Olympia Branch Blog Posts

Olympia Branch Blog Posts

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Facilitated Access Permitting: What Mountaineers Leaders Need to Know

The complex landscape of permitting rules and regulations can be difficult to navigate as a Mountaineers leader. To help make things clearer, we've created a series of pages describing the various permit processes pertaining to Mountaineers activities, all organized by land manager. Read more…

Celebrate Spring With Birds, Flowers, and Mounds - May Events

Our Mountaineers naturalist committees offer opportunities to learn about the plants, animals, marine life, and geology of the Pacific Northwest. To help you get involved, the Olympia Naturalist Committee is offering new activities in May and June to help you learn more about the birds of our region. Read more…

Join The 2019 Olympia Photo Contest Committee

Olympia Mountaineers - join our 2019 Photo Contest Committee! Our branch photo contest not only gives recognition to our amazing photographers, but the entries are used throughout the year at our branch events (including our branch banquet). Our last photo contest was in 2017 - help us refresh our photo library and discover the hidden talents of our fellow Mountaineers!  Read more…

It's Official: Public Lands Package Signed into Law!

Cross-country skiing in the Methow. Climbing at Exit 38. Hiking at Ebey’s Landing. There's nothing like the amazing landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, and thanks to your advocacy, they are more protected than ever! Read more…

Basic Hiking Skills Course - May 6 & 8

Are you an experienced hiker/backpacker? Or maybe a a new hiker/backpacker? Someone who has  hiked or backpacked in the past and wants to become active again? Regardless of where you're starting, this two-evening course has something for you. It's designed for both new hikers or for people who have hiked before but want to step up their game with an introduction to safe hiking in the Pacific Northwest. Read more…

Teaching & Gathering Places - Initial Concept Proposal Process

One of Vision 2022's strategic imperatives is to Lead Innovation in Outdoor Education. Our program centers and lodges play a key role in this by providing physical places for us to teach outdoor skills and build community. Teaching and gathering places can also help us reduce our environmental footprint on public lands and improve our relationships with the broader outdoor community.  Read more…

New Hike Leader Training - Olympia, March 20

You may have one or more reason for wanting to become a hike leader:  developing leadership skills, doing your hike- your way, mentoring others, developing friendships, or promoting the power of nature. What ever your reason, this class will teach you the skills that will start you on this new trail of adventure! Read more…

Equity & Inclusion Update: Meet Our Steering Committee

At The Mountaineers, we believe a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We aspire to offer outdoor opportunities for ALL, and have assembled a board-chartered Equity & Inclusion (E&I) Steering Committee to direct our strategy and financial investments to become a place where, a century from now, future generations will recognize themselves in The Mountaineers. Read more…

Action Alert! 2019 Washington State Budget & Public Lands

In odd-numbered years (like this one), Washington legislators set the two-year state budget (capitol and operating). Lawmakers are currently negotiating this year’s funding package. Critical provisions for education, human services, infrastructure, and public lands hang in the balance. From the shores of Deception Pass to the Ponderosa pines of Riverside, our state public lands - and the agencies that steward them - need sufficient funding to provide the outdoor experience we know and love. Read more…

Jim French on His Service Award and Conserving Our Public Lands

This award is quite an honor. There are so many great volunteers, thousands in The Mountaineers. How could anyone pick one? It didn’t seem possible that I was selected for the Service Award with so much competition. Read more…

Take the 2019 Olympia Stewardship Challenge

As Mountaineers, we enjoy thousands of miles of trails and waterways throughout our public lands. We must set a compelling example as principled stewards who are willing to work hard to maintain the lands we enjoy. The Olympia Branch is challenging you to dedicate one day (or more!) this year to stewarding our public lands. This challenge is a great way to give back to our outdoor playgrounds and meet a vibrant community of volunteers. Read more…

Olympia Climbers, Scramblers, Hikers, and Sea Kayakers Pursue Badges & Pins

Mountaineers members can earn badges and peak pin awards for completing different objectives in Washington and beyond. If you're looking for new ideas, look no further than our list of Award Badges! And join us in congratulating the 2018 class on their collective achievements. Read more…

5am Never Felt So Good - A Conditioning Hiking Series Story

I moved to Seattle in the summer of 2016 because I no longer really knew who I was, or what I was doing with my life, but I knew that I couldn’t continue living in New York City, with its crowds and smells and weird roommate situations. I had visited Seattle twice before I moved here, and while I didn’t know a lot about the city, I knew that the proximity to the water and the mountains and the boundless natural beauty made me feel better, and I wanted to feel better. So I moved. Read more…

Donate Your Vehicle To Support The Mountaineers!

