Outdoor Leadership

Outdoor Leadership

All posts

How to Get Involved as an Instructor

The Mountaineers has a long history of volunteer instructors sharing their knowledge and teaching the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists. Volunteer instructors take on a fundamental role in our organization by supporting, leading, and instructing our hundreds of monthly courses. As a volunteer-led organization, volunteer instructors are instrumental in carrying out our mission and upholding our core values. Read more…

Save the Date! Foundations of Leadership & Instruction (in-person course) - Dec 3

Historically, The Mountaineers Leadership Conference has been a one-day conference of leadership development for our community of outstanding volunteers. This year, the Leadership Conference will take on a new format and name, but the heart of this one-day professional development event and opportunity to collaborate across branches will remain.  Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Karina Vanderbilt

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

How To Get Involved as a Volunteer

The Mountaineers began as a volunteer organization, and 116 years later we are still largely run by volunteers, with a small staff supporting administrative tasks. Whether your interests are in teaching, leading trips, helping at events, supporting stewardship efforts, or serving on a committee that orchestrates such activities, we have opportunities for you to pitch in and make a difference!  Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Hannah Karbarz

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

New Courses: Foundations of Leadership, Foundations of Instruction

Over the past year, two new courses have been developed by staff and select volunteer leaders to help set the benchmark for outdoor leadership training at The Mountaineers. These courses are the Foundations of Leadership and the Foundations of Instruction eLearning courses. They were designed for our current and future volunteer trip leaders and instructors, with the goal of fostering diverse and passionate connections throughout The Mountaineers.  Read more…

Impact Giving | Q&A with Diann Sheldon

Diann Sheldon has been a friend and faithful supporter of The Mountaineers for more than 10 years, where she has found deep joy in experiencing nature with others. In 2012 Diann mustered the confidence to start her own guiding business, Discover Nature, where she leads hikes to help others connect with nature in Mt. Rainier National Park.  Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Josh Taylor

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

2021-2022 Leadership Development Series - It's a Wrap!

After an exciting seven months, The Mountaineers wrapped up our fourth year of our Leadership Development Series this May. It was another year of  high-quality, continuing education opportunities for our volunteer leaders. Thank you to all participants and presenters that joined us this past season! We are already excited for the next season of Leadership Development Series starting in October 2023. Read more…

Update Your Volunteer Profile

As a 15,000 person community, our membership has a wide variety of skills, talents, and volunteer interests. But as a large and decentralized organization, one challenge we face is connecting interested volunteers with our many different volunteer opportunities. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Meredith Mosman

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Meredith Mosman, a climbing, backcountry ski, and avalanche education volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch. Meredith strives to constantly learn from fellow leaders and advises aspiring leaders to always look for opportunities to grow.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Alyssa Opland

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Alyssa Opland, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch who focuses on inclusive leadership in her climbing programs by asking questions and seeking input. She encourages prospective volunteers to get connected with mentors!  Read more…

Equity & Inclusion: April 2022 Town Hall Recap

Nearly five years ago, The Mountaineers announced our new equity and inclusion programs, including our Equity & Inclusion committee. This work stems from our core belief that a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love, and our vision to create an outdoor community where all people feel belonging. Read more…

2021-2022 Leadership Development Series: Upcoming Events

It's been a busy six months for our Leadership Development Series! We hosted over 35 high-quality, continuing education remote seminars for over 500 volunteer leaders from October 2021 through April 2022, and it's not done yet. We're excited to highlight five more upcoming sessions as we wrap up our 2021-2022 Leadership Development Series. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: SuJ'n Chon

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to SuJ'n Chon a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who has volunteered with the Equity & Inclusion Committee and overcame her fear of heights through the Basic Alpine Scrambling Course.  Read more…

Impact Giving | Our Most Valuable Resource: How Donations Support Volunteers

On any given weekend, you can find hundreds of people enjoying local parks, forests, waterways, and more under the leadership of a Mountaineers volunteer. Last year, we had an average of 11 Mountaineers activities every day. 2,300 volunteers donated more than 200,000 hours of service in 2021 to connect people with safe and meaningful outdoor experiences. The Mountaineers has an administrative staff of just 25 people to support programs; this kind of impact simply would not be possible without our extensive network of volunteer leaders, instructors, lodge hosts, and committee members.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Peter Tran

