The Signpost Blog
Andrew Engelson - Where is he now?
Hello from Vietnam! Some of you may remember me - Andrew Engelson, the former editor of Washington Trails magazine and the Signpost Blog.
- Former Washington Trails magazine editor Andrew Engelson is now living in Hanoi. Here he summits Vietnam's highest peak, Fansipan, in January 2010.
It's been six months since I left Seattle for Hanoi, and time has really flown by during our family's adventure abroad. We moved to Vietnam for my wife's work - she's with the Seattle-based nonprofit PATH and is helping the Vietnamese government improve its vaccine distribution network. Her work has been rewarding and challenging.
Our two girls, Fiona (6) and Matilda (4), have adjusted incredibly well. They're in superb international schools, and they've made friends from all over the world, from Belgium to Tanzania to Australia. Fiona is quickly surpassing all of us in her Vietnamese language skills - she's always correcting our pronunciation! Probably the biggest challenge raising kids here is that Hanoi is incredibly dense, urban and busy. Amid all the motorbikes, smog, and noise, it's hard to find any natural green space. There are no easy or obvious ways to "green-bond."
We do have a few options. We live near a quiet little lake where the girls can play and ride bikes. We've been exploring the city parks of Hanoi, which if nothing else, offer trees and relative quiet. But as nice as the parks are, they're not really wild: busy with food vendors and badminton players and decrepit-but-fun amusement rides.
We've succeeded in getting out of urban Hanoi occasionally, and those trips have been fantastic. Vietnam is a lovely country with varied landscapes. We took a fantastic excursion to Ha Long Bay, a beautiful place where steep, rocky karst formations soar out of a vast inland sea. It's a great location for sailing on a traditional junk or paddling kayaks. We did both, and did some hiking at a place called Monkey Island, which indeed had some rather intimidating monkeys.
I've also been able to do a few solo hiking adventures. I drove my trusty old Minsk motorbike out to a place called Mai Chau, a lovely mountain valley west of Hanoi. It's a place oozing with classic Vietnamese scenery: rice paddies and water buffalo and soaring limestone formations. The hill tribe culture here is fascinating, and I took a trek that included a night in a Hmong village, where people wear traditional dress and cook food over open fires.
As an avid hiker, though, the highlight of my stay here so far has been a trek to the summit of Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam. It's a two-night hike up a steep and winding trail (think a couple of Mailbox Peaks stacked on top of each other and you get some idea of the challenge). It was great to be in clear air at 3,143 meters (10,312 feet) and surveying green mountains in all directions and a sea of clouds far below.
And what, you ask, am I doing with my time here in Vietnam besides hiking, drinking iced coffee and eating delicious Vietnamese food? Well, I've been writing my blog, which you can find at www.onlyok.net. It's about the fun and frustrations of an American family living in Hanoi. But my main project has been writing a novel, which is progressing well. I've met some other expat writers here and we meet regularly to share and improve our work. The book is set in the Northwest during the early to mid-twentieth century, and there's more than a little hiking and mountaineering in it. It's a bit strange, writing about the mountains of Washington in the midst of the urban craziness of Hanoi. But the distance makes you appreciate just how incredible the landscapes are back home.
Of course I miss the great staff and volunteers at WTA. I've continued to follow WTA's great work via their fantastic website (which just keeps getting better and packed with more information). I missed being at WTA's annual Hiker Lobby Day, and I'm impressed by all the great work WTA has done lately to draw attention to issues like funding for DNR lands. As I expected, Lace Thornberg is doing a fantastic job with Washington Trails magazine. I'm sorry to see Elizabeth Lunney is leaving WTA, but excited for her new challenges ahead. And I was impressed to see that WTA volunteers set a new record for volunteer hours in 2009. You guys are awesome and so dedicated!
If you're interested in following my family's overseas adventures, have a look at www.onlyok.net. And I always appreciate hearing via e-mail from all the great folks in the Washington hiking community!
Sign up for your Volunteer Vacation
Ready. Set. Go!
You can now sign up for Volunteer Vacations, Youth Vacations and Backcountry Response Team trips (BCRT).
