The 15th Annual National Public Lands Day brought 82 WTA volunteers out to improve trails on public lands across Washington State this past weekend. The sun was shining as folks spent their Saturday or Sunday clearing brush, building rock walls, and constructing new trail from Spokane to the Olympic Peninsula. Here is a bit of what they accomplished:

Iller Creek Conservation Area in Spokane saw 1,100 feet of relocated trail constructed in one weekend with the help of 19 volunteers.

The PCT near Bridge of the Gods on the Columbia River Gorge saw 400 feet of overgrown trail cleared and improved by five hardworking volunteers.

Glacier Basin Trail re-route at Mount Rainier - 18 volunteers continued to advance the re-route, digging out stumps, removing rock, and constructing rock retaining structures to support the new tread.

A group of Bigs and Littles from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound poured their energy into improvements of the popular Annette Lake Trail near North Bend. They constructed check steps and took down snags.

Fourteen volunteers returned to the South Fork Skokomish Trail on the Olympic Peninsula to finish roughing in a new by-pass trail from Laney Camp to the dispersed camp site near the Upper Skokomish trailhead.

Although a long drive, 18 volunteers found their way to the ">Bare Mountain Trail outside of North Bend and continued on some much-needed improvements. Volunteers installed rock steps, removed large roots, widened drainage ditches, and removed mud from one wet section of trail.

On trails at Heather Meadows near Mount Baker, including the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail and Bagley Lakes Trail, nine volunteers fixed drainage and tread, unplugged culverts and repaired braided trail.

Thanks to everyone who made this day so successful!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But can those thousand words help fix a neglected hiking trail? Or protect a wilderness area? Or inspire a new hiker to venture into the woods?

They sure can. Through Washington Trails Association's annual Northwest Exposure Photo Contest, hikers bring their photographed images of Washington's lush landscapes into clear focus, spotlighting the very things that make them worthy of attention and protection.

Washington's backcountry treasures provide some really stunning imagery. And hiking in Washington provides myriad opportunities for sensational nature photography in every season. We hope that by showcasing gorgeous photos from Washington's wilderness areas that we'll encourage people to want to explore and preserve these natural places. If people appreciate the beauty of Washington, and see it firsthand for themselves, they are more likely to take action to protect its natural treasures.

ABOUT THE CONTEST

Backpacks all over Washington are weighing in a little heavier these days as hikers gear up with camera equipment to take their best shots for the 6th annual Northwest Exposure Photo Contest. Prizes from LowePro will be awarded for first, second and third place in five different categories, and a grand prize winner will appear on the cover of the January/February 2009 issue of Washington Trails magazine. Photographers may submit only one photo in each of four categories:

    * Wilderness Landscapes - Washington's wilderness areas have some of the most scenic and spectacular locations anywhere in the world. Photos must be taken of or from federally designated wilderness areas in Washington.
    * Hikers in Action - This is your chance to showcase hikers doing their thing, from ascending a trail to enjoying the perfect backcountry camp.
    * Flora and Fauna - Share your best photos of native plants or animals found on hiking trails--from pikas to bears, from trilliums to lupine.
    * Offbeat Outdoors  - Send us your crazy, weird, or humorous photos taken on the trails of Washington state.

    * Young Photographers - Photographers 17 years old and younger (on Oct. 17, 2008) share their images taken from hiking trails in Washington state. They may also enter in the other categories.

All entries are due no later than Friday, October 17, 2008. For complete guidelines, submissions and contest rules, visit www.wta.org.

Remember the floods and windstorms of late 2006 that wiped out trails and washed out access roads to national parks and forests throughout the Cascades and Olympics? They were just the latest storm events to ravage Washington's public lands. And they likely won't be the last.

The Carbon River road, the Dosewallips road, the Icicle River road, the Suiattle... Currently, there are major access roads washed out into Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, the Wenatchee National Forest, the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, and more of our public lands. Many of these roads are not slated to be repaired due to the high cost of repairing them and the likelihood they'll just wash out again. What does this mean for hikers, and our future access to the places we love?

