CWU event director summits all five Washington volcanoes in a single summer

Lauren Zeutenhorst just wrapped up one of the best summers of her life.

As an avid mountaineer, the CWU Executive Director of Presidential and Executive-Level Events had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to climb to the top of each of Washington’s five active volcanoes, a feat several years in the making.

“I’ve always wanted to climb Rainier, which requires a higher level of experience than your average climb,” Zeutenhorst said. “I’ve had that skillset for years, and I just hadn’t been able to prioritize training for it in advance because of one thing or another.”

Her long-awaited opportunity to summit five peaks in one summer finally arrived after several years of setbacks, including a rare medical diagnosis and reconstructive foot surgery, which both limited the outdoorsmanship that ordinarily defines Zeutenhorst’s free time.

“Last summer was the first summer of my whole life that I did zero outdoor activities,” she said. “I couldn’t walk for three months. By the end, when I was just daydreaming about being outside, I decided to plan something epic for myself once I healed.”

Having made up her mind to apply for a climbing permit to Mount Rainier once she recovered from her foot injury, Zeutenhorst approached her physical therapy and subsequent conditioning with the focus and dedication of someone with her eye on a long-sought prize.

“I didn’t know that I’d ever be able to get back to doing those more vigorous climbing expeditions, so that was a big part of my motivation, too,” she said. “I couldn’t wait to have my life back and to start reaching for those goals again.”

With some out-of-state climbing companions by her side, Zeutenhorst finally reached the summit of Mount Rainier in late June, realizing a goal that had been with her since she was old enough to climb the trees in her family’s apple orchard.

“I grew up in the shadow of Mount Rainier and have spent most of my life with it on the horizon,” she said. “Having that moment of standing at the summit after a really hard climb, knowing that I’d finally done it, that was everything I hoped it would be.”

Once the group safely descended from the mountain, Zeutenhorst’s friends learned that they shared her passion for mountaineering in Washington and returned a mere 10 days later to tackle the next-tallest peak in the state, Mount Adams.

With the two tallest peaks already under her belt, Zeutenhorst realized she had a chance to conquer the remaining three before summer’s end. She knew she had to work fast in order to make sure the ascents would be as safe as possible.

“As the season gets later, the volcanoes get crazier,” Zeutenhorst said. “The crevasses open up more and more, making it more dangerous terrain.”

After she summited Adams, Zeutenhorst ascended Mount Saint Helens, Glacier Peak, and Mount Baker over the course of the next month and a half, each time with the support and encouragement of her coworkers in the CWU Office of the President.

“My team was super excited for me and supportive of all the times I had to say, ‘I’m going to go climb another volcano, I’ll be back in three days,’ because I did that multiple times,” she said. “They kept the ship afloat and helped me chase this dream, which has been really uplifting and motivating.”

With those five Washington volcanoes in the rearview mirror, plus Mount Katahdin in Maine, Zeutenhorst hopes to take her mountaineering abroad next summer, to Cotopaxi in Ecuador. For now, the experience has left her feeling invigorated for the year ahead.

“I’m so ready for fall,” Zeutenhorst said. “I’ve had the best summer ever, and I’m feeling rejuvenated and excited to get this school year going.”