2021 November/December Mazama Bulletin

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 1

We are hikers on remote trails. We are alpinists navigating rock and snow. We are pioneers on hostile summits. We span seven continents and a thousand landscapes but our intent is the same.

For every trail, for every mountain, for every moment. We are Explorers. # WeAreRab

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W W W .RA B .EQ U IPMENT

MAZAMA BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE Executive Director’s Report, p. 4 President’s Message, p. 5 Mazama Values, p. 6 Upcoming Courses, Activities, & Events, p. 7 Mazama Membership, p. 7 Trail Trips, p. 8 Mazama Classics, p. 8 Successful Climbers, p. 9 Annual Election Results, p. 10 Tom Guyot—1000 Rambles and Counting, p. 11 Beyond Little Switzerland, p. 13 Accidents and Incidents in Mazama History, p. 17 What is a Glacier?, p. 20 Fire in the Enchantments, p. 23 Stories From the Campfire, p. 26 Saying Goodbye, p. 31 Executive Board Minutes, p. 33 Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP), p. 36 2021 Acting Executive Director’s Report, p. 38 2021 Secretary’s Report, p. 39 2021 President’s Report, p. 40 2021 Treasurer’s Report, p. 41 2021 Committee Reports, p. 42 State of the MMC & Grounds, p. 47 Cover: Sam Kang (left) and Karen de Vera at Washington Pass. Photo by Karen de Vera.

Above: New member–and Mazama employee–Katherine Rose (3rd from left) with Dillon Volk, Max Zaph-Geller, and Wyatt Peckon, on the summit of Mt. Hood, March 9, 2020.

Volume 103 Number 6 November/December 2021

CONTACT US Mazama Mountaineering Center 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97215 Phone: 503-227-2345 | help@mazamas.org Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

Mazama Lodge 30500 West Leg Rd., Government Camp, OR, 97028 Phone: 503-272-9214 | Hours: Friday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Monday, 9 a.m.–Noon.

PUBLICATIONS TEAM Editors: Sarah Bradham, Bulletin Editor; Mathew Brock, Layout Editor (mazama.bulletin@mazamas.org) Members: Brian Goldman, Darrin Gunkel, Ali Gray, Ryan Reed, and Claire Tenscher (publications@mazamas.org)

MAZAMA STAFF SARAH BRADHAM Acting Executive Director sarah@mazamas.org MATHEW BROCK Library & Historical Collections Manager

mathew@mazamas.org LAURA BURGER Development Coordinator lauraburger@mazamas.org KATHERINE ROSE

RICK CRAYCRAFT Facilities Manager facilities@mazamas.org BRENDAN SCANLAN Operations & IT Manager brendanscanlan@mazamas.org LORI SCHOEPP Finance & Office Coordinator lorischoepp@mazamas.org

Volunteer & Committee Coordinator

katherinerose@mazamas.org For additional contact information, including committees and board email addresses, go to mazamas.org/contactinformation.

MAZAMA (USPS 334-780): Advertising: mazama.ads@mazamas.org. Subscription: $15 per year. Bulletin material must be emailed to mazama. bulletin@mazamas.org. The Mazama Bulletin is currently published bi-monthly by the Mazamas—527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MAZAMAS, 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland, OR 97215. The Executive Council meets at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings are open to members. The Mazamas is a 501(c)(3) Oregon nonprofit corporation organized on the summit of Mt. Hood in 1894. The Mazamas is an equal opportunity provider.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 3

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

by Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director

A

s this magazine goes to print, I am bidding farewell to the organization that I have been a part of for almost two decades. I am thankful for the confidence and trust the Executive Council and staff have put in me over the past 14 months as Acting Executive Director (and previously from November 2018–August 2019), and for the opportunity to work with so many of you directly through a time of challenge and change, both for the Mazamas and the entire world.

Over the past 19 years, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the Mazamas as a student, climb leader, committee member, Mazama Bulletin & Annual designer and editor, class coordinator, committee chair, climb leader, Mazama Mountain Running Camp creator and director, and staff member. It has been a privilege to have served this great organization and to have met so many wonderful and talented people.

My experiences at the Mazamas will last for a lifetime, and I will be forever grateful for the lessons that I have learned, the skills I have gained, and the friendships I have made. There’s nothing quite like leading someone to their first mountain summit, helping someone tackle their first rappel, seeing their eyes light up when 4 MAZAMAS

they see a beautiful waterfall, or being present when their brain “clicks” as you teach them new skills.

I want to take this moment to thank you all for being a part of the Mazamas—from members to volunteers to leaders—we wouldn’t be what we are without all of YOU. The organization has been a pillar of the Portland and greater mountain community for 127 years, and with all of your help, I’m sure it has another 127 ahead.

I hope to see you out in the hills, Sarah Bradham Mazamas Acting Executive Director

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

by Jesse Applegate, Mazama President 2021–2022

I

t’s an honor to serve as your Executive Council (EC) president. A little about me: I’ve been a Mazama member since 2012 and have followed the typical Mazama education program path having taken most of the formal classes we offer, and I’ve also been a climb leader since 2018. Much of my volunteer experience in the Mazamas has been focused on the Intermediate Climb School and more recently, the Basic Climbing Education Program. However, I’ve also served on the board of the Hillsboro Flying Club for the past 8 years and am a field-deployable member of Portland Mountain Rescue. The Mazamas is a special place for me, as it is for all of us. The community and sense of camaraderie are something I’ve sought ever since leaving the US Navy in what seems like a previous lifetime.

These are challenging times for the Mazamas. The last several years have been turbulent: the ongoing global pandemic, changing social order, leadership changes, and unrealized goals from the investments we made in our last two strategic plans.

I see many of our internal conflicts and our disparate reactions to societal events as reflections of our identity crisis, which we’ve struggled with for decades. Some of you have restarted those conversations from our past and are questioning who we are as an organization and community, along with what we want the Mazamas to be and look like. I think this is an appropriate time to do that, and these conversations need to happen beyond just the Executive Council. The Executive Council can lead the way, but these questions are going to need all of us to answer.

I want to share our current state and set of challenges.

Our Identity Crisis: who and what are we? This question and conversation has been going on for a long time. We started as a club for mountaineers by mountaineers, became a non-profit in 1946, and incorporated as a 501c3 in 1967.

In 1999 the members voted on a Bylaw change to remove the word club from the Bylaws. This Bylaws change passed with greater than 67 percent of members voting in favor. We live a dual life: we are a non-profit whose purpose is the education of mountaineers, the exploration of the Pacific Northwest, the collection and sharing of scientific research, and the conservation of wildlands, among others, but in many ways we still think of ourselves and behave like a private social

club serving its members. We don’t fit commonly encountered models of clubs or non-profits. We’re a community-run organization, which includes volunteers, staff, members, and non-members. We are both a bottom-up as well as a topdown driven organization. We’re unique in this way and this can be a source of conflict when we assume perspectives and expectations of how we think things should be.

CURRENT CHALLENGES

Executive director: with Sarah’s departure we are losing considerable institutional knowledge and our full-time leader. We have a transition team of EC members who are working together to provide guidance for this change.

Our current working relationships with other organization are at odds with each other (as related to our identity crisis). How do we come to an agreement to work together harmoniously, or at least collaboratively? Areas of responsibility: some activities and programs are run by volunteers. Others are run by staff. Sometimes it’s not clear who has responsibility and who has authority over the different functions and activities of the organization because we each identify with how we think things should be run based on our own views of how a non-profit works or simply how we've always done it. How are members vs. non-members treated and valued differently and how does this mesh with our identity?

Disconnected silos: very few of us are aware of other perspectives and experiences within the different interest groups of the Mazamas. We don’t know what other interest groups are doing or

how they work. Most of us don’t know the business side of the Mazamas, it’s limitations and capabilities. I think we would all benefit from greater transparency and involvement.

Lack of vision: what do we universally want the Mazamas to look and feel like?

Recent strategic plans by the Executive Council were not universally understood or accepted. We should learn from that experience and adapt.

Financial sustainability: while great progress has been made in the past year bringing our revenue in line with expenses, we must continue to make significant changes towards financial sustainability and reduce our dependence on our investments.

Embracing social change: social justice is the future. We must live up to our promises and ideals both as an organization and individually, which requires meaningful introspection and personal growth.

That’s a lot of uncertainty. It’s complicated, and probably a little scary. It’s tempting to try to simplify things and take simple actions focusing on the short term, but looking at our past we can learn from those times where we’ve kicked the can down the road and decided on temporary measures to get through rough patches.

This is an opportunity to attempt to reach some cohesiveness, to remember what it is we love about the Mazamas, and figure out what we want it to look and feel like in the future. We can do this.

At the risk of misinterpretation, here’s my personal vision for the Mazamas. It’s

continued on next page NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 5

President's Message, continued from previous page. not finalized or eloquent, but it’s a start. I invite you to explore and share yours.

■ Make it easier to engage. □ Consider the user experience perspective and how it relates to our culture. Change our program processes to be less focused on integration and more open to different approaches. Make it simpler to join climbs, become a leader, put on climbs/hikes/classes, and volunteer. □ Remove barriers to join, i.e. remove the glaciated peak requirement. This does not mean lowering the bar for entry. It’s about helping people grow. □ Frame the Mazama experience to be about what motivates people and belonging.

■ Excel in everything we do. Be relevant and viewed as assets and valued as Mazamas in the mountains and greater climbing community.

■ Genuinely and meaningfully invite anyone with an interest in the mountains be it climbing, hiking, stewardship, etc. to become a part of our community where their unique perspectives are valued.

This is only my vision, however, and we’ll need to work together on a vision for the Mazamas that we can all agree on.

This is a critical step in our current transition plan to recruit a new executive director.

With Sarah’s departure we’re going to have to step up and fill some big shoes for a while. The current plan is for the Executive Council to support staff to ensure continuity of services while concurrently looking to establish a vision and framework for how our community can work together harmoniously as we tackle the big questions about our identity. We may choose to hire an interim leader to help us in this transition as we learn more about what we want and our capabilities.

You may be asking, “how are we going to answer these questions about vision, identity, and working relationships?”

Honestly, I don’t have a detailed how-to plan yet. I need the rest of EC’s help to put together a framework, and I also want our community at large to be involved because I think we need a different approach than a hierarchical one since that hasn’t worked for us very well. I want everyone in our community to feel some agency in this process and to start the conversation about it.

I’m looking forward to working with you this next year.

There are big challenges, but also opportunities. Let’s help each other.

MAZAMA VALUES RESPECT We believe in the inherent value of our fellow Mazamas, of our volunteers, and of members of the community. An open, trusting, and inclusive environment is essential to promoting our mission and values.

SAFETY We believe safety is our primary responsibility in all education and outdoor activities. Training, risk management, and incident reporting are critical supporting elements.

EDUCATION We believe training, experience, and skills development are fundamental to preparedness, enjoyment, and safety in the mountains. Studying, seeking, and sharing knowledge leads to an increased understanding of mountain environments.

VOLUNTEERISM We believe volunteers are the driving force in everything we do. Teamwork, collaboration, and generosity of spirit are the essence of who we are.

COMMUNITY We believe camaraderie, friendship and fun are integral to everything we do. We welcome the participation of all people and collaborate with those who share our goals.

COMPETENCE We believe all leaders, committee members, staff, volunteers, and participants should possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgment required of their roles.

CREDIBILITY We believe we are trusted by the community in mountaineering matters. We are relied upon for information based on best practices and experience.

STEWARDSHIP We believe in conserving the mountain environment.

We protect our history and archives and sustain a healthy organization.

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UPCOMING COURSES, ACTIVITIES, & EVENTS NORDIC SKI SCHOOL

ADVANCED ROCK (AR)

■ Info Night: November 16 ■ Dates: Jan. 12–Feb. 17, 2022 ■ Application Opens: Nov. 23 ■ More Info: mazamas.org/nordic

■ Info Night: November 16 ■ Dates: Feb. 22–May 19, 2022 ■ Application Opens: Nov. 30 ■ More Info: mazamas.org/AR

The Mazama Nordic Ski School strives to meet students at their current skill level and take them up a notch or two. Whether you've never strapped into a ski binding, are an alpine skier who wants a new challenge, or a nordic skier who is ready for the next level—this class is for you!

The Mazama Nordic Ski School offers three types of cross-country skiing classes: Classic, Skate, and Nordic Backcountry.

Backcountry Ski Touring is taught as a separate program.

The Nordic Ski School program consists of one mandatory “Meet Your Instructor” Orientation followed by 2 class sessions on consecutive weekends (or Wednesdays). A third class session is reserved for a makeup class if weather or snow conditions cause class 1 or 2 to be canceled, or for an optional ski tour.

Flexibility on dates is required as skiing is condition-dependent. Expect that class sessions might switch between Saturday and Sunday for weekend classes. After being accepted into the course, students will be placed in groups based on their skill levels and stay with those groups throughout the course. Classes are typically held in late January/early February.

Please read the application requirements carefully. In addition to the application form, you need to submit a letter of recommendation from someone who knows your climbing ability and technical skills. Contact the AR committee at ar@mazamas.org with any questions.

STREET RAMBLES

MAZAMA MEMBERSHIP AUGUST NEW MEMBERS: 26 Alex Binder, Mt. Adams Bryan Maurice Bravo, South Sister Nialls Chavez, South Sister Lauren Creany, South Sister Sue Donora, Mt. Hood Lynna Dorman, Mount St. Helens Ursula Taggart Ebbert, Mt. Baker Kyle Goeke Dee, Mt. Adams Peter Gutmann, Mount St. Helens John Heaton, Old Snowy Marcus Hecht, South Sister Alyssa Hervert, Mount St. Helens Natasha Hodas, South Sister Kyle Hollis, Mt. Baker Truth Johnston, Old Snowy Erica Kim, South Sister John Klock, Pico de Orizaba (Mexico) Martin Kreidl, South Sister Andrew Kruger, Mt. Shasta Vidyanand Kulkarni, Broken Top Kassi Morgan, Mount St. Helens Andrew Norskog, South Sister Katherine Rose, Mt. Hood Tracy Todd, Mount St. Helens Daniel Tremblay, South Sister Bronwen Wingate, South Sister

REINSTATEMENTS: 638 DECEASED: 0 MEMBERSHIP ON AUGUST 31: 2,882 (2021); 3,179(2020) SEPTEMBER NEW MEMBERS: 21

Going on a street ramble is one of the best ways to get an introduction to the Mazama hiking program. Meet other hikers and maybe plan a weekend trip, maintain your fitness after work, and see some hidden parts of Portland you might never get to see otherwise. Interested in joining us? All you need to do is show up, check in, pay, and be ready to go at 6 p.m. We'll see you there!

We operate Tuesday & Thursday night Street Rambles year-round from REI in the Pearl District (NW Portland).

More info at mazamas.org/rambles

Christopher Anderson, Mt. Shasta Liam Beckman, Mt. Pugh James Bloom, Mount St. Helens Dwight Cramer, Mt. Hood Douglas Filiak, Glacier Peak Matthew Goodman, Mt. Rainier Patricia Gail Green, South Sister Rebecca Herrin, Mt. Timpanogos (Utah) Amber Hincks, South Sister Nicole Kellan Behnke, Old Snowy Gabrielle Lohrenz, Mt. Adams Kevin Menasco, Mt. Adams Joseph Rosato, Mt. Shasta Eli Scarborough-Weiss, Mt. Hood Rob Siegle, Mt. Hood Allen Stiebritz, Mount St. Helens John William Stoll, Old Snowy Elinor Stoll, Old Snowy Michael Thelin, Mt. Siyeh (Montana) Eric Thornton, Mt. Hood Jeff Woodward, Mount St. Helens

REINSTATEMENTS: 446 DECEASED: 1 MEMBERSHIP ON SEPTEMBER 30: 2,923 (2021); 3,194 (2020) NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 7

TRAIL TRIPS Go to mazamas.org/hike to see the upcoming hikes on our calendar.

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

HK 2 Nov. 2 Latourell Falls. James Selby. 2.3 mi., 600 ft. A short, colorful hike with great views, followed by a visit to Bridal Veil Falls, as well which should be roaring falls! For those who need a ride, meet at the Expo Center Max station at 8 a.m.

HK 2 Nov. 3 Wilson River/Lester Creek Station.

Bruce Giordano. 11.5 mi., 2,700 ft. Fully vaccinated hikers can meet at 8 a.m. at Target on SW 185th for carpooling. Otherwise, meet at the trailhead at 8:45 a.m.

The hike begins at the Kings Mountain trailhead. Instead of going up to Kings Mountain though, we will make a left at the Wilson River junction. Continue on the Wilson River Trail heading mostly up until we reach the junction with the Kings Junior Trail. Then head mostly down until we cross the suspension bridge over the North Fork of Wilson River. There is a picnic table on the other side where we will have lunch before returning the way we came.

HK 1.5 Nov. 17 Salmon Butte. Bill Resley. 11.7 mi., 3,100 ft. Salmon Butte Trail climbs 3,000 ft. over its 4.3 miles through the forest to the 4,870 ft. Salmon Butte. Meet at the Gateway Park & Ride. The trail climbs steeply for the first 1.5 miles then becomes more gradual for the next 2 miles. The trail climbs steeply again for the final mile. At 4 miles, the trail runs into an old road. Follow the road to the right and continue to the summit of Salmon Butte.

On a clear day, as you summit, you will be rewarded with an outstanding view of Mt. Hood. To the south you can see Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters. To the north, Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and the Salmon River Valley.

HK 1.5 Nov. 20 Salmon River Trail to Kinzel Lake Trail Junction. Bill Resley. 5.2 mi., 1,100 ft. Meet at the Gateway Park & Ride. This trail winds through mossy old growth forest next to the wild and scenic Salmon River. Chinook and coho salmon, along with steelhead, rainbow, and cutthroat trout are found in the river. We will go up the trail about 6 miles to the Kinzel Lake trail junction and then return. About 1,100 feet of elevation gain.

8 MAZAMAS

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 The Classics needs a volunteer to put more content in our column on a quarterly basis. We want to document past Classics events and make sure that our postings to the web are current and complete.

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

CLASSICS HIKES All of Flora Huber’s hikes are geared to Classics.

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

WINTER CLASSICS LUNCHEON DATE: DECEMBER 10 | TIME: TBD | MMC

At the date if this publication, due to Covid restriction uncertainty, we haven’t decided if we can hold a luncheon on December 10. We will email updates as they become available.

ANNIVERSARY PINS

Classics will be mailing out the anniversary achievement pins in mid-December to all those who renewed and are eligible for the awards. Our system for the 25-year or 50-year pins is to award them to members achieving that milestone in 2022 which is the start of their 25th or 50th anniversary year. We send 60-year or 70-year pins to those members who achieved their milestone in 2021.

SUCCESSFUL CLIMBERS August 14—Glacier Peak, Cool Glacier.

Julie Kentosh, Leader. Ian McCluskey, Assistant. Scott Auble, Sándor Lau, Walker McAninch-Runzi, Nhat Pham, Lynsey Tyler, Katie Zajicek

August 30—Old Snowy, Snowgrass Flats. List Ripps, Leader. Duncan Hart, Assistant. Olivia Burgese, Brad Dewey, Truth Johnston, Naomi Nagler, Nhat Pham, Jonathan Thompson.

August 20—Mt. Thielsen, West Ridge/ Standard Route. Gary Bishop, Leader.

Petra LeBaron Botts, Assistant. Peter Boag, Daniel Miller, Joe Preston, Kyle Stephen.

August 30—Three Fingered Jack, South Ridge. Julie Kentosh, Leader. Elizabeth Cole, Assistant. Blake Bluestein, Peter Boag, Anna Feigum, Ben Hoselton, Thomas Williams.

August 21—Pinnacle Peak, Standard Route. Courtney Rust, Leader. Trey Schutrumpf, Assistant. Erica Lee, William Mallery, Amy Carlow, Nancy Zamierowski, Bartholomew Martin.

September 1—Mt. Much, NW Ridge. Bill Stein, Leader. Nancy Lloyd, Assistant. Liam Beckman, Erica Lee.

