vol. 33 issue 5 september/october 2009 - bchw news/bchw_septoct_09_web2.pdf · vol. 33 issue 5...

Vol. 33 Issue 5

September/October 2009

Cover: Left to right – Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark, Backcountry Horsemen of Washington (BCHW) Trailhead News Publicity Chair and Editor Dick Yarboro, BCHW Vice President Darrell Wallace (ESD), April Fox, Kidd, DNR Law Enforcement Officer Jason Bodine holding his “Friends of BCHW” plaque, rider Marilyn Riechenberger, Dakota (rescued horse), DNR Supervisor Lenny Young, and DNR Law Enforcement Chief Larry Raedel.

Photo by Nancy Charbonneau, DNR

DNR Rescue in Capitol ForestPage 7

The Seven Devils Pack TripPage 8Robin Granger, Lou Ann Matches, Mikey Drougas, Autumn Sansaver, side hilling to Baldy Lake.

Photo by Susie Drougas, BCHW Wenas Valley Chapter

Trailhead News


ii

Inside this IssuePrez Says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1A Word From the V .P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Proposed Election Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Legislative Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3BCHW Meets With USFS R6 Regional Forester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Editor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5BCHW Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Out on the Trails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15, 17

DNR Rescue in Capitol Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 15The Seven Devils Pack Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9, 11

Adventuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Are You Considerate of Others? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Waptus River Trail #1310 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 BCHW Okanogan Valley Chapter fun Party at Bannon Mountain . . 13 DNR Develops Forest Watch Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 And the Skies are Not Cloudy All Day? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 LNT Training for 6th Graders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 June 6th, 2009, National Trails Day Work Party Organized by Wenus Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Alpine Lakes Trail Riders Annual Poker Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162009 Optional Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Networking – One Member’s Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19In Praise of Women Riders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20BCHW Chapter Locations & Director Contacts . . . . . Inside Back Cover Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Outside Back Cover

The Trailhead News DisclaimerArticles which appear in The Trailhead News do not necessarily reflect the position, opinion or endorse-ment of Back Country Horsemen of Washington State (BCHW), or its officers. BCHW and Washington Media Services, Inc. are not responsible for the ac-curacy of all material and advertisements. Appearance of an advertisement in the THN does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by BCHW of goods or services offered therein. Prices subject to change without warning. BCHW, Washington Media Services,

As a 501(c)(3) organization, The Back Country Horsemen of Washington State has enacted the following policy: Back Country Horsemen of Washington State does not endorse or oppose any political candidate, donate or contribute to any political candidate’s campaign, participate or engage in politi-cal fundraising events, distribute statements for or against

2009 State Officers

& ChairsPresident & Spokesperson Bob Gishpresident@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .276 .6226

Vice President,Finance Chair & Expansion Chair Darrell Wallacevice_pres@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .918 .3016

Exec. Assistant to the President, Grant Development/Writing Chair Jeanne Koesterea_pres@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .301 .0133backcountryrider@gmail .com

Secretary Janelle Wilsonsecretary@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .748 .4880

Treasurer Teri Starketreasurer@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 .709 .5052

BCHA Director Bob Shonkabcha_dir1@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .805 .0348

BCHA Director & Public Lands Co-Chair Trygve Culpbcha_dir2@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .486 .2061trygveculp@gmail .com

BCHA Alternate Director Dave Jackson bcha_altdir@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .627 .5834

Legislative Chair & Parliamentarian Bob Brookelegislative@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 .846 .1958

Governance & By-Laws Chair Teunis Wyersteunisjw@yahoo .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .493 .3939

Public Lands Co-Chair Jeff Chapmanbbbranch@olympus .net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .385 .6364

Membership Chair Heather Moormanmembership@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .585 .4001

Leave No Trace Chair Jane ByramLNT@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .997 .7407

Jr. BCHW Chair Randy Darlingjr_bchw@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .947 .8903

Ways & Means Dave Swanbergways_means@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 .486 .1107

Trailhead News Publicity Chair & Editor Dick Yarboroeasyrider@scattercreek .com . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .264 .2263

Public Relations & Publisher Joyce Willmsjoyce@wamedia .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .754 .4543www .wamedia .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fax: 360 .943 .7086

Trailhead News Volunteer Proofreader Sondra Johnstonsgjohn1234@aol .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 .843 .2679

Web Master & Photographer Jim Thodewebboss@bchw .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 .978 .5336

Editor & Advertising Manager Crissy McGeebchw@wamedia .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 .754 .4543Article word count maximum is 400 words as space is limited . Photos must be accompanied by the location, name(s) of person(s) in photo and the name of the photographer . Please submit articles and ads to Crissy at [email protected] or mail to PO Box 7184 • Olympia, WA 98507 • 360.754.4543

Trailhead News MagazinePublished: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/DecBCHW Mailing Address110 W. 6th Ave. PMB 393 • Ellensburg, WA 98926

particular political candidates, nor engage in any other activity that may constitute favoring or opposing a political candidate. The forgoing applies to the official position of BCHW, it does not restrict or discourage individual members from represent-ing them selves in support of a candidate.

Inc. and its management shall not be held responsible for any typing errors or omissions other than a correc-tion in the next available issue. The Trailhead News shall not be reproduced in any form or manner without prior written agreement. This includes reproduction of articles, photos, and the BCHW logo.

The Trailhead News is the official publication of the Back Country Horsemen of Washington State, Inc. (BCHW).

Trailhead News

September/October 2009 Prez Says

1

BCHW faces numerous pressing issues at this time, nevertheless, I intend to take this opportunity

to acknowledge a quiet majority within our organization; these are the folks who faithfully and diligently work on our behalf. During my term as President of BCHW I have come to immensely appreciate these many dedicated members who comprise the group I’ve come to think of as the unsung heroes of our organization. Unsung heroes of BCHW quietly go about the business of supporting BCHW at both state and chapter level. These folks are the bedrock of our organization, and the strength in numbers that make BCHW so successful at fulfilling our mission and keeping this organization humming.

Take a minute and reflect, I bet there is someone in your chapter who qualifies. We all know unsung heroes; the fel-low who always makes sure there is cof-fee and donuts at the meeting, the mem-bers who volunteer time preparing meals

for a VIP ride or orchestrate a fundrais-ing event; other examples of the unsung hero include the trail crew that brush and clear a trail, or the person who manages the chapter tool cache, the member that

Hats Off to the Unsung Heroes

By Bob Gish, BCHW President

orchestrates the work party, members who drive miles and attend many hours of meetings – instead of riding; and of course, the secretary who patiently re-cords meeting minutes when everyone is talking at once, and the long-suffering

volunteer hour coordina-tors – who are sorting out critical infrastructure changes along with chap-ter treasurers. Hats off to these hard-working and essential individuals. My definition of an un-sung hero is someone who does extra things for the organization – those spe-cial people who do good works without pay or per-haps even a thank you.

Here is my heartfelt ‘thank you’ and my tip of the hat to you all. We couldn’t do it without you.

“The noble unsung hero of himself he’ll never boast. To him no others raise their glasses and to him drink a toast.

His face not on a postage stamp he never speaks too loud. And he is just

the silent fellow in the noisy crowd.”

– The Unsung Hero by Francis Duggan

BCHW Mission Statement

BCHW is affiliated with Back Country Horsemen of America (hereinafter “BCHA”) and therefore adopts the BCHA mission statement as follows: The mission of this organization shall be:

• Toperpetuatethecommon-senseuseandenjoymentofhorsesinAmerica’sbackcountryandwilderness.

• Toworktoinsurethatpubliclandsremainopentorecreationalstockuse.

• Toassistthevariousgovernmentalandprivateagenciesintheirmaintenanceandmanagementofsaidresource.

• Toeducate,encourageandsolicitactiveparticipationinthewiseuseofthebackcountryresourcebyhorsemenand the general public commensurate with our heritage.

• Tofosterandencouragetheformationofnewchaptersinthestateorganization.

Trailhead News

September/October 2009A Word From The V.P.

2

Let’s Look Before We Leap

By Darrell Wallace, BCHW Vice President

In the last edition of THN, we read about the Legislature re-allocating NOVA funds to keep from closing several state parks. This has prompted some to ask if BCHW is sup-

porting a lawsuit, or even a recall of legislators voting for the budget. Others have asked if publishing those articles was a bad idea and may have offended some people. We don’t think so! First, a look at legal precedents tells us (and most legal scholars) that the legislature is constitutionally empowered to decide where to allocate state funds. They were the ones who created the NOVA account, and they surely didn’t want to close state parks if they didn’t have to. Faced with a terrible budget deficit, they did what they thought best, especially as the last hours of the session ticked away. Do we like their decision? No, it looks like they forgot about the impact on trail-based recreation. They still need to resolve that issue, and we need to work with them to do it. But let’s not make it personal. To quote Washington Trails Association, Advo-cacy Director Jonathan Guzzo: “No one left the session happy this year. I have not spoken with a single policy advocate or elected official who feels good about the decisions that they had to make.” Second, we know that people listen to us best when we team up with others, and we have an opportunity to join a coalition of recreational users in a strategy to work with the legislature to right this wrong. The Washington Trails Asso-ciation, BCHW, and several other organizations are working on just such a common strategy, and you will hear more about it in the months to come. The BCHW Directors will consider it in September. Third, at least one state agency felt that our analysis in the THN was so factual that they use it to provide an orientation to

the issue for citizen volunteers. Providing the facts is part of our mission. Jumping to conclusions is not – although we’re all guilty once in a while! We are an action-oriented group, so what are we doing about it? Here is a proposed position for a collaboration of recreation users, including BCHW:• We understand that the 2009 biennial budget presented

extraordinary challenges to the legislature. We do not envy the decisions they had to make.

• However, we have strong concerns that the transfer of NOVA funds out of the grant program could leave recre-ation infrastructure on Department of Natural Resources lands in tatters.

