Summer 21 Washington Trails A Publication of Washington Trails Association • wta.org Deepening Connections Volunteering: The joy of revisiting favorite trails How to backpack with your baby Using photography to connect to nature LEARN • LEAD • INSPIRE CAMPING Camping workshops Dash Point State Park — June 12 WORKSHOPS Lake Sammamish State Park FOR EDUCATORS & YOUTH PROGRAMS — August 21 Get ready to share the awe and wonder of spending the night under the stars with the youth you work with. Join WTA this summer for our modified one-day, in-person workshop to help you learn the camping skills you’ll need to create a fun, memorable and safe overnight experience. Camping workshops include venue selection, how to set up a group campsite, outdoor kitchen management, games and fun activities. Whether you lead groups of youth, families or young adults, by the end of the day, you’ll feel confident and ready to plan your own group camping trip. No experience necessary. Required COVID safety protocols will be followed. San Juan County Park / Photo by Bryan Thomas Bryan by / Photo Park San Juan County Learn more and sign up at wta.org/olt Front Desk: Chief Executive Officer Washington Trails A Publication of Washington Trails Association Board of Directors President | Jenny Faubion A New Hope for Trails Secretary | Mike Dunning year ago, WTA’s trail crews began returning to Treasurer | Charlie Lieu work after a 2-month pause to keep people and VP, Philanthropy | Matt Martinez communities safe. Ever since, our crews have been VP, Board Development | Susan Queary maintaining trails across the state, thanks to robust safety VP, Advocacy | Ashley Fontaine Aprotocols and dedicated volunteers. In a year when we needed trails more than ever, I’m incredibly grateful for and proud of the hundreds Directors at Large of volunteers who helped keep trails safe and accessible. Bruce Burger • Ethan Evans Now, we’re kicking off a monumental summer of trail maintenance, Thomas Goldstein • Joe Gregg • Ken Helm an unexpected and happy outcome from the challenges of COVID. As Titti Ringström • Arun Sambataro many of us turned to the outdoors to lift our spirits, our trail system’s Ken Myer • Mason White • Britt Provost Jennifer Surapisitchat long-standing challenges became abundantly clear. This reality has led to some long-awaited responses to the repeated calls for increased public investment by WTA advocates and many others. WTA Leadership The swiftest and biggest response was the Great American Outdoors Chief Executive Officer Act (GAOA), which Congress passed last summer. The GAOA provides Jill Simmons nearly $2 billion annually for the next 5 years to make a significant dent in the deferred maintenance backlog across federal lands, including Washington Trails Staff national parks and Forest Service lands. But there were other wins too, Washington Trails Editor | Jessi Loerch including important step ups in outdoor recreation funding during Hiking Content Manager | Anna Roth the 2021 state legislative session for No Child Left Inside, Washington Graphic Designer | Jenica Nordström Wildlife and Recreation Program and the Department of Natural Copy Editor | Cassandra Overby Resources. WTA’s community played a critical part in these funding achievements, Volunteers and our community will also have a key role in putting the funding to work. Thanks to our strong partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, the Contributors | Doug Diekema, GAOA will support WTA volunteer crews working across Washington’s Hannah Meyer, Cassandra Overby, national forests. And for the first time, WTA will host a professional Craig Romano, Sandra Saathoff backcountry crew working from June to September on hard-to-reach Proofreaders | Jim Cavin, Rebecca Kettwig trails and complex projects. Trail Team | Ken Giesbers, Lindsay Leffelman, Craig Romano, A busy summer of WTA trail work is just one of the ways things are Charlie Wakenshaw slowly getting back to normal — or “new normal” as many are calling it. I like the idea of “new normal” because it means we’re carrying forward important lessons from the last year — including that nature is essential for our wellbeing and trails need increased and ongoing investment. If we carry those lessons forward into action, I believe the future for trails and hikers is very bright, and that WTA’s ambitious upcoming summer season is just the beginning of a reimagined trail system. Washington Trails Association 705 Second Avenue, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98104 206-625-1367 • wta.org Jill Simmons| Chief executive officer | [email protected] General Information | [email protected] Membership & Donations | [email protected] Editorial Submissions | [email protected] Meet all our staff atwta.org/staff Washington Trails / Summer 2021 / wta.org 3 Summer 2021: Contents 18 Passion Project These volunteers thought they were working trail-maintenance magic. Turns out, the trails were casting their own spells. Features 22 Community Connector Thanks to 14 years of collaboration, we’ve come a long way on these close-in trails in Bellingham’s Sehome Hill Arboretum. 