2021 Mar/April Mazama Bulletin

T H E SOF TES T H AR DS HEL L K I N ETI C A L P INE 2. 0 J A C K E T

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MAZAMA BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE Acting Executive Director’s Report: Is It Time for A Change?, p. 4 Upcoming Activities & Events, p. 6 Volunteer Opportunities, p. 7 Membership Report, p. 8 Mazama Library, p. 9 Research Seminar Series, p. 10 Trail Trips, p. 11 Mazama Classics, p. 11 Conservation Corner, p. 13 Mazama Awards, p. 14 Trail Tending Shed, p. 16 A Trip Up Three Fingered Jack, p. 18 Central Cascades Permits, p. 20 What’s Going on Around the Mazamas, p. 21 Our Roots Run Deep, p. 22 Strong Long: Yunlong Ong’s Quest to Outclimb Cancer, p. 24 Executive Board Minutes, p. 28

Volume 103 Number 2 March & April 2021

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 Editors: Sarah Bradham, Bulletin Editor; Mathew Brock, Layout Editor (mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org) Members: Jonathan Barrett, Brian Goldman, Darrin Gunkel, Ali Gray, and 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.

MAZAMA (USPS 334-780): Cover: Wim Aarts on Mt. Hood, 2020. Photo by Keith Thomajan.

Above: New Mazama member Bethany Bivin on the summit of Broken Top, November 3, 2019.

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 bimonthly 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.

MARCH & APRIL 2021 3

Acting Executive Director’s Report

IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE?

by Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director

W

ithin the next few months the Mazama membership will have the opportunity to vote on several updates to the Mazama bylaws. There are four proposed bylaws amendments; one related to policies and procedures, and two about the composition of the Executive Council. The fourth change is regarding bringing an end to our glaciated peak membership requirement.

-Since our founding on Mt. Hood on July 19, 1894, joining the Mazamas has required stepping foot on the summit of a glaciated peak, and having arrived at the summit under your own power. Throughout the course of our history we have had people of all ages join the Mazamas (we believe the youngest was 3 when they joined!).

Whether you climbed Mt. Hood, Everest, or Old Snowy, the glaciated peak summit has been the one common denominator for all of our members.

The roots of the glaciated peak requirement are in the Oregon Alpine Club, which was formed in 1887. The original idea for the club was mountaineering, but it didn’t take long to expand to include photography, literature, boating, and more.

In 1894, William Steel saw an opportunity to create a new group, the Mazamas, which would unify around mountaineering through a membership requirement written into the bylaws, where it has remained since.

Through the years, the Mazamas, just like the Oregon Alpine Club and The Mountaineers (which was an offshoot of the Mazamas) expanded its offerings.

The Local Walks Committee was formed in 1912 and was the early incarnation of our current Trail Trips Committee. There have been square dancing events and photography exhibits at the Mazamas. In the 1970s the Whitewater Committee was formed and offered a robust whitewater rafting program until it was phased out in the mid 80s. The Nordic skiing class was created in 1972 and is still going strong.

Chuckwagon events, where participants day hike and have their food and gear supplied for them, were popular. Round the Mountain, an annual event where hikers circumnavigate Mt. Hood over

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three days with nothing but a daypack, while staying at Mazama Lodge each evening, sells out quickly most years with a waiting list. Five years ago we added Adventure WILD (now Mazama Wild) to our program offerings, serving kids ages 4–10 in a summer camp program based out of the Mazama Mountaineering Center. Our Street Rambles program, which was started in1987, is our single largest program based on participant numbers.

The new programming created over the years has increased the number of Sarah on a blue bird day on Mt. Hood, enjoying a hike to Silcox Hut. participants in our programs and increased the variety of hikes for the Mazamas. These are people people that we are able to serve. In a typical who we welcome as participants in our year our climbing related activities and activities, but when they want to give back education programs serve approximately to their community as volunteers, they are 1,800 participants. Conversely, our met with a closed door—unable to share non-climbing related activities (Trail their expertise on a committee, as a class Trips, Street Rambles, RTM, youth instructor, or as a hike or ramble leader. programming) and education programs Every week at the Mazama (Nordic, Canyoneering, Backcountry Mountaineering Center we receive calls Skiing) typically serve more than six times and emails from people who have just that number, with approximately 10,000 discovered the Mazamas and are interested participants. Despite this expansion in in what we do. They are often excited to Mazama programming, we have never join and instead of being able to meet lost our focus on mountain recreation, their excitement with equal enthusiasm, exploration, and conservation. All of our we must start the conversation with “have activities and events connect to that core you climbed a glaciated peak?” These mission. conversations often end in frustration, However, the unintended consequence confusion, and sadness as the individual of our membership requirement is that realizes they don’t meet our requirement, many of the people who engage in our and don’t know how to go about doing it. programs cannot join the Mazamas.

We have made the argument for years Some of our most dedicated hikers and that we are an equitable organization ramblers, who would gladly go through since we allow anyone to participate in our hike leader training, are unable to lead

BYLAWS AMENDMENT TIMELINE our programs and activities, regardless of membership status.

However, that participation comes at a cost, as our nonmember rates are higher than for members. Avid outdoor enthusiasts who love our mission and want to help support the Mazamas by becoming members and potentially providing volunteer labor are explicitly not allowed to do so.

If our glaciated peak requirement is about demonstrating skill and fortitude in a mountain environment shouldn’t completing the Elk-Kings traverse in the dead of winter when you frequently need microspikes (if not crampons) suffice? How about running around Mt. Hood in a day, which over 42-miles has 10,000 ft of elevation gain and loss and numerous difficult stream crossings? What about climbing El Capitan, which, on it’s easiest route, is 3,000 ft of technical rock that requires 5.10b skills? All of those activities show a dedication to the mountains and are arguably significantly more difficult than summitting Mount St. Helens or South Sister, and yet they don’t qualify for membership.

If you have years of experience hiking and climbing, you might be thinking “well, how hard is it to go slog up Mount St. Helens or South Sister?” I feel this is the wrong question to be asking ourselves as we evaluate the glaciated peak requirement. If the requirement is, as we often say, rooted in creating a like-minded community dedicated to the mountains, and yet we view Mount St. Helens and South Sister as easy day hikes, how does climbing either of them contribute to that like-minded community?

What about the people who have never climbed, but are extremely active in protecting (or creating) wilderness areas to protect the mountains, advocating for the creation of new trailheads to support more mountain recreation, or actively maintaining the trails we frequent? Aren’t those people we would want to welcome into our community that is dedicated to inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains?

I don’t believe the experience of standing atop a glaciated peak is what unites us. Rather, it is our shared love of the mountains and our desire to belong to a community that is our unifying force.

A commitment to sharing in common experiences with others and engaging in activities in which we find personal meaning.

That could be teaching someone how to rappel for the first time, climbing to the top of Mt. Hood, participating in a weekly Street Ramble, serving on a committee that helps disperse grant funds to organizations and individuals, planning the Portland Alpine Fest, or travelling with the Mazamas on an Outing, to name just a few of the myriad ways one can actively volunteer with the Mazamas.

For the Mazamas to continue to be an vibrant, valued, and relevant part of our community, it is time to update our bylaws and remove the glaciated peak requirement. As we work to build a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, we must be able to say to everyone who wants to be a Mazama that they are welcome here, as a full-fledged member.

There have been articles about the upcoming Bylaws Amendments for the last few months in the Bulletin, in our eNews, and on our blog. Over the next few months you can expect to receive the Voter Guide in the May/June edition of the Bulletin. The Voter Guide will have the full text of the proposed changes, along with statements regarding the proposed changes.

The full Voter Guide, along with a full red-line version of the Bylaws will be available on our website.

There will be two townhalls to discuss the proposed amendements that will be held on Zoom. If you have questions about the process, you can email bylaws@ mazamas.org.

• Classic Mazamas Townhall (Zoom): April 21 • Voter Guide published: May 1 • Opt-Out Period for Online Voting: Ends May 11 • Bylaws Townhall (Zoom): May 25 • Ballots Mailed: May 26 • Online Voting Opens: May 31 • Voting Period: May 31–June 14 • Results Expected to be Announced: June 15

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR MAZAMA WILD At Mazama Wild Day Camp we believe that authentic learning takes place when children are able to investigate and interact with the world around them. Nature, art, science, and play are the building blocks that campers will use to explore the vibrant life and amazing mysteries found in surrounding green spaces. Through thematic and guided activities, children will laugh, learn, and make memories to last a lifetime.

Due to COVID-19 there are some changes to our camps for 2021. All camps will be based out of the Mazama Mountaineering Center and each week session will include one or two session of indoor rock climbing on our rock wall. At this time, there will be no field trips due to constraints on transportation due to COVID-19. We hope to be able to offer field trips again in 2022.

Get more information at mazamas.org/mazamawild

MARCH & APRIL 2021 5

UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

HIKE LEADER TRAINING

CRACK CLIMBING CLINIC

MARCH 15 | 6:30 P.M. | ZOOM Interested in leading hikes? This is a mandatory training for anyone interested in leading hikes for the Mazamas. In this training, you will learn about representing the Mazamas as a volunteer and the standard procedures for leading a hike. Registration closes March 15 and is open until filled.

ONLINE LECTURE ON MARCH 31 | CLASS APRIL 3–4 Come join the Mazamas in getting your crack on! Advanced Rock is hosting a day at Smith Rock to teach you all about jamming.

