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Foothills Volunteer Spotlight: Travis Prescott
Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Travis Prescott! Meet this awesome volunteer whose hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills community. Read more…
Mike Kretzler Focuses on Leading and Teaching People To Become Comfortable in the Outdoors
These days many Olympia Mountaineers know Mike Kretzler as a trip leader for hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing and a course chair for the Navigation program. What they might not realize is Mike's has a long leadership history with the chapter, including a term as Secretary and a term as Council Chair. Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Ryan Dubberly
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Marcey Kosman
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Danielle Graham
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…
10 Essential Questions: Kimber Cross
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
Kayaking Cape Scott: A Leader's Perspective - Feb 28
A year ago, I had the notion to lead a group of Mountaineers sea kayakers on a difficult trip around the northwest corner of Vancouver Island. This is a classic trip because the launch point (Port Hardy) and the landing point (Coal Harbor) are separated by only 20 minutes of driving - and 100 miles of remote, beautiful coastline. It is a thru paddle with a very easy shuttle. But the paddling is mostly open coast, much of which is exposed to ocean swell with surf on the beaches. It's an advanced paddle and it takes two weeks. So, I wondered: How will I find a group of capable and compatible kayakers? Read more…
Foothills Volunteer Spotlight: Ryan Dubberly & Chris Soverel
Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Ryan Dubberly and Chris Soverel! Meet these two awesome volunteers, whose hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills community. Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Michele Ritala
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Meredith Trainor
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Bam Mendiola
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
Congratulations to our 2017 Volunteer Award recipients!
The Mountaineers has no shortage of outstanding volunteers. During the 2016-17 fiscal year, we had 2,613 individual volunteers support our programs. That means that over 20% of our total membership - or 1 in 5 members - actively volunteered last year in some capacity! Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Tom Eckhout
For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Tom Eckhout, a volunteer leader with the Olympia Branch who cherishes every moment he has in the mountains. Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Deborah Fisher
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
Friction Slabs Rope Cutting Ceremony
On Sunday, January 21, a group of 30 donors and volunteers gathered at the Seattle Program Center to celebrate the long overdue completion of the Friction Slabs project. The idea was born in 2012. Plans were drawn and funds were raised, however the process became much more of a lift than anyone could have anticipated. Fast forward six years, and we have (as far as we can tell) the only fabricated friction slab training structure in existence! Read more…
Meet Your Olympia Enewsletter Editor
Meet Regina Robinson, your branch email editor for the last two years. When she was recruited into the position, she thought, “No way, I don’t know how to do that!” She eventually agreed after some gentle persuasion and stated, “Okay, I will give it a try." She hasn’t looked back. She promises to keep doing it, "for as long as we will have her." Read more…
Olympia Branch Looking for Hike Leaders
Whether you're an active hike leader looking for new ways to get out, an inactive hike leader who would like to become more active, or a member member who would like to become a hike leader, we need you! By leading hikes, you have an opportunity to develop your skills, go on the hikes you want at the pace you prefer - all while benefiting your club and meeting great new people! Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Jacob Lopilato
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
2017 Recap: A Year in Review
Volunteers are the lifeblood of The Mountaineers, and we get a clear view of their incredible impact when we dive into the numbers! Here is a look at our collective impact over the past year. Read more…
Top 10 Inspirational Mountaineers of Instagram for 2018
At The Mountaineers, we hike, ski, climb, paddle, sail, snowshoe, and scramble. We capture and savor. Sharing our wild places is a legacy all adventurers share, and today it's easier than ever to honor our special places through social media. Instagram is an incredible place to find inspiration, meet new people, and connect with the world around us. Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Kyle Breakey
For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Kyle Breakey, a volunteer with the Bellingham Branch who sees a huge value in mentorship for leaders at The Mountaineers, both as a mentor and a mentee. Read more…
2017 Leadership Conference: Recap, Survey Results, and Presentation Materials
The Mountaineers hosted our fourth annual Leadership Conference on Saturday, December 2 at the Seattle Program Center. It was an outstanding day of leadership development for our volunteers and community partners - thank you to everyone who was able to attend! Read more…
MountainLove | Andrew Monko & Roseanne Kahn
In each issue of Mountaineer magazine, we feature two lovebirds who met through The Mountaineers and share a passion of the outdoors. In this column, we talked to Andrew Monko & Roseanne Kahn. Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Khrum Kashan
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to.... Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Jerry Logan
For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Jerry Logan, a volunteer with the Kitsap Branch who takes pride and joy in helping new climbers achieve summits they didn't think were possible! Read more…
Olympia Annual Banquet Recap 2017
The 2017 Annual Awards Banquet was attended by 130 Mountaineers and guests including Becca Polglase, Andy Bassett, and Jeff Bowman from The Mountaineers staff. Speaker Vik Sahney discussed the intersection of career and personal passions, sharing how he was able to move into a career with REI that mirrored his zeal for outdoor adventure and his personal values regarding sustainability and environmentalism. Read more…
10 Essential Questions: Andrea Bedlington
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 Thanksgiving
Cheers to Wild Places. To rugged, rocky, rain-soaked, sun-baked, out-of-the-way places. To places we visit often. And places we’ll get to soon. Read more…
Two New Grants Help Build Skills and Confidence in Underserved Youth
We're thrilled to announce we've received two grants to help us use the power of the outdoor experience to transform the lives of underserved teen girls. The North Face Explore Fund awarded a $9,000 grant to our Mountain Workshops partnership with Young Women Empowered (Y-WE), and Sports 4 Life awarded a $5,000 grant to fund indoor and outdoor climbing activities for both Y-WE and Beacon Interagency's Climbing Challenge Series. Read more…
Happy Veterans Day
At The Mountaineers, we know the power of nature to restore our souls and inspire our spirits. We're proud of the service of our active-duty and veteran members and their efforts to preserve our own Freedom of the Hills for future generations. To celebrate Veteran's Day, we highlight a Mountaineer whose dedication helps our club and our country. Read more…