Newsletter of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club THE ALPINER July August September 2018 Cougar Squak Tiger Grand Ridge Taylor Rattlesnake ISSAQUAH HONORS KAPPLER David Kappler, the longest “Dave has routinely brought serving active member of the positive media attention to Issaquah Alps Trails Club and Issaquah and its outdoor trea- current vice-president for advo- sures. He is an inspiring cacy, has received the highest example to all of us in portray- honor bestowed upon residents ing how one person can ef- of the City of Issaquah: its Hall fectively engage in and make of Fame for a citizen making a their community stronger and lasting contribution to the com- better. Without Dave’s endur- munity. The award was pre- ing legacy of efforts in open sented at the May 8 meeting of space conservation, trails, and the Greater Issaquah Chamber environmental protection, Is- of Commerce. saquah would be a much lesser Nominees for the honor were Kappler cited by Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly place. evaluated on the following criteria: inspiration, service, “Instead, Issaquah, known for its close connections to leadership, civic-mindedness, activity in drawing posi- nature, stands out as one of the region’s and nation’s most tive attention to the community, fund-raising efforts for desirable places to live. Dave Kappler well deserves a the public good, and length of service to the community. place in Issaquah’s Hall of Fame.” Kappler was nominated by Ken Konigsmark, who wrote The only other IATC member so honored over the years the following in his nomination: is Harvey Manning, club founder. “David Kappler has served and made enormous impact on Issaquah and its surroundings for over four decades. Dave was an original founder of the Issaquah Alps Trails LOG THE DELEO WALL? Club and Mountains to Sound Greenway and has been instrumental to conserving the forested ‘Issaquah Alps’ The DeLeo Wall is the most scenic location on Cougar landscape around Issaquah and to establishing a legacy Mountain, a favorite Cougar destination for hikers from of trails both within and around our city. IATC. But it may not be accessible to hikers much longer. “Dave served for 19 years on the Issaquah City Council, The viewpoint and its surroundings are privately owned where he had major impact on environmental and land outside the park boundary. The owners (Delpay Prop- use issues, including the timeframe when both Highlands erties) have applied for a logging permit that would and Talus were in work. To this day, Dave continues clearcut the mountain’s south side all the way down to to serve the community by actively participating in and May Valley below. At this time there is no active effort contributing to local governance and to fellow citizens to purchase the acreage from Delpay, so the proposed who routinely seek his advice and counsel. continued on page 8 2 Issaquah Alps Trails Club The Apparatus Club Founder Harvey Manning Whenever possible, please Executive Director use e-mail to contact any Suzanne Kagen • 681-6739 • [email protected] member listed below. President John Sherwin • 785-8819 • [email protected] President-Elect David Dunphy • 206-999-4797 • [email protected] Vice President of Issues and Advocacy David Kappler • 392-3571 • [email protected] The Alpiner is published in Vice President of Operations January, April, July, and October. Open Treasurer Issaquah Alps Trails Club Mary Jo Barlow • 844-392-4282 • [email protected] PO Box 351, Issaquah, WA 98027 Secretary Website: www.issaquahalps.org Steve Payne • 253-315-0426 • [email protected] IATC subsists on member donations Board of Directors only. Please send your tax-deductible Tom Anderson • 206-245-3787 • [email protected] contributions to the address above to Denice Carnahan • 271-4049 • [email protected] help sustain our efforts to preserve, David Dunphy • 206-999-4797 • [email protected] protect, and promote the Issaquah Alps Joy Kacorski • 761-7134 • [email protected] and local environment. Ken Konigsmark • 222-4839 • [email protected] Steve Payne • 253-315-0426 • [email protected] Articles are welcome, preferably George Potter • 557-6554 • [email protected] via e-mail to: [email protected] John Sherwin • 785-8819 • [email protected] Send diskette or hard copy to post Ed Vervoort • 206-523-6461 • [email protected] office box number above. Legal Advisor Open Issue deadlines: November 21 for Hikes Coordination January; February 21 for April; May 21 George Potter • 557-6554 • [email protected] for July; August 21 for October. Webmaster George Potter • 557-6554 • [email protected] Club Historian Doug Simpson • 823-0747 • [email protected] Chief Cartographer Harry Morgan • 432-3249 • [email protected] The Alpiner Doug Simpson • 823-0747 • [email protected] Advocates Cougar Mountain: Steve Williams • 453-8997 • [email protected] Issaquah: Connie Marsh • 392-4908 • [email protected] Tiger Mountain: Ed Vervoort • 206-523-6461 • [email protected] (Note: All telephone Rattlesnake Mountain/Taylor Mountain: Ralph Owen • 270-3322 numbers are area Squak Mountain: Cathy Brandt • 430-9877 code 425 unless Volunteer Trail Maintenance Coordinator otherwise noted.) Open Mountains To Sound Greenway Ken Konigsmark • 222-4839 • [email protected] April May June 2018 3 PRESIDENT’S ADVOCACY REPORT: REPORT SPRING 2018 By John Sherwin By David Kappler, Vice-President for Advocacy Summer is close upon us, which is hard to believe. I find Cougar Mountain this a most invigorating time of year—one full of energy Cougar Mountain issues continue to be in the news. and possibility. This is also a very busy and exciting The SaveCougarMountain.org group has been a time for the Issaquah Alps Trails Club. In addition to great partner in working to protect northeast Cougar the many guided hikes we provide, we continue to focus and improving access to Cougar Mountain Regional on creating new opportunities to engage youth and new Wildland Park. The club has been advocates for acqui- hiker demographics, increase our community outreach, sition and protection of the “Bergsma property” since and expand and scale our advocacy program. We are the inception of the club in the 1970s. Save Cougar also building and expanding partnerships with the City Mountain was formed when the property was proposed of Issaquah, REI, Sammamish YMCA and Mountains for development in the last few years. They have been to Sound Greenway Trust, to name a few. a great partner and are carrying the main efforts as we Speaking of partnerships, we were delighted to part- support and encourage them. ner with King County Metro and other non-profits to They are working with city, county and state officials kick-off the second year of Metro’s Trailhead Direct to fund the purchase of the property and make sure any bus program. The “Issaquah Alps” bus route resumed development recognizes the environmental limitations service on April 21 and the new “Mount Si/Tenerrife” of the property, that critical areas are protected and route started on May 19. On opening day, our Executive the site is geologically stable and does not slide like Director Suzanne Kagen and volunteer Annie Newcomb Parcel 9 in Talus. greeted hikers at the Mount Tenerrife trailhead and Josh Cohen did an excellent article on their efforts and shared information about the club. These bus routes some historical perspective to the importance of this offer a convenient transportation alternative, help re- property to the region. (https://crosscut.com/2018/05/ duce congestion at trailheads and bring new hikers to puget-sounds-boom-reverberates-cougar-mountain) our beloved Alps. The newest threat to Cougar Mountain is the proposed In early May, President-Elect David Dunphy, Suzanne clearcutting of the DeLeo Wall. The group dealing and board member Joy Kacoroski hosted a meeting with saving this part of Cougar, SaveDeLeoWall.org, with other organizations at the Sammamish YMCA to has done a fantastic job of organizing and working with discuss ways to engage youth in our community. All the cities of Renton and Newcastle, King County and agree that attracting and retaining employees, especially Washington State Department of Natural Resources. among under-represented communities, is a challenge. See another article for more on this topic. David and Joy continue to work together to create new opportunities to educate and engage the next generation Issaquah Strategic Park and Recreation Plan of Aps members. Exciting! The club has been very involved with the development Board member To Anderson is leading the effort to plan of a new park plan for the City of Issaquah. The plan and execute a fantastic 40th anniversary celebration in deals with urban trails in the more developed parts of 2019, and we are working on assembling the story of Issaquah with special emphasis on the Green Necklace the club and the course we are plotting for the future. trails and connections and routes for the Mountains to Also, a big shout out to David Kappler, who was recently Sound Trail connecting from the Bellevue side of the inducted into the City of Issaquah Hall of Fame! What city to the King County Issaquah-Preston Trail. a well-deserved honor and a testament to the incredible The City of Issaquah adjoins park or open space along impact David and the club have on the community. continued on page 9 4 Issaquah Alps Trails Club King County Land Conservation CLUB LOSES YELLOW HOME Initiative Announced! Twenty some years ago, the City of Issaquah, having By Ken Konigsmark purchased the old station master’s house at First and Bush streets, made the yellow house available to the King County Executive Dow Constantine announced Issaquah Alps Trails Club as a home base for its meet- on May 23rd a bold, new initiative to purchase the ings and operations.