Wenas Valley Chapter

Transcription

1 Wenas Valley Chapter Colleen welcoming Senator and Mrs. Honeyford at the Steak Fry. Tent dancing - demonstrated by Jan Meyers - lead by Jill Breeze and Jacque Sansaver Chinook to White Pass Pack-in Wenas Valley Chapter BCHW P.O. Box 1325 Selah, WA 98942

2 Highcountry Highline Wenas Valley Chapter Backcountry Horsemen of Washington Prez Release but soon discovered that the trail clearing crew had Wow, here it is August already and we are not gone past the Jug Lake Trail turn-off. The rest putting our last minute preparations in gear for the of the day was spent trying to either go around, VIP Ride and Breakfast to be held August 5 & 6 at over and under the blow downs. I wasn t feeling Conrad Meadows. well and was not able to help the gals try and clear This summer is really going fast! If you trails. It took us 4.5 hours to travel 13 miles on haven t been out riding yet, ya better get-r-done Saturday and 10.5 hours to travel 15.2 miles on soon. Be sure to take plenty of bug spray for you Sunday. Jill and I had planned to continue on to and your horse. They are thick enough to pack an the Goat Hole on Monday, but we determined I elephant off. needed to seek some medical attention, so we cut Indian Creek trail is now clear. A big thank the trip short by 3 days. We ll take off again on you to whoever is responsible for this task. Sand August 11 at Chinook Pass and continue on to Ridge trail still has quite a few trees across the Green Pass in the Little Naches area. The third trail. The Dark Meadows trail between the PCT portion of the trek will be from Green Pass to trail and Cramer Lake trail is very dense with blow Snoqualmie later this month. The last part of the downs. A large crew would possibly handle the trek will be from Snoqualmie to Stevens Pass. If blow downs in one day, but it may take at least 2 anyone has any information regarding the PCT days. from Green Pass to Stevens Pass, please contact Krohn, Mike Drougas, Ken Nickademus, me at It s nice to know what to Robin Castro and I worked with the Forest Service expect in unknown areas. last Saturday at the White Pass trailhead. We Be sure and contact Bob Badgley or Susie cleared brush, put up a cable highline, located fire Drougas for any updated information regarding pits and hitching rails for the additional camp sites rides. Someone is usually riding every weekend being established. There is still additional work to and everyone is welcome to come and have a good be done, but a lot of it will be done by the Forest time. Service and heavy equipment. On Sunday, Robin Don t forget to keep track of all your and I found the new trail that was cut out for volunteer hours and turn them into Bob Badgley. horsemen/packers who will travel from the gravel This month s meeting will be on August 10 pit to the Cramer Lake Trail behind Dog Lake and held at the home of Bob and Colleen Badgley. Campground. Nice job and a thank you to the Potluck to start at 6:30, meeting to follow. volunteers who cleared this new trail. The September Board meeting will be held Jill and I have started out PCT trek for this Tuesday the 12 th and the general meeting will be year. We took off from White Pass on Saturday, Thursday the 14 th. July 22 at 9:35 a.m. with Jacque Sansaver and Jan See ya ll on the trail. Linda K. Meyers in tow. The trail from Frying Pan Lake was totally clear. Someone had already traveled this area and had taken out several blow downs. We greatly appreciated all the work that had been done. It made for a very pleasant ride. We arrive at Frying Pan Lake at 1:55 p.m., set up damp and enjoyed the weather, but not the bugs! Bob and Colleen had come in on Friday and set up camp in a nice area. They fixed dinner and breakfast for us, which enabled us to pack a little lighter. We made sure we had left a low impact at our campsite the next morning when we pulled out at 10:05 a.m. We headed for Goodwin Meadows and Fish Lake, Jill, Jacque & Jan Chinook to White Pass Pack-in