• Non-motorized recreation alone provides $650 million back to the state through tax dollars. Our quality of life in Washington is largely responsible for more people mov-ing into our state, which has kept our economic slide from accelerating at the pace seen in other states.

• We are pleased that State Parks has been given a relatively stable, dedicated revenue source in the form of the opt-out fee. We expect the legislature to watch the revenue flow from this program closely. If it exceeds expectations, it is imperative that you backfill transferred funds into the NOVA grant program and DNR’s direct appropriation.

Let’s stake out our position, and work it so we keep our trails open. Happy Trails!

“Trail riding and Pack TriPs in WashingTon”Where to ride and how to get there –

With the special chapter on Map & Compass Use is again avail-able because of requests for a 3rd reprint. This is a limited and final reprint!

36 trail maps, trail tips, stock first aid, 150 trail guides and over 300 pages.

Copies may also be ordered from:Runnin’WInc.•P.O.Box1307Wilsonville,OR97070for$18.95plus$2.75forpostage.

Trailhead News

September/October 2009 Legislative Report

3

I really don’t have a lot to say this issue except that both the state legislature and the congress are out of session. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS NO LEGISLATIVE

ACTION AND DECISIONS BEING MADE. Now is the time for you to contact your local politicians about WHAT EVER is on your mind. There are huge issues that directly and in- directly effect your life and liberty.

Contact Your Elected Officials NOW!

By Bob Brooke, BCHW Legislative Chair

S tarting in June each year the Directors shall an-nounce to their chapters what offices are sched-uled for election. They should be encouraged to

submit names of persons to fill specific offices that are up for election. If the named person accepts the nomination, then that person may provide any in-formation to the board for consideration, and to the Trail Head News. Nominations will officially open at the September meeting located at Central WA University, Ellens-burg, in the Student Union Resource Bldg (SURC) Room 137 near the intersection of 11th and Chestnut. See map at www.cwu.edu/newmap.html. Official cam-pus address is 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926. Free parking is available on Saturday at the nearest campus lots on Chestnut. Nominations will be closed at the beginning of the December meeting, and information pertinent to the election may be presented to the board in session as

a quasi committee of the whole. The quasi committee of the whole will function as an executive session, and deliberations will be held. At the conclusion of the de-liberations, the board will move into open session, and an election will be held. Officers duly elected will as-sume their duties on January 1 of the following year.

If you are interested in running for President,

Vice President, BCHA Director, or BCHA

Alternate Director contact your chapter Director.

Proposed Election Procedure to be Voted on at the September Board of Directors Meeting in Ellensburg, WA

Be Informed and Be Heard. Contact Your Political Delegation

While They Are Home.Let Them Know What You Think.

If you need help finding your state elected officials,

call 1-800-562-6000 or visit www.leg.wa.gov

For contacting your federal elected officials,

please go to www.congress.org

Trailhead News


4

On June 24th members of the BCHW Public Lands Committee Chair Jeff Chapman, BCHW Grays Harbor Chapter Director Lori Lennox and BCHW Vice

President Darrell Wallace met with new United States Forest Service (USFS). Pacific Northwest Regional Forester Mary Wagner in Olympia to discuss the relationship between the Forest Service and our volunteer organization in Washington State. Ms. Wagner oversees all 17 National Forests inWashington and Oregon, which includes 3,500 employees and a nearly half billion-dollar budget. She recently served as Deputy Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region which includes southern Idaho along with Utah, Nevada, and eastern Wyoming. She replaces recently retired Linda Goodman. We also were interested in the fact that she served as the first National Director of Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers for the USFS. No doubt she would be well versed in Wilderness management, and we weren’t disappointed. We only had a little over an hour for the meeting so most of the time was spent getting acquainted with each other. Mary made several positive statements about the BCH organization from her past service history experience, and she seemed clearly appreciative of and excited about working with the different volunteer organizations in our State. She was quite at home discussing horse use issues with us, and she never expressed anything less than positive enthusiasm. Of course she stopped short of making any promises that were outside of standard policies. However, she listened and took copious notes as we quickly identified the topics important to our organization. This included Trail Classification processes and Trail Management Objectives (TMOs) – that we wanted to be kept in the loop as this effort developed; concerns about stock use being left out of some forest Niche statements in the Recreation Facility Analysis (RFA) plans; concerns with the inaccuracy of the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) results; the lack of stimulus funds going to trails; inadequate funding for USFS recreation including

the Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) shortcomings, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) funding, and reducing diversions from recreation for fire fighting through new mechanisms like those in the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act; volunteer recognition systems (and why 500 hours is too much for an America The Beautiful pass); certification for chainsaws/crosscuts; the need for more Minimum Tool Exemptions for specific work with chainsaws in the Wilderness; holding off for at least a year before pursuing any fines for failure to have certified hay (because of confusion and lack of posted public information); adequate setbacks for dispersed camping in the Travel Management Planning processes; and wanting more trail targeted monies from the Legacy Funds. Needless to say, the time went by rather quickly. We all felt that this was just the beginning of a new era in a long and positive relationship with the Regional office. Indeed, Ms. Wagner will be going riding with us this summer, and the recent round of stimulus dollars for Washington will find its way into a number of trail projects in our National Forests. Times are hard and budgets are tight, but what we are seeing are agencies and volunteers rising to meet the needs together.

BCHW Meets With USFS R6 Regional ForesterBy Jeff Chapman, BCHW Public Lands Chair

Regional Forester Mary Wagner, Olympic National Forest Super-visor Dale Hom, BCHW Public Lands Chair Jeff Chapman, and BCHW Grays Harbor Director Lori Lennox.

Trailhead News

September/October 2009 Editor's Note

5

Ad Ad Ad Cost Ad Cost Size Dimensions 1x Insertion 6x Insertion Back Cover 3/4 page 8" H x 8" W $450.00 $435x6=$2,610 (Save $90.00)

Inside Front Cover 10" H x 7 1/2" W $450.00 $435x6=$2,610 (Save $90.00)

Inside Back Cover 10" H x 7 1/2" W $425.00 $410x6=$2,460 (Save $90.00)

Full Page 10" H x 7 1/2" W $400.00 $385x6=$2,310 (Save $90.00)

3/4 Page 6 1/4" H x 7 1/2" W $300.00 $285x6=$1,710 (Save $90.00)

Half Page 4 3/4" H x 7 1/2" W $220.00 $205x6=$1,230 (Save $90.00)

Third Page 3 1/2” H x 7 1/2” W $180.00 $165x6=$990 (Save $90.00)

Quarter Page 4 3/4" H x 3 5/8" W $120.00 $105x6=$630 (Save $90.00)

Business Card 2" H x 3 5/8" W $75.00 $65x6=$390 (Save $90.00)

(eligible for web site ad, see right for details)

When a contract is signed to run an ad for 1 year, you are eligible to have an ad on the BCHW web site for free.

Ads must meet professional publishing standards. Ads must be high resolution (300 dpi) PDFs or JPGs. Modifications are billable for design at $75.00 per hour, $40.00 minimum charge, billed to the advertiser. All ads subject to approval by BCHW.

Conditions: Washington Media Services, Inc. and the Back Country Horsemen of Washington State Trailhead News magazine assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors or omissions. The advertiser assumes liability for the content of the advertisement and any claims that may arise there from against the publisher.

Make payment payable to: Back Country Horsemen of Washington State

Send check along with ad to: Washington Media Services, Inc. P.O. Box 7184, Olympia, WA 98507

Ads must be the same size for all six insertions and must be paid in advance at first insertion for discount and a free ad on website on insertion.

Ad Deadline Dates Publish Dateand Payment Due of Newsletter(or first business day after this date)

December 1 ................... Jan/FebFebruary 1 .....................Mar/AprilApril 1 ...........................May/JuneJune 1 ............................ July/AugAugust 1 ........................Sept/OctOctober 1 ......................Nov/Dec

Any advertising questions please contact:Crissy McGee or Adriane Wolfe

(360) 754-4543 • Fax (360) [email protected] • visit: www.bchw.org

$200.00 per issue spot color charge

BCHW Trailhead News Ad Rates

cm_6_10_09

Why Wasn’t My Article Published?

By Joyce Willms, BCHW Trailhead News Public Relations & Managing Editor

I would like to take this time to say “thank you” for all of the great articles that have been submitted every issue of the Trailhead News. It’s your stories that truly make the

Trailhead News a publication that BCHW members can be proud of. I encourage those of you who have sent articles in, to continue doing so, and those of you reading this who have not, I encourage you to make your voice be heard – let other members, your neighbors, know what’s going on with your chapter. Tell us how you are promoting the BCHW mission. I must admit that I become a little jealous whenever I read about how much fun you members are having, it sounds like a great time! When I read about work parties and trail maintenance projects, I ask myself, “How do they do it? How do they find the time?” After reading all about the work you’ve accomplished, I am exhausted! You must stay in great shape! Speaking of keeping in shape, the Trailhead News is doing better than ever! The Trailhead News has a budget that allows us to publish a 16 page plus cover newsletter six times per year. By selling more advertisement space, we are able to increase the total number of pages printed. So far this year, there have been three issues with 16 pages plus cover and two issues with 20 pages plus cover, which was made possible thanks to the increase in advertisers (Please remember to

thank the advertisers for their support in the Trailhead News by buying from them!) Sometimes being the managing editor of the Trailhead News is a difficult job. You as members take the time to put your thoughts and experiences down on paper (electronically), gather up photos and write captions to help tell your stories and then email them to us – only to receive a reply email from us asking you to shorten your article because it extends the maximum word count. How discouraging this must be! I sincerely apologize; however, we must follow the guidelines set forth in order to best represent as many chapters as possible. With the number of great articles and limited number of pages we have to work with, we have to do our best to provide story coverage to the entire state of Washington. That includes 35 chapters with about nine pages per issue designated for chapter articles. This is why it’s so important to keep articles to the 400 word maximum and include one to two photos with captions. Remember, a photo is worth a 1,000 words! Thank you again for sending in all of your wonderful and inspiring stories! Keep spreading the good news of BCHW by emailing articles to Crissy McGee, your editor, at [email protected]. Crissy, myself and the entire staff here at Washington Media Services, Inc. are proud to be part of the BCHW family.

