Outdoor Adventure and Recreation Group - Olympia

Speaker Series: Craig Romano's Day Hiking Columba River Gorge
Join us for an evening with Craig Romano. With his trademark enthusiasm and expertise, he will share information on the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Silver Star Scenic Area, Trapper Creek Wilderness, Cottonwood Canyon State Park along with explorations of national forests and wilderness areas, state forests, state parks, county parks, city parks, and national wildlife refuges.
Craig’s new book Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge, 2nd Edition is the perfect guide book for exploring the breathtaking beauty of one of the most popular hiking destinations near the Portland–Vancouver metro area. Updated and expanded and now with full-color photos, this new edition offers something for everyone–including accessible trails, historical destinations, wildflowers, waterfalls, the old-growth forests of Oregon, and the sun-kissed rolling hills of Washington. Purchase a signed copy at Craig’s presentation.

Date: December 4th

Speaker Series: Southern Croatia
Calling all multi sport enthusiasts and "off the beaten path" international travelers! Join us on January 8, when Olympia Mountaineer Marko Pavela will share stories and adventures from his many travels to Croatia. The presentation will focus on possible "active travel" or "adventure tourism" day trips through the Dalmatian Hinterlands, or the inland southern part of the country.

Date: January 8th

Speaker Series: A Year in Australia
Join the Olympia Mountaineers for a discussion with Jon and Sharon Hubbell – “A Year in Australia.”

Jon and Sharon spent 12 months traveling 18,000 miles in Australia. Their adventure included driving “on the wrong side of the road” in their Aussie RV. They will share “favorite places” from east to west around the circumference and north to south through the red center of the continent.

Date: February 5th

Speaker Series: Wilderness travel in the far north of Canada
Wilderness travel in the far north of Canada

Join us as Scott Waeschle: Climber, paddler, guide, and photographer as he shares amazing images and tales of adventure- white water canoeing the Hood River of Nunavut, Canada. Waeschle traveled with his sons and a friend above the Arctic circle on the Hood River from its source to the Arctic Ocean in July 2023.
Scott will also share a trip he lead July 2024: a group of six paddled the Bonnet Plume River through the Makenzie mountains of Yukon. Northern Canada is one of the last lightly traveled wildernesses where one can spend a month traveling a river without seeing another person.

Date: March 5