Mountains to Sound tree-planting event is set for state park
October 11, 2011
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust holds the first of its annual native tree and shrub planting events from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 15 at Lake Sammamish State Park.
The day will feature food, music and booths as well as, of course, plenty of trees to plant.
The Issaquah event is the first of several planned. Registration is necessary. Full and half-day shifts are available.
The park address is 2000 N.W. Sammamish Road. From Interstate 90, drive east to Exit 15 and follow the signs.
The kick-off event is sponsored by Carter Subaru, KMTT-103.7 and REI.
Learn more and register at http://mtsgreenway.org and click on the “volunteer” link.
Conservancy plans Central Issaquah discussion series
September 27, 2011
Citizens interested in the long-term plan to reshape Issaquah’s business district can learn more at a series of discussions hosted by the Cascade Land Conservancy, a nonprofit organization focused on conservation and land-use issues.
The series is dedicated to discussions about livability, growth and the Central Issaquah Plan. The city is in the midst of a push to define redevelopment in the 915-acre Central Issaquah in the coming decades.
The conservancy advocates for locating density adjacent to existing urban services and preserving developable open space.
The initial meeting is at 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at REI, 735 N.W. Gilman Blvd. The discussion is scheduled to include tactical urbanism strategies — short-term, small-scale actions to create long-term change. Email Andrea Gousen andreag@cascadeland.org to RSVP or learn more.
The next discussion is at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at REI, and transportation is the discussion topic. The group is also scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Hailstone Feed Store, 232 Front St. N., for a land-use discussion.
Each meeting includes experts about the topic as discussion leaders.
Learn to spot shorebirds at Eastside Audubon’s Issaquah class
September 8, 2011
NEW — 4:30 p.m. Sept. 8, 2011
Learn more about the fall and winter shorebirds reaching Washington’s coast at a class from Eastside Audubon.
Tim Boyer, a shorebird expert and accomplished bird photographer, is leading a class about shorebirds at REI, 735 N.W. Gilman Blvd., at 5 p.m. Sept. 14. The class includes a field trip to the coast along Grays Harbor on Sept. 17.
Fall is the prime time to see flocks of sandpipers and many other species along the Evergreen State’s coast. Participants in the Eastside Audubon class can also learn how to tell bird species apart and how to spot rarities.
Call the Eastside Audubon at 576-8805 to register and pay by credit card over the phone. Or, email office@eastsideaudubon.org to sign up.
Issaquah man completes seven marathons in seven days
August 16, 2011
Doug Pariseau, of Issaquah, jogs down a road south to Portland, Ore., one of seven marathon legs in his recent 185-mile journey. Contributed
About two years ago, Doug Pariseau made himself a promise. At the time, he was overweight, out of shape and sitting in a doughnut shop.
As you might guess, the promise had to do with his health and fitness. A former athlete, Pariseau vowed he would be one again, his goal being to run a marathon.
He did, about a year later, crossing the finish line of the 2010 Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon.
“When I first started, I couldn’t even run a mile,” Pariseau said.
After completing the marathon, Pariseau decided he needed a new goal. He didn’t exactly set his sights low.
Mostly for fun, he said, Pariseau decided he was going to run from the Issaquah REI where he works to a Portland REI. He further decided he wanted to do it in a week. And then he noticed that the 185-mile distance, divided by seven, just happened to equal about 26.
In other words, Pariseau made up his mind to run seven marathons in seven days. He completed the feat Aug. 3.
“Shock,” Pariseau said. “Shock and disbelief.”
Those were the common reactions when he told people what he intended, Pariseau added. As for himself, on the first day out, he admitted he was nervous, but not entirely for the reasons you might think.
Portland run to benefit Issaquah trails club
July 26, 2011
“About two years… and many, many pounds ago, in a doughnut shop in Seattle, I set my very first running goal: to run a marathon.”
That’s the first full line on Douglas Pariseau’s still growing website.
By the way, Pariseau, 44, reached his initial goal. His first marathon was the 2010 Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon. The achievement came just a year after Pariseau had decided he needed to run a marathon. So, as he says on his site, Pariseau needed a new goal.
He came up with one.
Mostly for fun, but also to raise money for the Issaquah Alps Trail Club and the cross-country team at Mt. Rainer Lutheran School in Tacoma, Pariseau leaves July 27 for a 185-plus mile run from the Issaquah REI store where he works to an REI in Portland, Ore.
