Posts Tagged ‘Olympia’

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to raise money and awareness for a great group of local and regional non-profits. One of our objectives was to “Connect Active People” in the community, bringing together individuals, organizations and businesses. People in both Bellingham and Olympia are regionally known for their commitments to sustainability. We are fortunate to live in communities that care as evidenced by the list of “friends” that we have made through our efforts.

Thank you to all the people who have participated in the past- your work has added to the social fabric that make our region the best place in the world to live, work and play. We are proud of our story and happy to share it with our friends and families. Scroll through and think how these organizations have touched your life. If there’s an unfamiliar one, click and learn.

Bellingham Traverse

Action for Africa

Appliance Depot 

Center for Tribal Water Advocacy 

Chuckanut Conservancy

Community to Community Development 

Conservation Northwest

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County 

Ducks Unlimited 

Evergreen AIDS Foundation

Farm Friends 

Habitat for Humanity

The Hub Community Bike Co-Op 

Kulshan Community Land Trust 

Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association 

Opportunity Council 

People for Lake Whatcom

Project Sea Wolf

RE Sources 

Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition 

Sierra Club Mt. Baker Group 

Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group 

Surfrider Foundation 

Sustainable Connections

Washington Health Foundation 

Washington Trails Association 

Washington Water Trails Association

Whatcom Conservation District 

Whatcom Film Association – Pickford Cinema

Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation

WHIMPS Mountain Bike Coalition 

Whatcom Land Trust 

Whatcom Literacy Council

Womencare Shelter

Olympia Traverse

Friends of Capitol Forest

South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

Olympia Area Rowing

SUP Cleanup – Olympia Chapter

People for Puget Sound

Conservation Northwest

The Olympia Traverse can be a challenging event from a physical standpoint but it is equally challenging logistically. It is almost like a race within a race.  In Bellingham the race starts downtown, all the transitions are within the city limits, and the course is one big loop that finishes back at the starting line. Unlike Bellingham,  Olympia’s course is point to pint, with a twenty mile gap between the star out at Capitol Forest and the finish line downtown. Add in packet pick up, gathering with your team, and dropping all your gear, and needless to say, it’s going to be an early morning!

Here is an outline of how we feel is the best way to reduce the stress and make it to the starting line on time:

Have a team meeting prior to race day. Go over the directions for each leg and transition (provided below.) Talk about estimated times each person anticipates completing their leg so each team member knows when to be ready to start. If you have a game plan for race day things will go much smoother.

FRI 6-7pm Packet Pickup @ Fish Tale Brewery If you’re local or coming in for the night from out of town and can pick up your packets Friday night you will be one step ahead of the Saturday morning rush. If you can’t make it by 7pm, packet pickup will resume Saturday morning at 7am at Fish Tale.

SAT 7-8am Packet Pickup & Gear Drop Final packet pick ups will be available Saturday morning at 7am sharp at Fish Tale. IT IS IMPERATIVE YOU ARRIVE PROMPTLY AT 7 AM TO PICK UP YOUR PACKET TO ALLOW YOUR TEAM ENOUGH TIME TO DROP GEAR AND ARRIVE AT THE STARTING LINE ON TIME! We prefer that you carpool but it is not a crazy notion to split up – assign someone to head downtown for packet pickup while other members of your team take care of the gear drops. Here is our suggested course for efficiently dropping your gear:

Your first stop should be West Bay Park(WBP) for the paddle drop off.  WBP has very limited parking so there will be no parking, just drop off. We will have a team of volunteers to direct you in and assist you with unloading your watercraft.

Next head to Mima Falls Trailhead for the road bike drop.

Next head to Middle Waddell Trailhead for the run and mountain bike.

*If you are carpooling and going to leapfrog ahead of your mountain biker to the road bike start you don’t necessarily have to drop your road bike and biker off early.  Just don’t lollygag around after your teammate leaves!

Start is at 0900 at Middle Waddell Trailhead. We will close Waddell Creek Road at 0855 and start lining up the runners.

There have been questions about dropping off racers at the beginning with the gear drops or while the race is unfolding. We prefer each team member is at their transition early to reduce the traffic in and out of each transition for safety but realize it’s fun and exciting to see your teammates come in and leave.  If you leapfrog from transition to transition please slow down entering and exiting the transition parking lots.

Special Note: At West Bay Park there is no parking in the park or along the street.  We recommend after the road biker tags his paddler he pedals to Swantown to meet up with the rest of the team for the Trek.  Directions from West Bay Park to Swantown will be provided in the packet.  We are working on a parking solution and will let you know at packet pickup if the parking situation improves.

