Author: Gina Binole

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Meet the Mazamas

Almost as if winning the birth location lottery, Britt grew up near Olympic National Park and grew up camping there. She joined the Mazamas after realizing she needed some solid mountaineering education and has been active in the organization ever since. This past year, she helped bring back our Eastside Rambles, leading folks from the Mazama Mountaineering Center to trails (and stairs) on Mt. Tabor. She blogs about her adventures.

Name: Britt Q. Hoover

Pronouns: she/her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2016

Present-day outdoor activities: Backpacking, mountaineering, cycling. I also co-lead the new weekly Eastside Rambles! 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I grew up in a small town near Olympic National Park. My earliest outdoor memories are of car camping with my father and siblings around the park each summer. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? Many years ago a few friends invited me to climb Mount St. Helens with them. It was my first time on a mountain and climbing on snow. Although I summited, I was woefully unprepared for the early start, elevation gain, and physical exertion. On the way down, while glissading, I (lightly) stabbed myself in the leg with my ice axe. It was at that moment I realized I should probably sign up for the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP)—and I did, that spring! 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them?
We all start somewhere. It can feel intimidating for those new to the outdoors to figure out the right gear, understand weather and safety, and plan trips. I learned a lot by hiking and climbing with others, and I am so grateful to those who shared their knowledge with me. I encourage anyone just starting out to adopt a growth mindset and ask questions.

What activities, situations, or people inspire you most? I’m inspired by situations that call for quick thinking and helping others. I often read mountaineering accident reports to learn from others’ decisions and apply those lessons to prevent future incidents. My favorite Mazama experience was taking the Mountaineering First Aid course, and I’ve used these skills many times to aid others outdoors. 

What is your favorite book, movie, TV show, or social media account that you follow, and why? Pick one. One account I love following is Kimber Cross (@kimberbelle) on Instagram. Kimber is an alpinist, adaptive athlete, rock climber, and kindergarten teacher. I’ve followed her since she started her introductory course with the Mountaineers. Now, she’s regularly summiting tough peaks in the PNW, ice climbing in Montana, and is sponsored by North Face among other companies. Kimber is down-to-earth and an excellent example of how far you can go with hard work and dedication. I’m truly inspired by her.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I just checked a trip off my bucket list in February! My spouse, Jeff, and I completed a 7-day backpacking trip across the remote Avellanos Valley in the Aysén region of Patagonia. I posted some photos from the trip on my website, Yes Mom I’m Alive (www.yesmomimalive.com). 

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Meet the Mazamas

Tiffany, a nurse practitioner, is board-certified in psychiatry and a solo practitioner. She is a therapist with the American Alpine Association’s Climbing Grief Fund and the American Avalanche Association Resilience Project. 

She divides her time between Virginia, where she helps manage care for her mother who has Alzheimer’s and Oregon, where she climbs with the Mazamas and assists with the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP).

Name:  Tiffany McClean

Pronouns:  She/Her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2018

Present-day outdoor activities:  Rock and alpine climbing, backpacking, downhill skiing, scuba diving and horseback riding. 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Being on my dad’s sailboat in the Chesapeake Bay, which is akin to camping. It wasn’t a big boat, but it was big enough that we could sleep on it.  I used to sleep in the cockpit as a little girl and just look up at the stars. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? To be honest, it was a rough introduction, although that can’t be blamed on the Mazamas. I first heard about the organization when I was dating someone who thought they were skilled enough to bypass BCEP and go straight into Intermediate Climbing School (ICS), but the Mazamas disagreed. Then, one of my close friends and colleagues was dating someone who died on Mt. Hood. I had climbed Mt. Adams, South Sister and other peaks, and I really, really wanted to climb Mt. Hood, but after that, I was so afraid. I knew I needed training that would allow me to take care of myself at a minimum, so I signed up for BCEP, and I got in!

