Category: Uncategorized

These blog posts were transferred from our old blogging platform. We are working to categorize them over the next few months, but for now, they are in chronological order.

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Trail Tending: How to Low Key (or High Key) Get Involved

by Lisa Condon and Rick Pope

Making trail maintenance part of your regular hiking routine isn’t just beneficial for the trails—it’s a meaningful way to connect with our outdoor community, contribute to conservation, and experience your favorite routes in a new light.

How Trail Maintenance Can Fit Into Your Weekend Hikes

Picture this: your weekend hike transforms into a mission where removing a few downed branches, collecting several pieces of trash, clearing a blocked drain, or writing a trip report helps thousands of other outdoor lovers enjoy the wild. Your feedback can influence where organizations focus their efforts next. Micro trail maintenance provides instant results at a time when doing something hopeful feels better than waiting for others to act. We’re not asking you to invest your entire weekend, just make a few small choices that add to the trajectory of positive change. It can be surprising how many people walk right over small branches with lifting a finger. Or toe!

Real Hiker Impact: More About Trip Reports

Your observations matter! Every trip report posted—whether on the Washington Trails Association (WTA) site or the Oregon Hikers’ Trail Rx page—funnels crucial info to land managers and maintenance teams. Not only can you help prioritize repairs, your input makes hiking safer for everyone and ensures trail funds are spent where most needed.

  • Post WTA Trip Reports — Washington Trails Association
  • Share trail reports on Trail Rx – Oregon Hikers
  • *One important consideration is if you fixed a trail that you left a trip report for, please remember to go back and update the report so that resources are not wasted on fixed trails.

Next Level: Advanced Ways to Get Involved

If you’re ready to take your stewardship to the next level, here’s how to ramp up your involvement and make a lasting impact:

  • Saw Certification: Learn to operate chainsaws and crosscut saws safely. Saw certification events happen every spring through the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) and Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO), requiring classroom and fieldwork plus current First Aid/CPR certifications.
  • Sign Up for Maintenance Days: Join spring and summer volunteer work parties with groups like WTA, PCTA, TKO and your very own Mazamas. See bottom of article for two tentative Mazama Trail Tending dates for 2026. These wonderful groups offer hands-on experience and are open to all skill levels—and yes, certified sawyers are in high demand.
  • Become a Crew Leader: After a few seasons, you can train to supervise maintenance teams and help organize work trips.

Organizations to Connect With

Get motivated!

Trail maintenance doesn’t just protect the footpaths we love—it energizes every hike with purpose and adventure. So grab a lopper, join a work party, or write that trip report, and see how stewardship transforms the way you explore!

Dates to Remember:

  • April 18: Upper Dog Mountain Trail Maintenance — Mazamas and WTA.
  • Late June: Mazama Trail on Mt. Hood Trail Maintenance — Mazamas.

Oh and One More Thing!

The Mazamas have a lease offset for volunteer hours logged tending trails on Forest Service Land. Look for a more detailed explanation of this in the coming months! Meanwhile, create a Point account so you’re ready to begin logging service hours.
Happy Holidays!

Reach out to Rick Pope or Lisa Condon with questions and suggestions.

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Executive Director Transition

Dear Mazama members and friends,

After two years of service, Rebekah Phillips has announced her decision to step down as Executive Director, effective July 31, 2025.
We are deeply grateful for the impact she’s made. Under her leadership, the organization has grown stronger—strengthening relationships with volunteers and stakeholders, improving operations, expanding our professional staff, and helping shape our strategic direction. Her work has positioned us well for the road ahead.
While change can be challenging, this transition offers an opportunity to reflect on our evolving needs and identify a new leader to guide the Mazamas into its next chapter. On behalf of the entire board, I thank Rebekah for her many contributions and wish her continued success.
The board has formed a transition team to manage interim planning, and we will keep the membership informed as more details become available.

With gratitude,
Debbie Dwelle, Board President

Dear friends,

Recently I made the difficult decision to step down as your Executive Director, with my final day set for July 31, 2025.
Over the past few years, we’ve made real strides together, and I’m deeply grateful to the members, supporters, and staff who have made this work possible. As the Mazamas continues to evolve, I hope this transition will serve as an invitation—an opportunity for you, the community, to help shape what comes next.
As for me, I’m taking a rare pause to reflect and recharge. But I’m not going far—I began this journey a member, and I’ll continue to remain one.
Thank you all for your support, passion, and belief in this community. It’s been an honor to serve and walk alongside each of you.

