Tipsoo Bridge Crew

The MRNPA crew have good cause to be smiling. They just finished up installing a new puncheon bridge on the Lake Tipsoo loop trail! The MRNPA holds numerous work parties to keep the trails in shape in Mount Rainier National Park. If you'd like more information, contact John Titland at volunteer(at)mrnpa.org.

MRNPA Work Party and Potluck

 Editor's note: Please be aware that the MRNPA potluck is for MRNPA volunteers only!

From John Titland:

The August Mount Rainier National Park Associates trails work party will be on Saturday, August 13th. Following every August work party MRNPA volunteers are invited to assemble in a nearby campground for some relaxed time together, a potluck dinner, and an evening spent sitting around the campfire.

The August trails work party will be somewhere in the Ohana/Paradise area. I don't know the project or the location yet. After work party we will reassemble in the campground at Longmire (not the Cougar Rock campground). The Longmire VIP campground is not open to the public; only to park volunteers. Thus it is quiet and without the constant activity of a public campground. There is even a restroom with showers and hot water so you clean up after the work party. Dinner usually takes place about 6 PM. The potluck dinner selections are always great. People contribute whatever they want. No attempt is made to organize the menu. Not yet has everyone brought only desserts, but we can still hope. After dinner, it gets pretty mellow.

This August event always turns out to be a great day. Spend part of the day volunteering and then join other MRNPA volunteers in the "after work party" gathering. This is the only event each year where we take off the blue helmets and the work gloves, and really get a chance to meet and talk with our fellow volunteers. If you have other commitments and can't stay for the whole evening, then stay as long as you can. It's up to you. But if you don't need to leave, consider camping overnight. The group campsite at the Longmire VIP campground is reserved for MRNPA volunteers for both Friday night (dinner is up to you) and Saturday night. So bring your tent and sleeping bag and spend the weekend. On Sunday morning people tend to go in many different directions, but we are usually able to organize a short group hike somewhere close by. Everyone is invited to come along.

If you plan to attend this August 13th trails work party, please reply to volunteer(at)mrnpa.org indicating that you are coming and give me the number of volunteers you expect to accompany you. I need an estimate of the number of volunteers so that Park staff can be sure to have enough tools for us all. If you plan to camp, I also need to know if you will be there for one night (Friday or Saturday) or both nights.

MRNPA: Two Work Parties In July

From John Titland:

The next Mount Rainier National Park Associates volunteer work party will be Saturday, July 16th.  This will be the annual Mount Rainier National Park Associates Exotic Plant Removal work party, which we refer to as the "deveg".  We will be working at the site of the new Carbon River Ranger Station, and the Marsh Property, both located a few miles west of the Carbon River Entrance of the park on the Carbon River Road.  The ranger station occupies a building that was formerly identified as the Carbon River Ranch.  The area is still referred to as the Thompson property.  The property extends all the way from the road down to the Carbon River.

To participate in the Exotic Plant Removal work party there is no need to know about native plants.  The NPS crew members we will work with will teach you which plants to remove, and they will be able to identify for you all the native plants in the area.  There will be no heavy tools (like shovels and pulaskis) to carry and use.  Safety helmets are not required.

Things you should bring are work gloves, a small digging tool like a hand trowel, or your favorite weed removing tool, your lunch, plenty of fluids to drink, and a full set of rain gear.  A warm jacket would be good to include. 

We will meet between 8:30 and 9:00 AM in front of the ranger station.  Be ready to go to work by about 9:00 AM and expect to finish about 3:00 PM. If  you plan to attend this work party, please reply to this email indicating that you are coming and give me the number of volunteers you expect to accompany you.  I need an estimate of the number of volunteers who will attend.

A second MRNPA volunteer work party in July

In the advanced stages of planning is a potential MRNPA volunteer trails work party on Saturday, July 30th at Lake Tipsoo at Chinook Pass.  The project would be to remove and replace one of the foot bridges on the path around the lake.  Howard Selmer, the seasonal ranger at Lake Tipsoo, tells me that it would be a good day to wear rubber boots or an old pair if tennis shoes because wading in the water will likely be involved.  Sounds like a fun project!   And the work site is only a few paces from the parking lot .  But that has a down side too.  Saturdays in July can be  pandemonium at Lake Tipsoo.  We may need as many volunteers to assist Howard in crowd control as we need volunteers to work on the bridge.

