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).
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 offerthem? 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 andwhy? 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.
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 offerthem? 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 andwhy? 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.
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 offerthem? 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 andwhy? 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.
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 offerthem? 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 andwhy? 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.
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 offerthem? 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 andwhy? 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.
Corey joined the Mazamas a year ago, and in that short time has taken part in BCEP, Canyoneering, Nordic Ski School and Wilderness First Aid (WFA). They have been exploring the West Coast for the past decade since moving here from Florida. When they aren’t in the mountains, they are usually near a bike, riding all over the greater Portland area and volunteering with Bike Farm and Pedalpalooza.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Camping with the Boy Scouts in elementary school, watching my parents struggle to put together a tent before we hiked a few miles in a Florida swamp.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My partner took BCEP and invited me to climb Mt. St. Helens with her, a demanding and awe-inspiring day that made me appreciate how much more I needed to learn about mountaineering. I was attracted to Mazamas because of its focus on instruction and awareness in service to exploring the mountains.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Be patient and gentle with yourself! It is easy to become demanding of ourselves when there is so much to do and see outdoors, but learning to go at the right pace will make it so much more enjoyable.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I’m most inspired in moments when we are required to problem solve and think on our feet in order to move forward with the objective. Flexibility and lateral thinking are great assets when exploring the outdoors!
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Pick one. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, the memoir of William Finnegan, is a great read about the life of a surfing obsessive and has a lot to say about our relationship to sport and the outdoor world.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Climbing Prusik Peak and doing a Nordic ski hut-to-hut.
Julia is a recent graduate of our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) who loves to eat fun snacks on big mountains! Her day job is a hydrologist at the USGS Oregon Water Science Center. Ask her about rocks!
Name: Julia Grabowski
Pronouns: she/her
Year Joined Mazamas: 2023
Present-day outdoor activities: rock skipping, hiking, running, climbing, Nordic skiing
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? My parents are very outdoorsy North Carolinians, and I have a lot of great, early outdoor memories. They have a picture holding me on top of Hanging Rock as a 2-week-old-infant. My best memories are from when I got to play with nature — licking icicles like popsicles on Roan Mountain, making “rock music” with my friend by throwing rocks in the water and finding salamanders in creeks with my sister.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I moved to Portland two years ago and seemed to hear about the Mazamas from everyone. I had been looking for an outdoor community and more knowledge of mountaineering and Mazamas hit!
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offerthem? Remember that our fun hobby is a hobby, and it’s supposed to be for fun! I get annoyed seeing people taking themselves and their activity too seriously. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I feel really inspired by the intergenerational aspect of the Mazama community. It feels really good for my soul to be always engaged in teaching and learning at the same time, and being surrounded by people of different ages facilitates those interactions. I love learning from my elders, and teaching is also really fulfilling.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow andwhy? Pick one. The “SE Taylor Street Cat News.” Someone posts a monthly page on a street corner in SE Portland describing the recent goings-on with the neighborhood cats. I’m very interested in community organization that isn’t routed through Mark Zuckerburg’s pocket and always looking for inspiration!
What’s on your adventure bucket list? I would love to go canoe/raft camping in the Northwest. That is something I used to do in the Southeast, but the Northwest rivers are more serious, and I have not felt comfortable jumping in without a supportive group with me.
Kellie’s always had a deep connection with nature. It’s sparked a love for adventure, which has led her to beautiful rivers and up and around mountains.
She enjoys fly fishing with her partner on Central Oregon rivers and climbing mountains with the Mazamas. She also has hiked the Timberline Trail, which she’lll be doing again this year, along with the Wonderland Trail, and the Tour Du Mont Blanc at the end of August.
Her passion for mountaineering is growing, and she’s summited Mt. St. Helens, South Sister and Mt. Adams with the Mazamas so far. She says there is nothing like working with an amazing team on a climb, standing on the summit, taking in the views and feeling accomplished. But she also is also drawn to the solitude of a quiet forest, where she can breathe, meditate and enjoy the smells and sounds. Kellie says she is constantly seeking new adventures, challenges and ways to connect with the natural world.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Growing up, my mom would take my two sisters and I hiking on our local hiking trails in Corvallis, Ore. We always had a great time. But, to get us to hike a bit further, mom would always say “the waterfall is just around the corner,” and we’d happily continue down the trail. Spoiler: usually there was no waterfall on the hike!