With gratitude,
Rebekah Phillips

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Action Alert: The the U.S. Senate to reject Trump’s Big Bad Budget Bill!

Congress recently removed the provision to sell 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada from the House budget bill. This represents a win for public lands advocates who mobilized against the proposal, demonstrating broad bipartisan opposition to privatizing these areas.

However, the current bill remains deeply problematic for environmental protection.

Beyond its widely reported cuts to healthcare programs and tax provisions that would add nearly $4 trillion to the national debt, the legislation contains several measures that would significantly weaken forest management and environmental oversight.

Key environmental concerns include:

  • Expedited Logging Authorization: Allows companies to bypass standard environmental review processes under the National Environmental Policy Act by paying fees, potentially eliminating public input and legal oversight for timber operations.
  • Mandatory Logging Increases: Requires the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to boost logging activities by 25 percent, without adequate consideration of climate change effects, water quality protection, or wildfire prevention strategies.
  • Roadless Area Vulnerabilities: Creates exceptions that could permit logging in currently protected roadless areas, potentially affecting regions like the Columbia River Gorge, Hardesty Mountain, the Metolius River watershed, and the Wallowa Mountains.
  • Extended Logging Commitments: Mandates 20-year timber contracts across national forests, locking in long-term extraction commitments that may not account for changing environmental conditions or ecosystem needs.

These forest management changes represent a significant shift in federal land policy. Senate consideration of these provisions will be crucial in determining their ultimate fate.

Take action now

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Blue Mountain Trail Presentation Follow-up

Attendees of the Greater Hells Canyon Council’s Base Camp presentation on the Blue Mountain Trail on April 25 saw an informative presentation. The presenter has provided additional information about the Blue Mountains Trail.

In response to a question about how western Oregon residents can support conservation in eastern Oregon, the GHCC staff recommends contacting Oregon Senators and local Representatives to express interest in conservation issues in northeastern Oregon and request more involvement on eastside issues. The organization plans to provide more direct guidance in the weeks ahead.

The importance of northeastern Oregon conservation extends beyond regional boundaries. The GHCC mission area encompasses approximately 10,000 square miles with about 100,000 inhabitants in a rural, economically disadvantaged region. Despite this, it remains a popular destination, with over 100,000 visitors from the Portland region annually.

Support from western Oregon residents enables GHCC’s conservation work, which impacts the entire state through watershed protection, endangered species habitat preservation, and trail maintenance. The organization protects major watersheds including the Grande Ronde and John Day rivers, which serve as critical cold water refugia for wild salmon and steelhead. Their efforts ensure endangered species like wolves have suitable habitat, and through the Blue Mountains Trail initiative, they maintain hundreds of miles of hiking trails across the region’s three National Forests.

Take action

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Snowshoeing: A Winter Window into Oregon’s Wilderness

Adventurous Young Mazamas snowshoeing near Mt. Hood, 2024

by Jacob Lippincott, Adventurous Young Mazamas

Oregon is typically not a state for fair weather hikers. In the summer expect to contend with heat, long dry spells, and skies filled with wild-fire smoke. In the winter, you’ll find cold temperatures, copious amounts of rain at lower elevations or many feet of snow at higher elevations. When the few nice weeks of fall give way to winter, people who want to continue enjoying one of our local trails often turn to snowshoes.

It is thought that snowshoes were first used around 4000 BC in Central Asia. People in snowy environments used them not for recreation at first, but for travelling and hunting. Snowshoes at this time did not look much like the ones we see today but were made from teardrop shaped planks of wood with a binding to attach to the foot. It wasn’t until they were brought to North America, by people crossing over the Bering Sea Land Bridge that they started to take on a more recognizable form. 

The Indigenous peoples of the Huron and Cree tribes are credited with modernizing snowshoes, replacing planks with webbing and a frame around the outside. As they were used more extensively, their form changed to meet the demands of conditions specific to that region. For example, snowshoes found in Alaska tended to be longer and skinnier, more suited for long trips in open country with deep snow. In contrast, the “bear paw” snowshoe, oval in shape with no tail, was great for navigating through dense woods and hilly areas. Today’s snowshoes resemble these older versions in shape and serve similar function, but are made with newer materials like aluminum and plastic, allowing them to be lighter and more durable.

