Press Release: April 2, 2024

April 2, 2024

For Earth Day and Beyond, Mazamas Takes Action on Climate Change

PORTLAND, OR – It takes many, many steps – and very intentional ones near the summit – to safely climb a mountain peak. Now, Oregon’s oldest climbing organization is walking the walk when it comes to combating climate change.

Carbon Neutral Hike Helps Public Access Columbia River Gorge via Mass Transit

Ahead of Earth Day activities around the globe, the 130-year-old Mazamas – a mountaineering, outdoor education, and conservation non-profit organization – will lead a carbon neutral hike in the Columbia River Gorge, using only public transportation to reach the trailhead.

The organization hopes this pilot effort might lead to future outings that shun fossil fuel-powered automobiles in favor of using electric vehicles or readily available public shuttles. Since membership is not required to join the Mazamas for hiking, this hike is free and open to the public.

What: Carbon Neutral Hike (Multnomah Falls to Angel’s Rest)
When: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Cost: Free except for transit tickets ($10 each way)
Info and registration (required): mazamas.org

"There are so many benefits to using public transportation to reach the outdoors,” says Executive Director Rebekah Phillips. “No over-crowded parking areas, no worrying about whether your vehicle and belongings will be safe, no parking fees or permits. The real winners, though, are our public lands, forests, and wilderness areas, because public transportation significantly reduces CO2 emissions. It’s a way we can protect the mountains we love.”

In addition to reducing pollutants, mass transit can also play a critical role in ensuring the outdoors is accessible to all. But, Phillips says, it can also be confusing and uncomfortable for first-time riders. “Either they don’t know it exists or they don’t understand how it works, so people just opt out altogether. Our goal is to help take some of the unknown out of the experience and reduce that barrier.”

The carbon neutral hike is just one aspect of the Mazamas’ focused work to address the biggest threat to climbing, recreation, and to simply living in our beloved Pacific Northwest: climate change.

Mazama Headquarters in SE Portland Achieves Carbon Neutrality

Located in a residential SE neighborhood at SE 43rd and Stark, the Mazama Mountaineering Center (MMC) – once a Masonic Lodge – is now totally carbon neutral, following the recent replacement of its gas furnace with new electric heat pumps.

A solar panel array was installed on the MMC’s large roof in 2017. When not completely generating its own power (the array produces nearly 40,000 kWh annually, to offset 29.5 metric tons of CO2), the MMC uses 100% green power purchased from PGE.

Similar work is planned to transition the 64-year-old Mazama Lodge, the home-base for Mt. Hood outings and field-learning outside of Government Camp, off its aging gas furnace to also achieve carbon neutral status.

Conservation Committee Advocates for Climate Action Around the Region

The Mazamas first hosted the Melting Mountains Conference in early 2007, featuring Portland State University glaciologist Andrew Fountain, who described the dire warming threat to our PNW snow-covered peaks, along with our forests and water sources. Since then, Mazamas has held several public forums on warming and the resulting loss of glaciers and increase in major wildfires.

Led by its Conservation Committee – just one of Mazamas’ 38 highly active volunteer committees – the Mazamas has aided lobbying efforts in Salem and Washington, D.C. for legislation, and tightened regulation to preserve mature forests. These trees provide essential cooling plus keep crucial water sources clean while they release highly damaging amounts of carbon into the atmosphere when unwisely logged.

The same Mazama committee has annually disbursed tens of thousands of dollars in grant money to aid focused research, restoration, and outreach activities – many climate-directed – by partner conservation action groups in Oregon and Washington.

With its carbon-neutral hike and other actions, the Mazamas hope to show how anyone can take that initial step, no matter how large or small, in lessening our personal impact on the climate.

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About the Mazamas

Established in 1894 on the summit of Mt. Hood (Wy’East), the Mazamas is an Oregon-based 501(c)3 with a proud tradition of providing excellence in climbing education, leadership, and conservation in the Pacific Northwest. Its mission – to inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains – is carried out in partnership with more than 300 highly dedicated volunteers through education programs, climbs and hikes (about 1,000 annually), stewardship activities, and scientific research. With a membership of about 3,000 individuals, the Mazamas maintains two facilities, including the carbon-neutral Mazama Mountaineering Center in Southeast Portland and the Mazama Lodge in Government Camp.