Girl Scouts Love Mount Spokane

It was a rainy morning. There were gray skies and a cold breeze; nothing like what we have come to expect from the last week of an Inland Northwest summer. But around 1 p.m., the clouds broke and revealed the full warmth of the afternoon sun just as the Girl Scouts and their families began to arrive.

We met at the Bald Knob Campground, about halfway up the Summit Road at Mount Spokane State Park. When the time came, everyone gathered around a picnic table for introductions. Rex Schultz, Community Engagement Manager, explained that our service project would involve trail maintenance on Trail 130, and he walked us through the various procedures and safety precautions applicable to our cause. Before we knew it, we were out on the trail, hacking away at the overgrown alders and beargrass constricting the lane. 

The turnout was good. We had about 25 girls and 10 adult chaperones. Additionally, we had four staff members spread out among the group helping to guide the effort. Rex led from the front while Rangers Scott Hupp and Ben Harcus of Mount Spokane got their hands dirty in the center. As the lone Interpretive Specialist, I brought up the rear, distracting our workers with talk of flora and fauna. 

After an hour and a half of hard, but rewarding labor, we hiked back to the campground on our newly widened trail, admiring our work as we went. For the next hour, the girls and their chaperones set up their campsites, while I ran a program on animal scat and tracks for those who were interested. We played matching games, handed out prizes and had serious discussions about our favorite animals. 

Around 4 p.m., Rex packed up his tools and the rangers went about their duties in the park. Interpretive Specialist Kara Frashefski had arrived in the meantime, and after a short program about habitat, we took the entire group on a hike to the CCC cabin. We walked slowly on the way there and back, the girls looking carefully at the ground for any signs of skat or tracks. We found a large pile, and after some excited discussion, we decided it belonged to a horse. 

On Sunday morning, the most zealous of our Girl Scouts met me at 9 a.m. for a program on tree identification. We gathered at the Selkirk Lodge in the Nordic area: an area of the park known to be rich in tree diversity. We looked at examples of nine different species and discussed how to identify each by their pattern of needles. We also talked about tree math (how to tell the height or age of a tree) and shared some special tree stories from our own lives.  

After the program came to an end, we went on a hike to test our skills. The girls were as enthusiastic as ever, and it was fun to see their excitement with every correct identification. We even saw moose skat and tracks along the trail, prompting some to walk a little slower around each approaching corner. I was glad to see the caution, but I knew it was impossible to sneak up on anything with this particular group walking through the forest. 

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. The weather was nearly perfect, even after a slightly grey Saturday morning. Turnout was good both days and participation was enthusiastic. My hope, as always, was to facilitate the kind of experience that would make participants want to return, and I believe that goal was met in spades.  

-Cory Carpenter, Interpretive Specialist 1, Riverside State Park 

So, what actually is Girl Scouts Love State Parks?

Washington State Parks participates in the national Girl Scouts Love State Parks program every September. Girl Scouts Love State Parks is a partnership between Girl Scouts USA and the National Association of State Parks Directors. State parks in all 50 states participate. 

Several state parks offer activities (scavenger hunts, beach cleanups, stargazing, bird watching and educational games) during Girl Scouts Love State Parks weekend both for the public and exclusively for Girl Scouts. Kids also have the opportunity to get their Girl Scouts Love State Parks Passport stamped. 

Learn more about what Girl Scouts Love State Parks is all about from some of our interpretive rangers: