Discovery Walk Festival Blog

We look forward to seeing you at the 12th Annual Discovery Walk Festival, Apr. 25-26-27, 2008
We thank our major sponsors:
Cascade Heart
Realvest
Veolia Water
Southwest Washington Medical Center

Media Sponsors:
Comcast
Radio Disney

Parking: Parking is available at the Park-N-Go lot at the corner of 6th and Columbia. Please bring coins, credit or debit card to pay for parking, the machines do not accept paper money. Parking Pay Stations accept nickel, dime, quarter and one dollar coins. VISA and Mastercard are also accepted. Cost is low: Hourly rate: $.50 on Friday ($4 maximum). Weekend Rate $1.50 all day.

Start Card Pickup/Registration:
We will again be in the large Heritage Ballroom you will see directly ahead of you when you enter the Hilton Convention Center entrance from Columbia.
Pre-registered participants must pick up their start cards at the Pre-Registration Table and sign the liability waiver. You can change your walking days/distances if you need to do so. Those with payment owing or an overpayment due will settle up at that time. You will receive a ticket for any pre-paid t-shirt and pick it up at the sales table. You can exchange your t-shirt there for size, but only while supplies last for other sizes.
You will receive a race bib to wear. This includes two tear-off tags that will be used for Umpqua Ice Cream and for a drawing for Nautilus exercise equipment. Do not lose your bib! And please wear it on the trail so we can identify our participants.

Registration:  Those not registered can register at the event.  Registration is open 12 pm - 6 pm Friday and 6:30 am - 12 pm on Saturday and Sunday.  The rate is $10 per person per event (each walk, bike, or swim).  Children age 12 and under are free.

Team Registrants: If you registered with a team, your start card is at the Group Registration Table filed under your team name. We have a Team Award plaque for the first 33 teams registered. Team registrants can add more events and pay the team rate of $5 per event. Please do this at the Group Registration table only to avoid confusion.

New Teams: Teams are comprised of 10 or more people registering together. If you have a new team to register, come to the Group Registration table. New teams must pay a minimum $50 to register the team, either together or by having a representative register and pay and allowing the team members to pick up their start cards when they arrive. This must only be done at the Group Registration Table. The team rate is $5 per person per event (half the regular registration price). We are very happy to have a growing number of teams participating.

Water Bottles: Southwest Washington Medical Center is sponsoring a reusable water bottle for all participants. We will not be providing disposable bottles of water.

Trail Support: We have a checkpoint with water, sports drink, snacks and restroom every 3-4 miles. Please bring your favorite refillable bottle with you or use the one provided by our sponsor. Expert recommendation is that walkers/runners drink when thirsty. Carrying a water bottle ensures you are able to do so.

Saturday Marathon and 32K Routes: To provide the best trail support, we have changed the format of the Saturday long distances. The 42K and 32K walkers must start between 7 and 7:30 am. Both the 42K marathon and the 32K route walkers will first complete the orange 21K route, returning to the Hilton Hotel. The 42K walkers must then complete a second circuit of the 21K route, starting by 12 pm. The 32K walkers must then complete a circuit of the 10K route, starting by 12 pm. If you cannot start the second circuit by 12 pm, you should finish having completed 21K. Our trails close at 4 pm, and we begin removing trail markings and shutting down checkpoints after 12 pm, so we cannot allow you to attempt to complete the route if you cannot start your second circuit by 12 pm.

Sunday 32K and 21K routes:
These walkers first check in at the Hilton Hotel. Registration is open from 6:30 am. Then you will board bus shuttles to your start point. Sorry, no dogs are allowed on the buses. If you wish to complete the long distance with a dog, we ask you to circle the 10K route multiple times instead.
Board shuttles at Columbia St. Convention Center Entrance to Hilton
32 Km bus departs at 6:45 and 7:00
21 Km bus departs at 7:40, 7:55, 8:15, 8:30, 8:45, and 9:05

Bikes and Swims are on Sunday Only
We moved these events from Saturday.

Swim Shuttle Van: From Hilton to Hough Pool and return.
Operates every 20 minutes from 1 pm - 3:30 pm for taking to pool. Last return 4:15 pm.
The swim event has a medal award this year. We charge only a single fee but you can swim twice and earn 2 IVV credits for the one price. The swim is at the Hough Pool indoor swimming pool. You can use any swimming stroke, use a kickboard, or waterwalk in the pool.

Try-Athlon: If you walk any day, then do the bike and swim on Sunday, we award you the Try-Athlon patch.

Passport to Wellness: Passport stamping will be on Saturday only, at the Southwest Washington Medical Center booth at the finish.

Umpqua Ice Cream: On Saturday, Umpqua Bank is sponsoring Umpqua ice cream. We plan to offer this in Esther Short Park near the Hilton. Your race bib will have a tear-off tag you can redeem for ice cream.

Nautilus: Nautilus is offering exercise equipment as a door prize. Your race bib will have a tear-off tag to fill out with your contact information to enter into this drawing.

Gorge Delights: All-natural fruit bars! Gorge Delights will be providing samples for our walkers.

Food: We are not offering food or drink for sale in the ballroom this year. The Hilton has an excellent coffee stand next to the ballroom selling coffee, water, pastries, fruit and sandwich-like items. They have a wonderful bistro and bar, Gray's at the Park, for a full meal or libations. Starbucks Coffee, Subway and other restaurants are located within a block of the Hilton. We also encourage you to enjoy the food booths, fresh produce, and local artists at the Vancouver Farmer's Market, next door to the Hilton on the west side of Esther Short Park, open 9 am - 3pm Saturday and 10 am - 3 pm Sunday.

Entertainment: Discovery Ballroom with our start/finish
Friday: Jim Fischer on piano 5p - 7p. Our Opening Ceremony will be at 3:45 pm this year, with no ceremonies later.
Saturday: Jim Mishkin balloon artist/juggler, Recycled Quartet, Clark County Cloggers, Country I Am. We will not be having a post-event social this year as we have the past few years.
Sunday: Dance Infusion, River City Cloggers. Closing ceremonies 3 pm.

On-Course Photography: We will not have an on-course photographer this year, but our event photographer will be taking many photos and posting them on a web site where you may download them.

Expo: Browse our Expo for health and fitness information, products and services. Open in the ballroom with the start/finish 12 pm - 4 pm Friday, 9 am - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. This year our exhibitors include:
Southwest Washington Medical Center
Cascade Heart
Absolute Life Chiropractic
Volks-Ware
OTSVA
ESVA
Walking Adventures
Gorge Delights
Choices 2010
Team in Training
Reshaping Success
SWWMC
Mickel Chiropractic
New Balance
Adventure Fitness LLC
Silver Star Search & Rescue
Forgey SportsMedicine & Rehab

Full info is at our web site:
http://www.discoverywalk.org