Flora is an elder in both the Mazamas and the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington state. She jokes that just means she’s old, but in fact, she’s been very involved for many years in both organizations. She climbed 40 mountains – never the same one – and was active in trail tending for the Mazamas. At 88, she says this winter’s ski trip to Eastern Oregon might be her last, and it’s time to hang up her skis. But she plans to continue to lead “old lady hikes,” for the Mazamas as long as she can.
When not outdoors, Flora’s had a varied career, washing dishes in hospital kitchens, driving a school bus, testing water quality, helping with cardiac research and volunteering at the Forest Center at Multnomah Falls. She is a retired RN.
Name: Flora Huber
Pronouns: She/her
Year Joined Mazamas: 1954
Present-day outdoor activities: Leading “little old lady hikes”
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? That’d have to be clam digging on the coast or bullfrog fishing on the Willamette River with my family and my father and his friends.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I had a teacher at Lincoln High School, Mrs. Obie, who was a sponsor for our square dancing club. She was a Mazama, her and her husband. We’d ride up to the Mazama Lodge in the back of their jeep with a bunch of kids. This was before seatbelt laws. We’d rent the stove at the lodge for 50 cents a day, so we could cook our breakfasts. Mrs. Obie taught me how to ski. Once I learned, I’d hitchhike up to Timberline Lodge and huff it up the Glade Trail because I didn’t have $5 for the lift ticket.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offerthem? Just keep going and persist. There’s going to be more and more people. Get up early and get out on the trail.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Mazama climb leaders have always inspired me, and I had so many good ones. They’re just wonderful people who devote their time and energy to the outdoors.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow andwhy? Pick one. I just read a book called Letters from Yellowstone. It compiled letters from a woman who was a med student who traveled to Yellowstone to be part of a group that cataloged flowers and vegetation in Yellowstone. Of course, it was the turn of the century, and she was quite an activist and loved the outdoors. I found it so very fascinating, how she persisted in her quest despite people who thought she wasn’t capable of being a scientist because she was a woman. Apparently there’s supposed to be another follow up book.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Nothing too exotic. I’ll be leading a hike next Tuesday, and I hope to keep doing that three or four times a month. That’s adventure enough.
A Mazama Summit Certificate from Flora’s first climb.
Cassie grew up in Utah and found the Mazamas the way many do, through an internet search for hiking. She signed up for a dog-friendly hike with the Adventurous Young Mazamas and now leads similar hikes, in part to continue exploring the Pacific Northwest and also to give back to the Mazama community.
Name: Cassie Soucy
Pronouns: she/her
Year Joined Mazamas: 2019
Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking, backpacking, Zumba, and dog-walking 🙂
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I grew up in Utah exploring my grandparents neighborhood and the high desert in general. My cousins, siblings, and I would construct grand adventures in the epic park nearby that we affectionately called, “the Pit”. When we were done adventuring, we’d retreat to my grandmother’s garden to fill up on a bounty of berries and fruit.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? When I moved up to Portland, I was searching for a community to get outdoors with and truly just Googled ‘hiking groups in Portland’. The Mazamas popped up in my search, and I found the Adventurous Young Mazamas. My first hike was one led by our current AYM chair, Heather Polonsky, and I chose it because it was dog-friendly. I didn’t have a dog at the time but got to meet several great pups (including Linus,Heather’s dog). My involvement with the Mazamas has only increased since, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to help lead hikes providing others the same opportunity for connection and community that I found.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offerthem? My best piece of advice is to have fun! There is so much beauty here in the PNW – from incredibly challenging hikes that get you to remote areas to exploring our urban trail systems here in Portland. Any walk, hike, or backpack can be epic with the discovery of a new favorite flower or getting to the top of a summit.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow andwhy? Pick one. My favorite fiction book is The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, which is in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre. She is an incredible author who masterfully constructs a world impacted by climate change and seamlessly integrates commentary on racism through the characters in the novel. I highly recommend it if you want to immerse yourself in a new world while challenging yourself to think about how issues related to race, gender, and climate are reflected in our own world.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Climbing Mt. Hood, section hiking the PCT in Oregon, enjoying our glaciers, and seeing whales on the Oregon coast.
This Valentine’s Day, we point our compass to tales of love, connection and shared adventures. At the Mazamas, we believe the great outdoors not only supplies stunning landscapes and heart-thumping adventures but also serves as the backdrop for some of life’s beautiful love stories.
In celebration of this international day of love, we’re delighted to share stories of couples who’ve found love amidst the rugged allure of nature and strengthened their bond through the Mazamas.
