Wild Weather and Great Progress on the Winfield Trail!
Our October 25 work party started out with a bit of chaos then turned into a wild, windy adventure!
An early morning car crash on Fruitdale Road knocked out two transformers, leaving much of Sedro-Woolley and Burlington without power. With traffic lights dark and uncertainty in the air, many volunteers wondered if we’d still be working.
The answer was yes! We forged ahead, but took an extended mid-day break for safety when wind gusts grew so strong that trees began to topple. Some volunteers headed home while the remaining crew stayed to finish capping and compacting the trail tread once the winds settled.
We were thrilled to have an excellent turnout of student volunteers from Sedro-Woolley High School, including members of the Earth Club. Before the storm paused our progress, the students transplanted over 100 ferns for trailside restoration – impressive work!
A special thanks to the Port of Skagit maintenance crew for providing the ferns salvaged from the gutters of the historic hospital buildings. What a creative way to reuse and restore native plants!
We’re nearly done with the first segment of the Phase 1 trails at Port of Skagit SWIFT Campus.
Next up: the South Knoll Trail, a scenic climb through parts of the historic campus where physicians once lived. Starting from a set of old stone steps, the trail will wind past the former quarry and into the forest, a route that promises to be both challenging and fun to build.
Skagit Trail Builders is a program of United General District 304.
The trails at Northern State Recreation Area are the result of our partnership with Skagit County Parks and Recreation, the Port of Skagit, the City of Sedro-Woolley, and our incredible community of volunteers!
Skagit Trail Builders 
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