Category: Membership

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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:  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.

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Meet the Mazamas

Lisa has been climbing mountains since she was little kid. She has served our organization in many capacities, volunteer climb leader, BCEP leader, canyoneering leader/instructor, teaching:  ICS, AR, MFA, Crevasse Rescue, Rock Rescue, Skill Builders, FM101, CPR & First Aid and an organizer for our Used Gear Sale.

When not climbing above the earth’s surface she likes to cave and SCUBA dive below it. She also supports other organizations and is rappelling off of the 536-foot U.S. Bancorp Tower this August to raise money for domestic violence survivors and veterans who suffer from PTSD.

Name:    Lisa Ripps 

Pronouns:  She/Her 

Year Joined Mazamas :  I started doing things with Mazamas in the late 90’s but only joined in 2007.

Present-day outdoor activities:   Mountain climbing, Hiking, Canyoneering, Biking, SCUBA Diving, Bird Watching, Snow shoeing, Skiing, Kayaking, Ice Climbing  

 What’s your earliest outdoor memory:  Catching frogs while camping with my family 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization?   Mazamas had a reputation in Portland as the best of the best.  Very safety conscious, and a group that was serious about mountain climbing.  I had already climbed a number of mountains including Mt Hood years before I joined Mazamas, then I decided I should take BCEP to learn more and to meet more climbers. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them?  Get some good training so you can enjoy the outdoors safely and more confidently. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one.  The BCEP students who are non-traditional.  Who have not grown up hiking and spending time outdoors, and who might start out less physically fit.   

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why?   Deep Survival (Laurence Gonzales) – Led me to consider why we do what we do, and how each of us deals with challenges when they occur. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list?  Kilimanjaro, Borneo, Antarctica, more Pacific NW climbing

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Meet the Mazamas

Jeremy grew up on a lake in Minnesota, fishing and camping with his family. He spent three years in Bozeman, MT in college before permanently moving to the West Coast. He met a great group of friends through the Mazamas and our Basic Climbing Education Program, and now he spends most of his free time rock climbing or mountaineering with them. 

Name:  Jeremy Luedtke

Year Joined Mazamas: 2020

Present-day outdoor activities:  Alpine and sport climbing. I recently summited Mount Shasta with Gary Bishop and have multiple ascents planned for the remainder of the summer. I have also been doing more outdoor rock climbing with a great group of people I have met through The Mazamas.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory: I grew up in Minneapolis & my mom was from the north woods closer to Canada. Her family still lived in northern Minnesota and almost every weekend in the summer we would go camping near her hometown and hang out with her family. My earliest outdoor memories were learning how to fish from my grandpa during these trips. He was a cranky old Norwegian fellow who was happiest outdoors and loved to fly fish. While he was always gruff (even around his grandson), he showed his affection by always taking the time to take me on adventures in the woods and teach me about it.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization?  After I moved to Portland, I ended up working with a Mazamas member who was on the Lodge Committee. We would chat at work about getting outside and into the mountains. He told me about the Mazamas, and said I would enjoy it.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take advantage of the educational opportunities that Mazamas offers, such as the “gym-to-crag” class or the Sunday Skill-Builders, or volunteer to help with BCEP. Most of my friends, and all of my climbing partners are Mazamas that I met through these opportunities.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Honestly, it is the instructors and volunteer assistants at Mazamas classes that I take. Personally, I believe that climbing fun & climbing safely go hand-in-hand. The instructors at Mazamas classes have so much passion about sharing both technical skills and safety best practices, that it inspires me to get outside even more.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Alpine Savvy, @alpinesavvy. It is both a website and an Instagram account. It is an encyclopedia of climbing knowledge. Definitely a resource that all climbers should subscribe to.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Easter Island. I know it sounds funny because I don’t think you can do any climbing there, you just walk around and look at stuff. The fact that the island is so remote (the nearest inhabited land to it is 1,200 miles away), and filled with over 1000 giant stone heads is fascinating. Of course, it is also off the coast of Chile, and I heard there is some halfway decent climbing in Patagonia I could do on my way there…

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Meet the Mazamas

Meet the Schwabs: They’re a blended family— each with varying degrees of “from-here.” While Meg moved to Oregon from the Midwest as an adult, Michael’s family basically got here with the Pioneers. Tegan and Isaac actually have the deepest roots to the Pacific Northwest though, because they’re members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through their mom’s side of the family.

