The Mountaineers
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to..
Name Liam Salas (he/him)
Hometown Seattle, WA
Member Since 2024
Occupation VR Developer and Product Designer
Favorite Activities Rock climbing, skiing, hiking
10 Essential Questions:
What first brought you to The Mountaineers?
My friend has been a part of The Mountaineers for a while, so I was initially exposed to the organization through him. I never really considered joining until he told me about a canyoning course that I should look into (despite knowing I'm the biggest "city-slicker" he has ever seen).
I have been essentially sheltered from nature my entire life. I remember asking my parents if we could go camping and that was always a non-starter… so I quickly gave up on the prospect. As a result, I never obtained the core, formative, positive experiences with the outdoors that most people, let alone basically everyone in the Mountaineers community has. If anything, I probably developed a mild form of biophobia from that.
When my friend told me about the canyoning class, for some reason, I felt some innate need to try. I felt so tired of being afraid of the outdoors. Honestly, I was fed up with myself. In that moment I decided that I was going to try to change.
That's the day I joined The Mountaineers.
Why do you like getting outside with us?
I like going outside with The Mountaineers because of how encouraging and supportive the entire community is. Even though essentially everyone around me is very accustomed to the outdoors, they didn't treat me differently or make fun of me for being uncomfortable in (what everyone else around me considered) a "normal" environment. They encouraged me to keep going.
What's your favorite Mountaineers memory?
My favorite memory was when I was in the experience canyon. One of the leaders found some kind of slimy substance on a rock. Maybe they were frog eggs or something. I have no idea. What he did next, I will never forget. He straight up TOUCHED them with his bare hands. I have never been so disgusted in my entire life. I couldn’t believe it.
Rappelling down a bunch of waterfalls was pretty cool too.
Who/What inspires you?
My biggest inspiration is one of my best friends. He’s always out doing cool things, like decathlons or hiking. I think the coolest thing he has done is summiting Mount Rainier. He makes me want to do great things too.
What does adventure mean to you?
To me, adventure is going out into some environment that you’re not entirely familiar with. Whether it be a new city, or a new hike, or anything else.
Lightning round
Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise
What's your 11th Essential? My iPhone and AirPods
What's your happy place? My music practice room where my instruments are
Post-adventure meal of choice? Hot pot
If you could be a rockstar at any outdoor activity overnight, what would it be? Skiing
NOMINATE YOURSELF FOR MOUNTAINEER OF THE WEEK
Mountaineers come in all shapes and sizes, varying widely in age, outdoor experience, and length of time involved in The Mountaineers. Part of what makes our community so unique is the broad diversity of our membership, and we hope these weekly features highlight who we are and why our community plays an important part in feeling belonging in the outdoors. We are always seeking self-nominations for our Mountaineer of the Week, and we invite you to share your story. Trust us, we want to hear from you!
Want to nominate a friend? Email Bayley Stejer to make a recommendation.
This article originally appeared in our fall 2024 issue of Mountaineer magazine. To view the original article in magazine form and read more stories from our publication, visit our magazine archive.
