The Signpost Blog
Welcome, Brian Windrope!
WTA's new Executive Director, Brian Windrope.
It is my pleasure to share the news that Brian Windrope has been hired as WTA's new executive director. Please see our press release here.
When WTA's longtime executive director Elizabeth Lunney announced her intention to resign last year, we all let out an audible gasp of panic. We knew the challenge that lay ahead of us as an organization in finding an experienced, passionate, savvy, trail-loving leader to replace Elizabeth and take the helm of our favorite organization.
As the staff representative on our executive director search team, I know personally how much time and effort has gone into the process of finding our next leader these past several months. Fortunately, we found him - and he was right here in Washington state, working on land preservation in the San Juan Islands!
Brian's life and work history reflect his passion for wilderness and trails, a passion that was first sparked on a solo backpacking journey down the length of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in college. Brian says that trip "opened my eyes to the rest of my life."
I was deeply impressed with Brian's seasoned leadership experience and collaborative approach to staff management. He has twice before successfully led large organizations as an executive director, and most recently was director of philanthropy for the San Juan Preservation Trust. Brian has worked closely with land managers, advocated for trails in his own community, and managed large-scale volunteer operations.
On behalf of WTA's staff, I can tell you we are very excited to be bringing Brian into this leadership position, and we look forward to working with him to fulfill our mission.
Brian's first day at WTA will be April 12.
Website News
Daniel Shoe's photograph of a sunset in the Olympic Mountains is one of many submissions to WTA's Photo Gallery.
We're cooking up a bunch of great new website applications (and a few old ones too) and want to share them with you!
The Photo Gallery is Back!
First off, a favorite old website feature has returned - the Photo Gallery! Last summer, the Photo Gallery broke. We really want to bring a new and improved gallery to the website, but after realizing that this project is several months away, we decided to bring back our old gallery.
It works the same way it always has. Photo submissions are limited to two per month and the file size is less than 1MB. In addition, the gallery is still a bit temperamental. You may notice mis-categorized photos or that one you submitted last summer isn't there. We know it is far from perfect, but it sure is fun to share photos of places you love, and bringing back this Photo Gallery allows us to do that. And we promise that we'll get it upgraded one of these days! Check it out!
Cool New Stuff for Trip Reports
Submitting photos on Trip Reports has now been made easier. Like with the Photo Gallery, we've always had to ask people to resize their photos at home before uploading them. That can be time-consuming to some folks and nearly impossible for others. Now we've added a link to Picnik.com that will help resize your photos for you. Give it a try! Photos always make the Trip Report come alive.
We're most excited about our cool new Facebook app. Now you can post your Trip Report to your Facebook profile. After writing your Trip Report a box will pop up to ask you whether you want to post it. If you say yes, the Trip Report will appear in your Friends' news feeds, including a photo if you added one. This is a great way to share your favorite hikes, though it probably will mean you'll end up with a few more out-of-town guests as well.
Coming Soon...
We can't say much yet, but we'll conclude with these teasers: desert hikes and maps.
Huge Badger Mountain Work Party
It was an impressive sight: more than 100 volunteers turning out on a sunny weekend to help a new multi-use trail on Badger Mountain right on the outskirts of Richland, Washington.
- One of 100 volunteers building a trail at Badger Mountain near the Tri-Cities. Photo by Jim Langdon.
When the trail is finished it will be a great place for folks to recreate, with trails for hiking, biking and equestrian. The views from the summit extend in every direction and include the plains of Central Washington, the Columbia and Yakima Rivers, the Tri Cities, Hanford Reach and the White Bluffs, and distant glimpses of Mt. Rainer and Mt. Adams.
Over 100 volunteers worked on two trails - the Skyline Extension and Sagebrush - and completed over a mile of new trail. This leaves about a half mile to still be completed and will result in a great loop hike when combined with the Canyon Trail, which WTA helped to build in 2005, or hikers could do a through hike by combining with the Skyline trail, which we helped to construct in 2006.
To mobilize this large group of volunteers took the efforts of WTA, the Friends of Badger Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge Riders chapter of the BCH, Chinook Cycling Club and the Kenniwick REI. The turn-out was so impressive that the Tri-City Herald even wrote an article about the work party.