- Volunteers from the 2009 Volunteer Vacation on the Upper Dungeness Trail enjoy some R and R after a good day's work. Photo by Pauline Cantor.
If you're new to WTA, these are extended trail maintenance work parties - Volunteer and Youth Vacations last a week; BCRTs run from three to five days. Because of their duration, these trips usually dip deeper into the backcountry and/or stray farther from population centers than our one-day trips do.
This year we have 42 public week-long trips scheduled for this summer - 28 adult vacations and 14 youth vacations. We also have scheduled 27 BCRTs.
That's a lot of much-needed trail maintenance!
WTA's Trail Maintenance Director Diane Bedell has provided an excellent account of the impact that these vacations have on trails and for hikers. Last year, trail volunteers tackled numerous important projects on 35 trails, including:
- Constructing a new 45 foot bridge over Ipsut Creek, a place where two hikers tragically lost their lives in 2007
- Clearing more than 400 trees along the Boundary Trail in the Pasaytan;
- Youth shoring up a precarious spot north of Deception Pass on the PCT.
Along with some great work, these trips are lots of fun. That's why people come back year after year. And that's why you need to sign up today! Popular trips fill very quickly.
How quickly? A few predictions from WTA's Trail Maintenance staff:
- First Volunteer Vacation to fill? They predict Cape Disappointment, Moore Point and Holden Village.
- First Youth Vacation to fill? Predictions are Hart Lake and Cape Disappointment.
- First BCRT to fill? South Coast Wilderness.
- Date and Time of the 100th registrant? 10:59am on Monday the 8th.
- Number of registrants on the first day? 141.
Check back to see how these predictions pan out. And sign up for your vacation today!
WTA Hiker Lobby Day was a great success
Thank You Hiker-Lobbyists!
Roughly 75 people came to Olympia yesterday to talk with their elected officials about restoring funding to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the effort was a huge success!
- 75 hikers came out to WTA's 2010 Hiker Lobby Day.
It is too early to tell if DNR’s funding will indeed be restored, but many of the legislators were struck by the message that restoring a mere $278,000 (less than .01% of the deficit) would have a large benefit to the many hikers, families and communities that use DNR lands as a close-to-home recreation opportunity. Equally important was the fact that many legislators did not realize that Mt. Si was managed by DNR or that it (and many other great places) are in real danger of being closed.
The fact that constituents were able to raise awareness about DNR will go a long way towards getting funding restored.
In addition to raising awareness among lawmakers, it was great to watch WTA’s supporters turn into budding activists. Many folks were nervous about meeting with their representatives, but as the day went on people’s confidence grew. It started small with some great questions to the morning’s guest speaker, Peter Goldmark, Commissioner of Public Lands, who gave an inspiring speech.
By the end of the day folks were offering copies of Washington Trails magazine to their representatives and encouraging them not only to support restoring DNR’s funding but also to join WTA!
“I had no idea how easy it was to meet with my representative,” remarked one of our lobby day participants yesterday afternoon. And several of our first timers have already committed to coming back next year. There is a rush and feeling of satisfaction to being an active part of the democratic process.
If you didn’t get to experience this firsthand yesterday, you can still be a part of WTA’s efforts to save DNR lands. Call the Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000 today and urge your state representatives to restore DNR's recreation funding in the 2010 supplemental budget.
Cape Horn Recreation Plan Moves Forward
The Forest Service plan for developing the Cape Horn Trail passed a major milestone yesterday when the 45-day appeal period ended without a legal challenge.
- An official trail along Cape Horn's rugged cliffs is sanctioned by the Forest Service.
Meanwhile the planning process for Coyote Wall and Catherine Creek has been mired in controversy, stalling needed action to prevent further damage to that sensitive area.
Cape Horn Plan includes seasonal trail closure
The Cape Horn Recreation Plan was forged through a lengthy collaborative process involving the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Cape Horn Conservancy, Friends of the Gorge and other stakeholders. The planning process was complicated by the fact that hiking enthusiasts had already constructed an unsanctioned trail that then became very popular with many hikers. The Forest Service was less than enthusiastic about adopting a trail that has significant issues with user safety, impacts to sensitive habitats and nearby residents.
