Instead of fighting the crowds up the main Mt Townsend trail, we decided to try the way trail from the north side. It's an unmarked trail that is about a mile past the Tubal Cain trailhead, where there's room to park about five cars across from a massive boulder at a trailhead. The way trail is really steep in places, rooty and rocky, with a few logs to clamber over but nothing too terrible. The very steep parts are pretty well balanced with flatter meadow walks in a very appealing way. The way trail is only 2.2 miles long, and then you join the main trail between Mt Townsend and Silver Lakes for the last .9 miles. The way trail was distinct and easy to follow despite being a dotted line on the GreenTrails. Overall we crawled up the hill very slowly, taking about 3 hours to hike the 3 miles to the lake.

The Orca District Advancement Committee will conduct another training session (our sixth such session) for Boy Scout and Venturing adult leaders and prospective Eagle Project Coaches on Friday, September 21st, at 7:00 pm, at the Tracyton Scout Hall. A flyer with details and location information is attached. Some units are well prepared to support their Eagle candidates. Several units still do not have any leaders trained on the new workbook, and only about half of the people trained to date have signed up to serve as Project Coaches. Some units have no approved Coaches. Please note that, under the new BSA rules, only individuals who have been assigned by the District can serve as official Project Coaches for Eagle candidates. (The application form, in pdf [fillable/savable] format, can be found on the Orca District website at: http://www.seattlebsa.org/Orca-District/Advancement.) ALL leaders and Committee Chairs, who will be reviewing and signing Eagle Scout Service Project Proposals or Eagle Scout Service Project Reports should have this training. ALL Project Coaches MUST have this training. Many aspects of the process have changed from prior practices and procedures, so it is essential that everyone involved become familiar with the new way that things must be done. -- After all, we certainly don't want the Eagle candidates to suffer (as some in our district already have!) due to their leaders' or mentors' lack of knowledge about the new workbook and administrative procedures. This may be the last such training session to be held in our district for quite some time, so please share this information with individuals who may need this training and encourage attendance by your unit's leaders who serve as advisors/mentors for Eagle candidates.