If you’re nearly in shape for a challenging bike ride, consider the 165-mile Ride Around Puget Sound Aug. 27-28, a fundraiser for the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. Five bike clubs have organized the race, including BIKES Club of Everett.
Early registration is July 22. The route includes scenic views and ferry rides. It starts in Tacoma and runs counterclockwise through Vashon Island, Port Orchard, Shelton, Olympia and back to Tacoma.
OK, the ride’s title might imply more than it can deliver, geographically speaking, but 165 miles is still a good chunk of the countryside.
Registration includes mechanical support, luggage transport, camping, showers, ferry fare, souvenirs, and rest stop food.
“I’ve never had five kinds of hummus at a food stop before,” said 2004 rider John Rivenburgh of Woodinville.
The next official training ride is the July 31 Tour de Kitsap out of Silverdale.
Remember, RAPS gains a total of 9,000 feet, so unless your workout includes serious hill climbing, another option might be better.
Cost is $80 through July 22, $90 until registration closes on Aug. 12 or when the 1,000-rider limit is reached.
For more information, check out www.rapsodybikeride.com, or call 206-577-6999. You can register online at www.active.com.
Another option is the Courage Classic Aug. 6-8 to raise funds for Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma. The fully supported 172-mile route from Snoqualmie to Skykomish crosses Snoqualmie, Blewett and Stevens passes, so it’s not for the faint of legs or lungs.
For more information, go to www.courageclassic.com, or call Jeff Randall, 253-403-4374.
Great Old Broads: That’s right, the Great Old Broads for Wilderness will gather July 28-Aug. 1 in Index for a Broadwalk.
They’ll come from around the country to be educated about the campaign to pass the Wild Skykomish Wilderness Bill, and hike in the proposed wilderness areas. They’ll also participate in a Washington Trails Association and Forest Service trails project.
The nonprofit wilderness-advocacy group was founded in 1989. Interested in joining the event? Go to www.greatoldbroads.org.
Bridge opens: The damaged Kestner Creek Trail bridge along Lake Quinault’s North Shore has been repaired and opened. All of the 1.3-mile Kestner Homestead Loop Trail is open again, allowing visitors to step back into the history of the Quinault Valley.
Teddy bearish on parks: Teddy, the National Parks Conservation Association’s mascot, is hanging out at the visitor center in the North Cascades Park’s Newhalem visitor center this weekend.
Teddy is on a 10-park tour collecting postcards from 5,000 Northwest park visitors in support of the country’s underfunded national parks.
To track Teddy’s progress, go to www.trackingteddy.org.
Species protection: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks comments on plans to add three species of the Puget Sound area’s shrinking grasslands to the state list of threatened and endangered species.
Species proposed for state protection include the streaked horned lark, the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly and the Mazama pocket gopher.
Status reports on all four species are available at wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversity/soc/concern.htm, and at public libraries.
The deadline for written comments is Sept. 30. Send to Endangered Species Section Manager, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia WA.
Bird walks: Fir Island, Fidalgo Island, Jetty Island, Portage Creek and River Meadows Park, Langus Riverfront Park and Spencer Island, Rasar State Park, and Point Roberts/Boundary Bay are destinations of Pilchuck Audubon Society-led bird walks this summer.
For more information, go to www.pilchuckaudubon.org.
Looking ahead: Washington Outdoor Women is again coordinating a weekend workshop on the basics of fishing, hunting and other outdoor skills.
The class list includes archery, fly fishing and tying, canoeing, big-game hunting basics, map and compass reading, wilderness medicine, survival skills, and wildlife identification.
The fee is $190 and includes lodging, meals and equipment. For more information, go to www.washingtonoutdoorwomen.org or call Ronni McGlenn, 425-455-1986.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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