Weekend Report - 7/25 - 7/26
Recreation Ambassador Program – Weekend Report 7/25 – 7/26
Weekend Summary:
This week there were less reported interactions (1,126 interactions), with that being said there was car count was greater than previous weeks. Both River and Forest locations were fully staffed Saturday and Sunday. Leavenworth Rotary Club covered the three Forest Service locations (Icicle Gorge, Eightmile Trailhead, and Colchuck/Stuart Lake Trailhead). The Leavenworth Masonic Lodge and Village Voices covered the three River locations (Barn Beach, East Leavenworth Boat Launch, and the Bridge River Access/Icicle Bridge Put-in).
Surveys showed the river and riverbanks were very clean, it was noted that shores were quite crowded with some destruction (people digging holes). Very little trash was seen in the water and on the shore. The main topic of conversation for the rec ambassadors was about the free shuttle. We had a lot of interactions with non-locals ranging from Tennessee, NYC, Japan and many other places.
The main concern at trailheads was the parking, ambassadors spent a lot of time trying to inform guests where they are allowed to park. Guests ended up parking on both sides of the road causing difficulty for emergency vehicles to get up there. We had one car get stuck hanging off the edge of the road. Eight Mile trailhead lost parking due to guest parking there for Colchuck. Liter on the trail and at the lake and bathrooms continue to be a problem.
Volunteer Impact:
· Visitor Interactions: Weekend Total 1,126
· Surveys Conducted: 36
· Trash Removed: 3, 30 Gallon Bags
Survey Highlights (18 respondents):
Visitor Origin:
· 92.31% of River users surveyed were not local
· Most Trail users surveyed were not local, with visitors from Oregon, Idaho, and Texas.
Recreation Type:
· 50% of hikers surveyed headed to 8 Mile Trail, 37.5% headed to Colchuck and 12.5% headed to Icicle Gorge.
· 77.8% Tubers, 14.8% Paddleboards and 7.4% kayakers.
Conditions Reported:
· A few respondents said the shores were crowded. A couple of holes had been dug out as well. Very few respondents complained of trash throughout the float.
· Many respondents let us know that they had encountered many animals, chipmunks being popular, also noted was a deer that was said to be aggressive. One note of seeing a bear.
· Eight-Mile Trailhead is a little overgrown with multiple downed logs.
Post-Recreation Plans:
· After floating the river 50% are going home, 32.14% restaurant and 17.86% others.
· After hiking 50% plan to go to restaurants, 37.5% plan to go back to lodging 12.5% other.
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Transportation & Parking
· 25.93% of river surveyors had previously heard about the City’s free river shuttle.
· 51.85% of surveyors used personal vehicles for transportation, 25.93% walked/biked, 14.81% used the shuttle and 7.41% other.
We are still looking for non-profits to volunteer for the Weekends of August 2/3 and August 23/24. For more information please email Matt @ Recreation@leavenworth.org or apply at Leavenworthchamber.org.