FALL 2018 Issue Join Us for the NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT 2019
FOMF Annual The Nominating Committee consisted of Billie Anger (chair), Terry Hill, Flora Huber and Gloria Douglass. They have recommended for the FOMF 2019 Board Meeting the following slate of candidates to be voted in for a two year term: John Buddeau, Teresa Kasner and Gloria Douglass. Also to be voted in for a two year term and returning to the Board is Maxine Wilkins.
November 13, 2018 Board members who will be continuing into their second year are Dayle Heidi’s Restaurant Kasner, Flora Huber, and Kathy Collins. We thank Carl Collins, Lynn and Dollie Rasmussen, Sharon Quade and Sam 1230 NE Cleveland Ave, Gresham, OR 97030 Goodwin, for their generous service and tireless hours of dedication.
We appreciate those who took the time to respond to the Nominating Committee Survey. Our pool of active volunteers and potential Board mem- Arrival at 4:30 pm - Dinner at 5:00 pm bers has been reduced this year due to limitations in availability, volunteers’ medical issues and difficulty with transportation. We appreciate those who Business Meeting to Follow serve to fulfill the mission of the organization.
The Executive Board voted for one term: Election of Board Members & Officers Kathy Collins President John Buddeau Vice-President Volunteer Recognition and Awards Gloria Douglass Secretary (This meeting is for FOMF Members & Volunteers) Dayle Kasner Treasurer
COLUMBIA GORGE HIKING TRAILS UPDATE by Matt Ramich
Looking at the most recent Trails Update Publication, credited to Forest Service employee Sharon Steriti, the following is the most recent compiled information on trails in the Columbia River Gorge: Volunteer Organization Work: Trail Keepers of Oregon (TKO) have been working on two trail 400 segments, one between Ainsworth and Multnomah Falls and the second between Wyeth Campground and Herman Creek. TKO have also been working on sections up the Larch Mountain Trail.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) have cleared logs on the Herman Creek Trail all the way up to the Columbia River Gorge Shortly after the Eagle Creek fire, a large portion of the cliffs just North of Punch National Scenic Area boundary. The Pacific Crest Trail, due to the out- Bowl Falls collapsed. The debris dammed the Creek below the falls and raised standing efforts by the PCTA, is open from Wahtum Lake to the Bridge the water level by nearly four feet. As a consequence, Punch Bowl Falls is of the Gods. approximately four feet shorter! The Punch Bowl Falls recreation area is com- pletely changed from how it previously looked. - Photo Courtesy of Terry Hill 1 (Continued on Page 3) FOCUS USFS SITE MANAGER REPORT - by Matt Ramich Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening to you. ON THE Wherever you are while reading this issue, the Fall issue, I hope you are well. Finally, the summer months seem to be behind us. FALLS We all did quite well adjusting and relaying to the public hiking options, as many of the public’s favorite trails remained closed due to the Eagle Creek Fire. It may have been tedious for many of Friends of Multnomah Falls you having to answer the same questions over and over again, FALL Issue 2018 but believe me, you probably made a world of difference for the PO Box 426 | Troutdale OR 97060 people asking. Then again, that is why you all volunteer as well http://friendsofmultnomahfalls.org as the reason I chose to work here, to help people enjoy the out- doors and recreate responsibly in the Gorge. With the end of the summer season, we have to say goodbye to my seasonal workers. Newsletter Editor & Website Administrator As some of you know, Sullivan has already left (his last day was September 13th). He did a great Teresa Kasner job bringing in more knowledge about local fish species and creating a nice presentation to educate the public on this subject. He also helped create a better connection between the Forest Service and Board of Directors 2018 local hatcheries/dams. I learned some things as well as saw small lamprey mating in Multnomah Creek for the first time! Next to leave was Sam. Her last day was September 21st. Sam, if any of President you saw, created some beautifully illustrated presentations (a couple with Sulllivan), got really Carl Collins involved with the junior ranger program (tallied up 107 kids inducted), and overall was a pleasant ranger to work with. Potentially, she may be back next year. We will all see. Finally, Heather left Vice-President on September 29th. Over these past two summers Heather has gone from a seasonal co-worker to John Buddeau a very effective ranger who helped stand in when I was gone. A great “number two”, she helped relay information to you all, answered questions or brought to attention things I needed to take Secretary care of, and worked with the seasonals when I needed to take care of other matters. Overall, Gloria Douglass another great crew I got to work with for this Summer, 2018 edition.
Treasurer (Continued on Page 4) Dayle Kasner FOMF PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - by Carl Collins Board Members This past year has been a milestone for the Friends. The Eagle Creek Fire has challenged us to make Kathy Collins new adjustments in the way we serve the Forest Service and the visitors that come from all over the Sam Goodwin globe. This summer has been especially interesting serving fewer tourists due to the limited parking Flora Huber on I-84 plus answering a barrage of phone calls from visitors who are unable to get into the parking Teresa Kasner lot because the sign says it is full. Sharon Quade Dollie Rasmussen I am inspired as I look back to all that has been accomplished through the many meetings between Lynn Rasmussen several organizations who all want to help the Columbia River Gorge be a vital place to visit again. Many people are involved repairing trails, building new bridges and securing the highways because Matt Ramich of sliding debris. We not only must tell people that they can only go to Benson Bridge for their hike (Ex-Officio USFS) but give out new trail information of other places to visit for the day. The dedication and determi- nation of many Forest Service personnel and volunteers have Rick Buck (Ex-Officio) made progress in trail repairs, although there is no timeline yet Multnomah Falls Lodge Co. to reopen much of the favorite trails.