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Peter Tran, current Climbing Chair with the Foothills Branch. Peter is the 2021 Mountaineers Service Award recipient and favors the chipotle breakfast burrito from Safeway as his go-to trail snack. Read more…

Mountaineers Programming and the Coronavirus

On February 28, 2020, the Center for Disease Control announced the likelihood that coronavirus (COVID-19) would spread in US communities. Since then, The Mountaineers  has been carefully tracking the recommendations of public health agencies, and our hearts go out to those who have been affected. The health and safety of our community is our top priority and we will diligently implement recommended actions while doing everything we can to sustain our mission and operations. We will continue to update this blog as the situation develops. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Brynne Koscianski

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Brynne Koscianski, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who serves on the Finance Committee and as a Director At Large on The Mountaineers Board.  Read more…

Outside Insights | Breaking Every Halo with Katja Hurt

Following the climbing death of a close friend on a non-Mountaineers climb in 2018, Katjarina (Katja) Hurt and a group of climbers came together to uncover the thinking errors that culminated in their friend’s death. Their work led Katja to create Breaking the Halo: Empowering Students in Outdoor Education, a course in understanding how leaders’ decisions often go unquestioned due to their expert status, also referred to as the “halo effect.” Read more…

Virtual 2021 Volunteer Appreciation Night - Jan 21

Volunteers are the heart and soul of The Mountaineers. To acknowledge their immense service to our organization,  we are hosting an hour-long virtual Volunteer Appreciation Night this year on Friday, January 21. Registration is open to volunteers from all branches. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Joel Guay

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Joel Guay, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch. He is a Sea Kayak leader whose volunteer leadership evolved from solely showing up for activities to helping out. Read more…

Olympia Branch Leadership Awards 2021

The Olympia Branch has a rich history of developing outstanding leaders. This year, our leaders faced the challenges of 2020 and continued to teach and inspire our membership. Congratulations to the recipients of Olympia Branch Leadership Awards. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Randy Oakley

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Randy Oakley. He's a backcountry skiing and trail running  volunteer leader with the Foothills and Seattle Branch, who welcomes constructive feedback and emphasizes engaging team members.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Takeo Kuraishi

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Takeo Kuraishi, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who serves on the Climbing Committee for  the Foothills and Seattle branch. Takeo is also one of our newly elected Board Directors from the 2021 Board & Branch elections! Read more…

Join us for a Leadership Development Series Seminar

The Mountaineers is committed to leading innovation in outdoor education. A key component of this commitment is investing in our volunteer leaders, the heart and soul of our vibrant organization. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Larry Walker

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Larry Walker, a volunteer leader who discovered alpine hiking later in life. He serves in the Safety, Kitsap Branch's Alpine Scrambling and Climbing Program, and Tacoma Branch's Hiking & Backpacking Committees.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Molly Kirk

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Molly Kirk, a volunteer leader with the Everett Branch who strives to create a safe environment for all her Climbing and Nordic Skiing programs. She also serves on Everett's Alpine Scrambling Committee and Equity & Inclusion Working Group for The Mountaineers.  Read more…

What is Leader's Permission?

Mountaineers activities are led by volunteers giving their time to get other people into the outdoors safely. Due to the potentially hazardous nature of our activities, some of our leaders choose to require their permission - Leader’s Permission - to register. The process to obtain leader’s permission is not prescribed, and is up to the leader to manage on a trip-by-trip basis. Leader's Permission can be a critical tool for ensuring a successful trip, but good communication is key to avoiding frustration. We hope the guidance below will help set expectations and illustrate best practices for both leaders and participants. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Alan Kearney

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Alan Kearney, a volunteer leader with the Bellingham Branch who has been leading climbs for decades. He attributes Mountaineers climbs and family climbing trips, his mother and father were Mazamas members, in shaping who he is today  and influencing his life greatly. Read more…