Bellingham Branch Blog Posts

The Mountaineers advocacy to protect public lands and the outdoor experience transcends the places where we recreate and the courses we lead here in the Pacific Northwest. This work doesn’t happen alone; partnerships lie at the heart of our advocacy story. About nine years ago, The Mountaineers joined Outdoor Alliance (OA) - a national coalition of human-powered recreation organizations. Over the years, we’ve deepened our involvement because our community is a unique catalyst for conservation and advocacy work on a national scale. Read more…

I don’t know about you, but I feel that Washington’s state-managed parks and public lands are truly special and offer something for everyone. Outdoor places like Blanchard Mountain, Cape Disappointment, the Exit 38 climbing area near North Bend, and many others connect us to nature through recreation across every region of the state. Read more…

This month was everything March should be: glimpses of sun to get you excited for warmer weather and just enough snow for some satisfying spring skiing. Read on, dear friends, for lunar landscapes, trolls, and churning currents! Read more…

In February 2025, we invited our members and volunteers to participate in our community survey. We do this every few years to understand how experiences change over time and identify areas of need when balancing resources. We’re pleased to share these preliminary results with our community, and look forward to deeper analysis with the staff and volunteer leaders who drive our programs and accomplish our mission in the community. Read more…

Maintaining access to Washington’s cherished landscapes and the recreational opportunities they support frequently requires partnership between the State and federal land managers. Drastic reductions to the federal workforce and a looming state budget deficit underscore the need for creative solutions to safe and sustainable access to Washington’s lands and waters this year and beyond. Read more…

Since the new administration took office, they’ve adopted a “flood-the-zone” approach to policy. That means mass firings of federal employees, including ten percent of the Forest Service’s workforce, and a surge of executive orders (written directives signed by the President) that put our public lands and climate at risk.  Read more…

We had a fairly frosty February, and it definitely shows in this month’s adventures. Read on, dear friends, for snowy sculptures, deer to the rescue, and well-stocked toilet paper! Read more…

Last week, the new administration fired 10% of the Forest Service’s workforce, alongside thousands of employees from other public land managers, including the National Park Service. These workers do essential on-the-ground work, such as trail maintenance and cleaning facilities, that keep our public lands open, safe, and accessible. Read more…

Logging protests. Activists sleeping in the world’s tallest trees. An iconic species on the brink. This isn’t a summary of a Hollywood action flick - it’s the real world clash between loggers and environmentalists that led scientists to develop the Northwest Forest Plan. Read more…

In July 2005, six Mountaineers from several different branches set out to climb Sharkfin Tower in the North Cascades National Park. In what was the national park’s worst multi-fatality incident, the group experienced a series of events that resulted in three fatalities and one serious injury, plus trauma for the survivors. Read more…

Mountaineers started 2025 strong. (The bout of January sunshine sure didn't hurt.) Read on, dear friends, for a spilt pee bottle, the red-breasted sapsucker, Jupiter, dramatic contrast, and more.  Read more…

The Mountaineers is an incredible community of outdoor enthusiasts, students, instructors, advocates, and leaders. We are inspired by our community’s dedication to fostering connections to the outdoors. As we close the door on 2024 and continue into 2025, we reflect on the core of our mission: to connect people to the natural world and to each other. Take a look back on our collective achievements and how our strategic goals of Lead, Engage, and Advocate guided us this past fiscal year (October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024).  Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we believe the outdoors can be a source of healing and unity - a place where we can all come together to find joy and connection in the natural world. Despite big changes with the makeup of Congress and the administration that will have big policy implications, we believe the outdoors is a bipartisan issue. Time and time again, we’ve been able to secure wins for the outdoors no matter who is in power in the other Washington, and we’ll continue to elevate our community’s voices and values to lawmakers in 2025 and beyond. Read more…

If you've sea kayaked in Deception Pass, climbed the Royal Columns at Tieton, or hiked Blanchard Mountain, you know how important state-managed lands are for Mountaineers programs. Amid growing visitation to Washington’s state parks, wildlife areas, and Department of Natural Resources lands, state agencies need more resources to sustainably manage increased use, mitigate climate change impacts, and better protect natural and cultural resources. Read more…

In 1976, a tight-knit group of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts conceived The Banff Festival of Mountaineering Films. This was a one-day gathering that became the renowned international festival it is today. Read more…

eLearning plays an important role in our community's efforts to teach and learn outdoor skills and build a shared culture of conservation. Think of our three conservation eLearning courses as the 11th essential for your outdoor experience. Low impact Recreation, Public Lands 101, and Advocacy 101 will give you the tools you need to tread lightly on the landscape, understand how different types of federal public lands are managed, and advocate to protect public lands and the outdoor experience.  Read more…

