Stuck Inside Youth Blog

Regardless of how old you are, you can’t deny that summer camp is a fun place to be. We get to play games, make friends, and explore beautiful parts of the Northwest. We work hard to make camp an inclusive, welcoming place, and we’re excited to expand that welcome to teens this summer!  Read more…

Reflecting back on the last year, it’s fair to say that it’s been one of the most challenging years in Mountaineers history. In March 2020, COVID-19 related shutdowns caused nearly every aspect of Mountaineers operations to grind to a halt. Our program centers and lodges had to close their doors, we were unable to ship books to retailers and parks, volunteers had to postpone or cancel courses, trips, and events, and youth programs were put on pause. In addition to severely impacting our mission delivery, these program closures created a financial crisis that threatened our very existence. Without taking immediate and aggressive actions, we ran the risk of running out of operational cash reserves by the end of May.  Read more…

Hi, it's me - your social life! I know I haven't been around much this past year. I promise that it's not you, it's me. But, I have good news! The Mountaineers is hosting their annual fundraising gala and I am inviting you to dust off your cocktail-wear and enjoy some (virtual) time with your friends before the event streams live on Thursday, April 29. Gather your friends and look forward to some socializing at a Mountaineers Pod Social! Read more…

“Friluftsliv” is the Scandinavian word for the joys of open-air living, and few capture the heart of this spirit better than longtime Mountaineer and local alpine ski historian Lowell Skoog.  Read more…

"Look there!" Danielle pointed across the marsh to the west, her binoculars just below her eyes.

"What do you see?" John quickly lifted his binoculars. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Gretchen Ta, the Chair Elect for the Kitsap Branch Council, and Kitsap First Aid and Conservation & Stewardship Committee Chair. Gretchen also serves as a Volunteer Leader for the Kitsap Branch Climbing Program!  Read more…

The night before our snowshoe trip to Mount Rainier, I was a tad nervous reading the weather forecasts. I had been diligently reading them for a week prior, because a winter storm advisory was in effect. In addition, the avalanche danger had increased with all the new snow and slight warming trend. The next day, the expected weather forecast stated we were in for 90% precipitation, rain at lower elevations and snow higher. I was uneasy, and kept hoping that the road to Paradise would be closed. My backup plan for our adventure was to stay low and safe with a short snowshoe around Longmire. Read more…

Join us to hear stories from Mountaineers Book Author, Triple Crown hiker, and a man who National Geographic dubbed “the dean of America’s long-distance trails," Barney Scout Mann.  Read more…

This month, the Foothills Mountaineers would like to recognize the contributions of Luis Zuniga! Luis is a new Mountaineer who, with his wife Karla, has developed a passion for the outdoors and all things Mountaineers. He quickly became a Foothills hike leader, is already seeking his backpack leader badge, and has volunteered to be a mentor for the Backpacking Building Blocks course. We're thrilled to have Luis on the Foothills volunteer team! Read more…

The Banff Mountain Film Festival has been a part of the fabric of the Olympia Branch for over 20 years. This multi-night event brings Mountaineers and the local community together to immerse themselves in the best adventure and environmental films from around the world. The Banff Film Festival is not only a significant source of revenue for the Olympia Branch, but it provides the Olympia Mountaineers with a venue for promoting our classes, programs, and activities. We will soon meet again on those cold December evenings, but until then please join us for the Banff Mountain Film Festival Virtual World Tour. Read more…

It’s impossible to imagine The Mountaineers without our incredible team of volunteers, who generously donate their time and talent in support of our community of outdoor adventurers. Each year, we honor a few of these dedicated volunteers who went above and beyond by recognizing them with an organization-wide volunteer award. Though the last year has been mired with unprecedented challenges, these individuals found meaningful ways for our community to stay connected to each other and the outdoors while we rode out the storm. This spring, we’re excited to celebrate the inspiring creativity and leadership of our 2020 volunteer award winners at our upcoming virtual gala on Thursday, April 29. Read more…

Looking for a new film to get stoked on? Enjoy the newly-released Super Frenchie, providing an intimate look at the life of professional skier and BASE jumper Matthias Giraud - who stops at nothing to pursue his passion for adventure. Read more…

