Sign up to get the monthly Crooked Trails Newsletter delivered to your inbox!

Dear Friends of Crooked Trails, welcome to our brand new look!  After several months of effort, we are thrilled to premiere the fresh re-working of our website and newsletter. Take some time to cruise around our site and check out the fruits of a team of very talented people’s labors.

In fact, we have a lot to be proud of this month – and by we I mean all of us in the CT community! April was one of the busiest months yet, and we thoroughly enjoyed connecting with many of you in support of our projects. Together we partied for a cause at Nepal Casino Night and the Crooked Trails Spring Fundraiser, and celebrated sustainability at Seattle’s first Green Fest as well as the monthly Seattle Green Drinks.

As always, we are beckoning you to join us and connect with indigenous people around the world. This month Crooked Trails guide Emily Jump extends a personal invitation to join her in her home-away-from-home, Ecuador.

Happy Travels,
Angela Dollar
Crooked Trails Director of Operations

Quote of the Month

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

- Maya Angelou

Featured Story
Crooked Trails, Re-Imagined
By Angela Dollar

The Crooked Trails website was originally born into a world where the internet was not a part of our everyday lives. As the organization grew, and internet usage surged, the site expanded in many directions. Several years later, our humble little site had branched out like a network of trails through the forest. It had become time to mark those proverbial trails (with gorgeous interpretive signage) and make them accessible to everyone!

Last fall, we called upon our talented friends Craig Winters and Cameron Woodworth at Full Spectrum Internet to help us recreate the crookedtrails.org experience. Also about this time we were fortunate enough to cross paths with Peter Newbury, a new member of the Crooked Trails community, who stepped in to head up this project and provide ample amounts of creativity and know-how. Long-time CT supporter and freelance journalist Annika Hipple was joined by Mariana Noble to help us express ourselves through writing and editing, and another fabulous volunteer Pam Keesey stepped up to re-design the newsletter. This dynamic group of talented individuals has spent countless hours working with our staff to re-imagine Crooked Trails’ home on the ‘net.

The end result has us bursting with pride. Not only is the site design intuitive and user-friendly, it also helps to convey the heart of what makes Crooked Trails special.

Jump in to www.crookedtrails.org and have a look around! And stay tuned as we continue to add new and exciting features to our site in the months ahead.

Featured Trip
Ecuador and the Huaorani: Seeing through new eyes
Words and images by Crooked Trails facilitator, Emily Jump

When I lived in the Ecuadorian rainforest, I never ceased to be amazed by the perpetual motion around me. At night, I would fall asleep with the thunderous sound of torrential rain crashing down on my tin roof. There is nothing moderate about the intensity of the jungle, with its odd low roar of bug wings strumming a concert, unseen creatures calling back and forth, and tiny monkeys hopping about the treetops above me every other day. This landscape becomes transformed when one has the opportunity to see it through the eyes of those who know it best: the communities of the deep forest.

The people of the Huaorani nation believe that they live at the center of the world, and many members would tell you they are not Ecuadorians at all. The rainforest represents the quintessence of survival and as such, can be turned into protection, shelter, a pharmacopeia, or a flood. A people accustomed to living entirely in the present moment, the Huaorani's survival is due to their unique interdependence with their environment as well as with one another. If a member of your community was successful in the hunt and you were not, your belly will be full nonetheless. With no such concept of "mine" or "yours", the people of the Huaorani have much to share with us, revealing their specific understanding of the rivers and trees and all that depend upon them.

I am very excited to invite you to come with me to fall in love with Ecuador, a place that draws me in like a magnet over and over again. (In fact, I am looking out the window right now to the streets of Quito below). Our October trip will take us from the high Andes to the very heart of the Huaorani territory in the Amazon, from the colonial history of Quito to the vibrant lifestyles of the indigenous communities that make Ecuador so exquisitely unique. Diverse would be an understatement when one tries to describe the cultural, ecological and geographical possibilities here. One can go from dust-fine white sand beaches in the morning to the sparse, windblown paramo for lunch, slowly descending into the exuberance of the rainforest by sundown.

Which is exactly what I plan to do. See you there!

- Emily Jump

Crooked Trails is currently accepting applications for this fall’s program, which runs October 14 - 28. Contact our office if you are interested in joining us.

Day 1
Spend the day in flight to Quito. Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed by a Crooked Trails facilitator and brought to your Quito guesthouse in the heart of the city. Enjoy an evening of welcome drinks and an introduction to the program.