The most controversial aspect of the plan calls for seasonal closure from January 1st to July 1st on the lower portion of the trail to minimize disturbance to nesting peregrine falcons. Such a closure denies access to the most spectacular portion of the trail during the time of year when low elevation hiking options are limited. Now that the plan is official, closure signs will be posted at a viewpoint know as Fir Point which is atop the lower cliffs south of Hwy 14. One improvement that everyone is excited about is the installation of underpasses below Hwy 14 that will allow safe passage between the upper and lower trail segments.
The plan also calls for some trail reroutes, new bridges, viewing platforms and eventually the upper portion will have a day use area, parking lot and an accessible trail. Trail maintenance and re-route work will begin this spring, and WTA is applying for funds in partnership with the Forest Service to purchase materials for foot bridge construction planned for this fall.
Coyote Wall and Catherine Creek plan revision due this spring
Further up the Columbia River near Bingen, WA a similar process to manage recreation has been underway at Coyote Wall and Catherine Creek. Unlike Cape Horn where hikers are the primary trail user group, the Coyote Wall/Catherine Creek area is popular with mountain bikers, hikers, wildflower enthusiasts, equestrians and hunters. Despite a lengthy collaborative process, the Forest Service recreation plan was met with multiple appeals. Consequently, the plan was pulled back to the drawing board then set on the backburner as attention focused on Cape Horn in order to meet a Washington Department of Transportation deadline pertaining to the underpasses planned there.
According to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a revised draft recreation plan is due for public review and comment this spring. To follow all of these issues in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, bookmark its Schedule of Proposed Action page.
Flaming Geyser State Park Closed
The famous "flame" at Flaming Geyser State Park. Photo by Andrew Engelson
This month, the Washington State Parks commission announced a two year closure of Flaming Geyser State Park. Motor vehicles will not have access to the park, but foot traffic will still be able to enter.
The closure is due to electrical failure and public safety concerns stemming from a worn out and outdated system. During the next two years, the park will undergo a series of improvements to electrical, water, sewer, roads, parking and buildings. Environmental permits are pending.
In a era of budget cutbacks, Flaming Geyser State Park is actually quite fortunate. The 2009-2011 capital budget includes $3.47 million for park infrastructure upgrades.
For those still wishing to access the park, parking is available - as well as sanitary facilities - at the remote control airfield. This parking lot can accommodate up to 50 vehicles.
Flaming Geyser State Park is notable for its methane gas flame rising from an old test core bored into underlying coal seams. The flame used to be quite high, but has shrunk to about six inches today. The area is part of the 2,000-acre Green River Gorge Conservation Area in King County, 2.5 miles south of Black Diamond off State Highway 169.
Several miles of hiking trails lie inside the park. Do note that during the closure it is unlikely that these trails will receive maintenance and some are prone to washouts.
Preview our Vacations
For those of you interested in getting a head-start on planning your next great summer adventure, WTA has released a preview of the 2010 backcountry trail maintenance schedule, including Volunteer Vacations, Youth Vacations (for high school students), and Backcountry Response Teams.
- Volunteers from the 2009 Volunteer Vacation on the Upper Dungeness Trail enjoy some R and R after a good day's work. Photo by Pauline Cantor.
Each trip has something unique to offer and include a much-needed trail maintenance project, a stunning location and great people. The locations range from car camping to backpacks deep within the wilderness. A week working on the trail will leave you with last memories and a real sense of accomplishment. We have detailed some of the impacts from last year's trips here.
*** Registration will be accepted next Monday, Feb 8 at 10:00 am ***
Yes, this is a little different than in years past. We thought you'd like to contemplate the locations and dates before the mad rush to sign up. (If you're new to WTA's Volunteer Vacations, you'll want to be at your computer at exactly 10 am to sign up. Popular trips go very quickly.
Fortunately, if your first choice for a trip is full, you may request to be placed on the waitlist. Our waitlists were 90% effective last year, so odds are you will have the opportunity to go on your desired trip, as long as you can remain somewhat flexible (sometimes these are fairly last-minute notifications).
