July 14 Buzz: Outdoors News Shorts
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Stories by Outdoors NW contributors
“Yurt” in luck if you are! Our July/August edition features all kinds of Camping – Yurt, Glam, Car and a special feature on the Cama Beach Cabins on Camano Island. You’ll also find all our latest picks for summer gear, Summer Book Reviews, a Tri-Cities Escape, an Aquatic Treasure Hunt and Craig Romano’s latest hikes. Pick up a hard copy or log onto our digital edition:
Tell us your story ideas!
Outdoors NW staffers are currently in the planning stages for the 2012 editorial calendar. Do you have story ideas we can consider? Your suggestions could include destinations, sports medicine, how-to, gear, people profiles, outdoor pursuits … let us know your ideas!
Mountains to Sound Greenway’s 20th Anniversary Trek
Trekkers on the Mountains to Sound Greenway Tour.
Over nine day days earlier this month, 100-plus participants, age 8-80 years old, biked, hiked or rode horses from Ellensburg to Seattle in celebration of the Mountains to Sound Greenway’s 20th Anniversary of conserving and protecting the lands surrounding I-90.
The Greenway landscape, 1.5 million acres in size, stretches from the shores of Puget Sound, up and over the Cascades, into the desert grasslands of Central Washington. For the first three days, Trekkers biked and rode horses along the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.
A highlight of the Trek was attending the grand re-opening of the Snoqualmie Tunnel at Snoqualmie Pass. The tunnel has been closed for renovations for the better part of two years and outdoor recreation enthusiasts have been excited for the tunnel to re-open. After an official ribbon cutting, the Trekkers and others were among the first to enter the 2.3 miles of cool and darkness.
As the Trek continued, the Trekkers also attended community celebrations in South Cle Elum, Snoqualmie, Issaquah, and finally ended at the Seattle. http://mtsgreenway.org/
>>For more on the re-opening of the Milwaukie Tunnel, click here . . .
New exhibit showcases 100 years of bicycles
The Lynden Pioneer Museum in Bellingham opened a new exhibit last month called “Flying Spokes: 100 Years of the Bicycle.” >>http://lyndenpioneermuseum.com.
Clips of Faith comes to Seattle/Portland
Grab your picnic blanket, enjoy handmade beers and kick back and enjoy handmade films during two weekends this summer during New Belgium Brewing’s Clips of Faith film series.
The 18-city city tour will drop into Seattle at 8 p.m., Friday, July 29 at Gas Works Park. Portland will host the film at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 5 at Waterfront Park.
Washington still ‘most bicycle-friendly state’
For the fourth year running, Washington has earned the title of “Most Bicycle Friendly State” from the League of American Bicyclists. Oregon ranked eighth, Idaho was 30th while Montana was 46th. Local communities earning the 2011 Spring Bicycle Friendly Community awards included Sisters and Beaverton, both in Oregon.
>>www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/
Video Contest: ‘What’s Your Hood River County?’
Outdoors NW readers (and staff!) are some of the most passionate people about their local Northwest regions. With that in mind, we pass along the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce’s invitation to create a video about what makes the county so special to visitors and residents. You’re welcome to showcase this spectacular region. Send in your 30 second to 3 minute YouTube video by Sept. 9. Prizes to winners.
>>http://hoodriver.org/discover-hood-river/video-contest
Mt. Rainier’s Sunrise opens with new display
The Sunrise Visitor Center at Mt. Rainier reopened July 1, with a brand new exhibit. It tells the history of Sunrise – the volcanic forces that created the mountain, glaciers that shaped the landscapes, plant and animal life native to the park, and tribes that are tied to the area.
Adventure Maps releases new Methow Valley map
Looking for hiking and biking maps of various regions in Washington, Oregon, Utah and Idaho, check out Adventure Maps, Inc. >>www.adventuremaps.net/
Burke-Gilman Lake Forest Park Trail Closed
A two-mile segment of the Burke-Gilman through Lake Forest Park will be closed until possibly November for much-needed improvements and safety upgrades. The two-mile trail segment stretches from Northeast 145th Street in Lake Forest Park to Logboom Park in Kenmore. Trail users can download the detour map and find turn-by-turn detour directions on the project website, www.kingcounty.gov/burkegilmantrail, where weekly construction updates will be posted during the project. Users can also call (206) 462-6348 for updated information.
Stevens Pass Bike Park updates
Construction of the new Stevens Pass Bike Park began in June. To get updates, log onto
>>www.stevenspassbikepark.com/
Send a Kid to Camp
For the third year in a row, Mountain Hardwear is offering its Send-a-Kid-to-Camp campaign, to help inspire and empower kids through experiences in the outdoors.
To participate, simply “Fan” the Send-a-Kid-to-Camp page from an in-store kiosk within either the Seattle or Portland Mountain Hardwear retail store. Mountain Hardwear will donate $5 toward this program, up to a total of $20,000. No purchase is necessary. The program runs through July.
>> Seattle Mountain Hardwear retail store
>> Portland Mountain Hardwear retail store
