Olympia Branch Blog Posts

The world-renowned Banff Centre's Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates its 43nd year, continuing to bring the best action, environment, and adventure films to audiences in Banff and no less than 40 countries across the globe. Join us this Nov & Dec to catch showings in Tacoma (Nov 25-26), Seattle (Dec 4-5), or Olympia (Dec 6-8).  Read more…

Since 2015, REI has closed its stores on Black Friday, paying their employees to #OptOutside instead. At The Mountaineers, we couldn't love the idea more. Our employees have always enjoyed the day after Thanksgiving as a vacation day, and two paid stewardship days each year to take care of their favorite places to play. We believe going outside is not just good for your health - but good for your soul.  Read more…

Charlotte Austin is an award-winning adventure writer and international mountain guide. In her decade of guiding, she's led climbing and mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, Alaska, South America, and more. Join us in Olympia November 12, 2019, to hear from Charlotte about how she's turned lessons learned into actionable hands-on tools for safe and successful trips. Read more…

Are you dreaming of outdoor adventures or looking to improve your skills? The Olympia Mountaineers can help get you on your way. Join us on January 2, 2020 for our annual Winter Open House. You can meet representatives from our courses and activities who will answer your questions about what it takes to get started, the gear you will need, course schedules, expectations, benefits, and more! Read more…

Many hikers in Washington state have encountered – to their dismay – the prickly spines of devil's club, Oplopanax horridus, a shrub which grows in abundance in the Pacific Northwest as well as near Lake Superior. While the origins of the name of this bane of bushwhackers seem quite obvious given its notorious thorns, Washington state is home to many more "devils". In honor of Halloween, here is a sampling of the "Devils" in our state, from north to south. Read more…

On August 27, 2019, the Olympia Mountaineers dedicated a memorial bench on the Olympia Waterfront to branch founder Paul Wiseman. Now, we're introducing the new peaks pins badge in his honor. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Ginger Sarver, a volunteer leader with the Olympia Branch who loves hiking and dove head-first into leading stewardship activities with The Mountaineers! Read more…

The Teely Creek trail has much to offer hikers: fishing, camping, swimming, geocaching, and a relaxing atmosphere amidst an old growth forest. Read on to learn more about this incredible area, and how you can make the most of your trip if you decide to explore the trail.  Read more…

Alpine Ambassadors,  a group of climbers looking to push their limits together, learn from the mentorship of guides and highly accomplished climbers, and mentor others, held our second “rock” trip in the world class climbing mecca of Squamish, BC in July 2019. Spending six days (in a row) climbing in Squamish exposed us all to new techniques, rope systems, and climbing areas in a truly contagious learning environment. Together we pushed our  limits, challenged our abilities, and progressed as climbers. Read more…

The annual banquet is a special yearly event where students, graduates, instructors, and leaders from our Olympia Branch courses and activities come together to celebrate another great year of adventuring in the great outdoors. Read more…