The Mountaineers (Pacific NW)
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The Mountaineers is an outdoor recreation and awareness group based in Seattle, Washington and is the third largest group of its kind in the country. It is a 501(c)4 organization and has no restrictions on who may join. Its mission statement is: To be the premier northwest outdoor recreation club, dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and protection of natural areas.
HIstory
It was founded in 1906 by rock climbers who wanted a local, expedition focused outdoors club. The club constitution was officially adopted in 1907, by which point membership had grown to 151 people. Among these original members were Henry Landes (University of Washington geology dean), Edmond S. Meany (the father of the University of Washington Forestry school), and the famous photographer Asahel Curtis. The activities started out with local walks with the first trip being a hike through Fort Lawton to the West Point Lighthouse (now part of Discovery Park). The first mountain climbing trip was Mt. Si. In 1907, 65 members made a group climb of Mt. Olympus and exploration of the Olympic Mountains. The next year a summit of Mt. Baker was organized, followed by Mt. Rainier in 1909. In 1915, a club outing became the first sizable group to hike around Mt. Rainier and established the route that would later become known as the Wonderland Trail.21st century
In the first 100 years since the club's founding it expanded to over 15000 active members and expanded its offerings from a single annual alpine climb to over two dozen different activities occurring throughout the year including folkdancing, skiing, biking, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, volleyball, and water sports. The club also provides a forum for members to organize their own trips and find partners for climbs. Many classes are offered by the club beyond climbing skills including nature photography to tracking. A 30 hour wilderness first aid course called Mountaineering Oriented First Aid has also been put together by the club. The organization is also home to The Mountaineers Forest Theatre Company which performs in parks around Western Washington and The Mountaineers Books publishing wing which publishes outdoors related literature.References
Further reading
External links
- [The Mountaineers] - Club website
- [Mountaineers Books] - Club publishing wing
- [Magnificient Views and Vistas] - Information, photos and history of early climbing in the Pacific Northwest
- [University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – The Mountaineers Collection] Photographic albums and text documenting the Mountaineers official annual outings undertaken by club members from 1907-1951, primarily on the Olympic Peninsula, in Mount Rainier National Park and on Glacier Peak.
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