SHIFT 2025: 46 Volunteers, 10 Miles Cleared, and 30 Pounds of Potatoes

Written by Nancy Stone

An absolutely glorious weekend greeted the 46 volunteers who attended the 2025 St. Helens International Festival of Trails (SHIFT). This long NWTA tradition is a campout weekend that includes a work party, bike riding, and lots of camaraderie. 

Traditionally, the event is held at the Marble Mountain Sno Park, where volunteers launch to work on the trails on the south side of St. Helens. However, after many years of dedicated maintenance work, NWTA stewardship teams realized the St. Helens trails were in darn good shape and decided to “shift SHIFT” to the Falls Creek/Old Man Pass trail systems. While not technically on Mt. St. Helens, these trails are still within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and were due for a focused effort of brushing and corridor maintenance. 

Suffice to say, it was a massive success in every way we measured: miles of trail cleared, smiles, stoke, and even in pounds of potatoes eaten!

• We cleared roughly 10 miles of trails that include multiple sections of the Sno-Foot trail, Old Man Pass Trail & Scenic Loop. No Name Trail and Terminator Trail were completely cleared. 
• Amazingly, 46 volunteers were able to do this in 5 hours for a whopping 230 volunteer hours – and it was an all-ages event, with a group of kids volunteering all 5 hours and all returning with smiles.
• Perhaps the most impressive number is the consumption of 30 pounds of potatoes! Woowee!
• Special shout-out to our Lead Steward at Falls Creek, Charles Kim, for thoughtfully planning out our scope of work.
• Honorable mention goes to our crew leaders, Charles, Vinca, Ted, Paul, Carrie, Scooter/Dan, and Nancy. Without their leadership, there is no SHIFT. Hats off to all of you!
• A big thanks to our kitchen crew: Lisa, Jered & Erica. Coming back to camp to yummy snacks and a hearty dinner kept our spirits high and bellies full. 

Thank you to all of our volunteers for showing up, for giving your time and energy, and bringing your best to this weekend. We couldn’t have done it without you!