Olympia Branch Blog Posts

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…

The Hoh Rainforest, reminiscent of a land before time, receives between 140 and 170 inches of rain a year. Some of the trees that live here are over 1000 years old. The Hoh River Valley was formed thousands of years ago by glaciers.  Read more…

Hope Island State Park is a 106-acre marine camping park in Mason County on the Puget Sound. This island is not only a state park, but also part of the expansive Cascadia Marine Trail that extends all the way north to the San Juan Islands. This quiet island can only be reached by boat. It is covered with old growth forests, saltwater marshes, and a two mile long beach. With the proper training and equipment, it makes for a great adventure! Read more…

We're more than halfway through the process of building 'Vision 2022' - our strategic plan to carry us forward through the next five years. We've completed our community survey and are looking forward to sharing the results in our upcoming town hall sessions.  Read more…

Did you know that The Mountaineers club didn’t have a paid employee until 1984? Tired of all of the paperwork, the growing organization hired a part-time administrator to help with waivers and dues so that volunteers could focus on the fun stuff: developing courses, providing instruction, leading trips, and running committees. Read more…

Established in 1979, Mountainfilm is dedicated to educating, inspiring, and motivating audiences about environments, cultures, issues, and adventures. Read more…

The Elwha River, which spans 45 miles in the Olympic Peninsula, is part of a massive restoration project that included demolishing Glines Canyon Dam, one of the tallest dams to ever be intentionally breached. Read more…

In August 2017, elections were held to fill four open positions in the Olympia Branch Council. The ballots have been tallied, and the results are: Read more…

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Donna Kreuger, a Hike Leader who wants people to understand that they don't have to be a big, bad mountain climber to rock the outdoors! Read more…

We're halfway through the process of building 'Vision 2022' - our strategic plan to carry us forward through the next five years. After rounds of feedback from staff, committee members, and three 'town hall' meetings, we've put together a survey to help us further define our future priorities.  Read more…

The Olympia Branch has four outstanding candidates for four open positions in the 2017/18 Officer’s Council. The open positions are Chair-Elect, Director, Community-Relations Social Chair, and Treasurer.  Read more…

We've begun building 'Vision 2022' - our strategic plan to carry us forward through the next five years. For 111 years, we have welcomed people from all walks of life into a community that shares deep connections to the outdoors. We intend to carry forward this legacy for  111 more years and beyond, which is why we're working collaboratively to create Vision 2022, our next strategic plan.  Read more…

Olympia Branch members: we want your BEST - photos that is! We're hosting a photo contest and we can't wait to show off your great photography skills to our community. Follow the instructions below to submit photos in one of 8 categories to win recognition and eternal bragging rights. Read more…

We're excited to introduce Kick Step IPA, a bold and distinctly Northwest India Pale Ale by Ghostfish Brewing, benefiting The Mountaineers. Read more…

For 111 years, The Mountaineers has been a passionate group of bold explorers welcoming people from all walks of life into a community that shares deep connections to the outdoors. Adventure is at the core of who we are as Mountaineers, but for us, it’s adventure with a purpose. Vision 2022, our next strategic plan, will outline the best ways we can continue to carry forward our legacy of volunteer-led outdoor education and conservation advocacy and you can get involved. Read more…

It rained non-stop on the Wynoochee valley in the southern Olympics on Earth Day weekend, April 22-23, 2017, but that did nothing to dampen the spirits of 27 members of The Mountaineers who volunteered alongside four Washington Trail Association (WTA) crew leaders for the first trail maintenance stewardship project between the two organizations.  Read more…

For 111 years, The Mountaineers has been a passionate group of bold explorers welcoming people from all walks of life into a community that shares deep connections to the outdoors. We’re adventurers driven by imagination, challenge, and the spirit of discovery. Read more…

Mountaineers have been enjoying the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond for 110 years, and it's our long-term aspiration to be thriving for another 110 years. As we look toward Vision 2022 - our next strategic plan - we felt it was time to put our core values on paper. Read more…

The best high-adrenaline films from the Banff Mountain Film Festival are coming to Olympia on March 3, 2017. Join The Olympia Mountaineers as we host Radical Reels! Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…

We are pleased to announce David Geeraerts as the Olympia Branch Alpine Scramble Leader of the Year.  David was also selected in 2015.  This year he has lead over 15 trips, and more importantly people enjoy his trips.  Read more…

At The Mountaineers, we've believe venturing into the outdoors is an essential piece of the human experience. It's important to implement low-impact recreation skills to keep our wild places as sanctuaries for the human spirit. Read more…