Are you familiar with Leave No Trace? These tips are more than just picking up trash. In fact, the seven principles of Leave No Trace offer a framework for making decisions as you recreate outside. Leave No Trace's seven principles help guide you toward choices that have a lighter impact on the outdoors.  Given how many folks are outside recreating on our shared public lands, the cumulative effect of our efforts to be good stewards can be tremendous! Read more…

On Wednesday, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that it’s discontinuing development of its proposal to restrict the use of fixed anchors in Wilderness. This is a huge victory for the climbing community. If enacted, the policy would have prohibited the use of new and existing bolts, slings, and pitons in Wilderness areas, upending decades of precedent and compromising safe and reliable access to iconic Washington summits like Unicorn Peak and Mt. Shuksan.  Read more…

We’re excited to share that in the final days of the 118th Congress, lawmakers came together in bipartisan fashion to pass the EXPLORE Act and send it to the President’s desk to become law. The legislation is a first-of-its-kind package of bills to improve recreation and increase and enhance outdoor access on federal public lands.
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Note: the Take Action section  of this blog has been updated to reflect legislative developments for the EXPLORE Act and a public lands package.

To continue growing a community of Mountaineers who adventure with purpose as outdoor advocates, our conservation team connected with Advocacy 101 course graduates and other conservation-minded Mountaineers virtually on Nov 20. As more Mountaineers seek new opportunities to flex their advocacy muscle, events like these prepare us for greater collective impact. Read more…

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…

Each fall we host our Annual Meeting to recognize leaders across the organization and share highlights from the previous year as well as upcoming priority areas. More than anything, our Annual Meeting is a celebration of our community and all the impact made possible by the generosity and commitment of members, volunteers, and donors. Read on for a brief recap and please check out the virtual recording.  Read more…

It’s safe to say that just about any recreationist can find their next adventure on Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR)-managed lands. Whether you’re tackling a strenuous ascent of Mailbox Peak, honing your sport climbing skills at Exit 38, or enjoying a trail run in the Issaquah Alps, you’re recreating in areas managed by the DNR.  Read more…

“Don’t get distracted by the bells and buzzers you’ll hear going off in congressional offices,” warned Cheri Bustos on our first day of in-person training for Outdoor Alliance’s Grasstops Collective. Former Representative Bustos (IL-17) was referring to the sounds and lights used in Congress to summon members to votes and quorum calls; she was just the first of three speakers to prepare us for the potential disturbance to our planned meetings with members of Congress. Read more…

A collection of trip reports as golden as a larch. Read on, dear friends, for mediocre views, a failed comet sighting, wumping sea lions, our first taste of snow, a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and more.  Read more…

The Mountaineers is partnering with the Sacred Lands Conservancy, an Indigenous-led nonprofit with strong ties to the Lummi Nation, to produce a series of educational pieces on the importance of mindful recreation and how we can all develop deeper connections to the histories of our natural places. Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley is a Lhaq’temish fisherwoman who has previously served as an elected member of Lummi Nation’s Fisheries and Natural Resource Commission. She is President of the Sacred Lands Conservancy. This final blog from her, written in collaboration with SLC’s Julie Trimingham, shares about the history and meaning of Indigenous place names with a focus on two of our region’s mountains. Read more…

The Pacific Northwest is defined by its U.S. Forest Service lands. The agency manages nearly 25 million acres of public lands in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, from the dizzying heights of Mt. Baker to the awe-inspiring Multnomah Falls. Much of the important on-the-ground management work - maintaining trails, cleaning bathrooms, and fighting wildfires - falls on the shoulders of seasonal or temporary employees.  Read more…

A collection of trip reports with a little extra flavor. Read on, dear friends, for summit treats, a pretty sweet deal, raving reviews, crab cookers, and more. Read more…

At The Mountaineers, every adventure tells a story. Sharing stories through trip reports is foundational to our community’s ability to get outside. Trip reports provide valuable information for trail conditions, weather, new obstacles, route details, and more, enabling our members and leaders to plan ahead for their outings. Submitting a trip report is a simple, yet impactful way to give back to The Mountaineers community and make your voice heard. Read more…

We're pleased to present you with the outcome of the 2024 Board & Branch Elections, and we're grateful to everyone who participated by voting and accepting a nomination. Your participation shows a deep commitment to the organization, and this year, we received over 700 votes from our membership.  Read more…