During the clinic, we will cover how to tape hands, basic jamming techniques, and get tons of practice. Registration opens March 4 and closes March 17. Additionally the second-day clinic (Sunday) is reserved for Melanated Mazamas and BIPOC members.

Register here: tinyurl.com/MarLeader

AIARE LEVEL 1 COURSE WITH KAF ADVENTURES SESSION 1: APRIL 1, 3 & 4 (FULL) SESSION 2APRIL 22, 24 & 25 Join the Mazamas and KAF Adventures for an AIARE Level 1 hybrid avalanche safety course. This course will pair self-paced online learning with two days on Mt. Hood. Registration is open to all, with acceptance on a first-come, first-served basis.

HIKE LEADER TRAINING APRIL 20 | 6:30 P.M. | ZOOM Interested in leading hikes? This is a mandatory training for anyone interested in leading hikes for the Mazamas. In this training, you will learn about representing the Mazamas as a volunteer and the standard procedures for leading a hike.

Registration opens March 2 and is open until filled.

The American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) 1 course is for anyone, regardless of the method of backcountry travel, who wants to recreate in or near avalanche terrain. Participants may have attended some awareness classes or workshops or completed the Avalanche Rescue course, but none are a prerequisite for this course.

Register here: tinyurl.com/AprLeader

MAZAMA OUTING

MAZAMA GRANTS

JOHN MUIR TRAIL TREK AUGUST 21–SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 REGISTRATION WILL OPEN SOON; CLOSES JUNE 30, 2021 Follow in the steps of John Muir as we take his ~220 mile namesake trail from the top of Mt. Whitney (14,494 ft.) to the Yosemite Valley, traversing the beautiful and scenic High Sierra. Outing dates are tentative pending obtaining the needed permit and COVID restrictions/protocols.

Highlights of the trek include multiple 10,000+ ft. passes, alpine lakes, jaw dropping scenery, and the summit of Mt. Whitney. The five to six participants will need to be in good physical condition and have experience on at least one 100 mile (or greater) trek and at least one 12,000 ft. peak or pass. We will be traveling light and fast, ~20 miles per day with elevation gains of 5,000 ft. or more on some days with the majority of the hike taking place at over 8,000 ft. The cost of the outing is TBD and depends on the number of participants and will include permit fees, all lodging from and to Portland, resupply costs. Transportation is TBD due to COVID. Contact the leader Gary Bishop (gbish90@hotmail.com) for more information and to express interest. Once registration is opened, a $140 deposit will be required upon acceptance.

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The Mazamas has a long history of exploration, research, and conservation. Since our inception we have stated that one of our primary purposes is, "... to explore mountains, to disseminate authoritative and scientific information concerning them, and to encourage the preservation of forests and others features of mountains in their natural beauty.”

This mission of exploration, research, and conservation is now carried out partially through the distribution of grants to qualified individuals and institutions who share these goals.

EXPEDITION | DEADLINE MARCH 12 For more information, application date, and guidelines visit mazamas.org/expeditiongrants/

CONSERVATION | DEADLINE MARCH 31 For more infomation and application guidelines visit mazamas.org/conservationgrants

VIRTUAL COURSES ADVANCED ROCK VIDEO LEARNING SERIES

Our friends on the Advanced Rock Committee have been busy during COVID making accessible and informational climbing videos to help you improve your climbing game. Tune in each week for new videos!

Check vimeo.com/mazamas for all the videos

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES PUBLICATIONS TEAM

The Bulletin is enjoyable to read, but it’s even better to be a part of the team that makes it happen each month! We are looking for editors, writers, and lovers of grammar to join our team. Inquire at publications@mazamas.org

FIRST AID/CPR

First Aid/CPR Committee is looking for CPR instructors who are currently certified to teach. Contact cpr@mzamas.org if interested in becoming a nationally qualified CPR instructor with Base Medical.

SHORT TERM VOLUNTEER PROJECTS

None of the above suit your fancy (or availability)? We’ve got a plethora of small volunteer projects that we need help with!

Learn more and sign up at tinyurl.com/MazShort

SUPPORT THE MAZAMAS AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support the Mazamas every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the Mazamas.

Be sure to select Mazamas as your charity of choice.

Mazama party on Pinnical Peak, October 2020. Photo by Bob Breivogel.

MARCH & APRIL 2021 7

MAZAMA MEMBERSHIP JANUARY New Members: 21

Kelsey Birdseye—South Sister Bethany Bivin—Broken Top Elisabeth Clyne—Galenstock (Switzerland) AJ Duryea—Mount St. Helens Emcculley Elizabeth—Mt. Shasta Candace Fallon—Mount St. Helens Gregory Fernandez—Mt. Hood Mika Gainacopulos—South Sister Kevin Gentry—Mt. Adams Ebony Hall—Mt. Thielsen Charlie Hugo—Mt. Rainier Thomas Kirkpatrick—Mount St. Helens Matt Krah—South Sister Beth Ann Layman—Mt. Adams Lola Leckey—Eagle Cap Cole Leckey—Eagle Cap Dale Moody—Mt. Hood Michael Quigley—South Sister Brandon Steenblock—South Sister Dennis (Denny) Stoecklin—Mt. Hood Jeri Stroupe—Mount St. Helens

Reinstatements: 24 Deceased: 3 Membership on January 30: 2,580(2021); 2,971 (2020)

FEBRUARY

New Members: 27

Tami Allison—Mount St. Helens Matt Blake—Mt. Adams Sam Brunson—Mt. Hood Eduardo Carrillo—Mt. Rainier paul douglas—Mt. Shasta Ana Eguren—South Sister Mária Fehér—Mt. Hood Rochelle Fu—Mt. Adams Joshua Gerth—Mount St. Helens Kevin Green—Mount St. Helens Janette Hansen—South Sister Robert Hollingsworth—Mount St. Helens Anthony Li—South Sister Sallie Lorenz—Mt. Hood Margaret Lowisz—South Sister Melanie Marechal—Volcán Cayambe (Ecuador) Wesley Morgan—Mont Blanc (France-Italy) Ingrid Petersen—South Sister Kathryn Richer—Mount St. Helens Corey Schuster—Mount St. Helens Jonathan Shaver—South Sister Travis Simpson—Glacier Peak Shelby Stepper—Mt. Shasta Cole Stokes—South Sister Chie Togo—Mount St. Helens Steven Villafana—Mt. Shasta Ryan Willoughby—Mt. Shasta

New member Charlie Hugo on the summit of Mt. Rainier, July 5, 2020.

Reinstatements: 19 Deceased: 0 Membership on February 28: 2,628 (2021); 3,025 (2020)

New member Mika Gainacopulos on the summit of South Sister, July 7, 2017.

New member Brandon Steenblock on the summit of South Sister, October 19, 2014.

New member Jeri Stroupe and husband Don, on the summit of Mount St. Helens, October 6, 2018.

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Mazama

LIBRARY

Learn more about the Library & Historical Collection at mazamas.org/library.

Established in 1915, the Mazama Library is nationally recognized as holding one of the top mountaineering collections in the country. Located on the ground floor of the Mazama Mountaineering Center, the library is a fantastic resource for members and the general public to find information on hiking, climbing, camping, and exploring the rich history of regional and global mountaineering culture.

MT. HOOD SUMMIT REGISTER CROWDSOURCED TRANSCRIPTION PROJECT In an effort to improve access to our historic summit register collection, the Mazama Library has launched a trial program to crowdsource the transcription of our 1935-1937 Mt. Hood register.

The process is pretty simple: head over to our project on Zooniverse (tinyurl.com/HoodRegister); click on the Get Started button; go through the tutorial; and start transcribing!

There is no need to create a Zooniverse account, unless you'd like to track your transcriptions or take part in the forum under your own name.

Pending the outcome of this trial program, we will evaluate making more of our summit registers available for transcription. If you have any questions, please contact Mathew Brock, Mazama Library and Historical Collections Manager at mathew@mazamas.org.

Mazama Library LIMITED REOPENING The Mazama Library is now offering curbside pick up for library books placed on hold. In-person research opportunities are also now available by appointment. Watch the weekly eNews and the Mazama website for more up to date information. Contact Mathew Brock, Mazama Library and Historical Collections Manager, at mathew@mazamas.org with any questions.

MARCH & APRIL 2021 9

MAZAMAS RESEARCH COMMITTEE SPRING SEMINAR SERIES

T

he Research Committee is excited to present a mini Zoom seminar series this spring highlighting past recipients of Mazama Research grants. The seminars are scheduled for three Fridays in March and April at 7 p.m. and will cover topics ranging from our beloved mountain goats to volcanoes to acute mountain sickness. If you want to join the seminar, please register in advance by navigating to the Mazama calendar event, clicking on the Zoom link therein, and following the instructions. Please come join us and get a taste of the great research projects the Mazamas supports!

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ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS ON MT. RAINIER: CAN WE PREDICT WHO WILL GET SICK AT ALTITUDE? MARCH 12 | 7 P.M. | ZOOM Presented by Prof. Paige Bauer, Biology Dept., Pacific University.

Register: mazamas.org/event/2099

MOUNTAIN GOAT CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION IN WASHINGTON MARCH 19 | 7 P.M. | ZOOM Presented by Prof. David Wallin, Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Western Washington University.

