Impact Stories

Do you remember a time when you craved a deeper connection with the natural world? Perhaps you found yourself in a new place or stage of life and you were inspired by someone who shared their passion, experience, and joy of the outdoors with you. Maybe it was a trip leader, role model, friend, or family member. Maybe it was an author, blogger, photographer, or trip reporter.  Read more…

Next weekend an estimated 22.6 million people will go camping across the US, and even more will get outside for the day to enjoy parks, forests, waterways, and other outdoor spaces. We love to see people enjoying the outdoors, and believe that each of us has a role in conserving the natural world—and the outdoor experiences we love—for future generations. Read more…

Spring is an exciting time at The Mountaineers as people from all backgrounds and experience levels turn to us to seek outdoor education. Many of our most popular adult courses are underway or wrapping up. Kids in our after-school programs are finally getting some long, sunny afternoons to learn and play outside. The activity calendar is filling rapidly, and the latest guidebooks are flying off the shelves as people gear up for summer.  Read more…

I learned how to rock climb through The Mountaineers. Learning to climb this way is empowering because you learn for yourself how to climb safely. As a teacher at the Tacoma Science and Math Institute (SAMI), a public school housed in Point Defiance Park and Zoo, I like to take this empowering educational approach with my students, and one great thing about my school is the requirement that teachers collaborate to co-teach an interdisciplinary class in January. We are encouraged to dream big. Read more…

Like most major Mountaineers achievements, reducing the carbon footprint of our Tacoma Program Center (TPC) became a reality thanks to the passion and drive of our volunteers. Read more…

As we experience worsening impacts of the climate crisis on our public lands and communities, we must do more to respond to this urgent threat.
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Whether you prefer backcountry skiing the North Cascades, climbing in Tieton, or day hiking along the Snoqualmie River, as Mountaineers you’ve likely experienced how policy and management decisions impact our public lands. Many of us have seen hazardous roads, decrepit facilities, and closed trailheads as funding falls shy year after year. But this frustration can – and has – produced change. The experiences of recreationists like you translate into compelling advocacy for conservation and recreation. Read more…

Over the years, we’ve been on a long journey to protect ancient, old-growth trees in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Our community has answered our calls to action time and time again because it understands that protecting Roadless Areas in Alaska sets a strong precedent for protecting backcountry places in Washington State and beyond. Last week, the administration finalized protections for the Tongass, securing a much-anticipated win for conservation, climate, and Indigenous communities. Read more…

Our last strategic Plan, Vision 2022, provided an important foundation for us as leaders in innovative outdoor education, striving to engage future generations in advocacy, adventure, education, volunteerism, and community. Vision 2022 was community-centric and articulated strategic priorities that were bold and interconnected. Strongly supported by our community through a year-long, multi-level engagement process, Vision 2022 also put a stake in the ground for our goal of becoming a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. Read more…

Like all Mountaineers, our Super Volunteers delight in small moments of frivolity. A cold beverage shared between a paddler and a powerboat. Playing lighthearted pranks during an Urban Walk. Watching the magnificent, performative hunt of a short-eared owl. Community-based fun is the heartbeat of The Mountaineers. Read more…

I adore this time of year. The comforting contrast of dark green cedars against bright snow. Breathing in the crisp air. Feeling the grounding weight of an extra full pack while I let my mind float to a cold winter sky. Coming home with rosy cheeks, kicking snow off my boots at the door, and feeling the warmth of a fire embrace me like a bear hug. I experience so much joy in the winter when I am able to get outside and then return home. This joy heals and sustains me. Read more…

For many of us who live in the PNW, outdoor experiences on public lands have provided us with opportunities to connect to nature, experience joy and belonging in the outdoors, and adventure with purpose. As a kid in Seattle, accessible parks and trails shaped some of my best memories. Hiking under old growth cedars at Discovery Park and along the coastal dunes of Grayland Beach State Park ignited my joy and connection to nature. Read more…

As I sit down to write a year-end letter to the readers of Mountaineers Books, I’m trying to envision who exactly I am writing to, who is reading this? Are you a climber, a sea kayaker, a mountain biker? Are you a lover of mountaineering literature or do you collect books of nature photography? Read more…

Since 1906, Mountaineers members have come together to discover the best ways to go farther together. Today, members still continue to find ways to promote the benefits of getting outside to resource and elevate our mission using their shared love of the natural world, along with a healthy dose of imagination, hospitality, determination, and generosity. Read more…

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…

Izy loves everything about the outdoors. As a single mother working in social services, I’ve always made a modest salary, but I didn’t want my financial hardships to keep Izy from going to summer camp. I wanted my daughter to have the experiences that other kids have like climbing, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, whitewater rafting, hiking, learning to respect our natural world, and even things like outdoor cooking and first aid.  Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we aspire to offer outdoor opportunities for everyone, and are committed to building a community where all people feel belonging. Our Equity & Inclusion (E&I) Committee was founded in 2018 to work across the organization, in partnership with staff and volunteers, to bring this vision to life. Reflecting the promise of transparency to our community, our committee shares written updates twice per year and holds an annual E&I Town Hall to highlight key trail markers in our work. Today we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made since our April Town Hall, and to announce that applications are now open to join the E&I Committee in 2023.  Read more…

