Above: Mt Baker and the Park Butte Lookout. Photo by Andy Porter. 
Fall 2020
In This Issue

  • Partnerships Restore Park Butte
  • Outstanding Leadership
  • Congrats for Recreating Responsibly
  • Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • NEWSTART Survey
BCHW volunteer, Bill McKenna and PNTA trail crew members Megan and Peder work to build a new puncheon walkway along the Park Butte Trail/ PNT.
Partnerships Restore Park Butte

Have you visited the Park Butte Trail?

Many different adventures begin on this special part of the Pacific Northwest Trail. With its gentle grade and spectacular views, it’s no wonder that it’s among the most cherished destinations on the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

While National Scenic Trails may be famous for showcasing destinations like this one, the PNT is also loved for all of the quiet places it visits in between the Crown of the Continent and the rugged shores of the Pacific Coast.

Keeping these lesser-known trails in shape is important too, and not just for those traveling long-distances on foot or those avoiding crowded trailheads during the pandemic. Horseback riders are an important, yet often overlooked group of outdoorists.

Keeping trails stock-friendly is more important than many outdoorists realize. Not only do horseback riders deserve access to trails as much as any other group — both professional and volunteer equestrians use their animals to pack in heavy gear and construction materials to backcountry trail crews. They also help maintain access for all visitors by ensuring that seasonal footbridges are installed and removed in many areas along the Pacific Northwest Trail. 

At our blog, learn how the PNTA and our partners worked together to overcome a challenging season and wrap up a four-year project to restore access to over 16 miles of the PNT for hikers and equestrians alike.
Image: PNTA crew leader Sidney Scarlett poses at a new signpost on the Kettle Crest Trail system on the Colville National Forest.
Outstanding Leadership

What does it take to lead a backcountry trail crew? It involves more than building trails! PNTA crew leaders have a passion for shaping meaningful outdoor experiences for all who work and play on the Pacific Northwest Trail. 

Each season, crew members learn to overcome real challenges together. During the pandemic, our crews shouldered some additional burdens while working on the trail. 

We are pleased to report that after being equipped with new tools and training, our trail crew leaders demonstrated outstanding leadership this season and helped ensure another successful season working on the PNT!

While many trail-based organizations, including the PNTA, were impacted by the pandemic, the Association was able to make adjustments to our Performance Trail Crew program that allowed our crews to work safely — and to operate near 100% capacity in the 2020 season.

Way to go, Kelly, Nate, Sean, Ryan, Austin, Stuart, Forest, Matthew, Kam and Sidney! 

Thanks to the work of these #YouthCrewHeroes — and your support — our work to enhance and protect the PNT has continued even through these challenging times.

Get to know these amazing crew leaders at our blog.
Congrats for Recreating Responsibly in 2020

With our season on the Pacific Northwest Trail coming to a close, we would like to pause to give thanks to our trail community for their uncommon patience, understanding and support.

During trying times like these, it’s easy to appreciate the value of trails and the escape they provide. Whether you ventured outside or opted for a virtual visit, we would like to thank you for joining the movement to #RecreateResponsibly during this unprecedented season on the Pacific Northwest Trail.

Those who helped to further protect our trail community by following the PNTA’s pandemic guidelines have also earned our gratitude and respect. 

We know first-hand how much folks invest and sacrifice to plan adventures on the PNT and to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family. We feel a great sense of empathy for all whose lives were changed by this crisis in so many different ways. 

Despite a sharp drop in long-distance hikers during the pandemic, pressure on our outdoor recreation infrastructure across the Northwest reached unprecedented levels this year, and many of our favorite outdoor spaces have been strained by visitors during these difficult times. 

Now, we must work together to protect them for all communities for generations to come.

If you’re in a position to make a financial gift to help support our work to safeguard the Pacific Northwest Trail, please visit us online, today. Even a small gift can help to enhance the PNT and support the #YouthCrewHeroes that help to maintain it.
Image: PNTA Performance Trail Crew members hard at work building stone check steps on the PNT/ Boundary Trail in the Pasayten Wilderness in 2020.
Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act

You did it! With your support, congress approved the Great American Outdoors Act with broad bipartisan support!

This landmark legislation will both fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and help address the multibillion-dollar maintenance backlog of recreation and conservation needs in every state and county across the country.

When maintenance is postponed on the trails and recreation areas we love, long-term problems can make it harder to visit these special places. This law will ensure that they remain protected and accessible for all communities for generations to come by providing permanent funding for our nation's public lands and open spaces.

For updates about how the Great American Outdoors Act will help to protect and enhance the Pacific Northwest Trail, visit PNT.org. Learn more about the GAOA at the link below.
Image: The PNT / Kettle Crest Trail offers views of the magnificent fall color that can be found on the Colville National Forest.
NEWSTART Survey

If you love the Pacific Northwest Trail, please take this survey created by the Northeast Washington Sustainable Tourism and Recreation Team (NEWSTART).

For the past several months, Regional Coordinator Kristin Ackerman has been working side by side with a diverse group of trail advocates and land managers to develop a strategic plan for trail development and stewardship in Northeast Washington.

This wild and remote part of the country features the iconic Kettle Crest and Shedroof Divide portions of the PNT, and many other cherished scenic trails.

So let your voice be heard! This survey provides a great opportunity to advocate for a wild, connected and protected Pacific Northwest Trail.
Image: Views of Lake Campbell and the islands of the Puget Sound from the summit of Mt Erie on the Anacortes Community Forest Lands.
Join us for Past Virtual Events

It's not too late to join PNTA staff Sterling Collins-Hill and Eric Wollborg and the Friends of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. In this virtual event we explore the intersection between the 1,200 mile National Scenic Trail corridor and the special six mile trail segment that traverses the heart of the ACFL in the Puget Sound.


We would like to thank everyone for joining us for a live virtual film screening and Q&A with filmmaker and thru-hiker Alex Maier this summer. If you missed this unforgettable event hosted by The Mountaineers, you can still view the first feature-length film about the PNT at the link below. Maier’s film, A Sense of Direction, captures the camaraderie and friendships he forged during his first thru-hike in 2015.

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