Foraging, p.24 John Day Fossil Beds, p.28 Storm Survival, p.35 WASHINGTON TRAILS September + October 2010 » A Publication of Washington Trails Association www.wta.org » $4.50 Pilgrimage to Sahale Arm Good Work at Hart Lake, p.15 Salmon Tales, p.10 and p.34 Nettle Pesto Pasta, p.36 » Table of Contents Sept+Oct 2010 Volume 46, Issue 5 News + Views The Front Desk » Brian Windrope A poetic expression of the WTA mission. » p.4 8 The Signpost » Rob Shurtleff A guest post from WTA’s new board president. » p.5 Trail Talk » Letters from our readers, or, in this case, second graders. » p.6 Hiking News » The feds want to hear from hikers, a case study in stakeholder involvement, Washington State Trails Conference and more. » p.7 Don Jacobson WTA at Work Trail Work » Partnering with conservation organizations to build trails. » p.12 Action for Trails » Help trails get funded at the state level. » p.16 Membership News » Workplace giving lets you work 9 to 5 for trails. » p.17 On Trail Feature » John D’Onofrio A photo essay exploring Sahale Arm. » p.19 Eli Boschetto 28 Feature » Lace Thornberg and Langdon Cook Feasting on wild edibles. » p.24 Northwest Explorer » Eli Boschetto Travel back through time at Oregon’s John Day Fossil Beds. » p.28 Backcountry The Gear Closet » WTA introduces a team of gear reviewers. » p.31 Packs that carry what you need to survive the day. » p.33 Nature on Trail » Dennis Dauble Learn more about an iconic Northwest species, the Chinook salmon. » p.34 How to Do It » Todd Miller Wait it out or dash? What to do when a storm blows in. » p.35 35 Take a Hike » Select trip reports from across the state. » p.37 Jim Cummins Featured Landscape » Look for larches on Carne Mountain. » p.47 This Month’s Cover » Photo by John D’Onofrio Sahale Arm, North Cascades National Park www.wta.org September + October 2010 » Washington Trails About Us « 3 WASHINGTON TRAILS 2019 Third Avenue, Board of Directors Staff Suite 100 President Executive Director Seattle, WA 98121 ROB SHURTLEFF, Seattle BRIAN WINDROPE 206.625.1367 www.wta.org VP, Advocacy Advocacy Director STEPHEN TAN, Seattle JONATHAN GUZZO Washington Trails VP, Board Development Bookkeeper Association is a volunteer- CRAIG MCKIBBEN, Seattle DEB HEMINGWAY driven nonprofit member- VP, Fundraising & Membership Chief Crew Leader ship organization working CAROLE BIANQUIS, Seattle MIKE OWENS to preserve, enhance and Treasurer Communications & Outreach Director promote hiking oppor- DOUG BRECKEL, Seattle LAUREN BRADEN tunities in Washington Secretary Development Director state through collabora- KATE ROGERS, Seattle REBECCA LAVIGNE tion, education, advocacy At-Large Directors Editor and trail maintenance. PETER BARRETT, Bellevue LACE THORNBERG Washington Trails LISA BLACK, Everett Field Director Association was founded JEFF CHAPMAN, Port Townsend ALAN CARTER MORTIMER by Louise B. Marshall LANGDON COOK, Seattle Membership Manager (1915–2005). Ira Spring KAREN DAUBERT, Seattle KARA CHIN (1918–2003) was its TODD DUNFIELD, Spokane Northwest Washington Crew Leader primary supporter. Greg TIM GOULD, Seattle ARLEN BOGAARDS Ball (1944–2004) founded WENDY WHEELER JACOBS, Sammamish Office Manager the volunteer trail main- RICHARD JOHNSON, Sammamish HOLLY CHAMBERS tenance program. Their JERRY KEPPLER, Seattle Outreach Coordinator spirit continues today KATHLEEN LEARNED, Seattle KINDRA RAMOS through contributions DAMIEN MURPHY, Redmond Project Coordinator from thousands of WTA MELISSA STRAUCH, Seattle TIM VAN BEEK members and volunteers. STEPHEN TAN, Seattle Program Development Manager DIANE BEDELL Southwest Washington Regional Coordinator Advisory Board RYAN OJERIO Susan Ball, Mark Boyar, Joan Burton, Bill Volunteer Coordinator Chapman, Karl Forsgaard, Kevin Hall, Ken ALYSSA KREIDER Konigsmark, Ken Mondal, Tom Lucas, Margaret Web Editor Macleod, Susan Saul, John Spring SUSAN ELDERKIN Youth Programs Coordinator Washington Trails KRISTA DOOLEY Youth Programs Specialist Owner & Publisher CHRIS WALL WTA has earned Charity WASHINGTON TRAILS ASSOCIATION Washington Trails (ISSN 1534-6366) is published Navigator’s highest rat- bimonthly by the Washington Trails Association, Washington Trails Volunteers ing four years in a row. 2019 Third Ave., Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98121. Annual membership dues, which include a subscription to Gear Team Washington Trails magazine, are $40. Single copy CHERIE BEVERS, ELI BOSCHETTO, CHERI HIGMAN, price is $4.50. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, WA. PATRICK LEAHY, MATT THYER POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Washington Copy Editors Trails Magazine, 2019 Third Ave., Suite 100, Seattle, WA MARK CANIZARO, JIM CAVIN, REBECCA KETTWIG, 98121. © 2010 Washington Trails Association ANITA WAHLER WTA is a member organization of Printed on Grays Harbor Paper’s Harbor 100, 100 percent recycled paper made with EarthShare Washington. 