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Adventure Profiles

Tacoma Banff Film Festival - Dec 4

The biggest film event of the year is here! Join us on December 4 at the Rialto Theater for an evening of inspiring films from the mountain world. Read more…

Mountaineer Magazine Winter 2024

Enjoy access to our quarterly Mountaineer magazine, keeping you up-to-date with everything our organization and community have been up to. Hear from regular contributors on topics from training exercises to trail tips, and read features from our members sharing stories from the outdoors. We encourage you to access all of our updates, stories, tips, and more in the tree free online magazine today. Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Finlay Rebbeck

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

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour - Dec 2023, Mar 2024

The world-renowned Banff Centre's Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates 48 years of bringing the best action, environment, and adventure films to audiences in Banff and no less than 40 countries across the globe. Join The Mountaineers to catch a showing of Banff in Tacoma, Seattle, or Olympia.  Read more…

"Journey to Infinity: Pico de Orizaba" Film Screening with Jason Hardrath and Kimber Cross - Dec 3

Winter is on its way and now is the time to slow down and see a movie! Join the Everett Climbing Committee at the Seattle Program Center on December 3 as we watch Journey to Infinity: Pico de Orizaba with one of the film's stars, Jason Hardrath. Tacoma Branch Climb Leader and North Face Athlete Development Team member Kimber Cross will lead a Q&A with Jason after the film. The event is open to anybody who would like to come. Stop in, see the film, enjoy refreshments, and get inspired! Read more…

Double your donation - Giving Tuesday 2023

What benefits do you experience from outdoor recreation? When you find joy outside, does that trickle into your relationships? Your family? Your role in our greater community? Everyone has something to gain from spending time outdoors. The benefits of pursuing individual goals, connecting with others, giving back through leadership, and paying forward as advocates go beyond our personal health and joy.  Read more…

Your Giving Tuesday Gift Doubled on Nov 27 & 28

When members like you give to support scholarships, you are saying that finances should not be a barrier to connecting with the natural world. The outdoors is for everyone, and scholarships can help lower one barrier to finding joy and belonging outside. Read more…

Winter Book Sale - December 2023

It’s one of the best times of the year: The Mountaineers Bookstore Winter Sale! Come get lost in a great adventure story, check out our incredible selection of maps and trail guides to inspire your next trip, and find your new favorite Mountaineers merch at the Seattle Program Center Bookstore. Our winter sale runs for the entire month of December. We also sell Discover Passes, Northwest Forest Passes, and Sno-Park Passes to help you get outside this season! Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Chris Swarthout

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

Hiking in the Shoulder Season

Wild blueberry leaves, red and encrusted with frost, sparkle as early morning sunlight peeks through trees lining the meadow. The cold air awakens my nose and lungs. While I am happy with my choice of a long-sleeve shirt, I might regret the decision later when I’m higher on the mountain. Right now, the long sleeves keep me warm. Through the trees, I can see the top of Mt. Baker glowing against a blue sky. A cleansing rain in the lowlands brought early season snow to higher elevations a few days before. Read more…

Global Adventures | Hiking Through History: The Jordan Trail

Toiling up a dry mountain shoulder in desert heat, I briefly question why I signed on to hike the highlights of Jordan’s national trail on a Mountaineers Global Adventures trip. Then I crest the shoulder of Jordan’s Grand Canyon and see the Dead Sea glimmering in the hot haze. I remember that this place has history. Jordan encompasses the biblical land of Moab. Nearby Mt. Nebo, above the Dead Sea, is where Moses saw the Promised Land. To the south, where we’re headed, lies Edom,  abled site of Sodom and Gomorrah. Visiting the desiccated salt flats around the Dead Sea, I can see these stories come to life. Read more…

How the Great American Outdoors Act is Making a Difference for Washington’s Public Lands

Washington state has it all when it comes to outdoor recreation opportunities: an idyllic coastline, jagged peaks, and golden larches. But unfortunately, eroded trails, ancient bathrooms, washed out roads, and other challenges can prevent outdoor enthusiasts from experiencing the restorative power of our public lands.  Read more…

What does it look like to increase access to the outdoors?

From picking a trusted guidebook to feeling included by a volunteer leader, there are many aspects to finding belonging outside. One barrier that people face is the financial cost of learning new skills. Donor-funded scholarships through the Mountaineers Access Program (MAP) allow people to learn skills that help outdoor recreation to be safe, sustainable, and fun, regardless of their ability to pay.  Read more…

CEO Update: 2023 Fiscal Year End Recap

One of my favorite things about my role at The Mountaineers is working with and recognizing our volunteers and supporters. This was the primary theme at the 2023 Annual Meeting, an event hosted to reflect on what we accomplished together during our fiscal year (Oct-Sep). We are celebrating a terrific year and highlighting exciting priorities in the year ahead, all made possible by the generosity, skill, and dedication of our community. Read on to meet our award recipients, check out our 2023 highlights, get a look at how we’re implementing our strategic plan, and/or watch a recording of the Annual Meeting. Read more…

