Methow Valley Back Country Horsemen: National Trails Day® is June 1st!

Getting ready to help out on National Trails Day®? We'll meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Buttermilk Snow Park. How do you get there? In Twisp turn off Highway 153 onto Second Avenue at the North Cascades National Bank (just past the Community Center from the Carlton side and the Twisp River Pub from the Winthrop side). Second Avenue becomes Twisp River Road (Recreation Area). Follow the Twisp River Road for 11 miles where you will turn left to cross the river. Take the immediate right after crossing river. Go ½ mile up to Buttermilk Snow Park. We will disperse where needed along the 15 mile trail from the snow park. We will brush and clear the trail. Bring stout footwear, gloves, water and tools (such as loppers or pruners, shovels and saws) as well as any friends who are trail users and are willing to help. Bring your hard hats if you have them. Pot luck lunch, (the club will provide bratwursts for roasting!). The Twisp River Trail is maintained by the MVBCH.
Oh, and don't forget...

On US Forest Service lands projects volunteers earn a NW Forest Day Pass for

one (1) day of volunteering and for two (2) days they receive an Annual NW Forest

Pass. Volunteer hours spent working on the Twisp River Trail are worth double to members of our chapter towards a forest pass!

Jan and Bill Ford have been scouting the Twisp River Trail between the Slate Creek trail head and Whistling Creek (about half way to Scatter Creek trail head) so it will be easier to 'deploy the troops' on June 1^st when the work party will begin. They hiked the the first 3½ miles noting the trees down and identifying brushing needs, etc. Cathy Upper biked a section to check it out, and Bill and Jan rode their horses from Slate going west towards Scatter. They had to cut out a few places with a saddle saw to get through, but turned round about half way because there was an impassable log which needed a chain saw. Bill went up later with Keith Zielke to cut it out and check out the rest of the trail to Scatter. As of this writing, there were still a few miles to check on the western third of the trail. Everything is free of snow and the roads are passable right up to the North Lake trail head and to the Horse Camp. The camp is in good shape and useable. (Photos courtesy of Jan Ford)