Blog

South Early Winters Spire (SEWS) is a popular climbing route in the North Cascades. The highest summit of the Liberty Bell Group, the climb offers outstanding views of Liberty Bell and the North Cascades. Climbers flock to SEWS as a great option for their first alpine climbing experience because of the quality of granite rock and the relatively easy climbing and great scrambling. Read more…

Peggy Ferber, a lifetime Mountaineers member and early supporter of Mountaineers Books, passed away on September 2, 2021 at 88. Peggy initially served as a typist then later as copy editor on early editions of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, a book that forever changed how many people worldwide engaged with the outdoors. For this and many other acts of service, Peggy was awarded The Mountaineers Service Award in 1984.  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…

Join the Olympia Branch as they work to support the Olympic National Forest's Sustainable Recreation Study. The study is designed to engage the public in the care of trails and gather feedback on individual trail management. Read more…

With cobalt-blue skies, post-bedtime sunsets, and Rainier finally making a regular appearance on the horizon, it feels like summer is finally here. As the weather starts to heat up and we attempt to cool off (however unsuccessfully) with summer swims and smoothies, let’s refresh ourselves with the brisker memories of June’s adventures.  Read more…

Join the Olympia Branch for our annual summer picnic, where we celebrate our unique local community. The event will be sustainably catered and is open to members and their families & guests.  Read more…

The Seattle First Aid Committee's role is to ensure that our members and leaders have access to classes that allow them to gain and maintain first aid skills. During the past two years, the committee has lost a few core members due to job changes or moves. The Seattle branch is grateful that we've retained Mary Panza as the chair, but she can't do it alone. We are looking for both in-person and remote volunteers to support our community's First Aid education.  Read more…

I took two years away from social media for a much-needed cleanse several years ago. Before going off the grid, I posted three times a day, intending to gain traction for my hiking blog. But as much as I enjoyed beautiful landscape photos, I found I needed a break from seeing evasive posts from the self-proclaimed "influencers" or "inspirers" with a large following on Instagram and Facebook. Read more…

Directly bordering the monument, the upper Green River Valley is an ecologically important landscape beloved for its scenic views and many recreation opportunities. Early versions of the bill to designate Mount St. Helens a national monument included protections for the valley, but those lands were carved out of the final version to protect mining interests. Left unprotected, the valley continues to face the threat of development. 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…

After a long, hot day on the trail, you’ve finally settled in at camp. With the tent pitched and your Mountain House Creamy Mac n’ Cheese devoured, the temptation to sleep can be overwhelming. Every bone in your body is telling you to climb into your tent and get horizontal. But you have to fight it: if you hold off long enough, you may get lucky and witness a remarkable natural spectacle in the summer sky. Read more…

At its heart, conservation is about people - people with strong outdoor connections that steward and protect our landscapes, and grow a community of advocates for our wild places. The people that power conservation at The Mountaineers aren’t just our staff, they’re members and volunteers driven to preserve the outdoor experience for future generations. Read more…

Rising nearly three vertical miles over Puget Sound and visible from much of the state, Washington’s Mount Rainier is an imposing landmark. Shrouded in glistening glaciers, sprawling meadows, and impressive cathedral forests, Mount Rainier is a stunning place to hike, camp, and commune with nature. It’s absolutely one of the most awe-inspiring places in America - and that’s the problem. Rainier is just too damn spectacular. Read more…

It took a lot of practice, but I finally learned how to poop directly into a dog bag. I’d been getting outside for years – crag climbing and backcountry skiing mostly – and I wasn’t a fan of carrying a trowel and digging a six-inch cat hole. Instead, I’d find a private space, answer the call of nature directly onto the ground/snow, then pick it up (double bag!) and pack it out (toilet paper too!). 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…

Summer is here! We’re celebrating longer days and warmer weather with our annual Summer Book Sale from July 1-30, 2022. Plan your next trip with our large selection of best-selling guidebooks and Green Trails maps, bask in a hammock reading one of our adventure stories, or rep The Mountaineers on the trail with new Mountaineers merchandise. You can also pick up a Discover Pass or Northwest Forest Pass while you’re here.  Read more…

Diann Sheldon has been a friend and faithful supporter of The Mountaineers for more than 10 years, where she has found deep joy in experiencing nature with others. In 2012 Diann mustered the confidence to start her own guiding business, Discover Nature, where she leads hikes to help others connect with nature in Mt. Rainier National Park.  Read more…

Glacial Heritage is a special native prairie ecosystem. It is one of the premier prairie conservation sites in the South Puget Sound region, and is only open to the public once a year on Prairie Appreciation Day, May 14.  Read more…

When preparing for a new alpine summit, most people know to increase their targeted exercise. However, it’s equally important to consider your mental and skill-based preparation. This will allow you to feel calm, confident, and practiced on your summit day. Below are a few strategies to help you get ready: Read more…

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

When you hear the word “conservation,” what comes to mind? To us, conservation can mean protecting natural landscapes for public enjoyment through the creation of national parks, forests, and wilderness areas. It can also mean individual acts of advocacy, stewardship, or low-impact recreation. Read more…

In this tech update, we are highlighting several new and improved features for our events system, the most important being the ability to sell tickets on our website. This completes our vision of a fully integrated shopping cart. Read on to learn about all the new event features and other improvements. Read more…

Most of us have done it more than once in our backpacking lives – tear open a foil packet, pour in steaming water from the camp stove, wait ten minutes, then shovel the contents into our mouths in the hope that the quantity is right, the food is palatable, and the salt content doesn’t cause congestive heart failure. Then we rinse and haul the bulky foil packets back out to the trailhead. Read more…

The Olympia Branch is a vibrant, growing community with quality volunteer leaders. Behind these leaders is a dedicated Branch Council, who provides the structure and support to help our leaders and general membership thrive.  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…

Mountaineers have cherished the natural beauty and challenges offered by Mount Rainier since our beginning, and stewardship and volunteering have always been a part of that story. Early members helped build the original Wonderland Trail, and many current and former members volunteer their time to care for this special place today. Read more…

Are you looking for a fun and rewarding stewardship experience? Join us for a weekend at Stevens Lodge to give back Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26. You can join for one or more days to help tear out an old bathroom and prepare it for a much-needed remodel. We will also clean out the lodge of 40+ year of accumulated junk.  Read more…

The incongruous streaks of red and pink on the snowfield look like faint blood stains across the side of the mountain. I quicken my pace, excited to finally find my quarry after two days of hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. I step gingerly onto the snow and head straight for the darkest patch of red as I pull a sample tube out of my pocket. I fill it with the vibrant, pink-tinted snow, screw on the cap tightly, and label it with my coordinates. This small vial, which at first glance looks like a prop in a bad horror movie, is filled with tiny bits of algae that live a fascinating life in the mountains – one that is tied to the larger stories of climate change in our home ranges. Read more…

We're very excited to be hosting international mountain guide and adventure writer Charlotte Austin again for an evening writing workshop. Whether you're an experienced author, part-time blogger, or curious novice, this class will give you a glimpse into the wide world of writing.  Read more…

You’re invited to participate in the Foothills branch’s newest course, Yoga for Hikers, Backpackers, and Trail Runners. Designed for outdoor athletes, this course will cover the fundamentals of yoga, how to utilize the practice for athletic recovery, and how to utilize the practice for strength. Read more…