Volunteer Blogs
Washington Trails Association news about Volunteers and Trail Maintenance on The Signpost Blog.
Washington Trails Association news about Volunteers and Trail Maintenance on The Signpost Blog.
- Getting to Work at Catherine Creek
- The past two weekends, Washington Trails Association kicked off the first of what promises to be many trail work parties at Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area.
- The Grand Ridge ribbon is cut
- After 11 years of working at Grand Ridge, WTA volunteers hiked the entire trail. At the end of the hike, King County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the official completion of Grand Ridge.
- Hard Hats Off to the Korean Mountaineers
- Hard hats off to the Korean Mountaineers! At a recent work party, seven members of the group received their green hard hats, which are given to volunteers upon their fifth day of work with WTA. No one at WTA can remember a time when so many green hats were presented at a single work party.
- WTA Volunteer Vacation Sets Sail
- Washington Trails Association's first Volunteer Vacation of the 2012 season set sail on Saturday for a week on Vendovi Island in the San Juans. It's the first of 26 week-long volunteer trips planned for this year.
- WTA Completes Grand Ridge Boardwalk
- After two years of work, WTA has completed a 600-ft boardwalk at Grand Ridge.
- Registration Begins Today for Volunteer Vacations
- Registration for Washington Trails Association's backcountry work parties opens today at 10am. On the agenda for 2012 are 28 adult Volunteer Vacations, 16 Youth Vacations and 39 Backcountry Response Team (BCRT) trips.
- Program that Helps Fund Volunteer Vacations on the Chopping Block
- Dueling federal Surface Transportation Funding bills create uncertainly for the Recreation Trails Program that helps fund Washington Trails Association's Volunteer Vacations, Backcountry Response Teams and Youth trail work.
- Summer Backcountry Trips Unveiled
- Washington Trails Association's 2012 backcountry schedule is revealed. On the agenda for 2012 are 28 adult Volunteer Vacations, 16 Youth Vacations and 39 Backcountry Response Team (BCRT) trips. Sign-ups begin February 6 at 10am sharp.
- Storms Take Toll on Trails
- The past week of snow, ice and wind have taken their toll on a number of trails throughout the state, and particularly in King County where WTA trail crews and hikers have reported many downed trees and debris.
- Looking for the Next Leader of the Trails Program
- Karen Daubert's first week on the job took her to two volunteer appreciation events on opposite sides of the state. She saw first-hand the commitment and love for trails that WTA's volunteers have. Now she is appealing to you to help find the next leader of WTA's trails program.
- WTA Recognizes the Work of Volunteers
- Volunteers crowded into the REI conference room Friday evening to hear stories of how much their hard work has impacted trails this year.
- WTA Celebrates National Public Lands Day
- WTA helped celebrate our national public lands by taking 151 volunteers out on 13 work parties for this year's National Public Lands Day.
- Pete Dewell Nears 1000 Days on the Trail
- Of the 29,565 days (give or take a couple hundred) that he has been living, Pete Dewell has given 1000 of those days to trail work. On October 13th, at age 81, he will become the first WTA crew-leader to hit 1000 days of all-volunteer trail work with WTA.
- Midnight Deadline for Cape Horn Match
- The National Forest Foundation will DOUBLE all gifts made to WTA's Cape Horn Trail project by midnight tonight, September 15. They will match your gift, dollar-for-dollar, up to our $13,000 goal.
- Chance to Give Back to Trails on National Public Lands Day
- Washington Trails Association is fielding a dozen trail work opportunities for hikers on National Public Lands Day. There is something for everyone on the schedule - a Volunteer Vacation, two Backcountry Response Teams, a weekend work party, a family work party, a celebration, and a half-dozen other one-day work parties spread across the state.
- Amgen Foundation Grant Supports Youth Volunteers
- The Amgen Foundation has awarded the WTA youth program a $15,000 grant. Two employees also helped out by delivering ice cream to a group of high school volunteers in August.
- WTA Meets with Rep. Herrera Beutler to Discuss Trail Funding
- WTA and other user groups met last week with Representative Jaime Herrera Buetler (3rd district) to discuss trails funding.
- The Glacier Basin Trail is Finished
- Four hundred volunteers, 151 days of work parties, 17,450 hours of labor - and now a new Glacier Basin trail to transport hikers to Glacier Basin, one of the most popular hiking destinations in Mount Rainier National Park.
- Spotlight on on Mount Baker
- When you volunteer in the Mount Baker District, you'll join a community of fun-loving volunteers who come from Bellingham, Everett, and Seattle. They come for the scenery, sure. They also come for the camaraderie. Some come back again and again to work with WTA's chief Northwest Washington crew leader, Arlen Bogaards. And a few come because they feel a strong connection to the Mount Baker area.
- Guemes Mountain Trail Opens
- WTA started working on the Guemes Mountain trail in fall 2010 and we are excited that this sweet hike to some great views is now open.
