Post58 Founders Page 

Post58 Story

Sometime in 1993 three youngish men with mutual experience leading youth at a summer camp decided it might be a good idea to recreate the experience of taking kids out into the wilderness and bring it to their hometown of Portland.  They decided to approach the Mazamas about assuming leadership of its moribund youth group and providing it with some energy and care in an effort to provide outdoor opportunities for local teenagers.  The Post had its first gathering on Thursday December 16th , 1993 at Lincoln High School in room 135.  Several months of planning and mail solicitations handled by Peter, Andy and Roger preceded the gathering.  Meeting announcements were sent to about 200 youth who had indicated interest in rock climbing via a Boy Scout survey.  But there were no RSVPs so when at 6:55 p.m. only one student had shown up, no one was surprised. By 7:00 p.m. a handful of students had entered and by 7:05 the room was full.  A short while later there was a line out into the hallway and the decision was made to split into two meetings.  Half the kids stayed in the hallway and played games for 45 minutes while a slide show and information was presented in the room.   After that the first group went home and the hallway group took the seats in room 135 and heard the presentation.

That first full year, 1994, students from the Post climbed Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood and Middle Sister. There was a trip to Smith Rock, and an excursion to the North Cascades where the group climbed El Dorado, among other peaks. That fall was the first New Member Night, and a Parents’ night potluck.

Andy Berhow

Andy was born and raised in Vancouver, WA.  He worked a teach in two different school districts in Vancouver.  Andy was a highly regarded teacher of  media and visual arts classes. He worked at Camp Nor’wester in a variety of capacities for many summers and established a reputation as leader with vision and a very hard worker.  He is married to his wife Kim, and the couple has two grown children, Jack and Allison.  Andy graduated from Washington State University and is an experienced mountain climber and outdoor leader

Roger Alfred

Roger was a unit leader at Camp Nor’wester for several summers where he led the youngest campers and also the oldest campers in different summers. Roger attended the University of Arizona and went on to graduate from Lewis and Clark Law School.  He is currently the land use attorney for Metro.  Roger is a long time rock climber and skier.  He has also dabbled in the mountaineering arts, including a rare ascent of the Archduke Trio in the Bugaboos of British Columbia.  Roger’s son, Cameron, is a member of the Post these days.