Part of the uncertainty of this project is - on such short notice can we assemble a big enough MRNPA crew to do the whole job in one day?

 If you are interested in participating in this project and really do think you can attend on July 30th, please reply to this email to tell me you can come and if you can bring additional volunteers with you.  This really is a case where I need to know now how many MRNPA volunteers will be coming.

May 2016 Volunteer Newsletter

With the first Volunteer Newsletter of 2016 comes a new format!  Any feedback on the new design should be sent to Ian at his email.  Enjoy!

Each panel is an image, so click a page to enlarge it.

 

 

 

This Thanksgiving, We are Thankful for YOU.

This Thanksgiving, we want to thank you. Yes, you, the Mount Rainier VIP. Without you, who knows what the park would even be like today. From maintaining the trails, to removing invasive species, to replanting our meadows, to educating visitors, to search and rescue operations, to assisting in the park collections, to answering countless questions in the Visitor's Centers, to collecting vital information from citizen science surveys, to seemingly infinite other responsibilities, the volunteers are really what makes Mount Rainier such a special place for nearly 2,000,000 visitors each and every year. We really cannot say it enough. Thank you, Mount Rainier volunteers!

 

 

Click to Enlarge

Mount Rainier National Park Associates: Jacks and Jills of All Trades

The volunteers at Mount Rainier National Park Associates have many talents: trail work in any and all weather conditions, invasive species removal (or conquering alien invaders), revegetation of once destroyed meadows, and advocating for Mount Rainier National Park.  MRNPA has been a longtime partner of Mount Rainier, and over the years have played a crucial role in preservation of the beautiful resources that we all share in the park.  This year, MRNPA has volunteered 468 hours doing trails projects, 84 hours participating in the annual "deveg" day, removing exotic species, and 170 hours replanting native species in the former Sunrise Camp.  This totals to 720 hours of volunteering, equating to a value of $16,610.40!!

A huge thank you is in order to the Mount Rainier National Park Associates for all of their hard work and their longstanding dedication to the park over the past 30 years! 

 

Interested in learning more about MRNPA?  Seeing some of the projects they have participated in over the years?  Learning how to sign up for the next projects?  Visit www.mrnpa.org today!

June 13 Trails Project Update

We would like to remind volunteers who wish to participate in the MRNPA's trail work parties that there are certain safety requirements and dictates which must be followed. Per John Titland:

*******

For the Mount Rainier National Park Associates trails work party on Saturday, June 13th, we will be working on the section of the Wonderland Trail in Stevens Canyon, repairing trail damage that happened during the winter.  We will meet at the east end of the parking lot at Reflection Lakes at between 8:30 and 9:00 AM.  Be ready to move out at a 9:00 AM.  We will be moving all our cars down the hill to either the point where the Wonderland Trail crosses the Stevens Canyon Road or further down to the Box Canyon picnic area parking lot.  No decision on that yet.

Be prepared for a hike to the work site.  And to be clear, from wherever we work - it will be an uphill climb to get back to the cars.

As always, bring your lunch and plenty of fluids to drink, work gloves and safety glasses, and a full set of rain gear.

If you plan to attend this June 13th trails work party, please reply to volunteer (at) mrnpa.org indicating that you are coming and give me the number of volunteers you expect to accompany you.  I need an estimate of the number of volunteers so that Park staff can be sure to have enough tools for us all.

There are safety equipment requirements for all MRNPA trail work volunteers. (These rules apply to all trail workers.)  Anyone using an aggressive tool - like a Pulaski, ax, shovel, etc. - or anyone working near them -  is required to wear a hard hat and safety glasses.  People working with or near a less aggressive tools are not required (but will be encouraged) to wear a hard hat.  If you own a hard hat that you can wear, please bring it.  If you do not have a hard hat, MRNPA and the NPS have hard hats that we loan for the day.

Wearing safety glasses is encouraged at all times. Not all safety glasses are comfortable for everyone and some will not fit over eye glasses.  Because of cleanliness issues, some people don't like wearing safety glasses that have been worn by other people.  For these reasons, and probably many others, please purchase (acquire, find, dig-up, whatever) a pair of personal safety glasses that you will wear.  The local hardware store is a good place to start shopping.  A serviceable pair or safety glasses will cost about $10.  And be advised that shatterproof eye glasses do not meet the requirement for safety glasses.  Safety glasses all have side protection which eyeglasses do not.

