As the better weather approaches, many of us want to get outside and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Pacific Northwest. You can do that, and contribute to building community at East Shore, by participating in walks and hikes organized by the East Shore Outdoors group. This group is essentially an email list where members can invite other members to join them on a walk or a hike. It may be as simple as an afternoon stroll around Bellevue Botanical gardens or along the East Lake Sammamish trail, or a more substantial hike in the mountains for several miles with some elevation gain. To join the ES-Outdoors group, just let Amanda Strombom know and she’ll add you to the Google group.
Upcoming Hikes
- Saturday, May 7, all day – Umtanum Hike, Eastern Washington (contact Bill Austin)
- Saturday, May 21, all day – Snoqualmie Middle Fork hike, family and dog friendly. (contact Dave Baumgart)
- Tuesday, May 24, 10am – Coal Creek down from Red Town Trailhead (contact Laura Rivendell)
- Saturday, June 11, 9am – East Tiger Road from Highway 18 (contact Amanda Strombom)
- July 21 – 24 – Backpacking trip to Goat Rocks (contact Dave Baumgart)
- Wednesday, July 27 or August 3 – Naches Loop, Wildflower Loop, near Mt. Rainier (contact Carla Hellekson)
- August 24-28, long weekend – Backpacking trip to Hoh River and Seven Lakes Basin (contact Dave Baumgart)
Further details on these hikes and many more can be found on the Washington Trails Association website.
But don’t let this limited list stop you. We encourage members to share other walks or hikes where they’d like some company. All you need to do to invite people to join you, is to share the following (as needed) in an email to the group:
- The date and time of the walk or hike
- Name of the hike and destination
- Location of the trailhead
- Information about any parking permits needed
- Distance of the walk or hike and approximate vertical elevation
For hikes that are further afield, you can also offer:
- Guidance about car pooling or convoying to the trailhead
- Time to leave the East Shore parking lot and the time to meet at the trailhead
- Guidance about where to get a map of the trail
- Hyperlink to the hike description on the wta.org website
- Other information that would be helpful to participants
We recommend that when planning on joining a hike, you always make direct contact with the leader beforehand, and exchange phone numbers, so that they know to expect you, and can call in an emergency. Always be sure to bring the basics that you might need including relevant clothing, equipment, water, food, and the remainder of the Ten Essentials as appropriate.
by Amanda Strombom, Coordinator