Olympia Branch Blog Posts

Long before Washington State's Mount St. Helens famously erupted in 1980, the mountain was a defining feature in the landscape Native American tribes called home. Check out the legend of Mount St. Helens and check out some tips for planning your trip to this beautiful area. Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Tom Eckhout, a volunteer leader with the Olympia Branch who cherishes every moment he has in the mountains. Read more…

Meet Regina Robinson, your branch email editor for the last two years.  When she was recruited into the position, she thought, “No way, I don’t know how to do that!” She eventually agreed after some gentle persuasion and stated, “Okay, I will give it a try." She hasn’t looked back. She promises to keep doing it, "for as long as we will have her." Read more…

Whether you're an active hike leader looking for new ways to get out,  an inactive hike leader who would like to become more active, or a member member who would like to become a hike leader, we need you! By leading hikes, you have an opportunity to develop your skills, go on the hikes you want at the pace you prefer - all while benefiting your club and meeting great new people! Read more…

The core objective of the annual three day Wilderness Risk Management Conference is to offer an outstanding educational experience to help mitigate the risks inherent in exploring, working, teaching, and recreating in wild places. Brent Williams was one of two Mountaineers members awarded a scholarship to attend the 24th annual WRMC conference in Portland, Maine. Read more…

The 2017 Annual Awards Banquet was attended by 130 Mountaineers and guests including Becca Polglase, Andy Bassett, and Jeff Bowman from The Mountaineers staff. Speaker Vik Sahney discussed the intersection of career and personal passions, sharing how he was able to move into a career with REI that mirrored his zeal for outdoor adventure and his personal values regarding sustainability and environmentalism. Read more…

From April through November, we worked on several improvements to our website and our Salesforce platform. And in October and November, we added bigger improvements and one new features. Read on to learn more! Read more…

The most prestigious mountain festival in the world, The Banff Centre’s Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates 41  years in 2017 by continuing to bring the best action, environmental, and adventure films to audiences in Banff and in 40 countries across the globe. Read more…

In the process of writing a recent blog on committee volunteerism, I shared an email conversation with John Dunlap from the Olympia Branch about volunteering with The Mountaineers. John is a five year member who supports several committees, including Olympia’s Scrambling and Sea Kayaking Committees. When I asked John about his experience supporting committee work and volunteering with The Mountaineers, his response took me by surprise - in a very good way. Read more…

Formerly known as Aput Aput, meaning "Falling Water," so named by the Palouse Native Americans, you can find this incredible waterfall in the aptly named Palouse Falls State Park. It's definitely worth a visit! Here's some history and travel tips on this natural wonder: Read more…