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One year ago today, January 4, 2025, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act was signed into law, culminating a decade-long advocacy campaign and securing a landmark victory for the outdoor recreation community. This package of recreation bills was passed in a collaborative, bipartisan manner with the goal of improving outdoor access on federal public lands.  Read more…

Are you dreaming of outdoor adventures or trying to enhance your skills?  Members and non-members are invited to spend an evening learning about upcoming  courses and activities with the Olympia Branch.  Read more…

Last year, we saw an unprecedented level of threats to public lands from Congress and the administration. In response, The Mountaineers community took action in record numbers, sending thousands of advocacy letters in defense of our public lands. These messages highlighted the importance of staffing and funding for federal land managers, keeping federal public lands in public hands, and foundational conservation policies like the Roadless Rule and the National Environmental Policy Act. Read more…

Join us on January 7 for a presentation that will help you explore Mount Rainier with a fresh perspective. Carolyn Driedger-Mastin will lead us on several virtual hikes, with each revealing intriguing stories, including some ‘chilling’ tales of glaciers and lava flows. Read more…

Did you know that winter is the peak season for new members joining The Mountaineers? If you joined The Mountaineers in November and December, Hello! Welcome! We're glad you’re here! Read more…

As we close the book on another year, reflect on the many adventures Mountaineers enjoyed in 2025, including: freshies, wildflowers, freighter-wake fun, and a handful of moments we’ll never live down (we're talking about you, potholes and pee bottles). Plus plenty of Type 2 fun, a little stewardship that made the trails better for everyone, and just enough suspiciously perfect weather to keep us hooked. These 10 trip reports have the beta, photos, and details that send you straight to your calendar to start plotting. Consider this your year-end highlight reel and a subtle nudge toward your plans in 2026. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we view every incident report — not just as paperwork, but as an opportunity to learn, grow, and make our community safer. Whether it’s a serious injury, a close call, or even just a nagging “that could’ve gone badly” moment, your report plays a vital role in improving safety practices for everyone. Read more…

We are so close to reaching our ambitious goal to raise $225K by midnight tomorrow. Will you help close the gap? Read more…

Joyful moments on the trail make any adventure more memorable. Here are some tips for creating a personalized Joy Checklist that encourages you to savor the journey, embrace the unexpected, and appreciate your time in nature. What’s on your checklist? Read more…

The Foothills Branch is seeking a Backpacking Committee Chair! We urgently need to fill this role by March, otherwise the Backpacking committee will not continue operating. Read more…

We’re Dave and Laura, six-year Mountaineers members, and we believe in the transformative power of the outdoors.  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…

When Matt Surprenant joined The Mountaineers in 2019, he was simply looking for people to hike with. What he found instead was a passionate volunteer community, a deep love for scrambling, and a meaningful way to give back — through leadership, service, and philanthropy amplified by his workplace giving program. Read more…

For skiers, splitboarders, and snowshoers eager to explore the backcountry, avalanche awareness isn’t optional — it’s vital. The Mountaineers AIARE 1 course provides a structured, hands-on introduction to avalanche safety, empowering participants to make informed decisions in complex winter environments. Read more…

The day starts in the dark. We shuffle through our condo making coffee, eating breakfast, and coiling ropes. A ten-minute drive up the hill puts us a short walk to the Ouray Ice Park entrance, where people begin slipping into their harnesses and strapping on helmets and crampons by headlamp. Everyone is bundled against the cold Colorado air. We paid to be Ice Park members, which affords us entrance into the park 30 minutes early to have first pick at the routes. Read more…

The Mountaineers Gala is more than just a fundraiser, it's a chance to showcase our Adventure with Purpose mission and celebrate the wide range of activities, programs, and people that our nonprofit positively impacts. This year, we have a full and exciting evening planned – with familiar elements and some new surprises and delights. Read more…

Some years it’s hard to transition from long, sunny days and fields of flowers to the rainy season here in the PNW. Yet the shoulder season repays that loss by ushering in amazing colors in the mountains and lowlands. 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…

In the wake of deep reductions to the federal land manager workforce and cuts to the Washington state budget over the last year, volunteer stewardship work coordinated by nonprofits is increasingly critical to maintaining thriving, well-maintained public lands. The practice of stewardship brings Mountaineers of all ages together across branches and activities to care for the places where we recreate. Robust volunteer stewardship isn’t a replacement for the agency staff who support and guide our work, but is a great way to support public lands and the dedicated professionals who care for them.
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The Mountaineers values transparency and takes pride in celebrating our successes. Our team is continuously working on updating our website, e-learning, and automated processes to enhance the user experience for members and volunteers. In this Changelog, we capture what improvements we have made over time so you can follow along and take advantage of new features. 

To learn more about our Technology program, check out our Technology Hub! Read more…

2025 was a whirlwind year for defending public lands.  Sweeping workforce reductions at federal land management agencies, along with proposals to sell off wide swaths of public lands, created an unprecedented need to raise our voice to protect the future of outdoor recreation. We’re calling on our community to support The Mountaineers with a year-end donation to help fund critical mission-driven work, like our Conservation & Advocacy program which amplifies the voice and values of members like you.  Read more…

I like to think of Roadless Areas as the silent heroes of Washington’s public lands. They don’t garner the hype of Wilderness Areas, but they form the backdrop to many of our favorite backcountry experiences. From the ancient groves of the Olympic rainforest to the snowy slopes of the Cascades, you're never too far from a Roadless Area. Recreation opportunities provided by Roadless Areas in places like Quinault Ridge, Baker Lake, and Washington Pass are not permanently protected, and need more advocates. Read more…

Washington is experiencing record rainfall, and we know that some of our members are directly impacted by flooding, rising rivers, and rapidly changing conditions. To those of you navigating this right now: we’re thinking of you, and we’re holding you and your communities in our hearts. 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 over 13 years, The Mountaineers has brought the spirit of outdoor adventure to Seattle youth through Day Camp programs that now engage over 600 campers each summer. We know that demand for camp is high, and we’re committed to a registration process that feels fair and accessible. Read more…

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is headed back to Seattle! Join The Mountaineers on January 14 and 15 as we travel to remote vistas, analyze topical environmental issues, and get up close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports. Read more…

Thank you to all our Giving Tuesday donors for helping us raise more than $61,000 for the Mountaineers Access Program (MAP) scholarship fund! 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…

My journey in guiding began in spaces that weren’t designed for people like me. At my first mountaineering job, I was the first woman they’d ever employed. I had to navigate subtle dismissals and over-explanations while being passed up for growth opportunities and bearing the expectation of representing all women. Read more…

Our experiences in the mountains are rarely about the summit itself. They’re about who you tie in with, who hands you a cup of hot tea at 2am at base camp, who laughs with you when you posthole to your knees, and who reminds you that you belong out there. Read more…