Written by Andrew Jansky ([email protected])
Northwest Trail Alliance has recently signed a volunteer stewardship agreement with the United States Forest Service (USFS) for the upcoming Cascade Locks Trail System in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (CRGNSA). This area includes the part of the Gorge 400 trail that is open to bikes.
To get this project started, we are having a weekend campout around a work party on Saturday, May 21st. Folks will gather as early as Friday, May 20 for the weekend’s festivities. NWTA has reserved 3 group campsites for volunteers at The Wyeth Campground (room for approximately 18 cars). Everyone must pre-register (registration will open soon).
An NWTA Campout? What’s that?
If you haven’t been to an NWTA work party campout weekend before, here’s what you can expect:
For those available, folks will meet at the campsite on Friday afternoon for a casual ride (time TBD). Others will arrive through the day/night, but everyone will be ready for a 9 am workday on Saturday.
Crew leaders have planned the scope of work and will be ready for you & your family. On Saturday morning, we will structure the crews around the difficulty of access from the base camp. The more challenging work areas will need the teams to walk or ride a few miles to get to/from.
After our safety talks, we will review any special requirements of the USFS, discuss emergency procedures and other important information. Tools will be provided. The crew leaders will ensure their team has appropriate tools for the work area. We encourage you to bring a favorite if you have one.
You will need safety glasses, work gloves, sturdy shoes, a hard hat (or Bike Helmet), long pants, and be prepared for rain.
After the work is done, we will gather back at the campsite for a casual BBQ and beer provided by our generous sponsor, Hopworks.
REMEMBER: We work rain or shine. After we will have a fire and a few popups tents. If you are fair weather campers, you are more than welcome to just come for the workday & stay for the bbq.
For those who stay. On Sunday, some will ride the trail they worked on, some will pack up and ride a nearby trail, and some will just pack up and go home. Lots of options.
The May campout work party weekend sign-up will open soon. If you are interested in getting involved in this project, you can join us for pre-work on April 9th for the Gorge 400 Rehabilitation Work Party.
We are very excited to start working on this new trail system in the CRNSA open to mountain bikes.
Questions? Email [email protected]