Blog

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

It was 2019 and I had just arrived in Tokyo. Looking for the hotel where I was to meet our group of Mountaineers, I felt like a lost child. Maneuvering to avoid people with my big suitcase, my senses were in overload as I paused to take a picture of the tight flow of humanity passing me in every direction. A visit to Japan combines modern life with ancient traditions and incredible outdoor opportunities. The juxtaposition was jarring and thrilling. Read more…

As I reflect on where we are as an organization, I am humbled and grateful. 

Our community has proven itself to be remarkably resilient. In spite of all the challenges of the last two years, our member base has grown to exceed 15,000 people for the first time. Volunteers are building back our courses and activities to pre-pandemic levels. Our youth programs have expanded, filling an important need for families facing shifting dynamics. Read more…

Gaining 4,000 feet of vertical elevation in only 2.5 miles, Mailbox Peak definitely stands out among the more challenging hikes of the PNW. I am a regular in a crew of Mailbox enthusiasts who have visited the mountain hundreds of times over the past several years. In that time, I've witnessed droves of hikers suffer through great pains to reach the top. I've watched them rejoice as the summit first came into their view, and their eyes light up as they took their first picture next to the iconic mailbox. It has been an honor and a privilege to share in their experiences. For me, there would be no other mountain more fitting for my endeavor.  Read more…

Whether out in the backcountry or your own neighborhood, Mountaineers see and experience the worsening impacts of the climate crisis in our communities and the natural landscapes we love. As the Pacific Northwest faces earlier and more intense wildfire seasons, unprecedented heat waves, severe droughts, and more frequent flooding, the need to fight climate change is more urgent than ever. Read more…

This May 15, 2022, there will be a total lunar eclipse. In our hometown of Seattle it will be between 8:34pm and 11:50pm, with the maximum eclipse occurring at 9:11pm. Learn about lunar eclipses with this excerpt from The Skies Above: Storm Clouds, Blood Moons, and Other Everyday Phenomena by Dennis Mersereau.  Read more…

In 2021, The Mountaineers began to utilize a new process for discovering potential candidates for open at-large positions on our Board of Directors. This new open nominations process was very successful, resulting in more than 20 nominees from across the organization. Feedback from applicants and the community at large about the new process was overwhelmingly positive. Members appreciated the transparency, rigor, and excellent results that it delivered.  Read more…

I recently finished my first course with The Mountaineers, Wilderness Navigation, and one moment in particular stood out to me. It wasn’t the required reading or the curious exercise of drawing on maps. It definitely wasn’t the 5AM carpool meetup. And it wasn’t even clamoring through blowdowns with a compass in my hand - though that was certainly fun and memorable.  Read more…

Meet Phoebe Smith, a Foothills hike leader, active member of the Foothills Hiking Committee, and secretary of the Navigation Committee. Phoebe earned Super Volunteer and Key Leader badges in 2021 in recognition of all she does for The Mountaineers!  Read more…

Pikas, those fuzzy rabbit relatives calling from rocky talus, have received attention in recent years due to the looming threat of climate change. They are generally found at high elevations, and with shrinking alpine zones becoming ever more common, their resilience on a warming planet is something many are questioning. Read more…

Thank you for helping to make GiveBIG a success. With the help of our whole community, we raised $23,946  this week to support outdoor access and education.  Read more…

The Mountaineers has a special role to play when it comes to conservation and advocacy. We represent a community of active outdoor users with deep connections to our landscapes, making us effective stewards and powerful advocates for 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…

We’re thrilled to share that legislation we’ve been working on for over seven years - the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act - passed out of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. Next, the bill will head to the Senate floor for a vote. That means we’re one step closer to fixing the current inefficient, unpredictable recreational permitting system, which creates barriers for people to experience the outdoors through outdoor programs like The Mountaineers.  Read more…

Today, people around the PNW are making special donations to invest in the health and vitality of our communities through GiveBIG, a regional grassroots fundraising event. Read more…

