• SPRING CLEANING: If you are one of those who fill their free hours using stuff from what's been called "the closet full of toys" -- mountain bikes, kayak paddles, life jackets, trail running shoes, bouldering crash pads, helmets, climbing shoes and ropes, etc. -- chances are you spend a lot of time around the Potomac River, whose rich abundance never ceases to amaze.
But no matter how far you get from the city's humdrum, the parade of junk -- including the recently seen empty quart of car motor oil, the bobbing prescription bottle, the scraps of plastic on bare branches and the enormous blue barrels likely dumped into the water far upriver, not to mention the contaminants the human eye can't see -- serves as a constant and troubling reminder of how poorly this stunning river is treated.
To that end, it makes sense to volunteer for the 17th annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup, which will be held on Saturday at 9 a.m. with many locations throughout the Washington area. Put together by the Alice Ferguson Foundation and sponsored by several organizations, including the Potomac Conservancy, the cleanup is a large-scale effort. Last year, over 3,500 volunteers collected and removed more than 162 tons of garbage from the Potomac watershed, but there's sure to be tons more out there on Saturday. The event's goal is to have 4,000 volunteers, including experienced kayakers and canoeists who can haul in stuff unreachable from shore.
For details about the event and to sign up, visit www.potomaccleanup.org/. For more information about the Potomac Conservancy's ongoing efforts to protect the river, which is the source of millions of gallons of drinking water for the Washington area, visit www.potomac.org.
• GRIPPED: Hudson Trail Outfitters will sponsor climbing clinics for beginners on Thursday at its stores in Rockville, Arlington, Tenley Circle and Gaithersburg and on April 14 at its stores in Fairfax and Towson, Md. The clinics start at 7 p.m. and are free, but be sure to call ahead to reserve a place. Also, Hudson Trail will host a trail ride from its Arlington store on Pentagon Row on April 6, followed by a bike maintenance Q&A. For more information, visit www.hudsontrail.com.
-- John Mullen
mullenj@washpost.com
