Buzz: Outdoors News Briefs for May 30, 2013
Kitsap Peninsula Water Trail Festival June 1
Photo at right by Carolyn Price
Olympic Outdoor Center will host the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trail Festival June 1 in conjunction with opening its fourth kayak and standup paddleboard location in Silverdale, Wash. The Water Trail includes nearly 300 miles of shoreline and about 80 public access points around the Kitsap Peninsula, including five points in Silverdale’s Dyes Inlet where the festival will be held. There’s lots of paddling to be done! Register here.
North Head Lighthouse. Photo courtesy of Funbeach.com
North Head Lighthouse transferred to Washington State Parks
North Head Lighthouse. Photo courtesy of Funbeach.com
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and Keepers of the North Head Lighthouse invite the public to attend the 115th anniversary of the North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco, 11a.m. to 3 p.m., June 8.
Guided tours of the lighthouse will be available for $2.50 for people 17 years and older. There is no charge for those 7 to 17. Children must be 7 years or older to tour the lighthouse. Discover Pass is not required to attend the event; June 8 is a State parks “free day,” in recognition of National Get Outdoors Day. www.parks.wa.gov
Photo by Paul Morrison
Whistler unveils Peak to Peak Gondola viewing gallery
Photo by Paul Morrison
Whistler Blackcomb has constructed the PEAK 2 PEAK Viewing Gallery, which will be unveiled to the public for the first time on Saturday, May 25 – the opening day for summer sightseeing and the PEAK 2 PEAK Alpine Experience.
This raised walkway is located in the Whistler Mountain PEAK 2 PEAK terminal and will provide guests with a birds-eye view of the record-breaking gondola’s engineering and inner workings. Video tablets will be installed on the platform where guests can watch five different videos showcasing facts and statistics, the construction of the gondola towers, cable installation, the gondola’s evacuation system, and the history of Whistler Blackcomb.
Want more fun? Whistler Blackcomb is set to open a snow-tubing area and snow pile for guests. http://ow.ly/lgmgT
Providence Bridge Pedal reg. open
It is just three months until Providence Bridge Pedal, the one opportunity each year to bike across Portland’s Willamette River bridges from the Sellwood to the St. Johns bridges, including the top decks of the Marquam and Fremont bridges. http://blog.bridgepedal.com/
Hop aboard the Portland Spirit – and eat cake!
Join Portland Spirit and Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler for their official 30th birthday celebration, Saturday, June 29. The two-hour sightseeing excursion aboard this authentic paddle-wheeler will feature live music and a very special birthday cake! For this celebration and other paddle wheeler events and sailings – including half-price Sundays – click here.
National Trails Day June 1
American Hiking Society’s 21st annual celebration of National Trails Day will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2013. National Trails Day is devoted to appreciating America’s trails and the hard-working individuals who build and maintain them. To find an event in your area, click here.
Celebrate Native American culture at Deception Pass June 8
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to attend the Eighth Annual Salish Sea Native American Culture Celebration with the Samish and Swinomish tribes.
The celebration runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 8 at the Bowman Bay picnic area on the Fidalgo Island side of Deception Pass State Park near Oak Harbor. The event celebrates the maritime heritage of the two participating Coast Salish tribes. This year’s event also commemorates the 100th birthday of the Washington state park system, which was created by the Legislature in 1913. For more information: Deception Pass State Park, (360) 675-3767; Samish Indian Nation, (360) 293-6404.
Zero waste at Liberty Bottleworks’ Factory
Liberty Bottleworks was recently honored as one of seven companies across Washington State to receive an Environmental Excellence Award from the Association of Washington.
Liberty received an award for “Green Enterprise & Technology” for the company’s zero-waste factory and recycled aluminum bottle construction. Liberty’s Union Gap, Wash. factory was custom-built in 2010 with a nod toward the most cutting edge sustainability practices to eliminate air, water and solid waste. http://libertybottles.com/
