Goathead warrior

Puncturevines produce these painful thorns.

Doug Pauly goes into action, seeking and destroying the painful weed. Photos of Doug by Niki Panek

Ridding the Valley of those thorns that puncture bike tires and wound dog paws

By Doug Pauly

Atall, white-haired guy in a camo hat walking down the street with a shovel, leather gloves and a black garbage bag makes people nervous.

Except my wife. For 30 years Katie has tolerated her husband’s quirky passion as a Goathead Warrior.

Smart husbands go hunting or fishing and bring home food for the table. Bring home 20 pounds of goatheads in a garbage bag? The plants are neither edible nor impressive as a mounted trophy above a fireplace.

I’ve been hunting and killing goatheads (a.k.a. puncturevine) for three decades. With three kids who grew up riding bikes, clearing the goatheads in our neighborhood took less time

14 | The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | June 2020 than constantly fixing flat tires.

It is easy to hate goatheads. The razor thorns puncture bicycle tires and by easily sticking to shoe bottoms, car tires and animal paws, can quickly spread to other properties in a neighborhood. The rapidly growing vines climb onto sidewalks and through fences onto adjacent property.

Scouting for goatheads is fun and challenging.

Walking in the still of the morning, I scan the tangle of weeds adjacent to the street or riverfront trail for a goathead’s tell-tale vine pattern, its unique serrated leaf, the sharp spined thorn or its easiest giveaway, bright yellow five petal flowers.

A flashing shovel blade slices the tap root, killing the plant instantly. A rapid, staccato like motion can kill 40-plus small plants per minute. Large plants, which grow over 16 feet in diameter, require strategically aiming the blade to sever the tap root without cutting attached vines or dislodging thorns. Each thorn has seeds inside that can lay viable in the ground for 5-plus years.

When my blade contacts the tap root, there is a quiet pop when it slices. Next is carefully lifting the severed plant into an open garbage bag. Heavy leather gloves protect my hands. Any thorn-to-skin contact delivers an instant and painful reminder not to do it again.

In contrast to analyzing complex fruit industry issues, plans and problems, the simplicity of this “seek and destroy” mission is refreshing. It touches a primal instinct in me. Think Rambo carrying a shovel.

The walking and upper body shovel exercise is healthy for anyone who works at a desk.

Perhaps most importantly, after a few hours of clearing a neighborhood or section of the Loop Trail, I can watch young people and families bicycle past knowing they are far less likely to get a flat tire. The same with dogs who walk by without limping from a goathead thorn. It is a deeply rewarding feeling.

Reducing goathead infestation levels makes a neighborhood a nicer place to live, ride a bike or walk a dog. Eliminating them “moves the needle” on the quality of life for every neighbor.

I started scouting just in our neighborhood. When the Loop Trail was built in 1993, goathead

plants began growing onto the path and causing flat tires. As someone who loves to bicycle, the riverfront trail was added to my Sunday morning target list.

After the five-mile Rocky Reach Trail (RRT) was built in 2015, heavy infestations began emerging adjacent to the beautiful new trail. I helped Bob Parlette for 15 years to get the RRT built. Losing it to goatheads would have been tragic.

In response, we quietly launched the Goathead Warriors initiative in 2016. The vision was a volunteer effort to reduce and eventually eliminate goatheads on all 20 miles of the riverfront trail system. Our core strategy: a team of volunteer warriors willing to scout and clear each section of trail every three weeks.

WenatcheeOutdoors.org executive director Sarah Shaffer helped organize the initiative. Mike Sorrensen, Hugh and TJ Owen, Charlie Hickenbottom, Michael Fadich, Dave and Cheri Allen, Steve Morris and Javier Sanchez were among the first Warriors to volunteer.

We began communicating and coordinating with local government agencies who maintain different sections of the trail. Maintenance teams from Eastmont Parks, City of Wenatchee, Chelan County PUD, Washington State Parks and the Washington State Department of Transportation all stepped up their control programs.

With a “step-by-step” team effort, riverfront trail infestation levels were reduced significantly by the end of the first summer. The same with flat tires and limping dogs.

In 2017 Goathead Warriors expanded to fight goatheads in the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. With a complex web of streets, sidewalks, alleys, public and private land, these were bigger, tougher targets.