Register: mazamas.org/event/2100

THE PREVALENCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF OFFSET MAGMA RESERVOIRS AT ARC VOLCANOES APRIL 23 | 7 P.M. | ZOOM Presented by Dr. Allan Lerner, University of Oregon and USGS Volcano Observatory.

Register: mazamas.org/event/2101

MAZAMA TRAIL TRIPS Under the Outdoor Recreation Guidelines the Mazamas can operate hikes with up to 10 people, adhering to our COVID policies. Go to mazamas.org/calendar and search on Hike to view the current hike schedule and sign up for a hike.

HK A-1 Mar. 2. Cascade Locks to Eagle Creek and back. Flora Huber, 503-816-5713. Great views of Columbia River. Eat lunch at the Bridgeside after hike. 5 mi., 100 ft. Meet at Lewis and Clark State Park at 9 a.m.

HK A-1 Mar. 9. PCT to Dry Creek Falls.

Flora Huber, 503-816-5713. Watch for early flowers on a pleasant hike through the forest. Eat lunch at the Bridgeside after hike. 5.4 mi., 0 ft. Meet at Lewis and Clark State Park at 9 a.m.

Please review the Mazama organizational COVID-19 policies prior to signing up for a hike, and adhere to all policies during any Mazama activity.

HK A-1 Mar. 16. Steigerwald Lake Refuge. Flora Huber, 503-816-5713.

Early migration of water fowl. Possible docent to help with identification. Bring lunch or eat in Washougal. 3 mi., 0 ft.

Meet at Steigerwald Park entrance on Hwy 14 East of Washougal, Washington at 9 a.m.

HK A-1 Mar. 23. Mt. Talbert. Flora Huber, 503-816-5713. Wooded butte near I-205. Pleasant hike near town. 3 mi., 200 ft. Meet at park entrance on Mather road at 9:30 a.m.

HK A-1 Apr. 6. Catherine Creek. Flora Huber, 503-816-5713. 4.1 mi., 600 ft.

Meet at Lewis and Clark State Park at 9 a.m.

HK A-1 Apr. 13. Sauvie Island. Flora Huber, 503-816-5713. 5 mi., 0 ft. Meet at Sauvie Island grocery store at 9 a.m.

HK A-1 Apr. 20. Laurel Hill. Flora Huber, 503-816-5713. 3 mi., 400 ft. Meet at the Safeway in Sandy at 9 a.m.

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 503-6585710, flobell17@comcast.net, or classics@mazamas.org.

Classics events and make sure that our postings to the web are current and complete. More generally, there is always work to be done on the committee. Our meetings are the fourth Monday of every other month at 11 a.m. on Zoom. Email classics@mazamas.org and tell us how you can help.

CLASSICS COMMITTEE MEETING Keep an eye on the Mazama calendar for our next meeting.

SUPPORT THE CLASSICS Classics needs a volunteer to put more content in our column on a quarterly basis. We want to document past

MARCH & APRIL 2021 11

THE FUTURE OF US— IS IN YOUR HANDS

by Barbara Weiss, Nominating Committee Co-Chair

T

he Mazamas has just completed one of the most challenging years in our history, with classes, hikes, climbs, and other activities severely curtailed due to the pandemic resulting in significant impacts to our membership and resources. How do we bounce back as things slowly return to normal? What changes do we need to put in place to ensure that we remain relevant and resilient as we move into the future? Where do we go from here?

Where we’re going in the coming years is less clear. Consider the complex web of issues and questions facing the Mazamas as we travel the road ahead: ■ As more and more folks adventure in the outdoors with all the gear, but little knowledge of how to use it and even less knowledge of leave no trace, wilderness permitting will continue to expand.

How will that impact the Mazamas?

Where should we stand on the policy continuum? How will our largest programs—Trail Trips, BCEP and ICS— be affected?

■ How do we grow our membership?

Should we get larger as an organization and expand our offerings and increase our budget?

■ How do we increase our diversity, equity, and inclusion ensuring that we reach out to all, regardless of race, sexual orientation, age, and economic status?

These are not easy questions to answer—and that’s where you come in.

That the Mazamas has thrived for 126 years is due in large part to the dedicated, thoughtful, passionate people on our Executive Council. This is our ninemember board of directors dedicated to guiding the organization and maintaining its legacy of preserving and protecting our wilderness. Every fall we elect three new members to the Executive Council. We’re looking for folks interested in joining the pool of potential nominees—folks with skills in: ■ Finance and Accounting: Experience with balance sheets and budgets ■ Non-profit management ■ Organizational development ■ Change and transition management ■ Legal

Consider running for Executive Council If you have an interest in giving back to an organization that offers so much

to its members, students, and partners, and if you believe in supporting the many volunteers that give countless hours of their time year after year, please consider joining the pool of potential Executive Council candidates. We’re looking for folks who have experience on Mazama committees, in volunteering with our classes, or who have other non-profit experience specifically in terms of finance, diversity, or education.

Throw your hat into the ring today!

If you believe in our mission and want to help steer the direction of the Mazamas, and you have been a Mazama member for three consecutive years or more, please consider running! Send an email to the Nominating Committee at nominating@ mazamas.org, and we’ll get you all the information you need and answer any questions.

REQUEST FOR BULLETIN SUBMISSIONS Alex Honnold may be able to do it solo, but we can’t!

You are the Mazamas. Your stories, your adventures, and your knowledge define the club. The Bulletin should represent that. With your help, we can produce a better product for you. The Publications staff is a talented group of writers, editors, and you-can-do-it! cheerleaders willing to help you transform your knowledge and narratives into feature content to be shared with your fellow Mazamas.

What will we publish? Just about anything of interest to the club: tips and tricks, stories of trips taken, reporting on club events, profiles of people, poetry, news from the climbing world, and on and on.

There are two ways that you can get your ideas into print. The first is to tip off our crack team of writers about your idea and let us do all the heavy lifting. The second is to share with us a draft of your contribution, and we can help polish it up. Our staff includes experienced editors capable of working with you to craft top-notch writing.

Pitch us your ideas by emailing publications@mazamas.org.

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Conservation Corner

by Kirsten Jacobson Save trees while buying paper?

Did you know there are companies manufacturing paper out of stone? Limestone that is. The paper is made from 90 percent limestone and 10 percent HDPE resin. This makes the paper waterproof and photodegradable (decomposes when exposed to sunlight). In addition, the paper is very nice to write on. Not only does this process save trees, it reduces carbon emissions.1 Stone paper can be purchased online at Office Depot or Walgreens, tinyurl.com/oxfordstone. It is best to call your local Walgreens or Office Depot or check online to see which stores have it in stock.

Have you heard about carbon neutral concrete?

According to Chatham House, “As a key input into concrete, the most widely used construction material in the world, cement is a major contributor to climate change. The chemical and thermal combustion processes involved in the production of cement are a large source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Each year, more than 4 billion tonnes of cement are produced, accounting for around 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions.”2 Check out this video (tinyurl.com/TrapC02) to find out how concrete can be made to trap CO2 emissions—and, the process makes the concrete stronger meaning the concrete can be manufactured using less cement.3 GM to become carbon neutral?

General Motors has announced it is working on a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2040 and will stop selling gas vehicles worldwide by 2035. It is planning on bringing out 30 new EVs by 2025 and working with EVgo and other partners to develop an infrastructure of fast charging stations by the end of 2025.4 In addition, these charging stations would be 100 percent powered by renewable energy.5 GM plans to begin building its GMC Hummer EV this fall.6 EVgo currently has charging stations in Portland, Ore. To locate their charging stations or find out more about their company or how local businesses can partner with them, visit www.evgo.com/.

Notebook featuring paper made from limestone and resin.

Endnotes 1 They’re making paper out of stone—and saving lots of trees, tinyurl.com/CNNStone 2 Making Concrete Change, tinyurl.com/concretechange 3 This concrete can trap CO2 emissions, tinyurl.com/TrapC02 4 GM Makes Pledge to Stop Selling Gas Vehicles by 2035, tinyurl.com/GMVehicles 5 General Motors Aims To Be Carbon Neutral By 2040, tinyurl.com/GMNeutral 6 General Motors and EVgo Aim to Accelerate Widespread EV Adoption by Adding Fast Chargers Nationwide, tinyurl.com/GMEVgo MARCH & APRIL 2021 13

MAZAMA SERVICE & ACHIEVEMENT

AWARDS

I

t has come to our attention that several members were inadvertently left out of the service and achievement award recognition article in the January and February Mazama Bulletin. We apologize for the oversight and any inconvenience to our members. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many Mazama activities and events in 2019. Among others, it denied the Mazama community the opportunity to come together in celebration of their accomplishments. The Climbing and Trail Trips Committees would like to recognize the following individuals for their contributions to the organization and its members.

H I K I N G AWA R D S 2019 SERVICE

2019 ACHIVEMENT

WILLIAM P. HARDESTY LEADERSHIP CUP: DAVID BRAEM

Hike leader awards are based on the number of official Mazama hikes led. These awards are cumulative from year to year.

150 Hike Leads Leslie Shotola Jennifer Trask Flora Huber

50 Hike Leads Dyanne Foster Kurt Heiland Ellen Burns

100 Hike Leads Sherry Bourdin

25 Hike Leads Tom Jones Lori Brown Inga Winters Tom Dodson

75 Hike Leads Steve Benson Richard Sandefur Bill Stein

The William P. Hardesty Leadership Cup is the award presented by the Trail Trips Committee to the Mazamas who best exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and service to the hiking community.

