The new Sagebrush trail is now
completely
finished and 100% OPEN!
Update for September 2, 2010
From our Trailmaster, Jim Langdon: The last part of the new trail is now open. You no longer have to detour on the ridge road that connected the trail to the top of Badger. This 0.6 mile section of trail completes the last leg of the Trailhead Park loop, a 3.5 mile hike starting and ending at the Trailhead Park parking lot. A new trail map is in the works, but you can just follow the white buckets marking the way. Enjoy!
News Update for April 2
The new trail on Badger Mountain is now open for use, and finished all the way to the top. The final gravel was added on April 13 and, after a few touch-ups the next day, all scheduled trail work is now completed.
We have photographs of the trail-building efforts posted on this page. And following the photos, you can read the updates we posted during construction.
The trail was started on March 6, with a massive 89-person volunteer work party. Now, after 5½ weeks, around 200 volunteers giving 1700 hours of work digging, smoothing, adding 55 tons of gravel and hauling 3 tons of rock up to build a small wall, the trail work is done.
Our partners are The Backcountry Horsemen, who worked on the first day and paid for most of the gravel via a grant from REI. The Washington Trail Association helped with the big work parties on the first weekend. The Chinook Cycling Club donated tools and had members out on the first Sunday. Sharefest Tri-Cities had about 35 volunteers work a Saturday. The Juvenile Justice work crew helped three days, and the County Work Crew helped an afternoon. The Backcountry Horsemen were back to work the final Sunday, laying down gravel using their horses and mules.
There's a map posted, below, that shows the new and existing trails. Click the image to see a big view of the map (1 MB JPEG). We also have a PDF version of the same map (1.5 MB) that you might find easier to download and print, 8½" x 11".
To use the trail, start up the Canyon Trail and, at the top of the steps, you'll find the new trail forking off to the left. Follow it to the road that runs to the top of Badger, [Note, see news update on 9/2/10, above] where you'll find a detour sign directing you to follow the road up to the towers, where you can reconnect with the Canyon Trail to loop back down. Starting from the parking lot, this loop runs 3.2 miles. This new trail is open for hikers, bicyclists, and horse riders, except for the connection over to the Canyon Trail, which is open only to hikers. The detour is needed because we did not get the top portion of the trail finished. This will be completed in the fall when the soil has enough moisture in it, otherwise it turns to dust when disturbed and will stay that way until it gets wet. I estimate it will take 600 more volunteer hours to finish that part of the trail. So, please, this uncompleted section of the trail is closed to all users.
Per the county's map, there are actually three trails. The top part extends the Skyline Trail from its present end down to the east edge of the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve. Then, as Shockley Rd turns into Queensgate Dr, the trail makes a turn and changes to the Sagebrush Trail and heads north and then west to end near the water tanks at the base of Badger Mountain. Then there is the Sunflower Trail, which connects the original Canyon Trail with the Sagebrush Trail. I knew there was a reason it took so long to build.
The Sagebrush Trail is closed at the water tanks, there is no access to Queensgate yet. We learned that the road up to the water tanks is on private property after we built the trail. We are in discussions with the land owner and hope to resolve the problem soon. Until then please refrain from using this section of the trail. -- Jim Langdon
Click the map to see a much bigger version of it, which will open in its own window so you can flip back and forth between the map and this page.
Photographs from the Trail-building Efforts
More than 80 volunteers worked on the new trail on Saturday, March 6, and 40 were on hand to work on Sunday. The first 12 photos, below, were taken by the Trailmaster himself, Jim Langdon. The five collages after Jim's were taken by David Comstock. The last five photos were taken as the trail work was being finished up on April 13.
Click one of these thumbnails to see the larger image, then use your browser's Back button to return to this page.
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| The final load of gravel being laid down by our Trailmaster Jim Langdon, on April 13. |
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Following are the updates we posted during the trail-building
Many thanks to the 150+ volunteers who have helped out
We were fortunate that the weather was unusually perfect for early March, which helped every step of the way. In spite of all the work and the good weather, we didn't get the trail finished, so the new trail is not yet open.
More work will be needed, and we'll be posting updates on this page (see below) for anyone who would like to help finish the trail. Helping out mid-week is especially needed (see below). The work involves graveling the trail, smoothing the trail bed, tweaking the width, and touching up spots.
Note that since it is not yet finished, the new trail is CLOSED until further work is completed. Please do not try to navigate it now, as that will only make more work for the volunteers. Thanks to all of you,
Jim Langdon, Trailmaster (943-3992)
News Update for March 27 thru April 2
Jim Langdon, our Trailmaster, will be gone the week of March 29 to April 2. Ken McMillan will be filling in on the trails, 586-3425 or (cell) 531-0349. If you'd like to help on the trail-building, you can meet him at the restroom in Trailhead Park at 9:00 AM each weekday. Please come and help him out. The work will mostly be graveling and he will be using the Badger Buggy to move the gravel. He can use help loading the Badger Buggy and raking the gravel along the trail.
