Most Popular Blogs

I fell in love with the snow as a child. We didn’t have a lot of the white stuff where I grew up near London, England but I was fortunate in that my parents took my brother and I skiing in Austria. Every winter after that I tried to get in at least one ski vacation.  Read more…

Mountaineering is an expensive sport. It's especially daunting for beginners, who often have to prioritize spending across competing items. With a fixed amount of money, do you go for Gore-Tex undies, an ice axe made of sleek unobtanium . . . or yawn, a compass? (Let's face it, a shiny new cam is way sexier than a compass.) Read more…

The Nooksack Access Travel Management project in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest seeks to identifying roads to retain, roads that are no longer needed, and roads that need work to stay open. The major roads for recreational users included in this project area are Glacier Creek, Hannegan Pass, Skyline Divide, and Canyon Creek Road.  Read more…

My success as a climber was far from guaranteed.

Growing up Jewish, an ethnicity stereotyped as bookish and non-athletic, I struggled with scoliosis, a lazy eye, orthotic shoes, and a disability that impairs hand-eye (brain) coordination. In my urban Los Angeles elementary school, our “special” PE class endured taunts of “Retard PE!” from the “normal” kids. Add on teenaged depression/anxiety, an eating disorder, lifelong PTSD - in part from childhood bullying - and a bit of confusion (self-judgment) around gender and orientation, and I felt like a freak. Read more…

Getting outside and enjoying nature doesn't just mean going on hikes, backpacking, climbing, etc. As some of us age, it's not as easy to do those things, as much as we want to (and enjoyed them previously). For me, it can be something as simple as walking through a park while photographing what I see and identifying plants, birds (by sound), and animals. 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…

In January 2020, we invited our members and volunteers, past and present, to participate in a member and volunteer survey. We wanted to learn how their perceptions of and experiences with our club have changed since our last surveys in 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2018. We compare these responses with past survey data to track patterns showing how we’ve grown and changed, and to identify opportunities to improve.  Read more…

Hiking is a wonderful way to get outside, stretch your legs, and see the best of what the Northwest has to offer. However, it’s important to be mindful of the impacts that we can have on our public lands by doing our best to keep the places we visit wild and pristine. Read more…

A 94-year-old Northwest native, Fred Beckey is the quintessential “dirtbag” - the original in a breed of rebellious, fearless mountain climbers. Director Dave O’Leske spent 10 years shadowing Beckey throughout the world as chronicled those tales in DIRTBAG. We hope you'll join us for a special screenings September 9 or 16! 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…

The word “legend” often evokes tall tales, stories whose veracity is less relevant than our collective belief in the incredible. Amidst the giant lumberjacks, sea monsters, and ‘there be dragons’ marks on the map, however, there do exist flesh-and-blood legends. Their footsteps are a little smaller and their voices a little softer, but they are there, crafting history. Read more…

Name: Anita L. Elder
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Member Since: 2007
Occupation: Freelance Graphic Designer
Favorite Things to Photograph: Landscapes, animals, nature, and old architecture Read more…

It’s been two long years now since COVID-19 emerged on the world and turned it upside-down. As we begin year three it looks like the virus won’t be going away for good, although we can all hope that it at least fades in prominence and influence. As the current wave is ebbing, I am trying to remain optimistic in the face of new potential variants. But while the pandemic has had many negative and disruptive effects, it has also been a game-changer for many of us on how we view our world, our relationship with others, and how we want to approach life moving forward. Read more…

[Leader]
Cause: Slip on Steep Snow (caused by fatigue and inattention/poor technique, according to injured climber). No helmet. Read more…

A sloping lot in the crook of a mountain pass at 4,200 feet caught the eye of Mountaineers volunteers 75 years ago. A lease from the U.S. Forest Service was signed, and construction began on a rustic ski in/ski out cabin. As the June 1946 Mountaineer bulletin stated, “All sites will be developed as cheaply as possible, with maximum accommodations for minimum cost.” Read more…

This past year, as always, our volunteers have remained at the core of our operations. Thank you to the 2,887 members who volunteered their time during fiscal year 2021 (October 2020-September 2021), and to the many others who supported from afar! Each of you has made a difference. Read more…

Written by Joe Sambataro, Northwest Regional Director for The Access Fund Read more…

Do you spend time on Mt. Baker? Skiing, climbing, hiking or taking in the views from Artist Point? Are there more people out there then when you started climbing there 10 years ago? Did you just make your first trip there? What did you think? Come share your experience as a user of the mountain. Read more…

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Richard Bell! Meet this awesome volunteer whose hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills community. 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…

In the process of writing a recent blog on committee volunteerism, I shared an email conversation with John Dunlap from the Olympia Branch about volunteering with The Mountaineers. John is a five year member who supports several committees, including Olympia’s Scrambling and Sea Kayaking Committees. When I asked John about his experience supporting committee work and volunteering with The Mountaineers, his response took me by surprise - in a very good way. Read more…

Alpine Ambassadors are a group of climbers who lead 5.10+/WI3+ and are looking to push their limits together, learn from the mentorship of guides and highly accomplished climbers, and mentor others. This talented group is comprised of leaders from all branches with climbing programs, and committed to helping our leaders push their climbing limits. One way we do this is by hosting skill development trips. Read more…

Those of us who build and maintain trails don’t want you to know what we’ve done. We’re eager for you to hear birds, see mountains and forests, feel the wind in your face, and safely reach your destination. We want you to drink in the backcountry so completely that you barely notice the tread rolling beneath your boots. Read more…

When I first applied for an internship with the In My Backyard program in the National Park Service, it seemed almost impossible for someone like me to join. Read more…

The snow rushes past in a swift river of movement. The slough was kicked off by my turns above, and the loose powder is now flowing through a natural gully in the snow, no more than six inches wide. That’s not so bad. I think. It looks like a little creek; totally manageable. Without further hesitation, I turn my skis to cross the stream. Read more…

Zion is a national treasure that begs to be explored. It is not only famous for its many hiking trails, including the most dangerous, Angels Landing, but for the milky green Virgin River that shapes what we see today. Read more…

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese nature therapy practice to help individuals develop strong connections with nature and reap the physical and emotional benefits that this connection provides. Although its roots are far older, the modern understanding of this practice began in 1982 when the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries instituted a national forest bathing program. Now gaining traction internationally, forest bathing is a tool that many are beginning to explore. Read on to learn about one member’s experiences, and steps you can take to begin your own forest bathing journey. 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…

One of the most important exercises in my own outdoor-conditioning strength program, and indeed in the program of many hundreds of mountaineers I've trained over the past fifteen years, is the one-legged deadlift. Whether you are 8 or 88, you need balance, coordination, and strength. To go faster uphill on foot, include the one-legged deadlift in your program. It will help your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and balancing muscles around the feet, ankles, hips and knees. Read more…