Tying In

This January I helped instruct an AIARE 1 avalanche education course that The Mountaineers hosted in the Baker backcountry. Due to the risks of COVID-19 exposure, last winter we made the difficult decision to reduce our avalanche education course sizes and not allow students or instructors to stay in our lodges. We were excited to return to Baker Lodge this winter, putting protocols in place to keep everyone as safe as possible: proof of vaccination, a negative antigen rapid test on arrival, and KN-95 grade masks were required. Feedback from students and instructors alike was great, and we had a fantastic weekend. As I reflect back on the last two years, I’m deeply grateful for our community, and I’m proud of the fact that our Mountaineers community chose to address the challenges of the pandemic boldly. In just the last year, more than 2,000 Mountaineers volunteers gave over 110,000 hours of time to teaching, leading, and stewardship. Together, we offered 259 seminars, 170 courses, and 2,374 trips. We have an average of 11 Mountaineers programs happening every day. We’ve heard many stories from folks about how The Mountaineers was the one part of their life where they could feel a sense of normalcy and community in a pandemic world. It’s no surprise that as a result, membership is at a record high, having just crested 15,000! Our publishing division had a near-record year in 2021, and is off to a very strong start in 2022. Our youth programs are in high demand as more and more parents recognize the value of transformative outdoor experiences for their children. And by the end of this year, the Tacoma Program Center will become our first facility to be “net zero” - completely energy self-sufficient and producing no carbon emissions. We believe that outdoor adventures promote physical, emotional, and mental health for people of all ages. As our volunteers continue to lead trips and teach courses, they’re playing an important role in the community by teaching people how to do that safely. We also believe that the spirit of volunteerism and a welcoming community contribute to people’s sense of belonging and desire to give back, a virtuous cycle that brings out the best in all of us. We saw this through our incredibly generous donors, who helped us weather unprecedented financial challenges and who are making the outdoors accessible for those in need. Without our public lands, all of this would be lost, and our community has continued to be fierce advocates for the outdoor experience and has worked to reduce our collective impact on the planet. It’s no secret that 2021 was a challenging year. The year that was supposed to be the postpandemic year was anything but. The world was caught in endless false starts, and nearly everyone experienced creativity fatigue. To me, this makes the work of our community even more valuable, and more impressive. As spring peeks around the corner, I’m optimistic that even better days lay ahead. Tom Vogl Mountaineers CEO

Photo by Rick Meade.

The Mountaineers is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1906 and dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and protection of natural areas.

EDITOR Hailey Oppelt CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kristina Ciari, Issy Steckel DESIGNER Sarah Kulfan, Beans n' Rice

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Tom Vogl EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Tom Helleberg DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Amber Carrigan PROOFREADER Kate Regan PUBLICIST Kate Jay

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS President Gabe Aeschliman Retiring President Vik Sahney Vice President Manisha Powar VP of Branches James Henderson VP of Outdoor Centers Matt Simerson Secretary Carry Porter Treasurer Paul Stevenson

DIRECTORS AT LARGE Serene Chen Rich Johnston Brynne Koscianski Mark Kroese Takeo Kuraishi Maya Magarati Steve McClure Roger Mellem* John Ohlson Alex Pratt Anita Wilkins Siana Wong * Nominated At-Large Director and Chair of Governance Committee

BRANCH DIRECTORS Maura Rendes, Bellingham Matt Vadnal, Everett Vacant, Foothills Jerry Logan, Kitsap Mike Kretzler, Olympia Brad Near, Seattle Mark Kerr, Tacoma

YOUTH BOARD REPRESENTATIVES Serophina Ouyoumjian Katie Strauz-Clark

The Mountaineer (ISSN 0027-2620) is published quarterly by The Mountaineers, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. 206-521-6000.

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Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Mountaineers.