Mountaineers Books Blog

Mountaineers Books Blog

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Five Things You Didn't Know About Fire Lookouts

You may have hiked to a couple fire lookouts already, sweating your way up a steep trail until you reach an historic wooden cabin perched on a mountaintop. But here are a few things you might not know about lookouts as hiking destinations. Read more…

Titles Honored with Nautilus and Independent Book Awards

The Nautilus Book Awards, with the mission of "Better Books for a Better World," celebrates and honors books that support conscious living and green values, high-level wellness, positive social change, and spiritual growth.  Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Susan Elderkin

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

A Wild Promise for Prince William Sound

“We need a book. But first you need to see this place.” So began my conversation with Debbie Miller and Hugh Rose in a bar in Fairbanks on my first day back to civilization after an all-too-brief rafting trip in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Debbie, Hugh, and I had collaborated before. Through numerous past publishing and outreach efforts we had strived to prevent oil drilling in America’s Arctic. This time our discussions revolved around 2.1 million acres of the Chugach National Forest in southwestern Alaska proposed as a wilderness study area. This stemmed from the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) passed in 1980, the largest lands conservation act in U.S. history and the law that has defined much of Alaska’s public lands debates. The fate of this wilderness study area established in 1980 was expected to be resolved in a few years, yet it is still in limbo decades later. Read more…

Making Earth-friendly Books

Here’s a dilemma: How does a publishing company that is deeply invested in advocating for environmental conservation deal with the fact that the product they sell relies on using trees? This is something that we here at Mountaineers Books are intensely aware of. Approximately four billion trees are cut down every year around the world just to produce paper products, accounting for about 35 percent of the total harvest. Even though 2.3 billion seedlings are planted each year in the US alone, the fact remains that the timber and paper industries, and by extension the publishing industry, have a significant impact on the environment. Read more…

Grow a sustainable garden with advice from Master Gardener and author John J. Albers

We caught up with John J. Albers, creator of the Albers Vista Garden and author of the recent release The Northwest Garden Manifesto, to ask him about his top gardening tips. Here’s what he had to say: Read more…

A non-cook impresses friends with this Dirty Gourmet Trail Brittle

I've lived a charmed life, insofar as I like to eat and have a spouse who loves to cook. I'll gladly wash dishes as my part of this bargain, a chore I've managed with a moderate degree of competence. That said, I was intrigued by a recipe in Dirty Gourmet: Food for Your Outdoor Adventures, a new cookbook from Mountaineers Books. Read more…

Bears Ears Guidebook Author Answers Five Questions About The Monument

Morgan Sjogren’s new guidebook, The Best Bears Ears National Monument Hikes, came out in January, less than two months after the current administration reduced its boundaries by 85 percent. Published by Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) Press, Morgan’s book is the only guidebook published for this region. But Morgan, a writer, adventurer, and competitive trail runner, fell in love with Bears Ears while running in it and wanted to encourage others to explore this region, too. We asked her five questions  about the book and the Monument. Mountaineers Books is the worldwide distributor of CMC Press books. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Mary Metz

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

Five Questions for PCT Hiker and Author Philip Kramer

We got in touch with author Philip Kramer to ask him a few questions about writing his recent book,  Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California. Here's what he had to say. Read more…

BeWild: Section Hiking The PCT At Your Own Pace | May 22

 The Mountaineers are proud to present the BeWild Speaker Series, putting passion and adventure on the stage! Come to these talks to unlock inspiration to seek adventure, connect with nature, and work to protect the wild places we cherish. This May we welcome Pacific Crest Trail guidebook authors, Eli Boschetto, Shawntè Salabert, Tami Asars, and Philip Kramer to share their adventures documenting the 2,650 miles of the PCT. Read more…

When the World Suddenly Changes

I was dumbfounded and could not quite comprehend what was happening. I crouched down on my knees and put my hands over my head. Otherwise I did not even try to defend myself; if I had done so, they would all have attacked me. Another Sherpa, standing above me, was aiming at my head with a brick-sized rock when Melissa got between us. Attacking a woman would have been against the Sherpas’ mores. Read more…

To Everest and Beyond - Tom Hornbein Reflects on Life and Mountains

As Tom Hornbein stood in the shadow of Everest, he knew getting to the top wasn’t enough. He wanted more.