14 MAZAMAS

Hike participant awards are based on the number of miles hiked on official Mazama hikes. These awards are cumulative from year to year.

7,000 Miles Rex Breunsbach

C L I M B I N G AWA R D S The Climbing Committee would like to express their gratitude to Bruce, Greg, and Matt for their years of leading and service to the Mazamas.

2019 SERVICE

2019 ACHIVEMENT

Bruce Yatvin

Greg Scott

Matt Sundling

Joe Leuthold Award

5-Point Leadership 10-Point Leadership 15-Point Leadership Oregon Cascades Award Sixteen NW Peaks Award

5-Point Leadership 10-Point Leadership 15-Point Leadership Guardian Peaks Award Oregon Cascades Award Sixteen NW Peaks Award Terry Becker Award

This is the highest honor to be bestowed upon a climb leader by the Climbing Committee. The award is for a high standard of leadership, devotion to climbing, and service to the Mazamas. The recipient must have successfully led official Mazama climbs of all 16 major Northwest peaks and contributed many hours of leadership to other Mazama activities.

It is seldom awarded and cannot be applied for.

In addition to his many, many climb leads, Bruce led a Basic Climbing Education Program team and assisted with other climbing classes for many years. He also served on the Climbing Committee and managed the Terry Becker Rope Room for many years. He is only the 20th leader to receive the award.

Guardian Peaks

Seven Oregon Cascades

Eric Cross Meheesha De Silva Ian McCluskey Forest Menke-Thielman Prajwal Mohan Rick Norwood Nicole Seals Dawn Van Seggen

Ian McCluskey Alex Lockard Yunlong Ong

2020 ACHIVEMENT Guardian Peaks Lindsey Addison

Sixteen Northwest Peaks: A certificate awarded for successfully summitting Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Stuart, Glacier Peak, Mt. Olympus, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Three-Fingered Jack, North Sister, Middle Sister, and South Sister, and Mt. Shasta on official Mazama climbs.

5-Point Leadership 10-Point Leadership Yunlong Ong

Seven Oregon Cascade Peaks: A certificate awarded for successfully summitting Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, 3-Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, North Sister, Middle Sister, and South Sister on official Mazama climbs.

Guardian Peaks: A certificate awarded for successfully summitting Mount St. Helens, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Adams on official Mazama climbs.

Yunlong Ong

Terry Becker Leadership: Successfully leading climbs of the Sixteen Major NW Peaks.

5–, 10–, 15–Point Leadership: These awards are given for leadership of successful ascents on the Sixteen Major Peaks. A point system determines eligibility, with one point credited for leads and onehalf point for assistant leads. Points are cumulative from one award to the next. climbs.

MARCH & APRIL 2021 15

TRAIL TENDING SHED

A NEW HOME FOR MAZAMA TRAIL TENDING TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

by Jeff Hawkins

I

deas are often born of a confluence of needs. This is one. For approximately two years, I have been working with the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) to reopen the Eagle Creek Trail and, in October 2019, I learned they were looking for a place to store their trail maintenance tools. At the same time, I had been musing about how to get the Mazamas more active in trail work. It seemed like a good opportunity to collaborate and I thought we had enough space to share our trail tending room. Unfortunately, it is more than full of trail tools, climbing wall accessories, and materials for the Portland Alpine Fest. Mitsu, our executive director at that time, asked if we could build a storage building instead, dedicated to trail tools, and share it with PCTA, freeing up the inside room for much needed storage.

The perfect building would have enough space, be secure, provide 24/7 access, have power for lights and to charge radios, allow for storage of chainsaw fuel, and have a nearby faucet for washing tools. About 300 square feet is needed for both sets of tools. Could we do it? It turns out that there are many constraints—zoning restrictions on height and setback from property lines, a conditional use permit on the property requiring 34 parking spaces, required minimums on turn radius within the parking lot, and parking space width. It was also important to protect the trees planted by Dick Pugh in the proposed area.

After much study and communication with the City of Portland, I determined it was possible.

Does anyone else want it?

The PCTA has long wanted to collaborate with the Mazamas, and in a few conversations, we worked out a proposal for shared funding in exchange for rent-free storage. The Mazamas Foundation and Executive Council came out in favor of the proposal.

16 MAZAMAS

Over a year later, we have a design. It is for a 252 square foot building with a full-length attic. It fits within the space, meets all zoning and conditional-use permit constraints, preserves the trees, and is secure—no windows, cement board siding, and a steel door.

There will be electricity, and a water faucet will be nearby. Three parking lot modifications are needed. The two curbs along the planting bed will be moved four feet (east and north), and the five parking spaces on the west end will be narrowed for compact cars.

Pedestrian access to the back door of the MMC will be reduced from ten feet wide to five feet wide. Whew! It works, just barely. We had to cut a corner off the proposed shed to maintain sufficient turn radius in the parking lot.

The aspen trees are close to the shed and to preserve them an elevated foundation on piers was designed. Arborists were consulted to confirm the approach and they did, but the arborists also said that the aspens are invasive, and their roots will soon be causing significant damage to the curbs and the parking lot.

Cracks are already appearing. The shed can be built with or without removing the trees, but for separate reasons—eliminating future expensive work on the parking lot—it seems wise to remove

Proposed parking lot lighting plan. them. Aspens are also a short-lived species so preserving them for a short future at the cost of the parking lot, does not seem to be the best choice. And while Dick wished for the trees to remain, Executive Council has decided to remove them upon the advice of two arborists and cost estimates of the future repairs. Even if the shed were not built, the aspens need to be replaced with trees approved by the City of Portland Department of Forestry. We are sorry, Dick.

Security lighting is needed for the shed and for the parking lot.

This is the perfect opportunity to install the long-desired parking lot lighting when we have things torn up and electrical contractors on site.

Honoring a friend.

We all love Ray Sheldon and know how much he has done for the Mazamas, especially as a climb leader and leader of trail tending. Did you also know it was his initiative and drive that created the Mazama Trail on Mt. Hood? If you do not know this story, watch for an article on it in the May edition of the Bulletin.

It seemed fitting that we name the shed in honor of Ray. Tom Davidson suggested The Sheldon Shed. However, for those of you who know Ray you would also not be surprised that when this idea

Proposed interior shed layout. was raised with Ray, he demurred, and instead said the he would prefer if a call went out to the membership to name the shed. Look for more information on naming soon.

Want to help?

There are two ways to help—funding and construction. The building cost is $33,000 and the lighting cost is $7300. PCTA donors provided $13,000 for the shed. Mazamas need to fund the $27,600 balance. With $16,000 already donated, we need to raise $11,600 ($4300 for the shed and $7300 for the lights). If you want to support the project, please consider contributions to the general fund as the priority. Donate to it first and to the shed/lighting project second.

Statewide rules require that electrical work be performed by licensed electricians. Other than that, we are free to do our own work, and plan to. We need people with experience in concrete, framing, roofing, and painting. We also have a lot of hand digging to do. Not everyone needs to be an expert because we are fortunate to have many talented and experienced people within the membership. Work parties will be arranged for weekends and weekdays. Crew sizes will be limited to 3–5 people, depending on the activity because the worksite is small. The city’s permit approval process is currently quite slow as are many things during COVID. We expect to receive a permit in July.

Construction will be in September and October. Let us know if you are interested and we will contact you.

If interested in supporting this project, you can send donations directly to the Mazamas or donate online at mazamas.org/donat. You can share your interest to help build by contacting Kelsey Shaw (Kelsey@ mazamas.org), Rick Craycraft (Facilities@mazamas.org), or me (jeff. hawkins.pdx@gmail.com)

Location of the proposed shed.

MARCH & APRIL 2021 17

A TRIP UP THREE FINGERED JACK “Trail to Upper Canyon Creek Meadow, Oregon” by Bonnie Moreland. Used under CC PDM 1.0 Editor’s note: In this article, Mazama Ron Gayer reminisces about a climb he made in 2001. The leader on that climb, Terry Cone, passed away in 2018 at the age of 79.

by Ron Gayer

I

was part of a Mazama team of ten climbers ready and anxious to tackle Three Fingered Jack. Our team started hiking the Pacific Crest Trail at 5:50 on Saturday morning in mid-July. We had all arrived Friday and had set up our tents or vehicles for a good night’s sleep—well, as good as you can get under those circumstances. Before turning in we managed to find each other (we were, for the most part, all strangers to one another) and gathered around our climb leader, Terry Cone, for instructions on what to do in the morning. Mostly it was just a recap of the equipment to take and what time we would be taking off.

The next morning, after waiting for one member of our team, we finally got under way. Despite our late start, the morning was shaping up to be a beautiful one. About five minutes into the hike the team member who had kept us all waiting had to stop for a “clothing break.” He had begun the hike dressed as if to summit Denali mid-winter. So we stopped. Ten minutes farther down the Pacific Crest Trail same guy had to stop again, this time for a bathroom break. And so it went. Truthfully, I was beginning to wonder, somewhat uncharitably, just how much of the group’s time was going to be devoted to this one individual.

A couple of hours from the time we embarked on our journey we arrived at a small ridge where Three Fingered Jack was visible for the first time. I don’t know what I thought I would see, but I wasn’t expecting to find myself looking at such a gnarled remnant

18 MAZAMAS

of what may have been long ago a reasonably conical volcanic peak. The name, Three Fingered Jack, should have been a pretty good hint that this particular mountain was going to have an interesting summit. My initial impression was one of trepidation.