WTA Pyramid Creek Project

 

Five determined volunteers with the help of WTA Crew Leader Jen Gradisher and MORA Trail Crew Leader Dan Font were willing to brave the rain and accomplished a substantial amount of work grading and brushing the Wonderland Trail where it leads into Pyramid Creek on June 21. If you missed this event, more opportunities are available. The WTA will be working in the Park Fridays through Sundays in various locations throughout the summer season. Those who are interested should sign up through the Washington Trails Association website at http://www.wta.org/.

Photos: NPS/Joshua Jones 

A Special Meet-and-Greet Opportunity

Trails is hosting three groups of high-school aged SCA youth this summer; they will each be here for a 15-day period. Each group has 2 adult leaders and a different set of 8 youth from JBLM and the surrounding areas. Trails will be putting them to work, but also want to provide them a broad experience, introduce them to the many disciplines within the Park, and increase their interest and connection to this awesome place. Many people are unfamiliar with the dynamics of the Park and the inter-workings of how we function as a city, so the plan is to have at least one person from each work group make contact.

WHAT YOU DO:

Simple---Stop by and introduce yourself

WHAT YOU RECEIVE:

Admiration of youth

Warm fuzzies from the positive impact on our youth

Pride in promoting the Park and your contribution to its success

YOUR TIME COMMITMENT:

One to five minutes

YOUR TIMEFRAME:

July 1st - 13th (not July 4 or 9). Longmire

July 22nd - August 2nd. Ohanapecosh

August 12th - 24th. Longmire

(They may be inaccessible many of these days)

LOCATION:

Available in the field until 4:30

Available at their campground after 4:30

***THE PROCESS / NEXT STEP:

Contact Melody Abel at melody_abel@nps.gov to set up a date/time/location

Or, if you see them, feel free to take the opportunity to say hello

MRNPA - The Mine Trail, Part Two

The June 15th MRNPA trails work party hopes to finish up the project begun on May 18 repairing the Mine Trail at Carbon River, and would appreciate your help.

The Mine Trail trail begins approximately 1.25 miles from the entrance on the Carbon River Hike and Bike Trail. It is a .26 mile trail leading to an old mine once owned by Washington Mining and Milling Co. These days the mine is closed off, but the history remains. Trail work will include maintenance and widening and smoothing the trail tread.

MRNPA volunteers will meet at the Carbon River Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park at about 8:30 AM.  Be ready to move out by 9:00. Park inside the gate, and please don't block the parking spaces available to the public. Bring your lunch and plenty of fluids to drink, work gloves and safety glasses and a full set of rain gear. A few vehicles will be used to shuttle people up the road.

Anyone using an aggressive tool (Pulaski, ax, shovel, etc.) or working near someone who is using them is required to wear a hard hat and safety glasses. Safety glasses and hard hat are strongly recommended but not required for people working with less aggressive tools.

If you can attend and have not yet contacted John Titland, please drop him a note at volunteer@mrnpa.org to indicate that you are coming and tell him how many volunteers you are bringing with you.

National Public Lands Day, THIS Saturday!

This Saturday, September 29th, Mount Rainier is one of over 2,000 sites for National Public Lands Day volunteer festivities!

Eight federal agencies as well as nonprofit organizations and state, regional and local governments participate in the annual day of caring for public lands. National Public Lands Day is important because…

• NPLD educates Americans about the environment and natural resources, and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands;

• NPLD builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands; and

• NPLD improves public lands for outdoor recreation, with volunteers assisting land managers in hands-on work.

 This year we will be meeting at the White River Campground, Saturday morning between 8:30 and 9:00 am. We will meet at the evening program camp fire circle. There you will be able to sign up for a project to in the Sunrise area. We ask that you please park in the climbing and backpacking parking lot or just before the campground ranger station. Please avoid parking in empty campsites.

This year we will have trails projects with our park's trail crew and revegetation projects with the park's restoration crew.

Washington Trails Association will also have a work party in the Sunrise area. They will be meeting at the Sunrise Visitors Center at 8:30 am, separate from the White River Campground meet up at 9:00 am, as this is a regular work party event for them. You may show up Saturday morning at Sunrise for the WTA event, but they request that you sign up on their website (www.wta.org) for the specific work party ahead of time. This way they know how many volunteers to expect.

