Olympia Branch Blog Posts

Join us on September 10 for a virtual BeWild event with avid mountaineer, climber of the 7-summits, and Mountaineers board president, Vik Sahney. Read more…

The American Alpine Club, Appalachian Mountain Club, Colorado Mountain Club, Mazamas, and The Mountaineers join with those speaking out and taking action against racist, sexist, and otherwise derogatory route names, and we welcome the conversation about how best to move forward as a community.  Read more…

On August 4, 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) was signed into law. This historic victory was the result of years of work by the conservation and recreation community, including The Mountaineers. What does the Great American Outdoors Act mean for Washington state and the places we love to explore? The answer is both “a lot” and “we’re not quite sure yet.” The Mountaineers will be working hard over the coming months to make sure that communities and outdoor spaces in Washington maximally benefit from this new infusion of funding.  Read more…

What do Chantrelles, Morels, Lobsters, Oysters, Shaggy manes, Cauliflower, King Boletes and  Matsutake have in common? They are all wild edible mushrooms found in Northwest forests. If you would like to start gathering wild mushrooms or if you are looking for a refresher, this one evening seminar is for you. Read more…

There’s no arguing that Conrad Anker is one of the most accomplished climbers of our time. During his 30+ years as a professional climber, he’s completed numerous first ascents (including the infamous Shark’s Fin on Meru), set speed records on big mountains around the globe, and scaled many of the tallest and most technical peaks on the planet. In between expeditions and explorations, he’s busy paving the way for outdoor enthusiasts to participate in a different kind of adventure: environmental activism. Join us on September 24 for a virtual conversation with this outdoor legend. Read more…

Our volunteer leaders are a huge part of what makes the Olympia Branch such an inspiring, fun, and impactful community. Each year we honor the hard work and dedication of one Olympia volunteer by presenting them with the Branch Service Award. To help with this process, we ask our branch members to submit nominations for those they believe go above and beyond their volunteer responsibilities to enhance the courses, activities and spirit of The Mountaineers. Read more…

This week, we're thrilled that legislation we've been working on for over six years - the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act - passed out of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. Next, the bill will head to the House floor for a vote. That means we're one step closer to fixing the current inefficient, unpredictable recreational permitting system that creates barriers for people to experience the outdoors through outdoor programs like The Mountaineers. Read more…

In previous years, it has been our tradition to gather our community each spring to celebrate our achievements and support future efforts to transform lives and protect wild places at our annual fundraising gala. This year, however, was a little different.  Read more…

Your voice made a difference! The Great American Outdoors Act just passed the House with an overwhelming, bipartisan vote. Next, it goes to the President’s desk and is expected to be signed into law. Read more…

Earlier this year, the House passed the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act, which includes additional protections for the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act here in Washington state. The bill would protect over 126,000 acres around the Olympic National Park as Wilderness where outdoor enthusiasts, including Mountaineers, hike, camp, climb, and more.  Read more…

First among The Mountaineers Ten Essentials is navigation, and as technology has advanced that now includes both digital and physical maps. While physical maps can be customized for type, scale, coordinate markings, and personalized tracks and waypoints, digital maps have the benefit of GPS capability – allowing you to know where you are in the backcountry. Read more…

The Olympic Peninsula is one of the most incredible natural landscapes in the world, offering unrivaled opportunities to experience nature in its primal form. Biogeographically isolated in the Pacific Northwest, it’s been protected from the degradation that accompanies industry and population growth, becoming a popular destination for hiking, scrambling, climbing, paddling, and more. Read more…

The word "Mima" in Mima Mounds is derived from a Native American language meaning “a little further along” or “downstream.” Modern scientists argue about what causes these unusual land formations, but what I find fascinating is that the Mima Mounds are not unique; mounded forms are found across the United States. In California they're called “HogWallow Mounds,” and New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming have “prairie mounds.” In the Northern Great Plains they're known as “Pimple Mounds.” Read more…

UPDATE: this event has been cancelled. We hope to celebrate with you in-person next year. 