3 2006 Officers President:... Linda Kisner, Vice President:... Mike Drougas, Director:.Krohn Traversie, Alt. Director:... Randy Darling, Secretary: Colleen Badgley, Treasurer:...Susie Drougas, USFS Liaison:.Krohn Traversie, Newsletter Editor:...Robin Castro, Trail Boss #1:...Susie Drougas, Cache Master:... Linda Kisner, Volunteer Hrs Coord., Webmaster & Trail Boss #2:... Bob Badgley, Our Goals 1. Perpetuate the use of horses and mules for recreation on public lands. 2. Assist government and public agencies in the maintenance of the backcountry to achieve our goals. 3. Educate, encourage, and inform horsemen in general public in the wise and sustaining use of resources in the backcountry. 4. Take responsible citizen involvement in actions affecting access and the use of stock in the backcountry. Calendar of Events August 3 Chapter Board Meeting, 7:00 pm, Shari's, Union Gap August 10 Chapter General Meeting, 7:00 pm, Bob and Colleen Badgley's Home August 11, 12, 13 Pack-in Ride, PCT, Chinook Pass to Little Naches August 18, 19, 20 Pack-in Ride, PCT, Little Naches to Snoqualmie Sept. 1-7 Pack-in/Ride PCT Snoqualmie to Stevens Pass August 31-Sept.4 Haney Meadows/Contact Susie Drougas Sept. 1-5 Twisp Horse Camp/Contact Bob Badgley Sept. 12 Chapter Board Meeting, 7 pm Shari s, Union Gap Sept. 14 Chapter General Meeting, TBA Sept. 15, 16, 17 Pack-in/Ride Boulder Pass to Leavenworth Sept. 23 BCHW Directors Meeting, 9 am, Cle Elum Our Mission Statement The purpose of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington is to perpetuate the legal and moral claim by the American people to use horses and mules for recreation on public lands. Monthly Meetings Meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Watch the calendar for locations. Next Chapter Meeting Next Chapter General Membership meeting will be a potluck and packing clinic on Thursday, August10, 2006, 6:30 p.m. at the home of Bob & Colleen Badgley. Coming from the Selah and Yakima Area take the North Wenas Road >west Take a right onto Sheep Company Road go to end of the pavement and take a Left onto W Huntzinger Road (dirt). Go about a mile or so and go past Rodman Road we are the second driveway on left after Rodman Road SUBMISSIONS TO THIS NEWSLETTER Please send your stories, experiences, recipes, ads, information on rides or anything else you would like to share with others in the newsletter by the 1 st of each month to: Robin Castro - robi105@yahoo.com Address: 1381 Stone Rd, Yakima, WA Phone: ADVERTISING For information and questions, contact Robin Castro. Advertising Rates Business Card - $4.00/mo or $44.00/year 1/4 Page -$7.00/mo or $77.00/year 1/2 Page -$18.00/mo or $198.00/year Full Page -$25.00/mo or $275.00/year Classified (Non-Members) $3.00/mo. Classified (Members) $2.00/mo.

4 Issue No 13 August 2006 Save the date for the November 3-4 Washington State 2006 Trails Conference in Yakima Trails for Future Generations Make an investment in your trail's future. Spend two days in the community of trail dreamers, advocates, planners, funders, builders, users, and volunteers at the biennial Washington State Trails Conference. Details coming soon! The 2006 Conference will be held at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Yakima, Washington. For information on the 2006 conference program contact: Elizabeth Lunney of the Washington Trails Association or For information on promoting the 2006 conference contact/: Sarah Krueger of the Washington Water Trails Association or Yakima has rivers and trails, a gateway to the Cascade Mountains and Washington's Wine Country. The ten miles of the Yakima River Greenway are a great place to ride a bike, roller blade, run or walk. There are ample opportunities to bird watch, fish, picnic, and enjoy healthy outdoor activities in solitude or with friends and family. Immediately adjacent to Yakima are the Yakima River Canyon, Tieton, and Naches Rivers. Central Washington University and the White Pass Ski Resort are 35 miles from Yakima, and Mount Rainier National Park is 100 miles away. Congratulations to Bob Badgley on his newly appointed Wwenas.or position as the official Web Editor for BCHA! Also, be sure to check out the Wenas Chapter Website. Bob has done a wonderful job with great pictures of the work parties and rides. Thanks Bob, you do a great job and represent our Chapter proudly! Trails West Dealer Trails West Dealer

