Olympia Branch Blog Posts

Mountaineers from all branches, their guests, and community members are invited to join the Olympia Mountaineers on the first Wednesday of each month from November 2023 through March  2024 for our much-loved Adventure Speaker Series! Olympia Mountaineers have hosted this amazing free event for 16 years. Join us at our evening socials featuring speakers who are guaranteed to inspire your next adventure. Read more…

Fall is here, and that means a new season of outdoor adventures on Washington’s parks, trails, and wildlife areas. Each September, outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers across the country celebrate our public lands by getting outdoors - from local green spaces to the backcountry - in observance of National Public Lands Day (and month). This year the Biden administration added a little extra flare to the 30th anniversary of National Public Lands Day by proclaiming this September National Wilderness Month as well.
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The Nisqually Watershed Festival is an annual celebration of nature featuring art, discovery, science, and family fun. There are displays from local organizations, tours, an Insect Extravaganza, storytelling, salmon discussion, and more.  Learn about reptiles and bats, make a salmon lifecycle key chain, or bring a t-shirt to make a fish print.  Lunch options are available including a salmon barbeque. Read more…

Each October, the Olympia Mountaineers gather to celebrate the work we have done, the fun we have had, and the friendships we have made during the program year. Read more…

Olympia Mountaineers have a lot to be proud of, and the annual Open House provides us the opportunity to showcase the wide range of activities, courses, and events that we put on so well! Read more…

In May of this year, you may recall that I shared with you the news that Keta Legacy Foundation had tried to obstruct access to Kitsap Forest Theater, jeopardizing our 100th anniversary season. We were successful in obtaining a temporary restraining order to allow The Sound of Music and Seussical, the Musical to proceed for this season. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend both productions this summer and was thrilled to see so many people, across multiple generations, enjoying these wonderful shows and the idyllic setting of Kitsap Forest Theater.  Read more…

As a Mountaineers member, you receive free access to our quarterly Mountaineer magazine, keeping you up-to-date with everything our organization and community have been up to. Hear from regular contributors on topics from training exercises to trail tips, and read features from our members sharing stories from the outdoors. We encourage you to access all of our updates, stories, tips, and more in the tree free online magazine today. Read more…

One thing I am absolutely sure of: August has FLAVOR, and these Mountaineers seem quite sure of that too. Read on, dear friends, for a tale of three wives, summiting Rainier's least favorite peaks, a bear's lunch, and the art of knowing when not to YOLO it. Read more…

The Mountaineers is partnering with the Sacred Lands Conservancy, an Indigenous-led nonprofit with strong ties to the Lummi Nation, to produce a series of educational pieces on the importance of mindful recreation and how we can all develop deeper connections to the histories of our natural places. Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley is a Lhaq’temish fisherwoman, an enrolled Lummi Nation tribal member, an elected member of Lummi Nation’s Fisheries and Natural Resource Commission, and President of the Sacred Lands Conservancy (SLC). We hope you enjoy this first blog from her, written in collaboration with SLC’s Julie Trimingham, which unpacks the practice of land acknowledgment and how we can acknowledge the land in a meaningful and impactful way. Read more…

The Mountaineers has a long and rich history as a regional leader in conservation, education, stewardship, and advocacy efforts, and we need your help to continue moving the needle on conservation education, stewardship, and advocacy.   Read more…

A recent trip to Mount Rainier National Park during the Perseid meteor shower offered a stark reminder of how important it is to adhere to mindful and low impact recreation practices. I spent my professional career working to protect and restore public lands, and that evening was frustrating, frightening, and heartbreaking. I want to encourage all members and volunteers to increase outreach to our community – and especially non-members – on the ethical use of natural places and proper etiquette when there. Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, The Mountaineers depends on the generosity, initiative, and leadership of our volunteers to steward the future of our organization. We are humbled by the service provided by Board and branch directors whose positions are confirmed by members each year. Thank you for all you do as members to elevate our mission, and for your participation in the forthcoming election process for these organization-wide leaders. Read more…

The Olympia Branch has three outstanding candidates for three open positions in the 2023-2024 officer’s council. The open positions are branch director, chair-elect, and treasurer.  Read more…

Wildfire season, unfortunately, is becoming a regular reality for residents in Washington state and beyond. Wildfires are burning across our region and smoke is causing extremely poor air quality in some counties. We ask you to practice good decision-making skills and respect public land closures when getting outside this summer. Read more…

Our volunteer leaders are a huge part of what makes the Olympia Branch such an inspiring, fun, and impactful community. Each year we honor the hard work and dedication of one Olympia volunteer by presenting them with the Branch Service Award. Read more…