For winter travel on trails and snowy plains, it is hard to beat snowshoes for their effectiveness and ease of use. While they may not provide the downhill speed of touring skis or the efficiency of cross-country skis, they require less training and less financial investment. If you can hike, you can snowshoe. That being said you will find that snowshoeing through deep snow is tiring, and usually slower than hiking.

Often, you find fewer people braving the elements so snowshoeing, even on a trail that is popular in the summer, can feel like you are deep in the backcountry. Just remember that snowshoeing or other forms of winter recreation come with their own set of challenges. Navigation can be harder, as even familiar trails can look vastly different under a few feet of snow and storms easily remove evidence of yesterday’s bootpack. Be prepared for cold temperatures in the morning and potential warming throughout the day, dress in layers. Finally, the sun goes down early in winter, start early and be back before dark. Now is not the season to stay overnight in the woods. 

I often say that I don’t like to snowshoe, that I would rather ski if I am spending time outside this time of year. But, writing this has made me reconsider that position. Yes, snowshoeing is often more tiring and slower than hiking and I want to get to the summit or back to the car to get warm. But when I remember to stop and marvel at the forest around me and soak in the quiet splendor, I am once again reminded how lucky I am to live in the Pacific Northwest. The dark green stands of evergreens, when covered with snow, are what comes to my mind when I think about the mountains here and trails become more beautiful during the winter. Moving through the woods in the cold, with tepid winter sun filtering through the trees and heavy snow-laden boughs gently swaying in the wind above provide for a wonderful, unique experience. Winter also provides a stillness to the outdoors that can be hard to find today. Honestly, I think about how lucky I am to live here almost every time I am outside in Oregon but it hits differently this time of year. And when on one of these magical winter hikes, thanks to snowshoes, I didn’t posthole every ten feet for the last five miles. 

If you would like to join the Mazamas for a snowshoe, keep an eye on the calendar this winter season. The Adventurous Young Mazamas is hosting our Winter Weekend the weekend of February 14–16. There will be snowshoeing events for everyone regardless of age or experience level, join us!

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Mazama Lodge Update—Message from the Executive Director

By next month’s end, the Mazama Lodge will finally have a new roof! Over the past year, we’ve stressed the importance of this step in caring for and maintaining the lodge, but there’s much more progress to report as we continue to prepare the facility for its much-anticipated re-opening.

Last March, the Board of Directors engaged consultant Chris Jaworski of Five Stakes to identify the steps required to open and operate the lodge as an overnight facility. The goal was, and remains, a phased reopening of the lodge—first to members and then to the general public—to transform the lodge into a revenue-positive asset that advances our mission, furthers brand recognition, and reflects our values.

Both a Mazama member and a board member, Chris’ familiarity with the organization provides him with critical insight into the successes and failures of past operating models, as well as our unique need to support our education programs through use of the lodge. Chris’ career in the hospitality industry means he also brings an acute understanding of the ins and outs of facility operations. Chris (who has, per board policy, disclosed a conflict of interest and does not vote on lodge-related matters) was hired specifically to:

1. Assess the lodge for health and safety compliance, and help us bring it up to code where needed
2. Develop and document standard operating and emergency management procedures
3. Identify and build relationships with potential vendors to support equipment, repairs, supplies, and food and beverage
4. Recommend a business model, including staffing operations and a reservation management platform

Inspired and excited by the prospect of what the lodge can ultimately be, it’s been an exercise in prioritization as we find solutions suited to our immediate needs and means as a non-profit. But with additional help from staff and volunteers, we’ve managed to make considerable progress in just five months. As we continue to chip away at both necessities and niceties, fire and kitchen safety now meet required standards, faucets, toilets, and pipes have been repaired throughout the building, procedure manuals have been created, preventative maintenance schedules have been established, and reliable phone and internet is on the way. As you may know, the lodge roof has been paid for thanks to members stepping up to make its fundraising campaign a success; the rest of the work has been supported by rental revenue earned over the summer from youth ski camps.

Key items we’re still working to resolve are the technical system for managing reservations and a staffing model that fulfills the need for both day-to-day management and big picture oversight. Cost efficiency is top-of-mind, though we recognize that a properly supported facility is a requirement of success.