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I discovered the Mazamas in 2022, when I was advancing in my hikes. I wanted to hike longer, hike harder and find even better views. When those lead me to mountains, I realized I’d like to continue this activity for a long time, so I might as well learn more skills and learn how to hike mountains safely. With some simple online searching, I found the Mazamas.I started to get excited about my growth in the adventure world when I discovered all the classes offered and the opportunities the Mazamas provided. Shortly after, I participated in the Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP), and it had such a positive impact on my life! I do want to give a shout out to Justin Colquhoun and Joe Preston for leading an amazing BCEP class and teaching us skills to climb safely and efficiently!
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Don’t be afraid to try new things. Find an outdoor community. You’ll make like-minded friends, adventure buddies, learn new ways of doing things you already love and find a supportive community.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I’m inspired by people who are dedicated to overcoming challenges. I love nothing more than learning a lesson nature intended to give me and then going back to accomplish my task. Whether climbing a mountain, running a certain distance, or trying something new for the first time. I’m inspired by those who push themselves out of their comfort zone to discover their limits and enjoy life while doing so.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Into the Wild by John Krakauer. Chris McCandless, whom the book was written about, is truly the inspiration. Not only do I think the book was captivating, but it also reminded me that you can be whoever you want in this world. It reminds me to be comfortable in my own skin and to not feel like I have to live by societal pressures. I can follow my passions.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? My goal since joining the Mazamas is to climb the 16 peaks. I’d love to end up a climb leader, if that’s my intended path. I also plan to adventure to other countries with my significant other to enjoy different cultures and explore the world.
Joe, who will turn 80 in July, has been active with the Mazamas since the late 70’s. He still leads at least one or two climbs each year and is set to refresh his Mountaineering First Aid skills with the Mazamas in the fall. Below he shares his history with the organization:
Growing up in Portland, views of Mt Hood and Mount St. Helens were a constant and instilled a latent desire to climb those puppies. However, my parents were from East Texas and didn’t have much of an outdoor, much less, climbing tradition. I spent many hours on our farm in Sunnyside wandering through the forest and spent the summer after my senior year in high school on a forest fire crew, but my outdoor skill set was not very developed.
In 1977, when I ended a 10-year active-duty stint with the US Navy and moved back to Portland, I was focused on signing-up for the Mazama Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP), which I completed in 1978. That spring I climbed Mt. Hood and became a Mazama member. That summer I also climbed Mount St. Helens, and Middle and South Sister. (My second Hood climb with the Mazamas was on May 18, 1980, and we were able to observe the eruption of Mount St. Helens from the summit.)
The next 10 years were mostly filled with family responsibilities: US Navy Reserve weekends, work as a marketing manager at Tektronix, and a slow slog to complete a computer engineering degree at the University of Portland. I was able to get in two to four climbs a year and received the Guardian Peaks Award in 1982. For a couple of years, I had a three-week teaching gig at the US Navy Intelligence School in Denver, CO and was able to hook-up with the Colorado Mountaineering Club to do some climbs with them.
In December 1988, I attended my last Navy Reserve drill weekend and finished my engineering degree in April 1989. I immediately signed up for Intermediate Climbing School (ICS). I started going on more climbs, received the Oregon Cascades Award in 1989, started helping with Basic Climbing School, was selected as a climb leader in 1991, and received the 16 NW peaks award in 1992. This was also about the time I became infected with the State Highpointing bug.
