Youth & Family

Youth & Family

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Mountaineer of the Week: Audrey Looper

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

Adventure Awaits: Join Our 2025 After-School Climbing Program

Packed with climbing, bouldering, outdoor-inspired games, and creative activities, After-School is a blast for kids who love to move, learn, and make new friends. For two hours each week, kids will climb, play, and connect with other young adventurers at our Seattle Program Center. Tuesdays are open to youth ages 6-9 and Thursdays are open to youth ages 10-13.  Read more…

Make a Difference for Mountaineers Youth

One June day, I waited as a group of teenagers trudged up a trail outside of North Bend, carrying helmets and harnesses and complaining lightheartedly about the early summer heat. They had been practicing climbing skills for weeks at the Seattle Program Center, and now was their chance to put their skills to use in the outdoors. The steep trail, vibrant forest, real rock, and majestic view of the Cascades created an immersive experience for them to enjoy together. Supporting experiences like these is one of the reasons I love my role as a youth programs staff instructor. Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Olivia Gonzalez

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

Youth Outside | It Takes a Village

One of The Mountaineers core values is to empower our community to safely enjoy the transformative power of the outdoors. Creating the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts starts with our youth, and we’ve recently been reimagining how we engage with our youngest members at our Seattle Branch. Read more…

Gear Grab & Meet The Mountaineers - Dec 17, 2024

Whether you’re a seasoned outdoorsperson or just starting your journey with The Mountaineers, you won’t want to miss this special crossover event: our annual Holiday Gear Grab & Meet The Mountaineers info session happening at the Seattle Program Center on Tuesday, December 17! Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Julie Graham

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

Mountaineer of the Week: Elise James

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

Mountaineer of the Week: Clara Boettcher

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

Mountaineer of the Week: Adeline Okada

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

Mountaineer of the Week: Luna Smith-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…

Grounding Experiences: 100 Feet Up

Being outdoorsy didn’t come naturally to me. Although I’m from a small, blue-collar farming community, my parents' idea of spending time outside meant performing back-breaking work in the mid-Atlantic humidity or struggling to stay warm in Carhartt coveralls during blustery winters. In 2013, I migrated to Wyoming and met people who had different ideas of the outdoors: that it could be healing, peaceful, and most importantly, fun. Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Evelyn Vogt

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

Registration Is Open for Foothills Day Camp

With summer sun and fun right around the corner, our team is diving into camp preparation and planning. This year will include many of the traditional Mountaineers Summer Camp activities in addition to new ventures. This year, we’re launching a Day Camp program on the East Side, expanding our Summer Camp offerings to include week-long Day Camp programs in Renton starting in 2024.  Read more…

Impact Giving | Ascending to New Heights: South Sound Youth Programs

On a wintry Saturday in Olympia, Claire Edwards, Mountaineers Youth Program Associate Manager, is getting kids and families stoked on snowshoeing during the “Ice Days” event at the Hands On Children’s Museum. It’s equal parts wonder, chaos, and pure delight as participants attempt walking in snowshoes on top of makeshift “snow.” While most participants have never snowshoed before, many leave excited to try this new activity with their family in real snow. Read more…

Youth Outside | Meet the Members of Our Youth Team

Nearly thirteen years ago, The Mountaineers made a strategic investment in Youth Programs to offer more programming for our younger members. Since then, we’ve expanded youth programming in all branches and outdoor centers. With the help of volunteers, families, and staff, we now have opportunities for youth to explore the Pacific Northwest throughout the year. This year, we’ll have offered over 100,000 total youth experiences since the inception of these programs. Read more…

Explore the Outdoors with Seattle Mini Mountaineers!

At The Mountaineers, we believe strongly in the importance of getting kids outside.  The benefits of spending time outdoors - for both kids and adults - are so numerous they can hardly be overstated. Unstructured time spent outside builds confidence and promotes creativity. It gets us moving and inspires wonder.  For all these reasons, we are thrilled to offer you and your family another season of our Mini Mountaineers program!  Read more…

Seattle Youth Volunteer Orientation Dinner - Nov 2

From belaying at the Seattle Program Center to supporting students on backpacking trips in remote corners of the Pacific Northwest and beyond, there are ample opportunities to get involved as a volunteer with Mountaineers Youth Programs. 

