Conservation Blog

Last June, we told you about the Forest Service’s historic plans to streamline outfitter and guide permitting, shifting from heavy regulations to an inclusionary model that helps organizations, like The Mountaineers, get people outside. Now, we’re happy to report their efforts are continuing to pick up steam. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

Calling all students ages 14-22 involved in youth stewardship, outdoor leadership, or environmental education programs in the PNW. You're invited to a FREE, fun, and inspiring event: The Northwest Youth Leadership Summit! Read more…

From the Cascades to the Himalayas, The Mountaineers has a long history of exploring nature’s wild unknown, and now we're doing our best to protect what's left of it. Read more…

On September 22, 2016, the Methow Headwaters Protection Act of 2016 (S. 2991 ) was considered in a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing was a big step forward for legislation that would protect 340,000 acres of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the Methow Valley from the potential development of a large-scale mine.  Read more…

The Mountaineers and other Methow Headwaters Campaign supporters recently bagged a peak with staffers from Senator Cantwell’s office. Our hike up Goat Peak showcased the treasured Methow Valley lands and waters we’re working with Senate leaders to protect from exploratory copper drilling claims. Read more…

Seventeen Mountaineers members from our Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, and Foothills branches joined the Mountains to Sound Greenway on August 27 to help disassemble social trails around popular rock climbing crags on the Little Si Trail. The Greenway staff were impressed at the efficiency of our Mountaineers - from hiking to getting work done, they said we took four hours to accomplish what it would take a normal group to accomplish in a full eight-hour day. When Mountaineers get involved, we show up in force! Read more…

From Olympus to Everest, the thrill of the road less traveled has literally taken Mountaineers' members to the peak of possibility. Our organization has a long history of exploring nature’s wild unknown, and now we're doing our best to protect what's left of it.  Read more…

On Aug 10, The Mountaineers joined Congresswoman DelBene, and a number of other organizations and companies involved in outdoor recreation and conservation, for a hike along the North Fork Nooksack River. An important artery of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the Nooksack is one of our favorite outdoor playgrounds. The thundering waters provided the perfect backdrop for a discussion that included a dozen diverse representatives  all championing the connection between conservation, outdoor recreation, and strong local economies.  Read more…

On August 15, The Mountaineers and other outdoor leaders were joined by Congressional staffers for a hike showcasing the Mountains to Sound Greenway: the scenic 1.5-million acre corridor  stretching from the Seattle waterfront to Ellensburg, WA.  Read more…

In The Mountaineers: A History, longtime Mountaineers President Edmond Meany summed up the club’s mission in the 1910 annual: “This is a new country. It abounds in a fabulous wealth of scenic beauty. It is possible to so conserve parts of that wealth that it may be enjoyed by countless generations through the centuries to come… This club is vigilant for wise conservation and it is also anxious to blaze ways into the hills that anyone may follow.” Read more…

Last year, we checked with our members and Conservation Currents readers to better understand individual interest in conservation issues, get opinions on existing Mountaineers conservation programs, and generate ideas for the future. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your perspectives with us! Read more…

Gas Works Park was the site of a gathering calling for the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.  Supporters whooped and hollered as Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) listed the event’s participants, turning to the second page of supporters and exclaiming, “Wow, I guess there’s a lot of people in the Northwest who care about wilderness!”   Read more…

In our suburban household in northern California, when the kids were little, we didn’t talk about conservation. But we did talk about love, care and respect — for our home, our selves, others — for our surroundings. When we went up to Lake Tahoe, we talked about how fragile an environment it was and how easily ruined. When we drove across the country to see grandparents, we talked about the landscape and the animals we saw, and how our behavior affects them. How many there are and how many there used to be.  Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. We go outside to wander and explore the adventurous spirit within ourselves. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit; so our grandchildren can experience the sensation of discovering an untouched place. Read more…

