10 Essential Questions: Kelsey Blodgett

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

Name: Kelsey Blodgett
Hometown: Seattle
Member Since: September 2016
Occupation: Program Manager at Amazon
Favorite Activities: Rock climbing, backpacking, mountaineering

10 Essentials: Questions

How did you get involved with The Mountaineers?

I signed up for the Basic Climbing Course when a friend of mine told me she was applying. I had already been rock climbing for several years but I wanted more experience on snow and glaciers so that I could get to more places. We ended up being in a really awesome and motivating SIG and the members still hang out periodically. We just did a reunion climb this summer on The Tooth. Jim's SIG for life!

What motivates you to Get outside with us? 

The outdoors has always been really empowering to me and I enjoy being able to help other people experience that too. I think everyone is both a student and a teacher and have had great experiences both as an instructor and student with The Mountaineers.

I have also met some of my best climbing partners through the club. You really get to know people a lot faster when you spend time with them in the mountains!

What's your favorite Mountaineers memory?

One of my favorite memories from my Basic year was our SIG snow field trip. Our SIG spent the day at Snoqualmie and camped at the top of one of the chairs for the night. We knew that we would be spending some time at camp creating our snow kitchen and cooking dinner, so a few of us went back to the cars and hauled up a sled loaded with a portable grill and enough propane to cook everyone dinner. We had a great BBQ that night complete with hot dogs and burgers, and it was a great bonding experience for our SIG.

Who/What inspires you?

I think that it’s really inspiring to see people pushing their limits and getting a little uncomfortable. It can happen at any level and watching people push through adversity, or even their own mental limits, is really inspiring. Someone leading their first rock route outside can be just as difficult as someone else trying to summit Everest, depending on your skill set, and seeing people do things that are hard for them is a great part of teaching at The Mountaineers!

What does adventure mean to you? 

To me, adventure means getting outside your norm. Going to an unfamiliar place, or even a familiar place with different conditions can be an adventure. The outdoors tends to facilitate a lot of adventures because there are so many places to explore and conditions are always changing, but you don't have to be outside to have an adventure. Joining a new meetup group or going to a new place in the city can be an adventure too if you have the right frame of mind.

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