Leader Resources Blog
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Leader Spotlight: Gordie Swartzman
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Gordie Swartzman, a naturalists leader with the Seattle Branch who encourages new leaders to lead out of their passion! Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Bill Coady
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Bill Coady, a volunteer leader with the Everett Branch who encourages others to lead because he enjoys helping other similarly-minded outdoor enthusiasts ... and because he loves it! Read more…
Clarifying Failure as a Path to Success
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What happens if a student isn’t able to demonstrate proficiency in a skill? What if a student has demonstrated the skill, but fails to do so during a test? When is good enough good enough, and when is an error sufficient to fail a student? When we fail a student, what options does that student have to continue to pursue this activity with The Mountaineers? Read more…
Join us at the 2018 Wilderness Risk Management Conference!
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How do industry trends affect, shape, and impact our programs at The Mountaineers? If this is a question that you've ever considered – and a conversation that you're interested in being a part of – we invite you to join The Mountaineers at this year's Wilderness Risk Management Conference in Portland, Oregon. Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Ted Miller
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Ted Miller, a volunteer leader with the Bellingham Branch who strives to provide a safe environment for students to learn from their mistakes. Read more…
The Communications Devices We Carry
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On June 24, I will be leaving home - along with a group of three other Mountaineers sea kayakers - to paddle down the west coast of Vancouver Island. Our plan is to take three weeks, starting in Winter Harbor and ending in Tofino, paddling a distance of over 200 nautical miles of exposed and remote outer coastline. As a part of our safety plan, we've included electronic signaling devices which we can use to call for emergency help. This blog describes the various options that I considered for our trip, an overview of what we decided to bring, and how we will use these devices throughout our journey. Read more…
I Found My Trail Running Community at The Mountaineers – And You Can Too!
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I am a proud trail running newbie! I first hit the trails in my street running shoes, carrying nothing but my car key. “No big deal,” I thought. “I’ve got this.” Then I watched my pace slow way down from my road pace and started debating whether the steep hills would kill me. “But I’m a runner, this shouldn’t be this hard!" Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Henry Romer
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Henry Romer, a volunteer leader and instructor with the Olympia Branch who leads for multiple activities and encourages new leaders to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available within our Mountaineers community! Read more…
How To: Determine Party Size for Mountaineers Trips
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When is a group in the outdoors too big? Too small? The answer, of course, is subjective, and also depends on the place and the activity. The Mountaineers Outdoor Ethics Policy encourages leaders to choose a maximum party size based on seven important factors. Read more…
2018 Updates to the Sea Kayaking Minimum Standards
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As a part of their annual review process, members from each of The Mountaineers sea kayaking committees met in Tacoma on February 10 for the 2018 Sea Kayaking Summit. During this meeting, the group discussed a wide variety of topics, including ways to make The Mountaineers sea kayaking programs more accessible and consistent. Read more…
How to Write Learning Outcomes By Making the Perfect ... Plate of Pasta?
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The Professional Ski Instructors of America and the Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) is a national organization dedicated to teaching people how to ski and snowboard. I've had the opportunity to work closely with PSIA-AASI over the past several years to support and develop the Adaptive certification process here in the PNW, and in doing so, I’ve had the unique experience of writing learning outcomes through the lens of a volunteer. Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Jacob Wolniewicz
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Jacob Wolniewicz, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who currently chairs the organization's largest committee ... Seattle Climbing! Read more…
Self-Assessment: A Tool to Create Dialogue and Enhance Learning
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Self-assessment is an approach instructors can use to maximize student learning and place students in the driver's seat for their own learning by using a checklist or scorecard.Metaphorically, a self-assessment tool can serve as a topo map for students to see where they are, where they're going, and how much further they have to go to achieve their learning goals. Most importantly, it can stimulate extremely useful dialogue between instructors and students, especially when their assessments differ. Read more…
2018 Olympia Sea Kayaking Program
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The Olympia Sea Kayaking Committee is launching our 2018 sea kayaking program with trip planning, instructor training, incident management training, Wednesday evening paddles, and a new group of sea kayak students. Join us for another season of fun on the water! Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Bernadette Lamarca
