Continuing on the week of positivity, today I want to highlight something which has become incredibly important in my life - Mazamas, a Mountaineering organization based out of Portland. For a long time now, I've been looking for a way to turn my passion for fitness and the outdoors into something with a community. As my relationships with people become more and more a central part of my life, and as my hobbies lean more and more towards the outdoors and staying fit, I've been searching for an organization that breeds community and also has roots in the outdoors, and I finally found it! A few of you know the story about how I was looking for a place to stay up near Mt. Hood when heading for Snowboarding lessons. Well, the lessons ended up being a mixed bag, but what was incredibly important turned out to be the place I stayed that night - the Mazamas Lodge. What I really like about Mazamas is that, in this era of digital things and transient whims, it's an organization that has its roots in things that feel real. They have a mountaineering center in Portland, they have a lodge at Mt Hood. They feel real and solid. They run camps, and training seminars, and have frequent climbs. And they don't rely on Facebook or Twitter to attract new people, but rather the old school combination of doing an awesome job of what they do and relying on word of mouth. One of my favorite aspects of the organization is the climb schedule. Every April - as they have for over 100 years - they release a list of the official mountain climbs they have scheduled for that season. Of course, there are many unofficial, or "private", climbs, but these are officially sanctioned by the organization and intended for members (and non-members) to apply to. They are categorized for difficulty and technique. There's an aura of amateur professionalism about them which has its roots in the amateur climbing clubs going back to the 19th century in England. And the way you apply to these climbs? No, it's not online. You order "climb cards", physical pieces of card stock where you list your resume for climbing and personal details. Then you mail this card off to the leader of the climb - yes, mail it, as in go to the post office. They then get all the cards, decides who gets to go and who is on the wait list, and physically detach the bottom section of the card and mail it back to you! It's really awesome because it feels like Christmas, or maybe the day you got into college. Getting those response cards in the mail is really fun.
And, of course, the climbs themselves are amazing. I've been on 3 official climbs now, and hiked with some members unofficially a few times, and everyone I've met has been unequivocally awesome.
I wish I had more things like Mazamas in my life. Groups of people united in a common goal, with a grounding in reality and an old-school sensibility that I find comforting. Because I am sort of a "wind" person, floating around, groups like this really ground me and comfort me. And, of course, mountaineering is awesome! So, Mazamas, here's to many years of fun, and many peaks to come.
