Most Popular Blogs

We’re excited to announce that a Mountaineers Books title won the Outdoor Literature category in the 2014 National Outdoor Book Awards! Read more…

K2 is the second-highest and largely considered to be the world’s most dangerous mountain. Join us to hear behind-the-scenes secrets, unforgettable adventures, and epic tales of near-misses with Jim Wickwire, a summiter on the historic 1978 team, and Steve Swenson, esteemed alpinist, author, and K2 veteran. Read more…

Reposted with permission from Mike & Amanda - the Access Fund Conservation Team

The Pacific Northwest is an adventurous climber’s dream. Long hikes into remote peaks and crags challenge climbers’ fitness and resolve, while towering granite peaks and spires inspire one to explore. So we were pretty psyched when we learned that we’d be heading to Darrington, Washington to work at a crag known as 3 O’clock Rock in the Boulder River Wilderness. Read more…

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the landmark conservation bill that created a way for us to protect our most pristine wild lands for future generations, and learn how you can get involved with issues facing these wild places in your backyard. Read more…

Do you spend time outdoors during the winter? Do you backcountry or cross-country ski, snowboard, snowshoe or enjoy winter mountaineering? If your answer is yes, then you may be impacted by the new rules for Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) Travel Management. Read more…

Do you spend time in Olympic National Forest? Are there areas you feel are important to be able to access? Places that are harder to access because a road has been closed? Olympic National Forest is seeking input on identifying a sustainable road system – weigh in! Read more…

On March 22, a huge mudslide destroyed the small community of Steelhead Haven in Oso, which claimed dozens of lives and blocked access to the town of Darrington. Before the mudslide brought the area national attention, however, Darrington was known for two things - logging and access to amazing outdoor recreation opportunities. Read more…

It was another successful season! Wilderness Weed Watcher volunteers plodded along trails throughout the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest’s wilderness areas this past summer in search of invasive weeds. Many invasive plants were documented along nearly a dozen trails and 50 miles of our protected lands. The discovery of these plants reemphasizes the importance of this work – we’re doing our best as responsible recreationalists to protect the places we love so much. Read more…

We're at mid-season this summer, much of the snow has melted away and that means the Wilderness Weed Watchers are hitting the trails to some of our region's most beautiful places in search of invasive weeds. We've had surveys come in from the Mount Baker, Clearwater and Henry M. Jackson wilderness areas with more on the way. Read more…

The Crag climbing course, led by the amazing Loni Uchityl, kicked off this weekend at The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center! The weekend focused on building climbing, multipitch, anchor building, and rappelling skills. Read more…

It’s in!

Last year, the Washington Climbers Coalition, the American Alpine Club and The Mountaineers, with support from the Access Fund, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Spokane Mountaineers and the entire Northwest climbing community, raised $50,000 for the installation of a toilet at the Frenchman Coulee climbing area (better known as Vantage) in Central Washington. Read more…

There is Big News for outdoor recreation from Olympia! On February 13th Governor Inslee announced the formation of a Blue Ribbon Task Force on Outdoor Recreation in Washington State. Read more…

The Forest Service is holding their final public meeting for the Sustainable Roads Project in Everett on November 13 (rescheduled due to government shutdown earlier in October). Read more…

We are thrilled to hear that biologists have observed the largest Chinook salmon run since 1992 in the Elwha River and that dam removal is back on schedule. Biologists counted 1,741 adult Chionook and mapped 763 redds (salmon nests) between the mouth of the river and Glines Canyon dam. Of the total salmon counted during the one-day survey, 75% were observed upstream of the former Elwha Dam site. Read more…

By Marlies Wierenga, Pacific NW Conservation Manager for WildEarth Guardians and WWRI Coordinator

Passage of the Northwest Forest Plan in the mid 1990s was a turning point for conservation. Not only did spotted owls and salmon begin to have a chance at survival but the land and water they depend on were given the ability to heal. Federal, state, local, private landowners across the state stepped up to do their part and everyone lived happily ever after. Right? Read more…

The Mountaineers is collecting stoves and lanterns for those in the Methow region that have lost their homes and/or are without power due to the Carleton Fires. A significant number of people are also without running water or hot water. Read more…

Last May, what started out as a straight forward backpacking trip turned into a harrowing ordeal for Mountaineer member Michael Kelly. With humor and grace, she recounts the good, the bad, and the downright ridiculousness of having to travel five miles without the use of her right leg. Read more…

Six months ago we began this Impact Giving series as a way to feature the many ways philanthropy makes a difference for The Mountaineers. This month, we’re celebrating the 60th anniversary of Mountaineers Books and how philanthropy expands the impact one book can have on an individual, a classroom, a community, and the world.  Read more…

We're devastated to share the news of the passing of Corey McCarty, a beloved Mountaineer - a 19-year member, Super Volunteer, and valued member of our Seattle Climbing community. He was killed in a work-related accident on Friday, December 14, 2018.  Read more…

Since our update last summer, we've been working on many small improvements to our website, including a re-organization of our youth web pages, improvements to the process for pre-ordering and backordering books, and many small upgrades for our members and volunteers. We also have an update on our technology partnership with the CMC (Colorado Mountain Club). 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…

Remember the exhilaration you felt the first time you stepped foot on the summit of a peak, set up your tent under a canopy of trees, or paddled in open water?  Read more…

The Mountaineers pioneered alpine climbing in North America. Join us on August 18, 2016, to revel in the terrible ways climbing has been portrayed in the movies ever since. The "Arc'teryx Bad Movie Night" is the premier event you didn't know you wanted!  Read more…

Join Mountaineers trail runners from Olympia to discover your love of trail running, discover new trails, and find  like minded folks! No previous trail running experience is required! Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Randy Oakley. He's a backcountry skiing and trail running  volunteer leader with the Foothills and Seattle Branch, who welcomes constructive feedback and emphasizes engaging team members.  Read more…

A great way to stay on track with your fitness goals during the off-season is to enlist help from accountability partners. They can provide much-needed support, encouragement, and motivation when you’re feeling stuck or unsure of how to move forward. While a workout partner might meet you at the gym or trailhead, an accountability partner helps keep you on track by discussing how you’re doing, where you’re struggling, and what you want to accomplish. If you've been pursuing a goal and feel your enthusiasm waning, partner up! Read more…