Getting our Hands Dirty in the North Cascades

By Warren Biggins, Program Intern

If there is one thing you can safely assume about the staff here at The Wilderness Society it’s that we are passionate about spending time in our wild places. That being said, when Mike Brondi, Volunteer Coordinator at the North Cascades National Park, asked if we’d be interested in doing some restoration work on Ross Lake, we jumped at the chance. Not only is Ross Lake one of the most scenic locations in the state, NCNP is an important partner of ours and we all enjoy getting out and getting our hands dirty for a good cause.

Departing from our office in downtown Seattle early Thursday morning, we arrived at the Marblemount Ranger Station to meet with Mike and his staff. After a tour of the facilities, we headed through Newhalem and up to the Ross Lake Dam Trail. The weather was surprisingly cooperative and we descended the trail in high spirits, amidst stunning views of the lake. When we reached the boathouse, our group split into two parties and hopped into the boats with pulaskis, axes and our packs.

On the way to Dry Creek the mountain peaks became shrouded in fog and we hoped the weather would hold. After a wonderful 40-minute boat ride, we arrived at Dry Creek. Disembarking from the boats with tools in hand, we made our way to the worksite where flats of native sedges awaited us. Mike instructed us on where and how to plant the sedges and we eagerly began the planting.

When the planting was done, we inspected our work. The whole area had been transformed. The bare, rocky ground had been broken up and the native sedges dotted the meadow. Here the sedges will take root and thrive, helping to restore the meadow to a more natural state.

Even though the skies opened up and the rain cascaded down upon us on the boat ride back, the three eagles we spotted more than made up for the weather, and really highlighted the wild beauty of the place. Returning to the boathouse and traversing back up the trail everyone remarked how much they had enjoyed our workday and how great it felt to contribute to the ecological health of such a special wild place.

Thanks again to Mike Brondi and his team for having us---we hope to be back soon!

Learn more about North Cascades National Park here.