In This Issue
- Our Season Comes to a Close
- PNNST Advisory Council Renewed
- Project Thunderbird Update
- Crown to Coast Photos of the Month
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Members of our Olympic Performance Trail Crew met thru-hiker Tim "Tribhu" Plaza (second from left) while working on the Tubal Cain Trail this summer. Above: Our Eastern Pasayten Trail Crew spent the summer logging out the Boundary Trail.
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Our Season Comes to a Close
With the arrival of fall, our field season on the Pacific Northwest Trail has come to a close. Although we can usually count on a stark change in weather around October, snow came even earlier to the Rockies and Inland Northwest this year, with a September storm that dumped up to four feet of snow in parts of Northwest Montana.
Despite this surprise ending to our season, we had a great year working on the Pacific Northwest Trail!
We were fortunate that there wasn’t a single fire closure on the PNT during the 2019 season. Hikers were able to enjoy the entire trail system without temporary detours, and our Performance Trail Crews were able to get a lot of work done without any major interruptions from Mother Nature. It’s not uncommon for trail operations to be affected by wildfire activity in the Pacific Northwest.
Our season began in May
in Eastern Washington and then followed the retreating snowline from the Cold Springs Campground into the
Pasayten Wilderness
before it had completely melted out or even stopped snowing! Our Eastern Pasayten Trail Crew weathered two snow storms while out working on the trail this year.
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PNTA Trail Crews gave over 6,000 service hours in the Pasayten Wilderness in 2019
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By September, our youth trail crews wrapped up their last projects of the season on the Colville and Olympic National Forests, before returning to their studies.
The Association performs 80% of our seasonal maintenance with local youth from schools and gateway communities along the Pacific Northwest Trail.
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This season, we had five outstanding trail crews led by dedicated trail crew leaders who managed volunteer projects and trained the next generation of trail stewards while working on the PNT.
There were many ways to get involved with the upkeep of the trail this year. Our
Performance Trail Crews
provided opportunities for high school and college-age students to spend the summer working outdoors on long backcountry hitches — for up to ten days at a time — and helped them form lifelong connections to our cherished trails and public lands.
This year, PNTA Performance Trail Crews contributed nearly 13,740 hours in service to the PNT,
including 6,000 hours of work towards maintaining the Pasayten Wilderness. Other Performance Trail Crews were hard at work restoring the PNT on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (1,200 hours), Olympic National Forest (2,110 hours) and the Colville National Forest (4,430 hours).
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On the Olympic Peninsula, the
Quilcene Ranger Corps program
provided middle school-age youth the opportunity to spend two days a week practicing trail stewardship skills while helping to maintain the PNT on the
Olympic National Forest
. The program provides important opportunities for local youth to “unplug,” get outdoors and build teamwork skills.
There were more opportunities for volunteers to do dirt work too.
The Association expanded our volunteer program this year and hosted 16 volunteer events across the trail corridor.
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In addition to day-long volunteer work parties, we also created backcountry trip events for those interested in joining us for a full “backcountry hitch,” working and camping out on remote parts of the trail for up to a week at a time.
We were so pleased to see many volunteers return this season and to have newcomers join us as well. Our work wouldn’t be possible without their assistance and the support of our members and donors to our
Youth Crew Heroes campaign
. With their support, we achieved so much in 2019! Next year, look for more opportunities to get involved.
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PNNST Advisory Council Renewed
Big news! The charter for the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council was left to expire after the presidential administration change in 2017, and the comprehensive planning process for the PNNST has been on hold ever since.
A recent decision at the USDA to renew the Council will allow this important work to continue.
The
National Trails System Act of 1968
and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act
require the establishment of a National Scenic Trail Advisory Council in order to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture in order to develop a Comprehensive Management Plan for a newly designated National Scenic Trail, such as the PNNST.
The PNNST Advisory Council includes a diverse and knowledgeable set of local stakeholders that work together to develop a set of standards, objectives and practices for the Trail.
Until the
Comprehensive Management Plan
is complete, many decisions that affect the enhancement of the PNT have been on hold. This has forestalled some of the PNTA’s efforts to ensure permanent public access to certain parts of the trail with land acquisition programs, the establishment of terminus monuments and certain trail markers and signage, and the approval of certain trail relocations to provide the “non-motorized tread” required by the National Trails System Act
—
among other matters related to the administration and management of the trail.
The Association fully supports the decision at the USDA to renew the Council and looks forward to participating in the process. The PNTA will continue to share updates and opportunities for public comment, and other ways to get involved and contribute to the process in the future. Additional information can also be found by visiting the
Council's website
.
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Visit pnt.org to explore an interactive map and register of donors to Project Thunderbird.
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Project Thunderbird Update
Thanks to supporters of our Youth Crew Heroes campaign last year,
the iconic Thunderbird service mark is helping more visitors discover the Pacific Northwest Trail!
This season, we put your gifts to work toward the upkeep of the trail and have come closer to our goal of installing Thunderbird reassurance trail markers at all key locations to honor those who donated to the campaign at the $100 giving level. You can visit our website at the link below to explore an interactive map and register of the donors who helped make it all possible.
Although we have come closer to our goal, there is still more work to do with hundreds of miles of trail left unsigned and unblazed. Not only can this add to the challenge of wayfinding along the Pacific Northwest Trail, the missing signage also represents a lost opportunity to help casual trail users discover the National significance of the trail system
and all of the scenic wonders it helps showcase and protect.
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This Giving Tuesday,
look for new opportunities to get involved and learn how you can leave a lasting legacy to one of America’s newest National Scenic Trails by giving to our
Youth Crew Heroes Campaign
.
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#CrowntoCoast is the official hashtag for the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail.
I
t's not just for thru-hikers, it can be used by anyone who wanders on the trail.
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Crown to Coast Photos of the Month
What power does a hashtag hold?
Whether you work or play on the PNT, are an armchair adventurer, a volunteer, or a weekend warrior, you can join our online community and share in some of those special moments from the trail by exploring and sharing images tagged
#CrowntoCoast
. It’s not just for thru-hikers, the official hashtag is for anyone who wanders on the Pacific Northwest Trail.
When combined with a keyword, one special character can do a lot to help the next generation discover the wonders of the PNT. It can also help bring our trail community together and encourage sustainable use of the trail system.
Before you share online,
be sure to consider the potential impacts and unintended consequences your post may have on our natural resources and other visitors. One way to help minimize possible effects are by using new tagging and posting strategies.
When using hashtags to describe your outdoor photography, you may opt to use tags that describe a more general location (such as a National Forest) than more specific place names or geotags (that contain precise coordinate data). Online viewers can still enjoy posts without precise location info, but they may need to do more research before visiting these areas. Hopefully, they will become more prepared to have a safe, enjoyable and responsible trip in the process of learning about the area before they go.
Social media has the power to have a positive influence on our behavior while visiting our cherished public lands. Our partners at the
Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
have provided new social media guidance on their blog with many great tips to encourage and inspire other outdoor enthusiasts to collectively care for these special places.
Thank you for doing your part to help protect the trail for visitors today and for generations to come.
And remember to use the hashtag #CrowntoCoast
for a chance to be regrammed on the Association’s Instagram account or featured in our newsletter!
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Brooke Asbury
@trailinggaia
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Dyana Carmella
@dyanacarmella
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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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