NCCC helps with Heather Pass and Maple Pass restoration project

NCCC folks pioneered the methods of alpine restoration in the North Cascades - the Joe and Margaret Miller Greenhouse in Marblemount is named after some of our amazing early members!

"Joe and Margaret Miller devoted untold energy and time to bringing back the vegetative health of damaged alpine regions of the North Cascades. Their eventual successful revegetation of Cascade Pass was a biological milestone that has served to promote the program throughout damaged regions of the National Parks and National Forests of the Cascades." -Patrick Goldsworthy, NCCC co-founder (1919-2013)

Today, we're active helping with projects like the one Joe and Margaret began at Cascade Pass. Here's a great example - a video explaining how the Heather and Maple Pass Restoration Project works, and why it's so important:

And here's an album of photos of our work party last there weekend! We helped National Park and Forest Service staff and folks from North Cascades Institute and Skagit Land Trust to obtain hardwood cuttings for cultivation and eventual re-planting.

The project coordinator had this to say:

"I've been working on the Maple Pass Restoration Project all summer and love sharing the restoration efforts with others. We collected more heather than I imagined and I know it will be a great addition to the cultivars we've been collecting thus far. The work that you gentlemen helped out with will have long reaching implications. In a few years time those cuttings will be planted up at Maple and Heather Pass in the hopes of repairing the damage to that area. I can't thank you enough for being part of this journey!" -Sam Hale, North Cascades Institute

Want to come with us next time? Join us!

Guest post from a board member's son

Here's an inspiring blog post from Trevor Fenner, who recently spend 6 days in the Mt. Baker Wilderness with his Dad and Uncle:

The North Cascades

August 24, 2014

Wicked beauty. Sharp rocks, steep cliffs, hidden passageways, glaciers, and snow bridges. This place is not the cute national park many think of when they go car camping, this place is real wilderness. Much like Alaska, and remote parts of Canada, the north cascades are one of the last remaining places on earth that are truly remote. To reach much of the national park, one must suit up and pack for 20 miles of hiking and at least a week of camping. The best part about backpacking the north cascades in the summer time is the tranquility. Not many people go backpacking, which makes the experience much more peaceful for those that do, and in the summer time the clouds give way to sunshine and warmth that are rare for these areas.
The mountains and valleys feel like a giant outdoor cathedral where the great creations of Mother Nature can be seen, felt, smelled, tasted and experienced. The wildlife out here is rare, but the occasional critter peaks up every now and again, sometimes making a distinct sound. The birds are majestic. Bald eagles, golden eagles, and hawks can be seen soaring high above the ridge tops looking for prey.



more... http://trevorfenner.com/2014/08/24/the-north-cascades/