Montana Mountaineers

The Montana Mountaineers was founded in Missoula, Montana, in 1922 by Theodore Shoemaker, U. S. Forest Service information officer. The first meeting, with 43 persons in attendance, was in August of 1922 on the top of Mount Sentinel. The club’s members banded together to enjoy the mountains and forests on hikes, ski and snowshoe trips, and occasional airplane rides to survey potential peaks to climb. They also expressed a strong orientation toward conservation, encouraging members to extinguish fires. Many members were Forest Service employees; both men and women participated from the beginning. The club continues to be active in Montana.