Thank You for Protecting Our Trails

I say it all the time—every volunteer, member, and person who uses and values our trails is absolutely essential to the mission of Washington Trails Association. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience this first hand while working alongside fifteen remarkable volunteers.

In early August, I hiked to Bean Creek Basin, east of Snoqualmie Pass, where a WTA Volunteer Vacation crew was re-routing the trail from the middle of a wet, wildflower-filled meadow to a dry upland area. When I arrived on day five of the eight-day work party, the new trail was already taking shape. By week's end, we received heaps of "thanks" from hikers passing through, and the trail looked like it had been there for years.

Two days later, I climbed 3,900 feet in 90˚F heat to join a WTA Backcountry Response Team seven miles in on the Snow Lakes Trail, gateway to the legendary Enchantments. The next morning, we got to work replacing a rotting boardwalk, called a Gadbury puncheon, which gives hikers access across a deep bog. Over the evening conversation, the many different motivations folks gave for volunteering—giving back, camaraderie, and problem solving—inspired me to no end.

Volunteers take a break at Bean Creek. You can see the brand new trail in the background. Photo by Karen Daubert.

I want to thank you for supporting the work of WTA volunteers at Bean Creek, Snow Lake, and the 170 other trails so far this year. The next time you're out on trail and come across one of our work parties, I hope you will say thanks or give our volunteers a high five.

• If you want to give back on trail, volunteer on one of our many trail work parties this autumn.
• If you want to contribute or become a member of Washington Trails Association (and get a year's subscription to our incredible magazine), we'll put your investment to work keeping our wildlands accessible and hikeable, whether that's on the trail, online, or advocating in Olympia and Washington, D.C.

Thank you for protecting our trails.