People

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 Mountaineers values diversity – including persons with diverse abilities – in its programs. While we do not specialize in integrating persons with disabilities into our programs, we encourage people of all abilities to consider participating in Mountaineers programming. Read more…

The Mountaineers’ Kitsap Forest Theater is one-of-a-kind. Attendees take a winding, quarter-mile path through lush woodlands sprinkled with wild rhododendrons. At the trail’s end, almost as though designed by the forest itself, the theater rises from the greenery. Giant firs surround terraced seating, moss-covered bark forms theater wings, verdant ferns serve as footlights, and sunlight shines through the tree canopy to create spotlights. Read more…

The key to having fun in the backcountry is having the skills and knowledge to get home safely.

From knowing how to travel on glaciers or tie proper knots to building an emergency snow cave or trusting a cam, Mountaineers Books publish a wide range of instructional guide books that detail best practices, expert techniques, and safety tips for human-powered outdoor activities. Professional guides, outdoor educators, instructors, volunteers, and weekend warriors around the globe use our guidebooks to further develop and advance their outdoor skills. 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 go outside to wander, and to explore the adventurous spirit within ourselves. As we step into the outdoors, we need to be mindful of the impact our food has on wild places. Our habits can make a difference at home as well, where the average person wastes more than 18 pounds of food per month. Read more…

This Mother's Day, we’re celebrating Mother Nature, the mom we all share. 

At The Mountaineers, we hold our wild places in the highest esteem. Mother Nature has always offered us places to play, explore, learn, and grow. And we all owe her a word of thanks for everything she’s given. 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…

Starting with #GiveBIG on May 8, The Mountaineers launched a month-long campaign to directly support our publishing division, Mountaineers Books. As explorers both on and off the page, we are passionate about sharing our stories of community, adventure, and advocacy in hopes of welcoming a new friend to an experience they’ve never had before. Read more…

Yosemite, September 1998. Marie, Andrew, and I are standing at a trail junction in northern Yosemite National Park, unable to decide which trail to take. We've had a spectacular week of high country, off-trail rambling in beautiful, high basins. Now we're making our way back to Tuolumne Meadows on-trail. The plan was to go left at this junction and do two more days of hiking through a valley none of us have visited. Now that we're at the junction, we realize we have the option to go right and make it back to the car this evening. Tempting. Read more…

A great story will stay with you, even long after you close the book.

Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, by Heather “Anish” Anderson, is Heather’s account of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013 when she finished with the “Fastest Known Time” for any gender. But hers is not at all a story about trail miles and speed. For Heather, it’s about choosing—choosing to get out and move, choosing to walk on the trail, and choosing to embrace an outdoor life. Read more…

In a brief encounter with a mother caribou and her calf, it becomes startlingly clear that we share an innate passion and concern for the future with all living beings. This universal calling leaps from the pages as you turn through Caribou Rainforest: From Heartbreak to Hope, recently published by Mountaineers Books as part of our Braided River line of titles. Read more…

 Books give power to our personal stories - whether you want to discover a new place, learn a new skill, make a lifestyle change, or feel a sense of connection with a wild place or a fellow adventurer. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Krissy Fagan, a climb leader with the Bellingham Branch who is learning to appreciate the many different speeds of mountaineering ... but who still prefers a good sufferfest! Read more…

Meet Foothills volunteer Russ Levy! Russ moved to the Northwest 22 years ago and found The Mountaineers through his passion for hiking. He is a hike leader and is most fulfilled when he's leading a trail crew.  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…

Happy Earth Day, Mountaineers! We are proud to be one of Washington’s leading voices for protecting the outdoor experience in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. To achieve our goals, we partner with a number of environmental and outdoor industry groups and coalitions, and work closely with land managers and lawmakers to fight for public lands. Our strength comes from our members, who are inspired by the wild places they explore everyday. Join us in our stewardship efforts by volunteering at one of our many upcoming  opportunities with partners this spring. 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…

Outdoor experiences with The Mountaineers are transformative. We are explorers who seek adventure and challenge. We teach skills and inspire new generations of adventurers, building community and creating lifelong memories. New leaders are forged on windswept ridges and in deep, forested valleys. We come home with a passion to share and a resolution to protect wild places - the places we love. Our outdoor experiences are imbued with commitment and conviction. In short: we adventure with purpose.  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…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Gordie Swartzman, a naturalists leader with the Seattle Branch who encourages new leaders to lead out of their passion! 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…

With sadness we share that Helen Engle, a 66-year Mountaineers member and lifelong conservationist, passed away this week at the age of 93. Helen inspired us all to live a life of purpose. She will be missed by The Mountaineers and the rest of the outdoor 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…

One of Vision 2022's strategic imperatives is to Lead Innovation in Outdoor Education. Our program centers and lodges play a key role in this by providing physical places for us to teach outdoor skills and build community. Teaching and gathering places can also help us reduce our environmental footprint on public lands and improve our relationships with the broader outdoor community.  Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Debbee Lynn Straub, a volunteer leader with the Kitsap Branch who co-chairs the Basic Climbing course and believes that outdoor adventure is all about camaraderie. 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…