Pariseau said he plans to make the trip in seven days.
Up, up and away: Evergreen State peaks challenge climbers
February 15, 2011
John Junke, a supervisor at the Issaquah REI, poses at the summit of Mount Rainier. Contributed
Mount Rainier and other Evergreen State peaks challenge climbers of all skill levels
For skiing, go to Colorado. For surfing, grab a ticket to Hawaii. For mountaineering? You don’t have to go anywhere; you’re in Washington state — a veritable Mecca of peaks that many consider one of the best climbing locales in the country.
“You could spend the rest of your life in the Olympics and Cascades and not have climbed every peak,” said 60-year-old Joe Horiskey, a longtime climbing guide with RMI Expeditions. “There are so many rarely climbed peaks out there. I’ve been climbing for decades and haven’t even scratched the North Cascades personally.”
But just because you can do Tiger Mountain or Mount Si in your sleep doesn’t mean you’re ready for the big boys. And however tempting it might be to charge up Mount Baker in hiking boots and a fleece, there’s a certain amount of training necessary to make sure you get to the summit and then home safely to brag about your adventure to friends and family.
That training is a small investment in exchange for the experience of being on top of the world, said John Junke, a climber and supervisor at the Issaquah REI. Junke vividly recalls the site of the sun cresting over the horizon early in the morning on his first Mount Rainier climb.
See’s Candies readies store in Issaquah Commons
January 6, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. Jan. 6, 2011
Lovers can pick up some Scotchmallows in time for Valentine’s Day at the See’s Candies under construction in the Issaquah Commons.
The store is expected to open by Feb. 1 near REI in the shopping center along Northwest Gilman Boulevard. The candy shop replaces a teriyaki restaurant in the space.
See’s Candies is known for numerous treats, including the Scotchmallow — marshmallow and caramel enrobed in dark chocolate.
Operators applied for a city building permit at the end of September. Construction started on the store in late November, and city inspectors issued a temporary certificate of occupancy Wednesday.
The chain also has outposts in Bellevue, Redmond and Seattle. See’s Candies — based in South San Francisco — operates more than 200 stores throughout the West and the Midwest.
Preston trail connector, a missing link in greenway, opens Thursday
December 15, 2010
NEW — 8 a.m. Dec. 15, 2010
Join state Department of Transportation and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust on Thursday to open a trail connector between High Point and Preston.
The ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday along the north side of Interstate 90 at Exit 20.
The organizations completed a 1.25-mile trail connector last month. The piece connects the Issaquah to High Point Trail almost to the trailhead for the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail and completes a missing link in the greenway.
The connector also means hikers and other trail users no longer need to detour onto High Point Way or the interstate. The link is part of the county regional trails system.
Crews complete ‘missing link’ trail connector
December 7, 2010
$4.7 million piece means no more detours for hikers
The hike from High Point to Preston is easier, or at least safer, nowadays.
Gone is the need for hikers to use tight road shoulders or turn for a nail-biting detour onto Interstate 90.
The state Department of Transportation and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust completed a 1.25-mile trail connector last month. The piece connects the Issaquah to High Point Trail almost to the trailhead for the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail and completes a missing link in the greenway.
Pedal for freebies on Bike to Work Day
May 18, 2010
City leaders will team up with local businesses and Cascade Bicycle Club to celebrate Bike to Work Day on May 21.
The day kicks off with a Bike to Work Day booth at state Route 900 and Northwest Sammamish Road. Bicyclists can pedal in from 6-10 a.m. for free snacks, giveaways and mechanical help from Pacific Bicycle Co., a Sammamish bike shop.
From 3-6 p.m., outdoors retailer REI will host a Cycle Commuter Appreciation Picnic at Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave N.W. The free picnic will offer free food from PCC Natural Markets and Chipotle, as well as giveaways from REI and the chance to meet other cyclists. REI hosted a barbecue at Pickering Barn last year to mark the end of Bike to Work Month.
Cascade Bicycle Club also uses Bike to Work Day to tally the number of cyclists on area roads. The organization hopes for official bicycle counts from cites in the Puget Sound region, but relies on the annual tally until official counts become widespread. Learn more about the annual event here.
