The Signpost Blog

Hello from Hiker Lobby Day 2012!

About 50 intrepid hikers have assembled in the conference room of St. John's Church for our Hiker Lobby Day orientation and training. After this, we will hike to the State Capitol for our scheduled meetings with elected officials and get down to the heart of the day -- face to face lobbying!

This is my fifth Hiker Lobby Day, and as I sit here surrounded by WTA members, volunteers and others who have taken the day off work to come advocate on behalf of trails, I feel deeply appreciative of their efforts. One year ago, these hiker lobbyists were instrumental is securing passage of the Washington State Discover Pass, without which many of our DNR recreation lands and State Parks would have locked their gates. Although the Discover Pass is not performing as well as expected and State Parks regrettably just passed pink slips to dozens of park rangers, the passage of this sustainable funding source was critical. Without it, we might have NO rangers on the state parks payroll. We might not have access to Deception Pass State Park, or Mount Si.

This year, hikers are here to make the Discover Pass a better program. Two companion bills -- SB 5977 and HB 2153 -- will add space for an additional vehicle license plate number to the Discover Pass. It is widely hoped that this improvement will result in higher sales of the pass, and therefore more revenue for these cash-strapped agencies.

We'll keep you posted on our progress as the day progresses right here, and on twitter and facebook.

UPDATE 11am: Hiker lobbyist Tim Van Beek tells us why he is at Hiker Lobby Day today.

UPDATE 1pm: Two hikers, both named Sarah, talk straight on why it is so important they're down in Olympia for trails today.

Did you know that maintenance on many of your favorite trails is funded by a little known grant program in the federal transportation funding bill? The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) provides essential support for trail maintenance all over Washington state. If RTP is not reauthorized or extended by the end of March 2012, those funds will go away and likely never return.

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is housed in the Transportation budget. The Federal Department of Transportation sends RTP money to the states, who then disburse funds to non-profits and land management agencies as grants. WTA has a long history of receiving RTP grants, and we use these dollars to do trail work. This year, we applied for and were awarded $175,000 in grants to fund our Volunteer Vacations, Backcountry Response Teams and Youth Program. Without RTP dollars, WTA would have to seriously curtail its trail maintenance work.

The re-authorization of the Surface Transportation Funding Bill has been delayed for nearly three years now. In order to keep our infrastructure working, transportation funds have been reauthorized for brief periods. The last was in September and runs out at the end of March. WTA's grants have been funded for the next year, but if RTP is not reauthorized or extended by the end of March, a huge amount of work that WTA would lead in 2013 is going to be in jeopardy.

But there is good news. The House Transportation Committee is releasing their version of the Surface Transportation Funding Bill, called the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, or H.R. 7. The bill would extend RTP for four years, funding the program at $85 million per year, which is consistent with the last several fiscal years. That's great news, and we applaud the House effort.

Of course, there is also bad news. The Senate version of the bill does not include RTP funding, instead giving states the option of dedicating a portion of their transportation funds to enhancements programs like RTP. That lack of certainty makes it very difficult for us and our non-profit and agency partners to plan effectively.

What can you do? Call Senators Murray and Cantwell. Thank them for their support of RTP over the years and ask them to fight for a four-year fully funded reauthorization of the RTP in the Senate's Surface Transportation Funding Bill. Senator Murray's number in DC is (202) 224-2621 and Senator Cantwell's number is (202) 224-3441. Be sure to speak from your own experience as a hiker who benefits from the critically important recreation funds. Thank you!

The long-awaited moment has arrived. WTA’s coveted 2012 backcountry schedule is, at long last, public domain.

On the agenda for 2012 are 28 adult Volunteer Vacations, 16 Youth Vacations and 39 Backcountry Response Team (BCRT) trips. There is something for everyone in this line-up. We have trips for those who like to sleep in beds at night and ones that require you to carry everything you own on your back. We have trips for teens, trips for adults and even one for college-aged students. Alpine destinations and coastal locations. Remote lakeside campsites and campgrounds. State parks, national parks and national forests.

If we dare say it, this is the best backcountry schedule we've ever fielded!

