14 » WTA at Work September + October 2011 » Trails Trail Maintenance »

In a Better State WTA’s volunteers have improved the hiking opportunities found in our state parks By now, you have heard all about the Discov- Giving Back At Wallace Falls er Pass. (No? Well, it’s the new pass required Washington Trails Association crews have to park at or to recreate on state lands.) This built miles of new trail at Wallace Falls State summer, WTA received many inquiries from Park, most notably the 1.9-mile Greg Ball Trail volunteers eager to earn their Discover Pass. that provides an enjoyable alternative to a road The good news? It’s possible. The pass legisla- walk for those seeking out the shores of Wal- tion states that a volunteer can earn a pass lace Lake. Since its construction, the Greg Ball for 24 hours of donated labor. However, we’ve Trail has become a favorite of hikers looking found a few devils in the details. As our state for a close-in getaway hike that is accessible agencies raced into implementation, we saw a in all but the worst of winter weather and is good deal of variation in how these agencies an absolute gem during the summer months. opted to track and account for volunteer labor. Many Greg Ball Trail hikers express surprise Some of the work parties we led at Beacon at how this trail really feels like a backcountry Rock State Park qualified, as did some of our hike without the backcountry commitment. work at State Park. But those Our most recent work at Wallace Falls State participating in a Volunteer Vacation at a state Park includes construction of the “Lunch park were left wanting. The state park system Counter Loop,” a route leading to a bench and, considered the free camping that they provide indeed, a beautiful little lunch spot. We have volunteers as “compensation,” therefore making also made tread improvements on both the those hours ineligible toward earning a volun- Greg Ball Trail and the Woody Trail. teer Discover Pass. We’ll be returning to Looking ahead, WTA will be working on later this month, with four work parties sched- behalf of hikers to ensure that earning a pass uled to start on September 29. Diane by volunteering is a much smoother and easier Bedell process than it is now. Building New Trails at Beacon Program In the meantime, don’t be discouraged from Development volunteering. Washington’s state parks are Rock among the few places where new trail opportu- WTA has also made a great commitment to Manager nities are being actively developed, and WTA the state parks system through our ongoing [email protected] volunteers have been at forefront of this work work at , a gem of the for several years. Let’s take a look. Gorge National Scenic Area. Fueled by both day trips and Youth Volunteer September + October 2011 » Washington Trails WTA at Work « 15

Vacations, WTA volunteers have added 2 miles Volunteer Vacations at both Leadbetter Point to the Hardy Ridge Trail system. State Park and Cape Disappointment in 2012. WTA volunteers sporting green, orange and If you’re interested in a different kind of trail blue hats have spent more than 135 days in construction, give these destinations a try. this park over the course of the past five years. They’ve given more than 3,000 hours in 2011 Busy as Bees at Larrabee alone. Construction on the Hardy Ridge Con- With 15 miles of hiking trails and a long- nector Trail began in 2006, and our volunteers standing commitment from WTA to help out in southwest Washington are now beginning on those trails, your best chance to earn a Dis- to see the end of the tunnel with this project. cover Pass while volunteering for WTA may be The Hardy Ridge Connector has proven dif- at , a ficult to construct, but the project has provided park we’ve worked in since a focal point for our southwest Washington vol- 2008. This past winter and unteers’ efforts. They’ve really bonded over the spring, volunteers signifi- challenges in this terrain! Best of all, this park cantly improved the South has seen a new generation of trail stewards Lost Lake Trail, moving come of age, as it has been a stellar location it out of the middle of an for our Youth Volunteer Vacation program. old roadbed and improv- Many teens have spent their first night in a ing drainage along the tent camped in the shadow of Beacon Rock, way. We also completed and developed some rock-solid trail skills, too. several raised turnpikes, Look for our one-day work parties at Beacon structures that help folks Rock to resume this fall. keep their feet dry and make the trail that much Call It Cape Excitement more enjoyable. Our ami- Hikers on the North Head Trail at Cape able northwest chief crew Disappointment State Park have not been leader Arlen Bogaards can disappointed by the improvements on this be found working hard Above: One of popular trail, that’s for sure. Over the past four with his crews at Larrabee State Park one or the many crews years, our volunteers have turned this muddy, two weekends a month from October through who have helped slippery mess into a much more enjoyable hike April. improve Larrabee with a series of intricate boardwalks, stairs If you haven’t given working in the Chucka- State Park. and relocated trail sections. While there’s nuts a try, you should. The views are amazing; always more work to do, we have tackled a the work is fun. Opposite: Many significant portion of the work to date. teenagers have WTA usually doesn’t build complex board- Our Latest Foray: Mount Spokane helped build trail at walk and stairs like those you’ll see at Cape Found just a stone’s throw west of the Idaho Beacon Rock State D, but we’ve been fortunate to have volunteer border, offers Park, including chief crew leader Lee Young, a trained carpen- hiking and camping in the Selkirk Mountains, these participants ter, spearhead much of the work here. With where deep green stands of old growth are in one of our all-girls Lee’s experience, we were able to meet the accented by steely gray granite outcroppings. trips. special needs of this location. Among the many From Mount Spokane, you’ll catch a spectacu- highlights of working at this location, volun- lar view that encompasses wildlands in Wash- Photos by WTA. teers get to campout in the lighthouse keeper’s ington, Idaho, Montana and even Canada. quarters. It’s not unusual for this park to receive 300 In addition to our weeklong Volunteer Vaca- inches of snow per year, so you can imagine tions at Cape Disappointment later this fall, the potential for erosion in this steep and rocky we will also be offering several weekend work terrain. The park’s most recent management parties here. Starting as early as this fall, we’ll plan calls for the relocation of several trails, also be adding work at Leadbetter Point State and WTA volunteers have stepped in to ad- Park to our roster. dress the worst problems. In July, our crews realigned a short segment Why, Look! Work at Leadbetter of trail and reinforced a soft downhill slope Point, Too with a log retaining wall. Two work parties are Managed by the same fine folks who manage scheduled for September. In addition to relocat- WTA volunteers Cape D, Leadbetter Point State Park recently ing trails, the park’s plan calls for many miles have already received a grant from the Recreation and Con- of new trail, so there may be opportunities for servation Office to build a new boardwalk, trail east-side volunteers for years to come. donated more and overlook out to Heinz Marsh, and our vol- than 5,700 hours You should now have a taste of the work unteers are going to be lending them a hand, to state parks this starting with a few days during our October we’ve been involved with in state parks. Check weeklong on the southwest coast. That trip is our trail maintenance calendar to see when our year and our work already full, but look for additional weekend next state park work party is scheduled. We’re isn’t done yet. opportunities through fall and into next spring. always adding more opportunities.t Looking ahead, we’re scheduling additional