Merche & Chelsea
They met online at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and married in a small ceremony at Crater Lake the following year. How did they get to know each other? They hiked. The first trail the pair walked together was Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain. At the top, they gazed at Mt. Hood, never dreaming they would soon stand at its summit together.
Chelsea, a high school Spanish teacher and initially the more outdoorsy of the pair, applied to the Mazama Basic Climbing Education Program in 2022. Hearing Chelsea and another friend talk nonstop about BCEP on a hike, Merche applied too. “I thought, ‘what am I going to do on all the weekends you’re with the Mazamas,’” Merche, who teaches fifth grade in Hillsboro, recalled. “I can’t miss out.”
They both were accepted to the BCEP LGBTQ+ team, which they credited with enhancing their overall experience. “Representation matters,” Chelsea said. “That was the first time either of us had been part of an affinity group, and it was very welcoming. There even were others who did not speak English as their first language (members of the all-Latino BCEP team) BCEP was such a great introduction to the organization.”
But the couple wanted more, so they climbed mountains together that summer – Mt. Hood, Unicorn Peak, Mt. Washington and South Sister, to boost their applications to the Mazama Intermediate Climbing School (ICS). There were a couple of climbs where they said they were feeling a bit unwell, and if they hadn’t been together, they might have bailed.
“But we helped and inspired each other, and it was so amazing to be on top of Mt. Hood together,” Chelsea said. “It’s so wonderful to have a hobby like climbing that we share.”
Chelsea and Merche are in the midst of ICS and have signed up to assist with the LGBTQ+ BCEP team again this year.
Kirk & Debbie
Debbie and Kirk met on the ICS committee in 2018, but it would take a few out-of-character, post-committee group pub gatherings, texts and a spare ticket to a soccer game before they truly clicked.
“Kirk is a major introvert,” said Debbie, who also noted she’s very shy. “I learned later he never went for beers after committee meetings.”
“Yeah, there was no way I was just going to ask her out,” Kirk said, recalling the group email he sent inquiring if anyone wanted to go to a Timbers game. He wasn’t looking for just anyone though, and lucky for him, Debbie was the only taker.
But even during the soccer match, Debbie didn’t think it was a real date. That didn’t happen until they had been texting a lot, they had a free weekend from ICS, and they went to the beach and went for a hike.
“The rest, as they say, is history,” they both joked. That summer, the pair began climbing a fair bit together, and they backpacked around Mt. Adams. Then Debbie had a bad fall.
“It was really bad,” Kirk said. “She fell like 30 feet.” She suffered a concussion, broke her heel. As a result, the couple spent a lot of time indoors, getting to know each other.
“I couldn’t do anything, and I really appreciated how supportive he was,” Debbie said. “I just wasn’t myself, and he was just wicked patient through all that.”
Fast forward to July 2019. Kirk proposed on the day off, between climbing South Early Winter Spire and Liberty Bell in the North Cascades. Their first wedding date, in 2020, was delayed due to COVID. In 2021, they opted for a small backyard ceremony at Kirk’s parents’ house in West Linn. Both had been married before and have kids ranging in age from 24 to 33.
Kirk and Debbie assisted with BCEP, with Debbie in Leadership Development and Kirk a longtime climb leader. Together, they have run the LGBTQ+ BCEP team the past few years as allies, and have been so happy to meet the demand for that affinity space.
Jeff & Freda
Jeff and Freda, who have run and continue to help with our Nordic and Backcountry Ski programs, met in November 1999. They both attended the Mazamas Annual Banquet at the Oregon Zoo. They met in the beverage line, and later, by coincidence, they wound up seated across from each other at dinner.
A few weeks later, Jefff got Freda’s number from a friend. They had dinner once, and shortly thereafter, Jeff took on a huge work project, and over the next year, he put in 60- to 100-hour weeks and had no time for a social life.
But he emerged that following spring, when the project was over. He helped out with a BCEP class, and in another coincidence, Freda was assisting the same class. Late on the Ruckel Ridge conditioning hike, while descending from Benson Plateau, Freda and Jeff happened to be together in the back. They chatted, and Jeff asked if she would be interested in picking up where they left off 16 months prior.
“Maybe” she said. “I have two questions…My dad was a school teacher, and in the summer he framed houses. Any man in my life needs to be handy. Do you know which end of a hammer to hold onto?”
Jeff replied: “Yeah. What’s your second question?”
Freda: “I intend to be married by the time I’m 50, and right now I’m 48. Are you still interested?”
Three-and-a-half years later they married at an outdoor wedding with a cloudburst rainstorm interruption between their vows. And they’re still going strong, living a life of adventure and volunteerism, with the Mazamas and beyond.
