Winter Trail Safety Workshop Video/Information Now Available (Video Fixed)

Oops, I just realized one of the workshop videos wasn't working.  The "share" settings have been changed and you should now be able to view both of them.  Sorry about the incovenience. Let me know if there are any other problems.  The info below is a re-post. 

I finally got the workshop video done and posted: CLICK HERE.

Sorry about the delay.  There were more technical problems than you want to know about.  Somehow

IMPORTANT! A brand new resource for Pilot Butte.

Terry Cubero has started a new and important resource for Pilot Butte.  It's a "MeetUp Group" called Pilot Butte Movers & Shakers.  Find out about it by CLICKING HERE.

As you'll see, almost everyone who uses Pilot Butte State Park should join Terry's new group. It's completely free, takes all of about a minute to join, has no downside that I can see, and will keep you

Trail Condition Updates Now Possible

We've added a new section where you can get the latest trail condition updates for Pilot Butte.  Look to the right of this post.  You don't have to have a twitter account to read the updates. Just check this website.

If you want to contribute updates, you'll need a twitter account.  The more people tweeting about the

Blog Efficiency, A New Web Presence on the Horizon

I think I mentioned this a while back, but it never hurts to mention good news more than once.  The number of daily page views on this blog has been nothing short of amazing.  This trend will continue because we're working hard to get web information to you in even better ways.  For now, the timing couldn't be more perfect.  We always wanted a very efficient way to spread information.  Not only do we kind of have that in place, but all signs are pointing towards it getting even better as we move towards SMB 2014.

A lot of people have discovered how easy it is to receive new blog posts in your email box.  Look to

Winter Workshop a Success

Let's just say it was a success on some levels.  We had office Christmas parties working against us big time.  When we opened the doors, the temperature was 14 degrees.  The dusting of snow didn't help.  And those weren't even our big problems.  I ended up taking on the first part of the presentation.  I used to do that sort of thing for a living.  I figured it would be like riding a bicycle.  You just get back

Workshop Update #3

It's supposed to be cold.  The roads and sidewalks might be a bit slick. The forecast for the entire month of December looks like it will continue to be cold.  Sounds like the perfect time for a winter trail safety workshop.  If only someone was having one ...  Oh yeah, we are.  We hope to see everyone there who can make it.  It should be a lot of fun.  If it's really cold, we'll try to have hot chocolate and

Workshop Update #2

First, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.  Now a bit of an apology.  We knew that we were in a time crunch when we scheduled this workshop.  We have a lot of things in a holiday season time crunch, trying to be respectful of everyone's holiday season while doing things we feel need to be done given the timeline leading up to SMB 2014.

Maybe the best example is this workshop.  It could be fit no place else but the Tuesday following Thanksgiving.  When I said Cascadia Vehicle Tents (CVT) saved the day, I was very serious because if

Workshop Update--Open Registration On Now

For those interested in our FREE workshop called "Staying Safe In Winter On Pilot Butte," registration is now opens for everyone.  There are paper forms available near the trailhead and at the host's RV.  You can turn them in at the host's RV (look for gold mail slot).  Registration takes but a minute and helps us in a lot of ways.

UPDATE: Registration is now open to everyone. CLICK HERE to

BIG NEWS: PBSS Winter Trail Safety Workshop Scheduled

This is exciting news and we want to get it out as soon as possible because this is kind of short notice.  We've been putting together a Winter Trail Safety Workshop for the last couple of weeks and everything is finally in place.  We've got a great speaker and seating for up to 150 people.  The thing that was hardest to get into place was a way for people to purchase what many believe are the best winter traction devises for shoes/boots at near-wholesale price.  Several businesses turned us down, but Bend's Cascadia Vehicle Tents is extremely excited to help us out. Not only that, they will provide a

Last Day For Founding Members--Great Conversation With Ryan McHugh

Just a reminder that Friday is the last day to become a Founding Member of PBSS/SMB. I think everyone pretty much knows that.  The energy that so many brought to this process is just way encouraging.  We had a person calling from out of state saying , "Can you hold a membership for me and I'll stop by as soon as I get back?"  Another person paid for two friends that won't be back until

WooHoo! 100 Summit Seekers

Sue Bastian just became the 100th Summit Seeker.  It's definitely hard to believe we hit 100 that fast. Back when we first came up with the idea, I can remember people telling me that no one would want to become a member.  Fortunately, many more believed they would. Boy were they right. One hundred members is significant for a lot of reasons including the fact that 100 is almost exactly the number needed to cover the early costs of SMB 2014.  I think we are there!  Future members will help with

Another Way to Summit Pilot Butte

A while back this blog featured a story about people carrying a six foot log to the top of the Butte, now there is someone getting up there yet another way:

Photo by John Alexander of Alexander's Photography (click photo for larger view)

