People

For our member profile this month we spoke to Jan Deveny, a climber, skier, hiker, and retired Polic Chief, about why he joined The Mountaineers and how the community here has inspired him to give back.  Read more…

Everything accomplished by The Mountaineers as an organization can be credited to the efforts of our volunteers. Our courses, trips, youth programs, and advocacy efforts are fueled by the passion of people who are engaged because they want to be, not because they receive financial motivation. Each year we host a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to recognize these tireless individuals. Find out which volunteers were honored this year with the Branch Service awards and the organization-wide Leader of the Year and Mountaineers Service Award (there are other awards at the branch level that are not highlighted here but which show how our community can embrace those that contribute to it - at the bottom of this blog, we'd love to hear how different committees and branches choose to thank and recognize their other volunteers).  Read more…

For our member profile this month we spoke to Vik Sahney, a mountaineer, climber, skier, and VP of Strategy at REI, about who inspires him and why he volunteers with The Mountaineers. Read more…

The Mountaineers have been part of the Pacific Northwest since we were founded in 1906. We are pioneers and adventurers. 

Young and old, new and seasoned, passionate teachers and eager learners – the outdoors bring us together. The Pacific Northwest is our home. Read more…

fric·tion
/'frikSH(e)n/
The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another
slab
/slab/
A large, thick, flat piece of stone, concrete, or wood Read more…

For our member profile this month we spoke to Loni Uchytil, a climber, skier, and dental hygenist about who inspires her and why she volunteers with The Mountaineers. Read more…

For our member profile this month we spoke to Patrick Mullaney, a climber, skier, and Land Use Attorney about who inspires him and why he volunteers with The Mountaineers. Read more…

We're teaming up with AmazonSmile to support the mission of The Mountaineers - to get more people outside enjoying the lands and waters of our beautiful Pacific Northwest. Read more…

With great sadness we share the news of the passing of Lisa Berntsen, a beloved member of The Mountaineers community - a Mountaineer, Tacoma branch member, volunteer leader, and board member. Read more…

Members join our community for all sort of reasons. Some folks simply want to support our mission to get more people outside. Others are passionate about our commitment to bring outdoor experiences to young people through our youth programs. And many more join to learn specific skills or increase competencies to better enjoy their outdoor pursuits. Read more…

Ballots have been cast and the results are in! Your new at large board members are: Read more…

For our member profile this month we spoke with Isabel Suhr, a graduate of our MAC (Mountaineers Adventure Club), about who inspires her and why she volunteers.  Read more…

Those of us who work in the nonprofit sector believe what we do for a living supports a mission to make a difference in the world. In the nine years I’ve spent working in development for nonprofits, I’ve come to appreciate that it’s actually partnerships with donors that truly advance an organization’s vision to make the world a better place. Read more…

In the three years I’ve been with The Mountaineers, I’ve discovered our members live long and rich lives.  Read more…

Debbie Wick joined The Mountaineers in January 1984 and has been involved with us ever since, officially joining our Member Services team in 2001. After 14-years of dedicated service to our members, Debbie has decided to live more of her life in the great out-of-doors. She’s not yet ready to use the “r word” – retirement – but instead is choosing to see this as an extended vacation. Her last day with us was Friday, September 12. Read more…

Have you lost something lately? We all know the feeling, and it's the worst. Post about lost items in your Trip Reports on our Routes & Places so the next people heading to the area will know to keep an eye out. If you're heading to the Olympics soon, please consider this request from an outdoor adventurer in the Midwest.  Read more…

The need for the Ten Essentials is not apparent until something goes wrong. Maybe you're surprised by darkness, weather, or a slow partner, or an injury slows or prevents travel. Whatever happens, the lack of an Essential can result in death.  Read more…

It's been nearly a month since we launched our new website, and we remain incredibly energized by the community's support of our new home and the positive impact this will have on our organization. Read more…

The Mountaineers has hundreds of volunteers who make our programs possible, and thanks to super volunteers like Chris Chapin and Deling Ren, who both work for Microsoft, their volunteerism is going even further in the form of  cash donations to The Mountaineers from Microsoft's matching gift program. Read more…

The summer that I was three years old, my family went backpacking for three days, hiking three miles a day. At four years old, it was four days, four miles. You get the idea. This was part of my parents’ system for introducing us to the outdoors. Read more…

I was 13 when I climbed Boulder Peak in the Olympic Mountains by myself—and I guess you can say that I never stopped climbing after that. Read more…

Anyone walking by the Seattle Program Center on a sunny day would be hard-pressed to miss climbers ascending the trio of rock columns in the courtyard, one of which is aptly named Ohlson Peak, in recognition of a major donor to the basalt columns fundraising effort, John Ohlson. Read more…

Volunteers often spend 1-2 days a week training course participants in skills to ensure safe and responsible enjoyment of our natural world. Others also help coordinate and administer course offerings. This is the core of what defines us - The Mountaineers - as a community.  Read more…

It's 8pm on a rainy Monday night. The perfect time to be indoors for a Basic Navigation Workshop. A record 90 students have shown up to learn navigation skills from 34 volunteers. And overseeing it all is Peter Hendrickson, Navigation Committee Chair. Walking between tables, quietly observing and stopping to course correct a student, or provide words of encouragement, Hendrickson is in his element. Read more…

Attendees of our Leader Seminar will learn what it means to lead a Mountaineers hike or backpack, how to prepare and lead your participants in a safe and enjoyable outing, and how to handle some common on-trail leadership challenges, as well as how to post a hike or backpack and a post-trip activity report. This course will get you started towards becoming a trip leader for the Seattle and Foothills Branches. Read more…

At the end of 2013, we invited our members to participate in a membership survey. We wanted to find out about members’ impressions of our courses and activities, and their overall experiences with our organization. We compared these responses with survey data from 2011 to understand both how we’ve grown and changed, and where we still have opportunities to improve.  Read more…

During college I had the privilege to work as a Park Ranger in the North Cascades in the village of Stehekin. I had many adventures during my two seasons there, but the most memorable was a solo trek on the Company Creek/Devore Creek Loop. Read more…

Like your typical Mountaineers member, Bill Hecker counts alpine climbing, skiing and rock climbing among his favorite outdoor activities. But thanks to his exposure to the natural world, he also includes gardening and bird watching. Read more…