When you donate a vehicle  you no longer need, you not only support The Mountaineers and Mountaineers Books, but you reduce your impact and your gift qualifies for a tax deduction! Most cars, trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles, off road vehicles, heavy equipment, and other motorized vehicles are eligible, making it easy for you to support The Mountaineers in another exciting way! Read more…

MOFA Team Seeking Moulage Artists

Have you ever wondered how those cuts, gashes, and bruises appear (and magically disappear) on actors and actresses? Are you interested in staging realistic moulage accident scenarios? The Olympia MOFA Moulage team has the creative outlet you have been looking for. Read more…

What the New Congress Means for Public Lands

January 3, 2019 marked the start of the 116th Congress, and with it a new landscape for outdoor advocates to navigate. Here are some key changes to keep in mind as we work to conserve the public lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond: Read more…

Action Alert: The Government Shutdown and Its Impact on Public Lands

The government shutdown is now the longest in history, and it may continue for weeks or even months. One of the most visible manifestations of the shutdown has been its effects on our national parks, many of which are being kept open despite having few staff and no budget. Read more…

Bid Adieu to OlympiaMountaineers.org

For many years, Olympia Mountaineers Ray Philen and Donnie Miller maintained our online "home" at www.olympiamountaineers.org. In 2014, The Mountaineers launched a new website, designed to make it easier for people to discover and get involved with our community. After nearly five years, we've managed to move all of our old content on to the new platform. Thank you to everyone who helped! Read more…

Did you Know? Twanoh State Park & Mary E. Theler Wetlands Nature Preserve

Created on June 91923, Twanoh State Park is one of the oldest Washington State Parks. It covers 182 acres and includes 3,100 feet of shoreline. This park offers quite a bit - including boating, fishing, hiking, and camping. We combined our hike on the Twanoh River Trail with a walk around the Mary E. Theler Wetlands.   Read more…

Equity & Inclusion Update: Community Feedback and Steering Committee

At The Mountaineers, we believe a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. As we aspire to offer outdoor opportunities for ALL, we are assembling a board-chartered Equity & Inclusion (E&I) Steering Committee to lead our efforts to become a place where, a century from now, future generations will recognize themselves in The Mountaineers. Read more…

Olympia Annual Recognition and Awards Banquet 2018

We gathered 146 Olympia Mountaineers and guests at Saint Martin's Pavilion for the Olympia Mountaineers Annual Awards Banquet, held on Oct 27. We celebrated a year of hard work, connected with new friends, shared a delicious meal, and remembered friends we lost this year. Read more…

More Than A Summit: Mountain-Queers Celebrate First Scramble Trip

At the top of Three Way Peak, our rainbow assortment of French macarons shone in contrast to the cloudy skies. My mood mirrored our brightly colored summit treats. This was the first on-the-ground outing of Mountain-Queers, an affinity group of LGBTQ Mountaineers that I started laying the groundwork for last August. When I began, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, now I couldn’t wait to see what was next. Read more…

Olympia Branch Winter Open House - January 3, 2019

Do you know someone who wants to learn to climb, hike, ski, snowshoe, scramble, kayak, or backpack? Do you know families who would like to start getting into the wilderness but don't know how to begin? Encourage them to attend the Olympia Open House on January 3 to "Meet the Mountaineers" and learn about the opportunities we have for training and skill development, and the fun they can have getting outdoors with friendly, like-minded people. Read more…

Did You Know? Tumwater Falls Park

Tumwater Falls is a small historical park set in the midst of two bustling city centers. The falls, as it is locally known, is a great in-town walk anytime of the year. This means that even in the worst weather, you can still enjoy the falls and the park. Read more…

2018 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

The world-renowned Banff Centre's Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates its 42nd year, continuing to bring the best action, environment, and adventure films to audiences in Banff and no less than 40 countries across the globe. Read more…

Did you Know? Boulder Cave Bats

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is a large, diverse landscape, encompassing over 4 million acres along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range. It's home to the one and only Boulder Cave located east of Mt Rainier National Park. Read more…

Olympia Mountaineers Annual Recognition & Awards Banquet - Oct 27

You're invited to join us for the annual Olympia Mountaineers Banquet! Each year we gather to celebrate the work we have done, the fun we have had, and the friendships we made during the 2018 program year. Read more…

Did You Know? South Point Lookout Trail #123

South Point Lookout Trail #123 is located in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The path used to lead to a fire lookout, which was established in the 1920s and dismantled in 1972. Read more…

Building A Safe and Respectful Culture

One of our Core Values is Community. We provide opportunities for all because we believe a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. To be true to this value, our commitment to treating one another respectfully must be iron-clad. When we do this consistently, day in and day out, we build the kind of culture where all people feel safe and can enjoy outdoor experiences to their fullest. Read more…

Remembering Mountaineer Laurie Choate

We're devastated to share the news of the passing of Laurie Choate, an active member and volunteer leader with our Olympia Branch. She was hiking the Kendall Katwalk on a private trip on Wednesday, September 5, 2018, when she slipped and fell approximately 300ft. She did not survive. Read more…