Olympia Branch Blog Posts

Public lands are central to The Mountaineers experience. Playing host to our programs and activities, these parks, trails, waterways, and other open spaces connect us to nature and provide many public health benefits. North Cascades National Park, Deception Pass State Park, and Tiger Mountain State Forest are just a few of Washington’s popular public lands. Public lands are managed for different conservation objectives and recreational uses, but public access for recreation remains a common thread that defines these places. Read more…

Dog lovers rejoice! On certain winter weekends in 2023, a dogsled team from Northwest Dogsled Adventures will replace the Sno-Cat to provide transportation to and from Meany Lodge. Read more…

Spring has arrived. Days are getting longer, temperatures are warming up, and flowers are blooming. The iconic UW cherry blossoms usually reach peak bloom during the third week of March, and this year they were perfectly in sync with the official start of spring. Read more…

Since our update last summer, we've been working on many small improvements to our website, including a re-organization of our youth web pages, improvements to the process for pre-ordering and backordering books, and many small upgrades for our members and volunteers. We also have an update on our technology partnership with the CMC (Colorado Mountain Club). Read more…

As a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization, we depend on the generosity and leadership of our volunteers to foster a community based around education, conservation, adventure, and belonging. We are humbled by the service of our board of directors who are responsible for determining the future direction of our organization, controlling finances, making rules, and determining policy for property and programs, among other things. In March 2022, we welcomed a new slate of officers to our Board of Directors, and I’m excited to introduce you to them today. Read more…

Reflecting back on the last two years, it’s fair to say that it’s been one of the most challenging times in The Mountaineers history. I suspect that most of us will never forget those very early days when we were just starting to learn about Coronavirus and we were emphasizing the importance of hand-washing, without knowing how profoundly the pandemic would impact us. Almost exactly 2 years ago, The Mountaineers halted the majority of our operations as the world around us shut down, and we headed into an unknown and unstable landscape. Yet even in those early days, our community came together with an immediate and aggressive response to set us up for success in the future. Read more…

The Mountaineers has a long history of protecting our natural landscapes. Time and time again, small individual actions have led to big victories for Washington’s outdoors, from the formation of Olympic National Park to the recent expansion of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Today, we continue our proud legacy by educating our members on how to be thoughtful stewards, advocating for the places we explore, and inspiring the outdoor community to take action for threatened landscapes.  Read more…

The Washington State Legislature just wrapped up its 2022 session on March 10. This year legislators met for a short 60-day session to pass legislation and enact supplemental budgets for our state. Each legislative session, The Mountaineers works with other organizations to advocate for bills and funding requests that improve conservation and recreation in Washington.  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…

Join The Mountaineers for a screening of The Last Mountain, which tells the unforgettable story of climber Tom Ballard, 30, who disappeared on Nanga Parbat in 2019 – 24 years after his mother, legendary alpinist Alison Hargreaves, famously perished on K2. Read more…

Nearly five years ago, The Mountaineers announced our new equity and inclusion programs, including our Equity & Inclusion committee. This work stems from our core belief that a diverse and inclusive outdoors inspires unity, respect, and passion for the places we love. We're grateful to all in our community who have been engaging and supportive, and we're excited to introduce you to our new  committee members. Read more…

February is a month of anticipation. Although we are still in the heart of winter, the days are beginning to get longer and we are often surprised by blooming flowers and brief opportunities for short-sleeved hikes. I was even able to ride my bike to work on a couple days this month, enjoying the aroma of jasmine lining the Burke Gilman (I will admit my hands were frozen solid by the time I arrived at the Seattle Program Center).  Read more…

Stewardship is a key component of maintaining the health and vitality of our trail systems. The Olympia Branch is known for its robust stewardship program, supporting trail work across the lower Puget Sound region and into the peninsula. However, the work isn't just completed in the sunnier months - winter is a busy time for these volunteers as well. Learn about what the Olympia Conservation Committee has been up to this season, and how you can help.  Read more…

On February 28, 2020, the Center for Disease Control announced the likelihood that coronavirus (COVID-19) would spread in US communities. Since then, The Mountaineers  has been carefully tracking the recommendations of public health agencies, and our hearts go out to those who have been affected. The health and safety of our community is our top priority and we will diligently implement recommended actions while doing everything we can to sustain our mission and operations. We will continue to update this blog as the situation develops. Read more…

Conservation advocacy has been an enduring priority throughout The Mountaineers history. Early members recognized the importance of protecting wild places for the outdoor experience, and as a result we have been involved in nearly every major conservation campaign in our state's history. Advocacy has been, and remains, at the heart of key environmental protections.  Read more…