My instincts, as it turned out, were spot on.

Several hours into the climb we broke out of the forest, departed the Pacific Crest Trail, and walked a short distance to the base of this highly eroded volcanic neck sat amid a huge pile of rubble. We started to clamber up a long scree slope, essentially all rock fragments, most very small, some in the boulder category, but all of them just lying, tentatively, on the—and I’m guessing here—40 percent slope. With every step a climber could slide back farther or could unleash a small torrent of rocks on the team

members below. Bigger rocks used to secure oneself with a 3-point stance proved to be prone to slippage as well.

We all stumbled, slid, and scrambled our way up the slope to where the mountain proper began. With every step I took I had to look for a good place to put my boot, and hopefully to gain purchase on something with my hands.

This activity, all unroped to this point, continued for about another hour. There were, in my mind, at my level of experience, some moderately exciting stretches, but nothing that made me wish I had stayed behind.

We moved in a semi-organized manner up the mountain, following our leader. Here on this rock of infinite possibilities, we all sought out our own hand holds and foot placements. There was no semblance of a trail—just the general direction of our climb leader’s path. With care borne of the knowledge that a big slip on this terrain would very likely result in injury we all made it safely to a juncture of this ravaged peak. Now, we could all rest, hydrate, enjoy the view, and slip into our harnesses for the roped portion of the climb.

At this point we encountered a “gendarme,” a rock structure easier to crawl around than to go over. After a short stretch of non-protected climbing across and around a very exposed area, we reached another and much more exposed ledge called “The Crawl.” This is a section of the climb where people have died, and where some climbers choose to crawl rather than proceed on foot. I sucked it up and stayed vertical, with more than a little trepidation.

We all made it through The Crawl, in part by having attached ourselves to protection placed, by, of all people, the guy who was taking so much of our time in the early-dawn prelude to this adventure. All my reservations about him as a teammate evaporated. At this stage of the climb we were separated, each of us individually hooked up between two pieces of protection. After being together for a number of hours, owing to twists and turns of The Crawl, we were each, for some moments of time, out of sight from every other member of the team.

The Crawl was longer than I thought it would be. We had been told that it was pretty exposed and pretty risky. It was. I was able to stay on my feet and kept moving just as though I knew what I was doing. But I was scared, short of terrified but far from confident.

Not so much as anyone would notice, and not so much as it affected my progress or performance; but I knew it and I didn’t like the feeling. This was dangerous. This was not roller coaster make-believe scary. This was scary because it was dangerous.

One mistake in resetting our carabineers or a slip of the foot and I, or any of my climbing companions, would very likely fall to our deaths.

In the end, all made it. After this section of the climb, one by one, we got to solid ground to wait for the remainder of our party and prepare for the next pitch, a 30-foot groove that also had protection leading up to the top. Using firm hand holds and foot placements, different ones for each of us, we all made our way to the top of the chute, which was just a few feet from what is called (at least by the Mazamas) the Mazama Summit.

Again, we each took this climactic portion of the climb individually. When I got to the Mazama Summit I was told by the assistant climb leader, who was perched several body-lengths from what I perceived to be the actual summit, I had succeeded.

I had summited Three Fingered Jack. But why was there still

rock well above my head? I asked the assistant leader who was there to insure our safety and to direct traffic on this tiny piece of mountain top. He told me that the actual summit was some 30 or so feet higher, around another scary bend and, radically up. But, again he noted, I had bagged this summit. I didn’t feel that way.

I figured I had gone this far and I didn’t want any excuse to ever feel obligated to come back to this place. I decided to go for the true summit. I unhooked from one rope, and one piece of protection, hooked myself to another and hugged, shuffled, and clutched to protruding bits of the mountain, and wound my way around a blind corner to see a very small peak—the true summit of this mountain. There, very well defined, was a small chimney leading to the actual top of this peak. I pushed, pulled, and blithered around to find relatively safe hand and foot placements and made it to the top. I cannot for the life of me begin to describe this very short journey, because I honestly don’t remember much of it. After a quick look around I worked my way down so that the next team member could go up.

We all made it up and down from the either the Mazama Summit or the true summit. We all made it back across the roped sections, and we all seemed to look at one another with new

Summit of Three Fingered Jack, Oregon. Photo by Kevin Machtelinckx. respect. We had all summited this mountain. It was a beautiful day and we were all very pleased with the way things had gone.

The trip down the mountain was exciting, but after what we had just been through, it was more in the non-death-defying category. We scrambled down, pretty much making our own routes. Finally, we reached the scree slope and I, being an old trail runner, blasted down to the bottom where our assistant leader greeted each one of us with congratulations on a job well done. We were off the mountain and now had just the six-mile hike back to the cars.

On the drive home I reflected on the experience I had just put myself through. It was such a quantum leap in my nascent climbing career that I was having trouble defining it, or, for that matter, simply getting a handle on it. That’s why I decided to try

continued on next page MARCH & APRIL 2021 19

Three Fingered Jack,

continued from previous page

CENTRAL CASCADES WILDERNESS PERMITS

to pull together the bits and pieces of my recollections into this article.

This climb, at least for me, encompassed a real opportunity for what the Japanese call Munga—total presentmoment awareness. This is essentially the state in which what you are doing is being done totally in the moment, wholeheartedly with no thoughts of anything else. It is pure doing. Or as Clint Wills wrote in his book EPIC: Stories of Survival from the World’s Highest Peaks, “There is a state of mind that sometimes infests climbers in which the end results achieve significance beyond anything that the future may hold. For a few minutes or hours one casts aside all that has been previously held as worth living for, and focuses on one risky move or stretch of ground that becomes the only thing that has ever mattered.”

It’s worth the effort.

Central Cascades. Photo by Daniel Sherman.

T

he Central Cascades Wilderness Permits will go on sale on April 6, and be required starting May 28. The need for permits will remain in effect during the height of the busy hiking season and will end on September 24, 2021. The new system implements a $1 day-use fee per person on nineteen popular trails in the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Washington wilderness areas.

The following trails will require the $1 day-use permits: ▷ Mt. Jefferson Wilderness: Breitenbush Lake, Duffy Lake, Jack Lake, Marion Lake, Whitewater, Pamelia Lake, and South Breitenbush & Crag ▷ Mt. Washington Wilderness: Benson/Tenas, and Pacific Crest Trailhead at McKenzie Pass ▷ Three Sisters Wilderness: Broken Top Trailhead, Crater Ditch, Devils Lake/ South Sister, Green Lakes/Soda Creek, Obsidian, Quinn Meadow, Scott, Sisters Mirror, Tam McArthur Rim, and Todd Lake In addition to the $1 day-use fee, all seventy-nine trails across all three wilderness areas will require $6 per trip permits for overnight use for up to 12 people and up to 14 days.

Permits can be purchased at Recreation.gov, by calling 1-877-444-6777, or in-person at Forest Services offices, once they reopen from pandemic closures. Reservations can be made starting at 7 a.m. on April 6. Only a portion of the permits will be available at that time. At least half will be reserved and released every seven days throughout the hiking season.

20 MAZAMAS

WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND THE MAZAMAS?

MARCH & APRIL 2021 21

OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP AT THE MAZAMA MOUNTAINEERING CENTER

From left to right: Douglas Fir, donated by Bob Rindt; Mountain Hemlock, behind Ed Holt’s memorial bench; Englemann Spruce, donated by Leah Firth. Photos by Kelsey Shaw.

by Rick Craycraft

D

uring the remodel in 2005–2006 of what is now the Mazama Mountaineering Center, a transformation of the grounds also took place. The architect in charge had done a generic proposal for the landscaping of the surrounding property. In response, Dick Pugh stepped in and insisted we stay true to our roots and only have native alpine plants in our plan. Dick and his friend Chris Mackert, aided by assorted volunteers, went to work to fulfill this vision. The results of these efforts are what you see today—the foliage that accents the building. In an interview before his recent death Dick stated that 75 percent of what they planted is still there.

Over time, the Mazamas have made appropriate additions to the landscape. Member Leah Firth (1986) had to leave her home in Happy Valley but wanted her beloved Engelmann Spruce to have a good home. Thus it was moved to an open spot along Stark Street, where it is currently flourishing. Not far from that, near the back of the parking lot, there is a Bristlecone Pine, one of the oldest tree species, dedicated to long-time member Ed Schultz (1976). On the other side of the building, along SE Washington, is a Douglas Fir, the iconic Northwest tree, placed there by member Bob Rindt (1950). And, tucked up near the southeast corner of the building, right behind his memorial bench, is a mountain hemlock in honor of the late Ed Holt (1978), who was a key figure in finding the property.

22 MAZAMAS

However, things are growing on the Mazama lot that very much do not belong there. In the original reworking of the landscaping we found it necessary to remove two large Ash trees along Stark.

There are still four left on the property. There were five but one came down in a windstorm in 2014 and damaged the fence along the south yard. The remaining trees are huge, brittle, and old.

These trees need to be removed. Several arborists have confirmed this, as did Dick Pugh. We have gotten bids from arborists within the organization for removal and need to do the footwork to get clearance from the city.

So, who manages all this? After Dick and Chris stepped down, we muddled along until member Steve Polzel came along in 2013.

