The Homeschool Stewardship Squad loves working with the Washington Trails Association and this event was no exception! For the first time ever, we had the chance to bushwack a trail completely from scratch. It was an excellent opportunity to show kids just how much work it is to create trails. Beaver Lake Preserve in Sammamish was a new location as well. The forest is charming and will be much more accessible with the new trail addition.
The children appreciated the opportunity to saw branches and even logs in the way of the flagged route. The rich organic duff layer was scrapped away to reveal the stable mineral soil, which is a more suitable trail tread. The largest log required a big group effort to both turn and then push off the trail- with our legs! From a seated position, everyone's back was safe, not to mention toes. Needless to say, it was very fun!
Also, remember that you can now create your own free (membership/donation appreciated!) account on WTA's website with your name, where you can save hike, log your work parties and more.