Hiking & Backpacking

Photojournalist, adventurer, and author Erika Klimecky has traveled to Nepal several times on various adventures, which has given her a unique window into the country of Nepal and its people. Her photo tour will combine storytelling, imagery and culture of Himalaya and Nepal, giving you enough inside knowledge so you can plan a trip of your own and appreciate it more when you get there. Read more…

Many current Mountaineers had their start as kids when their parents got them out into the backcountry and taught them the skills and resilience to enjoy the outdoor world. Be a part of continuing this legacy with your own kids, by taking the Backpacking with Kids Course. 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…

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

The organizing meeting of the New Tacoma Singles Activities Committee was a great success. Seventeen enthusiastic people joined to enjoy a potluck meal and good fellowship, and begin planning the structure and activities for this new committee. Dick Hayek and Darin Stavish were chosen as Co-Chairs, and an Executive Committee was selected consisting of Dick and Darin, Michael Bjornberg, Katie Cornejo, and Sabrina O'Donnell.  Read more…

How often do you have an opportunity to be a part of an exciting innovation? Join us at the Tacoma Mountaineers Program Center at 1pm on Sunday, January 14, to help organize a new Tacoma Mountaineers Singles Activities Committee! Read more…

Mountaineers Books, in partnership with  Seward Park Audubon Center and  The Trail Posse, presents J.R. Harris' Way Out There: Adventurers of a Wilderness Trekker talk and book signing at Third Place Books - Seward Park in Seattle on Wednesday, November 29 from 7-8pm.  The talk is free and open to the public.  Read more…

Among the most exciting travel destinations in South America, Peru boasts a wealth of trekking opportunities from the Amazonian jungle to glaciated mountain ranges, from remote villages to ancient ruins, and much more. Join Mountaineers Books’ on November 16 for a live webisode exploring this "Last Inca Bridge". Featuring Robert & Daisy Kunstaetter, travel writers and adventurous ex-pats who co-authored the new book, "Trekking Peru: A Traveler’s Guide", learn about the wealth of trekking opportunities in Peru. 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…

My own Mountaineers leadership story started with a search for trail companions. I was seeking a compatible group on the types of hikes and backpacks that interested me. Then, one day, I took a new arrival from China on his first hike, and I saw the joy and wonder blossom on his face when Mount Rainier emerged in all her glory behind a ridge covered with meadow wildflowers. That was it, I was hooked. 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…

Did you know that The Mountaineers club didn’t have a paid employee until 1984? Tired of all of the paperwork, the growing organization hired a part-time administrator to help with waivers and dues so that volunteers could focus on the fun stuff: developing courses, providing instruction, leading trips, and running committees. Read more…

Are you new to the Pacific Northwest and to giving hiking/backpacking a try for the first time? If you're not sure where to go, how to find compatible people to go with, what gear you need, or how to do it safely, join us on Monday, October 16 for a free seminar. Read more…

The Mountaineers Walking the Wild Series celebrates extraordinary trekking and backpacking adventures by Mountaineers members with stories, photography, and information for other members to add those same experiences to their life list! Read more…

It was one of the rare late winter weeknights with a full moon and a clear sky, but I missed a turn. Our Seattle Stairway Walks hiking group was passing several back doors (or were they front doors?) going up many unintended Magnolia steps. This was not the Gaia route I had planned and followed the prior week. Nor was it the highlighted route on the map tucked in my trouser pocket, or the same Gaia route on my iPhone.  Read more…

My name is Lucy Grim and I am a Girl Scout finishing out my last cadette year. I have been working towards earning my Silver Award, the highest award a Girl Scout cadette can earn, for the last few months. For my project, I made a video on how to stay safe and have a successful hiking trip for groups hiking with kids. Read more…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Mountaineers Books has about 700 titles in print, and many of them are wonderful. This month Art Freeman, the publisher’s Chief Financial Officer, recommends five of his all-time favorite titles. Art is an avid skier, hiker, sailor, and climber, who has completed the Washington Bulger List of 100 highest mountains in the state. When he’s not playing outside, he has a book in his hands. Read more…

Backpacker Magazine, one of the pre-eminent adventure publications in the US, recently began to recognize hiking clubs across the country for excellence. In the May 2017 issue, The Mountaineers joined the ranks of their "best." Read more…

The Mountaineers are offering a variety of backpacking courses designed to kick start your spring and summer adventures. In addition to general courses, we have special-focus seminars as well as leadership opportunities. Classes are offered at a variety of locations and you’re welcome at any branch. Read more…

We go outside to find inspiration, and the experience is even richer when we can capture beautiful images of the places where we play. If you're looking to get outside and while taking your photography skills to the next level, check out these upcoming courses from our Photography Committee. Read more…

As longtime hikers and explorers who think a lot about trails in the Cascades, the article “Trails Loved to Death?” by Craig Romano in the November/December 2015 edition of Mountaineer magazine really got our attention.  Read more…

Did you know Seattle is home to more than 560 publicly accessible staircases wander throughout Seattle's gardens, district neighborhoods, and urban nooks and crannies? That's over 10,0000 hidden steps! The Mountaineers are hitting the streets to explore these steps with urban adventures this winter.  Read more…

This installment of Our Secret Rainier guides you to a monument and some amazing basalt columns in the national park. With extra effort, one can continue on to two scrambles in a remote part of the park.  Read more…