How One Revolutionary Idea Changed Winter Trail Work Parties in Eastern Washington

It was feeling like an unusually slow transition into winter this year, but things are finally starting to look promising for those of us who love to get outside in the snow! In Eastern Washington, that includes looking forward to our fifth season of snowshoe work parties.

Prior to the winter of 2018-2019, all work parties in Eastern Washington went into hibernation from mid-November until mid-March, a time when the ground is usually frozen and the snow, even on some of the lower-elevation trail systems, can really start to pile up. When long-time Eastern Washington crew leader Jane Baker offered to lead a handful of snowshoe work parties on a trial basis, we were not sure how many volunteers might be willing to brave the winter elements to join us for a day outside in frigid temperatures. 

Turns out a lot of folks were interested in a chilly winter work party. Photo by Holly Weiler.

With the ground typically frozen solid, dirt work is not an option for Eastern Washington in the winter. But many of the trails in the Spokane area are popular winter destinations for snowshoeing, and heavy snow loads frequently exacerbate issues with encroaching vegetation on trails, so we knew we could focus on many brushing needs — especially those pesky overhead branches, which become much easier to reach when the snow depth gives trail workers a few extra feet of reach! So we started with just a few winter work parties, and waited to see if there was any interest.

As it turned out, there was a lot of interest! We go through many more pairs of gloves on winter work parties (personal record: five pairs on one outing), and we are not too proud to call a work party early if the group stops having fun (as in, gets too cold!). But we frequently find ourselves putting in the same hours as a summer work party, and then lingering in the parking lot to continue conversations over hot cocoa at the end of the day.

Our initial limited offerings of volunteer events were held on the guaranteed snowpack at Mount Spokane State Park. Our work included lots of brush trimming, but we additionally shoveled snow buildup off the multiple trail bridges. Snowshoers really appreciate the bridges for safely navigating water crossings in winter, but the bridges can start to become scary when the snow depth rises to the top of the handrails! 

Some trail work projects aren't possible when the trail is snow-covered and frozen, but some projects — like brushing and clearing logs — are options even in winter. Photo by Holly Weiler. 

We now factor in monthly snow removal from bridges into our winter plans, and, within a couple of years, we also expanded our scope to Spokane County Parks’ popular conservation areas. These trails are at a much lower elevation, so snowshoes are not always required. But we always manage to find plenty of work trimming low branches and removing trees that have fallen across the trail system.

On our most recent project day, wet and heavy fresh snow caused several additional trees to come down across the trail, resulting in more work than was expected based on a scouting report from just one week earlier! Trail conditions can be very dynamic in the winter, and the work keeps us toasty warm even in freezing temperatures.

This year, we’re adding something new to the mix: our first-ever winter backcountry response team trip! We are keeping it short and simple as a trial basis, but our hardy crew will be snowcamping on the Kettle Crest as we work on the trail at Columbia Mountain.