Neighborhoods near schools were assigned a high priority. With over 10,000 students in the community, our long-term goal is that any student can ride a

A goathead plant can be identified by its tell-tale vine pattern, its unique serrated leaf, the sharp spined thorn or its easiest giveaway, bright yellow five petal flowers.

bike to and from school without getting a flat tire.

Lower income neighborhoods in South Wenatchee are also a high-priority target. With much higher infestation levels, kids riding bikes in these neighborhoods too often get flat tires. If we can reduce and eventually eliminate goatheads here, we can beat them anywhere.

Wenatchee added an alley herbicide program in 2017, built a GIS digital goathead map to pinpoint infestations in 2018 and passed a first-in-the-state goathead ordinance in 2019. These programs have all been a huge help.

Goatheads are a problem throughout Eastern Washington and the Western U.S. To our knowledge, Goathead Warriors is the most proactive, coordinated goathead eradication initiative in the country. No other community is even close.

GW has an arsenal of shovels, thick leather gloves, three mil plastic garbage bags and thousands of educational brochures. Every volunteer Warrior is issued a shovel/gloves/bags and after 10 hours, earns a Goathead Warrior camo hat.

If you enjoy being outdoors, good exercise and making a positive difference, Goathead Warriors needs volunteers to help scout neighborhoods, the riverfront trail or just your own property. It is also a fun team building activity for a company, church group or Scout Troop.

For me it is a fun, challenging and deeply rewarding experience.

Learn more or contact us at: Goatheadwarriors@gmail. com or via the website: www. goatheadwarriors.com. GW is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Doug Pauly lives in Wenatchee. As a volunteer, he is the founder and coordinator of Goathead Warriors, a locally based 501c(3) nonprofit. Professionally, he serves on the leadership team at Northern Fruit.

Breakdown in the Palisades Where to turn when a fun adventure gets stalled in a cell phone dead zone

By Anna arie Harden

In mid-April, my sister and I decided to go for a drive out to the Palisades up to Douglas Creek.

We loaded up the truck, dog, and all, and headed out of town. Turning off the main road to the Palisades, we made our way from the paved road onto the gravel, dirt route up into the mountains.

As we drove higher, the truck flexed up the winding road. After several miles, we reached the end of the traversable terrain. We parked the old ’95 Toyota pickup on a bluff that overlooked the water carving out a path down below in the deep canyon.

Filling our lungs with fresh air, we hiked around the terrain above the water that was cascading down the smooth rocks in the canyon.

As we meandered down the road, taking in the sights, a slithering friend was stretched across the road, sunning himself. I screamed with fright and pulled my dog back on his leash. The snake slithered off the road into the long, green grass.

We continued to walk down the road and admired the scenery. After some time, we decided it was best that we turn around for the day and headed back to the truck. We hiked back up to where my Toyota pickup was resting on the dusty dirt road. After stomping the dirt from our shoes, we got ourselves situated in the truck. I put my key into the ignition, pressed the clutch, and turned the key. There was no reaction from the engine.

Thinking that I had overlooked something in the process, I turned the key again. To my dismay, there was no

Annamarie Harden, her dog and the reluctant Toyota pickup.

16 | The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | June 2020 response from the engine. “I don’t know what’s wrong,” I said, speaking quickly to my sister, feeling flustered.

Popping the hood, I propped it open. I stood there looking into the engine area with a bewildered expression on my face. I knew something was wrong, but I did not know how to adequately diagnose the problem.

I walked around the side of my truck, back to the cab, and tried to start my truck once again. No luck. I did not know what else to do except ask someone else for help. However, my sister and I both realized we had no cell service. Up over the hill, we noticed a white pickup truck sitting on the road with a man sitting inside. My sister suggested we ask him for assistance. I agreed that this was a good idea even though my ego was slightly bruised.

Sheepishly, I walked towards the truck and with slight embarrassment inquired, “Can I ask you a question?” As the young man stirred in the cab of the truck, I asked, “Do you have a pair of jumper cables?”

He stepped out of the truck and climbed up into the bed. He Thinking that I had overlooked something in the process, I turned the key again. To my dismay, there was no response from the engine.

dug into the toolbox in the bed of his truck. No jumper cables were to be found, unfortunately.

This man, whom we will call Justin, volunteered to come take a look at my truck. Grateful to get a man’s assistance and extra mechanical knowledge, we all walked down to where my truck was parked.

