Sunday, January 17, 2010

Mt. Si Should Remain Open With Citizen Volunteers

Ted Gannon of the Mountaineers has it right! Why the heck close the Mt. Si hiking trails when there are MANY volunteers to help maintain them? The government would treat us all like helpless, lazy, baby-sat mini walkers...never capable of taking care of ourselves or take care of our own assets for that matter. Mt. Si belongs to all of us!

Post an on-line sign up sheet and ask the Mountaineers to coordinate a weekly clean-up effort. Have the local chamber or Rotary Club, scout troop, church group, etc., step forward at this opportunity to serve! Take donations at the trail head for the once a week trash removal. Hike at your own risk just like you do right now. (Sign a waiver if you must.) As I recall it is about 4 1/2 miles round trip. There is no ambulance to bring you down with a broken leg! The same people that would help you last year would help you this year.

Why is the government poised to take away the chance to serve? Let the people who have used it "pay back" in order to keep the trail open.

Enough of this anti-American line of thinking that only government can take care of us!

I have been up Si many times. In fact, I have a great picture of me on the haystack (the very top). The best trip was when Rep. Dan's Scout troop was going up on a Saturday in prep for a Mt. Rainier summit. Without telling him where I was going, I left two hours ahead of the guys. When Dan rounded the corner I was sitting on a rock soaking up the rays and eating my lunch! I still try to keep ahead of him!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, there are two possibilities that would provide community support. One, bringing teens up there who are in trouble with the law to do clean up and maintenance. Nature related therapy is proven to be effective. The second is court required community service. They are targeting people who are "driving while poor" and many need to do community service to pay fines.

Anonymous said...

Driving while poor is a crime how sad. America exploits the poor and steals their children.