Help the Darrington Ranger District Prepare for Summer

The recent mudslide on SR 530 has employees with the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest working round-the-clock. In addition to their full-time jobs with the forest, many of them are also volunteering their spare time to help in recovery efforts in the Darrington area.

Officials are still encouraging hikers to avoid snowy, uncleared trails off the Mountain Loop Hwy (like Big Four Ice Caves, Lake 22 and Heather Lake) and keeping roads and resources free for responders and residents. But, the Forest Service and WTA could use your help with some spring trail maintenance on one special, popular trail: the Boulder River Trail.

WTA volunteers needed to maintain a popular Darrington-area trail

Now more than ever, the Forest Service is relying on WTA's volunteer crews to help maintain trails in the Darrington Ranger District. To prepare the trails for spring hikers, the rangers in Darrington have asked WTA to proceed with our scheduled maintenance on the popular Boulder River Trail.

Volunteers needed: We will be heading out to Boulder River on April 29 & 30 and May 1 & 2 to address any damage the trail may have sustained during the winter. This includes annual maintenance, like trail clearing and drainage improvements.

Join WTA as we give back to this community by helping maintain this gorgeous trail. Expect to find old-growth trees, moss covered logs, the roar of Boulder River, and spectacular waterfalls.

>> Sign up for one or more of these dates on our volunteer page.

Volunteering logistics: Due to roadblocks from slide recovery efforts, the drive time to the trailhead is much longer, so the Forest Service has offered the bunkhouse at Darrington for volunteers to overnight in. Anyone signed up with WTA work parties at Boulder River is welcome to stay one or more nights while you help maintain the Boulder River Trail. Please be sure to indicate in the comments when you sign up if you are planning to stay the night at the bunkhouse.

Other ways to help

If these dates don't work for you, there are many other ways to help out and stay up-to-date with the situation in Oso.

• Resources for helping the community affected by the 530 mudslide.
• Learn more from WSDOT about road access in the area.
• Learn more from the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie about trailhead access.
  

Bookmark the Boulder River Trail for hiking later this summer

Originally built to service the fire lookout on Three Fingers, the trail used to run over Tupso Pass and down Canyon Creek to the South Fork Stillaguamish River. The pass was a site for logging activity in the 1960s and during that time, the trail from Tupso Pass on was abandoned. Now, the trail is a great way to explore this lush river valley with a huge waterfall at the end.

Please note: Unless you are volunteering, please stay off the trail for now. We'll let you know when it's a good idea to explore Boulder River and experience the impressive falls at the end of the trail.

A hiker admires the towering falls at the end of the Boulder River Trail. Photo by Todd Rohn.