Hike the Pipe June 14, 2008

Saturday, June 14th at 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
HIKE THE PIPE!

JUNE 14th - 15th
CAMPOUT NEAR TIMOTHY LAKE
(details on location below)

Hike the Pipe is a Bark event to raise awareness of the threats to old-growth forests and some of our most scenic rivers and hiking trails by the controversial liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and pipelines proposed for Oregon. Joining the groundswell of resistance across western Oregon to use of imminent domain for more than half of the pipeline’s 210-mile route, Hike the Pipe connects Mt. Hood to an integral local response to the future of global energy stability.

We invite you, your family and your friends to join us along a segment of the proposed 40-mile pipeline route through Mt. Hood National Forest. Passing the popular recreation area, Timothy Lake, we will be hiking and documenting the section of the pipeline route that will cross the Pacific Crest Trail. We will camp at a nearby campgound and host a family-friendly evening of dinner, speakers and music. We hope to encourage dialogue about these important issues and hear stories and accounts from the route so far. We will reserve an area in a nearby campground for attendees to spend the night and continue hiking with us in the morning.

As the watchdogs of Mt. Hood National Forest for over a decade, we will engage the public in documenting and defending these precious remaining forests as they stand today. Please keep checking back to our site for updated details in the coming month. Read on for more specifics and call our office at 503-331-0374 if you have questions.
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SCHEDULE:
(Saturday)
9am Carpool leaves from the old Daily Grind parking lot (SE Hawthorne and 41st, Portland). Directions to meetup will be made available at the carpool and on our website in the coming weeks.
11am Meet up with other groundtruthers in the forest.
11-4pm Hike the Pipe! We will walk along the proposed pipeline route. We will eventually reach the campout location.
4-7pm Set up tent spots. Shuttles will be organized to retrieve cars from morning starting place.
7-8pm Dinner served.
8-10pm Music and activities around campfire.
(Sunday)
7-9am Breakfast served
10-3pm Hike the Pipe!
3-5pm Return to the camp area

DO I HAVE TO COME BOTH DAYS TO PARTICIPATE?
No. Bark does everything possible to get as many people as we can out in the forest. If you would like to meetup with us Saturday evening at the camping spot or Sunday morning to hike for just the day, you are welcome to.

HOW DO I GET THERE?
Meet us at the Daily Grind parking lot (SE Hawthorne and 41st, Portland) at 9am on Saturday, June 14th. We will have directions to the meetup location then.

We also intend to post directions in the coming weeks. Because of the weather, we have not been able to confirm a good location to meet and leave cars for the day. Please check back for more information.

Thanks to our friends at the Oregon Wildlife Federation, we will have a biodiesel school bus picking people up at the Daily Grind parking lot and returning on Sunday in the evening.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Because the weather is still an iffy, tough negotiator, we are advising people to overpack warm clothes. We will be "car-camping," so there is no need to be concerned with carrying all that you bring. Bark has some raingear that will be available to borrow. It is important to wear good, sturdy hiking boots or sneakers and think about bringing a backup dry pair.

Bark will provide some tarp shelter, though if you have a tent, bring it. Be sure to have a warm sleeping bag and pad.

We will be serving a vegetarian (with vegan option) spaghetti dinner with salad on Saturday night. As well, we will be serving coffee (If you have a press, bring it! The more we have, the less you'll have to wait for a cuppa), tea and breakfast in the morning. If you have any dietary restrictions, we recommend being prepared to make your own meals. PLEASE BE PREPARED TO PACK YOUR OWN LUNCHES.

Bark will be occupying numerous campsites, most likely at the Clackamas Lake campground. Alcohol and illegal drugs are not allowed at the Bark campout or while partaking in Bark's hikes. We appreciate all cooperation in keeping this a safe, family-friendly environment.

KIDS?
If you have 'em, you don't need me to tell you no two kids are alike. While Bark is committed to maintaining a family-friendly environment at the campground, we are also hoping people attending will join us on the hikes. Please read below for more details on what to expect. Some kids get into this sort of thing, while some kids will reject anything that doesn't feel like playtime. We love both kinds, but leave it to you to decide whether your kids will have a good time. There are dozens of great places we can point you towards for hiking and exploring in the area, if parents want to coordinate sharing time spent hiking and hanging out with the kids.

WHAT THE HECK IS HIKE THE PIPE?
For many years, Bark has been successful in stopping destructive logging projects by having an on-the-ground knowledge of each proposed action. We call this monitoring work, groundtruthing. We figured we'd start our efforts to stop LNG by doing what we know best.

Each day, we will hike approximately 3-4 miles along the pipeline route. The route has been flagged with about 75 yards between each point, making it fairly easy to follow without a map (though we'll have plenty of those, as well.) This segment of the hike is not expected to be very strenuous, however we will be off-trail. Hiking off-trail can be considerably more challenging on the knees. We will be going slow, careful to have as little impact on the forest as possible. The point is not to get to the end in one day, but to document what we see as we go. So if you have concerns about keeping up with the group, I'd worry less than those not wanting to wait around.

Each person will have a survey form to fill out as they walk, documenting what they see in the forest. In addition, we encourage everyone to bring a digital camera. We will have a computer available at the end of the hikes for people to burn CDs and turn the images in with their survey forms.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Staying true to our core, we believe public lands decisions should be accessible to those it belongs to; the public! Bark is not charging any money for this campout. We hope those getting a ride from others will pass some dollars along to drivers.

Of course, this campout has a cost. If you are interested in donating to Bark, consider becoming a member.

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING?
Please bring anyone interested in helping Bark stop LNG form coming in and THROUGH Oregon and Mt. Hood National Forest!

DO I NEED TO RSVP?
It is helpful for us to know when you are coming and how many people will be with you. Please email [email protected] or call 503-331-0374.

Bark expects all participants to follow National Forest campground rules.

Official Website: http://www.bark-out.org/calendar/listing.php