August 2008 » Trails www.wta.org WTA at Work Trail Maintenance »

WTA crew leader Arlen Bogaards gives a safety talk before a work party on the Horseshoe Bend Trail. Kathy Evans If you want to work on some fantastic trails, join WTA’s trail program in the . Weekends in the North Cascades WTA works on trails and helps build friendships in the region “Hi, my name is Arlen and I’ll be your crew and we talk about the day, the work and our leader today. First of all, thanks for coming out three rules: safety, fun and work. I can see a here and giving up your free time to help main- little apprehension about the tools as we talk tain our hiking trails. If it weren’t for volunteers about proper use, storage and travel. It can be like you, our trails would be in worse shape a little intimidating to commit to spending a than they are right now. If we’re safe and have weekend out with perfect strangers, working fun, it’s amazing how much work will get done with strange tools on projects you have abso- and how we will make a difference out there lutely no experience with. I try and alleviate today”. these apprehensions by likening it to “extreme Arlen That’s the start of my welcome and safety gardening with really big tools” and assure talk on a bright and sunny Saturday morning them that by the end of the weekend the group Bogaards out at the Baker River Trail, located on the will have a great sense of accomplishment Arlen Bogaards is south side of Mount Baker just north of Baker I remember my first weekend as a WTA crew WTA’s crew leader Lake. leader, right here on the lake, meeting the crew for Mount Baker and There are a couple of first-timers in the group and getting a boat ride to a primitive campsite the North Cascades. » WTA At Work August 2008 » Washington Trails www.wta.org Join a WTA Trail Work Party

August 5 Tuesday Bedal Creek August 8 Friday Glacier Basin August 8 Friday Tunnel Creek August 9 Saturday Robinson Creek August 10 Sunday Glacier Basin August 10 Sunday Commonwealth Basin August 12 Tuesday Robinson Creek August 13 Wednesday Skyline Divide August 14 Thursday Robinson Creek August 14 Thursday East Fork of Foss Creek August 15 Friday Commonwealth Basin August 16 Weekend Heather Meadows August 16 Saturday Glacier Basin August 16 Saturday East Fork of Foss Creek August 16 Saturday Commonwealth Basin August 17 Sunday Lower SF Skokomish August 17 Sunday Glacier Basin August 17 Sunday Commonwealth Basin August 19 Tuesday Kelly Butte August 22 Friday Mount Catherine August 23 Weekend Heather Meadows August 24 Sunday Glacier Basin August 24 Sunday Mount Catherine August 27 Wednesday Elbow Lake August 27 Wednesday Kelly Butte August 28 Thursday East Fork of Foss Creek

on the other side. I remember that feeling of be- Little trail worker ing out there, removed from our cars and all the Olivia lends a hand families camping in the campgrounds. What a on the Horshoe Bend great weekend that turned out to be: we fixed Trail near Mount trails and made some lasting friendships. Since Baker. I led my first WTA trip, there have been so many other weekend work parties in the North Cascades, loaded with enough great memories and locations to write a book about—or at least There are too an article. “many places to Hiking up alongside Baker River, we stop and talk about the trees—towering old growth For a complete schedule mention and cedars, ten to twenty feet across—and specu- too few words late how old they are and what they might have visit www.wta.org to describe all experienced in their lifetimes. We come to our first work site about a mile To sign up or find more info » This is a se- the sights and up the trail, take off our packs and talk about lection from our extensive list of volunteer sounds that the work. It’s a severely out-sloped section that opportunities. To find more trips, and to barrage your has crept downhill, as most trails tend to do, sign up, visit our website at www.wta.org and has large rocks protruding from the tread. and click on “Trail Work.” No experience is senses out here Uphill brush and a large rock in the original necessary. Sign-ups close two days before in the North tread has caused users to leave the trail. I see a work party, and work parties often fill Cascades. looks of understanding as the crew begins to up quickly, so reserve early. Trip dates and ” see the reasons behind the work we’ll be doing. locations are subject to change. www.wta.org August 2008 » Washington Trails WTA at Work «