Washington Trails Association is co-hosting a panel discussion with several other groups on fierce weather patterns and global climate change, and how these will affect access and enjoyment of our state's national parks and forests. A key issue is how the federal government can best sustain long-term access to these places that make sense from an economic and ecological standpoint.

This panel will be open to the public and will include experts in climate change, outdoor recreation, economics, wildlife, and road and trail construction, among others. Click here for more info and a list of the panelists. Or call (206) 903-1444 x25.

Event Details:
Sept 03, 2008, 6 - 9 pm
University of Washington Kane Hall, Room 110

This event is co-hosted by organizations from the Washington Parks and Forest Coalition, which include the National Parks Conservation Association, Washington Trails Association, the Student Conservation Association, and Washington's National Park Fund. The event is made possible by a grant from Boeing.

Remember when heavy rains washed out major roads and trails in Mount Rainier National Park? It took an unprecedented and heroic effort on the part of many to get the park back in shape for visitors, including a coalition of non-profit groups and more than 1,700 hard-working volunteers last summer.

Mount Rainier's Glacier Basin Trail is in Bad Shape. Photo by Don Geyer.

But all is not repaired. The Glacier Basin Trail sustained extensive damage during the storms of November 2006. A good solution has been laid out - moving the trail away from the river and on to the hillside. The environmental assessment has been prepared for the project and recently completed its public comment period.

Washington Trails Association began work on the trail with a group of high school students participating on one of WTA's weeklong Volunteer Vacations for Youth earlier this month. Nine teens and two crew leaders stayed at the nearby White River campground and worked five consecutive days on the clearing the corridor and beginning the new construction: clearing duff, large rocks, downed wood, bucked trees, and more. The WTA youth crew worked along side other youth groups, including Northwest Youth Corps, Earthcorps, and Student Conservation Association. For those of you who have ever participated in building new trail, you know this is not a quick or easy task!  But the groups made a lot of progress, and although there is still much to be done, the project is finally on its way.

WTA hosts weekend work parties though August to work on this project. The new trail will not be completed this season, as the summer window is already coming to a close. However, the Park Service has made this trail a priority, and will pick up again next summer season wherever the volunteers and trail crews have left off.

Click here to sign up for a trail work party on the Glacier Basin Trail or another backcountry location near you.

What a horrible tragedy.

A 54-year-old hiker, Pamela Almli, was accidentally shot and killed by 14-year-old hunter on the Sauk Mountain Trail last Saturday. Almli, who was on a day hike up the popular trail in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, had bent down to put something into her pack when she was mistaken for a bear by the young shooter. She was shot, fell down a steep slope, and died on the scene. The fatal shooting occurred at about 10:30 a.m. about a quarter of a mile from the Sauk Mountain trailhead. The Skagit County Sheriff's Office and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) are investigating the incident.

It was with great sadness that we learned of Pamela Almli's death on the Sauk Mountain Trail. We at Washington Trails Association send our deepest condolences to Pamela's family and friends, and to her neighbors.

We also share with Washington's hiking community a deep sense of loss over this. For many of us, the woods are a place we go to find peace and tranquility, and a connection to nature that is not easily found elsewhere. Hiking is usually a safe and wonderful experience.

But hiking does come with certain dangers, just like any other activity. Hikers should always take precautions and be prepared to follow their instincts. It's just that being shot by a hunter on a popular hiking trail in August is not high on the list of known backcountry dangers that hikers prepare for.

Sauk Mountain is one of the more popular trails in the area. WTA often recommends this hike as a great family hiking destination. Is it appropriate that hunters should be shooting on or near this trail at all? It's an issue that will take time to resolve.

Below are some tips on staying safe when you're out on the hiking trails during hunting season.