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? I think first and foremost, nature and the outdoors are for everyone. And I mean everyone, regardless of age, sex, disability, race, etc. In the Climbing Grief Fund, we celebrate turning around, and I firmly believe mountaineering is more than just summiting. People need to know their limits, must work to fill in their knowledge gaps through organizations like the Mazamas and be OK with being vulnerable. Vulnerability in the outdoors is absolutely acceptable and should be encouraged.. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I guess I’d have to say that people who are willing to speak about their own fears and share mental health issues in the mountains. People can push the envelope of fear in climbing and yet still be willing to say, “Today is not my day,” or “I know my limits. South Sister is my Mt. Hood, and I am fine with that..” Mazama Climb Leaders Tim Scott and Pushkar Dixit embody these values and definitely inspire me. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. I have listened to almost every single episode of Hidden Brain. It’s a great podcast. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I’ve had to cancel a few Glacier Peak climbs to be with family, so that looms large on my list. I’d really like to trek to Annapurna base camp. I’d also like to dive into a great white shark cage. I feel like that can be done ethically. 

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Meet the Mazamas

Sarah Lydecker is a Portland-based rock climbing instructor, artist and Certified Recovery Mentor. She’s been climbing for more than a decade, inspired by strong women mentors from her first all-women’s mountaineering course. Sarah has taught climbing skills since 2015, using her passion to empower others and build community and develop outdoor programming for adults in recovery. A certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Sarah is thrilled to be the lead outdoor guide for the Multnomah Athletic Club.

Name: Sarah Lydecker

Pronouns: She / Her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2014

Present-day outdoor activities: Cragging, wandering around in the mountains, and finding the best outdoor napping spots with my dog. I also work as a professional guide leading climbing and hiking excursions.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Feeding the horses and donkeys at the end of our street in west Texas.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I had gotten into hiking, and some of the trails took me up into alpine meadows and onto snowfields. Having grown up in the south, I had no understanding of snow, and was convinced I was going to die if I hiked in the mountains without training. I started reading about people doing something called peak bagging and was really drawn to the appeal of climbing up Mt Hood, so I enrolled in the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP).

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Sooooooooo many things! I think the biggest thing is to do activities for your own enjoyment and not to have ‘epic adventures’ to share on social media. If you couldn’t post your outing on Instagram, would you still do it?

I would suggest that people really enjoy their beginning period of outdoor recreation. You don’t have to do hard stuff all the time, and your validity as a sportsperson is not dependent on what grade you climb. You do not need to be pushing hard all the time with training, committing routes and long approaches. It’s okay to take it slow with the skills you develop. I took BCEP in 2014, AR in 2018, and SSI in 2023; having time between those courses allowed me to find confidence in myself as a climber and ask more informed questions when I was a student.

For rock climbing, the best advice I ever got was from the guy who taught me trad. After I led my first pitches and got his seal of approval to go and lead on my own, he handed me his copy of Climbing Self Rescue and told me to read it all and learn how to execute the techniques in that book before I sought out climbing partners independently. The skills I learned in that book got me out of trouble almost instantly. I think that as climbing becomes more mainstream, people can lose sight of the objective risks that the sport has. Yes, rock climbing is an extremely accessible sport that people of all ages and bodies can do, but gravity will always win and it’s important that we recognize that. Even if you are following a skilled friend up an easy multipitch, can you deal with a situation where there’s a bad leader fall and more than half the rope is out?

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I’m inspired by all the gray-haired ladies out there who are climbing. By Leora Gregorgy, who can outpace me walking up Mt Hood and by Teresa Dalsager who came out ice cragging with me this winter and helped me find the joy in that sport. I’m inspired by the women who have babies and still recreate despite the changes to their bodies and home life. I grew up in a world where the prevailing narrative for women is that our life is over after 30, and that’s something that has haunted me as a childless dog lady. I’m starting to get excited for my 40s and all the adventures they will hold.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. I absolutely love “The Witches of Eileanan” series by Kate Forsyth. I listened to the audiobooks while doing a lot of solo backpacking in 2020 and I found the story and world so captivating. The characters are well-written and the author focused on the importance of platonic relationships and community. Reading a “happy ever after” where the main character and her lover both have separate intellectual callings and projects they devote themselves to was a revelation for me– very different from the standard story ending where the couple gets married, has kids, and that’s it.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Astroman in Yosemite, All Along the Watchtower in the Bugaboos, Peter Croft’s Big Four in the Sierra, and being able to swing ice leads in Cody, WY. Maybe also learning how to whitewater kayak.