I led probably 15 BCEP sessions and was on the Climbing Committee in 1994 and 1995. I was the assistant ICS coordinator in 1994 and lead in 1995. I also wrote and distributed, by mail, the Climb Leader Newsletter and was the Climb schedule coordinator. One of my strong inputs on CC was the creation of a Climb Leader Development Program to ensure that Mazama climb leaders had a full set of verified skills to enhance climb safety. In May 1994, I and two other Mazamas made it up to 16,000 feet on Denali but had to back off due to one of the party members being unable to continue. Being my first high-altitude climb, this was a massive learning experience. In 1995, I started assisting Doug Wilson in joint climbs with the Toyama Mountaineering Club in Japan. They climbed with us several times, and we were able to go to Japan and climb with them. A very special experience!
The Mazamas were slow, even resistant to transition to the digital age—no email or webpage. In the mid-90’s, I lobbied for a FAX machine, and it was reluctantly finally approved. Now we could FAX stuff to the office and not have to drive down or mail it. I grew increasingly frustrated with how hard it was to schedule climbs, file climb reports, and generally communicate anything with the Mazama office. I became chair of the Financial Affairs Committee in 1998 and focused on ways to be more efficient in tracking finances. We had one staff member, the Secretary, who finally got a computer running MS-DOS, and was entering all the financial information into Lotus 123.
In 1998, I was nominated and elected to the Executive Council through 2001, and served as Membership Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-President. While many people were involved and worked hard to implement the following initiatives, I provided strong input and worked on implementation:
Establish the position of Executive Director, in addition to Board Secretary.
Hire an individual with strong computer and web development skills to fill the Board Secretary position. I interviewed John Godino and recommended he be hired.
Build a Mazama website and email newsletters
Conduct a member survey to better determine demographics and obtain input for the future direction of the organization.
As Treasurer, I implemented an actual budgeting process and pushed a dues increase to offset ongoing deficits.
Helped smooth over relations between the Lodge managers and the Lodge Committee, as well as help develop a positions and responsibilities document for the Lodge Committee.
Worked with Peter Green and Ian Wade to write an accident report, analyze Mazama activities, and develop risk management procedures.
Established that we needed to move from our leased space on NW 19th.
In 1998, I retired from Tektronix and built an outdoor adventure company, Oregon Peak Adventures. We climbed, led hikes and multiday backpacks, and taught outdoor skills classes through PCC and the metro Park & Recs and did a couple of international trips a year. I was unable to lead BCEP classes or many Mazama climbs and run my business, but still stayed involved with the organization. In 2013, I did my last company trip. In 2000, I led an outing to Kilimanjaro and in 2013 led a trip, assisted by Eugene Lewins, to China and Tibet.
I still led a few climbs each year and was awarded the #16 Leuthold Award in 2004 and the #5 Terry Becker Award in 2009. I continued to lead snowshoe, XC skiing, and hikes as well.
Over the years, I led Outings to complete the Oregon Coast Trail, backpack the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail, led climbs to summit all 31 of the Oregon peaks over 9,000 feet, and all the Oregon County Highpoints. In 2008, I summitted Mt. Marcy in New York for my 49th state highpoint. I was Chair of the Outings Committee for three years.
I have slowed down in my dotage (I turn 80 in July), but I am still a qualified e-level climb leader (at least when I complete the MFA session in November). My current project is to climb the 100 highest peaks in Oregon (I am up to 80) and I try to lead a couple of climbs a year on the remaining peaks.
The Mazamas have been a constant focus of my life since 1978, and I have made many friends and have many memorable experiences because of my association with the organization. I look forward to maintaining my membership and engaging in further adventures.
Name: Joe Whittington
Pronouns: He/Him
Year Joined Mazamas: 1978
Present-day outdoor activities: Slow – climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Wandering around the forest on our farm and adjacent property.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I believe I heard about the Mazamas during my senior year at Portland State in 1966 just prior to going on active duty with the Navy.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offerthem? Find joy in having a well-conditioned body and find mentors who are willing and pleased to teach you the skills you need to enjoy the activities.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I read the book, Annapurna, by Maurice Herzog and it blew my mind. I had many Mazama members who mentored and trained me, and I have met many world-class climbers who have inspired me as well.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow andwhy? Pick one. I read a lot, but am a huge fan of Craig Johnson and his Longmire series.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Climbing as many of the 100 highest peaks in Oregon while I still am able.