August 25—Ruth Mountain, Ruth Glacier. Pushkar Dixit, Leader. Elizabeth Cole, Assistant. Daniel Miller, Kyla Skerry.

August 28—Del Campo Peak, South Gully. Robin Wilcox, Leader. Debbie Dwelle, Assistant. Ebony Hall, Melinda Hugo, Claire Vandevoorde.

August 28—Gothic Peak, East Side.

Robin Wilcox, Leader. Debbie Dwelle, Assistant. Melinda Hugo, Ebony Hall, Claire Vandevoorde.

August 28—Mt. Daniel, SE Ridge. Bob Breivogel, Leader. Steven Wagoner, Assistant.

Tejas Prakash, Reuel Kurzet, Sara Jensen.

August 28—Mt. Whittier, Norway Pass Traverse. Bill Stein, Leader. Judith Baker, Assistant. Melanie Means, Kristofel Simbajon, David Zeps.

August 28—North Sister, South RidgeHayden Glacier. Pushkar Dixit, Leader.

Linda Musil, Assistant. Lindsey Addison, Peter Allen, Erin Beyer, Jack Kuo, Prajwal Mohan, Rob Sinnott.

August 29—Mt. Washington, North Ridge. Julie Kentosh, Leader. Adonay Solleiro, Assistant. Blake Bluestein, Peter Boag, Elizabeth Cole, Anna Feigum, Ben Hoselton, Sándor Lau, Thomas Williams.

September 2—Mt. Pilchuck, Bathtub Lakes. Bill Stein, Leader. Nancy Lloyd, Assistant. Erica Lee. September 10—Mt. Bretherton, Lena Lakes. Jon Major, Leader. Assistent not listed. Roger Denlinger, William Mallery, Kristofel Simbajon.

September 10—Mt. Lena, Lena Lakes.

Jon Major, Leader. Assistent not listed. Roger Denlinger, William Mallery, Kristofel Simbajon.

September 11—Mt. Washington, North Ridge. Toby Contreras, Leader. John Meckel, Assistant. David Feng, Matt Gardner, Alyssa Hervert, Chie Togo, Claire Vandevoorde, Daniel Zawistowski.

September 11—Mt. Washington (Olympics), Standard. Trey Schutrumpf, Leader. Nick Ostini, Assistant. Alex Aguilar, Marissa Burke, Krissy Bussmann, Lisa Hefel, Nhat Pham, Kyla Skerry, Cheryl Trempala, Nancy Zamierowski.

September 12—Old Snowy, Snowgrass Flats. James Pitkin, Leader. Andrew Leaf, Assistant. Cary Fender, Lois Gearhart, Sarah Johnson, Aaron Leingang, Claire Lu, Melanie Means, Justin Thibeault, Katrin Valdre.

September 14—Observation Rock, Standard Ice Route. Pushkar Dixit, Leader. Chris LeDoux, Assistant. Ebony Hall, Linda Musil, Mark Stave.

September 15—South Sister. Joe Eberhardt, Leader. Duncan Hart, Assistant.

Seeger Fisher, Truth Johnston, Dani Larson.

September 25—Broken Top, Green Lakes/NW Ridge. Guy Wettstein, Leader.

David Posada, Assistant. Ebony Hall, Aaron Kaufman, David Posada, Scott Stevenson, Gordon Wilde.

September 25—Monkey Face. Andrew Leaf, Leader. Del Profitt, Assistant. Jeremiah Biddle, Darren Ferris.

September 25—Mt. Thielsen, West Ridge/Standard Route. Bob Breivogel, Leader. Mark Beyer, Assistant. Olivia Girod, John Klock, Aaron Leingang, Bartholomew Martin, Jenni Tan. September 26—Monkey Face. Andrew Leaf, Leader. Anna Lio, Assistant. Linda Musil, Adonay Solleiro.

September 26—Three Fingered Jack, South Ridge. Guy Wettstein, Leader. Scott Stevenson, Assistant. Jennifer Bergstrom, Mike Borden, Forest Fogarty, Matt Fogarty, Jordan Polzin.

October 2—Eagle-Chutla Peaks, Longmire Trail. Bob Breivogel, Leader.

Steven Wagoner, Assistant. Aaron Leingang, Bill Lowder, Kristofel Simbajon, Harihar Sistla.

October 3—Broken Top, Green Lakes/ NW Ridge. James Pitkin, Leader. Rico Micallef, Assistant. Melanie Means, Dolores Rincon, Laura Selvey.

October 3—Castle, Pinnacle, & Plummer Peaks, Standard Routes. Bob Breivogel, Leader. Katie Polanshek, Assistant.

Andrew Behr, Ian Beil, Aaron Leingang, Bill Lowder, Thomas Owens, Harihar Sistla.

October 7—Mt. St. Helens, Monitor Ridge. Joe Eberhardt, Leader. Judith Baker, Assistant. Truth Johnston, Beatrice Robinson.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 9

HISTORICAL COLLECTION PRINTS NOW ON SALE! Are you looking for new artwork for your walls?

Looking for a unique gift for a climbing friend or loved one? Do you want to jump start your holiday shopping?

The Mazama Library and Historical Collection recently launched an online storefront where you can buy reprints of images from our collection. Prints are available in three sizes, are printed on archival paper, and proceeds help support the Mazama Library.

Order today at tinyurl.com/LHCimages

ANNUAL ELECTION RESULTS The Mazama Annual Election for new the Executive Council members and Nominating Committee members was held by a combination of electronic and paper voting. Emails were sent to all current voting members with an email address on September 6 with a unique voting link. There were four reminders sent after the initial email. One hundred and twelve paper ballots were mailed to members who do not have an email address. Our electorate for 2021 was 2,876 and a total of 1,045 ballots were cast for a voting percentage of 36.6 percent.

A special thank you to our outgoing Executive Council members.

Joe Eberhart, President Judith Baker Lori Coyner

We sincerely appreciate the time you devoted to the Mazamas over the past three years.

10 MAZAMAS

NEW EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS Charles Barker Greg Scott David Urbaniak NEW NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Sue Dimin

OUTCOME BYLAWS CHANGE Votes in favor: 544 Votes against: 500 Measure failed to reach 66% majority, measure failed

TOM GUYOT—1000 RAMBLES AND COUNTING

by Brian Goldman Over the past 15+ years, Mazama Tom Guyot has led 1,000 Rambles. On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, over 70 fellow ramblers celebrated this astonishing accomplishment.

All of the different hiking groups gathered at the Elephant House in Forest Park to celebrate. There was food, and people that hadn’t rambled for years showed up to celebrate with Tom. Below are excerpts from an interview with Tom. When did you start leading the Rambles?

I started rambling in 2000 and started leading Rambles in 2005.

Right before Christmas Eve a couple of leaders didn’t show up so I offered to lead. The same thing happened again before New Year’s Eve and I realized that I really enjoyed plotting the routes and being the one who knew where we were going. I had 24 people on my first Ramble. My job is to make it a safe walk. There are fewer people Rambling since COVID because they’ve gotten out of the habit, but they’ll be back. It’s not only exercise—it’s a social

Above: Tom and Gretchen celebrate Tom’s 1000th Ramble lead.

Photo by Lisa Ripps.

event. There are people who are still Rambling from when I started leading.

Why do you ramble with that big stick? I’ve noticed it really helps stop traffic on the way to Forest Park.

The hiking stick is maple with a wisteria vine wound around it. It grew that way in the U.S. Southeast. We peeled, sanded, and varnished it. I’m very comfortable with it and it has kept me from falling about 15 times. Once you walk with a stick, you get

continued on next page NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 11

Guyot, continued from previous page. uncomfortable without it. Mine is five feet long. The traditional alpenstock is longer and climbers use it as a probe to check things out before going further. We sold hiking sticks for quite a while1.

What made you interested in the Heritage Trees Rambles?

As a woodcarver, I’ve always been enamored with wood and by trees. As a leader, I wanted to have a route that was interesting, not just a destination, and the trees provided it. Many of the trees are on the list because of their size, and others are unique because they are a long way from where they are indigenous. Trees such as Tupelo, Ohio Buckeye, Loblolly Pine, Shagbark Hickory, Pecan, and

band-aid wrapper since we had two medical doctors and two emergency room “unflusterable” nurses on that hike, fortunately.

Gretchen (Tom's wife): I used to hike with Bob Smith, one of the official leaders, and I was the navigator because Tom taught me so many of the routes. That was great. Now, Tom and I co-lead. Tom: We lead the slowest ramble. I decided there was no hurry.

Did you ever think you would have led 1000 Rambles?

In 2018, I only led 10 Rambles because I had total knee replacement surgeries and I was off the streets for about 10 months. By March 6, 2020, when I led my last Ramble before the COVID-19 shutdown, I had 981 leads. It took until September 14, 2021, 15 months, to do the last 19 Rambles.

Above: Ramblers gather to celebrate with Tom and Gretchen. Photo by Lisa Ripps.

Willow Oak are in Portland because people moving to Portland brought seeds or shoots from all over the country.

Are you going to continue your Rambles as long as possible?

Yes! I see no reason to stop now—I’m on a roll!

How have the Rambles changed over the years?

The biggest change came when the Mazamas moved to the Mazama Mountaineering Center at 43rd and SE Stark from Northwest 19th and Kearny. We needed a NW meeting place and REI at 14th and NW Johnson welcomed us. They allow us to use their garage. There is more room to meet and we have a covered area.

If one wants to lead Rambles these days, they must take a leadership class and also complete some provisional leads plus a first aid class.

Anything else you want to say?

When I was recovering from my knee surgeries in 2018, Gretchen and I made maps and wrote directions for 50 of our Ramble routes. Marty Hanson helped us with the project, adding street names, titles, and landmarks to all the maps. These are now on the Mazama website (at mazamas.org/streetrambles/routesmaps) and in hard copy at the Mazama Library for anyone to use.

Also, come down to REI Tuesday or Thursday at 6 p.m. and try out a Ramble. It only lasts two hours and I hope you enjoy it. If you don’t, it only lasts two hours!

What interesting experiences have you had leading hikes?

Most importantly, I’ve met many interesting people whom I would never have met otherwise. I got knocked down by a bicyclist one night—bloodied up but not really hurt. That was the only injury that wasn’t self-induced. No one has ever been hurt badly.

One time a lady fell on her chin and got dinged up. I just held the 1 Tom is a professional wood carver. After his wife Gretchen retired, they started an arts and crafts business. They travelled to the east coast every fall for eight years selling his work, including hiking sticks, wooden boxes, and hand-carved Santas at art shows from Vermont to Florida. Before that he rebuilt antique carousel animals.

12 MAZAMAS

BEYOND LITTLE SWITZERLAND

A Mazama-sponsored, Mazama-led expedition

by Glenn Widener, with contributions from Russell Gray and Thomas Dodson

I

am straddling a 10-foot-long knife-edge mini-summit, covered in black lichen, and swallowed up in a vast expanse of granite ridges. The golden 10 p.m.

Alaska sun pops out, lighting up the peaks and glaciers that surround me. It's not a summit on any topographic map, just one of many blips on this sub-ridge of a long ridgeline. After eight pitches of stellar virgin granite up this face, we've only just begun this potential climb of the south ridge of the West Peak of Triple Crown.

And yet, after years of research and planning, and days of exploring this blank spot on the map, it feels like a worthy summit. As I pause to soak up the sublime moment, the name of this new route comes to me, from the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, which I've been reading in camp: “The Black Gate is Closed.”

What is it about the unknown that spurs humans to explore?

It seems to be more than just a fleeting thrill. There is something satisfying, even creative about drawing new lines on blank spots on a map. More than just adding to human knowledge, the path through the unknown drawn by the explorer is personal; a record of interactions between frail humans and wilderness. These days, with nearly every corner of the world explored, mapped, analyzed, photographed, and published, we must look for adventure in the in-between spaces.

After decades of climbing fully-documented, well-trodden routes, plus a few spontaneous mystery routes with mixed

Above: Scimitar Northeast Face route, with Dragon’s Spine behind, from Black Gate summit.

Photos by Glenn Widener.

non-fatal outcomes, I found myself yearning for more creative adventures. In 2011, I started casting about for possibilities.

Uncovering an ancient, forgotten Ladd Glacier route on the north side of Mt. Hood was satisfying, but I still felt an urge for an expedition to a rarely-traveled area. Alaska seemed like the obvious, yet accessible place. But cold, exhausting snowy giants no longer held the appeal they once did. I heard about an area called Little Switzerland that only started getting serious exploration in

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Little Switzerland, continued from previous page. the late 70s. But even it seemed somewhat well-traveled now. The big mountains are all climbed, by many routes. The attractive areas like Little Switzerland have routes all over them. It's the obscure inbetween peaks that see no traffic, often for decades, that intrigue me.

Steve Marston and I pored over topographic and geologic maps and Google Earth imagery. We zeroed in on an area just northwest of the main Little Switzerland landing zone on the Pika Glacier, that's still part of the granite batholith. Barely. The batholith ends on the map roughly at the Triple Crown ridgeline, and in photos, seemingly just shy of the summits. Well, it's an adventure, no way to tell until our boots are on the ground!

After making some calls, we got a name: Triple Crown is the highest point in Little Switzerland. Yet it has seen only a single ascent, on the main summit, led by the veteran Alaskan guide Brian Okonek, in July 1983. The West and Middle summits are separated by enough difficult terrain to make them legitimately distinct summits, only a couple hunderd feet lower. But apparently they are unclimbed. We confirmed this by talking to Jonathan Waterman, who forwarded Brian's map of his travels in the area.

Brian worked for the legendary guide Rey Genet in the 70s, then co-founded Alaska-Denali Guiding in 1983. Brian also climbed the Scimitar at the east end of the Dragon's Spine ridgline, in July 1976.

Other than that, Paul Roderick, our Talkeetna-based pilot, has himself climbed partway up the massif by some unspecified route.

And that's it for Triple Crown beta, in fact, for any climbing off the Triple Crown Glacier!

So Steve and I put together a plan. But life intervened, the team fell apart just as we were booking travel, and the project went dormant for two years.

Then, in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, I finally gathered a solid team committed to a plan and dates. But no matter how great your plan, in the end the mountain always decides.

A week before our June 10–20 dates, it became clear that an unusually late spring was going to kibosh rock climbing in Little Switzerland during that week. So we delayed a week.

Unfortunately, we lost one of the team members, Lisa Gallia, a busy primary physician with no job flexibility. I guess I owe her a “next time.”

That left me, Mazama Lisa Ripps, and my frequent partner Thomas Dodson, our newest but most experienced team member Russell Gray (who contributed mightily to our Wind River Range trip last year), and his new partner Derek Lindberg, both from Colorado.

After a fascinating ride over the forest and muskeg around the braided Susitna River in Paul's beautiful, classic DeHaviland Otter, Paul gives us a stunning bonus 360-degree over our objective peak. Somehow it seems waaay bigger and steeper than the topos suggest, but we remember that it's still tiny compared to the great Alaska giants. Russ is snapping away, photos which will be invaluable later. My cameras are buried in my packs in a 600-pound pile of gear in the back, after a late shuttle to Talkeetna and a frantic scramble to weigh and load our gear. Oh well, it's an adventure.

All too soon, Paul does a 180 over the Kahiltna and lines up for the landing on the Triple Crown Glacier. It looks clean and flat, but you never know for sure.

14 MAZAMAS

Russell Gray leads pitch 1 of Tumbling Dice. Photo by Glenn Widener.

Suddenly you realize you are on the glacier, then circling around and stopping, then unceremoniously tossed out on the snow. Paul revs the engine, and in a couple of minutes is a tiny whining mosquito spec against the "hills" around the Kahiltna Glacier. Then heavy silence, and you realize the scale of your undertaking: five people alone on a vast glacier expanse, surrounded by endless 1,000–2,500-foot rock faces, many miles from the nearest person. Climbers in a candy store!

You also realize that the 8 p.m. Alaska solstice sun shining through light overcast is surprisingly hot. Looking around, we see slopes everywhere loaded with snow and waiting to release.

Hmm ...

After a lengthy debate about how to position camp closer to our objectives, we hump our packs 500 feet away from the landing zone, just to give the pilot room. Far enough of a pack-in for us! We quickly throw up the tents, make dinner, then crash. Later, I wake up and wonder, it's sure light out, is it time to climb? Nope, it's midnight!

The next morning “dawns” mostly cloudy, but dry. But getting camp organized after our hectic arrival last night takes time. Since the forecast is fairly good for three days, then uncertain, we quickly agree to take advantage of the conditions and get some climbing in. We gear for rock, rope up for glacier travel, and head off to the closest rock objectives, around the col that descends to the Granite Glacier, between the good-looking south ridge of the West peak and the rugged 1,000-foot Scimitar. Descending the col will also

allow us to check out the first ascent route, and the biggest rock line we've spotted—a 2,400-foot arete off the head of the Granite Glacier, leading directly to the West Peak.

The approach to the col is easy snow. We look down the col, and it's doable, but melting out to scree and rubble, and a lot steeper than the topo suggested (a regular theme on this trip!).

Given the snow conditions, we put off that exploration. But the rock faces around the col are very promising, with lots of lines to choose from on a huge rounded buttress that gains the long ridge to the final headwall on the West Peak. We pick a likely route, and ascend the steep snow to the rock, stamping out a platform over the moat.

Russell and Derek lead off and quickly put up a meandering pitch, with a tricky stemming, traversing 5.7 start, then easy, fun climbing. Thomas, Lisa, and I approximately follow. The second pitch is easy 5.6, then Russell romps up a clean face with lovely cracks. Before he reaches the pitch's end, it starts to rain lightly, and our day is done not long after it starts. We rap quickly back to the packs. Lisa, Thomas, and I have a mini-epic dropping items into a hole, that Lisa adroitly descends, recovers, and squeezes back out of. (All that canyoneering practice!) We dash back to camp as the rain increases, try with limited success to keep things dry as we cook, and retreat to our tents.

As we are doing this, we hear and see our first avalanche.

From here on, every time it rains, one triggers every few minutes, down various couloirs, from snow ledges perched high above.

Occasionally they release even during sunny times. They are especially unnerving at “night,” heard but not seen from inside our tents. Are we truly camped far enough out on the flat of the glacier that none is large enough to overrun us? Apparently so. We hope.

Day 2: The day dawns bright and clear. After drying gear, we decide to explore the northwest ridge of the West Peak of Triple Crown, which we hope will provide a safe descent route, and see what might go. At noon we gear up for snow, then hike north a mile into the upper shelf of the Triple Crown Glacier, easily bypassing huge crevasse systems. Alas, the ridge again looks much steeper than suggested by the topo—in fact, it looks like a totally worthy climb, with steep snow and rock options! But one look at the huge avalanches on the west face convinces us that conditions are not favorable. We make a plan to get up at midnight to try the ridge during colder evening temperatures, and head back to camp to have an early dinner and get some sleep.

Day 3: Unfortunately, the sound of our midnight alarms are mixed with the drum of rain on our tents. We try again at 1 a.m. but it is still raining and much too warm for a big snow climb. We go back to sleep and wake later in the morning to a clearing storm, and switch back to our rock objectives.

Lisa, Thomas, and I resume the route we all explored on the first day. Swapping leads on six fun, clean(ish) 5.4–5.7 pitches takes us to the foot of a tower on the ridge, which we dub the “Flame of Anor” for its reddish, spiraling top. Bypassing what looks like a 5.11 corner to the top of the Flame, we take one easy, rubbly 3rd class pitch with some snow patches, then I lead the final 5.7 pitch, up a chimney system buried in leafy black lichen, finding excellent hidden holds just as I start to worry. At the top, I see to my dismay that there's 100 feet of snow below me draping the ridgetop, that we don't want to cross in rock shoes. The clear route continues up a steep fractured face, then several more ridgline pitches to the main ridge.

The Black Gate is Closed is laid down, with much more climbing to be added above—on some other trip. We rap off, with one stuck rope that Thomas reclimbs to clear, and one hard rope pull. The mist starts up again as we reach the snow. Round trip, a 21-hour exploration. But in Alaska, who's counting the hours?

