The Mountaineers
We share a lot of content through our blog! With a community of 14,000 Mountaineers participating in courses, trips, activities, and so much more all the time, plus a nonprofit publishing division creating 30-35 books a year, we have plenty to share. Here are our Top 10 most read blogs of 2019:
what are the ten essentials?
The Mountaineers formalized the Ten Essentials in 1974, when the iconic list debuted in the third edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. Today’s Mountaineers continue to use a similar list, as outlined in Freedom 9, to prepare for adventures. Learn more about the list, and what to bring on your next trip! (This was our most popular blog by more than double, due in part to the fact that it's included in every activity listing we share.)
2019 banff film festival world tour
Each year we bring the spirit of outdoor adventure and mountain culture to The Mountaineers. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour features the best mountain films this year, showcasing amazing film making talent from the world over to an audience that spans the globe. With three sold-out showings in Olympia, Seattle, and Tacoma serving more than 5,000 people, it's no surprise that this made the Top 10.
three of the best hikes on whidbey island
Guidebook Author Craig Romano is a PNW treasure. He's written over 20 books for Mountaineers Books, including tehe incredibly popular Urban Trails series. In this blog we highlight three of his favorite places to get out and stay local as featured in Urban Trails: Everett. We hear you loud and clear! You want more Craig Romano (and his excellent hiking tips!).
51 years of the mountaineers foundation
In November, we shared 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 wanted to explain the events that led to this and share our plan to defend our beloved organization and the wishes of our donors.
ten commandments for staying alive in avalanche terrain
In August 2018 we published the third edition of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, full of solid advice for anyone traveling on snow in winter. According to author Bruce Tremper, the trick to staying alive in avalanche terrain is to stay away from dangerous conditions - which is easier said than done. In this blog, excerpted from the book, Bruce shares his 10 Commandments of Low-Risk Travel.
tips for hiking the pacific crest trail
Mountaineers love to hike, and the PCT is a bucket list item for many. Whether you're planning a section hike or a thru hike, our experts are here to help. We asked the authors of our Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail guidebooks to give us their top tips to prepare for their respective sections of the trail in Southern California, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.
how to pick an altimeter
With altimeter technology increasingly incorporated into different pieces of equipment, we have to ask, "how reliable are they as tools for backcountry navigation?" Steve McClure, Mountaineers Board Member and Seattle Branch Navigation Committee member, has the know-how you need. Even though this blog is many years old, it remains one of our most read every season.
five steps to creating a bee haven
For National Pollinator Week (June 17-23, 2019, in case you didn't already have this on your calendar), we chatted with Dave Hunter and Jill Lightner, co-authors of Mason Bee Revolution. They shared five simple steps to take to help our local bees. And, based on the popularity of this post, we know our community is absolutely buzzing over these fuzzy little pollinators.
lessons learned: glissading into a 30-foot hole - aasgard pass
"One second I was enjoying a sunny glissade, the next I was dazed, wet, and cold - pinned under a waterfall below the snowpack." After climbing for over 20 years in the Cascades, Steve Smith had lived through a few incidents and near-misses. This is the story of how he almost died glissading down Aasgard Pass in the Enchantments.
diy gear room: From garage to city apartment
Last summer, Mountaineer Nate Brown and his fiancé moved from Olympia to Seattle. They were excited for the change, but did not anticipate the space problem their move would entail. Find out how they fixed their "gear problem" with creative gear room solutions in this blog, originally published in Mountaineer magazine.
Need some up-to-date reading material? Check out other blog posts, including our most recent posts.
