[Ryan Ojerio]

Hello Hikers, Volunteers wanted to join a trail work party hosted by Washington Trails Association (WTA) on July 25/26. Come for one or two days of brushing and tread work to restore the Klickitat Trail, a historic Native American route used by tribes to move from the Cispus valley to the high meadows at Goat Rocks. No experience necessary, WTA provides all tools and instruction. For two days of service, volunteers can earn an annual NW Forest Pass. The event is free, but registration is required: http://vols.wta.org/web/web.pl?sm+22731+ON Overnighter: Since this is one of our overnight trips, all are invited to stay with us on Saturday night and enjoy a potluck BBQ. We will provide hamburgers, veggie burgers, (or some other main dish). Please bring along a side dish to share. If you are staying for the night, you will need to bring a tent, sleeping bag and your personal gear. Unless otherwise indicated, breakfast will not be provided. Campsite: The crew will be staying at a dispersed (undeveloped)camp spot near Jackpot Lake. It is a flat area with room for several tents. Lots of huckleberries are nearby if the season is right. There are no bathrooms, fire rings or potable water. But water could be filtered from the lake a few hundred yards away through the trees. Special Notes: SITE MAP: http://caltopo.com/p/5V1E PROJECT: Through the trees the trail is in pretty good shape, but where sunlight gets in it is very brushy. In places the tread has narrowed and needs to be re-benched (dug to standard width). HIKE TO THE PROJECT SITE: The hike is about 1.5 miles in (3 miles round trip). Jackpot lake is at about 4,600 ft. and the trail follows a contour line along the ridge so there are no big climbs or descents. (except where the trail is overgrown and too narrow!) Trail Facts: The trail is situated in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Cowlitz Valley RD just west of the Goat Rocks Wilderness. The Klickitat Trail is a major ridgetop trail, extending from Kilborn Creek to Elk Peak. Much of the trail corresponds with an original Native American trail that extended from near the mouth of Siler Creek, over Lone Tree Mountain, around Pompey Peak and Horseshoe Point, and eventually crossed the Cascades at Cispus Pass. Native American peeled cedar trees can be seen along the trail. The peeled bark was folded and used to make baskets to collect huckleberries along the ridge system. Castle Butte, Jackpot Lake, St. Michael’s Lake and St. John Lake all can be seen from the ridge and were carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age.

[Pyrites]

WTA has another work party on the Klickitat Trail August 19 & 20. Volunteer for one or both days. Note that road access is completely different from previous years to another section of this seventeen mile long trail. Especially recommended if you are looking for a quieter trail. WTA has this as a Lost & Found trail project. Last year they did at least one multi-day backcountry project on it. https://www.wta.org/volunteer/schedule/?regions=South%20Cascades Best.