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Bernadette Lamarca, a volunteer leader with the Everett Branch who was hooked on The Mountaineers after three hikes ... and one fortuitous piece of chocolate! Read more…
Mike Kretzler Focuses on Leading and Teaching People To Become Comfortable in the Outdoors
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These days many Olympia Mountaineers know Mike Kretzler as a trip leader for hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing and a course chair for the Navigation program. What they might not realize is Mike's has a long leadership history with the chapter, including a term as Secretary and a term as Council Chair. Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Jill Uthoff
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Jill Uthoff, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch whose favorite piece of gear is a trucker hat ... the more ridiculous, the better! Read more…
"Get Out: Nurturing A Bond Between Black People And Nature" - Podcast Summary
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More and more each year, The Mountaineers receives questions about how to make our programs more accessible to diverse communities. 1A’s Joshua Johnson explores this question is his podcast Get Out: Nurturing A Bond Between Black People And Nature. Read more…
Mentorship
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I’ve never had a mentor. Not the kind that you think of when you think of a traditional mentorship. Sure, lots of folks have lent a hand over the years, but I never had an arm around the shoulder, “Let me help you out,” period in my life. Read more…
Take your leadership skills to a new level as a Global Adventures leader in 2018
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Are you an experienced Mountaineers activity leader who dreams of taking Mountaineers companions on multi-day adventures in far-flung places? Global Adventures leaders have taken groups skiing, snowshoeing, climbing, scrambling, backpacking, trekking, and day-walking in Alaska, the Rockies, Patagonia, Peru, the Himalayas, the British Isles, New Zealand, and more. The Global Adventures program may be the perfect place for you to live your travel dreams, and at the same time, take your trip planning and group leadership skills to a new level. Read more…
Olympia Branch Looking for Hike Leaders
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Whether you're an active hike leader looking for new ways to get out, an inactive hike leader who would like to become more active, or a member member who would like to become a hike leader, we need you! By leading hikes, you have an opportunity to develop your skills, go on the hikes you want at the pace you prefer - all while benefiting your club and meeting great new people! Read more…
"Imposter Syndrome" in the Outdoors
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As The Mountaineers Membership & Communications Director, I spend a lot of time thinking about and interacting with the outdoor community. People are drawn to the outdoors by a sense of curiosity, but not everyone feels welcome in this space - either because of the actions of others or by the unwritten "rules" of who belongs in the outdoors. I'm here today to say: you belong here. Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Danielle Graham
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Danielle Graham, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who encourages aspiring leaders to glean tips and tricks from every leader they interact with, and who wants all members to feel valued and included in The Mountaineers' community. Read more…
2017 Recap: A Year in Review
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Volunteers are the lifeblood of The Mountaineers, and we get a clear view of their incredible impact when we dive into the numbers! Here is a look at our collective impact over the past year. Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Kyle Breakey
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Kyle Breakey, a volunteer with the Bellingham Branch who sees a huge value in mentorship for leaders at The Mountaineers, both as a mentor and a mentee. Read more…
2017 Leadership Conference: Recap, Survey Results, and Presentation Materials
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The Mountaineers hosted our fourth annual Leadership Conference on Saturday, December 2 at the Seattle Program Center. It was an outstanding day of leadership development for our volunteers and community partners - thank you to everyone who was able to attend! Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Tom Eckhout
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Tom Eckhout, a volunteer leader with the Olympia Branch who cherishes every moment he has in the mountains. Read more…
Leader Spotlight: Christine Grenier
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For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Christine Grenier, a hike leader with the Kitsap Branch who offers other Mountaineers the chance to slow down, look around, and enjoy the scenery. Read more…
What’s next for Mountaineers eLearning?
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As part of our Progressive Outdoor Education initiative, The Mountaineers is investing in eLearning to complement our existing courses. Our successful pilot with Wilderness Navigation in 2016 showed us the value of eLearning in improving the delivery, impact, accessibility, and consistency of our courses. Read more…
Risk Assessment with Josh Cole, North Cascades Mountain Guide
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Josh and I first met when we worked together at the Northwest Outward Bound School, and I’ve always been struck by his creativity, analytical skills, approach to teaching, and sense of humor. Josh has a rare ability to champion and role-model the highest values and expectations as an outdoor educator/guide — one of many attributes that make him such an inspiring professional colleague. Read more…