The Mountaineers is a unique community of hikers, climbers, paddlers, birders, and more coming together from all different walks of life to experience and enjoy the incredible landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. To celebrate this diversity and the joy that our community brings to every trip outside, we want to create a video for our annual Gala to showcase your adventures big and small. That means we’re looking for photos and videos from folks across our organization – from you! Read more…

Nash Maz is an Indian American hiker and climber breaking ground with an all-women of color climbing attempt on Tahoma (Mount Rainier). She’s put together a team of 12 women, known as Women of Color Who Summit, to raise funds and awareness for the minority populations disproportionately affected by COVID and other lung diseases. As someone who overcame extreme health conditions as an infant, and as a true Washingtonian with more than 200 state hikes under her belt, Nash is uniquely positioned to inspire change through education and advocacy.  Read more…

Two years ago, Keta Legacy Foundation (Keta) filed a lawsuit against The Mountaineers. Keta sued The Mountaineers, claiming they had superior rights in our name, which we had previously authorized Keta to use as the “Mountaineers Foundation.” In addition to wanting to continue to trade on our name to capture donations, Keta also seeks to prevent us from using our own name – The Mountaineers – to raise funds for charitable purposes. Read more…

Are you looking for something adventurous and inspiring to watch during these cold winter months?  Dive into the best outdoor films of the year with virtual access to the  2021/22 Banff Mountain Film Festival Virtual World Tour! Banff is offering a specially-curated online-only playlist this year, so that you can stream films from the warmth and comfort of your home.  Read more…

Every two years, we invited our current, past, and future members and volunteers to participate in a community survey. We use your responses to help understand the needs of our community and to learn where we need to allocate more resources. Based on your feedback, we’ve launched Alpine Ambassadors, the Leadership Development Series, and our Equity & Inclusion work in the last five years.  Read more…

This past year, as always, our volunteers have remained at the core of our operations. Thank you to the 2,887 members who volunteered their time during fiscal year 2021 (October 2020-September 2021), and to the many others who supported from afar! Each of you has made a difference. Read more…

As we're offering more vaccine-required programs, many Mountaineers leaders have requested support with tracking vaccination status. After several months of brainstorming and collaboration, we're pleased to launch an optional COVID-19 Vaccine badge for tracking member vaccination status on the website. Thank you to the many members of our community who contributed feedback along the way! Read more…

It was the evergreen conifer trees synonymous with the Pacific Northwest that gave Washington State its nickname, “the Evergreen State.” Washington offers the opportunity to experience and appreciate these majestic trees in all seasons, from big cities to the wilderness. These tall sentinels shade our campsites and trails, cleanse the air, and play an integral role in the iconic mountain vistas we love. They’re more than a symbol - they’re deeply rooted and connected to our communities, public health, and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Read more…

The Mountaineers is an incredible community of adventurers, students, instructors, advocates, and leaders. We’re proud of our community for persevering through another demanding year, prioritizing safety, and fostering connections to the outdoors. As we close the door on 2021 and look ahead to 2022, we reflect on our core values and how they’ve guided us through this past year.  Read more…

Photos have the power to transport us to a feeling. Often, we are brought back to a specific time, place, and emotion. Like the sunrise shot that reminds you of the pride, gratitude, and exhaustion of an early morning alpine scramble. Or the snapshot of frosted evergreens that takes you back to skiing on a crisp bluebird day. Sharing photos with others also gives them access to these small moments of magic we find in the outdoors. It can offer inspiration to the experienced outdoorsperson to take on a new feat, or reassurance to the novice that they can tackle it, too. Read more…

Winter is officially here. We've got snow in the mountains and trip reports are full of stoke for fresh powder, headlamp hiking, and those rare sunny days that give us the summit views of our dreams.  Read more…

Community members are invited to join the Olympia Mountaineers on the first Wednesday of each month from December 2021 through April 2022 for our Adventure Speaker Series. We've hosted this amazing event for many years and are pleased to be able to bring it back after a hiatus. Read more…

The world-renowned Banff Centre's Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates its 46th 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 as we host this premier outdoor film festival for our 16th year.  Read more…

The Olympia Branch has a rich history of developing outstanding leaders. This year, our leaders faced the challenges of 2020 and continued to teach and inspire our membership. Congratulations to the recipients of Olympia Branch Leadership Awards. Read more…

Mountaineers members can earn badges, patches, and pins for completing different objectives in Washington and beyond. If you're looking for new ideas, look no further than our list of awards. Join us in congratulating the 2020-2021 recipients. Read more…