The Outside Walla Walla team is an extremely passionate group of folks who want to help others explore and enjoy the outdoors. We are by no means experts but rather highly enthusiastic recreators who want to share the love.
Our team can write, design, code, and hike. We also think we can mountain bike and paddleboard, but the professionals might argue otherwise.
The point is we try really hard to bring you authentic, accurate information about outdoor recreation in the Blue Mountain Region through stories, a catalog of activities, and connection to local outfitters and resources. This on-going project is for you. Join us in building an outdoor recreation database for all of us. Meet the team.
While the valley is under a blanket of fog, a short drive 19 miles east into the Blue Mountains is Tiger Creek Road. Often non-maintained Forest Service roads make excellent snowshoeing and cross country skiing destinations. This road winds up Tiger Canyon and provides breathtaking winter wonderland views. The snow was so perfect; Gwen pretty much ate most of it on the way up the mountain.
Twenty years ago, I rafted the Snake River with my mother. It was a world away from the Texas hill country that I was used to as a young gal. Despite the unique beauty of the south, the Pacific Northwest’s big sky, mountain ranges, and outdoor spirit won our hearts.
Our family loves the outdoors. The kids practically learned to walk on a trail. A number of years ago, we challenged our family to explore our area and discover all the ways to enjoy both the valley and the mountains. The kids were young; it was no longer fun to load everyone into the car for a long weekend in Montana; but we had no idea where to go close to home.
This website showcases what we’ve found so far. There is so much more fun to come!
Helping facilitate outdoor recreation is definitely a big piece of our mission, but championing local business is also integral. Our adventures wouldn’t be possible without a number of outfitters teaching us new skills, providing gear, or organizing events. They can’t wait to help you!
It also wouldn’t be possible without the local, state, and federal agencies who are charged with stewarding the land and protecting our national treasures. Outdoor enthusiasts have a responsibility to explore responsibly, and we can all benefit from learning more about our natural world. We want to spread the word about our unique and precious landscape while promoting mindful stewardship of our public lands.
Thank you so much for visiting Outside Walla Walla. May you accidentally fall off your paddleboard from time to time and enjoy a swim; may you look over your shoulder on the way back to the trailhead and catch a rising moon; and, of course, may you find your next adventure while perusing this site. This ever-growing community database is for you!
Your hosts on this quest to discover more about all the outdoor activities in the Blue Mountain region, Gwen & Steve Dildine. This photo was taken after Gwen completed her inaugural mountain bike ride. Her smile reflects the fact that her collarbones are still in one piece. Steve is far more gifted on two wheels, but the two offer a balanced perspective of trail difficulty.
Growing up in rural western Washington, I spent most of every day outside biking a dirt road or following the train tracks. Mount Rainier watched over many outings to local BMX tracks tucked into the forest, and my fascination for discovering wild places has stuck with me ever since.
Raising our family at the base of the Blue Mountains is a dream. It reminds me of those wild places I frequented as a child, only dryer.
Gwen and I believe in this project not only because we think we can help other families opt outside, but also as a way to promote our community and the people who make outdoor recreation possible. There are so many ways to enjoy each activity. A multi-use trail serves hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riding, and dirt bikes. A spot on the Palouse River offers kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing.
Of course, we are just getting started, and we dream big.
As president of the research and discovery department, I take pride in consolidating and fact checking information from many different sources. As a rule, we only put activities we have done on the site. There are many times various maps cover our living room floor and occupy our computer screens. We geek out on the details so you can go have fun.
Thank you for visiting the site. Please do so often. We can’t wait to see you on the trail or floating the river someday.
This project was close to peaking at organized post it notes or at best a generic blog. Luckily, Gwen and Steve called us. We were immediately excited about the project. There are endless possibilities to create and develop this resource that our community so desperately needs.
Allow us to introduce ourselves–we are Katie and JC Biagi. Our company, Wonderboy Creative, is a local marketing agency specializing in website development, branding, and graphic design to name a few of our skills. We pour our heart and soul into our company much like Gwen and Steve do with Outside Walla Walla. It was a natural partnership.
Gwen and Steve often say we turn their dreams into reality, and we are happy to do it. All of us are fiercely committed to elevating this resource to enhance community engagement with the outdoors. Through these efforts, we think we can make a big impact on health, economic development, and environmental stewardship.
Our passion for our marketing agency meets our family’s love of the outdoors through this project. We hope you find your passion as you discover the northern Blue Mountain Region and go outside Walla Walla.
