Jan Klippert, 1935-2008

Sad news reached WTA yesterday.

Jan Klippert, a longtime supporter of WTA and the founder of the Olympic Coast Clean-up, passed away on Tuesday, his 73rd birthday.

Jan was an inspiration to all of us at WTA. And to many in the hiking community.

He wrote regularly for Washington Trails magazine, and served on the WTA board in the 1990s. He was one of the most positive, energetic people I've ever known.

Jan was probably best known as a founder of the Washington Coast Cleanup, which he started in April 2000 after he was shocked to see how much trash littered the wilderness coast of Olympic National Park. In the years since, the cleanup has taken on a life of its own. Last year, the cleanup brought out more than 800 volunteers picking up over 25 tons of trash.  This year's cleanup happens April 26. You can read more about Jan's involvement in the cleanup in this article in Sierra magazine. Jan was also nominated for a 2008 Volvo "My Hero" award in the Environment category.

Jan was a WTA board member in the 1990s, and was instrumental in organizing and starting WTA's annual event, TrailsFest, which he thought up while on a  backpacking trip in the Pasayten Wilderness with friends Greg Ball and Mark Boyar in August 1995. TrailsFest has grown to become WTA's signature outdoor event, with activities, gear booths, and demonstrations to introduce people to the joys of hiking.

But it was his work helping found and direct the Washington Coast Cleanup that Jan will be most remembered for. According to CoastSavers coordinator David Lindau, Jan was a "very inspirational figure. I only knew him for about a year, but I was impressed not only by his thoroughly infectious enthusiasm, but the fact that he continued to do all this in the face of such a difficult illness."

Jan was a frequent contributor to Washington Trails, and every time he came into the office, he perked things up. He was fascinated by the history and lore of trails, and wrote articles on place names, trail history, and Supreme Court Justice and activist William O. Douglas (Jan was an enthusiastic supporter of the new William O. Douglas Trail from Yakima to Mount Rainier, another of his many pet projects).

Jan was an enthusiastic hiker, too. When I first came to WTA in 2003, he and John Howell had been busy hiking (and bushwhacking) abandoned trails across the state and writing about that experience...all with the intent of protecting and reviving those trails.

To see a little snippet of the kind of person Jan was, watch this video about the coast cleanup, created by his granddaughter, Hannah.

The news of Jan's passing was something of a shock, I think because even though we all knew of his illness, Jan remained so active and enthusiastic until the end. He had just recently emailed us the latest info on the coast cleanup, and not long ago sent in a tip about how to make "cowboy coffee" for an article on coffee in the backcountry in the January 2008 issue. It was classic Jan:

"Just boil the water and put the coffee in the water. Jab in a flaming stick, which will settle the grounds. This works with varying success. Much of the flavor depends on the flavor of the flaming stick."

All of us at WTA will miss you, Jan.

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