Foothills Branch Blog Posts

I fell in love with the snow as a child. We didn’t have a lot of the white stuff where I grew up near London, England but I was fortunate in that my parents took my brother and I skiing in Austria. Every winter after that I tried to get in at least one ski vacation.  Read more…

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Chris Ensor and Gerry Haugen! Your hard work is huge asset to the Foothills community. Thank You! Read more…

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Barbara Folmer and Monty Pratt! Your hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills community. Thank You! Read more…

We appreciate every one of our leaders, but this month we highlight one of our most dedicated: Deborah Fisher. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

Meany Lodge is looking to fill several committee postions that will put you at the heart of one of The Mountaineers most vibrant communities.  Read more…

The Mountaineers is hosting the Seattle premiere of LUNAFEST, a traveling short film festival by, for, and about women  on Thursday, November 3, 2016! Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

There's still room in this free and informative 2.5-hour evening seminar, designed for brand new hikers as well as people who have hiked before, but want an introduction to safe hiking. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

In 2016, we've had 42 Foothills hike and backpack leaders take members on 162 hikes and backpacks, for a total of 1819 miles and 364,595 feet of elevation gain. We appreciate every one of our leaders, but here are three of our finest and most dedicated: Read more…

To honor the amazing resource that is the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), Foothills Branch is sponsoring a new set of award badges, available to Mountaineers members from any branch, for hiking, backpacking or snowshoeing 50 or more miles of the PCT in Washington State on or after January 1, 2010. Read more…

This year, we'll be participating in Microsoft Nonprofit Fair on October 19.   We'll be at The Commons from 11:30am – 1:30pm raffling off outdoor books and gear, so stop by to say hello and learn more about how you can get involved with The Mountaineers. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

There's still room in this free and informative two-hour evening seminar, designed for brand new hikers and for people who have hiked before but want an introduction to safe hiking in our major Pacific Northwest hiking areas. The seminar will help you find hikes that suit your interests and capabilities, understand common trail hazards, prepare for hikes with the right gear and clothing, and practice Leave-No-Trace and good trail etiquette so that you protecting our trails and wild places. We'll also provide useful information on permits, where to buy essential gear on a budget, and other valuable resources. 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 Photography Committee invites you to their annual Mt. Baker fall colors weekend.  Read more…

In two and a half hours you can learn what you need to know to get started as a hike or backpack leader with The Mountaineers. Then, start leading trips to share your love for wild places with our members eager to get outside. Join us August 4 to learn more. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. We go outside to wander and explore the adventurous spirit within ourselves. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit; so our grandchildren can experience the sensation of discovering an untouched place. Read more…

The Foothills Branch has been growing at a rapid pace the past two years, and our success calls for more support to coordinate our many activities sponsored by branch volunteers. Please consider supporting our volunteers, who have provided trips for 600 activity participants so far this year (already 250 more than last fiscal year)! Read more…

I am confident that you and I have at least two things in common: 1) we both set aside time to explore the outdoors, and 2) at some point during these adventures we will both experience the discomfort of knowing we have to go number two. Even if you don't, you will inevitably be reminded of this basic human function by the sight of toilet paper discarded uncomfortably close to trails and water sources. By the amount of TP I have seen recently on Washington’s trails, it seems even the most avid outdoor enthusiasts may not know how to handle nature’s calling. Read more…

The Pacific Crest Trail (or PCT), a 2663.5-mile National Scenic Trail stretching from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington, epitomizes the ideal of physical challenge and one-of-a-kind natural resources bringing people together for a purpose larger than themselves - much like the mission of The Mountaineers. Read more…

One of the most valuable parts of the Wilderness First Aid course is the scenario practice sessions. In these scenarios, teams of students must respond to simulated backcountry emergency first aid situations. We're in need of volunteers to help with our May 9 WFA by play-acting as victims. You will get very fun and realistic accident make-up (moulage) and will be given a script for a role-play situation. Read more…

Over 545 days between July 2, 2011 and December 28, 2012, Australian adventurer Cam "Swami" Honan completed an amazing - almost superhuman - feat: through-hiking 12 of the most iconic long trails in 29 US states and 4 Canadian provinces. In the process, he set records for the most miles hiked in a calendar year (10,204 in 2012), the fastest completion of a calendar-year Triple Crown (PCT, CDT and AT in 236 days), and the most dehydrated beans consumed in an 18 month period (123.7 lbs)! Read more…

Starting in Spring 2016, The Mountaineers will be offering Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Responder Recertification courses!  Read more…

We've been hearing from many hikers and backpackers who want to learn navigation and field first aid/emergency-response skills, but aren't ready to invest the time and expense for the full Wilderness First Aid or Navigation course. Others really want to get strong and in shape for the trail season but would like some professional guidance to design a tailored conditioning program. To help, our volunteers from the Foothills branch have developed clinics tailored for hikers and backpackers from all walks of life.  Read more…

My own Mountaineers leadership story started with a search for trail companions. I was seeking a compatible group on the types of hikes and backpacks that interested me. Then, one day, I took a new arrival from China on his first hike, and I saw the joy and wonder blossom on his face when Mount Rainier emerged in all her glory behind a ridge covered with meadow wildflowers. That was it, I was hooked. Read more…

Grab your outdoor bucket list and adventure buddies to tune into a night of human-powered winter celebration, with ten edge-of-your-seat films celebrating backcountry skiing and other adventures! Read more…

We're lucky. At The Mountaineers, we've always known the value of natural places to restore our bodies and our spirits. Our outdoor playgrounds offer endless ways to explore and learn and discover and connect. Read more…