Olympic Mountain School™: Wilderness Adventures in Olympic National Park

Download HERE the almost 500 businesses in western Washington with "Olympic" names.

OLYMPIC COMMITTEE THREATENS WASHINGTON'S ECONOMY

Quinault, Washington - January 10, 2008 - Responding to recurring demands from the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) that Washington State businesses stop using the word “OLYMPIC” on the internet, Jason Bausher of Olympic Mountain School released a list today of almost 500 western Washington businesses using “OLYMPIC” in their names—almost 200 of which have websites. Washington businesses with “OLYMPIC” names are found in over 119 zip codes, in over 71 cities, in over 34 legislative districts, in over 12 of 39 counties, in 5 of 6 area codes, in all 9 congressional districts, over 2 mountain ranges, and from Aberdeen in western Washington to Spokane.

“The U.S. Olympic Committee threatens to cripple Washington's economy by suing businesses named in honor of our Olympic Peninsula. The 2010 Winter Games will come and go, but the Olympic name has been Washington's heritage since 1788.” Vancouver, Canada, shares a border with Washington and will host the 2010 Winter Games. The Olympic Peninsula was named by English captain John Meares in 1788, and Washington businesses use the name as a geographical reference. With almost 500 businesses using this landmark, Bausher seeks to illustrate the scope of damage caused to Washington's economy if the USOC's demands are fulfilled.

The list responds to threats made to Washington winery Olympic Cellars as reported by the Peninsula Daily News on December 30 (http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071230/NEWS/712300302). The PDN reported persistent threatens from the USOC for advertising its wine on the internet—threats similar to those made to Olympic Mountain School in 2007 for its Best of the Olympic Peninsula guidebook and widely reported and commented upon in the summer and fall of 2007 by newspapers and blogs from Ottawa to Victoria in Canada and from Indiana to California in the U.S. (cf. http://www.olympicmountainschool.com/olympic.htm).

The USOC has threatened Olympic Mountain School, Olympic Cellars and other Washington businesses with lawsuits if they continue using the word “OLYMPIC” on the internet. Governmental and non-profit organizations such as Olympic National Park and Olympic Mountain Rescue have also received letters from the USOC threatening litigation for using the word “OLYMPIC” without the express permission of the USOC. The Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act of 1998 gives the USOC the legal right to file a civil action for unauthorized use of the word “OLYMPIC,” although this act exempts Washington businesses west of the Cascade Mountains. USOC lawyers claim that virtual internet traffic crosses this geographical boundary.

Bausher questions the economic consequences of deleting the word “OLYMPIC” from businesses in Washington: “We would have to change the names of the Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic Highway, Olympic National Park, Mount Olympus, and almost 500 western Washington businesses and their products. This will cost millions or billions of dollars in sign repainting, book rewriting, office supply reprinting, product relabeling, geography renaming, website rebuilding, public reeducation, reclassification of animals such as the Olympic Marmot, and more. If the USOC in Colorado seeks to extend its exclusive monopoly for its products here into Washington State, the USOC should fund the renaming of Washington State—not Washingtonians.”

“On a lighter note, this list shows just how important the Olympic Mountains are to the social and economic fabric of Washington State. Our mountains inspire Washingtonians to create, grow, move, and sell everything from Apples to Yachts,” Bausher noted.

Olympic Mountain School is located on Lake Quinault in Olympic National Park and published Best of the Olympic Peninsula 2007: Vital Information to “Do the Loop” Around Washington State's Finest Beaches, Rainforests, and Mountains .

Day Hikes Day hikes are a safe, easy way to gain the skills you will need to stay safe in the wild--all while learning about the natural and social history of the area. You will learn about the 10 Essentials, map and compass, trip planning, risk management, and staying found. Your Guide will lend you a kit with some of the Ten Essentials, and you will hike +/- 7 miles while learning about Olympic National Park. Trips do not leave every day, so Reserve Your Spot Today!	Backpacking Backpacking sweeps the backpacker into the wild world of wilderness with all its grandeur and intensity. Backpackers can hike for almost as many days and almost as far as they want: for example, from Staircase in the southeast corner of the park to the Grand Valley in the northeast, from the Dosewallips in the east to Quinault in the west, or from Elwah in the north to Sol Duc in the west. Consider these routes for your ultimate wildnerness experience. Then Reserve Your Spot!
Leave No Trace (LNT) Trainings Leave No Trace is the national standard for outdoor recreation ethics from a conservation perspective. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has established two main basic trainings in LNT: Awareness Workshops and Trainer Courses. Awareness Workshops last only a couple hours and offer little or no outdoor training. Trainer Courses are an intensive overnight experience with some backpacking. Reserve Your Spot for the course that's right for you.	Scouting Guide and owner Jason Bausher is an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor recipient, and is Wood Badge-trained. He can advise your troop about 50-miler hikes, the Leave No Trace Awareness Award, and merit badges such as Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, and Climbing. Jason can also serve as a liaison with the National Park Service to organize work parties or service projects in Olympic National Park. PLUS: Grays Harbor Boy Scouts receive FREE TRAININGS! Reserve Time for Your Program.
Service Tourism on the Olympic Peninsula will only last if we work to conserve the resource by doing trailwork, raising money for political action, and by teaching wildness to the generation to whom we hand over the earth. Sign Up Today to do or give what you can for the preservation of our children's earth. Where are your talents? Clearing trails? Educating National Park visitors about Leave No Trace ethics and practices? Raising money from friends, family, and business associates? Leading Boy or Girl Scouts? YOU CAN HELP!!!	Mountain Seminars Do the mountains, rivers, and glaciers of Olympic National Park merely form one big playground, or is wilderness essential to our Being as embodied Beings in the world? Jason Bausher works on questions such as this in his environmental philosophy, and he shares his research in mountain seminars. He received his master's degree in theology from Yale University and is finishing an M.A. while in a doctoral program in philosophy. Check out a few of the seminars. Don't see your burning "big questions" being asked on this list? Email Olympic Mountain School for a custom program.

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OLYMPIC COMMITTEE THREATENS WASHINGTON'S ECONOMY