Justin looked under the hood and realized my battery terminals were severely corroded. Using a penny and some water, Justin was able to remove some of the corrosion. We tried to start my truck a couple more times to no avail.

Justin volunteered to give us a ride down the mountain to see if we could find anyone else that might have jumper cables or get us back to cell service where we could call someone else for assistance.

The three of us, and my dog, climbed into Justin’s truck and headed out of the mountains. After a couple miles, we came across a lifted Ford F350 followed by two Jeeps with lift kits and beefy tires. Justin rolled down his window as we rolled up next to the Ford truck.

He asked the driver, “Do you by chance have a set of jumper cables?” With a smile, the driver responded, “I don’t. But one of those jeeps behind me should definitely have a pair.”

“Ok great, well do you mind helping out? There is a stuck Toyota up there a couple miles,” Justin stated. “Not a problem! We will go find it” the driver responded with enthusiasm.

The Ford zoomed off with the Jeeps following quickly behind. Justin turned his truck around. He made his way back to where my truck was located. We rounded the corner at the top where my truck waited. The Ford and two Jeeps had surrounded my truck.

The big Ford had pulled right up to the front of my truck. Its hood was popped. Ten to 12 people were milling around waiting for me to come open the hood of my own truck. I walked over. I opened my truck hood.

The men pulled out the jumper cables. Once the cables were connected to the running Ford, one of the men accidentally let the two clamps touch one another. They zapped and startled him.

After the initial startle, he connected the clamps to my battery.

>> RANDOM QUOTE

Bewildered, bewildered, you have no complaint. You are what you are, and you ain’t what you ain’t. John Prine

I jumped in the cab and turned the key in the ignition. It started right up. I thanked them profusely for the help that was given. The truck and Jeeps packed up, heading off for a journey into the mountains. Continuing to let my truck idle, I thanked Justin once again. We then headed back to Wenatchee. What could have been a complete disaster turned into an adventure with a happy ending.

We were able to receive help from complete strangers that showed us kindness still exists in our world.

I am grateful for the help we received. It makes me less apprehensive to take a drive in the hills, but not without first getting myself a nice pair of 20-foot two gauge jumper cables to equip my truck for the next adventure.

Annamarie Harden is a local Wenatchee Valley resident. She enjoys being active in the outdoors and exploring the many treasures this valley has to offer.

Imagine the fun you could have!

THERE’S GOOD NEWS TODAY Y EVENTS CALENDAR

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S NUMBER ONE

MAGAZINE

THE BIRDHOUSE MAN Y EVENTS CALENDAR

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S NUMBER ONE

MAGAZINE

October 2018 OPEN FOR FUN AND ADVENTURE OPEN FOR FUN AND ADVENTURE Price: $3

They finally arrived! Brothers finish trek started 40 years ago PASSAGE

TO JUNEAU

plus LLamas are an aging hiker’s best friend

heart disease in women: more deadLy than breast cancer

July 2018 OPEN FOR FUN AND ADVENTURE Price: $3

MOVE TO

MEXICO One more adventure: 'We felt like kids again'

plus REVISITING THE CONTAINER HOUSE NOW THAT IT’S FINISHED They Built This City: NEW DOWNTOWN IS FlOOR kING’S lASTING lEGACy

Subscribe to The Good Life for yourself or a friend. Name: ____________________________ Address: __________________________ City/State/Zip ______________________ __________________________________ Mail to:  e Good Life, 1107 East Denny Way, Apt. B7

Seattle, WA 98122 509-888-6527 • www.ncwgoodlife.com ❑ 12 months for $25 in Washington $30 out of state ❑ 24 months for $50 in Washington $60 out of state

WESTERB984CF

Sold and erected by an independent locally owned builder.

Your building can be customized just the way you want!

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL • AGRICULTURAL (509) 884-0555 www.westernbuildings.com 4968 Contractors Drive East Wenatchee, WA 98802

GRATEFUL.

For Our Patients. For The Communities We Serve.

Grateful for the Opportunity to Serve.

We are Grateful for the trust our community puts in us with the things that matter most in life—family and friends. We are Grateful each day for the opportunity to improve the health and quality of life of our friends and neighbors. It’s the daily encounters with members of our community that mean the most.

We are Grateful | We are Confluence Health