Online auction raising funds for trail upgrade

OUTRAILS – An online auction is underway for a longboard signed by guitarist Eddy Vedder and other rockers to raise funds for the continuing effort to develop the Ferry County Rail Trail.

The trail is a scenic 28.5-mile non-motorized route on an abandoned railway along the Kettle River from Republic north to Canada.

The eBay auction runs to 7:30 p.m. today.

The custom-made longboard is a collector’s item signed by Pearl Jam’s Vedder plus Tony Hawk Flea, Michael Stipe and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Trail advocate Bobby Whittaker says 100 percent of the auction proceeds will go directly to the current trail surfacing improvement project and will be matched dollar for dollar with funding from the Washington State Recreation & Conservation Office.

“The improvements will happen in the spring,” said Whittaker, of the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners. “We are thrilled the surfacing will make the trail smooth and very user friendly from the Curlew School north along the Kettle River to the tunnel and from the Curlew Lake trestle south the full length of the lake, about 6 miles, to the Herron Creek Road trailhead.

“That’s a lot of waterfront for everyone to enjoy.”

Volunteers have been active this year, securing grant funding and rolling up their sleeves for projects ranging from redecking the trestle over the Kettle River north of Curlew Lake to the current effort for trail resurfacing.

A four-year $8,000 grant was secured this fall from The Great Northern Railway Historical Society to provide for four interpretive historical signs.

“Using grants from the Washington state Recreation and Conservation Office, development continues on the rail trail to create a world-class community asset and a proven tourist attraction,” Whittaker said.

A grant has enabled the group to surface 3.2 miles along Curlew Lake and the group recently has been awarded another $192,000 from RCO for Phase 3 improvements to surface the rest of the stretch along the scenic fishing lake and state park.

A paved connection to the rail trail called the Golden Tiger Trail runs 2.5 miles from Republic. The trailhead, which is across Highway 20 from the Fairgrounds, has a vault toilet and parking funded by a state Department of Transportation grant.

“There is still one very sandy, raw segment of the Golden Tiger from the end of the paving north to Herron Creek,” Whittaker said.