Trail News Trails Ravaged October rains and December winds wreak havoc on the state’s trails, bridges, and forest roads. And it’s still only January...

Demolished footbridge over Blum Creek, on the Baker Lake Trail in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. An unusually warm October rainstorm led to massive flooding and extensive trail damage throughout the and Olympics. Wind- storms in December also took a toll on Cascade foothill trails. by Andrew Engelson bridges throughout the Cascades and period. Olympics. And as if that wasn’t enough, a Apocalyptic. Biblical. The Perfect “Some folks are saying it’s a 500- powerful windstorm on December 4 Storm. year storm,” said Gary Paull, Trails wreaked its own brand of destruction No matter what term you find to and Coordinator for the on the foothill trails just east of the describe the rainstorms that hit the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Puget Sound region. Trails on Tiger Pacific Northwest in late October, Forest. “Considering we had three Mountain, Squak Mountain, and everyone agrees they were severe. 100-year storms in the 1990s, I think Rattlesnake Ledge were all hit hard Beginning on the weekend of October that’s quite possible.” with hundreds of blowdowns. WTA 17 and continuing for about a week, Paull said he couldn’t remember a and the Trail Club record 24-hour rainfalls combined late fall storm as warm as this one. worked together to triage and get as with warm temperatures to devastate Media reports indicated that six inches much of the blowdowns cleared as trails, footlogs, forest roads and of rain fell on Darrington in a 24-hour quickly as possible. As this issue went Trail News

tained heavy damage, with major stetches of trail missing at the Suiattle River, Sitkum Creek, and Mill Creek. No footbridges survive on the PCT from Red Pass to Miners Creek. The Skyline bridge, a major crossing over the Suittle River on the PCT, is completely lost. Next season, through- hikers may have to divert to the east side of Glacier Peak. The Whitechuck and Suiattle River Roads, which lead to many popular trailheads, sustained heavy damage, as did the Mountain Loop Highway, which is closed from Barlow Pass to Bedal Campground. In the North Cascades, the Cascade River Road and Floodwaters rage in the Sauk River. At the flood’s peak, flows topped Upper Stehekin Valley sustained 100,000 cubic feet per minute. Usual flow is around 3,250 cfpm. considerable damage. The North Cascades Highway had its earliest seasonal closure ever because of numerous slides, including one just What You Can Do to Help east of the town of Diablo. In the Olympics, the Hoh River, Sign up for a trail maintenance crew. Queets, Sol Duc, and various Quinault As reports continue to come in, WTA is adding additional trail Lake Roads all sustained damage. The maintenance trips to cope with storm damage. Hoh and Quinault have been repaired, File a trip report. and as this issue went to press, the Log on to www.wta.org and describe current trail conditions. Both Queets and Sol Duc Roads are still WTA and the various land managers use WTA’s trip reports to closed. The Graves Creek Road out of assess trail damage. Be specific: where are footlogs out? How big Quinault was also closed because of approximately are the blown-down trees? How many are there? flood damage. At Mount Rainier National Park, Become a member. Donate. Sunshine Point Campground was If you’re not already a member of WTA, there’s no better time than closed because of flooding, while all now. Fixing and maintaining trails takes thousands of hours of the footbridges on the Wonderland volunteer time, but it also takes thousands of dollars. Additional Trail between Cougar Rock and donations beyond your membership help keep additional miles Narada Falls were washed out. repaired. Damage was also sustained in the Contact your elected representatives. Carbon River, Comet Falls, and Trails Association is currently working with other Carter Falls areas. environmental and recreation groups to decide what supplemental In the high country, the extent of funding may be needed in the spring. Your legislators need to know the damage won’t be known until the the seriousness of the problem, and the need for quick action. It only spring melt-out. Judging by the early takes a few minutes to pen a quick letter or email. reports, it’s bound to be a busy year for trail repair. The Forest Service has conserva- to press closures were still in effect at Snoqualmie National Forest. Accord- tively estimated damage to trails and Adventure Trail, Section Line Trail, ing to Gary Paull, “a lot of bridges are roads might top $10 million across the Poo Poo Point Trail, Kees Big Tree gone, many of which we replaced in state. The Forest Service, National Trail, and Swamp Trail. the last ten to fifteen years.” Park Service, and Washington State The October storm and floods Among the victims: Kennedy Hot Department of Natural Resources are hammered the Cascades. Particularly Springs near Glacier Peak is now all making presentations to the hard hit was the Darrington Ranger completely buried under mud and District on the Mount Baker- rocks. The sus- continued on the next page... Trail News

Federal Emergency Management ARK Agency (FEMA) to pursue emergency P road and trail repair funding. Forest ATIONAL officials recently briefed the state’s N

LYMPIC congressional delegation on the extent O of the damage. Once FEMA has made its funding decisions in early 2004, WTA will consider whether or not to ask the Congressional delegation to pursue additional funds in the spring. “In a single day, last week’s storm set us back years, said WTA Executive Director Elizabeth Lunney. “It’s like working for years to pay off your mortgage, only to see your home de- stroyed the day before your last payment.” One of the most impressive facts in a recent PowerPoint presentation given by Gary Paull concerned the Sauk River. The river, which in fall normally runs at 3,250 cubic feet per second, peaked at over 100,000 cfps on the night of October 22. “I’ve heard mention that some of these floods may be the result be what geologists call a ‘jokulhlaup,’” said Paull. Pronounced “yokolowp,” that’s a geological term for a glacial outburst OREST

F flood. The word has its origins in

Iceland, and describes conditions ATIONAL

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October’s floods and December’s OUNT winds will have a profound impact on M trails throughout the state next season. As always, call ahead to ranger district stations or check trip reports on www.wta.org before you head out. And if you’ve never been out on a trail crew, 2004 might be a very good year to start.  Top Right: bridge washed out on the Lost River Trail, . The price tag for road and trail damage in the state could easily top $10 million.

