If the mountains in the near distance seem to call out to you, then you should know Washington Trails Association exists and is your friend and has been for 50 years.
On Saturday, September 17th, at Snoqualmie Point Park, the largest hiking nonprofit in the state will be throwing a field day in the mountains to celebrate its golden anniversary.
It looks like there's an activity for every kind of adventurer. My nerds: there's a geocaching treasure hunt. My day-hikers: Rattlesnake Mountain's trailhead is accessible from the park. My campers: REI is going to share their favorite hot plate recipes and teach you how to navigate in the wilderness. My hedonists: There's going to be food trucks, beer, cider, and wine.
Many of you old-time outdoorsy types are probably familiar with WTA. In addition to maintaining trails, training hikers and campers to leave no trace, and advocating for trail/wilderness preservation efforts, they keep a comprehensive online hiking guide to the mountains in the area. Users update fellow hikers on trail/road conditions, first blooms, huckleberry availability, chipmunk prevalence, and any hoary marmot sightings.
Louise Marshall founded WTA back in 1966. Advocacy and outreach associate Frances Chiem says the organization began as a newsletter for backpackers that Marshall printed out of her red barn. Since then, WTA has grown to include over 14,000 members and 4,000 volunteers.
Though the organization has grown, and though Washington has seen an increase in the number of people using parks and trails, state and national funding for the trails has declined.
"Mount Rainier National Park," Chiem cites as a quick example, "faces a backlog of $300 million in deferred maintenance for everything from basic park amenities like bathrooms and visitor centers to campsites and trail maintenance."
Meanwhile, Chiem adds, "The outdoor recreation economy is worth $22 billion in Washington state alone, and generates $1.6 billion in local and state tax revenue, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. The outdoors are an economic powerhouse, but at the national level they're not being treated that way."
If you play around in the mountains every weekend, a noble sense of stewardship, or just good ol' fashioned guilt, or a combination of those two emotions may have arisen within you. So after a little hike up Rattlesnake Mountain (and after a few beers) on Saturday, you might talk to one of those WTA people about what they do to preserve the wilderness your Instagram followers love so much. If so moved, you might at least become a member or offer to volunteer. Opportunities range from picking up a shovel to picking up a phone.
For the new people who have always been MEANING to see what those mountains look like up close (hi students! hi tech people! hi immigrants! hi artists trying to escape the hustle and bustle of NYC! hi combinations of all or some of those identities!): just go play outside and enjoy the rest of what light we have left.
