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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Trailfest events will include poker skate, scavenger hunt

Steve Christilaw Correspondent

Kaye Turner is thinking about numbers.

The executive director of Friends of the Centennial Trail is up to her elbows in preparations for Trailfest, the group’s annual celebration of the popular path along the Spokane River.

“When you do an event that gives out T-shirts you’re always worried about numbers,” Turner said. “And the weather.”

This year’s Trailfest will be next Saturday at Mirabeau Point Park from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Late registration can be done online at www.spokanecentennialtrail.org. Adult registration is $25, $20 for kids and members of Friends of the Centennial Trail.

This year’s events include a 5K run, an in-line poker skate to the Barker Road Trailhead and back, a cycling scavenger hunt to State Line and back, lunch, live music by local bluegrass band Dead Man’s Pants and a T-shirt for those who registered before Sept. 10.

The 5K run is self-explanatory, but the other events need a bit of explanation.

“The in-line poker skate is an eight-mile event where skaters get playing cards at different points along the course,” Turner said. “Whoever comes up with the best poker hand gets a special prize.

“The scavenger hunt is a 21-mile ride along the trail. There will be a list of things along the trail that they can collect and scratch off a list we’ll give everyone – things like Mardi Gras beads on posts and things like that. It will all be along the trail.”

Also included in the day’s festivities will be the second stop of the Group Health Kids Bike Race Series.

“That event is free and will take place beginning at noon,” Turner said. “We should start to see people returning from the run, the skate and the bike ride beginning at about 11:30, so we will begin barbecuing from then until about 2:30, and I have all my board members signed up to do the grilling.”

Trailfest’s sponsor list is impressive. Group Health is a prime sponsor. REI has printed a map for each entrant as well as donated two bikes and 10 helmets to be given away by drawing.

“The drawing will include a long list of prizes,” Turner said. “A night’s stay at the Davenport and the West Coast Red Lion, a Clark Fork whitewater river rafting excursion, tickets to the Spokane Chiefs. There will be bags of goodies for each of the kids, and Tobie Lien of Main Line Massage will be there again this year to offer free massages for anyone who takes part in the run, the skate or the bike ride.”