Wear bright clothing. Bright clothes help to make yourself more visible. Choose colors that stand out, like bright blue or green, and avoid blacks, browns, earth-tones and animal-colored clothing.
Make noise. Whistle, sing or carry on a conversation as you walk to alert hunters of your presence. Sound carries well across mountain basins, and hunters should be listening for any sounds of animal movement.
Make yourself known. If you do hear shooting, raise your voice and let hunters you're in the vicinity.
Know when hunting seasons are. You can continue to hike, but keep aware of where hunting is taking place. Grouse and bear hunting season is typically September – December, sometimes earlier (bear and cougar season started August 2 this year). October is the high point of hunting season, including deer and elk. Hunting is not allowed in National Parks.

For more information on hiking safety, please visit www.wta.org.

With gas prices rising and glaciers melting, hikers are finding themselves in a predicament.  A 200-mile round trip car ride for a day hike has suddenly gotten a lot more expensive, not to mention carbon-unfriendly.

What is a thrifty, environmentally-responsible hiker to do?

Carpooling to trailheads is becoming increasingly accessible and popular among northwest hikers. Find a hiking partner or carpool to join at  www.nwhikers.net. Also, a new Bus-Up 90 Shuttle runs weekends from North Bend up to Hyak, just east of Snoqualmie Pass, and makes stops at trailheads along the way. Transit-friendly hike options are limited, but there are a few good ones out there.

Thinking of joining a trail work party?  Washington Trails Association encourages those who register for trail work parties to carpool. That way, trail volunteers can be green, and save some cash as well.

Every time you sign up for a work party, you'll receive an invitation to our automated carpool system, which allows volunteers to coordinate rides with one another. After you register for a trail work party, you'll be prompted to choose one of these options: willing to drive, needs a ride, or willing to drive or ride. Then, in the space provided, give a brief description of your ideal meeting place  (often a local park & ride is a good meeting spot). This information, as well as your e-mail address, will be forwarded to the people who sign up for your trip. You can then contact, or be contacted by, others interested in carpooling.( If you're riding, don't forget to help your driver with the cost of gas!)

This service is pretty effective, a whopping 80 percent, and will give you the chance to meet your fellow volunteers ahead of time – and maybe even have sing-alongs on the way to the trail! If you have other questions, click here for more info.

Happy hiking!

Hiking is an escape from civilization, a chance to relax and break free from the pressures from our crazy everyday world. 

Nothing ruins that experience like returning to the trailhead to find your car broken into.

Car break-ins at trailheads are relatively rare, but they do happen, and they tend to cycle from area to area.

On www.wta.org, we've been receiving recent trip reports of frequent car break-ins off the Mountain Loop Highway at trailheads to hikes such as Lake 22 and Mount Dickerman. Elsewhere, a perennial problem area is the Rachel Lake trailhead in the Cle Elum Ranger District and several trailheads along the Olympic Coast, including the popular Enchanted Valley trailhead in the Quinault Ranger District.

How can you avoid the disappointment and hassle of a broken window and stolen stuff after a hike?

The number one rule is: Don't leave anything valuable in your car. That means wallets, cell phones, cameras, iPods, and other electronic equipment.

Rule number two is: the glove compartment and trunk aren't safe. A thief can and will break a window and pop open your trunk from inside the car (well, most cars. You actually can't open the trunk from the cab of a trusty 1985 volvo sedan.... but I digress.) To help demonstrate to thieves that your car doesn't have any valuables in it, empty your glove box and leave it wide open. If you have a station wagon, you may leave the trunk area cover open so that thieves can see there is nothing in there of value.Some hikers go so far as to leave their cars unlocked to demonstrate there's nothing worth taking and to prevent an exploratory window break.

Remember, trailhead thieves aren't looking to steal cars; they're looking for credit cards and electronic equipment they can quickly sell for cash. If you do experience a break-in, be sure to report it to the nearest ranger station. This helps rangers determine where the problem areas are and better patrol the area.

If you absolutely must bring your iPod and stuff with you, but don't want to carry it on your hike, put it in a ziplock and stash it somewhere off the trail. Just remember where you stashed it!

