King County Parks seeks fan to serve as judge for camping contest
August 10, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. Aug. 10, 2011
King County Parks needs a fan to help judge a quirky camping contest.
County parks managers selected a team of boldface names to choose the winning design in the “Little Footprint, Big Forest” competition — a contest to create a camping shelter from a 20-foot-long shipping container — but they need one more judge.
In order to enter the drawing to be a judge, people must like King County Parks on Facebook and leave a post on the wall naming their favorite camping cuisine. The entry deadline is 4:30 p.m. Aug. 22.
The deadline to submit a design for the “Little Footprint, Big Forest” competition is also Aug. 22. The selected designer receives $4,500 and a chance to see his or her work become part of King County Parks’ award-winning system of parks and open space.
Cougar Mountain 13-mile run is set for Aug. 13
August 9, 2011
The final summer race of the Cougar Mountain Trail Running Series is Aug. 13 with the grueling 13-mile run at King County’s Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park.
The race, which begins at the Sky Country Trailhead, starts at 8:30 a.m. The Sky Country Trailhead is on 166th Way Southeast, just off Cougar Mountain Way.
The event also serves as the Pacific Northwest Regional 13-mile Trail Running Championship. Members of the USA Track and Field Association are eligible to compete in the race.
The Cougar Mountain series, in its eighth season, is sponsored by the Seattle Running Club. Of each racer’s individual event fee, $15 goes toward maintenance and improvements in King County Parks. More than $70,000 has been raised in the past seven years for King County Parks.
Pre-register for the race at www.databarevents.com/cougar.asp.
Runners take to Cougar Mountain for 8.2-mile run
June 14, 2011
A fleet of runners took to the second race of the annual Cougar Mountain Trail Run series June 11, led by 39-year-old Uli Steidl, who took first place in the 8.2-mile run with a time of 51 minutes and 31 seconds.
Amber Taylor comes into the final stretch of the 8.2-mile run on Cougar Mountain on June 11. Taylor was the first woman to finish, placing 39th with a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes and 35 seconds. By Tim Pfarr
Peter Samuels, a 24-year-old sporting a purple T-shirt, took second with a time of 52:01, and Amber Taylor, 31, was the first female to cross the finish line, taking 39th place with a time of 1:07:25.
The youngest runner of the day was 14-year-old Ellie Hendrickson, who finished 70th with a time of 1:12:33. Conversely, the oldest runner was 62-year-old Chris Lemke, who finished 82nd with a time of 1:15:07.
A total of 239 runners took to the hilly course, which was slightly longer than in previous years, as it opened with a loop at the Sky Country Trailhead.
“The guy who finished second, he took it out really hard,” Steidl said. “He actually dropped me on the first climb.”
Steidl managed to catch Samuels — who won the May 14 five-mile race — farther down the course, and the two ran closely until Steidl managed to pull away.
“After I had a little bit of a gap, I switched more to tempo run mode,” Steidl said. “Every time I looked back at a switchback I thought, ‘There’s a purple shirt. I’ve got to keep it up.’”
Mark National Trails Day in Issaquah Alps
June 3, 2011
NEW — 3 p.m. June 3, 2011
Saturday is National Trails Day — a perfect opportunity to join King County Parks and Washington Trails Association volunteers on Cougar Mountain.
In addition the Issaquah Alps site, people can participate in National Trails Day at several sites throughout King County. The daylong effort is designed to keep the county’s 175 miles of regional trails and 180 miles of backcountry trails safe, clean and open.
“Participating in a work party is a great way to help maintain trails that provide access to the 26,000 acres of parks and open space that we manage on behalf of the citizens of King County,” King County Parks Director Kevin Brown said in a statement.
Sponsored by the American Hiking Society, National Trails Day is meant to inspire people to visit a favorite trail or try something different.
The event at Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is organized by the Washington Trails Association. People can sign up at the trails association’s website or call 206-625-1367.