Trailhead News

September/October 2009BCHW Store

6

Send Order to: Donna Geerdes 16486AllenWestRd.•Bow,WA98232 360.757.8124•[email protected]

Name: (Please Print) __________________________________

_________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________

_________________________________________________

City _____________________________________________

State _______________ Zip _________________________

Plea

se c

lip o

ut a

nd m

ail

!!

Prices not including tax. Please fill out tax using the tax rate for your area.

Leg slickers

Wine glass, flask and beer stein

Quantity Item (check color where applicable) Price Total

Baseball Logo Caps: o Dk Blue o Dk Green o Black

$15.00

Scarves: o Green o Yellow o Red $ 6.00

Truck Decals $ 3.50

Bumper Stickers $1.50

Shoulder Patch $3.00

Volunteer Patch

50 Hr Chevron $1.50

100 Hr Chevron $1.50



BCH Guide Book

(If mailed) $1.75

(If not mailed) $0.50

BCHW Calendars

(Calendar) $12.00

Shipping $1.95

BCHW Silhouette Sticker: o Black o White

$10.00

Wine Glasses/Beer Steins $7.00

Flask $14.00

T-shirts (Medium gray with black logo)

Small $15.00

Medium $15.00

Large $15.00

X-Large $15.00

XX-Large $15.00

Leg Slickers

Regular $33.00

Regular Tall $33.00

Husky $33.00

Husky Tall $33.00

New BCHW Brochure FREE

New BCHW 2009 Belt Buckles $35.00

TAX ( %)

GRAND TOTAL

The NEW BCHW Brochures are available at NO CHARGE.Call Donna Geerdes at 360.757.8124 to order yours TODAY!

‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹ ‹‹

Trailhead News

September/October 2009 Out on the Trails

7

Plea

se c

lip o

ut a

nd m

ail

!!

Wine glass, flask and beer stein

DNR Rescue in Capitol Forest

I have become a cautionary tale. I went for a horseback ride with my new boss, April, who is also a friend, (minimal riding experience) in Capital Forest, got turned around and

lost. This was the first time I had ever really been lost. It was getting dark but the horses followed the trail well until the horse April was riding stepped off trail down an embankment. I heard this awful scream as they went down. Worrying that my horse would try to come down after me, I tied him up to a tree on the trail. By the time I reached my friend, she had already freed herself out from under the horse, which was still trapped by some logs and brush. After remov-ing his bridle, moving some small logs and debris I was able to get him up and standing, yet this caused another problem as he went down the hill further. April was finally able to get through to a 911 operator on her cell phone. We had been trying to use our cell phones earlier to get oriented and out of the forest, however, without success. So she stayed where she was while I climbed out and went back on the trail to find one of those plastic mile marker signs. “Green line #6, 6.5 mi,” I called into the 911 operator before my phone went dead. The operator told me to stay by the mile marker, which was pretty easy to do since I had no flashlight. April spent three hours on the line with the opera-tor, Emily, at 911, due to good cell phone battery life. April said it felt like she had a new best friend! Emily’s voice on the phone was reassuring and kept her calm. We both could see a blinking red light but had no idea how far away it was. The tree cover made it impossible to tell direction, and we had no compass. In an attempt to find our position, 911 triangulated her cell signal but, as it turned out, that signal erroneously told them we were at the cell tower. I don’t recall what time it was when we could hear the siren as it came down the valley. We could also hear the horse walking around a little, spent some time shouting out to try and aid those locating us. The Thurston County Sheriff reached us first. Our rescue occurred just before dawn. April used the flash on her cam-era to signal her position to the officers. I was able to lead my horse down the trail while the two Thurston County Sher-iffs, Officers Hovda and Hoover supported my shaking friend down the trail to the logging road. The DNR officer, Jason Bodine, lead the aid car to our location. As soon as the crew assessed April and I tied my horse to another tree, the very kind Officer Bodine drove me to my truck and trailer, followed by the news crew. The offi-cers assessed and transported April to the ER. During the ride down the hill, Officer Bodine asked a few questions, gave me a map of the area, suggested a GPS unit I might want to buy (Garmin 60csx, which I have already ordered), and gave me a

few safety tips. He possessed a very calm and reassuring man-ner, commenting on what we did right and what could have been improved. Coming back into cell range, he made some phone calls for me to those at home. Once we were back on the trail he took the sheriffs back to their cars and told me he would be right back. I started calling out when I saw what I thought of as “my milepost.” The horse lifted his head and I scooted down to him. On all four legs, he nudged me politely for the treats he smelled in my pocket. After a quick assessment, I went back up the bank and marked it with a chunk of wood on the trail. I headed back down the trail to the logging road; Officer Bodine had just pulled up. I told him it was possible we could get the horse out if he had a saw. Pulling a chainsaw out of the back of his truck, he followed me to see what we could do. Officer Bodine reassured me there were more people he could call if we needed extra help. My duty was to comfort the horse. Officer Bodine explained that he liked horses but was not himself a horseman. After asking me to help the horse tolerate the sound of the chainsaw, he began working with the chainsaw away from us and slowly moved closer. The horse quickly became accustomed to the sound of the

(Continued on page 15)

Left to right: Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark, Backcountry Horsemen of Washington (BCHW) Trailhead News Publicity Chair and Editor Dick Yarboro, BCHW Vice President Darrell Wallace (ESD), April Fox, Kidd, DNR Law Enforcement Officer Jason Bodine holding his “Friends of BCHW” plaque, rider Marilyn Riechenberger, Dakota (rescued horse), DNR Supervisor Lenny Young, DNR Law Enforcement Chief Larry Raedel.

By Marilyn Riechenberger, BCHW Grays Harbor Chapter

Photo by Nancy Charbonneau, DNR

Trailhead News

September/October 2009Out on the Trails

8

On July 24th, 2009 seven members of the Wenas Valley Back Country Horsemen

set out to Idaho to ride in the Seven Devils, Hells Canyon Wilderness. Mike Drougas, Michaela (Mikey) Drougas, Jacque Sansaver, Autumn Sansaver, Lou Ann Matches, Robin Granger, and myself, Susie Drougas. Yes, that’s right, six females and Mike. He’s a brave soul. We left the Sea Galley parking lot in Union Gap at 6 a.m. and rolled into the trailhead outside of Riggins, Idaho at about 3 p.m. We pulled our stock trailers and decided rather than camp at the trailhead, we would pack in – after all, the camp at Lily Pad Lake was only approximately five and one half miles. We came to find out that means about 11 Washington miles. By the time we got all packed up it was 6 p.m. No problem we figured, we’d have plenty of daylight. We’d read the topographic lines on the map, in fact, in many places there was no space between them, a little steep we thought. We side hilled along some semi steep slopes with burned out trees on them, and then came to a corner that looked like 3-D. Rounding that corner we came to a very steep trail that went down thousands of feet to the bottom with many switchbacks – shades of the Norse Peak trail. Robin’s pack rolled halfway down, the horses were bunching up and it was a bad situation so we had to leave her on the side hill while the rest of us went to the bottom. Mike headed back up to help her and the rest of us went on with the packhorses to our camp. The light faded as we hit Lily Pad Lake and, lucky for us, an old cowboy walked out of the trees and greeted us as we rode in. He directed us to a really nice horse camp and we barely made out the turn in the dark. We asked him to let the rest of our party know where we went – and he did! If he hadn’t, they would have never found us! Mike and Robin came in about 10:30 p.m. and we had our camp set up by 11:30. Geez! What were we thinking? On Saturday we spent the day in camp and hiked over to Lily Pad Lake. Our graze area was right across from our camp, thick luscious grass in a nice wide, flat meadow (Came in handy later). Sunday, we rode to Sheep Lake – beautiful rock formations and a mountain goat on the craggy rocks above us. Monday, we headed over to He Devil Lake, another deep pocket of blue water. Tuesday, we went to Dry Diggins. Spectacular!

An old fire lookout perched miles above the Snake River with full view of the Hells Canyon, we could see the Eagle Cap! The lookout even has a wraparound deck on the second floor with chairs to sit down on and admire the view. We had lunch at Bernard Lakes and Mikey and Autumn swam. Wednesday, we went into Baldy Lake. We were told it was impassable, so didn’t know what to expect. The Windy Saddle loop trail to Baldy, side hills has steep switchbacks and sometimes becomes nothing more than a little dent in the beautiful fields of Lupine, Indian Paintbrush and tons of other wildflowers in bloom. The impassable part we found was a huge log across a steep part of the trail, which we got over and then hurried over the little piece of six inch wide trail with drop off – after that, no problem! Baldy Lake is surrounded

by the Devil’s Throne and the Twin Imps, which are simply breathtaking. Wednesday night we had dinner and were making plans for our last ride. I was setting up the sinks to do the dishes when Mike and Jacque went down to get the horses. I heard Mike yell, “Help!” In 16 years of marriage I have never heard him do that! The rest of us ran down to the meadow. Mike was holding Jacque in his arms and she was limp. Mike said she had two horses by their leads in one hand and had just bent over to undo her mare’s hobbles. She had no lead on the mare. Once the hobbles were free, the mare spun and kicked her in the leg, and to Mike’s horror then kicked a second time and he could hear the “thunk” as it contacted her skull. He had rushed in and caught her before she hit the ground. I don’t even want to think about what an impact with the ground would have done to her already injured head. We carefully laid Jacque down right where she was. I saw a perfect shoe print surrounding her ear into the side of her head and lots of blood. I yelled to her daughter, Autumn, “Go get the Spot Satellite, your mom needs to get out.” Robin headed up to a high point behind the camp to get cell service and talk to 911. We checked Jacque’s pupils they were equal and she was conscious. We sent the kids to get warm blankets to prevent shock. We made her as comfortable as possible on the slight slope by the meadow. Robin came back with a cold compress and we put a cold washcloth on Jacque’s face and told her we could not let her

The Seven Devils Pack TripBy Susie Drougas, BCHW Wenas Valley Chapter

Robin Granger, Lou Ann Matches, Mikey Drougas, Autumn Sansaver, side hilling to Baldy Lake.