Bottom Right: An enormous slump on a stretch of Whitechuck Trail 643, Darrington Ranger District, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Closures on the Pacific Crest Trail could divert hikers around the east flank of Glacier Peak next season. Trail News

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Forest Service roads were also hard hit. This bridge on Whitechuck River Road #23 was demolished during an unusually warm October rainstorm. The road, which has been shut down indefinitely, leads to such popular areas as Kennedy Hot Springs (which is now buried beneath rock and mud).

NOVA Committee Recommends Funding Changes to Legislature

By Jonathan Guzzo eight meetings, the committee Committee is that E&E dollars has arrived at a set of recommen- should be spent on such things dations for the legislature to enact as Wilderness rangers and After months of intense discussion in its upcoming session, which occasional police patrols of and negotiation, the NOVA begins this month. The two most trailhead parking lots. Many Advisory Committee has reached important recommendations, as high-country lakes and meadows consensus! If enacted into far as hikers are concerned, are as are polluted and scarred by legislation, these changes to could follows: inappropriate camping; more dramatically increase the amount Expansion of Education and NOVA funds for backcountry of money available to non-motor- Enforcement grants to non- rangers in non-motorized areas ized recreation in Washington. motorized activities could make a significant differ- Since September, a group of ence in these heavily impacted Currently, Education and Enforce- representatives from the hiking, areas. ment activities—including Leave mountain-biking, ORV, and No Trace education and enforce- Reallocation of NOVA Grant equestrian communities has been ment of trail regulations—such as Funds meeting with legislators and Park permitted uses and resource As the NOVA Fuel Use Study and Forest managers to discuss protection—can only be used for reflected, 50 percent of revenues changes to Washington’s motorized activities. One of the NonHighway and OffRoad Vehicle agreements reached by the continued on the next page... Activity (NOVA) program. After Trail News to the program come from Congressional Funding for folks who are driving forest roads to go hunting, fishing, camping, wildlife viewing, Trails Still Falls Short berry picking, or to partici- pate in other activities that are non-motorized and not FY04 Interior million for federal LWCF and $95 necessarily associated with a million for stateside LWCF), a particular trail. 30 percent of Appropriations disappointing $142 million decrease the funds come from people from last year. who are hiking, mountain- Given the small amount of funding Before adjourning for its winter biking, or using stock, such available this year, Washington was recess, Congress completed the Fiscal as horses or goats. 20 very fortunate to still secure money for Year 2004 Interior budget, which percent comes from motor- several important projects, including funds parks, trails, forests, and other ized trail users, like dirt- $5 million for acquisition of lands near public lands. While overall many bikers or ATV users. Cle Elum, which was due in large part agency budgets went up, the numbers to the efforts of Senator Patty Murray After long negotiation, the aren’t quite as rosy for the Northwest and the Cascades Conservation Committee came up with the as they might initially appear. Because Partnership. following recommendations: of administrative changes within the 30 percent of the NOVA Forest Service, local Forests in grants will go to non- Washington are facing substantial National Recreation motorized recreation, 30 shortfalls in their recreation budgets. percent to motorized The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Trails Program recreation, 30 percent to National Forest must bridge an “general” or non-trail based $800,000 gap in its budget if it is to TEA-21, a transportation bill which recreation, and 10 percent continue projects and staffing at its includes the National Recreation will be competitive across all current capacity. Trails Program (NRTP), was set to three categories. Evaluation Meanwhile, although National Park expire last September. Congress criteria will be developed that Service (NPS) annual operations passed a five-month extension this fall will favor projects benefiting increased by $55 million nationwide, after failing to agree on a proposal the largest number of people. that total is not enough for most parks from the White House that would Taken together, these to cover mandatory cost-of-living have offered slight increases to NRTP changes make NOVA much increases for staff and will hinder the and other transportation enhance- more fair, providing benefits Park Service’s ability to protect natural ments. The House has now intro- to the people who pay into and cultural resources and provide duced its own proposal, TEA-LU, the program. Next, Washing- adequate visitor services. which would increase NRTP funding ton Trails Association and significantly to $700 million over six the other members of this Land and Water years, up from $300 million over six citizen advisory committee years in the recently expired TEA-21. will take these agreements to Conservation Fund However, TEA-LU would require a the state legislature, where gas-tax increase, which faces stiff we’ll work with House and opposition in Congress.  Senate members to have The FY 2004 Interior budget provides an estimated $1.1 billion for these recommendations Thanks to American Hiking Society conservation programs, significantly adopted into law. Be ready for some of the information provided less than the $1.56 billion envisioned to call or email your legislator in this report. and register your support for by the Conservation Trust Fund three years ago. Neither the Bush Adminis- making NOVA a more fair For a list of Congressional Repre- tration nor Congress are coming close and stable program! For sentatives and their addresses, email, to adequately funding LWCF, a more information, contact and phone numbers, visit critical source of land acquisition Jonathan Guzzo at (206) 625- www.wta.org and click on Advocacy funding for parks and trails. In FY 04, 1367 or [email protected]. subheading “Contact List.” LWCF received $272 million ($177