Impact Stories

It may come as no surprise that the high-holiday season is one of the largest fundraising opportunities of the entire year. Through generosity, goodwill, and a strategic reduction in taxes, many people are thinking about their personal philanthropy during this time. In fact, more than 26% of Mountaineers donors choose to make a gift during the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. Read more…

Do you remember when you first fell in love with the outdoors? As the middle of five children growing up on Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire in the 70s, I was encouraged to play outside all day. The water was so clean that we drank straight from the lake. I realized from a young age the importance of having close access to the outdoors for body and mind. Read more…

Whether you hike, ski, climb, or paddle, we’d be willing to bet your life has been positively impacted by a Mountaineers volunteer. Volunteers are the heart of our organization - they lead our trips, teach our courses, run our branches and committees, and build our Program and Outdoor Centers. This giving season, consider making a gift in honor of the volunteer who has made a difference in your life. Read more…

One of the key ways we provide equitable access to the outdoors is through donor-funded scholarships. This #GivingTuesday, we are asking for your support to raise $25,000 to provide scholarships to 75 students and ensure that life-changing Mountaineers opportunities are available to all.  Read more…

As someone who’s volunteered with The Mountaineers more than 100 times over the last three years, perhaps it’s most appropriate to think of Krishna Dase (KD) as a Super-Duper Volunteer.  Since joining in 2016, KD has supported backpacking, climbing, scrambling,  snowshoeing, navigation, and hiking courses across nearly all branches. He’s a snowshoe and scrambling trip leader, intermediate climbing student, Everett climbing committee member, Kitsap scrambling committee member, and Seattle hiking committee member. He’s also a Mountaineers scholarship recipient.  Read more…

Last month we kicked off an Impact Giving series to talk about the many ways charitable donations expand our mission. We will publish a new story each month to share how philanthropy expands Mountaineers programs and empowers us to keep doing what we do best: get more people outside, expand the tradition of volunteer-led outdoor education, cultivate stewards of our public lands, and publish books to inspire adventure, exploration, and conservation. Read more…

A gift in support of Mountaineers scholarships on #GivingTuesday has the power to create strong outdoor communities, and on December 3, all donations received on this global day of giving will directly support scholarships at The Mountaineers.  Read more…

This #GivingTuesday, The Mountaineers community stepped up once again to support scholarships for our growing outdoor community. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we believe an inclusive outdoor community inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We empower others to safely and responsibly pursue outdoor activities by connecting people to place, leveraging that connection to inspire advocacy and stewardship efforts. Read more…

After you #OptOutside this Black Friday, consider giving in support of outdoor access. On Tuesday, December 3, The Mountaineers will participate in #GivingTuesday and once again all donations received on this day will directly support Mountaineers scholarships.  Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we know the power of nature to restore our souls and inspire our spirits. We're proud of the service of our active-duty and veteran members and their efforts to preserve our own Freedom of the Hills for future generations. To celebrate Veterans Day, we highlight a Mountaineer whose dedication helps our club and our country. Read more…

You did it! We asked for your help to get more kids outside more often and now we can! Last month you helped us raise over $30,000 toward a 15-passenger Ford Transit and this month we brought it home. Thank you to the 34 donors who made it possible, and to the 9 donors who made their first gift to The Mountaineers! We’d like to give a special shout out to The Bradley Family Foundation and donors Ken Seamon and Jane Biddle who extended your support with the matching gift challenge  and to the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundations for helping to make the van possible!  Read more…

With a membership of nearly 14,000 that spans the Puget Sound, it’s inspiring to think of the many ways The Mountaineers brings value to our community. Outdoor education courses, lodge stays, trips to explore on land or water, year-round youth and family programming, and unique lectures and events are just some of the ways that members and volunteers engage with our organization. Mountaineers Books greatly expands on that impact, reaching millions of homes across the world. Read more…

On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, The Mountaineers will participate in #GivingTuesday and once again all donations received on this day will directly support Mountaineers scholarships. Read more…

Thank you to everyone who continues to submit for matched volunteer hours. Every bit helps The Mountaineers! As we shift our programs online, don’t forget that virtual committee meetings, planning future courses, preparing online curriculum, hosting virtual events, and more can be submitted for matching hours with your employer. You can reach out to development@mountaineers.org with questions or further inquiries.

Leverage the impact of your volunteer commitment by submitting for a match today!

