Youth Blog

One of The Mountaineers core values is to empower our community to safely enjoy the transformative power of the outdoors. Creating the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts starts with our youth, and we’ve recently been reimagining how we engage with our youngest members at our Seattle Branch. Read more…

Being outdoorsy didn’t come naturally to me. Although I’m from a small, blue-collar farming community, my parents' idea of spending time outside meant performing back-breaking work in the mid-Atlantic humidity or struggling to stay warm in Carhartt coveralls during blustery winters. In 2013, I migrated to Wyoming and met people who had different ideas of the outdoors: that it could be healing, peaceful, and most importantly, fun. Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

With summer sun and fun right around the corner, our team is diving into camp preparation and planning. This year will include many of the traditional Mountaineers Summer Camp activities in addition to new ventures. This year, we’re launching a Day Camp program on the East Side, expanding our Summer Camp offerings to include week-long Day Camp programs in Renton starting in 2024.  Read more…

On a wintry Saturday in Olympia, Claire Edwards, Mountaineers Youth Program Associate Manager, is getting kids and families stoked on snowshoeing during the “Ice Days” event at the Hands On Children’s Museum. It’s equal parts wonder, chaos, and pure delight as participants attempt walking in snowshoes on top of makeshift “snow.” While most participants have never snowshoed before, many leave excited to try this new activity with their family in real snow. Read more…

The Mountaineers partners with Seattle-area youth serving organizations to deliver single or multi-day experiences designed to get youth outside, expose youth to transferable outdoor skills, and impart a desire to explore and conserve the outdoors. We call these programs Mountain Workshops. Through our Seattle Mountain Workshop partner programs, The Mountaineers provides over 1,100 youth experiences a year. We couldn’t provide these programs without the support of our amazing volunteer community! Read more…

Helping youth explore the outdoors is one of the key ways we foster a love of nature, a conservation mindset, and outdoor independence in future generations. Over the last decade, The Mountaineers has developed partnerships with school groups and youth-serving organizations across the greater Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia areas to provide quality outdoor programs known as Mountain Workshops. With the goal of decreasing barriers to the outdoors, Mountain Workshops provide the expertise and gear needed to get kids outside. Read more…

This past January, Satish Shanmugasundaram was thinking about what resolutions to set for 2021 and getting outside more was at the top of the list. One of the first adventures inspired by his resolution was a snowshoe trip to the banks of Lake Kachess. There, he first learned about The Mountaineers. “I was struggling with the directions and I saw a group. One of them told me that they were from The Mountaineers, and I immediately signed up. Read more…

Forests far away from the rumble of traffic are much different than the asphalt, apartment buildings, and lawns that most of us see daily. Add a layer of freshly fallen snow, and it becomes even more magical! Our goal at The Mountaineers Gear Library is to help youth access incredible places and learn new skills by providing you with the tools and resources needed to get your groups outside. And in winter, what better way to explore than on skis?  Read more…

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to take a group of incoming college freshmen on a rafting trip in Arizona. I scrambled to get all my gear together before we launched, and that first night I realized that I had forgotten to pack my tent. Thankfully we were in the desert, and I was sleeping on my boat, so I didn’t have to worry about insects and other critters on the beach. The first night I lucked out with a light breeze coming off the water and a crystal clear sky. I slept like a rock. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we believe a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We also believe that the outdoors is for everyone. As part of our recurring Impact Giving blog series, this month we’re talking about one of our favorite donor-funded outreach efforts: Mountain Workshops. This program increases outdoor access for youth who may not easily have opportunities to enjoy positive experiences in our wild places.  Read more…

The Pacific Northwest is filled with incredible spots to explore but the type of outdoor recreation we teach at The Mountaineers teaches isn't easily accessible to everyone, To learn about barriers to being "outdoorsy", I recommend starting with this Code Switch podcast. Because gear can be one of those barriers, The Mountaineers Gear Library normally loans outdoor gear to youth groups for free. In light of COVID, we're now offering pearsonal gear rentals for Mountaineers members.   Read more…

A hush spread over the crowd of 500 well-dressed Mountaineers, all eyes on the stage in anticipation. From behind the curtain emerged Jaydalen Blossom, a 14-year old outdoor enthusiast and participant with Young Women Empowered (Y-WE), a youth-serving mentorship and empowerment organization we partner with as part of our Mountain Workshops program. Jaydalen joined us to speak about the connection to people and place she feels in being outside, and to offer a fresh perspective on why protecting these places and experiences is more important than ever. Read more…

The Mountaineers’ Gear Library is deeply committed to helping everyone explore the outdoors. Since launching in August 2018, we have partnered with local youth-serving agencies in a joint effort to increase access and to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors. Read more…

Thanks to support from hundreds of people and partners, we're excited to launch our new Mountaineers Gear Lending Library and leader training programs. As we seek to continue to engage future Mountaineers, expand our youth programs, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors, this resource will make the outdoors more accessible to all outdoor enthusiasts. Read more…

The first ever Northwest Youth Leadership Summit was held Saturday, October 22, 2016 at our Seattle Program Center. Working with more than 30 partner organizations, we brought together 120 youth from around the PNW for a day of leadership and learning, plus we enjoyed a surprise visit from Sally Jewell! Read more…

Calling all students ages 14-22 involved in youth stewardship, outdoor leadership, or environmental education programs in the PNW. You're invited to a FREE, fun, and inspiring event: The Northwest Youth Leadership Summit! Read more…

Meet Our Parks | Your Adventure's Caitlin O'Brien. Together with her brother Colin O'Brien, she will climb the Grand in Grand Teton National Park in under 24 hours, all in support of The Mountaineers Youth Programs.  Read more…

Meet Our Parks | Your Adventure's newest Adventurer, Emily Guyer. A Mountaineers member since 2014 and hike leader extraordinaire, Emily has big challenge goals ahead to raise funds for The Mountaineers Youth Programs.  Read more…

We are thrilled to announce The Mountaineers is a recipient of a 2016 Explore Fund grant from The North Face. The North Face selected a total of 45 nonprofits - out of hundreds of applications - that engage their participants in opportunities to inspire a lifelong love of the outdoors. Read more…

Today, the U.S. Forest Service announced new guidance that will change the operation of the agency’s outfitter-guide permitting system. This new guidance will streamline the process for issuing permits to outdoor leaders and recreation businesses that take people outdoors. These improvements will provide more access to federal lands and waters for a wide range of facilitated use.  Read more…

In celebration of the National Parks Centennial, we’re launching Our Parks | Your Adventure, a fundraising opportunity we hope will inspire you  to choose a challenge in our National Parks. We hope to raise $40,000 between July 1 and September 5, 2016!  Read more…

 We took a sharp turn onto Alaska Place and parked at a dead end in front of a house with a green awning covering the front porch. “Green Seattle Partnership” lined the edge of the tent, shovels were laid out in a perfect pattern, and a huge -pile of mulch sat next to the front door. Read more…

Our minions were busy late last year into the early days of 2016 to give us mountaineers.org 2.5, including improvements for seminars & clinics and site-wide search, and new features for our youth programs. Read more…

It’s pushing 95 degrees in Portland, and I’m biking home in the uncharacteristic and unforgiving sunshine, squinting even behind my sunglasses. It’s been over 90 all week. Read more…