The Mountaineers
If you're itching for a new way to challenge yourself this summer, we'd like you to join our Our Parks | Your Adventure Team! OPYA - a “choose your challenge” adventure fundraiser benefiting Mountaineers youth programs - was designed to inspire you to get outside and celebrate our wild places while doing good for our great community. From urban parks to National Parks and everything in between, we want you to challenge yourself to achieve a new goal this summer and garner support as you go.
Last year, OPYA Team Members Gavin Woody and Ras Vaughan successfully completed the first ever ‘Rainier Infinity Loop’ and raised more than $5,000 in the process (learn about their amazing feat of human endurance - covering 120 miles and 40,000 vertical feet - in our Infinity Loop blog). This year, we have venerable challengers Miles McDonough and Imran Rahman stepping up to the plate to lead our team, and they're hoping you'll join them!
Meet Miles and Imran
Miles and Imran met in our Intermediate Climbing course in 2010, and quickly became fast friends. Their bromance has taken them all over the world. Together, they've volunteered with Everett Mountain Rescue, hosted weekend BBQ’s when they lived as roommates, and climbed peaks both near and far. Their climbing partnership turned into a friendship for life, and when Imran got married last year Miles proudly served as Best Man.
For Imran's bachelor party, they ran 76 miles from Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie on the PCT... in under 27 hours. It's safe to say they're no strangers to suffering, or as they call it, "Adventure!" When we asked Miles what adventure means to him, he said,
For me, adventure involves pushing myself as hard as I can in the mountains while balancing my exposure to risk so that the experience is a repeatable function.
We asked Imran the same question. It won't surprise you that his answer was similar:
Adventure for me is that part of a given trip that is beyond planning. Many trips often require creativity or different skills to pull of successfully; when you are forced to think outside of the box and challenge yourself is when adventure is happening.
Miles is still scheming an idea for their challenge - which will surely include some suffering - and you'll have to keep your eyes peeled to our next blog to find out what they choose. In the meantime, use the button below to let us know you're interested in joining Team OPYA and we'll send you more information. And start thinking about what you'd like to take on as your own challenge this summer!
Choose YOUR challenge!
Adventures come in all shapes and sizes! Here are a few examples to get you dreaming (or check out this list of Must Do PNW adventures):
- Hike Mailbox Peak for the first time
- Tour all of Seattle’s urban parks
- Climb Mt. Stuart
- Kayak the San Juan Islands
- Surf the entire West coast
- Scramble to the top of Haystack on Mt. Si
- Ski from the top of Washington’s volcanoes
- Hike a trail in each of Washington’s three National Parks
- Paddle Diablo and Ross Lake starting from the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center to the Canadian border
- Visit a national park/monument/recreation area you’ve never been to, like Ebey’s Landing or Lake Roosevelt
Raising money is easier than you think. Just like when you were a kid and raised $1/lap for walking at a walk-a-thon, you pick a challenge and ask your friends and family to support you. We’ll do all of the heavy administrative lifting - you just need to pick a challenge then share your message and the donations will come rolling in.
As a participant, you'll have your own fundraising page where you can engage your community to be a part of your adventure. Send progress updates, share photos of your training program, and bring everyone along on your journey. You’d be asked to raise a minimum of $100 or more, with our OPYA staff team providing weekly support.
If you’re interested in participating but have questions, please email kristinac@mountaineers.org. Together, we can mold the next generation of fierce protectors of our wild places.
