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San Juan Island Cady Mountain Preserve, WA – Volunteer Vacation 2024
March 21 @ 5:00 pm - March 27 @ 10:00 am
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Support new trail development while being surrounded by wildflower meadows, stream corridors, Douglas-fir savannas, wetlands, and diverse ecological communities! Cady Mountain Preserve, the 142-acre preserve extension that expands upon multiple square miles of uninterrupted territory, where deep-forest species can thrive, is located in the middle of San Juan Island.
Situated in the northern reaches of Washington State’s Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands are a uniquely beautiful archipelago of over 450 islands, rocks, and pinnacles. Trail development at Cady Mountain Preserve, located in the heart of the San Juan Islands, has been made possible by new land acquisitions. The acquisition brings the total acreage to just under 500 while also abutting an additional 2000+ acres of private forestland and the English Camp unit of San Juan Island National Historical Park.
On this project, volunteers will help construct a portion of a new trail system which will ultimately add an additional 5 – 7 miles of trails, expanding on the existing broad network on adjacent land and providing opportunity to experience old growth trees and sweeping vistas of San Juan Island and nearby islands and islets. The exact trail segment for AHS will be determined in the weeks preceding the trip. Some hiking will be required from the trailhead to the project site and may be up to 3 miles in length depending on the segment. A hike in and out should be completed or a roughed-in trail that may require some effort to walk along uneven ground. Volunteers will drive or carpool to the project site. Depending on segment and camp location, drive to site will be 3 – 8 miles in length. The drive will likely be on a paved road but there is a possibility for moderately steep gravel roads depending on trail segment.
During this trip, San Juan Island’s average high temperature is 52°, and average low temperature is 39°.
There is no experience needed to join a Volunteer Vacation! Your expert hosts will provide detailed instruction, tool demonstrations, and project oversight throughout the week. All you need is a willing attitude and to be in good physical condition to participate in moderate physical activity for approximately 6-8 hours a day with plenty of breaks, at your own pace. Find out more about what it’s like to join a Volunteer Vacation and other frequently asked questions here.
AHS acknowledges with gratitude that this project takes place on the traditional lands of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, Semiahmoo, S’Klallam, Á,LEṈENEȻ ȽTE (W̱SÁNEĆ), Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group, Lhaq’temish (Lummi), Samish, and dxʷlilap (Tulalip) peoples past and present. We honor the land itself, the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for generations, their deep and sacred connection to these lands, and those who continue to steward these lands today. We offer this land acknowledgement as the first of many steps to stand as an ally and amplify Indigenous voices. We invite the American Hiking Society community to join us through continued efforts to support Indigenous communities and learn more about the history of the lands on which we live, work and recreate.
Click here for a PDF of trip details.
