Above: A snowshoer on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park
March eNews
In This Issue

  • Bellingham Ruck Schedule
  • Monitoring the Snowpack and Trip Planning
  • Update: Resources for 2018
  • How to Communicate Leave No Trace Principles
  • Trails 50 Photo Contest
  • Limited Edition Trails 50 Shirts

Pasayten Wilderness. Photo by Tyler Yates.

Bellingham Ruck Schedule


Have you heard the news? The Pacific Northwest Trail Association is partnering with ALDHA West, the American Long Distance Hiking Association, to bring you our first-ever Ruck in Bellingham, Washington !

Please join us next Saturday, March 31st, for this fun all-day event.

Each year, ALDHA-West brings together a diverse group of hikers for a series of fun backpacking clinics across the Western States. New for the 2018 schedule, the Ruck in Northwest Washington will provide a rare opportunity to meetup with other backpackers, find hiking partners, swap stories, and hear first-hand accounts of trips along the Pacific Northwest Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and many others.

Experienced backpackers will share insights and different approaches to long-distance hiking through Q&A sessions – focused on specific trails – and in lively community panel discussions on popular subjects, like resupply strategies and backpacking equipment. 

All event proceeds will benefit 501c3 nonprofit organizations that maintain and advocate for trails in Washington and other Western States. Breakfast and lunch are included in the ticket price for this fun, all day event! 

Become a PNTA Member and save $10 on admission.
Snow Travel in Whitefish Divide. Photo by Tyler Yates.
Monitoring the Snowpack and Trip Planning


If you're planing a trip or thru-hike on the PNT later this year, we have a new resource to help. We've made it easier to monitor the snowpack on the PNT and to predict when the summer hiking season might begin. You can also find links to avalanche forecasts along the trail corridor.

Most thru-hikers choose to wait until the trail melts-out to begin their Crown to Coast Adventures. If you are considering an early start, visit pnt.org to learn more about the hazards of snow travel in the spring shoulder season. In addition, the PNT Hikers Forum is also a great place to get feedback from PNT thru-hikers with first-hand experience on the trail.
Executive Director Jeff Kish holds a large stack of PNTA mapsets mailed in 2017.
Update: Resources for 2018


Hiking season on the Pacific Northwest Trail is a few months away, but the excitement is building and trip planning is well under way. Here is an update on the release dates of our resources for the 2018 season.


GUIDEBOOKS

The 2018 Pacific Northwest Trail Digest and Data Book, by Tim Youngbluth, have been released last week. Melanie Simmerman's Town Guide has also been updated for the 2018 season. Learn more about guidebooks on the PNT , here.


HIKING APPS

The official smartphone guide app to the PNT, by Atlas Guides, will be released in April. We will share updates as soon as the new app becomes available for download. You can learn basic information about the Guthook Guide app to the PNT , here.


PNTA MAPS

The PNTA will release our updated 2018 maps in April for digital download. Later, in May, we will coordinate a bulk print run of complete mapsets on water and tear-resistant paper. For PNTA Members, we'll offer this service at the cost of production. It's our way of saying, "thanks" for helping to support projects like these.

Until the updated maps are released in April, the 2017 maps and our resupply planner can be used to work out a rough itinerary and resupply strategy for a trip on the PNT. Please hold off on printing maps until the 2018 versions are released – there will be a few important changes to the route this year, and you'll want the updated data before you hit the trail.


TRAIL ALERTS

If you haven’t signed up already, PNTA shares important updates about trail conditions and wildfire detours on  pnt.org  and through plain text emails. Our emails can be really useful to PNT'ers in the field with limited service. Learn more and sign up for trail alerts , here.


OFFICE HOURS

For the 2018 season, our small staff at the PNTA will adopt a staggered work schedule in order to improve our availability for hiker inquiries. Please feel free to call or email us seven days a week. While field work or other duties may make it impossible for us to answer every time, your hike is important to us and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.


FACEBOOK GROUPS

The "PNT Hikers" and "PNT Class of 2018" Facebook Groups are excellent resources for discussing the Pacific Northwest Trail. Our volunteer moderators and staff are available to offer insights and encouragement based on their first-hand experiences on the trail and passion for protecting it.
How to Communicate Leave No Trace

From time to time, we all encounter people who are not following Leave No Trace Principles or the regulations of land managers. When signs are clearly posted at trail heads, this can be particularly frustrating, but what can we do about it?

Our partners at the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics , made a great video to learn clear and easy ways to start the conversation by invoking the "Authority of the Resource" technique.

Trails 50 Photo Contest


Have an outstanding photo of the Pacific Northwest Trail? Help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act by entering this national photo contest.

Entries must be submitted by August 1st , so if you're planning a trip on the PNT this year, be sure to pack a camera – there's plenty of time left to #findyourtrail and snap a photo that captures the beauty of the PNT and the hard work of the volunteers who help maintain it!

Limited Edition Trails 50 Shirts


Don’t miss this exclusive Trails 50 shirt, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act. The design reflects the hundreds of ways you can discover, connect, and explore on your trails.

These limited edition shirts are only available until April 13th, so order yours, today.


Follow us on social media for trail updates, pictures and fun!
Use the hashtag #crowntocoast and we'll share your PNT pictures. 
You can support the Pacific Northwest Trail Association just by shopping at  REI.com  and  REI-OUTLET.com . All you have to do is click on the REI logo in this email and shop!
Fred Meyer Community Rewards  is "where shopping and giving unite." You can support the Pacific Northwest Trail Association just by shopping at Fred Meyer with your Rewards Card. All you have to do is link your Rewards Card and scan it every time you shop at Fred Meyer.
AmazonSmile  is a simple and automatic way for you to support the Pacific Northwest Trail Association every time you shop, at no cost to you.