Blog

Blog

All posts

Impact Giving | Announcing New Estate Planning Resources

It's estimated that 50-60% of Americans do not have a will in place. While not often a topic of public conversation, we have heard from many members that they are interested in setting up their first will but aren’t quite sure where to start. For this reason The Mountaineers has invested in a new resource for members, providing the latest information about estate planning and tax-smart ways to plan for your future. This online support will be available at any time of day, so that you can find the educational resources you need at a time that makes the most sense for you. Read more…

New This Month: June 2021 Book Releases

There's a lot to be excited about in June. It's orca month, the weather is warming up, and people are getting outside again. Get the most out of June - dive into Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home to learn all about the southern resident group of orca whales, head into the wild with Backpacking Washington, 2nd Edition, and explore Portland, Oregon with Discovering Portland Parks.   Read more…

Global Adventures | An Unexpected Adventure in New Zealand

As we neared the ridge crest, the wind blasted snow pellets into my face like hot shrapnel. Just ahead of me, Bob’s blue pack cover snapped once, hard, then blew off his pack and into the white. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: James Pierson

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to James Pierson, a volunteer leader with the Bellingham Branch who is also a guide at the American Alpine Institute! He credits the experience and skills he learned from The Mountaineers with landing that job and continues to volunteer with the club as a way to give back to the community. Read more…

Unseen Danger: Navigating Snow Bridge Hazards

Last Sunday, search and rescue teams responded to an emergency call from a popular early-season climb in the Olympic mountains. Two climbers slipped on a steep snowy slope while climbing The Brothers. One fell “into an opening in the snow and over a rock face with running melt water,” and sadly did not survive. This tragic accident has brought an annually recurring hazard back into the thoughts of everyone within the outdoor community: the danger posed by snow bridges.  Read more…

30 More Donors to Reach Our Spring Goal

In the final push of our spring fundraising drive, we’re beyond thankful to the 270 donors who joined the campaign to help us reach our goal of 300 donors. If you haven’t yet joined the fun, we are only 30 people away from reaching our third and final matching challenge! This challenge invites you to consider any gift size that is meaningful to you. It all adds up to educational and experiential opportunities that get more people outside. Read more…

No Resolution on the Keta Legacy Foundation Lawsuit Against The Mountaineers

More than two months ago, I shared an update summarizing our efforts to amicably resolve the lawsuit that Keta Legacy Foundation filed against The Mountaineers in September 2019. In an effort to be transparent with our community, we shared the proposed settlement agreement that we sent to Keta. I received a number of messages from Mountaineers members expressing their appreciation for being kept informed about the lawsuit and that the proposal itself seemed like a very reasonable way to resolve this dispute. Read more…

Seeking Proposals! Equity & Emotional Safety in the Outdoors Online Course

The Mountaineers, in partnership with the Mountain Education Alliance (MEA), is looking to develop an online Equity & Emotional Safety in the Outdoors training for our volunteers. We're seeking DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) curriculum experts to submit proposals for consideration. Please help us spread the word. Read more…

Youth Outside | On the Road: How our youth van helped us navigate COVID-19

A little over a year ago, a colleague and I ventured about an hour north of Seattle to the little seaside town of Anacortes. Although tempted by views of nearby Mount Erie State Park, we were on our way to pick up the newest addition to The Mountaineers: a 15-passenger van. The vehicle was fated to take Mountaineers youth to the lakes, trails, and mountains surrounding Puget Sound. Read more…

Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home Lauches June 1

Braided River author Lynda V. Mapes has traveled across the West Coast to give voice to the region’s orca whales, iconic to the Pacific Northwest’s beautiful—but ecologically imperiled—marine ecosystem. In this excerpt, she travels to OrcaLab in British Columbia, where passionate and determined volunteers are led by founder Paul Spong. Located on Cracroft Point, above Johnstone Strait in British Columbia, they have been documenting the daily lives of the more robust northern resident orca pods since 1970. Read more…

Climate Change Speaker Series Recap

During Earth Month, the Mountaineers Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee hosted a Climate Change Speaker Series to help our community learn more about the climate crisis. Mountaineers members and a Mountaineers Books author shared insights about how climate change will affect our world, our wild places, and our lives. The events were well attended and participants asked great questions of the presenters.  Read more…

Create Outdoor Connections for Life

Outdoor adventures offer us more than the simple reward of a beautiful view. Through time outside, we receive the gift of clarity and can discover a greater purpose. As we achieve our outdoor goals, we unlock the joy of feeling fully alive. The Mountaineers believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the beautiful infiniteness of nature, yet the keys to this kingdom are not found by simply walking out into the wilderness unprepared. Read more…

Bookmarks | Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail

MudRocksBlazes_Cover_Final.jpgI went to the Pacific Crest Trail to find my limit. I’d imagined my fastest known time attempt ending with me on hands and knees — dry heaving — at my utmost breaking point. Yet that never happened. I started the hike with my little plastic trowel, intent on digging deep as I’d learned to do over many ultramarathons, but the PCT laughed at that, and within a few days had handed me a full-size shovel instead. Read more…

