Washington Trails Association volunteers work on the Tursi Trail on Fidalgo Island. The trail officially opens to the public on June 4.

Washington Trails Association volunteers work on the Tursi Trail on Fidalgo Island. The trail officially opens to the public on June 4.

For hikers, National Trails Day is a labor of love

  • By Jessi Loerch Herald writer
  • Friday, May 27, 2016 3:33pm
  • LifeExplore NW

Do you hike? If you do, perhaps it’s time to give a little love to the trails.

Saturday is National Trails Day, which was started by the American Hiking Society in the late 1980s. The idea was to create a day when the trail community could give back to the places where they go to play, said Kindra Ramos, director of communications and outreach at the Washington Trails Association.

WTA has work parties across the state on Saturday. Although, as Ramos points out, pretty much every day is trails day at WTA, which has work parties Tuesday to Sunday all year. Sign up for any of those events at www.wta.org/volunteer.

Here’s a roundup of events in Northwest Washington. Not all of them are work parties, so if you’d rather simply get you and your family outside, you can do that, too. All events are June 4 unless otherwise noted.

3 O’clock Rock

8:30 a.m., The Mountaineers, U.S. Forest Service, Washington Climbers Coalition

Crews will be improving trails to the climbing area at 3 O’Clock Rock near Darrington. Register at http://bit.ly/1TCO6We. .

Ira Spring Memorial Trail

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Ira Spring Trailhead, The Mountaineers

Help spruce up the first mile of this trail that leads to many popular destinations off of I-90. Register at http://bit.ly/1sd9z19.

Pacific Crest Trail

8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Stampede Pass, The Mountaineers

Crews will clear drainage and cut back overgrown vegetation. Meet at 8 a.m. and carpool to the site. Details and sign up: http://bit.ly/1TLPgSG.

Volcano View Trail

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Mount St. Helens, WTA

Crews will be do trail work and restore vegetation. Sign up at www.wta.org.

Ridley Creek

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., off Mount Baker Highway, WTA

This trail provides access to the south side of Mount Baker. It needs a lot of work after years without maintenance. Work may include clearing logs, cutting back overgrown vegetation and improving drainage and tread. Hike is about 2 to 4 miles roundtrip. Sign up at www.wta.org.

Duckabush River

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 4 and/or June 5, Olympic Peninsula near Hood Canal, WTA

This is a pretty, low-elevation hike. Crews will repair a rock wall that supports the trail and work on drainage and tread repair. Hike is about 5 miles roundtrip. Sign up at www.wta.org.

Sunrise/White River

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Mount Rainier National Park’s northeast corner, WTA

Crews will clear winter damage to trails in the lower elevation in Mount Rainier National Park. Work could include clearing debris, retreading and removing overgrown vegetation. Hikes will be about 2 to 4 miles roundtrip. Sign up at www.wta.org.

Cold Creek Pond Trail

8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., North Bend, Snoqualmie Valley Trails Club

Gather at the North Bend Depot parking lot and then head to the trail for general clean up. Bring a lunch, gloves and hand tools. Get details at potter.d@ghc.org or 425-885-9269.

Hidden Valley Trail

9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Seattle’s Discovery Park, Seattle Trails

Work will improve the grade and surface on trails. Tools and gloves provided. RSVP to trails@seattle.gov.

Pickering Reach

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., full or half day, Issaquah, Mountains to Sound Greenway

Volunteers will join in the removal of invasive plants along streams. Sign up at mtsgreenway.org.

Tiger Mountain

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., near Issaquah, Mountains to Sound Greenway

Crews will repair trails damaged by heavy use. Sign up at mtsgreenway.org.

Redmond Watershed Preserve

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Woodinville, Redmond Parks &Recreation

Crews will resurface a section of trail with gravel. Tools, training and snacks provided. Bring gloves. Sign up at http://bit.ly/1TCukKg.

Heybrook Lookout family hike

9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Heybrook Lookout off of U.S. 2, Hike It Baby Seattle

Take a family-friendly hike to Heybrook fire lookout. The somewhat-rough trail is about 5 miles roundtrip with 850 feet of gain. Meet at trailhead just east of mile marker 37 on U.S. 2. Email karynhikeitbaby@gmail.com for more information.

Joseph Whidbey State Park

10:30 a.m. to noon, Whidbey State Park, Hike it Baby Whidbey Island

Join other parents for a walk with your young kid in a carrier. Hikes is about 2.5 miles and might be muddy. Meet at corner of Swantown and Crosby roads. Email sharlie.hikeitbaby@gmail.com for more information.

Urban walk

9 a.m. to noon, EdCC, Sound Steppers Volkssport Club

A 6-mile loop, clearly marked, through Edmonds. Sign up to begin at the EdCC courtyard. Details: soundsteppers.org.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.