The Mountaineers (Pacific NW)
Encyclopedia
The Mountaineers is an outdoor recreation, education, and conservation group based in Seattle
, Washington and is the third largest group of its kind in the country. Its central Program Center located in Seattle's Magnuson Park is complete with education facilities for all aspects of the alpine environment. It is a 501(c)(4) (transitioning to a 501(c)(3)) nonprofit 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.
The club organizes thousands of trips per year, has a large library and historical archive, teaches instructional courses, and advocates access and environmental causes. It also publishes outdoor education, recreation and conservation books.
based group founded in 1894, they formed their own branch shortly after the 1906 Mazamas Mount Baker
expedition and dubbed themselves "The Mountaineers" with 110 charter members—nearly half women. The club constitution was officially adopted in 1907 by a membership of 151. Among these original members were Henry Landes (University of Washington
geology dean), Edmond S. Meany
(the father of the University of Washington Forestry school), the famous photographer Asahel Curtis
, and Seattle photographer and North Cascades guide Lawrence Denny Lindsley
.
The activities initially were 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 Mount Si
. In 1907, 65 members made a group climb of Mount Olympus
and exploration of the Olympic Mountains
. The next year a summit of Mount Baker
was organized, followed by Mount Rainier
in 1909. In 1915, a club outing became the first sizable group to hike around Mount Rainier and established the route that would later become known as the Wonderland Trail
.
From 1907 to 1995, new climbs in the Cascades were reported in the Mountaineers Annual. Since 2004, the Northwest Mountaineering Journal
(NWMJ), hosted by the Mountaineers, has recorded this information.
, now leased from the City of Seattle. The new facility features indoor and outdoor climbing walls, including an indoor ice climbing wall. The grounds also feature native plants and a rock amphitheater for practicing scrambling and rugged hiking.
, is the professional book publishing division of The Mountaineers. Mountaineers Books was informally started in 1955 when a volunteer committee was formed to create a mountaineering training text from the materials that the Club was using for its classes.
According to The Mountaineers: A History (Mountaineers Books, 1998), the committee was headed by member Harvey Manning
, an accomplished climber who would go on to write more than 20 guidebooks during his association with the publishing business he helped found. The editorial committee created Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills
, which is now in its eighth edition. The first edition of Freedom, as it is commonly called, was published in April 1960. The Club's editorial committee remained a unit and began additional publishing projects focusing on both outdoor recreation -- such as hiking, climbing, and paddling -- and on conservation topics -- such as the preservation of wild places.
Mountaineers Books has produced more than 1,000 titles since its foundation in 1960, and - while it shares the Club's 501(c)(4) nonprofit status - it also publishes conservation advocacy titles under the Braided River
imprint, which is devoted to conservation education and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington and is the third largest group of its kind in the country. Its central Program Center located in Seattle's Magnuson Park is complete with education facilities for all aspects of the alpine environment. It is a 501(c)(4) (transitioning to a 501(c)(3)) nonprofit organization and has no restrictions on who may join. Its mission statement is:
To be the premier northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
outdoor recreation club, dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and protection of natural areas.
The club organizes thousands of trips per year, has a large library and historical archive, teaches instructional courses, and advocates access and environmental causes. It also publishes outdoor education, recreation and conservation books.
History
Originally a Seattle-based part of the Mazamas, a PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
based group founded in 1894, they formed their own branch shortly after the 1906 Mazamas Mount Baker
Mount Baker
Mount Baker , also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens...
expedition and dubbed themselves "The Mountaineers" with 110 charter members—nearly half women. The club constitution was officially adopted in 1907 by a membership of 151. Among these original members were Henry Landes (University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
geology dean), Edmond S. Meany
Edmond S. Meany
Edmond S. Meany was a professor of botany and history at the University of Washington and a UW alumnus, having graduated as the valedictorian of his class in 1885...
(the father of the University of Washington Forestry school), the famous photographer Asahel Curtis
Asahel Curtis
Asahel Curtis was a Pacific Northwest photographer.-Birth:Asahel Curtis was born in 1874 in Minnesota to Johnson Asahel Curtis , a reverend; and Ellen Sheriff .-Parents and siblings:...
, and Seattle photographer and North Cascades guide Lawrence Denny Lindsley
Lawrence Denny Lindsley
Lawrence Denny Lindsley was an American photographer and also worked as a miner, hunter, and guide. Lindsley was a grandson of Seattle pioneer David Thomas Denny , a member of the Denny Party.-Personal life:...
.
The activities initially were local walks with the first trip being a hike through Fort Lawton
Fort Lawton
Fort Lawton is a United States Army fort located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The fort was included in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list.-History:...
to the West Point Lighthouse
West Point Lighthouse
The West Point Light, also known as the Discovery Park Lighthouse, is a 23-foot-high lighthouse on Seattle, Washington's West Point which juts into Puget Sound and marks the northern extent of Elliott Bay. Opening on November 15, 1881, and featuring a fourth-order Fresnel lens, it was the first...