Meanwhile, Russell and Derek launch into an adventure across the col from us, ranging from 4th class rubble, to a clean, hard 5.9+ lieback corner. They complete the second ascent of the Scimitar, via the Northeast Face. Russell takes a short fall on the wet crux pitch but they make the summit around 10 p.m., without further incident, just in time to enjoy a beautiful sunny Alaska “afternoon” and some of the best weather of the trip. The climbing on the route is adventurous with some good pitches and highlighted with numerous vertical gardens of purple wildflowers. The upper face has some especially fine positions and decent rock—which would upgrade to excellent after more cleaning and traffic. The summit offers great views of our potential routes on Triple Crown Peak.

Day 4: Dawns with steady rain. Even though it quickly subsides, we take a rest day after our labors (but who can tell when Day 3 ends and Day 4 begins!)

Day 5: Unfortunately Derek is sidelined with back spasms from the Scimitar effort. So we form two teams of two. Lisa and Thomas explore the center of the SW face of the West Peak, where the rock looks good, with a number of possible lines headed almost directly to the West Peak headwall. But when they start up the approach snow slope, things feel wrong. So Lisa digs a quick trench to analyze the snow. There is a one-half inch of surface crust with soft snow beneath it. She cuts an eight-inch square just through the crust, and it fails below the crust with one tap of her palm!

So they back out quickly and go over to the col to take a closer look at the south-side routes—yet more possibilities, including on the long south ridge of the Middle Peak.

Russell had scoped another promising line just left of Black Gate that heads toward the left side of the Flame of Anor. So he and I launch into it, Russell leading in his usual solid way. It is even better than we hoped: four pitches of single and twin sustained 5.7–5.8 splitter granite cracks (with quite a bit of cleaning along the way).

Four pitches up, just a pitch below the Flame of Anor, once again we are in a race with the rain. Russell takes a whipper clean fall on pitch 3 after two holds break simultaneouly. So he names it Tumbling Dice, and we rap off in a hurry, reaching the snow in the mist.

At the top of the last rap, we look off to climber's right and see a very faded, ancient, formerly-purple sling. We mention it to Paul when we get back: “oh yeah, that's mine.” So much for being pioneers. But really what difference does it make, we truly went into this trip with next-to-no beta!

And that's it for climbing. The next two days range from mist to showers to an overnight deluge, followed by waking up to two inches of snow on the tents. After many attempts to connect with Talkeetna Air Taxi on our Garmins, my wife relays the message to them that we are ready to go. Then we wait another day for the weather window to finally appear on Saturday morning, our original planned departure date. Finally, direct contact is made, and after two hours of frantic packing and runway stomping, we hear, then see, Paul's Otter approaching. In no time, we are off to collect two more climbers from Denali Base Camp ( free extra glacier landing!), then back to Talkeetna.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES mazamas.org/volunteer

STEEP SNOW & ICE STARTS STRONG

JOIN THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE The Mazama Research Committee is looking for new members! The committee disperses approximately $15k each year in small grants to academics and students conducting basic research on mountain environments and safety. A science background helpful but not required.

DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE SEEKS NEW MEMBERS The DEI Committee is looking for new members. If you are interested in finding out more about this opportunity to support the growth and culture of the Mazamas, please contact the DEI Committee. The DEI Committee currently meets once a month.

DO YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR TRAIL TENDING? Do you love trail tending? Do you have a passion for keeping our wild spaces accessible? Do you have experience and training in trail tending? If you answered yes to all of those questions, then you might be interested in taking on the role of the Mazama trail steward for the Elk-Kings Trails in the Coast Range. The Mazamas adopted these two trails a number of years ago and have organized work crews to maintain the trails.

We are looking for someone to take on this role, which involves setting a spring and fall work day annually, coordinating dates with the Forest Service, organizing the work days, and managing the work days.

ARE YOU A SPANISH SPEAKER? ¡NECESITAMOS TU AYUDA! We would like to offer a Spanish-speaking BCEP group. We need a climb leader and volunteers who can assist the group, and volunteers who can help translate student and instructor manuals and videos from English to Spanish ¿contamos contigo? Practica tu español con nosotros ahora en Mazamas.

Contact the BCEP Committee at bcep@mazams.org.

16 MAZAMAS

by Edward Dyer, Steep Snow & Ice Committee

S

teep Snow & Ice (SSI) held its first classes in September with 16 participants receiving mentoring both on the foam ice wall, at the MMC, as well as the crevasses of the Eliot Glacier. Classes focused on movement skills on increasingly steep terrain, developing techniques for both snow and ice.

We also learned principles of snow and ice protection, and practiced placement; multi-pitch rope management, anchors, and efficiency at belays; and rappelling from snow bollards and v-threads. Throughout, we had engaging discussions on hazard assessment, risk management, route selection, and debriefing our climbs as a means to encourage self-reflection and improve judgment as an alpinist.

The SSI subcommittee is anticipating additional programming this winter and spring, so please stay tuned as we hope to do more mentoring both at the MMC and in the mountains.

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS IN MAZAMA HISTORY

by Mathew Brock, Library and Historical Collections Manager

T

here are inherent hazards in all activities, none more so than in mountain climbing. Accidents happen, and while some cannot be prevented, actions and planning can reduce their occurrence.

Over its 127-year history, the Mazamas has suffered very few fatalities on official climbs and hikes.

Of the approximately 12,000 climbs and 30,000 hikes led, the Mazamas has experienced fewer than 20 fatalities, a remarkably low number. The Mazamas investigated those incidents and changed policies and procedures as a result. But, as time marches on, memories fade, leaders move on, and we lose institutional memory of past events. Presented here are a selection of accidents from across Mazama history and some of the lessons learned.

DISORIENTION, DEATH Oregon, Mt. Hood, Chute March 27, 1938 A Mazama party of 20 was turned back at the top of the Chute by freezing rain and gale-force winds. As the party descended, leader Roy Varney became disoriented, weak, and finally collapsed due to exhaustion. At the top of Triangle Moraine, many of the party members were given leave to return to Timberline Lodge, either by snowshoe or skis. One member, Gueffory, left on skis and was not seen alive again. Three climbers remained with Varney; they soon became exhausted due to exposure to the elements.

By late afternoon, with no help arriving, the three men, fearing for their own lives, left Varney, now dead, and descended to Timberline Lodge, arriving just as the rescue party was departing.

Gueffory's body would not be discovered for several days, far off course and deep in the trees below the tree line.

Lessons Learned A review of the Climbing Committee minutes following the accident shows that they focused on efforts to keep climbing parties together for longer on the descent. A review of the Climb Leader Instructions from 1941, the most recent following the accident, shows new language instructing leaders to keep parties together until they all return to basecamp. In an acknowledgment of the bad weather and Varney’s decision to continue, the Climbing Committee added this final instruction to leaders: “Never hesitate to abandon a climb if weather or climbing conditions become unfavorable, or unsafe.”

FALL Washington, Mt. Adams August 30, 1951 After dropping out of a Mazama climb of Mt. Adams just above the rock line, Harry Hirsh caught his crampon on his pant leg, fell, and broke his ankle in two places. Father and son George and Neil Baldwin accompanied Harry and were on hand to help him after his fall. Fourteen Forest Service employees from the local ranger station were able to carry Harry off the mountain and ensure his safe return to Portland. Harry sent the Mazamas a letter from his hospital bed with several recommendations: 1. Screen and fully advise applicants of what is involved in climbing a major peak;

2. Split large groups into novice/experienced teams; 3. School beginners in basic climbing techniques; and 4. Don't leave novice climbers to descend alone.

Lessons Learned The 1952 Instructions to Leaders of Official Mazama Climbs carries the following requirements in section C—On the Climb: “1. Give instruction regarding pace, hazards, food, water, sickness, safety, and discipline,” “6. Give instruction in and demonstration of proper mountaineering technique and conduct as the climb progresses,” and “10. Extra caution is required on the descent, so maintain your party organization as long as safety demands it.”

All three additions appear to stem from Harry’s recommendation letter.

EXPOSURE, DISORIENTATION Washington, Mt. Adams, Mazama Glacier September 17, 1966 A nine-member Mazama party set out to climb Mt. Adams via the Mazama Glacier route. The party left Mirror Lake around 3 a.m. and reached the glacier by noon. Three members of the party, including 11-year-old Tommy Carr, decided to go no further and await the return of the party after they reached the summit.

By 2:30 p.m., the remaining six members had reached the base of the true summit as the weather continued to deteriorate. Around 3 p.m., somewhere between 300 to 400 feet from the summit, climb leader Lisle Walker called off the climb due to near-whiteout conditions. Shortly thereafter, two climbers became separated from the other four, including Walker. The two climbers searched for the four, but unable to find them descended the mountain, arriving around 7 p.m. at the Morrison Creek campground. They informed the district ranger of what had happened, then headed back to Portland.

Meanwhile, on the mountain, Walker and the three others with him continued to search for the two missing climbers. As conditions worsened, Walker became dejected and disoriented.

The three other members of the party soon realized Walker’s condition and worked to keep him upright and moving. Around 6:30 p.m., Walker fell to his knees and was incoherent. The party

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Accidents, continued from previous page. found a small crevasse and took shelter from the growing storm.

One member of the party estimated that Walker died sometime around 9 p.m. The next morning, the three remaining members left Walker's body and descended the mountain, arriving at Bird Creek Meadows around 3 p.m. that afternoon.

Lessons Learned A review of the incident by the Crag Rats, Wy'east Climbers, and the Mazamas produced several recommendations and observations: 1. All climbers should register with the USFS at Trout Lake; 2. An experienced assistant leader should always be appointed before a climb; 3. Walker was not adequately dressed for the weather encountered; and 4. The climb should have been abandoned earlier in the day because of the bad weather. In his Climbing Regulations, issued the following spring in March of 1967, Climbing Committee chair Jack Grauer makes clear, “Prior to the climb the leader shall appoint an assistant capable of taking full charge of the party in an emergency. If a capable assistant is not available, the climb shall be canceled.”

FALL Washington, Glacier Peak July 30, 1967 Mike Boyko died after falling approximately 800 feet following an uncontrolled glissade down an unknown snow slope.

Lessons Learned Never glissade over an unknown slope until it has been established that a good runout is available. The condition of snow or ice on the slope should be known.

FALL Oregon, Three Fingered Jack, South Ridge June 24, 1973 A regularly scheduled Mazama climb of Three Fingered Jack had attained the summit successfully via the standard South Ridge route. The party of 11, all Mazamas, had descended to a point approximately 200 feet below the summit when Sharon Herner fell, tumbling out and backward from a moderate rock face. Her body was recovered some 1,400 feet lower on the peak's partially snowcovered eastern scree slope.

Lessons Learned A review following the accident found no fault with the leader, assistant, or climbing party. Sharon Herner’s death was ruled simply an accident. They did, however, make a few recommendations as to how fatalities should be dealt with. First, whenever a body must be abandoned, written information should be left for identification: affiliation, approximate time of death, circumstances of death, name, address, the affiliation of the person giving information or in charge, and the intention of the party then leaving the site, including time references. And second, depending on circumstances, if one or more persons have been sent out with incomplete information to give the speedy alarm of an accident, a second person or team should be dispatched once the victim's status and location are determined.

18 MAZAMAS

AVALANCHE Oregon, Mt. Hood, White River Canyon April 26, 1975 During a scheduled Mazama Basic Climbing School field session (snow practice), Sallie Hee died when buried by an avalanche in White River Canyon on Mt. Hood.

Lessons Learned 1. Basic Climbing School instruction should include different ways in which to conduct oneself and the use of equipment during self-arrest and when caught in an avalanche. Following the accident, the review board recommended leaders and assistants carry shovels with them at all times during snow practice.

2. Instruct climb leaders in weather forecasting and recognition of potential avalanche conditions in the area, including a general awareness of mountain hazards.

3. Encourage the United States Forest Service to make known their regulations and recommendations concerning the sign-out register at Timberline Lodge and elsewhere, and to provide general info concerning hazards in these areas, including but not restricted to avalanche conditions. The Mazamas should assist the USFS in the redesign and publication of new sign-out procedures.

4. The Climbing Committee should re-examine the structure of the Basic Climbing School. Rationale: Does the current structure of one field session scheduled well in advance put undue pressure on the group leader to cover basic material in conditions inappropriate to the learning process?

In 1977, the Climbing Committee initiated a Leadership Update program. Leaders were required to attend a lecture or a field session on first aid, accident management, avalanche safety, and crevasse rescue. To continue leading Mazama climbs, a leader had to complete all four items within three years. The major focus of the program was to promote safety and the ability to manage accident and rescue situations.

Also in 1977, the first Recognition of Risk and Release of Liability shows up in the records. After listing a litany of potential dangers, the signer is asked to accept all risk in mountaineering, and release and forever discharge the Mazamas and its agents from all claims of liability.

FALL Washington, Mt. Shuksan, Fisher Chimneys July 18, 1980 Dick Sawyer died in a fall while climbing Mt. Shuksan with eight other members of the Mazamas. They had reached the Fisher Chimneys area, passing the first chimney and following a ledge to the second chimney. Dick, who was leading the climb, had climbed to about the 6,100-foot level when he sought refuge on a slab of rock. He was about 20 feet above the next climber when the rock slab gave way. He fell about 200 feet and died instantly.

Lessons Learned Chris Mackert, the assistant climb leader, noted in her report that the party did not have sufficient gear and equipment to access the location of Dick's body, but that otherwise there was little that they could have done to prevent the accident.

FALL, BAD WEATHER Oregon, Mt. Hood, Cooper Spur June 6, 1981 A Mazama climb of Mt. Hood had attained the summit via the Cooper Spur route. The party of 16 (15 Mazamas, one nonMazama) had descended a snow slope from the summit when one member of the top rope team slipped, pulling their team into the three rope teams below. Ten climbers were dragged down the “chimney” and onto the northeast face of the Eliot Glacier (ca 8,800 feet). Four climbers died on the mountain, the 304th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron airlifted five injured climbers, and one uninjured climber walked out to report the accident. Later, one of the injured climbers died in a Portland hospital.

Lessons Learned 1. Cooper Spur should be given a “C” rating, especially if descending via the Spur.

2. Twelve should be the maximum number in a party on this route.

3. On the descent via Cooper Spur, each climber must always be belayed or protected when near to or in the chimney area.

4. All climb prospectuses should list, in addition to the required climbing gear/equipment, any climbing techniques that may be utilized on that climb.

5. Mazama education courses must continue to teach the leapfrog method of descent.

6. Helmets or hard hats should be worn in all areas where there is danger from falling rock, ice, or snow, or where a fall could occur.

7. Stress that party members are part of a cohesive whole, and not a follower to be led to the top.

8. Education in prevention and recognition of the early symptoms of hypothermia and its treatment is essential in all Mazama activities.

9. The Climbing Committee should continue to develop guidelines for the selection of new leaders and educate all leaders in climb management.

10. The Climbing Committee should encourage a post-climb debrief between leader and assistant, especially when a “new” leader is supported by an “old” assistant.

AVALANCHE Oregon, Mt. Hood, West Crater Rim May 31, 1998 A graduation climb for the Mazama Basic Climbing Education Program was caught in a large slab avalanche. One rope team of three people was caught and swept down a 45–50-degree slope through the Hot Rocks area before stopping between Crater Rock and Castle Crags. One person was killed by trauma during the fall, the second received a fractured pelvis, and the third experienced a fractured ankle. The leader was also briefly caught in the avalanche and experienced an ankle and shoulder injury. When the group left Timberline Lodge, they observed a hand-written sign, posted in the Forest Service Climber's Register, alerting them to the “High Avalanche Hazard!” It was only the second such sign posted in seven years.

Lessons Learned Primary causes of the accident included the unusually high hazard avalanche conditions resulting from snow loading the previous week—an old snow crust beneath the new snow and

rapid warming at the time of release. Additionally, the party was on the West Crater Rim route after the slope had been warmed and destabilized by the sun. Many secondary factors contributed to the accident including the slow pace of the party that resulted in them being on the slope after warming had occurred; the leader’s decision to continue on the West Crater Rim route was not questioned because there was no other leader present with sufficient experience; the severity of the injuries may have been increased by the use of roped team travel; and the confusing warning sign that failed to communicate that the avalanche danger still applied. Additionally, the accident review committee found a lack of awareness amongst many climbers on Mt. Hood that day about the potential for large slab avalanches “even on nice days.”

The 1998 accident on Mt. Hood prompted the Mazamas to take a hard look inward. To that end, they hired Ian Wade, then director of Adventure Safety International, to conduct a risk management assessment of the organization. For three months in 1999, Wade integrated himself into the Mazamas, interviewing committee chairs and climb leaders, taking part in snow, rock, and leadership training programs, sitting in on five meetings of the ad hoc Incident Response Review Committee, and reviewing a wide array of policy and procedures manuals from across the organization. The 41-page Wade Report, as it came to be known, was presented to the Executive Council in June of 1999. The findings and recommendations made by Wade can be seen across the organization to this day, even if their origins are lost in our collective institutional memory.

Among the many recommendations were the creation of a leadership development program to train new and existing climb leaders to conduct activities that reflect current industry standards, the establishment of a critical incident stress debriefing group to assist those traumatized by accidents and incidents, and the creation of a detailed action plan for how the organization will respond to serious accidents. Today’s Leadership Development course, Risk Management Committee, Critical Incident Management Committee, and our Critical Incident Response Plan are all direct results of the Wade Report’s recommendations.

The Wade Report goes on to make over 100 recommendations across the Climbing, Trail Trips, and First Aid committees, as well as directly to the Executive Council on how to reduce serious risk across the range of Mazama activities. The full report is available in the Mazama Library.

The Mazamas have been very lucky, statistically, when it comes to serious accidents in our history. Given the sheer number of individuals who have climbed, hiked, skied, snowshoed, and engaged in the array of activities we’ve offered, it’s amazing there haven’t been more accidents in our history. Yet, as time passes, the chance remains that any one of us will become complacent and let our guard down. As British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once warned, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” We must all do our part to learn about and from these past incidents. It’s up to each of us to stay up to date on safety procedures and to continuously sharpen our skills and knowledge to keep ourselves, our friends, and our partners safe today and into the future.

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WHAT IS A GLACIER?

by Anders Eskil Carlson, Ph.D., Oregon Glaciers Institute

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hat is a glacier? As more and more people head into the backcountry and travel to remote peaks, this question pops up at growing frequency in social media posts, comments, and in professional journalism. Many a snowfield is misidentified as a glacier and many a glacier has now diminished to the point that it is now a semipermanent snowfield. What’s the difference? How does one tell between the two?

And why does it matter?

Glaciers Going back to 1840 when Louis Agassiz published Études sur les glaciers (Studies on Glaciers), a glacier is defined as ice that flows under its own weight. That is, a glacier is an ice body that moves.

For this to happen, ice must reach a certain thickness so that the pressure on the bottom ice is so great that it ceases to be brittle and deforms like toothpaste. This thickness is about 100 feet (30 meters), with the measurement taken in the direction of Earth’s gravitational pull (i.e., not necessarily perpendicular to the ice surface or the glacier bed).

To be a glacier then, ice must first accumulate to at least 100 feet, which means snow must accumulate over many years, turn into ice, with that ice building up to 100 feet thick. Consequently, ice-growth occurs at high elevations in what is called the accumulation zone. The accumulation zone is the area on the glacier where some of the prior winter’s snow persists through 20 MAZAMAS

Above: Eugene Glacier on South Sister.

Eugene Glacier recently stagnated and ceased to flow. It is no longer a glacier as denoted by its lack of crevasses, concave terminus, and the clear meltwater coming from under the ice. Photo by Anders Carlson.

the summer and is then buried by the next winter’s snow. This snow accumulates year after year and slowly turns into glacial ice.

Once thick enough, ice flows downhill to warmer elevations and terminates where it is so warm that all ice is melted. The region below the accumulation zone is called the ablation zone; this is where all the prior winter’s snow is melted away at the end of the summer. The ablation zone is where the glacier loses mass due to melting, breaking off icebergs, and the direct transfer of ice to water vapor called sublimation. The dividing line between the two zones is the end-of-summer snowline on the glacier and is called the equilibrium line. Above the equilibrium line the glacier gains mass, while below the line the glacier loses mass. At the equilibrium line the glacier’s losses equal its gains and there is no net change in mass.

