Courses & Activities

Courses & Activities

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Learn About the Olympic National Forest Sustainable Recreation Survey | May 4

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…

Half Moon Bouldering: Cultivating a New Kind of Climbing Community

Streaks of glue are glistening in our hair and work overalls from another late night working on the bouldering gym’s construction. My life partner Daniel is putting up wall paneling while I assist, a wet rag in my hands to wipe away residue from the installation. We’re exhausted and elated at the same time. It seems surreal to be putting the finishing touches on a project that has absorbed the last five years of our lives. In building Half Moon Bouldering, our family start-up and the first bouldering gym in Greenwood, we feel like we’ve been aiming for the moon, and now it seems we’re actually close to landing. Read more…

Foothills Volunteer Spotlight: Brian Talbert

Meet Brian Talbert, a Foothills backpacking leader and a mentor for the Foothills Backpacking Building Blocks course. As an active member of the Foothills Hiking and Backpacking Committee, Brian manages leadership development and certification for the committee. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Kendall Walker

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

No Man's Land Film Festival World Tour - April 14

Join The Mountaineers and the American Alpine Club to screen the No Man's Land World Tour. No Man's Land Film Festival (NMLFF) is the premier all-women adventure film festival based out of Carbondale, Colorado, and is currently touring internationally. Read more…

Meany Patrol Race Viewing – March 19

The Meany Patrol Race is back for another year! Join us as we watch teams race along the historic track and celebrate their accomplishments at The Mountaineers Meany Lodge on March 19, 2022.  Read more…

The Olympic Mountain Project, Part II

Standing on the edge of the water in my camp sandals, boots and pants stowed safely inside my pack, I look longingly across the river. I wish I could teleport myself instead of wading through the bitterly-cold, swift-moving water. It’s June 2021, and the Pacific Northwest’s unseasonable heatwave is melting the snowpack, sending it rushing down the mountain river valleys in record volume. Read more…

How the Basic Kayaking Course Opened a New World

Life was good since I retired in September of 2015 at 63 years young. In March 2015, I purchased the Mokai: a motorized kayak intended for use on rivers. The Mokai is 11’ Long 36” wide, powered by a 7hp 4-cycle Subaru engine, has an electric start, is a sit in kayak, and is rated for SK-III rapids. I bought to use in Washington rivers for fishing. Read more…

Daily Debrief

The last two years have been a challenge for us all. We have shared the emotional roller coaster of lockdowns, public land closures, and losses big and small. Yet, this crucible has also created space for self-reflection, realignment of values, and tremendous growth. Read more…

Film Screening: The Last Mountain - Mar 10

Join The Mountaineers for a screening of The Last Mountain, which tells the unforgettable story of climber Tom Ballard, 30, who disappeared on Nanga Parbat in 2019 – 24 years after his mother, legendary alpinist Alison Hargreaves, famously perished on K2. Read more…

How Not to Die in the Wild: A Podcast on The Mountaineers Ten Essentials

Podcaster Alison Young is a self-described female, middle-aged, titanium-reinforced solo hiker. Under her trail name “Blissful Hiker,” Alison hosts a podcast called Walking Distance, “a show for hikers, trekkers, trampers, and wanderers” with the premise that any place worth seeing can be reached by walking. On October 12, 2021, she released an episode titled How Not to Die in the Wild in which she spoke with Super Volunteer Steve McClure to discuss how he helped modernize and simplify The Ten Essentials for our ninth edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Read more…

Global Adventures | An Introduction to the Global Adventures Program


Since 1969, The Mountaineers has been sponsoring multi-day outdoor adventures around the world through our Global Adventures program. Our members have skied the slopes of Japan, backpacked across Chilean Patagonia, and trekked through the Alps. In the past five decades we’ve offered 233 separate trips, the hours of which tally up to a cumulative 90 years of non-stop action and adventure. Like many of our activities, the program’s beginnings are far more humble than the hustle-and-bustle we see today. Read more…

How To: Buy a Compass

We get a lot of questions about compasses - and rightfully so! They're important. Follow these tips to select the compass that’s best for your needs. We suggest that you have this page handy for reference when you go the store to purchase a compass. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Kathleen Neves

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

Top 5 Trip Reports - January 2022

Getting outside during the winter poses a special set of challenges, and checking road and trail conditions becomes even more important as snow and ice cover many of our destinations. Conditions in early January were especially dicey, with record-setting snowfall closing all four nearby mountain passes, high avalanche risk predicted in the Cascades and Olympics, and flood warnings in place across much of Western Washington. Read more…