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Meet the Mazamas

Bill grew up in South Carolina, where he was captivated more by the rugged mountains than the coastline. After moving to Oregon, he found a deeper connection with the region’s trails and peaks through the Mazamas, eventually becoming an activity leader in 2014. Today, he leads a range of outings for the organization, including “A” climbs, backpacking trips, trail work excursions and urban street rambles. Participants on his trips will quickly discover Bill’s enthusiasm for outdoor adventure, world travel, and his knowledge of geology, anthropology, and literature, which makes every journey an insightful experience.

Name:  Bill Stein

Pronouns:  he/him/his

Year Joined Mazamas: 1997

Present-day outdoor activities: I climb in summer, hike in spring and fall, and ski in winter. I lead Mazamas climbs and hikes, and I hope to soon reach a level of skiing where I feel confident leading Nordic ski tours for Mazamas. 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? My family of origin loved boating, both motorboating around a nearby lake when I was younger and sailing in the open seas when I was a teenager. I was more drawn to the Blue Ridge Mountains and did the premier hike in South Carolina, Table Rock, countless times. I find hiking, climbing, and skiing to be more affordable outdoor hobbies. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? Getting lost with a friend in a North Carolina wilderness area led me to seek out mountaineering education when I arrived in Portland in 1996. A coworker told me about the Mazamas, and I did my first hike with the Mazamas within 10 days of my arrival. Within the next year I took my first Nordic ski class and the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP). I climbed Middle Sister with Mazamas on the one-year anniversary of my arrival in Oregon, and I was solidly hooked.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Everyone who is climbing, whether on hikes or climbs, and particularly if carrying a heavy pack, needs way more calories than when sedentary in the city. Water is more nuanced; too little water is bad, but too much water (particularly without electrolytes) is also bad. I’m a big fan of modern filters (gentle squeeze or quick gravity) and knowing where you’ll find running water so you don’t have to carry too much weight.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Older people hiking, climbing, and skiing have inspired me from the very first hike I ever did with Mazamas. Year-round outdoor activity is a much more successful model for aging than anything I witnessed in my family of origin. I aim to be one of those older hikers, climbers, and skiers someday, beating my genetic odds, and I think this goal is available to most folks active in Mazamas.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. I’ve led Portland Peace Corps Association’s book club for the last 15 years. Monthly we discuss books set in parts of the world where Peace Corps Volunteers have served–my service was in Niger 1990-1993–and we choose our books through an annual survey that I design and administer. We like books that reveal cultural insight, whether by western or non-western authors, and we’ve developed a strong distaste for books that focus on cultural stereotypes. Several people who are active in Mazamas are also in my book club.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I aim to keep my climbing education and fitness up to date for my attempts on the last four mountains for Mazamas’ 16 peak award. When my wife Kathy and I travel, we hike, climb, ski, and/or snowshoe while engaging in cultural activities. Half a year ago, we did the most fun scramble of my life, up the fourth highest peak in Mexico, Nevado de Toluca. I look forward to more adventures both in and outside Mazamas.

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Meet the Mazamas

Gabrielle moved to Portland in 2022 and is no stranger to the mountains, having been a committee chair, trip leader, and course instructor for The Mountaineers in Washington state and mountain steward for the U.S. Forest Service and the Mount St. Helen’s Institute. When not leading hikes and activities for the Mazamas, Gabrielle has leveraged her PhD in Italian and other studies, working as an educator, program manager, and project coordinator for organizations like the University of Washington, Bellevue College, and Lake Washington Institute of Technology.

Name: Gabrielle Orsi

Pronouns: she/her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2022

Present-day outdoor activities: Trail running & fastpacking, backpacking, hiking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, some mountaineering … and recently I took a class on mushroom foraging! I’m also a Leave No Trace trainer and so I’m often “plogging.”