In 1963, Tom was a member of a sponsored expedition designed to send the first Americans to the summit of the highest peak in the world. The strategy was clear: climb the South Col route first established by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. While summiting via the South Col was far from a guarantee, the proven route was their best chance.  Read more…

"1001 Climbing Tips" Author Shares His Top Five Tips

Author Andy Kirkpatrick, who also happens to be a renouned big wall and alpine climber, recently wrote  1001 Climbing Tips, published by Mountaineers Books. That's a lot of tips! Since Andy is known for big, cold, scary climbs around the world, we thought we'd give him a challenge: Out of the 1001 tips in your book, what are your top five and why? Read more…

Joe Riis Talks About Documenting Breathtaking Animal Migrations at BeWild on March 20

Joe Riis is a wildlife biologist turned photojournalist and filmmaker on the cutting edge of explorations of heretofore unknown animal migrations in Yellowstone’s expansive landscapes—within, and outside, the protection of the park. His first book Yellowstone Migrationswas recently published by Braided River, the conservation imprint of Mountaineers Books. Read more…

BeWild with Joe Riis - March 20

The Mountaineers are proud to present the BeWild Speaker Series, putting passion and adventure on the stage! Come to these talks to unlock inspiration to seek adventure, connect with nature, and work to protect the wild places we cherish. This March we welcome photographer Joe Riis. Read more…

Invasion of the Modern Body Snatchers

It was an absolutely breathtaking Northwest late fall afternoon. I was doing field research (translation=hiking) for my upcoming Urban Trails Eastside Mountaineers Books guidebook. My task was to check out a patch of urban greenery on Lake Washington’s eastern shore. As I walked down this park’s trails and across its boardwalks, I was mesmerized by the surrounding natural beauty and by the moment itself. The sun was low, the sky deep blue. Rays of sunlight kissed my face and danced across the shimmering waters of a quiet bay. They illuminated the resident waterfowl and intensified the brilliant colors of the autumn foliage. The sun continued to sink in the sky and my surroundings became more surrealistic. I was in pure hiking heaven — utterly elated — senses completely stimulated.  Read more…

2018 Is the 50th Anniversary of the National Trails System

The National Trails System (NTS) Act was passed in 1968, making 2018 its fiftieth anniversary. Among all of the trails stewarded by this Act, the 2600-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is one of just 11 designated National Scenic Trails. The anniversary coincides with publication of Mountaineers Books' final volume in its four-book Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail set. Released in February, Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California joins the Southern California, Oregon, and Washington volumes to finish the most up-to-date and comprehensive guidebooks to this long-distance challenge. Read more…

Outdoor Stories from Women Over 50

We're crazy for stories -- campfire stories, stories in books, stories told at organized events, podcast stories and . . . well you get the idea. Recently we heard an inspirational podcast from She-Explores about how women over 50 are participating in the outdoors. We thought we'd share it with you. Read more…

Tundra and Tall Buildings

"I just got back from a quick trip to the land of a thousand roads and zero caribou: New York City. It messed up my head. I've spent too much time on the land — a lot of it alone, talking only to myself — to adjust overnight to that blizzard of people and traffic, sirens and signs and stink and noise. My inability to live life through my iPhone made it worse. Apparently, half a century of learning not to get lost on the tundra has little value. What matters now is not to be virtually lost." Read more…

