Mountaineers Books Blog

When the daily news starts gnawing a hole in my soul, I know it's time to get together with the outdoor community. I know that spending time with this positive group will lift me up. Read more…

For six years, we've hosted the BeWild Speaker Series to bring you stories of passion and adventure. We're excited to announce this year's lineup, which includes the first north american woman to summit Everest, a world-class mountain guide, the creative mastermind and author behind Semi-Rad.com, and the first Indian-American to complete the Seven Summits.  Read more…

The Big Thaw: Ancient Carbon, Modern Science, and Race to Save the World introduces the scientists and students studying Arctic permafrost and what it contains: a vast store of ancient carbon, more than four times the quantity found in all of today's forests, a ticking carbon bomb releasing carbon dioxide and methane as the permafrost thaws. Through Chris Linder's stunning photographs, we meet the people and processes at work across remarkable Arctic landscapes from Siberia to Alaska's Y-K Delta.  Read more…

You may not immediately look to Washington’s third largest city for a walk in the wild. So be prepared to have Tacoma surprise you. Within the hustle and bustle of this metropolitan area are some large natural areas laced with excellent trails that invite walkers, hikers, and runners of all ages and abilities to explore and be wooed. So no need to head to the backcountry this weekend if you're looking for a great place to do an all-day hike, long run, or get-back-to-nature stroll. Check out these three urban wildernesses in and near the City of Destiny from my new book Urban Trails: Tacoma instead.  Read more…

The desert Southwest can be cold in the peak winter months but awesome by April and May. So now is a good time to start planning a trip to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah. Following is a hike excerpted from The Best Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Hikes, the new guidebook by co-authors Morgan Sjogren and Michael Versteeg. We chose this adventure to share because, well, how often do you have a chance to do a hike called the "Cosmic Ashtray?" Read more…

It's that time of year when the mercury plummets, the rains arrive, and we want to wrap ourselves in a warm blanket and cozy up with a book. But that doesn't mean we're going to stop exploring! How does traveling Italy by bike, venturing into the Alaskan wilderness to photograph wildlife, or joining the thru-hiking community on the Appalachian Trail sound? How about making a ground-breaking ascent of Mount Everest via the West Ridge, becoming the first North American woman to do so? All this and more is available for your reading pleasure, so settle in, pour yourself a hot beverage, and enjoy our armchair adventure recommendations. Read more…

 The following is excerpted from  We Are Puget Sound, a new book from Mountaineers Books conservation imprint, Braided River.  We Are Puget Sound highlights the ways in which we are affected by and dependent on this body of water—the beating heart of the region. Read more…

One of the biggest highlights of my career as an outdoors writer so far was being flown to Los Angeles last spring for a TV shoot on the Weather Channel’s SOS How to Survive. The program is hosted by Creek Stewart, a nationally renowned survival instructor and author. Each episode of SOS How to Survive spotlights true life stories involving folks who have dealt with life-threatening situations (often in the wilderness) interjected with segments on survival tips and skills. Read more…

Corey Rich’s images are among the most recognized in adventure sports photography. His career began in the ’90s when, as a college kid, he traveled the country in a beat-up Honda Civic, photographing rock climbers. As his skills and reputation grew along with the popularity of climbing and other adventure sports, Corey was there to tell the stories of some of the world’s best athletes. His new book is Stories Behind the Images: Lessons from a Life in Adventure Photography (available now), and we recently caught up with him to ask Corey about his career and his new book. Read more…

Featuring stunning, easy hikes to explore three distinct regions of Joshua Tree National Park (Lost Horse Valley, Queen Valley, and Pinto Basin), the following is excerpted from Scott Turner's Hike the Parks: Joshua Tree National Park. Excerpt edited for space and clarity. Read more…

Those of us who build and maintain trails don’t want you to know what we’ve done. We’re eager for you to hear birds, see mountains and forests, feel the wind in your face, and safely reach your destination. We want you to drink in the backcountry so completely that you barely notice the tread rolling beneath your boots. Read more…

We are proud to announce that we have entered a distribution agreement with Green Trails Maps Inc., a 45-year-old publisher of wilderness maps for outdoor recreation. Beginning October 1, 2019, Mountaineers Books will be the exclusive distributor of Green Trails Maps to retail customers.  Read more…

Whenever you set out on a trail, take time to appreciate its construction. A a complimentary piece to "Lightly on the Land" published our summer 2019 magazine, here we share some key trail features to look out for courtesy of stewardship expert and Mountaineers Books author Bob Birkby: Read more…

The following is  an excerpt from Wild Shots: A Photographer's Life in Alaska by Tom Walker. Wild Shots is a memoir filled with stories of a life in the Alaskan bush and the colorful characters, animals, and adventures that have made it full and interesting. Read more…

