Well, I've been tromping happily across God's green earth for quite a while now, and I figure it's time to give something back. And thus, we have my first volunteer experience.

The Washington Trails Association (aside from having a great web site) organizes volunteer trail teams to do the basic manual labor that keep the woods accessible. They're well organized and emphasize safety, fun, and results -- in that order. Joining a trail team is easy -- just go to their web site, and pick a date. They mail directions and other basic info.

But enough rambling! Let's get on to the hike!

I arrived at the trailhead around 8:30 in the morning, as scheduled. Weather wasn't great -- not raining, but misty, windy and a little chilly. I was carrying my new backpack, an Arcteryx Bora 65, to give it a test run. It was definitely overkill for my lunch, camera, and jacket, but still was comfortable. A group of 30 or 40 people were milling around the meeting point, and soon the leaders got things rolling and gave the safety talk. Each team leader introduced one tool and discussed what it does, how to use it, and how to carry it safely. The team leaders were definitely upbeat and eager to make sure everyone had a good time.

The group of 40 broke up into smaller teams of around 6 people, each with one or two crew leaders, and we hit the trail. Each team had a specific mission -- some were working with horses to carry gravel, and others were building steps or retaining walls. Our glorious mission: clear out the mud.

We hiked for a mile or so, then stopped while our crew leader explained what we'd be doing in more detail. Our basic job was to build drainage ditches at low spots where water tends to collect. His basic message: go big! Small ditches quickly get filled with dirt and stop working. It may look ugly as heck, but nature recovers remarkably quickly so don't be afraid to shove that dirt around!

I teamed up with a woman named Lynn and we got to work. People generally work in pairs or threes, depending on the size of the job. One person would have a grub hoe, pulaski, mcleod, or other ground-destroying type tool. The other would have a shovel to put the dirt where we wanted it. We finished our first ditch and were about to move on to our second when the boss came by and reminded us: go big! We made the ditch twice as big and continued on.

The rest of the morning was pretty much the same. The crew leader pointed out the problem spots, and we got to work digging/widening/repairing ditches. Then, he'd come by and tell us to make it even bigger. Occasionally, the super head honcho for the day would come along and she'd tell us to make things even bigger than the crew leader wanted! It was amazing how much they wanted us to tear up the ground. But, that's the only way to make the ditches last.

We took a break for lunch (spot quiz: what did I eat?) and then hit the mud again. The pace was relaxed and fun. Some people worked harder than others but everyone was involved and we definitely got lots accomplished. The only downside was that we couldn't really see if what we were doing was effective or not. The clouds had broken and no rain was expected for the day. So, I emptied my waterbottles onto one trail at the end of the day and we happily watched it collect into our channels and wander off the trail. (Answer to the spot quiz: hummus, cheese, tomatoes and pita, of course!)

Early in the afternoon we called it a day and headed back to the trailhead for cookies and soda. By this time, I was unable to admire the forest around me. My eyes were firmly planted at boot level, admiring the various ditches and other drainage structures along the trail. "Oh, that's a good ditch." "Hmm -- that one needs to be wider..." When I got back to the trail head I talked to the head-honcho lady and she said she can't go hiking anymore, because all she sees are drainage improvement opportunities. I think she was exaggerating, but I definitely see where she's coming from.

I never thought slinging mud could be such a nice way to spend a Saturday. When you've got a cushy desk job like me, a little manual labour once and a while feels good. It also feels good to know my volunteer time is going to help more people get an appreciation for nature. Next time, though, I want to get out of the mud and build some steps or a bridge or something.