Methow Trails 2016-2017 Magazine

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16 | Methow Trails
trail • bl
Each year in this magazine we celebrate
a local hero who helped shape our
magnificent trail system in the Methow.
This year it is Ardis Bynum. As a Forest
Service employee, she worked closely
with the Methow Valley Sport Trails
Association (MVSTA) in her role with
the Forest Service and served on the
MVSTA Board for several years.
It was a honor to interview someone
whose name comes up in nearly every
conversation when someone asks, “How
do you think we got lucky enough to
have access to such-and-such location for
recreation?”
Here is Ardis’ story:
How did you first get to the Methow?
I was working in the Gifford Pinchot
National Forest when an “Other
Resource Assistant” job opened on the
Winthrop Recreation District. Even
then, the Methow Valley had a reputation
for being a special place. I applied and got
the job.
What was an “Other Resource
Assistant”?
“Other” is a catch-all for recreation, trails,
wilderness, range, minerals, special uses,
etc., assistant to the District Ranger
(there were also timber, silviculture, fire,
and wildlife assistants). By then (1988), it
was becoming clear that timber harvest
on public lands would be increasingly
restricted in Oregon and Washington,
impacting communities surrounded by
national forests. Before I moved here, I
had seen some proactive responses to
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DECEBMER 2-4 & JANUARY27-29, 2016
ADULT RECREATIONAL
HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS
OPEN TO ALL USA
HOCKEY REGISTERED
PLAYERS & TEAMS
CONTACT ANDY COLE
(206)255-6739
noun: trailblazer; plural noun:
trailblazers; noun: A person who
makes a new track through wild
country. A person who marks or
prepares a trail through a forest or
field for other people to follow.
Synonyms: pioneer, innovator,
groundbreaker, spearhead,
trendsetter