My plan was initially without a hitch. Hike from Longmire on the Wonderland Trail to Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground. Do a little photography in those famed fields, visit the Mirror Lakes and then head back out via the Kautz Creek Trail. It would be a nice 14.5-mile hike with some decent elevation gain. My hiking partner would leave a car at the Kautz Creek trailhead and we would drive back to Longmire to retrieve my vehicle. Plan was good — until my hiking partner couldn’t make it. I was on assignment, so the hike would go on.  Read more…

In spring 2015, over 3,100 of you signed a petition to designate the Mountains to Sound Greenway as a National Heritage Area (NHA), more than doubling the number of petition signatures to date. Last week, this legislation took an important step forward in Congress, when the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing that included consideration of the NHA bill.   Read more…

It's easy to forget that many of our beloved trails and historic structures are maintained by volunteers. The Mountaineers have a long tradition of stewarding these places, and the tradition grows stronger every day - as long as you get involved! Consider being a part of history and join us on a stewardship activity this summer. Read more…

Today, the U.S. Forest Service announced new guidance that will change the operation of the agency’s outfitter-guide permitting system. This new guidance will streamline the process for issuing permits to outdoor leaders and recreation businesses that take people outdoors. These improvements will provide more access to federal lands and waters for a wide range of facilitated use.  Read more…

I am confident that you and I have at least two things in common: 1) we both set aside time to explore the outdoors, and 2) at some point during these adventures we will both experience the discomfort of knowing we have to go number two. Even if you don't, you will inevitably be reminded of this basic human function by the sight of toilet paper discarded uncomfortably close to trails and water sources. By the amount of TP I have seen recently on Washington’s trails, it seems even the most avid outdoor enthusiasts may not know how to handle nature’s calling. Read more…

The Mountaineers is proud to be one of the member organizations making up the Outdoor Alliance,  a group working to unite the voices of outdoor recreation advocates, including backcountry skiers, paddlers, climbers, and mountain bikers. Last month we were in DC advocating for your public lands and waters.  Read more…

Last year, The Mountaineers advocated for the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act - legislation to treat emergency wildfires like natural disasters to funded through the disaster programs rather than the Forest Service’s budget. We shared how wildfires impact outdoor recreation and how we engaged as an organization on the issue in 2015. The bill has lost momentum in Congress this season due to lower fire predictions, but fire management is not something we can afford to put on the back burner. Read more…

Invasive non-native plants are a major threat to biodiversity in our National Forests. The Mountaineers is partnering again this year with King County and the National Forest Service to help stop the spread of invasive species in our wilderness areas. Read more…

The Methow Valley sits in the cradle of more than twenty 8,000-foot peaks, their snow-covered summits melting into a web of rivers and tributaries. It’s a human-powered recreationist’s dream, home to the nation’s largest cross-country ski area, a heralded section of the Pacific Crest Trail, and a vast expanse of wild forests with some of the best hiking, backpacking, paddling, and fly-fishing around.  Read more…

Washington’s North Cascades are home to thousands of black bears and fewer than twenty grizzly bears. Knowing how to play safe in bear country is as important as bringing a first aid kit and appropriate clothing for your adventure. Read more…

A group of dedicated Mountaineers had an alpine start this morning. Not for a climb, but for our inaugural fundraising breakfast, hosted at the downtown Seattle Sheraton hotel. We’re grateful for the donors, members, volunteers, staff and friends of The Mountaineers who began their day with us. Through the generous support of nearly 300 attendees and corporate sponsors, we raised over $110,000!  Read more…

How have The Mountaineers thrived for over 100 years? By continually investing in the next generation of explorers, outdoor-lovers, and conservationists. The Mountaineers’ commitment to youth recently scored a major victory when Governor Inslee announced nearly $1 million in grants to give kids access to the outdoors. The grants come courtesy of Senate Bill 5843. Read more…

The Pacific Crest Trail (or PCT), a 2663.5-mile National Scenic Trail stretching from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington, epitomizes the ideal of physical challenge and one-of-a-kind natural resources bringing people together for a purpose larger than themselves - much like the mission of The Mountaineers. Read more…