules: Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share costs. The maximum suggested total rate each is a donation of ten cents per mile for up to three people per vehicle. Dogs are not allowed except for hikes designated as “dog-walks.” Alcohol and firearms are not allowed. Participants
should wear appropriate hiking shoes, and carry lunch, water, rain gear (umbrella, parka, or poncho), and the 10 essentials (whistle, extra food and clothing, sun protection, map, compass, flashlight, first aid kit, pocket knife, waterproof matches, fire starter). Participants should be in a physical condition appropriate for the difficulty of the hike. Leaders may decline anyone not properly equipped or judged incapable of completing the hike in a reasonable time frame. Hikers voluntarily leaving the group are considered nonparticipants. In case of accident, illness, or incapacity, hikers must pay their medical and/or evacuation expenses whether they authorize them or not. Hikes leave the meeting place at the time listed. Adverse conditions, weather, and combined circumstances can affect difficulty.
MazamasÂŽ 527 SE 43rd Ave. Portland OR 97215 www.mazamas.org
Mazama Periodical Postage Paid in Portland, Oregon
JOIN OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY!
Get membership details on page 5 and join today at mazamas.org/join
Mt. Shuksan climb, socially distanced in the age of COVID-19. Led by Larry Beck, assisted by Darren Ferris. Photo: Ralph Daub Photography.