This is Bart Wills on his mountain unicycle (also known as a "muni").  He says he lives about a mile

Several Important Updates

Here are several important updates:

1. Last 5 Days to Become a "Founding Member:  The last day to become a founding member is Friday, Nov. 15th.  After that, all members for SMB 2014 are "Charter Members."  It's now easier than ever to become a member.  Stop by our RV (host site) and you are done in minutes. CLICK HERE to become a member online. The response has been amazing.  We are very close

Finally, Hand Sanitizer in the Summit Restroom

Its not there yet, but we have word it soon will be.  Pilot Butte Partners (PBP) is installing hand sanitizer in the restroom up top.  We've heard it will go in sometime after the park paints the restroom on the 12th.  You know what they say, "A pit toilet without sanitizer is like a restroom without a sink."  In other words, kind of gross!  So thank you PBP for keeping us all safe and healthy.  If you've ever

The Spirit on Pilot Butte Is Hard To Miss, Especially Lately

You may have noticed that we mention the incredible spirit on Pilot Butte every chance we get.  Its something we are constantly aware of because its the basis for almost everything we do.  So that spirit doesn't really surprise us often, but it did today when I talked with John Ziegler, one of the four people you may have seen carrying a huge log up and down Pilot Butte the past few weeks.  Here is a picture taken yesterday:

Photo by John Alexander of Alexander's Photography, click on photo for larger view

John said he and his buddies received training from a company called GORUCK about three weeks ago

WAY COOL Photography Day on Pilot Butte

Some of you know Killer & Sparkle, two regular hikers on the Butte who are just great people and a lot of fun to be around.  Their real names are Dick & Jan Fischer.  Anyway, I needed some Butte photos and so I asked Killer to take some for me because I know he is an excellent photographer.  Killer is also extremely creative and he had a better idea.  He would like to have people show up with their cameras on Saturday, Nov. 9th, at 1:30.  People with all photography skill levels are welcome.  Just bring your

The More the Merrier

I think most people familiar with Pilot Butte would agree that there is a lot that can be done to help it be all that it can be.  With that in mind, why would anyone want just one group of people doing what they can to help?  I think the Butte is best served when people keep the goal in mind.  If the goal is to help the Butte so that it is a better place for everyone who uses it, then there is plenty of opportunity for different groups and individuals to get involved.  That is what is happening on the Butte today.  It is also the way things have always happened on the Butte.  For example, while there were two organized

Woohoo! 53 Founding Members and Counting

Can you believe we surpassed our magic number of 50 Founding Members so fast?  I think nearly 10 memberships came in just today (18 in the past three days).  We've realized that placing a cap of 50 on Founding Memberships didn't work for a whole host of reasons.  It made sense when we were ordering the buttons because we needed a quantity.  But we've since learned that a date makes more sense than a number.  So we are going to make the cutoff date for Founding Members November 15th.

Can Things Get Any Better Than This?

We've got stories for the book coming in, new members signing up daily, surprise donations that are helping people become members who otherwise couldn't afford it, lots of positive buzz, and we keep making new connections that are helping us achieve goals both now and down the road.  People just keep stepping forward saying, "I have this skill and I'd like to help."  Fortunately, we are organized well enough to be able to get most of these people involved pretty fast.  A short while back we had about 10 year round volunteers.  I wouldn't be surprised if we hit 20 pretty soon.  Its all happening so fast that it

BIG NEWS: A new book about Pilot Butte in the works

This is the big news I alluded to a few days ago.  PBSS/SMB has found a professional writer who is writing a book for us that will be sold at SMB 2014 as a fundraiser.  Tentatively titled, Tales, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies About Bend's Iconic Pilot Butte, the book will be a collection of stories written to provide maximum entertainment value.  Far from being a historical reference, the book will take into account the fact that stories change a bit with each telling.  The writer will combine that truth with her

SMB 2013 Mini Documentary

If you haven't seen this yet, consider it a premier.  Redhand Film Studios of Bend came out and did a little documentary of the SMB 2013 event.  We had no idea they would be there.  What a nice surprise!

Membership campaign update

I know you are not seeing it yet in the numbers, but you soon will.  The response to this campaign has been amazing.  Everyone wants to be a member.  The problem has been how to make it convenient to do so?  Most people want to use the paper form to sign up and there isn't a convenient place at Pilot

Great news, the blog is working

Last year we were so extremely busy making sure the event was a success that we couldn't adequately respond to comments on the blog.  So we provided no way to comment.  When we created the new blog for SMB 2014 and beyond, the first thing we did was make it possible for people to make comments.  Then we crossed our fingers in the hope that people would.  If you have ever run a blog, you probably know how that feels.  The comments help you know that people are liking what you do

Easiest way to be in the know about SMB

If you like to know what is happening when it happens, we just added a feature to let you do this.  Look for the section to the right that reads, "NEW! Follow this blog by email."  Enter your email address, click the SUBMIT button, and you're golden.  Just follow the instructions and soon you'll be receiving posts as they are made via email.

