IATC History- Chapter 28 (2008): Longwell Remembered
By Doug Simpson
January - March: Longwell and Trailwork
This issue of the Alpiner and the next were heavily devoted to the passing of William K. Longwell on November 28, 2007. Longwell, IATC’s Chief Ranger, was perhaps the most important person in the evolution of the hiking club. He hiked voraciously in the Alps and elsewhere, developed and built trails on Squak and Tiger mountains, wrote IATC’s most popular guidebook (Guide to the Trails of Tiger Mountain) and countless articles for the Alpiner, served for 26 years on the club’s board of directors, and was a friend and inspiration to all. He was just 71.
Longwell was a true Renaissance Man, knowledgeable in history and literature, and taught both for thirty years at Hazen High School and brought many of his students onto his trailwork projects. He loved classical music and played the violin himself. He was devoted to Mimi, his wife of 44 years; together they raised two daughters (Gretchen and Ann), who became avid hikers and wilderness campers. He had other hobbies—record-keeping, woodworking and sports; he served as scorekeeper for state basketball tournaments. He was active in his church. How did he find time for all of this? And he was the ultimate gentleman.
The last original article Longwell wrote was in this issue, headlined “Scrounge,” in which he recorded his constant searching for boards and other materials to be used to develop and shore up trails and bridges in the Issaquah Alps. For example, abandoned railroad ties. “I collected scores of them,” he wrote, “and backpacked them to the slopes of Tiger to shore up the TMT. In 1983-84, I carried 24 railroad ties (80 pounds at a time) to bridge sites.”
The National Recreation Trails Program presented grant funding of 40 projects, nine “beneficial to the terrain of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club,” most in the amount of $75,000. Areas benefited were on Squak Mountain, Tiger Mountain, Little Si, Granite Mountain and the Snoqualmie Lake Trail, as well as funding for the Mountains to Sound Greenway, King County Parks and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness projects.
A trio of sources, under the efforts of Interagency Coordinator Margaret Macleod, purchased 69 acres on Squak Mountain (the M & H Development) as green space for $1.8 million. The donors were King County, Issaquah Park Board funds and the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office.
Four of Tiger Mountain’s 24 bridges were set for replacement by the State Department of Natural Resources with NOVA funds (Non-Highway Offroad Vehicle Authority).
Ironically, on the day of Bill Longwells’s death (November 28th) an important link in the trail system was officially opened: a one-mile paved section from High Point to the East Lake Sammamish Trail. Ten feet wide, it is suitable for hikers and bikers.
April – June: Williams Becomes President
At the club’s annual meeting in January, Steve Williams was elected president. The other elected officers were Ken Konigsmark and Doug Simpson, vice presidents, and reelected as treasurer and secretary were Jackie Hughes and Sally Pedowitz. Elected to the board were Joe Toynbee, Sally Davies and Larry Hanson. Reelected were Karen Tom and Richard Mann.
Ann Fletcher and Dave Kappler planned a series of family hikes for school age children and their parents. Participants were to meet at the Issaquah Library and then proceed to Issaquah Creek in April, Lake Sammamish Park in May, and Tiger’s Tradition Plateau in June. Sponsors were IATC, Friends of the Issaquah Library and the Issaquah Environmental Council.
Former active IATC member Fred Weinmann discussed Harvey Manning’s expansion of the club’s “Ten Hiking Essentials to add an 11th , a Teddy Bear hike, a tradition of Manning’s which Weinmann maintained after moving to Port Townsend in 2004.
The rest of the issue, besides a holdover article by Longwell about signage, consisted of tributes to Longwell after his recent demise. Articles were written by Marty Hanson—“Bill’s Mountain”; Ken Konigsmark—“Our Mountain Man”; Joe Toynbee—“A Very Special Person”; Doug Simpson—“Longwell Stood Tall”; and Arlene Williams—“Bill’s Profound Impact.” Hanson wrote of Longwell’s knowledge and love of Tiger Mountain. Konigsmark focused on his love of the wildlands and “the majesty of mountains, forests, meadows and trails.” Toynbee cited his deep passion for the natural world. Simpson wrote of his gentlemanly demeanor and his personal complexity. Williams, from shoulder rehab (like Longwell), spent hours over weeks taking in his “profound impact” as he told of trails, hikes and trips relating to the outdoors he loved. She concluded: “Bill Longwell was an extraordinarily humble servant and an angel on earth. It’s our duty now to be good stewards of what he’s left for us.”
An estimated 150 people attended the tribute to Longwell held on Tiger Mountain February 18th. Speeches were given by long-time friends Joe Toynbee, Larry Hanson and Dave Kappler. Honorary hikes were led by Toynbee, Ken Hopping and Ron Howatson, with some 50 participants.
July – September: Another Winner of Kees Award
More Longwell. . . Bill’s wife Mimi accepted for her husband the annual Ruth Kees Award for a sustainable community. The overdue award is given to one who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to environmental protection. Last year it went to IATC’s Ken Konigsmark.
Marty Hanson wrote a feature story about berry-picking on Tiger Mountain, where the Hanson family resided. Marty drew an analogy of berry-picking to life itself. She advised taking some time looking for berries, not to rush. “Being in a hurry is not good—so many treasures are not found by moving too fast. . . sometimes the best berries are just out of reach. . . take that extra step, reach out and stretch a little to achieve the prize.” Good advice for all of us!
After winter storms severely damaged and closed Tiger Mountain’s Swamp Creek and Big Tree trails, they were reopened thanks to a grant from the National Recreation Trails Program funding over 2,000 hours of labor by the Mountains to Sound Greenway.
Vice-President Doug Simpson, chairman of the committee to raise funds for the Harvey Manning statue, appealed to readers to help them reach the $65,000 needed for the project. By May, 68 individual donors had given from $25 to $5,000 and organizations $39,500, leaving IATC still short by several thousand dollars.
October – December: Hike Totals Increase
A large timber harvest resulted in closure of the Tiger Traverse Trail up to the South Tiger summit. The expected $850,000 would provide revenue for public education, state institutions and county services. Few hikers would be inconvenienced.
President Steve Williams wrote about people’s reactions on the trail register atop Cougar Mountain. Most comments were overwhelmingly positive. He counted visitors from 22 foreign countries and 35 states. “Our little hills really are functioning as regional wildland Alps,” he wrote.
Sally Davies reported that pioneer trailblazer Will Thompson had passed away at age 91. A legend among veteran hikers, there were few trails that Thompson had not explored and guided others to. He also did extensive trailwork on Mount Si and Tiger Mountain.
Hikes Coordinator Joe Toynbee pointed out that hike totals were up to 10.3% per hike, above the recent figure of nine per outing. He noted the distribution of hikes—24 onTiger, 21 on Cougar, 10 on Squak and 15 at other destinations for the period studied.
Doug Simpson reported that the goal of $65,000 for the Harvey Manning statue had been met.
Just three newcomers led hikes in 2008: Sally Davies, Jean Lanz and Katharine Wisman.