As part of its Majestic Methow Treasured Landscapes campaign, the NFF organized a trail-building volunteer event this May on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Dozens of volunteers from nearby communities and as far away as Seattle and Leavenworth, arrived early on a beautiful Saturday morning to construct a sustainable access trail to a newly popular climbing area known as The Matrix. Volunteers also removed and restored an old, unsustainable user-trail that had been built without input or approval by the Forest Service.
Participants, however, built much more than a new trail: the event was a successful first step towards developing a cooperative partnership between local climbers and the Forest Service. Matt Perkins, a participant and member of the Washington Climbers Coalition and the Access Fund, succinctly summarized the event: “This is a fabulous day for climbing, and for recreation in Washington State.”
