Tag: Mountaineering

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

Milton enrolled in our Intermediate Climbing School in 2016. He had previous mountaineering experiences climbing in Colombia and Peru, and some rock climbing in Georgia and North Carolina.

He is part of our Leadership Development team and has helped out with our Basic Climbing Education Program, ICS and crevasse rescue skill builders. When not outdoors, he works as a bilingual information systems specialist.

Name:  Milton Diaz

Pronouns:  He/ Him/ His 

Year Joined Mazamas: 2016

Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineering, climbing, splitboarding, snowboarding

What’s your earliest outdoor memory?  Climbing with my dad in Colombia when I was 12.  We climbed Nevado El Ruiz, which is 5,389 meters with his group of friends.  After that, I got hooked climbing snow peaks in the Sierrra Nevada El Cocuy.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I was looking for a mountaineering club when I moved to Portland in 2015.  I could not enroll in BCEP because I missed the registration date, but I signed up for ICS and then got hooked climbing the volcanoes in Washington and Oregon.  After ICS I took the Backcountry Ski class with the Mazamas and started doing more backcountry tours in the North Cascades, Mt. Saint Helens and Mt Hood. Last year I did  the Steep Snow and Ice class, and I’ve been climbing more technical routes,  also doing some ice climbing in Hyalite Canyon and started leading my own climbs like El Dorado.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take a mountaineering class like BCEP that teaches you the basics like self arrest, climbing techniques, rappelling, and knots, and then take ICS if you want to be on more challenging climbs and start leading your own climbs with friends.  

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I got inspired when I read climbing reports on Facebook and the Mazama Bulletin.  I like to see people going outside and challenging themselves doing what they love.

 What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? My favorite book is Touching the Void by Joe Simpson. It is a true inspiration for all, what he did to survive after falling in a crevasse, even crawling on a glacier alone!  

 What’s on your adventure bucket list?  All the peaks in the North Cascades.  So far I have climbed Mt Shuksan, El Dorado, Ruth Mountain and some failed attempts to Sahale but there are some many beautiful mountains out there that I want to climb. I also want to climb the North Ridge of Mt Baker and the Kautz route in Mt Rainier.

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

Lisa has been climbing mountains since she was little kid. She has served our organization in many capacities, volunteer climb leader, BCEP leader, canyoneering leader/instructor, teaching:  ICS, AR, MFA, Crevasse Rescue, Rock Rescue, Skill Builders, FM101, CPR & First Aid and an organizer for our Used Gear Sale.

When not climbing above the earth’s surface she likes to cave and SCUBA dive below it. She also supports other organizations and is rappelling off of the 536-foot U.S. Bancorp Tower this August to raise money for domestic violence survivors and veterans who suffer from PTSD.

Name:    Lisa Ripps 

Pronouns:  She/Her 

Year Joined Mazamas :  I started doing things with Mazamas in the late 90’s but only joined in 2007.

Present-day outdoor activities:   Mountain climbing, Hiking, Canyoneering, Biking, SCUBA Diving, Bird Watching, Snow shoeing, Skiing, Kayaking, Ice Climbing  

 What’s your earliest outdoor memory:  Catching frogs while camping with my family 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization?   Mazamas had a reputation in Portland as the best of the best.  Very safety conscious, and a group that was serious about mountain climbing.  I had already climbed a number of mountains including Mt Hood years before I joined Mazamas, then I decided I should take BCEP to learn more and to meet more climbers. 

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them?  Get some good training so you can enjoy the outdoors safely and more confidently. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one.  The BCEP students who are non-traditional.  Who have not grown up hiking and spending time outdoors, and who might start out less physically fit.   

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why?   Deep Survival (Laurence Gonzales) – Led me to consider why we do what we do, and how each of us deals with challenges when they occur. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list?  Kilimanjaro, Borneo, Antarctica, more Pacific NW climbing

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

Jeremy grew up on a lake in Minnesota, fishing and camping with his family. He spent three years in Bozeman, MT in college before permanently moving to the West Coast. He met a great group of friends through the Mazamas and our Basic Climbing Education Program, and now he spends most of his free time rock climbing or mountaineering with them. 

