Northwest Recreation

As a general rule, bike locks are an essential to biking.  They are extremely important when leaving your bike unattended for any stretch of time, and you should take care to always lock your bike up properly when deserting your equipment for any stretch of time.  Many people don’t mind taking advantage of a bike that isn’t locked up and will gladly take it off your hands, so here’s some stuff to remember:

1. Lock it up!  It doesn’t matter if you are leaving it for an hour or a minute, lock it up and you won’t regret it!
2. Lock it through the back tire, through the frame, and if you can, through the front tire.  That covers the most expensive gear to replace and will prevent you from making major replacements.
3. Use a cable.  The above step only works with a cable, and you’ll find you can lock more part of your bike up with a cable, than with a solid U lock.

Again, as I always say, prevention is the best solution to most problems.  Be safe and have fun riding out there, but don’t forget to lock it up!

That’s right!  October 1st is here in a few days, and for most, that’s officially the end of the boating season.  Cold temperatures in the northwest, coupled with the rainy season make this the end for this year.  As noted before, boats should have their fall winterizing performed, and wakeboarding equipment should be properly attended to as well.

Remember to clean your boat out good so you don’t have dirt and grime left in there next spring.  Although not a necessity, it is definitely something you want to do for the general tidiness of your own boat.  For wakeboards, you will want to scrub them down with a good soap or mild bleach solution to keep anything from growing on them this winter.  The same goes for tow ropes and life jackets.  Clean them well to prevent mildew and mold from forming.  Tow ropes especially should be soaked for a few minutes in a bleach solution to clean them off and ready them for a new year.  This is also the time to inspect your equipment and rope to make any repairs and replacements necessary.

Although the end of boating season has arrived, don’t let that dampen your spirits.  Wakeboarders can try out snowboarding, and boaters will find plenty of other opportunities to keep themselves entertained.  Keep coming back!  Stick around and you might learn about a new sport you might like to try!  Happy end-of-September!

A great place to kick back and relax, Rooks Park in Walla Walla, WA provides a serene setting for recreational activities.  Located off of Hwy 12 (follow the signs) to the east of Walla Walla, Rooks Park flaunts beautiful views of the surrounding terrain and landscape, while providing access to over 20 miles of trails in the Walla Walla area.  It also sits next to Mill Creek and a small dam on the river.

If it’s wildlife viewing you’re after, Rooks Park is the perfect place to come and view animals of all kinds.  A variety of ducks, squirrels, and other land animals make their home near the park, so you will have plenty of opportunity to view them.  If you like taking groups to play games, the park offers a huge field and opportunities to play soccer, football, frisbee, etc.  And if you have kids, a playground offers even the littlest members of the family something to do.

Although many would prefer the mall over an outdoor outing, winter is fast approaching, and that means limited times to get out and do fun stuff.  Take advantage of the warm weather while it is still here.  See you out there!

Perfect for skill building, the track at Ft. Walla Walla Park offers some nice terrain to practice on for some major skill building.  Next door to the skateboard park, the BMX dirt track offers mountain bikers something, too.  Although most people don’t typically think of taking a mountain bike on a BMX track, take it from a guy with experience that it does help.  It’s a fun way to get to know your bike and handle it better on the trails.

Although the track isn’t terribly big, it offers you high berms, two roller series, and several large tabletops for some large jumps.  Perfect for practicing your log hopping, corner taking, insane mountain biking finesse!  The most important thing to watch out for is other bikers.  BMX and mountain bikers both use the track, and on weekends and after school, it does get busy.  Try to go in the morning or over a lunch rush so you can get the track to yourself.  It’s an awesome track, and I have had the privilege of riding it a couple times.  Definitely worth it!

As you look at keeping in shape and keeping your skill sharp for next spring, you’ll want to consider going to a track for skill building.  The best ones are dirt BMX/mountain biking tracks.  I enjoy riding them a lot and they do amazing things for your skill, especially in downhill obstacles.  Don’t be afraid to get creative while on these tracks.  Creativity is the key when navigating some of the roughest downhill terrain available to bikers.

If you need a basic track, start with a small one with a few berms, jumps, rollers, and table tops on it.  This will give you some basic balance and advanced terrain practice.  As you get better, a track with more table tops, high rollers at a higher rate, and higher jumps will give you more of a challenge.  There are techniques to riding these tracks that you’ll want to know, but these will be covered later (hopefully in video form).

