Image: PNTA crew members and volunteers hike to a worksite in the eastern Pasayten Wilderness. In July, this hard-working crew spent a week camping out in the backcountry while taming the trail between Goodenough Park and Horseshoe Basin. Ancestral homelands of the Nłeʔkepmx Tmíxʷ (Nlaka’pamux) and Syilx (Okanagan) people.
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In This Issue
• An Unprecedented Fire Season
• Restoring the Bogachiel Trail
• Kula for a Cause
• Volunteer Spotlight
• Updated Signage in Deception Pass SP
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Image: NPS Photo of smoke from Cedar Creek Fire from Goode Ridge, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area on 7/25/21 |
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An Unprecedented Fire Season
It’s been a tough wildfire season this year and it’s only August.
While it is normal for closures to go into effect when wildfires threaten the trail, it is much less common for closures to be put in place over the risk of fire alone. Washington DNR’s decision to close all state lands to public access in Eastern Washington speaks to the EXTREME fire risk there and across the trail corridor. Campfires are currently banned trail-wide, and most of the PNT is under heavy Stage 2 Fire Restrictions.
Wildfire season and all that comes with it — vigilantly checking for trail closures, analyzing forecasts and fire maps, and making last-minute changes to long-standing plans — may be a normal part of life in the Northwest, but that doesn’t mean it gets any easier to cope with.
Each year, fire transforms the landscapes we love and our lives too. Needless to say, these are very challenging times for everyone, including our friends and partners who work, live and play on the Pacific Northwest Trail. We feel a great sense of empathy and concern for everyone who has been affected by wildfire this year. Especially our trailside communities suffering from smoke, uncertainty and loss in the Yaak, Northport, Republic, Oroville, the Methow Valley, and the Colville Reservation.
Yet even under dark hazy skies we’ve drawn inspiration from the resilience and cooperation shown by these folks. We would like to thank our agency partners and firefighters who have done an amazing job suppressing wildfires and protecting us this year, and the good samaritans that have come to their aid of the most vulnerable members of our community — including residents and travelers dislocated by fire and smoke.
Our trail community has many miles left to go until conditions on the PNT improve again. Until then, please be safe, and do your part to protect the trail from fire during this extremely dry and unprecedented season.
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Image: Mountains-to-Sea is an original design created by Washington-based designer, and former PNTA crew leader, Kelsey Leppek
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Kula for a Cause
PNTA is proud to partner with Kula Cloth to support their mission to encourage Leave No Trace practices by normalizing conversations around hygiene through the use of an intentionally designed pee cloth.
Yes, that’s right, the Pacific Northwest Trail will be the first national scenic trail to be featured on a Kula Cloth!
The Kula Cloth® is a first of its kind – an intentionally (and obsessively) designed reusable antimicrobial pee cloth! This product is a great way to stay comfortable, maintain good hygiene, and have a positive impact on the environment at the same time! And every sale benefits the PNTA through the Kula for a Cause program.
PNTA is also thrilled to work with Washington-based designer, and former PNTA crew leader, Kelsey Leppek to create the Mountains-to-Sea design. While most people take a lifetime to see all the PNT has to offer, Leppek's design envisions a fantastic world where it’s possible to take in all of the breathtaking diversity found on the PNT from a single epic vista.
“As adventurers, it is our responsibility to protect and preserve our natural spaces. Many people carry toilet paper into the wilderness and scatter it — believing that it will simply disappear. By using a Kula Cloth®, you are reducing the amount of toilet paper that you have to carry into the wilderness!”
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Image: Our Olympic Trail Crew, Mari, Oz, Alina, Andres, Alec and William will spend their entire summer woking to restore the Bogachiel River Trail |
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Restoring the Bogachiel Trail
The Bogachiel River Trail segment of the PNT, or “Bogi,” as it’s also known, has earned a rough reputation in recent years. This 24-mile stretch of the PNT passes through the lush and wild rainforests on the west side of Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest.
As one hiker put it last year, “it’s like Dagobah in there.” Like the lush uninhabited planet where Luke Skywalker trained to become a Jedi, ultra rugged trail conditions in the rainforest have made the Bogi a little like a lost planet. After a series of major washouts along the Bogachiel River and some administrative red tape, annual logout, brushing and general maintenance have been long delayed along parts of the Bogi, making it challenging for hikers to traverse, and leaving it nearly impassable to equestrians.