Day 2
This day will be dedicated to exploring Quito's cultural heritage. The past and present come to life when you visit Quito's vast array of cultural exhibits. We will explore colonial Quito’s narrow streets, baroque churches, and busy plazas and markets, spending the day visiting such sites as San Juan de Dios, once the oldest hospital in the Americas and now the colonial art museum; the Fundacion Guayasamin, with a fabulous collection of pre-Hispanic and colonial art and the Astronomical Observatory, the oldest in South America, housing the unique Merz equatorial telescope. In the afternoon, we will stop by at an Indian vegetable market to explore a traditional herbal pharmacy. Here you can order your own personal potions and learn about a variety of others. For dinner we have been invited to a friend’s family home where you can experience authentic Ecuadorian cooking. Our gracious hosts will be interested in learning about you, exchanging ideas, or listening to local music while savoring delicious food and local drinks.

Day 3
After breakfast we will travel overland from Quito to Coca in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. As we travel over the Andes Mountains and down into the Amazon basin we will stop to visit Papallacta Hot Springs, San Ramon Falls, Jumandi Caves and the Petroglyphs of Aechidona. Just after arriving to Coca we will board a canoe for a one hour ride down the Napo River to Puerto Mishualli. Sleep in Puerto Mishualli

Day 4 –9
The next five days will be dedicated to working, living and learning from the Amazonian curanderos and shaman. We will be hiking through the Amazon with our hosts learning about the traditional healing properties of Amazonian plants. In addition, we will have the opportunity to take part in spiritual ceremonies. Sleep in Amazonian Lodge and/or Tents.

Day 10
Today we will take an early morning flight back to Quito and then travel one hour northeast to the San Jorge Botanical Reserve. We will spend the morning trekking to the highland tropical rain forest, visiting about 5 sacred waterfalls. Here, we will learn about the medicinal attributes of the native plants, containing up to 250 varieties in the region. At the same time you will take in the fabulous panoramic views of Quito, its valleys and mountains along with views of the volcano peaks of Cayambe, Antizana, Pasochoa, Pululahua, Pichincha and Illalo. We can observe 11 mountains from various points of Botanical Reserve San Jorge. In the late afternoon we will return back to the lodge to relax and enjoy the Turkish Bath or Jacuzzi. In the evening, we will meet with an Andes highland Shaman to learn more about medicinal plants and the Shamanic usage of them. He will discuss his experiences, ancestral beliefs and secrets which are traditionally passed down from generation to generation. You are welcome to participate in "cleansing" rituals introduction of Shamanism.

Day 11
Visit the famous Otavalo Indian Market. We will have the opportunity to shop for world famous handmade wool and alpaca products. We will stop at Cotacachi leather village, San Pablo Lake, Cuicocha (sacred Indian lagoon) and take a boat trip around an active volcano. Visit a local Shamans house in this area. His behavior is spontaneous, there is no itinerary. He is known to cure the spirits within. This tour will allow you to compare the Shaman activities from the regions that we have visited.

Day 12
Today begins our four day trek of Antizana. We will depart by jeep in the morning from Quito to the Hacienda El Inga. In this small Indian village we load our gear on horseback and set off toward the valley of La Dormida. We cross a huge Polylepis forest. After a 5-hours walk we will set up our campsite by the river at nearly 12,000 feet.

Day 13
We will cross a pass of 13, 200 feet along the Antisanilla mountain and walk towards the next valley, we pass rivers and huge Páramo vegetation. We descend to a volcano-lake and pitch up our camp.

Day 14
Today we will climb higher in order to reach the high plateau of Antizana. Throughout the trek, we will see a variety of flora and fauna of the Andes as well as the lava fields. In the afternoon we establish our camp at Laguna Volcan.

Day 15
Early in the morning we will head towards the end of the plateau to catch amazing views of Antizana. We descend toward Papallacta and finally we can enjoy the thermal springs of this small town. In the afternoon we drive back to Quito and end our journey in a final celebration dinner together.

For more information on this program, please check it out on our website at
www.crookedtrails.org/ecuador.php or contact Angela! 206-383-9828 or angela@crookedtrails.org

Success! Crooked Trails Spring Fundraiser Raises Over $20k

The Crooked Trails crew was joined by a diverse group of friends, travelers, partners and supporters for a fun and festive evening on April 26th at the Museum of History and Industry, for what proved to be a fantastic night of celebration.

Guests were treated to a culinary tour of the world via the amazing appetizers created by acclaimed chef Erik Canella and Adrianne Dow Young of E C Catering. Wonderful libations provided by PengWine, Pike Brewing and BigTime Brewing were the perfect complement. Pura Vida Coffee and Seattle Tea Cup’s herbal teas rounded it all out.