 Because you will be using your free admission to the park to volunteer, you will receive a National Public Lands Day voucher for free admission, on a day of your choosing, at Mount Rainier National Park!

We hope you can make it out to help our mountain and celebrate public lands!

MRNPA Location Change for June 11th Work Party

The monthly MRNPA trail work party will be happening Saturday, June 11th. This time they will be working on the Twin Firs Trail, near Longmire, rather than the trails on the east side that were in the original plan.

The group will meet at the Longmire parking lot, near the museum, between 8:30 and 9:00 and will carpool to the site. The work begins right at the road, so there will be no need to hike to the site.

For more information or to RSVP please visit http://mrnpa.org/workprojectdetails.php.

Alpine Gardeners and Trail Work Volunteers

The annual Mount Rainier National Park Associates alpine gardening work party will be Saturday, September 11th. That is the Saturday following the Labor Day weekend. We will again be planting wildflower seedlings at Sunrise on the project to convert a historic campground area back into alpine meadows.

On the morning of September 11th, we will meet in the Sunrise parking lot between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. Jane and I will be parked on the far left (south) side of the parking lot as you arrive at Sunrise. When you arrive, please check in with us. We need to get the names of all our volunteers. There may be volunteers from other organizations milling about, so look for us at the green-gray Subaru Outback Wagon surrounded by people who look like they know what is going on,

Be prepared for almost any fall weather. Bring both your sun hat and sunscreen, your rain gear, plus a lunch, plenty of water to drink, gardening gloves, and a digging tool you like using. If you have no gardening tools, the park can provide small hand tools. You will be working on your hands and knees doing the planting, so if you like to use a pad for your knees, bring it along too. The work site is about a mile from the parking lot so plan on carrying everything you want to bring. We normally work until at least 3 PM.

There is no charge for volunteers to enter the Park. When you enter at the White River Entrance, tell the attendant that you will be doing volunteer work on the meadow restoration project at Sunrise. If you would like to camp at the White River Campground the evening prior to or the evening of the work party (or both evenings) contact Evan Escamilla at evan_escamilla@partner.nps.gov . He can make the arrangements so that you can camp for free.

If you plan to join MRNPA on Saturday, Sept 11th, for this alpine gardening work party, please reply to John Titland at volunteer@mount-rainier.org confirming that you are coming and indicating the number of volunteers that you will bringing with you.

If you would like to assist in doing planting at Mount Rainier but September 11th is not the right day, or you would prefer to volunteer at Paradise, please consult the Mount Rainier website, http://www.nps.gov/mora/home.htm. Wildflower planting will be going on at both Sunrise and Paradise for several days.

WTA Volunteers forge ahead at Glacier Basin

"Although much of the Glacier Basin Trail reroute at Mount Rainier National Park has been completed, it won’t be until next season that the work is finally done."

Thus begins a nice article in the News Tribune yesterday, which properly attributes much of the work that has been done on this major flood recovery project to volunteers who have worked in partnership with the National Park Service and the Washington Trails Association.

WTA's efforts have been a major asset at Mount Rainier over the past three years, especially on the Glacier Basin project. Our records show 496 WTA volunteers in the park this summer, who contributed 5,292 hours of service, not counting travel time. Both of those are record numbers: even in 2007, the year following our big flood, WTA's work totalled a mere 4,971 hours; and last year, the previous record year for volunteer participation, only 336 volunteers participated.

We're still compiling the final numbers for our program this year, but there's no question that WTA will be responsible for a large percentage of our total volunteer hours, and an even larger percentage of our total numbers.

WTA's efforts are made possible, of course, by hundreds of individual volunteers; but they are also supported by major grants from Boeing Corporation, which has committed $60,000 to WTA in 2010. Their support is also invaluable! (Individual donations are also welcome.)

We look forward to continuing these productive partnerships at least through 2010, so keep an eye on the WTA website next spring to find more opportunities to participate. There are few things more rewarding that building a trail that will be used for generations to come!

Season-in-Review: WTA Crew Forge New Trail

Kevin passed this article along to me, and o-man, is it deserved. The Washington Trails Association has had work parties in the park (this is a rough estimate) nearly every week for the past four months. Often time it has been the same dedicated individuals coming back time and time again to work. We're talking about super volunteers here. So read on friends, and be amazed at how much work was done.

