People

People

All posts

10 Essential Questions: Michele Ritala

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

10 Essential Questions: Meredith Trainor

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

10 Essential Questions: Bam Mendiola

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

Congratulations to our 2017 Volunteer Award recipients!

The Mountaineers has no shortage of outstanding volunteers. During the 2016-17 fiscal year, we had 2,613 individual volunteers support our programs. That means that over 20% of our total membership - or 1 in 5 members - actively volunteered last year in some capacity! Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Tom Eckhout

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Tom Eckhout, a volunteer leader with the Olympia Branch who cherishes every moment he has in the mountains. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Deborah Fisher

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

Friction Slabs Rope Cutting Ceremony

On Sunday, January 21, a group of 30 donors and volunteers gathered at the Seattle Program Center to celebrate the long overdue completion of the Friction Slabs project. The idea was born in 2012. Plans were drawn and funds were raised, however the process became much more of a lift than anyone could have anticipated. Fast forward six years, and we have (as far as we can tell) the only fabricated friction slab training structure in existence!  Read more…

Meet Your Olympia Enewsletter Editor

Meet Regina Robinson, your branch email editor for the last two years.  When she was recruited into the position, she thought, “No way, I don’t know how to do that!” She eventually agreed after some gentle persuasion and stated, “Okay, I will give it a try." She hasn’t looked back. She promises to keep doing it, "for as long as we will have her." Read more…

Olympia Branch Looking for Hike Leaders

Whether you're an active hike leader looking for new ways to get out,  an inactive hike leader who would like to become more active, or a member member who would like to become a hike leader, we need you! By leading hikes, you have an opportunity to develop your skills, go on the hikes you want at the pace you prefer - all while benefiting your club and meeting great new people! Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Jacob Lopilato

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

2017 Recap: A Year in Review

Volunteers are the lifeblood of The Mountaineers, and we get a clear view of their incredible impact when we dive into the numbers! Here is a look at our  collective impact over the past year. Read more…

Top 10 Inspirational Mountaineers of Instagram for 2018

At The Mountaineers, we hike, ski, climb, paddle, sail, snowshoe, and scramble. We capture and savor. Sharing our wild places is a legacy all adventurers share, and today it's easier than ever to honor our special places through social media. Instagram is an incredible place to find inspiration, meet new people, and connect with the world around us.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Kyle Breakey

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Kyle Breakey, a volunteer with the Bellingham Branch who sees a huge value in mentorship for leaders at The Mountaineers, both as a mentor and a mentee.  Read more…

2017 Leadership Conference: Recap, Survey Results, and Presentation Materials

The Mountaineers hosted our fourth annual Leadership Conference on Saturday, December 2 at the Seattle Program Center. It was an outstanding day of leadership development for our volunteers and community partners - thank you to everyone who was able to attend! Read more…

MountainLove | Andrew Monko & Roseanne Kahn

In each issue of Mountaineer magazine, we feature two lovebirds who met through The Mountaineers and share a passion of the outdoors. In this column, we talked to Andrew Monko & Roseanne Kahn. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Khrum Kashan

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

Leader Spotlight: Jerry Logan

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Jerry Logan, a volunteer with the Kitsap Branch who takes pride and joy in helping new climbers achieve summits they didn't think were possible! Read more…

Olympia Annual Banquet Recap 2017

The 2017 Annual Awards Banquet was attended by 130 Mountaineers and guests including Becca Polglase, Andy Bassett, and Jeff Bowman from The Mountaineers staff. Speaker Vik Sahney discussed the intersection of career and personal passions, sharing how he was able to move into a career with REI that mirrored his zeal for outdoor adventure and his personal values regarding sustainability and environmentalism. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Andrea Bedlington

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

Happy Thanksgiving

Cheers to Wild Places. To rugged, rocky, rain-soaked, sun-baked, out-of-the-way  places. To places we visit often. And places we’ll get to soon. Read more…

Two New Grants Help Build Skills and Confidence in Underserved Youth

We're thrilled to announce we've received two grants to help us use the power of the outdoor experience to transform the lives of underserved teen girls. The North Face Explore Fund awarded a $9,000 grant to our Mountain Workshops partnership with Young Women Empowered (Y-WE), and Sports 4 Life awarded a $5,000 grant to fund indoor and outdoor climbing activities for both Y-WE and Beacon Interagency's Climbing Challenge Series. Read more…

Happy Veterans Day

At The Mountaineers, we know the power of nature to restore our souls and inspire our spirits. We're proud of the service of our active-duty and veteran members and their efforts to preserve our own Freedom of the Hills for future generations. To celebrate Veteran's Day, we highlight a Mountaineer whose dedication helps our club and our country. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Rodica Manole

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Rodica Manole, a volunteer with the Everett Branch who encourages her fellow women to step into leadership roles because you’re more ready than you think you are. Read more…

An Ode to Volunteerism

In the process of writing a recent blog on committee volunteerism, I shared an email conversation with John Dunlap from the Olympia Branch about volunteering with The Mountaineers. John is a five year member who supports several committees, including Olympia’s Scrambling and Sea Kayaking Committees. When I asked John about his experience supporting committee work and volunteering with The Mountaineers, his response took me by surprise - in a very good way. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Dick Hayek

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

Foothills Leader Spotlight: Karen Wallace and Nancy Temkin

Our branch wants to give a big shout out to Karen Wallace and Nancy Temkin, two fairly new hike leaders who have really gone the extra mile during 2017 to bring beginner hikers out on the trail and instill a love of outdoor adventure. Your hard work is huge asset to the Foothills community. Thank You! Read more…

Remembering Tacoma Mountaineer Ben Miller

The Mountaineers lost a good friend and great person when Ben Miller passed away on June 12, 2017, following a 2+ year battle with brain cancer. Read more…

Vote Now! Board of Directors Election 2017

As a volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers continue to depend on initiative and leadership from our volunteers and we are humbled by the service provided by board and branch directors. Now is the time to vote for next year's leaders. As a member, your participation in our election process is valuable! Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Mark Cole

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

Leader Spotlight: Bill Borom

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Bill Borom, a 5-year leader whose involvement in a wide variety of club activities has continued to spark his sense of adventure and expand his pool of friends to adventure with! Read more…