King County Parks hosts more than 100 volunteer trail work events on projects to complement work done by the agency’s full-time backcountry trails crew. The full-time crew works on various trail construction projects across the county, backed by funding from the voter-approved 2007 King County Parks levy.
County seeks proposals for youth sports facilities
April 26, 2011
Youth sports organizations can apply for King County grants to build or upgrade recreation facilities.
The county Parks and Recreation Division is accepting applications from qualified groups for Youth Sports Facilities Grants. Applicants must partner with a public agency, such as a school district or municipal parks department, to develop or renovate sports facilities.
The fund has helped organizers build or renovate hundreds of public sports amenities in neighborhoods throughout the county.
Past grant recipients in the Issaquah area include city-run Central Park in the Issaquah Highlands and county-run Duthie Hill Park in Sammamish.
“Thanks to robust partnerships with community groups, we are using our limited resources to bring new or improved recreational amenities for King County residents that otherwise wouldn’t be possible,” County Executive Dow Constantine said in a release.
The program provides matching grant funds of up to $75,000. Grant requests range from $5,000 to $75,000.
Springtime is time to explore King County parks
April 16, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. April 16, 2011
Springtime — plus the promise of better weather and numerous events, activities and amenities — is the time to explore King County parks.
The county parks department is encouraging residents to engage in and and support King County parks.
Spring is a busy time of year, and King County Parks is seeking volunteers to help spiffy up King County’s 26,000 acres of parks and 175 miles of trails.
The agency needs volunteers for weeding, watering and preparing native vegetation for the fall planting season.
County seeks proposals for youth sports facilities
March 20, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. March 20, 2011
Youth sports organizations can apply for King County grants to build or upgrade recreation facilities.
The county Parks and Recreation Division is accepting applications from qualified groups for Youth Sports Facilities Grants. Applicants must partner with a public agency, such as a school district or municipal parks department, to develop or renovate sports facilities.
The fund has helped organizers build or renovate hundreds of public sports amenities in neighborhoods throughout the county.
Past grant recipients in the Issaquah area include city-run Central Park in the Issaquah Highlands and county-run Duthie Hill Park in Sammamish.
County seeks volunteers to upgrade habitat along regional trails
January 18, 2011
King County boasts more than 180 parks, 175 miles of regional trails and 130 miles of backcountry trails — and leaders need citizens’ help soon to maintain the system.
The county Department of Parks and Natural Resources needs volunteers to pitch in to plant native vegetation to enhance stream corridors, forests and wetlands. The process improves wildlife habitat, because the plants provide shade, help keep water cool, and control runoff and erosion.
The agency has numerous projects planned in the Issaquah area — including in 3,115-acre Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park — and in the Issaquah Creek basin. Read more
King County Parks offers ‘green’ holiday gift ideas
December 18, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Dec. 18, 2010
Forget the mall.
King County Parks has “green” holiday gifts galore. Holiday shoppers can support the regional parks system by shopping at the King County Parks Store.
The sales benefit 26,000 acres of public land, including Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park and Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park near Issaquah.
Shoppers can create custom holiday cards, purchase parks-themed stamps or donate to the King County Parks Legacy Fund.
Zazzle, the online retailer behind the parks store, donates up to 27 percent of the net sales from purchased items to King County Parks.
County, Washington Trails Association to dedicate Grand Ridge bridge
October 4, 2010
NEW — 8 a.m. Oct. 4, 2010
Trees felled during a fierce windstorm in December 2006 found another use as material for a bridge across a coho salmon-bearing stream in Grand Ridge Park north of the Issaquah Highlands.
Now, hikers, runners, mountain bikers and other trail users no longer need to risk life, limb or shoe to cross Canyon Creek.
King County Parks and the Washington Trails Association partnered to build a 40-foot bridge across the creek. The organizations plan to dedicate the bridge at noon Thursday. Enjoy trail snacks and prizes at the ceremony. Find a map of the park here.