Join us on Thursday, November 2 for an evening of good food, good company, and introductory information on supporting the next generation of climbers and outdoor explorers through our youth programs.  Read more…

Volunteer With Seattle Mountain Workshops

The Mountaineers partners with Seattle-area youth serving organizations to deliver single or multi-day experiences designed to get youth outside, expose youth to transferable outdoor skills, and impart a desire to explore and conserve the outdoors. We call these programs Mountain Workshops. Through our Seattle Mountain Workshop partner programs, The Mountaineers provides over 1,100 youth experiences a year. We couldn’t provide these programs without the support of our amazing volunteer community! Read more…

Youth Outside | E.P.I.C. Adventures with Kids: Training and inspiring future youth leaders

It starts with a twinkle of curiosity in their eye. The twinkle turns into an adventurous grin, and in an instant, a child can become lost in their imagination. We want to nurture the spark of joyful adventure when working with youth in the outdoors, and that’s why the goal for each Mountaineers youth program is to introduce kids to the benefits of outdoor experiences. Read more…

Seattle Youth Volunteer Orientation Dinner - Sep 29

Join us on Thursday, September 29 for an evening of good food, good company, and ample opportunities to support the next generation of climbers and outdoor explorers through our youth programs.  Read more…

Youth Outside | Taking the Reins: Tacoma MAC prepare for a future of outdoor adventure

Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC) is a year-round club for teens, giving them access to education and skills rivaling many adult programs. Imagine an at-your-own-pace Basic and Intermediate Alpine Climbing course, taken over a period of four years with sport climbing, skiing, hiking, and backpacking thrown in. As a young member, you learn from upperclassmen, and as you gain more experience, you begin passing down that knowledge to others. Most importantly, you learn to take care of yourself and others in the mountains. Read more…

Help us raise $3,936 before Tuesday

It’s the last week of our spring fundraising drive and we are beyond grateful for the 153 people who have contributed $36,064 toward our goal of $40,000. In these final days of May, your gift of any size will help inch us closer to the finish line.  Read more…

Youth Outside | Rebuilding Mountain Workshops

Helping youth explore the outdoors is one of the key ways we foster a love of nature, a conservation mindset, and outdoor independence in future generations. Over the last decade, The Mountaineers has developed partnerships with school groups and youth-serving organizations across the greater Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia areas to provide quality outdoor programs known as Mountain Workshops. With the goal of decreasing barriers to the outdoors, Mountain Workshops provide the expertise and gear needed to get kids outside. Read more…

Seattle & Foothills Family Backpacking Courses - 2022

Are you a Seattle or Foothills parent interested in getting outside more with your kids? Join us for a family backpacking course! Backpacking with your kids in the backcountry can be a rewarding adventure for children and parents alike. Unplug, expose your kids to the joys of being outdoors, be together as a family, and watch your children mature into outdoor enthusiasts. Read more…

Finding Meaning in Tragedy: Creating the NIKO Foundation

It was a cold February night in 2018. Snowflakes pummeled the windshield as we drove down the empty highway, the darkness pierced only by our headlights. We were both silent on our way to Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass. Feelings of dread, horror, and hope flashed through my mind at lightning speed. I ran through every possible scenario as I tried to make sense of what might lie ahead. Read more…

Top 5 Trip Reports - October 2021

This month, we're sharing the trip reports that epitomize fall adventures. From colorful foliage and misty mountains, to crisp mornings and dustings of snow, October in the Pacific Northwest surprises us with a little bit of everything.  Read more…

Become a Youth Volunteer - Oct 13 Orientation & Dinner

Did you know that The Mountaineers has year-round outdoor adventure clubs for youth? At the Seattle branch, there are five different clubs broken up by age for youth ages 6 through 18: Pathfinders for 6-7 year olds; Nomads for 8-9 year olds; Explorers for 10-11 year olds; Junior MAC for 12-13 year olds; and MAC (Mountaineers Adventure Club) for 14-18 year olds. Read more…

Youth Outside | The Impact of MAC

From climbing Mount Baker to cragging weekends at Smith Rock, members of our teen club, The Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC), have been busy this past year! Backpacking, cross-country skiing, and alpine climbing are just a few activities these active outdoorspeople have ticked off. Read more…

King 5 Evening Features Kitsap Forest Theater - Get Tickets Today

“The show must go on” has always been the motto of The Mountaineers Players who have been performing at the Kitsap Forest Theater since 1923. We produce shows to enrich the community by bringing stories to life in a magical outdoor setting that all ages can enjoy. We perform through all types of challenges (rain, record heat, cold, a closed Kitsap Cabin), and are thrilled to present Little Women on most weekends this summer. Come take a hike to visit our magical space and experience the wonder of outdoor theater for yourselfRead more…