August MRNPA Trails Work Party!

Greetings,

 

The next Mount Rainier National Park Associates trails work party will be Saturday, August 11th.  That's about three weeks from now.  We will be working in the Longmire/Paradise area.  The exact location will be determined some time closer to the August 11th date and I will report the location to you as soon as I know it.   Wherever the work location, we will meet at the upper end of the Longmire parking lot, near the museum, at 8:30 AM on Saturday morning, and be ready to move out at 9:00 AM.

 

Bring work gloves, a hard hat if you have one, safety glasses, full rain gear (you never know if you will need it), your lunch, and PLENTY of fluids to drink. 

 

If you plan to attend this work party, please reply to this email and tell me that you are coming and how many volunteers you are bringing with you.  I need an estimate of the number of volunteers so that Park staff can be sure to have enough tools for us all.  If you have a hard hat you will be wearing, please tell me that too.

 

 

Following the work party MRNPA volunteers are invited to assemble in the Longmire VIP campground (not the Cougar Rock campground) to relax and socialize, followed by a potluck dinner, and an evening spent sitting around the campfire.  It's a fun event, so plan on staying (at least for a little while) and getting to better know some of the volunteers you have been working with.  

 

Overnight camping is available both Friday night, August 10th, and Saturday night, August 11th at the Longmire VIP campground.  Camping is free for MRNPA volunteers. If you plan to camp either or both nights, please tell me the nights you intend to camp when you reply to this email telling me that you are coming to the work party.  I need to assure that we have sufficient tent sites reserved.

 

Sunday, the 12th, we will try to do a short hike together.

 

 

There are safety equipment requirements for all MRNPA trail work volunteers. (These rules apply to all trail workers.)  Anyone using an aggressive tool - like a Pulaski, ax, shovel, etc. - or anyone working near them -  is required to wear a hard hat and safety glasses.  People working with or near a less aggressive tools are not required (but will be encouraged) to wear a hard hat.   If you own a hard hat that you can wear, please bring it.   If you do not have a hard hat, we have hard hats that we loan for the day.

 

Wearing safety glasses is encouraged at all times. Not all safety glasses are comfortable for everyone and some will not fit over eye glasses.  Because of cleanliness issues, some people don't like wearing safety glasses that have been worn by other people.  For these reasons, and probably many others, please purchase (acquire, find, dig-up, whatever) a pair of personal safety glasses that you will wear.  The local hardware store is a good place to start shopping.  A serviceable pair or safety glasses will cost about $10.  And be advised that shatterproof eye glasses do not meet the requirement for safety glasses.  Safety glasses all have side protection which eye glasses do not.

 

John Titland
Volunteer Coordinator
Mount Rainier National Park Associates