Volunteers Do Massive Job Clearing Trails

A major religious anniversary was a timely boost for Mount Spokane State Park this summer.

Church groups joined Eagle scouts, the North Idaho Mule Club and the Inland Empire Nordic Club to do what the small park staff couldn’t have done in years.

“We’d still be buried under the blowdowns from the ice storms if it weren’t for all the volunteers,” said Kary Peterson, park ranger.

This spring, local leaders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were looking for ways to commemorate the 150 years since Mormon leader Brigham Young and his followers arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley. They also wanted a place for their youth to push wagons in a simulation of the hardships Mormon pioneers endured.

“When they called this spring asking if they could use some of our trails for their hikes, I had to tell them that most of the trails were clogged with trees,” Peterson said.

Church spokesman Holland Ford said the church faithful could help.

“The work would have taken us three or four summers if we’d have had to do it with just the park staff,” Peterson said. “They worked all over the park, including the nordic trails area, the CCC area, around Mount Kit Carson and the trail down from the summit and the fire roads. That’s nearly 150 miles of roads and trails altogether in the park.”

The first Mormon work group in June attracted about 250 volunteers, said organizer Duane Malek.

“We went after one three-mile section of trail with eight chain saws at one end and six starting from the other,” Malek said. “Groups of teenagers were following us to do the clearing, and it still took us four hours.”

Park officials opened the normally locked gates so the work party could get into the CCC cabin area to do the work. Malek noted that one mountain biker rode by, chewing them out for bringing vehicles onto a road that’s closed to traffic.

“You’d have thought it would be obvious we were in there clearing trails for the biker’s benefit,” Malek said.

Ford was with groups of about 50 workers that came every Saturday for six weeks.

“We cleared about 1,000 fallen trees off the roads and trails,” he said. “We were allowed to take some of the wood just to get it off the mountain. But there’s still tons of it cut and stacked up there.”

Five Boy Scouts working for their Eagle Scout rank did major work, from restoring stone on the summit house to clearing and reworking trails, Peterson said.

The Inland Empire Nordic Club also has been on the mountain, and plans several more work parties this fall to get the cross-country ski trail system ready before the snow flies.

“We’ve been doing everything from brushing with hand clippers to chainsaw work to take out brush, alders and blowdowns so the groomer will be able to do its job,” said club spokesman Tom Frost.

“We’ve also been filling in eroded spots with rock. There’s plenty of work to go around, but I have to admit, we’ve been able to have a lot of fun, too.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NEW TRAIL BUILT Major construction has been completed on a three-mile ski trail that links existing routes into a loop around Quartz Mountain at Mount Spokane State Park The new trail, which was started last year, brings the park’s cross-country ski trail system to about 15 miles, or 25 kilometers. “There’s still work that needs to be done to bring the trail to skiing standards,” said Tom Frost, spokesman for the Inland Empire Nordic Club. Club members are seeking volunteers to help get this and other trails in shape before the first snow storms. If you can’t make the work party beginning this morning, don’t worry. Other work parties have been scheduled for Oct. 5 and Oct. 18. All work parties begin at 9 a.m. at Selkirk Lodge. Info: Mary Quinn-Hurst, 747-0541, or Bob Hyslop, 448-2404.