Scaling Heights: Exploring the Rich History of the Mazamas
By Robert Matsumura
On July 19, 1894, over 350 people convened at Government Camp at the base of Mount Hood in response to a newspaper advertisement for a new mountaineering society called the Mazamas. The constitution drafted by the new club required all members to climb a glaciated peak to demonstrate their abilities as a mountaineer and their dedication to the rigorous outdoor sport. Of the 350+ people who showed up that day, 155 men and 38 women attained the summit where they proceeded to nominate William Gladstone Steel as the first president of the new society.
During the mid-1800s mountaineering had become popular in Europe and subsequently spread to America, particularly in the mountainous regions of the country. The first of these organizations was the Appalachian Mountain Club founded in 1876, followed by the Sierra Club in 1892. The original founders of the Mazamas hailed from an earlier group known as the Oregon Alpine Club led by the aforementioned William Gladstone Steel, a prominent postal worker in the Portland area. The four objectives established by the Mazamas at their inception were:
1. To explore snow-capped peaks and other mountains
2. To collect scientific knowledge about the mountain environment
3. To preserve the natural beauty of forests and mountains
4. To share this knowledge with others in the Pacific Northwest
Among the founders of the Mazamas were a number of prominent individuals, both local and national. These included famous Portlanders such as Henry Pittock (founder and publisher of the Oregonian), Rodney Glisan, L.L. Hawkins (founder of the Free Museum, which today is known as OMSI) and Fay Fuller, the first female journalist for the Tacoma Ledger (now the News Tribune) who went on to become a renowned national journalist. On a national level, President Theodore Roosevelt, conservationist/naturalist John Muir, and Yvon Chouinard, founder of the clothing line Patagonia, were, among others, also founding members.
An influential force in wilderness preservation and natural resource stewardship, in 1895 the Mazamas were instrumental in helping to prevent development in the Cascade Range Forest Reserve. 1902 saw them emerge as a force in opposition to the destructive effects of sheep grazing in the Pacific Northwest. Later in the 20th century, the Mazamas opposed plans to construct a tramway on Mt. Hood, and were essential in helping to establish the Foundation of Western Outdoors Clubs, which today include chapters of the Sierra Club, the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Siskiyou Audubon Society and others. In Washington state, the Mazamas also opposed plans for a tramway on Mt. Rainier and the development of the Olympic National Forest. In Portland, the Mazamas played a role in the creation of Forest Park and were avid supporters of the Wilderness Act of 1964.
In fulfillment of their scientific mandate, the Mazamas helped document the flora and fauna of the Northwest wilderness regions, including geologic study of mountain peaks throughout the Northwest. During the 1930s the organization also tracked glacial change on a year-to-year basis.
Contrary to many organizations at the time, the Mazamas embraced women as full members. The Mazamas first two vice-presidents were female, and in 1917 the club designated a woman as climb leader for one of their expeditions. In 1933 the first all-female climb took place, and in 1953 the first female president of the Mazamas was elected. Steel himself considered female mountaineers an essential part of the organization, stating “No climb is complete without them.”
1952 saw the Mazamas promote mountaineering skills and education through the Mazama Climbing School. The school was provided free of charge for the general public, as well as for Mazama members wishing to hone their abilities. While the schools’ first years were a bit rocky (no pun intended!), under the management of Bill Oberteuffer, a local high school teacher, the curriculum was expanded to include lectures, field trips to develop mountaineering skills, and elevated educational standards. By 1957 the Mazamas had added an intermediate course to train potential leaders, and an advanced course was introduced in 1965 for experienced mountaineers to further augment their skills.
Over the years the Mazamas have operated three lodges on or in the vicinity of Mt. Hood. The first lodge was constructed in 1923 near Twin Bridges on the Zigzag River. By 1931 road conditions up the mountain had improved considerably and the organization built a grand lodge at Government Camp. This structure was tragically destroyed in a fire, which led to the construction of the Mazamas current lodge at Government Camp, which was completed in 1960 and serves as the home base for many of the organization’s activities.
The first successful ascent of Monkey Face at Smith Rock in Central Oregon was accomplished by three members of the Mazamas on January 1, 1960. Subsequently, the organization published one of the first climbing guides to this now popular destination. During the 1980s the Mazamas branched out from the Pacific Northwest to other parts of the globe where they host outings in places such as the European Alps, the Himalayas and the Andes in South America.
Today, the Mazamas have evolved from a local mountaineering club to a non-profit organization that hosts more than 700 hikes and 300 climbs per year at affordable prices. The Intermediate School continues to provide education and training to aspiring climbers and canyoneering has been added to the curriculum. In addition, the Mazama Mountaineering Center in Southeast Portland publishes a monthly magazine for enthusiasts.
The next time you see climbers trekking up a mountain here in the Pacific Northwest, remember the Mazamas and the numerous contributions this venerable organization has made not only to the sport of mountaineering, but in helping to preserve our precious wilderness areas and ecosystems for our own generation, as well as those to come.