Photo by Susie Drougas


Trailhead News


9

The Seven Devils Pack Trip(Continued from page 8)

sleep because of concussion. She was repeating herself and wondering what happened. We would explain and then she would want to know again. Every time she asked, we answered like it was the first time. We wanted her to stay calm. For time reference, we punched thebuttonsforhelpontheSpotat7:30p.m. Our cell service was inconsistent, so we got some calls out but they dropped. The 911 actually connected to Oregon and bounced around – we finally got cell confirmation about 9:30 that the Life Flight was on its way and should arrive in about an hour. We had laid the Spot out in the middle of the meadow for clearer reception. They already had our coordinates and had contacted Randy, Jacque’s husband. Jacque was starting to shake in her blankets, so Autumn got her super warm sleeping bag and put that on top of everything else. We tucked it underneath her. All of us sat right next to her, keeping her still and talking. Autumn, Jacque’s daughter, is a diabetic – and the reason Jacque bought the Spot for the trip. Autumn grabbed her mother’s hand, saying, “Mom, we are going to get through this together, just like you told me with my diabetes.” Jacque said, “Okay.” As darkness fell, the quarter moon hung in the sky and the dark shadows of the mountains stood silently above the meadow. By now Jacque had to go to the bathroom – we could not let her stand up! Then we heard the sound of the chopper. It was 10:45 p.m. Mike and the girls ran out in the meadow with the lanterns. The chopper made three or four swoops and then landed in the middle of the meadow. The paramedics were friendly and professional. They put Jacque in a collar and back brace and we all helped carry her in a liter and load her into the helicopter. They had to take her to Boise, which was the closest trauma center. Our little group huddled together as we watched the silver bird with the red and green lights “whoosh” out of the meadow and into the dark sky carrying our buddy. It reminded me a lot of the old movie, ET. None of us slept much that night, Thursday morning we packed up camp and headed out. Both girls ended up pulling a horse out, Jacque’s riding horse and packhorse. We had assured Jacque we would take care of Autumn, so all of us questioned her on shots, times, food and blood sugar. We made sure she had plenty of water.

Three Dept. Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers came into our camp the morning before we left, they had been in the next basin over and were notified of all of our communications. Nice to know there is help out there, they also carried a Spot Satellite. We talked about the big hill coming in, it is so steep and narrow you don’t want to pass anyone on a lot of it. They said they had seen a lot of really bad wrecks on that hill – fortuitous words. We asked where the most scenic part of the Seven Devils was, only to confirm we were in it. We’d thought that, but just hadn’t seen any other horsemen. Robin’s horses were semi lame, so she headed out ahead of us. Lou Ann, Mike and I then packed four packhorses with double diamond hitches and Mike mantied one packhorse. We were tired and should have checked our cinches before the big hill, but we didn’t. We

wanted to get out and see how Jacque was. Mike was in the back pulling Cheyenne and Blufire, our four-year-old. About halfway up, Blufire’s load slipped and pulled him off the trail. The breakaway to Cheyenne did not break and he pulled Cheyenne off the trail. Mike jumped off his horse and got in the middle, pulling on the breakaway. As Cheyenne was falling into him, Mike at the last minute landed behind a tree, just avoiding being crushed. Blufire got free, and then lunged downhill towards a precipice drop off. I was in the front, calmly watching my husband and horses plunging down the hillside. My biggest fear was that Blufire in wild panic would bolt uphill and knock the girls off the trail – we needed to get them out of there. Once Mike had a hold of Cheyenne, he got back on his horse and Blufire miraculously followed now shed of his load with the packsaddle and bags strewn all over the steep slope. We got to the top and tied up while Mikey and her dad went back down, repacked Blufire and came up. We got to the trailhead about 5:30 p.m. I immediately checked my cell messages and called back Colleen Badgely, Jacque’s mom. She told me that Bob Badgely (Jacque’s step dad) and Randy Sansaver (Jacque’s husband) and Jacque were heading up and almost to the trailhead. Jacque was okay!!! The kick was deep, apparently rupturing her cranial membrane. She had dissolving stitches in her membrane and large metal staples in her skull. The hospital kept her overnight and did a CT scan before they released her. Colleen said Jacque would have died from internal bleeding had she not been airlifted

Lou Ann Matches, Mikey Dougas and Autumn Sansaver on the Sheep Lake Trail, Seven Devils

Photo by Susie Drougas


Trailhead News


10

I ride a lot, mostly on the west side of our state. I have favorite spots where I ride frequently and manage to venture to a couple new spots every year. Friends have told

me about Burke Lake for years and I finally made it there this past April. Two friends and I had no trouble following a BCHW member’s directions to get us there, and by late afternoon we had set camp and were ready for a short ride. Mounted, in camp, we surveyed our surroundings. We discussed how flat the terrain looked and headed up the trail. Since I had planned ahead and purchased my “Cowboy Map”, we knew the trail around the lake was perfect for our evening. Right

off the bat, we were entertained by birds of vibrant color, which we don’t see near home. We stopped for a breather overlooking the lake, and watched a lazily swimming beaver. All was calm until he slapped his tail and dove under water. My friend’s paint horse awakened from a brief nap, executed that “from a stand-still side-ways spine correcting jump of 15 feet” we are all so used to, then went back to sleep. Almost completing our round trip, we noticed a sign at a boat ramp: “No Parking” and, two horse trailers parked behind the sign (no BCHW stickers visible). We arrived back at our campsites just past dusk, cared for our steeds, satisfied our food and beverage needs, cleaned up manure (my choice for this three day trip was to put the manure into my trailer and haul it home), and went to dream of future trails. Mounting up the next day at a leisurely hour, we set off for the Ancient Lakes. So much for our misconception of flat ground, the vistas are incredible! Each trail wound and rose and fell, providing us with investigative sights. After navigating our way down into the valley, we rode to the drop off to the Columbia River.

Horse naps complete, we headed towards camp, stopping to take photos of the country side. Resting after one climb, we were fortunate to enjoy a close up viewing of a marmot. That evening, local and chapter member entertainment showed up for our social hours. Sipping coffee and listening to hay munching the next morning, I watched as others went about their morning chores. Being “anal-retentive” about manure disposal and weed seed free hay, I paid particular attention to which disposal method others use. I saw manure being piled (I assumed for future removal), manure being wheeled a ways from camp, then scattered, and manure being pitched into trailers.

With my morning ponderings done, we saddled and split up, exploring with cross-country jaunts. This evening’s entertainment included exchanging cameras to see what the other had seen. Our departure day came all too soon. Home a week, I received a request to respond to an incident one of our BCHW members experienced. This member told a discomforting account of manure being “stacked as high as the sage brush” at Burke Lake (BCHW bumper sticker displayed) and left for others to clean up. Riding off, after brief words with the manure dumpers, the disheartened member decided to address the repetitive problem by asking Back Country Horsemen’s Leave No Trace Representatives to remind everyone that our education program has many good tips for disposing of manure and why we should do so. And, with a simple request, chapters can have LNT Trainers come to their meetings, or arrange Basic Skills Classes for groups.

AdventuringBy Louise Caywood, BCHW Nisqually & Pierce County Chapters

Remember the BCHW Mission Statement

(refer to page 1)

Trailhead News


11

The Seven Devils Pack Trip(Continued from page 9)

out. Randy and Bob had left in the middle of the night for Boise as soon as they were notified of Jacque’s airlift. Would we do it again? Absolutely. What would we do differently? We would have a small pack trip with the group before the big one to check outfits, horses and loads. Always have a lead on a horse, no matter how well you know them, so they can’t spin and kick. Go over all the directions for operation of the Spot Satellite with the group. The person who programmed the Spot in our case was the person down. We weren’t sure of the order of the buttons to push, and so we hit them all and got it right, but I believe because we hit “on” and “911” and didn’t hit “help” on top of it, it may have delayed the flight a bit. We also want to have a first aid presentation to our chapter. Doing the right thing at the right time makes all the difference in the world. We were lucky because we knew what to do in the case of Jacque’s injury, but what if someone had made her stand up with cranial bleeding? What if they didn’t understand shock? And in our case, what if they didn’t have a Spot Satellite for airlift? We really lucked out because they could literally take her out where she fell – we only had to transport her about 100 feet – it could have been much more difficult. We had a great group and really worked together well. The reality is, this is a dangerous sport and things can happen. Handling the unexpected with horses is just as important as anything else you do, be as prepared as possible and always stay calm. We’re in the process now of planning next year’s trip.