With a little pre-planning and with your most type A personality teammate in charge, you should have no problem with the race within the race. And remember, it’s all about having fun

DIRECTIONS FOR EACH TRANSITION SPOT:

Directions to the START and Run/MTB Transition at Middle Waddell Trailhead:

From I-5 take exit 95 and head North on SR 121 toward Littlerock.

Go through Littlerock (don’t blink). SR 121 bends 90 degrees to the left but continue straight onto 128th SW.

At T-intersection turn Right onto Waddell Creek RD SW.

Middle Waddell Trailhead will be just over 3 miles down on the left.

Directions to Road Bike Transition at Mima Falls Trailhead:

12700 Marksman St SW, Olympia, WA, 98556

From I-5 take exit 95 and head North on SR 121 toward Littlerock.

Go through Littlerock (don’t blink). SR 121 bends 90 degrees to the left but continue straight onto 128th SW.

At T-intersection turn Left onto Waddell Creek RD SW.

Right on to Bordeaux RD SW.

Right onto Marksman RD to Mima Falls Trailhead.

Directions to Paddle Transition at West Bay Park:

700 West Bay Drive NW, Olympia, WA

From I-5 take Exit 105 toward the Capitol.

Turn Right on Capitol Way S.

Turn Left on 5th Ave SW.

Turn Right on Simmons ST.

Left on 4th Ave.

Enter Roundabout and take first Right onto Olympic ST W.

Enter second Roundabout and take first Right onto West Bay Drive NW.

West Bay Park will be down on the Right.

Directions to Trek Transition at Swantown:

1022 Marine Dr NE, Olympia, WA

From I-5 take Exit 105 toward the Capitol.

Turn Right on Capitol Way S.

Heading North trough downtown to the Farmers Market.

At Roundabout take first Right.

Slight Right onto D Ave NE.

Left onto Marine Drive NE.

Swantown is down on the Right.

Please park in the upper parking lot North of the Boat Launch.

Directions to FINISH/Fish Tale Brew Pub:

515 Jefferson St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
From I-5 take Exit 105 toward the Capitol.

Turn Right on Capitol Way S.

Turn Right on 5th Ave. or 4th Ave.

Park anywhere within the next few blocks and make your way to Fish Tale at 5th and Jefferson.

Street parking downtown is free on weekends.

Saturday, July 31, 2010, Olympia, WA – The Olympia Traverse Multi-Sport Adventure Race starts in Capitol Forest at 9:00 am.  Solo, tandem, and relay teams of runners, mountain bikers, road bikers will traverse their way through the forest as part of a larger event that finishes at Fish Tale Brewery in downtown Olympia.

Participants are required to follow the Olympia Traverse Rules including trail etiquette. All trails will be open to the public during the Olympia Traverse as we want to share the route with all the Capitol Forest user groups so you can make an informed decision when planning your recreation on the morning of Saturday, July 31^st.

Start and Run will begin at Middle Waddell Trailhead and head north on Waddell Creek Road (road will be closed from Middle Waddell Trailhead to Al Davis Rd from 8:55 am to 9:15 am).  Runners will turn left at Al Davis, another left at trail 40, and then follow the trail back to Middle Waddell Trailhead.

The mountain bike leg will start at Middle Waddell Trailhead and head south on Waddell Creek Rd to Margaret McKinney Campground.  There they will take GL6 to GL6a and back to GL6 to Trail 10 to GL8 to Rd 9600 to Waddell Creek Loop Trail to GL 6 and then GL8 to Mima Falls Trailhead.

The Road Bike starts at Mima Falls Trailhead and will follow Marksman Rd with a left on Bordeaux Rd, left again on Mima Rd which turns into Waddell Creek Rd, and another left at Delphi Road bikers and then continue to make their way into downtown Olympia.

All Olympia Traverse participants will be advised the course is open and must follow all trail rules and etiquette, as well as rules of the road.

We anticipate all Olympia Traverse participants to be completed with the Capitol Forest trails and surrounding roads by 12:00pm.

About Olympia Traverse:
Olympia Traverse, a multi-sport challenge for solo, tandem and relay teams, celebrates the lifecycle of wild salmon- recognizing the natural and urban challenges they face in their journey. The event starts in Capitol Forest and winds through the woods, out onto the open county roads to West Bay Park to launch boats for a paddle in Budd Inlet to then land in Swantown. The last leg is a team Trek through the City of Olympia to the finish line at Fish Tale Brewpub.