This last week we used up all the gravel from the blue bins at the top of the Canyon Trail steps, putting it on the new trail, and those bins have been removed. Please keep off the affected area that was under those bins, in order to give the grass a chance to grow back. And please remember, the new trail is still closed, except to those who are helping to finish it.
The self-directed work is still available. There are several wheelbarrows up on the trail. Hike up the trail until you find one, take it on up to the nearest gravel pile. Add gravel and walk it back down to where the gravel is needed. Repeat, often, please! Most of the wheelbarrows even have brakes!
News Update for March 22
We had about 40 people helping out on Saturday 3/21, including the large Sharefest work crew. On Sunday, we had the Juvenile Justice work crew and six others. The Saturday crew did the last of the finish work, getting the trail cut to the gravel pile, and then graveled down the trail with the wheelbarrows. The Juvenile Justice work crews finished digging out the trail connecting the new trail to the Canyon Trail and then graveled it to the junction.
This week (March 22 to 26) I will be working on graveling the trail and working up to the ridge road crossing. I have no formal work parties scheduled, but any volunteers can meet me at the restroom building at Trailhead Park at 9:00 AM each day. Or after 9:00, find us working on the trail.
Another option for volunteers is self-directed work. I do not need to be around for people to put down gravel. There are several wheelbarrows up on the trail. Hike up the trail until you find one, take it on up to the nearest gravel pile. Add gravel and walk it back down to where the gravel is needed. Repeat, often, please!
For everyone not helping with the graveling, please do not use the new trail. The trail bed will turn to deep dust if not protected with the gravel. Thanks everyone. -- Jim Langdon
News Update for March 13
There is no work planned the weekend of March 13-14, the Trailmaster will be out of town. During the week of March 15 to 19, a crew will work on getting the trail ready for gravel. On the weekend of March 20-21, Bethel Church/Sharefest will be coming on Saturday and the Juvenile Justice work crew will be out on Sunday. Anyone can drop by to help anytime.
The Badger crew (Dennis and Jim, mostly, with help from Mary Jo, Terri and Ben) have been doing some finishing work on the trail. The leg from the water tanks up to the first switchback is about ready to gravel.
If you would like to help, work starts around 9:00 AM each day, 8:30 on Saturday, and we would love to have you. The work is light shoveling and raking. It's best to let Jim know if you are coming, in case he cancels work for the day, like he did on Friday 3/12, because of the wind.
The plan is to get the trail ready to gravel and then get as much of the graveling done as possible on the March 20-21 weekend. Visions of buckets? No, the method of choice is wheelbarrows, and a lot of the gravel will be going downhill!
I am requesting that people not use the new trail until we're ready for traffic, as it is quickly transforming into that oh-so-common light dust. Anyone seen on the trail will be assumed to be there to work. Also, note that the upper part is not dug out yet, I need people to stay off this part totally. There is a path forming that does not stay between our flags.
-- Our earlier notice announcing the trail-building weekend --
Come on out on Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7, to help us build this much needed addition to our trail system. The new trail will connect the existing Canyon Trail to the Skyline Trail at the eastern edge of the Badger Mountain Preserve (see description and map at the bottom of this page)
The trails on Badger Mountain are built and maintained by volunteers. A lot of help will be needed for this new project. FoBM will partner again with the Washington Trails Association to build the trail. You'll need to sign up ahead of time, which you can do at their web site [link has expired].
You can sign up for Saturday or Sunday, or better yet, both days! Trail-building tools will be provided. Bring your own lunch, water, work gloves, and wind/rain protection. You'll need to wear long pants and sturdy boots. No tennis shoes or shorts will be allowed, as we'll be using sharp tools by our feet. Hard hats are required and will be provided.
The Rattlesnake Ridgeriders are helping FoBM build the trail by providing funding for gravel through a grant they received from REI. The Chinook Bicycle Club donated tools to be used for this and ongoing trail maintenance. The Washington Trails Association will be bringing more tools and crew leaders to help out.
From Jim Langdon, FoBM Trailmaster: To prepare for building the new trail, I need to get the pile of rocks at the start of the Canyon Trail moved up to the top of the steps. From there I can move them up the trail with the Badger Buggy, where they will be used to secure and protect the downhill side of the trail. The first rock pile went up the hill fast last fall, and a short section is already completed.
If you think the rocks are too heavy, they're not, at least for two people. Use the litters (see photo at the top of this page), which were made by Dyelan Ballantyne as part of his rock retaining-wall Eagle Scout project. With the litters, two to four people can carry a rock. There are also some packs that can be used. Thanks very much for your interest and your help.
The
proposed route of the new trail
can be seen in this map (click to show a larger image in a new window). It consists of
an extension to the Skyline Trail, starting near the radio towers on top of the mountain,
which will
go to the eastern border of the Preserve. Then it becomes the new
Sagebrush Trail, which heads north and down to connect to the Canyon Trail, making a loop hike. The short connecting trail to the Canyon Trail
will be for hikers only (as is the entire Canyon Trail), but the rest of
the new section will be open to horse and bike riders.