Conservation & Advocacy

Several have asked (and many others no doubt have wondered), "What is going on with the Friction Slab Project?" Read more…

The march to protect the Methow Valley from industrial-scale mining continues to move forward, and we’re at a critical juncture. We need your support! The Forest Service has opened a public comment period on a mineral withdrawal that would protect the Methow Watershed for twenty years. Comments are due by November 6. Read more…

A new bill, misleadingly named the “National Monument Creation and Protection Act,” has been introduced that would effectively gut the Antiquities Act, the bedrock conservation law that gives presidents the authority to create National Monuments. From the Grand Canyon to Bears Ears and the San Juan Islands, presidents from both parties have used the Antiquities Act to protect many of our most beloved wild places through National Monument designation. Read more…

Lands adjacent to the Lake Serene Trail are slated to be logged this year. If the plan goes through, the routes to Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls will be closed until July 1, 2018 and the surrounding forest will be scarred for many years to come. But there’s hope. Outdoor leaders, including The Mountaineers, are joining forces with individuals across the Pacific Northwest to purchase the land from the timber company. Together we can raise the funds, but we aren’t there yet – and we need your help! Read more…

“History tells us that when public lands are unprotected, they’re sold to the highest bidder." - Rose Marcario, President and CEO of Patagonia, delivers her keynote address at The Mountaineers fundraising breakfast, Sep 20 Read more…

If you were one of hundreds of Mountaineers who woke up early on Wednesday to join us for our second annual fundraising breakfast, Thank You! This early morning adventure to downtown Seattle brought hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts together to celebrate and champion our public lands. The messages shared inspired us with renewed commitment to protect our wild places. As our CEO Tom Vogl said: Read more…

After weeks of uncertainty, a leaked report from Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has reignited concerns about the fate of National Monuments and what this could mean for our public lands. The memo, titled Final Report Summarizing Findings of the Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act, doesn’t specify boundary changes, but does issue clear recommendations to shrink or alter ten National Monuments. Read more…

This August, while backpacking through the Hoover Wilderness in California with my husband and brother-in-law, I ran into a woman about my age. She was headed down the trail in our direction so we hiked together a few miles, chatting about our work, her Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike the previous summer, and our mutual love of solo trips. She was a teacher out on a three-day trip before the school year started back up. I told her about my work with Outdoor Alliance and our efforts to bring together the outdoor recreation community to protect public lands.  Read more…

A picture is worth a thousand words, but the images collected in The Alpine Lakes are worth even more than that. The photographs in this book, published by The Mountaineers in 1971, inspired President Gerald Ford to designate the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area. Read more…

The Elwha River, which spans 45 miles in the Olympic Peninsula, is part of a massive restoration project that included demolishing Glines Canyon Dam, one of the tallest dams to ever be intentionally breached. Read more…

For over a century, The Mountaineers has inspired conservation and stewardship of our public lands through our outdoor education programs and books. Today, we build on this tradition by taking responsibility for protecting the places that inspire, excite, and challenge us. The Mountaineers is uniquely positioned to define and grow the modern conservation movement by providing powerful outdoor experiences that enable people to gain special connections to these places and the desire to protect them. We instill stewardship and Leave-No-Trace wilderness ethics through the educational components of our courses and provide opportunities to learn and engage in conservation issues – practices that ignite passion and action in current and future generations of conservationists.  Read more…

My generation thought it had a pretty good notion of what stewardship meant the first time we got a look at the pictures of earth taken by the astronauts.  Read more…

To truly care about something, it has to have impacted you intimately. It’s that personal connection that gives us the impetus to act. Read more…

It’s been about three months since an Executive Order called for the review of our National Monuments, two months since the 60-day public comment period began, and a little over a week since the last of over a million submissions flooded the Department of the Interior.