A glacier is thus a manifestation of climate on the landscape.

It accumulates where the landscape is cold enough for snow to persist year-round and then flows downslope to a zone where the

landscape is warm enough in the summer to melt all the ice that can flow to that elevation. Similarly, the equilibrium line altitude reflects the elevation where the yearly average temperature is freezing (0°C; 32°F) in the atmosphere.

But it is the flow of ice from the accumulation zone to the ablation zone that makes a pile of ice a glacier. See the photograph of Eliot Glacier on Mt. Hood, where ice flows from near the summit and its accumulation zone downslope to its terminus in the ablation zone.

Snowfields Ice less than 100 feet thick is too thin to flow and is called a stagnant ice body; a body of ice on the landscape that is stationary. Many stagnant ice bodies underlie snowfields, which are semi-permanent snow patches that also do not flow. In general, A glacial moraine on the north side of North Sister that held a glacier at least in the 1960s. Note the lack of surface snowfields will periodically water outside the two little evaporative ponds. This region is dry and contains limited vegetation due to the lack of glacial disappear; otherwise the snow will meltwater. Photo by Anders Carlson. accumulate over time and turn into ice that can then turn into a glacier. Therefore, snowfields in a frequent intervals and found that the rock’s orientation relative to cooling climate can grow into glaciers. Conversely, glaciers in a his fixed point changed, demonstrating the movement of the ice warming climate will lose their accumulation zone, thin to the downslope. This approach is no different than what is done today point of stagnation, and then constitute an ice body at the core of to measure ice flow with satellites: fixed locations are chosen, and a snowfield. For example, take the photograph of the remains of their displacement measured over and over again by satellites.

Glisan Glacier on Mt. Hood (note in the far right of the photo is the Or, global position system (GPS) stations are fixed on the ice, with edge of the Sandy Glacier, which still flows). In 2003, Glisan was an their differential movement relative to a fixed point off the glacier active glacier according to observations. However, in the last 20 measured near continuously. It’s the same method as Agassiz’s, just years, the climate has warmed enough to where the glacier lost its with more bells and whistles, and a little rocket science. However, accumulation zone and melted to just a scrap of ice smeared on these approaches require repeat visits to the glacier over months the mountainside with some snowfield cover. and years (whether manually measuring the movement of boulders A good example of the transition between glacier to snowfield/ or servicing GPS stations) or access to satellites. But what can one stagnant ice to ephemeral snowfield is Palmer Glacier on Mt. do while on a hike or climb? Well, one should look for evidence of Hood. This snow-ice body is called both a glacier and a snowfield. ice flow, the defining feature of glaciers.

In 1981, the U.S. Geological Survey measured the thickness of Crevasses are the most obvious evidence of ice flow. While ice numerous glaciers on many of the Cascade volcanos to determine with 100 feet of ice pressing down on it can deform and flow, the flood risks from glacier melt following the eruption of Mount ice at the top of the glacier is still brittle as it lacks the necessary St. Helens. They determined that the Palmer Glacier reached a overlying pressure to deform. To keep up with the movement of the thickness of 200 feet, meaning it was a glacier in 1981. Looking at bottom ice, the upper ice cracks, making crevasses. Compare the archived photographs, no glacial ice was observable by the early adjacent photographs: the Glacier has many crevasses while the 1990s, meaning the glacier had thinned and stagnated into a semiGlisan has none. However, in 2003, Glisan still had crevasses. permanent snowfield. More recently, this snowfield is gone in late Another line of evidence for ice flow is the glacier terminus. If September to early October despite the efforts of Timberline Lodge ice is flowing, then it will bulge out with a convex terminus, like management to maintain the snow through the summer. a pile of Silly Putty that was allowed to flow out into a pancake shape with its convex margin. One can see this bulging ice on the Differentiating the two Eliot Glacier. In contrast, stagnant ice and snowfields do not bulge forward and rather are melting back, which produces a concave How does one differentiate between a glacier and a snowfield/ terminus/edge; this is observable in the shape of the Glisan’s stagnant ice body? Well, one should look for evidence of ice flow, remaining ice. In the case of the Palmer example, glacial ice with a which is what Louis Agassiz did in the early 1800s. In his case, he identified rocks on the surface of glaciers in the Alps and measured continued on next page their orientation to a fixed point off the glacier. He would return at NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 21

Glacier, continued from previous page.

convex terminus is found in photographs up to the late 1980s, with this convex ice absent in early 1990s photos.

Lastly, the flow of ice grinds the rock underneath the glacier, producing very fine-grained sediment called glacial flour. Thus, the meltwater streams originating from underneath a glacier have very high amounts of suspended sediment; one cannot drink the water. the Carver Glacier on South Sister, the meltwater is full of glacial flour with a convex terminus. In contrast, a stagnant ice body or snowfield does not grind the underlying rock and thus water flowing out from the ice/snow will be clear and drinkable.

This can be seen in the photograph of the Eugene Glacier also on South Sister. The Eugene Glacier is now a stagnant ice mass (note the concave terminus); the ice below the waterline (that is not a reflection) is easily observable due to water clarity due to the lack of glacial flour, which reflects the lack of glacier movement.

Why does this matter?

As mentioned above, snowfields will occasionally disappear, and a stagnant ice mass is on its way to being an ephemeral snowfield. In contrast, a glacier reflects a climate that can sustain snow throughout the summer, year after year, decade after decade.

Otherwise, the glacier would not exist. Therefore, the glacier and its meltwater constitute a permanent surface water source throughout the summer months while a snowfield will be gone in some years. You can rely on the glacier for consistent water flow but not the snowfield. But when a glacier transitions to a stagnant ice body, then that consistent water source is in jeopardy.

In the drought-prone American West, the distinction between glacier and snowfield is acutely important. In this region, most of the precipitation falls in the winter months as snow. During the dry summer months, this snowmelt keeps streams flowing. By the end of the summer, however, the snow is gone and what remains is just the glacier meltwater that sustains streams until the wet winter months return. Those are normal years.

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Left: The Glisan Glacier on Mt. Hood. The Glisan is no longer a glacier and rather just a bit of stagnant ice usually covered by a snowfield. It lacks crevasses and has a concave shape.

Below: The Eliot Glacier on Mt. Hood. This picture shows the ice flowing from the accumulation zone down to the ablation zone, with a convex terminus and many crevasses indicative of ice flow.

Photos by Anders Carlson.

Nowadays, with low snowfall winters and summer heatwaves, the snowpack either begins the summer already depleted, rapidly vanishes during the summer, or both, as was the case in the summer of 2021. Glaciers therefore play an outsized role in keeping streams flowing that would otherwise run dry. And those streams that had only snowfields in their catchment?

They cease to flow. An example of a formerly glaciated basin is shown in the photograph from North Sister in Oregon where two little ephemeral lakes dammed behind the glacier moraine (a moraine is a pile of debris at the terminus of the glacier) are evaporating away in a landscape that less than 60 years ago had an active, yet unnamed, glacier, then a snowfield, and now bare rock. Consequently, properly differentiating between glaciers and snowfields/stagnant ice bodies is crucial for water resource planning for sustaining ecosystems and economies in the present and in the future.

FIRE IN THE ENCHANTMENTS

by Claire Tenscher

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his September, three Mazamas were first responders to a wildfire at Stuart Lake in the Enchantments. With a group of fellow backpackers they extinguished what could have been a devastating blaze.

Charlie Hugo, Scott Branscum, and Dale Moody joined the Mazamas in a chain—first Scott recruited Dale, then Dale did the same for Charlie. They’re climbers and hikers, and when Charlie got an Enchantments permit they planned a five-day backpacking trip. With some debate they took climbing gear but didn’t plan any serious missions.

On their second full day of scrambling and rappelling around the granite massifs of nearby Horseshoe Lake, seeing the smoke, they sped back down the trail to their camp—the highest above Stuart lake. Several other groups were nearby, also hiking down from Horseshoe. That’s when they heard the yelling.

They immediately went into action and headed downhill towards one of the lower camps. Through the forest the men could see burning trees and grass. There were two women at the site, combating the fire with water bottles as best they could and texting the Forest Service on a Garmin InReach. Contacting the professionals and giving them accurate coordinates should always be the first reaction to confirming a fire. There’s no guarantee you personally will be able to prevent the fire from spreading.

Above: Smoke rises from the fire near Stuart Lake.

Most of us are not in the position to fight a wildfire with no tools or training. But in this situation, there was a professional.

Dale has extensive experience as a hotshot, a group of wildland firefighters that respond to high-priority fires. Charlie and Scott laid out the events as follows: The woman with the InReach stayed in contact with the Forest Service, though communication was difficult due to the device’s limited typing functionality.

Once it was clear the call had been made, Dale began directing the others, including another group that had just arrived. His experience fighting fires made him the natural leader and everyone quickly acted on his direction. He assessed the danger and decided they could reasonably safely stay and work to put out the fire until they heard more from the Forest Service. Individuals took specific tasks.

Though they had no tools the first volunteers began creating a fire line, a trench dug through duff and debris down to the mineral

continued on next page NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 23

There’s a forest fire, it’s happening right now!”

Enchantments, continued from previous page. soil. Scott found a ten-inch by 12-inch slice of granite and began using it as a rudimentary spade.

They moved the burning and hot logs away from unburned fuels. Luckily, in this high alpine area most of the logs were a manageable size to move with a few people. Crucially, they moved the timber to the center of the burning area, on top of a well-situated boulder. Here the debris could burn itself out. Too frequently in similar scenarios, people move flaming or hot logs outside of the fire perimeter and unintentionally spread the flames.

At this point, the fire was still getting worse. Some of the other Horseshoe Lake day hikers turned up and joined the crew. This was a common refrain from the folks present—there were many moments when the fire could have worsened.

Everyone gave their water bottles and bladders to a couple of people to fill down at the lake and carry up. The fire was about 100 feet above the shore so this was a heavy, difficult carry.

The water was used to prevent the brush from catching and to deal with hot spots in the ground. Where the fire had caught roots, and where you could feel heat through the ground, the volunteers would dig a hole till they found cool dirt, pour water in, and mix the dirt in to create a slurry.

Folks removed the lower branches from some trees to prevent the fire from climbing. In fires like this the radiated heat can begin preheating the branches and trunk before flames ever show.

Flammable bushes and low branches are known as ladder fuels, for the way they carry the fire up to the canopy.

A group of people who had started helping did choose to leave —they managed their own risk and assessed this was the time to go.

At a certain point, the active areas of the fire started shrinking and it became clear the fire would abate. Thanks to a dozen strangers working together, an out-of-control fire didn’t burn through the Enchantments. The volunteers dispersed a couple of hours after they arrived.

A Forest Service flight did pass overhead, in communication with the women on the ground, but the fire was nearly out and no jumpers nor water were released.

That evening, after cleaning up and eating dinner, Charlie, Scott, and Dale smelled fire again and walked back over to the burn site to feel for additional hot spots. With fires like this, the roots of the tree will often keep burning underground leading to fires resurfacing hours or days later. Though there was no visible smoke, there were black patches on the ground, a sign of these subterranean fires. They repeated the earlier mud slurry process until they didn’t find any further hot spots.

The next morning as they hiked out they ran into several Forest Service employees with firefighting equipment. They were able to share photos and the GPS coordinates to help the firefighters quickly identify the scene. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

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Above top: Dale takes a photo with members of the fire crew.

Above bottom: Site of the fire. Photos by Dale Moody

These volunteers joined together and faced a very real danger to help protect something precious, at risk to themselves.

Thankfully the main consequences were some burned hands, bruises, and mild dehydration. In our conversations they stressed the importance of self-awareness. Don’t rush into danger if you don’t have the skills or ability to back it up, take time to re-assess if you are still safe and able to control the situation.

Charlie and Scott stressed to me that they were the right people, in the right location, at the right time. A thousand other combinations of factors and they would have made the decision to report the fire and then evacuate. I asked if it would have been different without Dale, and the response was an unequivocal yes.

Charlie and Scott expressed that time stopped behaving during the fire, what felt like five minutes turned to thirty. It was hot and smoky. They talked about watching the needles on trees shrivel and blacken, a clear precursor to the whole tree catching fire. But rather than being a traumatic experience, seeing everyone working together restored their faith in humanity.

STAFF CHANGES

by Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director Laura Burger, our Development Coordinator, joined the Mazamas in April 2015. She initially was our Membership Services Coordinator and was frequently the voice on the phone you heard when you called the MMC. Over the years she demonstrated an aptitude towards cultivating relationships, leading her to her current role as Development Coordinator. Laura was instrumental in securing grants for our youth programs, as well as growing our donations from our membership.

As with most of our staff, Laura wears a lot of hats that aren't necessarily connected to her job title, from assisting committees with their budgets, to being an in-house expert on membership reports, to updating our website, to managing restricted funds, and running our membership renewal campaign. She leaves the Mazamas to spend more time with her kids, Soren, aged 21/2, and Naomi, 6 months. I hope you will join me in wishing Laura well on her next adventure. Her last day in the office will be November 23.

She is going to be greatly missed.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 25

STORIES FROM THE CAMPFIRE

An Opinionated Guide to Outdoor Podcasts

by Ryan Reed and Ali Gray

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here’s a moment in every interview with an old-time climber, it seems, where they talk about learning the culture of climbing from stories told around a campfire—at Indian Creek, Yosemite’s Camp 4, maybe Eldorado Canyon. They hang at the edges, getting the lingo down, learning the rules, glimpsing how to use gear. They hear wild stories, learn who blazed a new path, and glean just enough knowledge to fake their way into a life of climbing.

The idea of culture transmitted by firelight may sound a bit cliché, but the key element here is conversation. Before there were classes, climbing gyms, magazines, books, videos, and private coaching, climbing culture and knowledge was mostly just people talking.

We Mazamas have the advantage of taking classes, learning accepted techniques with tested gear from qualified instructors—a good thing, we’re a lot safer! To learn all that history and culture, we have thousands of memoirs, manuals, guidebooks, and magazines. This is also a good thing, since it’s hard to get camping spots next to climbing legends these days.

But there’s something missing from all that media. With or without the campfire, stories are different when told out loud, unscripted. The casualness of talking tends to coax out intimate details and insights. At times, unexpected truths bleed out from the tone of voice, the hesitations and full stops.

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That’s where podcasts come in. There are dozens of longrunning, high-quality podcasts about climbing—mountain climbing, rock and ice climbing, alpinism, ski mountaineering, and all those related pursuits. They offer hundreds of hours of interviews, discussions, rants, stories, sage advice, and tips and tricks.

As you might expect, there are countless interviews with renowned climbers and alpinists, and nerdy discussions of techniques and training methods. But there are also wonderful stories of weekend warriors and their moments of doubt or triumph, renowned alpinists describing their early blunders, and hilarious tales that flesh out the history of climbing. And there are explorations of the darker side: frank talk of drug abuse, disabling injuries, obsessive and self-destructive behavior; of the long history of exclusion in outdoor sports; of how we think about risk and death.

In short, you can find what you want—climbing as a serious athletic endeavor, as a blissful diversion, as a way to engage deeply with nature, or as an all-too-human pursuit fully enmeshed in the world and its troubles. There’s a lot of truth to be found, and a whole lot of great storytelling.

This is not to dissuade you from reading all those books and articles. But, admit it—you do need something to listen to while driving to your next trailhead.

GENERAL OUTDOORS Dirtbag Diaries

■ 300 episodes (Launched 2007) ■ Host: Fitz Cahall ■ Topics: Outdoors adventuring of all forms This renowned show features stories of personal transformation “rooted in the outdoors.” Many are narrated by their authors, others are interview-based audio documentaries. The setting may be hiking, climbing, kayaking, mountaineering, or anything not inside; some interviewees are well-known, but most are not. These are tales of personal anguish, triumph, or catharsis, not badass accomplishment. It’s like The Moth for outdoors people.

Sample episodes: “Anatomy of an Accident” (North Sister); “Venga Venga!,” “The Cowboy and the Maiden”

Outside Podcast

■ 200+ episodes (Launched 2016) ■ Hosts: Multiple ■ Topics: Almost anything outdoors Well-produced audio documentary and interview episodes from Outside magazine.

Topics range widely; there are interviews with Conrad Anker, Beth Rodden, and Arlene Blum, but the fun of this podcast is the unexpected: what Nietzsche might have to say about mountaineering, how an adrenaline adventure addict copes with paraplegia, and “Why Thinking About Death Makes Us Happier.” It’s a mental Disneyland for outdoors people. Downside: prominent advertising, including car ads.

Also, occasional explanations of climbing techniques.

Sample episodes: “What the Mountains Teach Us about Patience,” “A Pro Climber and the Disorder That Brought Him Down to Earth” (originally from the Death, Sex and Money podcast)

What follows is a rough guide to a selection from the vast and rapidly evolving world of podcasts with content related to climbing and mountaineering. There are plenty of hiking and backpacking shows not covered here, although general outdoors and nature topics of interest to Mazama members are touched on.

Final note: with a few exceptions, these podcasts are run on a shoestring. Support those you value.

She Explores

■ 200+ episodes (Launched 2016) ■ Host: Gale Straub ■ Topics: Women and how their experiences intersect with the outdoors Gale is a fantastic interviewer, and really gets to the heart of issues that affect women (and all humans) in nature, in work, and in life. Episodes cover themes like solo adventuring, outdoor equity, conservation, chronic illness, motherhood, aging, creativity, and entrepreneurship. While the podcast is centered on women and female-identifying individuals, people of all genders will find something, and someone, worth listening to.

Sample episodes: “‘Being Here’ How the Outdoors Make Us Feel,” “Alone on the Trail,” “More Than Pretty Pictures”

Out There

■ 160+ episodes (Launched 2015) ■ Host: Willow Belden ■ Topics: Almost anything outdoors Out There’s tagline sums up the show best: “The podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories outdoors.” As a once-NPR host, Willow knows how to ask intriguing and thoughtprovoking questions of her guests. The show highlights people’s stories that dig deep into ideas around what counts as adventure, how we can view our lives in new and different ways, and how nature can transform us.

Sample episodes: “A Series of Unlikely Events,” “Out of the Shadows,” “Failure in Success”

Underneath it All

■ 16 episodes (Launched 2020) ■ Host: Grizel Williams ■ Topics: Mental health, chronic illness Many of us experience mental health difficulties, and many of us turn to nature and adventure to seek relief or refuge.

Underneath It All uses a combination of Grizel’s experiences and interviews with

PODCASTS 101 New to podcasts? No worries!

They’re basically just audio programs, with new episodes made available online, almost always for free. They range widely in quality and tone, from wellcrafted audio documentaries to a couple friends arguing in front of a microphone.

If you have a smartphone, simply download one of the many free podcast apps; Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts all do a good job. Use the app’s Search function to find podcasts by name; individual episodes will be listed and you can just click to listen.

If you like the show, click Follow or Subscribe and episodes will appear in your lists.

Keep in mind that episodes play by streaming through your cell connection or wifi unless you specifically choose to download them to your phone. So if you’re heading out of signal range—these are great to listen to on a hike—be sure to save a few of your favorites.

You can also set certain podcasts to automatically download when you are connected to wifi.

No smartphone? The apps have regular websites that can play episodes through your computer.

And most podcasts have their own websites, often with photos, links, notes, and other goodies you won’t get from the phone app.

continued on next page NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 27

Podcasts, continued from previous page. others to tackle difficult, under-addressed topics and how they intersect with the outdoors. As it states on the podcast’s website, “Underneath It All was created to tell the stories of the dark valleys of our lives in order to better cherish the experiences on those mountain tops.”

Sample episodes: “Assigning a Negative,” “Parabola,” “Feeling Big, Feeling Loss”

Outside Voices

■ 17 episodes (Launched 2021) ■ Host: Sarah Shimazaki ■ Topics: Diversity and inclusivity in the outdoors As a podcast that seeks to redefine the term “outdoorsy,” Outside Voices celebrates and amplifies the voices of people we generally don’t hear from in mainstream outdoor media. The show aims to let people from diverse backgrounds know they aren’t alone in nature, and to help us all unlearn long-engrained ideas about our connection with the earth and who belongs in the outdoors.