Don't Worry About the FULL Signs

Starting today, you can preview the destinations on our trail work schedule. Don't be alarmed if the trip says FULL. That's because this is a preview. Sign-ups will begin Monday, February 6 at 10am, and the full signs will disappear at that time.

But don't wait long. If any of the trips look good to you, you'll want to be ready to sign up right when they go live. Popular Volunteer Vacations can fill up in a matter of a couple minutes.

Backcountry Options

Some of you may be wondering what all the hype is about. What IS a Volunteer Vacation or a BCRT? Who can go on Youth Vacations? Here's a bit of info, and there is so much more on the preview pages as well.

Volunteer Vacations - These are week-long trips with up to ten other crew members. You won’t have to worry about carrying your own food or tools, because WTA will transport all of that for you. For this week, you’ll inhabit a beautiful natural setting, working to improve trails during the day. In the afternoons and evenings, you’ll cook gourmet meals over a grill, explore your surroundings and sit around the campfire telling stories with your fellow vacationers. It's a great way to give back to the trails you love AND get to know some amazing other people. >> Preview Volunteer Vacations now.

Backcountry Response Teams (BCRTs) - For the minimalists out there who want to live in the backcountry for three to eight days surviving only on what they can carry on their backs, WTA offers BCRTs. On these trips, you bring in your own food and equipment in your backpack and carry your own tools. Crews do a fair bit of hiking, either doing the work as they go or accessing a specific trail project beyond the range of a day trip. >> Preview BCRTs now.

Youth Vacations - Summers tend to wear on forever when you’re out of school for three months, which is why WTA offers youth the same opportunity that we offer adults. If you are a teenager, age 14 to 18, spend a week of your summer making friends with other teens who enjoy the outdoors — and make a tangible contribution to the trails you love. Youth Vacations have the same week-long format as adult trips, with trips of varying levels of difficulty. This is your chance to explore a beautiful natural area, play a little Frisbee with your fellow crew members and learn how to construct various features of a trail. >> Preview Youth Vacations now.

Next week, we'll go into further detail about the destinations and unique opportunities provided by each of our backcountry trip formats. Check back for more details! And make sure you are in front of a computer to sign-up on Monday, February 6 at ten o'clock sharp. You'll be glad you did.

The Discover Pass transferability bill has passed the state Senate.

The Discover Pass was originally enacted during the 2011 legislative session. It is a $30 annual vehicle pass ($10 per day) for recreation on Washington State Parks, DNR and Fish and Wildlife lands, and it is a critical funding mechanism to keep these areas open to the public.

Washington Trails Association strongly supports this legislation. Over the course of the past year, transferability between vehicles is something we have heard our members want. Passing the Senate is a major hurdle, and we're excited to see this legislation move forward in the House. SB 5977 will be referred to the House, where it will be heard in policy and fiscal committees in coming weeks.

If you've written a letter, made a phone call or visited your legislators, pat yourself on the back! Thanks for all your hard work, and we'll keep you posted right here on the Signpost Blog as this bill moves forward.

>> To keep up on how SB 5977 and other Discover Pass legislation is progressing the state legislature, please see our Olympia legislative page.

What a week of wild weather! Snow, ice and wind have taken their toll on a number of trails throughout the state, bringing down trees and branches and messing with the tread.

Particularly hard hit were a number of parks in King County where a severe ice storm, followed by wind, did a number on the trees. WTA volunteer trail crews have been out since Saturday clearing debris and downed logs at Tiger and Taylor Mountains in the Issaquah Alps.

Sunday's Tiger Mountain crew leader Claire Hansen described their work as "leapfrogging from one branch pile to another log to the next blocked culvert, up to the crest of the trail." This is not a unique situation.

We've also gotten a few Trip Reports detailing the damage. "Rnnrgrl" has provided an account and photos of damage at Grand Ridge Park and at Cougar Mountain's Wilderness Peak trail. She reports that WTA's Grand Ridge bridge and boardwalk both took trees but fortunately suffered no unrepairable damage.