Then just make sure you visit the blog from time to time to see if there is any new information outside of the blog posts.

Next phase of membership campaign starts Monday

We launched the first phase of our membership campaign a while back and got 22 founding members.  It was exciting to see it take off so fast just based on an email.  There was another stage we were supposed to do but it wasn't possible because of our trip to Alaska and some pressing PBSS/SMB matters.  So we've been at 22 for a while.  Btw, the money from those memberships was greatly

SMB is alive and thriving

So your blogger ran off to Alaska for a much needed vacation and, while gone, I guess there were some rumors.  I'll deal with them in a minute.  First, I want you to know that Carol and I had a great time.  We lived in that rooftop tent for almost two months and are still married.  People tell us that is a testament to the type of marriage we have.  Truth is ... it is really a good tent.  Anyway, we had a great time until the national parks closed forcing us to come home a week or so earlier than we had planned.

One of the things that made the trip so enjoyable was the fact that the board of directors kept SMB moving forward the whole time.  Bob Baggett stepped in and took over my role.  Others worked on the much needed membership element, the paperwork for the nonprofit, and so on.  I kept in touch with everyone by email and phone. It all went well but we kind of dropped the ball when it came to keeping people informed about what was happening. Hence the rumors ...

I think the best way to address rumors is not to do so directly.  Sometimes you have too, but I am hoping that isn't the case here.  So I'll just tell you about what has been happening and trust that you will be able to connect the dots if you should hear some of the rumors.

Everyone I think understands what SMB started off to be.  We hold an event that celebrates the spirit of the people who use the trails on the Butte, that raises a bunch of money, and the money is used to improve Pilot Butte.  Sounds simple and it would be simple if SMB was only that.  But, as many people know, SMB quickly took on a life of its own and the reason it did is traceable directly back to that incredible spirit we were celebrating.  I've been fortunate in that I've had experiences with something like this twice before in my life.  So I knew what needed to be done.  Others who have been involved in this type of experience will tell you the same thing.  You get yourself out of the way and then follow what is happening while protecting it from people and processes that might get in the way and stop the momentum.  We did that and what emerged was an amazing organization that will do more for Pilot Butte than anybody, including us, ever dreamed possible.

You will be learning more about this organization in the coming months.  Our next newsletter will be published next month and that will be a good start.  Members will get it first and then it will be available here.  If you want the whole scoop, please consider becoming a member.  Your dues help us cover the cost of SMB 2014.  You also get some cool buttons, access to more information than you might ever want about what is happening, and easy ways to have a voice in the process.

Rumors have their place but, trust me, there is a better way to make things happen.  We don't yet have everything up and running, but we definitely have enough in place to address all concerns.  Please call me directly on the SMB phone if you have any concerns (541-306-8411).  You can also email me at bendSMB@gmail.com

All the best,
Bill

Still busy getting ready for SMB 2014

This is what happens when your blogger runs off to Alaska--no new posts for over a month.  That doesn't mean that things are slow at PBSS and SMB.  The board has been busy moving us forward and we've all been keeping in touch via email and phone.  I have news to report but limited time.  I'll try to get everyone up-to-date soon.  Sorry about the delay but Carol has to see her bears.  If she doesn't see them in the Fall, she turns into one in the Winter.  The good news is she's seen plenty of bears (over 30 different grizzlies and nearly 100 sightings) and so we are all safe until at least 2015.

Summer membership campaign off to a good start

We launched our Summer membership campaign yesterday and we already have 16 members.  It is gratifying to know that people are still very much interested in SMB.  It was only about a week ago when we realized that expenses for SMB 2014 were starting to happen.  It kind of caught us by surprise.  Fortunately, the membership component was nearly ready and so we put it on the fast track hoping for the best.  Like so many things SMB, we are extremely pleased by how well this is taking off.  It is already helping with the early expenses for the 2014 event.

Membership is the cornerstone of how we will pay for SMB each year.  But it isn't the only way.  We've been very busy with several projects that will bring in additional revenue and you will learn more about them later.

Welcome to the new SMB blog!

We have been testing the new blog for a while to work out the kinks, but we surely didn't get them all and there will be tweaks and outright changes made from time to time.  Expect this blog to be a lot different than the last.  The main change is that it will quickly bring you up to speed with the news about SMB without all the long/changing posts we had last year.  You can also submit ideas for projects online, become a sponsor, learn about membership, etc.  So, like last year, it is still somewhat a work in progress.  But if you happen to remember what the website looked like when we started last year, we are miles and miles ahead of that with this new site.

Btw, find us on Facebook to watch the new mini-documentary video of SMB 2013.