He was considering being an office volunteer but his schedule as an EMT was not compatible. He let it slip that he knew something

about landscaping, and we had found our new groundsperson.

Steve did uber-volunteer work for several years, taking initiative, organizing periodic work parties and, in general, just showing up. Natalie Lozano then followed with a brief stint. For several years now Building Manager Rick Craycraft has been faking it, coordinating a small team of volunteers to maintain Dick Pugh’s original vision. Now one of those volunteers, Kyla Ogle, has stepped forward to take on the oversight of our trees, shrubs, and lawn.

The maintenance of all the above is a seasonal bell curve. Like most of our yards in the Northwest, the Mazama property explodes in growth during the warmer months, necessitating mowing, weeding, and pruning. And come fall, the Ash trees cover our parking lot and sidewalks with a blanket of tiny leaves. In each of those periods it is not hard to keep volunteers busy.

Lead landscape volunteer Kyla Ogle on Wherever I May Roam, Smith Rock. Photo by Nialls Chavez.

VOLUNTEER NEED The MMC needs a person or persons with their own lawnmowers (or we may be able to produce one) to mow the south yard and other areas on average once a week from March until June. Once plants start their seasonal surge there will also be plenty of weeding and pruning to do. Prior experience not necessary, but if you do have some, we may learn something from you. We have a modest array of tools or you may bring your own. We already have a grand plan to follow to help keep the Mountaineering Center landscape healthy and beautiful. Contact facilities@ mazamas.org if you are interested in helping out.

MARCH & APRIL 2021 23

STRONG LONG YUNLONG ONG’S QUEST TO OUTCLIMB CANCER

Yunlong Ong on the summit of Mt. Adams. Photo by Ian McCluskey.

by Ian McCluskey

O

n a sweltering July day, our climbing team returned to the trailhead after a successful summit of Mt. Jefferson. Packs laden with ropes, pickets, ice axes, second tools, tents, sleeping bags, stoves, leftover fuel, and ripe blue bags were dropped with a grunt. Leg muscles ached, heel blisters stung, and the grit of traildust and forest-fire ash stuck to sweaty skin. It was that moment when you want to peel off trail-grimy clothes and pour water all over your head, then look back at the now distant snow-capped peak and stupidly grin with a soul-deep sense of self-satisfaction.

For our climb leader, Yunlong Ong, it was his first successful Jefferson summit, having tried once before. Even more meaningful, it was the very first climb that he led as an official Mazama climb leader. Yet achieving these two hard-earned life goals was not the most significant thing on our climb leader’s mind.

I hobbled over to congratulate Yunlong—or “Long” as he’s known by friends and fellow Mazamas. As he peeled off his hiking shirt, I noticed the unnatural protrusion on his bare chest, just under his skin. Through this port had been pumped the potent chemicals to battle his gastric cancer.

This was his first climb after intense rounds of chemotherapy and resection surgery. His salt-and-pepper hair had started to grow back, but just three weeks earlier he had suffered two severe

24 MAZAMAS

episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding, requiring transfusions, and leaving him weakened. Most people wouldn’t have decided to embark on something as strenuous as climbing a mountain.

But Long doesn’t believe in limitations.

Starting with the mountain considered Oregon’s most technical peak, Long began a personal quest to outclimb his cancer.

A Season of Blitz Climbs After his successful summit of Jefferson in the summer of 2019, Long set out on nothing short of a mountaineering blitz. He attempted seven more climbs, reaching six Cascade summits. A schedule shift turned Middle Sister into a burly car-to-car push.

Just a few days later, I was with him as we zigged-zagged our way up the Emmons glacier on Mt. Rainier.

It was now late season. The snow had gone through so many thaw-freeze cycles that crampons and ice axes left dings on the hard surface but made no purchase. These conditions, and a sleepless night of howling winds, made the choice to turn back obvious. It would be the first, and only, unsuccessful summit attempt in Long’s push before the end of the Cascade climb season of 2019.

At the customary post-climb meal of burgers and milkshakes, he gave a little speech to the team. Then he got choked up.

Most know Long for his big smile. “Hey buddy,” he’ll say as his standard greeting, and if he likes something, it’s “cool beans.” In small social groups that he considers “like-minded,” he reveals his unabashedly playful nature. With his close friends, his form of endearment is to tease them.

But other times, he is often quiet. On climbs, he has an intense focus, his face covered by helmet, sunglasses, and balaclava. He keeps emotions guarded, even bottled up. So when tears come out, it often takes people by surprise. Sometimes it even takes Long by surprise.

His dad worked as an air conditioning and refrigerator mechanic. But he had “foresight,” Long says. He enrolled Long in an English school, where Long learned to speak his third language.

His dad was a man of few words. He worked hard to be a provider, and told his two sons that “education was the way.”

In 1983, the family moved to Singapore. It is smaller in land-size than Brunei, but with more than 5 million people it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. For his father, the move was an increase in the cost of living to support the family, but it also offered his children a path forward in their education.

Singapore has one of the highest youth literacy rates in the world.

In 1996, Long earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Singapore—the first in the family to graduate college.

He felt the culture of Singapore was rigid, demanding conformity. The cultural expectation was for him to marry and immediately start a family. Long worked in youth development programs that he describes as similar to Outward Bound. But he didn’t get along with some of his colleagues, he says, due to his “rebellious nature.”

As Long travelled to various countries of Southeast Asia for his job, he saw life outside the relatively wealthy counties of Brunei and Singapore. The level of medical conditions made a big impression on him, and he felt he wanted to make life better for people. He realized that he could accomplish this through medicine. It was a lifechanging epiphany.

When Long told his father that he wanted to move to America to study medicine, his dad said simply, “Go do what makes you happy.”

Becoming a Nurse and a Mazama Long moved first to Denver, Colorado to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, then to Los Angeles, California where he entered UCLA for a master’s degree.

In Los Angeles, Long met Bill, a location manager for Hollywood movies. Bill smiles as he recalls that first chance meeting in a gym, when he asked Long about the t-shirt he was wearing that said “Thailand.”

Bill’s eyes get a little misty. “The best thing that ever happened to me,” he says.

In 2010, Long had the opportunity to continue Yunlong’s dad and friends on the summit of Borneo’s Mt. Kinabalu, 1966 pursuing his path in medicine at OHSU. He and Bill moved to Portland.

At OHSU, Long began his career as a Nurse “I’m sorry,” he said to the team after Rainier, though the team Practitioner, eventually settling into the specialty Pain understood why we turned back. But it wasn’t the team that Long Management. felt that he’d disappointed.

While working on a cardiac ward, he met Mark Stave, a nurse, He wiped his eyes and collected himself. “I’m sorry,” he said and, it turned out, a Mazama. again. “I was thinking of my dad.”

Long had first experienced climbing back in Asia. In Colorado, he hiked a few “14-ers.” But the Northwest’s Cascades offered what From the South China Sea Long considered “real climbing”—long-distance approaches, Long was born in Brunei, a tiny nation on the island of Borneo setting up a base camp, and crossing glaciers ripped by crevasses. looking out across the South China Sea. Islam is the dominant He took the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP), and religion and Malay the common language. But Long’s parents were a couple years later the Intermediate Climbing School (ICS).

Chinese. At home they spoke Mandarin and practiced Buddhism.

Climbing with Mazamas gave Long a community of “like-minded” people who shared his passion for climbing and his love of

continued on next page MARCH & APRIL 2021 25

Long, continued from previous page. nature. Having been focused intensely on his academic studies for years, Long could enjoy a new chapter of alpine adventure and camaraderie.

In 2016, he decided to take the final step and enter the Mazama Leadership Development program to become an official Mazama climb leader.

In August 2018, Long had reached his third provisional climb.

Never settling for easy, he’d picked North Sister. I was fresh out of

makes for a very strong team when everyone feels like they are not just along for the ride.”

Long successfully completed this final provisional, completing the requirements to apply to become a Mazama climb leader.

Barely a month later, Long stood on the summit of Africa’s fabled Kilimanjaro. That same day he learned that he had been approved as a climb leader. Long’s life had reached a true high point.

Before heading back to the U.S., he flew to Singapore to celebrate his dad’s 80th birthday. He had lots of success to report, yet he had one concern that he’d have to deal with when he got back home that he kept to himself. He didn’t want his dad to worry.

“Why is dad so thin?” he asked his mother.

His mother hadn’t noticed. “When you see someone every single day, you don’t notice the gradual changes,” said Long.

Before he left, Long said to his younger brother, “Look after dad.”

Critical Juncture Before Long left for Africa, he had experienced gastrointestinal bleeding. His doctor had scheduled an endoscopy for after his return.

The endoscopy revealed two ulcers. His doctor took a biopsy.

When Long saw the image, with his medical training he could see that the cells did not look normal.

Three days later, the test results confirmed what he’d feared.

“That’s when my world fell apart,” he said.

He turned to his partner, Bill. “We had to decide what we would do at this critical juncture,” Long said.

There was so much uncertainty ahead. “What was certain,” said Long, “We love each other. We want to spend this time together.”

A few days after Thanksgiving 2018, they gathered a small group of friends, some of Bill’s family, and a minister. They exchanged vows. They were declared “husband and husband.”

For him to marry a man was “beyond comprehension” in the culture Long had grown up in. “The opportunity to say that you love someone, of the same gender,” explained Long. “You can be who you are, not what you are.”

Setting His Sights High

Yunlong on Kilimanjaro. Photo by Daven Berg.

