IATC History- Chapter 32 (2012): Club Sets Biker Policy
Chapter 32:
IATC HISTORY: 2012
Club Sets Biker Policy
January- March: Kiosks Benefit Hikers
DNR’s Doug McClelland discussed their plan to improve and expand the trail system with connector trails in the raging River/East Tiger area. “The issue is getting from Preston to those areas,” McClelland stated. He was seeking a coalition of cities, King County, user groups and the Greenway to assist in planning and implementing the proposals.
To benefit hikers in the area, new kiosks were being installed. The Mountains to Sound Greenway was installing eight new kiosks at key trailheads. There were north Tiger Mountain (the first to be completed), Rattlesnake Ledges, Mercer Island’s Lin Park, Snoqualmie Point, Iron Horse State Park and the center of Cle Elum. They were to include, besides site specific info, electronic information for cell phones and pictures of maps for smart phones. And in Issaquah, small kiosks were planned for the base of the High School Trail, another near Round Lake on the plateau and a third at the East Sunset Way Trailhead.
The Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park was able to expand the park’s boundaries with two acquisitions—a link in the Precipice area from the east and, on Squak Mountain, the property below Debbie’s View on the southwest. Park Manager Niki McBride announced improvements on the Shy Bear Trail and the Licorice Fern Trail in the southeast corner.
Dan Hoch of Washington State Parks pointed out the importance of Discovery Pass sales, which generated nearly $3 million in just two summer months. “The agency must rely on user fees and donations to maintain parks after the Legislature slashed funding,” he said.
IATC and the Issaquah Environmental Council undertook clearing the 41 acres of the Kissel property on Cougar’s Precipice area. The trash included homeless encampments and mountains of trash, including cans, bottles and other recyclables. The work clears the way for access to the internal areas of the regional park.
April - June: Club States Biking Policy
At the club’s annual meeting, George Potter and Doug Simpson (stepping down as vice-president) were elected as board members. Potter also took on the job as webmaster. The executive board remained the same with Dave Kappler as president, Ken Konigsmark as vice-president for advocacy, Kathleen Petty as treasurer and Cornelia Remy as secretary. It was reported that in 2011 the club held 128 hikes with 985 hikers, for a lower than usual average of 7.6 persons per hike.
IATC formally stated its position on bike trails. Notably, it stated that there should be no new bike trails on Squak and Cougar mountains and that mountain bike trails and hiking trails should be separated. The club did support the plan to improve and add bike trails on Tiger Mountain. It concluded with a strong statement: “Issaquah is an outdoor recreation destination with hiking the largest and strongest component—and should be marketed as such.”
July – September: Hike Classifications Changed
IATC’s $1,000 scholarship was given to Harvard-bound Andrea Liu from Skyline High School. Runner-up Blake Knuth, also from Skyline, received $500 to help with his Yale expenses. Third place for $250 was a tie with Akash Ramachandran (Issaquah High School) and Skyline’s Shirley Chung (USC). See excerpts from their essays at the end of this article.
Trying to alleviate confusion with the hikes’ number/letter ratings that delineated hike difficulty and elevation gain, IATC has switched to simply designating hikes as very easy, easy, moderate, strenuous and very strenuous.
President Dave Kappler, serving on DNR’s Snoqualmie Corridor Recreation Planning Committee, requested ideas for adding and connecting trails in the Tiger, Rattlesnake and Taylor areas.
Scott Semans stepped down from IATC’s Board of Directors after twelve years. Noting his countless hours working on trails, second only to the legendary Bill Longwell, an editorial stated: “The club owes Scott Semans a great deal of gratitude for his enormous contributions over the years.”
In his “Hikers Corner,” Joe Toynbee discussed the importance of having proper clothing and footwear for area hiking. He concluded, “Don’t try to outguess the weather.”
October – December: IATC at Leadership Crossroads
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission sought $18 million to sustain operations during the 2013-2015 biennium. Funding for the Commission had fallen from $94.2 million to just $17.2 million in the current biennium. Implementation of the Discovery Pass has brought in only half of what was anticipated and besides has expenses of its own to administer.
An editorial pointed out that IATC was at a leadership crossroads after the generation of strong leaders like Harvey Manning, Bill Longwell and Jack Hornung has passed. While Dave Kappler and Ken Konigsmark are holding the club together, there is an urgent call for vigorous new leadership to step up.
George Potter, having missed the Greenway March of 2010, led 93 miles of hikes over eight Sundays in four months, called “Chasing the Snow.” It started at Lake Washington and worked its way east towards the mountains and eventually back again. The segments averaged about twelve miles and averaged five participants, none besides Potter for all eight outings.
A Steve Williams essay, “DNR Can Offer Trail Experiences,” provides an interesting synthesis of the countless benefits of hiking on the extensive DNR lands.
Ken Konigsmark submitted a letter to Issaquah public leaders stating IATC’s position of the development of Tiger Mountain’s Park Pointe trails. He enumerated eleven reasons for narrowing the multi-use plans and restricting use to hiking or walking.
IATC had two new hike leaders in 2012: George Potter and Hazel Weissman.
Following are excerpts from the club’s prize-winning essays that illustrate student insights and experiences in the Issaquah Alps. . .
Andrea Liu: “After seeing the natural environments destroyed in China’s cities and the steadily encroaching suburbia on the East Coast, I found that I had an immensely greater appreciation for the pristine, tree-covered mountains as well as the miles and miles of lush mountain trails unique to the Pacific Northwest. It’s easy to forget just how much of a gift trails like these are, but I know that I will not.”
Blake Knuth: “The trails allow me to walk away from the stresses and commotion of my daily life and step into an entirely new world. This gateway to nature and serenity calms and rejuvenates me like nothing else can. While exploring the trails, I also explore myself and embrace introspection. Yet what I value most of all about the Issaquah Alps and their trails is the way they allow me to immerse myself in the environment and perceive the interconnectedness of nature.”
Akash Ramachandran: “It is important to comprehend the uniqueness and usefulness of hiking: it provides great boding time, improves fitness and ultimately provides a picturesque view at the top that makes every step from the bottom and all the exertion worth it.”
Shirley Chung: “As Issaquah and the surrounding areas undergo the process of urbanization, the Alps represent an opportunity for people to escape from the bland life associated with suburbia and to connect with nature.”