Love getting out in the fresh air and want to help your community? We have a great opportunity for you! Come help us get the Salmon Ridge Sno-Park trails ready for winter ski and snowshoe season. We need you!

Your work not only improves our trails, but also counts as volunteer contributions which help us secure our grants for grooming and track setting the ski trails. This is a great way to spend a summer or fall day in the woods, learn about the trails, and support local cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Come join the fun and help us out.

Some hand tools plus power equipment will be provided.  You are encouraged to bring your own loppers, labeled with your name.

Bring sturdy boots, gloves, rain gear, TP, lunch, and lots of water.

Trip leaders can check USFS fire danger levels here:

• https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/mbs/news-events
• IFPL – State DNR site showing Fire Prevention Levels
• IFPL Operating Procedures brochure
• USFS Firewood permits

2025 Work Party Information

Trails are in pretty good shape at the start of this summer, but needless to say, there is work to be done. We will be scheduling work parties this fall as people are available. Stay tuned! We’ll send out notices to the members email group as well as posting information on this page.

• Saturday, November 15, 2025. 9:30 – 1:30. [Saturday morning: the weather looks a little damp, but not all that bad ( Rain before noon, then a chance of rain after 3pm. High near 49. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.). It looks like a pretty small work party, but I want to go up regardless and look around and get a little clean-up done. If it doesn’t work for you, that’s ok! Keep a look-out for an invite for the lower connector trail on a nicer day! – Pete] After crossing the creek, an easy walk up Anderson, clearing brush and a few not-too-large trees off of an old Forest Service road. If you like power tools, feel free to take a turn with a brush-cutter or chainsaw, but most of the work is bending over, picking up cut brush and pitching it off the trail.
• We’ll meet at the gate at the start of Anderson (across the road from the Salmon Ridge SnoPark) at 9:30 and then drive back to the washout. We have to scramble across the creek, but it shouldn’t be too hard. I hope to keep my feet dry. (You might want a hiking pole for balance).
• The drive back is straightforward and there is plenty of parking along the end of the road. Just don’t park in the turn-around spot.
• If you’re a bit later than us, we’ll leave the gate open and you can drive on back. You’ll find us up the trail. I hope to get up to the 2nd switchback, but who knows? It’s out and back; you can turn around at any point.
• We’ll have two brush-cutters and one or two chainsaws, as well as a wagon or two.
• Weather – maybe not so good 🙁 Currently, it suggests “Rain. High near 47. Chance of precipitation is 90%.” If the prediction gets to be really bad, we’ll cancel – but we’ll go with a modest amount of rain. Dress accordingly. (And RSVP Pete if you want an email early Saturday morning as to whether we are going.)
• Bring gloves (maybe 2 pair), loppers (if you have them – there will be some extra on the hood of the Subaru, feel free to borrow a pair), water, and snacks (or lunch). If it’s not too wet, some of us will eat lunch back at the cars when we return.
• Note if you want to come for the hike and the comradery, you are welcome! Pick up a few sticks on the way and enjoy the hike! (but conversely, given the weather, we understand if you decide to wait for the next work party…)
• More about the trail is posted here: Anderson | Nooksack Nordic Ski Club

• Past tense. This has happened!
• Sunday, September 7 – 10:00 – 2:00. A (medium rough) walk in the woods with loppers! We’ve talked about it, time to go do it! The upper half of the Salamander Connector Trail.
• Meet at the bottom of the SE Extension of White Salmon at 10:00. (Point A on the map) (maybe 1.75 hours drive from Bellingham??) If you get there a little late, park where everyone else is, then walk another 100 yards along the road and look for posted sign and map on the left, as well as an orange snow pole set across the road.)
• Bring gloves, loppers (if you have them – there will be some extra on the hood of the Subaru, feel free to borrow a pair), water, mosquito repellent, and snacks (or lunch). I’m hoping to have lunch at Point B, overlooking White Salmon Creek, on the way back up the hill. We’ll have one chainsaw and one brushcutter for power tools.
• Note if you want to come for the hike and the comradery, you are welcome! Pick up a few sticks on the way and enjoy the hike!
• Currently, weather looks nice, but not too hot. Most of the trail is in the shade and there will be more walking and less working than the last event.
• The trail is fairly rough – many like using a walking stick. Note that the first part is downhill (see contour lines) – it will be uphill on the way back. It’s a bit less than two miles one-way from point A to point C.
• I’m hoping to get to the midpoint (Point C), but it will be ‘out-and-back’. Feel free to turn around at any point. Point B would make a great destination.
• More about the trail is on these pages: Salamander Connector Trail and Salamander Connector Trail Details

Past tense – this has already happened!

• Sunday, August 24 -10:00 – 1:30 – .Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the first hairpin of the White Salmon Road (red arrow – plenty of space to park). We will work on the Ridge Road Trail (green arrow) and Pete’s Shortcut clearing back brush to connect the White Salmon Trail with the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
• Bring, gloves, loppers (if you have them), water, sunscreen, and snacks. (We’ll have extra loppers and power brushcutters. Much of the work will be picking up cut brush and pitching it off the trail.)
• At 1:30 we will head over to Chair 9 in Glacier to enjoy beer and pizza, make new friends, and discuss the coming ski season.
• Everyone is welcome! Come and make a new ski buddy. Our club work parties are an excellent opportunity to meet new people.

Future work parties coming this fall:

• Interesting trail hike with unknown specific work: Upper half of connector trail. This hasn’t been touched for a couple of years. Definitely some brush cutting and chainsaw work, but not sure how much. Great for a hike with loppers. Can drive to top of trail. An adventure! Can sign the register at the half way point.
• Hike and maintain Huckleberry. Shouldn’t need too much and would probably be good for a small party.
• Anderson beyond the washout. Hasn’t been touched for several years. Needs chainsaw and brushcutting.
• There is always clearing out the culverts.

We usually work rain or shine, but if the weather is especially bad (or hot) on any of these dates, it is up to the discretion of the crew leader to postpone to another time. In the event of a postponement, the crew leader will contact you and let you know ahead of time, assuming that you let them know you plan to attend.