Signpost Blog

7,000 Acres Closed to Shooting

Posted July 2, 2009 by
Jonathan Guzzo

As thousands of hikers and campers head up to the mountains this weekend, those looking for respite in the I-90 corridor will find an extra measure of peace and quiet: this week the Snoqualmie Ranger District has initiated an emergency closure of 7,000 acres north and south of the interstate to shooting.

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• Amp your Camp at TrailsFest
  
• Will Washington Trails Be in Your Mailbox?
• How To Report Unsafe Target Shooting

You Could Use A Vacation...

A WTA Volunteer Vacation, that is! It's not too late to sign up for one of this season's Volunteer Vacations. There's a reason these week-long trips are so popular - awesome food, stunning wilderness, new friends and an opportunity to help preserve, create and maintain our state's unrivaled trail system.

• For a full listing of WTA Volunteer vacations, click here.
• For a Volunteer Vacation FAQ, click here.
• For photos from previous Volunteer Vacations, click here.

Where to Go Now

Cape Alva - Sand Point Loop

The math is simple: Three-day weekend + friends + gear = overnight backpack. This popular loop has such an endless supply of cool stuff (abundant wildlife, ancient petroglyphs, the westernmost point in the Lower 48, tidepools, the beach, a lake...) that the miles evaporate effortlessly. There is no guarantee you'll enjoy solitude this weekend, but there's certainly enough beach to share.

• To read WTA's Hiking Guide and Trip Report entries on Cape Alva - Sand Point Loop, click here.
  

WTA Advocacy

WA DNR Cuts Services at Trailheads, Campgrounds

The Washington State Department of Natural Resouces has released a list of service reductions intended to address current budget shortfalls. Through a combination of facility closures (toilets, picnic tables and garbage cans), seasonal closures and reduced maintenance at a number of sites, DNR hopes to keep their recreation program in the black, although they warn that further cuts are likely.

• To read WTA's article on DNR cuts, click here

Recent trip reports

Browse freshest trip reports, search trip reports, or write a report. Before heading out on trail, check the current weather forecast, pack the ten essentials, and tell someone where you're headed and when you'll return.

• Snoquera Falls. "Good things seem to lie ahead for this trail, though, because farther on we passed Crew Leader Mike and his intrepid WTA volunteers, moving rocks and soil to leave much-improved trail in their wake.... Hooray WTA!"  Agenda Girl - 6.24.09
• Teanaway Ridge via Iron Creek. "Balsamroot and larkspur were bloomed out at lower elevations and the clematis occidentalis was on its last legs, but there were butterflies aplenty near several creek crossings." Navigator - 6.24.09