In the past 13 years of teaching the basic Ethics and Principles of Leave No Trace I have had many experiences to say the

least. Although all of the seven principles are of equal importance, (according to LNT.org) I really didn’t think so. That is until the last two years. Right now I think one of, if not the most important principle is: Be Considerate of Others! Two years ago at the Basic Class in Randle, the students had lots to say and comment about what it means to “Be Considerate of Others”. Louise Caywood and I were in the big tent with the flip chart going and Louise was running the pen. We were listing things that were inconsiderate to stock people, the hikers as well as and other user groups and the subject of dogs came up. I believe that by the time we were done with that segment of the class, all user groups had checked complaints about dogs at least 20 times. This class had many things to say about dogs! How your dog behaves can make a trail ride enjoyable or a nightmare. Now, I am not a dog hater. Brownie (the family dog) and Chubby (the horse) and I grew up together, but I also believe that in a group situation (such as a camping outing or trail ride) dogs are like small children. They should be seen and not heard! Well behaved children and dogs are a pleasure to have around. They should not be playing under foot, yelling and screaming (or barking) for attention. Not everyone enjoys watching every step you take in the campground to be sure you don’t step in doggy do. Good parents dispose of dirty diapers properly and dog owners pick up and dispose of their doggies’ mess properly. Better yet, responsible dog owners who travel and ride with their dogs take their dog for a walk away from camp for the dog to do their business away from the activity areas of camp, then pick it up

Are You Considerate of Others?By Jane Byram, BCHW LNT Chair

and dispose of it properly. It goes with the territory of having kids and dogs, and horses or mules for that matter. We talk about picking up after our stock but most people seem to forget about their dogs! And what about the rider who doesn’t usually ride with dogs? What about the mule who (as Max Milholland says) can kick a dog three times before it hits the ground? As a dog lover and owner, wouldn’t that ruin your day by having your dog killed by a dog hating mule? Not being a dog owner, (I have rodent control specialists) my horses are not used to dogs running up and down the trail, appearing out of the brush unexpectedly, or paralleling the trail 20

feet above the trail. It would equally ruin your ride if your dog caused another rider to hit the ground because your dog

spooked their horse. A rider in voice control of their dog (and the dog obeys) is nice to have around. Heel behind their horse, not mine! And the Ethic of Being Considerate of Others goes beyond that to the neighborhood at home. A barking dog at home during the night waking the neighborhood is not good. When I was growing up on the farm and our dog was barking, that meant one thing. There was trouble somewhere and you better go see what’s happening. I have had two horses that are/were good watchdogs. Maybe that’s why I don’t have dogs, just “watch horses.” When they start yelling during the night I know something is not right and I better get up and see what’s happening. It has meant that “another horse is out and I am not, or I am someplace where I shouldn’t be and I need help.” In any case, before the horse wakes up the camp or the neighbors, I have to do the responsible thing, get up and take care of the problem. It’s just “Being Considerate of Others”.

“...dogs are like small children. They should be

seen and not heard!”

Trailhead News


12

Waptus River Trail #1310By Janie McQueen

There’s only one way to maintain a trail in the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains – hard work, manpower and livestock to carry materials and tools!

That’s what the Alpine Lakes Trail Riders (ALTR) did on the Waptus River Trail #1310 this year. They rode to a mile before Waptus Lake (Wilderness area), camped overnight and worked on the trail. This trail was a good choice because it’s a popular route.

Happy Hikers: Hikers were on the trail and had an opportunity to ex-press their appreciation for trail maintenance. It’s just as difficult for hikers on rocks as horses and it’s easy to roll your foot on a rock when navigating the trail on steep terrain. I’m short and under-brush was as difficult as the rocks – thanks for making the path nicer, BCHW!

What Did ALTR Do? They determined the ne-cessity to clear rocks in the trail, and a path was opened for hikers and riders in ar-eas of dense underbrush. The best way to accomplish that was to get off the horses and get their hands dirty! Clearing rocks and making a smoother path through rock slides was an essential part of the weekend’s work. Clubmembersrodeabout7.5milesonTrail#1310to Trail Creek Trail # 1322. Here they tied horses/mules to high lines and made camp. Several members continued on foot about a mile up trail to clear rocks, debris and underbrush. One rider took his horse along to make sure it was clean enough for a horse to get through, but car-ried a tool for trail maintenance and dismounted often to work. Working on the upper part of the trail was as impor-tant as getting there because they could then start clean-ing trail on the way out the next day. Their goal was ac-complished efficiently and now the trail is nicer for you and me!

How the USFS Helps: The Alpine Lakes Trail Riders, BCHW of Cle Elum is blessed to live in the midst of trails galore and they appreciate taking their mounts into the back country. They always dem-onstrate unbridled selflessness and caretaking of trails they use. That caretaking is possible because the Forest Service’s ranger in charge of trails in Kittitas County keeps a list of trail

projects at the Cle Elum office and updates it as he finds more trail work. Club members stop at the office and check this list before riding in the National Forest. But, on a trail, they always dismount and pick up garbage whether it’s on the list or not!

Maintenance Accomplished: This year the club cleaned the campground at Tamarack Springs and cleared a path to ride horses from Tanuem Creek. They also cut and made some portions of Trail #1310 (above Hour Creek) wider a couple years ago, and took materials and manpower on the Quick Creek trail where they replaced two washed out puncheons. Each year there are new plac-es to fix on every trail and they have been the “unsung heroes” of Kittitas County’s trail maintenance for several years.

Trailhead News


13

All work was completed on the Bannon Mtn. Trailhead Project today, Aug.4, 2009 covered by the 1214 Grant. A small, but very productive group of volunteers,

consisting of Tom Windsor, Sandra Walters, Trygve Culp, Gunnar Culp, and Dave and Peggy Swanberg, worked on Monday and Tuesday assembling two picnic tables, installed two fire rings, two sets of steel high line poles, and three steel hitch rails. We also installed a prefabricated large (4’ x 8’) Back Country Horsemen sign showing all the trail

BCW Okanogan Valley Chapter Fun Party at Bannon MountainBy Dave Swanberg, BCHW Okanogan Valley Chapter

systems in the Bannon Mtn. block, including mileage and color-coding of each trail to orient all visitors who want to use the trail system. We installed a new stock water tank, a new steel gate, repaired an existing barbed wire fence and cleaned one mile of trail from the trailhead to the new stock water tank. Lastly, we replaced one signpost that had been destroyed since last year. The Chapter provided lunch for the volunteers on both days, which was very much appreciated.

Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), reeling from deep budget cuts in its recreation program, is asking for help in

reporting illegal activities on state forestlands. The Forest Watch program plans to provide training, coordination, and procedures for volunteers to observe, document and report illegal activities and misuse on state land such as vandalism, dumping, and other undesirable activities like unsafe shooting. BCHW has a long history of volunteer cooperation with DNR, and BCHW members will undoubtedly help out with Forest Watch. Christine Redmond, DNR’s Vol-unteer Program Coordinator and Grant Coordinator, said “BCHW has supported and implemented success-ful forest watch efforts on state managed lands in com-

munities throughout Washington for many years. We would like to duplicate these efforts by implementing a formal, organized program for users and communities statewide.” BCHW President Bob Gish stated, “We hate to see vandalism and dumping out there, and I would expect that BCHW members will learn how to call it in so we can discourage that kind of stuff by other users.” Vice President Darrell Wallace said, “Our members are out there working on trails and riding anyway, so it wouldn’t take much more effort for us to be a real leader in trying to protect our forestlands.” DNR’s Redmond said that the program is just getting off the ground, so more details will be available in future issues of THN.

DNR Develops Forest Watch ProgramBy Dick Yarboro, BCHW Trailhead News Publicity Chair & Editor

Trailhead News


14

Quoting Ghost Riders in the Sky:

An old cowpoke went riding out one dark and windy day

Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way.

A bolt of fear shot through him as he looked up in the sky

For he saw the riders coming and he heard their mournful cry.

Yippee Yi ooo

Yippee Yi aa

THERE’S RAIN IN THOSE CLOUDS TODAY................

Despite the rain and thun-dershowers, 98 riders braved the elements and

rode on the annual Ferry County BCH “Steak Ride”. Thunder-showers did not dampen the spir-its of the riders and at one time maybe the song “Ghost Riders” could be heard as they came down the cloudy draw of the “Old Stage Trail.” Teresa Sedlacek, Dave and Gail Sunde’s niece from Lake Stevens, was a new rider on her new trail horse! Teresa and Bud-dy, her horse, did great. As she rode along, we never heard a dis-couraging word, even though the skies WERE cloudy all day! Teresa, you won your “spurs” this year at our Lambert Creek ride! Thank you again, Angel and John Glenewinkel, for your smiles and willingness to cook for our steak ride! Thanks Mike and Lori for taking on the auction!

Every year we can count on our good friends at Okanogan to lend a hand and help with clear-ing trails, helping to sell T-shirts and doing poker stations. Thanks to Stan Kivastad for his “Cowboy Poetry”! Good friends from Tri Rivers Chapter, Ken and Vicki Orford, donated the personalize cribbage board they made for this year’s auction. Okanogan, Tri Rivers, Meth-ow and Ferry County Chapters share a common goal in mak-ing the camaraderie of the Back Country Horsemen of Washing-ton possible.

Hope to see YOU around our campfire next year and watch how our chapters work together for the good of the organization. Hey I actually got to ride this year! Happy Trails from Ferry County. Shucks we’re drying out!

And the Skies are Not Cloudy All Day?By Lu Young, BCHW Ferry County Chapter

Dick Heathman from Methow Valley Chapter

Bob Crowell from Okanogan Valley Chapter

Visit BCHW’s website at www.bchw.org

Email your articles to Crissy at [email protected] by deadline

of October 1, 2009 for the November/December issue.

Trailhead News


15

The Okanogan Chapter of Backcountry Horseman celebrated 10 years of teaching Leave No Trace on Thursday May 28th with an enjoyable day of community

service. Trygve Culp, Dave Swanberg, Gail Sunde, Tom Windsor, Dave Sunde, and Janet Logan met at Forde Lake in the Sinlahekin Valley to teach 43 6th graders from Brewster Elementary School some basic Leave No Trace principles. The Back Country Horsemen were part of a larger multi-day outdoor experience for the young people. The students were separated into four groups so the class size was small enough for everyone to fully participate. They learned the seven Principles of LNT using an actual camp set up by the Chapter in advance. The camp included a large wall tent with a wood stove, a highline with two horses, and some examples of damage to the environment caused by previous users of the area. The interactive sessions also covered trail etiquette and a session on respect for others and for wildlife. An informal survey conducted on site revealed that a large portion of the students had not been on any extended camping trips prior to this outing. Even fewer had any previous experience with horses. Each breakout session ended with the students feeding carrots

LNT Training for 6th GradersBy Dave Swanberg, BCHW Okanogan Valley Chapter

to the horses. It is debatable whether this activity was enjoyed more by the students or by the horses. The Chapter members complimented all of the students for their attention and the leaders for their dedication and sacrifice to make an outdoor experience like this possible for young people. The leaders accompanying the students included: Isabelle Spohn, Eric Driessen, Marie Goulet, Mike Spurr and Mary McHugh.

saw. The first trail out was in ground that was too soft, so he had to carve out another way for us to go. He was incredibly patient with allowing the horse to rest in between tries and letting me give the horse a drink with a bucket filled from a nearby rivulet. He showed me which spots on the new path up the bank were soft so I could guide the horse onto the surest path up to the trail. Having been up all night, he never once complained about anything he had to do for us. He helped me get loaded up and turned around on the logging road, then led me all the way out to the freeway. Lastly, Officer Bodine made calls for me to tell those waiting for us that we were on our way home.

