AdventuresNW
Start planning your hikes for the Washington Trail Association’s annual Hike-A-Thon fundraiser during August! You can register in mid-June, and you’ll be able to personalize your fundraising page on WTA.org and collect donations in support of trails. Follow WTA on Facebook for more information.
Washington Trails Day (wta.org/watrailsday) is June 27. Trails are essential to our health—get outside to enjoy and celebrate them on Washington Trails Day!
WTA’s advocacy team reports that WTA staff and volunteers contributed over 4,400 hours of layout, design, and volunteer trail work on trails at Olsen Creek State Forest in Bellingham and nearly 15,000 hours of trail maintenance in DNR’s Baker District since 2022. WTA recently wrote a letter of support for Washington’s DNR’s grant application for funding of the trail bridge to continue trail development at Olsen Creek.
Want to volunteer for trails? wta.org/get-involved/volunteer is the link to find trail work parties. This summer, WTA is working on Monte Cristo, Necklace Valley, and Baker Lake, among others. Even if your desired party is full, sign up on the waitlist!
Cathy Grinstead, born and raised in Northern California, spent her summers backpacking in the Sierra. In 2018, she retired from veterinary practice and moved to Bellingham to explore a different part of the world. She enjoys hiking, outrigger paddling, and snow sports, and loves all that Bellingham has to offer!
Joe Gonzalez is an outdoor storyteller and accomplished thru-hiker. He works on the Washington Trails Association’s communications team, where he helps share trail resources and empower hikers to champion public lands. When he’s not on the trail, you can find him foraging, paddling, or lost in a good story.