The route had been flagged out by Jim Langdon, trail master for the Friends of Badger Mountain and a WTA assistant crew leader. The volunteers each laid claim to their own piece of shrub steppe and began to shape trail tread out of the hillside. Those lower down and on the north side of the mountain found easy digging in loess soil, while those nearer the summit and on the south side ran into much rockier soils which made for slower going. All the crews worked hard to join their sections to the ones above and below.
By the end of the day Sunday everyone was pretty tired, but happy. We had managed to complete the Sagebrush trail and made a sizable dent on the Skyline extension! A few more work parties will be necessary to carve out the remaining trail and to fine-tune what has already been built. All of the volunteers should be proud of what they accomplished in a weekend and know that their efforts will be greatly appreciated by everyone who loves to hike and ride on Badger Mountain.
New Scholarship Opportunity for Youth Vacations
Youth volunteers build trail as well as friendships.
As most of you may already know, during the summer Washington Trails Association offers Youth Volunteer Vacations exclusively for high school students ages 14-18 who enjoy the outdoors. Youth volunteers spend a week outside having fun, camping and participating on a trail crew. Volunteers learn all about the world of building and maintaining hiking trails, learn new skills and meet new people. Youth Vacations provide opportunities for youth to connect to the natural world, give back to the hiking community and earn community service hours.
We believe no student should have to stay home this summer because he or she can't afford to get outside. WTA is proud to announce a new opportunity to get more youth outdoors. Thanks to donations from members and supporters we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships for our Youth Volunteer Vacation program this summer.
Time and time again our crew leaders have seen some amazing changes in youth while volunteering on trail for a week. From big smiles and friendships that develop, to hands covered with mud and a great sense of accomplishment, these trips help youth grow as individuals as well as outdoor leaders. Read more about our Youth Volunteer Vacations and learn more about the scholarship program.
Please spread the word about this opportunity to any high school student you know interested in the outdoors, but may not have the resources to otherwise get outside.
Applications due April 1, 2010
Questions? Contact Krista Dooley, Youth Programs Coordinator at krista@wta.org.
Missing Columbia Gorge Hiker a Mystery
Searchers are scouring the Table Mountain area in the Columbia River Gorge for 24-year-old Katherine Huether, a hiker from Portland who has not been heard from since Thursday.
UPDATE 3/13: It is with sadness that we update that Kate Huether's body was found at the base of an 800-foot cliff near Table Mountain on Saturday. Click here for more info. Our thoughts are with Kate's friends and family.
UPDATE: The search for Kate Huether is the Table Mountain area of the Columbia Gorge has been suspended. See this article at The Columbian for details.
The search continues today in the Table Mountain area of the Columbia Gorge for a Portland hiker named Kate Huether, 24, who went missing Thursday afternoon. Huether left her car at the Bonneville trailhead off of Hwy 14. She texted a friend she was going on a short hike and would be back at 8pm. Officials learned Huether was missing Saturday night and launched a search Sunday morning.The Table Mountain Trail is rugged and steep, and the 16-mile round trip route involves multiple junctions and turns, some unmarked. The trail to the top climbs over 3300 feet and follows the Pacific Crest Trail for a long portion. Before hiking to the top of Table Mountain, it's a good idea to plan this hike in advance while consulting maps to ensure good route finding, and having good maps with you on your hike is essential.
According to WTA's hiking guide entry on Table Mountain, written by WTA staffer Ryan Ojerio, Portlandhikers.org has a hiking guide with a detailed trail log of this area.
The Columbian reports that cold weather had added urgency to the search for the Portland State University student, which included nine tracking dogs:
With increasingly cold weather adding urgency, about 40 ground searchers and two helicopter crews spent Tuesday scouring a rugged, wooded 12-square-mile area north of Bonneville Dam for the missing hiker. A similar search is planned for today in a case one searcher called a mystery.
“I’m hoping she’s not hurt too seriously and able to sustain herself during these past few nights, and we’re going to find her tomorrow,” Skamania County Undersheriff Dave Cox said Tuesday night.
“It’s mountainous terrain, a lot of cliffs, very steep and heavily wooded, so we’ve got our hands full,” he added.
It is unknown if Huether's backpack included a warm jacket or coat, the ten essentials, or emergency shelter.
In addition to Clark County search and rescue, the sheriff’s office has detectives looking into the possibility of foul play. An unsubstantiated report surfaced on Monday that a man flashed a female hiker in the same area just a few hours before 3pm on Thursday, the time searchers believe Huether started up the trail.