Thankfully, they all love being outside equally, and enjoy spending lots of family time exploring the outdoors. They were grateful to discover the Mazamas during COVID, and decided to take the Families Mountaineering 101 class together last year. 

Name:  Michael (dad), Meg (stepmom), Tegan, 12, and Isaac, 9

Pronouns: He, she, she, he

Year Joined Mazamas: 2022

Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing, and snowshoeing 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? As a fam: the kids have been camping since they were babies, and we’ve been taking them on hikes since before they even liked it. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? Since COVID, we were always on the lookout for activities to do outside, because it really seemed to help the kids get through being stuck with online learning and not being able to see their friends as often. We found Family 101 in 2021 (through a google search, I think?), but the planned dates that season didn’t fit with the 50/50 parenting-time schedule we have. For 2022, the calendar was almost exactly [magically] aligned, so we applied!

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? For families specifically: get started as early as you can! Even when you think it’ll be hard at first (FYI: you are correct), you’ll all get the hang of it eventually. Nothing has brought our family unit closer than the times we’ve been hanging out together outside. Also, if you have the opportunity to go with other families with kids (ex. FM101!): jump on it. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Every time we’ve been at the summit of a crazy-difficult hike and seen a parent walk by with their baby in one of those backpack-carrier things. So metal. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Primitive Technology by John Plant. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list?  Re-doing our favorite trips we did when the kids were too little to take them with us. Banff National Park, Zion, and the Inca Trail stick out as the main ones.

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Meet the Mazamas

A Philly area native, Heather first moved to Portland in Spring 2017 searching for more opportunities for outdoor fun and adventure. She became a Mazama member and hike leader in 2019, and now serves as a Co-Chair for the Adventurous Young Mazamas (AYM). Heather also completed Advanced Rock in 2022. When she’s not outside hitting up all the trails and climbing some of the mountains, you can find her churning up homemade ice cream, running, and snuggling her doggo Linus. 

Linus was rescued from the streets of Southern California and transported up to
Portland, OR where he found a loving home with Heather in the Fall of 2018. Although not much is known about Linus prior to his arrival in Portland, Linus has fully embraced his PNW home and can often be found hiking with Heather throughout Oregon and Washington (either on foot or in a pack!).

Name:  Heather Polonsky and Linus Polonsky

Pronouns:  she/her/hers; he/him/his

Year Joined Mazamas: 2019

Present-day outdoor activities: Heather: Hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing (downhill/XC), and running.

Linus: Hiking, sniffing, bouldering, and eating grass. Retired backpacker.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Heather: My earliest outdoor memory was playing capture the flag in my neighbors’ backyard. My family also used to take annual trips down the shore (yep, there’s the Jersey in me coming out) and I remember running along the beach and splashing in the ocean. Interestingly, I’m much more of a forest-gal now than a beach-bum.

Linus: My human (Heather) took me on a hike-walk through Forest Park a week or two after I moved in. I guess she really wanted me to be an adventure pup.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? Heather: After listening to me bemoan my lack of hiking friends, my friend (who was one of my few hiking friends at the time and therefore was probably annoyed I kept saying I didn’t have any hiking friends) dragged to me an AYM Pub Night. There, I met a bunch of like-minded outdoor folks and I knew I wanted to get more involved! I quickly learned the Mazamas did not regularly offer dog friendly hikes and as a new dog owner,
I did not want to leave my furry friend behind. Rather than wait for an existing hike leader to start hosting dog friendly hikes, I took matters into my own hands and became a hike leader. Over the past four to five years, I have met so many lifelong friends through the Mazamas and have gained so many skills and knowledge. I am so thankful for the Mazamas and will continue to be involved in this organization for years to come!

Linus: I pawticipated in my human’s first ever AYM hike to Pup Creek Falls back in 2019 and haven’t looked back! Heather brings me on all of her Mazamas hikes and encourages others to bring along their furry friends. I’ve made a lot of pals (both human and dog) through the Mazamas and love when folks sneak me little treats.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Heather: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! I had been on plenty of hikes and a few camping trips here and there back East, but when I first moved to Portland I had no experience backpacking, mountaineering, or skiing, and I had just barely learned to rock climb. Although I was intimidated at first, I quickly learned there are so many people eager to teach you new skills and provide you with recommendations and tips on how to get outside! It can be scary (and downright embarrassing) to learn a new hobby as an adult, but it is also super rewarding and a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Linus: Bring your furry friend! Assuming the trail is pup friendly, we would love to be included in your adventures. That being said, please practice “leave no trace”, I get very upset when people leave dog poo on the trail (I always go in for a sniff and am disappointed when it’s not a treat).