Chris has served on the Mazama Board since last year and as the board liaison to the Lodge, he has helped shape future plans for that facility, conducting risk assessments, hosting strategy sessions, surveying members, playing an integral role in lodge host training and volunteer operations and representing the Mazamas on the Mt. Hood Climbing Permit Working Group.
When not volunteering, skiing or hiking, Chris continues to help organizations in hospitality, leisure and sports and recreation strategize and launch their sustainability initiatives. Read more about Chris and other board candidates.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Ice skating/pick up hockey on anything frozen – lakes, ponds, streams, culverts and learning to ski (and dodging the hay bales at the bottom of the runs) at Little Switzerland in Wisconsin.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? A colleague of my brother was a Mazama and talked about the climbing program. If I recall, he had completed the leadership program after Intermediate Climbing School (ICS) and invited me and my brother to climb Mt. Hood, which was my first climb.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offerthem? Just do it:) and learn to be safe so you can experience the deep, rich aspects of being out there, unplugged.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Being in service to others. Particularly helping during times of crisis. With my background in hospitality – food and beverage – I’m trying to figure out how to go on assignment with World Central Kitchen to provide really good food for those around the world in situational, desperate need. I’m inspired by people that seek solutions in the most trying of circumstances.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow andwhy? My favorite book is A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson. I have never laughed so hard by myself. I also enjoyed reading it before the movie came out. If you hike, you will find yourself laughing out loud so be prepared to answer to others if it disturbs the peace:) If you like podcasts checkout Michael Gervais’ Funding Mastery. The breadth of people he interviews is fascinating. Numerous climbers like Jimmy Chin, Alex Honnold, Chris McNamara, Lynn Hill, Tommy Caldwell…
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Kilimanjaro. Not the most technical, but it’s Africa!
Truth first joined the Mazamas in 1990, went through our Basic Climbing Education Program, and took Mazama Nordic Ski classes. In the ’90s, she climbed mountains, helped out with BCEP, and skied a lot with us. She pressed pause and raised a family, remaining active in swimming, running, and taking fitness classes. She returned to the organization a couple of years ago and has become a hike leader. Professionally, she works as a mediator.
Name: Truth Johnston
Pronouns: She/They
Year Joined Mazamas: 1990 and 2021
Present-day outdoor activities: Rock and alpine climbing, hiking, Nordic skiing, snow shoeing, biking, Mt. St. Helen’s Institute (Climbing, Hiking and Ape Cave Steward and Ambassador), snorkeling, pickleball, rafting, kayaking, gardening, and DIY house projects.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I lived in Colorado until 4th grade, and my grandpa called me his little mountain climber. I remember climbing on sandstones, one called Alligator Rock near my Aunt Truth and Uncle Andy’s mountain cabins.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I met someone at work and another at church who were Mazamas when I first moved to the Northwest. The co-worker, Joe Whittington, lead, Mazama David Nelson, others from work and I up to the top of Mt. Hood in 1990. Felt like I was on top of the world. Shortly after, my husband and I took BCEP and Mazama Nordic ski classes. Years later after my kids were raised, I went on a private climb with Joe Whittington and I knew I had to get back to the Mountains with the Mazamas.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? There are many groups that focus on the outdoors, but Mazamas stands out to me because of our emphasis on education and safety. There is something so special about valuing all ages and skill levels on climbing teams.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one. I like seeing a team come together to meet a big challenge. This synergy meets the challenge and turns it into a great story.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? I am a big fan of the Great Courses (audio or video college-like recorded classes). My favorite subjects are space, science, music, personal communication, linguistic, and history. And the subject list continues to grow.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? I really don’t have a bucket list. It seems new things come up for me to try. And when I do try them, they become new loves. The most recent is multi-pitch climbing.
My two non-outdoor passions are mediating (resolving conflicts) and participating in Braver Angels (bridging political divides).
As leader of our Trail Trips committee, Scott gets folks connected and moving with the Mazamas via hikes, rambles and most recently, trail tending. He also spearheaded last year’s Used Equipment Sale, raising a record amount of funds for the Mazamas via that event.
When not hiking or climbing with the Mazamas, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, two of whom graduated high school this past spring.
Name: Scott Stevenson
Pronouns: He/him
Year Joined Mazamas: 2010
Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking/backpacking, rock climbing, biking and bikepacking
What’s your earliest outdoor memory: Fishing at Lake Lumina, Ontario, age 5?