So now what? Read more…

Ahhh, there’s nothing like heading out on your favorite trail to take in the fragrant smells of spring... only to catch the putrid stench of crap. Dog and human alike — it seems lately there’s been a proliferation of poo plopped along our trails and streams of toilet paper flowers soiling our backcountry. And this abundance of trailside turds isn’t just an affront on our visionary and olfactory senses, it’s a major affront to our health and the health of our wild places. Read more…

In April, President Trump issued an executive order calling for a review of National Monuments designated under the Antiquities Act. Following the order, The Department of the Interior announced a public comment period for 27 specific National Monuments designated in the last 21 years. This review is unprecedented, and we encourage you to speak up in defense of these important public lands. Read more…

In her first class with The Mountaineers, Maiza Lima was impressed to learn that all classes were taught by volunteers, and all trips were led by volunteers. “It’s hard to believe people give so much time to be there for you.” She was so amazed she said to herself, “Next year, I will volunteer.” Read more…

Some people have a defining moment in the outdoors that changed their lives. I don’t. I can recount a vague memory of camping with my dad, and him pulling me out of the tent in my pajamas to hike under a full moon. I can tell you that you couldn’t keep me out of waterfalls as a kid, that climbing for the first time as a sixth-grader blew my socks off, and that learning how to crack climb in Indian Creek, Utah 20 years later was completely humbling and inspiring. What I know is that our public lands are integral to who I am, and because of that I believe it’s imperative that we protect these places and the experiences they provide, and that we work to provide opportunities for everyone to have nature-based experiences. Read more…

I’ve been a member of The Mountaineers since 2002, when I joined to meet other outdoor enthusiasts and learn about hikes in the area. Since then I’ve explored many of our local trails year-round.  Read more…

Braided River is teaming up with Explore Green to host a Fall Nature Photography Workshop at Sundance Mountain Resort led by acclaimed conservation photographers Amy Gulick, Carl Johnson, and Dave Showalter. Each will bring their expertise and passion for wild country to this hands-on workshop. At the foot of Utah's towering Wasatch Range, the stunning Sundance Valley offers the ideal setting for an immersive photography experience. Read more…

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and the same could be said for creating a trail! That’s why each year, on the first Saturday of June, communities across to country come together to celebrate National Trails Day. Read more…

The Department of the Interior, led by Secretary Ryan Zinke, has opened an unprecedented review of 27 National Monuments, and is accepting comments from the public as part of this process. Mountaineers Books author Dave Showalter is one of many citizens using this comment period to take a stand for our public lands, and for Bears Ears National Monument in particular. We invite you to read Dave's poignant words and take a moment to submit your own comments.  The comment period for Bears Ears closes May 26. Read more…

With their luxurious dark brown coats, fishers were irresistible to trappers in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Their pelts brought a good price. By the late 20th century, none of these large members of the weasel family could be found in Washington State. Trapping and loss of their forest habitat led to their disappearance. In 1998, although fishers still could be found in neighboring states and other regions, Washington declared fishers endangered. Read more…

Today kicks off the 15-day public comment period for the Bears Ears National Monument review. Last month President Trump issued an executive order calling for the review of National Monuments designated under the Antiquities Act. Following the order, The Department of the Interior announced a public comment period for 27 specific National Monuments under review. Unlike the other monuments, which have a 60-day comment period, Bears Ears only has a 15-day window. Action to protect these treasured National Monuments is urgent. Read more…

It rained non-stop on the Wynoochee valley in the southern Olympics on Earth Day weekend, April 22-23, 2017, but that did nothing to dampen the spirits of 27 members of The Mountaineers who volunteered alongside four Washington Trail Association (WTA) crew leaders for the first trail maintenance stewardship project between the two organizations.  Read more…

If you're a hiker, scrambler, or climber in the PNW, you likely spend your summers crossing talus slopes while listening and looking for  one of these adorable little fur balls: the pika. Now you can use your hobby to contribute to an important monitoring project with almost no effort. Read more…

Today, an Executive Order was issued calling for the review of national monument designations dating back to 1996. Under the 1906 Antiquities Act presidents from both parties have used national monuments to conserve lands across the country. The order effectively brings that authority into question for the past three presidents. Read more…

 The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA)’s new economic report calculates that outdoor recreation produces $887 billion in direct consumer spending, supports 7.6 million American jobs, and contributes $65.3 billion in federal tax revenue each year. To put the numbers in perspective, the report finds that every year, American consumers spend more on outdoor recreation than they do on pharmaceuticals and fuel, combined. Read more…

Four years ago, the Northwest climbing community funded a vault toilet at the Frenchman Coulee climbing area (better known as Vantage) in Central Washington. This toilet has helped to alleviate human waste issues and was widely heralded as a huge success. Some would argue, it's  too successful. Read more…

Earth Day is this Saturday, April 22, and we have se several ways for you to show your appreciation for Mother Earth this weekend. Join us for a stewardship activity, and please help us champion our low impact skills while you’re getting outside! Read more…