WTA Crews Forge New Trail for Climbers and Families at Mount Rainier

As the summer hiking season has come to a close, so too have some of our summer season's trail projects. In September, WTA trail crews wrapped up a summer of hard work on our single biggest project of the year, the Glacier Basin Trail reroute at Mount Rainier National Park.

Is the project completed? Not quite. About 5,000 feet of new trail has been constructed, a stretch that lies directly uphill from the stretch of trail that was heavily damaged in the now historic flooding of late 2006. Since the project began in 2008, WTA has hosted more than 68 work parties with over 186 individual volunteers contributing more than 7,000 hours of manual labor. These volunteers experience all that goes in to building new trail: clearing the corridor of blowdown and duff (organic material), removing stumps and rocks, constructing structures such as rock walls and fords - ultimately creating a solid and sustainable tread. WTA's involvement in the Glacier Basin reroute was made possible in part by a generous grant from The Boeing Company and financial contributions from hikers like you.

Hikers have not been introduced to this new route yet; the ends were intentionally left unfinished, and will be knitted together with the existing trail early next season. You are still welcome to visit the Glacier Basin Trail, however-- a temporary path has been sketched out near the riverbed in the floodplain (see this August 13 trip report for details.)

According to Carl Fabiani, Mount Rainier National Park's trail programs coordinator, a full season of work lies ahead before we can call this project done. "This fall, we have a lot of rock to remove." Blasting operations began the week after Labor Day. "Next year, another 2,000 feet of new trail will be built." In all, the Glacier Basin reroute involves a mile and a half of new trail construction.

You can also help by making a financial contribution to WTA. Give now to support the Glacier Basin reroute and dozens of other trail projects this fall.

Truly magnificent. 7,000 hour and 5,000 feet is no small feat (pun intended). Seriously though, a round of applause for the WTA.

At Mount Rainier National Park, it's groups like the WTA who form a solid backbone for our volunteer program. Groups that come back year after year, whose ability to work independently and proven track record mean that they get the job done quickly and efficiently, these are the groups we rely on most of all. Working with the WTA, Carl can rest assured that a major project will be handled, letting his crew fix everything else in the park. If we didn't have the WTA to work with, I question whether projects could be done in the time they're done now. So lets be thankful we have organization like the WTA to work with.

And if you're ever interested, I encourage you to join the WTA on a work party or two. See what you think, and more likely than not you'll be hooked.

I'll meet you on the trail,

Nick

Final tally: 223 volunteers on National Public Lands Day!

The numbers just keep pouring in! I finally have a complete tally of every event happening in the park on National Public Lands Day:

Longmire
16 - Longmire Campground Restoration

Paradise
8 - Bench Lake Trail
10 - Fourth Crossing Trail
151 - Paradise Planting

Glacier Basin
19 - Washington Trails Association
13 - Boy Scouts "Order of the Arrow"
6 - Other Boy Scouts

Grand total: 223 volunteers!! So far as I know, that's our biggest volunteer day ever. (Feel free to correct me if you know of anything bigger!)

Meanwhile, we've had MEAD Alternative High School [corrected] from Spokane, and Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School from Salem, Oregon, here planting this week, in spite of the cool, damp weather; and REI is coming in tomorrow. Saturday is another open planting day, so come on up and let's keep the momentum going!

Here's the report from Peter Dewell, WTA's volunteer crew leader at Glacier Basin:

"Well, we had some great National Park Rangers and crew to assist WTA in doing our work today. The loyal volunteers were Angela, Judy, Emma, Carol, Jim, Ed, Sue, Carl, Mike, Pete S, Elaine, Eric, Jim, Jane, Carla and Adam, along with great crew leaders, Micki, Lynn and Louise. Heck, with all this help and the National Park folks, who could lose. Well, we did not lose. First, there was the great work of removing stumps and roots just above a large rise in the trail - using rigging and muscle power, where Louise was involved. This area will need lots of work, but the hard work has been done. Next, a new switchback, with rock replacing duff and organic soil and proper insloping and outsloping, with protection of the turn - no trail cutters allowed here, with Lynn involved. Next up the trail was trail finishing and an upslope rock wall to hold the hill from slipping on the trail, with Micki involved. Finally, there were two rock projects uphill, with many rocks raising the trail to grade, in several places, plus a small rock retainer - to avoid (hopefully winter/spring runoff) and then a 20 foot long rock rock wall to support the new trail, just short of the current end, with lots of rock and mineral soil fill. These volunteers did great work and the National Park personnel provided great support and muscle power as well. Great job, well done. Thanks for coming out, and come out again, Pete Dewell."