The story was grimmer at Cougar Mountain, however. "It took us 27 minutes to cover one mile, and we were running (stopping/running/crawling over trees/running/moving branches/running, you get the picture)," she posted on January 22.

What You Can Do

As you venture out hiking in the next few weeks, you can help WTA, the land managers and other hikers by posting your own Trip Report with photos about any damage to your favorite hiking trail.

These trails also need your help! Join a WTA volunteer trail work party to help clear the mess created by these storms. The more people we have to help clear the trails, the quicker the crews can get back to the projects they were working on before the storm hit.

Finally, be careful while hiking. This debris makes hiking a bit more hazardous than usual, with lots of logs to trip and poke. Also look overhead for "widow-maker" branches. And if you get a chance, throw a few of these off the trail while you hike. Those who follow will be thankful.

If you want to climb Mount St. Helens this year, get ready to apply for a permit on February 1st!

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Permits for the 2012 climbing season, from April 1 to October 31, go on sale Monday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m. and are sold online on a first-come, first-served basis through the Mount St. Helens Institute.

Permits will be sold only online. Weekends and holidays go the fastest, so check your calendars (and the Farmer's Almanac for weather predictions). The cost is $22 per permit and you are able to purchase up to twelve permits for each day.

Permits are required for climbing above 4,800 feet on the volcano. From May 15 through October 31, climbing is limited to 100 people per day. It may seem like a lot of permits, but they go quickly, especially with guides and outfitters snapping up a dozen at a time.

From November 1 - March 31, permits are free and available in person at the Lone Fir Resort on SR 503 in Cougar, WA.

Climbing Mount St. Helens is a challenging, but not a technical, climb. It boasts a relentless elevation gain, constant exposure to the elements and unstable footing, but the view from the crater rim is unrivaled and breathtaking. Everyone remembers their first climb to the rim.

>> Buy Your Permit
>> WTA Hiking Guide entry for Mount St. Helens Summit
>> More Information about Climbing Mount St. Helens

I love bears. As a hiker, they're the most exciting kind of wildlife to see from a trail. I'll never forget the first time I saw a bear in the wild. As chance would have it, it was not in the Sierras, where I spent 20+ years hiking before defecting to the Northwest. It was in Olympic National Park—Enchanted Valley, to be exact—the year after my wife and I moved up here.

The bears in the Sierras are nationally notorious—oftentimes used to help set the standards for bear-proofing solutions. As regular hikers in the area, we'd read and heard stories about bears tearing into cars—and tents!—in search of things like sticks of gum or half-empty tubes of toothpaste. While hiking the JMT two summers ago, I happened across a couple that claimed a bear walked right into their camp and took their food right out of their hands!

These were the bears that were often "rehabilitated." Usually they were captured and relocated far away, sometimes even to another state. The more "problematic" bruins were usually exterminated. This was always heartbreaking to hear, as they were just being themselves, hungry critters looking for their next meal, in their own wilderness where masses of people invaded in cars and campers, blazing roads and trails through their homes, all with coolers and backpacks full of food.

But even here in Washington, as populations continue to increase, developments continue to expand and encroach on wilderness, and longer, colder winters reduce food sources (as evidenced in the last couple of years), we find that bear-human encounters are on the rise—and not just on the trails, but in rural neighborhoods. That's where a team of dedicated wildlife rangers and their unique canine companions come in, helping keep bears bear-y and providing safety for residents and hikers—and the subject of Washington Trails' recent nature feature, "Bear in Mind," by Tami Asars.

Tami's story is a heartwarming and amusing tale of how these wildlife naturalists work to preserve and protect both curious, hungry bears and the people that share their environments, as well as provide education and training for the public in sharing Washington's natural areas with her furry, native residents.

Have you ever lost something while out hiking? A pair of sunglasses. A pocket knife. Perhaps your trekking poles.

How about your wedding ring?

A wedding ring is just what Matt Alderman lost on a hike to Wallace Falls back in August. It slipped right off his finger, and by the time he noticed it was missing, he didn't know where he'd lost it. Back from his hike, Matt posted a Trip Report and asked other hikers to look out for it.

