Everett Hiking & Backpacking Committee
Hiking
Hiking is an exhilarating adventure that combines physical challenge with the beauty of nature, offering a refreshing escape from everyday life. The diverse terrains, from lush forests to rugged mountains, provide a thrilling backdrop for the journey.
All of our hikes have some elevation gain and are usually in mountainous terrain. Start with a short distance and a low elevation gain if you are new to hiking or reach out to the hike leader if you have questions about the hike.
Our hikes range from easy (social pace) to very strenuous (getting a workout).
Mountaineers Hike Rating System
- Easy - Up to 8 miles (round trip) and 1,200 ft. elevation gain
- Moderate - Up to 12 mi., 1,200-2,500 ft. gain
- Strenuous - Up to 14 mi., 2,500-3,500 ft. gain
- Very Strenuous - Over 14 mi. and/or more than 3,500 ft. gain
Leaders often list pace by "distance speed" (2 miles per hour) or by "elevation speed" (1000 vertical feet per hour). Some of our day hikes mention that they are "conditioners." This type of hike is set up to prepare experienced hikers for longer hikes, backpacks, scrambles, and climbs. They are often fast-paced, or participants are free to go at their own pace and meet up with a group at the summit or other junction. Conditioners typically have a significant elevation gain, and participants may choose to carry extra training weight to prepare for heavier loads later in the season.
Who can go on our trips?
Mountaineers members are always welcome. Guests may go on two trips per year but must have a waiver on file with the club. Everyone is responsible for being at the appropriate level of conditioning, wearing adequate clothing and having essential gear. Sorry, but we don't allow pets on our trips.
Committee meetings: Our committee is a group of volunteers who teach hiking-related courses, and promote safety and fun among Mountaineer hike participants. We meet in the months of February, April, June and October. Meetings are open to all Everett Mountaineers.
Equipment
You must bring on all Everett Mountaineer trips:
- The Ten Essentials
- Daypack
- Food and water
- Sturdy boots and clothing suitable for destination, weather and length of the trip
Backpacking
Backpackers hike to a forest or mountain camp and stay overnight. We generally sleep in tents. Our Mountaineer backpacking trips include from three to eight backpackers. There are many reasons for carrying the extra overnight gear. Backpacking allows you to reach more remote destinations or perhaps return a different way (loop trip). You also gain the solitude of wilderness, great views, challenge, exercise, camaraderie of fellow Mountaineers and the safety of going with several people. Sometimes we set up a base camp at a good camping location for several days and thoroughly explore an area.
Basic Backpacks
Basic Backpack trips are open to graduates and students of one of our introductory Backpacking courses, as well as experienced backpackers who have earned the Basic Backpacking Skills badge through equivalency. Note that students must have successfully completed any field trip(s) prior to sign-up.
| Prerequisite Badges |  |
 |
 |
Open Backpacks
Open Backpack trips have no prerequisites.
Open Backpacks and Basic Backpacks that are more strenuous or involved may require the leader's permission to register. Make sure to check mileage, elevation gain, pace and leader's notes to ensure the trip is a good fit for you. And remember, all backpacks require participants to carry The Ten Essentials!
Leader Rating
In addition to the difficulty rating, a Leader Rating is specified for each activity. This provides the leader with a way to modify the baseline route difficulty based on specifics of how they will lead the trip. The following are examples of criteria a leader may consider in setting the Leader Rating. Please note that the "average pace" includes rest breaks, but not a longer stop for lunch.
- Casual: Average pace under 1 mile per hour, with no technical challenges or specific skills required.
- Easy: Average pace of 1-1.5 miles per hour, with no technical challenges or specific skills required.
- Moderate: Average pace of 1.5-2 miles per hour OR some route challenges (rough trail, log crossings, steep terrain) OR an easy route with an overnight pack.
- Challenging: Average pace of greater than 2 miles per hour OR significant route challenges or specific skills required (fixed ropes, very rugged terrain, steep scree descents, snow or ice crossings, carrying water to a dry camp) OR a moderate route with an overnight pack.
Backpacking Skill badgeS
We offer equivalency for the following backpacking-related skill badge.
Basic Backpacking Skills
The Basic Backpacking Skills badge shows that you have the skills needed to participate in single-night and multi-night Backpack trips. It is a recently added badge that is now awarded upon graduation from some of the introductory Backpacking courses offered by the various Mountaineers branches.
Getting this badge via equivalency might be right for you if:
- You took a Mountaineers Backpacking course before the badge was offered, and want to "catch up" to the current badge standards. (Note that the single-day Backpacking Seminars offered prior to 2020 do not qualify you for this badge.)
- You are already active in another Mountaineers activity that does overnight trips, such as Climbing, Scrambling, Glacier Travel, Winter Camping, etc.
- You already have the equivalent skills from experience outside The Mountaineers.
BECOME A HIKE or Backpack LEADER!
We are always looking for new hike and backpack leaders to lead trips. It's a fantastic way to meet new people, explore new places and give back to The Mountaineers community.
Read through the hike leader guidelines in the committee materials portlet then apply below. Once you apply we'll get you plugged into an evening leader seminar and then you'll be ready to do a mentored hike with a current hike leader.
Backpacking trips are a big part of our program, and we are always looking for new trip leaders. If you are an experienced backpacker or already lead overnight trips for another Mountaineers program, we would love to hear from you.