Bad news

Looks like nature is not going to cooperate with the SLOG this year.  Late snowfall has kept the Crater Lake Rim Road closed, and many trails in the Cascade Range are still inaccessible due to deep snow.  The rest of the events are still on as planned, although they may be quite muddy.  One can hope.

Time Adjustments

Some of the events have had some minor schedule adjustments.  Nothing major.  See you there!

SLOG Announced

Dear Friends and Family,

This summer I'll return home from my mission in Iraq, and to celebrate my return, I've planned a 20-day event in my home state of Oregon.
The events, which I've termed "The Oregon SLOG", will start on July 1st and include 15 separate events (biking, hiking, running or canoeing) in 20 days all across the state.  Besides having fun and staying in shape, my chief goal for this event is to raise support and awareness for an effort that is near and dear to my heart; the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP).  For those of you who are not familiar with this organization, let me just say that they are a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping injured service men and women.  (If you'd like to know more please visit their website: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.) 
To that end, I will be soliciting pledges for the events and donating 100% of the money collected to WWP. Pledgers will have the choice of pledging a one-time amount, per event, or per mile.
What can you do to help? 
Well, there are a few ways:
ONE:  Join me on one or more events as a participant, cheerleader or as support personnel.  There is an open invitation to anyone who would like to participate on any of the events.  I have the dates and locations of each event on the website (oregonslog.blogspot.com). As it is not an official or sponsored event, I will not be charging a fee to participate.
TWO: Make a pledge.  Attached is the pledge form.  As I said, you can pledge a one-time amount, per event, or per mile.  I estimate that after all is said and done, I will have traveled approximately 150 miles.
THREE: Get the word out.  Forward this email to YOUR friends and family and let them know how they can help.
ANY/ALL OF THE ABOVE:  You can take the pledge form and collect pledges of your own.  All I ask is that 100% of the funds go to WWP.

Thanks for your support, and I hope to see each and every one of you as I make my way across the State of Oregon this summer raising funds to support WWP and kicking some ass in the process.

Thank you,
Matthew Adamson

Crater Lake update

According to:
http://www.crater.lake.national-park.com/hike.htm

"Most cyclists start from the Park Headquarters area and ride around the lake clockwise. This direction puts one of the steepest and longest grades at the beginning of the trip "

And I think that's a great idea.  So, we'll start at Park Headquarters instead of the previously listed start/end point.

Hope you're all training hard.  See you there.

M

SLOG Update

As you can see to the right, the Slog events are up and there's an 'about' page, which is more legalese, less funny story about how this came about.  I'll post that later, I'm sure.

As I can see it now, the Slog will START on 01 JULY 2011.  Meaning, Day 1 Event 1, Crater Lake, on the first of July.  That puts us in Bend, Oregon on Independence Day, which should be fantastic. 

So there you go.  No more excuses.  Read the events, pick one or pick 'em all.  Train like a mothertrucker.

Stay tuned and check back often for more links, advice, and tips.

See you there!

M

Welcome to the Oregon Slog

The Oregon Slog is a series of outdoor events across the beautiful state of Oregon.  It is precisely 15 events in 20 days, ranging from Eastern Oregon to the Coast, with stops in the Willamette Valley and the Cascade Range.

Expect a full update in the coming weeks, with links to maps, start/end points, and other bits of information to help you prepare, participate, and provide feedback with these coming events.

I hope to see you there, if not on each event, on which ever event you choose.

M