Know Before You Go: Dehydration and Hypothermia

No one sets out on their outdoor adventure thinking that they will experience a medical emergency or an unplanned night out. Everyone thinks that it won’t happen to them. I’m here to share my story that it can happen, and it is our duty to be as prepared as we can be. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Cindy Hoover

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

Sign Up: Tacoma Basic Sea Kayaking Course

Sea Kayaking is fun! It offers camaraderie, calm, easy paddles, kayak surfing, marine life viewing on rocks and in caves, camping on islands, and playing in currents. Kayaking is anything you want it to be, and its great fun to paddle with friends. The Tacoma Mountaineers Basic Sea Kayaking Course is coming up soon. You want in? Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Amae Kurre

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

Youngest Finisher of the Bulger List: Nathan Longhurst climbs Washington’s 100 Highest Peaks at 21

At 21 years old, Nathan Longhurst has accomplished what most would consider an impossible feat – climbing Washington’s 100 highest mountains in just 94 days, a group of peaks also known as the Bulger List. Now the youngest finisher (and only the 82nd finisher since the list’s inception in 1980), Nathan undertook many of these climbs with Jason Hardrath, the recent holder of the Bulger List’s Fastest Known Time (FKT). Read more…

Seattle & Foothills Family Backpacking Courses - 2022

Are you a Seattle or Foothills parent interested in getting outside more with your kids? Join us for a family backpacking course! Backpacking with your kids in the backcountry can be a rewarding adventure for children and parents alike. Unplug, expose your kids to the joys of being outdoors, be together as a family, and watch your children mature into outdoor enthusiasts. Read more…

Finding Meaning in Tragedy: Creating the NIKO Foundation

It was a cold February night in 2018. Snowflakes pummeled the windshield as we drove down the empty highway, the darkness pierced only by our headlights. We were both silent on our way to Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass. Feelings of dread, horror, and hope flashed through my mind at lightning speed. I ran through every possible scenario as I tried to make sense of what might lie ahead. Read more…

Trail Talk | It Doesn’t Always Take a Village

Go to any online hiker forum and after unleashed dogs, playing music, and toting a gun on the trail, the topic of hiking solo is sure to conjure up some strong opinions. What’s particularly interesting is that so many of the folks who are adamantly against solo hiking insist that others shouldn’t hike alone, either. And while an unleashed dog, music on the trail, or an irresponsible gun owner may certainly have a negative impact on others, a solo hiker is not having an effect on anyone’s experience except their own. So why the passionate pleas for solo hikers to partner up? Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Sierra Kaplan-Nelson

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

Top 10 Mountaineers of Instagram: Inspiration for 2022

Photos have the power to transport us to a feeling. Often, we are brought back to a specific time, place, and emotion. Like the sunrise shot that reminds you of the pride, gratitude, and exhaustion of an early morning alpine scramble. Or the snapshot of frosted evergreens that takes you back to skiing on a crisp bluebird day. Sharing photos with others also gives them access to these small moments of magic we find in the outdoors. It can offer inspiration to the experienced outdoorsperson to take on a new feat, or reassurance to the novice that they can tackle it, too. Read more…

Backpackers' Pajama Parties are Back

Grab your Zoom pants and slippers, a favorite beverage, and some popcorn! Our 2022 Backpackers' Pajama Party series is back by popular demand, and we're excited about the lineup of stunning backpacking trips that will be presented this winter to feed your backpacking dreams! Read more…

Meany Lodge Open to Vaccinated Guests

We’re looking forward to getting back to a more “normal” season at Meany Lodge with overnight guests! Registration is open now. Read more…

Packing for a Backpacking Trip Requiring Air Travel

Travel by air to a backpacking destination requires some additional planning and organization, as well as awareness of the baggage restrictions of the countries you are visiting. In this article, you'll find information to help you prepare for your trip. Read more…

Mt. Baker Lodge Open to Vaccinated Guests

Baker Lodge is open and welcoming vaccinated guests this winter! Access world-class terrain for skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing just outside the front door. Read more…

Top 10 Trip Reports - November 2021

Getting outside during the colder months can be endlessly rewarding. Finding solace in natural areas, seeing familiar landscapes through new eyes, and shaking off the “I-can't-wait-for-winter-to-end" feeling are just a few of the perks.  Read more…