The Mountaineers. Participation in the outdoor program of The Mountaineers continued to increase during 1962. The Trail Trips Committee reported 10% higher activity than in any previous year, with 42 hikes scheduled from January through November. In February, 268 members registered for the Basic Climbing Course. By October, 116 had completed the requirements—lectures, practice trips, and climbs—for graduation. Sixty-nine climbs were scheduled as part of the basic course, with an additional 14 climbs in the intermediate program. The Climbing Committee also sponsored one-day roped climbs and a seminar program which included a map-and-compass course and rocks and ice sessions for the demonstration and practice of advanced climbing techniques.

Fifty-six persons attended the two-week summer outing based in Spray Park on Mount Rainier. Other two-week outings took climbers into the Northern Picketts of Washington and the Northern Selkirks of British Columbia. Both trips provided excellent climbing despite periods of stormy weather. The family camping program enjoyed a successful year with eight weekend trips and a two-week Campcrafter Outing in Glacier National Park. The Viewfinder Committee sponsored their first seven-day backpack trip, with 13 persons starting from Stevens Pass to hike the Cascade Crest Trail south to Snoqualmie Pass. The committee also scheduled 14 snowshoe trips between January and April and 27 non-technical climbs throughout the rest of the year. Eleven ski tours were held during the 1961-1962 season including both one-day and overnight trips.

Junior Mountaineers, in addition to evening and weekend activities, carried out a service project at Lena Lake in the Olympic Mountains. With Forest Service approval they repaired a bridge and picked up more than 20 gunny sacks of litter.

The Mountaineer Safety Committee gathered information on climbing hazards encountered by members in the mountains, distributed rescue and accident information and reports, and surveyed stretcher locations and first-aid caches to determine the condition of equipment.

Stella Degenhardt, Chairman, Outdoor Division