Visually, the lodge still resembles itself with a few small exceptions. On the outside, the vent stack that protrudes from the west side of the roof has been rerouted and will be removed entirely with the new roof, as its position was contributing to the leaks. On the inside, staff is working to curate displays on the walls to tell the story of the lodge over the last 60 years. Additionally, membership has asked for a more flexible, user-friendly kitchen, as well as an environmentally sustainable carbon-neutral facility. Cautious to not get ahead of ourselves, we’re beginning to imagine what those larger upgrades might entail.

Again, first things first—we still have a few items to resolve before we can reopen to members. Once we’re up and running, we’ll be able to use real-time feedback to fine-tune our operations and generate the revenue we need to expand service. If you’d like to support the lodge, please consider attending our September 25 fundraiser, Steps Together, or making a charitable contribution in lieu of attendance. For the latest updates and announcements, keep your eyes on our eNews and the November/December Mazama Bulletin.

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Smith Rock Craggin’ Classic Update

On October 18, a Portland-based man was arrested by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on suspicions of planning a mass shooting, targeting climbers at this weekend’s Craggin’ Classic at Smith Rock. Mazamas leadership first became aware of the situation that same morning, when we were notified of a credible threat. The perpetrator was detained shortly thereafter, and authorities are confident that there is no continued threat. We are grateful to law enforcement and others whose interventions and skillful efforts led to his swift and nonviolent arrest.

We have learned that the suspect was a member of the Mazamas, making this news all the more devastating and difficult. With the safety and well-being of our members, volunteers, and students always our top priority, the Mazamas takes physical, psychological, and emotional safety seriously, and we recognize this news may be especially troubling for members.

If you are in need of support during this time, our Critical Incident Stress Management team is available as a resource.

If you have questions or inquiries regarding the ongoing investigation, please direct them to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

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Meet the Mazamas

A native South Carolinian, Duncan lived in Maryland, Virginia and Rhode Island before moving to Oregon. His face is a familiar one at the Mazamas, and we’re fortunate that he is a devoted instructor. He’s a professor at Linfield College and volunteers much of his time teaching and overseeing first aid courses for the Mazamas. He also leads Basic Climbing Education Program teams, leads and assists on many climbs throughout the season and steps in as needed for other programs, like Families Mountaineering 101.

Name:  Duncan Hart

Pronouns:  he/him

Year Joined Mazamas: 2009

Present-day outdoor activities:  Alpine climbing, camping, cycling, gardening, hiking, kayaking, and sandbox play

What’s your earliest outdoor memory?: Riding on the handlebars of my brother’s bike before age 3 and yes, we did not wear helmets back in the day.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My manager would drag himself into Monday morning meetings with a big smile where he would spend a few minutes sharing Mazamas weekend adventures stories. At the time, doing the kinds of activities that Mazamas do seemed unimaginable to me. One day he asked where I wanted to be in life, and my response was that I wanted to be in a pair of snowshoes on Mt Hood. The response was priceless, “Well that sounds kind of risky. You really should have some BCEP training before going into the mountains.”  

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Be responsible not only for yourself but for others. Thirty years ago, we moved to the Pacific Northwest for the natural beauty and outdoor access. Today, we might be loving our mountains and outdoors a little too much. The inner drive to get that next great selfie is taking some people beyond their physical limits and into risky situations. The policy response is to place access restrictions on public lands. I feel that more people should be educated on the 10 essentials and that a smartphone is never an adequate substitute for planning and preparation. Having more people in the outdoors with Wilderness First Aid skills would also be a very good thing. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Acts of human kindness. Each of us does simple things every day that can make life better for others. Sometimes it is reaching out to a teammate who was involved in a challenging situation with you. “Hey, how are you doing?”  A casual check-in like this can make a big difference in the first 10 minutes, later in the day, or even the next day after a tragedy or a near miss. Traumatic events affect each of us differently. Pay attention to the subtle details and listen. When we come together as Mazamas for an outdoor or educational experience, we often become a close-knit team. What we do as Mazamas is a dangerous sport, and bad things can and do happen. It is those formal and informal leaders within the teams who have the right sense of timing of when and how to do a check-in that inspire me.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? The Society for Science & the Public is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly Science News magazine that seeks to promote the understanding and appreciation for science and the vital role it plays on people and the planet. The articles are synopses of peer-reviewed white papers published in the last two months. I am interested in following the environmental issues and where this scientific community is focusing. Everyone can make individual choices both big and small that can result in a positive impact on the environment. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list? My wish is to take all of my grandchildren up a glaciated peak. I pick up summit rocks as gifts and tell them that someday they will need to take them back (hopefully with me). Climate change is a reality. If we inspire our youth, someday they will tell their grandchildren stories of the time when there were glaciers on the mountains. Maybe one of those children will grow up with the answers on how to save our planet.

