Blog

Meet Bekah Schuring, a Foothills Backpacking leader and an instructor with the Backpacking Building Blocks (B3) Course. Bekah has been recognized for her leadership and contributions to the Foothills Branch with a Super Volunteer badge and a Key Instructor badge in 2022. Read more…

The Foothills Branch is seeking a new Chair-Elect! Want to get more involved with The Mountaineers and support programs at a foundational level? Consider becoming the Chair-Elect for the Foothills Branch. Read more…

On April 27, 2023, staff and board members once again shared a “state of the organization” update with members of our community. For the last several years, our state of the organization updates largely focused on how we were navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. In this State of the Organization, we showed how we have largely moved beyond the challenges brought by the pandemic. We also celebrated highlights of our successes so far this year and previewed implementation of our newly-updated strategic plan, Adventure with Purpose. The Mountaineers is in a position of strength and poised to deepen the impact of our mission in the years ahead.  Read more…

Memorial Day has come and gone, and summer can't be too far behind, right? That means it's high time to get serious about planning your summer (and fall) backpack trips, and we can help. We have four Mountaineers backpacking award badges to offer ideas, inspiration, or perhaps a gentle nudge. Grab a friend or two or three and check them out, or join a Mountaineers backpack trip and leave the planning to us. Read more…

Attempting a summit comes with a series of celebratory moments that inspire reflection, personal transformation, and overwhelming gratitude. And reaching the top takes commitment and encouragement along the way.  Read more…

The Olympic National Forest draws Mountaineers from all over the region year-round to hike, camp, and experience the natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula. To harness our member’s passion for giving back to the natural world, our Olympia Branch has built a strong partnership with staff at the Forest Service. This partnership has led to many opportunities for members to give back through volunteer trail maintenance and outreach in the Olympic National Forest.
Read more…

Katie Strausz-Clark was just 11 when she became a Mountaineer. As a kid in summer camp, her playtime was infused with values that might sound familiar. She learned how to be safe while trying new things and how to include everyone in the fun. She learned how her actions can impact the natural world and how she can use her voice to protect it.  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…

"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face." - Irish Blessing

Here's to a new month, new beginnings, and new adventures! Read on for our favorite trip reports from the month of May.  Read more…

We are just $10,141 short of our goal to raise $55,000 by tomorrow. 324 members like you have already chipped in with donations of all sizes. Will you donate to help close the gap? Read more…

After an exciting eight months, The Mountaineers wrapped up the fifth year of our Leadership Development Series this May. It was another year of high-quality, continuing education opportunities for our volunteer leaders. Thank you to all participants and presenters who joined us this past season! We are already excited for the next season of our Leadership Development Series starting in October 2024. Read more…

Want to get more involved with The Mountaineers and support programs at a foundational level? Consider becoming the Treasurer for the Seattle Branch. 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…

"The world is all the richer for having a devil in it, so long as we keep our foot upon his neck." - William James Read more…

Last week we shared the disappointing news that the Keta Legacy Foundation (Keta) took steps to restrict our access to the Kitsap Forest Theater by installing locks on the access road and a parking area, threatening the opening of our production of The Sound of Music and potentially our entire 100th anniversary season. The Mountaineers filed an emergency motion in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order to regain access to the theater. This morning our motion was granted. The court  ruled in our favor, barring Keta from interfering with our historical access to the theater during the production season. A copy of the court’s order can be found here. The show will go on!  Read more…

Do you remember a time when you craved a deeper connection with the natural world? Perhaps you found yourself in a new place or stage of life and you were inspired by someone who shared their passion, experience, and joy of the outdoors with you. Maybe it was a trip leader, role model, friend, or family member. Maybe it was an author, blogger, photographer, or trip reporter.  Read more…

Are you an experienced Mountaineers activity leader who dreams of taking Mountaineers companions on multi-day adventures in far-flung places around North America and the wider world? Global Adventures leaders have taken groups skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, scrambling, backpacking, trekking, and day-walking in the desert Southwest, Alaska, the Rockies, the Alps, Patagonia, Peru, the Himalayas, the British Isles, New Zealand, Turkey, Jordan, the Amalfi Coast, and more.  The Global Adventures program may be the perfect place for you to live your travel dreams and take your trip planning and group leadership skills to a new level! Read more…

