Blog

Whether you’re a seasoned outdoorsperson or just starting your journey with The Mountaineers, you won’t want to miss this special crossover event: our annual Holiday Gear Grab & Meet The Mountaineers info session happening at the Seattle Program Center on Tuesday, December 17! Read more…

The Katmai lies west of Anchorage, across Cook Inlet. It is a rugged country with massive mountains, endless tundra plains, and numerous lakes, creeks, and rivers. In this event, travel with Naturalist Leader Thomas Bancroft to Katmai country and explore two national parks. During the presentation, Thomas will share stories from his book, Beyond the Wonder: An Ecologist’s View of Wild Alaska, and together participants will  look for bears, follow sockeye on their migration, chase birds, and explore the geology of the mountains. Read more…

Over the last several months, we shared our opposition to Washington ballot initiative 2117 and engaged in advocacy to defeat it because we strongly believe that we must continue to fight the climate crisis here in Washington state and beyond. 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 Mountaineers values transparency and takes pride in celebrating our successes. Our team is continuously working on updating our website, e-learning, and automated processes to enhance the user experience for members and volunteers. In this Changelog, we capture what improvements we have made over time so you can follow along and take advantage of new features.  Read more…

One of the greatest gifts The Mountaineers gives is the ability to be safe while recreating outdoors. From urban adventures to technical climbs, we champion safety through interactions, hard-skills, and quality standards. Yet when we have that dreaded “worst day” in the mountains, our sense of safety can shatter, and there are often deeper internal wounds that take longer to heal. Read more…

With his trademark enthusiasm and expertise, Craig Romano will share information on the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Silver Star Scenic Area, Trapper Creek Wilderness, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, and some select hikes along the Columbia east of the Gorge, with explorations of national forests and wilderness areas, state forests, state parks, county parks, city parks, and national wildlife refuges. 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're very excited to host international mountain guide and adventure writer Charlotte Austin for the second part of this Adventure Writing Workshop series. Whether you're an experienced author, part-time blogger, or curious novice, this class will give you a glimpse into the wide world of travel writing.  Read more…

I can introduce myself in many ways: a member and volunteer of The Mountaineers, a guide, a rescue specialist, and a Doctor of Education. Beyond these roles, and more importantly, I am a Native American who is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation. As my grandfather would say, “I find myself caught between two fires,” advocating for the rights of Native Americans and the rights of outdoor enthusiasts. Sometimes, these two do not align. There is a lack of representation of Native Americans and other peoples of color in the outdoors. However, one area in which they do align – and can have the most significant impact – is outdoor leadership and education. Read more…

Winter arrived early in the Alps this year: on Friday, September 13. While many hikers were shocked by this so-called "unusual situation," this September snowstorm was not unusual at all. These conditions forced many of our customers to end their tours early, while other customers suffered and endured miserable trail conditions. Read more…

In the summer of 2023, hikes, urban walks, and family celebrations had me digging out the first aid kit nearly weekly. My wife Nancy and I keep our Wilderness First Aid badges current, and the seven kids and eleven grandkids provide abundant practice around our Redmond farm with stinging nettle, bites, stings, sprains, breaks, bruises, gashes, cuts, and the occasional bump on the head. Read more…

The Mountaineers is deeply committed to being a safe and welcoming outdoor community where everyone feels valued and supported to learn new things and enjoy time outside together without the risk of bullying, harassment, or physical or emotional abuse. Safe and welcoming communities don't happen by accident. They require intentional effort and active stewardship to become and remain safe and welcoming. 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…

At The Mountaineers, members, volunteers, and donors bring our vision of Adventure with Purpose to life through giving back in ways that enable us to create positive change for our community and our environment. Each donation, membership, and volunteer hour is essential. Just as each ingredient in a recipe plays a vital role, every contribution—from earned revenue to donor support—builds something greater. Read more…

