Simply My Best: Counting down to SMB: One week to go!

SIMPLY MY BEST

UPDATE: This was the website where we figured out what SMB would be. Then we created a new site for SMB 2014. Then, in March, 2014, we launched a REAL website for the event and our nonprofit called Pilot Butte Summit Seekers. Check it out...

WWW.PILOTBUTTESUMMITSEEKERS.ORG

Kind of cool to watch it change from something we literally made up as we went along to something that was built on the efforts of so many and actually planned to some degree. It will be fun to watch the new website take shape over the coming months.

Btw, if you haven't heard, SMB 2014 is May 10th!

Note: Many functions on this old site have been removed or disabled, but the blog remains as a record of the SMB journey.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Counting down to SMB: One week to go!

SMB is just a week away. As we have been reporting, everything is going great. We've got RSVPs from 200+ participants, over $2,600 in donations, and the SMB Shindig is going to be a blast. Right now, the main thing we are needing is more participants. You can help by wearing your event button this week as you hike the Butte. Find Carol or myself to get yours. Let's create a buzz on the Butte and inspire others to join in. We are needing about 100 more participants by next Saturday to insure that we hit our 1,200 mile goal and raise all the funds that have been donated. Take some extra brochures and hand them off to people you know who haven't yet RSVP'd. Remember that dog owners are especially good prospects because you enroll at least two for one. Don't be afraid to mention that there will be food and prizes at the Shindig. If you haven't received your email yet about the Shindig, you will soon. We are needing folks to bring a few things and we know people will. The generosity of Butte Walkers has been off the charts and absolutely amazing. Btw, our volunteers have been outstanding. We had a meeting almost every night last week and this week is no different. You will definitely notice all they have done when you arrive on May 11th.

THE INSIDE SCOOP

This is not your typical event. It is informal and casual by nature. We hope to never be out there aggressively spreading the word because we think the event will always have a certain magic if we let it grow at a natural pace. Plus, as we have already found, Pilot Butte itself is the perfect place to spread the word. Not only are there a lot of hikers who already know each other, we have really been surprised by how many regular hikers there are that we don't know. It is no accident that the parking area gets over 15,000 cars per month. People love Pilot Butte.

If you haven't yet noticed, this event is really set up to take what you already do and then make that an outstanding experience one day out of the year. It is almost more a celebration than anything else. So you just show up and hike, something you'd probably do anyway. There is no entry fee, no official start time, or anything like that. There have to be a few formalities, but we are doing our best to make them as painless and fun as possible. We are also focusing a lot on the social aspect of the event. We want the normal encouragement that people always experience on the Butte to become infectious and reach new heights. In other words, while this is a day in which it could be easier than most to hike a personal best on the Butte, the overall focus is still on having fun. Then, as a side benefit, we end up solving one of the problems that people are most concerned about on the Butte. So there is actually a kind of reward in place if you decide to go for a personal best that day. But you don't even need to do that. Hiking your normal distance, or even less, still helps us raise the funds we need. Your being there is what is most important.

As much as possible, SMB is what you need it to be. We purposely left the term "personal best" a little vague and we are glad we did. Some people have already indicated that they go by a different standard than what we had in mind. That's great and we are trying very hard to work them into the event.

In designing this event, we are kind of taking our lead from Pilot Butte's Century Club, now a 13 year old tradition on the Butte. It demonstrates the power that a simple idea can have. This event will be a big success if we can keep it simple for both the hikers and the organizers. So we invite you to come out and "hike your butt off on the Butte." You can RSVP by clicking here.