Get in Shape and Fix Some Trails With Volunteer Work Party

Here’s a great way to get into shape for summer hiking and backpacking: join a Washington Trails Association volunteer work party.

You’ll not only get yourself into shape, you’ll be getting the trails you walk into shape as well. And you’ll have a chance to meet hikers and backpackers who share your love for the great outdoors.

The Washington Trails Association is an advocacy group that has been helping build and maintain trails throughout the state for more than 40 years. It’s the state’s largest volunteer trail maintenance program.

In addition to the one-day or two-day work parties, the Trails Association sponsors week-long Volunteer Vacations throughout the state. You can spend a week in the wilderness, building or maintaining wildland pathways.

The vacations are popular among wilderness pedestrians and registration is closed for many of the outings. You’ll find a list of working vacations still open — and be able to enlist — at the Association Web site, www.wta.org.

The shorter work parties are the Association’s bread and butter, and are scheduled throughout the summer. More than 20 work parties are planned this month, including the following in our neck of the woods: