Blog

On September 11, Andrew Okerlund became the youngest person to have completed the Bulger List: the highest 100 peaks in Washington. Not only did he climb all 100 peaks, but he managed to do so in a single summer – 85 days to be exact. He is the fifth person to have completed the Bulger List in one season and the second fastest, right after Jason Hardrath. Andrew's timing was impeccable as his college classes began only nine days later, making him the most interesting classmate in all of San Luis Obispo.  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…

Now is the perfect time to beef up your fitness regimen to take advantage of unique seasonal opportunities. Take that exercise class you’ve never had time for or explore a new form of exercise. How about a backpacking trip or a rainy hike? The trails beckon you to enjoy the changing colors, cooler temperatures, and solitude. Pick one or more of these strategies to spice up your exercise routine and stay ready for anything this shoulder season. Read more…

Fall is here, and that means a new season of outdoor adventures on Washington’s parks, trails, and wildlife areas. Each September, outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers across the country celebrate our public lands by getting outdoors - from local green spaces to the backcountry - in observance of National Public Lands Day (and month). This year the Biden administration added a little extra flare to the 30th anniversary of National Public Lands Day by proclaiming this September National Wilderness Month as well.
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This story begins in April, 2018 with a silly idea. I was moving away from my hometown of Seattle to Santa Barbara, and I wanted a good old fashioned Seattle sendoff before I went. I started thinking about the things I would miss when I moved, and one of those things was Dick’s, the classic Seattle burger chain. Dick’s is the mecca for late night food for teenagers, and post adventure eats for weekend warriors. It’s fast, cheap, and delicious.  Read more…

The Mountaineers is committed to leading innovation in outdoor education. A key component of this commitment is investing in our volunteer leaders, the heart and soul of our vibrant organization. We’re excited to announce new Leadership Development Series seminars that provide high-quality, continuing education opportunities for our current and aspiring volunteers. 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 shift away from summer’s longer, warmer days typically comes with apprehension. Even the snow sport fanatics brace themselves for the oncoming gloom of fall and winter days. But this new season has a lot to offer, especially if we keep our heads up and our eyes toward the sky. Thanks to the fall equinox, there are some neat things to watch out for this month. Read more…

The Nisqually Watershed Festival is an annual celebration of nature featuring art, discovery, science, and family fun. There are displays from local organizations, tours, an Insect Extravaganza, storytelling, salmon discussion, and more.  Learn about reptiles and bats, make a salmon lifecycle key chain, or bring a t-shirt to make a fish print.  Lunch options are available including a salmon barbeque. 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, we strive to be a welcoming community, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to connect with the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Over the past decade, we have grown from 10,000 members to a remarkable 16,000 strong. This growth has been inspiring, and speaks to the enduring love and passion for the outdoors that we all share. As we near the end of 2023, we have some important updates to our membership pricing. Read more…

Join The Mountaineers this fall for an evening of inspiring and captivating outdoor films handpicked from the Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado. Read more…

Our volunteers hosts at Meany Lodge are looking for several ski and snowboard instructors to join their wonderful team! Read more…

In May of this year, you may recall that I shared with you the news that Keta Legacy Foundation had tried to obstruct access to Kitsap Forest Theater, jeopardizing our 100th anniversary season. We were successful in obtaining a temporary restraining order to allow The Sound of Music and Seussical, the Musical to proceed for this season. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend both productions this summer and was thrilled to see so many people, across multiple generations, enjoying these wonderful shows and the idyllic setting of Kitsap Forest Theater.  Read more…

The first time I ever hiked on the Lycian Way, the oldest of Turkey's long trails, I was gobsmacked by the casual juxtaposition of ancient history and daily life.  Read more…

As a Mountaineers member, you receive free access to our quarterly Mountaineer magazine, keeping you up-to-date with everything our organization and community have been up to. Hear from regular contributors on topics from training exercises to trail tips, and read features from our members sharing stories from the outdoors. We encourage you to access all of our updates, stories, tips, and more in the tree free online magazine today. Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from a member of our community. For our profile this week we talked to... Read more…

We all move through the stages of grief at different speeds, and never in the same order. Sadness tends to hit me first, followed by denial and anger. With self-care and some extra time on the trail, acceptance comes into view. In my role at The Mountaineers, I’m often the first person people talk to when sharing the news that a Mountaineers member has passed, and these conversations never get easier. On the bright side, something that is very special about this community is how fast motivation and inspiration presents itself. The spirit of adventure is forever present, even when facing serious loss. Read more…

One thing I am absolutely sure of: August has FLAVOR, and these Mountaineers seem quite sure of that too. Read on, dear friends, for a tale of three wives, summiting Rainier's least favorite peaks, a bear's lunch, and the art of knowing when not to YOLO it. 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, an enrolled Lummi Nation tribal member, an elected member of Lummi Nation’s Fisheries and Natural Resource Commission, and President of the Sacred Lands Conservancy (SLC). We hope you enjoy this first blog from her, written in collaboration with SLC’s Julie Trimingham, which unpacks the practice of land acknowledgment and how we can acknowledge the land in a meaningful and impactful way. Read more…

Olympia Mountaineers have a lot to be proud of, and the annual Open House provides us the opportunity to showcase the wide range of activities, courses, and events that we put on so well! Read more…

The Mountaineers has a long and rich history as a regional leader in conservation, education, stewardship, and advocacy efforts, and we need your help to continue moving the needle on conservation education, stewardship, and advocacy.   Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members and volunteers. For our volunteer profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Join Climbers of Color at The Mountaineers as they host a screening of No Man's Land World Tour. No Man's Land Film Festival (NMLFF) is the premier all-women adventure film festival based out of Carbondale, Colorado, and is currently touring internationally. Read more…

It's 9:30pm. I’m on a glacier, on a private climb with my Small Instructional Group (SIG). I joined the Basic Alpine Climbing course in December, and now we are out on one of the best climbs of my life. It’s been beautiful all day, with amazing views, great company, and a feeling of comradery. We are crawling across a glacier in swirling mist and smoke.  The day’s warm weather has melted the top layer of the glacier, and the cool night air freezes it as we traverse. I am at the end of the rope, the last one to cross the glacier, and my crampons are skittering off the ice under my feet. Our climb is one misstep away from real danger. It will be a “near miss” if we make it off this steep slope, and it will be so much worse if I slip now. Read more…

Tired of the growing pile of empty fuel canisters collecting dust in your garage? Recycle them at United Recycling! Follow the guidelines below to drop off your recycling. Read more…

A recent trip to Mount Rainier National Park during the Perseid meteor shower offered a stark reminder of how important it is to adhere to mindful and low impact recreation practices. I spent my professional career working to protect and restore public lands, and that evening was frustrating, frightening, and heartbreaking. I want to encourage all members and volunteers to increase outreach to our community – and especially non-members – on the ethical use of natural places and proper etiquette when there. Read more…

Trekking through Nepal’s villages for the first time many years ago, I felt like I was dropped into the pages of a National Geographic magazine. Everything was new to me. Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers depends on the generosity, initiative, and leadership of our volunteers to steward the future of our organization. We are humbled by the service provided by Board and branch directors whose positions are confirmed by members each year. Thank you for all you do as members to elevate our mission, and for your participation in the forthcoming election process for these organization-wide leaders. Read more…

The Olympia Branch has three outstanding candidates for three open positions in the 2023-2024 officer’s council. The open positions are branch director, chair-elect, and treasurer.  Read more…