As a values and mission-driven nonprofit, everything we do at The Mountaineers is in service of our vision to get more people outside and create advocates for our natural world. Earned revenue, like book sales and course fees, help us to provide world-class outdoor training, books, and experiences. These provide a strong foundation for us to grow our impact through philanthropy. Donations help to fund youth partner programs, conservation & advocacy work, shared services across all locations and activities, scholarships, and more. Read more…

We are proud to share our fiscal year 2021 Impact Report, an annual publication highlighting the ways that programs, publishing, and people combine forces to impact our outdoor community and the future of outdoor recreation. Read more…

In the summer of 2021, I received a phone call from lifetime Mountaineer MaryJane Steele delivering the difficult news that Barbara Jean Allan had recently passed away. A biochemist and researcher at the University of Washington, Barbara was a passionate outdoorswoman and environmental advocate. The lifetime she spent in the mountains inspired her to give back in many ways, and for her, that included protecting the legacy of outdoor education by planning for a bequest to benefit The Mountaineers. Read more…

Have you ever walked into a space, say a meeting room or a new bar, and known immediately that you were out of place? Read more…

Leaving the cars behind, a group of young teens were a little unsure, but excited, as they walked up the trail together. Hiking is not something that they would usually choose to do on a summer afternoon. We’re just looking at a bunch of trees? Where do we go to the bathroom? Is there even cell service up here? Jiordi Henderson, Recreation Lead at Seattle Parks and Recreation and one of the chaperones for the day, hoped that the kids would be able to unplug. Read more…

It’s a hot afternoon in July, but the Seattle Program Center basement is invitingly cool. Ethan Metzger, Gear Library Manager, sits at an old wooden desk. He is surrounded by shelves full of packs, snowshoes, and boots from floor to ceiling. A rolling workbench is cluttered with repair and cleaning supplies and a couple of large tents are set up to air out.  Read more…

Diann Sheldon has been a friend and faithful supporter of The Mountaineers for more than 10 years, where she has found deep joy in experiencing nature with others. In 2012 Diann mustered the confidence to start her own guiding business, Discover Nature, where she leads hikes to help others connect with nature in Mt. Rainier National Park.  Read more…

Reflecting back on the last two years, it’s fair to say that it’s been one of the most challenging times in The Mountaineers history. I suspect that most of us will never forget those very early days when we were just starting to learn about Coronavirus and we were emphasizing the importance of hand-washing, without knowing how profoundly the pandemic would impact us. Almost exactly 2 years ago, The Mountaineers halted the majority of our operations as the world around us shut down, and we headed into an unknown and unstable landscape. Yet even in those early days, our community came together with an immediate and aggressive response to set us up for success in the future. Read more…

On any given weekend, you can find hundreds of people enjoying local parks, forests, waterways, and more under the leadership of a Mountaineers volunteer. Last year, we had an average of 11 Mountaineers activities every day. 2,300 volunteers donated more than 200,000 hours of service in 2021 to connect people with safe and meaningful outdoor experiences. The Mountaineers has an administrative staff of just 25 people to support programs; this kind of impact simply would not be possible without our extensive network of volunteer leaders, instructors, lodge hosts, and committee members.  Read more…

Over 116 years, The Mountaineers has undergone many changes. In 2011, we made the transformational decision to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, thereby allowing tax-deductible contributions in support of our mission. This strategic shift better aligned us with the founding spirit of The Mountaineers and cast a broader vision for our role in the community. Today, we field questions from old friends and new members alike: Isn’t The Mountaineers just a club for outdoor enthusiasts? Why does it need donations? Members pay membership dues, course fees, buy books, or volunteer… isn’t that enough?  Read more…

The Mountaineers is a community united by a passion for adventure and driven by a deep sense of purpose. For more than 114 years we have redefined limits, set new standards in outdoor education through volunteer-led courses and award-winning books, and fiercely defended the outdoor experience. Read more…

The Mountaineers is an incredible community of adventurers, students, instructors, advocates, and leaders. We’re proud of our community for persevering through another demanding year, prioritizing safety, and fostering connections to the outdoors. As we close the door on 2021 and look ahead to 2022, we reflect on our core values and how they’ve guided us through this past year.  Read more…

The close of the calendar year offers us many reasons to celebrate. Snow is beginning to fall in the mountains, friends and families are gathering for holidays, and some of our favorite traditional dishes are making their way to our tables. At The Mountaineers, we also celebrate you: our members, volunteers, readers, and donors, who help make the magic of our community possible through your charitable giving. Read more…