2010 Trip Report Honor Roll

Trip Reporters - WTA LOVES you!

Your contributions to the hiking community in Washington are immeasurable. You tell us about snow levels, blowdowns and mosquitoes. You wax poetic about wildflowers, views and summits. You share your advice, your photos and your wisdom. And sometimes you tell us what you ate for lunch.

WTA's top Trip Reporters of 2010: Bob and Barb Griffiths at Goat Peak.

In 2010, Trip Reports were more popular than ever. More people read them; more people wrote them. If you were one of the 1259 people who contributed to this collective body of hiking information, THANK YOU!

In total, 1259 people contributed 3742 Trip Reports in 2010. That's a 35% increase over the year before (almost 1000 more Trip Reports!). What's particularly exciting about this increase is that we're getting reports from places that may not have had a Trip Report in several years - as well as old favorites. And you are submitting more photos than ever. This really helps folks decide whether the hike will be worth the effort.

Who's your favorite Trip Reporter? Last year, we had 18 people submit 20 or more reports. If you haven't found a hiker's posts to follow, perhaps you should check out one of our top ten reporters for 2010:

1. Bob and Barb: Far and away our top Trip Reporters, this couple posted 81 Trip Reports in 2010, many on the Olympic Peninsula. They provide a perfect amount of detail and always publish great photos, especially of mushrooms.
   
2. Terpene: Sixty reports from this hiker, who appears to have hiked on every nice day in 2010 (and has the photos to prove it). Most of his Trip Reports are from the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
3. Eric Jain: Eric hiked nearly every weekend in 2010 (51 reports) and returned to share his photos and his observations. He provides links in every report to more photos and to his GPS tracks.

   

   Hikingqueen (right) poses with a friend atop High Rock near Mount Rainier National Park.

4. Hikingqueen: She hiked more than 100 trails in 2009 and kept going in 2010 with 48 Trip Reports. Hikingqueen loves lofty views, especially in Mount Rainier National Park, and marmots.
5. Whitebark: Whitebark has been contributing Trip Reports for years - 408 reports since 2002 (47 in 2010). In the winter you can find him in the Issaquah Alps; in summer along Snoqualmie & Stampede Passes and in the Teanaway.
6. Janice Van Cleve: All-round WTA superstar, Janice penned 44 Trip Reports while also volunteering on trail, writing for the magazine and much more.
7. HikerJim: Detailed Trip Reports combined with gorgeous photos are HikerJim's hallmarks. Follow him to discover where the wildflowers are blooming.
8. Love2Hike: New to Trip Report writing in 2010, love2hike filed 37 reports last year. This hiker goes where the hiking is best for the time of year, from Dog Mountain and Whiskey Dick in the spring to Ptarmigan Ridge and Carne Mountain in fall. 
9. Norm: Winter or summer, Norm is finding high places to hike and climb. In the meantime, he shared 35 Trip Reports with hikers on wta.org.
10. Tomas, John, Treeana and Geezerhiker: All tied for 10th place on this honor roll with 32 Trip Reports in 2010. Treeana and geezerhiker both post mainly about hikes in the North Cascades; Tomas and John file more from the Central region.

Mytho-man files Trip Reports about places many Washington hikers don't know about. Here his friends pose in the Oak Creek Wildlife Area. Photo by David Hagen.

Honorable Mention goes to mytho-man, our intrepid filer of reports from east of the Cascades. Mytho-man leads a group of hikers throughout the year, and gives Westsiders a tantalizing glimpse of the wonderful hiking there is in the dessert steppe country of Eastern Washington.

All of these hikers are outside exploring trails year-round, and every one includes beautiful photos in their Trip Reports. It is well-worth checking in on where they have gone. Perhaps you have other favorite Trip Reporters - hikers who may not post as often but has just the right amount of detail. If so, consider adding a comment to one of their reports to let you know you appreciate their time and effort.

And thanks again to the 1259 Trip Reporters of 2010!