When Joan Melcher retired from teaching in 1993, she became the hiking guru for the Skagit Audubon Society, and soon started helping maintain various trails too. A year later, her husband Duane got involved.
They resurrected the Pacific Northwest Trail Association in 1996, and founded the Skagit, Whatcom, Island Trail Maintenance Organization (SWITMO) in 1999. They led trail construction and maintenance projects throughout the Pacific Northwest, including many trail projects at Deception Pass State Park. It seemed they were working on trails somewhere every month, year-round.
Joan recently passed away. Duane is now 93 years old and uses two walking sticks to navigate forest trails.
This drizzly Monday, those who worked alongside Duane and Joan on these projects took him on a surprise trip to Sharpe Park. Unbeknownst to Duane, Skagit County Parks had replaced a broken and rotting bench there with a new bench, sporting a new plaque that reads:
In Honor of Duane and Joan Melcher
For their leadership and hard work helping the Pacific
Northwest Trail obtain National Scenic Trail status in
1996 and establishing SWITMO as a trail maintenance
organization for Skagit, Whatcom, and Island counties.
Several of us had gathered at the viewpoint on Sares Head to greet him. Slowly but surely he got there, accompanied by fellow former SWITMO members. Duane looked at the bench and exclaimed, “Whew, look at this! It’s a big surprise, I’ll tell you that!” Then he saw the plaque. “In honor of Duane and Joan Melcher,” he read. “Oh my god!” he exclaimed.
Duane relaxed on the new bench and thought back over the many decades he has led trail work around the Northwest. “Building trails was a good way to spend your free time, you know. I could be sitting in a tavern somewhere. I didn’t do that.” We all laughed.
He looked around at the people here to thank him. “I really appreciate all you wonderful people being here. Look at this 93-year-old.”
“It’s a 90-year-old club,” his SWITMO partner Doug Shepherd noted, looking around. “Duane is 93, Laverne is 90, Dave will be 94 next month, Gene is 90.”
Skagit County Parks Director Brian Adams chuckled. “You guys are all making me feel young,” he said.
Duane smiled and replied, “That’s why we’re all here. To show you all it’s still possible.”
Brian then shared a message of thanks to Duane and the others. “Duane, on behalf of Skagit County, thank YOU for all your work, and thank you to everyone else who is here for all your work too, for the amazing trails that we have, in the incredible parks that we have. The real heroes are the volunteers who do all this work. People who come out here don’t recognize what it takes for people to enjoy these parks. Thank you, Duane.”
This handful of men contributed hundreds of years of labor for our local trails.
For those of us who explore and enjoy our many trails and wild places, this day was a good reminder to thank elders like Duane who built and maintained these trails for decades into the future.
Soon after, the rain intensified, and the small party broke up to return to our various homes and lives. As I walked back on the trail, I paused to listen to the steady pattering of raindrops all around, and to give thanks to the sun and earth, the winds and rains, and the plants and animals around us that sustain our lives.
And Maribeth and I give thanks to you, our dear readers, for journeying with us as we start our sixth year of hikes close to home, and for however much longer our journeys of life may be. We all have so much to be thankful for.
Directions
Directions: From Highway 20 and Rosario Road, take Rosario Road north about a mile and a half to the Sharpe Park parking area.
Transit: The nearest transit routes are along Highway 20.
Biking: Rosario Road is hilly and narrow, with 40 mph speed limits, but minimal traffic
Mobility: The trails are rolling, wide and firm to begin with, but there are challenging areas of mud, rocks, roots, and narrow places. Then again, if a 90-year-old with a walker can get there...
Republished with permission. Read the original article.