5 Chinook Pass to White Pass Pack-in July Linda, Jill, Jan and myself rode White Pass to Chinook pass on the PCT. Jim drove Jill and I up to the White Pass horse camp early Saturday morning where we met up with Linda and Jan who had drove up late Friday. Linda and Jan had breakfast cooking by the time we had arrived. To our surprise, Linda was actually up before 8am. We were packed up and on the trail by 10 am. We were not aware of what was in store for us. Along the trail we ran into a cow elk and she did not seem very shy. We believe that she was protecting a young calf nearby. Linda was able to get a great picture of Jan in front of the cow elk. Linda made the comment that not much had happened so far: These would become Famous Last Words. To our surprise, the trail was cleared all the way to Frying Pan Lake, where we met up with Bob and Colleen, who had packed in from Deep Creek Friday morning. We then set up camp for the night. Colleen made us all dinner that night, a delicious beef stroganoff, salad and rolls. Everything so far had been great. That is, if you survived the mosquito invasion. They were so bad that a week, you could still see the bite marks for days later. Sunday morning we were up bright and early. Jan was the first to awake at the sound of elk bugling off in the distance. We were all up early to prepare for our final leg of the trip over Chinook Pass. Before we left, Colleen made us a very tasty breakfast of boil in a bag omelets (you really have to try this), hash browns and croissants. The best was the mimosas (champagne and orange juice.). You really can have gourmet meals while packing in. Needless to say we were all feeling pretty good before we left. Before leaving, we said our goodbye's to Bob and Colleen and were on the trail by 10am. A while later down the trail Linda said that she was not feeling good and that she had to stop a bit to rest, so we did. Jill also had notice that her pack horse had lost a shoe so she put an easy boot on which kept falling off. We then mounted up to continue down the trail. Just up the trail, we came across a very large tree in the trail with no way around it. Linda was still not feeling well, so we decided to let her rest while Jill, Jan and I tried to saw this huge log. The log was so big we were a little worried that when it started to come down it might be dangerous and we were right. We finally heard the crack after sawing for a good hour or so and we started to run out of the way as fast as we could as the tree began to slide down the trail. It made such a loud noise that the horses spooked going over the top of Linda where she had been laying down and then took off running down the trail. Linda was lucky and not hurt other than a rope burn from holding onto her lead rope which was ripped through her hands. After we were clear from danger and seen that all the horses except Linda's had taken off, we then turned around to see that the tree we had worked so hard to saw was still across the trail. We knew then that we would not be riding through that way. We then went to retrieve are horses. Fortunately, they had not gone too far. We were quite grateful that the pack horses hadn t lost their packs.linda then told us that we would have to back track and go cross country to get back on the trail. She sounded like she knew exactly where to go, and she did. We were a little nervous at first wondering if we would end up lost somewhere but after going up the steepest hill I'd ever ridden before, sure enough there was the trail. Linda was still not feeling good, and we were off again wondering if we would be camping up in the mountains Jim & Jill another night while someone rode out to get help, if she did not start feeling better soon. A while later Jill stopped because she thought she heard hikers coming. Then we heard her horses whinny and also heard a whinny back. It was Jim riding down the trail and I was all excited thinking that we were almost to the end of our trip. Then Jim boldly told us that we were still about 4 1/2 hours from Chinook Pass and it was 3:45pm. He said that if we did not speed up the pace that we would not make it out by nightfall. We continued riding down the trail and the closer we rode to Chinook Pass we hit snow on the trail and at times the horses would break through chest deep. Jill's horse soon lost her easy boot and then Jim's horse Red also lost a shoe crossing a creek. Well, we finally arrived at Chinook Pass right about 8:30 p.m., Sunday night after a 10-1/2 hour trek, which should have been 4-1/2. Linda was feeling better, but to be safe Linda and Jill decided not to extend the trip to the Goat Hole as planned. We all went home with one hell of a story to tell... Jacque Sansaver

6 Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen General Meeting Minutes July 13, 2006 The regular monthly meeting of the Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen was held July 13, 2006 at the home of Mike and Susie Drougas. The meeting was brought to order at 7:30p.m.The President and Secretary were present. Susie Drougas gave the Treasurer s report. Minutes from June 15, 2006 were approved as printed. The Steak Fry/fundraiser was discussed. Suggestions were made for next year. Latest ride announcements. PCT ride will be June 22 and 23. A discussion was held on trail work that has been done. Krohn gave a report on White Pass horse camp project. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Please send all suggestions to Krohn. Donations for the horse camp were discussed. Randy reported on the status of the VIP ride at Conrad Meadows on August 5. Our chapter has been asked to help where we can. Wenas Valley Chapter had agreed to do the breakfast. Randy to get more details from Dan Chappel. Discussion was held on serving coffee and donuts on selected passes. This was tabled until the September meeting. The chapter should have dates selected. P.J. to get more information for the meeting. We will then appoint someone to do the calling for the times requested. Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Colleen Badgley, Secretary Haney Meadows Ride July 1-4, 2006 Nine members and guests trekked to the Ken Wilcox Horse Camp over 4 th of July weekend. The weather was fantastic the mosquitoes were out in full force. The Wenatchee chapter did a great job of clearing most of the trails the week prior. We were able to ride several of the numerous trails the Haney Meadows area offers. The views were awesome of the Stuart Range and at one point, on View Ridge, we could see Mt. Rainier as well. We saw many elk, deer, huge owls, and on one of the rides, we came face to face with a pack of coyotes on each side of the trail. We pulled in the dogs traveling with us and kept them close by. There was only one casualty, and that was when 10 year old Autumn s cinch loosened up going down hill and she went head over into a summersault. The saddle went over her horse Stormey s head. Fortunately, she was wearing a helmet and she was glad she was. There were no injuries and Autumn became a real cowgirl! Good job Jim and Red! That giant TV screen playing Pat Parelli tapes in his pen sure has worked. It was nice to see Jill able to ride Red as well. That horse has come a long way. The evenings brought great conversations and food around the campfire. Oh yes, there was one more casualty our young black lab Bubba, decided to put his nose in the air and take off down another trail. He didn t come home that night or the next. All of the riders in the area were out looking for him and with the coyotes we had seen, we thought he was a goner. When we got home on the 4 th, Jacque ecstatically called to say he had been found. He was headed down Reeser Creek near Ellensburg, when two people happened upon him and knew the dog and Jacque. The dog had traveled 60 to 70 miles! He is gratefully back home and in vigorous training. It was a great four days of riding with family and friends. Colleen Badgley

