Hello One and All,
My name is Douglas King and I am the new ranger for the Centennial Trail.  I have been asked to introduce myself to the foundation.  I guess the best way to do that is to tell you where I came from and where I am going.

 I was born and raised on a farm in central Minnesota.  I graduated from the University of Wisconsin after going to school in Montana and spending a semester at sea studying marine biology.  In 2001 my wife and I moved to Hood River, OR.  I worked for two years on the Columbia River studying salmon for the USGS-Biological Resources Division.  In 2005 I finally fulfilled my life dream and was hired by Washington State Parks as a ranger at Columbia Hills State Park in Dallesport, WA.  I worked there until February of 2007 when I transferred to Riverside State Park and the Centennial Trail.

  I am really exited to be part of Riverside State Park and look forward to my future here.  My plans are to integrate into the staff at the park and the Spokane community to develop and maintain the Centennial Trail as the premier recreation asset in the Spokane area.  The community involvement and support of volunteers in the care of Riverside State Park has amazed me in my short time here.

Well, that is where I came from and where I plan to go.  I hope to meet each of you out in the park some time.

My favorite place in Riverside State Park is the area known as the “military area” or camp seven mile.  You are most likely to find me on my time off riding mountain bike on the maze of trails that cover the area.  The trails in the area provide good riding for any skill level with a perfect mix of fire roads and challenging single track.  There are several panoramic views of the Spokane Valley from bluffs up above the “burn area” and the seven mile airfield that are great paces to watch the shadows chase the sun down the valley at sunset.  Then I get to race the dark back to the bowl and pitcher’s swinging bridge and home, stopping on the bridge to watch the sparrows swoop and dive for bugs over the rapids and the ospreys take the last meal of the day back to nests along the river.

Another Favorite Place
By John Beck

Above, Douglas King describes his favorite place in Riverside State Park, the area known as the “military area” or camp seven mile, with many trails suitable for mountain-biking.  Those of us who enjoy off-trail activities like orienteering also enjoy this part of the park.  In particular, south of the military property north of a large saddle is an area that orienteerers have labeled "The Valley of the Knolls."   The first orienteering event at Riverside State Park was during the 1989 State Centennial Games, using a 1:15,000 scale map on which several small hills of basalt rock were mapped as brown dots, a symbol usually denoting a small knoll, one or two meters high.  But nine of these "knolls" were 5 meters or more high, in an area with half a dozen small knolls and a few large boulders.  We have since redone the map at a 1:10,000 scale showing the larger "knolls" with contour lines that better reflect their height, but the orienteerers at that first event in 1989 were quite impressed with the unexpected size of these "knolls" and somewhat confused by the number of knolls in a small area.  Thus, they dubbed it "the Valley of the Knolls."

If you would like to try navigating some of this interesting terrain, the Eastern Washington Orienteering Club will be having an event on Saturday, October 13.  Parking will be at the “airstrip” area (south of Seven Mile Road).  You can start any time between 10:00 a.m. and noon.  Call me at 838-7078 for more information.

Centennial 2013
By René Wiley
Park Manager
(509) 465-5064

Your state park system will be 100 years old in 2013. To prepare for a second century, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has a vision. With help from a legislative advisory committee, business leaders and citizens, the Commission is moving forward with a plan to take care of the parks enjoyed by the public today and build a legacy for the future.

Our first priority is to fix what we have. This means taking care of our backlogged maintenance projects to improve recreational facilities and campgrounds. Our second priority is to expand existing parks, trails and services. Priority number three is to build new parks and trails for the future.

What does this mean for Riverside recreationalists?

• One of the future goals for Riverside is to improve the day use area at the Bowl and Pitcher by installing a new day use restroom. The current restrooms were built in 1933 and 1964. 
• Bowl and Pitcher upper campground (built in 1974 for EXPO) to be remodeled into a day use facility.
• Nine Mile Resort is scheduled for a new campground and improved facilities before 2013.
• Lake Spokane ( Fisk property) is being looked at for potential park development

If you would like more information on Centennial 2013 Goals, please visit www.parks.wa.gov or give me a call.