Bellingham Branch Blog Posts
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Discover Mushrooms of the PNW - August 26
What do Chantrelles, Morels, Lobsters, Oysters, Shaggy manes, Cauliflower, King Boletes and Matsutake have in common? They are all wild edible mushrooms found in Northwest forests. If you would like to start gathering wild mushrooms or if you are looking for a refresher, this one evening seminar is for you. Read more…
Conrad Anker: Mountaineering and the Climate Crisis - Sep 24
There’s no arguing that Conrad Anker is one of the most accomplished climbers of our time. During his 30+ years as a professional climber, he’s completed numerous first ascents (including the infamous Shark’s Fin on Meru), set speed records on big mountains around the globe, and scaled many of the tallest and most technical peaks on the planet. In between expeditions and explorations, he’s busy paving the way for outdoor enthusiasts to participate in a different kind of adventure: environmental activism. Join us on September 24 for a virtual conversation with this outdoor legend. Read more…
SOAR Act Advances in U.S. House
This week, we're thrilled that legislation we've been working on for over six years - the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act - passed out of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. Next, the bill will head to the House floor for a vote. That means we're one step closer to fixing the current inefficient, unpredictable recreational permitting system that creates barriers for people to experience the outdoors through outdoor programs like The Mountaineers. Read more…
Adventure With Purpose: A Recap of Our 2020 Virtual Gala
In previous years, it has been our tradition to gather our community each spring to celebrate our achievements and support future efforts to transform lives and protect wild places at our annual fundraising gala. This year, however, was a little different. Read more…
Great American Outdoors Act Passes Congress - Set to Become Law!
Your voice made a difference! The Great American Outdoors Act just passed the House with an overwhelming, bipartisan vote. Next, it goes to the President’s desk and is expected to be signed into law. Read more…
Action Alert! Keep Up the Momentum for Wild Olympics
Earlier this year, the House passed the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act, which includes additional protections for the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act here in Washington state. The bill would protect over 126,000 acres around the Olympic National Park as Wilderness where outdoor enthusiasts, including Mountaineers, hike, camp, climb, and more. Read more…
Free CalTopo Trip Planning Webinar – Aug 5
First among The Mountaineers Ten Essentials is navigation, and as technology has advanced that now includes both digital and physical maps. While physical maps can be customized for type, scale, coordinate markings, and personalized tracks and waypoints, digital maps have the benefit of GPS capability – allowing you to know where you are in the backcountry. Read more…
No Man's Land Virtual Film Festival - July 16, 2020
Join The Mountaineers to view some of the world's best outdoor films largely created by women and featuring female athletes! Films this year include the story of a refugee that finds a home in the climbing community, a marine biologist dedicated to protecting our planet, a pair of singletrack shredders that use pizza to bridge differences, and much more. Read more…
Inside Insights: Innovative Outdoor Education in a Changing World
In the short span of several weeks, the coronavirus outbreak went from a small blip on our radar to something that, at times, feels all-consuming. Nearly every person, company, and organization on the planet is impacted by this crisis - and The Mountaineers is no exception. Read more…
2020 Member & Volunteer Survey Results
In January 2020, we invited our members and volunteers, past and present, to participate in a member and volunteer survey. We wanted to learn how their perceptions of and experiences with our club have changed since our last surveys in 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2018. We compare these responses with past survey data to track patterns showing how we’ve grown and changed, and to identify opportunities to improve. Read more…
A Sense of Hope
The black eyes glared right at me, a penetrating stare that seemed to pierce my flesh. He then opened his mouth and flexed his shoulders, leaning toward me. His red epaulets glowed in the sun as his song rang out; a sharp two whistles, trill, and then another whistle. At the same time, he expanded his tail and flared his wings slightly, and all the while those eyes scowled. Read more…
CEO Update: Reopening, Innovations, Staffing Changes
This past month has been marked with optimism about the gradual, phased reopening process, while at the same time, our country has been engaged in a deeply-emotional and divisive conversation about racism. The Mountaineers community is often a microcosm of the world - with outdoor culture being a micro-community in the greater society - and everything that happens in the community at large impacts the people here. Read more…
Apply Now: Join Our Equity & Inclusion Committee
At The Mountaineers, we believe a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We aspire to offer outdoor opportunities for ALL. In order to realize this aspiration, we must take a critical look at our internal systems and processes to identify and discuss barriers that keep The Mountaineers from being a community where all people can feel a sense of belonging and experience the outdoors. Read more…
How To: Micro-Adventure Ideas
Popularized by Alastair Humphreys, a micro-adventure is "an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding. " As summer arrives, many of us want to maximize our time outside. But it’s not always easy to get out after work or on a busy weekend. Fortunately, opportunities for outdoor exploration are right outside your door. Join us as we take a look at a few of the micro-adventures you can take any day of the week. Read more…
Speaking Up Regarding the Incident in Forks
On June 3, 2020, a multiracial family was harassed, intimidated, and trapped by intentionally felled logs over the road in a public forest camping area near Forks. Fortunately, other local residents and high school-age youth were in the area and had tools to clear the road, and sheriff deputies escorted the family safely back to the highway. Read more…
How We’re Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Mountaineers Buildings