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? 
Heather: I’m inspired by all the animals I see in the wild. These creatures have found a way to adapt and survive in harsh environments and continue to persevere despite human interference. Some truly inspirational species include beavers (nature’s engineers!), marmots (guardians of the mountains), pikas (those little fellas survive in yearlong sub-zero temps), and mountain goats (have you seen what those bad boys can climb?!).

Linus: Woof, that’s a toughie. I’m a simple pup. I don’t focus on inspiration. I just want treatos, snuggles, outdoor sniffs, and time with my human.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Heather: The Washington Department of Natural Resources (@washdnr) and National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) social media accounts may be the funniest things I have ever read. Both accounts find a way to make facts and tips about outdoor recreation informative yet hilarious. Also, the Oregon Zoo (@oregonzoo); I’m very invested in the daily activities of branch managers Filbert and Maple (beavers), as well as Moshu the red panda.

Linus: Not to betray my heritage, but I got to say, @GreatGramsofGary is high quality stuff! I’m normally ambivalent towards my feline compatriots, but that kitty Gary is quite the adventurer.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Heather: The list is long, but my top 5 would have to be Machu Pichu, a Banff-Glacier-Tetons-Yellowstone-Wind River Range hiking/backpacking road trip, Patagonia, New Zealand, and Lofoten Islands in Norway (crossing this one off this summer!).

Linus: I only know what my human tells me about. I can tell you that my favorite nearby hike is Dog Mountain.

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Design a Logo to Honor Glacier Summits

Glaciers are hallmarks of life on earth, supporting our planet’s ecosystems and influencing our day-to-day lives no matter where we live. Sadly, research shows that nearly half of the earth’s glaciers will melt by the end of this century, even if the world meets its most ambitious global warming goals.

Anyone who’s ever stood atop a glaciated peak – Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, even Old Snowy — gets it can be a near-religious experience. It makes sense then that William Gladstone Steel, one of the founding Mazamas, was adamant that summiting a glaciated peak be a requirement for membership beginning in 1894.

It also makes sense to have eliminated that requirement in 2023 to allow our organization to adapt to a changing climate, become more inclusive and welcome outdoor enthusiasts who are not necessarily alpine climbers.

For those who have summited a glaciated peak, or intend to climb one, we have created the Glaciated Peak Society (GPS). The only requirements for membership are you must be a Mazama member in good standing, and you must have climbed a glaciated peak. All existing members prior to the Jan. 31 bylaws changes, will be inducted into the GPS.

Help us design a logo for the GPS. The contest is open to individuals, organizations, companies and educational institutions. You do not need to be a Mazama to participate, but members are encouraged to enter a design.

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Meet the Mazamas

Petra was raised in the Middle East and Washington, D.C. and has lived in nearly every region of the U.S. She took our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) in 2009, which launched a career in the outdoors. She’s a former NOLS instructor, a current instructor of wilderness leadership and experiential education, an on-again/off-again wilderness therapy guide, a paddler, a dedicated long-distance walker, a hiker, and an aspiring mountain biker. She has been in the Mazama Leadership Development Program since May 2019 and a Portland Mountain Rescue member since August 2021.

Name:  Petra LeBaron-Botts

Pronouns:  she/her/hers

Year Joined Mazamas: 2009

 Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, thru-hiking, skiing, mountain biking, paddling my canoe.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I spent my formative years in the Middle East and remember a lot of exploring the vast Arabian Desert. A different kind of wilderness, but still wild and awe-inspiring. I also remember trips to the U.S. to visit my extended family and falling in love with the high desert ecosystem of eastern and southern Oregon.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? When I moved to Oregon after finishing college in Indiana in 2008, I felt that I had some sort of responsibility to learn how to ski. I enrolled in the Mazama Nordic Ski class. It was in that class that I met now-president Greg Scott! He told me about this thing called BCEP. I almost didn’t register, thinking I had no interest in climbing mountains. How wrong I was! Taking BCEP in 2009 changed the trajectory of my entire life, kicking off my move to an outdoor education career.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take the leap! There are so many reasons we give ourselves for why we can’t. We don’t have the time, don’t have the money, are too out of shape, are too scared. All the best things in the world lie beyond those reasons. There are so many people who want to help you discover the outdoors and so many resources available to help you do it! Just say yes!

