The Mountaineers
Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to...
Name: Roxanne Everett (she/her)
Hometown: I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. The Pacific Northwest has been my home for more than 40 years.
Member since: 1987
Occupation: Artist, retired from the outdoor industry.
Favorite activities: Backpacking, hiking, kayaking, and scrambling. I also have
enjoyed summiting 49 of the 50 state highpoints (lacking only Denali). Probably more important than the activity is simply the ability to get outside and enjoy being in a wilderness area.
10 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO THE MOUNTAINEERS?
After moving to Seattle, I found that it was hard to make the type of connections I wanted in order to get outside and explore this fantastic corner of the country. The Mountaineers introduced me to like-minded people who shared the same feelings, and wanted to hike and see more of the northwest. Through The Mountaineers, I was able to learn about new places, take a bunch of classes to improve my outdoor skills, make some new friends, and gain a ton of confidence to go at it alone.
What is your favorite Mountaineers memory?
That is a tough question! Building a snow cave? Watching non-habituated bears wander through a meadow near a campsite? Climbing an awesome peak? Being with a particularly fun group?
What does adventure mean to you?
Adventure often means spending time in a wilderness setting either alone or with a small group. The best adventures will likely have some unusual wildlife sightings, great scenery, maybe some new challenges, and good food at the end of the day. It is just as likely to be a hike in the woods as summiting a difficult peak.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO DONATE TO THE MOUntAINEERS?
I worked as a ranger for the National Park Service for many years. In my time as a Backcountry Ranger, I lived at remote ranger stations located above 10,000ft, backpacked my supplies in, and even worked with llamas. Those backcountry experiences left a huge impression with me.
During these years, I also saw plenty of people unprepared for the conditions they were in. Sadly, that sometimes meant the resource was inappropriately impacted because of their unpreparedness. The Mountaineers is a great organization for teaching people how to safely recreate outside while also being good stewards of our natural resources.
What impact do you hope to have in our community through your donations?
It is my hope that more people (both young and old) plus future generations will take the opportunity to fully and safely immerse themselves in wilderness settings and be truly transformed by them. It has been a life-altering experience for me and I hope that it will be for others as well.
Lightning Round
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset; it is hard to get me out of a warm sleeping bag in the morning
Smile or game face? Smile
What's your favorite close-to-home outdoor activity? A quiet solo hike in the woods where I rarely see anyone
What's your 11th Essential? My phone for pictures and emergency calls if needed but I almost always carry a small sketchbook on longer trips
If you could be adept at any outdoor activity overnight, what would it be? If I could be adept at another outdoor activity it would be ski mountaineering. Sigh, maybe in another life. This one has been pretty awesome though so I can’t complain too much.
