Forest Park 10-Map Set Now Available
”Go West Young Man!” was the cry of the early Western adventure seekers. That same cry is now the motto for everyone who has a desire for adventure in the outdoors, whether far from the maddening cries of civilization, or closer to home within the boundaries of Portland’s Forest Park. However, unlike our ancestors who lacked guidebooks to lead the way, a comprehensive set of maps is available for enthusiasts of the nation’s largest forested urban park.

Friends of Forest Park (FoFP), the Portland-based organization that’s committed to protecting this urban jewel, has developed The Hiking & Running Guide to Forest Park, a set of 10 individual maps that feature various loop hikes and walking trails throughout the park. Distances on each loop vary from three to nine miles, with plenty of options for ample outdoor variety. Each map includes detailed directions to help park users find their way to the trailhead, and interesting points of each loop are highlighted. Mileage, elevation profiles, and more data than you can shake a stick at are all included. Designed with the moist Portland climate in mind, the PolyArt maps are water and wear resistant, ready to throw in a pack or shove in a pocket when exploring the park. At $14.95 and packaged in an attractive corrugated box, the sets make the ideal holiday or special occasion gift.

FoFP has designed and managed the map project. A committee of volunteers has been working since December 2002 to identify routes, measure elevation, draft route descriptions, research production options, publish and market the maps.

The map set was developed in response to demand for better information about the trails within Forest Park. Both newcomers and regular visitors to the park are often confused by its maze of trails that measure more than 70 miles. The overwhelming majority of park users enter at one single access point and do not stray from a few familiar routes and trails. The map set opens the park’s less-frequented trails.

The map sets are available at retail outlets including: REI, Audubon Society of Portland gift shop, Hoyt Arboretum Friends gift shop, Fit Right, Powells Travel Store, Portland Running & Walking Co., Foot Traffic, and select locally owned book stores. If you buy your maps directly from FoFP, all the proceeds go to help maintain the park. Call 503-223-5449 or email info@friendsofforestpark.org.

The Augie (Doggie) Bag!
When you and your dog or dogs are ready to head out for the park, do you find yourself in a tangle of leashes, balls/toys, plastic bags for the pup’s discarded items, cell phone, and whatever else is needed? The Augie Bag is the solution. Developed by Nedra Rezinas after adopting Augie from a local shelter, she saw the need for the bag. Sewing is one of Nedra’s passions and so out of necessity a bag for Augie was developed. The bag is handmade of sturdy canvas, with a distinctive paw print on the front. It comes in three canine sizes and eleven doggy colors, such as Poodle Pink and Golden Retriever. The bag has a side pocket for a cell phone or flashlight. It contains a large pocket for filled poop bags, two mesh pockets for keys and baggies, a water bottle, an inside treat bag and a large pocket for Frisbees, leashes, toys, balls, etc.

It was such a hit among her friends that with her husband’s and friends’ encouragement she offered it for sale to many Portland stores.

Over 10,000 lucky dogs and their owners are now sporting the Augie Bag. Even a few petless people use the Augie Bag as a purse or bookbag.

The Augie Bag can be stocked at all times, so that when the urge to hit the streets strikes, you are both ready to head out the door.

The Augie Bag can be purchased at these local stores and over the Internet:
The Bark Park, Aloha
The Daily Grind,
SE Hawthorne, Portland
Furever Pets, NE 19th, Portland
Physical Element, NW Lovejoy, Portland
Schroeder’s Den, Hillsboro
On line at www.augiebag.com
Or write to Nedra Made It
3439 NE Sandy Blvd., #204
Portland, OR 97232

2004 Passport to Wellness Walking Series Adds Wellness Activities to Mix of Fitness Events
Thousands of dedicated fitness fanatics will soon be out in force for Southwest Washington Medical Center’s (SWMC) popular Passport to Wellness walking series. This year’s Passport series encompasses a number of new wellness activities to motivate walkers and promote healthy lifestyle changes. SWMC’s Passport to Wellness connects eight different walking events with the goal of promoting wellness and benefiting several local nonprofit groups and health causes.

Passport Walking Series
To encourage participation, Passport to Wellness offers walkers an official Passport booklet and stamps from each event. Passport participants have the added incentive of prizes for every event they participate in. Prizes are drawn after each Passport walk and the entry forms then carry over from walk to walk. Those who meet the challenge of participating in all eight events will be eligible for a grand prize drawing.

The Passport to Wellness series begins in April 2004 with the Discovery Walk, April 23-25; and the March of Dimes Walk America, April 24. Other walks throughout the spring and summer include the America’s Walk for Diabetes May 1; The American Heart Walk, May 22; the Columbian’s Morning River Walk, June 26; and the Relay for Life, July 17-18. The last stop on the walking tour is the Race for the Cure, September 19.

Passport Wellness Events
This year’s Passport series also expands beyond the scheduled walks to offer a variety of free activities to help keep you well. You can earn Passport Points for each activity you attend. The more activities you join, the more prizes you can win.

Visit www.swmedicalcenter.com for more information. Passport Wellness Activities include:
• First Steps Class: Learn the exercise basics you need to know, especially if you’ve never exercised.
• Second Steps Class: Expand on the First Steps class with personalized exercise instruction.
• Health Talks: Enrich your walking experience by learning more about health and nutrition.
• Book Group: Attend monthly sessions to read and discuss current health and wellness topics and to hear from local authors.

Passport to Wellness kicks off officially March 21, 2004 with the Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes Celebration at Westfield Shoppingtown Vancouver at 6:30pm. Spend an evening with local jazz great Patrick Lamb and a quartet from the Vancouver Symphony. Enjoy food from area restaurants, receive wonderful gift items, and learn more about your favorite Passport walking events.

Tickets are on sale now at Westfield Shoppingtown Customer Service Center, 360-892-6255, SWMC Marketing, 360-514-3105 or any of the nonprofit groups involved. Tickets are $10 per person, which includes entertainment and refreshments. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit organizations involved in the Passport to Wellness program.

Wanted: Walkers to Form a Pedestrian Group in Vancouver USA
EXPH (Experienced pedestrian humanoids) are seeking others interested in walking, safe routes to schools, pedestrian-friendly street design, transportation options, and having fun on tree-lined streets and cafes near the Columbia River. You don’t have to be car-free, but you enjoy walking and wish for a walkable world. Bicyclists and transit riders are welcome. We are all
pedestrians.

Every trip begins and ends on foot, even when one drives a car. From the looks of our city, this simple fact seems to have been neglected when our streets were planned and maintained.

Come hear how citizens around the world and in Washington are taking back the streets. Learn what can be accomplished by organizing a local advocacy group for Vancouver.

David Levinger will be traveling to Vancouver to host a meeting promoting a pedestrian group for Vancouver. As Executive Director of Feet First, one of the nation’s leading pedestrian advocacy organizations, he will share slides and stories from the Puget Sound region and beyond.

When: 6:30pm, April 24, 2004 (concurrent with the Discovery Walk Festival)
Where: Clark County Public Service Center, 6th Floor, 1300 Franklin Street,
Vancouver (Bike parking, C-TRAN Transit routes #1, #3)

To RSVP for this event please email feet1st@scn.org or call 206-652-2310 or logon to www.scn.org/feetfirst. Feet First’s mission statement: To promote the rights and interests of pedestrians and to encourage people to enjoy the pleasures of walking.

Advance registration $20/$12 kids, day of race $25/$17 kids. Free T-shirts to first 1,000 participants.

To register logon to: www.racetostopglobalwarming.org or call 503-348-8545.