A presentation highlighting Crooked Trails’ work preceeded the live auction, featuring firsthand accounts of the CT experience from travelers Stefan Ahrensdorf and Julia Moss, as well as our Maasai partner from Kenya, Kakuta Ole Maimai.

Powering the whole event was a stellar group of CT volunteers, who made every aspect of the evening turn out beautifully.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who had a hand in the success of this event, and in doing so, has invested their time and energy into our vision. We want to offer our thanks to the wonderful individuals and businesses who donated goods and services for the fundraiser, to our honored guests for coming out to support us and of course, all the volunteers who helped out, both leading up to the event as well as the night of.

3rd Annual Nepal Casino Night – Nicole does it again!

Talk about an inspiration!

Nicole Juracek traveled to Nepal with Crooked Trails 4 years ago, and when she returned she felt inspired to support the village where she had stayed. For three years Nicole Juracek has rolled up her sleeves and lassoed her friends into helping her put on Casino Night to benefit the Shree Kalika School in Nepal – a fun and creative way to make a difference! This year Nicole’s fundraiser brought in over $3000 to go to Nepal for the construction of the school.

Nicole’s spirit is a great example of what keep us going at the CT office- people who have seen a need during their travels and have responded with hard work to give back. Thanks Nicole!

We are going to Nepal to pitch in on the school project this fall – please join us! http://www.crookedtrails.org/nepal.php

Meet Brittany Overholser, Crooked Trails Intern

Hi Everyone! I am the new intern for Crooked Trails and I am very excited to take part in the cause that all of you are so passionate about! I am a junior at Western Washington University studying Recreation with a focus in travel and tourism. Our beloved Chris Mackay came into my class last spring and spoke to us about Crooked Trails and I was instantly hooked. I had no idea something like this existed and I realized it was amazing and something I wanted to take part in.

I recently studied abroad and realized how much of an affect tourism has on other countries and their way of life. I got a better idea of what I want out of my travel experiences, which does not include speaking English and paying in USD. Luckily, I had already applied to intern at Crooked Trails and now here I am. I am soaking up the cause and what it means to be a responsible traveler.

Currently, I am helping to finish up with the Spring Fundraiser and am taking on the “Faces of Hope” event which is a fundraiser to help prevent child sex trafficking in Nepal. All proceeds are given to The Friends of Maiti Nepal who focuses on preventing trafficking and rehabilitating the girls that are victimized. I am very excited about this cause and encourage you all to come support it. I hope I get the chance to meet all of you fellow travel enthusiasts and Crooked Trails supporters in these upcoming months and I wish you the best of luck in your future travels!

- Brittany

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Crooked Trails Competes In National Geographic Geotourism Challenge

By Brittany Overholser

As a company that promotes responsible travel and promotes cultural interactions in a natural setting, Crooked Trails has decided to become part of the Geotourism Challenge hosted by National Geographic. Geotourism is a relatively new term coined by National Geographic. A concept that builds on the idea of sustainability while also focusing on the physical aspects of the area, Geotourism is defined as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place-its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents” (National Geographic).

As a new contestant in the Challenge we ask all of you to support us in getting our word out. You can visit the Geotourism Challenge by going to www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge. We encourage you to investigate the many geotourism opportunities showcased on the site and comment on Crooked Trails’ entry to show your support through May 28. Comment by clicking on Read Entries, click on Crooked Trails entry, at the bottom of the entry there will be a space for comments. Seven to fifteen finalists will be chosen by judges from around the world. Voting for the best organization will open May 28 and continue through June 11. Three winners will be announced on the evening of June 11th and will receive prize money and exposure through National Geographic. The Geotourism Challenge is a great opportunity to learn and spread information about traveling responsibly and treading lightly on the places we choose to visit. We strongly encourage everyone to visit this website and learn more.

Chinese-Tibetan Dialogue Forum in Seattle

Inspired by the energy generated at the Seeds of Compassion event, a local group (Mystic Trails and Compassionate Listening) is organizing a forum to bring the Chinese and Tibetan communities together for a peaceful dialogue in Seattle. The forum is aimed at providing a compassionate and non-judgmental environment so that both sides of the conflict can meet in person and share with each other's stories and views. This group believes that seeing the other side as human beings instead of "demonized" enemies is a fundamental and necessary step towards any peaceful resolution of the conflict. And our community here in Seattle, as the leader of the compassion movement, is the perfect place to start something like this.

