Blog Posts of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association

Over 2,122 Logs and Counting: The PNTA Performance Crews Are Hard At Work

Over 2,122 Logs and Counting: The PNTA Performance Crews Are Hard At Work With four hitches down and a few more to go, our performance trail crews are still working hard on the PNT. From clearing over 500 logs in a single hitch to maintaining hundreds of feet of tread, our performance trail crews continue…

Protecting the Wild Heart of the Pacific Northwest Trail: Why the Roadless Rule Matters

Protecting the Wild Heart of the Pacific Northwest Trail: Why the Roadless Rule Matters The Pacific Northwest Trail offers hikers an unparalleled journey across the wild heart of Washington, Idaho and Montana. From towering forests and clear-running streams to sweeping mountain vistas, the trail’s magic depends on landscapes that feel untouched. Much of that magic…

Small Crews Go To Great Lengths To Protect the PNT

Small Crews Go To Great Lengths To Protect the PNT Our performance trail crews have their boots on the trail and cross-cut saws in their hands — putting their time and grit into keeping the Pacific Northwest Trail open. From multi-day logouts to excavating giant boulders, our five PNTA Performance Crews are now completing their…

Land Management Cuts Continued: What to Expect in the Year Ahead

Last month, I wrote about how staffing and funding cuts to federal agencies and nonprofit partners like PNTA would likely impact the management of public lands. This is a report of the most recent developments for the PNT and what trail users should expect in the year ahead. Agency Budgets In March, congress averted a…

PNTA Executive Director in the United States Capitol in 2025.

Who Will Keep Our Trails Open? The Federal Cuts Threatening Public Lands

Pacific Northwest Trail Association’s Executive Director, Jeff Kish, recently flew to Washington, DC to advocate for the Pacific Northwest Trail, public lands in general, and the dedicated workers who care for them. Read below to learn what’s at stake. Since mid-February, the news that federal land management agencies have been forced to lay off…

November Trail Notes

Trail Notes is a monthly email that goes out to Pacific Northwest Trail Association members, providing a deeper look into the PNT, trail folks, and our organization. If you have a question about this month’s topic, send them to Robynlynn@pnt.org, – we may answer yours when we make this edition of Trail Notes public on our…

Washington End of Year Round- Ups Bring Trail Communities Closer

PNTA and trailside communities in Washington enjoyed two end-of-year Round-Ups to close out the 2024 trail season. On the evening of Thursday, October 10, 2024, over thirty members, trail angels, volunteers, curious community members, and trail users joined the PNTA staff and board to fill Wander Brewing in Bellingham, Washington. It was an enthusiastic crowd…

October Trail Notes

Fall is my favorite time to hike. The crisp, clear air and fewer people on the trail are ideal for steeper treks to spectacular views. But it’s also the time of year when I am reminded of the importance of emergency preparedness and training. Many years ago, I broke my leg and dislocated my shoulder…

What Heroes Look Like

Several recent articles and stories referenced a Facebook post. Here’s that piece in its entirety. I feel compelled to make this statement in regard to the rescue of the missing hiker, Robert Schock, in North Cascades National Park this past week, because I think there are some important details that are missing from recent public…

September Trail Notes

Development Manager Robyn Lynn kicked off September with a new monthly feature emailed to PNTA members called Trail Notes where she writes about the PNT, our work on it, and the people who use and love it. Members have an opportunity to have their questions about the topic answered when we post an expanded version…

Recovering the PNT in the Cascades

Since September 2022, when a lightning storm ignited the Brush Creek Fire in the North Cascades, our trail community has faced a temporary but serious setback. Access to a crucial part of the PNT has remained closed by the National Park Service since the fall of 2022. Although out-and-back trips into the heart of the…

PNT Historical Archive Project

In the late 1970’s, a backpacking trip taken by a young thru-hiker and a notable guidebook author sparked the vision for a new hiking trail between the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Ocean and a life-long commitment to earn it a place in the National Trails System. One day soon, visitors to our Sedro-Woolley headquarters will…

Blog Posts of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association

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