Tech Update 3.0 - Improved Navigation & Mountaineers Books Integration

We are excited to launch an integrated Mountaineers Programs and Mountaineers Books website in an update we're calling mountaineers.org 3.0 in mid-February! This newest set of updates is focused on bringing Mountaineers Books and Mountaineers Programs together under one roof.  Read more…

Photographer Jim Herrington speaks about his book "The Climbers" - Feb 6

Join Mountaineers Books for an evening with renowned photographer Jim Herrington as he presents The Climbers, the culmination of his two-decades-long project to capture the mountaineering icons roughly the 1930s to 1970s who used primitive gear, along with their considerable wits, talent, and fortitude, to tackle unscaled peaks around the world. His book includes 60 intimate, black & white portraits of greats Reinhold Messner, Royal Robbins, Gwen Moffat, Tom Hornbein, Yvon Chouinard, and Pertemba Sherpa, among others. Published in October, 2017 by Mountaineers Books, The Climbers received both the Grand Prize and the Mountaineering History Award at the 2017 Banff Mountain Book Festival. Read more…

Review: Mountaineers Books Climbing Titles Do Well on Gender Diversity

A significant goal of The Mountaineers and its publishing division, Mountaineers Books, is to recognize and encourage diversity in our community and in the books we publish. A recent article in Alpinist Magazine reviewed four climbing instructional texts in regard to gender diversity and gave Mountaineers Books positive marks. Read more…

A Public Memorial for Legendary Fred Beckey - Dec 3

Fred Beckey, a legend among Northwest Mountaineers, and a climber, environmentalist, historian, and Mountaineers Books author, passed away on October 30, 2017. On December 3 we will gather to celebrate his amazing life. Please join us to honor his enduring impact. Read more…

The Wild Lines of Jeremy Collins: 2018 Wall Calendar Limited Release

The Wild Lines of Jeremy Collins, a 2018 wall calendar, features 12 of the artist's amazingly detailed, hand-drawn works. Each month offers stunning original art and a mindful Action Prompt from Jeremy to encourage community engagement, as well as mini-essays about the artwork and notable dates in environmental activism. *We are sorry to inform you that the calendars are SOLD OUT* Read more…

Wilderness Trekker J.R. Harris to Share Gripping Stories from More than Fifty Years of Adventure

Mountaineers Books, in partnership with  Seward Park Audubon Center and  The Trail Posse, presents J.R. Harris' Way Out There: Adventurers of a Wilderness Trekker talk and book signing at Third Place Books - Seward Park in Seattle on Wednesday, November 29 from 7-8pm.  The talk is free and open to the public.  Read more…

"The Last Inca Bridge" Webisode - Nov 16

Among the most exciting travel destinations in South America, Peru boasts a wealth of trekking opportunities from the Amazonian jungle to glaciated mountain ranges, from remote villages to ancient ruins, and much more. Join Mountaineers Books’ on November 16 for a live webisode exploring this "Last Inca Bridge". Featuring Robert & Daisy Kunstaetter, travel writers and adventurous ex-pats who co-authored the new book, "Trekking Peru: A Traveler’s Guide", learn about the wealth of trekking opportunities in Peru. Read more…

Discover Five Gems from Mountaineers Books This November

Emily Erickson, Mountaineers Books sales representative, is constantly advising her bookstore, outdoor retail, and parks store customers about the titles in our library that are both great reads and will be strong sellers in their stores. Here she shares five books that are always on her “Recommended List.” Read more…

The Living Bird: 100 Years of Listening to Nature, with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

I think what has made this book even more meaningful for all of us here is the subject itself—birds. When the project first came to us, photographer Gerrit Vyn used the title “Why Birds?” It’s a good question. Why do we care about them? What makes them so interesting and draws our attention? How is it that so many birds are iconic and for so many different reasons? Read more…

Remembering Mountaineer Fred Beckey

Fred Beckey, a legend among Northwest Mountaineers, and a climber, environmentalist, historian, and Mountaineers Books author, passed away on October 30, 2017. He was 94. Read more…