Visit Stevens Lodge This Winter Starting Dec 22, 2023

Tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city? Come for a relaxing getaway in a cabin in the woods. Nestled next to the Stevens Pass Ski Area, our lodge is the perfect place to stay after a long day of shredding powder. Enjoy hot food, great company, and ski trails right from our lodge’s front door. Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Ireland Kress

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

Olympia Branch 2023 Annual Awards Celebration

At the 2023 Annual Olympia Awards Celebration, outstanding leaders were recognized, hiking and climbing pins were awarded, and graduating students were celebrated for their hard work. Read more…

Investing in Solutions to Permit and Access Challenges

Picture this: you’re a small instructional group (SIG) leader for the Basic Alpine Climbing course with The Mountaineers. You've planned out all of your weeknight rope-tying and anchor-building clinics, and now you're excited to challenge your students with their first field trip on real rock. But all of your favorite teaching crags are already booked, The Mountaineers is out of permit days, and you can't find a location to run a trip. You may be the latest Mountaineer impacted by Washington’s cumbersome and inflexible public lands permitting systems. Read more…

Bookmarks | Royal Robbins: The American Climber

From essentially inventing modern Yosemite big wall climbing in the 1960s to pioneering a philosophy of climbing and conservation that continues to reverberate today, Royal Robbins is a legend by any measure. Now for the first time, award-winning author David Smart illuminates the full story of the man who the New York Times deemed the “conscience of rock climbers” — in all its soulful ambition, rivalry, and romance. Published by Mountaineers Books, Royal Robbins: The American Climber is the definitive biography of one of history’s most influential climbers, from a hardscrabble youth to the heights of Yosemite and beyond. Read more…

Adventure Speaker Series: Craig Romano - Day Hiking the Central Cascades

Take a slideshow hiking tour of Washington’s breathtaking Central Cascades with award winning guidebook author, Craig Romano. Drawing from his newly released Day Hiking Central Cascades, 2nd Edition, Craig will introduce you to a diverse array of trails along the Stevens Pass US 2 corridor, the Icicle River Valley, Lake Wenatchee area, Blewett Pass, Wenatchee Foothills, lightly-hiked Entiat River Valley, and Lake Chelan area, including the remote Stehekin Valley. Read more…

Heads Up: My Encounters with Owls as a Trail Runner

Lore has it that owls are wise creatures. So, what does it mean when, as a runner, barred owls repeatedly attack me? This is not a joke.  Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Priya Sinha

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

Winter Access Expanded for Mount Rainier’s Paradise Area

The Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park offers an unparalleled outdoor experience and is an integral landscape for Mountaineers programs and activities. Last winter looked a little different on the mountain, as the Park restricted weekday access to Paradise through the Longmire gate. We heard from many in our community about the closure, and we shared your concerns. Over the last year, The Mountaineers and several of our partners have engaged with Park leadership around the decision to limit access for the 2022-2023 winter season. Read more…

Branch Support Donation Program Continues in FY2024

While unrestricted giving is critical to grow our mission impact across all program areas, some members seek to leverage donations to strengthen the community within their local Branch. One of our strategic goals is to deepen our culture of giving back by providing new opportunities to contribute.  Read more…

Get to Know Tom Eng & Karen Wallace, Foothills Branch Council Members

Each month we introduce you to the Foothills Branch Council members or activity committee chairs who make our Foothills Branch thrive. This month, meet the At-Large Branch Council Members, Tom Eng, and Karen Wallace. Read more…

Youth Outside | Transformative Partnerships

Each year, our Mountain Workshop program gets over 1,000 young people outside. Mountain Workshops are single or multi-day experiences designed in partnership with other youth-serving organizations. They are collaboratively designed to create memorable and accessible outdoor recreation experiences for youth while meeting the needs and goals of their respective communities. Read more…

Forget the Day, Seize Life

I just signed up for my first 100k trail run. Call it Existential Crisis Number — who knows, as I’ve had so many now, I’ve lost count! I was cursed at a young age knowing that there are so many things to experience in life, yet so little time to do them. This curse was also a blessing, as I’ve tried to live my life to the fullest, not wanting to waste a moment as moments are finite. Read more…

Mountaineer of the Week: Donna Hahn

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

5 Recipes for a Tasty Twist on Thanksgiving

From drinks to dessert, these five recipes will give your Thanksgiving dinner a creative, tasty twist.  Read more…

Top 10 Trip Reports - October 2023

This collection of trip reports is fruity, unexpected, and teeters (gracefully) the fine line between larches and pow. Read on, dear friends, for a Croatian truffle hunt, how to avoid a terrible whipper, the restricted zone, and a Camp Muir trip report that dangles snowy, wintery candy right in front of our faces. Sure, it's only fall after all, but there's still much to do in this dear and dynamic shoulder season.  Read more…