Giving Back by Getting Outside
Washington is known for a few things—salmon, music, coffee, tech, and rain, to name a few. But if you ask a local, they’ll probably mention hiking. Take a visit to Washington Trails Association’s site. You’ll find a cool 3,399 hikes listed in their hiking guide, which is why trail work has become such a beloved way to give back to the community.
All Star’s Community Outreach program decided to tap into our local roots, literally, to make it more enjoyable for folks to get outside at our nearby Beaver Lake Preserve in Sammamish, Washington. A few members of the All Star team joined the Washington Trails Association work party for a day of hard work and beautiful scenery. The team tells us just what they loved about their outdoor experience.
“It was highly-motivating to see how much work we had collectively accomplished as the day progressed.”
Favorite trail work tool:
Grub hoe. I’ve got to have one. The heavier, the better.
“I love hiking, but never realized what it takes to build a trail. The planning, organization and things that are important for a proper trail: getting to the mineral soil, drainage, leveling, etc. I learned a lot that day. It was great to get out of the office with my co-workers too! I started appreciating our trails more. It is hard work.”
Favorite trail work tool:
McLeod tool for sure. Cool name, but also quite versatile too.
“It felt good to accomplish the entire weekend’s work plan in one day!”
Favorite trail work tool:
McLeod hoe because of its versatility.
“I enjoyed learning a lot about the engineering that goes into constructing trails, especially proper drainage.”
Favorite trail work tool:
The Binford 2000 Bucket. It’s simple to use, a metaphor for data cleaning and management, and functions as a comfortable place to sit during lunch break.
“I have a new appreciation for hiking now that I know how much work goes into building and maintaining trails. It was also very rewarding to see the progress the team made, especially in such a short amount of time.”
Favorite trail work tool:
The Pulaski offered the precision of an axe with the power of a grub hoe.
“I really enjoy the fact that you can clearly see the results of your effort as you go along. It’s extremely satisfying to look back on the trail as you’re leaving and take in progress you made as a team in a single day.”
Favorite trail work tool:
The grub hoe was my favorite because it’s so versatile.
“An opportunity to understand how much effort it takes to actually build a trail was amazing! Also, fun atmosphere, team work, spending time in the woods – all the parts are my favorite.”
Favorite trail work tool:
I’ll go with a shovel. I’ve never used Pulaski before though which was fun.