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Conservation 101: Stewardship

The practice of stewardship brings Mountaineers together from across branches and activities to care for our natural places. By working together to restore and maintain trails, pick up trash, and remove invasive species, we help ensure healthy landscapes that thrive for future generations. Read more…

Remembering Mountaineer Steve Biem

With great sadness we share the news of the passing of Steve Biem, a cherished member of our Seattle Branch climbing community and beloved father. He succumbed to high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) at Camp II on Ama Dablam this morning, after summiting with a team yesterday afternoon. Read more…

Mountaineers Sells Historic Snoqualmie Pass Property

The Mountaineers has closed on the sale of its historic Snoqualmie Pass property. The former site of the Snoqualmie Lodge has been sold to Boyne Properties, which manages the Summit at Snoqualmie. The agreement allows the ski area to connect Summit West and Summit Central, while also allowing for a potential easement for the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Read more…

March 2022 Safety Committee Update

In The Mountaineers, we pride ourselves on a high standard of safety while exploring the lands and waters of Washington. To maintain this standard we regularly review our safety standards and any incidents that occur so that we might learn from them. Read more…

How To: Screening Participants for Safety

Our leaders often ask about the “best” ways to screen participants in advance of their trips. We want to be inclusive of our whole community - half the fun of a Mountaineers trip is the opportunity to meet new people! - but as leaders, we also have an obligation to keep the group safe. Not every member is suited for every trip!  Read more…

How To: Deal With A Smash and Grab

On Monday, February 11, a quick jaunt to a local park in the Issaquah Alps to enjoy the fresh snow on skis had a less-than-happy ending. The snow itself was delightfully powdery, and the skiing was memorable and fun! But when the fun ended, we came back to a smashed car window, with items stolen from the vehicle, and yet another nasty surprise awaiting us: our home had been burglarized as well. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Atsuko Yamaguchi

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Atsuko Yamaguchi, a volunteer leader with the Everett Branch who encourages all group members to be active participants! Read more…

Top 10 Mountaineers of Instagram: Inspiration for 2020

Now more than ever, outdoor enthusiasts can learn about great places to play through social media. Finding new trails, discovering new paddles, and reaching new summits is easier than ever you connect with a community celebrating adventure through photos, videos, and stories on Instagram. Because we think the outdoors are worth sharing, we've picked a few Mountaineers whose Instagrams might just inspire you to get outside in the new year.  Read more…

CEO Update: State of the Organization Recap

Reflecting back on the last year, it’s fair to say that it’s been one of the most challenging years in Mountaineers history. In March 2020, COVID-19 related shutdowns caused nearly every aspect of Mountaineers operations to grind to a halt. Our program centers and lodges had to close their doors, we were unable to ship books to retailers and parks, volunteers had to postpone or cancel courses, trips, and events, and youth programs were put on pause. In addition to severely impacting our mission delivery, these program closures created a financial crisis that threatened our very existence. Without taking immediate and aggressive actions, we ran the risk of running out of operational cash reserves by the end of May.  Read more…

Introducing New Mountaineers Merchandise

Are you ready for more time outdoors? We sure are. Just in time for spring, we're thrilled to launch our new line of Mountaineers logo merchandise, now available in our bookstore and online. Show off your love for The Mountaineers with official Mountaineers gear! Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Hannah Tennent

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

51 Years of The Mountaineers Foundation

It is a sad moment in the history of The Mountaineers. With a heavy heart, we learned that the foundation we created more than 50 years ago has filed a lawsuit against The Mountaineers. We want to explain the events that led to this and share our plan to defend our beloved organization and the wishes of our donors. Read more…

Mountaineers Climbing Education - a community perspective

The Mountaineers is embarking on a project we're calling Progressive Climbing Education - an initiative to re-think our program design to better meet the needs of the climbing community and better achieve our mission. The first step is an intensive information-seeking process to find out what's working and what needs to change. We sent a survey to the broader climbing community and received more than 200 thoughtful responses. Read more…

Speaking Up Regarding the Incident in Forks

On June 3, 2020, a multiracial family was harassed, intimidated, and trapped by intentionally felled logs over the road in a public forest camping area near Forks. Fortunately, other local residents and high school-age youth were in the area and had tools to clear the road, and sheriff deputies escorted the family safely back to the highway.  Read more…

How To: Poop in the Outdoors

I am confident that you and I have at least two things in common: 1) we both set aside time to explore the outdoors, and 2) at some point during these adventures we will both experience the discomfort of knowing we have to go number two. Even if you don't, you will inevitably be reminded of this basic human function by the sight of toilet paper discarded uncomfortably close to trails and water sources. By the amount of TP I have seen recently on Washington’s trails, it seems even the most avid outdoor enthusiasts may not know how to handle nature’s calling. Read more…

Remembering Mountaineer Scott Shafer

We are devastated to share that Scott Shafer has passed away. He was a widely beloved and respected member of The Mountaineers community as a climb leader, SIG leader, Super Volunteer, teacher, mentor, climbing partner, and friend to many during his 26-years as a Mountaineers member. He passed away on June 26, 2023, after a four month battle with cancer. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Bruce Durham