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Playing in the yard of my childhood home in Encinitas, California, in the sunshine.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? When my spouse and I relocated to Oregon from the Seattle area in 2022, a number of folks mentioned the Mazamas as a resource for getting outdoors, especially if we were interested in climbing Mt. Hood. The mission appeals to me, and I’ve been enjoying connecting with the Mazama community, both as a hike leader and as a member of the Queerzamas affinity group.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? A little preparation goes a long way and “hike your own hike”—do what you find engaging and interesting. Don’t worry if other people have different approaches. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? People who strive for excellence but also have a philosophy that is focused on growth, self-actualization, and fun, not just winning or peak-bagging, inspire me—like Eliud Kipchoge, Des Linden, Catra Corbett (DirtDiva), Yassine Diboun, Kara Goucher, Mike Wardian … the list goes on!

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. I earned my PhD in Italian in 2008 and spent years teaching Italian, so I have to say Dante’s Divine Comedy is always going to be #1 for me. I actually have a tattoo of a quote from that poem. Plus there’s actually a lot of mountain climbing in the Divine Comedy! 

What’s on your adventure bucket list? So many things! I would enjoy visiting Nepal, South America, and the Alps but closer to home I’d like to do a winter circumnavigation of Crater Lake and a winter rim-to-rim of the Grand Canyon from the North Rim. 

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Meet the Mazamas

Jacob moved to Portland in 2016, partially for the outdoor lifestyle after living in North Carolina for 18 years. Jacob now leads and joins Adventurous Young Mazamas activities, including AYM climb nights. When not spending time outside, he likes to read, cook, explore new Portland restaurants and breweries and is learning the bass guitar. By day, he works as a software engineer in the healthcare space.

Name: Jacob Lippincott

Pronouns: He / Him

Year Joined Mazamas: 2022

Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing, kayaking, running

What’s your earliest outdoor memory?   Walking along the Atlantic Ocean in Rhode Island, where I was born.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? Through a friend I met in Beaverton, after discovering we had a shared connection for hiking and climbing. He had recently finished the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP), and I joined him on a Mazama hike. I wanted to engage with the organization to meet like-minded people and take advantage of the great educational options the Mazamas has to offer. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? We are incredibly lucky to have access to all kinds of outdoor activities in Oregon, but take recreation here seriously, especially when dealing with riskier activities such as climbing and mountaineering. It is important to have the skills necessary to venture into the backcountry safely. For me, that meant taking classes through the Mazamas and now assisting with other classes to help pass knowledge along. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I’m inspired by those who choose to lead activities outside, whether those are Mazama climb leaders or those just taking friends out for the weekend. Those who give up personal time to make sure other people get to enjoy nature and pass along their wisdom should be celebrated.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. My favorite outdoor-related account is the YouTube channel HowNot2. They are local, outside of Seattle, and spend time testing and breaking climbing gear to help people gain confidence in their equipment. It makes me feel better to know how strong climbing gear really is, and they present information in an entertaining yet insightful manner. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I’d like to go to the Arctic and see the Northern Lights, and a Narwhal. 

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Meet the Mazamas

Megan joined the Mazamas in 2023 as part of the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) recovery team. She enjoys hiking and rock climbing with her family all around the Northwest. She is now using her skills learned from the Mazamas to volunteer with local organizations, aiming to create inclusive outdoor experiences for underserved communities. She works in healthcare analytics, loves to travel, and is always down for a slice of pizza. 