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Employer matching is making a notable difference with charities across the nation, contributing almost $5 billion to U.S. nonprofits each year. Even with such high participation levels, billions of dollars are left on the table annually. Read more…

“You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.”
- Dr. Suess, Oh The Places We’ll Go

Summer at The Mountaineers is the best! The kids are excited to be out of school and we’re able to take hiking trips in the middle of the week. In the last few weeks, we drove 14 youth to Heybrook Lookout with our Rock the Park (RTP) Mountain Workshop where we experienced an enjoyable day hike, talked about the history of the lookout, practiced our navigation skills, and we took a second RTP group to hike by Rattlesnake Lake and learn about the Cedar River Watershed.    Read more…

The hard truth is that public lands legislation is complicated, victories can be slow, and our public lands are chronically underfunded. The threats to these places are becoming increasingly urgent, and our ability to respond to issues – and thus create space for you to engage – is limited by staff capacity and funding. In order to provide more opportunities for outdoor recreationists to learn about and understand the issues facing our public lands and become an even stronger voice for threaten landscapes, we need to bring on a staff position focused on public lands advocacy and engagement. To make sure we not only keep our footing on this precarious ground, but also find ways to play offense and not just defense, we need your help.  Read more…

“We’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!” - Dr. Suess, Oh The Places We’ll Go

Dear Friends, 
 
We are going places! Our Explorers Program just came back from their annual 4-day climbing trip to Mazama; Mountain Workshops will be hiking in Snoqualmie Pass this week with Solid Ground as part of Rock the Park Program; and our summer camp field trips are coming and going every day, filling the program center with laughter, camp songs, and the smell of sunscreen.  Read more…

Since our founding in 1906, we have pushed the boundaries of what's possible. United by an appreciation for adventure and driven by a sense of purpose to give back, we've redefined limits, set new standards in outdoor education through volunteer-led courses and award-winning books, and fiercely defended the outdoor experience. Read more…

When longtime Mountaineers member John Waldhausen reflects back on his time as a basic alpine climbing student, he can’t help but smile. Memories of field trips with his Small Instruction Group (SIG) at Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and the Tooth come rushing back to him. As a working professional, John took the course hoping to learn to climb mountains safely in his limited spare time. By the time it ended, he’d made long-lasting connections with our community of adventurers - some that he continues to climb with nearly 10 years later.  Read more…

Every April, The Mountaineers hosts our Annual “Adventure with Purpose” Gala, a fundraising event that includes special guest speakers, dynamic programming, and a variety of live auction packages ranging from nature photography workshops to Everest Base Camp treks. This year, gala attendees had the opportunity to buy into a priceless trip up Mount Rainier with former lead climbing ranger and Mountaineers Books author, Mike Gauthier (who’s summited Washington’s famed mountain more than 180 times), and Mountaineers CEO, Tom Vogl. Read more…

Reading books had a direct and specific impact in my becoming an explorer. As a young black kid growing up in a working class family in a New York city housing project, I loved to read and was fortunate to have a library nearby. I spent my time reading books about the 19th century’s "age of discovery," and dreamed that one day I too might get "out there" and become an explorer. These books had a powerful influence on me, ultimately leading my dreams of exploration to come true. Read more…

Standing in Yosemite Valley, gazing up at the imposing profiles of El Cap and Half Dome, it’s impossible not to think of Warren Harding, Tom Frost, Jim Bridwell, or Royal Robbins—climbing legends whose stories you want to share with your climbing partners, your friends, your sons and daughters. By remembering the stories of those who came before, you provide a pathway for young and old alike to imagine what is possible in the future. Read more…

The key to having fun in the backcountry is having the skills and knowledge to get home safely.

From knowing how to travel on glaciers or tie proper knots to building an emergency snow cave or trusting a cam, Mountaineers Books publish a wide range of instructional guide books that detail best practices, expert techniques, and safety tips for human-powered outdoor activities. Professional guides, outdoor educators, instructors, volunteers, and weekend warriors around the globe use our guidebooks to further develop and advance their outdoor skills. Read more…

We go outside to wander, and to explore the adventurous spirit within ourselves. As we step into the outdoors, we need to be mindful of the impact our food has on wild places. Our habits can make a difference at home as well, where the average person wastes more than 18 pounds of food per month. Read more…

Starting with #GiveBIG on May 8, The Mountaineers launched a month-long campaign to directly support our publishing division, Mountaineers Books. As explorers both on and off the page, we are passionate about sharing our stories of community, adventure, and advocacy in hopes of welcoming a new friend to an experience they’ve never had before. Read more…

A great story will stay with you, even long after you close the book.

Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, by Heather “Anish” Anderson, is Heather’s account of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013 when she finished with the “Fastest Known Time” for any gender. But hers is not at all a story about trail miles and speed. For Heather, it’s about choosing—choosing to get out and move, choosing to walk on the trail, and choosing to embrace an outdoor life. Read more…

In a brief encounter with a mother caribou and her calf, it becomes startlingly clear that we share an innate passion and concern for the future with all living beings. This universal calling leaps from the pages as you turn through Caribou Rainforest: From Heartbreak to Hope, recently published by Mountaineers Books as part of our Braided River line of titles. Read more…

 Books give power to our personal stories - whether you want to discover a new place, learn a new skill, make a lifestyle change, or feel a sense of connection with a wild place or a fellow adventurer. Read more…

Outdoor experiences with The Mountaineers are transformative. We are explorers who seek adventure and challenge. We teach skills and inspire new generations of adventurers, building community and creating lifelong memories. New leaders are forged on windswept ridges and in deep, forested valleys. We come home with a passion to share and a resolution to protect wild places - the places we love. Our outdoor experiences are imbued with commitment and conviction. In short: we adventure with purpose.  Read more…