Sample episodes: “Finding Black Joy in the Outdoors,” “Sharing the Stoke,” “Fly Fishing for the Soul”

GENERAL CLIMBING Bad Beta

■ 21 episodes (Launched 2017) ■ Hosts: Matthew Sapiecha, Anna (@ annaoutdoors), Steve Andrew ■ Topics: Rock climbing Call this a banter-cast. Three Torontobased climbers riffing on climbing topics and giving each other grief. There’s lots of off-the-cuff spit-balling, and a lot of giggling, but also discussions of topics that would never appear in print—like the rules of bootying stuck or abandoned gear, squatting on a route all day, how to assemble a trad rack … and an occasional gear review. This is exactly the kind of “around the campfire” climbing knowledge and culture you only get from experienced climbers talking off the cuff.

Sample episodes: “Booty, Booty, Booty … and John Long,” “Safety Third”

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Climbing Gold

■ 27 episodes (Launched 2021) ■ Hosts: Alex Honnold and Fitz Cahall ■ Topics: History and current issues in high-end and competitive rock climbing The ubiquitous Honnold teams up with Dirtbag Diaries maestro Cahall to “tell the stories of climbing.” The analytical Honnold has become a confident storyteller, and the first ten history episodes (Stonemasters, Stone Monkeys, bolting wars, etc.) are engaging and original. The focus has since shifted to the Tokyo Olympics and issues in pro climbing—money, sponsorship, risk, eating disorders, etc.

Sample episodes: “The Invisible Cord,” “Tap Tap Twist,” “Give and Take”

Enormocast

■ 227 episodes (Launched 2011) ■ Host: Chris Kalous ■ Topics: Rock and ice climbers, alpinists, some skiers and other adventurers Interviews with virtually every noteworthy climber, from current royalty (Honnold, Caldwell, Anker) to legends (Lynn Hill, John Long, Jim Donini), and a few hundred interesting characters in between. There’s serious shoptalk, funny riffs, stories, and philosophizing. Kalous keepisodes things loose, personal, and pitched to a serious climbing audience, but he’s always digging for the larger meaning of things. Plus, his sponsor spots are very funny.

Sample episodes: “Hayden Kennedy: Alpine Taliban or Patagonian Custodian?”

“Corey Rich—The Story Is the Thing,” “Lynn Hill—Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Mark Twight—Still Coming Down"

For the Love of Climbing

■ 41 episodes (Launched 2018) ■ Host: Kathy Karlo ■ Topics: Mental health and trauma in climbing No description of this podcast could surpass Karlo’s own: “This is not a climbing podcast. Well, sorta. This is a podcast about choosing vulnerability and talking about our pain—and how we are all really just shining examples of this messy human existence.” Karlo doesn’t seek out pro or high-end climbers. Her focus is mental health: trauma, grief, injury, drug addiction, obsession, depression,

destructive behavior, and recovery. In some episodes, climbing is a refuge; in others, it’s complicit. Most episodes are affirming, others troubling. You will hear a lot about community, trust, struggle, vulnerability, failure, loss, empathy, growth—and even intersectionality. While not at all explicitly for women, Karlo creates a decidedly brofree zone.

Sample episodes: “The Process,” “This Is Not a Climbing Podcast,” “Light at the End of the Tunnel”

The Nugget

■ 88 episodes (Launched 2020) ■ Host: Steve Dimmitt ■ Topics: Mostly rock, some alpinism; many performance-oriented rock climbing topics Hour-plus interviews with prominent climbers and trainers. Similar to Enormocast, though Dimmitt is less of a personality than Chris Kalous; his style is to ask a simple leading question and let the guest go on until they stop. Ron Kauk gives a long free-association account of life in Camp 4 in the 1970s. There’s plenty of geeking out on training methods, injury recovery, and even specific techniques like knee-barring. Dimmitt was based in Bend, so Smith Rock gets more than usual attention.

Sample episodes: Interviews with Alan Watts, Boon Speed, Eric Horst, and Ron Kauk

The Runout

■ 69 episodes (Launched 2018) ■ Hosts: Chris Kalous and Andrew Bisharat ■ Topics: Mostly rock climbing, some alpinism Conversation-cast. Two knowledgeable and experienced climbers talk about climbing issues, ethics, and controversies, with terrific interviews thrown into the mix. Where Kalous’s Enormocast consists almost entirely of interviews, The Runout lets the hosts talk about climbers and their accomplishments, throwing in context and their own perspectives. Like the Bad Beta podcast, the goal is to capture the insider insights and opinions by riffing without a script. It can get into the weeds (e.g., long debates about specific instances of bolt chopping) but it’s never trivial or uninteresting.

Sample episodes: “Chasing the Alpinist,” “John Long Finds His Wings”

ALPINE Alpinist

■ 39 episodes (Launched 2017) ■ Hosts: Various Alpinist magazine editors and authors ■ Topics: Alpinism Episodes are either full readings of essays published in Alpinist magazine or interviews with serious alpinists. Lots of talk about the transformative power of climbing. Great for alpinists, armchair alpinists, and outdoorsy English majors who think of climbing, particularly risky big-mountain objectives, in terms of mythopoetic, existential struggle and not about having fun with your friends. Be prepared for reflections on suffering, death, and appendage loss.

Sample episodes: "To Look the Bear in the Eye," “Life Compass”

Cutting Edge

■ 44 episodes (Launched 2017) ■ Hosts: Dougald MacDonald and other American Alpine Journal editors ■ Topics: Alpinism and big wall climbing Interviews with serious alpinists who recently survived a climb, previously deemed impossible, inconceivable, or suicidal, of the type that will appear in the American Alpine Club’s American Alpine Journal. If you’re excited to know what happened after the ten-day storm cleared and before the avalanche swept half the party off their ten-inch ledge, this show is for you. It will make you feel the insignificance of your own accomplishments. You may also feel very cold.

Sample episodes: “Surviving the Medusa Face of Mt. Neacola,” “Link Sar,” “The Russian Tower,” “Jim Donini in Patagonia”

Firn Line

■ 71 episodes (Launched 2017, concluded 2021) ■ Host: Evan Phillips ■ Topics: Alpinism, ice climbing, backcountry skiing, some rock climbing, mostly in Alaska and Canada

Alaska-based Phillips was an alpine climber (and Denali guide) who turned to a music career, and eventually podcasting, after injury ended his mountaineering days. The show focuses mostly on alpinists in the far north, but his interests in the arts and deeper topics is clear; all 12 episodes of Season 2 are devoted to alpinists and climbers who are also writers, artists, and photographers. He started a crime podcast earlier in 2021 about unsolved cases in Alaska, so Firn Line is on (hopefully temporary) hiatus.

Sample episodes: “A Conversation with Kelly Cordes,” “See You Soon,” ”Rockies Wisdom: Barry Blanchard”

MtnMeister

■ 214 episodes (Launched 2014, concluded 2019) ■ Host: Ben Schenck ■ Topics: Rock and ice, alpinism, skiing, trail running, thru-hiking, paddling Interview show “exploring the minds of those who explore.” Schenk has great guests, from the late Ueli Steck to “The Hiking Viking,” and knows how to stoke interesting conversations. He focuses on what leads us into adventure and how we weigh risk vs. reward.

Sample episode: “Why We Climb with Chris Noble”

RESCUE/SAFETY The Sharp End

■ 69 episodes (Launched 2015) ■ Host: Ashley Saupe ■ Topics: Accidents, rescues and selfrescues, and safety information Interviews with climbing accident victims, participants, or rescuers based on the American Alpine Club’s annual Accidents in North American Climbing. “The goal of my show is to minimize future outdoor accidents by way of storytelling,” says Saupe. Unlike the more documentary publication, the first-person accounts provide a realistic sense of the actual experience. On the other hand, many of the “lessons learned” are things your mother probably told you: bring a jacket, and don’t go out alone.

Sample episodes: “Pitching In: Group Rescue on Hallett Peak,” “40 Hours Alone” [Mt. Defiance]

Rescue Radio by PMR

■ 11 episodes (Launched 2021) ■ Host: Ania Wiktorowicz ■ Topics: Rescue accounts, mostly Mt. Hood and the Pacific Northwest (PNW), and safety Produced by our very own Portland Mountain Rescue, this show packs in a lot of useful information about alpine safety that you’ll never get from a class or book.

While The Sharp End usually interviews the rescuees, Rescue Radio typically includes the rescuers, who can relate with great specificity not just their experience, techniques, and challenges, but what the rescued were doing right and wrong from their perspective. You also get local incidents, especially from Mt. Hood and the Cascades.

Sample episode:“Lost in a Whiteout”

TRAINING & HEALTH These three podcasts are each offshoots of larger websites. Yes, they are selling books, training plans, and personal coaching, but they each offer impressive amounts of free information—on training, nutrition, injury prevention and recovery, acclimatization, overtraining, failure, and even grief.

Training for Climbing

■ 67 episodes (Launched 2015) ■ Host: Eric Horst ■ Topics: Training for hard rock climbing Horst is a pioneer of systematic training for hard rock climbing. If you’re wondering how much weight to add to your one-finger pullups, or how to balance your hangboarding with your campus workouts, this is your place.

TrainingBeta

■ 197 episodes (Launched 2014) ■ Host: Neely Quinn ■ Topics: Training for rock climbing (mostly) These episodes are typically interviews with climbers or experts on training, nutrition, and mental attitude. Many focus

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Podcasts, continued from previous page.

on rock-specific concerns ( finger training and injuries, elbow problems, how to project a route, training for crack), but there are plenty on general health (stretching, dealing with disordered eating, even racism).

Uphill Athlete

■ 29 episodes (Launched 2020) ■ Hosts: Steve House and Scott Johnston ■ Topics: Rock and ice climbing, alpinism, ski mountaineering, ultra and trail running, biking.

Alpinist House and training guru Johnston wrote the book Training for the New Alpinism and started the massive Uphill Athlete website, forum, and training hub. Their view of health extends from expanding the aerobic base to recovering from trauma, life balance, and the special pressures of female athleticism; they also throw in the occasional fun interview.

Sample episode:“Learning from Failure: Scott Johnston's Early Days of Climbing”

NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT Outside/In

■ 170+ episodes (Launched 2015) ■ Hosts: Sam Evans-Brown, now Justine Paradis ■ Topics: Environmentalism, climate, energy, science, policy Although it recently lost Sam, the show’s joy-to-listen-to host, new episodes have been as good as ever. Based in New Hampshire, Outside/In is an entertaining and informative podcast about the natural world and how humans interact with it. While delving into some heavier scientific and environmental topics, the show keep things easy to understand and always delightful, full of a compelling blend of seriousness, humor, and wit.

Sample episodes: “Never Bring a Sledgehammer to a Scalpel Fight,” “Powerline,” “Full Disclosure”

HumaNature

■ 118 episodes (Launched 2015, concluded 2021) ■ Host: Erin Jones ■ Topics: Almost anything outdoors By telling stories about human experiences in the natural world, HumaNature is another show that tackles complex topics in a fun and interesting way. The show’s overarching themes are, as the website states, “human against nature, nature against human, and harmony.” The logo says it all—a quirky illustration of a bison wearing earbuds. The show seems to have gone on hiatus, but past episodes are well worth a listen.

Sample episodes: “When a Search And Rescue Becomes a Search for Something Else,” “These Boots Were Made for Hiking,” “Hoofprints on the Heart”

How to Save a Planet

■ 60+ episodes (Launched 2020) ■ Hosts: Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Alex Blumberg ■ Topics: Climate, environment, science, policy 30 MAZAMAS

If you want to know more about climate change and how to solve it, this is the podcast for you. Through a series of interviews with experts (and Dr. Johnson herself), How to Save a Planet asks hard questions and tackles difficult topics about how to “build the future we want,” while making the telling fun and entertaining at the same time. The show was recently made available only on Spotify, but it’s still free to listen to and is well worth the effort.

Sample episodes: “Black Lives Matter and the Climate,” “Is Your Carbon Footprint BS?,” “Fighting Fire with Fire”

HONORABLE MENTIONS In case all of the above left you wanting more great podcasts to listen to, here are a few more compiled by our crack team of podcast listening Publications Committee members: ■ Totally Deep (backcountry skiing, gear, athlete interviews) ■ Slide: The Avalanche Podcast (in-depth information about avalanches and how to avoid them) ■ The Avalanche Hour Podcast (interviews with avalanche industry professionals) ■ The Fine Line (backcountry rescue stories from Teton County, WY, but applicable anywhere) ■ The Caroline Gleich Show (adventure, activism, allyship, relationships, training) ■ Wild Ideas Worth Living (interviews, adventurers, athletes, entrepreneurs, health experts) ■ The Wild with Chris Morgan (wildlife, PNW, conservation)

SAYING GOODBYE JIM NIELAND 1949–1921

by Libby Nieland & Jeff Thomas Jim Nieland started climbing in 1962 with the Mazamas when he was 13 and joined the organization in 1964. His early mentors in Basic School were Erwin Rieger and Carmie Dafoe. Gil and Vivian Staender were his Intermediate School teachers.

The very first Mazama Advanced School was taught by Bill Cummins in 1966 and 1967, and Jim was nearly the first student to sign up. He advanced so quickly that Jim started assisting Bill, and soon they started climbing together. In 1968 and 1969, Jack Henry took over leadership of the Mazama Advanced School and both years Jim assisted Jack, especially during sessions at Smith Rock.

Between 1966 and 1970, the primary emphasis in Mazama Advanced School was on rock climbing. The gear and techniques used by the Mazamas and taught to Jim during the 1960s will seem odd to today’s climber. Goldline, brake bars, two-inch seat belt webbing wrapped around the waist— sometimes with leg loops made from one-inch webbing and connected with a steel locking carabiner—have all gone the way of the rotary phone and typewriter. Chouinard gear was just appearing on the market, but they still used soft iron pitons for their aid climbing. Nuts were still a British oddity.

With rock climbing the major focus of Advanced School, Monkey Face at Smith Rock became a major objective. Before, people had come to the base of the formation and just turned around. Jim and Bill changed that and successfully led at least one Mazama Monkey Face climb per year. But along with the successes there were some glitches. The first occurred when a student got her long hair caught on the Monkey’s 140-foot free rappel. They had to rig a crevasse rescue to lift her up to take the weight off the rappel device to free her hair.

The second glitch was a bit more serious and complex.

They climbed from Bohn Street to the West Face Cave, but when one of the students reached the Cave, she started to hemorrhage. Jim and Bill Cummins set up ropes on the summit as if they were pulling a person out of a crevasse, and hauled her up to Nose Cave and got her off with a Tyrolean Traverse.

Smith Rock was Jim's favorite climbing area between 1966 and 1969. Because Smith was relatively unknown, Jim amazingly never climbed in the Dihedrals. In addition, getting to the climbs was not always obvious. Consequently, at one point Jim used a little kid’s plastic boat to cross the Crooked River. However, there were numerous opportunities to explore new areas and new routes. Two of Jim’s better first ascents are King Kong on Monkey Face and the Great Roof on Brogan Spire.

Jim did not limit himself to Smith Rock during this time and visited numerous other areas, pioneering new routes in such diverse locations as Spire Rock near Detroit, Royal Arch in the Menagerie, the awesome S.W. Face of Steins Pillar, and finally two new lines on the main pillar of Twin Pillars in the Ochocos.

Jim stopped actively climbing with the Mazamas in the early 1970s, but he remained a member until 2000.

In 1972, now with a wife and daughter, he joined the US Forest Service on the Siskiyou National Forest to work in recreation management. A later move to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest brought him near to vast cave resources.

By 1977, he was supervising recreational use in the Mount St. Helens Ranger District, and managed facilities at Ape Cave. In 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted, resulting in a career change to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center Director, then Recreation O&M Assistant, with responsibility for facilities, caves, climbing, trails, and recreation planning at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

He assumed later additional responsibility as the US Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region cave management specialist. This consulting position involved travel throughout the United States assisting various federal and state agencies in managing cave resources.

Jim was deeply involved in drafting the implementation regulations for the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act, and was one of the interagency committee members for the development of agency guidelines and protocol for determination of cave significance under the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act. Although his focus at this time was predominately on caves and cave conservation, he continued to seek out new climbing areas and experiences.

Perhaps the most intriguing formation he discovered was the 1,000-foot north face of Tower Rock near Randle, Washington. Jim and his partner—Francisco Valenzuela III —pioneered a new line up this awesome face and it has not been until the last couple of years that the new generation has begun to focus on this giant and follow Francisco and Jim’s lead.

ROBERT EVERHART OCTOBER 25, 1940–JULY 10, 2021

Robert B. Everhart, PhD, passed away in Portland on July 10, 2021, due to complications from dementia. He was the longest serving Dean of the College of Education at Portland State University (1986–1998).

Bob was easy-going, outgoing, and loved the outdoors. He took his daughters hiking and backpacking continued on next page NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 31

Saying Goodbye, continued from previous page. at an early age, and they have been environmental stewards ever since. He met Shelley (his second wife) in Santa Barbara, Calif.; they married in 1987 and settled in Portland. They joined the Mazamas, climbed many Northwest glacial peaks, and participated in numerous backpacking trips. There wasn’t a mountain lake that they didn’t jump into! Bob and Shelley ran 10Ks, Hood to Coast, biked Cycle Oregon, skied with the Cascade Prime Timers, kayaked in the Sea of Cortez, and cycled in Europe. They traveled the world­­—from Turkey to New Zealand, Europe to Patagonia, Alaska to Costa Rica, Russia to China, the Caribbean to Tahiti.

A memorial service will be planned at a later date when it’s safe to travel and gather at St. Luke Lutheran Church ,as well as a celebration of life at PSU.

YUNLONG ONG JANUARY, 27, 1972– SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Yunlong Ong, Long to his many friends, was born in Brunei, a tiny nation on the island of Borneo, in 1972. In 1996, Long earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Singapore—the first in his family to graduate college. From Southeast Asia Long moved first to Denver, Colorado to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, then on to Los Angelas, California where he entered UCLA for a master’s degree. In 2010, Long moved to Portland with is partner, Bill, for a job as a Nurse Practitioner. He joined the Mazamas in 2014 after climbing Mt. Adams. He took BCEP, ICS, and eventually joined the Leadership Development program to become an official climb leader.

Long’s love of climbing began after a 28-day hike experience in the Himalaya in the late 1990s. That deep sense of appreciation for the mountain drove his quest to explore more peaks and to share stories from the deepest reaches of valleys and mountains. Climbing allowed him to enter “the now” moment—what Buddhists call mindfulness—not just while clinging to rocks in mid-air, but “strolling down a fairway or looking out the window at a birch tree swaying in the breeze.”

He aspired to be a climb leader people looked up to.

The Mazamas ignited the spark in him to help aspiring mountaineers succeed. Nothing motivated him more than the opportunity to create a great spirit of learning and knowledgesharing with like-minded people. At the heart of his desire to be a better climber is to be an inspirational climb leader.

He will be deeply missed by the Mazama community.

For more on Long's life story, see Ian McCluskey's article

Strong Long, Yunlong Ong's quest to outclimb cancer in the March/ April 2021 Mazama Bulletin.

32 MAZAMAS

LYNN LIPPERT AUGUST 13, 1942– SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

Lynn Lippert, 79, died in Portland, Oregon after a 24-year battle with breast cancer. She passed away at home in the arms of her wife, Sal Jepson. She was surrounded and comforted by friends. We smiled that she passed at precisely 1:30 p.m., as she was never on time for anything in her life. Lynn was born in Toledo, Oregon, to Molly Dott and Rudolph Lippert. Although officially married on August 15, 2013, to her wife, Sal Jepson, their love and partnership spanned 38 years. Together Lynn and Sal traveled to seven continents and climbed many mountains and hiked countless trails. Lynn was a physical therapist and enjoyed a long career as both a clinician and teacher. Lynn authored the first book ever specifically published for physical therapist assistants, Clinical Kinesiology and Anatomy, which is in its seventh edition.

