Outdoor Leadership

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Ted Miller, a volunteer leader with the Bellingham Branch who strives to provide a safe environment for students to learn from their mistakes. Read more…

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Patti Polinsky and Michael Montgomery! Meet these awesome volunteers whose hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills branch community. Read more…

How do industry trends affect, shape, and impact our programs at The Mountaineers? If this is a question that you've ever considered – and a conversation that you're interested in being a part of – we invite you to join The Mountaineers at this year's Wilderness Risk Management Conference in Portland, Oregon. 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…

On June 24, I will be leaving home - along with a group of three other Mountaineers sea kayakers - to paddle down the west coast of Vancouver Island. Our plan is to take three weeks, starting in Winter Harbor and ending in Tofino, paddling a distance of over 200 nautical miles of exposed and remote outer coastline.  As a part of our safety plan, we've included electronic signaling devices which we can use to call for emergency help. This blog describes the various options that I considered for our trip, an overview of what we decided to bring, and how we will use these devices throughout our journey.  Read more…

I am a proud trail running newbie! I first hit the trails in my street running shoes, carrying nothing but my car key. “No big deal,” I thought. “I’ve got this.” Then I watched my pace slow way down from my road pace and started debating whether the steep hills would kill me. “But I’m a runner, this shouldn’t be this hard!" Read more…

When is a group in the outdoors too big? Too small? The answer, of course, is subjective, and also depends on the place and the activity. The Mountaineers Outdoor Ethics Policy encourages leaders to choose a maximum party size based on seven important factors. Read more…

My arms ache. I’m terrified of heights and am gripping too tightly again. By the end of the day my fingers will be bloodied and my legs bruised. Often, my ego is too. Read more…

Alpine Ambassadors are a group of climbers looking to push their limits together, learn from the mentorship of guides and highly accomplished climbers, and mentor others. The group is comprised of leaders from all branches with climbing programs! These climbers will head to Squamish in July to refine their skills and be better situated to give back to their branches as a result.  Read more…

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Tom Harvey! Meet this awesome volunteer whose hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills branch community. Read more…

I joined The Mountaineers two years ago – I am new to the “wild” outdoors – with Basic Wilderness Skills (BWS) as my first course. Prior to that, I was having difficulty getting questions answered about what I should wear so I didn’t die of exposure. I came to Bremerton from arid desert climate, where a t-shirt and jeans are the accepted hiking attire. I needed someone to give me the low down on what the heck “hard shells and base layers” were. Susan Graham and the BWS team gave me the core tidbits I needed to do more.  Read more…

Name: Erwin Buske
Hometown: Fairwood, Washington
Member Since: 1995
Occupation: Erwin Buske Photography & Procurement Cost Analysis Consulting Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Jacob Wolniewicz, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who currently chairs the organization's largest committee ... Seattle Climbing! Read more…

The Equipment Manager plays an important role in the management and security of the Olympia Branch’s non-climbing equipment storage.  Read more…

As a part of their annual review process, members from each of The Mountaineers sea kayaking committees met in Tacoma on February 10 for the 2018 Sea Kayaking Summit. During this meeting, the group discussed a wide variety of topics, including ways to make The Mountaineers sea kayaking programs more accessible and consistent.  Read more…

The Professional Ski Instructors of America and the Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) is a national organization dedicated to teaching people how to ski and snowboard. I've had the opportunity to work closely with PSIA-AASI over the past several years to support and develop the Adaptive certification process here in the PNW, and in doing so, I’ve had the unique experience of writing learning outcomes through the lens of a volunteer. Read more…

Carolyn Burreson has been a member of The Mountaineers since 1982 and is the inspiration and force behind the Olympia Branch Potluck & Adventure Speaker Series, which she's coordinated for the last eleven years. We are grateful for all she's given to The Mountaineers! Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Jill Uthoff, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch whose favorite piece of gear is a trucker hat ... the more ridiculous, the better! Read more…

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Richard Bell! Meet this awesome volunteer whose hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills community. Read more…

It was my lowest moment as a Mountaineer, and I’ll never forget it. Evening was approaching on the first day of my Basic Winter Overnight at the old Snoqualmie property. I had done pretty well at ice-ax arrest, but I was cold, wet, and ready to head back to camp to get warm and dry. Then I saw it - my home for the night (an improperly staked 3-season backpacking tent) had collapsed under the 5" of heavy, wet snow that had fallen since morning. My gear was soaked in the puddles of standing water in the tent, and with night falling soon, there was no chance of drying out. I was mortified. Read more…

Self-assessment is  an approach instructors can use to maximize student learning and place students in the driver's seat for their own learning by using a checklist or scorecard.Metaphorically, a self-assessment tool can serve as a topo map for students to see where they are, where they're going, and how much further they have to go to achieve their learning goals.  Most importantly, it can stimulate extremely useful dialogue between instructors and students, especially when their assessments differ. Read more…

The Olympia Sea Kayaking Committee is launching our 2018 sea kayaking program with trip planning, instructor training, incident management training, Wednesday evening paddles, and a new group of sea kayak students. Join us for another season of fun on the water! Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Christine Grenier, a hike leader with the Kitsap Branch who offers other Mountaineers the chance to slow down, look around, and enjoy the scenery. Read more…

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Travis Prescott! Meet this awesome volunteer whose hard work is a huge asset to the Foothills community. Read more…

I’ve never had a mentor. Not the kind that you think of when you think of a traditional mentorship. Sure, lots of folks have lent a hand over the years, but I never had an arm around the shoulder, “Let me help you out,” period in my life.  Read more…

These days many Olympia Mountaineers know Mike Kretzler as a trip leader for hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing and a course chair for the Navigation program. What they might not realize is Mike's has a long leadership history with the chapter, including a term as Secretary and a term as Council Chair. Read more…

As The Mountaineers Membership & Communications Director, I spend a lot of time thinking about and interacting with the outdoor community. People are drawn to the outdoors by a sense of curiosity, but not everyone feels welcome in this space - either because of the actions of others or by the unwritten "rules" of who belongs in the outdoors. I'm here today to say: you belong here. 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…

More and more each year, The Mountaineers receives questions about how to make our programs more accessible to diverse communities. 1A’s Joshua Johnson explores this question is his podcast Get Out: Nurturing A Bond Between Black People And Nature. Read more…

A year ago, I had the notion to lead a group of Mountaineers sea kayakers on a difficult trip around the northwest corner of Vancouver Island. This is a classic trip because the launch point (Port Hardy) and the landing point (Coal Harbor) are separated by only 20 minutes of driving - and 100 miles of remote, beautiful coastline. It is a thru paddle with a very easy shuttle. But the paddling is mostly open coast, much of which is exposed to ocean swell with surf on the beaches. It's an advanced paddle and it takes two weeks. So, I wondered:  How will I find a group of capable and compatible kayakers? Read more…