People

“You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.”
- Dr. Suess, Oh The Places We’ll Go

Summer at The Mountaineers is the best! The kids are excited to be out of school and we’re able to take hiking trips in the middle of the week. In the last few weeks, we drove 14 youth to Heybrook Lookout with our Rock the Park (RTP) Mountain Workshop where we experienced an enjoyable day hike, talked about the history of the lookout, practiced our navigation skills, and we took a second RTP group to hike by Rattlesnake Lake and learn about the Cedar River Watershed.    Read more…

The hard truth is that public lands legislation is complicated, victories can be slow, and our public lands are chronically underfunded. The threats to these places are becoming increasingly urgent, and our ability to respond to issues – and thus create space for you to engage – is limited by staff capacity and funding. In order to provide more opportunities for outdoor recreationists to learn about and understand the issues facing our public lands and become an even stronger voice for threaten landscapes, we need to bring on a staff position focused on public lands advocacy and engagement. To make sure we not only keep our footing on this precarious ground, but also find ways to play offense and not just defense, we need your help.  Read more…

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

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

“We’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!” - Dr. Suess, Oh The Places We’ll Go

Dear Friends, 
 
We are going places! Our Explorers Program just came back from their annual 4-day climbing trip to Mazama; Mountain Workshops will be hiking in Snoqualmie Pass this week with Solid Ground as part of Rock the Park Program; and our summer camp field trips are coming and going every day, filling the program center with laughter, camp songs, and the smell of sunscreen.  Read more…

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

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

Since our founding in 1906, we have pushed the boundaries of what's possible. United by an appreciation for adventure and driven by a sense of purpose to give back, we've redefined limits, set new standards in outdoor education through volunteer-led courses and award-winning books, and fiercely defended the outdoor experience. Read more…

The breeze on my face contained the chill of an early spring day, sunny warmth trying to shaking off the last of winter. On this day, with the task at hand, the chill was welcome. I rested on a bleached log long stripped of bark, the waves filling my ears with swaying sound. A member of my Mountaineers group came into view along the water-line, his body bent as he dragged a line of buoys behind him. Smiling, I picked up my garbage sack and started looking for that piece of plastic I noticed earlier. Today was turning out to be a good day. Read more…

When longtime Mountaineers member John Waldhausen reflects back on his time as a basic alpine climbing student, he can’t help but smile. Memories of field trips with his Small Instruction Group (SIG) at Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and the Tooth come rushing back to him. As a working professional, John took the course hoping to learn to climb mountains safely in his limited spare time. By the time it ended, he’d made long-lasting connections with our community of adventurers - some that he continues to climb with nearly 10 years later.  Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Lonny Moore, a volunteer leader with the Kitsap Branch who loves to sing 80's medleys and wear Leader Yellow. Read more…

Every April, The Mountaineers hosts our Annual “Adventure with Purpose” Gala, a fundraising event that includes special guest speakers, dynamic programming, and a variety of live auction packages ranging from nature photography workshops to Everest Base Camp treks. This year, gala attendees had the opportunity to buy into a priceless trip up Mount Rainier with former lead climbing ranger and Mountaineers Books author, Mike Gauthier (who’s summited Washington’s famed mountain more than 180 times), and Mountaineers CEO, Tom Vogl. Read more…

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

Being a huge fan of stewardship and conservation, I’m super proud of the hard hat I earned as a stewardship volunteer with the Olympia Mountaineers. I first became interested in 2014 when Kathy Fox and Jim French approached me to help out on several local projects, and from there I was hooked. Read more…

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

Meet Foothills volunteer Christina Buckman. Christina was raised in Yakima and started hiking after her daughter went to college - and never stopped! She loves volunteering and is excited to be a part of our community.  Read more…

Our volunteer leaders are a big part of what makes the Olympia branch  such an inspiring, fun, and impactful community. Join us as we prepare to celebrate their hard work and our broader Olympia community at our annual banquet in October. At this banquet we will be honoring one Olympia volunteer with the Branch Service Award, to recognize their hard work and dedication. To help with this process, we ask our branch members to submit nominations for those they believe go above and beyond the call of duty and deserve this award! Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Karen Wallace, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who is inspired to get newer members out on the trail, encouraging them to become advocates for the outdoors! Read more…

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

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

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

On June 12, 2019, we celebrated the beginning of summer with a kick-off party in partnership with Mountaineering Club. More than 200 Mountaineers made their way to the ‘summit’ of the Graduate Hotel - the stunning rooftop bar with panoramic PNW views - to celebrate another great season of our favorite warm-weather activities. Read more…

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

Reading books had a direct and specific impact in my becoming an explorer. As a young black kid growing up in a working class family in a New York city housing project, I loved to read and was fortunate to have a library nearby. I spent my time reading books about the 19th century’s "age of discovery," and dreamed that one day I too might get "out there" and become an explorer. These books had a powerful influence on me, ultimately leading my dreams of exploration to come true. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Lisa Hayek, a hike and backpack leader with the Tacoma Branch who loves getting to know members with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. Read more…

Standing in Yosemite Valley, gazing up at the imposing profiles of El Cap and Half Dome, it’s impossible not to think of Warren Harding, Tom Frost, Jim Bridwell, or Royal Robbins—climbing legends whose stories you want to share with your climbing partners, your friends, your sons and daughters. By remembering the stories of those who came before, you provide a pathway for young and old alike to imagine what is possible in the future. Read more…

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

The Mountaineers values diversity – including persons with diverse abilities – in its programs. While we do not specialize in integrating persons with disabilities into our programs, we encourage people of all abilities to consider participating in Mountaineers programming. Read more…

The Mountaineers’ Kitsap Forest Theater is one-of-a-kind. Attendees take a winding, quarter-mile path through lush woodlands sprinkled with wild rhododendrons. At the trail’s end, almost as though designed by the forest itself, the theater rises from the greenery. Giant firs surround terraced seating, moss-covered bark forms theater wings, verdant ferns serve as footlights, and sunlight shines through the tree canopy to create spotlights. Read more…

The key to having fun in the backcountry is having the skills and knowledge to get home safely.

From knowing how to travel on glaciers or tie proper knots to building an emergency snow cave or trusting a cam, Mountaineers Books publish a wide range of instructional guide books that detail best practices, expert techniques, and safety tips for human-powered outdoor activities. Professional guides, outdoor educators, instructors, volunteers, and weekend warriors around the globe use our guidebooks to further develop and advance their outdoor skills. Read more…