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Everything accomplished by The Mountaineers as an organization can be credited to the efforts of our volunteers. Our courses, trips, youth programs, and advocacy efforts are fueled by  passionate people who are engaged because they want to be, not because they receive financial motivation. Each year we hold a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to recognize these tireless individuals. Read more…

Within five minutes of meeting Charlie and Carol Michel, it’s clear that they care very deeply about three things: sea kayaking, The Mountaineers, and our collective carbon footprint. 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…

Trail Tails is a special feature showcasing the mutts of The Mountaineers! This month we recognize Raven, owned by Mountaineer Carlanna Livingstone.  Read more…

Since 2015, REI has closed its stores on Black Friday, paying their employees to #OptOutside instead. At The Mountaineers, we couldn't love the idea more. Our employees have always enjoyed the day after Thanksgiving as a vacation day, and two paid stewardship days each year to take care of their favorite places to play. We believe going outside is not just good for your health - but good for your soul.  Read more…

Language is powerful. We use a string of characters or words to attempt to capture history, context, meaning, intent, and often, emotion. Language is subject to personal interpretation -  most context-laden words rarely share the exact same meaning from one individual to the next. That’s what makes language imperfect.  Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

With great sadness we share the news of the passing of Pradnya Mohite, a beloved member of our Everett and Seattle climbing communities. On March 6, 2022, Pradnya was on a private climb of Mt. Hood with another Mountaineers member when they suffered a fall. The team was benighted, and Pradnya did not survive. Read more…

North Cascades National Park, considered the “wild nearby” for its incredible scenery and wildlife, is also at the center of an opportunity being led by the National Park Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Forest Service to restore a grizzly bear population. Read more…

Did you know that The Mountaineers has year-round outdoor adventure clubs for youth? At the Seattle branch, there are five different clubs broken up by age for youth ages 6 through 18: Pathfinders for 6-7 year olds; Nomads for 8-9 year olds; Explorers for 10-11 year olds; Junior MAC for 12-13 year olds; and MAC (Mountaineers Adventure Club) for 14-18 year olds. Read more…

The Mountaineers is deeply saddened by the loss of one our longest standing and most distinguished members: Wolf Bauer - pioneer, first-ascensionist, champion skier, sea kayak course and boat innovator, founder of Seattle Mountain Rescue Council, and esteemed conservationist. Wolf passed away on January 23rd, nearly one month shy of his 104^th birthday. Read more…

I recently led a scramble of Seymour Peak. The group hiked from Chinook Pass to Dewey Lake and took a few minutes to rest, eat, and take pictures.  We then proceeded to scramble up towards Seymour Peak. We’d been scrambling for about 30 minutes along a confusing maze of animal trails through open woods and had just entered the basin when one of our members realized that we were missing part of our party. 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…

Conservation advocacy has been an enduring priority throughout The Mountaineers history. Early members recognized the importance of protecting wild places for the outdoor experience, and as a result we have been involved in nearly every major conservation campaign in our state's history. Advocacy has been, and remains, at the heart of key environmental protections.  Read more…

Dee Molenaar, an international mountaineering legend, Pacific Northwest hero, climber, geologist, and artist, passed away on Saturday, January 19, 2020. He was 101. A public memorial will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2021.  Read more…

It rained non-stop on the Wynoochee valley in the southern Olympics on Earth Day weekend, April 22-23, 2017, but that did nothing to dampen the spirits of 27 members of The Mountaineers who volunteered alongside four Washington Trail Association (WTA) crew leaders for the first trail maintenance stewardship project between the two organizations.  Read more…

Over the weekend of August 29-30, our Olympia Branch Stewardship Committee co-sponsored Wynoochee Trail maitenence activities in partnership with Washington Trails Association. I sat down with Ginger Sarver - a Stewardship Leader, 4-time Super Volunteer, and the Event Organizer - to hear more about the impact of this fun weekend. Read more…

