Volunteering: Hiking trails need a flood of help to repair damage

It's no longer news to most hikers that trails in the national forests and parks were severely damaged by last fall's floods. Like me, some of you now are forced to walk to trailheads that you used to drive to, such as the Green Lake Trail at Mount Rainier National Park.

The trailhead is three miles down the Carbon River Road and the road is toast since the flooding.

While the national parks are getting the lion's share of media attention, trails in our national forests have been hit equally hard and repairs are not as well-funded.

Given the task at hand -- trails and parks faced with millions of dollars in damage -- anyone who can hike should pitch in and volunteer to do cleanup, repairs and maintenance.

This is the year our trails in the mountains and lowlands need us as much as we need them.

Allocate a day or two, a weekend -- or even a week or more -- and help repair the damage.

The extent of damage to many trails won't be known until the snow melts in the spring. But you can help out on your next hike. When you run across trail damage -- a missing bridge, a slumping trail, a washout or blow-downs -- contact the management agency that oversees that land and let them know your findings. They may not have had the time to go out there and assess conditions.

Whatever you do, don't blithely set off down the trail with a chain saw and cut fallen trees on your own. Wilderness rules prohibit power tools of any kind, and chain sawing is potentially a very dangerous activity.

Andrew Engelson of Washington Trails Association writes: "It's not just the sharp teeth revolving at high speeds. (Downed) trees can carry a deadly amount of tension in them, depending on where and how they fall, and it takes an experienced eye to understand what is safe to cut and how."

Engelson continues: "A special certificate is required from land managers like the United States Forest Service before anyone is allowed to use a chain saw on their land. Any logging out of blow-down and felling of trees will be taken care of by the land manager's hired personnel."

If you are new to trail maintenance, the WTA is a good place to start, but there are other trail maintenance organizations, such as Volunteers for Outdoor Washington. VOW tends to focus on long-term projects, such as the Iron Goat Trail off U.S. Highway 2.

Other organizations and land trusts, such as the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, run their own volunteer work parties.

The Student Conservation Association works with young people on Forest Service projects and jobs on park lands. Many of their projects tend to be in national parks and this summer they will be coordinating a major effort to repair damage in Mount Rainier National Park. SCA also works with other volunteer groups, including WTA.

Don't wait for the snow to melt -- you can sign up for a work party at WTA today. Visit its Web site at wta.org and click on the link for dates of work parties.

In winter, WTA work concentrates on trails in the Issaquah Alps and other low-elevation trails. For example on Feb. 2 and 3, WTA is organizing a trail work party on Taylor Mountain in the Issaquah Alps, and on Feb. 3 a party will work at Dosewallips State Park on U.S. Highway 101.

WTA also is planning several work parties throughout the summer at Mount Rainier.

If you feel you are too old or have never worked on a trail before, reconsider -- the welcome mat is out for all. Engelson writes that "you don't need any previous experience to volunteer, and all ages and abilities are welcome."

Here are some basics for newcomers:

No prior experience is needed, and WTA will help set up car pooling to save on gas and lessen pollution.

It is OK to bring your children, but those under age 18 must be signed in by a parent or guardian and those under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Pets are prohibited because they are a distraction and can be a hazard.

A common concern of newcomers is weather. WTA does work in bad weather, unless you are notified otherwise; however, if bad weather persists, crew leaders may cut the day short.

There will be a safety lecture preceding each work party, and if you are new to trail work, members of WTA will teach you maintenance techniques. WTA also provides all tools that are needed. You may want to bring hand clippers or small folding saws, but do not bring your own axes or machetes.

Volunteers are advised to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and to bring their own lunch. WTA provides after-work snacks.

Last, but not least, plan to have a heck of a good time, rain or shine.