Volunteers Blog

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Thomas Bancroft, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who loves the process of learning with others. His advice to new leaders? You don't have to know everything, a love of nature and a willingness to learn is plenty! Read more…

“Hiking is free. As long as you have shoes and an Orca card, you can go anywhere.” Read more…

The Foothills Branch is seeking a new Chair-Elect to join our team this spring! This position is part of a 2.5-year term; the new Chair-Elect will begin ASAP and transition to a one-year term as Branch Chair on November 1, throughout which you will receive active support and mentoring throughout from the current chair and our strong branch council. Then, your last year will be serving as Past Chair, with a focus on supporting the chair and helping to mentor the next Chair-Elect. Read more…

Our volunteer leaders are a huge part of what makes the Olympia Branch such an inspiring, fun, and impactful community. Each year we honor the hard work and dedication of one Olympia volunteer by presenting them with the Branch Service Award. To help with this process, we ask our branch members to submit nominations for those they believe go above and beyond their volunteer responsibilities to enhance the courses, activities and spirit of The Mountaineers. Read more…

Meet Foothills volunteer Lori Heath! Lori moved to the Northwest five years ago. She is the Foothills Branch Secretary, Foothills Branch Communication Chair, and a hike leader. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Peter Hendrickson, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who loves night hikes and encourages everyone to take a leadership role on his trips. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Becky Jacobsen, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch who loves helping members gain new skills and the confidence to expand their horizons. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Nataliya Semez, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who is proud to represent The Mountaineers on the trail and in all aspects of life! Read more…

About a year and a half ago, The Mountaineers announced our intentions to formally engage in equity and inclusion (E&I) work. Guided by our Board of Directors, this commitment stems from our belief that a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. Studies also show that groups with better diversity make better decisions. In an organization where safety is so highly valued, investing in E&I will only make us stronger and more resilient. We’re grateful to all of you who have participated in making our community one where all people feel safe and respected. Read more…

Volunteers are at the core of our Mountaineers community. During the last year alone, we had over 3,100 volunteers support our programs, contributing an outstanding 213,000 hours towards our mission. This could be as a trip leader, committee member, instructor, lodge host, event volunteer, or stewardship activity participant! Read more…

Whether you're a Mountaineers leader or not, we invite you to join us for our Leadership Development Series Seminar with Ben Brown. Join us to develop skills and strategies for presenting, providing feedback, and evaluating understanding on Feb 10, 2020. Read more…

Volunteerism is at the core of The Mountaineers mission. Everything we accomplish is the result of volunteer initiative, and our "flavor" here in the PNW is that of a vibrant volunteer-driven community. We often say that volunteers are our "secret sauce", and that's more true than ever as we enter a new decade of adventure. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Steven Anderson, a volunteer leader with the Kitsap Branch who encourages everyone to keep learning and refreshing their skills through teaching. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to John Gilbert, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who loves both close-to-home and more remote adventures. He has hiked Tiger Mountain more than 100 times, and is also working his way through the Rainier 100! 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…

17 miles per hour. That’s the speed of the rope tow at Meany Lodge when it’s in third gear. Touted as the fastest, longest, legally operated tow west of the Mississippi, the Meany Tow whisks skiers 500ft up an east-facing glade deep in the heart of Stampede Pass. The angle is gradual at first, but then steepens midway, creating a small gap between the rope and the slope. Regulars will tell you they routinely see small children lift off the ground, carried for a dozen or so feet before touching back down on the high side. They love it. Read more…

Foothills is the fastest-growing branch in The Mountaineers, and it's thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of our many wonderful volunteers. Without you, we wouldn't be able to hold the many courses, activities, and events that we offer. For that we would like to thank and recognize a group of volunteers that recently made a difference in the lives of our students and helped us get outside!  Read more…

We’re pleased to announce the results of the 2019 Foothills Branch Council election and would like to thank everyone who voted in the election. We are so excited to welcome these new leaders as we approach 2020! The newly elected Foothills Branch Council members are: Read more…

The Mountaineers Leadership Conference is a one-day conference held on Saturday, December 7 at the Seattle Program Center in Magnuson Park. It is an engaging and exciting day of leadership development for you - our community of outstanding leaders - and we hope that you're able to join us! Read more…

As a part of our 2019 website updates, The Mountaineers added a new My Volunteer Hours section to the My Profile page. This page will show all activities, events, and lodge stays with associated volunteer hours, as well as any self-reported hours. Members can also filter, search, download, and print a selection of their volunteer hours. This can be useful when submitting volunteer hours to be matched through employer programs. Read more…

Known as the “widow maker” heart attack, a blockage in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) is almost always fatal. Symptoms include shortness of breath, left shoulder and arm pain, nausea, cold sweats, and the debilitating sensation of an elephant sitting on your chest. Had these signs appeared a few hours earlier while Tom Eckhout was skiing on Mount Rainier, the outcome might have been very different. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Dee Ann Kline, a volunteer leader with the Olympia Branch who enjoys leading easy paced hikes with plenty of time for photos and berry picking. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Bruce Durham, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch who has ramped-up his paddling during the pandemic. He eventually hopes to lead a series of day trips - 22 of them! - originating at Budd Inlet near Olympia, paddling north through Puget Sound to the Straight of Juan de Fuca, then going west out to Cape Flattery and around to Hobuck Beach. It  will be a 229nm adventure. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Carlanna Livingstone, a hike leader with the Tacoma Branch who loves fire lookouts and hiking with her dog Raven. Read more…

As a part of our Vision 2022 strategic plan, The Mountaineers is committed to leading innovation in outdoor education. A key component of this initiative is investing in our volunteer leaders, the heart and soul of our vibrant organization. Read more…

The breeze on my face contained the chill of an early spring day, sunny warmth trying to shaking off the last of winter. On this day, with the task at hand, the chill was welcome. I rested on a bleached log long stripped of bark, the waves filling my ears with swaying sound. A member of my Mountaineers group came into view along the water-line, his body bent as he dragged a line of buoys behind him. Smiling, I picked up my garbage sack and started looking for that piece of plastic I noticed earlier. Today was turning out to be a good day. Read more…

Being a huge fan of stewardship and conservation, I’m super proud of the hard hat I earned as a stewardship volunteer with the Olympia Mountaineers. I first became interested in 2014 when Kathy Fox and Jim French approached me to help out on several local projects, and from there I was hooked. Read more…

Meet Foothills volunteer Christina Buckman. Christina was raised in Yakima and started hiking after her daughter went to college - and never stopped! She loves volunteering and is excited to be a part of our community.  Read more…

How do industry trends affect, shape, and impact our programs at The Mountaineers? If this is a question that you've ever considered – and a conversation that you're interested in being a part of – we invite you to join The Mountaineers at this year's Wilderness Risk Management Conference in Albuquerque, NM. Read more…

Our volunteer leaders are a big part of what makes the Olympia branch  such an inspiring, fun, and impactful community. Join us as we prepare to celebrate their hard work and our broader Olympia community at our annual banquet in October. At this banquet we will be honoring one Olympia volunteer with the Branch Service Award, to recognize their hard work and dedication. To help with this process, we ask our branch members to submit nominations for those they believe go above and beyond the call of duty and deserve this award! Read more…