Most Popular Blogs

Our Olympia Conservation and Stewardship Committee has been championing stewardship for several years through an annual Stewardship Challenge and frequent work parties. We invite you to join us for National Trails day on Saturday, June 1, 2019 to give back to your local recreation areas, and to join us in recognizing the incredible work of the Olympia branch  at Wynoochee Lake on the south side of the Olympics. Read more…

Our Pioneers, Explorers, and Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC) members are off and running on a year full of awesome adventures! Registration is open  and the clubs are filled to the brim with eager young members and their families. As we look to the adventures ahead, the youth department is identifying a need for more volunteers to assist with trips.  Read more…

Spring has sprung! Can't you tell? T-shirts and sandals are trickling back into our lives, people are sitting outside just for the fun of it, and all of a sudden it makes sense to buy sunscreen again. Read more…

We all know that spending time in nature is beneficial for kids. Outdoor experiences promote a healthier lifestyle, build self-confidence and self-reliance, and inspires an appreciation for the natural world. This appreciation for nature will help build a generation of young people committed to protecting our outdoor spaces, which is a benefit for everyone. Read more…

Although no safety incidents have been reported, Black Diamond has issued a voluntary recall for a number of their carabiners and nylon runners. 

The inspection procedure is on the Black Diamond site and they are offering new product free of charge if the gear does not pass the inspection. Read more…

A student sprained their ankle while beginning a rappel during an Intermediate Climbing Qualifier Practical Exam on January 24. The injury occurred at 1pm. Read more…

Pull up a chair, settle in, and enjoy stories and video from award winning filmmaker Justine Curgenven. With 15 years of sea kayaking adventures spanning six continents, Justine's hair-raising experiences appeal to anyone with an adventurous spirit ... be they climbers, skiers, sailors, or kayakers themselves! Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Danielle Graham, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who encourages aspiring leaders to glean tips and tricks from every leader they interact with, and who wants all members to feel valued and included in The Mountaineers' community. Read more…

We sat down with Susan Elderkin to find out her favorite area hikes for young children from her new book Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington. The following are kid-tested and kid-approved, to help you get your kids out and exploring nature at any age! Read more…

We love exploring, especially the wild places that offer a serene tranquility away from it all. Sometimes, though, we get too far away. And that's when tranquility turns into bewilderment. So pack a map and take some tips from Wilderness Navigation by Mike and Robert Burns. Read more…

In the summer of 2021, I received a phone call from lifetime Mountaineer MaryJane Steele delivering the difficult news that Barbara Jean Allan had recently passed away. A biochemist and researcher at the University of Washington, Barbara was a passionate outdoorswoman and environmental advocate. The lifetime she spent in the mountains inspired her to give back in many ways, and for her, that included protecting the legacy of outdoor education by planning for a bequest to benefit The Mountaineers. Read more…

Excerpted from The Roskelley Collection, in memory of Jess Roskelley. (See Part 1 and Part 3) Read more…

Excerpted from The Roskelley Collection, in memory of Jess Roskelley. (See Part 2 and Part 3) 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 last patch of shade disappears in a wavering blue line, distorted by the heat. I sit on the scorching sand in exasperation. We are still five miles from the car, and I feel like garbage. I’m dizzy, a bit nauseous, and have a headache. After a year of hiking in the Northwest, I’ve forgotten about the unrelenting desert sun and my 2.5 liters of water was not nearly enough... I am dehydrated, and badly. 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…

We got in touch with author Philip Kramer to ask him a few questions about writing his recent book,  Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California. Here's what he had to say. Read more…

Have you ever wanted to explore the world with a group of active, capable outdoorspeople? Or are you a trip-planning master hoping to share your skills and knowledge with a group of excited participants? Join us for our upcoming Global Adventures Info Session on November 1 to learn all about our program!  Read more…

Grab your outdoor bucket list and adventure buddies to tune into a night of human-powered winter celebration, with ten edge-of-your-seat films celebrating backcountry skiing and other adventures! Read more…

To truly care about something, it has to have impacted you intimately. It’s that personal connection that gives us the impetus to act. Read more…

“Look Mom!” I cried. “Bison!”

We were heading to the geysers [in Yellowstone National Park], but when we rounded the corner we saw a field of bison.

We could see a calf fighting its sibling, each one tumbling into the dust. We could see the bulls wallowing in the mud pits. We could even see the cows looking after the calves. It was an amazing sight seeing the bison covering that field like ants covering honey.

That’s one of the many exciting memories Samuel Tinker shared with me. Read more…

This December marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and  for nearly 20 years, our conservation imprint Braided River has been publishing stunning books about this special place. These books serve as the visual foundation for advocacy campaigns to protect the Arctic from oil and gas development, climate change, and other threats. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is under imminent threat of oil and gas leasing as soon as January 2021 by the federal administration (learn more at Protect the Arctic and make your voice heard).  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…

As Tom Hornbein stood in the shadow of Everest, he knew getting to the top wasn’t enough. He wanted more.

In 1963, Tom was a member of a sponsored expedition designed to send the first Americans to the summit of the highest peak in the world. The strategy was clear: climb the South Col route first established by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. While summiting via the South Col was far from a guarantee, the proven route was their best chance.  Read more…

I don’t watch much television these days, but I had a TV in my bedroom growing up. It was a 13” set with a built-in VHS tape player. Weighing in at a svelte 27lbs, it fit perfectly between the two front seats of our minivan, plugged into the to the cigarette lighter to provide entertainment for my sisters and me on road trips. When you live in Montana, everything is a long car ride away.  Read more…

We're excited to welcome local climber and author Blake Herrington to Washington's cadre of self-published guidebook authors! You've seen his work in Alpinist, Climbing, and Rock & Ice magazines as well as numerous websites and newspapers. And he's just completed a new guidebook, Cascades Rock: The 160 Best Multipitch & Alpine Routes in Washington  and Southern BC. Join us on March 22 as he presents his new guidebook at the Seattle Program Center.  Read more…

Starting in Spring 2016, The Mountaineers will be offering Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Responder Recertification courses!  Read more…

Ever dreamed of climbing a crag over the deep blue Mediterranean and dropping into the warm sun-speckled water? Riding a scooter every day to climb another fantastic 5.8-5.9 face? Check out next fall's Mountaineers rock climbing adventure to Kalymnos Greece led by long-time crag leader Loni Uchytil!  Read more…

Adventure Ready: A Hiker's Guide to Planning, Training, and Resilience, by Katie Gerber and Heather Anderson, empowers future thru-hikers to create goals, face challenges, and be stronger and smarter on the trail. Read more…