Name:  Megan Lien

Pronouns:  she/her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2023

Present-day outdoor activities: Primarily rock climbing and hiking

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? My earliest outdoor memory is hiking with my parents and brother in the Olympic National Forest. Although I grew up in Seattle, we had a cabin on the Hood Canal, so we spent many weekends exploring the trails around the Olympic Peninsula.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I joined the Mazamas in 2023 as part of the BCEP recovery team. At the time, I was early in my sobriety, feeling isolated, and seeking a community of adventurers in recovery. My BCEP group provided exactly that, offering a transformative experience. Since then, I’ve continued to participate in Mazamas activities, climbing Mount Adams last summer and completing the Round the Mountain trek this year.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Find a community and trustworthy, knowledgeable mentors. It’s great to connect with people who share your passions, but finding mentors who can teach you how to safely enjoy those activities. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I’m inspired by opportunities to give back. Lately, I’ve been volunteering with organizations like Loco Por La Aventura and Recovery Outsiders, which is especially meaningful because I had mentors through BCEP who dedicated their time to helping me. One very recent experience, I was volunteering at Broughton’s Bluff with Loco Por La Aventura, where we introduced 20 participants, mostly from the Latino community, to outdoor rock climbing—many for the first time. Seeing them overcome their fears and try something new was incredibly rewarding.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one.  Lately, I’ve been really enjoying watching big, over-the-top action movies like The Meg, and the Godzilla vs. Kong franchises with my 8-year-old. It’s a fun way to bond and share in the excitement of these larger-than-life adventures.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? My next goal is climbing and tackling the via Ferrata in Ouray, Colorado. In the future, I’d love to do a lodge-to-lodge trek on the Camino del Apu Ausangate in Peru.

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Meet the Mazamas

Sabrina comes to Portland via Austin, Texas, a place she liked but left her longing for a community of likeminded outdoor enthusiasts. She discovered the Mazamas shortly after moving to the Rose City and is an active participant in our SheTheyUs affinity group activities. When not outdoors, Sabrina works as an environmental health consultant.

Name:  Sabrina Wolfe

Pronouns:  She/Her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2024

Present-day outdoor activities:  Climbing, skiing, hiking, backpacking, surfing, biking, running…honestly anything outdoors 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I remember playing in the woods near my neighborhood park in elementary school. I remember “venturing” off the path (probably 50 feet even though it felt like an expedition) and finding a small creek and grassy island. I spent many hours running around that creek bed. I remember loving the feeling of being immersed by the woods and feeling like I had the woods to myself. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I started to look into mountaineering courses/groups and found Mazamas online. I remember an old roommate mentioned them in passing once but I didn’t look into Mazamas until I started to seek out a community of outdoor hobbyists who were looking to climb outside, expand their skills, and build community. I had climbed in other she/they/us groups and really enjoyed the inclusion and empowering nature of the groups so I was very stoked to see Mazamas also had she/they/us climbs and activities!

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? The outdoors can be thrilling and beautiful, as well as, (insert favorite cuss word here) challenging. Everyone encounters mental and physical barriers during activities. There are days you’ll send everything you touch and other days you question what you’re doing off the couch. Be kind to yourself and listen to what your body’s needs/limits are for the day. Most importantly, don’t forget to take a second to stop and appreciate the views. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I am most inspired by activities that force you to be present. Sometimes life feels like it is moving too fast or stressors seem too prevalent. I appreciate activities that let my anxiety, depression, and/or incessant thoughts fade away and push me to live in the moment.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. Oh goodness. If we are answering vulnerably I would probably say SheMovesMountains (rock climbing guide service that aims to empower women and gender minorities through retreats and clinics). Before I moved to Portland, I lived in Austin, TX. While I have an amazing family and friend group in Austin, I felt like I was missing something. I craved an outdoor community, especially an outdoor climbing community. I found SheMovesMountains on Instagram and started attending their guided retreats and clinics. I quickly found a community of empowering badass people that inspired me in climbing and in everyday life. I moved to Portland a year later to find a like minded outdoor community and haven’t looked back. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Climb, ski, and backpack in the Chamonix mountains and Dolomites, no doubt. 

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Meet the Mazamas

Nick joined the Mazamas this year to take part in our Advanced Rock course, but he’s been an outdoor enthusiast for years and enjoys hiking, backpacking, snowboarding, biking and more. When not in the wild, he runs his own tech support and production company and is a classically trained musician, instrumentalist, singer, composer and former yoga instructor. 