Worldwide, buildings contribute a significant portion of the global CO2 emissions through heating, cooling, and electrical use. Here at The Mountaineers, we own several old event centers and lodges. While these spaces support our community-focused mission, they contribute a fair share of our organization’s CO2. That’s why, after we pledged to reduce The Mountaineers carbon footprint as part of Vision 2022, the Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee focused our sights on The Mountaineers buildings first. From installing solar panels on the roof of the Seattle Program Center to replacing over 500 light bulbs with LED retrofits, Mountaineers volunteers have helped reduce our organization’s impact on the environment. Read more…
How To: Car Camping 101
Are you excited to start testing the waters of outdoor adventure this summer, but not sure how to do it in a way that’s fun and safe for everyone? Consider car camping, the most accessible way to get outside overnight - making it a great way to introduce kids and trepidatious friends to the outdoors. To ensure your trip is successful and open the doors to future adventure, here are a few tips for brand-new car campers to take their trip to the next level: Read more…
Action Alert! Help Pass the Great American Outdoors Act
The Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a historic bipartisan bill to fund parks and public lands. The legislation includes measures The Mountaineers has spent years advocating for, including finally ensuring full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as well as establishing new funding to restore and maintain public lands. Read more…
New Guidance for Reopening Mountaineers Programming: Phases 1.5 & 2
As Washington state continues to reopen, it’s critically important for our community to recreate responsibly. Last week, Governor Inslee announced an expansion of the Washington Safe Start plan that moves Washington through a re-opening on a county-by-county basis. We've adjusted our guidance to align with each county's programs and plan to resume some in-person programming beginning June 6. Read more…
Fighting Racism In The Outdoors
All people should have equal opportunities and access to engage with nature. Our members, and the greater community at large, should be free to enjoy the outdoors without fear. They should be able to go birding (#ChristianCooper), go for a jog (#AhmaudArbery), walk to the store (#MikeBrown), walk with their family (#CliffordGlover), breathe (#EricGarner, #GeorgeFloyd), and live (#FreddieGray, #BreonnaTaylor) without being targeted for the color of their skin. Black lives matter, and we are committed to continuing to fight for equality. Read more…
Stuck Inside - Youth Edition, Episode 10: H2Oh So Fun
Welcome back to Stuck Inside where we share ways to have fun and connect with the outdoors while also staying safe. Did you figure out all of the riddles from last week? If you didn’t and they’ve been rattling around your brain, check out these answers. Read more…
BeWild with Brendan Leonard - June 18
Brendan Leonard bought the url semi-rad.com for $29 in 2011, intending to write a weekly post about adventure for a year and see what happened. Almost nine years later, his writings on Semi-Rad.com are read by half a million people each year, and even more in his Semi-Rad column for Outside magazine. Read more…
Stuck Inside: Youth Edition, Episode 9 - Take a Brain Break!
Welcome back! Each week, The Mountaineers youth team is sharing ideas and activities for kids of all ages to stay engaged while also staying home and safe. Last week's Stuck Inside offered up some ideas to keep your body active while at home. This week, we are sharing some ways to keep your mind active too! Read more…
How To: Recreate Responsibly During COVID
Fighting the coronavirus pandemic is a community-wide effort, and thanks to the diligence of Washingtonians to Stay Home and Stay Healthy, public lands have begun to reopen. It's essential that we recreate responsibly to keep each other safe and public lands open. Read more…
Public Land Closures and Reopenings During COVID-19
We’re excited that public lands are beginning to reopen for recreation. While we’re all eager to get back to our favorite places, it’s critically important that we recreate responsibly to keep lands open for use. This is not a return to normal: COVID-19 is very much still a public health threat and we all need to make extra efforts to keep each other safe and public lands open. Please see our How To: Recreate Responsibly blog and visit our COVID-19 blog and response page for more information. Read more…
Outside Insight | Charting New Waters: Creating a Cross-Branch Paddling Community
In the Pacific Northwest, year-round sea kayakers are a tight-knit community. These brave individuals don their drysuits in all conditions and relish in the opportunity to paddle big waves during winter storms. They seek adverse conditions to build their skills, growing more confident in their ability to explore wilder and more remote places. Read more…
Introducing The Mountaineers Statement on Climate Change
Since its earliest days, The Mountaineers has been committed to conservation and stewardship of wild places. That’s why we created our Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee, tasked with helping make sure that The Mountaineers and Mountaineers Books are doing our part to address the global climate crisis. Read more…
What Does the Board of Directors Do At The Mountaineers?
The Mountaineers Board of Directors is the ultimate governing body responsible for overseeing the organization as dictated by our bylaws. This includes setting the strategic plan, approving the budget and tracking organizational financial performance, hiring the CEO, electing the board’s officers, and setting organizational policies and procedures. The board works with the CEO and staff to set the overall direction for the organization through the strategic plan (e.g., Vision 2022). The board also reviews and approves the annual budget and reviews performance to that budget. Read more…
CEO Update: Assumptions & Actions for Reopening The Mountaineers
I'm not certain what it was about this week, but it was a tough one. The cumulative impact of the Stay Home order, limited interactions with other people, and the realization that our "new normal" will be in place for a while seems to be weighing heavily on many. And, at the same time, as we near 50,000 COVID-19 related deaths in the US, we're reminded just how horrible this disease is and how important it is that we all continue to do our part to fight its spread. Read more…
We Are Mountaineers - Adventure With Purpose
At our 'Breakthrough' fundraising Gala in 2015, we unveiled a capstone video project documenting The Mountaineers rich history of exploration, education, and conservation. For our 2018 Gala, we celebrated the theme of Adventure With Purpose, and it felt appropriate to update our favorite video to reflect our efforts to transform lives and protect our wild places for generations to come. We updated our video again in 2020 to reflect our learnings around equity and inclusion, specifically with regards to erasure language of Indigenous peoples. Read more…