“Don’t get distracted by the bells and buzzers you’ll hear going off in congressional offices,” warned Cheri Bustos on our first day of in-person training for Outdoor Alliance’s Grasstops Collective. Former Representative Bustos (IL-17) was referring to the sounds and lights used in Congress to summon members to votes and quorum calls; she was just the first of three speakers to prepare us for the potential disturbance to our planned meetings with members of Congress. Read more…

A collection of trip reports as golden as a larch. Read on, dear friends, for mediocre views, a failed comet sighting, wumping sea lions, our first taste of snow, a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and more.  Read more…

In 1976, a tight-knit group of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts conceived The Banff Festival of Mountaineering Films. This was a one-day gathering that became the renowned international festival it is today. Read more…

The Mountaineers Seattle Climbing Committee is excited to host two socials in November: one for the BIPOC community and another for those who identify as women or non-binary. Read more…

Craggy, striated spires glowed pink in the evening light as I gazed up from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I was on a four-day backpacking trip that had been on my wish list for years. After being cooped up for most of 2020 due to the pandemic, I found myself staring in surprise at the expanse around me, so much vaster in person than on flimsy postcards. 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…

Mountaineers from all branches, their guests, and community members are invited to join the Olympia Mountaineers on the first Wednesday of each month from November 2024 through March  2025 for our much-loved Adventure Speaker Series! Olympia Mountaineers have hosted this amazing free event for 17 years.  Read more…

After 40 years of hiking, I’m still learning new things about what recreation looks like for myself and others. As an experienced health and wellness coach, part of my job is to help individuals reach their outdoor goals safely. I adjust my mentoring style based on each individual because the process to achieve a desired objective varies depending on who is learning. Read more…

The Mountaineers is partnering with the Sacred Lands Conservancy, an Indigenous-led nonprofit with strong ties to the Lummi Nation, to produce a series of educational pieces on the importance of mindful recreation and how we can all develop deeper connections to the histories of our natural places. Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley is a Lhaq’temish fisherwoman who has previously served as an elected member of Lummi Nation’s Fisheries and Natural Resource Commission. She is President of the Sacred Lands Conservancy. This final blog from her, written in collaboration with SLC’s Julie Trimingham, shares about the history and meaning of Indigenous place names with a focus on two of our region’s mountains. Read more…

The Pacific Northwest is defined by its U.S. Forest Service lands. The agency manages nearly 25 million acres of public lands in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, from the dizzying heights of Mt. Baker to the awe-inspiring Multnomah Falls. Much of the important on-the-ground management work - maintaining trails, cleaning bathrooms, and fighting wildfires - falls on the shoulders of seasonal or temporary employees.  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…

Are you interested in making new friends, collecting inspiring memories, and discovering new parts of our world? Sign up for Mountaineers Global Adventures! The rewards are great, the experiences are unparalleled, and the adventure is abundant. Read more…

The Mountaineers has a long and rich history as a regional leader advocating on behalf of the natural world, and our successes would not be possible without the dedication and thoughtful actions of our whole community. On Wednesday October 9, we gathered for An Evening of Advocacy, the annual event that highlights and invites people to support the work of our Conservation & Advocacy programs.  Read more…

Our neighbor to the north offers some fabulous wilderness experiences, from inland canoe routes to protected sea kayaking, to remote fly-in parks and boat-in preserves, to spectacular hiking trails and lengthy biking routes. Canada is surrounded by a natural beauty that is similar yet distinct from that of Washington, and infused with Indigenous cultures. This presentation will help you set your sights northward, with picture tours of Bowron Lakes, Broken Group Islands, Haida Gwaii, Tweedsmuir and Wells Gray, Callaghan ski lodge, Cape Scott, the West Coast Trail, and more! Read more…

Walking into the Salish Sea, you pee when the water hits your waist. A reflex to the cold. You take your time cleaning your goggles with spit and salt water. Stalling. Your buddies dive in, and you follow. As your head dips below the water, you hyperventilate. Another reflex; don’t panic. Your breathing quickly normalizes. You start swimming. The cold feels like little knives all over your skin. After thirty strokes, your skin is the same temperature as the water. Read more…