Our Mission Statement: It makes me proud to be associated with organizations that have met and devised together a plan of healing and rebuilding. The spirit of the people of the gorge is awesome and says what “The Friends of Multnomah is truly important. Falls are dedicated to preserving and enhancing The Annual meeting will be November 13th at 4 pm at Heidi’s the unique natural, scenic restaurant in Gresham. So mark this event on your calendars. and historic qualities of Multnomah Falls while This will be my last year to serve as your president. It has been providing a memorable an honor for me to serve you all in this capacity. experience for our visitors.” 2 FOMF VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PICNIC 2018 (Continued from Page 1)
Columbia River Gorge NSA Employees: Work continues on West Side trails including installation of bollards going up the Larch Mountain Trail as well as hazard tree removal along and in the bowl of the Multnomah Falls area.
No timeframe has been set for reopening the Historic Highway, due to several rock slide events. (Continued on Page 4)
The FOMF Volunteer Appreciation Picnic was held on the last Sunday of July - it was decided that the Guy M. Talbot State Park would be over- crowded due to the closed trails so the board made the decision to move the picnic. It was held this year at the lovely and air conditioned Pavilion at Cascade Locks Marine Park.
Thank you to those who made the trek to join the group on this fun annual event. The group was thankful for the AC as it was especially hot this year. Max Martin, PCTA Trail Maintenance Supervisor, with a Pacific Crest Trail mule-supported trail crew, stop for a group photo before departing The board would like to use this facility next year, we hope you’ll join us from Wahtum Lake on a three day work project over Benson Plateau. (Photo Courtesy of Terry Hill) next year, we’d like you to be in our annual photo of the group! (Continued on Page 4)
FRIENDS of MULTNOMAH FALLS MEMBERSHIP FORM
q Yes, I would like to become a Member q Renewing Member FOMF is a 100% volunteer, private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Check a box to select your level of membership: q $20 Individual q $100 Supporting q $500 Benefactor q $35 Family q $250 Sustaining q $1000 Lifetime q $50 Contributing Make checks payable to: Friends of Multnomah Falls, and fill out the information below. Name:______Phone:______Address:______Email Address:______City:______State:______Zip:______Please send this application to: The Friends of Multnomah Falls, PO Box 426, Troutdale, Oregon 97060 3 TRAILS UPDATES TRAIL REPAIRS by PACIFIC CREST TRAIL ASSOCIATION WORKERS OPEN OREGON TRAILS STILL TRAILS: CLOSED IN THE (Trails updates and repairs are continued from Page 3) COLUMBIA RIVER Deadwood GORGE NSA: Gorge 400 (Wyeth Trail still closed) Angels Rest Gorton Creek Bell Creek Herman Bridge Devil’s Rest Herman Creek Eagle Creek Mt. Defiance Gorge 400 Nick Eaton Horsetail Falls Ridge Cutoff Larch Mountain Sandy River Delta Moffett Creek Starvation Ridge Multnomah Spur (Cut off trail still closed Multnomah Way due to washout) Skilled trail workers with the Pacific Crest Trail Association spent all day building a rock Nesmith Point wall to repair a breach in the Herman Creek Bridge Trail caused by the Eagle Creek Fire. Open Oneonta Gorge (Photos Courtesy Terry Hill) Ruckle Creek Washington Tanner Butte Trails: Tanner Creek Wahclella Falls Augspurger Wahkeena Falls Balfour-Klickitat Trail Wauna View Point BZ Falls Wyeth Cape Horn Catherine Creek Coyote Wall Dog Mountain Klickitat Trail Sams Walker St. Cloud
(Continued from Page 1 - Matt Ramich) Some other things I would like to mention are, it sounds like the employee shuttle will continue into October sometime. Rick was very generous to offer this service to the Friends of Multnomah Falls. Thank you to everyone who used it and working with that change. I even rode it a couple times and it was nice. The Columbia Gorge Express will continue to run in the Fall, Winter, and Spring into next Summer. Hours will change and probably frequency. An updated schedule will be posted on the cork board behind the front desk once one is created. Seems I have run out of space for more thoughts, so keep up the good work and may Multnomah Falls keep spirits high as well as inspire our visitors. FOMF VOLUNTEER RECRUITER - Chris Meinicke
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Chris Meinicke at [email protected] or phone 503-645-3124. Our vol- unteers enjoy a flexible schedule and lots of fun training opportunities! We have the Interpretive Volunteer Training Workshop in March, a Bus Tour in the Columbia River Gorge in the Spring, a complimentary Sternwheeler Cruise, the Volunteer Picnic in July and the Annual Meeting in November! If you’ve ever thought of giving it a try, we’d love to have you on the FOMF team!
Please e-mail Teresa Kasner [email protected] to receive future newsletters via PDF attached to an email - to save printing and postage for FOMF.
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