Safety Stories: Earl-Bean Traverse – A rock bulge broke loose, sending me backwards

As Mountaineers, we are committed to learning from our experiences. We examine every incident that happens on a Mountaineers trip for opportunities to improve the ways we explore and teach. Our volunteer safety committee reviews every incident report and picks a few each month to share as examples of ‘Lessons Learned’. The trip report below describes what happened on this trip, in the leader’s own words, and outlines the lessons the leader has identified. In some cases, we offer additional key learnings from the incident. Read more…

Great News for the Outdoors in Washington State’s Budget

This winter, we shared our funding priorities for outdoor programs in Washington’s state budget. Hundreds of you took action to share those priorities with your state legislators - thank you! We’re excited to report that outdoor recreation and conservation received strong support from the Legislature this session.  Read more…

Outside Insights | Active Terrain Management

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…

Thank You! Your Support Adds up to BIG change

Today we extend big thanks to the 101 donors who contributed over $11,600 to help us reach our first matching challenge during this week’s #GiveBIG celebration. With your help we unlocked the $10,000 match, raising $21,600 toward our $30,000 spring fundraising goal. Thank you to the 28 new donors who answered the call to triple their donation and gave $2,250 towards our surprise matching challenge. It's not too late to help us reach our full match potential. We only need 10 more first time donors with a gift of $25 or more to release the full $2,500 opportunity!  Read more…

BeWild with Graham Zimmerman: Global Adventures of an Imperfect Advocate | May 13

Join us on Thursday, May 13 for a virtual presentation from outdoor athlete, creative, and climate activist Graham Zimmerman. Read more…

Open Nominations: Join The Mountaineers Board of Directors

At The Mountaineers, we believe a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We aspire to offer outdoor opportunities for ALL, and in order to realize this aspiration we are launching a new board nominations process to help us discover potential and qualified board members. We are looking for members with a passion for The Mountaineers who bring a diversity of experience, skills, and expertise to successfully lead our organization, especially during these challenging social and economic times.  Read more…

#GiveBIG to support our people and places

This last year has made it clear that people need the great outdoors more than ever before. When I think about the people and the experiences that kept our spirits happy and healthy, I think about Mountaineers volunteers and their boundless excitement to help others spend more time outside. As we close out the two-day celebration of #GiveBIG, we invite you to join us in giving back to the communities that supported us through good times and bad, and provide a wealth of adventure buddies who bring light to our lives even on the cloudiest days.  Read more…

Triple Your #GiveBIG Impact with Your First Gift

Early this morning, we kicked off the two-day celebration of #GiveBIG and announced a dollar-for-dollar match to help us reach our $30,000 grassroots fundraising goal.  Read more…

#GiveBIG to Get More People Outside

Today we kick-off #GiveBIG, a two day celebration of donors and volunteers who give back in honor of the people, places, and books that influence positive change in our world. Whether you’re a brand-new member or have been with us for decades, our mission is to provide you with educational and experiential opportunities so that you are equipped to receive the full benefits of spending time in nature. Read more…

Peak Performance | Create Your Own Training Program

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…

New Releases: May 2021

Utah, Colorado, Maine. Three different states all offering unique natural wonders worthy of exploration. Our new guidebooks, Mountain Bike Park City, Hike the Parks: Acadia National Park, and Hike the Parks: Rocky Mountain National Park include everything you need to get the most out of your time in these beautiful places. Read more…

Adventure With Purpose: A Recap of Our 2021 Virtual Gala

Each spring we gather our community to celebrate our collective achievements and support future efforts to transform lives and protect wild places. With the pandemic preventing us from gathering in person, we hosted our second (and hopefully final) virtual Gala. Read more…

See You Tonight! How to Watch the Virtual Gala

Tonight’s the night! We invite you to join us for our biggest fundraising event of the year: The Mountaineers 2021 Virtual Gala: Adventure with Purpose. This event has a huge impact on our organization, with all proceeds from donations and winning auction bids supporting mission-driven programs and initiatives. Read more…

Musical Mountaineers Row into the 2021 Virtual Gala

When we began planning the 2021 Virtual Gala, we knew we wanted to host an outdoor awards show unlike anything we’ve ever done before. Mountaineers Books author and Guinness World Record-holding ocean rower Jordan Hanssen had a musical project that was the perfect fit. Since the pandemic began, Jordan has been inviting musicians to play in his rowboat for his newly-created  TinyBoatSessions. We asked him if he would organize a TinyBoatSession for the auction, and he found the perfect performers for the occasion: The Musical Mountaineers. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Deloa Dalby

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…

Surprise! Two New Packages Added to the 2021 Gala Auction

Attention bidders! We know you’ve been dueling it out on the auction website for great getaways, unique experiences, and first-class gear, but we have a surprise for you... two brand new packages, including a Corey Rich print of the Dawn Wall signed by Tommy and Kevin and a super secret chanterelle mushroom forage and feast. With over 60 packages to bid on, there’s a little something for everyone. Read more…