Blog Posts of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association

Park Butte

Partnerships Restore the PNT at Park Butte

Above: Mt Baker and the Park Butte Lookout. Photo by Andy Porter.    Have you visited Park Butte?  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. The…
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Meet Our 2020 Crew Leaders

Get to know the dedicated trail crew leaders who lead PNTA Performance Trail Crews.  During our short summer season, our crew leaders mentor and train youth and young adults who serve on our trail crews, guiding them on long backcountry hitches in spectacular wild places while working on the 1,200 mile Pacific Northwest National Scenic…
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Our Field Season Begins

Before summer officially begins and visitors return to the remote reaches of the Pacific Northwest Trail, PNTA staff come together for our annual crew leader training event, an important preseason milestone for the Association. The annual week-long training event was done a little differently this year. Over the past months, PNTA staff have devoted considerable…
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Guidance for Visiting the PNT in the 2020 Season

For over forty years, our trail community has helped the PNTA to create and maintain the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, a world-class pathway that provides much needed opportunities for ALL to get outdoors and explore the scenic public lands across the Northwest. This year, traveling outside of our hometowns to enjoy the trail involves…
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The PNT in Montana

US Forest Service Accepting Applications for the PNNST Advisory Council

Since the very beginning, local stakeholders have had a seat at the table in the development of the Pacific Northwest Trail. The US Forest Service and Pacific Northwest Trail Association are seeking volunteers to help shape the future of the trail by serving on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council. Applications will be…
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COVID-19 Updates and the PNTA

As is the case around much of the world, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Washington, Idaho and Montana—including some PNT trailside communities. The president has declared a national emergency and has joined many local officials in recommending that all non-essential gatherings of ten or more people be postponed to help slow the…
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Hike the Hill

23rd Annual Hike the Hill Event

Each February, advocates from the Partnership for the National Trails System, the American Hiking Society, and the member organizations and affiliates who represent our 30 national scenic and historic trails assemble in Washington DC to Hike the Hill. This year, the Pacific Northwest Trail Association was represented by Executive Director, Jeff Kish and Senior Consultant,…
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Boundary Trail Pasayten Wilderness

Clearing a Path Through the Pasayten

How PNTA and our partners battled blowdowns and years of wildfire damage to restore access to the Boundary Trail in the Pasayten Wilderness Pressed up against the jagged peaks that guard our northern border between the arid Okanogan and the glacier-clad ranges of the North Cascades lies the 531,000-acre Pasayten Wilderness. Like all designated wilderness…
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Six Moon Designs Donation

Six Moon Designs Donation

On August 18th, 2019, Six Moon Designs, manufacturers of lightweight, high-quality, affordable backpacking equipment, made a generous donation of outdoor gear to the Association’s Performance Trail Crew program.  With new lightweight backpacks and tents, the youth and young adults who served on our backcountry trail crews this season were better equipped to reach remote worksites…
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PNTA Performance Trail Crew

Meet Our 2019 Performance Trail Crews

Meet the six hard-working trail crews that spend the summer working on the Pacific Northwest Trail. Our Performance Trail Crews are seasonal trail maintenance and construction teams that keep the Pacific Northwest Trail open for everyone to enjoy. Each season, we train youth and young adults from trailside communities to tend trails and camp out in…
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Meet Our 2019 Crew Leaders

Crew leader, Cat Sullivan leads our North Cascades Trail Crew. Photo by Thomas Gingrich. Crew leader, Kameron Walton returned for a 4th season to lead our crews in Eastern Washington. Assistant crew leader, Zac Skees joined our team this year bringing years of backcountry trail experience. Assistant crew leader, Carly Tryon poses with a chainsaw…
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The Parks For All Program helped to make Crew Leader Training possible

Preparing for the Season Ahead

  Each spring, before the trail melts out on the high passes or the first log of the season is cut, Pacific Northwest Trail Association staff come together for our annual crew leader training. This year’s training was held a short distance from the Pacific Northwest Trail at Camp Ortoha, a youth camp nestled among…
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