Mount Rainier National Park Associates plans final projects of 2009

On Saturday, September 12th MRNPA will conduct our last trails work party for this year. We will again be working on the reroute section of the Glacier Basin Trail. The building of this new section of trail still a priority. The work that has been done looks great. But, there is still plenty to be done and this new section of the trail probably will not be completed until the summer of 2011.

We will meet at the White River Campground parking lot at 8:30 AM on Saturday morning, and be ready to move out at 9:00 AM.

Bring work gloves, safety glasses, full rain gear (you never know if you will need it), your lunch, and plenty of fluids to drink. Also bring a hard hat if you have one.

On Saturday, September 26th MRNPA will be assisting Will Arneson and his Restoration Crew in planting of alpine meadow plants at the site where the old Jackson Visitors Center once stood at Paradise. Will Arneson and his crews will be working at this site on September 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th, and August 3rd and 4th. They would appreciate volunteers coming to assist them on any of these days, but MRNPA will be conducting our scheduled work party only on September 26th. [Editor's note: this is also National Public Lands Day.]

On Saturday, September 26th , the MRNPA volunteers will meet in the Paradise upper parking lot, near the new Jackson Visitors Center, at between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. We will work until at least 3:00 PM. Please find Rose or Allan Evans and sign in. The NPS needs to know the names and hours worked of all volunteers who participate - so please sign out with Allan or Rose when you leave too.

Bring your lunch, plenty of fluids to drink, and your favorite gardening gloves. Heavy leather work gloves are too clumsy. The thin gloves with rubber palms and fingers work great. We will be planting seedlings that are at times tiny, so clumsy gloves are not good.

Also consider bringing your favorite garden trowel or small digging tool and a knee pad. You will be on your hands and knees all day, so protecting your knees and keeping them dry really helps you enjoy the day. The NPS does have trowels you can use if you don't bring your own.

And of course, bring your sun hat, sun screen lotion, and a full set of rain gear. The weather at Paradise in September can be anything from a glorious autumn day to a cold and wet preliminary to winter.

Volunteers are welcome to camp in the Longmire Campground for free either the night before or the night after their volunteer service, or both. Please contact Kevin_Bacher@nps.gov, or Nick at Nicholas_Abel@partner.nps.gov, or call them at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385, if you'd like to reserve a site. Sites will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis, but you'll get the best selection if you call ahead.

If you plan on attending either the Saturday, September 12th, MRNPA trails work party at White River or the Saturday, September 26th planting work party at Paradise please write to the Mount Rainier National Park Associates at volunteer@mount-rainier.org indicating that you are coming and the number of volunteers you are bringing with you.

John Titland
Volunteer Coordinator
Mount Rainier National Park Associates

Making a Difference on National Trails Day

For another perspective on the Washington Trails Association's participation in National Trails Day, including another great photo of volunteers at Mount Rainier, check out the Signpost blog on the WTA website.

Glacier Basin Adventures with the WTA

Bonjour everyone,

I hope you had a great weekend, and managed to get outside on Saturday aka National Trails Day. I know I made the most of it. That morning I made my way up and over to the east side of the mountain, where I joined (it was lunch by this time) the Washington Trails Associations in their rerouting of the Glacier Basin trail.

Actually, I just got in their way and made a general racket. I could never keep up with these guys and gals, they really get the job done. But while I'm not so handy with the tools, put me behind a camera and I can do a decent job, and work crews look good in the spotlight. I got some good pictures, so enjoy the slide show at the end of the post.

The WTA had a great showing, with more than two dozen people coming out. For those of you who have never heard of the Washington Trails Association, they're one of the driving public forces behind trail protection and maintenance in this state. They started in 1966 as a newsletter for hikers, and while their main focus is still informing people about trails, they are now a top volunteer organization that helps to keep the trail you use in the condition to be used. You can find out more at http://www.wta.org/.

They will continue to be working on the Glacier Basin Trail throughout the summer, so if you missed this event, be sure to check the blog calendar for the rest. You can also check the WTA website for events in other National Parks, National Forests, and throughout the state. So if you're a hiker, do yourself a favor and check them out.

Au Revoir,

Nick

Volunteers for work parties needed for National Trails Day | The News Tribune

Volunteers for work parties needed for National Trails Day | The News Tribune

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