Blog

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…

During GiveBIG this week, people across the region gave more than $11.9 million to invest in the kind of community they believe in. Here at The Mountaineers, we believe in a world where anyone can access the outdoors and everyone has a role to play in conserving it for future generations.  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…

This will be short: we’re in the final hours of GiveBIG and still looking for 35 people to make a donation. If 100 people donate $25 or more, we’ll get an additional $10,000 in support of our outdoor community! Read more…

Today and tomorrow mark a celebration of community and generosity across the Pacific Northwest. Will you join us and GiveBIG to get more people outside? Read more…

Western Washington is spectacular in the summer. After eight months of wet, overcast weather, July brings sunshine and boosts morale just when we need it most. But between seasonal residents and tourists, and the desire to squeeze a year’s worth of adventures into three dry months, our state gets busy. Lines of cars wind up Mount Rainier, campsites are booked for months, and good luck getting Enchantments permits. Worst of all is the dreaded ferry line. Ferries themselves can be enjoyable, but if you don't have the foresight to book your ferry reservation in advance, you may find yourself waiting all day in a hot parking lot for the next open spot. Read more…

Always keep moving forward,
Pushing your limits, and
Remember, each obstacle
Is a chance to grow, to
Learn from the past and thrive. Read more…

Join the Olympia Branch for our annual summer picnic, where we celebrate our unique local community. The event will be sustainably catered and is open to members and their families and guests.  Read more…

Many of The Mountaineers most ambitious mission goals are funded by donations. Donors empower youth to build confidence outdoors, support innovation in leadership, reduce barriers to inclusion, and protect our lands and waters through conservation education and advocacy.

Our best mission work is fueled by the sustaining contributions of Mountaineers members and donors who give consistently. Much like sustaining your energy during your own outdoor adventures, monthly gifts and other recurring donations provide a steady and reliable source of support towards our mission impact. Read more…

Our mission to help people explore, conserve, learn about, and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond is driven and executed by over 2,000 highly skilled volunteers serving our community of over 16,000 members. Each year, our volunteers teach hundreds of courses, lead thousands of trips, and dedicate thousands of hours to regional stewardship and conservation advocacy efforts to help ensure our members can get outside safely and responsibly. All of this work happens through our seven branches. 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…

In summer 2022, members reported that, at times, our website was slow to respond and was experiencing 503 or 502 timeout errors. We worked to improve our website's performance in five phases. We know how important our website is to volunteers and member alike, and we have been working hard to  improve its speed and reliability. We appreciate your patience as we worked through these improvements. 
Read more…

State-managed public lands like Deception Pass, Blanchard Mountain, and Mount Si connect us to nature through the recreational activities we enjoy in all seasons. With Mountaineers programs and activities frequently occurring on state lands, each legislative session we advocate for bills and funding requests that improve conservation and recreation at the state level. Year after year, Mountaineers continue to speak up for the state parks and recreation areas we love. Read more…

Next week, tens of thousands of people across Washington will join in a regional grassroots fundraising movement: GiveBIG. Early giving is open now; here are three ways you can give back to The Mountaineers community during this season. Read more…

Alan Kearney and his posse of bell-bottom clad buddies are obsessed with buildering. All the rage in 1973, ‘buildering’ is the art of bouldering on urban infrastructure, or in lay terms, climbing up a building. Inspired by the emerging ice climbers in the Alps, Alan and crew want to take their new passion a step further by buildering on ice. They look for ice anywhere they can find it, and stumble across a 15-foot frozen wall behind a local meat market in the dark of night. Ice axes in hand, they anchor a top-rope to a fence post and begin to climb. To call them “ice climbers” would be an overstatement, but they have a blast regardless. Ice buildering, as it turns out, is just as fun as they had imagined. Read more…

At the heart of the outdoor industry lies seasonal work. These fast-paced, short-term jobs are a great way to gain experience, meet like minded people, and work outside! In fact, many of our full-time staff members in the Mountaineers Youth Department are former seasonal workers. We’ve been field instructors, glacier guides, ski instructors, backpacking guides, camp counselors, and many things in between. We loved our experiences so much that we want you to come work seasonally with us! 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 6 million years the Colorado River has flowed 1,450 miles from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. But in just a few decades, overallocation of water resources, climate change, and megadrought have altered the great river. In Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado, a new book and campaign from Braided River - the conservation imprint of Mountaineers Books - conservation photographer and author Dave Showalter shares stories from seven years of hiking, biking, rafting, and adventuring through the watershed. Read more…

Like most major Mountaineers achievements, reducing the carbon footprint of our Tacoma Program Center (TPC) became a reality thanks to the passion and drive of our volunteers. Read more…

Mountaineers members play a hands-on role in protecting, restoring, and maintaining the lands and waters of our region. The practice of stewardship brings Mountaineers together from across branches and activities to care for the places where we recreate so that they continue to thrive for future generations. Read more…

A five-hundred-foot wall of loose rock loomed above me—the final five hundred feet between me and my first glacier summit, Clark Mountain. Someone on my climbing team drew a line through the air to map out our path. “Shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes,” our trip leader said. I flinched at the cheer in her voice. We’d left camp almost six hours earlier, and it felt like a lifetime away. My lungs and legs burned. I was hungry—no, thirsty. “Maybe I’ll just wait for you guys here,” I said, fishing for encouragement from our leader. “I think you can do it,” she said. “But it’s your decision.” Read more…

The hunt for Mother’s Day gift ideas for your one-of-a-kind mom can be a grueling one because not all moms want flowers and fancy soap every year. Instead, give her a thoughtful gift that reflects her hobbies and interests in the great outdoors with this foolproof guide. Written by someone with an outdoorsy mom, my categorized recommendations offer over 20 expertly-selected gifts that will create meaningful memories for both of you this Mother’s Day. 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…

Mountains present many challenges that are out of our control, but of all the factors we can control, fitness is arguably the most important when it comes to our safety, success and enjoyment. Whether climbing a Cascade volcano or attempting an 8000-meter peak, mountaineering demands a varied set of fitness components. If you climb mountains, you’re an athlete. No matter what your level, training for the specific demands of climbing mountains can make for a more fun and even safer experience. Read more…

If you haven’t been hiking for several months but want to prepare for a multi-day backpacking trip, can you get ready in four weeks? Possibly, but your body may not be very happy. Tendons, ligaments, tissues, joints, and muscles all need time to adapt to exercise. To avoid the common “too much, too fast” issues ranging from pulls and strains to bursitis, tendonitis, or illness, allow sufficient training time to prepare for your summer goals. Read more…

Given my strong family history, it’s not a matter of if I’ll get cancer, but when. Read more…