A credit card receipt bearing Huether's name was found on the trail to Table Mountain on Sunday. Although she started up the trail late in the afternoon to be planning to hike all the way to the top of Table Mountain and back, the receipt was found at an unexpectedly high elevation.
According to Portland's KPTV, officials think Huether got lost. Huether's father, Robert Huether, says she is an experienced hiker and is still hopeful she will be found alive.
We hope so, too.Take Action Today to save DNR Lands
- Pausing to take in breathtaking views atop the summit of Mount Si, which is managed by DNR. By Deborah Richardson.
With one week left in this year's legislative session, there are very few chances remaining to keep important DNR lands like Mount Si, Rattlesnake Mountain and Lake Spokane open. Along with nearly 20 other important recreation areas statewide, these lands could be on the closure list as soon as this month if the legislature does not act to preserve them.
We need you to call your elected officials today and let them know how important these places are to you.
Please take a moment and call your Representatives and Senator and let them know that you want them include the Senate's proposal for DNR in the final negotiated budget. The Senate restores some funding to DNR, but most importantly, gives the agency the flexibility to spend money to keep these areas open.
It's particularly important that you call if you are represented by leadership on any of the House and Senate's Fiscal Committees. If your House delegation includes Representatives Linville, Darneille, Takko, Ericks or Sullivan, please make a call. Likewise if your Senator is Margarita Prentice, Rodney Tom or Karen Fraser.
Call the legislative hotline at 1.800.562.6000. Don't know your legislators? You can find your elected officials here.
Is Entering an Ice Cave Safe?
It is never safe to enter Big Four Ice Caves. Photo by Lindsay Leffelman
No. It is never safe to enter an ice cave.
Why do we mention this? Because every year on the first sunny day of spring, throngs of hikers make a pilgrimage to Big Four Ice Caves on the Mountain Loop Highway.
This weekend, as it approached 60 degrees, even more people than usual showed up. And with the Mountain Loop Highway open and the caves snowfree weeks earlier than usual, entering them was quite a temptation.
On Saturday night, one hiker posted a Trip Report on the WTA website that said in part, "It IS safe to venture into the cave as far as you want since the snow is very hard and compact." Apparently, that remark prompted several folks to enter the caves the next day and to tell the rangers that WTA said it was okay.
For the record, WTA did not say it's okay to enter ice caves, nor would we. We removed the post first thing on Monday morning, because we don't want to perpetrate misinformation or unsafe behavior. And we added text to our Big Four Ice Caves Hiking Guide entry warning folks of the dangers.
The thing is, Trip Reports are user-generated, and while they are extremely helpful and appreciated, they should not be taken unilaterally or at face value. People must do their own research and use common sense.
Personally, I would never enter Big Four Ice Caves. I recall the chilling story of a woman who died there in 1998, and I know of other instances of injury and of people becoming trapped inside by ice and avalanche.
We mention all of this, first and foremost, because we want everyone to come home from their hikes safely. There are dangers inherent to hiking - and sometimes things that look really fun and safe can turn ugly quickly.
Second, if you read a Trip Report post that is incorrect, please take a moment to comment on it, and then shoot me an email at susan@wta.org so I can take a look.
Finally, if you have any questions about accuracy, liability or monitoring of user-generated content like Trip Reports on our website, please refer to our Terms of Service.
Happy Safe Hiking!
WTA Awarded Spring Trust for Trails Grant
- Big Heart Lake is one of the wonders of hiking the West Fork Foss. WTA volunteers will begin flood damage repairs here this season thanks to funding from the Spring Trust for Trails. Photo by Joe Buoy.
The West Fork Foss Trail leads to a spectacular collection of lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. If you've never been, check out our hiking guide entry. You'll find out that, "in the autumn of 2006 the trail became a river channel when the West Fork Foss flooded. Tread damage was extensive, and this part of the trail is a real mess. Hopefully by 2010 the Forest Service will have received funding and the Washington Trails Association will have assembled a work team to help rehabilitate this popular path."
Fortunately, help has just arrived in the form of a grant from the Spring Trust for Trails.
Funding from the Spring Trust will allow WTA youth volunteers to begin trail work here in May. The Forest Service has secured federal funding to rebuild the bridge next year, after WTA's work is complete.