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Bruce Durham, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch who has ramped-up his paddling during the pandemic. He eventually hopes to lead a series of day trips - 22 of them! - originating at Budd Inlet near Olympia, paddling north through Puget Sound to the Straight of Juan de Fuca, then going west out to Cape Flattery and around to Hobuck Beach. It  will be a 229nm adventure. Read more…

Corporate Endowment Creates Innovative "Alpine SCUBA" Program

Hundreds of people hike up the stunning peaks of the Cascade Mountain range and visit the Pacific Northwest's gorgeous alpine lakes each weekend. But only recently have innovative pioneers begun exploring what was under the surface of those hiking destinations! The Mountaineers Alpine SCUBA diving program now makes that possible for everyone!  Read more…

Lessons Learned – Spring Avalanche on Colchuck NBC

With the recent stint of sun and warm spring conditions has come the annual cycle of wet avalanches in the Cascades. Mountaineers Sherrie Trecker and Nicole Cederblom were on a private climb and shared this close call with us. The two were roping up to begin an attempt on the North Buttress Couloir route on Colchuck Peak on May 24, 2018, when the lower half of their descent route was consumed in a massive wet avalanche. Read more…

Former Mountaineers Snoqualmie Lodge property to be sold

At the January 2015 meeting, the Mountaineers Board of Directors announced its decision to seek a buyer for the 77-acre property that was once the site of the historic Snoqualmie Lodge. Read more…

The Best Plus Size Outdoor Apparel

When it comes to plus sizes, finding good gear has historically been nearly impossible. Finding it at affordable prices or second hand is even more difficult because it just doesn't exist in the same quantities as straight size gear (XS-XL). That, in addition to the "fat tax" that many companies add on to their plus lines, makes gear even less accessible. Read more…

Tech Update 3.2 - Alerts & Notifications, Pre-order Books, Course Management

It's been almost a year since our last technology update, but we've been busy adding new features and improvements. Read on to learn about the latest and greatest on The Mountaineers website and other systems. Read more…

Remembering Mountaineer Tab Wilkins

We're shocked and saddened to share the news that Tab Wilkins, former Board President, Peak Society member, activity leader, and 19-year member, has passed away. He was skiing in the Blackcomb backcountry when he fell. Even though he was wearing proper safety equipment, he did not survive. He was 59 years old. Read more…

30 in 30: Climbing Mailbox Peak 30 Times in 30 Days

Gaining 4,000 feet of vertical elevation in only 2.5 miles, Mailbox Peak definitely stands out among the more challenging hikes of the PNW. I am a regular in a crew of Mailbox enthusiasts who have visited the mountain hundreds of times over the past several years. In that time, I've witnessed droves of hikers suffer through great pains to reach the top. I've watched them rejoice as the summit first came into their view, and their eyes light up as they took their first picture next to the iconic mailbox. It has been an honor and a privilege to share in their experiences. For me, there would be no other mountain more fitting for my endeavor.  Read more…

Enhanced Trip Navigation Resources

Climbers, scramblers, hikers, snowshoers are all keen to find good beta for the next adventure. Sometimes a simple, downloadable map customized for the trail or route is enough. Other times we want tracks to follow when traveling in questionable terrain. There is no shortage of private and public collections of maps and tracks online, but we want to make these materials more accessible to you. Read more…

How To: Sharing Trip Reports

Sharing your travel adventures with others in a Trip Report is helpful in many ways. Trip reports can be a useful tool to share current trail conditions or noteworthy changes to a route/place, and they're a fun and creative way to share your unique experiences in the wilderness!  Read more…

DIY Gear Room: From Garage to City Apartment

Last summer, my fiancé and I moved from Olympia to Seattle. We were excited for the change, but did not anticipate the space problem our move would entail: due to the much higher rent prices, our new city apartment was about a third of the size of our Olympia house. Read more…

Public Land Closures and Reopenings During COVID-19

We’re excited that public lands are beginning to reopen for recreation. While we’re all eager to get back to our favorite places, it’s critically important that we recreate responsibly to keep lands open for use. This is not a return to normal: COVID-19 is very much still a public health threat and we all need to make extra efforts to keep each other safe and public lands open. Please see our How To: Recreate Responsibly blog and  visit our COVID-19 blog and response page for more information. Read more…

Cutthroat Peak: Hit By A Large Rock At High Velocity

As Mountaineers, we are committed to learning from our experiences. We examine every incident that happens on a Mountaineers trip for opportunities to improve the ways we explore and teach. Our volunteer safety committee reviews every incident report and picks a few each month to share as examples of ‘Lessons Learned’. The trip report below describes what happened on this trip, in the leader’s own words, and outlines the lessons the leader has identified. In some cases, we offer additional key learnings from the incident. Read more…

Sexism in the outdoors

Every Mountaineer is well-meaning. Every volunteer cares about the experiences of their students and participants. But let's look at some statements that women occasionally hear while out on the trails: Read more…