Name:  Nick Hankins

Pronouns:  He/Him

Year Joined Mazamas: 2024 

Present-day outdoor activities:  Cragging, Alpine Epics, Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Photography, Slacklining, Skiing, Snowboarding, Running, Biking, Fixing Vanny (my elderly campervan)

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Technically accurate, but super throwback…swinging on a swing set in France when I was about 4 or 5 on a sunny day and a girl walked over and kissed me on the cheek.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My friend Julie told me about the Mazamas when I was climbing with her at Movement. She literally said “You should join the Mazamas and take their Advanced Rock class. I took it last year and it was awesome. You’d love it.”

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? As certain sectors of the world seem to be trending more and more towards chaos, the sanctity of the great outdoors and protected natural spaces has never been more important. As best as you can, try to be considerate of other people’s spiritual experience in these spaces…whether that means adhering to the Leave No Trace principle or leaving your bluetooth speaker and your drone at home (preaching to myself about the drones) or smiling at someone as you pass them on the trail or taking education classes like those offered by the Mazamas to enrich your experience and to propagate best practices that help keep everyone safe, which in turn helps to keep these sacred spaces open and available to all of us. Join a community of like-minded friends and get away from the doom screens as often as you can! I recently deleted Instagram and Facebook on my phone and instead share photos and videos with my friends on a shared Discover Server.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? People climbing hard in beautiful places. People living simply and minimalistically. People going out of their way or sacrificing their own safety or freedom to help or to stand up for those in need. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. I love the Reel Rock documentaries. They’re produced really well and the stories and cinematography is always top notch.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I have a number of destinations and crags and alpine peaks on my bucket list, but the one I obsess about the most is a top secret route on the Oregon coast that I’m planning to rebolt and revitalize. 

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Meet the Mazamas

Stacey has been a level A climb leader for a year and is stoked to help and encourage new climbers to accomplish their goals! When not climbing, she works as the director of a public defender office and likes to garden and spoil her dog, Jim.

Name:  Stacey Reding

Pronouns:  she/her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2013

Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking, backpacking, rock climbing and working on my skiing  

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I grew up in rural Kansas, where outdoor recreation looked a lot different than it does for me and my friends in the Pacific Northwest area today. My family would car camp and my dad would go fishing, and outdoor activities were usually more restful than physically demanding. 

We didn’t have any hiking trails in my area, but I loved to go on long walks on gravel roads and through cow pastures and creeks. Once when I was 8 years old, I left home before my parents woke up and went walking for so long that my parents got scared and called the police to report me missing!

The first time I saw mountains was in high school when my youth group drove to Colorado for a spring break ski trip. I was in awe of the Rockies, and I’m so grateful that I live in such a beautiful area today.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? In 2013, I was doing a lot of hiking with various groups through MeetUp, which led me to a Sierra Club member who invited me to join his Mt. Saint Helens climb that August. My initial reaction was: “I can’t climb a mountain!” But he assured me that since he had seen me complete the hike we had just done together (Table Mountain), he knew I was capable.

Our climb was in August and was a long scree hike. As we ascended, I saw a team of Boy Scouts carrying ice axes trying to make use of them on any snow patch they could find. On the summit, I asked our leader about how people use ice axes without impaling themselves, and he told me about the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP). I had heard of Mazamas but had never seen myself as someone who might be qualified to join. I joined Mazamas that fall and was in BCEP the following spring!

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Have fun! There are a lot of different activities available to folks, so if one doesn’t appeal to you, pursue another. And also, you are capable of even more than you think.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I admire anyone who can bring a good attitude and work ethic to face adversity. That applies to mountaineering but also to my profession. I work in public defense. My office represents clients who have faced a lot of challenges – parental neglect, poverty, houselessness, untreated mental illness, and drug addiction – and on our most successful days we get to see folks fight through those challenges and overcome a lot to make their lives better.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. This last winter I got turned on to Zom100, an anime series. The hero is an overworked man who faces a zombie apocalypse with glee because he’s finally free from his job. He creates a list of 100 things to do before he becomes a zombie. It’s a life-affirming, sweet, smart, funny show that I’d recommend for anyone.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? I desperately want to backpack in the Enchantments (and if this gets published, maybe a lottery winner can bring me along with them!). I’d also love to travel to Japan to climb Mt. Fuji.