On Friday evenings at 5pm my life undergoes a typical Oregon transformation. Skirts, heels and purse recede in the closet as Gortex, climbing boots and crampons come forward. The iphone goes in the backpack and out comes the ice axe. I have been both Cultural Trust Communications Manager and technical mountaineer-in-training for one month today. This past weekend, I found the first of what I suspect will be many connectors between the two worlds… Last Saturday morning found me at Timberline Lodge for snow training. Timberline turns 75 this year. Dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937, the lodge represents some of the finest WPA craftsmanship around and is home to art, artifacts, and astounding ski history. And, of course, this grand dame is among our most famous of movie stars. More than a tourist attraction, hotel, or a springboard for skiers, boarders and climbers, Timberline stands as a proud part of our history. 

The second connection occurred Sunday, on a torturous slog up Ruckel Ridge in the Gorge. The Columbia Gorge Scenic Act was passed 25 years ago. Rumor has it then-Senator Mark Hatfield strong-armed President Reagan (politically if not literally) to support the Act, the only environmental bill to pass during the Reagan years. As our group descended Ruckel Creek, the hike leader pointed to a pile of rocks. On second glance, we saw a pit once used by native tribes to trap animals.

These clever hunters would place a net over the pit and their prey would either fall through it, or become tangled. The final parallel also occurred on Sunday, as Ruckel Ridge is part of Mazamas Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP). The Mazamas is the second oldest mountaineering organization in the United States, founded in 1894, when Oregon itself was only 35 years old. (Appalachian Mountain Club came earlier, in 1876; American Alpine Club followed in 1902.) The Mazamas Portland Library is a specialized archive where photos of women in skirts and men in work boots climbing Mt. Hood offer historical context and a dose of humility. Visitors and locals alike flock to Oregon’s outdoor opportunities.

But, interwoven into all this good, healthy fun, we can see vibrant historical threads, an ode to our heritage, including our heritage as outdoorsmen and women. The two interests – culture and recreation, are not mutually exclusive hobbies for different types of people. Indeed, they can be enjoyed in tandem. And so it would seem that my work life and weekend life aren’t so split. But don’t expect to see me trotting through Salem in Gortex – or climbing Mt. Hood in a skirt!