It has been 5 months since our last general meeting of The Cascadians, but for many of us it seems longer than that. Now it appears that Yakima County will remain in Modified Phase 1 status at least until July 28. The guidelines do not allow for gathering in groups outside of members of the household. This means our club still cannot sponsor any hikes, backpacks, climbs, campouts, etc. We also cannot have in-person general meetings or in-person board meetings, and all Centennial activities continue to be on hold.

The Centennial Committee has not met recently, because little planning can be done until we see how the reopening progresses. When the committee does convene again it will be discussing the rescheduling of the numerous Centennial events that had to be postponed because of the coronavirus.

The board of directors did meet via a Zoom videoconference on July 1. This was a brief meeting, limited to 40 minutes per the free Zoom application, and the main topics were payments of various expenses and a membership report. Membership has decreased, mainly because several members did not renew by the Feb. 29 deadline and were dropped from the roster. Presumably the pandemic contributed to this decrease, because we have not been able to sponsor our usual activities.

Board members also reported that some individuals and small groups continue to hike and perform trail work. Even though these are not club-sponsored outings, most of the participants are club members. To keep our members safe the board strongly recommends that individuals who participate in these activities drive separately to the trailhead, stay at least 6 feet behind the person in front of you, and have a face mask dangling from your neck or wrist so the mask can be placed over your nose and mouth when you meet other hikers on the trail. Social distancing should also be maintained during any breaks. As is obvious from local and national statistics, this virus is no joke, and we need to take precautions to keep everyone healthy.

Regarding trail work, Jerry Kobes reported that both main trails to Goat Peak have been completely cleared of down logs, including Trail #958C from Hell’s Crossing on Highway 410 and Trail #959 from Cougar Flat Campground on Bumping River Road #1800. The Round Mountain Trail has been cleared from the trailhead near Clear Lake to Round Mt. and Twin Peaks, but the trail from Twin Peaks to the Pacific Crest Trail near White Pass has not yet been cleared. The Union Creek Trail has also been cleared to approximately the third falls. Contact Jerry Kobes if you wish to help with socially-distanced trail work.

One board member suggested the possibility of having a Cascadians general meeting via a Zoom videoconference. Up to 100 people could participate, but it would be limited to 40 minutes on the free Zoom plan. If the agenda required more time, perhaps a 40-minute meeting could be followed with a 10-minute break, and then a second Zoom conference could start. Please contact a board member if you have thoughts as to whether or not such a meeting would be feasible.

The board will provide another update in August, and we hope by then Yakima will have made significant progress in dealing with the pandemic. Continue to hang in there, everyone, and stay safe!