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Newsletter
 AUGUST 2008
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 9711 W Charles Road
Trail Restoration Project
My Favorite Place in Riverside State Park: Deep Creek
Interpretive Programs in Riverside State Park

 

Trail Restoration Project
By Suzanne Rivers

Riverside State Park (RSP) is the second largest State Park in Washington with more than 10,000 acres, 60 miles of trails and almost three million visitors annually. It has many miles of riverfront on both sides of the Spokane River and contains the well-known Little Spokane Natural Area, which, due to its avian richness, is a major site for the monitoring of breeding bird populations. Bordering the City of Spokane, the Park provides recreation and enjoyment for families, campers, hikers, cyclists, equestrians, boaters, geologists, history buffs, fishermen, bird watchers and rock climbers. It has been featured in a number of national magazines due to its beauty, geology, history and opportunities for outdoor recreation for many user groups at any level of ability.

Due to budget problems at the State level, RSP has lost both funding and staff. As a result, there has been no major trail maintenance for over 20 years and the poor condition of many trails is causing safety and access issues for visitors, especially on inclining trails for families, children, the elderly and non-atheletes.

The RSP Foundation, a board comprised of representatives of the major user groups, is planning and seeking funding for the restoration of the RSP trails. Foundation members, in consultation with RSP staff, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and user groups, have developed plans for the repair or restoration of 12 major sites and 19 minor sites over the next two years. The heavy, complex, and/or dangerous work will be accomplished by DNR trail crews ($550/day); the remainder of the work will be done by volunteers who will be supervised by experienced trail workers. We want to recruit up to half of the volunteers from ages 12 and under with an emphasis on involving kids from low-income areas or others who have not had exposure to a land stewardship ethic or to outdoor recreation. The work itself will involve obliterating and rerouting some trails, restoration of others, the planting of hundreds of native plant species for erosion control and trail stability (this is the main work that will be done by kids) and the application of other water management techniques.

Total cost for this project will be $29,596.00. REI is giving us a grant for $5000.00 and grant applications are pending at Walmart, Avista and Costco. We are seeking either 2 more grants of $12,300 each or 3 more at $8200.00 each.

We will be looking for volunteers to fill 15 crews of 10-12 people who will work for about 6-8 hours one time. If you are interested in being a volunteer or want to recommend youth group volunteers from churches, boy or girl scouts etc, please call Suzanne Rivers at (509) 326-0224.
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Interpretive Programs in Riverside State Park
By John Beck

Riverside State Park offers programs for people of all ages to learn about our environment and heritage. Some of these are presented by park staff and some by other groups and volunteers.

From April through July of this year a total of 146 people participated in three different "guided tours and walks" of the Bowl and Pitcher and Devil's Toenail, the Painted Rocks and the Nine Mile Falls dam. A total of 25 people participated in two orienteering classes in June. Eight hundred elementary and secondary school students from 8 different schools toured the Spokane House Interpretive Center from April through July. In addition, park staff presented environmental education programs to 280 children. The Riverside State Park Foundation used its “Education Fund” to provide some of the materials given to students in these programs.

Three events sponsored by other organizations – the Civil War reenactment in May and the Fur Trade Encampment and Slavic Heritage Day in July – attracted a total of 4500 visitors.

Individuals may also take "self-guided" tours to learn about things in the park. For this purpose, the Park will soon be putting up panels on the kiosk and podiums by the Spokane House Interpretive Center.

For those interested in viewing the park from a canoe or kayak, in 2007 the Foundation (with funding from REI) published two water trail maps of the Spokane River and the Little Spokane River. These brochures include information about natural features and points of historical interest along the rivers. The map of the Little Spokane has been especially popular, so the Foundation is producing a second printing of the Little Spokane map this year.
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My Favorite Place in Riverside State Park: Deep Creek
By Suzanne Rivers

Deep Creek flows from west of town into the Spokane River in the Nine Mile area, along the Centennial Trail. The1/2 mile or so before it joins the Spokane River, this seasonal creek runs through Deep Creek Canyon, flowing between 300’ basalt cliffs that close in at points to 60’ apart. Boulders the size of Volkswagens are scattered all through the canyon and the sandy path winds among them, sometimes through tunnels and mazes, sometimes up and over. This is a magical place for children but light-hearted adults have been known to have fun here as well. Blue Green swallows glide overhead, their calls echoing through the cool depths of this canyon. In pools of water that remain from the creek, there are fascinating bugs and frogs; there is a nest of Ospreys above and they are usually soaring on the updrafts from the canyon walls. This is one of the most interesting geological areas in the Northwest and geologists come from all over to look at the pillow basalt formations along the walls. They are created when molten lava suddenly hits water and they do look like huge pillows. Another geological surprise is on the North side of the canyon beyond the Volkswagens. There is a pale, clay wall that has partially collapsed into the canyon and, among the broken slabs, you will easily find lovely ancient plants fossils. One lucky person found a dragonfly wing in the stone.

For a rewarding hike, you can leave the centennial trail on a path that goes upward from the north side of the creek and walk through a basalt garden until you can look down into the canyon from above—it is one of the most beautiful views in the Park. Along the way, you will notice some elaborate stonework supporting parts of the trail; the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) did this work in the 30s and 40s.

To access Deep Creek Canyon, you can walk or bike south one mile from the Nine Mile Trailhead until you reach the bridge that crosses the creek. Bring the family for a picnic or stop here in the middle of the 20-mile bike loop from TJ Meenach to Nine Mile, or come alone and savor the silence and wonder of this place.
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