At least a couple of times a year Tacoma Chapter goes out to Highway 7 (aka the Mountain Highway, South of the Roy Y) and picks up the trash that litterbugs have pitched or neglected to tie down as the law requires onto our two-mile stretch of highway. (See map below.)
The current chairman, Rob LaVergne, does all the paperwork and hauls the required equipment to the meeting place; helmets, vests, bags, flags, etc. A minimum of 8 trash picker-uppers (at least 18 years old) are required by the state plus one guy to drive the truck. The more volunteers that show, the faster and easier the job goes. The state requires the road be cleaned at least twice a year for our group to remain eligible for the program and so we can keep our highway road sign.
Some volunteers wear these bright cleanup tees instead of the funky orange vests they give us to wear while collecting crud. To volunteer, all that is required is for you to show up at Lee's Tavern (23301 Mountain Hwy E, Spanaway) which is right next to our 2 mile stretch of road. If the clean-up is scheduled in the morning, a breakfast spot is usually chosen where volunteers may fuel up first, although just showing up at the clean-up site is cool too.
After the clean-up, if at least three members decide to take a group ride, the miles traveled will be In-the-Wind.
Map of the Road Clean-up section & Lee's Tavern
We had our Road Clean-up on Saturday the 7th. The weather was perfect for it. We only had 7-1/2 people (Windy has a foot in a cast right now). Our leader, Rob, was a "no show", he had to work - same for Lyle. It took us 3 hours. If more of our members would of shown up it would have taken less time. But we do want to say a big THANK YOU for those that did show. The next cleanup will be on January 6th at 11 AM at Lee's Tavern on the Mountain Highway.
A Cleanup Crew, Winter 1997