7 Above: Jacque & Jill Below: Jacque, Jan, Linda, Jill Chinook to White Pass Pack-in July 21-23

8 To Name a Mule April 21, 1991 turned out to be an exciting day at the Agnew home in Cashmere. I had left early to work in the Chelan area. It was spring and there were many activities in the orchards. I was a horticulture consultant (i.e. fieldman) and fieldstaff manager for a large fruit grower cooperative, Chief Wenatchee. I remember being in an orchard in Manson when my mobile phone rang. It was my secretary, Mary Brown, calling. She was excited. My friend had just called to let her know my mule had just been born and he wanted her to alert me. I thanked her and drove quickly to Monitor, a small community in the Wenatchee River Valley, where my two horses and new born mule lived. So what am I going to name this new member of our family? I decided that I wanted to name him in honor of a local hero of mine, Henry Buster Cawood. Mr. Cawood was a good friend of mine who had just passed away that previous winter. Henry was his name but most everyone called him Buster. He was a prominent apple and pear grower in the Monitor area. He was a good man, with a lot of character, and high morals. He was active in his church and community. He was an award winning apple and pear grower and he always had the knack for doing the right thing, even when doing so was the hardest thing to do. I guess that is why he was my hero. (But that is another story and I don t think I should tell it.) He came from Arkansas during the Great Depression and dust bowl and started working as a laborer. He progressed to foreman, then manager and finally owner of the large orchard where he had worked most his life. I remember riding my horses through his orchard, he d come out of the orchard smoking his pipe and driving his old orchard jeep. We would stop and visit a while and then he would usually say, Ken, you know horses are nice but you really ought to get yourself a mule. I used both horses and mules farming in Arkansas and mules are just better. And then he would tell me a story about his mules in Arkansas or his brother s mules in Arizona. Mr. Cawood always had a good story to tell. Now, would you want a mule named after your father or grandfather? Well, it seemed like a good idea to me, but I thought I d better check with the Cawoods. So I went to Henry s son, Mike and asked him if it would be OK with the family if I named my mule in honor of his father. Mike thought a while, looked away and then looked back at me with a tear in his eye. Yea Ken, Dad would like that, name your baby mule Henry Buster Cawood. And that, my friends, is how Buster got his name. Story by Ken Agnew Easy Chicken Divan 2-10 oz pkgs frozen broccoli 2 - cups sliced cooked chicken, or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and boned /2 oz cans condensed cream of chicken soup 3/4 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing 1 - T lemon juice 2 oz sharp processed American cheese, shredded 1 cup Ritz crackers Cook broccoli according to package directions in salted water till tender, drain. Arrange stalks in greased 12 x 17 1/2 x 2 inch baking dish. Layer chicken on top. Combine next 3 ingredients and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkled crushed Ritz crackers over all. Bake at 350 degrees (or in dutch oven) about 35 minutes or until heated.