Join the Olympia Branch for our annual summer picnic! This picnic is one of the community highlights of the year, and after a little uncertainty, we are happy to to be officially hosting it this July.  Read more…

Join The Mountaineers to view some of the world's best outdoor films largely created by women and featuring female athletes! Films this year include the story of a refugee that finds a home in the climbing community, a marine biologist dedicated to protecting our planet, a pair of singletrack shredders that use pizza to bridge differences, and much more.  Read more…

In the short span of several weeks, the coronavirus outbreak went from a small blip on our radar to something that, at times, feels all-consuming. Nearly every person, company, and organization on the planet is impacted by this crisis - and The Mountaineers is no exception.  Read more…

In January 2020, we invited our members and volunteers, past and present, to participate in a member and volunteer survey. We wanted to learn how their perceptions of and experiences with our club have changed since our last surveys in 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2018. We compare these responses with past survey data to track patterns showing how we’ve grown and changed, and to identify opportunities to improve.  Read more…

The black eyes glared right at me, a penetrating stare that seemed to pierce my flesh. He then opened his mouth and flexed his shoulders, leaning toward me. His red epaulets glowed in the sun as his song rang out; a sharp two whistles, trill, and then another whistle. At the same time, he expanded his tail and flared his wings slightly, and all the while those eyes scowled. Read more…

This past month has been marked with optimism about the gradual, phased reopening process, while at the same time, our country has been engaged in a deeply-emotional and divisive conversation about racism. The Mountaineers community is often a microcosm of the world - with outdoor culture being a micro-community in the greater society - and everything that happens in the community at large impacts the people here.  Read more…

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. In order to realize this aspiration, we must take a critical look at our internal systems and processes to identify and discuss barriers that keep The Mountaineers from being a community where all people can feel a sense of belonging and experience the outdoors.  Read more…

Popularized by Alastair Humphreys, a micro-adventure is "an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding. " As summer arrives, many of us want to maximize our time outside. But it’s not always easy to get out after work or on a busy weekend. Fortunately, opportunities for outdoor exploration are right outside your door. Join us as we take a look at a few of the micro-adventures you can take any day of the week. Read more…

On June 3, 2020, a multiracial family was harassed, intimidated, and trapped by intentionally felled logs over the road in a public forest camping area near Forks. Fortunately, other local residents and high school-age youth were in the area and had tools to clear the road, and sheriff deputies escorted the family safely back to the highway.  Read more…

Worldwide, buildings contribute a significant portion of the global CO2 emissions through heating, cooling, and electrical use. Here at The Mountaineers, we own several old event centers and lodges. While these spaces support our  community-focused mission, they contribute a fair share of our organization’s CO2. That’s why, after we pledged to reduce The Mountaineers carbon footprint as part of  Vision 2022, the Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee focused our sights on The Mountaineers buildings first. From installing solar panels on the roof of the Seattle Program Center to replacing over 500 light bulbs with LED retrofits, Mountaineers volunteers have helped reduce our organization’s impact on the environment.  Read more…

Are you excited to start testing the waters of outdoor adventure this summer, but not sure how to do it in a way that’s fun and safe for everyone? Consider car camping, the most accessible way to get outside overnight - making it a great way to introduce kids and trepidatious friends to the outdoors. To ensure your trip is successful and open the doors to future adventure, here are a few tips for brand-new car campers to take their trip to the next level: Read more…

The Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a historic bipartisan bill to fund parks and public lands. The legislation includes measures The Mountaineers has spent years advocating for, including finally ensuring full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as well as establishing new funding to restore and maintain public lands.  Read more…

Steamboat rock is composed of Miocene Columbia River basalts, and sits 800ft above the desert floor. This monolithic basaltic rock overlies a much older intrusive igneous rock, and it sits in the channeled scablands in Eastern Washington, known as the Grand Coulee. Hiking the trail towards this magnificent rock you are walking on a soft, deep, sandy trail reminiscent of the beach. Steamboat Rock sits on a sand dune, a remnant from the past massive floods. Read more…

As Washington state continues to reopen, it’s critically important for our community to recreate responsibly. Last week, Governor Inslee announced an expansion of the Washington Safe Start plan that moves Washington through a re-opening on a county-by-county basis. We've adjusted our guidance to align with each county's programs and plan to resume some in-person programming beginning June 6. Read more…

All people should have equal opportunities and access to engage with nature. Our members, and the greater community at large, should be free to enjoy the outdoors without fear. They should be able to go birding (#ChristianCooper), go for a jog (#AhmaudArbery), walk to the store (#MikeBrown), walk with their family (#CliffordGlover), breathe (#EricGarner, #GeorgeFloyd), and live (#FreddieGray, #BreonnaTaylor) without being targeted for the color of their skin. Black lives matter, and we are committed to continuing to fight for equality. Read more…

Welcome back to Stuck Inside where we share ways to have fun and connect with the outdoors while also staying safe. Did you figure out all of the riddles from last week? If you didn’t and they’ve been rattling around your brain, check out these answers. Read more…

Brendan Leonard bought the url semi-rad.com for $29 in 2011, intending to write a weekly post about adventure for a year and see what happened. Almost nine years later, his writings on Semi-Rad.com are read by half a million people each year, and even more in his Semi-Rad column for Outside magazine. Read more…