The volunteers whip into action, grubbing and 18 miles of gravel but worth every bump and digging, removing rocks and doing a whole lot pothole. Anderson and Watson Lakes, a short Meet Our of work. hike up and over an incredible pass filled with Our 10:30 a.m. break for candy sneaks up on blueberries, meadows and sparkling streams, Members! us and after a brief rest, the work commences not to mention some fantastic new boardwalks. as I urge everyone to drink plenty of water Schriebers Meadows and the Scott Paul Trail, Lee Young and take breaks as needed. Later, I call lunch. with more blueberry fields and meadows right Volunteers are incredulous, and I hear plenty outside your car, and an incredible destination In Southwest Wash- August 5 Tuesday Bedal Creek of comments along the lines of “It’s that time of glacial moraines, living glaciers and amazing ington, WTA has a dedicated group of August 8 Friday Glacier Basin already?” or “Just a few more minutes, I want views of Mount Baker. Or Yellow Aster Butte trail maintenance August 8 Friday Tunnel Creek to finish this.” We take lunch on a sunny sand- with its views of Komo Kulshan (as Mount bar and look at bear tracks and try and identify Baker has been known for hundreds of years) volunteers. One of August 9 Saturday Robinson Creek scat: “I think it’s dog,” someone says helpfully. and countless tarns in the basin below the these volunteers August 10 Sunday Glacier Basin After lunch we work on a stream approach, butte. Or further east, Hannegan Pass Trail, who has done an August 10 Sunday Commonwealth Basin putting in some big rock steps. We admire the which climbs the Ruth Creek drainage with outstanding job is August 12 Tuesday Robinson Creek varied sizes, shapes and colors of the rock. It huge views of the big lonesome expanse from WTA’s newest crew leader, Lee Young. August 13 Wednesday Skyline Divide never ceases to amaze me how giddy a group the pass and the summit of Hannegan Peak. At Lee began volun- August 14 Thursday Robinson Creek becomes when playing with rocks and water, Heather Meadows, there are the icy views of as if they’re reverting back to playing in mud the glaciers on and at Skyline teering with WTA in August 14 Thursday East Fork of Foss Creek puddles as kids. Divide, endless flower fields as you climb onto the mid-1990s. His August 15 Friday Commonwealth Basin We place the last step and it’s time to head the shoulder of the sleeping volcano. job at Longview August 16 Weekend Heather Meadows back to the cars, our camp and the inevitable There are too many places to mention and Fiber, backpacking, August 16 Saturday Glacier Basin pop and cookies. Stopping at our first work site, too few words to describe all the sights and hiking and a passion August 16 Saturday East Fork of Foss Creek we take pictures and compare before-and-after sounds that barrage your senses out here in for cycling kept him photos. The looks on the faces of the crew are the North Cascades. I would suggest coming busy and happy. August 16 Saturday Commonwealth Basin priceless: pride, joy and amazement at a job out and experiencing this area for the first time After retiring, Lee August 17 Sunday Lower SF Skokomish well done. Our presence is hardly recognizable or the hundredth. It always surprises me and started to volunteer August 17 Sunday Glacier Basin and the new work naturally blends in with the never disappoints. on a regular basis August 17 Sunday Commonwealth Basin skillful re-vegetation work. I see how the crew Sunday afternoon arrives and another day and his talent and August 19 Tuesday Kelly Butte has randomly placed ferns, rocks and wood so of trail work is completed. There are hugs and passion for trail work were quickly August 22 Friday Mount Catherine it looks natural and not like a flower bed. I tell and promises of returning as well as expres- them what a great job they’ve done. Back at sions of thanks for some great work and a good recognized, and he August 23 Weekend Heather Meadows camp we lounge about and recap the day. Some time. The appreciation of many a passing hiker became an assistant August 24 Sunday Glacier Basin enthusiastic new converts to trail work have rings in our ears and no one seems to be in and then a chief August 24 Sunday Mount Catherine been born. a big hurry to leave as we sit around basking crew leader. August 27 Wednesday Elbow Lake After a great barbeque I’m lying in my bed in the glow of a job well done. The volunteers Lee has participated August 27 Wednesday Kelly Butte listening to birds and the gurgle of the river. are all smiles and excited chatter. There really in many great WTA My mind wanders to all the other great loca- isn’t anything like it and it turns out that it’s far August 28 Thursday East Fork of Foss Creek projects. One of tions we’ve worked at and the places we’ll be more than just trail work after all, it’s bonding the most memo- working. Blue Lake/Dock Butte, with its deep with friends, family, our community and nature. rable for him was blue lake and stellar views from the old lookout Come out and join us for a weekend of great Killen Meadows in site atop the butte, and a muddy trail that could camping and camaraderie—and we might even the Mount Adams use a lot more work. Elbow Lake, at the end of get some work done if we’re not careful.  Wilderness. He also participated in 17 Before and after on the Horseshoe Bend Trail: A muddy patch is transformed into turnpike/steps. days of work parties Kathy Evans constructing new trail in Beacon Rock State Park, plus the Barnes Creek bridge project. Lee is easy- going and friendly, has great attention to detail, and is very dedicated to the job at hand. These traits make Lee a great crew leader and someone you should all try to work with when you get the opportunity. —Alan Carter Mortimer