Their ads read like vacation opportunities in Outside Magazine -- moonlit hikes through the woods, cross-country ski trips to rustic cabins, kayaking down tranquil rivers.

But unlike adventures to Greenland or Kathmandu, these trips unfold close to home. Better yet, they won't break the bank for those who want to participate, be it on skis, snowshoes, or old-fashioned hiking boots.

The Helena Outdoor Club has come a long way since a handful of adventurers, including Rick and Susie Graetz, founded the group in the 1970s.

More than 30 years later, the club continues to thrive in a town known more now for its recreation opportunities and weekend getaways than ever before.

"I appreciate the opportunities this area has for outdoor recreation," said Joanne Thun, a longtime member of the Helena Outdoor Club. "It's much better than it was 18 years ago when I started hiking up Mount Helena."

Thun, who moved to Helena from Great Falls back in 1989, said the club has grown more active during her time in town. A club member for more than 16 years, she's led her share of trips into the great outdoors.

"I've always been interested in the outdoors," said Thun. "My grandma had a cabin on the Missouri River. I learned how to canoe, kayak and fish when I was just a child."

Of all her outdoor pursuits, Thun insists that kayaking reigns supreme. Hands down, the Dearborn River remains her favorite haunt. The turquoise water that trickles clear and cold from the Bob Marshall Wilderness keeps her going back year after year.

The Helena Outdoor Club gathers on Tuesdays, sometimes to hike, sometimes for talks. Conversations range from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to hiking the Continental Divide Trail. With membership holding at roughly 100 people, growth in the club is steady, but participation can run high.

"I got involved in the club pretty quickly after I moved here because I wanted to meet others who liked the outdoors," said Barb Belt, who relocated to Helena from Tacoma, Wash., seven years ago. "After I got here, I saw a meeting listed and, of course, I wanted to go."

Belt, who was a member of the Tacoma Mountaineers, joined the Helena Outdoor Club after she arrived in town. Her goal was to make new and like-minded friends. So far, her plan has worked to perfection.

"I really love the outdoors and I've made a lot of good friends here," she said. "It's a different community than a big community like Tacoma. A lot of people here already have their outdoor friends."

Still, Belt had no trouble fitting in. On the trail, she notes, there aren't any phones, televisions or distractions. Conversations come easy when the trail is the place you want to be.

Mary Alice Chester, who arrived from Bozeman around the same time Belt arrived from Washington, learned to kayak as a member of the club. The placid waters of Spring Meadow Lake made for safe paddling while the moving Missouri was something to strive for.

Like most members of the club, Chester remembers the early outings of her life. She points back 40-plus years when she was 18 and in college in Bozeman.

"Mom said not to go rock climbing, so of course I did," Chester laughed. "That's a very short version of the story. I've been getting out for 45 years."

Depending on the trip leader, club outings can range from mild to wild. The leader selects the location and deals with logistics. The leader also places notices in the paper to drum up support and answer questions from possible participants.

"One memorable trip was to the Trail Creek Cabin," said Chester, recalling a three-mile ski trip she led into the woods. "It was probably 50 below zero. We know it was 52 below at West Yellowstone that day. It took more than 16 hours before we stopped being able to see our breath in the cabin."

The club celebrated its 35th anniversary earlier this year, stressing its emphasis on "human-powered locomotion." At the time, club founder Graetz said the organization was perhaps the oldest of its kind in the state.

"If it's not the oldest, it's certainly one of them," he noted at the time. "This was at the start, when people were just getting into backpacking."

Reporter Martin Kidston: 447-4086, or mkidston@helenair.com