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.