Washington Trails Association Continues to Shine at Mount Rainier

Perhaps one of the best parts of the "make sure volunteer hours are entered" season is the ability to see how great of an impact our partners have had at the Park. 

The Washington Trails Association has been working on the trails at Mount Rainier throughout the last few decades, but on a very consistent basis since the Mount Rainier Recovery Corps work started in 2007.  Today, the WTA will hold weekend projects every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the summer months, going deep into September, as well as a variety of other projects throughout the warmest weather.  This year, the Washington Trails Association held Back Country Response Teams in the park, taking groups of volunteers deep into the backcountry to do some much needed trail work for a week at a time.  Additionally, they were also leading Youth Volunteer Vacations, which allowed high school aged children from across the country to come and experience our beautiful public lands.





 A grand total of 458 people volunteered through the Washington Trails Association this year, with 53 of them being youth under the age of 18.  This brought in 4,859 hours of trail work, done all over the park.  Based on 2015 figures, that equates to a value of $112,097.13!! 
Some areas of focus for this year's crews were the Wonderland Trail heading towards Summerland, the Glacier Basin Trail, the Wonderland Trail reroute along Emerald Ridge, and the Moraine Trail, among many others.

 

 

Although the WTA has packed up for the season at Mount Rainier, they will still be having volunteer opportunities throughout the state all year long!  If you are interested in the Washington Trails Association or continuing to volunteer with them throughout the cooler months, please visit www.wta.org !

Washington Trails Association's Youth Volunteer Vacations

Throughout the month of August, the Washington Trails Association has hosted two Volunteer Vacations for youth from all around the West Coast. 
 


The group, before a game following their lunch break.
 

Through this program, the WTA provides an amazing experience for high school students aged 14-18 including camping and trails projects.  This year, both groups have been based out of the White River Campground and have been primarily focused on the Glacier Basin Trail, with other projects mixed in. 

For some, this was their first time ever stepping foot in Mount Rainier National Park, while for others, they grew up under the gaze of the mountain.  But, for all, they now have a special connection to the park through their hard work and determination while volunteering through the WTA.