DNR Rescue in Capitol Forest(Continued from page 7)

I stopped at the vet’s on my way home to check out the horse, which only had some abrasions, a little swelling, but a steady rhythm to his gait. I don’t know when I had ever been so scared. April is recovering from her bumped and bruised body. She is thinking that maybe beach rides are more fun and safer! A big thank you to the Thurston County Sheriffs Of-ficers and DNR Officer Bodine for your assistance. We are forever grateful for you coming to our rescue!

Editors Note: In response to Officer Bodine’s heroic efforts, BCHW awarded him with the newly created “Friends of BCHW” plaque.

Trailhead News

September/October 2009Letters to the Editor

16

By Connie Lloyd, BCHW Island County Chapter

Members of the Island County Chapter have discussed the need for information and training on the skills needed to respond to horse accidents and incidents.

We suspected a high volume of horse trailer traffic locally given the number of horse related events. There are also an expansive number of equestrian trails on the island, which are highly used. We gathered data from other equine organizations, which confirmed our estimates. We concluded that it would be beneficial to have members and other individuals properly trained to provide a safe rescue of a horse in situations involving a trailer accident or trail incident. Our goal is to be proactive and have teams trained and prepared before the need arises. BCH members formed a committee called Equine Emergency Rescue Team. Our preliminary goal was to bring a training program to Island County. We located a highly regarded company that does this type of training and have

Letters to the Editor

scheduledourfirsttrainingeventforSeptember26and27hereon Whidbey Island. BCH members, some of whom are involved with the volunteer fire departments in Island County or the department of transportation, will be attending the training. We have also had some fire fighters signing up. This will allow for a more coordinated and officially recognized team to respond when needed. Having trained BCH members available to respond to an incident or accident will assure a better outcome for the horse and owner. In addition to the training, we are also building a list of volunteers to be contacted by county officials to assist transport a rescued horse to its home, to a veterinary clinic or to a temporary location, in the event of an injury to the owner. If BCH members are interested in attending this training session or would like information on how to conduct similar training in your area please feel free to contact us at 360-222-3445,cell:[email protected].

2009 Membership Application: Back Country Horsemen of Washington State, Inc.All adult members need to sign the form. Chapter Members: Turn in to chapter treasurer.

Independent Members mail to: BCHW ATTN: MEMBERSHIP, 110 W. 6th Ave., PMB 393, Ellensburg, WA 98926I would like to help preserve the Horsemen’s rights to use horses on public lands.

o New Member o Renewal/Past Member Mmbr #:__________County _________________________Legislative District _______Adult Names (please print) _____________________________________________________________________________________Children Names (please print) __________________________________________________________________________________Phone ( _____ ) ______________ Cell ( _____ ) ______________Email _______________________________________________Chapter ____________________________________________________________________________________________________Address _______________________________________________City _____________________State _____Zip _______________Occupation _______________________________________________Do you want to be a Volunteer? o Yes o NoWhat would you like to volunteer for? ____________________________________________________________________________

State membership for 2009 calendar year.Family Membership $ 49 ________Single Membership $ 36 ________Additional State Donation $ ________Chapter Dues $ ________Optional Memberships(Includes Family or Single Membership)Contributing Member $ 65 ________Sustaining Member $ 100 _______Patron Member $ 250 _______Benefactor Member $ 500 _______TOTAL ENCLOSED $ ________

Recognizing the fact that there is a potential for an accident wherever horse use is involved, which can cause injuries to horses, riders, and spectators, and also recognizing the fact that Back Country Horse-men of Washington State, Inc., including chapters, officers, directors, or members cannot always know the condition of trails or the experience of riders or horses taking part in Trail Rides or other BCHW functions, I do hereby release the above named from any claim or right for damages which might occur to me, my minor children or horses.Signed _____________________________________ Dated ______________________Signed ____________________________________ Dated ______________________Signed _____________________________________ Dated ______________________

Dues are deductible as Charitable Contributions for Income Tax Purposes. Dues may be considered ordinary and necessary business deductions. BCHW is a 501 c 3 non profit organization.

The information on this membership application will be shared with BCH of America, and if so designated by the applicant, the appropriate local chapter of BCHW. Otherwise, the information will not be divulged to any other person or organization without the express permission of the applicant.

Please clip out and mail! !

Please clip out and mail

!!

Island County Chapter Tackles Horse Rescue Training

Trailhead News


17

Mission: 16 miles of Pleasant Valley Loop. (12 miles east of Chinook Pass). Over 40 trees were cut; about a dozen by chainsaw and of course the majority were on the wilderness side of the American river...so were cut by hand saw.

Photo by Robin Meyers, BCHW Tahoma Chapter.

June 6th, 2009, National Trails DayWork Party Organized by Wenas Chapter

Al Norrbom, Rebecca Meyers, Linda McAskill, and Mark Reiss (members of Wenas and Tahoma chapters) cut the big log that had split so 4 cuts required, to move off the trail.

A lpine Lakes Trail Riders (ALTR) of the Upper Kittitas County held their annual Poker Ride on the third week-end of May. More than 125 riders parked at the

base of the Joe Watt Canyon to partake in a three hour ride over hill and over dale. The sunshine and wild flowers were abundant. A beautiful, clear day gave participants awesome views of the Kittitas Valley, and one stretch of the ride gave a picturesque view of Mt. Rainier. With over 400 hands sold, the Alpine Lakes Trail Riders did well putting money into their scholarship fund. Every year the club awards a $500 scholarship to a local high school senior. Also at the trailhead, the club set up an outfitter’s wall tent with educational displays inside about the Leave No Trace Program and some of those recommended practices, about how to pack a horse or mule, about noxious weeds and weed-free hay, and about the Alpine Lakes Trail Riders Club. Membership applications were available, as well as a club member on standby to answer any questions. Members of the ALTR earned the right to use the Department of Fish and Wildlife land by having a work party in the area earlier this spring. They picked up barbed wire

Alpine Lakes Trail Riders Annual Poker RideBy Debbie Cernick, BCHW Alpine Lakes Trail Riders Chapter

Member Babs Ballard offering the cards to a player on horseback, Alaina Burchak.

and old fence posts, making the area safer for the elk that winter there and the people who use the area in the summer. All BCHW should plan on participating in the ride next May, always the third Saturday.

Trailhead News

September/October 2009Optional Members

18

2009 Annual Meeting Head TableTom and Donna Windsor .............................. OKAGeorge and Lu Young......................................FERDave and Gail Sunde ..................................... OKATrygve and Janet Culp .................................. OKADave and Peggy Swanberg ............................ OKA

2010 Annual Meeting Head TableTrygve Culp .................................................. OKAGeorge Young ..................................................FERKim Merrick ................................................... TAHJeff LaBreck ................................................... CAP

Patron LevelSteve Abendroth .............................................. INDJoel & Margo Crosby ...................................... INLSteve & Pamela Granahan .............................SKABob & Sidney Showalter ................................ RATDave & Gail Sunde ....................................... OKAKen Wegner ......................................................PIETahoma Chapter BCHW ................................ TAHNancy Wiest .....................................................PIE

Sustaining LevelGene & Connie Baugher ................................MTATerry Benton ..................................................MTARobert & Sheila Blakely ..................................PIEArlyn Boatsman ............................................. RATGarry & Penelope Booker .............................. CASLettie Broughton ............................................ OLYLouise Caywood ............................................. INDDanny & Jeanie Chappel................................ RATTerry & Victoria Clark ................................... PURLeslie Coey ..................................................... INDTrygve & Janet Culp ..................................... OKAEveryll Davison .............................................. PUREileen Kiera, Jack & Naomi Duffy .............. WHAJeff & Sheryl Engler ....................................... INDDavid Everitt .................................................. WILJoseph & Cynthia Gauthier ............................ RATJack Gillette, D.V.M. & Laurie Huston ............. PIERobert & Vicki Gish.......................................NORPeg Greiwe & Dale Kelley ...............................PIEDavid & Janis Jackson ................................... PURJulie Jindal .....................................................MTA

Greg Johnston & Cathy Johnson ......................NISSandi Kampen ...............................................WENMary Kane ..................................................... TAHDonna Kelleher ............................................ WHALaura Kingman .............................................. CAPJeffrey LaBreck .............................................. CAPFred, Lori & Von Lennox ...............................GRAEd, Teri, & Alli Letcher ................................. TAHRobert & Karen Mayer ..................................CCRMary McIntyre Lee ......................................... INDHeather & Daren Moorman ........................... PURThomas & Kristine Moran .............................GRALee & Jim Munroe ......................................... CAPJohn Myers ..................................................... RATJan Nelson ......................................................MTAAl Norrbom .................................................... TAHAnn Olli .......................................................... INDMarc Reinertson ............................................. PENRobert & Lorrie Rosier ................................... INLStephen & Emma Russell .............................. CAPSusan Sebastian ............................................ WHABob Shonka ....................................................BUCRobert Smith ..................................................GRAStan Stuurmans ............................................ WHAGene & Mary Sutliff ......................................TRADavid & Margaret Swanberg ........................ OKAKrohn Traversie ..............................................WINRoger Van Hoy ................................................ INDRich & Kay Wagner ........................................ INDDave & Bonnie Welch ....................................MTAWiebe Family .................................................MTACarol D Wilcox .............................................WENTom & Donna Windsor ................................. OKABonnie Witrak ................................................ TAHBarbara Woo & Scott Bauer ........................... CASRichard Woodfin ............................................MTAJoann Yost ......................................................GRAPatricia Yust .................................................. WHA

