IATC History Chapter 35 (2015): Several Club Icons Now Deceased
IATC History:
Chapter 35: 2015
Several Club Icons Now Deceased
By Doug Simpson
January – March: Two Leaders Lost
Two former club leaders passed away recently, Connie Dow and Larry Hanson. Dow, an active hike leader, served as IATC secretary from 1981-1988. “She was always up to date about what was happening and a strong, level-headed advocate for our mission,” Dave Kappler stated. Hanson, the club’s “Tiger Watcher” for years, was an active hiker and skilled photographer who illustrated his friend Bill Longwell’s Tiger Mountain guides. He worked closely with DNR’s Doug McClelland, who said, “His passion and persistence in helping to create the forest we have today is something I will always be thankful for.”
President Kappler submitted a formal letter to DNR to state the club’s priorities for the development, maintenance and operation of trails on DNR-managed lands. Policies urged were for “the least impact to the land, provide environmental and water quality protection, and lower construction and maintenance costs.”
Cynthia Welti of the Greenway noted that it is now possible to walk or cycle 50 miles from the Burke Gilman Trail in Seattle to the Snoqualmie Falls overlook with the addition of a .7 mile trail installed between Issaquah and Preston.
April – June: Greenway Trek Set
Plans were being set for the Mountains to Sound Greenway’s 25th anniversary trek from July 11-19. The trek from Ellensburg to Seattle will cover 133 miles, using bikes in addition to the hiking sections.
The IATC Board of Directors remained the same except for the addition of Tom Anderson replacing longtime activist Jackie Hughes, who stayed on as club treasurer. Board members Rachel Hopkins, Kirt Lenard and Ken Konigsmark were reelected to three-year terms.
Tiger Mountain advocate Ed Vervoort provided extensive details for hiking Tiger Mountain trails in the aftermath of trail and bridge improvements. Vervoort did maintenance work on Tiger for an incredible102 days in 2014.
July - September: Margaret’s Way Trail Opened With Park Dedication
To celebrate National Trails Day, IATC with some 150 spectators dedicated the Margaret’s Way Trail on Squak Mountain off SR-900. Numerous county and local leaders spoke in the opening of the Cougar Squak Corridor Park. After the dedication, countless hikers proceeded up the new Margaret’s Way Trail (named for the deceased Margaret Macleod, the much respected former Interagency Coordinator) up to the Debbie’s View lookout.
Duane Evans was named the new manager of the Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, succeeding Niki McBride. He was to move his office from the Cougar summit to the new park described above.
IATC President Dave Kappler was honored by King County for one of the Green Globe awards presented to eco-friendly leaders.
After the closure of several railroad lines, some have been converted to hiking/biking use. Sections near the Redmond Garden Connector and the 7.5 mile Cross Kirkland Connector were recently opened.
Issaquah High’s Anne Robertson was the 2015 first place prize-winner in IATC’s scholarship competition. An active Greenway member, she plans a career in civil engineering after studying at the University of California at Berkeley. Runners up were HIS senior Tali Magudsen and Liberty High’s Steven Tuttle. Following are excerpts from their prize-winning essays:
Anne Robertson: “The opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation for the developmental history and the life—truly the goal—of Issaquah, often goes unnoticed by students and adults alike. However, for those that discover the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, the experience is unforgettable.”
Tali Magidson: “I loved Steve Williams’ analogy that knowing the flora around you makes you feel surrounded by friends, even when hiking alone. I ate lunch among chocolate lilacs, thorny rose bushes, and wild strawberry blooms, looking at a valley through madrona trees. It was so calming on the sun-dappled ground with strange fuzzy insects buzzing and birds chirping in the multi-faceted greenery!”
Steven Tuttle: “Simply hiking he trails, you ae able to enjoy the scenery and fresh air, but a guided hike allows you to get a deeper understanding of not only the plants, but also the history of the trails themselves.”
Margaret’s way is dedicated to Margaret Macleod in 2015.
October – December: 350 on Greenway Trek
July’s Mountains to Sound Greenway trek had 350 participants, with 100 covering all 133 miles from Ellensburg to Seattle. IATC strongly supported he trek. As Ken Konigsmark wrote: “IATC was proud to provide key sponsorship for the 25th anniversary trek, contributing $5,000 towards trek expenses and support for a team of youth from YMCA programs.” “Octogenarians Remain Active” headlined a story about four active IATC hikers—Bob Gross (88), Lena Cushing (87), Joe Toynbee (87) and Richard Mann (85). All have kept hiking over the years. Toynbee, a record-keeper like Bill Longwell, claims that since 1960 he had been on 3,643 hikes, amassing 25,800 miles. “I found if Bill could do 50,000, I could do 25,000.”
The club had two new hike leaders in 2015—Robbie Davis and Ben Pryor.