Kate, who most recently served as the Mazamas Advanced Rock Committee co-chair, is a former Chicagoan and lover of all things rock climbing and snacking. She loves to climb long multi-pitch routes, with thin hand cracks, run out slab, and techy foot work. She says she never climbs without a full snack pack on her harness. When not climbing and/or volunteering for the Mazamas, Kate works as a physical therapist and mom to 3-month-old Remy.
Name: Kate Scanlan
Pronouns: she/her
Year Joined Mazamas: 2017
Present-day outdoor activities: rock climbing, skiing, surfing, and hiking with our newborn
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I grew up in the Midwest and always loved when there was enough snow to dig out igloos as a kid. Snow days were the best!Â
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization?  I moved to Portland in 2016, and my coworker told me about her Basic Climbing Education Program experience. I was already a sport climber but I was curious about climbing the mountains I could see from my new home here in Portland. I took BCEP in 2017 and it’s how I made my first friends in Portland. It turned out I didn’t like long slogs on snow all that much so the next year I took Advanced Rock. The people I’ve climbed with through AR and the trips I’ve taken thanks to those skills have been some of the most rewarding moments of my life.  I joined the AR committee after I finished AR because I wanted to see more women and diversity in the class, and I’ve been a member ever since. I love the community, and I love getting to contribute to positive change in the Mazamas and the climbing community at large.Â
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them?  If you’re new to an activity don’t be afraid to ask for help. We were all new at one time or another. Just because you’re inexperienced doesn’t mean you don’t belong. And if you’re experienced don’t forget where you came from. We all have mentors that helped us get where we are, so pay it forward when you can.Â
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one.  Right now my biggest inspiration is moms who climb and climbing families. As a new mom, I’m working out how to maintain my identity as a climber while welcoming this role as a mother. There are pro climbers like Emily Harrington that show one way to adventure with a baby that’s certainly inspiring, but she has a climbing nanny and climbing is her job so it’s not entirely attainable for an average climber like me. The parents I see at the crag with their little ones are my biggest inspiration and give me hope for melding these two great joys in my life.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why?  The Little Prince has always been a manifesto of sorts to me. It reminds me of what is truly important when it’s so easy to get caught up in our consumer-driven, fast-paced lives. I read it when I want to reconnect to the best version of myself.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Soooo many things! My big climbing goal that really inspires me is Fine Jade in Castle Valley, UT. Desert towers are so iconic and striking. They’re my favorite adventure days. Non-climbing related, I dream of kayaking in the arctic with narwhals.  And in the future I really hope to share a rope with my son, Remy. Â
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