An important component of this forum is to form a neutral "mediators group” who are neither Chinese nor Tibetans. The roles of the mediators are two folds:

1, Receive a basic training in compassionate listening and meet with Chinese and Tibetan representatives separately to gather information and requests, which will help our communication experts to design guide lines for the actual dialogue

2, Hold a compassionate energy space during the actual dialogue and act as mediators.

If you wish to be a compassionate listener, to expand your heart's capacity and reach out to those who are succumbed to fear, to pave the road from hatred to love, please join us. The first meeting and a basic training will be held on either May 18th or 25th. Please email Spring at spring@mystictrails.com if you wish to be part of this. Also please extend the invitation to anyone who might be interested in this.

Crooked Trails Upcoming Events

University District Street Fair
When: Saturday, May 17th & Sunday, May 18th
Where: University Way NE and surrounding neighborhood
Cost: free!

For 39 years the University District StreetFair has been the kick-off event for the festival season in the Seattle region. Attracting more than 50,000 people and nearly 400 craft and food booths to the District, the StreetFair is an energetic and exciting celebration of arts and crafts, community, music, and food. You'll find a whirl of color, craft, creativity and downright craziness! Join the thousands of people who attend. There will be three great music stages, a special children's area with age appropriate events, a special dog arena, a 24' rock climbing wall and ropes course and a wonderful medley of street performers. The unique local and regional arts & crafts and an array of international food will delight you.

Be sure to visit the Crooked Trails booth on NE 42nd Street, near the Community Stage! Better yet – join the team as a volunteer this year! Contact brittany@crookedtrails.org to sign up for a shift.

Faces of Hope Exhibition
When: Wednesday, June 18th, 2008, 6:30-9:00pm
Where: 911 Media Arts Center, 402 9th Ave N, Seattle WA 98109
Cost: $15
RSVP: Limited space, please reserve at 206-383-9828 or Brittany@crookedtrails.org

Crooked Trails invites you to the Faces of Hope exhibition. The night will include a screening of the movie The Day My God Died and a photo exhibition by Seattle-area photographer Jeff Speigner highlighting a similar state of affairs in Thailand. Hand-crafted beaded bracelets made by the girls of Maiti Nepal will be available for purchase.

The Day My God Died is a feature-length documentary that presents the stories of young girls whose lives have been shattered by the child sex trade. They describe the day they were abducted from their village and sold into sexual servitude as “The Day My God Died.” The film provides actual footage from the brothels of Bombay, weaving the stories of girls and their stolen hopes and dreams into an unforgettable examination of the growing plague of child sex slavery.

Space is limited so reserve your spot now to help combat child sex slavery! Registration is open! Reserve at 206-383-9828 or Brittany@crookedtrails.org

West Seattle Summer Fest
When: Friday, July 11 – Sunday July 13
Where: West Seattle Junction
Cost: Free

West Seattle Summer Fest is a FREE 3-day street fair, hosted by an organization of local area merchants, the West Seattle Junction Association. Now in its 26th year, West Seattle Summer Fest is host to dozens of bands, hundreds of merchants and artists, and over 30,000 attendees. Complete with food courts, beer gardens, and family activities, this is a true community celebration in the heart of West Seattle.

This year’s festival promises to be better than ever! For 3 days, our merchants will open up their doors and spill out onto their sidewalks to display all the wonderful products and services they offer year-round, while artists and artisans display in the streets. Junction restaurants and a delectable selection of cross-cultural food vendors can satisfy your hunger along the way. Live music on two stages, a skateboard exhibition, and a full block of family activities make each day special. And don’t forget our welcoming beer & wine garden, the annual Saturday Night Street Dance and, of course, West Seattle’s own Sunday Farmer’s Market!

Volunteer Tourism with Crooked Trails co-founder Chris Mackay
When: October 18th at 1:00 p.m.
Where: The Savvy Traveler Edmonds
Cost: free

JUICE: A Night of World Music to benefit Crooked Trails, Featuring DJ DMZ & DJ RHYTHMA
When: Saturday, November 1st starting at 9:00 p.m.
Where: The Nectar Lounge, Fremont, Seattle
Cost: $5

Experience Peru with Crooked Trails co-founder Tammy Leland
When: November 15th at 10:00 a.m.
Where: The Savvy Traveler Edmonds
Cost: free

Our Deepest Thanks Goes Out…

To the wonderful volunteers who have helped out this month:

Many thanks from all of us at Crooked Trails!