RICHLAND Jim Langdon is operating on the premise that if enough people come, it will be built.
As trailmaster for the Friends of Badger Mountain, Langdon hopes to have 100 volunteers on the mountain March 6-7 for a work party to dig about 1.4 miles of new trail.
When completed, the new segment will connect to the existing trail to the summit, giving hikers a loop route from Trailhead Park on Queensgate Drive in Richland to the top and back.
But Langdon would like to have a few more tons of gravel carried up the trail before the builders arrive.
Everyone who hikes the trail during the next week will have a chance to carry one or two plastic buckets holding about 20 pounds of gravel about 100 yards to a temporary holding bin.
Langdon tries to keep about 90 buckets with gravel ready to go at the trail's edge. A sign invites hikers to grab a bucket as they pass by.
About 100 tons of gravel will be used to surface the new trail to help keep down dust and reduce erosion.
The bucket brigade isn't part of the trail-building weekend, however. Langdon said he'll put as many volunteer hands as he can to work digging the trail.
"I'd like to have 80 to 100 volunteers, and currently have 40," he said last week.
Everyone who volunteers to work on the trail must sign up on the Friends of Badger Mountain website or the Washington Trails Association website.
A mandatory safety meeting will be held prior to the work, Langdon said.
The project is a cooperative effort by the Washington Trails Association in Seattle, which is providing the tools and will help supervise, the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington and the Chinook Cycling Club.
Langdon said a grant from REI Kennewickto the Rattlesnake Ridge Riders Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen is paying for the gravel.
Volunteers must bring their own lunch, water and work gloves. Long pants and boots are required. No tennis shoes or shorts will be allowed. Hard hats will be provided and are required for everyone who works on the trail.
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Candy Mountain trail proposed
Candy Mountain trail proposed
Thousands of hikers who trek up Badger Mountain might have a new, nearby hill to climb.
Two private property owners plan to create a public trail for hikers and horseback riders on the peak next to Badger Mountain.
Mark L. Ufkes of Seattle and Robert Margulies of Richland say they are interested in developing some of their property while still protecting the environment and the contour of Candy Mountain.
LDS, volunteers embrace Day of Service
LDS, volunteers embrace Day of Service
Local cities' wishes will be answered Saturday when about 3,000 volunteers tackle projects as part of the Day of Service.
The anticipated large number of volunteers has allowed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to add more projects. About 30 will be finished in the Tri-Cities on Saturday.
The event began last year in Washington, Oregon and Idaho to honor and remember those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and who lost their lives in the service of the country, said Lowell Barber, regional public relations director for the LDS church.
Sacajawea Heritage Trail challenge set for Saturday
Sacajawea Heritage Trail challenge set for Saturday
Whether by foot, wheels or kayak, there's a way for people to enjoy the fourth annual Sacajawea Heritage Trail Adventure Challenge on Saturday.
The free community event is sponsored by the Tri-Cities Rivershore Enhancement Council and runs from 9 a.m. to noon to encourage the public to explore the 23-mile trail that loops through Kennewick, Pasco and Richland.
During that time, 22 checkpoints sponsored by community organizations and businesses will be open along the trail. At each one, participants will receive a ticket to enter in a drawing for 50 prizes.
Developers break ground at Badger Mountain South
Developers break ground at Badger Mountain South
RICHLAND -- Shielding himself from a cool morning drizzle Thursday, Richland Mayor John Fox drew a comparison between the city's core neighborhood founded in the 1940s and the one about to be built south of Badger Mountain.
Both were planned communities, but the old neighborhood -- built to support activities at Hanford -- was meant to be temporary, and that comes with a set of problems more than 60 years old.
But the new community known as Badger Mountain South -- which Fox described as a "concept for 21st century living -- is planned to last, he said.
Candy Mountain proposal meets need for open space
Candy Mountain proposal meets need for open space
We're not sure if their actions are strategic or altruistic or a little of both, but we sure like the plan proposed by two developers for 250 acres on Candy Mountain.
The men plan to make a hiking and horseback riding trail on Candy Mountain, which is the peak next to the very popular Badger Mountain.
They will also develop a portion of the land as well, building 40 homes on the east shoulder of the mountain. Plans are to leave the top alone, except for the hiking trail.
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