In 1997, when Lynn was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time, the surgeon asked her when she wanted to schedule surgery. Lynn said, “What are you doing this afternoon?” So began a 24-year battle. Each time her cancer metastasized or a treatment stopped working she would say, “I just have to get up, get dressed, and give it all I’ve got so I can stay just a little bit longer.” She fought hard until her very last breath. If it is true we die twice, once when we take our last breath and again when the last person whose life we impacted says our name, Lynn will be here for a very long time.

Heartfelt thanks to all the friends who supported Lynn in her long battle. They witnessed how she never gave up, suffered many setbacks and difficult treatments with grace and dignity, and became a tireless fundraiser for breast cancer research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. A special thanks to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Dr. Salazar, Dr. Linden, Dr. Kim, Brianna Ritchie, PA, Madison Winters, RN, and the entire nursing staff and all the support staff that helped Lynn “stay just a little bit longer.”

A celebration of life will be held when it is safe to do so post-pandemic.

To honor Lynn’s spirit, try something you think you can’t do because Lynn would tell you that you are stronger and braver than you think. Then have some chocolate chocolate chip ice cream and consider using the link below to donate to the Lynn S. Lippert and Sal A. Jepson Breast Cancer Research Endowment Fund, which provides a yearly grant to fund breast cancer research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: fredhutch.org/lynnlippert

EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTES

AUGUST 17, 2021

ATTENDING (ZOOM): Joe Eberhardt, President; Aimee Filimoehala, Vice President; Amanda Ryan-Fear, Secretary; Reena Clements, Lori Coyner, Judith Baker, Bob Breivogel; Staff: Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director; Laura Burger, Development Coordinator. Not attending: Jesse Applegate, Treasurer.

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. Joe began by noting that the focus of the meeting would be on five agenda items outlined in the packet.

BUSINESS AGENDA ■ July Minutes: Approval of the minutes from the July meeting. Judith Baker made a motion to approve the minutes, Reena Clements seconded. Motion to approve passed by a unanimous voice vote.

■ Membership Report: Secretary Amanda Ryan-Fear noted 26 new members and 638 reinstated members. Total membership stands at 2, 881.

■ Treasurer’s Report: Sarah Bradham gave the Treasurer’s Report in Jesse’s absence. □ Financials are trending well, despite the hard numbers not being what we expected. □ Revenue and expenses are both down. □ Sarah applied for forgiveness for the second round PPP draw last Friday and we are hoping for forgiveness of that draw by the end of our fiscal year. □ Expenses are significantly down for travel & mileage, leader training, and gear due to fewer activities and classes during this past year (cancellations of ICS, FM101, AR, Backcountry Skiing (lecture only this year), and a decrease in climbing opportunities).

■ Joe mentioned that there is a vacancy on the EC Finance Committee. Bob volunteered to join at least until the EC turns over after the election.

ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT ■ Sarah Bradham provided an update on current and ongoing efforts. Things of note beyond her written report included:

□ Delta variant of COVID is surging. We have had inquiries from several of our climb leaders as to whether we should be leading climbs and educational activities that could result in the need to use emergency resources at a time when hospitals are overloaded.

Also questioning if we should require vaccines for indoor activities. Bob noted he is in favor of a vaccine requirement for indoor activities. Joe noted that we might face a backlash for this type of policy. Sarah noted that we could wait for full approval of the vaccine by the FDA before requiring the vaccine for indoor programming, as that would remove a potential barrier for those who have yet to be vaccinated. □ Mazama Lodge: Kiki had to ask two people not to return for violating Lodge policy. □ Optout for electronic voting closed and Laura Burger will be getting the election materials together. □ Sarah has some concern about the potential for classes that have already registered to be cancelled and ensuring we have funds for potential refunds. □ The Dick Pugh estate closed and we received a little over $15,000. It can either go towards building maintenance or research grants, and Sarah recommends research grants since they have no restricted funds at the moment.

BYLAWS UPDATE ■ Vice President Amiee Filmoehala gave an update on the recent work done by the working group: □ August 18 is the online information session. There is an in-person session as well next week. □ They are still looking for volunteers from the EC to attend the in-person meeting at an “Ask the EC” table. □ Considering adding a comment section or multiple choice question specifically for feedback on the amendment and why people voted the way they did.

Joe noted there is already precedent for feedback in the election process as well. Sarah confirmed that we haven’t done feedback specifically on voting items, just on the election process in general. Bob suggested specific options so we get a more clear idea of feedback.

Judith believes the wording is fine and the critique she has seen online of it is getting off track. Judith also believes we need to be prepared to discuss the language and why they used it. Aimee suggested including the wording of the values on the online ballot.

MEMBER COMMENT PERIOD ■ No member chose to speak during the comment period.

FY21 AUDIT ■ Sarah recommended we go with a full audit instead of a more basic review. The downside of a review is that we won’t have audited financial statements for grant applications. Joe recommends that we move to an every other year schedule for full audits and reviews. Judith suggested that as an organization of this size we should probably do a full audit every year. Lori noted that if we have big changes we should consider an audit.

■ Next steps are to hear back from the auditor with a price comparison. A review is very high-level whereas an audit is very detailed and specific. Once she gets the exact numbers Sarah will bring it back to EC next month for a vote.

2022 BUDGET ■ Sarah noted that the budget is 90 percent complete. She gave a review of the budget worksheets and how they roll up.

■ Joe asked about the 20 percent overhead number and if there are outliers that are much higher or lower. Sarah noted we will be continuing to use it this year, but we should work towards a more accurate cost allocation in FY23 ■ The Lodge will still likely struggle with reservations as COVID continues. We also added some budget categories to more accurately reflect how we use the Lodge for our own rentals. Joe asked if there is a need to look more at internal rental costs and how they affect the class budgets. Sarah noted that facilities are pretty on, but food and drink may be underpriced.

■ Currently at about a planned $180,000 deficit for FY22. Any defired spending would need to come from our investment funds. Insurance cost and

continued on next page NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 33

Minutes, continued from previous page. taxes increased, due to the Foundation closure (we have to pay property taxes). also increased. Considering we used to rely on a $80–120K grant from the Foundation, we are in line with expectations, and trending in a good direction from the previous few years. Joe suggested that we pull out Foundation expenses to compare apples to apples with previous years.

■ Aimee asked about having a percent increase in all classes, and Sarah noted that most already have. People are more comfortable with the increases as long as there are scholarship and financial aid options. Joe suggested that we keep steady increases for at least the next five years.

■ Joe commented that to get to a truly balanced budget we need a paradigm shift. Should we be looking at trying to decrease expenses or should we be looking at trying to increase revenue?

Both?

■ Sarah will send out the budget draft to the board along with the budget narrative.

■ Need to build out the estate planning tools.

■ Joe Eberhardt adjourned the meeting at 6:15 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 (PENDING APPROVAL) ATTENDING (ZOOM): Joe Eberhardt, President; Aimee Filimoehala, Vice President; Jesse Applegate, Treasurer; Amanda RyanFear, Secretary; Reena Clements, Judith Baker, Bob Breivogel; Staff: Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director; Mathew Brock, Library & Historical Collection Manager; Guests: Charles Barker, David Urbaniak, Greg Scott, Guy Wettstein, Matt Sundling.

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. Joe began by noting that the focus of the meeting would be on five agenda items outlined in the packet.

BUSINESS AGENDA ■ Minutes. Amanda Ryan-Fear asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the 34 MAZAMAS

August meeting. Reena Clements made a motion to approve the minutes, Judith Baker seconded. Motion carried.

■ Membership Report. Amanda RyanFear gave the membership report, see the packet for details. □ Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director, noted that she’s concerned about the slow down in recent renewals. Sarah thinks there might be some uncertainty tied to the upcoming bylaws vote, COVID, or the general sense of unease with regard to the organization moving forward. □ Sarah and Laura Burger, Development Coordinator, are sending a postcard to all the non-renewed members to encourage them to renew.

■ Treasurer’s Report. In his report, Jesse Applegate noted that while renewals, and Lodge rental income are down, overall the financial situation looks good. □ Sarah Bradham noted that the budget initially called for a draw of $226,000 from the investment account, but to date, only $60,000 has been withdrawn. □ Overall the budget is trending in the right direction for the first time in years.

ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT ■ Sarah Bradham gave her Acting Executive Director report. Items noted beyond the written report are as follows: □ Tom Guyot recently completed his 1000th ramble. □ The bi-monthly committee chair meeting is coming up, Sarah will host it on Zoom. □ Staff is prepping for the Annual Meeting on October 4. □ We Climb High Vol. 2 is in the home stretch and will be published soon. A limited number of physical copies will be made available and a PDF of the book will be available online for free. □ The Lodge Manager had to ban a member. The chair of the Lodge Committee handled it and Sarah recommends that the individual, who joined the Mazamas after the incident, be expelled. □ Joe Eberhardt, Mazama President, tasked Sarah with forming a review committee and submitting a report to the Executive Council within the next two weeks.

□ The Executive Council will then vote by email on the expulsion.

FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET ■ Sarah Bradham presented the FY22 budget, explaining that the budget as presented is a fiscally responsible budget created under yet another year of transition and unpredictability—COVID, leadership, and bylaws challenges. The budget is grounded in reality and does not contain magical thinking in regard to potential donations or grants. □ Sarah noted that staffing and the line item for salary is always a contentious issue. She let the board know that the Mazamas is essentially back to the same staffing level as FY14. Adjusted for inflation (and not taking into account the Lodge manager or youth program manager) the budget for staff as presented is $20,000 less than in 2014. □ Following a lengthy discussion that touched on a variety of topics including membership dues increase, increased class fees, reduced staffing, and potential opportunities to raise more revenue, Judith made a motion to accept the budget as presented.

Jess seconded the motion. The board approved the budget on a majority vote, four in favor, three opposed.

MOUNTAIN EDUCATION ALLIANCE UPDATE ■ Matt Sundling, former chair of the Climbing Committee, was on hand to present an update on the MEA project.

■ The team recently completed two days of training at Smith Rock that went very well. Matt thanked Justin Rotherham, former Education and Activities Program Manager, for all his work in developing the handbooks and training materials.

■ The current group consists of one mentor and four trainers. Matt sees the potential to scale the project to eventually include 60–70 individuals when it is up and running.

LEADER TRAINING: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ■ Matt Sundling let the board know that the Climbing Committee will be adding an Emotional Intelligence component to its leader training course.

□ This is something that the Mazamas have been talking about and exploring for decades but has never implemented. Now is the time to do so given the recent events involving climb leaders on social media and other incidents. □ Joe Eberhardt asked if this was a program that could be expanded to leadership across the organization, Matt affirmed that it could and should be expanded to all leaders. Climbing Committee will do its part and hope those other committees will take up the initiative.

ANNUAL FINANCIAL REVIEW ■ Sarah Bradham asked the board to approve Kern & Thompson to do the annual financial review. □ This is a switch from the annual audit of recent years and will save the organization approximately $5,000. □ Aimee Filimoehala made a motion to approve the Kern & Thompson to do the review, Bob Breivogel seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

■ Joe Eberhardt adjourned the meeting into executive session at 6:05 p.m., minutes kept separately.

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BASIC CLIMBING EDUCATION PROGRAM (BCEP)

LEARN TO CLIMB—START YOUR JOURNEY WITH US

H

ave you wanted to climb our nearby mountains but don’t know how to get started? Do you feel somehow bored by backpacking, circumnavigating, and just staring at Mt. Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and the other impressive Cascade peaks?

The Mazama Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) is for you. BCEP teaches the skills needed to climb snow-covered peaks and outdoor rock—and introduces you to other people who like to climb! The eight-week class includes weekly lectures (virtual) and team breakout sessions, field sessions, and conditioning hikes.

The field sessions provide practical exposure to foundations in rock climbing and snow travel, and make you familiar with some basic techniques and gear choice. You will learn and practice the technical skills needed to climb a glaciated peak as a climb team member supported by a great team, including an experienced climb leader and skilled assistant instructors.

BCEP is very time-intensive, so we highly recommend clearing your schedule as much as possible during the eight weeks of the course. We promise, it will be worth it! Hikes and field sessions are typically full-day activities, and weekly lectures and team breakout sessions are about three hours in length. A mandatory skills assessment occurs at the end of the course and will certify you as a valued member on your next summit approach. GET READY TO CLIMB!

36 MAZAMAS

Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) 2022 Info Night: January 6, 2022 Application Open: January 11, 2022 Application Close: January 18, 2022 First Session of BCEP Begins: February 28, 2022 Badges Earned: BCEP Course, Basic Snow, Basic Rock More Info: mazamas.org/BCEP

Note on COVID-19: Please be aware that a proof of vaccination is mandatory to attend the BCEP class in 2022. Please see mazamas.org/ coronavirusresponse for details. Thank you for understanding.

Affinity Groups: Please be aware that a proof of vaccination is mandatory to attend the BCEP class in 2022. Please see mazamas.org/ coronavirusresponse for details. Thank you for understanding.

WONDERING IF BCEP IS FOR YOU? THREE GRADUATES SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND ACHIEVEMENTS. The Basic Climbing Education Program has been the starting point for many climbers of all age groups and experience levels.

The program does not require climbing experience but can also work for people who would like to refresh their skill set.

An appropriate fitness level and, even more important, interest in climbing and a certain level of mountain-madness is all that is needed to get started.

Ophelia Yan, BCEP 2021 I have been rock climbing for several years now, and before taking BCEP, I never felt like I had a solid grasp on what I was doing. I learned how to climb from friends and instructors at the gym but didn’t have the full picture around how to choose routes or how to truly keep myself and my partners safe. I come from a family of “indoor” people, and never really saw many people who look like me doing these types of activities.

My BCEP team was led by four extremely skilled individuals, two of whom are women, and one who is BIPOC. I felt so supported through my learning, knowing that I was learning from people who have similar experiences to me and were also once in the same place as me when I started. The class helped me with my mental climbing skills as much as my physical climbing skills, and also helped me expand from rock climbing into mountaineering. I feel more confidence in the skills that I have in my outdoor toolbox and am extremely grateful for the experience.

Thanks to BCEP and the Mazamas, I am now a part of a larger network of people who love the outdoors and have a basic skill set to enjoy them safely together.

Andy Robbins, BCEP 2021 I signed up for BCEP to extend my hiking and backpacking by learning about traveling on snow and ice, enabling me to take on more challenging climbs. I wasn't disappointed as I learned these skills and a whole lot more. To my surprise, the program has opened so many more possibilities. I wasn't excited about rock climbing and now I love it, having just completed a weekend at Smith Rock and I climb indoors multiple times a week. I highly recommend taking BCEP, who knows what outdoor passions you might uncover?

Kyla Skerry, BCEP 2021 As an avid hiker eager to follow in my grandfather’s mountaineering footsteps, I signed up for BCEP with minimal climbing knowledge and some fairly straightforward, (if not entirely unique) goals: 1. Acquire some basic climbing skills, 2. Meet some nice people to climb with, and of course, 3. Summit Mt. Hood.

What I didn’t realize initially was how rewarding this course would end up being—so much more than simply a means of accomplishing a checklist.

BCEP is a great way to familiarize yourself with the groundwork of basic alpinism and rock climbing, to begin to develop the skills necessary to climb safely, and to get some hands-on experience in the mountains. Regardless of where you are at the beginning of class or what you decide to do afterwards, a few things are certain: You’ll leave with good memories, great friendships, and plenty of knowledge to impress your friends and family with. And you may just end up with a whole lot of items on your bucket list. To borrow a line from my BCEP instructor Bill McLoughlin, “We (you) will have fun.”

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 37

2021 ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

by Sarah Bradham, Acting Executive Director

I

would like to say a huge thank you to our board. This year has been a roller coaster ride of unpredictability and the members have devoted significantly more time to board work than would typically be expected as a result. A special thank you to our outgoing president Joe Eberhardt, for working to keep the board grounded during this period of time. We thank you.

Secondly, I would like to thank our volunteers. Our volunteers have faced myriad challenges, and I have watched time and time again as they rose to meet them. I have appreciated working with our committees, leaders, and volunteers over the year as they embraced the unpredictability, and brainstorm and implement new ways to serve our community during this time. We wouldn’t be where we are at this moment without all of you. Thank you.

It should be no surprise to anyone that COVID has been the overarching theme of this year—for the Mazamas and the rest of the world. Our ability to operate and to interact has been subjected to everchanging protocols due to the nature of a constantly evolving pandemic. At times it has been confusing and frustrating, and yet folks have learned and implemented and adapted to these changes.

While there were programs we were unable to operate this year due to COVID, other courses sprung up in their place.

BCEP operated in defined cohorts for the first time and discovered new ways of instructing. ICS and AR created shortduration skill builders. Backcountry Skiing developed a virtual series. All committees learned to meet on Zoom and do business without driving to and from the MMC, which had a nice side benefit of putting fewer cars on the road which helps with conservation initiatives.

The innovations from 2021 are impacting committee plans for 2022.

There are more virtual lecture options in the pipeline, our first aid programs are adapting to national certifications, BCEP is looking at offering a varied schedule for the first time in history, and much more.

In 2021, we saw climb leaders adapting by selecting their parties closer to the date of their climbs to ensure the COVID protocols and local guidance hadn’t changed prior to intended climb dates.

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Hike leaders explored new hikes closer to home as well as offering sunset hikes on weekdays to limit their interaction with crowds. One of our hike leaders, hosted regular zoom sessions to keep connected with other hike leaders during this time.

Innovation at its finest.

While all of our programming was impacted in some way, what I saw over this period of time was our resilience, our ability to adapt to the current environment, and develop new ways to achieve our mission. We have the ability to radically change and to do so quickly when we are required to and have the will to do so.

EXTERNALLY FOCUSED PROGRAMMING

In the area of our more externally focused programming, Mazama Wild, our summer youth camp was a success.

In a pandemic year we grew this program from 8 weeks of camp in 2020 to 9 weeks in 2021, and increased the number of kids we could serve each week from 40 to 48.

Due to the close attention to masking by our counselors and adherence to COVID protocols, we didn’t have a single issue with COVID in camp this summer.

The Mountain Education Alliance (MEA), our partnership with the American Alpine Club, The Mountaineers, and the Colorado Mountain Club, continued our work on developing national education standards for volunteers. We have an inspired and invigorated volunteer crew that has picked up this program as staff has exited, and we’ve piloted assessments to certify volunteers to meet standards in Top Rope, Traditional, and Sport Climbing. We are targeting an audit by the UIAA in 2022 for these programs.

Closer to home on the advocacy front, volunteers organized 9 days of work parties on the Mazama Trail. Our namesake trail was heavily damaged last year in the Labor Day windstorm, and this crew needed to bring our trail back from the dead. A huge

shout out to Rick Pope & Sue Brickey for taking on this task.

FINANCIAL

Two weeks ago, the Executive Board passed our 2022 budget that was built with input from our committees, staff, and Board Finance Committee. The budget factors in almost a full educational and activity load this year, as well as full funding of our grants. It remains a deficit budget, but the planned deficit is shifting in the right direction and shrinking instead of increasing.

Organizationally, we need to stay focused on a sustainable business model, to lessen our need on large donations to manage basic operations.

Our budget also plans on a high membership retention rate, and today I ask all of you to renew your membership if you haven’t already done so and to encourage others to as well. We finished September with a high number of renewals and we hope for the same in October. Please help us meet that goal, and consider making a donation this year, and if possible, a recurring monthly donation. General donor support at all levels is integral to our success both this year, and for many years to come. I thank you in advance for your support.

CLOSING

It is tempting to only give you the positives from the year tonight, and to try to couch everything as an opportunity.

However, I think we need to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that we are at a tenuous time in our history.

As a nonprofit organization, we exist to serve our community to achieve our mission of “inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains.” We have been a nonprofit organization since 1946. Our nonprofit status has been threatened several times over the years, and in 1972 there was the possibility that our status

with the IRS would be changed to that of a social club; this could have dramatically changed our operations. Even after 75 years, it is common for members not to know we are nonprofit.

In 1999 there was a proposed Bylaws Amendment to remove all instances of the word club from the Bylaws to demonstrate a shift to a more formally organized and managed Mazamas. That Bylaws amendment passed, the change was made, and officially, we shifted from a club to an organization.