Note that during the week of Feb. 1, before these trips are officially open, that they will show as "Full" on the schedule. It really should say, "Not Open Yet," but the technology doesn't let us do that. Be assured that they are not full - yet.
We have 42 public week-long trips scheduled for this summer - 28 adult vacations and 14 youth vacations. There are some fun, new locations too! We'll be at Salmo-Priest in the Colville for a week this summer, as well as Short Horn at Mt. Adams and Icicle Ridge near Leavenworth. We'll also be back at some old faves - Lake Chelan, Hart Lake and Vanson Meadows.
In addition, we will open sign-ups for our Backcountry Response Teams (BCRTs) on February 8th as well. These are three to five day work parties that address maintenance needs of trails deeper within the backcountry and are designed for experienced and strong hikers. We have 27 of these trips scheduled in 2010, starting with the South Coast Wilderness Trail and Upper Lena Lake in April. Please read over our BCRT FAQ’s to determine whether one of these trips is for you.
The Volunteer Vacation and Youth Vacation trip costs have remained the same this year - $125 for WTA members, and only $75 for each additional trip. If your membership has expired, or you are not yet a WTA member, the cost is $165 (includes the $40 membership rate). BCRTs remain free of charge.
So why are you waiting? Get a sneak peak at all of the fabulous Volunteer Vacation locations right now! And we'll see you back here at 10 am next Monday.
Mount St. Helens permits available Feb. 1
If you want to climb Mount St. Helens or visit the Enchantments this year, get ready to apply for a permit on Monday!
- The view from the rim of Mount St. Helens. Photo by Jennifer S.
First, Mount St. Helens. Permits for the 2010 climbing season, beginning April 1, go on sale Monday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m. and are sold online on a first-come, first-served basis through the Mount St. Helens Institute.
Permits will be sold only online. Weekends and holidays go the fastest, so check your calendars (and the Farmer's Almanac for weather predictions). The cost is $22 per permit and you are able to purchase up to twelve permits for each day.
Permits are required for climbing above 4800 feet on the volcano. From May 15 through October 31, climbing is limited to 100 people per day. It may seem like a lot of permits, but they go quickly, especially with guides and outfitters snapping up a dozen at a time. Moreover, 2010 marks the 30th Anniversary of the volcano's eruption, which will likely spur interest in climbing it.
Climbing Mount St. Helens is a challenging, but not a technical, climb. It boasts a relentless elevation gain, constant exposure to the elements and unstable footing, but the view from the crater rim is unrivaled and breathtaking. Everyone remembers their first climb to the rim.
- Mount St. Helen's Institute permit page.
- Gifford Pinchot National Forest climbing Mount St. Helens F.A.Q.
February 1 also marks the first day that people can sign up for the Mount St. Helen's field seminars. There are some very interesting offerings, and certainly a class before your hike up the volcano would add a layer of understanding to your trek.
Now, Enchantments permits. For the summer of 2010, Enchantment Area Permit applications will be accepted from Feb. 1 - 8. Applications postmarked before Feb. 1 will be rejected, and applications received after Feb. 8 will not be processed until all on-time applications have been considered. This is three weeks earlier than in past years.
Only 1500 permits are available for camping overnight in the area between June 15 and October 15. These go quickly, so make sure to read the fine print and apply next week!
WTA's DC Lobby Trip
- A group of WTA members and staff meet with Congressman Norm Dicks, Chair of the Interior Appropriations Committee. Photo by Jonathan Guzzo.
Taking the metro. Cruising through the underground warren of tunnels beneath the House and Senate office buildings. Rubbing elbows with people wearing very nice suits. These are just a few of the pleasures of WTA's annual Washington, DC visit. Heading back to the nation's Capitol has become a rite of spring as predictable as the blossoming dogwoods and daffodils in Olympia.
Just a few years ago, I wouldn't have predicted that we'd see an Interior Appropriations bill signed by the President that would increase the covered agencies budgets by 17%. That happened just last year. Combined with $650 million directed to National Forests in the stimulus bill, those funds mean that more money will be flowing to recreation programs at the federal level than we've seen in a long time. If you've written or called your representative or our senators, thank you. Your contribution has helped WTA become a serious and well-regarded advocate for trails and recreation.
