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!