IATC History - Chapter 33 (2013): Focus on Tiger, Squak
January – March: Active Vets Take Survey
An IATC survey netted 108 responses with over two-thirds being over 60 years old and just three under 40. Respondents are active, though, as in addition to IATC 42% were members of the Washington Trails Association, 26% the Mountaineers, 19% the Sierra Club, 17% the Snoqualmie Trails Club, and 12% the Mountains to Sound Greenway. Responders said their willingness to gain elevation is 2675 feet on average, the minimum just 756 feet. They advocated more participation from young people and families, not surprising given their ages.
Acquisition of property on Cougar’s northeast corner has provided opportunity to link up with the Big Tree Ridge Trail. Elements of the old Precipice Trail are incorporated, enabling connection to the Surprise Creek Trail. Work was expected to be finished by spring.
DNR’s Sam Jarrett announced the installation of three bridges on Tiger Mountain, including a 45-foot fiberglass span on the 15-Mile Railroad Grade and another 45-foot replacement on the Iverson Railroad Grade. The other would be on the upper High Point crossing of the Tiger Mountain Trail.
Joe Toynbee detailed the history of the club’s Tiger Mountain Trail from Bill Longwell’s idea expressed in 1972. The trail was opened in 1979, its length adjusted from 14 miles, then to 17 and finally settling in on its current 16 miles. Longwell recruited work parties from his Lindbergh High students, but much the work was his own. “It was a magnificent achievement,” Toynbee wrote.
Between June and October of 2012, the club held 101 hikes for 762 people, an average of 7.5 per hike.
April – June: Kappler Re-elected as President
At the club’s annual meeting in January, Dave Kappler was elected to another two-year term as club president. Doug Simpson and Kathleen Petty were elected to continue as vice-president and secretary. Dick Amadei replaced Cornelia Remy as treasurer and Allegra Atkinson and Scott Preuter were chosen as new board members, replacing Sally Davies and Larry Hanson.
IATC reported that a logging company was seeking to clear 216 acres of prime forest on Squak Mountain. As a result, the Save Squak movement was underway.
Hazel Weisman set in motion plans to add snowshoe hikes to IATC’s hiking schedule. Concern was expressed about increased danger on hikes and a likely increase in insurance costs. The plan was conditionally approved by the board.
In his “Hiker’s Corner” column, Joe Toynbee pointed out that hiking the same trails regularly is not repetition since the trails differ greatly during the year’s four different seasons.
Ed Vervoort, who does most of the club’s trailwork on Tiger Mountain, discussed the 9.2 miles on Tiger’s south end that are not protected because they are on Washington State Trust Lands, which permit logging for fund-collecting for educational uses. Generally, about 100 acres per year are sold for logging in the area.
Designated club hiking territory was expanded by the IATC board from Seattle to Easton and twenty miles in either direction from the I-90 corridor.
An article reported on the expansion of the club’s dog-hike program with three successful active hike leaders—Jean Lanz, Tom Pohle, and Dori Ost. “Dogs are social animals,” Lanz pointed out. “They are taught to stay by their owners and not go off trail.”
July – September: Giant Middle Fork Project
Mark Boyer, a Greenway board member, spearheaded an extensive project to clean up the Middle Fork area, including the Mailbox Peak Trailhead and the Middle Fork campground. The project would be completed by 2016. New roadway, parking, bathrooms and river access are all part of the project, in the former site of illegal operations and dumping garbage.
Squak Mountain became a center of activity in efforts to avoid logging a 95-acre clearcut. Funding from Conservations Futures was sought as well as gaining levy funding, with both needed to “Save Squak.”
Winners of IATC’s Bill Longwell Scholarship were announced: First prize of $1000 went to Joseph Domek of Issaquah High. Another IHS student, Jennifer Duff, took second place and $500. Andrew Smith of Skyline High was third for $250. Following are excerpts from their essays:
Joseph Domek: The Issaquah Alps Trails club is a great way to help the environment while getting some exercise, having some family time, having an opportunity to understand more about wildlife, and getting some community service. . . thinking globally and acting locally is just the beginning of creating a better and safer environment for everyone today as well as the generations to come.
Jennifer Duff: Once students are interested and educated about nature and the challenges it is facing, provide them with opportunities to take action. A great way to do this is to start a Junior Issaquah Alps Trails Club in local middle and senior high schools. The club could organize enthusiastic students and assist them in participating in environmental solutions.
Andrew Smith: There seems to be a vast chasm between the amount of information that people know about the issues, and the amount that people know about saving them. . .The solution is a two-pronged approach: continue the education of global environmental issues and create a movement among youth towards sustainable living.
October – December: Squak Is Saved
Squak Mountain was saved with funding from the Trust for Public Land and passage of the King County Parks Levy in August. These sources provide sufficient funding to purchase 216 acres from Erickson Logging. County Councilman Larry Phillips stated: “Public outcry about plans to clearcut forestland on Squak Mountain meant swift action to preserve this cherished habitat and recreation area adjacent to prized county and state parks.”
Former club activist Jim Cadigan passed at age 80 in July. He led frequent hikes and served as IATC treasurer from 1990 to 1994.
The Issaquah segment of the East Lake Sammamish Trail was opened in June, 2.2 miles that started from SE 42nd Way to NW Gilman Boulevard. This left just an 11-mile stretch in Sammamish to complete the Redmond to Issaquah trail system.
Ralph Owen and Doug Simpson wrote articles detailing IATC’s pre-history, including the naming of the Issaquah Alps, and the beginning of the club. Owen said a turning point in the club’s existence was a 119-page booklet by Harvey Manning called “Reflections on the Future of the Issaquah Alps.”
Despite a busy hiking schedule in 2013, there were no new hike leaders.