SPOKANE, Wash. — Volunteers are working to restore mountain biking trails at Camp Sekani in northeast Spokane that were burned during the Upriver Fire, with hopes of reopening the popular recreation area to the public soon.
The mountain biking advocacy group Evergreen East has mobilized a team of volunteers to assess and repair damage along the trails. Today marked the first time many of these volunteers have returned to Camp Sekani since the fire swept through the area.
Melinda Dupree, president of Evergreen East, described the emotional weight of witnessing the destruction. “It was pretty stark, particularly where the previous burn had happened. Today will be my first day really getting in and seeing first hand, up close on the ground,” Dupree said.
The restoration effort is a collaborative one. In addition to Evergreen East’s volunteers, the City of Spokane and the Department of Natural Resources have been working to address critical safety issues, including removing hazard trees that pose risks to future trail users.
“Just look for any damage whether that’s a tree that fell across or a stump that used to be there that’s not a big hole, fill these things in,” said Harley Dobson, trails coordinator for Evergreen East, as volunteers surveyed the burned sections.
Despite the extensive damage visible across the landscape, there are already signs of recovery. Melinda Dupree, president of Evergreen East, expressed optimism about the area’s natural regeneration.
“I think we’ve all seen burned areas before, and we’ve seen how mother nature repairs. It’s really exciting already to see some green grass coming in and we know the next wave will come through. It’s exciting to see the regeneration,” Dupree said.
Evergreen East plans to open volunteer opportunities to the general public in the coming weeks, allowing community members to participate in the trail restoration work. However, the organization has not yet announced a specific timeline for when Camp Sekani will fully reopen to mountain bikers and other recreational users.
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