I learned how to rock climb through The Mountaineers. Learning to climb this way is empowering because you learn for yourself how to climb safely. As a teacher at the Tacoma Science and Math Institute (SAMI), a public school housed in Point Defiance Park and Zoo, I like to take this empowering educational approach with my students, and one great thing about my school is the requirement that teachers collaborate to co-teach an interdisciplinary class in January. We are encouraged to dream big. Read more…

The Mountaineers partners with Seattle-area youth serving organizations to deliver single or multi-day experiences designed to get youth outside, expose youth to transferable outdoor skills, and impart a desire to explore and conserve the outdoors. We call these programs Mountain Workshops. Through our Seattle Mountain Workshop partner programs, The Mountaineers provides over 1,100 youth experiences a year. We couldn’t provide these programs without the support of our amazing volunteer community! Read more…

Raindrops began to fall as our group of Global Adventurers set off to hike Lower Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Prior to the trip, we had checked the weather forecast and knew rain was possible. As we had previously done a hike up the Virgin River Narrows, we were aware of the risks of flash floods and the appropriate precautionary measures to take while hiking. Although this trail was along a creek surrounded by greenery and red sand, it was not in a canyon and there was plenty of easily-accessible high ground near the trail should the creek abruptly rise. Read more…

In a disappointing move, Keta Legacy Foundation took steps this week to restrict access to the Kitsap Forest Theater, which may force The Mountaineers to cancel upcoming productions of The Sound of Music. On May 17, just days before final rehearsals and set-building work for opening night of The Sound of Music, Keta locked The Mountaineers Players out from the backstage area at the Theater. This area has been continually accessed by The Mountaineers for nearly 40 years over easements crossing several parcels of property and the Rhododendron Preserve. Keta also barred access to a parking area that is essential to accommodate guests – particularly elderly guests and those with disabilities. Keta has been aware, and was again reminded of, the vital importance of this access and the troubling impact its restriction would have on persons with limited mobility, as well as productions as a whole. Read more…

We’re excited to once again be calling for nominations for individuals to join our Board of Directors. Our goal is for our Board to represent the communities we currently serve and those we wish to serve, and we have been successful in diversifying the perspectives and lived experiences of our Board in the last few years. Read more…

In January 2021, we shared how the effort to replace the dam at Eightmile Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness could bring negative impacts to the Wilderness area and the world-class outdoor recreation opportunities it provides. Read more…

Mountaineers Global Adventures (GA) gets members out on exciting multi-day adventures across North America and worldwide. We have several new leaders and trips in process, but keeping the program running smoothly and efficiently - including the increasing load of amazing trips to review and leaders looking to certify - requires more time than our current small committee can handle. We have identified a number of support roles that individually don't take much time but, if we could get willing volunteers to take them on, would assure that our program can continue to grow and thrive.  Read more…

Next weekend an estimated 22.6 million people will go camping across the US, and even more will get outside for the day to enjoy parks, forests, waterways, and other outdoor spaces. We love to see people enjoying the outdoors, and believe that each of us has a role in conserving the natural world—and the outdoor experiences we love—for future generations. Read more…

Note: The comment period for the draft visitor use management plan is now closed. Learn more about The Mountaineers concerns with the plan in this blog. We'll continue to update our community as this process develops. Thank you for your interest and engagement in this important issue.

In response to increased visitation during the peak summer season, Mount Rainier National Park recently proposed significant changes to how people access the park. The Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Draft Management Plan proposes to implement a timed-entry reservation system for popular areas of the park. This proposal could dramatically change how Mountaineers programs and members access places like Paradise and Sunrise. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we place great emphasis on experiencing the outdoors in new ways. Scott Schissel and Emma Agosta, Super Volunteers with 39 years of collective Mountaineers membership, are well aware of our community’s zeal for novel experiences. A shared excitement for bikepacking brought their superpowers together. 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…

Spring is an exciting time at The Mountaineers as people from all backgrounds and experience levels turn to us to seek outdoor education. Many of our most popular adult courses are underway or wrapping up. Kids in our after-school programs are finally getting some long, sunny afternoons to learn and play outside. The activity calendar is filling rapidly, and the latest guidebooks are flying off the shelves as people gear up for summer.  Read more…

As the highest and oldest road access for winter recreation in Washington, the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park offers an unparalleled outdoor experience and is integral to Mountaineers programs. This winter looked a little different on the mountain as the Park restricted weekday access to Paradise through the Longmire gate. We heard from many in our community who expressed concerns about the closure. Read more…