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I was researching outdoor options before I moved to Portland in 2009, and I came across the organization. I took BCEP in 2010, mainly to find outdoor partners.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Not every outdoor adventure has to involve the highest/fastest/longest/most scenic. Smell the flowers. Swim in the lake. Take an extra 15 minutes to research the less-traveled spots, and enjoy the quiet and lack of crowds.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Long-time Mazamas climb and hike leaders inspire me, because they share their love of the outdoors with so many others.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? I’m reaching way back into childhood here, and it’s a cliche, but The Hobbit and Lord of the RIngs trilogy were touchstones for me, and I think they planted the idea in my head that just walking out your door and through forests and over mountains were the grandest adventure one could have….”The road goes ever on…”
What’s on your adventure bucket list? A bunch of alpine rock climbs in wilderness settings, Cathedral Peak and Mt. Conness in the Sierras, Prussik Peak in the Enchantments, Pingora and Wolfs Head in the Wind River Range. Also backpacking in the Wallowas and Sawtooths, I could go on forever…
Rick has spearheaded our trail tending efforts for many years and first started maintaining trails with the Mazamas in 1990. He leads hikes and is U.S. Forest Service-certified in the crosscut saw, a handy skill.
His efforts to give back to the land and instill that ethos into our organization continues, as he gathers work parties in mid-July (20, 21, 22) to work on our namesake trail on Mt. Hood. See our calendar for details and to sign up.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Being dragged to Mt Rainier as a child, not realizing it would start a lifelong passion for wild areas.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My father was aware of the Mazamas a long time ago and signed both of us up for what is now called BCEP. 1969 I think.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Recreate responsibly, tread lightly. Many places are overrun nowadays, so be kind and seek the paths less traveled.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? People that change careers to take on a lifelong crusade for conservation (like Doug Tompkins, established North Face and then left to create conservation areas in Patagonia)
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? I’ll admit to posting on Facebook but I don’t Instagram, Tweet, Tik or Tok. Generally prefer a good book ranging from CIA fiction to true life adventures.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Switzerland this fall, Africa and Antarctica would give me 7 continents so they’re pretty high up.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Being dragged to Mt Rainier as a child, not realizing it would start a lifelong passion for wild areas.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My father was aware of the Mazamas a long time ago and signed both of us up for what is now called BCEP. 1969 I think.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Recreate responsibly, tread lightly. Many places are overrun nowadays, so be kind and seek the paths less traveled.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? People that change careers to take on a lifelong crusade for conservation (like Doug Tompkins, established North Face and then left to create conservation areas in Patagonia)
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? I’ll admit to posting on Facebook but I don’t Instagram, Tweet, Tik or Tok. Generally prefer a good book ranging from CIA fiction to true life adventures.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Switzerland this fall, Africa and Antarctica would give me 7 continents so they’re pretty high up.
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.
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 inPeru, Tatras in Poland, Mount Athabasca and pretty much anything in Canada, climbing in the Tetons, Patagonia
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.
This Mazama, like so many other members, spends as much time as possible in the outdoors. He divides his time recreating and volunteering with the Mazamas, and running his own adventures through his company, Loco Por La Ventura.
He has been instrumental in launching and continuing the Mazamas first all-Latino Basic Climbing Education Program team and a Latino Affinity Group. He aims to introduce as many Latinos as possible to the natural splendors of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I lived the first two years of my childhood around the mountains with my grandma, which was my first and memorable connection with nature and the outdoor environment.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I’ve been teaching and being outdoors in my lovely country Venezuela for the last 15 years and then moved to the USA in 2015.
I heard about the Mazamas through google when I came to Portland. At that time, I had no idea how to continue my mountaineering/climbing development. Then I just showed up at the Mazamas’ front desk, and a kind person (btw I don’t remember her name) oriented me on how to move on with my adventurous spirit.
Now I’m part of the process of climbing, volunteering, and teaching the Latino community how to introduce outdoor activities into their lives and learn at the same time with the Mazamas.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Please check referral pages, read a book, and look for people with interests in common. If you are in PDX, please visit the Mazamas and they will help out. Also, if you want to practice Spanish and know about adventure, I have a dedicated website for outdoors (just check out www.locoporlaaventura.com)
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one: I am very inspired by passionate and driven people who help other people to move forward. I admire those who show the safe and enjoyable mountaineering world, especially Ueli Steck. He was a Swiss mountaineer who pushed human limits in many ways. He was a great inspiration to me.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? IG @colinobrady is an account of a local climber who crosses Antarctica solo and also he is a motivational speaker with an awesome emotional history. He is an incredible human being.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? I climbed Mt.Urus Este (Peru) in 2013, and I hope to climb Denali, Aconcagua, and a few wild peaks of the Alaska Range mountains. I also would love to hike the Pacific Crest Trail at some point.
