Builders Keepers – Intro to Trail Stewardship at Mt. Ulka

TKO Legacy Builders end of year giving campaign starts November 1st, Week 4 runs 11/22-11/28. Anyone who participates in this event get’s access to a number of incentives from our partner Cnoc Outdoors & Wyld CBD – Learn more here.

Crew Leader: Steve K.

Hike Distance: 2 miles roundtrip

Elevation Descent/Gain: < 800ft

Hike Difficulty: Moderate, uneven terrain

Work Difficulty: n/a

Project Overview:

TKO welcomes our supporters to experience a morning of learning about trail stewardship at Mt. Ulka and how a relationship with the Friends of the Columbia Gorge is realizing their dream of solving gaps in their Gorge Towns-to-Trails vision. Meeting at the Gorge Discovery Center, we will take a hike to the project site and hike an off trail portion along the easement up to the property. We will end the morning with a lunch back at the trailhead.

Hiking information:

The hike along the property is undeveloped terrain and we will scramble along no more than 2 miles, dropping 1,000 feet in elevation with some step switchbacks along the last third of the trail.

What to expect:

TKO and Friends staff will lead us in sharing about the trail stewardship of this region, what has been done and what is to come.

You will be asked to electronically sign the e-waiver for this event and perform a self-assessment health screening within the 24 hours proceeding the event. The crew leader for this event will verify that you have done both of these requirements at the trailhead before the party begins. Your pre-event emails will contain further details and links for both of these requirements.

What to bring:

• Lunch, Snacks
• Plenty of water
• Trekking poles

What to wear:

• Boots or sturdy trail runners (light tennis shoes are not recommended)
• Long sleeved shirts and pants, gaiters recommended
• Rain gear as appropriate for the weather

Directions: We’ll meet at the entrance to the parking lot of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.

COVID-19 Procedures **Please follow all civil authority restrictions for your community. **

In accordance with civil authority restrictions and land manager requirements for safety considerations, the following policies are currently in place:

• All volunteers will watch in the TKO COVID-19 Safety Lab, a broad safety orientation of TKO Safety Policy & Procedures for a COVID-19 Environment. Link will be provided in your registration confirmation.

• All volunteers must administer a health self-evaluation prior to attending in-person volunteer events (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).

• All volunteers will read and sign the TKO Volunteer Waiver updated for COVID-19 for release and indemnity of TKO and the land manager partner. Link will be provided in your registration confirmation.

• Volunteers must bring their own cloth masks and hand sanitizer.

For a complete list of Covid specific safety measures, see our safety manual, available here.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: TKO recognizes that the trails we work on travel through the traditional lands of many Indigenous tribes. In every corner of what we now call Oregon, these people were forced to cede their land, their home, to the US government at various times from 1853 – 1871. We are privileged to be here today & express gratitude to the descendants of these tribes for being the original stewards of this land.

EQUITY & INCLUSION: TKO seeks to make Oregon’s trails a place where people can go to connect with nature & one another. Not everyone feels safe & welcome in the outdoors due to racism, bias & hate. We commit to being part of the solution to change that. Conduct, speech, or expressions that target individuals or groups will not be tolerated by TKO, regardless of whether they are based on age, citizenship, disability, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, geographic origin, language, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.