This season, we’re determined to restore this special trail segment, and we’ve already made some great progress! Starting at the Bogachiel Camp, our Olympic Trail Crew has steadily improved the trail to the east covering a service area between the park boundary and Hyak Camp — and their season isn’t over yet. PNTA crews have already cleared 45 logs, pruned back three miles of thick brush, built some stone retaining structures, and practiced stewardship skills while servicing tread, drains, stock crossings, puncheon and turnpike along the way.
Even without deferred maintenance, trails in temperate rainforests can be particularly challenging to maintain. For this project, we can use your help! We’re recruiting drop-in volunteers to help boost our crew’s capacity.
Drop-in volunteer trail work parties are usually time-flexible for volunteers who can arrange to join our crews for the day, or for a multi-day adventure. Just one day of service at a volunteer trail work party can help us reach our goal of restoring this special part of the PNT to National Scenic Trail standards.
Thanks to some amazing volunteers, we’ve gotten a lot done on the trail! Miranda Taylor joined us for a drop-in work party in July, and spent three days helping our crew restore the trail to equestrian standards. We’d also like to thank volunteer packers, Larry and Sherry Baysinger who led pack strings laden with our crew’s tools and supplies to their backcountry spike camps miles from the trailhead.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities at PNT.org/volunteer.
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Image: Volunteer Susan Ferguson has joined so many drop in work parties in Eastern Washington this year she’s become like an honorary member of our crew! |
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Volunteer Spotlight
One of our most dedicated volunteers, Susan Ferguson has joined so many drop in work parties in Eastern Washington this year she’s become like an honorary member of our crew! On her last trip, she joined us for a seven-day backcountry trip in the Pasayten Wilderness.
Susan first became interested in doing volunteer trail work with PNTA while section hiking the trail over four seasons. This year, her crown-to-coast journey will come to a close with a trip to Glacier National Park to complete the last 48 miles of the trail.
“While hiking the entire PNT, I found many trails, some I had hiked previously, in poor condition. Although that made for an adventurous hike, I realized that some rudimentary trail work might improve the PNT experience for some hikers,” said Susan.
“Trails are important because they provide access to God's great creation where we can find inspiration, strengthening, and relaxation. And public lands benefit our local economy here in Eastern Washington through the timber, recreational and hospitality industries.”
“Susan has become an integral member of our trail pack,” said PNTA regional coordinator Kristin Ackerman. “She has only been with us for a couple of months, but it feels like we've known her for many years.”
After she completes her section hike, Susan plans to continue volunteering along the PNT and is interested in learning more about trail design and in improving the trail along Leola Creek.
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Image: PNTA board member Aya Tsuruta installs a trail marker along the PNT.
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Updated Signage in Deception Pass State Park
Deception Pass State Park is Washington’s most-visited state park for a reason. Mysterious coves, rugged cliffs, jaw-dropping sunsets, and a stomach-dropping high bridge make this park a go-to for locals and international travelers alike. And now, the PNT is a little easier to enjoy there.
This May, several PNTA board members and staff hiked along the ten-mile stretch of the PNT in the popular park. They installed new Thunderbird markers along the route to make it easier to follow the PNT across Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands.
Margaret Hartzell, Stephen Simburg and PNTA’s newest board member, Aya Tsuruta joined PNTA’s Executive Director Jeff Kish, and Regional Coordinator Sterling Collins-Hill on the trip. The event marked the first time PNTA staff and board have met in person together since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Relaxed federal and state guidelines for mask-wearing and distancing for fully vaccinated people made the meeting feel like a “return to normal” for the organization.
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Join PNTA today! Membership supports trail stewardship programs for local youth and recreational opportunities for all.
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We're recruiting volunteers! Just one day of service can make a big difference in the future of the PNT!
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At long last, all of our hat styles and colors are back in stock — along with some great new items! Visit our web store to order yours while supplies last.
Every sale benefits the hard-working trail crews that maintain the PNT!
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Follow us on social media for trail updates, pictures and fun!
Use the hashtag #crowntocoast and we'll share your PNT pictures.
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Support the PNTA While You Shop! |
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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!
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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.
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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.
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