This year's visit, scheduled for the first week of March, should be very interesting and challenging. While we may see as much as $270 million flow into federal and state public lands through a second stimulus bill being considered by Congress, there are some less-than-cheery signs on the horizon as well:
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In order to deal with the mounting federal deficit, the President is urging a three-year spending freeze on all discretionary (non-defense, non-entitlement) programs. Discretionary programs equal roughly 8% of the federal budget, and while the entire discretionary category will be frozen in the President's budget, individual line items may fluctuate up or down. We'll be advocating for some incremental increases in Recreation and Trails programs.
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The Transportation Funding bill, which includes the National Recreation Trails Program (NRTP), has been extended through the end of February. If the second stimulus passes, funding could be reauthorized until September, giving Congress the opportunity to draft a six-year extension. WTA depends on NRTP grants to fund a big chunk of our trail maintenance program. Without those dollars, land managers and non-profits would have to radically curtail their programs. We'll be working with our delegation, particularly Senator Murray, who sits on the Senate Transportation Committee, to get a six-year reauthorization.
You can help by taking a moment to contact our Senators and your Representative. Let them know you appreciate their hard work for hiking trails, and urge them to push forward in the upcoming budget cycle. Tell them how important these close-in, high-quality recreation opportunities are to you, particularly in lean economic times. You can find your Member of Congress and our Senators here.
Thank you for everything you do to support WTA and hiking trails across the state!
Snowshoe Book Now Online
After spending the past two weeks working in my garden and witnessing the tell-tale signs of an early spring, it has been easy to get the impression that winter is over. Everyone I talk to have the perception that there is simply no snow to play in.
- Artist Point. Photo by Matt Leber
But it's simply not true.
There may be no snow along the Mountain Loop Highway, but most mountain passes got a foot or more of new snow on Sunday night, and all of the state's ski areas report a solid snow base. Trip Reporter "NobleHikers" snowshoed at Paradise on Monday and wrote that the conditions were excellent.
And now you have one more reason to dust off those snowshoes. WTA's Hiking Guide now includes all 100 entries from Dan Nelson's Snowshoe Routes Washington, the preeminent (and only) snowshoeing book for the state. Mountaineers Books has donated select content from this book to WTA, as well as the content from their six Day Hiking series guidebooks. To buy the book in its entirety with extra features, photos and maps, click here.
Now it is super easy to check out great snowshoeing destinations, print out the description and driving directions and follow up with a Trip Report when you return.
Want to try it out?
You can browse all 100 snowshoeing destinations simply by typing "snowshoe" in the hike name box. You can further limit your results by choosing regions and sub-regions. Advanced search provides more ways to hone in on your snowshoe route - high point, elevation gain, features and more. (Go there now.)
So where are you going to find snow?
I'd try mountain passes and the areas near ski resorts for the best snow conditions. My favorites include:
- Artist Point - from the Mt. Baker ski area
- Skyline Lake - at Stevens Pass
- Commonwealth Basin and Keechelus Lake - Snoqualmie Pass
- Mazama Ridge and Reflection Lake - Mt. Rainier National Park
You may have other even better ideas. Please share them in the comments, and check out all of our great new snowshoeing content in the Hiking Guide.
Thank you Dan Nelson and Mountaineers Books!
Gear for a stroll
It can be tough this time of year to get out and enjoy nature. It’s often just for a quick walk in a city park. For little jaunts like this, I don’t want to carry a full-on pack, just something small that will hold my wallet, keys, camera, and phone, and if it’s sunny, a pair of shades.
I’ve been trying out the Overland Bayliss, and it fits the bill perfectly. The long adjustable strap allows for the Bayliss to be worn over the shoulder or slung across a hip like a fanny pack. Myriad pockets and pouches gobble all the important stuff you don’t want to leave sitting in the car. I especially like the soft pocket designed not to scratch sunglass lenses. It would be easy to add the Outdoor Research Water Bottle Tote if you want to pack a beverage for your stroll.
Overland Bayliss $45
www.overlandequpment.com
OR Water Bottle Tote $11
www.orgear.com
-Allison Woods
Washington Trails Gear Editor
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