The event is a fundraiser for local and regional groups including South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, Friends of Capitol Forest, Olympic Kayak Club, People for Puget Sound, SUP Cleanup – Olympia Chapter, Surfrider Foundation – South Sound, and Washington Water Trails Association.

For questions, contact Trey Wilson at Olympia Traverse (360) 402-0967 / OlympiaTraverse.com

###

These are our friends that we would like to see  benefit from the Olympia Traverse. Please consider raising support for the following local and regional non-profits as you prepare for this Saturday.

South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, Friends of Capitol Forest, Olympic Kayak Club, People for Puget Sound, SUP Cleanup – Olympia Chapter, Surfrider Foundation – South Sound, and Washington Water Trails Association

In just one word, FUN. Our goal is to bring friends and families together for a memorable day that will last a…well, at least until the next year.

The Traverse is the most FUN you can have covering 40 miles and you don’t even have to do all the work. Just pick a discipline: Run, Mountain Bike, Road Bike or Paddle and then fill in the rest of your team. You can even do it as a 2 person tandem team or soloist if you dare!

If fun is not your primary motivator, here are a few more reasons why you should do the Traverse:

1. Bragging Rights! As a pioneer participant of the first ever Olympia Traverse, where we hope to make this an annual tradition, you’ll be able to say you were there at the starting line.

2. Variety is the spice of life! Come experience a sampling of some of the best running, biking and paddling in the state.

3. Move with a purpose! Have a passion for environmental causes and a knack for fundraising? The Traverse is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness and funds for environmental efforts. 100% of funds raised will be donated to one of our dedicated, deserving environmental, non-profit partners – you choose who! We also have great “bait” (prizes) for your efforts.

4. Finish Strong! – Each Traverse ends at a brewery. Boundary Bay (Bellingham) and Fish Tale (Olympia). Enough said.

Olympia Traverse Course

Trail Run- 4 miles The Olympia Traverse kicks off with a run through the woods of Capitol Forest. The run leaves Middle Waddell Trailhead north on Waddell Creek Rd for one mile and then turns onto a dirt road that takes runners into the mosaic that is Capitol Forest. Participants will see the working forest that Capitol Forest is as they run through old growth, new growth and clearcuts. A loop on the shoulder of Mount Molly will bring the runners back to Waddell Creek Rd and turn south returning to Middle Waddell Trailhead.

Mountain Bike- 8 miles Mountain Bikers will leave Middle Waddell Trailhead and head south on Waddell Creek Rd to the entrance of Margaret Mckinney Campground, where the singletrack fun begins. MTBers will journey over Waddell Creek and through the lush rolling landscape to Mima Falls Trailhead. This leg will appeal to all levels of MTBers, with a less technical, non-intimidating route but a fast rolling and flowing terrain that more experienced MTBers will appreciate. Everyone will be grinning from ear to ear in the end.

Road Bike- 24 miles Participants will start from Mima Falls Trailhead parking lot and head south on Marksman Road. At T-Intersection turn left on Bordeaux Road. At T-Intersection turn left on Mima Road SW. Continue to follow Mima Rd SW and it will turn into Waddell Creek Rd. Follow Waddell Creek Rd to Delphi Rd SW. Turn left on Delphi Rd SW and follow Delphi Rd to Mud Bay Rd NW. Merge right on Mud Bay Rd NW to Evergreen PKWY. Turn left on Evergreen PKWY. Follow Evergreen PKWY and it will turn into Kaiser Rd NW. Follow Kaiser Rd NW and it will turn into French Rd NW. At T-Intersection turn left on Crestline Dr NW. Continue to follow Crestline Dr NW and it will turn into Crestline BLVD NW. Follow Crestline BLVD NW and it will turn into Raft Ave NW. Follow Raft Ave NW to Harbor View Rd NW. Turn right on Harbor View Rd NW. Follow Harbor View Rd NW and merge on West Bay Dr NW. Turn left into the new city park called West Bay Park.

Paddle – 4 miles West Bay Park offers a great new hand launch into Budd Inlet. Paddle will hug the shore heading north, past Tugboat Annies to Mark 1, then East toward Mark 2 off the shore of Priest Point Park, then South to Mark 3, turning for the last leg into Swantown Marina to finish at East Bay boatlaunch at the Olympia Rowing Club.

TREK – 1 mile + All teammates will get together and TREK along the water to the finish at Fish Bowl Brewpub.