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We know that the Northwest is abundant in a lot of things: parks, moss, coffee, coastline, boats and RAIN. But just how abundance overfloweth our volkswalking cup? How does Washington state stack up nationally in terms of quantity and quality of events?
Pretty darn good. We're the number one state when it comes to the number of year-rounds and seasonals available. If that weren't enough, our immediate neighbors (Oregon) have the second highest number of walks. Go just a little further (California), and we have access to the third highest number of Starting Point walks!
Washington state also has more clubs than any other state except Texas, with which we are tied. It's harder to calculate number of regular events, but chances are on most weekends of the year you'll be spoiled for choice. Quality? Our landscape is some of the most lush in the county and dramatic too, with Mt Rainier, Mt. Baker and the Olympic National Forest. We have variety -- the deserty Western landscape of Eastern Washington, apple orchards, islands, rivers and gorges. Three of the top ten walks last year were in Washington and Oregon.
It took me a while to realize how lucky I was to be living in the Seattle area. I introduced a brother in South Carolina to volkssporting and a sister in Illinois, but neither have access to the rich level of events I have right here within an hour's drive of my house. It's too bad, because to attract new walkers you need to have lots of events available. And that means that we, in Washington state, have no excuse when it comes to recruiting new volkswalkers.
So let's all give a cheer for our wonderful, walkable state and keep improving the volkssporting life right here, where we live.
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