West Fork Foss isn't the only backcountry trail that will benefit from Spring Trust support this year. The grant will also allow several Backcountry Response Teams to address maintenance needs that lie beyond the reach of day crews and Volunteer Vacations. WTA will field more than a dozen such crews this year from Mount Baker to Mount St. Helens and from the Olympics to the Idaho border.
You can join the effort by signing up for a Backcountry Response Team at West Fork Foss, Mazama Camp, Island Lake and other wilderness locations.
This year's work is the latest in a longstanding partnership between WTA and the Spring for Trails. Last year, the Spring Trust supported our Safer Trails Campaign and enabled WTA to improve some of the most scenic trails in the Mount Baker area (including High Pass, Yellow Aster Butte, Skyline Divide).
Founded by Ira Spring (a co-founder of WTA), the Spring Trust for Trails is a natural extension of Ira's tireless efforts to preserve hiking opportunities in our state. All of the royalties from Ira's popular 100 Hikes book series are donated to the Trust. The Trust is also supported by donations from like-minded trail users who wish to support hiking opportunities through trail building and maintenance.
Enter Our Greatest Hits Contest
Lots of great springtime features in the March+April issue! Will your story be in our July+August issue?
If you are a member of WTA, you've just received a new issue of Washington Trails.
In our March-April issue, we've taken a look at geology, interesting places to stay after a hike, orca whales, hydration bladders, even wine and gardening...all from a hiker's point of view.
We also introduced an essay contest, Hikers in Washington Greatest
Hits.
What is "a hiker's greatest hit," you ask? It's a moment of glory
you experienced in the wilderness. A time when your precise and
thorough planning helped everyone in your party to have a great
adventure. A time when you reached a personal milestone.
Washington Trails wants to hear about your awesome peakbagging adventure, the most delicious backcountry meal you ever cooked, your great idea, your close brush with a wild animal and more. We'll then run selected essays in the July-August issue.
Rustle up your fondest memories. Here are the categories for our essay contest:
Your Touchstone Hike
Most Memorable Wildlife Encounter
Best Backcountry Meal
Best Day of Giving Back to Nature
Best Idea Had While Hiking
Best Bonding Experience
Tell us about an experience you shared on the trail brought you closer to the person/people with you.
Is a story coming to mind? Craft your tale and then head over to our poll to submit your story OR comment on this blog post! We can't wait to hear from you. You have some time to think, but there is a deadline. To be considered for publication, please have your story in by May 1, 2010.
Service Learner Superstars
Service Learners make a difference in the WTA office. Here Philip-Justus Pascual and Emily Frost pose for a photo.
Each quarter, WTA is contacted by several students at local colleges and universities looking for opportunities to complete service learning hours for various classes.
This quarter, WTA is lucky to have the helping hands of 23 students from Seattle University and the University of Washington, five of whom have been helping out in the WTA office: Philip-Justus Pascual, Brittany Cohen, Alex Valente, Emily Frost and Megan Veith.
Their projects have included assisting with mailings, adding information and photos for WTA's Hiking Guide and data entry.
When Philip, a junior at SU, started volunteering at WTA, he hadn't spent much time doing office work before. His efforts have given him an appreciation for the range of activities necessary to run an office. He comments:
"Administration is important too. Every little the dent I make in stacks of paper and envelopes, I feel that without the littlest cog the whole machine falls. Certainly, it takes more than one person to start a movement, but every person counts – the paper pusher, the administrator, the field worker, or whoever."
Brittany Cohen, also from SU, feels like she received a good grounding in what it would be like to work for a non-profit.
"Working at WTA has given me a great look into the world of a nonprofit - giving me an inside look on daily activities occurring behind the scenes. I have gained a strong sense of community among the employees, volunteers, and members of WTA. Through monthly “mailing parties,” volunteers and WTA staff come together to fold and organize renewal letters to members across the country, unofficially talk about upcoming projects, and among other things, discuss hiking trips."
As she hits the half-way point of her volunteering, she feels that "I have obtained the very important knowledge as to what keeps Washington Trails Association alive. Without the help of countless members and volunteers, only a fraction of WTA’s achievements could have been completed."
We couldn't have said it better, Brittany. Thank you to all our winter quarter service learners!
If you'd like to complete your service learning hours with WTA - either on trail or in the office next quarter - please email Alyssa Kreider at alyssa@wta.org.
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