Name:  Jeremy Luedtke

Year Joined Mazamas: 2020

Present-day outdoor activities:  Alpine and sport climbing. I recently summited Mount Shasta with Gary Bishop and have multiple ascents planned for the remainder of the summer. I have also been doing more outdoor rock climbing with a great group of people I have met through The Mazamas.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory: I grew up in Minneapolis & my mom was from the north woods closer to Canada. Her family still lived in northern Minnesota and almost every weekend in the summer we would go camping near her hometown and hang out with her family. My earliest outdoor memories were learning how to fish from my grandpa during these trips. He was a cranky old Norwegian fellow who was happiest outdoors and loved to fly fish. While he was always gruff (even around his grandson), he showed his affection by always taking the time to take me on adventures in the woods and teach me about it.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization?  After I moved to Portland, I ended up working with a Mazamas member who was on the Lodge Committee. We would chat at work about getting outside and into the mountains. He told me about the Mazamas, and said I would enjoy it.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take advantage of the educational opportunities that Mazamas offers, such as the “gym-to-crag” class or the Sunday Skill-Builders, or volunteer to help with BCEP. Most of my friends, and all of my climbing partners are Mazamas that I met through these opportunities.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Honestly, it is the instructors and volunteer assistants at Mazamas classes that I take. Personally, I believe that climbing fun & climbing safely go hand-in-hand. The instructors at Mazamas classes have so much passion about sharing both technical skills and safety best practices, that it inspires me to get outside even more.

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Alpine Savvy, @alpinesavvy. It is both a website and an Instagram account. It is an encyclopedia of climbing knowledge. Definitely a resource that all climbers should subscribe to.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Easter Island. I know it sounds funny because I don’t think you can do any climbing there, you just walk around and look at stuff. The fact that the island is so remote (the nearest inhabited land to it is 1,200 miles away), and filled with over 1000 giant stone heads is fascinating. Of course, it is also off the coast of Chile, and I heard there is some halfway decent climbing in Patagonia I could do on my way there…

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

Emily is a self-described thrill-seeker who loves to explore the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. They’re fairly new to mountaineering, but summited Mt. Shasta in 2022 and are looking to add more peaks to their resume post-BCEP, which they credit with “absolutely changing my life.” 

Name: Emily McEntire

Pronouns: They/Them

Year Joined Mazamas: 2021

Present-day outdoor activities: Canyoneering!!! Mountaineering, Climbing, Hiking, Paddle-boarding, Exploring

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? Running around in the miles of forest behind the townhomes I lived in. I’m an only child, and I’d spend hours by myself exploring every little corner of that place just zen-ing with the wind and the trees. There was a frog pond nearby as well, and I’d go sit and listen to the sounds of all the creatures that lived there.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I was looking for community when I moved back to the West, and a hiking friend mentioned BCEP. I had also been researching Zion National Park where I learned about Canyoneering, and after I saw the Mazamas offered that as well, it was a done deal. Haha

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Live and explore!!! I’ve heard so many people say “I wish I could.” You can!! It’s yours for the taking!! Just, approach it with respect, and of course safety in mind.

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? People with a thirst for life charge my batteries. People who live life with enthusiasm and compassion, and I’ve found more than many of those people within the Mazamas. There’s so much experience, and ambition, and miles underfoot, it’s a blessing to be surrounded by, and get to adventure with so many of my own personal heroes!!

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why?  Lately I’ve been reading “The Rock Warrior’s Way.” I try not to spend too much time on social media, but I do love seeing everyone’s adventures on Insta and Facebook. I’m always tickled to see everyone’s summer smiles!!

What’s on your adventure bucket list? Oh there’s so many!!! I grew up in the Tacoma area, so Mt. Rainier is at the top of my mountaineering dream list, and I’m slowly planning a canyoneering trip to Zion next year. The crystal caves down in Mexico caught my eye as well. Really I just want to rappel the world!! Haha

Posted on

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!

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

Meet the Schwabs: They’re a blended family— each with varying degrees of “from-here.” While Meg moved to Oregon from the Midwest as an adult, Michael’s family basically got here with the Pioneers. Tegan and Isaac actually have the deepest roots to the Pacific Northwest though, because they’re members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through their mom’s side of the family.

Thankfully, they all love being outside equally, and enjoy spending lots of family time exploring the outdoors. They were grateful to discover the Mazamas during COVID, and decided to take the Families Mountaineering 101 class together last year. 

