William K. Longwell "Chief Ranger", Issaquah Alps

Like Harvey Manning before him, Bill Longwell didn't have a direct tie to ski mountaineering (that I know of), but many of us who grew up hiking in the greater "Issaquah Alps" have him to thank for our early hiking experiences on Tiger Mountain and beyond.

After reading of his passing in the Seattle Times this evening: archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-b...71208&query=Longwell

I pulled out my old 1980 Guide To The Trails of Tiger Mountain and was reminded of the time that Bill and others put into these early guides.  Type-written pages and carefully prepared hand-drawn maps accompanied by trail descriptions embedded with the humor that comes from being truly there, time and time again.  As a former student of Bill's at Renton's Hazen High, I can still remember his stories of hiking up Tiger Mountain after class to cook dinner on his camp stove before hiking back home.  I can't help but think that kids today need more role models like Bill Longwell these days.

It is easy to take the trails we enjoy today for granted.  Bill's passing is a reminder of the role we all can play in making sure that future generations have trails to enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest. 

Happy Trails Bill!

J.P.