(now part of Discovery Park). The first mountain climbing trip was Mount Si
Mount Si
Mount Si is a mountain in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies on the western margin of the Cascade Range just above the coastal plains around Puget Sound, and towers over the nearby town of North Bend. The mountain was named after local homesteader Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt...
. In 1907, 65 members made a group climb of Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus (Washington)
Mount Olympus is the tallest and most prominent mountain in the Olympic Mountains of western Washington state. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is the central feature of Olympic National Park. Mount Olympus is the highest summit of the Olympic Mountains, however, peaks such as Mount Constance,...
and exploration of the Olympic Mountains
Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
. The next year a summit of Mount Baker
Mount Baker
Mount Baker , also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens...
was organized, followed by Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
in 1909. In 1915, a club outing became the first sizable group to hike around Mount Rainier and established the route that would later become known as the Wonderland Trail
Wonderland Trail
The Wonderland Trail is an approximately 93 mile hiking trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, United States. The trail goes over many ridges of Mount Rainier for a cumulative of elevation gain. The trail was built in 1915...
.
From 1907 to 1995, new climbs in the Cascades were reported in the Mountaineers Annual. Since 2004, the Northwest Mountaineering Journal
Northwest Mountaineering Journal
The Northwest Mountaineering Journal is an annual, online journal started in 2004 by Lowell Skoog to serve as a record of new climbs and ski descents, as well as to provide articles and stories pertinent to mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The journal is run by volunteers...
(NWMJ), hosted by the Mountaineers, has recorded this information.
21st century
In the first 100 years since the club's founding it expanded to over 10,000 active members and expanded its offerings from a single annual alpine climb to over two dozen different types of activities occurring throughout the year including backpacking, biking, folk dancing, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, volleyball, and water sports. The club 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. A thirty hour wilderness first aid course called Mountaineering Oriented First Aid (MOFA) was produced by the club. The organization is home to The Mountaineers Players which perform in the organization's Forest Theatre on the Kitsap Peninsula and The Mountaineers Books publishing wing which publishes outdoor related literature and guidebooks.Magnuson Park facilities
In 2008, the Mountaineers moved from Lower Queen Anne to an old naval building in Magnuson Park (Seattle)Magnuson Park (Seattle)
Magnuson Park is a 350 acre park on Sand Point at Pontiac Bay, Lake Washington, in the Sand Point neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The park is the second largest in Seattle, after 534 acre Discovery Park in Magnolia. It is located on the spot of the former Naval Station Puget Sound...
, now leased from the City of Seattle. The new facility features indoor and outdoor climbing walls, including an indoor ice climbing wall. The grounds also feature native plants and a rock amphitheater for practicing scrambling and rugged hiking.
Library
The Mountaineers Library was founded in 1915. As of 2011 it contains 6000 books and subscribes to 40 periodicals. It specializes in studies on climbing, environmental studies, biographies of exploratory mountaineers, the history of exploratory mountaineering, and natural history.Mountaineers Books
Mountaineers Books, based in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, is the professional book publishing division of The Mountaineers. Mountaineers Books was informally started in 1955 when a volunteer committee was formed to create a mountaineering training text from the materials that the Club was using for its classes.
According to The Mountaineers: A History (Mountaineers Books, 1998), the committee was headed by member Harvey Manning
Harvey Manning
Harvey Manning was a noted author of hiking guides and climbing textbooks, and a tireless hiking advocate. Manning lived on Cougar Mountain, within the city limits of Bellevue, Washington, calling his home the "200 meter hut"...
, an accomplished climber who would go on to write more than 20 guidebooks during his association with the publishing business he helped found. The editorial committee created Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is often considered the standard textbook for mountaineering and climbing. The book was first published in 1960 by The Mountaineers of Seattle, Washington...
, which is now in its eighth edition. The first edition of Freedom, as it is commonly called, was published in April 1960. The Club's editorial committee remained a unit and began additional publishing projects focusing on both outdoor recreation -- such as hiking, climbing, and paddling -- and on conservation topics -- such as the preservation of wild places.
Mountaineers Books has produced more than 1,000 titles since its foundation in 1960, and - while it shares the Club's 501(c)(4) nonprofit status - it also publishes conservation advocacy titles under the Braided River
Braided river
A braided river is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a network of small channels separated by small and often temporary islands called braid bars or, in British usage, aits or eyots. Braided streams occur in rivers with high slope and/or large sediment load...
imprint, which is devoted to conservation education and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
External links
- The Mountaineers - Club website
- Mountaineers Books - Club publishing wing
- Magnificent 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.
- University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Mountaineers: 1920 Outing to Mt. Olympus) Online museum exhibit includes images of camps, maps, and excerpts from the 1913 essay Melodious Days by Hugh Elmer Brown.