Mazamas

A group of Mazamas climbers scales Mount Hood summer 1963

The Mazamas (pronounced mah zah maz) is a mountaineering club based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894.

Name

The name Mazamas means mountain goat, from Nahuatl mazatl, deer.^[1] for etymology. Mount Mazama, the collapsed volcano that formed Crater Lake, is located in Oregon and is another point of reference for the name.

Foundation

It was founded 19 July 1894 on the summit of Mount Hood. Charter members had responded to an advertisement in the Morning Oregonian of 12 June 1894 announcing a meeting at the summit.^[2] In all, 105 men and women were founders. Soon after, members made pioneering climbs throughout Oregon and Washington.^[3]

Promotion of mountaineering

The Mazamas has been an important part of the climbing community in the Pacific Northwest of the United States since its founding. The Mazamas is similar in its aims and activities to The Mountaineers of Seattle, Washington, which began in 1906 as an auxiliary of the Mazamas.^[4]

The Mazamas offers over 900 hikes and 350 climbs annually for over 13,000 participants. A variety of classes and activities are offered for every skill and fitness level and are open to both members and nonmembers. The group also promotes mountaineering through education, climbing, hiking, fellowship, safety and the protection of mountain environments.

References

1. ^ See mazatl (Wiktionary)
2. ^ "Mazamas—Your Adventure Starts Here". The Mazamas. http://www.mazamas.org/. Retrieved 2007-01-23. 
3. ^ Fred Beckey (1987). Cascade Alpine Guide, Volume I. The Mountaineers. ISBN 0-89886-127-6. 
4. ^ E. S. Meany. "Mountaineering". University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections, Accesssion 106-70-12, Box 107/8. Edmond S. Meany Papers. http://content.lib.washington.edu/mtnweb/essay.html. Retrieved 2007-01-23.