Here is an excerpt from Dr. Robert Max Holmes' essay in The Big Thaw: Ancient Carbon, Modern Science and a Race to Save the World, an October 2019 release from our conservation imprint Braided River. (And save the date: Max Holmes and photographer Chris Linder will present at our Seattle Program Center in November.)
Read more…

The following excerpt is from the new book, The Road to San Donato: Fathers, Sons, and Cycling Across Italy by Robert Cocuzzo.  Read more…

Few know that hidden in the lower 48 states is a rainforest where mountain caribou live. For the past few years, Washington biologist, outdoorsman, and photographer David Moskowitz has been studying these animals on the cusp of extinction. Following is an excerpt from his new book, Caribou Rainforest, published by Mountaineers Books. Read more…

The following is excerpted from David Guterson's new book Turn Around Time: A Walking Poem for the Pacific Northwest. Read more…

Some of the best trail running options in Washington can be found just minutes from bustling Bellevue, Redmond, and Issaquah. The Eastside is graced with a sprawling park system and extensive trail network that ranges from gentle paved rail trails to grueling single tracks up steep Cascades Foothills. Whether you’re looking for a trail for an easy jog, long run, or challenging training course, the Eastside has you covered. Here are three of my favorites for a great trail running experience. Read more…

Cycling the Pacific Coast includes not just the route, things to visit along the way, and lodging options, but also a ton of advice on making a loaded bicycle tour a fun and successful outing. Following is an excerpt from author Bill Thorness’s book on how to load your bike for an outing. Read more…

Going for a hike in an ancient forest is a lot more interesting if you are armed with an inquisitive attitude, a little knowledge and context, and some extra time to enjoy the special place you are in. Here are a few tips that can help you have the best experience. Read more…

Everyone knows there are two kinds of people in this world, but did you know there are twelve types of bike commuters? That’s right. Here they are. You might be, or have been, or know someone who is, one of them. Or more of them at once. Or maybe there are more than twelve types. Read more…

Kathy Schrenk is the author of Best Hikes with Kids: St. Louis and Beyond, one in a series of regional family hiking guides that Mountaineers Books offers. Kathy is committed to building a love of nature in her children by taking them onto trails and showing them how much fun the outdoors can be. Following are tips to keep these outings fun that have worked with Kathy's kids. Read more…

Mountaineers Books author Jeremy Benson takes full advantage of Lake Tahoe, the California mountain bike mecca where he lives. Biking in the warm months and backcountry skiing in the snowy ones, he has both pursued his athletic passions and written about them in Mountain Bike - Tahoe: 50 Select Singletrack Routes and Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: California. Now that the warm months are here, we asked Jeremy what advice he would give to those wanting to get started in mountain biking.  Read more…

Bears. Family:  Ursidae. Order: Carnivora. Mood: Apathetic.

On July 11, author and Semi-Rad creator Brendan Leonard released the trailer for his new book, Bears Don't Care About Your Problems. As with any good trailer, it raised some very big questions, such as: "But why do bears not care?" Read more…

Excerpted from Photography Night Sky: A Field Guide for Shooting After Dark, by Jennifer Wu and James Martin. Read more…

Oregon’s ancient forests are one of the region’s most precious treasures, providing not only vital habitat for fish and wildlife but also some of the most amazing hiking experiences in the state. In Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide, author Chandra LeGue of Oregon Wild highlights these incredible places with 91 awe-inspiring hikes from across the state.  Read more…

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. So it’s not hard to imagine that the mother of the world’s most audacious rock climber would be an interesting person herself. In The Sharp End of Life, Alex Honnold’s mom, Dierdre Wolownick, recounts her upbringing in an immigrant household, a difficult marriage, raising her children as a single mom, teaching in multiple languages, succeeding as a musician and children’s book author, and then, late in life, taking on the physical challenges of marathon running and learning to climb. Read more…

In a June 18 essay— I'm a Climber, and a Mother, and Doing Great, Thank You—in The New York Times, professional climber Beth Rodden talked about the birth of her son and the fears she had about how the decision to become a mother would impact her climbing career. It's a moving piece. A new book by the photographer Corey Rich releasing in September includes a story about Beth and her pregnancy. Usually we wouldn't release an excerpt for a book that is a few months from publication, but because this is so complementary to Beth's article (and written long before it), we thought we'd make an exception.  Read more…

We depend on pollinators for the gardens we enjoy, many of the plant materials we utilize, and of course the food we eat. According to the Earth Day Network, 90 percent of flowering plant species are dependent on insect pollination, and a full 35 percent of global food production is comprised of crops pollinated specifically by bees. Read more…