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I became a part of Portland Mountain Rescue in 2021 and have felt continually inspired by the men and women in the unit. They are compassionate, brave, humble, and dedicated, and I hope to be more like them when I grow up. I am also continually inspired by my nearly-77 year old mother who hikes thousands of miles around the world every year. At the age of 75 she did a 26-mile day with me! 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? My absolute favorite corner of the internet is @dusttodigital on Instagram. They post video clips of live “music,” in all iterations, from every corner of the globe. I don’t even want to say anything more – just go watch.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? The Arizona Trail, the Oregon Desert Trail, Te Araroa, Patagonia, Antarctica, backpacking the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, seeing a manta ray while diving, diving the Galapagos, bike-touring in eastern Europe, and much more.

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Meet the Mazamas

Katie is a recent East Coast transplant who is excited to explore the Pacific Northwest. She joined the Mazamas last year and just completed our Nordic Ski School. She is helping to bring back the Mazama evening programs and is eager to help advance the Mazama mission to inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains.

Name: Katie Grinnell

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Year Joined Mazamas: Oct 2022

Present-day outdoor activities: hiking, camping, rock climbing, running, kayaking, SUPing, water skiing, downhill skiing, Nordic skiing

Earliest outdoor memory: My earliest outdoor memory might be playing on the playground! I loved the monkey bars and would show off my skills to anyone, or try to beat anyone… I’ve always been competitive. 

How did you hear about Mazamas and what prompted you to engage with the organization? When I moved to Portland from the East Coast I was looking for an org to help me learn to recreate in these mountains safely and to maybe even summit Hood someday! I have lots of experience recreating outside but the peaks of the PNW are different from my lovely Appalachians and safety is of utmost importance! I think I used Google and the Mazamas popped up so I did my research and thought it would be great to be part of such a storied history and also have the ability to take classes to keep learning new skills and meeting people!

Advice for people recreating outside: Go with friends, invest in a good pair of waterproof hiking boots, and practice LNT always!

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I’m inspired by the people I interact with everyday; as a social worker I often interact with people when life isn’t particularly easy and their joy and determination and intelligence inspire me to keep fighting to make the world a better place for everyone and everything. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that I follow and why: I could never pick a favorite book as I am always reading and find new books to love but a great read that every outdoors person should have on their shelf is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. 

What is on your adventure bucket list? There are many places I want to go and experiences I want to have but as a new resident to the PNW I would love to go backpacking in the Three Sisters Wilderness this summer! 

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Meet the Mazamas

Forest grew up in Seattle, lived in Bellingham, on Orcas Island, and in Australia. He moved to Portland in 2010, where he teaches high school current events and civics/government for Portland Public Schools. Forest is a registered member by blood of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, he is part Chickasaw and also white. He is working his way through the Mazamas Leadership Development program to become a climb leader and has set a goal of leading all 16 of the NW Peaks.

Name:  Forest Brook Menke-Thielman

Pronouns:  He/Him

Year Joined Mazamas: 2019

Present-day outdoor activities:  Climbing, Hiking, Skiing, Running (road/trail), Cycle Touring (though not in awhile), General Alpinism, New to Ice Climbing, occasional kayak/canoe excursion. 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Probably complaining to my parents that I hate the beach… I’ve changed. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I looked up how to climb Hood online and somehow came to the Advanced Snow and Ice class.  That was what I wanted to take originally, but I realized I had to start at the basics, so I enrolled in BCEP. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Do your research. It’s free to talk to people that have experience with weather conditions and gear, like Rangers, folks at the Mountain Shop, other Mazamas, etc. While remote outdoor activities can be inherently dangerous, many people that get significantly hurt or die just weren’t prepared for the weather, or to get lost, or didn’t know how to use the gear they had or didn’t have.  

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one. Currently ice climbing.  I didn’t have a chance to get down to Ouray or Hyalite this year like I had originally planned, and I have been supremely jealous of everyone’s photos who did. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? The_Govy500 on Instagram; good reason to take 35 back through Hood River. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Mount Kenya (the true summit) for sure.  It just looks so awesome, so remote, and so challenging. It’s like 22 pitches of alpine trad. Better start training!