Month: August 2023

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Meet the Mazamas

Ray Sheldon leading his last climb for the the Mazamas in 2018 of Plummer Peak.

Raised in Portland, Ray attempted his first climb, Mt. Jefferson, in 1954. He joined the Mazamas in 1960 and has been active and involved ever since. He started leading climbs in 1964 and has taken the Mazamas to the summits of the Cascades, Tetons and Switzerland.

These days, Ray, 90, still spends time outdoors, mostly hiking and trail tending. Married nearly 70 years to his wife, Betty, they have 3 children, 7 grandkids and by his last count, 8 or more great-grandchildren.

Name:  Ray Sheldon

Pronouns: He/Him

Year Joined Mazamas: 1960

Present-day outdoor activities:  Trail tending, hiking, walking

What’s your earliest outdoor memory: I remember living on the Willamette River in a houseboat and fishing for catfish, bass and other warm-water fish at night. There were so many happy times outdoors when I was a kid.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I started work with the Oregon Fish Commission in 1953 and within a month was transferred to the fish hatchery at Marion Forks. Mt. Jefferson was right next door, and I had the urge to climb that mountain. The Mazamas seemed like the organization to help me accomplish that.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Definitely get involved with the Mazamas.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Old-time climb leaders who were my mentors definitely were the reason that I led like I did, climbed like I did. Oliver Fursman was one. And later in life, there was a neighbor and Mazama climb leader back in the 50s and 60s, Rony Inderbinen. He was my age, but he was a 4th generation Matterhorn/Swiss Mountain guide. We just hit it off really good, and I used him as a source for other climbs when we’d take Mazama outings to the Alps.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? I dare you to read it. The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman. It’s down in the Mazama Library,

What’s on your adventure bucket list? There are things I sometimes dream about, but they aren’t important to me anymore. I think everything I really thought I’d like to do I’ve had a chance to do

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Meet the Mazamas

Teresa has mountaineering in her blood. Both her parents were active Mazamas who instilled in her a healthy respect for the outdoors. She was just 6 when she first summited Mt. Hood, motivated by the prospect of keeping the small ice axe her dad had rented.

School and life led her away from the Northwest for many years, returning in 2016. That year, she and her husband enrolled in our Basic Mountaineering Education Program to refresh their skills, reacquaint themselves with the splendor of the PNW and make climber friends.

She graduated from ICS in 2019, enrolled in the Mazama Leadership Development Program, began volunteering for Portland Mountain Rescue and led a BCEP team last year. When not climbing, and even when she is, Teresa loves to take photos and share her love for adventure with as many people as possible.

Name:    Teresa Dalsager

Pronouns:  She/Her 

Year Joined Mazamas: â€¯I was lucky to get to check out some Mazamas activities as a kid with my Dad, but officially joined in 2016, when I moved back to Oregon. 

Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountain climbing, hiking, kayaking, biking, backpacking, rock climbing, skiing and swimming.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory: Creeping into the forest (it was actually the woods) with my siblings and cousins behind my grandparents house in Stevenson, Wash. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization?  As I’ve already mentioned, my Dad was a member when I was a kid in the 1970’s.  I moved away after high school and upon returning to Portland in 2016 my husband Fred and I joined almost immediately to meet people who climbed.  It was the best decision.  We joined BCEP, made a bunch of friends, started climbing regularly and got more involved by volunteering and taking courses.  My relationship with the Mazamas was a springboard for joining Portland Mountain Rescue. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them?  Learn mountaineering fundamentals and accident prevention through a trusted organization like the Mazamas.  Resist the temptation to learn these skills on the fly through a meet up group or anyone who can’t readily provide their experience and qualifications. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? People inspire me.  We all have different strengths and skillsets.  It’s fulfilling to witness people overcome obstacles and reach their personal goals through determination, commitment, and sometimes sheer grit.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why?   Book: A Prayer for Owen Meany, written by John Irving.  The main message of the story is “not to judge a book by it’s cover.”  This is a metaphor for not judging people based on the way they look. Check out the book or see the movie based on the book called Simon Birch.  You’ll be inspired too.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? . Patagonia, Nepal (Spring 2024), Kilimanjaro, & Via Ferrata adventures in Europe. 

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Meet the Mazamas

Milton enrolled in our Intermediate Climbing School in 2016. He had previous mountaineering experiences climbing in Colombia and Peru, and some rock climbing in Georgia and North Carolina.

He is part of our Leadership Development team and has helped out with our Basic Climbing Education Program, ICS and crevasse rescue skill builders. When not outdoors, he works as a bilingual information systems specialist.

Name:  Milton Diaz

Pronouns:  He/ Him/ His 

Year Joined Mazamas: 2016

Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineering, climbing, splitboarding, snowboarding

What’s your earliest outdoor memory?  Climbing with my dad in Colombia when I was 12.  We climbed Nevado El Ruiz, which is 5,389 meters with his group of friends.  After that, I got hooked climbing snow peaks in the Sierrra Nevada El Cocuy.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I was looking for a mountaineering club when I moved to Portland in 2015.  I could not enroll in BCEP because I missed the registration date, but I signed up for ICS and then got hooked climbing the volcanoes in Washington and Oregon.  After ICS I took the Backcountry Ski class with the Mazamas and started doing more backcountry tours in the North Cascades, Mt. Saint Helens and Mt Hood. Last year I did  the Steep Snow and Ice class, and I’ve been climbing more technical routes,  also doing some ice climbing in Hyalite Canyon and started leading my own climbs like El Dorado.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take a mountaineering class like BCEP that teaches you the basics like self arrest, climbing techniques, rappelling, and knots, and then take ICS if you want to be on more challenging climbs and start leading your own climbs with friends.  

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I got inspired when I read climbing reports on Facebook and the Mazama Bulletin.  I like to see people going outside and challenging themselves doing what they love.

 What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? My favorite book is Touching the Void by Joe Simpson. It is a true inspiration for all, what he did to survive after falling in a crevasse, even crawling on a glacier alone!  

 What’s on your adventure bucket list?  All the peaks in the North Cascades.  So far I have climbed Mt Shuksan, El Dorado, Ruth Mountain and some failed attempts to Sahale but there are some many beautiful mountains out there that I want to climb. I also want to climb the North Ridge of Mt Baker and the Kautz route in Mt Rainier.