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Meet the Mazamas

Joshua moved to the Pacific Northwest about 10 years ago, and in the past few years he’s done a lot of climbing with the Mazamas through our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) and Intermediate Climbing School (ICS) programs. When not out in the wild, he works to create more equitable, prosperous and resilient communities. 

Joshua also has been instrumental in creating the Queerzamas, an affinity group within the Mazamas for queer and/or trans folks and was part of our first-ever queer BCEP team.

Name:  Joshua Baker

Pronouns:  he, him, his

Year Joined Mazamas: 2022 

 Present-day outdoor activities: Mountaineering, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking  

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Growing up on a dairy farm in northern New York – cows out to pasture are an early outdoor memory. In terms of outdoor recreation, ice skating on a frozen pond at my grandparents farm with my sisters and cousins is an early memory I have.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I first learned about the Mazamas about a decade ago when I worked for the nonprofit, Focus the Nation. Each summer we held an annual climate focus retreat at the Lodge and went on Mazama-led hikes up to Elliot Glacier area. It wasn’t until I had a couple friends who did BCEP in 2019 that I decided I wanted to get involved in the Mazamas though. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Find what brings your joy in the outdoor community. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Historically I’ve been a solitary creature – particularly when it comes to outdoor activities. More and more I have found inspiration, comfort, and enjoyment in the community building aspects of my outdoor pursuits. That’s why I’m particularly excited to be part of the new Queerzamas affinity space.  Queerzamas will also be marching in the Pride Parade on July 16 – hope to see you there!

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? For folx who’ve spent a good amount of time around me the past few years, they  know I’m a bit obsessed with beavers and their importance to ecosystems in the West (and that they are adorable). A lot of my passion stems from reading Ben Goldfarb’s  “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.”

What’s on your adventure bucket list? In addition to the mountains, I love the Oregon High Desert. I’m slowly chipping away at visiting, hiking, and volunteering on environmental stewardship trips to sites along the Oregon Desert Trail and across High Desert. I’m hoping to get out to the Owyhee Canyonlands for an adventure soon!

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Meet the Mazamas

Born and raised in Baltimore, Md., Koko moved to Portland in 2013. She loves to hike and climb and considers the outdoors a meaningful, meditative space. To her, mountaineering is less about climbing the next big thing and more about showing up to be in supportive community, with curiosity, to have fun, be safe, and find joy in every tiny victory within. She is very passionate about and committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the outdoors. Inspired by her time in nature, Koko also is an artist who creates many mountain-themed pieces.

Name:  Koko Olszewski

Pronouns:  she/her

Year Joined Mazamas: 2017

 Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineer, Hiking, Kayaking, Crabbing

 What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Biking along the NCR trail from Maryland to the PA border with my uncle during the summer

 How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My bestie and I got early season permits to the Enchantments in 2016 and didn’t feel equipped to climb Assgard Pass in the snow but seeing everyone attempt it made me want to learn skills to go higher and see more! I found mountaineering during a really hard transitional time in my life and it really helped remind me of my own strength again and find some great community. 

 As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? You belong here just as you are. The outdoors are such a healing space and I want everyone who wants to be a part of that to feel like they belong, because you do. Period.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you?  My friends inspire me a lot and many are doing super badass things in the community. Random acts of kindness and wildflower hikes fill up my serotonin stores. 

 What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why?  Ted Lasso- my dad is a soccer coach and it is both hilarious and wholesome and the character development makes my heart swell. Team Roy+Jamie besties forever. 

 What’s on your adventure bucket list? Trekking in Peru, Tatras in Poland, Mount Athabasca and pretty much anything in Canada, climbing in the Tetons, Patagonia