Skiing & Snowboarding

It must be nice, being a mountain goat. To move through the mountains with speed and grace, inspiring fear, respect, and admiration in all who lay eyes on you. With gravitydefying climbing skills and a legendary beard, mountain goats are untouchable. Read more…

"Planned very well, with nicely groomed trails, and clear direction of what to expect," remarked one participant of last year's Methow Winter Trails weekend, when asked about her favorite part of the Mazama trails ski trip. A Sun Mountain trip skier the next day responded, "The weather, the company, and that the leader selected the trails that most fit the group's abilities." Join us this year to explore the Methow and to find your own favorite part! Read more…

Mountaineers Books author Jeremy Benson takes full advantage of Lake Tahoe, the California mountain bike mecca where he lives. Biking in the warm months and backcountry skiing in the snowy ones, he has both pursued his athletic passions and written about them in Mountain Bike - Tahoe: 50 Select Singletrack Routes and Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: California. Now that the warm months are here, we asked Jeremy what advice he would give to those wanting to get started in mountain biking.  Read more…

We are excited to partner with Dr. Kodner and her students from Western Washington University for a third year on a citizen science project related to snow algae! This summer, take your alpine adventures to the next level and help us collect samples of summer "watermelon snow" algal blooms. These samples will support studies related to climate change and algal evolutionary biology. Read more…

You’ve seen them around: whether with a speed walking grandpa, that youngin’ plowing down the path, or the ultrarunner in the video of the Rocky 100, trekking poles (also called hiking poles or walking sticks) are an outdoor accessory almost as old as hiking itself. But… why would you use them? Read more…

In the peak of ski season, we asked the authors of our Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes guidebooks to spill the beans on their favorite routes. Following are their faves – out of the 100 or so tours in each of their books. Below is the beta and general route description as excerpted from each book. Read more…

Bruce Tremper is the author of Staying Alive In Avalanche Terrain, which has just been published in the third edition. Staying Alive is the country's best-selling book on how to stay safe in  avalanche country.  Read more…

Calling all “go big or go home” winter enthusiasts! Get ready to get goosebumps while you “Ooh!” and “Ahh!” at the impact and importance of our winter wildlands through this collection of short films. The fourteenth annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival will screen in  Bellevue on January 10 and in Seattle at The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center on January 21.  Read more…

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…

I’m not going to sugarcoat this for you. It’s a hard trek during winter. My best friend and I took on the challenge last spring, breaking trail for a full mile through fresh powder with heavy backpacks. We felt breathless as we snowshoed four miles to one of the highest points in Tahoma State Forest. But with every crunch beneath our snowshoes — and between the sounds of our groans - the top of Mount Rainier became more and more visible. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Tab Wilkins, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who encourages our leaders to be more collaborative, to learn from and recognize near-misses, and to embrace opportunities for feedback. Read more…

The trick to staying alive in avalanche terrain is to stay away from dangerous conditions. Here are Bruce Tremper's "10 Commandments of Low-Risk Travel". The following is excerpted from the new  Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, 3rd Edition and has been edited for space. Read more…

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…

Join us September 20, 2018 to hear from Andrew Mclean, the first person to summit and ski the 'Alaska Family' of peaks Father Denali, Mother Sultanan, and child Mt. Hunter. Read more…

In what experts are calling an astonishing event, three-year-old Mountaineer member James McKinney executed perfect cross-country skiing technique in his first attempt. Read more…

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…

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…

Built in 1938, Meany Lodge is home to a thriving ski community. We provide a family friendly atmosphere similar to the huts in Europe. Our ski school is nationally recognized, and all instructors are Mountaineers who have received formal ski instructor training. Our instructors are volunteers, who want to share their joy of skiing and help you meet your goals. Read more…

Anyone who has been around me for a nanosecond in winter knows I love cross-country skiing. A lot. Maybe even more than climbing, kayaking, downhill skiing, and biking combined. (Gasp!)  Read more…

Join us for Mountaineers Books’ next live web event January 25 to “Discover California’s Best Backcountry  Ski Tours,” featuring pro-skier and backcountry expert Jeremy Benson, author of the new Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: California. Benson is Tahoe-based, and his insider beta is sure to get you stoked to find new powder lines. Read more…

The 13th Annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival will show at the Bellevue Botanical Garden on Monday, January 22 and at the Seattle Mountaineers Program Center on Monday January 29.  Adventure, environment and climate, youth outdoors, ski culture - you’ll find it all in this award winning lineup of eight films.  Read more…

Picture yourself tromping through a winter wonderland with your friends, family, and favorite Mountaineers trip leaders. The Mountaineers will be celebrating Winter Trails Month in January 2018, in conjunction with the national Winter Trails organization. Read more…

The Mountaineers' rustic Mount Baker Lodge is nestled in the spectacular North Cascades and is a beautiful, fun getaway three hours from Seattle. Located within walking distance of the Mt. Baker Ski Area, come up this winter to enjoy a weekend in the mountains. Read more…

Are you interested in cross-country skiing with The Mountaineers this winter? Several of our branches offer a variety of classes. Take a look, learn about the differences, and decide which might be the best option for you! Read more…

On December 29, 2002, a party of seven mountaineers were involved in an avalanche accident in Cement Basin near Crystal Mountain. While skiing, they triggered a slide that buried one and partially buried three. One person was killed and another sustained a broken leg.  Read more…

This is my friend Casey. She's a rockstar, and summitted Mt. Baker via the Squak Glacier in a single day last June. We spent 13 hours on our feet to summit and get down, with 7-8 of those hours under direct sunlight. Read more…

If you're looking to take your backcountry skiing to the next level, we hope you'll join us for an immersive weekend at our Baker Lodge March 17-19. We'll use the Baker Ski area to practice skiing tactics in steep terrain while building confidence to ski the backcountry. Read more…

For the last four decades, the Everett Branch has offered a Nordic (cross-country) ski course in January and February. This year we carried on the tradition and introduced a new batch of adventurers to the joys of Nordic skiing. Read more…

Experienced adventuristas often forget what it was like to be 'the noob'. We have our kit dialed, know how much food to pack, and can go from no plans to leaving on a two-day ski trip in 30-minutes without breaking a sweat. But we were all beginners once, and each have someone to thank for taking us out for our first hike, bike, ski, or climb. Read more…

My first avalanche transceiver was the original Ortovox S1, which sported 3 antennas, a slick grid search, and looked like a transponder from Star Trek. Considering flip phones were just on the way out and Myspace was still relevant it didn’t seem out of place. Read more…