Twenty-two years later, we are still disagreeing with each other about whether we are a club or an organization.

I have been with the Mazamas as a volunteer, committee member, climb leader, contractor, and staff member over the last two decades. This organization is filled with people who care deeply about the work they are doing, and that care shines through in the amazing work that is achieved. Yet, there are times when those deep feelings lead to behavior that cross the line.

This past year we have seen a rise in these types of interactions. I’m not sure if it is due to people being stressed due to COVID, the ability to be anonymous through forms, or just the lack of understanding that there is a real person on the other end of electronic communications. But regardless of the reason, it has to stop.

Disagreement and healthy conversation are encouraged and welcomed. Name-calling, bullying, and threatening forms of communication and interactions are not acceptable. This is the first year in which the Nominating Committee created a special category for some of the comments that came in with the election, marking them as abusive. Some of the comments that were written are too horrible to share here.

As we move into our next year of the Mazamas, I ask you all to think about who you want us to be. Outside of the glaciated peak requirement that is being debated, who do we want to be as people? How do we want to interact with each other? What type of community do we want to foster? What do you want your legacy at the Mazamas to be?

My hope is that over the next year, we will all realize that we have more in common than not.

My hope is that we can continue our 127-year legacy to explore, research, steward, and teach, while adapting to the changing landscape and needs of our community.

My hope is that we can admit that we need to make changes to ensure that people feel a sense of welcoming, belonging, and safety at the Mazamas.

My hope is that most importantly, we can do this work together, from a place of unity and understanding.

While these are hopes, they are not hopes without substance. I have seen great things happen at the Mazamas time and time again. We have pulled ourselves out of difficult places before. I believe with my whole heart that we can do it again.

2021 SECRETARY’S REPORT

By Amanda Ryan-Fear, 2020– 2021 Mazama Secretary

A

s of the last day of July, 2021, membership in the Mazamas stood at approximately 2,790 members.

Heading into our 2022 membership year, membership stands at 1,051. Contained within that number are 44 new members and 1,007 renewed or lapsed members from 2021. One year ago, membership stood at 3,115 members, a decline of 325 members.

During our renewal period this year we’ve received $20,000 in donations, up from $19,090 last year at this time. A big thank you to our Development Coordinator Laura Burger for working hard on our membership campaign. As we go forward we are encouraging everyone to renew their membership. A majority of our members have already elected to renew online this year, which is promising, and we thank everyone who has renewed their support. Renewing your membership is the easiest way for you to support your Mazama community as we find our footing during a challenging time. You can renew any time on our website, mazamas.org. You can also call our office and renew over the phone.

Membership fees account for roughly one-quarter of our annual revenue, and pays only for a portion of the costs associated with membership. Now more than ever it's important that we come together during this challenging time for the organization. Our work over the next few years will set the stage for the future of the organization, and it's important that you're a part of that. I’d like you to consider how your membership fees support the mission and work of the Mazamas. Renewing your membership in the Mazamas, more than anything else, is a statement of support. It shows that you value being a part of the Mazamas and all of the work that we do across the organization, from our historical collections, to our education and activity programs, our youth and outreach programs, our events like the Portland Alpine Festival, and of course our stewardship and advocacy work. Yes, you get a Bulletin, and you get to vote—but the power of your membership lives in our mission and in our work.

I thank you all for your continued support of the Mazamas.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 39

2021 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

by Joe Eberhardt, 2020–2021 Mazama President

T

he Mazamas has been going through many changes over the last few years, and this last year may have been a confluence unlike any other in our history. We continue to broaden our membership to include many different people and many different approaches to how they love the mountains.

Our Mazama community has long been larger than just our glaciated peak climbers, and the proposed bylaw amendment up for a vote this year is a reflection of a desire to formally make a change to include the large number of nonglaciated peak climbers in our community into our membership. Those folks may be avid hikers, rock climbers, or other active individuals who call the mountains their special place. I myself was a hiker in my youth, later a rock climber in the 1980s, and eventually a glaciated peak climber in the 2000s. Getting to the top of your first summit is a journey. Why should we only recognize the summit with membership, when for those of us who have summited know that the journey to that summit is more important? That journey starts with our many preparations: the countless hikes of lesser peaks like Dog Mountain, gear preparation and packing, mental preparation, and skill training preparation like taking our Basic Climbing Education Program. Along the way on this journey we have all made friends with similar interests, found comrades to adventure with in the wilderness, and for some even found their future spouse. We spend a lot more time with our Mazama community than we do on any summit. I would argue that how we form community and the values we collectively share are our strength, and therefore they are the most important aspects that define what it means to be called a Mazama.

The last year or so has seen significant social change, and that has influenced the Mazamas. The Mazamas do not live in a climbing bubble independent of social change. Our community will evolve in time as it has always done in step with past social changes over the 127 years of our existence. Not every Mazama is going to agree with the other on the direction some social changes are going. This is natural. The Mazamas are, after all, a sampling of the larger US population with its many perspectives. The highlighting of

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social changes and sharing your personal perspective when communicated through email and social media can at times lead to division instead community building.

When communication devolves into name calling, bullying, blatant slandering, and antagonistic behavior then it has no place in our community. Some individuals have been banned for such actions from our social media sites this last year, and going forward we will have a zero tolerance for such conduct. Should the decision to engage in bad behavior be serious enough, be aware your membership could be in jeopardy. Be better in your conduct towards your fellow volunteers and members. Promote good fellowship, as it is expected of our members and as is a clearly-stated priority in our bylaws and code of conduct.

When engaged in communication that may be turning into heated debate, pause for a moment before you type that next text or hit send on that inflammatory email.

Pretend you are talking to your belayer while climbing. How would you address them? What tone would you strike? Should they go astray at some point and take you off belay too early before you are safely anchored, you might let out an expletive and get their attention, but would you then continue to swear and berate them?

I think not. Remember that many eyes are watching your posts on social media. The Executive Council is watching and will enforce disciplinary measures against bad behavior. The community is also watching, and possibly your actions may change their opinion of you.

We are here to have fun! Many of us are volunteers in one or multiple areas, and we do that because we are having fun. Let’s keep things fun.

The pandemic has also caused many changes to our Mazama activities, classes and other programming. I want to thank all of you that are engaged in these various aspects of keeping the Mazamas going during these difficult times. I know it is

not easy. The health challenges and the changing rules keep us on our toes.

Lastly, the Mazamas has had much change in the Executive Director role for some time now. Lee Davis left, Sarah Bradham stepped in until Mitsu Iwasaki was hired, Mitsu left to head up the AAC, and Sarah stepped in again. There are various reasons for these comings and goings, and most have to do with the individual.

During this period, both before Mitsu briefly joined us and after he left, Sarah Bradham has done an outstanding job as our Acting Executive Director. She has handled many serious issues, emergencies, and staff turnover during the last few years that would challenge any leader. Recently, Sarah was offered the full title of Executive Director, but after careful consideration has announced she has decided to leave her position on the Mazamas staff at the end of October. Her service over the last two decades as a passionate volunteer, a climb leader, and the Director of Operations for the Mazamas shows her deep commitment and engagement in our community. Though Sarah is leaving as a staff member, I hope to continue to see her in our community. Thank you, Sarah.

In closing, I would like to thank the membership for allowing me the opportunity to serve on the Executive Council. As I end the final year of my threeyear term and step down as President, I see the Mazamas differently than I did previously. In part that is because we have been going through some changes as I described earlier, but also because I have changed. I see the Mazamas now more like a living breathing thing, rather than a hierarchy with a set of rules and rigid doctrines. The Mazamas is alive! It is dynamic. It will change as time goes by. Help it to grow into something better where community can flourish and good fellowship will abound from your efforts.

2021 TREASURER’S REPORT

by Jesse Applegate, 2020–2021 Mazama Treasurer

T

he Mazama fiscal year (FY) runs from October 1–September 30, and is referred to by the year in which it ends. This year was FY21. Despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID pandemic, we saw significant improvement in our bottom line and are trending in the right direction. The Mazamas Foundation dissolved at the end of last fiscal year, FY20, and the Mazamas now hold all of the assets of the Mazamas Foundation, including the Mazama Mountaineering Center. In April 2020 we applied for our first Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan and in February 2021 we applied for our second. Both were forgiven in FY21, hence the entirety of the PPP funds appear in our grants line item for this year, despite the cash from the first PPP loan being used in FY20.

ASSETS

We started FY21 with $3,219,179 in assets and are completing the year with $3,283,118 for a net change of $63,939. For reference, our net assets for August 31, 2020 were $855,440 prior to acquiring the Foundation’s assets.

At the end of FY20, we had $1,041,678 in investments compared to $0 in FY19, and at the end of FY21 we had $1,188,333 in investments, with $50,000 attributable to a restricted donation for the Dick Pugh Memorial Fund.

REVENUE

We started the year with a projected revenue of $718,650 and projected expenses of $914,672, which would have produced a net deficit of $196,022. We had intended to pull from our investments to cover the deficit as we have since the creation of the Mazamas Foundation in 1997. While our financials are not completely final as of this writing, our budget currently shows $719,910 in revenue, which is $1,260 above our budget, a variance of .2 percent positive to budget. Year-end expenses are projected at $801,367, which is $112,045 under our budget, a variance of 13 percent in the positive direction. This projection would lead to a deficit of $81,457 which is $114,565 better than budgeted. When you factor in our PPP funds, the second draw of which was $111,250, we will end the year with net revenue of $29,793 (compared to a projected net deficit of $196,022).

We have seen a large increase in individual donations over the past year,

with a dramatic increase in the number of donors giving gifts of $150 or more, which is new for the Mazamas. Total individual donations are predicted to be $147,5331, which is approximately 20 percent of our revenue. Mazama Membership dues are $146,420, which is 20 percent of our revenue. Education programs are $127,459, for 18 percent of our revenue, with Activities Fees amounting to $167,431, or 23 percent of our revenue. Mazama Wild makes up $121,938 of our Activity fees, accounting for 74 percent of the revenue on activities. The remainder of our revenue is earned through merchandise sales, rental of the Mazama Lodge, and advertising and sponsorship revenue.

EXPENSES

The bulk of our expense is in personnel, at $389,771, or 47 percent of the expense budget. Of the personnel costs, $108,250 of that is contained within the Mazama Wild program which is directly offset with Activity fees, and minimal merchandise fees. Mazama Wild has a net positive budget of $12,000. Professional services, Labor Contracts, and Independent Contracts comprise the next largest category at $98,412. This category covers legal fees, financial services, cleaning services (lodge), maintenance services, and facilities management. Insurance is our next largest category at $71,754, our grants make up $44,040, printing and shipping at $35,000, taxes at $30,890, and utilities (MMC & Lodge) at $22,379.

SUMMARY

We had a very strong year, and improved dramatically on our predicted shortfall of $196,000 to end the year almost $30,000 net positive. Even without the PPP funds, we would have ended the year at -$81,000 which would have been an improvement of $115,000.

While we had to cancel three of our main programs due to COVID —Advanced Rock, Intermediate Climbing School, and FM101— and had to run our flagship program, BCEP, at fifty percent capacity, our committees pulled out all the stops to create programming for our community, which significantly helped our bottom line.

We awarded grants in all of our grant areas—conservation, research, and expedition—for the first time in three years, despite the projected deficit in effort to serve our community and draw down on funds restricted for grants and meet the original intent of the donors of those monies.

Close attention to management of expenses and focus on maximizing revenue led us to a much reduced deficit as compared to budget.

Looking forward, we must continue to prioritize the stabilization of our business model to reduce our ongoing deficit budgets. FY21 was a solid step in the right direction to right-sizing the Mazama budget and achieving organizational stability.

1 Individual donations includes some funds that need to be recoded as restricted, including $15,000 from Dick Pugh’s Estate which is Research Grants, and $24,050 that is restricted to the Trail Tending Tool Shed Project.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 41

2021 COMMITTEE REPORTS Thank you to all of our outgoing chairs and committee members for your service! We appreciate all you have done through these challenging times. A hearty welcome to Adventurous Young Mazamas The Adventurous Young Mazamas (AYM) were fairly quiet throughout 2020–21, with many of our usual activities canceled due to COVID-19. We hope to offer more activities this fall and winter! A big update from AYM is that after a couple of years functioning as part of the Trail Trips Committee, we are now establishing ourselves as an affinity group within the organization. Our hope is to continue offering the activities our members know and love (hikes, Winter Weekend at Mazama Lodge, monthly indoor climb nights, and pub nights), while also adding more events in collaboration with other committees.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Co-chairs: Heather Polonsky, Rachel Smith, and Silja Tobin ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Aaron Kaufmann, and Matt Reeder ■ Incoming Members: Aaron Kaufmann, and Matt Reeder

Advanced Rock (AR) Despite having to cancel AR for the second year in a row, we're happy with what we accomplished. This includes several new classes—all of which filled up immediately—and some short skill videos that we shared on our Facebook page.

Our accomplishments include a Gear and Anchor Building skill builder that had both Zoom and in-person components (at Broughton Bluff) that was very successful, creating opportunities for more people to learn the basics of trad. We held a Crack Clinic at Smith Rock for two groups of students. One group was open specifically for BIPOC1 climbers, and both groups were fully subscribed. We held a High Angle Rescue (HAR) skill builder session that honed the AR HAR curriculum down to the most crucial skills. The info we provided to students was top-notch, and the work that went into this will translate well for our AR curriculum. HAR training. We also created some shorter videos for social media on racking, cleaning an anchor, various climbing techniques, and drills.

1 Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)

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our incoming members and our continuing members—we look forward to working together to make 2021–22 a great year.

We were able to translate some of these videos into Spanish, to further broaden our community.

■ 2020–21 Co-chairs: Tom Baughman and Kate Scanlan ■ Incoming Co-chairs: Maureen O’Hagan and Kate Scanlan ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Patrick Beeson, Angie Brown, Lynny Brown, George Cummings, Anna Lio, John Meckel, Maureen O’Hagan, Eric Rutz, Suresh Singh, and Tom Ulrich ■ Outgoing Members: ■ Incoming Members: Tom Baughman, Patrick Beeson, Angie Brown, Terry Campbell, George Cummings, Anna Lio, John Meckel, Eric Rutz, Suresh Singh, and John Wilson

Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) The BCEP Committee completed a successful 2021 season with about 100 total students on 18 teams consisting of a climb leader, three assistants, and six students. Traditionally, we have a similar number of teams but with up to 12 students and considerably more assistants.

This was the second year in a row where our cadre of assistants was limited, so we hope to engage those assistants in the 2022 session. We are planning for a full session of 20 teams of 12 students in 2022 with a few changes. However, we will have contingency plans in place if COVID restrictions require adjustments.

This year, we are introducing a rolling start date which we anticipate will help some climb leaders with scheduling and willingness to participate. The lectures will again be online and complemented with in-person weekly team breakouts and activities such as hikes, snow days, and the Horsethief rock session. Belay from above will be eliminated from the curricula to be in line with Families Mountaineering and will be introduced in ICS. Fixed line curricula will be updated to be in line with the ICS curricula as well. Testing most likely will be completed by the climb leaders and assistants as it was in 2021 so

that we can offer rolling start dates. The committee will update some of the lectures and content per curricula changes and student feedback.

There is an interest in expanding our affinity groups to include Latinx, LGBTQ+, and women's only groups in addition to the weekday and substance-free teams we had in 2021. Leaders will have the opportunity to sign up for these teams. Maryhill camping and Lodge nights will return in 2022.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: John Sterbis ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Larry Beck, Melanie Bower, Defne Cakin, Harry Colas, Ebony Hall, Petra LeBaron, Rick Kraus, Joe Preston, Andy Robbins, and Tim Scott ■ Incoming Members: Drew Glassroth, Ariel Himmel, Heather Johnson, Aaron Kaufman, Petra LeBaron, Laura Supalla, Melissa Vidal, and Ophelia Yan

Canyoneering The 2021 Canyoneering class was a success. Our class size was smaller at 15 people, which was a great way to manage with COVID policy changes. We also learned that our class would not do well virtually. We need a lot more hands-on experience, so we plan to modify next year's class to improve this. In 2021, Leah Sorensen took over as commitee chair.

We have had no other modifications to the commitee, but are still working to navigate class structure, the Mazama website, outing schedules, etc. We plan to implement improvements for the 2022 class, which is going to be back to the normal time (May–June), so the application will open in April.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Leah Sorensen ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Wim Aarts, Sean Brady, SaRah Busse, Keith Campbell, Ashley Driscoll, Wade Hewitt, Lisa Ripps, Kaitlin Rupert, and Andy Sorensen

continued on next page

Committee Reports, continued from previous page.

■ Incoming Members: Wim Aarts, Sean Brady, SaRah Busse, Keith Campbell, Ashley Driscoll, Wade Hewitt, Lisa Ripps, Kaitlin Rupert, and Andy Sorensen

Classics This was a difficult year for Classics, as we responded to the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic. We had to cancel our holiday luncheon and recognition event in December. Instead, we mailed all of the anniversary pins to new 25- and 50-year members as well as 60- and 70-year pins to those that achieved that milestone.

We tried to have an open-air picnic at Dick Miller’s but had to cancel due to the extreme heat advisory. We were able to have our annual lunch at the Lodge, with outdoor dining and social distancing. We all hope for better in 2022.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Flora Huber ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Stephen Couch, Gordon Fulks, Marty Hanson, Hal Howard, Buzz Lindahl, and Jim Selby ■ Incoming Members: Stephen Couch, Gordon Fulks, Marty Hanson, Hal Howard, Buzz Lindahl, and Jim Selby

Climbing COVID made managing the climbing program a challenge. Many leaders were not current in their certifications and recertifying in traditional ways was not possible. We did manage to run Leader Update, Avalanche, and Crevasse Rescuer recertification classes in virtual and virtual/outdoor formats. CPR recert waivers were given for those who took an online course. The First Aid Committee did a great job providing MFA recert opportunities and offering the new Wilderness First Aid (WFA) programming.

Our Leadership Development program, managed by Leora Gregory, continued to accept new candidates and promote new provisional and full climb leaders.

Matt Sundling did great work on the MEA standards for single pitch instruction, and set new guidance with education committees on fixed-line usage and instruction. Despite the challenges of COVID we managed to schedule approximately 120 climbs. We are hoping 2022 will be even better.

■ 2020–21 Chair: Guy Wettstein ■ Incoming Chair: TBD

■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Dick Bronder, George Cummings, Leora Gregory, Chris LeDoux, Kerry Loehr, Long Ong, Courtney Rust, and Matt Sundling ■ Outgoing Members: Dick Bronder, Chris LeDoux, Kerry Loehr, and Long Ong ■ Incoming Members: George Cummings, Leora Gregory, Courtney Rust, Matt Sundling, and Guy Wettstein

Conservation This past year we set into place several facets of a long-term Mazama Climate Action program. We now have a climate commitment and mission statement that clarifies where we will stand on the issues, and guide our strategy. Shorter term, we will take proactive positions for climate action, form alliances with similar-minded organizations, and begin a path towards becoming a carbon neutral organization.

Longer term, we will reduce or offset the carbon footprint of Mazama activities and facilities, and offer resources for members to personally do the same.

In January, we hosted an online seminar on managing a sustainable forestry operation by Ben Deumling of Zena Forest Products, covering how we can use forest resources responsibly. And throughout the year, members of the committee contributed various Conservation Corner articles to the Mazama Bulletin, wherein we covered topics of current interest to members in more detail. We resumed funding conservation grants to worthy recipients, and this year there were many, totaling $17,995. Thanks go out to the hardworking committee members and our many friends who helped our conservation mission this difficult year!