32 Camp All Summer On the cover Volunteering as a campground host is a great way to connect to public Maya Watkins lands while giving back. Longtime captured this photo hosts share their experiences and of two friends 24 give tips on how to get involved. enjoying the view of Mount Rainier 36 Pick Your Pack from near the Backpacking with Baby Mount Fremont Fire We show you how to pick your next Taking a baby backpacking requires extra Lookout. backpack — and explain what all care and planning, but it can be one of the those straps are for. most rewarding experiences for a parent. 40 Develop Your Curiosity 29 Let Imagination Roam How your camera viewfinder can When summit views aren’t enough spark a desire to learn about your to keep kids hiking, games, play and natural surroundings. imagination will keep the fun factor high. Photos by Emily Snyder, Loren Drummond Loren Emily Snyder, by Photos 4 Washington Trails / Summer 2021 / wta.org Signpost: Editor Departments 3 Front Desk Greetings from our chief executive officer and Washington Trails editor 6 Community A trip reporter finds plenty to explore in their goal to hike every trail in the Issaquah Alps 10 Trail Talk A Way to Connect The power of loop hikes, hiking advocates and WTA friendships y fondest memories of my father all take place in 42 Trail Mix the outdoors. Camping, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing — Ditch your stove and try cold-soaked food being together outside was how we connected. He often had a camera in hand, and I remember him showing me 44 Hike It howM to take macro photos of wildflowers covered in morning dew. It’s Trails to get you started on a summer full of backpacking and hiking a warm memory. I’m leaning on that memory and so many others a lot lately. 50 Ask WTA Earlier this year, my father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away How do rock columns form? after a shockingly short time. The grief of it often hits when I’m outdoors, 51 Snapshot where his memory feels so close. But being in nature gives me room to The story behind our favorite photos feel, while also taking the edge off the pain. I love this about time on trail, how it has the power to build or strengthen connections — to places, to other people or simply to yourself. It’s why I love the stories in this magazine of the ways that people come together POWERED BY YOU around their love for trails. Washington Trails Association is a nonprofit supported by a community In this issue, some of WTA’s many devoted volunteers explain why of hikers like you. By mobilizing they’ve fallen in love with a particular trail — and kept coming back hikers to be explorers, stewards and to work on it over many years. It brings those volunteers a feeling of champions for trails and public lands, connection and accomplishment — and it helps so many other hikers too together, we will ensure that there are trails for everyone, forever. (page 18). My coworker Loren wrote about backpacking with her baby, and how, while it’s hard, it’s worth the effort to honor her love for the outdoors and share it with her son (page 24). Craig Romano, who has hiked many thousands of miles in our state, shares how he connects with WTA was founded by Louise B. Marshall (1915–2005). Ira Spring his son, builds memories and sees familiar places with fresh eyes and a (1918–2003) was its primary supporter. little imagination (page 29). Greg Ball (1944–2004) founded the volunteer trail maintenance program. I hope you’ll read these stories and find something that you can connect Their spirit continues today through with. And I hope you’ll take that feeling out on trail. As I’m thinking contributions from thousands of WTA about it, this magazine is a type of connection too. It brings together the members and volunteers. many stories of hikers all over Washington. The hiking community is a beautiful one, and I’m so grateful for it. Thank you for being part of the story of WTA and of trails. Summer 2021 | Volume 56, Issue 2 Happy hiking! Washington Trails (ISSN 1534-6366) is published four times per year by Washington Trails Association, 705 2nd Avenue, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98104. Annual membership, which includes a subscription to Washington Trails magazine, is $20. Single copy price is $4.50. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, WA, and at additional mailing locations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Washington Trails Association, 705 2nd Ave., Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98104. Jessi Loerch | Washington Trails editor | [email protected] CLEAR AREA Washington Trails / Summer 2021 / wta.org 5 Community One Place, Many Hikes Trip reporter Birb has hiked nearly all of the spots — the places you can find solitude, the places with the best trails in the Issaquah Alps — and found beauty views, areas where particular animals seem to live, places where and peace along the way.