Contributing LevelEarl & Dorothy Aalseth ................................. CASHelmut & Darlene Adler ................................MTABaumberger Family ........................................CCRRobert & Denise Bokum ................................MTA

Don & Lourie Boltz ....................................... TAHBob & Faye Bradford .....................................YAKEvie Bredeson ................................................ CASGene Brent ..................................................... TAHJeff Chapman .................................................BUCTim & Scooter Corner ....................................MTAAllen & Missy Day ........................................ TAHDeboise & Rose Family ................................. CASBob & Ritz Duchesne .................................... CAPElyea & Narverud Family ..............................BUCHansen & Painter Family .............................. OKAMelinda M Hardin ........................................ WHAJudith & Bob Hoyle .......................................BUCBill & Kathy Hughes .....................................YAKThomas Kelly ................................................ LEWCindy & Dean Kobetich .................................BUCBill & Diana Kodad ....................................... TAHGeorge Kohout .................................................TRILandreth & Parker Family ............................. OLYBuzz Larson ..................................................... ISLNancy & Bob Lee .......................................... TAHTim & Kim Loveall ......................................... INLKim E Merrick ............................................... TAHRussell & Cynthia Morse ..............................WENMichael & Paula Mott ....................................NORSusan, David, & Joe Ogborn ......................... OKAPenni Orendino & Tom Dennis ......................GRAKaye Peck ...................................................... PURDave Peterson & Kris Lenke .........................BUCDavid & Cathy Petrie ..................................... TAHGreg & Maggie Putnam ................................. TAHFred & Kathleen Ramsey ................................ INLWalter & Eva Jo Robb......................................PIEPeggy Ann Rodgers & Rick Ambrose ............ INLLeonard & Kathleen Rolph ............................MTAJoseph & Marcia Russell ...............................ENUAl Schwiesow ............................................... LEWJohn & Nancy Terhorst .................................. TAHGerald L & Margaret Throop .........................MTADarrell & Lori Wallace ................................... SCALinda Welker ..................................................MTA

2009 Optional MembersBack Country Horsemen of Washington State express their gratitude to those who contribute to BCHW as “Contributing,” “Sustaining,” “Patron,” and “Benefactor” members for 2009. The Optional Membership Program is available to all members for renewal or new membership. Members in this program pay only the optional membership fee which includes the Family or Single Membership. The optional membership information on this page is provided by the BCHW Membership Committee. If you have any corrections or questions, please e-mail [email protected].

Name Chapter Name Chapter Name Chapter

Tax Deduction

P lease be informed that member-ship dues, paid at the state as well as the chapter level, are tax

deductible for the calendar year and subsequent years. Deduct your dues as a charitable contribution under authorityofIRCSection170(assum-ing the person paying the membership dues itemizes their deductions when computing their federal net taxable income) or as a business deduction

under authority of IRC Section 162 (assuming the person paying the membership dues has a “trade or busi-ness” and the payment of the mem-bership dues is directly related to this “trade or business”). When making a donation, ask for a receipt. Your volunteer mileage is also deductible. Make copies of your volunteer hours logs with mileage for your 2009 taxes.

BCHW Benevolence A remembrance of your loved one can be

made to BCHW. For more information, please call

Teri Starke, BCHW Treasurer, at

253.709.5052

Trailhead News


19

Remember to thank the advertisers that

support BCHW and the Trailhead News

by buying from them!

Twenty-four years ago in Gig Harbor, Washington I picked up a Little Nickel and started reading through the want ads. There I found an ad that went something like: Have

you ever wanted to learn to ride and pack your horse in the mountains? Go on campouts, do trail work and meet a lot of nice people? Had I ever! And there it was in print – I’d never heard of the organization, it had the meeting place and time – I couldn’t wait! Little did I know that this would shape the rest of my life. I have met all my friends: new friends, old friends and my husband in BCHW. My kids have grown up riding in the mountains with BCHW. From the potlucks at Haney Meadows to the Rendezvous at Ellensburg, we have been all over. I have packed in the Pasayton Wilderness six times, the Eagle Cap three, heading for the Seven Devils in Idaho this summer and not to mention ridden all over the Cascade Mountains. For the last two years we have gone to Arizona to meet up with some friends from BCHW and met more people! My husband and I relocated 16 years ago, from the West Side of Washington, to the East Side of the state – better access to riding and no more constantly pulling the pass. We made the move, but we kept Back Country Horsemen with us. A lot of things have changed over the years: stricter regulations on trailheads and new ideas on Leave No Trace – I remember when I started, Ken Wilcox called it the “Horse Patrol” and we were afraid to volunteer, maybe we wouldn’t be tough enough to enforce it! It’s always been the same idea only with different names. One of the things that I love so much and have found so rewarding as a member of BCHW that I wanted to bring up particularly is that we have several chapters in Washington.

Chapters are great because you have a place you can belong to – but it doesn’t exclude all others. Some of the best times my husband and I have had have been through the generosity and sharing of other BCHW members in other chapters. Whenever we have wanted to ride a new area and wondered the best

place to stay or trails to ride, we’ve called a member of a chapter in that area. We were given some great info on horse camping in the Sisters, Oregon area last summer and really enjoyed it. One time we were coming out of the Pasayton Wilderness and wanted to find a place to stay with our horses, clean up, and go to the Omak Stampede. The member we called volunteered

his place to us, opened up his home and went with us to the stampede. It was a great time! Another time we were in the Pastayon Wilderness by Park Pass. We had come in Billy Goat and had really wanted to make the ride to Spanish Camp and out Andrews Creek – but our rigs were at Billy Goat. Darned if the BCHers we ran into didn’t want to ride out Billy Goat but their rigs were at Andrews. A little swap of the keys and we found our rig at the trailhead at Andrews as we rode out! There are certainly no guarantees with that, but you have a basic line of communication because you belong somewhere and know the same people. I would urge other members to meet your fellow Back Country Horsemen and don’t just limit yourself to your chapters – the true benefits are awaiting you out there with the people you are about to meet! Get a home chapter and then join other chapters. Ride on different rides; help out on other work parties. Volunteer for the state, the opportunities are endless!

Networking – One Member’s PerspectiveBy Susie Drougas, BCHW Wenas Valley Chapter

“Chapters are great because you have a place you can belong to – but it doesn’t

exclude all others.”

2009 Head Table Winners

Tom and Donna Windsor, OKAGeorge and Lu Young, FERDave and Gail Sunde, OKA

Trygve and Janet Culp, OKADave and Peggy Swanberg, OKA

Trailhead News


20

If You Would Like to Advertise in the BCHW Trailhead NewsCall Crissy at 360.754.4543

or email her at [email protected]

They rumble up to the trailhead in 4-wheel-drive diesel trucks, hauling long four-horse stock trailers. They back and fill with no nonsense, landing that loading gate and tack room door

just so. Out they step, snugged into Carhartt canvas or Wranglers, roper boots, broad-brimmed hats and snap front vests. Soon there are fringed chaps, spurs that jingle, and leather gloves. They off-load and tie up stomp-ing 1000-pound horses, and then tack up – neoprene pad, Navajo, saddle, back cinch, crupper, breast collar… then headstall, mecate, halter and rope, hornbag and cantlebag, water bottle and compass, fold-up saw, Leatherman and slicker. They’re off up the trail – horses doing an early-morning dance before uphill sweat calms them, riders stretching boots into stirrups, settling down into cold saddles. These are girls: Ladies, chicks, females, women. You know, the kind that cuddle babies and foster kittens, compare cur-tain swatches, sing in church, and plant petunias. Their husbands and mates are out of sight, out of mind, and out of range for any equine or equipment emergency that may arise. And it will. And it will be solved. You can bet on it, because if there’s one thing these women trail riders have in common, besides a love of horses and an independent streak three miles wide, it’s a deep ap-preciation and need for each other. You can sense this community from the moment they alight from the rig all the way up the trail and back ‘til the last trailer pulls out of the lot toward home. I rode alone for almost thirty years; no trailer, no horse friends, no yen for distant trails (and no whining). And then gradually I found, one by one, a treasure trove all around me of women who ride. Paula’s ridden with her friend Cam for over 50 years; Caro-lyn rotates through three horses, loyally trekking them where each works best; Terry knows every coyote den and hidden trail and tree on her close-by ranch ride; Sandi is the terrain expert, aware of each danger or odd spot that could affect our horses; Michelle is newest to trails and will ride anyone’s horse anywhere; Patty can soothe her green-broke colt over the scariest of bridges; Ann,

older than some and recovering from injuries, rides year-round here and in the southwest; Chrystal’s favorite “backyard ride” is a four-hour up and down endurance course; Jane rides a mule ex-clusively, and packs enough supplies for anyone’s contingency; Peggy, a lifelong learner, maneuvers her Arab gelding up cliff

faces with ease. Every time I ride with these women, in singles or in combination, I learn from them. OK, it is some-times more of a hen party than a clin-ic, and the talk ranges wide and far from horse buying, feeding, training, and tack to real estate and politics, remodeling, irrigation systems, ag-ing parents, health issues, and men. (Gentlemen, despite the stereotype,

it’s never about sex; it’s only about relationships.) On trail rides, we have solved what to-wear-to-the-reunion problems. We have found where to buy decking material. We have advised a job change, an intervention, an MRI. We have learned how to make salsa. We have discussed to tie or not in the trailer, to blanket or not in winter, to wear a helmet or not: most do; some don’t. The voices of a group of women riders on the trail – punctu-ated by enough long silences to satisfy the nature loving purists, is a melodic and comforting sound. It’s a quilting bee on horseback. It’s rarely gossip, though we do speak of people’s troubles when we know them – it’s more about community. Any one of them would stay until dark to help trailer an impossible horse. Any one of these women, I know, would gallop downhill to fetch an ambu-lance or catch a runaway. Any one of them would wrestle barbed wire barehanded to free a friend. But until the bad time comes – and those are blessedly rare, we just talk and laugh and learn from each other. After apple-flavored horse treats all around, a re-apply of lip gloss, and hugs goodbye (not your typical rodeo grounds scene) they climb into their big rigs and head back to home – to the do-mesticity of kitchens and households, and most to the warmth of families. For the day, though, these were some tough, trail wise, wonderful western women: Girls, chicks, females, ladies.

