Skagit Alpine

Newsletter of the Skagit Alpine Club

August 2006 Volume 44 Issue 8

“To promote the use and prevent the abuse of outdoor recreation areas."

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Washington Trails Association

7 p.m. Wednesday. Aug. 2

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NEW MEETING LOCATION -- We return to Skagit Regional Airport

meeting room (in building at 98233) at 15400 Airport Drive, west of Burlington

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Directions to the airport: From I-5, take exit 230 (Hwy 20) and go west. After about 3 miles, turn right (north) on Higgins Airport Way. Follow this road around a few bends and turn 

left at the sign on the left that reads, “Port Offices, Passenger Terminal,” (past Watertank Road on the right). Park in the office visitors’ parking lot, lined with a bright yellow curb. 

Our meeting room has an outside door in the middle of the tan-colored, one-story brick building (Port of Skagit County on the left and Skagit Regional Airport on the right). Look for 

the sign on the door. 

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Washington Trails Association

Jeannie Frantz from the Washington Trails Association will provide a five- to 10-minute presentation about the WTA. The association advocates for hikers and public lands in

Washington state. Although the state has a wealth of trail opportunities and millions of acres of protected wilderness, we also face our share of challenges. The increased

organization of the off-road-vehicle community threatens to roll back the gains hikers have made in past legislative sessions in regards to equity in trail funding.

Meanwhile, National Parks Service and U.S. Forest Service are increasingly under funded and not up to the task to maintaining our trails. State agencies fare no better when it comes

to trail funding, either. As trail users, we can counter these trends by getting together and ensuring hikers’ voices are heard when it comes to funding, land protection and other

decisions that directly impact our trails. Whether we're writing Congress about federal budgets or building a new trail in our neighborhoods or region, our cause is strengthened when

we come together.

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President’s Report

By Wade Bessett

Mountaineering Class: We'll discuss whether the club can teach the mountaineering class in 2007. Several club members and non-club members are interested the class,

either as students or as instructors. If we are going to present the class, we need our plans in place by the end of November. Bring your ideas and be ready to discuss them at the

August meeting. We need to know who wants to take the class, who wants to help, and the amount of commitment helpers/instructors can make. At this point we still do not have a

lead instructor, which we need before we can move forward.

Gear Swap: It's gear swap meet time! Bring any outdoor gear that you want to swap or sell.

Nothing is too old or funky to bring, just make sure it can be used for outdoor activities. Ski season is almost here again. If you sell your old gear, you‘ll feel good about paying full

price to replace it this fall.

June Meeting minutes: July picnic minutes: A lot of good food was brought and Lester encouraged us to listen to the songs of a melodious bird. The picnic on top of Little 

Mountain ended a little early because of fireworks. Thanks to all for coming.

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Updates

Web site: Steve has done a great job updating the web site. He will be unavailable to make changes in August because he will be out of the country. Please continue to give him information, including trip reports, photos, gear for sale, and items you want to post on the site. He will add them as soon as possible.

Newsletter editor needed ASAP: We need a new person to edit and layout the newsletter. Please volunteer yourself or someone else for the position. That way we will continue to receive the club newsletter by mail or email. Marta did a great job as newsletter editor for the last year. (Thank you!) She is retiring from the post. To volunteer, call Wade at 770-0250.

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Park Butte Lookout Update

By John and Marie Erbstoeszer

Park Butte Lookout Stewards

The Park Butte Lookout again weathered well through the winter. The vault toilet was flown in on June 19. The Rocky I Bridge on the Park Butte Trail wasn’t expected to be installed until July because of the snowpack. (This is the Bridge just before the switchback traverse in the woods, not on the Scott Paul Trail.)

Leif Hazelet of the National Forest Service says he will organize roofing party for late August or early September. This will be project conducted solely by the Forest Service because of the technicalities involved. We'll keep you posted when we have more news. The roofing originally was scheduled for 2005 but was delayed until this year.

We would like to organize a work party to re-glaze some of the lookout windows on the weekend of Aug. 12 and 13. We will supply the glazing compound but ask volunteers to bring their favorite putty knives. To volunteer for the reglazing, call John and Marie Erbstoeszer, lookout stewards at 360-336-5896 or email at erbst@cnw.com.

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SAC Outings Schedule:

To participate, call the trip leader. Space may be limited or there could be additional skill or gear requirements.

Anytime: Mountain biking and trail running in the Anacortes Forest Lands. Call George Reeves at 360-293-3417.

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Interested in being a trip leader? Submit your trip to outings chair Lynn Postler at 360-428-4237 or sancho999@comcast.net. Please include leader’s name, phone number and e-mail, date of trip, total distance to be hiked/biked/skied, elevation gain, travel time to trailhead, days gone, cost, if any, and skill and gear requirements.

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Skagit Alpine Club Officers

President Wade Bessett, 770-0250, bessettw@hotmail.com                                                                Vice President Jenny Baker, Baker_1240@yahoo.com

Secretary Laurie Sherman, 293-2984, shermanpt@verizon.net                                                              Treasurer Jill Youde, 202-7441, drjillo@yahoo.com

Directors Kathy Monrad, 853-8901 and Harold Mead, 299-8196

Committee Chairpersons

Conservation in transition                                                                                                                       Lookout John & Marie Erbstoeszer, 336-5896

Programs John Seehorn, 422-5020, jseehorn@hotmail.com                                                                 Outings Lynn Postler, 428-4237, sancho999@comcast.net

Website Steve Trent, smacktrent@hotmail.com                                                                                       Newsletter in transition Deadline: Sept. 15