Days passed. Weeks passed. Months even passed. And then one day in early December, Trever Olsen was out hiking with his family. The kids romped down ahead of Trever and his wife, Kimberly, and were told to wait on benches for them to catch up. "During one of these stops, my stepson, Skylar, noticed something on the ground and picked it up. It was a platinum and gold men's wedding band."

Back at home, Kimberly googled "Wallace Falls wedding ring" and came up with Matt's Trip Report on the WTA website. When posting a comment didn't get a response, Trever emailed WTA on December 23rd and we connected the two.

"OH MY GOSH!!! I am shaking at the thought it was found," was Matt's response when I emailed him.

It was Matt's ring. The inscription inside matched his wedding date. Matt and his family stopped by Trever's house on Christmas Eve. Matt's wife had no idea why they were there until Skylar started his story, "About three weeks ago, we went hiking at Wallace Falls..."

The story poured out. "We were all amazed that after almost four months it was still there. Through all the rain, wind, sun, and foot traffic, it was found by a 12-year old boy on a dark and overcast day as he just happened to sit down and wait for his parents to catch up," Trevor told me.

I don't know about any of you, but this story just warmed my heart right before the holidays. It took a bit of luck, a boy who wanted to do the right thing because "someone probably misses it," and online technology to reunite a grateful hiker with his wedding ring.

Thank you Matt, Trever, Kimberly and Skylar for sharing your story with us!

Snow is falling everywhere in Washington today. I've already seen some cross country skiers skate by my Seattle house, and this whole scene is inspiring me to dust off my snowshoes and head into the mountains for some real winter recreation as soon as this storm blows over.

But first some considerations:

• Choosing a safe destination, because avalanche conditions are at their highest after big snowstorms like this, and white-outs can disorient even the most experienced snowshoer (as it did at Mount Rainier last weekend).
• Making sure that I can actually reach the trailhead in my car while also having the correct Sno-Park pass in my glove compartment.
• Having a safe trip requires preparation, knowledge, a well-packed backpack and common sense.

Certainly, taking to the snowy slopes in the winter is more complicated than heading out for a July hike. It can also be incredibly rewarding when you hit it right. There is nothing better than sparkling powder draped across trees on a blue-sky mountain afternoon.

Wta.org has the information you need to plan a safe and fun winter outing. To find a good destination, we have selected Ten Great Snowshoe Hikes to get you started. When you click through to the details in our Hiking Guide you will see that the author, Dan Nelson of Mountaineers Books, has rated most "Easiest" to "More Difficult." Hikes that are labeled "Easiest" have the least avalanche risk. This month's Washington Trails magazine also has a feature on snowshoeing - you may want to check it out for even more inspiration. Finally, read up where others have been snowshoeing, paying attention to the most recent posts in WTA's Trip Reports.

Now you have to get there. Mountain roads - and even interstate highways - are unpredictable in winter. You can find great links to road conditions, weather forecasts (including avalanche danger) and more on WTA's Winter Recreation page. It also includes the details you need to know to have the right Sno-Park pass and/or Discover Pass along on your adventure.

And finally there is your own personal safety. Part of your preparation is to choose a safe destination. The other part is packing the right necessities in your backpack and using your knowledge and common sense. You can find details about what to bring and how to stay safe on our Winter Safety Tips page.

Then head outside and have a blast in the snow!

On Thursday, January 26m Washington Trails Association is holding an open house to celebrate one year in our new location in downtown Seattle.

While we prefer to think of our office as the backcountry, many of us at WTA spend long hours protecting trails and promoting hiking while sitting (or standing) in front of our computers. Until a year ago these computers where housed in a small dark office where WTA staff could go all day without seeing the light of day.

Fortunately, that has changed. A year ago we moved into a new office near Pioneer Square - one with windows and even a partial water view (if you know where to look).

We have finally hung the pictures and put away all the boxes, and would love for you to come visit us and check out our downtown digs. Meet WTA's new Executive Director, Karen Daubert. Talk with the staff and board. And learn what we have planned for the year ahead. Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be served. Please RSVP here.

Hope to see you there!