In Praise of Women RidersBy Susan Lagsdin, BCHW Methow Valley Chapter

“...if there’s one thing these women trail riders have in com-mon... it’s a deep appreciation

and need for each other.”

BCHW Chapter Locations & DirectorsALPINE LAKES TRAIL RIDERS: P.O. Box 533 • Cle Elum, WA 98922Director: Dan Birklid 3170 Nelson Siding Rd • Cle Elum, WA 98922 509-656-3333 [email protected] BUCKHORN RANGE: P.O. Box 845 • Chimacum, WA 98325Director: Jeff Chapman 640 George Cape Rd • Pt Townsend 98368 360-385-6364 [email protected] RIDERS: P.O. Box 533 • Cle Elum, WA 98922Director: Jeff LaBreck P.O. Box 716 • Tenino 98589 360-264-7901 [email protected] HORSE CLUB: P.O. Box 1359 • Lake Stevens, WA 98258Director: Barbara Vache’ 12015 60th St NE • Lake Stevens, WA 98258 425-334-6010 [email protected] CREEK RIDERS: P.O. Box 519 • Moses Lake, WA 98837Director: Bob Mayer 9 K St NE • Ephrata, WA 98823 509-754-3095 [email protected] TRAIL RIDERS: P.O. Box 411 • Enumclaw, WA 98022Director: John Stewart P.O. Box 2428 • Auburn 98071 253-569-4399 [email protected] COUNTY: P.O. Box 1124 • Republic, WA 99166Director: George Young 92 Springridge Rd • Republic 99166 509-775-9998 [email protected] HARBOR: 295 Powers Ck Rd • Elma, WA 98541Director: Lori Lennox 82 ONeill Rd • Elma 98541 360-482-2742 [email protected] EMPIRE: P.O. Box 30891 • Spokane, WA 99223 Director: Ken Carmichael 10804 W Seven Mile Rd • Spokane 99224 509-466-2225 [email protected] ISLAND COUNTY: 5203 Mutiny Bay Rd • Freeland, WA 98249 Director: Sharon Vanderslice 2526 Sunlight Beach Rd • Clinton 98236 360-321-2069 [email protected] LEWIS COUNTY: 362 Pigeon Springs Rd • Onalaska, WA 98570Director: Jim Thode 362 Pigeon Springs Rd • Onalaska 98570 360-978-5336 [email protected] VALLEY: P.O. Box 902 • Twisp, WA 98856Director: Bill Ford 302 Twisp River Rd • Twisp 98856 509-997-0133 [email protected] ADAMS: P.O. Box 1835 • White Salmon, WA 98672Director: Dave Welch 776 Wall St. • White Salmon 98672 509-637-2614 [email protected] SAINT HELENS: P.O. Box 418 • Brush Prairie, WA 98606Director: Gary Collins 11116 NE 202nd Ave • Brush Prairie 98606 360-892-7683 [email protected]: P.O. Box 641 • Yelm, WA 98597Director: Wayne Thompson 14611 Mountain Vista Dr SE • Yelm, WA 98597 360-894-7652 [email protected]: P.O. Box 3094 • Deer Park, WA 99006Director: Cyndi Johnson P.O. Box 448 Springdale. WA 99173 509-258-7401 [email protected] BAY: P.O. Box 1285 • Shelton, WA 98584Director: Traci Koch 61 SE Craddick Rd • Shelton, WA 98584 360-427-1499 [email protected] VALLEY: P.O. Box 812 • Tonasket, WA 98855Director: Trygve Culp P.O. Box 484 • Tonasket, WA 98855 509-486-2061 [email protected]: P.O. Box 1629 • Silverdale, WA 98383Director: Jim Murphy 11839 Glenwood Rd SW • Port Orchard, WA 98367 360-874-0573 [email protected]: P.O. Box 1931 • Port Angeles, WA 98362Director: Tom Mix 84 E Hidden Ridge • Sequim, WA 98382 360-582-0460 [email protected] COUNTY: 21804 Mountain Hwy., #52 • Spanaway, WA 98387Director: Sally Laib P.O. Box 39 • Kapowsin 98344 360-893-6188 [email protected] SAGE RIDERS: 211516 E Cochran Rd • Kennewick, WA 99337Director: Dave Jackson 1783 Jericho Rd • Richland 99352 509-627-5834 [email protected] RIDGE RIDERS: P.O. Box 63 • Benton City, WA 99320Director: Dan Chappel 31005 West Kelly Rd • Benton City 99320 509-588-4342 [email protected] CREEK RIDERS: P.O. Box 1016 • Rochester, WA 98579Director: Darrell Wallace 4538 180th Way SW • Rochester 98579 360-918-3016 [email protected]: P.O. Box 188 • Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Director: Mike Mahaffey 31459 Barben Rd • Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 360-826-3599 [email protected]: P.O. Box 191 • Hobart, WA 98025Director: Kim E. Merrick 27015 314th Ave SE • Ravensdale, WA 98051 253-261-6188 [email protected]: 11805 60th St NE • Lake Stevens, WA 98258 Director: Chuck Cooley 22832 Bulson Rd • Mount Vernon, WA 98274 360-445-4415 [email protected] TRI RIVERS: 814 Twisp River Rd • Twisp WA 98856Director: Jane Byram 814 Twisp River Rd • Twisp 98856 509-997-7407 [email protected] VALLEY: P.O. Box 1325 • Selah, WA 98942Director: Mike Drougas 940 Shadbolt Rd • Yakima 98908 509-965-4052 [email protected] VALLEY: P.O. Box 1402 • Wenatchee, WA 98807Director: Carol Wilcox 18456 Camp 12 Rd • Leavenworth 98826 509-763-3470 [email protected] SOUND: P.O. Box 2402 • Port Orchard, WA 98366Director: John Hahn P.O. Box 234 • Vaughn, WA 98394 253-884-6263 [email protected] COUNTY: P.O. Box 28607 • Bellingham, WA 98228Director: Rick Olson 5180 Penny Lane • Bellingham, WA 98226 360-398-1309 [email protected] HILLS: P.O. Box 898 • Raymond, WA 98577Director: Jacqueline Angermeir 2028 St Rt 105 • Grayland 98547 360-267-1765 [email protected] COUNTRY RIDERS: P.O. Box 641 • Prosser, WA 99350Director: Randy Ridenour 306 W Nicka Rd • Grandview 98930 509-882-3983 [email protected] VALLEY: P.O. Box 25 • Cowiche, WA 98923 [email protected]: Steve Miller 1471 Old Cowiche Rd • Tieton 98947 509-678-5013 [email protected]

BCHW Board of Directors Meeting September 12, 2009 Central WA University, Ellensburg Student Union Resource Bldg (SURC) Room137nearintersectionof11th and Chestnut. See map at www.cwu.edu/newmap.html Free parking on Saturday at the nearest campus lots on Chestnut.

Tahoma Chapter Ride September 12, 2009 Ravensdale Loop Trail, Gate opens at7:30a.m.,lastrideroutat11:30a.m. Cash & Regular Prizes, Silent Auction, (10) Prize Tickets & (1) Lunch included in Donation Fee JeanmarieBryant:425-917-0499 [email protected] Tahomabchw.org

Island County Chapter “Annual Russell Maugan’s Raffle Ride, Treasure Hunt and Chili Cook-Off” September 12, 2009 Diana: 360-321-5631 [email protected]

Pierce County Sheriff Ride September 12, 2009 Nicholson Trail System, Elbe piercecountysheriffsposse.org

Meridian Riders Ride at Buck Creek September 13, 2009 BrianCameron:360-879-5167

Cherry Valley Riders Ride September 13, 2009 Pilchuck Tree Farm, Arlington cherryvalleyriders.org

Cascade Horse Club Annual Prize Ride September 19, 2009 Pilchuck Tree Farm, Arlington, WA First rider out 9 am, Last rider out 11 am Hands $5 each, 5 Hands for $20 Lunch available for purchase Barbara Scherrer: 360-691-5226 Evie Bredeson: 360-652-6448 Renee Pasons: 360-651-9161 cascadehorseclub.org

Tri-Rivers Chapter Trail Challenge September 19, 2009, Pateros, WA

$20 entry fee per rider per horseApril Haley: 509-670-2928Carol Behrens: [email protected]

2009 Calendar of Events • Be sure to check with the ride host about whether or not weed-seed-free feed is required by law.• If you are going to any of the events, be sure to contact the ride host to check for updates. • Please clean up around your trailer. We want the ride host to be able to use the land again next year.

Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting on HB 1244 October 1, 2009 in Spokane www.parks.wa.gov/agency/ commissionmeetings

Pierce County Prize Ride October17,2009 Location TBA CarynPekarek:253-845-7488 pccbchw.org

Traildusters Chapter Halloween and Costume Prize Ride October 24, 2009 Pilchuck Tree Farm at Bracken Road 425-359-9050

Purple Sage Riders Red Mountain Winery Halloween Costume and Ride October 31, 2009 Benton City tchc.home.att.net/psr.htm

Cindy Faith 509-430-4350Vicki Clark 509-551-0551

Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting on HB 1244 December 3, 2009 in Centralia www.parks.wa.gov/agency/ commissionmeetings

Annual Public Lands Conference December 4, 2009, Ellensburg

BCHW Board of Directors Meeting December 5, 2009, Ellensburg

vol. 33 issue 5 september/october 2009 - bchw news/bchw_septoct_09_web2.pdf · vol. 33 issue 5...

Documents