Imagine returning to the car after hiking double-digit miles into triple-digit temperatures, finally pitching your heavy pack into the back of the car. Before you take off to the local pub that serves nachos, pizza, and beer, consider how you’ll feel after an hour or more in the car.  Read more…

While tenured Meanyites know how to pack for a weekend of fun in about 3 minutes flat (hint: after unpacking, do laundry & re-pack immediately), we often see first time visitors struggle. Here’s a rule of thumb & a few specific pointers: Read more…

You’re signed up for an activity this weekend, but something came up. Maybe you got sick, or an old injury lingered longer than you’d expected. Perhaps a last-minute work conflict or a personal commitment has to take precedence. We understand that life happens, but taking a moment to reflect on your decision, and practicing good cancellation etiquette, are essential to our member and volunteer satisfaction. Read more…

As you sit down to plan your next activity with The Mountaineers, we encourage you to consider how your listing may impact registration and last-minute cancellations. Read on to find some helpful tips from the staff at The Mountaineers. Read more…

The first time I tried my hand at astrophotography (shooting the stars, as opposed to shooting stars) was on a clear night just outside Mount Rainier National Park. I was renting a cabin with my wife and her family, a trio of sisters from Colombia who spoke frequently about the possibility of seeing wildlife. I left them for the pitch darkness down the road along the Nisqually River. Read more…

So you're vegan - no meat, no fish, no dairy. Whether you do it for your health, the environment, or animals rights reasons, it's not always convenient to have a plant-based diet. This is especially true in the world of backpacking, where beef jerky is its own food group. But I have good news- it's entirely possible to eat vegan and eat well in the backcountry. All it takes is a little extra planning and a lot of legumes.  Consider these tips the next time you hit the trail: Read more…

For our member profile this week we talked to Scott Schissel, a Park Ranger and Mountaineer who loves feeling all the stress melt away while on a long hike or run. Read more…

In 2021, The Mountaineers began to utilize a new process for discovering potential candidates for open at-large positions on our Board of Directors. This new open nominations process was very successful, resulting in more than 20 nominees from across the organization. Feedback from applicants and the community at large about the new process was overwhelmingly positive. Members appreciated the transparency, rigor, and excellent results that it delivered.  Read more…

Interested in learning how to snowshoe, kayak, or navigate in the backcountry? Want to meet some new exploration buddies? Have a gear wishlist a mile long, or have some extra gear you'd like to unload? Come to The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center from 6-8:30pm on Monday, September 21! Read more…

About a year and a half ago The Mountaineers announced our intention to engage in equity & inclusion (E&I) work. This commitment stems from our belief that a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We're grateful to all of our members and volunteers who have been engaging in this work, and we're excited to share what we collectively accomplished in 2019. Read more…

You are cobalt blue mixed with just a little bit of rose. And you are my yellow straight out of the palette, no mixing required! What is your name, little friend? Ohhh, and you are scarlet and ultramarine blue with a hint of white. Read more…

We’ve been teaching people how to climb outside for 110 years, but that doesn’t mean we have all the answers. As we look back on the challenges we’ve faced and look forward to the opportunities to teach skills in new and different ways, we’re excited about the potential to take some of our outdoor education programs in a new direction. Read more…

For most of us, putting 2020 in the rearview mirror is something we’re looking forward to. As I’ve shared before, the COVID-19 crisis has created significant challenges for organizations such as The Mountaineers. The biggest headwind we faced this year was the dramatic reduction of program revenue as we largely shut down. At the beginning of the crisis, we literally wondered if we’d have enough cash in the bank to get us through the summer because the courses, camps, lodges, and books retailers that traditionally support our organization had nearly ground to a halt. In what felt like the blink of an eye, we were facing a more than 25% revenue gap for the year. To successfully survive this COVID-induced storm, we’ve had to adapt to significant changes and redouble our commitment to our mission and core values. Read more…