You've been to TrailsFest.

You've hiked the Ledges Trail. You've communed with the packgoats. You've climbed that rock wall and you're quite sure you've tried every kayak model there is.

Been there, done that.

Come on back for another TrailsFest! And you'll be so glad you did. Of course we've got all your favorite things to do, and we've also got lots of new activities, presenters and exhibitors at TrailsFest 2008.

Here's a sampling of what's new at TrailsFest this year:

•  Hiking in Cougar Country, an informative talk presented by REI Seattle. 10am at the Education Center.
• Native Plants of the Cascades, put on by Evergreen Escapes, 10am at the Hilleberg Outdoor Classroom.
• Common Birds of the Cascade Foothills, by Seattle Audubon. Bird walk leaves the Green Trails Maps Corral at noon.
  
• The Mystery of Saquatch, 1pm at the Education Center
• Hiking with Dogs, by guidebook authors Lisa Wogan and Craig Romano, 2pm at the Hilleberg Outdoor Classroom.
  
• Ask the Master Hiker, hosted by Washington Trails Association, all day at the Education Center.
  
• Live, Rescued Raptors, at the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center booth.
  
• Kid's DIY National Park Journal, at the National Parks Conservation Association booth.

 Plus, we'd like to extend a warm welcome to several new exhibitors at TrailsFest this year. Just a few of these new exhibitors you'll want to visit include Northwest Women Flyfishers, Women Climbers Northwest, Issaquah Alps Trails Club, Sierra Designs, Zamberlan Boots, and the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project.

We'll see you for another great TrailsFest this Saturday!

As you may have heard or noticed yourself, there's still quite a bit of snow in the mountains. But that doesn't mean there are no trails available for hiking. 

We've been having a ball reading the WTA trip reports from hikers the past week and seeing where people are finding snow-free trails, and where folks are encountering deep, hard-packed snow on trails usually snow-free by now. It's quite an unusual year in the backcountry!

One danger in these conditions is trying to find your way on trails under snow. It's easy to lose your way, so unless you're adept with off-trail travel with map & compass, it's usually a good idea to turn back at snow line.

Conditions vary across the state, but snow levels are high most everywhere, particularly west of the crest. Even places like Rachel Lake east of the crest still have tons of snow, and you'll find deep creek crossings and  postholing through snow-covered trails  (which can be extremely tiring).

Our latest reports from popular hikes such as Granite Mountain and Melakwa Lakes indicate that snow is still abundant. Better to try hikes that have melted out, such as Bandera off I-90, Mount Townsend (in the Olympics) or east to the Teanaway where places like Iron Peak and Navaho Pass are good right now. Esmerelda Basin, also in the Teanaway, still  has snow patches, but the lower stretches are melting quickly and wildflowers are emerging. River valleys such as Thunder Creek in the North Cascades and Ingalls Creek near Mount Stuart are good backpacking bets.

There's still a lot of snow in Mount Rainier National Park. One little-known trail which starts in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and then enters the northeast corner of the park is Huckleberry Creek. It's snow-free and goes through some amazing old growth. WTA trail crews have been working here recently.

Be careful out there. Popular hikes such as Mount Pilchuck and Mount Dickerman are still too snow-covered for anyone but experienced and well-equiped climbers. Whenever you head out, be sure to pack the ten essentials and some common sense. Oh, and don't forget the bug repellent--with all that snow melting , the mosquitoes are out in force. Still, there's some great early summer hiking out there. As always, call ahead to ranger stations and check WTA trip reports for current conditions. If you've just completed a hike, post a report--your fellow hikers will appreciate it. Enjoy!

In Washington's deep and gloomy woods (and also in its arid, rolling hills), you'll find an abundance of falling water, from subtle cascading streams to thundering falls that shake the stones to their foundations. In fact, our mountains--the Cascades--are named for the multitudes of falling waters you'll find here.