BCEP that spring and applied for his climb. Rather than reject me flat out, Long called other climb leaders for a reference. Running background checks like this would later become one of Long’s standard practices as a climb leader.

On that climb, I got to witness his leadership style. “He tries to get everyone involved in the climb,” says Mark Stave. “I think that 26 MAZAMAS

At the beginning of 2019, Long started his first round of chemo.

But soon after, he flew back to Singapore.

His Dad was having health problems. It started with pneumonia, but had worsened to a delirium where he didn’t know where he was and could not even recognize family members. But when Long went to visit him in the hospital, his dad recognized him and asked, “Why do you have no hair?”

“Oh, it’s a new fashion,” said Long, not wanting to worry his father.

That spring, Long underwent his second round of chemo and resection surgery. Then he flew back to Singapore again, this time for his dad’s funeral.

Long’s body was pummeled by more rounds of chemo. And when the last round was done, he turned his sights to mountains.

Starting with Jefferson, he charged six summits, apologizing to his team for being, “a little slower than usual.”

“I’ve only seen him frustrated once,” says Daven Berg, climbing partner and friend. They were coming down North Sister. After

some 13 hours since the alpine start, a day of setting lines and keeping a watchful eye on his team, Long was exhausted and beginning to fall behind. Daven was ahead with the others when he heard a noise come from Long. “It wasn’t a word, and it wasn’t aimed at anyone, but just like a yell up at the sky, just an expression of frustration out loud,” Daven explains. “It wasn’t a theatrical display to draw attention to himself, just a moment. A moment where I realized he was human.”

“Then, he was back to his jovial self.”

Long’s blitz climbs of 2019 might have seemed like a frantic dash to fill every weekend with a climb—going against the common sense to rest and recover after such an intensive medical ordeal and painful loss of his father—but Long had a plan with deeper purpose.

He had to rebuild his body’s iron levels from the massive blood loss. He wasn’t just scrambling up the familiar Cascades for pure fun—every foot upward was training.

He charged to the end of the climb season, then headed south to Mexico. He climbed two mountains, 17,343-foot Iztaccihuatl and 18,491-foot Pico De Orizaba. But even these peaks were training for his real goal of 2019.

He had climbed Africa’s highest peak with his friend Sue, from Singapore. Now they’d set their sights on the highest peak in the Americas, Aconcagua. Rising 22,838 feet above sea level in the Andes of Argentina, it is the highest peak outside the Himalayas. To pick such a superlative summit was fitting for such a difficult year.

South America had held a special place in Long’s imagination. “It had a mystique,” he said. “It felt exotic, like a true adventure.”

After his string of summits, Long felt strong again.

Ready.

Long recalls the last time he saw his dad in the hospital in Singapore. “Before he died, I sensed he was proud of me,” says Long.

He offers the wind a prayer. “Dad, wherever you are, I hope I am your pride and joy. I hope you are in a good space. Thank you for giving me this life to do this climb.”

When Long first moved to America, his dad was worried about his son. “Does he have enough money, someone to take care of him?”

When Long says his mountaintop prayers, he tells his dad, “Don’t worry about me.”

Transcendent Loneliness

Long beat his cancer into remission, but it returned. He resumed the rounds of chemo. He got good news, then bad news, then good news, then more bad … as it too often goes with the cruelty of cancer.

But he doesn’t want to focus on the disease—rather, on resiliency. Thinking about the mountains he will climb gives him something to look forward to. “The life-motivating desire to scale every mountain I can possibly do so with my finite time in this mortal world!”

“As a health-care provider, he’s aware of his prognosis,” says Mark Stave. “I think he’s realistic, but he doesn’t let the diagnosis of cancer hold him back. These are goals he had pre-cancer, and he’s not going to let cancer take those dreams away from him.”

By the end of 2020, Long had set his sights on returning to South America to attempt three large peaks in Ecuador—Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Chimbarazo. He invited Mark and Daven to join.

Long feels drawn back to the Andes. “There are more peaks than we’ve heard of there, the expanse of the unknown,” he says.

“Standing on a summit, you can see more peaks than anyone can climb in a lifetime.”

But that won’t stop Long from trying.

Climbs always seem to start loud, and eventually get quiet.

This is what Long seeks. “A pure communion between human and mountain, uninterrupted by other human beings,” he said.

“I seek the pureness and the transcendent loneliness of the mountain, the mountain breeze that seems to blow away my worries and the pure elation of entering a relationship with the mountains.”

When Long goes on climbs, like our Jefferson climb, he slips away from the group for a moment. “I have some business to take care of,” he’ll say, making a joke about using a blue bag. Which is actually true. But under his potty humor, there’s his spiritual side.

He’ll step away from the team to say some prayers in private.

Reaching the summit of Aconcagua was the highest he’d ever been on the planet. Being so high above the world of cities and roads and schools and hospitals, put him closer to a spiritual plane, “energy that we can’t fully understand,” he describes.

When he is on a mountaintop, Long stops to think about his dad. He keeps a snapshot taken when his dad was a young man, proudly standing with a team on the talus peak of Mt. Kinabalu back in Borneo.

Yunlong on the summit of Mt. Shuksan. Photo by Daven Berg.

More Peaks Than a Lifetime

MARCH & APRIL 2021 27

EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTES (Executive Council) DECEMBER 12, 2020

by Amanda Ryan-Fear, Secretary ATTENDING (ZOOM): Joe Eberhardt, President; Aimee Filimoehala, Vice President; Rick Amodeo, Treasurer; Amanda Ryan-Fear, Secretary; Jesse Applegate, Reena Clements, Lori Coyner, Judith Baker, Bob Breivogel, Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director; Mathew Brock, Library and Historical Collections Manager; Lynny Brown, Guest.

WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER ■ The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. by President Joe Eberhardt. Joe noted a quorum was present.

REVIEW & APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Joe Eberhardt asked for approval of October meeting minutes. Minutes were approved by consensus of the board.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT ■ Sarah opened her report with a review of the budget. She echoed Rick’s assessment that both revenue and expenses are down overall. Sarah noted that membership is currently the top concern. Renewals for October and November were on par with previous years, but once the $10 late fee went into effect, the number of renewals dropped off. She let the board know that in an effort to get people to renew, the $10 fee would be dropped for five days. Fifteen people had thus far taken advantage of the amnesty window.

■ Another cause of low revenue has been low activity numbers. The two-week pause put in place by the State of Oregon in early November effectively froze the few hikes and activities on the schedule.

■ On the upside, individual donations are up over previous years. Overall the Mazamas needs to raise $102,000 in individual donations for the fiscal year.

Sarah and Laura Burger, Development Coordinator, are working on several donation campaigns. Noting the success of the Yeti tumbler donor gifts, they are looking for additional gifts.

■ Sales of the Rab jackets have been good.

Sarah noted that the jackets are a better 28 MAZAMAS

revenue generator for the organization than lower priced items, such as t-shirts.

■ The Equity Statement has been published and thus far, while some members have taken issue with the use of the term white supremacy, the majority of feedback has been positive.

■ An issue with a climb leader and the spring BCEP program has been worked out. Sarah asked the board that if a member or committee comes to the board with an issue, they need to make sure to let her know so that she is aware of the issue and can take proactive steps to resolve the issue.

■ Sarah remarked that there is an issue with BCEP every year. It is a large program, with lots of volunteers and moving parts. In the past aggressive behavior on the part of climb leaders and some volunteers has resulted in some members and volunteers walking away.

■ Sarah shared her belief that most of the issues surrounding BCEP involve communication. She stated that the organization needs to lead with positive reinforcement instead of negative reinforcement.

EDUCATION PRICING ■ Sarah presented on Education Programs Pricing.

■ The Mazamas must evaluate tuition for our educational programs.

■ To the best of our knowledge, there has never been a comprehensive pricing plan or structure, and past increases have not been tied to actual costs or inflation.

■ The Mazamas consistently undervalues its programming and tends to focus more on the amenity of the class rather than the outcomes.

■ Sarah remarked that raising prices has been an ongoing item of discussion for a number of years, but no structure has been implemented for evaluating tuition of current programs and new programs. She stressed that we have an opportunity to rethink all aspects of our educational programs and need the board to be actively involved in that discussion and process.

■ Discussion: ■ Aimee noted that ICS is a barrier to growth. It’s a high involvement, low return program.

■ Sarah noted that the three community surveys over the past twenty years have consistently shown that the Mazamas are not meeting the needs or desires of the members or community.

■ Jesse asked if we’ve ever done a post-class survey to understand why members don’t take classes.

■ Judith remarked that there are segments of the community (women, single parents, workers who have unpredictable schedules) who simply can’t take a class like ICS because they cannot commit to the ninemonth time frame. She advocated for breaking up ICS into smaller components.

■ Bob recommended that the Mazamas consider an approach more like college classes, where we offer individual classes and members mix and match the classes to earn “degree” with similar outcomes to ICS, AR, etc.

MELANATED MAZAMAS Melanated Mazamas Update, Lynny Brown ■ Overall the group is off to a good start, with 51 members in their Facebook group. They have written one article for the Bulletin. Roughly twenty people have attended their three Zoom meetings.

They have created four goals for the group going forward: ■ Build community through events ■ Increase the number of BIPOC members, leader, and mentors.

■ Create opportunities for BIPOC to join the Mazamas and stay.

