Neil Cadsawan
TKO Crew Leader
The very first trail party TKO crew leader Neil Cadsawan ever went on was just after the 2018 wildfires in the Columbia Gorge. “It was the first time Multnomah Falls was opened to any crew going up,” Neil said. “It actually still had all the fencing around it. We show up–it’s like eight o’clock in the morning on a Saturday–and they had someone from the Forest Service there to unlock the fence for our crew to walk up and go through.” He described the surreal feeling of walking behind the fence while a crowd of people looked on below. “There’s, you know, people there. They’re all looking at us, like, ‘Who are you people?’ And we told them, ‘We’re with TKO, and we’re going to start working on the trail.’”
Hiking to the top of Multnomah Falls post-wildfire was a shocking and unforgettable experience. “We were walking on like three feet of rock that was on top of the trailhead itself. There’s so much debris that had just fallen down and accumulated,” Neil said. “I took a lot of pictures and videos because I thought, no one’s going to believe me. This is just madness, just how much damage there was.”
As an avid hiker, Neil had been thinking about volunteering for a while, but the wildfires provided the impetus he needed to get involved. “Our trails out here are amazing. That experience of being out is something that everyone should be able to experience,” Neil said. “And if I could help in making that happen sooner for everyone? Awesome.”
When they came back down from Multnomah Falls, Neil was surprised to find that random people were coming up to thank them. “They were like, ‘Hey, thanks for all your hard work. You know, appreciate you.’ And that’s just–it’s a great feeling. The work that we’re doing is benefiting everyone, and that’s why I do it.”
After that first experience volunteering with TKO, Neil was hooked. “I was like, wow, this is so cool. I want to learn how to use the crosscut and get certified. I want to learn how to build steps. There’s just an endless amount of skills you can learn, and that’s something that keeps me coming back.”
Even though it’s a big part of his life now, Neil didn’t grow up hiking. “My family would go to state parks and things and walk around,” Neil said. “Or we’d stay in a cabin, or a lodge. But my family was never really into backpacking or things like that.” In fact, Neil didn’t start hiking until he went off to college in Atlanta, Georgia, when a 1.5 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail kindled a newfound passion for the outdoors. “And that was one of the reasons why I wanted to move to Oregon, because I was like–there’s more to explore.”
As a hiker, Neil feels a responsibility to give back to Oregon’s trails, and to educate others about it as well. “When we see hikers on the trail it’s like, ‘Hey, love that you’re out here, that’s great. And while you’re out here? Here’s what you can do to help keep this up. Enjoy it, be out here, go hiking, go backpacking, see what there is to see, and at the same time, here’s how you can be responsible while you’re out here so that we can maintain these amazing sights and amazing resources for future generations.’”
“We have these amazing natural resources on public land,” Neil said. “And as a citizen here, living here, I feel a duty and a responsibility to nurture that, because I enjoy it, and I want other people to enjoy it, and I want my kids to enjoy it.”
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