Summer is well underway in the mountains. The snow is melting, the sun is shining, and the peaks are dressed with stunning, clear-skied views. For this month's Top Trip Reports, take a dunk in the White River, test your perseverance on the approach to Yellowjacket, enjoy the views on the Ptarmigan Traverse, and more! Read more…

Traveling to Grand Teton National Park in June of 2023 was a deeper and more meaningful experience than the first time I was there in 2010. What made the trip so enriching for me was the similarities of the flora that are found in both the Pacific Northwest and Wyoming. The forests and meadows were full of trees and flowers that were familiar and felt like “home.” I saw Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, Arnica, Paintbrush, and Shooting Star.    Read more…

We are excited to release our annual impact report in celebration of all that you made possible in fiscal year 2022. Read more…

The stunning natural beauty and rewarding backcountry experiences offered by the Alpine Lakes area of the central Cascades have inspired Mountaineers for generations. Our members hiked and climbed here before it was designated as a Wilderness area, and advocated for its protection as Wilderness in 1976. We even published a book that was instrumental in persuading President Gerald Ford to protect the Alpine Lakes, and we were involved in the successful campaign to expand the Wilderness in 2014. Read more…

Represent The Mountaineers at this year's Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC). Join us to foster an environment of open dialogue and enhance our organization’s understanding of risk management practices. As a WRMC attendee, you'll acquire valuable skills in risk management, connect with fellow industry experts, share field and administrative techniques, and contribute to the establishment of standards for risk management in outdoor adventure and education. Read more…

One of the ways we advocate to protect public lands and the outdoor experience is by engaging in federal land management processes like the Northwest Forest Plan. Read more…

The growing impact of wildfire on Washington's lands, waters, and communities increasingly affects our outdoor experiences. Warmer temperatures mean drier summers and more severe wildfires. Larger, more intense wildfires are occurring more frequently, resulting in forest closures and unhealthy smoke that impacts our health and obstructs our views. As we grapple with these challenges, it’s important to better understand how the wildfire crisis is playing out in Washington and how we as outdoor enthusiasts can advocate for critical solutions. Read more…

Did you know that June became officially recognized by the US Senate as "Great Outdoors Month" on June 5th, 2019? Originating under the Clinton administration as "Great Outdoors Week", our nation's love of the great outdoors continued to grow under the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, eventually evolving into what we now know and celebrate as a month-long ode to the great outdoors! Read more…

Among The Mountaineers properties are our three rustic lodges: Baker, Meany, and Stevens. Each nestled close to their own mountain terrain, our lodges provide a restful atmosphere after a long day outdoors. Read more…

Last week we celebrated the legacy and impact of our annual 50+ year members with a hosted lunch at the Seattle Program Center. We are thankful for their lifelong exploration, friendship, and commitment to our home here in the Pacific Northwest, and we were excited to welcome over 60 members and guests to the Seattle Program Center, including:  Read more…

Note: The comment period for the draft visitor use management plan is now closed. We'll continue to update our community as this process develops. Thank you for your interest and engagement in this important issue.

Last month, we shared that Mount Rainier National Park is proposing to implement timed-entry reservations. The Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Draft Management Plan proposes several options for a new timed-entry reservation system to access popular areas of the park during the peak summer season. The Park is seeking feedback from the public before they make their final decision. The deadline to submit comments to the park is June 26. Read more…

How many national parks are there in Washington? Why is Washington nicknamed the Evergreen State? When visiting wilderness, what should you take home with you? Read more…

From challenging alpine climbs like Forbidden or Sahale Peak to strolls amongst towering cedar trees, the North Cascades National Park Complex has always been a compelling destination for Mountaineers programs and members. Visitors of all ages are drawn to the North Cascades for its natural beauty, rugged terrain, and wilderness experiences. Read more…

On April 27, 2023, staff and board members once again shared a “state of the organization” update with members of our community. For the last several years, our state of the organization updates largely focused on how we were navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Our spring 2023 update showed that we have largely moved beyond the challenges brought by the pandemic. We also celebrated highlights of our successes so far this year and previewed implementation of our newly-updated strategic plan, Adventure with Purpose. The Mountaineers is in a position of strength and poised to deepen the impact of our mission in the years ahead.  Read more…

The Olympic National Forest draws Mountaineers from all over the region year-round to hike, camp, and experience the natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula. To harness our member’s passion for giving back to the natural world, our Olympia Branch has built a strong partnership with staff at the Forest Service. This partnership has led to many opportunities for members to give back through volunteer trail maintenance and outreach in the Olympic National Forest.
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