Lauren DeLaunay Miller is the editor of a new anthology that shares the stories, famed and previously untold, of the remarkable women who have shaped Yosemite climbing history. Valley of Giants, published by Mountaineers Books, is a first-of-its-kind collection that gathers stories from journal excerpts, original essays, interviews, and archival materials from almost 40 contributors, including legends like Lynn Hill, Steph Davis, Kate Rutherford, Beth Rodden, Chelsea Griffie, and more. Lauren has worked for Yosemite Search and Rescue, served as Vice President of the Bishop Area Climbers Coalition, and as event coordinator for the American Alpine Club’s Bishop Craggin’ Classic festival. Read on as Lauren discusses her inspiration for this book, what it taught her, and more. Read more…

When it comes to plus sizes, finding good gear has historically been nearly impossible. Finding it at affordable prices or second hand is even more difficult because it just doesn't exist in the same quantities as straight size gear (XS-XL). That, in addition to the "fat tax" that many companies add on to their plus lines, makes gear even less accessible. Read more…

The transition from winter to spring doesn’t happen overnight. This April, some days brought heavy snow to Eastern Washington, and Blewett, Stevens and Snoqualmie passes, while others were warm enough for t-shirts. Brendan Leonard of Semi-Rad put it best in this spring pie chart. Here’s to Mountaineers making the most of spring's indecisive weather and unreliable forecasts. Read more…

At 50, Liz McNett Crowl started hiking. She met Dave on a guided snowshoe trip of Mount Baker who, through a fateful invitation, would become her hiking mentor. They hiked together for years throughout the North Cascades, exploring places like Yellow Aster Butte and beautiful alpine ridges. Then, Dave moved out of state. That’s when Liz discovered The Mountaineers, exploring longer-distance hiking in our Conditioning Hiking Series. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Alyssa Opland, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch who focuses on inclusive leadership in her climbing programs by asking questions and seeking input. She encourages prospective volunteers to get connected with mentors!  Read more…

The Mountaineers is a 15,000 person community of outdoor enthusiasts powered by a coalition of volunteers. Behind the curtain of that volunteer magic sits a small team of dedicated staff. We're hiring, and we invite you to join us! Read more…

The day we set off to hike from Norway Pass to Mount Margaret was unbearably hot. The summer sky was dim and eerie as hazy smoke from the wildfires filtered out the sun and the threat of thunderstorms hung in the oppressive air. After careful thought and review of the weather, we decided to cautiously proceed with our hiking adventure. Read more…

My partner Barbara and I were experienced campers and backpackers when we moved to Seattle in 2000, but we didn’t have much experience kayaking. We owned sea kayaks, had taken classes in San Francisco Bay, and we’d even done a kayak camping trip for a week in Prince William Sound, Alaska in the 80s. But we knew that Puget Sound was both fabulous and challenging for sea kayaking, and we’d better have more training before heading out there. As soon as we joined The Mountaineers, we signed up for the Basic Sea Kayaking course. Read more…

We were driving back from the mountains, and the guy at the wheel was ranting. About zippers. Worst invention ever. Absolutely hated them. Read more…

Nearly five years ago, The Mountaineers announced our new equity and inclusion programs, including our Equity & Inclusion committee. This work stems from our core belief that a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love, and our vision to create an outdoor community where all people feel belonging. Read more…

In The Mountaineers, we pride ourselves on a high standard of safety while exploring the lands and waters of Washington. To maintain this standard we regularly review our safety standards and any incidents that occur so that we might learn from them. Read more…

Mountaineers Books newest title, Crossing Paths: A Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, shares a diverse variety of stories from one of our nation's best-known trails. In it we hear from contributors like Cheryl Strayed, Carrot Quinn, Barney "Scout" Mann, Aspen Matis, Nicholas Kristof, Heather Anderson, Will "Akuna" Robinson, and many more. 
Read more…

Join the Olympia Branch on May 4 to learn about the new Sustainable Recreation Study being conducted by the Olympic National Forest (ONF). Ranger Jai Lust, ONF Wilderness and Trails Coordinator, will be presenting on the study, designed to engage the public in the care of trails and gather feedback on individual trail management. 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…

Last year, we announced that The Mountaineers is leading Outdoor Alliance Washington, a group of organizations representing the human-powered outdoor recreation community in Washington State. Outdoor Alliance Washington meets with elected officials to advocate for funding to improve outdoor recreation opportunities and conserve our public lands. While we often meet through Zoom or in an office, it’s much more fun - and effective - to meet in officials’  districts in parks and public lands. Read more…