■ 2020–21 Co-chairs: Barry Buchanan and John Rettig ■ Incoming Chair: TBD ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Tom Bard, Candace Bonner, Howard Buck, Kate Evans, Kirsten Jacobson, Joan Zuber ■ Outgoing Members: Tom Bard ■ Incoming Members: Candace Bonner, Howard Buck, Kate Evans, Kirsten Jacobson, and Joan Zuber

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) The CISM Committee supports those who experience a stressful event in the

outdoors by promoting self-healing through incident debriefings. Incident debriefings can accelerate the natural processes of restructuring of the cognitive and emotional experience of the event through a structured debrief protocol. This form of psychological first aid can help prevent longterm problems and facilitate healthy grieving, moving one to feel better faster. CISM experienced similar barriers to other committees and programs as a result of the global pandemic. CISM conducted its meetings virtually, and conducted two group debriefings by Zoom. By all accounts this was still a successful means to conduct debriefings and CISM will continue to adapt and incorporate new procedures to ensure there is continuous access to CISM in the Mazamas. We had two members temporarily become inactive due to other commitments. Due to budget constraints, CISM did not train any new members this year. However, there are four prospective members who are in the process of completing training and certification and will become part of our deployable team by the end of the year. Greg Scott is stepping down as chair due to his anticipated role on the Mazama Executive Council. Frosty Gill will be the new incoming chair.

■ 2020–21 Chair: Greg Scott ■ Incoming Chair: Frosty Gil ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Daniel Cavanaugh, Sharon Flegal, Katie Foehl, Frosty Gill, Mary Green, Anne Harris, Annie Paulsen, Noelle Savatta, Greg Scott, Hannah Snyder, Karen Vernier, and Marina Wynton ■ Outgoing Members: Greg Scott ■ Incoming Members: Daniel Cavanaugh, Sharon Flegal, Katie Foehl, Mary Green, Anne Harris, Annie Paulsen, Noelle Savatta, Hannah Snyder, Karen Vernier, and Marina Wynton

Diversity Equality & Inclusion (DEI) This year, the DEI team transitioned from a Ececutive Council working group to a committee. We are currently working on our structure within the organization, defining goals, and assessing where we can serve.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Ebony Hall ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Jesse Applegate, Reena Clements, Maura Fahey, Ebony Hall, Melinda Hugo, Chris Ledoux, Nhat Pham NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 43

■ Outgoing Members: Jesse Applegate ■ Incoming Members: Reena Clements, Maura Fahey, Ebony Hall, Melinda Hugo, Chris Ledoux, Nhat Pham

Education The Education Committee worked on the following initiatives this past year: calculate the class costs for each class represented on the committee; produce a Scope and Sequence document for all classes; begin a review of the relationship between the Education and Climbing Committees; review the technology status of various committees; and support rebooting the Steep Snow and Ice Committee and class.

■ 2020–21 Chair: Tim Scott ■ Incoming Chair: Gavin Boggs ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Eloise Bacher, Gavin Boggs, Angie Brown, Defne Cakin, John Dwyer, Leora Gregory, Ebony Hall, Duncan Hart, Chris Jensen, Emily Joy, Jessica Minifie, Andy Nuttbrock, David Rempel, Kristi Riedel, Freda Sherburne, John Sterbis, and Mike Valentine ■ Outgoing Members: TBD ■ Incoming Members: TBD

Equipment The core of the Mazama mission is to get people out into the mountains— both through activities and education.

Equipment is essential to this mission.

The purpose of the Equipment Room Management Team is to ensure that all Mazama programs and activities have the necessary equipment to effectively operate.

Historically, Mazama equipment has had decentralized management, with the bulk of the work being taken on by the Climbing Committee. The area in which our equipment is currently located is typically referred to as the Rope Room, as ropes were the single largest item that we managed.

However, over the last 15 years we have dramatically expanded our gear, including a large fleet of avalanche beacons, pickets, helmets, harnesses, crampons, ice tools, ice screws, and more. With more committees utilizing gear, now is the perfect time to create a team that is responsible for the management of Mazama equipment. The Equipment Committee has already started working through inventorying the climbing ropes and avalanche beacons, cleaning up pickets, installing the foam panels on the 44 MAZAMAS

Ice Wall for SSI, and replacing all of the climbing ropes in the Holman Auditorium.

We are looking forward to integrating with the Education and Climb Committees in the coming weeks to identify each committee's equipment needs to ensure that safe and effective programming can continue to occur for decades of climbing.

■ 2021 Committee Chair: TBD

Expedition The Expedition Committee awarded two grants this year: a $3,300 Fred Beckey Grant to Mazama climb leader Glenn Widener leading a six-person team with possible rock first ascents in Little Switzerland, Alaska Range, and a $1,700 Alpine Adventure Grant to Natalie Afonina and partner ( from Seattle) tackling a new ice route up the west face of Navado Sajama, the highest peak in Bolivia. Glenn's team achieved three new rock first ascents in June and is working on the write-up (see “Beyond Little Switzerland” on page 13).

I have not heard back from Natalie as she ran off climbing elsewhere—I assume she did not achieve her goal since she did not volunteer any information when I asked her how her trip went. We would definitely like Glenn to do a presentation in the near future. We had one Bob Wilson application who withdrew because of injury. We have $15,000 in those funds to be awarded next year. It would be good to advertise this fact well in advance. The Mazama member for two years requirement is making this grant hard to award and the committee is having to be flexible, which Bob Wilson says is permissible.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Katie Mills ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Scott Auble, Chuck Aude, Wojtek Pagacz, Richard Stellner ■ Incoming Members: Scott Auble, Chuck Aude, Wojtek Pagacz, Richard Stellner

Families Committee Families and Families Mountaineering 101 did not run programs in FY20–21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in summer 2021, we registered the secondlargest FM101 class since its inception in 2014. The FM101 class of 2021–22 began in September with 34 enrolled participants from more than a dozen new families.

Dafna Lohr is class coordinator and Rich Hunter, Jason Linse, and Mike Doll are lead instructors. We are encouraged by the

response from the community and will look to resume family rock skills, sport leader, and other program activities in the coming year.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Richard Hunter ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Mike Doll, Rich Hunter, Jason Linse, Dafna Lohr, Craig Martin, and Molly Vogt ■ Incoming Members: Mike Doll, Aaron Johnson, Jason Linse, Dafna Lohr, and Molly Vogt

First Aid During 2020–2021, there was a long pause in Mazama First Aid programming (CPR, Hike Leader First Aid, Mountaineering First Aid, Wilderness First Aid) due to COVID restrictions. CPR was able to hold one training session (six students) in June in support of Mazama Wild program staff and volunteers. One Hike Leader First Aid class was completed (six students) and the Mazama Wild summer camp staff was trained in first aid. In 2019, the Mazamas taught our last MFA course for a number of reasons. The MFA badge is an internal Mazama badge and has very little meaning outside the Mazamas. The course had evolved over the years to meet the needs of intermediate climbers in alpine climb settings. The MFA scope of education followed wilderness medicine practices but the curriculum had never been certified. Wilderness medicine is an evolving field of evidencebased practices and the Mazamas are not equipped with the necessary resources to maintain the curriculum. Quite frankly, it was just becoming too risky. A Mazama task force formed to look at wilderness medicine training best practices. After an exhaustive search and course piloting, including 100 percent online to a hybrid learning model, the Mazamas selected a 16-hour WFA curriculum, offered by a nationally-certified third party. Valid for two years, the WFA certification is widely accepted nationally by federal, state, and local governmental agencies, outdoor recreation organizations, volunteer youth organizations, guide companies, search and rescue organizations, etc. The WFA course is taught by qualified instructors who are Mazama members and who volunteer their time teaching the course

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Committee Reports, continued from previous page. to keep Mazama costs low. In 2020, ten of the new WFA format classes were conducted online and in-person with 100 students. There will be five WFA course offerings in 2021–2022 with 20 students per class. A new ten-hour MFA skill builder will be offered in 2021–2022 that will be oriented towards advanced alpine rock and snow team rescue with more practice on patient assessment, patient care, and mass casualty. A current WFA certification will be the prerequisite for the new MFA skill builder course.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Duncan Hart ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Reena Clements, Jessica Dalton, Alex Danielson, Eric Giacchino, Jess Joyner, Mike Levis, John Maroney, Nick Ostini, Christine Troy, and Alexander Vasarab ■ Outgoing Member: Reena Clements ■ Incoming Members: Jessica Dalton, Alex Danielson, Eric Giacchino, Jess Joyner, Mike Levis, John Maroney, Nick Ostini, Christine Troy, and Alexander Vasarab

Intermediate Climbing School (ICS) This last year, Intermediate Climbing School spent the COVID time-off working through our curriculum and presentation materials. This has been a goal for the committee for some years. We were able update and add additional material as needed. ICS also took a look at the stated goal of ICS and adjusted some of our curriculum to meet those standards. As an example, ICS was intended to help prepare future leaders to lead C-level climbs. We found that we were not addressing that goal very well and added educational outcomes to address that shortcoming. We are now into our second week of the new class with roughly 44 students.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Debbie Dewlle ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Pam Bishop, Gavin Boggs, Lacey Breton, Melinda Hugo, Phil Lamb, John Lombard, Jessica Minifie, Andy Nuttbrock, Koko Olszewski, Kristi Riedel, Kalin Roethle, and Mike Valentine ■ Incoming Members: Pam Bishop, Gavin Boggs, Lacey Breton, Melinda Hugo, Phil Lamb, John Lombard, Jessica Minifie, Andy Nuttbrock, Koko Olszewski, Kristi Riedel, Kalin Roethle, and Mike Valentine

Nominating This year, in spite of the ongoing pandemic, we had detailed plans to stimulate interest in the elections and to increase the pool of possible candidates. For this purpose, we developed a communications plan and initiated measures to engage the Mazama membership and to highlight the importance of the Executive Council (EC) elections. We met with EC to determine the type of candidates and skills needed.

We searched the Mazama membership database to determine alignment and then began reaching out to potential candidates.

We also wrote several Bulletin articles to drive interest in running for the EC. Not being able to join committee meetings and classes in-person to make a pitch for EC candidacy hampered our efforts. Even so, by early June we had secured five candidates. Unfortunately, two of the five dropped out a week before our deadline to present candidates to the EC, leading to an uncontested election. We were only able to present one candidate for the Nominating Committee though we did later secure a second candidate.

Once again, the Nominating Committee received comments about the choice of EC candidates and the scarcity of Nominating Committee candidates. The comments will be categorized and reviewed after the election to gain insight into what strategies we may take for the recruiting cycle in 2021–2022. One issue that frequently gets raised is the seeming uniformity of the candidates (white, male, older). While this observation is not unfounded, it is frustrating how challenging it can be to find members who are willing to step up and take on leadership roles in the organization. This requires, in particular, younger members and members of diverse backgrounds to come forward.

The Nominating Committee needs the help of the Mazama membership to increase the number of candidates, particularly for the Nominating Committee.

Please consider running as a candidate in the next election cycle or talk to fellow Mazama members and encourage them to contact the Nominating Committee at nominating@mazamas.org. .

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Barbara Weiss

■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Lynny Brown, Sue Dimin, Ardel Frick, Walter Keutel, John Rettig, Kaitlin Rupert, and Claire Tenscher ■ Incoming Members: Lynny Brown, Sue Dimin, Ardel Frick, Walter Keutel, John Rettig, Kaitlin Rupert, and Claire Tenscher

Nordic The Nordic Committee was able to successfully adapt the 2021 Nordic ski program to work within COVID-19 safety guidelines and hold the Nordic Info Night, Instructor Orientation, and Student Orientation all via Zoom. We adjusted our instructor training on Mt. Hood with professional instructor Shelley Hakanson of Wy-East Nordic to half-day each for two smaller groups of instructors.

Projects this year included updating our student and instructor manuals to include links to COVID-19 and other policies on the Mazama website as well as to be distributed digitally vs. hard copies. Also due to COVID-19 concerns, we reduced the size of our classes from 10-12 students to 8 students plus instructors. With the 13 instructors willing to teach during the pandemic, we were able to have six Nordic teams which included beginner, novice, intermediate, and Nordic backcountry (advanced) levels. We had 41 (out of 45 students accepted) complete the three days of classes in late January and early February. Working with the Education Committee, the Nordic Committee developed a budget for 2022 that reflected the true costs for running the program. We are hoping to hold one class mid-week and to add a skate skiing class, with eight teams and up to 64 students.

■ 2020–21 Chair: Andrea Ogston ■ Incoming Chair: Freda Sherburne ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Scott Auble, Minah DeAinza, and Freda Sherburne ■ Outgoing Members: Scott Auble, Minah DeAinza ■ Incoming Members: Ben Dair Rothfuss, Pehr Jacobson, and Lexi Stickel

Outings For the 2020–2021 fiscal year, the Outings Committee received three proposals and approved three Outings: Olympics National Park backpack, Mt. Rainier National Park base camp hiking NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 45

with optional backpack add-on, and John Muir Trail point-to-point backpack. Each Outing leader requested all participants be fully vaccinated as a condition of participation. Each Outing generated significant interest and was quickly fully subscribed. Of the three, the Mt. Rainier and John Muir Trail Outings were canceled due to nearby forest fires and resulting forest closures. The Olympics Outing took place and was a big success, although the itinerary was changed from all backpacking to base camping due to excessive snow on the trail.

Early in 2021, the Outings Committee conducted an online membership survey to assess knowledge of and interest in Outings. Ten percent of members responded to the survey. Forty percent of those reported having been on at least one Outing. Sixty percent had never been on a Mazama Outing. Many members reported not knowing that the Mazamas offered Outings.

A clear takeaway from many of the Outings Committee’s discussions is the need to develop more Outing leaders.

A major task for the committee will be to develop an Outings leader training program to encourage and cultivate a new generation of leaders.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Leigh Schwarz ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Rex Breunsbach, Dyanne Foster, Reuel Kurzet, and Dean Land ■ Incoming Members: Rex Breunsbach, Dyanne Foster, Reuel Kurzet, and Dean Land

Publications Through the Mazama Bulletin, the Publications Committee continues to bring Mazama members news about the organization and high-quality features aimed at inspiring love and respect for the mountains.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Darrin Gunkel ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Brian Goldman, Ali Gray, Ryan Reed, and Claire Tenscher ■ Incoming Members: Brian Goldman, Ali Gray, Ryan Reed, and Claire Tenscher

46 MAZAMAS

Research The committee was allocated $18,000 for research grants and received 25 applications in FY21. Of the 25 that were considered, five Student and two Standard Awards were made for a total of $16,227. In addition, the Research Committee organized an online series of three seminars in the spring of 2021 spotlighting previous grant recipients.

Typical attendance was 20–25 people and the audience was very engaged.

■ 2020–21 & 2021–22 Chair: Ralph Shuping ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Paige Baugher, Tom Bode, Susan Federici, Steve Hinkle, Trey Schutrumpf, Caitlin Smigelski ■ Incoming Members: Paige Baugher, Tom Bode, Steve Hinkle, Trey Schutrumpf, Caitlin Smigelski

Risk Management Committee This committee just restarted a few months ago. We have five members. We are still working on the Committee Roles and Responsibilities and will be voting for a chair soon.

■ 2020–21 Chair: Katherine Griffith ■ Incoming Chair: TBD ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Kyle DeHart, Beau Griffith, Katherine Griffith, Steve Hurley, and Greg Scott ■ Incoming Members: Kyle DeHart, Beau Griffith, Katherine Griffith, Steve Hurley, and Greg Scott

Steep Snow and Ice (SSI) Climbers, both past and present Mazama members, who had either been involved in the prior Advanced Snow and Ice (ASI) Committee, taken the prior ASI class as a participant, or were merely interested in helping to resume a curriculum targeted at more advanced snow and ice skills, began meeting in February 2020. The pandemic changed and delayed plans; however, by November 2020 this committee had stable and active members and was meeting regularly.

Goals for the course were developed, as well as a curriculum, and a new name chosen to better reflect the nature of what we intended to teach: Steep Snow and (Alpine) Ice (SSI). SSI accepted its first group of participants in August 2021 with the intent to provide a more focused and briefer curriculum than ASI's broader

scope, as this allowed us to accept a greater number of participants (16 total). Thus, SSI is more similar to a skill builder in terms of the breadth of instruction. This may change for the second iteration in 2022 depending on feedback, the Education Committee's needs, and volunteer/ instructor availability. In August and September 2021, three lectures were held at the MMC focused on hands-on participatory education, including use of the artificial ice wall to teach tool techniques and movement, as well as practice placing ice screws and making ice anchors. Hazard assessment and risk management strategies were also taught.

This was followed by a single weekend field session on the Eliot Glacier on Mt. Hood for each group of eight participants, for a total of two weekends of education.

■ 2020–21 Chair: Ed Dyer ■ Incoming Chair: Jonathan Barrett ■ 2020–21 Committee Members: Wim Aarts, Jonathan Barrett, Gavin Boggs, Elisabeth Bowers, Eric Brainich, Keith Campbell, David Carrier, Howie Davis, Michael Levis, Ted Light, Rebecca Madore, Nick Maslen, Kyle Tarry, and Michael Valentine ■ Outgoing Members: Jesse Applegate, Gavin Boggs, Ted Light, Nick Maslen ■ Incoming Members: Elisabeth Bowers, Eric Brainich, Keith Campbell, David Carrier, Howie Davis, Ed Dyer, Joe Eberhardt, Michael Levis, Rebecca Madore, Kyle Tarry, and Michael Valentine

Editors note: Committee Reports have been edited for grammar, readability, style, content, and clairity.

STATE OF THE MMC & GROUNDS

by Rick Craycraft, Facilities Manager

I

f we’re looking for silver linings to the fact that, due to the pandemic, the Mazama Mountaineering Center (MMC) has been closed to most regular in-person meetings and activities for the last year and a half, I have one.

This closure has allowed time and space away from the regular circular janitorial duties—trash and recycling management and basic cleaning—to tend to maintenance and repair projects, some new and some long neglected. Another surprise development is that the pandemic allowed volunteers who suddenly and unexpectedly had time on their hands to step up, especially in the area of groundskeeping.

Kyla Ogle, who previously had been a Mazama Library volunteer, showed up last May and, week after week, did whatever needed to be done. After six months, I approached her with the proposal that she take on the role of overall volunteer coordinator for the grounds. She accepted happily. This is only the third person to take on this task in my ten-year tenure. Not only has she flourished in this job; she has decided that being a landscape architect is what she would like to do for a living. Each week she, Tom Wrona, and Maggie Woodward have shown up to manage the foliage on our property. We miss Cody Evans terribly, who for more than a year, pandemic or not, worked once a week at whatever was asked of him. Unfortunately for us, he has moved to South Carolina for professional reasons.

Collin Edwards-Hill came out of nowhere to lend his carpentry skills to the Mazama cause. He has moved from project to project with enthusiasm and a professional demeanor. Likewise Michael Moy, originally my vacation substitute, has branched out into regular, much-needed maintenance projects. Richard Sandefur and Anna Withington are due huge thanks for their work converting all the lighting in the MMC to LED bulbs. And also dependable Joe Boyce, who painted the front steps of the building for the second time in three years.

Above: Volunteers tending to the MMC grounds.

Photos by Kyla Ogle.

Then there’s mega-volunteer Jeff Hawkins, who turned a need for new HVAC units into a complete remodel of our copier room.

Jeff continues to amaze me with his “big picture” view of the future of the MMC, with a specific focus on sustainability and addressing our property’s effect on climate change.

One thing I would like to impress on everyone is the need for a long-range plan for the grounds, sooner than later. Perhaps the Mazamas might establish a task force of those interested and skilled to generate a vision of what is native, climate-compatible, and aesthetically satisfying. In the next 3–5 years we are going to have to make some potentially difficult decisions about what grows around the MMC property.

And I can’t close without mentioning what I apparently am known for—recycling. I’m happy to report that the recycling of plastics has never been stronger in the Portland area. There are ample opportunities to recycle your #1, #2, #4, #5, and #6 containers, plastic bags and other “film” plastic, and block styrofoam. But—not to worry—we’ve been doing all that at the MMC for the last ten years.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 47

Mazamas® 527 SE 43rd Ave. Portland OR 97215 www.mazamas.org

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DONATE NOW TO OUR ANNUAL CAMPAIGN! Donations this year will go to support Education Scholarships, Youth Programming, Grants, and Lodge Maintenance.

Mazama John Hartnett on Steort’s Ridge, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Photo by Ryan Johnson.