Name:  Michael (dad), Meg (stepmom), Tegan, 12, and Isaac, 9

Pronouns: He, she, she, he

Year Joined Mazamas: 2022

Present-day outdoor activities: Hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing, and snowshoeing 

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? As a fam: the kids have been camping since they were babies, and we’ve been taking them on hikes since before they even liked it. 

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? Since COVID, we were always on the lookout for activities to do outside, because it really seemed to help the kids get through being stuck with online learning and not being able to see their friends as often. We found Family 101 in 2021 (through a google search, I think?), but the planned dates that season didn’t fit with the 50/50 parenting-time schedule we have. For 2022, the calendar was almost exactly [magically] aligned, so we applied!

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? For families specifically: get started as early as you can! Even when you think it’ll be hard at first (FYI: you are correct), you’ll all get the hang of it eventually. Nothing has brought our family unit closer than the times we’ve been hanging out together outside. Also, if you have the opportunity to go with other families with kids (ex. FM101!): jump on it. 

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Every time we’ve been at the summit of a crazy-difficult hike and seen a parent walk by with their baby in one of those backpack-carrier things. So metal. 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? Primitive Technology by John Plant. 

What’s on your adventure bucket list?  Re-doing our favorite trips we did when the kids were too little to take them with us. Banff National Park, Zion, and the Inca Trail stick out as the main ones.

Posted on

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

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

Petra was raised in the Middle East and Washington, D.C. and has lived in nearly every region of the U.S. She took our Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) in 2009, which launched a career in the outdoors. She’s a former NOLS instructor, a current instructor of wilderness leadership and experiential education, an on-again/off-again wilderness therapy guide, a paddler, a dedicated long-distance walker, a hiker, and an aspiring mountain biker. She has been in the Mazama Leadership Development Program since May 2019 and a Portland Mountain Rescue member since August 2021.

Name:  Petra LeBaron-Botts

Pronouns:  she/her/hers

Year Joined Mazamas: 2009

 Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, thru-hiking, skiing, mountain biking, paddling my canoe.

What’s your earliest outdoor memory? I spent my formative years in the Middle East and remember a lot of exploring the vast Arabian Desert. A different kind of wilderness, but still wild and awe-inspiring. I also remember trips to the U.S. to visit my extended family and falling in love with the high desert ecosystem of eastern and southern Oregon.

How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? When I moved to Oregon after finishing college in Indiana in 2008, I felt that I had some sort of responsibility to learn how to ski. I enrolled in the Mazama Nordic Ski class. It was in that class that I met now-president Greg Scott! He told me about this thing called BCEP. I almost didn’t register, thinking I had no interest in climbing mountains. How wrong I was! Taking BCEP in 2009 changed the trajectory of my entire life, kicking off my move to an outdoor education career.

As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take the leap! There are so many reasons we give ourselves for why we can’t. We don’t have the time, don’t have the money, are too out of shape, are too scared. All the best things in the world lie beyond those reasons. There are so many people who want to help you discover the outdoors and so many resources available to help you do it! Just say yes!

What activities/situations/people most inspire you? I became a part of Portland Mountain Rescue in 2021 and have felt continually inspired by the men and women in the unit. They are compassionate, brave, humble, and dedicated, and I hope to be more like them when I grow up. I am also continually inspired by my nearly-77 year old mother who hikes thousands of miles around the world every year. At the age of 75 she did a 26-mile day with me! 

What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? My absolute favorite corner of the internet is @dusttodigital on Instagram. They post video clips of live “music,” in all iterations, from every corner of the globe. I don’t even want to say anything more – just go watch.

What’s on your adventure bucket list? The Arizona Trail, the Oregon Desert Trail, Te Araroa, Patagonia, Antarctica, backpacking the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, seeing a manta ray while diving, diving the Galapagos, bike-touring in eastern Europe, and much more.

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

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!

Posted on

Meet the Mazamas

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.

Name:   Anibal Rocheta

Pronouns:  He/ Him/His

Year Joined Mazamas: 2015

Present-day outdoor activities:  Mountaineering, rock climbing, bouldering, canyoneering, spelunking, hiking, backpacking, outdoor education.

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.