Join the Wasatch Mountain Club
Become a member of the Wasatch Mountain Club (“WMC”) as we enter our second century as active participants in backcountry skiing, backpacking, camping, canoeing, conservation pursuits, canyoneering, climbing, hiking, kayaking, mountaineering, mountain biking, river rafting, road biking, socializing, snowshoeing, and multi-day adventures. Attend an activity or two prior to joining the club and be part of a history that has come to define what makes living and playing in Utah so unique.
Protecting and Preserving
The WMC is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the wild and natural qualities of the State of Utah. The goal is to continuously improve the quality of the outdoor experience for its members through preservation of wild lands and to preserve access to these lands. As part of that, from the 1969 April Rambler page 11, “By a unanimous vote, the Board had decided to transfer 10% of all future dues to the conservation fund.” This large allocation of funds is now enshrined in our Policies, and differentiates the WMC from other free social groups that use our public lands but don’t do anything to protect them.
Wasatch Mountain Club – 100 Years and Counting
On May 13, 2020, the WMC officially turned 100. In honor of the club’s 100-year history, consider participating in the following events:
- An Education Endowment to support students pursuing a degree in the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism department. Make a tax deductible donation to this on-going legacy at https://www.wasatchmountainclub.org/centennial-education-endowment.
- The University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library’s Utah Ski Archives is the largest archive of its kind that is dedicated to the history of ski and snow sports in the Intermountain Region. In 2020 the club was recognized with the History Maker Award, a video of the club history is at https://www.wasatchmountainclub.org/docs/history-maker-award-video-of-wmc-history.mp4
- Read 97 of Charles Keller’s Faint Trails in the Wasatch articles that were originally published in the Rambler from 2005-2015. Charles is a past club president and author of The Lady in the Ore Bucket (a history of the settlement and industry in the tri-canyon area of the Wasatch).
- Utah Stories highlights the Wasatch Mountain Club Lodge https://utahstories.com/2021/10/100-years-old-wasatch-mountain-lodge-hidden-in-dense-forest-of-big-cottonwood-canyon/
- WMC 100th Anniversary YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Sd-_NUN_I
- Tony Hellman, former Social Director and forever club enthusiast, leads Blood Drives resulting in over 450 pints of blood donated so far! Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood and only 3 out of 100 Americans donate blood, there is an urgent need for donations of all blood types.
The Wasatch Mountain Club was formed in May 1920, on the heels of the most severe pandemic of the last century, followed by the Great Depression, World War II, the smallpox epidemic, polio, and more wars. Not only has the club survived, it has thrived. The Centennial is an opportunity for us to reflect on and honor this great organization, its founders, and 100 years of leadership and membership commitment to our core purpose:
- to promote the physical and spiritual well being of its members and others by outdoor activities;
- to unite the energy, interests and knowledge of students, explorers and lovers of the mountains, deserts and rivers of Utah;
- to collect and disseminate information regarding the Rocky Mountains in behalf of science, literature and art;
- to explore and picture the scenic wonders of this and surrounding states;
- to foster awareness of scenic beauties; and
- to encourage preservation of our natural areas including their plant, animal and bird life.