Snowshoeing

The Mountaineers Ten Essentials™ dates back to our climbing courses of the 1930s. This widely respected safety and packing system was formalized in the third edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, released in 1974. Each of the nine editions of Freedom, as it is affectionately known, was written entirely by volunteers and reflects the collective wisdom of hundreds of outdoor skills instructors. The list has always sought to answer two basic questions: Read more…

"Oh, good," said Steve, our instructor, "now you can practice getting up after a fall." 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…

Join the Tacoma Mountaineers this winter season to enjoy the outdoors while it's cold, beautiful, and uncrowded! With upcoming courses in Basic Snowshoeing, Backcountry Snowshoeing, and Winter Camping, we have something for everyone. Courses are open for registration - sign up now before they're full!  Read more…

Spring has sprung! Can't you tell? T-shirts and sandals are trickling back into our lives, people are sitting outside just for the fun of it, and all of a sudden it makes sense to buy sunscreen again. Read more…

The Mountaineers’ Gear Library is deeply committed to helping everyone explore the outdoors. Since launching in August 2018, we have partnered with local youth-serving agencies in a joint effort to increase access and to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors. Read more…

When most people think about snowshoeing, they picture hiking along in a winter wonderland. But did you know that there is a world of people running with snowshoes on, and even competing? The world of snowshoe running is growing on a global level, and with specialized running-oriented snowshoes you can jog or run or take part in a race right now! Read more…

Meet Foothills Trail Running Committee co-chair Gabrielle Orsi. A San Diego native who relocated to Washington State from Colorado in 2013, she leads trail running, hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing trips for the club in addition to her committee work. 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…

Thanks to support from hundreds of people and partners, we're excited to launch our new Mountaineers Gear Lending Library and leader training programs. As we seek to continue to engage future Mountaineers, expand our youth programs, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors, this resource will make the outdoors more accessible to all outdoor enthusiasts. Read more…

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…

Many Mountaineers have visited and climbed in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal, developing a love for the stunning landscapes and the warm hospitality of the Nepali people. What you might not know is that we have a vibrant Nepali immigrant community right here in the Pacific Northwest! 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…

I became a big-M Mountaineer somewhat late in life. My daughter Fiona and I joined the club when she was only fifteen and I was fifty-seven. We took the Alpine Scrambling Course with the Seattle Branch in 2003 and bracketed the class — she was the youngest and I was the oldest. It came easily to us. I had been doing self-taught solo trips in the mountains for nearly thirty years and involved her from infancy. 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 'Vision 2022' Strategic Plan calls for us to invest in being “innovative leaders in outdoor education.” This means we need to respond to growing needs and address new century challenges in ways that are different from traditional  outdoor education. This includes investment in our volunteers – the greatest source of innovation and a priceless resource that is uniquely Mountaineers. We call this new approach "Progressive Outdoor Education."  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…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Bill Borom, a 5-year leader whose involvement in a wide variety of club activities has continued to spark his sense of adventure and expand his pool of friends to adventure with! Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Donna Kreuger, a Hike Leader who wants people to understand that they don't have to be a big, bad mountain climber to rock the outdoors! 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…

I fell in love with the snow as a child. We didn’t have a lot of the white stuff where I grew up near London, England but I was fortunate in that my parents took my brother and I skiing in Austria. Every winter after that I tried to get in at least one ski vacation.  Read more…

Meany Lodge is looking to fill several committee postions that will put you at the heart of one of The Mountaineers most vibrant communities.  Read more…

To honor the amazing resource that is the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), Foothills Branch is sponsoring a new set of award badges, available to Mountaineers members from any branch, for hiking, backpacking or snowshoeing 50 or more miles of the PCT in Washington State on or after January 1, 2010. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. We go outside to wander and explore the adventurous spirit within ourselves. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit; so our grandchildren can experience the sensation of discovering an untouched place. Read more…

With the awesome weather and sunny days we've had lately, it’s hard to think anyone would go outside without a pair of sunglasses handy. But on cloudier days or early morning alpine-starts, it's easy to forget shades in your car or tent. Sunglasses aren’t usually at the forefront of your mind at 2am when the wind's howling and you're trying to buckle your crampons. However, forgetting this vital bit of gear can be as bad as forgetting your ice axe on a glacier or  your cams on a rock wall. Read more…

We're hosting an end of season potluck for everyone involved in the 2015-2016 Seattle Snowshoe Program. We will congratulate this year's graduating Basic Snowshoe, Backcountry Snowshoe Skills, Winter Camping students, and offer up a big thank you to our volunteer Instructors, Trip Leaders, and Committee members. Read more…

While some folks are still disillusioned about last year's ski season, our team at Stevens Lodge is 100% convinced that this will be a year to remember...and we are doing lots of work to prepare the lodge for an epic season! Read more…

Experience the joy of moving through the silent winter landscape, brilliant light glinting from snow mounds piled in soft shapes all around. Get out into the mountains you love and get your favorite exercise - the trail kind! - through the winter months!   Read more…

Purchasing a new stove can be a confusing process. There is a wide range of information on the web, and most manufacturers include a lot of different test numbers. It isn’t always clear what these numbers mean or how they’ll impact real-world performance. In this article I explain which numbers you need to know and which you don’t. Read more…