Sometimes a story asks to be told. As part of my role as Assistant Director of Development, I have the privilege of connecting with members to learn how Mountaineers philanthropy has positively impacted their lives. In last fall’s #GivingTuesday scholarship fundraising effort we introduced 18 year-old scholarship recipient Lily Walker, a five-year member of our year-round teen program, the Tacoma Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC). Read more…

While traveling solo to remote and wild places, I had been in some dicey situations. The risks were real, but I knew of no one else interested in exploring the nether regions of wilderness, nor the Himalayan front range from east to west, nor the ancient trade routes that connect Tibet to India through massive ranges, passes that cut deep, from north to south where borders often go unmarked – and so I had gone alone. Read more…

Everybody poops... but not everyone knows how to poop in the wilderness in an environmentally friendly way. The Mountaineers are addressing this challenge with a new course launching April 1, 2021, just in time for summer: Wilderness Pooping.   Read more…

Escape. Flee. Run away. Most likely derived from the 1500s Middle Dutch word lopen, the meaning of the word elope has shifted over time. From its origins describing a simple, non-romantic escape, elope morphed to mean a scandalous affair wherein a married woman ran off with her lover. The affair disappeared, but the scandal remained, when eloping changed once again to mean a secret marriage without parental consent. Read more…

The Mountaineers made a commitment to reduce our organization’s carbon footprint as part of Vision 2022. In the Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee’s last blog post, we discussed transportation and a few ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. In this blog, we dive deeper into electric vehicles (EVs). Read more…

The last patch of shade disappears in a wavering blue line, distorted by the heat. I sit on the scorching sand in exasperation. We are still five miles from the car, and I feel like garbage. I’m dizzy, a bit nauseous, and have a headache. After a year of hiking in the Northwest, I’ve forgotten about the unrelenting desert sun and my 2.5 liters of water was not nearly enough... I am dehydrated, and badly. Read more…

We’ve all experienced a moment of true fear. Your fingers grow cold and your stomach drops. Time slows while your mind and body prime to react, and all you can think is, “This is actually happening.” 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…

This summer, I interned with The Mountaineers Mountain Workshop youth program. It taught me a lot about what it means to help a community. Getting people outdoors — especially those who don’t usually have the opportunity — can make all the difference in their day, week and even life. Read more…

You may remember we shared an update in November 2019 and in a letter mailed in February 2020 about Keta Legacy Foundation pursuing litigation against The Mountaineers, challenging the ongoing use of our own name, which we’ve used continuously since 1906. Today, I’m writing to share an important update about our efforts to resolve this dispute in a constructive and amicable way, while protecting our donors, our name, and our community.  Read more…

The Mountaineers Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee is excited to announce a Climate Change Speaker Series to help our community learn more about the climate crisis. Climate change is an issue that’s on many people’s minds, but it can be overwhelming. In this series, you’ll learn from Mountaineers members and authors about our current climate reality, new science about thawing permafrost, and how climate change will affect the local PNW landscapes we love. Read more…

Last year, the outdoor community celebrated the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the most significant federal conservation funding bill in decades. This historic victory was the result of years of work by The Mountaineers and many of our partners in the conservation and recreation community.  Read more…

The COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted everyone equally. Communities of color have been disproportionately affected at all levels, and in the past year, anti-Asian violence has been on the rise throughout our cities, region, and country. This week, eight people were murdered by a racially-motivated white gunman. Six of the victims were Asian women. Read more…

Teaching kayak self-rescue on a bleary Northwest day. Practicing crevasse rescue with a “fallen climber” twice your size. Encountering surprise sleet and snow on a backpacking trip. Of the many challenging situations they encounter, navigating federal permitting processes is one of the few that make our volunteer leaders groan. Read more…

One of my first jaunts into the alpine was blindly following friends to the summit of Kaleetan Peak. As we climbed, rocks whizzed passed me, kicked off by my friends above. On the descent, my roommate slipped on a slick patch and was nearly swept down a steep chute that dropped a hundred feet below. Read more…

With summer around the corner, it’s time to train for upcoming outdoor goals. In this edition of Peak Performance, I hope to help you assess the components of your alpine sport, and describe how to put together a safe, suitable, and personalized training program. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Deloa Dalby, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who helped launch the Trailhead Ambassadors program in partnership with the Mountains to Sound Greenway earlier this spring! Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Laurel Geisbush, a volunteer leader with the Everett Branch who encourages aspiring leaders to ask other leaders  questions about their experiences, listen deeply, and learn from them. Read more…