■ Influence the culture of the Mazamas to be more open, equitable, and diverse.

■ Discussion ■ Joe noted that the board needs their input to help drive cultural change within the organization.

ELEARNING UPDATE ■ Claire Nelson gave an overview of the current efforts to use eLearning tools within the Mazamas.

■ Overall committees are ready and willing to change, brought on by the impacts of COVID. ■ Zoom continues to be the primary teaching tool, but some committees are experimenting with Google Classroom.

■ All education programs are interested in asynchronous programs with at least some in-person field sessions, no programs are completely 100 percent online at this time.

■ ICS has been filming and offering short training videos featuring tips and tricks in both English and Spanish.

■ Discussion ■ Joe asked about resource allocation, especially the MMC climbing walls.

Claire noted that once the building opens back up, she will make sure the committees are aware of the space and the process to schedule its use.

■ Bob remarked that the Mazamas need audio/visual tech support to help with filming. He further remarked that this seems like something that Education Committee members should be driving.

BYLAWS CHANGE UPDATE ■ Vice President Aimee Filimoehala gave a brief update on the proposed bylaws changes ■ An introduction article will appear in the combined January/February Bulletin outlining the proposed changes.

■ A second article will run in the March/ April Bulletin and feature a voter’s guide and FAQs. ■ Overall the project is moving forward and she will have further information at the next meeting.

JANUARY 19, 2021

if BCEP does not run this will also affect people who join to receive a membership discount on BCEP. ■ Sarah also noted that if the bylaws change and we do a campaign to bring in members around that, those memberships would be toward the next fiscal year and membership year.

■ Sarah and Mathew Brock found contracts for the naming rights to areas of the building. She recommended that we have more detailed contracts for these areas moving forward. This is part of a larger project to identify restricted funds and estate gifts and track them.

■ Backcountry Ski changed their class to virtual lectures only, with no in person component. The info night is tonight and can gauge interest from there.

■ If BCEP runs as expected then we should be okay on cash projections. Sarah is keeping a close eye on their plans for spring with regards to COVID protocols.

Joe suggested we could run vaccine-only groups on activities this summer. We

by Amanda Ryan-Fear, Secretary ATTENDING (ZOOM): Joe Eberhardt, President; Aimee Filimoehala, Vice President; Rick Amodeo, Treasurer; Amanda Ryan-Fear, Secretary; Jesse Applegate, Reena Clements, Lori Coyner, Judith Baker, Bob Breivogel, Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director; Laura Burger, Development Coordinator.

WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER ■ The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. by President Joe Eberhardt.

Joe noted a quorum was present.

REVIEW & APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Joe Eberhardt asked for approval of October meeting minutes. Minutes were approved by consensus of the board.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT ■ Sarah shared her Acting ED report.

Membership revenue is still down, and

DICK PUGH MEMORIAL FUND ■ Sarah Bradham noted that an anonymous donor wishes to create an endowment in Dick Pugh’s name. The endowment will fund a high-profile speaker at the yearly PAF event. They will give $25,000 in 2020 and an additional $25,000 in 2021.

■ Discussion ■ Judith noted that endowments have both pros and cons, and are not always practical.

■ Sarah worked with the donor to develop a workable solution that delivers on the

donor’s intent and is benefical to the Mazamas needs.

■ Sarah asked for a motion to approve the endowment as presented.

■ Board voted unanimously to accept the endowment as presented.

RESERVE FUND ■ President Joe Eberhardt floated the idea of the board creating a Reserve Fund to cover maintenance expenses at both the MMC and the Lodge. He recommended that the fund equal 10 percent of the property value of the two properties. He directed the finance committee to come up with a proposal for the next meeting.

ANNUAL APPEAL ■ Joe noted that an end of year appeal just went out to the membership. This is a different approach than previous years and the first time a sitting president has directly asked the membership for donation.

Joe Eberhardt adjourned the public meeting at 6:06 p.m. The Executive Council then moved into executive session.

would have to look into the legality and privacy concerns of this option.

■ Sarah requested the board’s support and partnership on making COVID programming decisions. She is also talking with groups through MEA to see what their plans are.

■ Insurance renewal has been started. We may not get a foreign travel policy this year.

BYLAWS CHANGE UPDATE ■ Aimee Filimoehala gave an update on proposed bylaws changes. Proposed changes were published in an article in the Jan/Feb Bulletin. Aimee received one positive response via email.

■ Aimee needs an individual endorsement for each of four categories of changes from members of EC. Joe requested she ask the committee to create drafts of these statements.

continued on next page MARCH & APRIL 2021 29

EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTES CONT. (Executive Council) ■ If the bylaws amendments are approved, Sarah suggested they go into effect immediately.

■ Judith Baker had a lawyer look over the proposed changes and he revised the language around the makeup of the board. Judith suggested the bylaws group discuss the proposed changes.

■ Judith also requested we have the policies and procedures document accessible.

Sarah suggested we take a look to see what information from the document should be made public, including the employee manual.

CLIMATE STATEMENT ■ Barry Buchanan and John Rettig from the Conservation Committee presented the Climate Statement. The committee would like Mazamas to do more towards climate change, starting with adopting a climate statement.

■ John shared the criteria used to develop the statement and the proposed statement. He then shared the next steps of approving the statement and a communication plan for sharing it.

He also outlined some questions going forward of how Conservation Committee could best work with EC and staff on their goals.

■ Aimee moved and Amanda seconded a motion to approve the statement. The motion was approved.

EDUCATION PRICING ■ Sarah gave a brief update on pricing discussion from last month. She hopes to get on the agenda for the next Education Committee meeting. Sarah is planning to present at the education meeting and discuss pricing based on class quality and value.

■ Sarah pointed out that some classes don’t use financial data to make pricing decisions and go by historical Mazama prices.

■ Kelsey Shaw and Claire Nelson are working on a project to see what volunteer training costs and policies are across different classes to make a more equitable organization-wide policy and build that cost into program pricing.

■ Joe requested a discussion about where authority for class pricing lives.

30 MAZAMAS

■ Sarah talked about bringing the committees along for the discussion and working together to create policies.

■ Aimee pointed out that volunteers are a cost that isn’t taken into consideration.

■ Bob Breivogel wanted to make sure that programs aren’t running at a loss, and Sarah stated that our education programs are not losing money this fiscal year.

MEMBER COMMENT PERIOD ■ Kerry Loehr attended the member comment period. He would like to propose an opportunity to increase revenue without substantially increasing costs by taking our intellectual property, digitizing and selling it. AR, ICS, and BCEP are producing videos already. He would like to create a subcommittee of the Education Committee to create the program.

■ Bob asked what we could charge for it.

Kerry suggested it would vary by what type of content is being produced.

■ Kerry stated that the opportunity could be great with COVID still affecting our programs.

■ Aimee agreed that virtual learning is growing and that it could also be increased demand for those with busy schedules.

■ There are competitors in this space and there is a demand for these types of products and services.

■ Joe pointed out that one benefit would be we could reach people globally.

■ Sarah noted that we have to exercise caution if we put out content that is teaching technical skills. We would need to look into it from an insurance perspective.

■ Joe also pointed out we may encounter copyright issues.

■ Lori would like to see a business plan before moving ahead with any plans. She also worries about teaching an entire course with no hands on portion.

■ Sarah noted the Backcountry Ski class will be a great test run for the idea and to see how much demand we have.

■ Tim Scott from EdComm would have to set up a subcommittee to move forward with any potential plans.

RETREAT AGENDA PLANNING ■ Reena Clements talked about the agenda for the EC retreat.

■ The agenda will have an overview of the 2020 strategic plan and the organizational structure. The EC will also discuss their own mission and goals.

■ Jesse Applegate noted there won’t be much room for discussion since it’s only a few hours instead of a full weekend. Joe wanted the timeframe to be limited based meeting virtually.

■ Jesse would also like to see relationships included in the discussion.

■ EC agreed Feb. 26 would be the date that works best for everyone.

■ Jesse asked if staff would be present as well. Sarah said that the agenda seems more geared towards EC discussion and not staff at this time. Lori asked if there could be a separate retreat that could include staff or if the agenda could be changed so that staff could participate.

■ Lori said that it would be helpful to figure out what the goal of the retreat is. Reena clarified that the goals were focused on EC communications and being high level versus more hands on. Sarah pointed out that it sounded more like an executive session instead of a retreat.

■ Bob suggested that some of this planning is triggered by our financial situation with limited staff. Joe agreed and that some of this will tie in with a greater staffing discussion and organizational structure. Lori pushed back on the idea that structure does not necessarily follow function and that we need to have a culture discussion instead of an organizational discussion.

■ Joe proposed that Jesse and Lori revise the agenda to better reflect the goals of the session. Sarah suggested they start with the goals and work back from that point.

■ The session will be on Feb. 26 from 2–5:30 p.m.

STAFFING DISCUSSION ■ Joe asked Sarah if there was anything that needed to be decided this evening, and Sarah proposed we move the discussion to the next EC meeting.

Joe Eberhardt adjourned the meeting at 6:21 p.m.

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Reach out to Laura Burger, Development Coordinator, for more informa�on about any of these op�ons and to help you create a personalized plan. laura@mazamas.org · 971-420-2505 · www.mazamas.org/DONATE

MARCH & APRIL 2021 31

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Samantha Kang on the Tom, Dick, and Harry rail, December 2019. Photo by Karen de Vera.