IN SHAPE? GO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN!

Here's an idea if you're in shape and really want to impress your business associates back home at the water cooler. Wait for the right moment and drop into the conversation that you just climbed Mt. Hood, the highest point in Oregon, or Mt. Ranier, the second highest mountain in the "lower 48."

Climb season in the Pacific Northwest starts in earnest in May and continues into early October. There are dozens of mountains and dozens of approaches in Oregon and Washington to tackle, and there are climbs rated from "A" (easiest, though 'easy' is a relative term when you're hiking up a peak with crampons on and wielding an ice axe) to "E" (most difficult and requiring proficiency in several specific mountain climbing skills to qualify for the climb).

Wendy and I have belonged to the "Mazamas," the largest climbing organization around, for many years, and we've both bagged a bunch of peaks. If you are at all interested in climbing a mountain or want additional information, write to "Mazamas, 527 SE 43rd Ave., Portland OR 97215" or telephone at 503-227-2345 or log onto their website at "www.mazamas.org". Ask the office to mail you a 2007 Climb Schedule. You don't even have to be a member to climb with a very experienced "Climb Leader" and "Asst. Climb Leader."

However, once you have summited a mountain, you just might get the itch to do it again (and again!), so you might consider becoming a Mazama member and really impressing your friends. Dues are cheap and the club offers so many extras that my entire next blog will be devoted to the 2,749-member organization. Incidentally, many Mazama members live far from Oregon, on the east coast and in the midwest.

Don't be shy -- the Mazamas offer "Classic Climbs" for those 55 years of age or older, "Novice Climbs" for those with no climbing experience, and even "Hike-to-the-Summit" climbs for experienced hikers who want to begin with a moderate effort.

Almost every mountain is within an easy day's driving distance from The Fulton House, and many are only a couple of hours away. You can reach Mt. Hood, for example, in only about a 1-1/2 hour drive from us.

Happy climbing!