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10 10237 U.S. Hwy 12 Naches, WA Public Affairs Office: (509) , ext. 1416; Fax (509) Visit our website at NEWS RELEASE Date: July 26, 2006 Subject: Campfire Closure Instituted Contact: Randy Shepard, District Ranger Gary Jennings, Fire Management Officer Effective at midnight on Thursday, July 27 th, campfires will not be allowed anywhere on the Naches Ranger District. Having a complete closure allows for easier public education and enforcement by Forest Service personnel. Extreme temperatures and low humidity experienced this summer prompted the decision to ban campfires. There are some acceptable alternatives to the use of campfires. Pressurized, self-contained gas stoves, pressurized gas lanterns, or propane fed barbeques are still allowed; however, please be cautious when using these devices. It is recommended to carry a shovel and water container in your vehicle when traveling in the forest during fire season. Conditions in the forest are becoming extremely dry. Prior year drought conditions have made forest fuels susceptible to wildfire. Campfire closures will not be lifted without a major weather event bringing with it lots of moisture. Forest recreationists are reminded that charcoal briquette barbeques, Tiki torches, and other devices that use solid fuel are prohibited. Non-approved fires include any fire that cannot be immediately extinguished by turning off a valve; any fire that produces a hot coal or leaves an ash; and any gas, liquid or solid fuel fire that is not self contained within a metal or glass enclosure as part of the device. Each year escaped campfires are the leading human cause of wildfires on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. Please do not ignore campfire restrictions and/or closures and report any campfires by calling 911 or- Central Washington Interagency Communication Center at Anyone caught with an illegal campfire will receive a ticket. During fire season the minimum fine for having an illegal campfire is $200. If a fire results from a campfire, you can be subject to a citation and a fine up to $5,000 and/or one year in jail. You can also be held responsible for fire suppression costs which are very costly, often running into hundreds of thousands of dollars and more. This violation doesn t just apply if your fire escapes, but also if you build, maintain, attend or use a campfire in an area where campfires are not allowed. For current forest information, including up-to-date status of fire restrictions or closures, contact the Naches Ranger District by phoning 509/ ### Attachment: Forest Order #587, List of Approved and Non-approved Fire The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA s TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C , or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

11 WENAS VALLEY Newsletter BACKCOUNTRY HORSEMEN OF WASHINGTON mailed P.O. BOX 1325 SELAH, WASHINGTON CALENDAR YEAR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION OR RENEWAL All membership applications are subject to Chapter by-laws New Renewal Print Name BCHW Membership: Family Membership Print Name State $35 + chapter $10 $45 Single Membership Children s Names State $26 + chapter $10 $36 or Optional Membership: Address Contributing $50 Sustaining $100 Patron $250 City State Zip Benefactor $500 Additional donation, Chapter Telephone County Legislative District Additional donation, BCHW Total Enclosed $ Referred by (member s name: other) Make checks payable to WENAS VALLEY BCH and mail to the above address. BCHW Membership Number Assumption of Risk Agreement and Release: Must Be signed By All Adults The undersigned participant acknowledges and recognizes that participation in a horse event or activity is potentially hazardous and may result in an accident which can cause injuries, paralysis, or death to riders, horses, mules, and spectators and also recognizing the fact that Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Inc., its chapters, officers, members and guests cannot always know the condition of events or the experience of riders and stock taking part in trail rides, parades, or other functions, and with this knowledge the undersigned participant assumes all responsibility for any and all risks of damage or injury (including paralysis and death), which may occur to him or her at or during a Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen trail ride, parade and/or other sanctioned event. Such risks include but are not limited to the following: falls, kicks, bites, contact with other participants and/or their horses, mules and/or other livestock. In consideration of being granted membership in the Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Inc. and/or being authorized to participate in a Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Inc. trail ride, parade and/or other sanctioned event, the undersigned participant releases and discharges the Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Inc., it s officers, directors, and members from any and all claims, demands, rights of causes of action, present or future, whether known, anticipated or unanticipated, and resulting from or arising out of or incident to, the participant s participation in such trail ride, parade and/or sanctioned event. I have read and understand and sign the foregoing Assumption of Risk Agreement and Release this day of 200 (Participant s signature) (Participant s signature) Parent s and Guardians: As a parent or guardian, I know that participation in a horse and mule event or activity is potentially hazardous to my child; and I hereby represent that my child(ren) are medically able, adequately prepared and can demonstrate control of his or her horse/mule. I also know that there will be elements of danger for my child(ren) as a participant and/or as an observer; and I hereby assume the risk of injury (including paralysis and/or death) and damage for myself as well as my child(ren) and the horse(s), mule(s) in reference thereto and agree to waive, release and discharge the Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington,Inc., it s officers, directors and members, their employees, agents and anyone acting for or on their behalf from any injury (including paralysis and/or death) and damage of any kind or nature whatsoever arising from any trail ride, parade and/or sanctioned event. And in addition, I agree to hold harmless the Wenas Valley Backcountry Horsemen of Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Inc., it s officers, director and member, their employees, agents and anyone acting for or on their behalf for any injury (including paralysis and/or death) and damage which might occur to my minor child. (Parent or Guardian s signature) (Parent or Guardian s signature)