Courses & Activities

Has it happened to you? I was camping at 11,500 ft at Guitar Lake along the John Muir Trail on the last day of a 2013 backpacking trip with my 3 sons. The low overnight temperature was 32 degrees, and while I should have been comfortable in my 30 degree rated sleeping bag, even with all my clothes on, I was barely warm.  Read more…

As Mountaineers, many of us have spent the majority of our days roaming the hills, but haven't spent enough time on the waters of Puget Sound! On Sunday September 24, you're invited to try sailing without any prior experience, at just $45 for our members ($50 general public)! You can't find an experience like this anywhere else. 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…

At The Mountaineers, we love to hike! For members of our photography committee, we typically plan shorter, easier hikes to accomodate plenty of time to photograph nature. We took two hikes during the month of August 2017.  Read more…

Friction climbing, also known as slab climbing, is a type of rock climbing where the rock face is angled to less than vertical and offers little in the way of traditional hand and foot holds. Rock of this orientation is often called a ‘slab’. Friction climbing requires the liberal use of ‘smearing’ or ‘frictioning’ techniques, where the climber uses a combination of balance and footwork to ascend a rock face. Read more…

During the spring and early summer, the Seattle Branch Photography Committee held a calendar photo contest. The rules were simple: we invited Seattle Branch members to submit photos portraying an activity of one of the club’s committees (photography, climbing, hiking, backpacking, skiing, sailing, kayaking and scrambling), to include landscape and nature photography. Read more…

I heard the buzzing first. As we were placing our signatures back inside the summit canister, an unfamiliar noise tickled my eardrums. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I could see the hair on my partners’ heads rising to the sky as if to kiss an invisible balloon. I spun frantically searching for the source when it dawned on me: it was us. We were buzzing. Our ice axes and skis and the metal zipper pulls were vibrating in unison. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew it was time to move, and fast. Read more…

On March 8, 2017, Seattle Hike Leaders Kathy Biever and Julie Miller set out on the first of seven urban hikes to complete a circuit around Lake Washington. Their fun summer journey will be complete on September 6. Read more…

Team member names used with permission Read more…

Fjallraven, a new outdoor clothing and gear brand in the Northwest, and Canoe Ridge Vineyard, a Seattle-based winery, are anxious to meet Mountaineers, show you what they offer, and give you a big discount - all while you learn about Seattle parks that you've probably never heard of. Read more…

Occasionally, Mountaineers leaders are interested in leading a multi-day trip outside the Pacific Northwest. If you want to lead a backpacking trip to Hawaii, a volcano climb in Canada, a sea kayak trip in Mexico, or, perhaps even farther afield like a sailing trip in Greece, a climb in Peru, or a trek in the Dolomites, we have different ways to get involved. Read more…

Name: Barbara Retelle
Hometown: Originally from Tiburon, California, now in Maple Valley, Washington
Member Since: 2001
Occupation: Retired Read more…

Although my bookshelf overflows with well-thumbed copies of our where-to hiking guides, these stories and how-to titles have each offered me a different way of seeing the world. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Sherrie Trecker, a Climb Leader who knows how to delegate, wants to inspire more women's leadership, and always has a bag of gummies in her backpack. Read more…

A few years ago, I took a group of Nordic skiers to the Dolomites in Italy. One couple in my group was looking forward to celebrating a significant anniversary in Florence and Rome following our ski adventures. We had been in the Dolomiti for about 10 days and, on this day, had enjoyed a rigorous mountain ski. After lunch and a ski back to a side valley where our path crossed a road, the anniversary couple decided to take the rest of the day off and bus back to the hotel.  Read more…

A climber on rappel dislodged a piece of rock the size of a small computer or a VCR. It fell 10-15' and pinched one strand of the rappel rope against a thin ledge on the second to last rappel on the descent, severing it clean through. Read more…

The West Coast’s winter was wet and soggy. The forecast for the spring and summer is lingering snowpack, muddy trails … and bugs. Lots of bugs! Read more…

You don't always need to leave the city to get outside and enjoy the surroundings (while getting some exercise). Last weekend, a group of Mountaineers from the photography committee headed to Pike Place Market for a photo scavenger hunt. It was also an opportunity to check out the new section of the market shortly after it opened to the public. Read more…

A 94-year-old Northwest native, Fred Beckey is the quintessential “dirtbag” - the original in a breed of rebellious, fearless mountain climbers. Director Dave O’Leske spent 10 years shadowing Beckey throughout the world as chronicled those tales in DIRTBAG. We hope you'll join us for a special screenings September 9 or 16! Read more…

Olympia Branch members: we want your BEST - photos that is! We're hosting a photo contest and we can't wait to show off your great photography skills to our community. Follow the instructions below to submit photos in one of 8 categories to win recognition and eternal bragging rights. Read more…

Mary Metz, current title Senior Editor, is well into her thirty-first year at Mountaineers Books. She found picking only five books to be quite a challenge, so she’s glad that her predecessors already covered two of her all-time faves, Stehekin and A Field Guide to the Cascades and Olympics. And she cheats a little.* Read more…

Hometown: Seattle Washington
Member Since: 1970
Occupation: Retired Engineer
Favorite Things to Photograph: Mountain scenery Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Charlie Michel, a Sea Kayak Leader who can still hold his own with the young guns. Read more…

We end every staff meeting by sharing what we call "mission moments." These inspiring stories of when we get to witness our mission in action reflect the positive impact of our work on the outdoor community and bring us the warm fuzzies inside. As staff, we find these reminders invigorating, helping us understand the broad reach of our mission to help people get outside. Read more…

Want to get your kids out on the water this summer? Sign up for our new kayak program for kids aged 7-13. The program is designed with fun and water safety as the primary goals. Read more…

Are you looking to beat the crowds, and to get out on the trail when it’s a bit less busy? Do you have a flexible schedule mid-week? If so, you should consider a Mid-Week Hike! Read more…

Our Global Adventures Committee leads exciting trips around the world every year to help you get outside while playing and learning in a new place. Registration is now open now for a ski/walk adventure in the Italian Alps in the dramatic shadows of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. Join us! Read more…

After climbing for over 20 years in the Cascades, I have lived through a few incidents and near-misses. This is the story of how I almost died glissading down Aasgard Pass in the Enchantments. Read more…

Attendees of our Leader Seminar will learn what it means to lead a Mountaineers hike or backpack. We'll cover how to prepare and lead your participants in a safe and enjoyable outing and how to handle some common on-trail leadership challenges, as well as how to post a hike or backpack and a post-trip activity report. This seminar  will get you started toward becoming a certified trip leader for the Seattle or Foothills Branches. (this seminar can count toward certification for the other branches as well!) Read more…

This installment of Our Secret Rainier is technically a scramble as it has a portion that is off-trail. But it is a very easy scramble and most experienced hikers would be very comfortable on this route (so long as they had good route finding skills). The route goes by a lovely hidden lake and goes to the top of the Palisades where there are great views of The Big One. Along the way, one finds the mysterious Skull of Marcus.  Read more…