100 percent renewable energy. Learn more at www.ghpaper.com. 4 September + October 2010 » Washington Trails www.wta.org News+Views The Front Desk » Working Together oetry permeated my childhood. 1. Our staff, volunteers and land managers My maternal grandmother are able to work together with shared purpose was a wordsmith of some local and goals, even though they work physically renown, and in addition to apart from one another all around the state. writing a weekly newspaper 2. Our members and donors of all levels see column, she had several books their support for WTA as a necessary part of of poetry published during her their personal responsibility, even though they lifetime. To this day, I turn to will never know all the community benefits to poetry to find expressions of truth I can find few people and trails made possible by their dona- other ways. My early tenure here at WTA has tions. Pbeen marked by two major recognitions that find their best expression for me in a Robert Frost poem that I cherish. How do I link the WTA mis- This connectedness, and shared sense of sion with poetry? Well, come along for a moment vision and purpose, is an essential part of why and you will see. our mission at WTA has grown in effectiveness over the years. This sense of WTA being a large extended community is a beautiful thing for Frost’s poem “The Tuft of Flowers” is writ- me to behold. Each and every one of us, in our ten in rhyming couplets that are remarkable for own way, is a part of what makes the mission at their song and easy flow. The poem, dare I say, WTA successful. Every trail mile that is main- is about something central to our mission here tained, and every hiker that has a safer and bet- at WTA. This last couplet lacks the full story of ter experience, comes as a result of your efforts, the entire poem and does require a pardon for whether you see the impact or not. the dated male-only reference, but the idea here rings true nevertheless: We truly do work together, whether we do our work together or apart. ‘Men work together,’ I told him from the heart, ‘Whether they work together or apart.’ Brian Something fundamental about WTA is em- bedded in those few words. It is not an uncom- Windrope mon idea, but I’ve never heard it expressed more Executive Director effectively. It has become abundantly clear to me [email protected] that WTA thrives because two things are true: www.wta.org www.wta.org September + October 2010 » Washington Trails News+Views « 5 The Signpost » WTA Ambassadors Needed A message from recently elected WTA President Rob Shurtleff WTA’s new board president, Rob Shurtleff, near News+Views Lake Wenatchee 19 people, after all, and we’re not going to break the membership thermometer by ourselves, much as we might try. This is why I would like to ask you, our valued members, to lend a hand. Greetings! Please allow me to introduce myself. I am an avid hiker and a seasoned WTA has seen great success over the last technologist. As a board member, I have few years: membership is growing steadily, worked with WTA’s communications staff trail maintenance crews set new records ever on our online strategy, most recently helping year, the website traffic is skyrocketing. Why to design the map-based “Hike Finder.” This do we need more ambassadors? summer, I was elected as the president of WTA’s board of directors, and I am thrilled to Simply stated, WTA’s ability to reach any have the opportunity to contribute so mean- of our goals is directly related to how many ingfully to WTA’s mission. members are helping out by paying for mem- berships. We receive nearly 60 percent of our Every two years the board president and annual funding from individual members. the executive director nominate a slate of This is a great strength, and it means that new officers to the board for approval. As the program enhancements on our wish list incoming president, I helped to interview are possible if we can grow membership to new board candidates and I noticed that fund new initiatives and grow our program’s many had the same question for us: “Will I be reach. expected to ask all my friends for donations?” Our answer was always no with the inevi- When you meet someone on trail, when table “but”—in this case, “But we do need you you see a Facebook post about a great hike, to be an ambassador.” when someone is regaling co-workers about a hike they did this summer, don’t let the By ambassador, we mean someone who opportunity slip. I have personally recruited will engage other hikers, explain the mission 25 new members over the last two years and and the accomplishments of WTA, talk about I can promise it gets easier each time you his or her personal commitment to WTA and say, “Hey, have you heard about WTA? I am ask folks to join him or her in supporting a member.