There are many local tracks near you, but the best way to find them is through google and/or a local bike shop.  They’ll be informative on where to go and the best tracks to run on your experience level.

As you start to think about snowboarding, remember to grab a few additional things to make your life easier when up at the slopes.  Although the essentials such as boards, snowboard clothes, and lift ticket passes are important, there are other little things to consider taking with you to make your excursion a more pleasant one:

• Lip Balm:  Your lips dry out easier on the slopes, so a good lip balm is an essential to bring along in your pocket.
• Quarters:  If you use the lockers many ski resorts have, you’ll need quarters.  Bring along a couple dollars worth, and you are good to go.
• Backpack: Whether you are going to use it on the slopes or stuff it away in a locker, a backpack is a great way to keep things neat and compact.  That way you don’t lose stuff on the runs.
• Snacks:  For the slopes when the last run has you tired and hungry.  I like taking granola bars up, but whatever you find good works.

This is an incomplete list, but the general idea can apply for other items as well.  Just make sure you have the little details planned out, too.  That way you won’t forget or regret a decision and/or visit to the ski runs.  See you out there!

There’s a few good days for rides out there yet, fellow mountain biking enthusiasts.  Now located primarily near Walla Walla, Washington, I can balance Washington and Oregon better.  I plan to ride the Blue Mountains a few times before winter sets in.  But there’s one thing on my mind, the topic of which pertains to maintenance.  It’s called tune ups, and you’ll want to start thinking about one.

Tune ups do several things for you and your bike over the winter.  They keep everything tight and oiled, to prevent loose casings and rusting, and they also make sure your bike will be in good repair so you aren’t fixing things come spring.  Whether you do this yourself or take it in, remember to wash your bike and dry it well so you can put fresh oil in without it getting mixed with dirt.

Nestled against the foothills of the cascades is Orting, WA.  A small town in the Orting valley just 20 minutes from Puyallup, WA, Orting serves as a gateway to several other towns:  Buckley, Enumclaw, and Wilkeson.  Running through Orting and to the town of South Prairie is a trail about 7 miles one way. The Orting Trail is a paved stretch of land that serves as a gem to bikers, joggers, and walking enthusiasts.  Although not a difficult trail by any stretch of the imagination, it does provide a nice view of the Carbon river, including some very nice places to stop and sit on benches and view wildlife.  Here are some stats on the trail:

• Difficulty:  Easy
• Terrain:  Paved
• Length:  8 miles one way
• Environment: Urban and Scenic Roadside
• Elevation Gain/Loss:  Less than 400 feet
• Total Time: 2 hours round trip biking
• Rating:  4/5

Because of back to college issues, it should be known that the regions that Northwest Recreation will be covering will change slightly from the western Washington area to the eastern Washington area.  Content will be fairly covered in both places, but the focus may change quite a bit.  As per this change, I would like to introduce one area in particular that makes a good base for all sorts of recreational sports and activities: the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains are located to the east and south of Walla Walla, providing numerous recreational opportunities to locals to the area, and travelers from afar.   Although Spokane is within reachable distance as well, the heart of the Blue Mountains is best accessed from Walla Walla, where its Oregon counterparts can also be accessed within reasonable traveling distance.  Among other things, here is a list of possibilities in the Blue Mountains:

• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Mountain Biking
• Hiking
• Backpacking
• Horseback Riding
• Camping
• Canoeing
• Cross Country Skiing

This is just a small list, and the options available exceed this by far; however, these are just a few opportunities that the Blue Mountains offer.  Keep checking back as I cover more recreational activities in more finite detail in the coming months!

As winter approaches, there are a few things you’ll want to buy now while prices are still low in order to keep up with some of the activities that will be listed here.  In order to enjoy some of the amazing things to do and to be safe while doing them, here is a list to keep your eye on while thinking about things to get for winter:

• Gloves:  Indispensable and vital when outside in cold weather.
• Hat:  You’ll need one if you’re going sledding.  It’s cold out there!
• Sled/inner tube:  You might be heading out for some extreme sledding, remember to get a good one!
• Warmer Packets:  The ones that you shake and then put in your gloves.  They’ll be a huge convenience when you are freezing while out in the snow.
• Good Socks and Boots:  Leaky boots are a great way to get cold toes, so get a good pair of socks and boots.  No one like cold feet!
• A buddy:  If you go somewhere remote especially, always take someone along.

Remember, winter is coming, and if you want to take advantage of it in the northwest (especially in some areas), proper preparedness is going to be a good thing.  See you out there!